In celebration of Women's History Month, The University Library Art Gallery at Sonoma State University, in conjunction with the Women's Resource Center, presents "Four Sculptors."
Work by four international women artists, Gigi Janchang of Taiwan, Kyunghee Lee of South Korea, Jann Nunn of the United States, and Ulrike Palmbach of Germany, will be on view at the Schulz Library Art Gallery on the Sonoma State University campus March 5 through April 15.
Gigi Janchang has led an international life. Born in Shanghai, she received her BA in painting from National Taiwan Normal University. Before coming to the US, she studied independently in Paris, and since receiving her MFA at San Francisco Art Institute she has studied under Klaus Rinke at the Art Academy of Dusseldorf.
She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts travel grant, has had solo shows in Goteborg, Sweden, Dusseldorf, Germany and several in San Francisco. Gigi Janchang is exhibiting a 35 foot-long photographic work, Come & Go (1994), shown at the National Academy Gallery in Hangzhow, China.
Kyunghee Lee lives and works in Seoul, South Korea, where she is Dean of Information & Media Design at Korea Digital University. She earned her BFA and MFA degrees from Seoul National University and an additional MFA from San Francisco State University. Lee has held solo exhibitions in England, the United States and South Korea.
In 2000 her work was represented in the Kwangju Biennale and Media City, Seoul Subway Project. Lee has several on-going web projects many of which deal with the 50-year separation of Koreans divided by the 38 parallel. Subsequently, much of her work investigates ways in which individuals are defined by patterns of social structures and geographic locations. Kyunghee Lee will exhibit Another Constellation at the Schulz Gallery.
Jann Nunn's multi-faceted work takes the form of sculpture, sculptural installation, performance, and occasionally photography, painting, or video. Informed by her feminist perspective, the work is often social or political in nature.
Born into a military family, Jann Nunn has lived, traveled, exhibited, and held residencies nationally and abroad. She has a BFA degree from University of Alaska, Anchorage, studied at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and earned an MFA from San Francisco Art Institute.
She has had solo shows in England, Germany, and the United States. Nunn is creating Resurrection, a sculptural installation, to commemorate the 10-year passing of her brother, Bill, to AIDS. Jann Nunn is Professor of Sculpture at Sonoma State University.
Ulrike Palmbach transforms humble materials into sculptural effigies of daily life. Felted army blankets become phones or radiators whose simplicity suggests a futile futurism. By portraying a semblance of useful objects she redoubles the irony of pragmatic means to contrary ends.
Born in Sindelfingen, Germany, Palmbach has studied art in Florence, Italy, Stuttgart and Berlin, Germany, and San Francisco, California. Courtesy of Stephen Wirtz Gallery, Palmbach is presenting Pants a 7 foot-tall suspended woven twine sculpture.
This exhibit is sponsored by the University Library, SSU Women's Resource Center, the InterCultural Center, and the Associated Students. The public is invited to attend the reception on Friday, March 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday - Saturday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
For more information contact Karen Brodsky, (707) 664-4240.
The theme for this year's Women's History Month at SSU is "Remembering the Ladies," referencing a wish First Lady Abigail Adams once expressed to husband President John Adams.Activities for SSU's celebration of Women's History Month range from Barbie doll makeovers and female artist discussions to women-centered films,
lectures and performances.
The spark for the creation of National Women's History Month was first struck at SSU in the 1970s. The movement began when several female students realized the achievements and contributions of women were missing from their
history texts and lectures.
The students went on to form the non-profit National Women's History Project. In the late 1970s, the group led other women,s organizations in successfully lobbying the US Congress to designate March as National Women's
History Month. National Women's History Month at Sonoma State University is sponsored by The Women's Resource Center and Associated Students, Inc. For more information, contact the WRC at (707) 664-2845.
Upcoming National Women's History Month events are free unless otherwise noted.
"double consciousness" - Monday, March 1-26, InterCultural Center Gallery.
Local Barbie doll artist Deborah Colotti uses mixed media to examine
women's dual roles as household domestics and beauty queens.
Gender Issues in History - Tuesday, March 2, noon-1p.m., Salazar 2021. "The Maya Third Gender," by Prof. William Poe, and "Renaissance Androgyny: A problem with Aesthetics," Prof. Robert Jefferson. Part of the History
Department Lecture Series.
Barbie Makeover Workshop -Tuesday, March 2, 3-5:30 p.m., ICC Gallery. A chance to recreate Barbie at this hands-on workshop led by Deborah Colotti. Remodeled dolls displayed as part of "double consciousness."
The Gay Vote and Gay Issues in U.S. Politics - Thursday, March 4, noon-1p.m., Carson 20. Lecture on the implications of the increasing identification of gay voters with the Democratic Party and the Democratic
Party with gay rights. Part of the Women and Gender Studies Queer Lecture Series.
Gendered Justice: Forum on Women Prisoners -Thursday, March 4, 7p.m., Cooperage. Panel of activists, legal advocates, and former prisoners discuss the lives of imprisoned women.
Women's Images - Tuesday, March 9, noon-1p.m., Salazar 2021. "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall; Lebanese Women and Images of Beauty in Mexico," by Prof. Theresa Alfaro Velcamp, and "A Wrestling Match by Women," by Prof. Randall Dodgen. Part of the History Department Lecture Series.
Transforming the Nation: Black History, Queer Politics, and Movement Building -Thursday, March 11, noon-1 p.m., Carson 20. Discussion of conflicts and alliances between the African-American and LGBT movements. Part of the Women and Gender Studies Queer Lecture Series.
Workshop for Singer-Songwriters -Thursday, March 11, 4-6 p.m. InterCultural Center, Student Union. Singer-songwriter Adrian focuses on storytelling and getting into the music business.
Writing About the Self: Writer and Artist Etel Adnan - Friday, March 12, 1-3 p.m.,Carson 68. Lebanese American writer, Etel Adnan, author of Sit Marie Rose, will discuss her work.
Funk to Feminist: Women See Women -Saturday, March 13, 9:25 a.m.-Noon, DiRosa Art & Nature Preserve, Napa Tour focuses on Bay Area women artists during the 1970s-90s by WRC Coordinator Kris Montgomery. Call 226.5991 for reservations. $12 per person.
Basic Auto Mechanics for Women - Monday, March 15, noon-1:30 p.m., InterCultural Center. Maria do Ceu, mechanic and owner of Out West Garage, explains how to keep a car running.
Women and Empire - Tuesday, March 16, noon-1 p.m., Salazar 2021. "Queen Emma and the Danish Connection," by Judith Abbot, and "Draw into Themselves Together with Their Suck: Irish Women and the Corruption of England's First Empire," by Kathleen Noonan. Part of the History Department Lecture Series.
TRANSformative Power: Transitioning from the Personal to the Political - Thursday, March 18, noon-1 p.m., Carson 20. Lecture by K.C. Bly, the first Transgender Programs Director in the US. Part of the WGS Queer History Lecture Series.
Women, Socialism, Anarchism - Tuesday, March 23, noon-1p.m., Salazar 2021. "Women in Socialist Cuba," by Tony White, and "Rose Pesotta: Anarchist and Labor Organizer," by Elaine Leeder. Part of the History Department Lecture Series.
Ending Shame, Secrecy, and Unwanted Surgeries for Children Born with Intersex Conditions -Thursday, March 25, noon-1p.m., Carson 20. Lecture by Cheryl Chase, Executive Director of the Intersex Society of North America. Part of the Women and Gender Studies Queer Lecture Series.
The Vagina Monologues - Wednesday, Thursday, March 24, 25T, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 26, 8 p.m., Person Theater. Provocative theater sensation about the "V-word," produced, directed, and performed by SSU faculty, staff
and students.
Woman Student Leader of the Year -Monday, March 29, 7 p.m., Cooperage. Gala reception and ceremony honoring outstanding women student leaders and their mentors.
20th Century Women -Tuesday, March 30, noon-1 p.m., Salazar 2021. "Stalin's Widows," Steve Bittner, and "My Oral History: A Woman in the 20th Century," by Clarice Stasz. Part of the History Department Lecture Series.
The University Art Gallery is pleased to announce The 25th Anniversary Exhibition, a selection of paintings, sculpture, photographs, prints, and drawings by regional, national, and internationally recognized artists whose work has been featured in Art Gallery exhibitions since it opened on the Sonoma State University campus in 1978.
The 25th Anniversary Exhibition remains on view through Sunday, March 21. Participating artists are Terry Allen, Rebeca Bollinger, Lowell Darling, Stephen De Staebler, Richard Diebenkorn, Chris Finley, Lorraine Garcia-Nakata, Wally Hedrick, David Hockney, Robert Hudson, Dennis Leon, Elizabeth McKinne, Richard Misrach, Ron Nagle, Nathan Oliveira, Peter Shelton, M. Louise Stanley, Inez Storer, William T. Wiley, and Tom Wudl.
Over the last 25 years, the Art Gallery has been visited by thousands of students, faculty, staff, and members of the public from the campus and local communities as well as from across the country, says Gallery manager Carala Stone.
They have come to see more than 100 exhibitions of modern and contemporary art by more than 800 artists. They have attended hundreds of lectures by artists, critics, curators, and scholars, such as Enrique Chagoya, Peter Frank, Donald Kuspit, Hilton Kramer, Manuel Ocampo, Marcia tucker, James Turrell, and William Wegman. And they have read dozens of catalogs and brochures, published by the Gallery that provides insight into the artists and their work, she says.
The Art Gallery, with its 23-foot ceiling and 2,4000 square feet of exhibition space, was designed to accommodate the monumental painting and sculpture popular with many artists during the 1970's.
It was immediately recognized as one of the largest and best-equipped spaces devoted to changing exhibitions of contemporary art in Northern California. On Friday, April 7, 1978, the University Art Gallery opened its first exhibition, a survey of work by 24 prominent Northern California artists organized by acting director Inez Storer.
The roster for the exhibition--including William Allan, Robert Arneson, Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira, Cornelia Schulz, and William T. Wiley--reads likes a "Who's Who" of Bay Area contemporary art that in may ways created the standard for high-quality exhibitions the Art Gallery has always tried to follow. As Storer said on the occasion of the opening, "With this exhibit, we hope to set the integrity of the future life of the Gallery."
The Art Gallery has continued to evolve in response to the changes in the art world and its audience. Since 1990, exhibitions have been organized in recognition of the contemporary art world's increasing cultural diversity, such as Body/Culture: Chicano Figuration, and the expanding use of new technology in visual art with exhibitions like sound, image, object, which included artists using video projection and digital images.
The 25th anniversary of the founding of the University Art Gallery is a milestone that provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on the Gallery's rich history and numerous contributions to the cultural life of Sonoma State University, Sonoma County, and the North Bay Region, says Michael Schwager, Gallery Director since 1991. He's optimistic about the Art Gallery's future.
"Twenty five years is a good moment to pause and look back at all the Gallery has accomplished--and also to look at what lies ahead. In spite of all of the budget cuts the university and its many programs face, Sonoma County's interest in visual art has never been higher. We've been right in the middle of the County's art scene since 1978, and the next twenty five years look just as exciting."
The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. - 4:00, and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (707) 664-2295.
AFRICAN DIASPORA FILM FESTIVAL-- This series aims to give moviegoers an opportunity to experience the breadth of the African diasporal experience to the largest extent possible. The list of films features the experiences of persons of African descent in various parts of Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Admission is free for SSU students, $7 per film general admission. A $15 weekend pass is also available. African Diaspora Film Festival. 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 29, Salazar Hall 2021, (707) 664-2710.
RECENT ADVANCES IN SOLAR ELECTRIC POWER AND 21ST CENTURY APPLICATIONS -- Dr. Charlie Gay of SunPower discusses the latest advances in solar cell manufacturing and the range of uses resulting in commercial success around the world. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, March 1, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2119.
SOCIOLOGY OF GENOCIDE -- Lecture by Myrna Goodman, Director of Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center. Holocaust Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 2, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-4076.
HEAD START AND THE WAR ON POVERTY -- Lecture with Dr. David Walls, Sociology Department. Provost's Lecture Series. Noon, Wednesday, March 3, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
PROBLEMS ON THE BORDER BETWEEN GEOMETRY & NUMBER THEORY -- Don Chakerian of UC Davis discusses some problems concerning configurations of points that are at integer or rational distances from each other. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 3, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2368.
PUBLICLY-FUNDED ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS -- Lecture with Matt Brost, Regional Manager of RLW Analytics. Green Building Lecture and Film Series. 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 3, Environmental Technology Center, (707) 664-2577.
DOT-COM WAR STORIES: HOW (AND HOW NOT TO) RUN A WEB STUDIO -- Lecture by Liz
Warner, MadFish, San Francisco who co-owned and managed a web studio during the dot-com boom and bust. Her presentation will include tips on self-employment, how to thrive in any economy, and client management for programmers. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, March 4, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2667.
ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION AND THE ROLE OF FUNGI: THE BIOLOGICAL-MANAGEMENT
INTERFACE -- Lecture with Lawrence Glacy, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. Biology Colloquium. 4:30 p.m., Thursday, March 4, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2189.
FOUR SCULPTORS -- Works by Gigi Janchang, Kyunghee Lee, Jann Nunn, and Ulrike Palmbach. Curated by Jann Nunn, Art Department. Four Sculptors. 10 a.m., Friday, March 5, Schulz Information Center Art Gallery, (707) 664-4240.
THIRD ANNUAL LANGUAGE FESTIVAL -- Students of the Spanish, French and German languages compete, perform, and celebrate cultural diversity. 9 a.m., Saturday, March 6, Cooperage, (707) 664-3159.
The following Sonoma State University professors are available for commentary on issues surrounding same-sex marriage. Please contact them at the information listed below.
NAN ALAMILLA BOYD - HISTORY OF SAN FRANCISCO GAY COMMUNITY
Nan Alamilla Boyd, professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Sonoma State University, is available for comment on the same-sex marriages that are occurring in the city of San Francisco.
She is an expert on San Francisco history and the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in the U.S. Boyd has written extensively on Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender history and her recently-published book, "Wide Open Town: A History of Queer San Francisco," has been enthusiastically reviewed in both the academic press and popular news media.
The San Francisco Chronicle listed "Wide Open Town" as one of the Best Books of 2003. Boyd has been featured on KRON TV, and her book has been reviewed by a host of local and national news outlets.
"It is no surprise that the city of San Francisco has become the site for a national challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act," Boyd maintains. "The city has a long history of bucking the status quo."
"San Francisco led the way on gay and lesbian civil rights with a challenge to police raids on gay bars that resulted in a 1951 California Supreme Court decision that legalized the public assembly of homosexuals - the first such
ruling in the United States," Boyd notes."San Francisco was also the place where the first known lesbian and gay civil rights organizations were headquartered."
"Most importantly," Boyd argues, "San Francisco has a long tradition of defying the rules. That's why the people of San Francisco overwhelmingly support Mayor Gavin Newsom's decision. San Francisco prides itself on being
iconoclastic. During the Prohibition Era, for instance, San Francisco refused to use city funds to prosecute infractions to federal or state law prohibiting the production and sale of alcohol."
"During Prohibition, San Francisco went on drinking. Similarly, as the Defense of Marriage Act heats up, San Francisco defiantly has begun to marry same-sex couples." With history analysis, Boyd can provide the background for the 'gay marriage' controversy that has erupted in San Francisco. She can explain what it is about San Francisco, as an urban center, that set the stage for the history-making events of the last several weeks.
Boyd teaches in the fields of feminist theory and gender studies, with a specific emphasis on the history of local queer politics.
Main Office: (707) 664-2840
Direct Line: (707) 664-2574
E-mail: nan.alamilla.boyd@sonoma.edu
DAVID MCCUAN -THE POLITICS OF GAY MARRIAGE
David McCuan, professor of political science at Sonoma State University, is available for available for comment on the same-sex marriages that are occurring in the city of San Francisco.
Dr. McCuan is an expert on California state and local politics. He has written extensively in this area, including a specific focus on the rise of nationwide bans across the U.S. in his book, "Initiative - Centered Politics: The New Politics of Direct Democracy," which will be published later this Spring.
He can speak to the broader issues affecting politics based on actions taking place in San Francisco, across the country, and in Washington, D.C. For example, the ban on same sex marriages is the new trend to watch at the
ballot box.
The issue was first tested in Hawaii and in Alaska in 1998 and in California in March 2000. From these victories, proponents of this issue moved inland placing the issue on ballots in Nebraska and Nevada where they both passed
handily giving rise to the chances that this reform is here to stay and likely to flourish as a battle on ballots across the country.
McCuan has provided commentary and analysis to CNN, The Wall Street Journal, as well as regional and national news outlets on the politics and practices of state politics.
McCuan teaches in the fields of state and local politics, campaigns and elections, and political behavior. He is also graduate coordinator of the Master's in Public Administration program at the University.
Main Office: (707) 664-2179
Direct Line: (707) 664-3309
E-mail: david.mccuan@sonoma.edu
CRAIG WINSTON - CONSITUTIONAL BAN OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Craig N.Winston, assistant professor of criminal justice administration at Sonoma State University is available to discuss the recent proposal for a Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex marriages. He is an expert in criminal law and procedure and civil liberties and has conducted a significant amount of research in these areas. He is well-versed in the legal issues related to the proposed Amendment and the legal issues faced by those who are opposed to current California law.
He is available to discuss the historical purpose of the Bill of Rights, the Amendment process, the legal impact of a Constitutional Amendment, and other substantive issues related to proposed Constitutional ban on same-sex
marriage.
Winston teaches a number of courses in law including civil liberties and criminal procedure as well as courses in policing and criminological theory.
Main Office: (707) 664-2934
Direct Line: (707) 664-2159
Email: craig.winston@sonoma.edu
Sebastopol artist Deborah Colotti's installation, called double consciousness, at Sonoma State University's InterCultural Center Gallery uses mixed media including animal bones and Barbie dolls "to examine American women's traditionally relegated dual role as household domestic and beauty queen."
The show runs March 1-26, as part of National Women's History Month activities coordinated by the SSU Women's Resource Center.
Colotti, who's own "Barbs" offer remodeled dolls that comment on Mattel's popular icon, will also lead the Extreme Barbie Makeover Workshop from 3-5:30 p.m, on Tuesday, March 2 in the Gallery. The public is invited to bring their own Barbie or use one provided. Some tools and accessories will be available. Dolls created in the workshop will be displayed as part of double consciousness.
Colotti's installation features the dolls and bones trussed together by copper wire and suspended along the heating ducts of the room. Two walls will have murals: one a collage of advertising images designed to provoke desire, an essential element for creating need in order to promote products. Says Colotti, "desire and need become entwined and twisted together to create demanding consumers."
The second wall features silhouettes of the Barbie doll, scaled proportionally up to typical females heights, 5'1", 5'6" and 5'10." "Visitors can draw their own silhouette over the Barbie type, demonstrating that the dolls offer an unattainable distortion of human reality," says the artist.
In front of the murals, stands a table with 15 textbook volumes from the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, published in 1937. Topics focus on the care and maintenance of all aspects of home textiles, including laundry room design, how to wash and fold linens, home dry cleaning techniques, and care of lace and white kid gloves. The need/desire to have "things" and the requirements of upkeep and maintenance for those same "things" is one of the dilemmas of contemporary women, says Colloti.
For more information on double consciousness or the Extreme Barbie Makeover Workshop, call the Women's Resource Center, (707) 664-2845. The InterCultural Center is located in the Sonoma Student Union and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Experts on the lives of incarcerated women will speak at "Gendered Justice: A Forum on Women Prisoners" at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 4, at Sonoma State University's Cooperage. The panel will discuss topics such as battered women prisoners, healthcare, the impact of incarceration on mothers and their children, and re-entry issues (housing, employment and reunification). Admission is free.
The event is sponsored by the Women's Resource Center, School of Social Sciences, Department of Criminal Justice Administration, Department of Women and Gender Studies Department, Project Censored, The North Bay Progressive, and the InterCultural Center.
The Gendered Justice panel will include:
Barbara Bloom, recent recipient of the National Award for Research in Gendered Justice, and an Associate Professor in Criminal Justice Administration at SSU. Her groundbreaking research interests include women and girls under criminal justice supervision and gender-responsive policy and programs. She has published several national and statewide studies, including "Why Punish the Children? A Reappraisal of the Children of Incarcerated Mothers in America (with David Steinhart);" and "Gendered Justice: Addressing Female Offenders; and Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice and Guiding Principles of Women Offenders (with Barbara Owen and Stephanie Covington)."
Gloria Killian, who after serving 16 years of a 32 years-to-life sentence, was released from prison in 2002 after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that her conviction was based solely on perjured testimony and overturned her conviction. Killian is the Executive Director of the Action Committee for Women in Prison, which advocates for humane treatment of incarcerated women, works to ensure that they have assistance in prison and on release, and strives for the release of all women who do not pose a threat to society. Killian was instrumental in the founding of the USC Law Project at the California Institution for Women. She also works with the Free Battered Women Project, which addresses the needs of incarcerated survivors of domestic violence.
Cynthia Chandler and Cassandra Shaylor work for Justice Now, which asserts that prisons and policing are not making communities safe, but that "the current system damages the people it imprisons and the communities most affected by the loss of its members." They promote alternatives to policing and prisons.
Ida McCray, Executive Director of Families With A Future, was incarcerated for air piracy for 20 years. In 1997, she founded Families With A Future, the first Northern California's organization to help children of incarcerated parents see their children. She also works for the San Francisco Sheriff's Department.
For more information, call the Sonoma State University Women's Resource Center at (707) 664-2845.
"This is My Body," a frank, one-woman show exploring issues that confront young women, will be performed at 8 p.m. on Thurs., Feb. 26 in Warren Auditorium. Actress and playwright Amy Fortoul uses a combination of sound, poetic text, dance and movement to vividly deconstruct the complex causes that promote women's negative body image. She takes an honest, powerful approach to such topics as eating disorders, body image, menstruation, depression, sexuality and the threat of sexual violence in this work.
The play depicts women throughout their life span -- an image-conscious 14 year old, a young feminist who still feels the pressure to look like a fashion model, and a woman confronting her problems with food as she ages.
Sponsored by the Women's Resource Center and Associated Student Productions, the play illustrates how women internalize the negative body stereotypes fed to them through a consumer-oriented society and Western media values. Dance is used to illustrate the dual bond between the character's tortured body and mind.
Admittance is free.
For more information, contact the Women's Resource Center at (707) 664-2845.
Local political races and state propositions on the March 2 ballot are the focus of a Voter Information Night from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 25 in the Cooperage on the Sonoma State University campus.
For this bipartisan evening, the Cooperage will be split up into two parts. One section will feature Sonoma County Registrar Eeve Lewis who will register local residents to vote and answer questions about the election process. A second section features politicians and representatives discussing local issues and propositions.
Speakers include:
Dominic Foppoli: Foppoli is running as a Republican in the 1st District Assembly Race stretching from Windsor to near the Oregon border. At 21, he one of the youngest people to run for elected office in the area.
Aaron Smith: A Libertarian running for the 7th Assembly seat, Smith will be speaking about his campaign with a special focus on opposition to Propositions 57 and 58.
Renn Vara: A Democrat running against Lynn Woolsey in the 6th Congressional District, Vara has made his opposition to the local casino in Rohnert Park one of the main planks in his campaign platform.
Garret Hurly: Hurly will argue against passage of Proposition 56.
David McCuan: An SSU political science professor, McCuan will speak on a variety of topics, including the propositions.
Amber Parrish: Parrish will speak on behalf of Democrat Noreen Evans who is running in the 7th Assembly District in a tightly-contested race with Jim Leddy.
Associated Student Senator Chris Fadeff will be the mediator for the evening.
The event is sponsored by Associated Students Productions, the Student Coalition for Global Justice, and the Sonoma State College Republicans.
For more information, phone (707) 664-2382.
"Muhammad Ali's Main Bout: Black Economic Nationalism, the Vietnam War, and Professional Boxing" is the subject of a lecture by Michael Ezra, professor in the American Multicultural Center Studies, at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in Room 3001 of the Sonoma State University library.
Ezra will chronicle Muhammad Ali's capture of economic control of his boxing career from his all-white management team. He will also explore the responses to this decision by various black and white newspapers and investigate how Ali's Vietnam draft resistance affected the business elements of his boxing career.
Ezra received a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Kansas and his areas of expertise include: African American History, African American Culture, Race Relations, 20th Century U.S. History, and Sports History and Culture.
He is currently working on a book that connects the career of Muhammad Ali to the politics and culture of the Civil Rights Movement.
The program is part of the Provost's Lecture Series. A daily parking permit ($2.50) is required M-TH 6 a.m. to10 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, except on holidays. Daily permits are not valid in reserved lots.
For further information, contact Karen Brodsky, University Library, at (707) 664-4240.
Results of a research study last spring about the patterns of civic engagement among Latino youth will be explored at a conference at the Sonoma State University Commons on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Latinos in the U.S. do not participate in civic and community activities on equal levels to their non-Latino counterparts, particularly compared with non-Hispanic whites, say SSU professors Carlos Benito and Francisco Vazquez, in a summary just released.
Yet Latino students are more involved with spiritual exploration and reflection of the self than non-Latinos, they say, which can lead to participation in civic activities if strengthened by academics.
Their research used primary information gathered from students, at the junior and senior levels, within public high schools of Sonoma County. The study was funded by a $100,000 grant from the The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at the University of Maryland.
The project involved surveys that consider civic knowledge, human values, family background, socioeconomic status, culture of origin, and demographic characteristics among other factors. Benito and Vazquez's findings show that students whose families belong to low socioeconomic classes are likely to engage less than those in a higher socioeconomic position.
They also found that students with more altruistic motivations are likely to engage more in community activities than students who are more self-centered in their motivations or who are indifferent about civic engagement. Students with poor knowledge of U.S. civics, or students with low scholastic achievements, are likely to engage less than those who are better educated, Benito says.
Benito and Vazquez will present their findings beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The remainder of the day involves discussion about how to apply the research to community needs and public policies.
An executive summary of the whole report, a position paper for the conference, and the data from the statistical survey can be found on the Web at www.sonoma.edu/assessment/latinoyouth.
"Over a third of Latinos nationally are younger than 18 years of age, and within the next 10 years, their voting power and civic participation could be formidable," says Vazquez.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic group in the United States, making up 12% of the total U.S. population. In Sonoma County, Latinos comprise 17.3% of the population, Vasquez reports.
Benito, an economics professor, has worked internationally on Education and Social Projects. He has worked for the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, among others. As a teacher, he commonly has his students do applied research in economics to help them learn while serving community needs.
Vazquez, director of the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, was recently honored as a recipient of one of four Honorable Mentions for the nationally recognized Ernest A. Lynton Award for Faculty Professional Service and Academic Outreach. The award recognizes a faculty member who connects his or her expertise and scholarship to community outreach.
To reach either Carlos Benito or Francisco Vazquez, contact Jean Wasp, Media Relations, (707) 664-2057.
Spanish ballet folklorico, German hip hop and French pop music share the stage at the third annual Language Festival at Sonoma State University from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 6.
Spoken language is a also big part of the day as local high school students of French, German, and Spanish compete in language contests with the encouragement of SSU students and faculty.
"The language festival competitions are much like a high school track meet, except instead of students trying to outrun, out-jump, or out-throw each other, they are vying to outperform students from other schools in spoken events in French, German, and Spanish." says Spanish professor Jeffrey Reeder, one of the organizers of the event.
"As we enter a century of increasing globalization, it is more crucial than ever that students master world languages and learn to relate to multiple world cultures," says French professor Suzanne Toczyski. "By participating in the language festival, students of all levels demonstrate their commitment to exploring different cultures."
In the morning, the students will compete in poetry, diction, and public speaking contests in three languages: French, German and Spanish.
After a short brown-bag lunch, SSU students and faculty will join selected high school groups in a cabaret extravaganza in the Cooperage, including musical and dramatic performances in French, German and Spanish. In between the various numbers, the audience will be entertained by jazz musicians from SSU's music program led by sophomore Noam Lemish.
Participating high schools will include: Petaluma High School, Santa Rosa High School, Santa Rosa Christian School, Casa Grande High School, El Molino High School, Elsie Allen High School, Sonoma Valley High School, Vallejo High School, Montgomery High School, Healdsburg High School and Sonoma Academy
"The Cabaret is super tight!" says Izaak Eberst, president of Gemuetlichkeit, SSU''s German Club. Last year, approximately 200 people attended the event and went home with a wide variety of prizes for their competitive efforts as well as door prizes for attending the cabaret.
This year's door prizes include French and Indian music CDs, Swiss art books, a wide variety of computer games and other language-related software, gift certificates to local restaurants, French comic books, SSU t-shirts and caps, and even a Swiss Caran d'ache pen.
Admission to the festival is free with the exception of the cabaret, which is $3 at the door.
For more information, contact Christine Renaudin, Professor of French, at (707) 664-3159.
Sonoma State University's Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center widens its reach into the understanding of the causes of genocide as it commemorates its 21st anniversary this semester with a series of lectures and programs.
The Center, now an integral part of the sociology department, hosts a series running through May 27 with the theme "Confronting the Past: What Does 'Never Again' Mean?"
Robert Melson, professor of political science at Purdue University, presents an insightful overview and comparison of the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide at a lecture called "Paradigms of Genocide: The Holocaust and Armenian Genocide as Precedents" on March 9 in Warren Auditorium.
Melson, an award-winning author, gained notoriety when he shared his family's story of survival during the Holocaust by masquerading as royalty in his book "False Papers."
The series this year also features lectures on hate crimes, genocide in Rwanda and Kosovo as well as a presentation on the sociology of genocide. The free lectures are held Tuesdays, 4-5:40 p.m. in Warren Auditorium.
The complete schedule of lectures includes:
CONFRONTING THE PAST: WHAT DOES "NEVER AGAIN" MEAN?
Tuesdays, 4-5:40 p.m., Warren Auditorium
Feb. 17: "Holocaust Survivors Panel," Lucille Eichengreen, Lillian Judd, and Bernard Offen
Feb. 24: "Myths of Race and the Influence of Racism on Genocide." Dr. Michael Thaler
Mar. 2: "Sociology of Genocide," Myrna Goodman, Director of Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center, SSU
Mar. 9: "Paradigms of Genocide: The Holocaust and Armenian Genocide as Precedents, " Robert Melson, Purdue University, Robert L. Harris Memorial Lecture
Mar. 16: "Genocide in Rwanda," Mathilde Mukantabana, Consumnes River College; President, Friends of Rwanda Association
Mar. 23: "A Survivor Remembers," William Lowenburg
Mar. 30: "Rescue in Denmark," Knud Dyby
April 13: "Post-Holocaust Writing: Giving Voice to the Silence," Barbara Lecsh McCaffry
April 20: "The Holocaust and Collective Memory in Contemporary Berlin," Jennifer Jordan, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee/United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
April 27: "Kosovo: The Sinti and Roma Experience," Shanti Rafati, President, Voices of Roma
May 4: "Committing Hate: Hate Crime Offenders and Organized Hate Groups," Phyllis Gerstenfeld, California State University, Stanislaus
May 11: "Second Generation Panel," Elaine Leeder, Blair Pleasant, Julia Nemeth
May 27: "What Have We Learned?," Faculty/Student Panel
For further information, contact Myrna Goodman, Director of Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center at (707) 664-4296.
A complete schedule can be found on the Web at www.sonoma.edu/holocaust.
Sung Won Sohn, one of the nation's top five forecasters of economic growth, is the keynote speaker at the upcoming North Bay Economic Outlook Conference 2004 called "Securing our Economic Future: Sources for the Region's Economic Vitality Today and Tomorrow."
The conference, presented by Sonoma State University's School of Business and Economics, runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Vineyard Creek Hotel Spa and Conference Center, 170 Railroad Street, Santa Rosa.
North Bay economic trends will be outlined by Robert Eyler, Director of SSU's Center for Regional Economic Analysis, and Lynne Kidder, Executive Director, North Bay Council.
Other speakers include:
Technology - John Webley, Founder, President & CEO, Turin Networks
Wine - Vic Motto, Partner, MKF Group LLP, Wine Industry Accts, Consultants
Real Estate - John Lowry , Exec. Director , Burbank Housing Dev. Corp.
Tourism - Jennifer Jasper , Dep. Director, California Travel & Tourism Comm.
Government - Michael Chrystal, County Administrator, County of Sonoma
Health Care - Margaret Sabin , President and CEO, Marin General and Novato
Community Hospitals
Bloomberg Magazine chose Sohn in December 2001 as one of the nation's top five forecasters of economic growth. He is executive Vice President and Chief Economic Officer of Wells Fargo and is responsible for international, national, regional and agricultural economics.
The Economic Outlook Conference Planning Committee consists of Brad Bollinger, Business Editor, Press Democrat; Lawrence R. Brackett, President and CEO, Frank Howard Allen Realtors; T.K. Clarke, Interim Dean, School of Business and Economics, Sonoma State University; Dan Condron, Community Relations Director, Nietech Corporation; Robert Eyler, Economics Professor, Director, Center for Regional Economic Analysis, Sonoma State University; Roger Grossman, Publisher, Marin Independent Journal; Ahmad Hosseini, Dean Emeritus, School of Business and Economics, Sonoma State University; Roy O. Hurd, Chairman, CEO and President, Empire College; and Randy Sloan, Editor and Co-Publisher, North Bay Business Journal.
For further information, phone Tracy Navas, SSU School of Business and
Economics, at (707) 664-2220.
