The SSU Fencing Club is hosting the Wine Country World Champion Fencing Seminar at the University in cooperation with Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates and the Sonoma Fencing Academy.
World-class and Olympic fencers will train with SSU students from 7-10 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29 in the new Student Rec Center and from 9 a.m. - noon on Friday, Oct. 1 in the SSU Field House.
Fencing masters from all over the world are expected to attend. They include Simone Vanni, Italian National Fencing Team member and 2004 Olympic Gold Medal Winner in the Men's Foil Team event; Franck Boidin, 1996 Olympic Bronze Medal winner for France, and the six-time national champion of Israel, Tomer Or.
The SSU Fencing Club is also the host of the Kendall-Jackson International Fencing Tournament from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 in the SSU Gym. This high-level fencing tournament, now in its third year, features an exciting tournament with Olympic medalists and World Cup Champions vying for first place and a grand prize of $1500.
It is part of a fund-raising event for scholarships for students of Sonoma Academy. The SSU Fencing Club, headed by fencing master Jim Liebich, says he "is pleased to be contributing to such a worthwhile charity." Liebich is hoping to develop an SSU fencing team to compete on the collegiate level in the near future.
For more information on either event, visit www.sonomafencing.com/WCWCFS/, or www.kj.com/news/tournament.html. All events are free and open to the public.
William and Joan Roth have donated 190 acres of land adjacent to Sonoma State University's 221-acre Fairfield Osborn Preserve, nearly doubling the size of the nature preserve in the hills above Rohnert Park. The property is valued at close to a million dollars. California State University Board of Trustees approved the donation recently at its September board meeting.
SSU will now own a total of 411 acres of property that includes the 2,300-foot northern ridgeline of Sonoma Mountain. The site consists primarily of mature oak woodlands, grasslands, freshwater marsh, a vernal pool, and a riparian corridor, all communities of critical ecological importance.
It is home to "at-risk" species including the Red-legged frog, the Foothill yellow-legged frog, the Western Pond Turtle, Cooper's hawk, Sharp-shinned hawk, Golden Eagle, and the Lobb's aquatic buttercup.
Fairfield Osborn Preserve was established by The Nature Conservancy in 1972 through a land gift from the Roths in honor of Joan's father, Fairfield Osborn. For the past 32 years, Fairfield Osborn Preserve has provided natural history education programs for university students, elementary school children, and the public.
The Preserve also hosts 25 research projects from 11 different institutions, the most significant of which concerns the spread of Sudden Oak Death Syndrome. SSU co-hosted an international meeting of scientists concerned about SOD in Spring 2004.
Nathan Rank, director of the Preserve, says that the gift will greatly expand educational and research opportunities for students and faculty members. "This is a vote of confidence in SSU," says FOP manager Julia Clothier. "It shows that the Roths trust and respect the way the Preserve has been managed since The Nature Conservancy donated it to the University in 1997."
Also pleased with the donation is the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District which paid the Roths $2.2 million of voter-approved sales tax funding this year for development rights to the property. Andrea Mackenzie, the agency's general manger, said the Roths have been long-time supporters of conservation in Sonoma County, starting in the 1970's when they created the Fairfield Osborn Preserve.
"We are extremely pleased to hear that the property will now be donated to Sonoma State University for incorporation into the Preserve." She noted the Roths intend to donate an 11.3-acre portion of the property to the District as part of the District's ongoing efforts on Sonoma Mountain to add to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. "The Roth's generosity is so gratefully appreciated today, and furthers the family's legacy, " she says.
Fairfield Osborn was a well-known naturalist, writer, and conservation advisor to several U.S. presidential administrations. In 1948 Osborn's book "Our Plundered Planet" was published, a prophetic work in which he warned that the earth's resources were not inexhaustible and that the ecological web connecting all life could be broken by thoughtless, irreparable action.
He was the son of the famous paleontologist Henry F. Osborn, president of the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Zoological Society.
BURN! (Quiemada!)--Gillo Pontecorvo's epic about a 19th century slave uprising on a fictitious Spanish-speaking Caribbean island. Marlon Brando plays a British agent who instigates a revolt and then crushes it. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
FIRST RESULTS FROM THE CASSINI-HUYGENS MISSION AT SATURN--Dr. Linda Spilker of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech will discuss the first results from the Cassini-Huygens mission, a joint undertaking by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the Saturn system. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2119.
NOBODY FOR PRESIDENT: WHY WE CAN'T VOTE--A panel discussion moderated by Elaine Leeder, Dean of Social Sciences with panel guests Barbara Bloom, Criminal Justice Administration; John Kramer, Political Science; and Chris Fadeff of Associated Students. It Matters! Lecture Series. Noon, Wednesday, Sept. 29, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
OUTFOXED--A new film by Robert Greenwald; the man behind the films "Uncovered" and "Unprecidented." In this film, Greenwald exposes the partisan spin of the Fox News Channel, which he accuses of taking Republican talking points and turning them into news headlines. Filmmakers Respond Film Series. 3 p.m. Wednesday, September 29, Art 102, (707) 664-2364.
HUBRIS, WEIRD NUMBERS, A MISSING ASTERISK, AND PAUL ERDOS-- Lecture by Stan Benkoski of West Valley College. This is the true story of a young mathematician who, in a fit of hubris, discovered weird numbers and, with the help of a missing asterisk, ended up with an Erdos number of 1. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2368.
FROM THE FRONT LINES: STORIES OF POLITICAL REPORTING--Lecture with noted Bay Area journalist Belva Davis, Press Democrat Editorial Director Pete Golis, and friends. First-person experiences of covering politics and elections will be discussed in this keynote lecture. It Matters! Lecture Series. 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM--Lecture by Dr. Yann Trembley of the Department of Evolutionary Genomics at UC Berkeley. Dr. Trembley will present his lecture entitled "Foraging Ecology of the Rockhopper Penguin in Relation to the Marine Environment." 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2189.
THE UNEXAMINED TECHNOLOGY IS NOT WORTH BUILDING: INCORPORATING ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY INTO COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CURRICULA--Lecture by John Sullins of the SSU Philosophy Department. Dr. Sullins will discuss the proposed Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science program at Sonoma State University and how it might be of value to computer science and engineering majors. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Sept. 30, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2667.
BLACKBOARDS--Set in a mountain pass on the Iran-Iraq border, BLACKBOARDS is about a man named Reeboir, who carries a blackboard on his back and devotes his life to teaching frightened refugees to read and write. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
Low cost physical examinations and health appraisals for well adults and children are available through the Nursing Department's Family Nurse Practitioner program at Sonoma State University. The FNP Health Maintenance Center offers these exams on Wednesdays, Oct. 6 - Dec. 8.
The exams are supervised by nursing faculty and performed by family nurse practitioner students who are registered nurses enrolled in the Master's nursing program. Appointments are available only to Sonoma County residents.
Services include a complete medical and health history, identification of health risk factors, complete physical examinations and screening tests such as blood pressure checks, vision testing, audiology testing, urinalysis, hematocrit (for anemia), cholesterol testing, and Pap smears for cervical cancer.
These services can be used for annual exams, sports physicals, pre-employment physicals, camp physicals and Class II DMV licensing physicals. The cost of a physical examination is $30, Pap test $35, cholesterol check $25, hearing tests are free and a DMV physical examination is $60. Copies of records are given to clients upon request as well as mailed to private physicians or agencies.
Appointments may be made by calling (707) 664-2466, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Glen Browder, scholar and former United States Congressman, gives the keynote address at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23 as part of the fall 2004 Arts and Lectures program It Matters! Engage. Participate. Vote. at Sonoma State University's Library.Browder's discussion elaborates on ideas raised in his book "The Future of American Democracy: A Former Congressman's Unconventional Analysis (2002)."
His thought-provoking and timely ideas suggest that Americans must pay attention to the future of their own democracy or risk unsettling changes. His discussion will ask "Does American democracy still work?"
Browder wrote "The Future of American Democracy" because he believes that, "Growing philosophical tensions over historic ideals, cultural values and principles of governance are transforming our national democratic experiment. Our civic mix of people, politics and government no longer works the way it has in the past. Therefore, it is time for serious national dialogue about America."
Browder was selected as a keynote speaker for the It Matters! program because of his leadership in the national dialogue about the nature of democracy in these uncertain times.
"Debates about what direction our country chooses are critical for everyonein this country regardless of political orientation, race, gender, and class," says David McCuan, a professor of political science at SSU. "Dr. Browder's work pushes forward the discussion of civic governance in the U.S. and the consequences of the choices before us. These discussions are timely for all citizens during this critical election year. "
Glen Browder served as Alabama's Third District Congressman from 1989-1997 following terms as Alabama Secretary of State and State Legislator. He is an Eminent Scholar in American Democracy at Jacksonville State University in Alabama and is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Details about "The Future of American Democracy" and Browder's efforts to promote a national debate are available at the "Future of American Democracy" website at www.futureofamericandemocracy.org.
"It Matters! Engage. Participate. Vote." is a collaborative program coordinated through the University Library. This program is designed to provide students and the community an opportunity to explore together the vast notion of voting, civic engagement, and what it means to live in a democratic society.
"It Matters! Engage. Participate. Vote." features art exhibitions, keynote speakers, brown bag discussions, performances, class projects, workshops on finding accurate information, and various multimedia displays. A variety of events are scheduled throughout the semester. A schedule is available at http://library.sonoma.edu/itmatters/.
This event is free to attend. A parking permit ($2.50) is required to park on campus.
For more information and for photos visit http://library.sonoma.edu/itmatters/browder.html
SETI: PULLING SIGNALS OUT OF COSMIC NOISE - -Dr. Jill Tarter of the SETI Institute will describe the status of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence with telescopes today and with the new Allen Telescope Array being built in partnership with UC Berkeley to do SETI and radio astronomy 24/7. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2119.
POLITICS OF PROTEST - Panel dicussion about protesting and free speech moderated by Les Adler, Dean of Extended Education and panel guests Nan Alamilla-Boyd, Women's & Gender Studies and Peter Philips, Sociology/Project Censored. It Matters! Lecture Series. Noon, Wednesday, Sept. 22, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
HIJACKING CATASTROPHE: 9-11, FEAR, AND THE SELLING OF EMPIRE - Narrated by Julian Bond, this film produced by the Media Education Foundation helps clarify the events of 9/11 and the current politics surrounding it. 64 minutes. Filmmakers Respond Film Series. 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, Art 102, (707) 664-2364.
A MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF ECOLOGICAL TRAPS--Lecture by Roland Lamberson of Humboldt State University. Using a differential equations model, Dr. Lamberson will study an ecological system in which habitats may differ in fitness and appeal to organisms. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2368.
EXTREME VISUALIZATION: MILLIONS OF USERS ACCESSING PETABYTES OF DATA - Lecture with Michael T. Jones of the Keyhole Corp., Mountain View. Keyhole provides interactive exploration of a massive digital earth dataset across the public Internet. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Sept. 23, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2667.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORKS FORUM - Wendy Ostroff of Hutchins School of Liberal Studies presents her lecture, "Raising Metacognitive Awareness Increases Student Responsibility for the Seminar Learning Process." Noon, Thursday, Sept. 23, Schulz 1121, (707) 664-4177.
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM--Dr. Jeffery Boore, Department of Evolutionary Genomics at UC Berkeley will present his lecture, "Why Evolutionary Biology and Genome Sciences Need Each Other." 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2189.
BURN! (Quiemada!)--Gillo Pontecorvo's epic about a 19th century slave uprising on a fictitious Spanish-speaking Caribbean island where Marlon Brando plays a British agent who instigates the revolt and then crushes it. $4.50 general admission, $4.00 seniors/non-SSU students, $3.50 SFI members/children under 12, SSU students admitted free. Sonoma Film Institute Film Series. 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
She was the first African American woman television reporter on the West Coast. He's been a political editor and columnist for more than 30 years, covering such issues as Prop. 13 and coastal protection.
Belva Davis and Pete Golis come together on Thursday, Sept. 30, in a lively discussion of the issues of voter and civic engagement and what it means to be part of a democratic society, particularly on the West coast.
Davis and Golis' session, "From the Front Lines: Stories of Political Reporting," takes place from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. in Room 3001 in the University Library at Sonoma State University. The session will be moderated by Jonathan Blease, Public Affairs Director for radio and television station KRCB.
Discussion topics will include the editorial decision-making process of covering candidates and elections, how media deals with "spin" in political advertising, the limitations and advantages of the various mediums (radio, TV, print, electronic) and more. A question and answer period concludes the discussion.
Davis began her reporting career working for KPIX-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Francisco. From 1977 to 1981, she anchored the acclaimed nightly news on KQED, San Francisco's public television station. She joined KRON-TV, the NBC affiliate in 1981 as the anchor and urban affairs specialist.
Davis has covered many major stories over the past two decades and has interviewed almost every major political figure in California. She earned six Emmy Awards and was honored with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1996.
Golis began his work as reporter for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in 1966 after graduating with a degree in political science from Sonoma State University. In 1970, he put his political science degree to work as the newspaper's political editor and columnist.
Traveling regularly to Sacramento to report on the State legislature, he wrote about the major issues of that period. In 1979, he moved to Sacramento where he became the Press Democrat's Capitol correspondent.
Golis returned to Sonoma County in 1983 to write editorials for the paper. In 1985, after the Press Democrat was purchased by the New York Times, Golis was named editorial page editor and, in 1987, Editorial Director.
His editorials have won California Newspaper Publishers Association and Best of the West Awards. In 1988, a poll of Sonoma County leaders identified him as one of the county's 10 most influential people.
Jonathan Blease comes to KRCB from his work at two non-profit organizations, The Just Think Foundation and Global Exchange. He grew up in England, New Zealand, and the United States and has been involved with communication--primarily in the media and entertainment worlds most of his life--as a photojournalist, director, producer and host.
In October, he hosts the new KRCB public affairs show "Making the Connection," focusing, initially, on the upcoming presidential election.
"From the Front Lines" is part of a 3-month series entitled It Matters! Engage. Participate. Vote. The series explores the vast notion of voting, civic engagement, and the meaning of living in a democratic society through lectures, panel discussions, workshops, art exhibitions, performances, and class projects. A schedule can be found at http://library.sonoma.edu/itmatters/.
For further information, contat Karen Brodsky, University Library, (707) 664-4240.
Executive recruiter Joe M. Pelayo brings stories of the power of the Rolodex to his lecture at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at Sonoma State University's Commons to students interested in high-powered networking techniques.
Pelayo is known to say often that the most successful people have the largest databases of personal and professional connections.
Pelayo is president of Joseph Michaels, Inc., one of the leading executive search firms on the West Coast, He founded the company in 1990 with $15,000 in savings and went on to build a multi-million dollar business. Author of the new best seller "Work Your Network!," Pelayo is rated one of the top 75 headhunters in the nation.
Pelayo speaks frequently on employment, career, interviewing, and lectures often to his own industry on how to become a better recruiter. He will share some of his techniques and tips with business students, including:
* The proper way to work a network for maximum career advancement by not just meeting people but motivating them to help
* How to set and reach career goals
* How to be the "early promote"
* How to get the job and how to get ahead in business
* How to "win friends and influence people"
* How to have your best year ever
Joseph Michaels has served clients for well known companies ranging from Cisco Systems, the Oakland A's, Coca Cola to Lucas Films among others.
The event is being sponsored by the Business and Economics Department, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, The International Business Association, the Finance Club, the Economic Association, and the Marketing Club.
It is free to all Sonoma State students, alumni and staff. General admission is $5. The public is welcome to attend.
Project Censored, the nationally-known media studies program at Sonoma State University, has released its list of the most important news stories neglected by the corporate media last year.
The Censored 2005 Top 25 Censored Stories reveal critical issues facing the American public this election year, such as the conflict of interest existing between the largest suppliers of electronic voting machines in the U.S. and key leaders of the Republican Party; wealth inequality and how it threatens economies and democracy; censored 911 litigation, high levels of uranium contamination in troops and civilians; new taxpayer-supported nuke plants for private profit; censored science; reinstatement of the draft, Cheney's Energy Task Force, the destabilization of Haiti, and other stories focusing on US politics, economics, foreign policy, food and health, the environment, energy, domestic policy, and the military.
For a complete list of the nominated stories visit www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/index.html.
Project Censored will celebrate the release of Censored 2005 at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 at King Middle School, 1781 Rose Street in Berkeley. The event highlights this year's censored news and honors the investigative reporters who brought them forward -- including Amy Goodman, Greg Palast, Dennis Bernstein, Michele Chossudovsky, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and many more.
Catherine Austin Fitts, founder and president of Solari and whistleblowing former Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will keynote the event.
The provocatively informative evening includes awards and a reception with authors, journalists, publishers, and Project Censored judges - Michael Parenti, Liane Castin, Norman Solomon, Robin Andersen, Project founder Carl Jensen, as well as video art performance, live music, booksigning, light hors d'oeuvres, and a no-host wine bar.
This event will be televised by Link TV and is co-sponsored by Media Alliance, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and KPFA's Flashpoints. Admission is $15/sliding scale at the door. For further information, contact Project Censored at (707) 664-2500 or www.projectcensored.org.
Virginia R. Harris, a quilt maker and master fabric artist from Santa Rosa whose work is exhIbited in the Smithsonian, challenges the stereotypes of quilt making and the stereotypes of their subject matter.
Her work is as direct as a Toles or an Oliphant cartoon appearing on newspaper editorial pages. Harris says fabric is her palette, stitching is her brush stroke. And her images are particularly relevant during these politicized times.
Harris brings her political quilts to the Sonoma Student Union InterCultural Center Gallery from Oct. 1-29. An artist's reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 6. Harris' fabric creations are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum, the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, the Mid-Peninsula YWCA and many private collections.
In addition, she has exhibited at the World Peace Conference, Capetown and Pretoria, South Africa, Spelman College, Thirteen Moons Gallery, American Museum of Arts and Design, The Renwick Gallery, The American Center at the US Embassy, Amman, Jordan and others.
Some of the quilts in Harris' collection are: "Guaranteed Safety", where she points out there are ten titles in both the USA PATRIOT Act and the Bill of Rights. "Those rights have been put in jeopardy supposedly to make citizens safer -- a definite oxymoron," she says.
"The New Alchemy" shows a pipeline taking oil and natural gas from the Caspian Sea and dumping gold into Texas.
"No Preferences, Please" deals with affirmative action. Other political quilts, and their topics, in the collection are: "In the Name of God" (the Middle East), "This Little Piggy Went to Market" (conflict of interest), "We Have to be Carefully Taught" (hate), "No Child Left Behind" (cuts in education).
The InterCultural Center Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For further details, contact the InterCultural Center at (707) 664-2537 or online at www.sonoma.edu/ICC.
THE BIG ANIMAL (DUZE ZWIEZE) -- From the screenwriter-director Krzysztof Kieslowski, a childless couple adopts a two-humped camel who inexplicably appears one day in their tiny Polish town. While the village marvels at the animal, it soon becomes a source of civic discord. $4.50 general admission, $4 seniors/non-SSU students, $3.50 SFI members/children under 12, SSU students admitted free. Sonoma Film Institute Film Series. 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
BEHIND THE VEIL: FRENCH DESIRE AND THE MIDDLE EAST -- A slide lecture presented by Dr. Sahar Amer, Associate Professor of Asian and International Studies at North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Using literature, paintings, photos and film, Dr. Amer frames Western countries' concerns about veiled women in order to lift the veil from both the culture of the Orient and Arab-Muslim women. 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, Multi-Purpose Room--SSU Student Union, (707) 664-2437.
MAGNETIC RECORDING -- Dr. Hongtao Shi of Sonoma State University discusses the history of magnetic recording and the materials which promise to increase the density of magnetic data storage in the future. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2119.
ACTIONS AND AMENDMENTS: ENFRANCHISING AMERICAN VOTERS -- Lecture panel featuring Dan Markwyn, Emeritus as the moderator with commentary by Steve Estes, History; Michelle Jolly, History and Mike Ezra, American Multicultural Studies. It Matters! Lecture Series. Noon, Wednesday, Sept. 15 Schulz 3001 (707) 664-4240.
AFTERMATH: UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM 9-11 -- Featuring narration and an original score by Paris, this film includes over 90 minutes of interview footage and panel discussion from the sold out San Francisco screening. Produced by the Guerrilla News Network. Filmmakers Respond Film Series. 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, Art 102, (707) 664-2364.
DEFINING AND SPECIFYING SUSTAINABLE LUMBER -- Dan Harrington, Director of Marketing and Sales, Eco-Timber, lectures on the importance and uses of eco-friendly lumber and it's usage in green buildings. Green Building Lecture and Film Series. 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15 Community Room, Cotati Police Facility -201 W. Sierra, (707) 664-2577.
PETER CAMEJO-VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE -- Vice-presidential candidate for the Independent Party, Peter Miguel Camejo, comes to the SSU campus to educate students about alternative electoral politics and the platform of the Independent Party itself. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2880.
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM -- Dr. Max A. Moritz of the Environmental Science Policy and Management department at UC Berkeley examines the strength and possible causes of the relationship between fire and Sudden Oak Death. 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, Darwin 108, (707) 664-2189.
DIVAN -- As the first Yiddish Fulbright scholar, Pearl Gluck went to Hungary in 1998 to collect oral histories for her thesis in European Studies. These stories eventually become DIVAN, a documentary weaving the traditional Hasidic stories and the story of her own personal journey. $4.50 general admission, $4 seniors/non-SSU students, $3.50 SFI members/children under 12, SSU students admitted free. Sonoma Film Institute Film Series. 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
Serendipitously, Sonoma State University was forced by high construction bids last spring to rethink the Green Music Center plans which led to a new architect, BAR Architects of San Francisco and Foster City construction managers Rudolph and Sletten.
Starting with the world-class Green Music Center concert hall designed by famed architect William Rawn, BAR Architects will design the expanded complex. Since the concept and design of the concert hall remains unchanged, Rawn will assist with the expanded vision.
Along with the 1,400-seat concert hall and the more intimate 300-seat recital hall, the Green Music Center will now become an expanded complex with classrooms, practice rooms, faculty offices, and dining and conference facilities.
"We swiftly moved ahead and spent the summer re-envisioning the whole project. I called on SSU friends, donors, supporters and staff to provide input and direction. We also met with industry consultants and experts to help us with the next step. I could not be more delighted with the direction we're taking," said Ruben Arminana, SSU president.
The quality and experience of BAR Architects is world-class. Their team is led by architect John Lee, who has more than 25 years of experience designing music, performing arts, theater and instructional facilities. Some of their clients include Sundance Institute, Skywalker Ranch, AppleComputer, Aspen Institute, Stanford University, and many CSU and UC campuses.
"With $16 million in state bond funds from Proposition 55, a $7 million commitment from Sonoma State Enterprises, and the tremendous support from our donor community, this will truly be a public-private partnership.
With an expanded design, and selection of our new architect and construction firm, we could be ready to start building as soon as next summer, for a projected Fall 2007 opening," said Arminana.
Rudolph and Sletten was founded more than 40 years ago, and helped build Silicon Valley. Their clients include Copia, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Sun Microsystems, Stanford University and Cal Tech, among others.
"Projects of this caliber, both in quality and vision, experience a unique process. I am confident we are on track and look forward to completing the fundraising and final plans to begin construction this next summer.
The community, our supportive donors and friends have been with us every step of the way and we are very grateful, " said Donald Green, co-chair of the Green Music Center Capital Campaign.
