Sonoma State STAR says farewell to former executive editor

**Originally published in the Sonoma State STAR**

Listeners of KSUN may not realize the amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into each show. However, graduating senior Tommy Call III is more than familiar with the effort it takes to produce a successful piece of work.

A Sebastopol native and die-hard Oakland A’s fan, Call attended Santa Rosa Junior College for two years after high school before transferring to Sonoma State University as a junior. Originally hoping to pursue teaching, Call entered as an English major, but a passion for sports talk radio led him to join KSUN with communications Professor Nate Campbell.

Call explained that he originally joined KSUN for fun, but after two semesters with the program he transitioned to the position of sports department head. It wasn’t until his experience with KSUN that Call considered pursuing a career in radio.

“I owe a lot to Nate. He taught me a lot about the radio business and how it’s more than just having fun sports knowledge and a voice,” said Call. “I was able to meet and interview a lot of people I looked up to on my show, which led to an awesome internship at 95.7 The Game.”

Along with his work for the campus radio station, early-on in his time at Sonoma State Call became involved with the campus newspaper as a staff writer.

“Tommy and I met in the STAR just over two years ago now when he was a sports writer. At the time he was quiet, and kept to himself a bit more. But he was always consistent with his work,” said Sonoma State alum Brandon Stachnik. “I didn’t really form a closer relationship with him until our sports editor position opened up. We came to Tommy and offered him the opportunity to take it.”

Stachnik, who still considers Call to be one of his best friends, worked as editor-in-chief above Call on the newspaper for two semesters.

“Tommy has honestly accomplished so much in the short time that I’ve known him… Just his work on the STAR alone was impressive. His ability to take the two pages he had responsibility over in the sports section and take them to the levels he did was awesome,” Stachnik said.

After spending time on the STAR staff as a sports editor for a full year, Call took over as executive editor and the head of the social media team for the spring semester. However, his professional experience extends far beyond campus media outlets. After holding internships at the Press Democrat, NBC Sports Bay Area and 95.7 The Game, Call is now a producer at 95.7 for their “NBA This Week” and “Inside the Bigs” segments.

“He is a very hardworker. He has three jobs while he is going to school, which is crazy. So he is very passionate about what he does, and when he is passionate about it he will do whatever it takes to become the best,” said Amanda Courdy, Call’s girlfriend of five years. “He is always working hard, but he’s [also] one of the sweetest people ever.”

Courdy, a junior at San Francisco State has known Call for about seven years now and has seen him evolve as a both student and a professional.

“When he was at Santa Rosa Junior College he didn’t know what his passion was yet. Then he went to Sonoma State and found the STAR and KSUN, and he just fell in love. When we first met he was just going through the motions with school, then something switched when he went to Sonoma State. He found a passion and drive, and ever since then he’s been so motivated,” Courdy said.

Call’s motivation and passion for journalism, is part of what led him to pursue so many opportunities while in school.

“He’s dominated his college career as far as I’m concerned. If you know Tommy you’d be just as excited as I am to see what he has in store after graduation,” Stachnik said.

While much of his success has stemmed from his personal drive and dedication, Call credits his professors and classmates with providing him the keys to success.

“I learned a lot from not only the teachers, but the different people I met in communication outlets. I was able to make a lot of mistakes and learn from these mistakes by industry professionals in Paul Gullixson and Nate Campbell,” Call said. “Earning their trust and taking leadership positions really boosted my confidence and pushed me to be more creative.”

“Tommy has been a leader in so many ways – as a writer, a section editor as well as our executive editor. It’s been fun to see him grow in confidence in his own abilities and his leadership on the STAR staff. He is a respected, go-to guy, and I am confident he will succeed in whatever he puts his mind to,” said Paul Gullixson, STAR advisor and editorial director of the Press Democrat.

Although his college career may be coming to a close, it’s clear his success are far from over. Call will be honored at graduation with a distinction from the communications and media studies department for his work throughout the campus outlets. With his approaching free time Call hopes to travel outside of the Bay Area and continue to write more. An avid Oakland A’s and Miami Dolphins fan, Call will most likely be found in the stands cheering for his favorite players.

Employers engage students at annual Career Fair

**Originally published in the Sonoma State STAR**

Students and recent graduates wandered through the maze of winding tables as eager employers hoped to grab their attention. With over 120 vendors present, the Career Fair at Sonoma State University on Wednesday provided attendees with the rare opportunity to meet with employers face-to-face.

Tables included local groups such as Alvarado St. Bakery and Lagunitas, and organizations from surrounding counties and cities including the Contra Costa County Sheriff and the City of Fremont.

“It was extremely well organized. Everybody was friendly and there were plenty of helpful volunteers,” said John Harrison a customer service specialist for Alvarado St. Bakery in Petaluma. Harrison, who has been with the company for six years, added that Sonoma State provides a good market due to student environmental concern.

Organized on by Career Services, the event began its planning stages in October. According to Career Advisor Ann Mansfield the biggest challenge in planning the event is being the only professional staff member.

“When I arrived on the campus the Career Fair had approximately 70 employers. I have worked hard to proactively recruit more employers from a broad range of companies and organizations,” Mansfield said. She was also instrumental in relocating the Career Fair from the Rec Center to the Student Center.

Mansfield also noted that attendance has been increasing since the relocation, with many companies choosing to return each year.

“We hoped to meet students graduating Spring 2017 that are staying in the Bay Area and may need help securing a full-time job after graduation. We are always looking for our clients, and for our own internal staff of recruiters and sale representatives,” said Danielle Tarani, the operation manager for Bolt Staffing.

Bolt was one of many companies making a return to the Career Fair with a strong connection to Sonoma State. The organization’s President, Joanne Bouldt Sanders, graduated from Sonoma State in 1991, but isn’t the only seawolf with the company.

“Our Account Manager Scott Crossen, class of 2014, is a [Sonoma State] alum. So as a company we are definitely drawn to the school through their connections,” Tarani said.

Also returning for the event was Simply Solar, one company who noted an increase in employers at the spring show compared to the prior fall event.

“At Simply Solar, we believe that the career fair is a fantastic opportunity for students and employers alike. It gives the students a chance to explore their potential career opportunities post graduation, and get a better sense of what they are looking for in a career,” said Sales Development Manager Megan Goodspeed.

Goodspeed has worked with Simply Solar for over a year and is Sonoma State senior majoring in psychology. According to Goodspeed, she isn’t the only student worker for the company. Simply Solar employs many students and recent college graduates, including some from Sonoma State.

Full-time careers weren’t the only offers for students at the fair. Those seeking internships, part-time jobs or even seasonal work all had options available. Summer program, Camp Tawonga, was one of the seasonal opportunities available for students seeking a summer job. According to San Quintana, the program coordinator and summer office manager, Camp Tawonga attends various college career fairs as well, including events at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley.

“Working in a close knit, intentional and hard working community provides valuable growth and experiences for all people, college students particularly. At Tawonga you gain professional development and life skills that are unique and transformative,” Quintana said.

For students seeking employment the Career Fair provided an important opportunity to reach local and regional employers. For Harrison and the Alvarado St. Bakery, the event provided a recent applicant the opportunity to earn some face time, something that can give prospective employees an edge on the rest of the field.

Many seawolves found themselves an opportunity to work as a result of the fair. Those that weren’t able to attend or find work, can find further assistance with Career Services.

“Don’t think of Career Services as a place you make an appointment with your senior year or somewhere down the road. Navigating your future starts the day you step foot on campus,” Mansfield said.

Students interested in employment and career assistance can find more information on Career Services at http://www.sonoma.edu/career.

Could we be taking too many photos?

It’s a stark reality, but the times of photo albums and disposable film are gone. Instead people are filling up memory cards with hundreds of photos, and when those are full they resort to their trusty iPhone. From an economic standpoint, when something is produced in large quantities its value decreases, but does that hold true to photographs?

In the days of the disposable camera, a photograph held value that people actually appreciated. I can’t remember how many different times I accidentally took a picture of the ground, or my finger blocked the lens, and I was genuinely upset that I had wasted another photo in my limited camera roll. Today kids are taking the same picture five different times on their iPhone, just in case one comes out blurry.

According to one study conducted by Pew Research Center, 79 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds use the internet to share photos they’ve taken. The same study showed that only 19 percent of internet users 65 years or older are using the internet to share their own photos.

The numbers show that older people aren’t contributing to the collection of digital images like some of the younger generations. This may be a result of today’s youth growing up in front of an iPad or an iPhone, from such a young age.

The other issue with today’s photo sharing is that the subjects of the photos often don’t change. A simple google image search of ‘golden gate bridge’ will return thousands of results from different sources but many will look almost exactly the same. The continuous exposure to images from all over the world, seems to have left some people desensitized. Now, I am no longer fascinated by the Golden Gate Bridge or the Great Wall of China, simply because I’ve seen pictures of them for years.

Growing popularity of social media and photo-sharing sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Flickr have only contributed to the unnecessary collection of digital photos. Now, people are inclined to take photos for the sole reason on social media.

A major factor in the growing popularity of photo sharing, is the increasing use of photo sharing apps. According to one Business Insider study, 49 percent of photo shared daily in 2014, were shared using Snapchat. The interesting thing about Snapchat is the photo expires, leaving the recipient to view it for only so long. But what does that say about our culture?

In my opinion it is saying that our attention spans are short, and it speaks to our desire to share content. Today we are happy to share larger quantities of photos quicker, and I think that’s a major factor in the collection of digital images. It’s hard to believe that photographs still hold the same meaning when we take them so wastefully.

I do believe that pictures still hold meaning and that the right photo can evoke incredible emotion, but I think these photos are harder to find. Instead you’ll find photos of concerts and events where crowds were snapping pictures instead of soaking in the experience.

The root of the problem is the consumer. We are simply amassing too many useless pictures, and that’s led to each photo holding less meaning. I don’t believe the solution is to stop photographing, but instead to find something with meaning to photograph. Go out and find something that sparks emotion, because that is what we have lost.

University teams up with junior college to combat sexual assault

**Originally published in the Sonoma State STAR**

From 1997 to 2013, women ages 18 to 24 experienced higher rates of rape or sexual assault than any other age bracket, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Today, sexual assault is an issue with plenty of media attention and growing support, but there is more that can be done. Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College have partnered up to help fight campus sexual assault by participating in the ‘It’s On Us’ initiative.

The ‘It's On Us’ campaign is a nationwide public awareness and educational campaign started by the White House. Across the nation, universities, organizations, corporations and celebrities have all joined the campaign, according to Jesse Andrews, a title IX investigation specialist at Sonoma State University. ”Both President Arminana here at Sonoma State and President Frank Chong of Santa Rosa Junior College have signed on and endorsed the institutions to support the campaign,”said Andrews.

The attention brought to the topic, thanks to both campuses, is beneficial in spreading awareness about the issue. Although there is media attention regarding many sexual assaults, the statistics are still at shocking rates.

“When statistics show that one in five women and one in 16 men will be the victim of a sexual assault while in college, we have to continue to address the problem. It is going to take the efforts of everyone, from students, faculty, and staff to change the culture and raise awareness,” Andrews said.

On campus at Sonoma State, there will be tabling and events throughout April to help promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month where students can learn more about ‘It’s On Us’, and take a pledge against sexual assault.

“There is also a social media component to the campaign using the hashtag #itsonussonoma,” said Andrews. “While the initiative is being rolled out from the institution, we want students to get behind it and find ways to get involved and promote it individually or within their clubs and organizations.”

Students are already supporting the efforts from the schools to help bring more support to the cause.

“It's certainly an important topic especially on college campuses today,” said Sonoma State freshman Chris Doody. “It's something you can see in the media frequently and it needs to be addressed.”

Students aren't the only ones concerned with the coverage of this issue. Title IX Coordinator Joyce Suzuki recently told the Press Democrat that Sonoma State received 25 reports of sexual misconduct from August to February.

“It doesn't mean it's happening more. It's being reported more, and that's a good thing,” Suzuki told the Press Democrat.

To help spread awareness and further the discussion of campus sexual assault, Sonoma State will be holding an event focusing on the campus and community response. The event is a panel discussion geared to address concerns and facilitate discussion among the audience. The panel, called ‘If It Happens to You,’ will be held in the Student Center Sonoma Valley room on April 21 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in a conversation about how the campus community can best respond to sexual violence,” said Andrews. “Panelists include representatives from Sonoma County rape crisis, trauma and healing nonprofit Verity, as well as from Sonoma State Police Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Title IX office.”

Can journalism rescue justice?

For decades, the general public had confidence in the United States justice system, until a recent movement of journalism revealing faults in past arrests or convictions. The journalistic investigation of the justice served in cases from popular media, like the Serial podcasts or the series Making A Murderer, has created doubt in the minds of some people. Integrity-driven journalists can easily poke holes in the prosecution’s cases, and find missed leads, forcing readers to wonder why investigators so often miss the mark.

On March 8, Executive Producers Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig, who also narrates the podcast, visited Sonoma State University to host a talk about the ‘binge-worthy’ story. Snyder and Koenig talked about some of the struggles that they faced, and the exceptional response they received from creating Serial.

"We had no idea this was going to happen. Nothing that we had ever worked on for This American Life had anything close to this kind of reaction," Koenig said.

"It [Serial] was becoming a topic that was out in the world, and something that people were sharing, discussing and bonding over. They were developing kind of a shorthand language for the show, and that is pop culture,” Snyder said.

Snyder’s point about pop culture is exactly one of the issues behind the first season of Serial. Season one focused on the 1999 Baltimore murder of a young girl named Hae Min Lee, and her convicted ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed. One of the main issues in the case is that many people, including Syed, can’t remember what happened or where they were on the day in question. But that’s only part of the problem. As Koenig digs deeper she begins to find leads that weren’t pursued and, after a little probing, the story seems to change. Some students who attended the lecture had their own ideas on the podcast.

“At times, it felt as though the story was becoming more about freeing Adnan than it was about finding the truth or justice. I think it would be tough to talk on the phone with someone on a regular basis and not hope that they were innocent or build a relationship with them,” sophomore Jacquan Brown said.

As listeners of Serial learned, at the age of 18, Syed was tried and convicted for the killing of his ex-girlfriend and received a life sentence for the crime. Now, at 34 years old, his case is in the spotlight again but this time for different reasons. Koenig frequently calls Syed in prison to talk about what he remembers regarding the day of Lee’s death, and it’s clear that they develop a bond through the process.

“Obviously they aren't on a team,” Brown said. “However there is a lot of collaboration between the Serial team and the convicted.”

The relationship between the Koenig and Syed began to grow with every detail they share, and at times it felt difficult to hear her concede that maybe he was guilty. Koenig, like any journalist, was eager to follow leads that could exonerate Syed. But was that a passion for the truth, or a drive to free a prisoner?

“Part of me really wants Adnan to be innocent. But other parts of me still think: what if he did do it?” Koenig said.

Koenig’s research wasn't all for nothing. In fact a hearing to determine whether he will get a retrial is in the workings for Syed, although his memory of the day of the incident has not improved. Still, many listeners feel that a re-examination of this case could release a guilty man.

“It's just hard to think about all the facts and believe that an innocent man has been serving time all these years,” Nate Shapiro, a student that attended the speaking, stated.

But even if Syed is innocent, this wouldn't be the first time the American justice system has failed. In a 1967 Florida murder case, James Richardson served 21 years of his sentence before he was finally exonerated. Convicted of poisoning his own children to collect insurance, Richardson wasn't deemed innocent until the guilty babysitter admitted to the crime. Either way, the truth needs to be black and white--or as the court system words it, ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’

Today's evolving methods of journalism are shining lights in places where they never have before. It's important that these mistakes are highlighted so that the public can try to keep the government accountable. The effect of the Serial podcast is still sinking in for many people, but for now, the spotlight on the justice system has intensified.

Food insecurity, a real issue for families in Sonoma County

**Originally published in the Sonoma State STAR**

Despite Sonoma State University’s location in Sonoma County where food is in high production, hunger is still an issue for many citizens. The Sonoma State STAR published an article last month, highlighting the effort of the California State University’s research on campus-hunger, but the issue is much more widespread.

70,000 local households account for 36 percent of the county and these households missed 34 million meals last year according to the 2015 Sonoma County Hunger Index. The Hunger Index explained that  many families are finding it hard to pay for their meals while living on low-income and government aid. The rising cost of food is only creating more issues for low-income households struggling to find meals.

“I think there are definitely some resources that are underutilized. At the same time, there are also non traditional things,” George Malachowski said. “There's an organization in Petaluma called 'Petaluma Bounty' that works with folks, and other business organizations that do their own gardens. And so I think part of it is knowing your resources.”

Malachowski works for the Sonoma County Human Services Department and played a vital role in analyzing the data for the index.

“The larger problem is even if you were to get full participation in some these [government aid] programs it still wouldn't close the missing meal gap completely. How do you make families more sustaining for themselves?” Malachowski said.

For many families who have tried to find aid, the rising cost of food is still too much to overcome. Even at the local level, growing food is not as cheap as many expect.

“If you look at the economic recovery in Sonoma County, in particular the last few years, the people at the higher end of the income have improved much more rapidly than at the lower end,” Malachowski said.

The rising cost of food compounded on the low incomes of some of the affected families, leaves many without food. The vicious cycle of rising prices and stagnant wages forces more and more families to miss meals.

Oscar Chavez, Sonoma County’s assistant director of human services, spoke to the Press Democrat in Feb. 2015 about the issue.

“Despite the improvement, the meal gap is still unacceptably high. We know that we still have a lot of struggling families who are not able to make ends meet and continue to be in low-wage jobs,” Chavez said.

The irony behind this issue, is that agriculture is a driving economic force for Sonoma County and that doesn’t seem to change.

“Very little of the food that's produced in Sonoma County is actually consumed in Sonoma County. And that's one thing that we really need to work better on,” Malachowski said.

Although simply raising awareness can help, there are other measures that can be taken to help those in need of food.

“One thing is advocating at the community level, and with local governments, to use unused land to create gardens. I also think it's individuals growing food in their backyard and donating it to pantries or food banks, or go through their churches,” Malachowski said. “The other part of it is thinking about the actual cost of your food.”

Although the issue is improving, it’s far worse than it should ever be in such an agriculturally predominant area. To alleviate some of the stress that these families may feel, government programs are available to provide assistance. Of course, other options exist as well. The Redwood Empire Food Bank is run on donations and is open to anyone in need.

Social Justice Week sends a message to students

**Originally published in the Sonoma State STAR**

The week of March 20 was Social Justice Week at Sonoma State University, showcasing different social movements and ideas through a series of events. The week was set up and planned by a group of students called the Social Justice Club and their hope is to bring awareness to college students about a variety of issues.

“Social Justice Week is a week long event where we work with 20 - 30 on and off campus organizations, local and national, and we cover different social issues that are happening at a local, global and national level,” said Club President Elizabeth Casteñon

The issues that are highlighted shift day by day, that way students can learn about a variety of topics that could affect them.

“Each day there’s a different theme. Monday was a kickoff, Tuesday was ‘Women’s Justice Day’. Our whole purpose is to raise awareness to college students about things they might not know about or might not hear,” said Casteñon.

On Wednesday March 23, ‘Davey D.’ was leading a talk in the Student Center Ballroom. Davey is a hip hop historian, DJ and an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University.

“He is talking about black lives matter, the war on drugs, and racism. He was saying how he didn’t know whether to wear a red jacket or a black jacket, because he didn’t want to be targeted, or seen as a drug dealer because outside of Oakland, red might be seen as a gang affiliation,” Casteñon said.

For many students, attending the events of Social Justice Week could have been the first step they are taking toward committing themselves to the social justice fight.

“Before I joined sociology club, it was definitely harder for me to connect to other issue going on outside of my life,” Casteñon said. “The first step is becoming aware. Sometimes it’s really negative and you don’t want to think about it, but you can’t do anything if you don’t know what’s is going on.”

Casteñon wasn’t the only one who urged these sentiments at the event. One student, Bobby Ramirez, shared his ideas on the social justice movement.

“I’ve got a company called Azlant Industries, which is a record label and entertainment. We put on shows, play music, and host events,” Bobby Ramirez said.

However, he does more than simply run a company. Ramirez, alongside being a student, is a lyricist. His rhymes dig a little deeper than some of the radio hits we are used to. His solo album ‘The Last of the Mexica’ was released Nov. 19 and has numerous songs that send a message.

“I’m a sociology major, so a lot of the stuff I learn I try to implement into my music,” Ramirez said. “When I first started, it was a clothing brand. Then I decided I would take the stuff I wrote, and record one track. But when I recorded my music, I had such a good time.”

Ramirez uses Aztlan Industries as an outlet to share his ideas on social change. His rhymes touch on everything from gentrification to Black Lives Matter.

Much like Social Justice Week, there are other outlets that are available for students to help learn about what's happening around the globe.

“There’s a lot of messed up stuff in the world but it’s on us to change it. We’ve got to unite. And if we don’t step up and be the change, then we’ve got no right to talk about it,” Ramirez said.

Social Justice Week is about spreading the awareness of many topics and simply providing students an outlet is a major accomplishment as well.

“I feel like just having this type of event available, and providing the opportunity for students to come is important,” Casteõn said, “some of the best social movements involve all walks of life.”