An interactive refugee tent camp focusing on different genocides of the twentieth century from Armenia in 1915 to the Holocaust and finally to the modern day Darfur crisis in the Sudan rises on the Sonoma State University campus on Tuesday, Dec. 4 from noon to 6 p.m. in the Cooperage.
For one day SSU students and community members will be exposed to the effects of genocide at Camp Darfur, a traveling interactive awareness and education exhibit funded by the grassroots community Stop Genocide Now, "Camp Darfur" attempts to replicate the habitat of the 2.5 million displaced villagers from Darfur who call refugee camps in Chad home.
The event takes place for several hours allowing spectators to come and go as they please and spend as much or as little time as they like in each tent. This event is free to all and is sponsored by Associated Students Productions, Residential Life and the Peace Club.
The genocide in Darfur, Sudan has taken an estimated 400,000 lives while displacing over 2.5 million people in grave danger of continued violence and starvation.
"It is up to each and every person to act and speak out against these acts of violence and genocide. Camp Darfur gives people across the country the opportunity to send a message of peace and solidarity to the people of Darfur," says organizers of the event.
Stop Genocide Now is a grassroots community dedicated to working to protect populations in grave danger of violence, death and displacement resulting from genocide. Through active education, advocacy and policy change SGN resolves to change the way the world responds to genocide.
SGN is currently focused on creating awareness and action to stop the genocide in Darfur and deal appropriately with its aftermath. All of their projects focus on and utilize the strength and power in grassroots connectivity.
Their pioneering campaigns aim to break the silence surrounding the crime of genocide and pave the way for a new age that lives up to the refrain, "never again." Since their inception, SGN has stressed the importance of enabling interaction between supporters and genocide victims and continues to do so today.
For more information on this and other events, phone (707) 664-2382 or visit www.sonoma.edu/AS/ASP.
The media research program Project Censored was honored as the Community Organization of the Year for 2007 for their courage and devotion to activism. The award ceremony was held on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Peace and Justice Center at Sonoma County's Annual Peacemaker Awards Dinner.
Director Peter Phillips, Assistant Director Andy Roth and staff members Tricia Boreta and Kate Sims, along with over a hundred volunteers were cited as "models of social activism and consciousness raisers in a world too busy to realize that the truth is not being reported." The Peace and Justice Center awarded Project Censored contributors for their "dedication and professionalism, their courage of speaking the truth and taking on the corporate media, their integrity to delve deeper to find the facts and their risk-taking to educate the masses."
State Senator Pat Wiggins and Assemblymember Patty Berg presented Peter Phillips and Project Censored with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the California State Legislature for the Community Organization Award.
"Each year we honor an organization in our community whose work effects change locally and globally," said Peace and Justice Center board member Alice Waco. "We are long overdue in acknowledging the work of Project Censored."
To cater to the growing trend in sustainability awareness, the Sonoma State University Student Sustainability Coalition hosts "Voices of Change: Re-envisioning a Sustainable Future" on Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Cooperage. The event is free, but donations are welcome.
"It's all about inspiring and empowering students to actively create a vision for their future and begin taking the steps to implement that vision," says organizer Timothy Dondero.
The evening begins with presentations from:
Craig Chalquist, a lecturer in psychology at SSU, the Imaginal Institute and New College of California, who presents "The Environmental Crisis is a Crisis of Consciousness"
Richard Heinberg presenting "Big Melt Meets Big Empty: Policy Responses to Climate Change and Fossil Fuel Depletion."
Marissa Handler, a social activist, and host of a lecture series at the California Institute of Integral Studies explores "From the Inside Out: Making Change Real."
Dispersed between the keynote speakers, students from No-Sweat and the Compost Club will share what they are trying to do on campus to move SSU toward a more sustainable campus.
Following the presentations there will be a sustainability fair set up in one corner of the Cooperage where various organizations from the community will have an opportunity to table.
An "integration corner" will allow students to voice their own hopes for the future and goals to create a more sustainable lifestyle as well as a video booth, a poster to write on and share ideas, commitment books and more.
Following the presentations music will be featured by Madera Humana.
For more information, contact Timothy Dondero at (209) 712-1787 or at dondero@sonoma.edu.
In a unique program led by the Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics, students will work in a consulting role with small businesses during the spring semester.
SSU business students, working in small teams, will meet with businesses weekly and work under the guidance of a Business and Economics faculty member. They will help to define with owners and staff the problems and challenges of running a small business and speculate on how to fix them.
At the end of the semester, students will present a detailed report containing findings made during the 15 weeks and recommendations for action.
The students are adept in a number of different areas and will assist in the following tasks:
- General performance audits of business methods and systems
- Strategic and financial planning
- Personnel policies and employee handbooks
- Customer acquisition and retention
- Market research and competitor analyses
- Accounting and financial forecasting
The small business consultant program has won a myriad of honors including the Small Business Consulting Case of the Year awards from the Small Business Institute Director's Association in 1996 and 1998.
There is a voluntary participation fee of $500. Any donations received will be used to fund student scholarships to the Entrepreneurial Excellence Course scheduled for late spring.
Admission is selective and will be limited to four to six small businesses.
For more information or to apply, contact professor, Nicholas Gurney (707) 824-4418 or e-mail: Nicholas.gurney@gmail.com. Inquiries are welcomed now through January 30, 2008.
Dr. Ian Feinhandler, Professor of Geography and Global Studies at Sonoma State University, is available for comment on the geopolitics of oil and the international dimension of energy security.
He can also speak to the role of natural resources in the global economy, how the growing demand for resources has contributed to various conflicts around the world, and the vulnerability of energy infrastructure to terrorist attack.
Dr. Feinhandler can also comment on political and social developments in South Asia, including the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan, Hindu nationalism in India, the civil war in Nepal, and political repression in Burma/Myanmar.
Dr. Feinhandler worked in the energy industry, managing sustainable development projects for an oil company, and has conducted research on human rights abuse associated with the construction of a natural gas pipeline in Burma/Myanmar.
He is currently an Assistant Professor of Geography and Global Studies and teaches courses on geopolitics, resource wars, international development, and South Asia. He has presented his research at national and international conferences, and given guest lectures in his areas of expertise.
Contact Information:
Dr. Ian Feinhandler
ian.feinhandler@sonoma.edu
(707) 664-2195
PADUA AND FIRENZE: TRECENTO AND QUATTROCENTO MUSIC IN NORTHERN ITALY - Robert Worth directs the SSU Chamber Singers as they perform fabulous, rarely-heard music by Italian composers of the 14th and 15th centuries. Featuring works by Paola Tenorista and Johannes Ciconia. SSU Choral Program. General admission is $12, $10 for faculty, alumni and staff, $8 for seniors and students. SSU students admitted free. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 2. Holy Family Episcopal Church. (707) 664-2235.
THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT HAVING BABIES: A DOULA'S PERSPECTIVE -Danielle Ronshausen, doula, childbirth educator in training, and SSU alumna speaks on the subject of childbirth and how doulas offer a helping hand to mothers through pregnancy and delivery. Ronshausen will discuss what really happens as a woman approaches labor, the birthing process and finally, what women can expect after delivery. An actual birth on video will be presented. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon - 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. Carson Hall, Room 68. (707) 664-2840.
"PEACE THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY" -Presenation from Jason Mark, from the Board of Directors of Global Exchange in San Francisco. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4-5:15 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 4. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-4115
WHEN GOD WAS A WOMAN: A JOURNEY INTO ANCIENT AND MODERN GODDESS RELIGION - Women's spirituality scholar Marguerite Rigoglioso explores goddess-centered religions then and now, mysterious unnamed goddesses of Europe, Greece, and a surprise hidden goddess in Judaism and Christianity. The lecture also looks at which goddesses have retained starring roles in unbroken traditions around the world, and what it meant for women's lives when God wore the skirt in the family. 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 5. Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. (707) 664-2382.
GALLERIES
"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HERE" - "There's No Place Like Here" looks at how sixteen contemporary artists explore the concept of "place" - whether it is a familiar place fondly remembered, a place seen from afar but never visited, or a place that exists only in the artist's imagination-through painting, sculpture, photography, video, and sound. Nov. 1 through Dec. 9. University Art Gallery. (707) 664-2295.
PAPER PROGRESS- Paper Progress is an exhibition highlighting student works on paper, including photography, digital imaging, printmaking, and drawing. The works amassed in this exhibition demonstrate the enormous possibilities for new ideas and visual communication incorporating paper as a substrate. Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
*All lectures are free unless otherwise noted.
TRIO NAVARRO - In its second season concert, SSU's resident piano trio performs Schubert's Piano Trio in Bb Major, Op. 99. Other works to be announced. Roy Malan, violin; Jill Rachuy Brindel, cello; Marilyn Thompson, piano. Resident Artist Series.Admission is $12, $10 for faculty, alumni, and staff, $8 for seniors and students. SSU students admitted free. 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18. Ives 119. (707) 664-2235.
THE HINODE SOLAR OPTICAL TELESCOPE: A SOLAR MICROSCOPE IN SPACE - Dr. Thomas Berger of the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center will present new observations of the solar atmosphere from the Japanese Hinode satellite. What Physicists Do lecture series. 4-5:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119.
DARWIN'S LEGACY: SCENARIOS IN HUMAN EVOLUTION - Karin Enstam Jaffe, Anthropology, lectures. Social Science Brown Bag Series. Noon - 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 20. Stevenson 2011. (707) 664-2112.
"WAR AND PEACE IN THE ARTS" - Tim Wandling, Professor of English and Chair of the Academic Senate, explores a favorite topic. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4-5:15 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 20. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-4115.
GALLERIES
"RED: THE COLOR OF WAR" PAINTINGS FROM A VIETNAM WAR VETERAN - In his latest series of paintings artist, Daniel T. Lopez brings vivid look at the horrible cost of war through the eyes of a Vietnam War veteran. Lopez's use of vibrant colors and attention to detail capture those who have seen his work. Lopez is an Adjunct Professor of Chicano Studies at SSU. Through Nov. 21. Center for Culture and Gender Studies. Sonoma Student Union. (707) 664-2710.
"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HERE" - Sixteen contemporary artists explore the concept of "place"- whether it is a familiar place fondly remembered, a place seen from afar but never visited, or a place that exists only in the artist's imagination - through painting, sculpture, photography, video, and sound. Nov. 1 - Dec. 9. University Art Gallery. (707) 664-2295.
FILMS
FOREVER- (Heddy Honigmann, 2006) Documentary on Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Presented by the Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. (707) 664-2606. Admission is $5, $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, and $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free.
Renowned Mexican journalist and novelist Elena Poniatowska will read from her works and discuss her career in journalism at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 in Darwin 103.
Now 75 years old, this remarkable writer and political activist - a diminutive woman of French-Polish and Mexican heritage - is recognized by all Mexicans as their "voice."
Already the recipient of numerous literary and journalistic awards, this year, Poniatowska is credited with inventing the interview genre in Mexico and is known for her portrayal of the common people, those who often live without resources or protection by their government.
This year, she received the prestigious Romulo Gallegos literary award for best novel of the year throughout Latin America. Her most famous work is Massacre in Mexico, a journalistic text that incorporates eye-witness accounts of the government murder of students and other demonstrators in 1968, in the Tlatelolco Plaza in Mexico City.
She is also recognized for her thoughtful testimony of the disastrous impact of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, published in English translation as Nothing, Nobody. She will read excerpts from various works, including a novella, Lilus Kikus, published when she was 20 years old, which satirizes the traditional role for girls as they grow up in Mexican, or western, society.
Critics mistook it for a children's book. Recently published in English translation, this narrative reveals the subversive and subtle writing style that would mark Poniatowska's career.
For further information, contact Dr. Elizabeth C. Martinez, (707) 664-3161, elizabeth.martinez@sonoma.edu.
Younger siblings of residential students will get a peek at college life, Nov. 2-4, during the first Siblings Weekend to be held on the Sonoma State University campus. The event is intended for brothers and sisters between the ages of 5-15, but siblings of all ages are welcome.
"Our aim is to provide our residents, primarily our freshmen, an opportunity of having their sibs join them for a weekend of planned, safe activities," said Cyndie Morozumi, Director of Residential Life Programs. Students have the chance to educate their younger brothers or sisters about the college campus and college life.
"Freshmen are still very much in the throws of transition, and having family be a part of this new experience helps," says Morozumi. "With this millennial generation, family inclusion is a big part of their success and satisfaction, as is affinity to their school."
Homesickness often sets in with freshman who are away from home for the first time, she says and "reconnecting with their siblings helps them in the transition to college life."
SSU residential students are responsible for feeding and housing visiting siblings and must check with their roommates to make sure they are welcome to stay over on the weekend.
The schedule includes welcome activities, various events in each of the housing villages, as well as a game night, a video game event, craft stations and ice cream socials. On the Sauvignon Quad, a bounce house will be set up and a game of Sibling Feud will be held.
SSU is the first California State University system campus to offer a Siblings Weekend though it is common on other college campuses in the country.
The 2400-member Residential Students Association and the Residential Life Program are hosting the event.
For more information, contact Mo Phillips, Associate Director of Student Development, (707) 664-2804 or Cyndie Morozumi, Director of Residential Life Programs, (707) 664-4033.
