Project Censored will be sponsoring April appearances of David Barsamian and Medea Benjamin on the Sonoma State University campus.
David Barsamian, media activist, award winning producer in alternative radio, and author of books interviewing Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, will speak in Warren Auditorium on Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m. A regular contributor to The Progressive and Z Magazine, Barsamian will be discussing his new book "The Decline and Fall of Public Broadcasting."
Medea Benjamin, founding director of the human rights organization Global Exchange, will be in Warren Auditorium on Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. to speak about her recent visits to Afghanistan in the wake of September 11. This January, Benjamin led a delegation to accompany Americans who had lost loved ones in the September 11th attack to meet with people in Afghanistan who have suffered similar loss due to the current conflict.
She also led a women's delegation to Afghanistan to investigate the humanitarian situation, the consequences of U.S. bombin, and to talk to women's groups about the role women should play in a transition government. Benjamin will also discuss her opinions about the moral and financial responsibility of the U.S. for the future of Afgahanistan.
General admission is $7, students and seniors, $5. For additional information, contact Project Censored at (707) 664-2500.
Kate McClintock, formerly the Director of Development and Alumni Relations at UC Berkeley's International House, has been hired in an interim post as Director of Alumni Relations at Sonoma State University.
A native of Australia, Kate holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree from San Jose State University. She has held positions as the development director for the Easter Seal Society and the American Lung Association. She also served as board president of the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association.
"The Alumni Association's top priority of encouraging new membership and participation in the Association and at the University provides a wonderful opportunity for me as new director," she says. "I look forward to working with a dedicated group of volunteers and staff to enhance existing programs and develop new and exciting ways for alumni to stay connected with SSU."
The Sonoma State University Alumni Association has named Stacey Nugent as the recipient of the 2001-02 Nichols Scholarship Award.
The $2,500 annual scholarship was established and named for SSU's founding president, Ambrose R. Nichols, Jr., and is awarded each year by the Alumni Association for outstanding scholastic achievement and contributions to the campus community.
Stacey is originally from Modesto and came to SSU as a freshman in the fall of 1999. Her strong academic drive has given her senior status a semester early, but with a major in history, a minor in political science and plans to complete the social science credential waiver program, her anticipated graduation date is May, 2003.
With her interest and passion in the social sciences, Stacey hopes to become a high school history teacher. To get a feel for the field, Stacey volunteers her time in a history class at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park.
Stacey has made a name for herself since her arrival at Sonoma. She aided the transition of incoming freshman as a peer mentor during the past two years. She serves as the vice-chair on the Student Union Board of Directors and as a volunteer for the Serving Our Unfed People (SOUP) program. These and a host of many other accomplishments earned her a nomination for SSU's Woman Leader of the Year award in 2001.
Sonoma State University is launching a new "Entrepreneur-in-Residence" program for its Wine Business curriculum with the help of the Chalone Wine Foundation.
The new program is designed to bring a wine industry entrepreneur to the university for a semester of teaching, working with faculty, and enriching student experiences.
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence will offer a course entitled, "Wine Entrepreneurship," which will instruct students on how to write a business plan for a wine-related business or build a case study detailing the entrepreneur's past venture.
Chalone Wine Foundation, an organization that awards scholarships to students studying the art or science of wine or food, provides financial grants to wine-related nonprofit groups, and administers the wine donations of the Chalone Wine Group, is underwriting the "Entrepreneur-in-Residence" program.
W. Philip Woodward, President of the Chalone Wine Foundation, commented, "We have worked closely with Sonoma State University to offer scholarships to students in its Wine Business Program and we wanted to continue our support in another facet. The Wine Business Program is important to the wine industry and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program will add to it experiential education and mentoring."
David Hehman, Wine Business Program director, said "Phil is a quintessential entrepreneur in the wine industry, having built Chalone Wine Group from an emerging business into a publicly traded company. Phil reveals his entrepreneurial spirit in his book, Chalone: A Journey on the Wine Frontier, which chronicles the business of the Chalone Wine Group.
The hallmark of many great entrepreneurs is their desire to give back to the community. By establishing the Entrepreneur-in-Residence endowment fund, Phil is spreading his entrepreneurial vision and enriching our curriculum. We are thankful to have such a great mentor affiliated with our school."
Sonoma State University will announce the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence during its Career & Industry Night on May 9. The selection committee consists of Woodward, Hehman, and Dr. Armand Gilinsky, director of the Entrepreneurship Center.
Nominees for the Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program can be sent to Hehman at david.hehman@sonoma.edu.
Eleven students, led by Professors Janeen E. Olsen and Liz Thach, traveled with Sonoma State University Wine Business Program's first global wine class to Chile and Argentina recently to explore the growing wine industry of South America.
The class consisted of two weeks in Santiago and Talca, Chile and in Mendoza, Argentina. Students made visits to 16 wineries, attending wine business classes at the University of Talca, and tasting over 100 new wines. "As the competition has become more global, it is increasingly important for our wine business students to have an understanding of the international forces that will shape the wine industry in the future," says Dr. Olsen.
"The Global Wine Industry course and field trip gave us a chance to explore the trends in global production and consumption of wine, to study different wine exporting strategies, and to learn some of the reasons for the joint ventures and acquisitions that have been taking place around the world."
The group stayed in hostels, and every morning took a chartered van to a wide variety of different wineries. "We saw large and small wineries that produce only for export as well as those that serve domestic markets. We visited bodegas full of tradition that had been in the family for many generations as well new startups producing just their first vintages," noted Dr. Olsen. As well as serving the value niche, many producers are pushing high quality wines into the markets and competing with the world's best wines.
"Learning about the Chilean wine industry, studying with foreign students, experiencing the warm Chilean culture, and having fun were what this trip was all about", remarked Garret Savage, one of the Sonoma State University students attending the trip. Besides the opportunity to study the wine industry first hand, the group was able to experience other aspects of Chilean culture.
"In the evenings, the cities came alive with a veritable buffet of delectable dishes as well as discotheques packed with salsa and tango dancing," said Belinda Mehterian, another student who went on the trip.
The magnificence of both countries was absolutely stunning. "We were very impressed with the beauty of the Chilean landscape- the green, healthy vineyards spreading toward the towering heights of the Andes and their snow-covered peaks," said Dr. Liz Thach.
The Mediterranean type climate and opposite seasons afforded views of grapes ripening on the vine, days lingering on the beach absorbing the sun's rays, and evenings dining outside enjoying familiar breezes off the Pacific Ocean.
The Wine Business Program incorporates an international aspect through a travel/lecture program offered when school is not in session. For further information about the Wine Business Program, please contact David Hehman, Wine Program Director at (707) 664-3347 or david.hehman@sonoma.edu.
* Photographs available upon request.
Through support offered by the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism (GO SERV), students of Sonoma County schools are studying the life and ideals of the late labor leader Cesar Chavez and his struggle to improve the life of his community.
Their results will be showcased at the second annual Cesar Chavez Health Fair (C'lebra'ion de Salud) to be held at the Roseland Elementary School grounds in Santa Rosa on April 6.
The event marks the second year of the new California state holiday, Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning. A broad community coalition is collaborating to produce the Cesar Chavez events locally.
The efforts of the Latino Service Providers, Roseland Children's Health Clinic, Sonoma County Museum, the Sonoma Regional Service Collaborative, the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, and the AmeriCorps and VISTA programs of Sonoma State University are combining to make a significant and memorable holiday.
Health Fair
The Second Annual Cesar Chavez Celebracion de Salud will focus on the health needs of children in the Latino Community, "The three most pressing needs of children in this area," said Elisabeth Chicoine, Director of the Roseland Children's Clinic," are iron-deficiency anemia, dental caries, and nutrition."
These needs will be addressed at the fair by health screenings, information booths, and sign-ups for low-cost dental clinics and affordable children's health insurance.
Last year's Health Fair attracted and served 500 children and families. Additionally, last year's events included a Youth Conference in Windsor organized by the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, which inspired over 80 Latino high school students from throughout the county.
This year the Health Fair and the Youth Conference have been combined at the April 6 Roseland event in Santa Rosa. Entertainment, low-fat food, a raffle, and music will be offered as the Health Fair participants stroll through displays of community information and health screening.
Hearing checks and screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure will be offered as well as information on immigration, nutrition, and availability of low-cost health insurance for families.
In addition to assisting the Latino Health Providers on the day of the Health Fair, Sonoma State University AmeriCorps members will be conducting a community service project at a nearby transitional housing facility.
Service Learning
A feature of the fair will be displays by the students of Sonoma State University's academic after school program, COOL SCHOOL, that reflect their study of community needs. In the weeks before the Fair the students will respond to these needs by carrying out service learning projects, such as refurbishing gardens, visiting shelters, packing food boxes at the food bank, and designing a conflict resolution program.
Each of the five COOL SCHOOL Programs will have a booth at the fair displaying what they have learned and addressing their views on health needs.
Youth Day Conference
High school and middle school students will be transported from Windsor, Cloverdale, Sonoma, Rohnert Park and Petaluma to a youth conference with speakers and workshops held at Roseland on the day of the Health Fair.
Conducted by the Youth Volunteer Corps of the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, the speakers, cultural workshops, and service projects bring together the young Latino leaders of the future.
NOTE: Opportunities for coverage include the fair itself, the preparation by the youth and children, and service projects conducted by the children and AmeriCorps members.
Please call Ruth Roberson at (707) 664-3315 for details.
The 16th Annual World of Work Career Fair at Sonoma State University will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 21 in the Main Quad on campus. Over 70 employers from a wide range of businesses and organizations are expected to attend.
Those who attend will have the opportunity to meet and network about careers, jobs, internships, and part-time opportunities with professionals from business, government, non-profit, social services, science and medical companies.
There will also be a Career Resource Corner to assist resume critique by a career counselor, career track questionnaires and MonsterTRAK.com registration. Internet job searches will be possible on computers located in the center.
A special showcase highlighting the uses of different technologies in teacher education at Sonoma State University will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 at the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center on campus.
The Technology in Education Showcase will prove valuable in understanding how contemporary teacher training utilizes the latest in technology tools including video, computer applications, and online learning to improve teaching and learning in our university and K-12 classrooms.
The afternoon will be full of demonstrations by faculty and students who will present examples of how they have applied computer and video technologies in teacher education courses. The demonstrations will include interactive learning, web-based learning, handhelds, laptops, video conferencing and multimedia projects, and online video content.
SSU's teacher education programs develop about 530 new teachers annually. Some 29 full-time faculty and41 part-time faculty act as instructors and field supervisors for teacher education programs that include elementary education, secondary education, Special Education and educational leadership.
HIGHLIGHTS OF AFTERNOON SCHEDULE:
2:15-3:30 p.m., Schulz 2010
* Students use educational software to individualize instruction to meet the diverse needs of elementary school age learners.
* Interactive journaling in teacher education. Students participate in an online journal.
3:30-4:45 p.m., Schulz 2010
* Building a multi-media bridge to social awareness. This project will complete a multi-media cultural portfolio that facilitate student teachers developing their own cultural portfolios.
* PDA's will be used to assist students with time management, recording observations of field experiences, capturing and exporting images, recording and analyzing physical activity.
4:45-6 p.m., Schulz 2010
* Students engage in a web-based collaborative project to develop a new web
site to support parents of Special Education children.
* Students use an interactive web environment to access course materials, engage in peer interaction related to course assignments, and contribute lesson plans and resources related to math education.
* Course web site and various resources for literacy development that instructors and preservice teachers can use. Ideas will be shared in which to infuse web site usage into the elementary and college classrooms.
VIDEO CASE STUDIES IN TEACHER EDUCATION
2:15-2:45 p.m., Schulz 2019
* Videos that highlight effective practices across the curriculum in various elementary classroom settings will be shared. The videos focus on ways to differentiate the classroom, cross-age learning buddies and second language instructional strategies.
3-3:30 p.m., Schulz 2019
* Reading with the young reader: Environmental Print. This video demonstrates how to use familiar print found in everyday life (environmental print) as instructional material to teach reading first and second language learners.
3:45-4:15 p.m., Schulz 2019
* Compiled video footage that shows the teaching of science, math and integration of technology tools. Team teaching techniques are also shown through a case study example.
4:30-5 p.m., Schulz 2019
* Techniques for effective classroom management and establishing an atmosphere that contributes to maximum instructional time. Both verbal and non-verbal interventions for dealing with off-task students will be presented.
5:15-5:45 p.m., Schulz 2019
* This area features three content modules within Physical Education: 1) Managing Students in Physical Education; 2) Teaching Children Fitness Activities; and 3) Teaching Children Fundamental Sports Skills. The video examples presented are at the elementary education level, yet the applicability is high at all grade levels.
If you are interested in attending any of these sessions, please contact Jean Wasp, Media Relations, (707) 664-2057. Parking passes are available.
What do Ansel Adams, Cuban Jazz and Salsa, Jack London and the Santa Rosa Symphony have in common?
They are all part of this summer's third annual Green Music Festival in a beautiful wine country setting by the lakes at Sonoma State University. Attendance at this year's Festival is expected to top 30,000 people at the Rohnert Park campus.
Events include an Independence Day Pops concert and fireworks celebration featuring the Santa Rosa Symphony in a program of patriotic standards and Wild West film scores, an Ansel Adams Centennial Exhibition in the University Art Gallery, and a Cuban Jazz and Salsa concert.
This year's festival, under the artistic leadership of Jeffrey Kahane, is focused around the theme, "On Common Ground: Evolving Landscapes in Music, Arts and Ideas." The theme will be explored musically with symphonic music that evokes landscapes from the American West and international locales, and jazz and salsa music by two Cuban musicians.
It will also be explored through the photographs and lifetime achievements of Ansel Adams, and a seven-part lecture series focused on the meaning of various California landscapes in Jack London's writings. The festival schedule includes:
INDEPENDENCE DAY ON THE GREEN - 7:30 p.m., July 4, lawn area. Conductor Jeff Tyzik leads the Santa Rosa Symphony in a program of patriotic standards and Wild West film favorites. Fireworks follow. Gates open at 4 p.m. for picnicking, games for kids and entertainment. Family-oriented event. Tickets $10-$52. Reserved tables available. Event expected to sell out at 4,000 people.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT ON THE GREEN - 6 p.m., August 3, lawn area. Conductor and Festival Artistic Director Jeffrey Kahane leads the Santa Rosa Symphony in an international travelogue program of Gershwin's "An American in Paris," Respighi's "Pines of Rome" and Von Suppé's"Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna." Guest pianist Jon Nakamatsu, a gold medal winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will be featured in "Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor," often referred to as The Song of Norway. Gates open at 4 p.m. for picnicking, fine wine and food. Tickets $8-$48.
CUBAN JAZZ AND SALSA ON THE GREEN - August 4, lawn area. Two star musicians from Cuba are featured. 4 p.m. - Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Cuban Jazz composer-pianist nominated for three GRAMMY' awards this year, seasons Afro-Cuban rhythms with New World classical and jazz traditions. 6:30 p.m. - Cuban Son Singer-Songwriter, Albita, an international superstar hailed as the Cuban Diva, flavors her songs with the soulful poetry of Latin dance and romance. Gates open at 2 p.m. for picnicking, fine wine and food. Tickets $6-$35.
CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES - 8 p.m., July 20, Evert B. Person Theatre. Jeffrey Kahane & Friends, including principals from the San Francisco Symphony and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, entertain with Schubert, Shostakovich, and Brahms. Tickets $15-$22.
CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES - 4 p.m., July 21, Evert B. Person Theatre. Jeffrey Kahane & Friends II entertain with Hadyn, Ravel, Brahms. Tickets $15-22.
ARTS & IDEAS LECTURE SERIES: ON COMMON GROUND - 7 p.m., Wednesdays June 26-August 7, Evert B. Person Theatre. Seven free public lectures on various themes about Jack London's works and California landscapes, from his quest for beauty in the Valley of the Moon to the architecture of Wolfe House to his experiences in West Oakland. The July 10th lecture will feature the curator of the Ansel Adams Centennial Exhibition addressing Adams' landscape photographs, his lifelong efforts to protect natural landscapes and his experiences in Sonoma County.
ANSEL ADAMS CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION - July 11-August 18, Sonoma State University Art Gallery. An important selection of approximately 70 original prints, with an emphasis on images of Northern California and Sonoma County and his acknowledged masterpieces, celebrates Adams' 2002 centennial birthday. The curator for the exhibition, Mary Street Alinder, was Ansel Adams' chief of staff, assisted him in writing his autobiography and wrote the definitive biography on Adams after his death. Admission $5-$7.
GREENFARM YOUTH FESTIVAL WEEKEND - July 27 and 28. Two days of performances crown the Greenfarm summer season of arts and education programs for youth.
For tickets and information on all events, call (707) 546-8742 or visit the web site at www.greenmusicfestival.org. Buy tickets to two or more music events and enjoy a $3 discount per ticket. Tickets go on sale April 1. All events take place at the Sonoma State University campus in Rohnert Park, 1801 E. Cotati Ave. approximately 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
In December of 1997, Julia Butterfly Hill climbed into a thousand-year-old redwood tree and it was there she remained for over two years. On Thursday, March 28 at 7 p.m., Hill will recount this adventure and discuss her current book, "One Makes A Difference" at the University's Cooperage.
Hill's fight to save her tree "Luna" and other surrounding old growth redwoods was only the beginning of her commitment to guiding others along a path of environmental and social awareness.
Hill was new to California and to the environmental movement when she first became aware of Pacific Lumber/Maxxam Corporations plans to clear-cut a section of ancient redwoods. It was in Humboldt Counties Headwaters Forest that she took a stand against one of the largest logging companies in the nation. On a platform 180 feet up in a giant redwood tree she called"Luna," she endured 90-mph winds and constant harassment from Pacific Lumber's climbers and helicopters.
Hill's conviction paid off, and after a 738-day vigil Pacific Lumber agreed to permanently protect Luna and a 2.9-acre grove around her. Julia has since created the Circle of Life Foundation, which strives to develop a sustainable culture of life on Earth "rooted deeply in love and respect for the interconnectedness of all beings." She has also testified at the California Board of Forestry several times and met with Senator Dianne Feinstein all in the name of banning old growth logging. These experiences inspired her to write the best selling book "The Legacy of Luna".
On December 18, 1999, Julia Butterfly Hill came down to a world that that recognized her as a heroine and a powerful voice for the environment.
Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $10 general admission and are available at the door. This event is sponsored by Sonoma State's Associated Students Productions.
Sonoma State University's Service Collaborative was recently granted $40,000 by the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism (GOSERV) to carry out children's service learning projects in honor of the late labor leader.
The program of teacher training and children's service learning projects will be showcased at the Second Annual César Chavez Celebracion de Salud, a health fair on the Roseland School grounds in Santa Rosa, on April 6.
A teacher training on March 6 will demonstrate ways to encourage children to study community needs and to formulate projects that address those needs. Throughout the month of March the children of the COOL SCHOOL academic after school programs will be choosing and carrying out their service projects.
"An important aspect of this years' grant is the addition of funds for bus transportation, which will enable the children to go to sites such as community gardens where they can perform their service," said Julie McClure, Director of Service Programs at the university.
The Health Fair, which will repeat last year's popular event that served 500 children and families with free testing and referrals for health, safety, and immigration needs, will feature services by the Latino Service Providers and Roseland Children's Clinic. It is being facilitated by the AmeriCorps and VISTA leadership of SSU's COOL SCHOOL and Project SCHOLARS where 250 SSU students serve as literacy tutors and after school mentors.
Youth and older children will be encouraged to act as service learning mentors for the elementary students. A Youth Conference sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County will bring young Latino leaders for workshops and service projects illustrating Cesar Chavez' motto, Si, Se Puede! (Yes, You Can!). The Conference will be held in conjunction with the Health Fair on April 6 at the Roseland School grounds.
"The grant from the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism will enable a broad coalition of community members from Santa Rosa's Latino community, the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, Sonoma State University's service programs and community agencies such as the Sonoma County Museum create a memorable event that honors the spirit of Cesar Chavez by engaging children and youth in the community," McClure said.
