Fliflet
2
Camping by boat on the Point Reyes National Seashore gave me more adventure than I bargained for, despite the incongruity of placid milk cows and well-heeled hikers as witnesses to my quest for a deeper understanding of California. I’ll be transferring to Hillsdale College in Michigan this fall. Like most Santa Rosa Junior College students about to embark on their long anticipated next thing, I feel a great need to collect a concrete sense of home here in Northern California before I leave it for the next few years.
This is where I grew up and as I prepare to leave, I’ve been trying to experience all the things that give this place haecceity, its thisness, its unrepeatable texture of place. I didn’t have any plans for spring break this year, but when a week of forecast rain cleared just as I had some time to spare, I elected to go camping. Point Reyes National Seashore is a 71,000 acre preserve, just south of Bodega Bay and north of Bolinas.
Photo by Rosemary Cromwell
The Tomales Peninsula, west of greater Marin, sits on the other side of the San Andreas Fault line, like some new continent with geography alien to the region within 300 miles. The bay, where I was sailing, ebbs and flows with the tides over the tectonic transfer fault while the plates grind and stress and buckle, storing an earthmoving tension.
Photo by: Henry Fliflet
At the boat launch, I readied my 13-foot dinghy methodically. The bay was glassy, and I could see the reflection of the trees and beaches stretching way out onto the mirror-like water. A group of men stood on the dock, chatting loudly in Spanish. They wore orange PVC bibs and sunglasses, waiting to go work on the oyster beds. One of them waved at me.
“Are you going camping?” he asked.
“Sure, man. I’m just hoping the wind picks up some,” I replied.
“Have fun out there. The wind always picks up in the afternoons.”
4
I come from a line of Okies and cowboys, Dust Bowlers to whom a steer in the freezer sufficed for a dowry and any abstract conception of success in this state was imagined in terms of horseflesh.
And as such, I reckon that an inextricable aspect of my relationship with this state — with what makes California unique to me — is the relationship my forebearers had with it.
They ended up in the Central Valley and the foothills skirting the Sierra Nevada, in places like Hornitos and Turlock and Oakdale, but sailing toward the pastureland on Point Reyes stirred in me some uncultivated appreciation for stockmen and open spaces.
In January, the Nature Conservancy announced it had reached an agreement with the dairy owners at Point Reyes, who had leased the land from the National Parks Service since the ’60s in a tradition (or something like that anyways) that started when vaqueros began running cattle here at the beginning of the 18th century.
For an undisclosed sum, the Nature Conservancy bought out the ranchers, ending the decades-old land dispute over the future of the peninsula.
Nobody was entitled to leases on national land forever, and the teardown of the elk fence will hopefully stop the elk die-offs every time a major drought strikes the region, although I’m skeptical that the wilderness there will be untrammeled for a long, long time.
Thinking all of these things as I sailed, the rough wooden posts of the soon-tobe-gone elk fence seemed significant, like markers of some delineation in my California past and future.
5
I was wearing Burke offshore bibs over blue jeans and a hoodie with Xtratuf deck boots over wool socks when we capsized. The water was cold, and before I could swim around to the
A herd of Tule Elk graze on the tan grasslands of the Tomales Point trail, which takes visitors to the furthest north point within Point Reyes. The trail is also located within an elk reserve.
Photo by Rosemary Cromwell
Fried SPAM and ramen cook over a drift wood fire in Point Reyes National Seashore
Photo by Henry Fliflet
Photo by Rosemary Cromwell
Graphic by Ellie Kohtz
daggerboard, the boat turned turtle, all the way upside down. Twice I tried to lever the boat up, fiberglass and wood creaking while brackish water streamed off the red sail.
Twice she capsized again. As soon as the sail was out of the water, it would fill with wind and beat the boat upright, then over and on top of me where I floated. I shouted something obscene.
Everything was action and the sense that I really actually could drown in Tomales Bay this afternoon, just as easily as in the mid-Pacific.
I swam back to the transom and cut the traveler line so that the boom could stream out free without catching any wind.
“Alright, dude, you’re not going to die out here,” I shouted to myself. I was getting tired, so I hung onto the rudder and took stock of my situation for the first time.
“Stay with the boat,” is the doctrine taught by the Coast Guard, but I decided then that if I was still unsuccessful after another 10 or 15 minutes, I would cut my drybags loose for flotation, inflate my vest and swim to shore before I exhausted myself in the cold water.
I didn’t fancy the long, long, drift down to Point Reyes Station.
The upside-down boat, with all of my gear lashed on the deck, was slowly drifting downwind and I could not get
her to turn into it so that the sail would not fill and capsize the boat.
I grabbed the daggerboard, levered the boat halfway up and with the mast still in the water but not dragging like a sea anchor, managed to paddle up into the wind and right the boat.
I was onboard in a flash, learily watching the pumping mast flex the deck, threatening to come crashing down at any minute.
I crawled over my dripping tent and muscled the mast back into its step. Time to get ashore.
6
There is an archaic texture to the language of boat lore, maybe even a touch of the grotesque.
To come about, to daub with an adze, to scandalize a gaff, to pay a seam, to fall off, to make fast, to cut a rebate or to cork the carvel hull of a pretty cat-yawl: each describes an action so specific and so essential that to sterilize each into a progressive form would require too many words in explanation, and, the greater crime, sever that comforting link to the iron men in their wooden boats who left something of their character, their hard chances, and their mythos in the verbiage we still cleave to.
Henry Flifet's boat docks along a beach on Tomales Bay as the sun sets on a long day.
Photo by Henry Fliflet
Horseback riders stroll around the tan grasslands of the Tomales Point Trail.
Photos by Rosemary Cromwell
From feasting on focaccia in Florence to lapping up lager in London, the Santa Rosa Junior College study abroad program offers students a chance to explore the world through education with the American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS.) You can spend the spring semester in Florence, Italy, or visit either Barcelona, Catalonia, or London, England, on a rotating basis in the fall. The summer semester sees students off to a variety of destinations depending on the SRJC program offered, with the next group headed to Cusco, Peru.
With various housing options and travel packages included in each program, it may sound like all you have to do is pack a bag before you’re ready to set sail. However, after spending fall 2024 in London (and spring 2025 reminiscing), we’ve realized there are four things we wish we’d known before we swiped our cards for a semester abroad.
Where will you live?
You might have heard of the city you’re traveling to, but what do you really know about the place you’re going to call home for a semester? Before you settle into your new digs, research what area of the city you’ll be living in and the names of places around it. Be sure to know exactly what is included
by Lola Eiseman
in your housing plan — AIFS offered students heading to London a stay with a local family in their home included in the $9,495 program tuition, or a dorm-style “apartment” option for an additional $1,755. This so-called apartment was provided by iQ, a student housing company owned and operated by the real-estate investment firm Blackstone. What we got was not what we paid for — instead of an apartment or a traditional British flat, students were housed in dorms with five others where they shared everything by default except their bathrooms and beds.
Our dorm didn’t have hot water most of the time, but don’t worry: we had enough black mold, broken lights and pantry mice to go around. These surprise amenities weren’t listed in our housing brochure, but the essentials we ended up having to buy certainly were. Be prepared to purchase linens, cleaning supplies and other household necessities. Housing options vary between programs, so it’s key to research where you’re going to be staying and what amenities the building offers. Students heading to Florence can expect apartmentstyle living without a homestay family monitoring them, according to the SRJC Florence brochure and multiple student testimonials.
Who you live with is equally important, as the best roommate can save you from the drudgery of dorm squalor, and a bad one can lead to a semester that feels more like Dante’s Inferno. In our lived worst-case scenario, a 40-something man named “Ted” was allowed to embark on the journey with us (all ages are allowed to attend.) He registered after the deadlines, paid in full and skipped the mandatory AIFS predeparture meeting. During the two weeks he spent in London before AIFS officials removed him quite literally kicking and screaming; he managed to leer at younger women classmates, chainsmoke in his room and dorm’s common area, make racist comments in the few classes he attended, drink profusely and publicly at all hours of the day, corral two of his roommates into the kitchen to show them the “Death Hand,” watch a live pornographic webcamming site on the shared TV, get kicked out of iQ Tufnell and overall provide a perfect example for why SRJC needs to follow in the footsteps of some NCSAC colleges and require interviews for potential study abroad candidates.
This experience is obviously an anomaly, and students traveling with schools that did require interviews caused just as many problems. While only two were expelled for
Photo by Zoe Steiner
PhotobyAndrewSappal
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The streets of Soho are full of life; known for its lively nightlife, shopping options, dining and occasional risque vibes, Soho serves as a hub for the LGBTQ+ community, with bustling gay and lesbian bars. Bottom: Big Ben, otherwise known as the Elizabeth Tower, illuminates the London skyline on Nov. 22, 2024, with the help of Ayrton Lights, which were installed in 1885, at the request of Queen Victoria. SRJC offers a Study Abroad program to London every other fall.
failing to meet academic requirements and attend classes, many troublemakers were able to stay until the end of the program. As with any group of college-aged people living in close quarters, there will be drama: tears and screaming included. Be prepared for drunk, loud, obnoxious, messy, rude and delinquent attendees journeying with you — but remember; everyone is going through culture shock and the frantic adjustment to living in a new city, so give them (an appropriate amount of) lenience.
Putting the study in abroad
What you learn is just as important as which nightclub you’re going to and where you’re flying next weekend. You have the rare opportunity to party in a place you’ve never been, so you might not want to pick a demanding course load that has you socializing with a screen instead of living it up with locals. Learning while abroad is a noble goal, but it is far harder to focus on formulas and facts when the siren of a new city is singing your name. Still, your most frequented club will be your classroom, so be sure to figure out how to get to it as soon as possible. Though AIFS initially promised housing in the same Central London neighborhood as our classes, both homestay and dorm students became intimately acquainted with the London Underground as trips to and from Islington took nearly an hour each way. If your program is anything like ours, however, then time spent on the tube will be a welcome respite from classroom chaos.
The (medical) essentials
Keep note of the closest doctor’s office and hospital in your city, even if you don’t think you’ll need to go. Be sure to memorize the emergency numbers for every country you’re living or traveling in, and a few crucial words in the main languages while you’re at it. AIFS works with the international insurance company CISI, which offers 100% coverage for a variety of health-related incidents. Though this is a better deal than you’ll ever find in the home of the brave, the process of getting that coverage is enough to land you right back in the doctor’s office. If you end up needing to take advantage of the free health insurance, keep every receipt and a copy of the claim form you turn in, in the (unfortunately likely) case that you’ll have to nag CISI to receive your refund.
Making the most of it
Your first impression of everyone is wrong. This was a lesson we continually learned through our time in London, whether it was the impression we had of our classmates,
our instructors or even our neighbors in our dorm community. As we mentioned earlier, the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment caused us all to revert back to mindsets reminiscent of adolescence, with cliques and herd mentality taking center stage. Students shouting out unrelated and unwanted anecdotes during lectures made our college classrooms feel more like high school auditoriums. Our classmates continuously disrespected professors by flipping them off, loudly planning weekend trips mid-class and outright insulting them. Teaching a group of uninterested 20-somethings is hard enough without the added pressure of doing it in an unfamiliar environment. Give everyone two chances — they’re adjusting to living in a new country the same as you are.
The line between studying and traveling is thin but well worth walking. Take advantage of the three-day weekends that AIFS programs offer and plan trips from Thursday evening to Sunday. Do assignments ahead of time so you aren’t forced to write an essay about the Mona Lisa when you could be staring into her vacant eyes. For the biggest bang for your buck, use apps like Skyscanner that track flights and show you the cheapest options for your destination of choice. Ryanair and EasyJet will get you pretty much anywhere in Europe quickly and without breaking the bank, but pack lightly — only a backpack is included in the cost of a ticket, and the addition of a carry-on is equivalent to the cost of your ticket. Be mindful of who you choose to travel with, but don’t miss out on the opportunity to bond with people who could become your lifelong friends.
Why would I do this to myself?
While this might read like a horror story of a misspent semester, we can confidently say that if given the chance, we would do it again a thousand times over. The experience of integrating into a new culture, travelling the world, pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones, making new friends (and enemies) and drinking legally is one we won’t soon forget. Without London — both the good and the moldy — we wouldn’t have discovered parts of ourselves we could only find across the world, and we wouldn’t have this story to share. And really, when you sign up for a three-month international vacation filled with chaos, debauchery and a little bit of learning, isn’t the point to have a good story to tell back home?
Photo by Rosemary Cromwell
Photo by Zoe Steiner
Photo by Rosemary Cromwell
collecting tips along the way and placing a leg on a lucky patrons’ shoulders.
Succeeding DelValle’s performance was Dolly Levi, a stunningly experienced performer who commanded the room’s attention like no other. Upbeat music and a fun production once again changed the room’s attitude.
Puerto Rican drag queen April Carrion emerged from out of sight and made their way to the limelight, encapsulated in a panopticon that was meant to be broken out of. Dredged in a sheer cloak that flowed like the smooth stream of spilt sauvignon, revealing the pinot that lay underneath.
My gaze was then penetrated by a vulgar sight of resistance, a waltz of seduction that served to attract my vestal eyes. The bundle of dollar bills bulged in my hand until I released, showering them into the elegant queen in front of me.
The drag show was a sight of beauty, a look into a world and culture that I hadn’t known prior. In taking the time to see what I’ve only heard about, I managed to double my playing field. The alluring show produced by the tetrad of stunning queens shouldn’t be something exclusive to the City of Angels, but should rather stretch to every corner of the country just as those performing do.
I’ve been 21 years old for about six months, and I’m looking for the right way to celebrate my newfound freedom. Some people go to bars, but to me this is a waste of time. Why would I spend my hard-earned cash on drinking piss-water that poisons my liver? Not interested.
I saw my freedom as an opportunity to make some easy money. I would look for it at the same place any self-respecting broke college student would: the wheel of chance.
If I got lucky, I could alleviate my crippling college debt. I’m fixing to finish my education at Santa Rosa Junior College next year, but I’ve found that the JC is more inclined to let me enroll in classes when I pay for them.
In case you missed it, the living wage in Santa Rosa is about $27 an hour for a 40-hour work week. Considering I make nowhere close to that, I had to get creative.
Last fall, my good friend and former Oak Leaf editor Sal Sandoval-Garduno ventured to the Mojave Desert in search of gold to pay for his tuition. I haven’t seen him since so it must have worked out for him.
Inspired by Sal’s journey, I had to get-richquick quicker than it would take to get to the Mojave, so I needed another, even more lucrative idea.
Sports betting
It came to me while I was watching a baseball game on my favorite, extremely legal and legitimate streaming service, MethStreams. I picked a random team to watch, the Cincinnati Reds, and there it was — FanDuel Sports Network.
FanDuel, in addition to broadcasting for 40 major U.S. sports teams, is one of the largest sports-betting companies in the country.
Of course! Why slouch on my couch just watching games when I could bet on them and pull in that sweet, passive income?
Sadly, FanDuel’s sportsbook isn’t available in California, but I found a workaround. My “daily fantasy” app of choice in my state is PrizePicks.
Because state law prohibits sports betting, bigger platforms like FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM can’t legally operate here. PrizePicks, however, is classified as a fantasy sports app — where you use knowledge of sports to set a lineup of players, as opposed to simply betting on an outcome.
It’s little more than a loophole, but I respect that. Good on them. Good on me. Time to run it up.
I made my deposit and looked to the board, but the answer was already on my MethStreams screen.
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz — power, speed, finesse. The man is baseball perfection incarnate. A five-tool demigod.
Over 1.5 combined hits, runs and RBI? He could do it with two hits, or a hit and an RBI,
Illustration by: Nathan Kaito Morris
Illustration
down and staying grounded? Simple self-regulation practices — like breathwork, sensory awareness and spending time in nature can help calm the nervous system, boost focus and improve emotional balance.
Just as ecosystems adapt to change through diversity and balance, students can develop inner resilience by tuning in to their bodies and environments.
Nature offers a powerful metaphor: trees bend in the wind, mycelial networks support forest ecosystems, tides rise and fall. These patterns remind us that adaptability — not perfection — is key to thriving.
Slowing down isn’t about falling behind, it’s about building the focus and resilience to move forward with clarity. In the healing classroom, we’re not just learning facts; we’re learning how to be present, regulate stress and adapt with purpose.
So take a breath. Step outside. Tune in. Your nervous system — and your GPA — will thank you.
Research by the NCHA has shown that self-regulatory techniques
by Nathan Kaito Morris
enhance autonomic, cerebral and psychological flexibility. They have also found evidence linking parasympathetic activity to central nervous system functions related to emotional control and psychological well-being, according to Frontiers in Human Neuroscience at the National Library of Medicine.
Techniques
- Box breathing : Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat for two to three minutes.
- Sensory reset: Tune into your senses — pause to notice five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste.
- Nature connection : Take a 10minute walk outside. Notice textures, colors, light and sounds. Let your attention rest in the present moment. Try it barefoot for added sensory balance.
- Movement breaks : Stretch between classes, roll your shoulders, or try a few yoga poses to release tension and reset focus.
Kristina headed to her daughter’s school to deliver the news. This likely meant that her softball career would be over.
“Having to take her out of class to tell her killed me,” Kristina said. “But I knew I had to tell her or she’d be going to practice that day and who knows what could happen. There was no way I could wait.”
Heartbroken at the thought, Gabby knew there had to be a way to get back on the field.
After meeting with her cardiac team, they devised a plan that would potentially allow her to play with limitations in place. Like Vinnie, she’d need to undergo surgery to have an ICD placed that would deliver shocks for her arrhythmias, and she’d have to take medication that would affect her ability to keep up the same pace as her teammates.
“My team really helped me through so much of it,” Gabby said. “They surprised me with these red shirts that said ‘Wear Red for Gabby’ on the day I was having my surgery. There was also a bracelet that I still wear whenever I can.”
On the day of her surgery, another teammate’s mother surprised Gabby with a FaceTime of her teammates wishing her luck before she had her device implanted.
Six months after surgery and extensive rehab, Gabby was set to start for Rancho Cotate High School’s softball team with a newly minted ICD, but tore her meniscus, benching her for junior year.
She recovered from the tear and had a monster last year of high school. During one of Rancho Cotate High’s “Friday Night Lights” games, coach Green watched Gabby play and recruited her for the Bear Cubs. Gabby's mom could not be prouder of all that she has overcome.
“The way Gabby has been able to navigate through all of the obstacles that life has thrown at her, it’s such a blessing,” Kristina said. “I’m so proud to be their mom. It hasn’t always been easy. I’ve always said faith over fear. We have definitely been tested as a family, but we’ve come through stronger each time and for that I’m so grateful.”
Bear Cub territory
Gabby graduated from Rancho Cotate in May 2022 and began attending SRJC the following fall. On her first day of strength training, a familiar face crossed her path, bringing her experiences full circle.
Thompson, the first responder who took over compressions on her brother, now stood in SRJC’s weight room. He had retired from the police force in 2019 prior to working with the SRJC softball team as an athletic trainer.
For Gabby, the room went still the moment she saw Thompson. “The first day of my freshman year, I guess he was the new trainer. We walked in and I kept thinking this guy looked so familiar to me. I asked him if he saved a little boy’s life way back when and he said yes.”
For Thompson, the moment was equally special. “I’m sitting in the weight room doing strength and conditioning after being invited to work with the team,” Thompson said. “And then [Gabby] walks in and tied it all together. It didn’t dawn on me, but they introduced her and said, ‘This is Gabby Schenone.’ And I wasn’t prepared to hear that. I sat and I just lost it.”
Gabby continued to practice with the team, participated in fall ball scrimmages and took courses to further her transfer process. However, two days before opening day, she tore her ACL during practice.
With yet another injury, Gabby had to redshirt her first year at SRJC and rehabilitate her leg.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Gabby said. “I was so close to stepping onto the field. I couldn’t really do anything because of my leg so I found ways to keep my arm strong all season to stay in shape for the following year.”
Since then, Gabby has remained healthy in her two full seasons with the Bear Cubs.
After nearly five years with the implanted device, Gabby makes sure to take the extra steps to protect herself. Her grandmother Gloria even went as far as finding a specific undershirt and shield combination to protect the device in case she were to field a ball near her chest.
She has been the starting third baseman both years and continues to be a strong asset to the team.
“She is always the loudest one in the dugout and everybody’s No. 1 supporter during game time,” Wyatt said. “Gabby has such incredible determination and drive for the game which makes her somebody I look up to and somebody who I am so thankful I had the pleasure of playing with for the last several years.”
While softball has been a large part of her life, she now faces unexpected decisions as the time to transfer looms.
Although uncertain about her immediate next steps, Gabby hopes that one day she will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in education and a job teaching kindergarten.
“With [Sonoma State University] shutting down their athletics program, I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet,” Gabby said. “I had hoped to stay close to home and have a chance to try out for the team but now I don’t know. I really want to continue to play if I can.”
Gabby Schenone, center, walks along the path behind Evergreen Elementary and Eagle Park with her family on April 6, 2025 in Rohnert Park, California.
Gabby Schenone leans against the fence along the field of Magnolia Park on Jan. 28, 2025 in Rohnert Park, California.
Schenone, right, and Papa Joe admire a quilt made of Schenone’s old team shirts, a gift for Sophomore Day on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Gabby
From left to right: Justin Thompson, Gabby and Vinnie Schenone are together again on the Marv Mays field for SRJC softball’s Sophomore Day on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Photo by: Yna Bollock
Photo by: Yna Bollock
Photo by: Yna Bollock
Photo by: Yna Bollock
community college is a great way to learn something new, explore or build upon their interests, and be connected in the community via classmates, professors, staff and events through campus,” he said.
Some of these students already have degrees or certificates and are looking to pivot their career, or return to finish a learning goal that life’s responsibilities interrupted. Martyn Lees, 43, came to SRJC after abandoning his career in private security. He is now in his second semester studying journalism.
“It was just really nice to meet another generation of people and to be in a community that was so helpful. They had a lot of events that gave students a lot more time to be people and not necessarily students ."
- Leslie Dalton-Ramage
“I have to remind myself that I’m a mature student. You know, that I’m older than all these kids, at a different point in life. I think that the college is very accommodating to that,” Lees said.
Lees, who has a master’s degree in international security studies, served in the British Army, worked in the Middle East and provided executive protection for oil company executives. He earned his degree as part of that career track. “I learned more about the background to the conflicts that I’ve been involved in, and that turned me off it. So I ended up moving to California to be a hippie in the woods,” he said.
“I started writing poetry. Then I started writing more long-form stuff. I started a blog that I should write more of, really,” Lees said. “I have some things I want to say, and journalism isn’t really about what you want to say, but you can certainly shine your journalistic spotlight on the issues that you think need to be looked at.”
The North Bay Bohemian recently published Lee’s article, "Big Dig," which he wrote in his advanced journalism class. In true reporter fashion, he stumbled upon a story that seemed local and realized there was a bigger story about corporate consolidation affecting family business underneath.
Going back to school is cool with lifelong learning
Some adult learners seek to continue academic tracks with SRJC, while others are looking for fun ways to stay stimulated and meet new friends.
Kelly Mayes coordinates SRJC’s Lifelong Learning program, offering non-
credit classes for adults on campus, at community partner sites and on Zoom.
“[The] feedback is amazing. Students share [that] they find classes thoughtprovoking and informative. They appreciate having the choice of attending both in-person or online,” Mayes said.
Lifelong Learning offers more than 100 classes including art, writing, fitness, watercolor painting, drawing, mindfulness, tai chi, conversational Spanish, voice lessons for beginners, genealogy and music.
“Classes are free and students are welcome to join any open class at any point during the semester,” Mayes said.
SRJC not only helps adult learners achieve their individual education goals; in some cases students learn something more about themselves.
Rikki Wickman embarked on her creative journey in 2023 after a false start at SRJC.
Prior to enrolling, she completed a bachelor’s in professional communication, served in the Army Reserve and became a civilian personal trainer.
“I wanted to take an anatomy class — they have a great anatomy program. I didn’t qualify for it, and I needed to take some pre-reqs. So I took the biology class, begrudgingly,” she said.
After a semester of biology, Wickman was laid off from her corporate marketing job and grew frustrated with the prospect of four more semesters of anatomy and physiology.
Seeking a new direction, she enrolled in a screenwriting class. It was there that instructor Eric Adams gave Wickman a new perspective.
“I wanted to write a script. I wrote a satire
about the 2016 election, which is now kind of sad, because I wrote it before Trump got re-elected,” Wickman said. “I told Eric I have a hard time fitting in with corporate [work]. And he so nonchalantly said, ‘Well, you’re creative. Of course.’”
This validation opened up her perspective on job hunting, and at 38 she is starting a fitness business and learning to enjoy being a student. “I am in it to learn,” she said.
Kumar has seen a trend involving adult students who already have a track record of success when they enroll at SRJC. Their personal and professional experiences make them resilient, focused and committed. Kumar says they bring a lot to the table.
“Helping and encouraging their success as students who bring a breadth of life experiences to the classroom is very meaningful for me. I just encourage anyone thinking about taking a class, or pursuing a degree or certificate, to go for it,” he said. “Talk to us and we can help make you a plan.”
Looking back on her time at SRJC, Dalton-Ramage said her classes here were much more difficult than at SSU. SRJC did an excellent job preparing her for success, plus she enjoyed the experience.
“It was just really nice to meet another generation of people and to be in a community that was so helpful. They had a lot of events that gave students a lot more time to be people andnot necessarily students,” she said.
SRJC students hastily make their way to their classes in the new Lindley Center For Stem Education May 1, 2025.
Photo by: Marty Lees
a placement test before AB 705 passed. We were collecting data just to figure out exactly how to place students to ensure that they had the best chance of success in their first math class.”
Carlin-Goldberg has worked in education for more than 20 years and is finishing her 13th year at SRJC. She’s served as the math department chair since spring 2023.
She said some students who enroll at the college and haven’t passed all of their high school math classes, or who came here from a different country, can now be forced to take a transfer level course they’re not prepared for.
“The only thing that we have been able to do is offer them as much tutoring resources as possible,”
Carlin-Goldberg said.
SRJC developed courses that are offered concurrently with transfer-level courses to help students practice and learn fundamental skills necessary to pass the class. The school also offers the STEM Success Center and Writing Center as additional
“The only thing that we have been able to do is offer them as much tutoring resources as possible.”
-Jennifer Carlin Goldberg
support for students.
Cavales Doolan said the support courses the school developed act as tools that help students pass their transfer-level English courses.
“For students who are kind of identified, who really kind of need more additional support, we have paired sections of English 1A with English 50, and the students who take those courses do very well,” Cavales Doolan said.
She noted that there is still more work to be done and pointed to additional co-requisite courses the college intends to add in fall 2025. The additional courses will not be attached to a specific transfer-level course.
Carlin-Goldberg said the support courses the college has created in place of the developmental courses aren’t as effective. She compared the two- or three-unit
support courses to the eight to 10 units of developmental classes students may require to prepare for a transfer-level course.
Other instructors agree with CarlinGoldberg’s views on the benefits of the new placement model and drawbacks of the elimination of lower-level courses.
SRJC math instructor Greg Morre has taught at SRJC since 2016 and has been teaching students math since he opened his own tutoring center in Sebastopol in the early 2000s. He felt that students were generally placed in the correct level of math for their skill set under placement tests.
After AB 705 passed, students were essentially able to choose which level math course they wanted to enroll in, Morre said. He wasn’t opposed to the new approach of allowing students to self-evaluate at first, but then began seeing them enroll in courses they weren’t prepared for.
“I felt by 2019 that you could see, in the STEM courses for sure, definitely a change in the students' level of preparedness,” Morre said. “Both mathematically and just how to function as a college student in a college mathematics course.”
Former SRJC student Matt Coxon said he had issues with starting at the appropriate level math course under both systems.
When he first enrolled at SRJC he took the math placement test, which placed him in a calculus course that he struggled with and didn’t pass.
After spending time working as a paramedic, he returned to SRJC hoping to earn a degree and make a career change. During the fall semester of 2022, he enrolled in MATH 27: Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry to fulfill the math requirement for his degree. Under AB 705, he was not required to take a placement test.
“[It was] way over my head,” Coxon said. “I basically had to relearn all of the foundational math on my own to have success in the class.”
He said he ultimately passed the class, though it was extremely challenging, and earned an associate degree in natural sciences.
While Coxon was enrolled in MATH 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1705 into law in September 2022.
AB 1705 required community colleges place students with a high school diploma or equivalent pursuing a certificate, degree or transfer program, directly into transfer-level English or math at the beginning of their coursework in these subjects.
The requirement was included to shore up issues with the implementation of AB 705 and ensured that students weren’t caught in a string of developmental courses.
The first classes SRJC officials cut from the college’s catalog included all four developmental English courses. The school cut all math courses below precalculus in fall 2023.
For math and other STEM majors, AB 1705 requirements often mean students are placed directly into Calculus 1.
Sophia Baudo, a math major, couldn’t imagine earning a degree under a system where she wouldn’t have taken precalculus.
“It was hard enough for me already,” Baudo said. “Transferring from high school where I didn’t do amazing in math and then going straight to college. I could not imagine just jumping into calculus.”
The chancellor’s office laid out guidelines to make the changes under AB 1705 in multiple memos from November 2022 to December 2024.
A February 2024 memo gave colleges until July 1, 2024 to demonstrate that a lowerlevel course met certain criteria in assisting students to reach and pass a transfer-level course. If the college could demonstrate a course met those requirements, the course could remain in the catalog.
(Below) SRJC student and Oak Leaf reporter Archie Henderson pours over course material May 1, 2025 in the SRJC Bookstore.
Michelle Van Aalst, SRJC English instructor since 2013, said these laws take away students’ agency over the classes they can take.
“The idea of accelerating them and placing them into classes for which they are underprepared is, I think, frustrating for them. We have students coming in who want to take those pre transfer-level classes, and we just simply don’t offer them,” she said.
Cavales Doolan said the idea of “accelerating” students is an inaccurate description.
“It’s not speeding up the time for students,” Cavales Doolan said. “What eliminating the developmental pathway has done for English students is that it has made it the same as other students who were being placed immediately into English 1A, so they don’t have extended time.”
Another tenet of AB 1705 included a requirement for the chancellor’s office to publish a dashboard on their website that tracked student progression and completion of transfer-level English and math. The law required the dashboard be updated annually and date back to 2015.
The data surrounding these changes shows mixed results and doesn’t factor in external influences like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The total number of SRJC students who passed transfer-level math courses within one year of beginning math at the college increased by 86 students during the 20232024 academic year.
However, the percentage of students who passed transfer level courses within one year was nearly 15 percentage points below its peak which came in 2018-2019 in the period of time between the passing of AB 705 and AB 1705, according to the CCC dashboard.
In transfer-level English courses, CCC’s dashboard shows similar results. The total number of students who passed a transferlevel course increased by nearly 300. Yet, the success rate remained nine percentage points below its peak of 81% in 2018-2019.
The data shows a steeper drop off in success rates for students attempting a math course one level below a transfer-level course.
Photo by Marty Lees
“It’s not speeding up the time for students. What eliminating the developmental pathway has done for English students is that it has made it the same as other students who were being placed immediately into English 1A, so they don’t have extended time.”
-Sheryl Cavales Doolan
implement moving forward, such as increasing the number of classes that offer a concurrent support course.
“We want to add these courses because students really need the assistance,” Carlin-Goldberg said. “We want to get the success rates up and the pass rates up.”
The total number of students passing these classes peaked in 2017-2018 at 182 and fell to just five in 2022-2023. Some faculty members take issue with the process used to collect this data.
“Our biggest objections to the data they collect, it’s all post-census data,” CarlinGoldberg said.
Post-census data is collected after the census period during the first three weeks of each semester. Typically it is the first two to three weeks of the semester when students are able to drop classes without consequence.
“You generally see a drop off in students between the start of the semester and the census date,” Carlin-Goldberg said. “These
are the students who figure out early on ‘oh, this class is not going to work for me.’”
She said students will also often drop out of one math class and enroll in another during the period.
The data the department has independently collected shows a bimodal graph, a concentration of students split on either end of the grading scale creating two peaks at the top and bottom with a valley in between.
An increasing number of students earn either an A or F, while fewer students score between the two, Carlin-Goldberg said. Carlin-Goldberg acknowledged more changes the math department plans to
(Below) SRJC student Katie Souza studies tirelessly on the steps leading up to the second floor of the Lindley Center for STEM Education on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Photo by Marty Lees.
sometimes when I want to do homework, I laugh hysterically though nothing is funny. I want to finish my assignment but my body works against me, making the task much harder. When I saw a hot tub the other day, I repeatedly said I’d like to go in. But then I tapped:
I–S-A-Y–T-H-I-N-G-S–I–D-O-N-T–M-E-A-N.
In eighth grade, my family got on a plane to meet a teacher named Soma Mukhopadhyay in Austin, Texas.
The small room contained a table, chair, pencil, paper, letterboard and a tiny woman. Soma looked at my 14-year-old self and knew I was “in there” despite my strange utterances, like answering “yeah” to every question she asked.
Soma asked me to name a word containing the letters A and W. I spelled “A-W-K-W-A-R-D” to my parents’ surprise. And so we went through the alphabet — B and W, C and W, and so on.
“Now, please write a sentence using three of those words,” Mukhopadhyay said. I spelled out my first sentence ever:
T-H-E–L-I-O-N-S–C-L-A-W–L-O-O-K-E-D–A-W-K-W-A-R-D–W-H-E-N–I-T–W-A-S–S-T-U-C-K–B-E-T-W-E-E-N–T-W-O–F-E-N-C-E-S.
Elation! Not only did I have a mind intact, but I was creative. My parents sat open-mouthed. Mom cried. Soma
“My life knows beauty but my control over my life is fettered by a lack of control over my body.”
- Ryan Heller
launched me into the world of my intelligent dreams.
At first, it wasn't easy to coordinate my fingers to reach the letter I had in mind. Excitement and the fear that I might fail to find my true voice slowed my progress. With daily practice, it took me more than two years to effectively communicate with my mom.
Eventually, I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I could finally say how I wanted my life to unfold. I got my high school diploma doing independent study with my mom as my CRP.
Challenges and allies for nonspeakers
One day in group, Ryan laid down on the floor of the library. We continued our discussion on graffiti artists. He then sprang from the carpet saying, “I want to ask a question!” which really meant he was ready to spell something and needed his CRP. One letter at a time he shared his idea, as if resting helped solidify his thoughts.
The input is there – the output is tricky.
Each week we rotate study rooms, steal chairs from around the library
and pile in for our meeting. Jacob makes lists. Ryan asks to go to the bathroom. I smile and wave across the table at Kira’s mom and CRP, Nancy Duley.
Ryan takes roll by typing our names on his iPad. Jacob blurts out calendared events, waiting impatiently for acknowledgment before taking his seat. Kira with her long, red hair sits still. She is the queen of clever quips and cat shirts and our only female member.
The topics vary and we easily digress from current political debacles to playing Trivial Pursuit.
I started at SRJC taking online classes during the pandemic. It was the only option and worked in my favor since I had no CRP other than my mom. No way was I having her attend classes with me.
“Online classes are easier to navigate,” Kira, 22, said. “It’s a challenge to let others know of my abilities when I can’t talk. I want neurotypical people to understand that I am intelligent and just like them. The most difficult thing I encounter is not being able to control my body.”
The truth is I wanted the real college experience as I’d imagined it in my mind for so long. I wanted to fidget at an uncomfortable desk and try to stay awake during a lecture as my attention drifted in and out, competing with persistent daydreams.
Many of my nonspeaking friends were believed to be incapable of
Photo by: Adair Alvarez Rodriguez
Photo by: Buckminister Barrett
learning and not offered effective communication tools during their public school education. Ryan, Kira and Jacob were segregated from their peers and not taught age-appropriate academics.
Having Buckminster Barrett, 30, as my new CRP changed everything. He made it possible to attend class in person. We are still learning together and I can’t say everything I want using my letterboard or keyboard yet, but we make a great team.
“Working with nonspeakers and their families helps me remember what’s important about humanity,” Barrett said. ”You could say it’s beyond words.”
My Journalism 1 instructor, Albert Gregory, changed my perception of myself and what I could contribute to the class. I feel vulnerable when I never know how my anxiety will play out or if I will be able to spell my thoughts in class. Sometimes I preprogram my iPad so I can contribute to the fast-moving discussions.
One day I walked by a classroom next to mine and saw a red ball on the shelf. I was anxious that day. I could not get that red ball out of my mind in class.
My unruly mouth repeated, “I want that red ball!”
Gregory ran out of the room and grabbed it for me. I felt immediate
“I want people to just treat me how you do anyone else. I am just human.”
-Jacob Rochlin
calm, acceptance and gratitude.
“I have learned about what works best [for the student] and tried to accommodate,” Gregory said.
My journalism classmate, Marty Lees, compared my apraxic speech to his grandfather’s lack of speech after his stroke. He described it as a “communication bottleneck.”
“You have this awesome means of overcoming that bottleneck,” Lees said. “It amazes me and makes me proud to be human that such resources and effort have gone into developing the alternative communication methods that you and others use, that you have the drive to use them to further your education, and that people such as Buck are moved to make it their career.”
Two years ago, I was lucky to meet Goodrich, a local assistive technologies specialist who taught me how to use a keyboard.
I switch back and forth each day from letterboard to keyboard, depending on my CRP and my level of anxiety and fatigue. I write these words now
by pointing on a letterboard with my mom as my CRP and with Lindsey using my keyboard.
The CRP holds the letterboard or keyboard in my visual field, centered on my pointing finger. My eyes have trouble scanning and tracking. I have not yet mastered the entirely different skill of typing on a flat surface like a laptop. That’s part of apraxia — controlling eye movements. The words I type or spell are always my own.
“As soon as I learned what it meant to presume competence, there was no turning back,” Goodrich said. “I feel that communication is a basic human right, and no matter what it takes, everyone deserves a voice.”
Hard work brings success, acceptance
The Disability Resource Department (DRD) is available for SRJC students with a variety of accommodations.
Disability Specialist Laura Aspinall said, “As of spring 2024, 8.1% of students at SRJC access Disability Resource services.” She was aware of only four students who use AAC.
Accommodations like extended time, the ability to take breaks, the use of fidgets and text-to-speech can help neurodivergent students like me be successful in their studies.
Ryan takes Coding, Kira is in English 1A, Jacob takes Adapted PE and after
Photo by: Adair Alvarez Rodriguez
Photo by: Adair Alvarez Rodriguez
The "Spellers" meet in Doyle Library with their Communication Regulation Partners. Back row: Dean Carlson, Noah McSweeney, Ryan Heller, Kira Duley. Front row: Martha Carlson, Buckminster Barrett, Lindsey Goodrich, Erica Richards, Nancy Duley.
Lindsey Goodrich,an assistive technology specialist, dedicates her career to working with nonspeakers. Formerly in schools and now in private practice, she is devoted to growing the speller community in Sonoma County. "I feel that communication is a basic human right, and no matter what it takes, everyone deserves a voice," she said. Creative in her teaching methods, she presumes competence in each student. Her portable alphabet tattoo is handy for a group outing if a letter box isn't available. Below: A letter written to Rochlin after the death of his grandfather.
taking Journalism 1, I am now on staff at The Oak Leaf News. Who would have thought our nonspeaking, quirky crew would become accomplished SRJC college students?
Is it a miracle? No.
It’s the result of years of hard work, dedicated practitioners, CRPs, and families and instructors who believe in us.
Ultimately, our little group is like all young adults wishing for similar things. “I want people to just treat me how you do anyone else,” Jacob said. “I am just human.”
Having a girlfriend is important for Jacob and is something those who speak reliably may take for granted.
“Lately, I’m wishing I can drive myself places and talk privately,” Kira said. “The people who help me are lovely, but I wish I had more independence. It’s a challenge to let others know of my abilities when I can’t talk.”
Having a voice that represents what is in my mind makes my life richer by leaps and bounds. It’s brought me friends and an education I dreamed about for years.
Still, my mind drifts to buying watches to add to the dozens I own. After all, I’m still autistic and love every one of my watches.
“I will tell all willing to listen that
not speaking is not easy,” Ryan said. “We all have a fierce drive to be heard and accepted. I hope people will be encouraged to approach us knowing we understand everything. When I am looking with my autistic eyes, there is an intelligent person behind them.”
We all want our intellect in full view for those around us. We are part of the SRJC community.
“Before I could spell, ample language specialists thought my intellect landed somewhere between the mind of a toddler and perhaps a cat,” Kira said. “Then make one little change and believe in me. Suddenly I’m in college.”
“We all have a fierce drive to be heard and accepted. I hope people will be encouraged to approach us knowing we understand everything. When I am looking with my autistic eyes, there is an intelligent person behind them.”
- Ryan Heller
Photo by: Adair Alvarez Rodriguez
By Taylor Amador
When the time came for my annual eye exam in 2023, I expected the same routine. I would check in, sit with the doctor and read some letters on the wall and then be on my way. I’d pass each test with flying colors. But this time was different.
The letters suddenly looked blurrier than they did before the 20/50 letters had become a blurred blob, and 20/20 seemed unrecognizably far away. Little did I know, this moment would change my life forever.
Keratoconus is a degenerative corneal disease with no known cure. It affects one in every 2,000 people. The disease causes the cornea to become cone-shaped over time, resulting in mild to severe vision changes. Symptoms include seeing halos in lights, double vision, ghosting, distorted vision and night blindness. Keratoconus mainly attacks teens and young adults.
Depending on the disease’s severity, cornea degeneration from keratoconus can lead to necessary reparative procedures, such as corneal cross-linking.
Corneal cross-linking is a procedure that uses riboflavin (vitamin b12) and ultraviolet lights to rebuild the collagen fiber in the corneas in an attempt to halt the disease, but it is not always successful.
(Left) Taylor Amador finds comfort through the struggle, knowing that his favorite NBA player, Stephen Curry, shares the same eye condition.
(Bottom) Tomographic imagery displays the changes in Taylor Amador's disease progression from before to after the corneal-cross linking procedure.
My battle with Keratoconus and the unexpected hope I found in a familiar face
“
If keratoconus is caught late, the patient would not see well with their glasses. If the cornea continues to change shape, sometimes hard contact lenses can't fit, and the patient would ultimately need a corneal transplant."
- Dr. Helena Chang
Photo by: Nathan Kaito Morris
Once the disease becomes more severe, a complete corneal transplant, where a healthy donor cornea replaces the damaged one, must then be considered. At age 18, my vision slowly deteriorated. What was previously 20/20 slowly blurred and my previous astigmatism worsened.
Multiple visits to my primary care provider left me with more questions than answers. Eventually, I made an appointment with a local ophthalmologist who diagnosed me with keratoconus. He urged me to act quickly. My deteriorating vision plunged me into hopelessness. As anxiety took over, my grades plummeted and any motivation and joy I had faded. I wasn’t even comfortable driving anymore.
Every day felt like an eternity. I doom scrolled on any health forum I could, looking for answers I knew I was not going to find. Simple activities like reading were challenging. I tried to attend a local gym but could barely read the numbers on the outside of the weights I was lifting.
My vision slipped to 20/90, making me extremely nearsighted. I was prescribed glasses to help me see, but nothing worked. Once I met my cornea specialist, Dr. Margaret Liu, she recommended corneal crosslinking immediately. I was ecstatic about the 95% chance of success but resigned to the fact that I would never get my non-damaged vision back.
During my pre-procedure consultation, Dr. Liu told me about corneal cross-linking and asked me a question that changed my mindset.
J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
by: Mark
Photo
“Did you know Stephen Curry has your same disease?” she asked. I looked it up on my phone as soon as I got to the car, and it was true.
In an interview with ABC7NY Curry said, “Over time my [keratoconus] started getting worse but like I said, you can still go out and function.”
Watching Curry win MVPs, score titles and win championships was a staple of my childhood. His devotion to his family and his career accomplishments made me want to be just like him. Hearing that he had found a way to successfully live through the disease that we shared changed my life.
I had searched for a light in a seemingly hopeless situation and had found it in a familiar but unexpected face. If Curry could do it, then so could I.
I underwent two cornea cross-linking procedures and made countless trips to the doctor. I continued to pray that the procedure was successful.
My second year of college began less than three months after my two procedures, and my grades rebounded, further improving my mental health.
“Dr. Liu and I knew you were going to do very well. We just had to do your cross-linking before you changed because your kera toconus was progressing. It was a race against time, and you had it done in time.”
- Dr. Helena Cheng
My anxiety faded more each day, and I could feel my happiness return. Six months after the procedure, I received the best news I could after post-op scans. The corneal cross-linking procedure had successfully halted my keratoconus.
In the 2019 NBA season Curry hit a shooting slump, making only 37% of three-pointers compared to his career average of over 42%. In an interview with “Sports Illustrated,” Curry said, “I started wearing contacts. It’s like the whole world has opened up.”
Contacts didn’t work for me, but glasses proved to be more than successful. While my symptoms remain, my vision has improved dramatically. Just like Curry himself, everything I did, from driving to playing video games, felt normal again.
After a year-and-a-half of uncertainty, going from 20/70 vision with visual defects to almost 20/30 with glasses has been life-altering.
Curry, who made my childhood special as a sports hero and brought me to tears as a 17-year-old when he won his last championship, also managed to give me personally something unexpected: the gift of hope.
(Top) Wardell Stephen Curry was diagnosed with Keratoconus in 2019 after a decade in the NBA.
thoughts or attempt suicide when they take antidepressants.
Pushing the narrative that anyone with mental health issues should immediately take medication is forcing them to put their lives on the line for social grace.
It is also a long-shot gamble for the potential consequences. According to an article in the scientific journal “Nature,” only about 30% of people with depression have noticeable positive results from medication –about the same as placebo – and 30% of people with schizophrenia are treatment resistant. On top of that, the diagnosis for both has increased in the last 12 years despite the concurrent increase in medication prescriptions.
In Ye’s case, medication seemed to have little effect on his behavior. A Rolling Stone Magazine article that chronicled Ye’s controversies showed he always edged on being disruptive. It started with his live TV criticism of the Bush administration’s treatment of Black people during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and his disruption of Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech in 2009.
He began his antisemitic rhetoric in 2013 on the Breakfast Club radio show. Then he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016. In 2018 he told American political commentator Candace Owens that U.S. slavery was a “choice” by the slaves. His outbursts continued into 2022 when he made posts like “Jewish people have owned the Black voice,” referring to the music industry, on X. He then defended his posts while also praising Hitler on Alex Jones’ show Infowars. Since his diagnosis, he has admitted to being on and off medication.
While seeking talk therapy is a less drastic step than medication, blurting out statements like “that person needs therapy” can still be alienating as a quarter of people who seek it don’t see any benefits.
However, therapy has zero side effects beyond time and cost and can even provide support for those who aren’t diagnosed with a mental illness. Another question journalists should ask is what is the source for the
mental health diagnosis? Public awareness of psychiatric medicine is lacking enough as it is, and impulsively shouting into the ether that a person’s strange behavior is due to schizophrenia or that their mood swings are due to bipolar disorder muddies the understanding of where the behavior is coming from.
Ye now says he isn’t bipolar, but autistic, and who, besides close friends and family, knows him well enough to say which?
When people take the mental illness narrative into their own uneducated hands and separate those showing erratic behavior as “other,” they alienate those with mental illness and perpetuate a toxic zeitgeist, especially on social media.
False narratives also create a pitfall of
fictional “normalcy.” People socially define normal as following a set of behavioral standards, but ask 100 people on the street and it’s doubtful any of them define “normal” in the same way. And someone 100 years ago would have a dramatically different definition of “normal,” as, I bet, would someone 100 years in the future.
Ye’s rhetoric was hateful and deserved criticism, but whether one is trying to be constructive, or just get a few laughs at his expense, consider the collateral damage of reckless language.
For the sake of everyone, we need to embrace ethical standards surrounding language associated with mental illness.
"P USHING t HE NARRA t I v E t HA t ANYONE w I t H MENTAL HEAL t H ISSUES SHOULD IMMEDIA t ELY TAKE MEDICA t ION IS f ORCING t HEM TO PU t t HEIR LI v ES ON t HE LINE f OR SOCIAL GRACE . "
Illustration by Natalie Emanuele
In the few years since Californians voted to make it legal to smoke weed for fun, the marijuana industry has developed rapidly across Sonoma County.
Dispensaries have popped up like coffee shops, and each day seems to bring a new strain of weed that sets the community ablaze.
However, it can be daunting to visit all of them just to find your oasis, especially when stoner students’ gas costs dip into the weed stash.
Competition has led to a unique landscape for the growing industry, where each dispensary finds its niche in location, value or culture.
Here are some convenient locations near the Santa Rosa Junior College campuses to start your own safari into Sonoma’s sinsemilla savanna.
For those with a desire to dive deeper into local growers, Phenotopia has a plethora of smaller upstart brands to choose from. As a mom-and-pop shop that takes pride in giving smaller operations like itself a spotlight, Phenotopia offers a personable experience that engages customers with both weed and community. They even sell clones for those who prefer to invest.
Pros: Very kind and welcoming environment that takes pride in its local representation. Great deals with a plethora of interesting small brands to choose from.
Cons: Don’t rely on finding your favorite big brand here.
SPARC has surfed the forefront of cannabis retail for a long time. It has a well-established loyalty program in tandem with sales on various products, which allows customers to experiment while still staying inside their budget.
SPARC has a direct, clean online storefront that will bring you right to what you want. In person, the store is formal if not a bit too sterile visually which leads to an atmosphere that is not as cozy as some other dispensaries in the Santa Rosa area.
Pros: Offers a robust loyalty program alongside a nice range of deals that lets thrifty stoners hunt on a budget.
Cons: Feels like the dispensary equivalent of an Apple store with its formal interior.
The Gas Station is a bright spot on a bleak block. You won’t know this dispensary is here unless you look for it. However, what it traded in location, it makes up for in charm. A fun interior that mimics a gas station as a gimmick, where the only thing that isn’t fake is the quality of the products.
It’s intriguing to see a dispensary lean so far into aesthetics in a way that would make it stand out in a place like Las Vegas, where everything needs an eye-catching hook. Sadly its spot between two warehouses in an industrial area doesn’t give it many eyes to catch.
Pros: Tons of deals and a range of products from cheap to spendy, including pipes and fun paraphernalia within an engaging and colorful environment that can feel a bit more private than other dispensaries.
Cons: A bit harder to hunt out in the wild, but when you find it stands out. Cash only at this watering hole.
Jane Dispensary employs a good sales tactic for spotlighting cannabis applications. It offers 20%-off deals for edibles, concentrates, wellness, drinks and flower, depending on the weekday. It also offers deals for Veterans and seniors on Saturdays, and for industry and students on Sundays. Voted the No. 1 Dispensary in Sonoma County in the Press Democrat Reader’s poll, its employees play both vendor and pharmacist roles, taking feedback from customers and helping them pair up with the product that suits their needs.
Pros: Huge variety with a consistent cycle of deals on pretty much everything smokable across multiple locations.
Cons: Overwhelming selection, very niche products and the occassional shoddy joint - at least it was probably on sale.
As a local staple in the dispensary world, Mercy Wellness could best be described as a leisure pharmacy. Their product is always well presented and professional, represented and sold by friendly faces who take your weed needs and questions seriously. With two retail locations, one of which being the first weed lounge in the North Bay, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about cannabis and socialize along the way.
Pros: High quality offerings, and a website directory that helps new and experienced users alike find just what they are looking for across multiple locations.
Cons: Pricey. You better utilize those deals well.
II studied bread clip science to keep my spirit
from going stale
Story and artwork by Natalie Emmanuele
am so tired of living in interesting times. Every other day I hear about something new that instills me with nothing but anxiety. I learn about what’s happening in politics. I learn about how to do taxes so I don’t go to jail. I learn all of this different information that is important but stressful.
It wasn’t until the double-edged sword that is the internet swung in my favor that I found something I didn’t know I needed: useless knowledge of a passion project about garbage. Exploring this niche hobby proved just how important the silly things in life can be, especially to get through the stress of adulthood.
Consider the humble plastic bread clip - small, single use plastic created to keep a bread bag closed and its contents fresh… or a synthetic parasitic organism?
Welcome to occlupanology, the study and taxonomic classification of plastic bread clips that has taken my brain by storm. Created by John Daniel in 1994 San Francisco, the project was born from fascinations with both art and science after studying invertebrate zoology and sculpture in college.
The Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group (HORG) website provides a meticulous categorization of all currently known species of occlupanids as well as the (fictionalized) history of their study. Everything is presented with scientific jargon worthy of museum plaques and a confidence that insists that what you are looking at is completely factual.
Though it began as an art project and joke amongst friends, it has evolved into a genuine hobby with thousands of dedicated community members and active forums. These plastic clips designed for a single purpose and then the landfill found new homes in categorized binders, art projects and scientific displays. Of course I wanted to get in on it.
A colleague here at the Oak Leaf provided me with a specimen found
on the Santa Rosa campus. A cursory comparison to the identification guide led us to the Toxodentidae (“curved tooth”) family, one of the most common varieties of occlupanid. It was surprisingly difficult to find an exact match with how similar the many species are, and we found ourselves unable to narrow it down further.
Lucky for me, the community is always happy to help an occlupanologist in need. I turned to the Foundation for Occlupanology Research and Communication (FORC) Discord server for answers and sent an image to the identification channel.
I received two responses within a minute. My specimen was a Palpatophora glyphodorsalis.
I am well aware that spending five minutes of my life identifying a bread clip someone found on the sidewalk is not the best use of my limited time on Earth. There are a million more important things I could be learning about right now, but treating this small piece of plastic like a scientific discovery brought me so much joy.
Sitting with a classmate and scrolling through the HORG specimen archives like we were actually trying to identify a living organism was just plain fun. It was like playing pretend as an adult, spending a couple minutes focused on something silly and made up.
Learning about occlupanids and HORG is one of those things that is a delight to experience. It's easy to forget the world is full of strange and interesting niches like combat juggling or cryptozoology, which is why I think it's so important to seek them out.
It's OK to give your brain a palate cleanser with information that serves no purpose other than to entertain. Learn how to make a puppet, try geocaching, pretend for a few minutes the piece of garbage in your hand is a fascinating scientific specimen.
We live in interesting times, so spend some time on something interesting. Your sanity will thank you for it.
Camera technology in smartphones has continually improved since Apple released the first iPhone in 2007. Now, almost 20 years later, with these little wonders in most consumers pockets, the need to buy stand-alone cameras to take high-quality pictures has virtually disappeared.
Not only are smartphone cameras able to capture a high amount of depth and detail in every shot, with newer models having a resolution of 48 megapixels or more, but perks other than just pocket-friendly portability make smartphone photography fun, accessible and satisfying.
With a few taps and swipes on the touchscreen, users can switch between photo settings, like macro mode and live capture, and edit on the spot for instant personalization.
Macro mode on the iPhone doesn’t even need input to activate. Users just open the camera app and move the lens close to the subject, and it will automatically shift to macro, indicated by a flower icon. Macro can be disabled by tapping the icon.
Under camera settings, users can navigate to formats then photo capture, to access professional photo formats.
These include JPEG Max, ProRAW and ProRAW Max. One default is allowed to be set at a time. ProRAW Max, in particular, allows for a sharp image, capturing in depth detail.
The iPhone also has a live feature to capture a short video clip — about one second — before taking the photo. If pictures are worth a thousand words, this setting raises the value to a million.
The editing tools offer another great perk for using the iPhone for photography.
The photo app on iPhone has the basic tools needed to amplify the look and quality of a photo.
Editing apps like VSCO and Lightroom allow users to completely change the style and colors. This can make for cool, crossprocessed or vintage effects.
If you’re on a budget, or trying out photography, and not looking to haul a massive camera bag, a laptop, heavy equipment and cumbersome lenses, the iPhone is your best bet.
The iPhone works to capture great shots for daily photography and makes editing easy.
(Bottom) Unedited photos from Kohtz's iPhone 15 (Top) Kohtz's photos made using iPhone editing tools.
Later that year Clark took his accrued leave and moved back to California. His ankle was finally properly diagnosed and rebuilt by an orthopedic surgeon at Los Angeles Air Force Base, yet his other symptoms remained. After the surgery, Clark was discharged from the military around the same time Dotts’ career path took him to a Veterans Affairs hospital in South Carolina.
Dotts advised Clark to come out to South Carolina where Dotts could ensure he got treated by a physician who would give his case the proper attention, and in mid-2013 he did just that. Within six months, owing to his familiarity with Clark’s history, Dotts was assigned as his care provider and continued the investigation. Both Dotts and the orthopedic surgeon who operated on Clark’s ankle agreed the remaining symptoms were unrelated to the damage he had fixed, so Dotts had a rheumatologist examine Clark next. Fibromyalgia was the verdict.
“By my training, by everyone’s training, that’s known as a ‘waste paper basket’ diagnosis; once you give a patient that diagnosis, no one pays attention to them anymore. Before you can make that claim, you have to rule out Chiari malformation.”
- RJ Dotts
Four years into this nightmare, Clark’s condition was correctly identified for the first time. Chiari malformation refers to the cerebellar tonsils, rounded lobes at the bottom of the brain, slipping into the funnel-like opening at the base of the skull toward the brain stem, impeding the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid. Symptoms vary in nature from physical to psychological and in degree from unnoticed to debilitating.
The majority of Chiari cases are congenital, but, according to professor of neurosurgery, Dr. Judy Huang, more than 25% of patients only discover they have the condition when symptoms begin after some sort of head trauma, such as from a car accident or fall — often after a long, confusing process of eliminating misdiagnoses like migraines, depression or fibromyalgia.
“Symptoms such as headache, or memory problems, or clumsiness are very non-specific, dizziness can be indicative of all sorts of problems… so it’s tough for some people to get to a point where they have a [Chiari] diagnosis made,” Huang said during a 2019 meeting at Johns Hopkins University.
Despite the suggestion from Dotts that Chiari could be the cause of Clark’s deteriorating condition, VA doctors would not look beyond his ankle injury. In mid-2014, on Dotts’ advice, Clark returned to Los Angeles to have his ankle surgeon rule out that injury as a possible cause, hoping that would compel the VA doctors to investigate other options.
Later that year, Clark underwent the first of several MRI scans that showed he indeed had herniation of the tonsillar tissue at the base of his skull. The textbook standard for a Chiari malformation diagnosis is 5 millimeters of protrusion, but that measurement taken from a single MRI doesn’t tell the whole story.
“That number is really just a number,” Huang said. “I can tell you there are lots of people where that number may be not quite 5, maybe marginal at 4 or 3 and they have really, really bad symptoms, and then in other people it can be 10 and they’re not nearly as bad off.”
Clark’s was measured at 3-4 millimeters. A diagnosis is still given at 3 millimeters if it is accompanied by observable symptoms, but the doctors who interpreted Clark’s MRI reported that he was asymptomatic.
Clark is a proud man. He fought against his symptoms to remain independent and presentable for as long as he was physically able. A trained neurosurgeon might have seen through his stoic front, but the doctors who analyzed his MRI were only residents, not experienced enough to look beyond that single measurement — a fact Clark only realized recently when using AI to scour his records for reasons his diagnosis was delayed so many years and why neither an Air Force nor VA neurosurgeon performed a physical examination.
To make matters worse, the judge for Clark’s first appeal for Social Security also fell for his tough guy act and denied his disability claim, insisting Clark was capable of being a vacuum tube operator. “You know, the vacuum tubes they used to have in banks. I don’t know when was the last time anyone even saw a vacuum tube,” Clark said.
Thankfully, Dotts was willing to fly in for the second hearing in 2017 on his own dime to educate the judge on the severity of Clark’s condition, and he was granted 100% disability. “It was the right thing to do,” Dotts said, giving his ranger pedigree credit for his uncompromising sense of duty.
Catching the DoD on to this reality is proving more difficult. It requires scouring reams of information on military law, similar claims made by veterans in the past and Clark’s own data, a task made all the more arduous by his condition.
“I’ve got 4,000 pages, roughly, of medical records,” Clark said. “RJ and I have read through that history at least a dozen times, and every time we’ve always gone back and found something we missed.”
By feeding AI tools like “ChatGPT” from OpenAI and Anthropic’s “Claud” thousands of documents and asking them questions about the contents, Clark, aided by Dotts’ professional knowledge, was able to identify critical points in his records that demonstrate how doctors overlooked his degenerative condition.
“Clear symptoms and objective abnormal findings supporting his [Chiari] diagnoses existed but were not worked up by specialists,” Dotts said. “He should have received a comprehensive workup for his head injury, but this never happened. I was appalled to see how compromised his service treatment records were.”
Dotts didn’t let retirement get in the way of completing the mission alongside Clark. “In 2024, I submitted a service treatment record amendment that documented everything I was instructed not to address while Anthony was on active duty,” Dotts said.
With his medical history corrected, Clark can now use his AI skills to compare his case with the DoD claim records to show where veterans with similar circumstances have been granted the help he needs.
“Anthony will still need to continue his fight for proper recognition, but I can rest easier knowing I’ve finally made his record complete.”
- RJ Dotts
Clark said his case is not the exception, it’s the rule. He hopes that AI can help thousands of other veterans struggling to get the assistance they are due for their service, but he also recognizes that AI isn’t enough on its own. “I pity the veteran who doesn’t have an RJ next to them,” Clark said.
By word of mouth, several other veterans from across the country have reached out and are currently working with Dotts, but he won’t fight their battle for them. “RJ is also very clear. You gotta be in the trenches with him,” Clark said. With AI assistance, their chances of victory are greatly increased.
Photo courtesy of Anthony Clark
