Fireworks ban sparks a racist attack against Rohnert Park Vice Mayor
Gallagher, Bryce
1,4
Yes
Vice Mayor of Rohnert Park, Jackie Elward, was the victim of a racist attack over the phone from a community member opposing Elward's stance on banning firework sales in the city., An anonymous caller called to berate Elward with racial slurs and other derogatory statements., Elward's supporters quickly rallied behind her and showed their support for both her and other facing discrimination in the area.
2020
Sonoma State Star
CSU hires more police officers despite lack of funding
Sonoma STAR Staff
2
Yes
California State University have begun hiring more police officers, with Sonoma State hiring two new officers, one full-time and other part-time. The salary of the full-time officer is $6,686 per month, coming to over $80,000 a year. , The part-time officer will be receiving at a minimum at $3,576 per month, which is over $40,000 a year., The CSU has allocated $1.9 million to hire more police officers as of July 2020, yet many faculty members have been laid off and classes have been cut due to a "budget crisis"., Residential advisors have been the first responders to almost every situation on campus, not the campus police., R.A. budget was cut drastically, leaving more than half the former RAs without jobs this past year., But, instead of hiring back more RAs with this newfound budget of almost $2 million, the CSUs have decided to spend it hiring more police officers. , The money could be spent on restoring the jobs of former faculty and students, or on restoring the funding that was recently cut in half for a lot of programs at SSU.
2020
NFT: The next greatest digital opportunity
Gonzalez, Rachel
3
Yes
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token and is described as a cryptographic token that is not mutually interchangeable - meaning that is cannot be replaced for something else and is unique., According to Mitchell Clark, a news writer for The Verge, "most NFTs are part of the Ethereum blockchain," which is a form of cryptocurrency., For example, digital artist Beeple, auctioned company, for $69 million, which is $15 million more than Monet's painting that was sold in 2014., What can be challenging for NFT pieces to become the new form of fine art collecting is the possible change that the data itself can deteriorate, causing it to essentially "fall apart"., The digital artwork that is being bought technically has no guarantee for lasting as long as people may want it to., Through artwork on marketplaces may appear fine and unique, but the pieces that people are buying are stolen and not from the original artist. Issues with copyright and where the artwork is coming from., NFT is a great opportunity for digital artists, they can market themselves and pursue their dreams.
2020
Sonoma State Star
GameStop prices skyrocket due to Reddit
Savedra, Andrew
3
Yes
27 Jan 2021, GameStop's publicly traded stock skyrocketed to a price of $347.51 per chase, which was $328.51 more than he value of the stock only 10 days before., GameStop's market cap reached $33.7 billion up from $1.2 billion at the end of December., The massive surge was primarily due to users on the social media platform reddit intentionally driving up the stock price., Reddit encouraged it's users that used the site Robinhood stock service to buy the stock in mass., In January, the stock has increased to $206.20 but is unsure on what the stock will look like. Robinhood investors have currently won this round.
2020
Sonoma State Star
Sonoma County Planning Commission considers ordinance to expand cannabis agricultural permits
Barkey, Isabelle
5
Yes
Staff members and District Planning Commissioners of Sonoma County met to discuss a new proposal that would change the nature of cannabis business in Sonoma County., A proposal was made to change parts of chapter 26 in the County Code and add a new chapter, 38, to expand the permit opportunities for Cannabis farmers., A General Amendment Plan was also proposed to change the Agricultural Resources Element to officially recognize marijuana as an agricultural crop. , Throughout March, virtual town hall meetings took place in which the public was asked to share their thoughts with the planning commissioners. , On April 15, the District Commissioners will meet again to go over their revisions, redo the straw vote and then send their conclusions to the board of Sonoma County Supervisors.
2020
Sonoma State Star
SSU community finds ways to have fun during pandemic
Hermogeno, Gabriella
5
Yes
Because of the pandemic, Sonoma State University students have had to adapt to methods in order to socially connect with each other. Some students pursue nightlife activities., But others have recreated, "nightlight experiences" from the comfort of their homes. Examples, of partaking in activities that include doing arts and crafts, journaling, solving puzzles, painting and playing with their pets at home., Students who were regulars at the Graton Casino in Rohnert Park, are also saying that the experience isn't the same, because their is less talking and socializing.
2020
Sonoma State Star
Virtual gallery spotlights CSU professors
Carroll, Cheyenne
6
Yes
The Sonoma State Art Department put together a virtual gallery featuring work from art department faculty members from 19 of the 23 universities in the CSU system., The virtual gallery displays work from multiple different schools, the virtual exhibition is unique to SSU., Interim Gallery Director, Jen Bethke, curated the work for ART@CSU, and Exhibitions Coordinator and Collections Manager, Carla Stone put everything online., Bethke's intention was to spotlight one studio art faculty member from each CSU campus to create a sense of community during a time where people are isolated from each other., The faculty member from SSU featured in the galley is Professor Nathan Haenlein, who teaches beginning printmaking, advanced drawing, and intermediate woodcut/etching this Spring semester.
2020
Sonoma State Star
SIFF celebrates another successful virtual festival
Insua, Nancy
6
Yes
From March 24 to the 28th, held the Sonoma International Live and Virtual Film Festival (SIFF). The event showcased over 120 films including over 20 premieres., They held 3 drive-in live events in Sonoma County and remained an innovative and notable film festival., SIFF prides itself on the diversity of filmmakers and films alike. The festival has received a long list of accolades since their origins in Sonoma County back in 1997.
2020
Sonoma State Star
Alcohol to-go sales on the rise during pandemic
Blair, Julia
6
No
People have been purchasing to-go alcohol at a fast rate and the industry is booming. , Restaurants are able to charge fair prices for their premium cocktails and consumers are set up to feel lie they are inside the establishment from the comfort and safety of their own homes., Many restaurants have been offering this in Rohnert Park. Applebee's serves takeout cocktails that are all under ten dollars., Other local restaurants such as Cafe Mimosa are offering their signature beverages to go. There is a mutually beneficial relationship that his trend has created from a surge in takeout business., Forbes writer Chris Furnari, stated, "According to a new report from market research firm IWSR, which provides insights on the global alcoholic beverage market, online sales of alcohol in the U.S. are expected to grow by more than 80% this year."
2020
Sonoma State Star
The history and future of art at Sonoma State
Rowell, Mary Helen
7
Yes
Campus Art Committee, Collecting, Maintaining, Distributing, 9 Members, Accepting Art Collections, Future plans.
2020
Sonoma State Star
Students shine at virtual Voice Recital Variety Show
Alvarado, Jayline
7
Yes
Sonoma State's Music Department, Vocal Program's Variety Show, Song of Student's Choosing, Rewatchable on Music Department Website
