Learn more about the Women's Resource Center. See SSU Spotlight on page 5.

Who can bat it out the best in the Bay Area - the A:s or the Giants? See page 11. Students gather together in anticipation of · Trying to stay out of debt? Star Wars: Episode III Check out Student Life's Revenge of the Sith. See advice on how·to do it. Senior send-off celebrates its page 8. See page 9. graduating seniors. See page 4.

VOLUME 53: ISSUE 14 Sonoma State University's student-produced newspaper since 1979. MAY 17, 2005 School of semester in review: Education Top 10 stories of Spring 2005 re-accredited ANDREA KosKEY Staff Writer NicKAGIUS of her columns to the Schulz lnfonnation News Editor Center for research purposes. The SSU library spent over three years sorting out The state of California and organizing her complete collection recently granted re-accredita­ With the end of the school year into more than 700 folders, which are tion to SSU's School of Edu­ just around the comer, The Star reflects now available to be viewed for research cation, and for the first time on the stories from this semester which and infonnation. LeBaron's writing be­ in its existence, the school is most affected the SSU community. came a part of our community's history up for national recognition as 10. Police pursuit ends tragically and now that history is at the fingertips well. In addition, the nursing at Americana Apartments: A routine of SSU students. department is also gearing up traffic stop turned deadly on Jan. 28, af­ 7. SSU drinking water fails bacte­ for its review next semester. ter a driver led police on a high speed car riological test: Tap water already is not Between March · 3 and chase through Rohnert Park. After crash­ the besftasting, but it was discovered that March 9, teams from the state ing his car into the Americana Apart­ water coming from drinking fountains at accreditation and the National ments parking lot, 30-year-old Terry SSU might not be safest, either. The Council for Accreditation of Lee Grinner, Jr. exited his vehicle and California Department of Health Ser­ Teacher Education (NCATB-), tried eluding law officials by foot. Of­ vices sent a notice saying that in October visited the campus to evaluate ficer Jacy Tatum shot Grinner after see­ 2004 the University served water that and review a report submit­ ing him brandish a gun during the foot exceeded that maximum containment ted to them by the School of pursuit. Granner was pronounced dead level for total coliform bacteria. While Education. at the local hospital. With Americana the bacteria are not harmful itself, it does "This process is very Apartments being the place of residence indicate a problem with water treatment, thorough," said Martha Rud­ for many SSU students, the event hit resulting in water that may be contami­ dell, interim dean of the very close to home. nated with disease-causing organisms. School of Education. "To 9. Tragedy at Chico: Student Needless to say, the news left students ANDERA K OSKEY I I STAR evaluate the report, the teams Taking a look inside Darwin Hall as it is being renovated. Overdoses on water: Students are fore­ with a bad taste in their mouths. conducted interviews with warned about the dangf!rS of drinking, 6. Dane Cook .and friends crack faculty - both in and outside but usually the drink is alcohol. On Feb. up SSU: To kick off their comedy tour cheap ones! Those that still want to get Thompson has denied all charges. of the school - with admin­ 2, Mathew William Carrington, a Chico which took them to 20 colleges in 30 their hands on tickets can purchase them 2. Rohnert Park Department of istrators, students, graduates State student originally from Pleasant days, comics Dane Cook, Jay Davis, online"at tickettrader.com, however some Public Safety seek harsher punish­ and employers of graduates. Hill, died after participating in an unusu­ Robert Kelly and Gary Gulman per­ of them are going for as high as $1,000. ment for repeat party call offenders: We also had an electronic da­ al pledge activity that involved drinking fonned in front of a highly excited 4. Darwin Hall getting over­ A proposal taken to the city council on tabase and an exhibit room set several gallons of water. The tragic event crowd in Seawolf Gym. Not only was hauled: Students walking to class have Tues, Feb. 22 proposed a new ordinance up that contained syllabi from shocked college &...,.,.. ,,..., * ._ ~ for tbe openina njallt of l)!ld to avoid ~ ~ ~ ~bris. in li,eu oftlu: gro · number of~ several )leatS of classes and a state, arid raised concerns about hazing "Tourgasm" it was also the comedian's whire·-professors have been forced to- disfurbance ca s in e area. Currently, lot of data that we collected on in sororities and fraternities. only stop in California. Despite some speak a little louder since construction if the police have to respond to a party our programs." 8. Schulz Information Center audio technical difficulties, fans deemed started on the 35-year old building at the responsible person(s) will receive Because of the intensity gains piece of history: Gaye LeBaron the show a success. the beginning of the semester. With the a warning with any other police visits of the re-accreditation pro­ spent 40 years writing over 8,000 col­ S. SSU to host largest concert in renovation well underway, and expected within 24 hours being at the cost of the cess, faculty and administra­ umns for The Press Democrat. After her history of Sonoma County: On August to continue throughout next year, stu­ responsible parties. The proposed ordi­ tors have been preparing for retirement in 200 l, LeBaron donated all 14, I 0,000 people will flock to SSU to dents and faculty should expect much nance would increase that time period this for more than three years. watch the legend­ of the same disturbances when school to six months. SSU students greatly op­ They gathered dates, and even ary rock group The resumes in the fall. The $26 million proj­ posed the proposal and as of press time, created a set of matrices to Eagles. This concert ect is scheduled to be finished in time for the ordinance had yet to be passed by show how the programs in the sold out in a half hour, classes to be held in Darwin Hall for the the Rohnert Park City Council. school were meeting ea:ch of and also sparked a Fall 2006 semester. 1. RCHS students protest gay the 25 standards for state and buzz not only around 3. Customer Services employee marriage; SSU students celebrate di­ national accreditation. SSU, but all around arrested for embezzlement: Barbara versity: Students from Rancho Cotate The hard work paid Sonoma County, as Thompson, an SSU Customer Services· High School, led by Conservativ~ Club off. All programs within the well. This is the larg­ cashier was arrested last summer and of America founder and RCHS senior, School of Education as well est concert Sonoma charged with embezzlement and grand Tim Bueller, protested gay marriage on as two programs outside the County has, ever held theft for taking cash from the sales of Mar. 15. With signs in hand and plas­ school, but still part of the and people from all parking pass permits. A total of $6,580 tered on trucks quoting lines from the unit - which are the adaptive over California are was unaccounted for from the fall se- bible, students paraded around Rohnert physical education program expected to attend the mester alone. A student trying to return Park spinning up controversy, espe­ in the School of Science and show. Bill Graham a parking pass and discovering that there cially on the SSU campus. In response, · Technology and counseling Presents is putting on • was no history of the original transaction _many SSU students and faculty mem­ which is in the School of So­ the event and will be launched an investigation which eventu­ bers led a march through Rohnert Park . cial Sciences - have met the constructing the stage ally led Thompson's arrest. A prelimi­ celebrating diversity and promoting the standards and been approved and the seating. Lawn nary court case was to be held Mar. 17, need for equal rights. for re-accreditation from the Students march against hate in response to an earlier seat went for $65... but was delayed because of a schedul­ Rancho Cotate High School protest against gay marriage. and those were the ing conflict with the defense attorneys. SEE ACCREDITATION PG 4 Summer construction Hunger Awareness Dinner pr~j ects underway encourages action

LAURA MARTINEZ this summer. Funding was "The goal is to bring awareness about co-coordinator for SOUP. JEFF O'BRIEN Staff Writer granted by the State's minor the inequality of food distribution around Upon entering, each attendee was ran­ capital outlay budget to im­ Staff Writer the world. Individuals that are here are domly assigned a place to sit after putting prove the safety of the build­ like-minded about hunger and homeless­ their hand in a bag and making a drawing. With the spring semester ing's interior stairwell area of When we place our glass underneath ness issues, and so they want to educate coming to an end summer con­ all three floors. the faucet, many of us here in America themselves," said junior Chandra Farnham, SEE HUNGER PG 5 struction and renovations can Currently, the hallway would rather have our tap water purified. begin. Top priorities for ·sum­ doors of Stevenson open di­ But imagine having to walk over ten miles· mer 2005 include continuation rectly at the base of the inte­ to the nearest well, and then carrying that of the Darwin Hall renovations, rior stairs. This may be a cause water (which isn't exactly purified) all the improvement on Stevenson for concern among students way home on your back. Hall's interior stairwell and and faculty rushing to get to We see kids in the United States over­ beginning construction on the their next class. According to eating on fast food. But imagine a country Donald and Maureen Green Dinno, current plans for the where children are suffering from the ef­ Music Center. building will allow for better fects of starvation to the point where they According to Christopher safety in tenns of entering and don't have enough energy to run, shout or Dinno, Project Manager of exiting. laugh. Some cannot even smile. Capital Planning, Design and "The improvements will SSU's ninth annual "Hunger Aware­ Construction (CPDC), "Darwin open up congestion in the area ness Dinner" took place on May 11, at­ Hall is fully engaged and under­ and make it more inviting for tracting a good mix of students who got a way." Completion for Darwin students," said Dinno. CPDC unique perspective on the. issues of world Hall is scheduled for Summer is hoping to begin work on the hunger. Taking place at the SSU Com­ 2006 at which times labs, offic­ stairwell in June with comple­ mons, it was an interactive dinner where es and staff will be able to move tion scheduled for the end of attendees experienced first-hand how food back in. Classes will resume in the summer just before the fall is distributed throughout the world. The the building at the beginning of semester begins. event was sponsored by JUMP (Join Us the Fall 2006 semester. Making Progress), the Sonoma Student The interior of Stevenson SEE CONSTRUCTION PG 5 Union, Oxfam, Sonoma State Enterprises JEFF O'BRIEN / / STAR Hall will also see some changes and SOUP (Serving Our Unfed People). A student experiences what it would be like to live in poverty.