Sonoma State University sociology professor Melinda Milligan presents her work "Before and After Katrina: Researching Historic Preservation in New Orleans" from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Stevenson 2011 on the Rohnert Park campus.
Milligan will discuss the impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on her ongoing research on the renovation of historic houses in New Orleans. She will also describe the current status of preservation efforts and the response of the New Orleans preservation community to the disaster. Milligan has been studying preservation in New Orleans for several years with an analytic emphasis on the negotiation of preservationist ideology by homeowners and by preservation professionals.
The public is welcome to attend.
Genetically modified organisms are a contentious issue in the community and this November the debate will be on the ballot. Measure M will prevent the farming and sales of most genetically modified foodstuffs for at least the next ten years. Find out more information on GMOs and Measure M at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 on campus in the Cooperage. Admission is free. Representatives from Sonoma County Farm Bureau and GE Free Sonoma will be on hand to present both sides of the argument. The event is sponsored by Associated Students Productions and the Student Union. For more information, call 664-2382.
Honor those who have passed on and learn about Mexican culture at Sonoma State University's celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 in the Cooperage at SSU. Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority, Inc hosts this event.
Attendees to the Dia de los Muertos celebration will have the opportunity to decorate and eat a traditional sugar skull and view the different altars that have been constructed for relatives and historical figures. Pan de Muerto, a sweet egg bread also called Bread of the Dead, will be served, and historical and cultural information about Dia de los Muertos will be shared.
Dia de los Muertos, also known as The Day of the Dead, is a predominantly Mexican and Mexican-American celebration coinciding with the Roman Catholic feast days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. This holiday is celebrated with great joy and color, with lavish decorated altars erected to ancestors, bouquets of marigolds, and many different kinds of sweets and special dishes to savor.
Admission to this event is free. For more information, contact Francia Serpas-Munoz at (707) 322-9036
The students of the Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics are offering small-business consultation for North Bay firms in the spring of 2006.
Under the guidance of SSU faculty, business students will meet with small-business owners in the North Bay, develop a scope of work, and confer with proprietors on a weekly basis. Students will participate in intensive real-life studies of active businesses, and take dynamic roles in shaping the future of an enterprise.
At the conclusion of the spring semester, the student consultants present a final analysis, including findings and proposals for future operations. These include performance audits, strategic and financial planning, market research, financial forecasting, personnel policies, and customer acquisition and retention programs.
SSU's student business consultation earned the "Small Business Consulting Case of the Year" award from the Small Business Institute Director's Association in 1996 and 1998.
Businesses that have employed this service this past year included Feed This Pet Foods, Kim Manley Herbals, the SSU Costume Shop, Rohnert Park Gymnastics, Montessori Services and The Housing Company. Other companies that have also employed SSU's business consultation services include Copperfield's Books, Mrs. Grossman's Paper Products and Oliver's Markets.
Applications for the program must be received by Jan. 31. The program is open to four to six small businesses. To participate, business owners are asked to donate a $500 voluntary participation fee. These funds will go towards student scholarships for the Entrepreneurial Excellence Course 4.0, scheduled for January 2006.
For more information, contact Armand Gilinsky, (707) 664-2709, or e-mail armand.gilinsky@sonoma.edu.
Beginning today, a two- week campaign to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur begins on the Sonoma State University campus in programs sponsored by the student group JUMP (Join Us In Making Progress).
Educational events include:
- 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, Student Union multi-purpose room: Adrian McIntyre, a journalist who has recently returned from Darfur after a 14-month stay shares his photos, personal accounts, and information regarding the current situation in Darfur.
- 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1, Cooperage: Hashim Makki Hassan and his wife, Annie Smilely, discuss their experience growing up in Sudan and coming to the United States.
- 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 3, Cooperage: Presentation of the film "The Lost Boys of Sudan." A candlelight vigil follows.
Ongoing events include:
- Tabling and handing out information about Darfur.
- Distributing green ribbons and bracelets to show support and raise awareness for the situation in Darfur. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. -1 p.m. in Stevenson Quad.
- Green ribbons tied around the trees lining the Salazar quad
- A visual representation on the Student Union lawn of the 500 innocent lives that are lost every day in Darfur.
The SSU Chemistry department will be hosting demonstrations and hands-on activities designed to introduce students and the public to the sometimes explosive world of chemistry on Wednesday, Oct. 26. About 70 third graders from Sonoma County schools are expected to attend the festivities from 10 a.m.-noon and the community is invited to attend from 1-3 p.m. All of the activities will be taking place in the plaza in front of the SSU Recreation Center.
California science standards require that third graders learn about the different elements in the periodic table, and the periodic table of cupcakes is a great and tasty way to get students involved in a basic understanding of the chemical world. In past years the department has also blown up hydrogen balloons, distilled grappa from port, and used red cabbage to test the pH of various household items.
For further information contact: Dr. Jennifer Whiles-Lillig, (707) 664-2331 or Dr. Carmen Works, (707) 664-3084.
AFGHANISTAN UNVEILED & MADANM TI ZO (MRS. LITTLEBONES) - In "Afghanistan Unveiled" the effects of the Taliban's repressive rule and recent U.S. military campaign on Afghani women are explored. Madanm Ti Zo looks at mid-wife and herbal doctor Madanm Ti Zo who runs her own clinic in Jacmal, Haiti. Part of The American Museum of Natural History's Margaret Mead Traveling Film and Video Festival. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
THE EXTREMES OF LOVE, PRAISE AND DEVOTION - The Sonoma County Choral Society presents a recital with Christopher Fritzsche, Countertenor and Charles Rus, organ and harpsichord, filled with songs and arias by Caccini, Lanier, Blow, Monteverdi and Bach. $10 general admission, $8 for SSU faculty, alumni and staff, $6 for students and seniors, free for SSU students. For tickets, visit: www.sonomachoral.org. 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6, Ives 119, (707) 664-2353.
FIRST LOOK INSIDE A COMET - Dr. Karen Meech of the University of Hawaii presents highlights of what was learned when the Deep Impact spacecraft sent a probe into comet Tempel 1 in July 2005. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 7, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-2119.
KAFFEESTUNDE - Weekly informal German conversation for those who enjoy the German language, want to brush up on their German skills or would like to learn more about the language. Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 8, Charlie Brown's Cafe, (707) 664-2637.
PODCASTING - Lecture with Professor David Van Nuys of the SSU Psychology Department. Social Sciences Brown Bag Lecture Series. Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 8, Stevenson 2011, (707) 664-2112.
THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS - Presentation with Therese Mughannam and Chuck Sher, Peace Activists and Bridge-Builders, along with Laure Reichek, Holocaust survivor. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, Ives 101, (707) 664-2543.
FILMMAKERS RESPOND TO WAR - The films "How Democrats and Progressives Can Win: Solutions from George Lakoff" and "The Responsibility of Independent Media in a Time of War" will be presented. 4 p.m., Tuesday, November 8, Art 102, (707) 664-3040.
BLOOD DRIVE - Blood drive to benefit the Blood Bank of the Redwoods. Walk-ins are encouraged, but if you'd like to schedule an appointment, please call the Blood Bank of the Redwoods at (707) 545-1222. Bring a photo ID. 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9, Main Entrance Parking Lot, (707) 664-4277.
GROUPS AND CRYSTALS - Lecture by Tatiana Shubin of San Jose State University. This speaker will show how similar minerals and stones are really different and how objects as disparate as numbers, equations and crystals are actually quite similar. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9, Carson 68, (707) 664-2368.
GERMAN FILM SERIES - The German-language, English-subtitled film "Winterschlafer" ("Winter Sleepers") will be screened. 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9, InterCultural Center, (707) 664-2637.
AFI TIOMBE - Lecture and dramatic performance with Afi Tiombe, an African-American amputee performer. 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2785.
THE TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPUTERS AND ETHICS - Lecture with John Sullins of the SSU Philosophy Department about the choices computing professionals make in the design of computer systems. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 10, Salazar 2016, (707) 664-2667.
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM - Lecture by Dr. Anna Sears of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation. Noon, Thursday, Nov.10, Stevenson 1002, (707) 664-2189.
GEOLOGY LECTURE SERIES - Lecture presented by Glenn Melosh of the Chevron Corporation. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 10, Stevenson 3065, (707) 664-2334.
THE FUTURE OF FOOD - This film examines the web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as corporations seek to control the world's food system. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
PUBLIC VIEWING NIGHT - Come explore the night sky at the SSU Observatory. Special focus this night will be on the moon, Mars, the Andromeda Galaxy and others. Please call ahead, as weather conditions may cancel the viewing. 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11, SSU Observatory, (707) 664-2267.
JONATHAN KOZOL - Kozol will discuss the issues in his new book, "The Shame of the Nation" which chronicles the "apartheid schooling in America" that targets African-American and Hispanic children. Part of the Andrea Neves and Barton Evans Social Justice Lecture Series. 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11, Evert B. Person Theater, (707) 664-2382.
SPEED FOR THESPIANS & EASY LIVING - "Speed for Thespians" is a ride to remember as Kalman Apple puts his cast through their paces on a New York City bus. In "Easy Living" working girl Jean Arthur is bonked on the head while riding a Fifth Avenue bus and is mistaken for the mistress of Wall Street lion Edward Arnold. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
WHAT CAN GRAVITATIONAL LENSING TELL US ABOUT THE UNIVERSE? - Dr. Chris Roat of the UC Davis will explain how the bending of light by matter informs us about the dark matter and dark energy that fill the universe. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-2119.
KAFFEESTUNDE - Weekly informal German conversation for those who enjoy the German language, want to brush up on their German skills or would like to learn more about the language. Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 1, Charlie Brown's Cafe, (707) 664-2637.
BEFORE AND AFTER KATRINA: RESEARCHING HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN NEW ORLEANS - Lecture by Melinda Milligan of the SSU Sociology Department. Social Sciences Brown Bag Lecture Series. Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 1, Stevenson 2011, (707) 664-2112.
PLANNING A NON-VIOLENT FUTURE - Lecture by Michael Nagler of UC Berkeley's Peace Studies Department. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1, Ives 101, (707) 664-2543.
FILMMAKERS RESPOND TO WAR FILM SERIES - The film "Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train" will be screened. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1, Art 102,
(707) 664-3040.
MEASURE M INFORMATION SESSION - Guests from both sides of Measure M, a country initiative for Sonoma County regarding a ban on GMO use by Sonoma County Growers, will speak and answer questions regarding the measure. 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1, The Cooperage, (707) 664- 2815.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES FORUM - Michael Litle of the SSU Communications Department presents "New Work: 'The Pleasure of Your Company'" and "News from Families of Soldiers in Iraq." Noon, Wednesday, Nov. 2, Schulz 1121, (707) 664-2146.
DAISY HERNANDEZ-Writer and journalist Daisy Hernandez will address the place of feminism in the lives of Chicanas/Latinas and the intersection between the struggle for gender equality and the fight for racial and economic justice. Sponsored by the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies, MEChA de Sonoma and Women and Gender Studies. 2 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, Ives 45, (707) 664-3294.
GET RESULTS - Some people have trouble with math because their inner life consists of words, not images. Professor Teed Rockwell of the SSU Philosophy Department will discuss exercises designed to enhance students' visual pattern recognition skills and how they can be applied to other areas of mathematics. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, Carson 68, (707) 664-2368.
ADVERTISING IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE: BETWEEN ART AND COMMERCE - Lecture with Inese Heinzel, M.A., communications specialist and media producer. Osher Lifelong Learning Lecture. 6:30-8:15 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2691.
WHAT'S NEXT IN WIRELESS SECURITY? - Lecture by Paul Lambert of PicoMobile Networks, Mountain View. This presentation describes new wireless protocols and emerging new security threats. New system level threats like "Evil Beacons," "Countermeasure DoS" and "NFC Touch and Steal" will be described. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 3, Salazar 2016, (707) 664-2667.
SEASTARS, SNAILS, AND SEAWEEDS: WHY OBVIOUS ESCAPE RESPONSES MIGHT NOT LEAD TO STRONG TRAIT-MEDIATED INDIRECT INTERACTIONS - Lecture presented by Dr. Ben Miner of the Bodega Marine Lab, UC Davis. Biology Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 3, Stevenson 1002, (707) 664-2189.
CHASING DINOSAURS IN SOUTH AMERICA - Lecture with Nick Geist, Professor of Biology at Sonoma State University. Geology Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 3, Stevenson 3065, (707) 664-2334.
AFGHANISTAN UNVEILED & MADANM TI ZO (MRS. LITTLEBONES) - In "Afghanistan Unveiled" the effects of the Taliban's repressive rule and recent U.S. military campaign on Afghani women are chronicled. In "Madanm Ti Zo (Mrs. Littlebones), one receives an intimate look into traditional health practices through mid- wife and herbal doctor Madanm Ti Zo who runs her own clinic in Jacmal, Haiti. Films are part of The American Museum of Natural History's Margaret Mead Travelling Film and Video Festival. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Friday, November 4, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
The Donald and Maureen Green Music Center of Sonoma State University today announced the appointment of Welz Kauffman as programming consultant to the GMC. Kauffman, president and CEO of Chicago's Ravinia Festival, the Midwest's premier summer concert organization, brings a reputation for innovation in music programming to the position along with a wealth of arts administration experience.
"Welz Kauffman's festival programming and arts administration background will help the Green Music Center fulfill its goal of providing arts-centered learning to students of all ages," said Ruben Armiñana, president of SSU. "His ability to program many different musical genres, as well as his willingness to commission new works while finding renewed value in old favorites, fits well with the Green Music Center's mission to engage the widest possible audience."
The GMC opens in 2008 and will feature a unique blending of arts and education. The programming will include a mix of world-class musicians as well as emerging artists and new works. The GMC aims to stimulate cross-cultural dialogue and to provide audiences with a thought-provoking artistic experience.
"I am excited to be joining the Green Music Center at this early stage of its development," said Kauffman. "The goal of educating through entertainment is something I've been devoted to my whole career, and it is a treat to be able to shape the programming of an organization of this caliber from the beginning."
Kauffman's career includes leadership positions at many of the country's most respected arts organizations. As artistic administrator of the New York Philharmonic, he oversaw the creation of several festivals that involved a wide array of activities, including full orchestra concerts, cabaret evenings, new music and chamber performances, seminars and symposiums-the types of events that fulfill the GMC's mission to educate and entertain.
While at the Philharmonic, Kauffman started a series of five annual staged concerts of Steven Sondheim's shows that continued at Ravinia. When he became president and CEO of Ravinia Festival in 2000, he began a music theatre initiative that increased the Festival's community outreach efforts, created a new music theater branch of Ravinia's Sterns Institute for young artists and focused on the role of the orchestra in music theater.
Prior to assuming his position at Ravinia, Kauffman was the director of artistic planning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic where, among other duties, he oversaw the Philharmonic's 12-week summer festival at the Hollywood Bowl.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
A web cast of the lecture will be made available at http://streaming.sonoma.edu in the days following the event.
Jonathan Kozol, education advocate and acclaimed author of "Savage Inequalities" and "Ordinary Resurrections" lectures from his new book, "The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11 in Evert B. Person Theater at Sonoma State University. This lecture is part of the Andrea Neves and Barton Evans Social Justice Lecture Series.
In his lecture, Kozol addresses the issues of the No Child Left Behind Act and the inferiority of the public education currently offered to Latino and African-American students.
Through his research, Kozol has discovered that despite reports of progress, the quality of education in America is rapidly regressing. He reports that segregation of African-American and Latino students is widespread, and far less is spent to educate them in comparison to the amount spent on white students. Kozol will lecture about these findings, as well as offer solutions for a better future.
Kozol graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1958 with a degree in English Literature from Harvard University and was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University. In 1965, Kozol moved from Harvard Square into a poor black neighborhood of Boston and became a fourth-grade teacher in the Boston public schools. He has devoted the subsequent four decades to issues of education and social justice in America.
Tickets for this lecture are $5 general admission. SSU students will be admitted free of charge. Tickets are now on sale at the Sonoma State Student Union. For ticket information, call (707) 664-2382.
The lecture is also sponsored by the School of Social Sciences and the School of Education, along with the Office of Instructionally Related Activities and Associated Student Productions.
For more information, please contact Jean Wasp, Media Relations Coordinator, at (707) 664-2057.
The Agilent Technologies Foundation has announced a bold new program of scholarships, mentoring, a lecture series and field trips for Sonoma State University students as a mark of its continued support of the University's computer engineering science programs.
Agilent has partnered with SSU to offer ten $3,000 scholarships to train and educate undergraduate students majoring in the field of engineering science.
Seven of the scholarships have been awarded to students this week. Many of them graduated from local high schools.
They were awarded in recognition of merit through a process which included interviews, essays and consideration of the applicants' scholastic scores. The remaining three are expected to be awarded mid-year.
"The Agilent scholarships are an important part of a collaborative effort with SSU to attract top students to the new Bachelor of Science degree program in engineering science - and to help them succeed," says Jeff Weber, public affairs manager for Agilent Technologies in Sonoma County. "This first set of scholarship recipients is a very impressive group of students."
The scholarship winners currently attending SSU and the high schools from which they graduated are:
Nicholas Bartlett -- Maria Carrillo
Curtis Caton -- Clovis West
Allisha Farris -- Eastside College Prep
Brooks Hanley --Technology High School
Matthew Peterson -- Rancho Cotate
Brian Tietz -- Rancho Cotate
Daniel Woloz -- Mira Costa
In addition to receiving scholarships, the recipients will be advised by two mentors - one from the SSU Department of Engineering Sciences faculty and one from Agilent Technologies. The mentors will assist students in their undergraduate careers, with the SSU faculty members providing guidance for the student's academic career and the Agilent advisors helping forge the student's future engineering career.
"The Agilent-SSU partnership constructs yet another part of the fundamental concept of public-private partnerships as an effective means of responding to the educational needs of our local community by supporting the University's programs and students," says Saeid Rahmi, Dean of the School of Science and
Technology.
The Agilent scholarships represent just one of the company's future plans for contributions to the SSU campus. An Agilent-sponsored lecture series is in the planning stages, geared at exposing students and the public alike to topics and careers in engineering. Field trips to the Santa Rosa campus of Agilent are also being scheduled for engineering students in the spring 2006 semester.
Other contributions by Agilent to the SSU campus include future engineering classes to be taught by Agilent employees, and equipment donations to the School of Science and Technology.
Agilent previously donated more than $1 million in new and used photonics and test and measurement equipment for use in the Agilent Technologies Communications Laboratory at SSU.
For more information, contact Jeff Weber, Public Affairs Manager for Agilent Technologies in Sonoma County, (707) 577-2845, Dr. Jagan Agrawal, Chair of the SSU Engineering Science department, (707) 664- 4438, or Jean Wasp, SSU Media Relations Coordinator, at (707) 664-2057.
OR (MY TREASURE) - Keren Yedaya's movie about an aging Tel Aviv prostitute and her eighteen-year-old daughter, Or, who fights to keep her mother off the streets. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m. Sunday, October 16, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
VORTICES LARGE AND SMALL: STUDYING CYCLONES THROUGH SUPERFLUIDS - Dr. Rena Zieve of the University of California, Davis will discuss her work on superfluid helium, a low-temperature quantum mechanical liquid, and the connections to classical fluids. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Monday, October 17, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-2119.
KAFFEESTUNDE - Weekly informal German conversation for those who enjoy the German language, want to brush up on their German skills or would like to learn more about the language. Noon, Tuesday, October 18, Charlie Brown's Cafe, (707) 664-2637.
TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST - Lecture with Myrna Goodman of the SSU Sociology Department. Social Sciences Brown Bag Lecture Series. Noon, Tuesday, October 18, Stevenson 2011, (707) 664-2112.
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION - Lecture with Lynn Cominsky, Professor of Physics/Astronomy at SSU. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 18, Ives 101, (707) 664-2543.
FILMMAKERS RESPOND TO WAR - The film "The Weather Underground" will be shown. 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 18, Art 102, (707) 664-3040.
TALKS ON TEXTS - Suzanne Tocyzski of the SSU Modern Languages and Literatures Department discusses "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Tony Mountain of SSU's Hutchins School of Liberal Studies will present Albert Camus' "The Stranger" and "The Plague." Noon, Wednesday, October 19, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
LORE OF THE TRIANGLE: FROM EUCLID TILL YESTERDAY - Dr Rick Luttmann of the SSU Math Department will review some well-known properties of triangles and then some more recent results he encountered over 30 years as an associate editor of the problem section of the American Mathematical Monthly. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 19, Carson 68, (707) 664-2368.
ART HISTORY IN WESTERN CIVILIZATION-Lecture with Bruce Elliott, Ph.D., who also teaches courses in European History at San Francisco State University. Osher Lifelong Learning Lecture. 6:30-8:15 p.m., Wednesday, October 19, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2691.
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS - Lecture addressing the current state of the world and disaster preparedness. 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 19, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2785.
THE GRANDFATHER - "The Grandfather," a Spanish-language film with English-language subtitles will be screened. Cineforum. 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 19, Stevenson 3082, (707) 664-2351.
1 + 1 = 3 - Lecture with Marc LeBrun of Fixpoint, Inc., Novato. Probing familiar operations at subatomic scales, this lecture will sketch an introductory natural history of some arithmetics from alternate universes. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, October 20, Salazar 2016, (707) 664-2667.
WEST NILE VIRUS IN CALIFORNIA - Lecture by Dr. Kerry Padgett of the California Department of Health Sciences. Biology Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, October 20, Stevenson 1002, (707) 664-2189.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES FORUM - Christine Renaudin OF SSU's Modern Languages and Literature Department presents "Verlaine: Poet, Muse, and Music Maker," and Paul Draper of the SSU Theater Arts Department will present "Anouilh's Transparent Castle: Classism in Ring Round the Moon." Noon, Thursday, October 20, Schulz 1121, (707) 664-2146.
TURTLES CAN FLY - The story is set before the arrival of American forces to Kurdish encampments in 2003. Satellite is a boy of thirteen who brings television and news of war to a clamoring community. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m. Friday, October 21, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
PUBLIC VIEWING NIGHT - Come explore the night sky at the SSU Observatory. Special focus this night will be on the Dark Nebulae and Stephan's Quintet. Please call ahead, as weather conditions may cancel the viewing. 8 p.m. Friday, October 21, SSU Observatory, (707) 664-2267.
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP - In a brilliant color trip through one man's fantasy of history, Colonel Blimp describes in flashback how the years have mellowed him from a hothead to the harmless bumbler he is. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
ARTIFICIAL SIGHT: AN OPTOELECTRONIC RETINAL PROSTHESIS - Dr. Daniel Palanker of Stanford University will describe development of a prosthetic system for restoration of sight in patients who have lost vision due to retinal degeneration. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, Schulz 3001,(707) 664-2119.
KAFFEESTUNDE - Weekly informal German conversation for those who enjoy the German language, want to brush up on their German skills or would like to learn more about the language. Noon, Tuesday, Oct. 11, Charlie Brown's Cafe, (707) 664-2637.
THE DAY AFTER TRINITY - Film chronicling the beginning of the Atomic Age. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 11, Ives 101, (707) 664-2543.
FILMMAKERS RESPOND TO WAR - The film "William Sloane Coffin: American Prophet" will be presented. 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, Art 102, (707) 664-3040.
TALKS ON TEXTS - Dolly Freidel of the SSU Geography Department will discuss Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer," and Michaela Grobbel of SSU's Modern Languages and Literatures Department will lecture on Goethe's "Erlkoenig." Noon, Wednesday, October 12, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS IN THE CENTURY OF DATA - Lecture by Bill Finzer of Key Curriculum Technologies. In this talk, the speaker will discuss when data and mathematics intertwine, and give teaching and learning math new relevance. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 12, Carson 68, (707) 664-2368.
THE DESIGN OF THE VMWARE VMKERNEL-AN OS KERNEL FOR MANAGING VIRTUAL MACHINES -Lecture by Kinshuk Govil of VMWare, Palo Alto. This talk describes the architecture of the VMkernel, some of the unique issues that it solves in order to manage VMs effectively, and interesting research topics that remain. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 13, Salazar 2016, (707) 664-2667.
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM - Kumar Plocher of Yokayo Biofuels will present the lecture "Biodiesel: The Fuel, The Industry, and The State of the Movement." Noon, Thursday, Oct. 13, Stevenson 1002, (707) 664- 2189.
OR (MY TREASURE) - Keren Yedaya's riveting psychological study focuses on an aging Tel Aviv prostitute and her eighteen-year-old daughter who fights to keep her mother off the streets, even to the point of locking her indoors. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE - Musician, composer and activist Michael Franti will show his film "I Know I'm Not Alone," from his journey through war zones in Baghdad, Gaza and the West Bank. Franti will also perform some of his music and take part in a question and answer session with the audience. Part of Labor and Social Action Conference. 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, Spreckles Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park, (707) 545-7349 ext. 219.
EIGHTH ANNUAL LABOR AND SOCIAL ACTION CONFERENCE - Annual conference for youth, labor and community activists. Participants will develop leadership skills, learn about social history, acquire organizing skills and analyze North Bay power relations. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15., Salazar Hall, (707) 545-7349 ext. 219.
Sonoma State University biology professor Karina Nielsen has been awarded a three-year grant to study an edible seaweed collected extensively in Mendocino County whose aggressive collecting may lead to local extinction. The grant for $129,000 was awarded by the National Organization of Atmospheric and Oceanic's California Sea Grant program.
Because the demand for seaweed has risen significantly in recent years, and because little is known about their basic natural history, some biologists worry that the sea palm may be vulnerable to overexploitation.
The Sea Palm is an intertidal, cold-water kelp that resembles a small palm tree and whose edible fronds are likened to low-fat, mineral rich noodles. Sea palms are just one of a handful of edible seaweeds harvested in California and sold dried at health food stores, Asian markets, and more recently through the Internet which Nielsen feels has appeared to accelerate its sales. "Sea Palm Strudel" can be found on the menu of a local Mendocino restaurant.
Nielsen's work, in collaboration with University of California, Santa Barbara biologist Carol Blanchette, will provide marine regulators with the information they need to ensure sustainable commercial use of the seaweed. The project will examine the biology of the California sea palm (Postelsia palmaeformis) and study the effects of different collecting practices on sea palm reproduction, growth and abundance. Nielsen will also explore the extent to which the kelp's annual cycles and growth patterns vary with latitude.
In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Game, the project will analyze seaweed collection data and use new biological information to evaluate whether current regulations are ensuring a sustainable industry. "Karina Nielsen's work will build on department research from the early 1990's and be a valuable asset in helping us protect this unique resource," says Peter Kalvass, a DFG marine biologist.
Results of this project will also be communicated to undergraduates enrolled in a new course at Sonoma State University, "Ocean Sicence Literacy for School and Society" and through UC Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute via its Outreach Center for Teaching Ocean Science and the Research Experience and Education Facility.
For further information, contact Dr. Karina Nielsen, (707) 664-2962. Peter Kalvass can be reached at (707) 964-9080.
Chris Irwin, co-founder of the United Mountain Defense and former editor of the environmental magazine "Earth First!" will lecture on the effects of mountaintop removal at 6:30 p.m. on October 21 in Stevenson Hall 1002 on the Sonoma State University campus. This lecture is sponsored by SSU's Project Censored and Students for Media Democracy.
Mountaintop removal is a new form of coal mining in which companies dynamite the tops of mountains to collect the coal underneath. This destructive form of mining is a threat to the natural ecosystem and the U.S. economy.
Chris Irwin is a sixth generation Appalachia native and his story about mountaintop removal is featured in Project Censored's newest book Censored 2006.
The lecture is free, but donations will be accepted. For more information, please contact Suze Cribbs, Project Censored Event Coordinator, at (707) 664-3166 or by email at suzeraine@sbcglobal.net.
In a coordinated effort to provide relief funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, various Sonoma State University organizations have raised a grand total of $18,305.08 through donations, prize giveaways, car washes and benefit dinners, among others, to be donated to the American Red Cross.
SSU service organization JUMP (Join Us in Making Progress) spearheaded the donation drive, organizing the campus-wide "Donate Your $2" campaign. Presuming each person on the Sonoma State campus, including students, faculty and staff donated $2, JUMP projected that they could easily raise up to $5,000. By the end of the campaign they had not only met their mark, but also surpassed it by more than $700, collecting a total of $5,739.
Other SSU organizations pitched in with donations, including many SSU sororities and fraterities. Also involved were the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Pan-Hellenic Council. In total these organizations raised a combined $4,039.
Various freshmen seminar classes organized charitable events of their own and collected funds through car washes, bake sales, clothing and money and drives and a raffle. Their collective efforts resulted in a grand total of $1,790.
On September 29, the SSU Sociology Club and the SSU Human Rights Club sponsored a dinner at Chevy's Fresh Mex Mexican Restaurant in Santa Rosa. Chevy's donated 20% of each SSU patron's bill, resulting in $337.08 donated to hurricane relief.
Sonoma State Dining Services and Seawolf Shops also assisted in the donation effort. Through their own donation drive, which allowed customers to add a dollar to their total bill to go towards hurricane relief, over $3,200 was collected. Before going the American Red Cross, this donation will be doubled by the Sallie Mae Fund of Reston, Virginia, resulting in a grand total of $6,400 going towards the Katrina fund.
In addition to SSU fundraising efforts, the Santa Rosa community also assisted in collecting funds for relief. The Santa Rosa Symphony and the Sonoma County Bach Choir held a benefit concert September 12 featuring Santa Rosa Symphony conductor Jeffrey Kahane and Sonoma State choral director Robert Worth. In total, the benefit concert raised $60,785.08. Half the money will go to the American Red Cross, with the other half going to the American Symphony Orchestra League's Gulf Coast Orchestra Relief Fund.
For more information about Katrina fundraising efforts at SSU, please contact Jean Wasp, Media Relations Coordinator, at (707) 664-2057 or by e-mail at jean.wasp@sonoma.edu.
ABOVE: Art student Matt Mullins spent 24 hours in a glass case in the Art Department making pottery as a fundraiser for hurricane victims. He raised more than $300.
Sonoma State University will again host the annual Labor and Social Action Conference for youth, labor and community activists on Oct. 14 and 15. The intent of the program is to offer opportunities for networking and collaboration between activists, community organizations and unions in the North Bay.
Among the events on Friday, Oct. 14 will be keynote speaker Michael Franti's presentation, "I Know I'm Not Alone." Franti, an accomplished songwriter and filmmaker, will screen his new film, also titled "I Know I'm Not Alone," perform several new songs and hold a question and answer session with attendees. "I Know I'm Not Alone" will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center, located at 5409 Snyder Lane in Rohnert Park. This event is sold out at this time.
Saturday's sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and offer various workshops including "The Future of The Labor Movement," "Schwarzenegger's Special Election" and "Corporate Media Lies: 9/11, Voter Fraud, and Empire." Other programs include policy analysis, accountable development and the military draft.
Other events include a career fair and a plenary panel discussion addressing the topic "Building a New Progressive Movement in the United States." Panel guests will include California State Assembly Member Noreen Evans, Ken Burt, Political Director for the California Federation of Teachers, Bill Domhoff, research professor at UC Santa Cruz and author of "Who Rules America" and Sara Muller of Working Partnerships USA.
The cost for the entire conference is $60 for general admission and $25 for students. To only attend the plenary panel discussion is $10. Limited scholarships are available. For more information, call Margaux Hardy at (707) 545-7349 ext. 219.
For a look at the full program, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/mt/Labor Conf 05.doc
A nursing professor, an environmental manager and the director of an arts program for children are among the three SSU alumni to be honored by the Sonoma State University Alumni Association on Thursday, Oct. 6.
The 2005 Distinguished Alumni Day and Awards Ceremony will recognize:
Richard Ohlemacher, Manager of Environmental Systems, Northrop Grumman Corporation in Los Angeles, provides private sector analysis, outreach, and business development to advance broad efforts to integrate technology and its civilian applications for monitoring and understanding the Earth and its natural systems. He worked previously in the Peace Corps in Africa.
Wendy Smith, Professor of Nursing and Director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, Sonoma State University, has procured over $2.7 million in funding support for the delivery of the Family Nurse Practitioner program in rural areas in California. She utilized federal grant awards to launch an innovative distance delivery program to rural California State University campuses.
Jan Sofie, director of the award-winning ArtQuest at Santa Rosa High School for the past seven years helped expand the 11-year-old ArtQuest from 75 students to over 520 students attending from Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties.
Highlights of the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Day include a luncheon with President Ruben Arminana, a dedication to these alumni at SSU's Alumni Grove and Brick Path, and visits to classrooms and campus centers. The day culminates with the Distinguished Alumni awards dinner.
The awards dinner includes a 5:30 p.m. reception and a 6:30 p.m. dinner at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park. The cost for the event is $50 for Alumni Association members, SSU faculty and staff and $55 for non-members. Tables of eight can be reserved for $1,000. Dress is business attire. Those who wish to attend should RSVP by calling (707) 664-2426.
Visit the Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Web site at http://www.ssualumni.org/distinalum.htm for details about this year's honorees.
For further information, contact SSU Alumni Director Kate McClintock, (707) 664-2693.
How living with AIDS affects housing needs, domestic abuse and other social issues is the focus of research to be conducted this year by five Sonoma State students selected as this year's Community Scholars.
The Community Scholars program is modeled on the Public Scholars program at Stanford University.
The Community Scholars and their research projects for 2005-2006 are:
Chelsea Bahr, Anthropology, is investigating the housing needs of Latinos living with HIV/AIDS in Sonoma County. She is partnering with the Center for HIV Prevention and Care in Santa Rosa and the Latino Task Force to conduct and disseminate her research.
Bene Rather-Taylor, Anthropology, is researching the prevalence and causes of HIV/AIDS among women who suffer domestic abuse, including the related problems of homelessness, financial dependency, and a lack of coordinated women's services that address these issues.
Karen Shimizu, Business, is researching the matrix of governmental agencies, local nonprofit organizations, and private business groups in Sonoma County that address the lack of local affordable housing to evaluate the efficacy of existing programs and collaborations.
Donald Williams, Anthropology, is expanding his study on housing needs for people living with both HIV/AIDS and mental illness in Sonoma County to include other social, cultural, and medical needs for this community. During the first phase of his research, he worked with a number of Sonoma County agencies, including Face to Face, Food for Thought, Section 8 Vouchers, Community Resources for Independence, and Project HOPE.
Wesley Wills, Anthropology, is studying issues related to housing for people living with HIV/AIDS and physical disabilities (whether related to their infection with HIV or a predating infection) in Sonoma County.
The Community Scholars program is a senior thesis capstone program focused on community-based, socially responsible research. Up to ten students are competitively selected to participate in the Community Scholars Program each year.
Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, each student conducts an original research project designed in consultation with the community, researching an issue of local relevance.
The scholarship is offered to students through the SSU Office of Community-Based Learning.
For more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/aa/ap/ocbl civil_scholarship.shtml or contact Amra Stafford at (707) 664-3202 or at stafford@sonoma.edu.
TURTLES CAN FLY - The story is set in the Kurdish refugee camps the days before the arrival of American forces in 2003 - a cause of much rumor and hope. Satellite is a boy of thirteen, who brings television and news of war to his community. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
ALBERT EINSTEIN, THE PEACENIK - Dr. Lawrence Badash of the UC Santa Barbara describes Einstein's pioneering in the field of social responsibility by scientists. What Physicists Do Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-2119.
KAFFEESTUNDE - Weekly informal German conversation for those who enjoy the German language, want to brush up on their German skills or would like to learn more about the language. Noon, Tuesday, October 25, Charlie Brown's Cafe, (707) 664-2637.
GIFTS OF THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE - Lecture by Susan Stewart of the SSU Psychology Department. Social Sciences Brown Bag Lecture Series. Noon, Tuesday, Oct. 25, Stevenson 2011, (707) 664-2112.
NUCLEAR MADNESS - Lecture on the history and current state of nuclear war presented by Monte Steadman and daughter. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, Ives 101, (707) 664-2543.
FILMMAKERS RESPOND TO WAR - The film "The Fog of War" with Robert S. McNamara will be screened. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, Art 102, (707) 664-3040.
ROD BROOKS - Radio sports talk show host Rod Brooks conducts a question and answer session about his line of work and current events in the world of sports. 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2785.
TALKS ON TEXTS - Richard Senghas of the SSU Anthropology Department discusses "Beowulf" and Michael Schwager of the SSU Art Department presents "An Encounter with Greatness: Guernica at MoMA." Noon, Wednesday, Oct. 26, Schulz 3001, (707) 664-4240.
ARTIST'S LECTURE SERIES - Abstract artist Reed Danziger talks about her unique style and how she creates her artwork. Noon, Wednesday, October 26, Art 102, (707) 664-2364.
BLOW-UP PROBLEM IN COMPRESSIBLE GAS DYNAMICS - This presenter will discuss some special solutions to the Euler equations. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, Carson 68, (707) 664-2368.
WHAT HAPPENED TO CLASSICAL MUSIC IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY? - Lecture with Joann Feldman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Music at Sonoma State University. Osher Lifelong Learning Lecture. 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2691.
GERMAN FILM SERIES - Join Gemutlichkeit, the SSU German club for the German-language film "Der Untergang" ("Downfall"). Directed by Oliver Hirshbiegel. 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, The InterCultural Center, (707) 664-2637.
BLOOD DRIVE - Blood drive sponsored by JUMP and the Blood Bank of the Redwoods. Donating blood only takes an hour. Walk-ins are encouraged but to schedule an appointment, please call the Blood Bank of the Redwoods at(707) 545-1222. Please bring a photo ID. 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, SSU Main Entrance Parking Lot, (707) 664-4277.
MANAGING ORACLE APPLICATIONS: INTRODUCTION - Lecture by Eric Levinson of Turin Networks, Petaluma. This session will give a "big picture" look of what it takes to set up users, employees, responsibilities, accounting codes, reporting structures, and signing limits. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 27, Salazar 2016, (707) 664-2667.
BUG HUNTING IN THE EASTERN SIERRA - Lecture with Dr. Nathan Rank of the Sonoma State Biology Department. Biology Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Oct.27, Stevenson 1002, (707) 664-2189.
A DEEP HISTORY-EXPLORING TERROIR IN THE NAPA VALLEY - Lecture with David Howell of the US Geological Survey. Geology Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 27, Stevenson 3065, (707) 664-2334.
DAVID BARSAMIAN - Lecture presented by David Barsamian, founder and director of Alternative Radio, the independent award-winning weekly series based in Boulder, Colorado. 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2588.
DAVID FREIDEL - A lecture and presentation on the excavations of the Maya site, "El Peru." 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28, The Cooperage, (707) 664-2944.
SPEED FOR THESPIANS AND EASY LIVING - "Speed for Thespians" is a ride to remember as Kalman Apple puts his cast through their paces on an in-service New York City bus, and in "Easy Living" working girl Jean Arthur is bonked on the head while riding on a Fifth Avenue bus and is mistaken for the mistress of Wall Street lion Edward Arnold. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28, Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-2606.
