DR. AMY KITTELSTROM, Assistant Professor of American History at Sonoma State University,is available for comment on American political history, particularly the uses of the founding documents by minorities seeking an expansion of their civil rights.
She has taught a course on "The American Creed" at Harvard and at Sonoma State, which provides a framework for understanding the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in terms of rhetorical precedents from Jefferson through FDR.
She can also speak to issues regarding religion in the public sphere, historical contests over citizenship and reform, and the embattled role of intellectuals in American culture.
After three years teaching History and Literature at Harvard, Dr. Kittelstrom joined the faculty at SSU, where she teaches nineteenth and twentieth-century American history with an emphasis on religion, culture, and political theory.
Office: (707) 664-2327
E-mail: kitt@sonoma.edu
SHAKESPEARE'S ITALY: ROMEO AND JULIET IN CONTEXT - A pre-show talk by William Babula, professor of English and Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, will focus on Romeo and Juliet but also take us through the various plays set in Italy and the artistic and political reasons why Shakespeare chose a country he probably never visited as the setting for plays as diverse as Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. 1 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Evert B. Person Theatre. Matinee performance of Romeo and Juliet follows at 2 p.m.
TWO NEW SHORT STORIES BY GREG SARRIS - The Word for Word Theater Company will be putting on performances of author, screenwriter and playwright Greg Sarris' original works "Ancestor", and "When Tom Smith Caused the 1906 Earthquake" followed by an interview with Sarris. In "When Tom Smith Caused the 1906 Earthquake", Sarris tells the story of two rival medicine men battling each other to see who is more powerful, one eventually causing an earthquake in his efforts to win. "Ancestor" follows 15-year-old R.D. after the death of his grandmother in his quest to find guidance from his ancestors. Both short stories reflect the importance of Native American influence on his life and the modern world. 2 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. (707) 664-2382.
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS PROTOTYPE - Richard Hovannisian, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, presents a lecture on the Armenian Genocide Memorial. "The Armenian Genocide is in many respects the prototype of premeditated mass killing and ethnic cleansing from the early part of the twentieth century to the present," says Hovannisian. He has published 15 books and articles on the subject of Armenia and the Armenian genocide and has received many honors for his scholarship, civic activities, and advancement of Armenian Studies. 25th annual Holocaust Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 6. Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-4296.
THE DIFFERENT FACES OF GOD: A BATTLE OF IDEAS - The notion of God is no easy matter. God has been called upon to fight for many sides of far too many battles, yet is said to be a God of peace. Dr. Shreibman will explore and discuss the battle for God in the Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Where do the disputes over God's will come from? Why are different religions often presented as opposing forces? What do all Abrahamic religions have in common? Why has there been such a rise in religious fundamentalism? All of these questions will be addressed in this enlightening lecture from the very popular and engaging Dr. Henry Shreibman. ASP Religion and Spirituality Lecture Series. 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 7. Student Union Multi Purpose Room, (707) 664-2382.
THE WORLD WITHOUT US: AN EVENING WITH ALAN WEISMAN - In a lecture discussing the premise of his best selling work of the same title, "The World Without Us", Alan Weisman offers an original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks the audience to envision Earth, without humans. "The World Without Us" reached #6 on the New York Times Best sellers list and #1 for Time and Entertainment Weekly Magazines. The book and lecture reveal how, just days after humans disappear, floods in New York's subways would start eroding the city's foundations, and how, as the world's cities crumble, asphalt jungles give way to real ones. It describes the distinct ways that organic and chemically-treated farms would revert to wild, how billions more birds would flourish, and how even cockroaches in unheated cities would perish without people. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 7. Cooperage. Free to SSU Students, Staff, and Faculty, $10 for Lifelong Learning Students, and $15 general admission. (707) 664-2382.
MASAMI TERAOKA CONVERSATION AND BOOKSIGNING - Teraoka, an artist originally from Japan whose work pays homage to-and critiques-the traditions of both Japanese and European art, will not only discuss the works in his book, Ascending Chaos, but will discuss how his work evolved from Ukiyo-e narrative, providing both a social and personal context, and will discuss inspired him to arrive at the imagery in his current work. A Q&A period will follow, along with a light reception. 2 p.m., Saturday, May 10. University Commons. (707) 664-2295.
PERFORMANCES
ROMEO AND JULIET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE - This guy falls for this girl, and she falls for him. There's trouble between their cliques, but they get it on anyway. It gets worse. Sex, street fights, secret potions and a not too happy ending. Oh, and amazing poetry. Any way you slice it, William Shakespeare's timeless classic has it all. 8 p.m., Friday, May 2; 2 p.m., Saturday, May 3; 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 7; 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 8; 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10. Evert B. Person Theatre. $15 General, $12 Faculty/Alumni/Staff, $8 Seniors/Students, SSU Students free. (707) 664-2353.
WEST SIDE STORY - West Side Story slams into us with the most dynamic music-story-dance ever created for the stage. West Side Story dials Romeo and Juliet forward into today's landscape of gangs and warfare. Its creators were brilliant. They were also angry. Angry about stuff we're still angry about. How hatred kills love. How love is all that matters. Together they birthed America's hottest-coolest modern musical. Presented by Quantum Opera Theatre. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 1; 8 p.m., Saturday, May 3; 5 p.m., Sunday, May 4; 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 6; 8 p.m., Friday, May 9; 2 p.m., Sunday, May 11. Evert B. Person Theatre. $15 General, $12 Faculty/Alumni/Staff, $8 Seniors/Students, SSU Students free. (707) 664-2353.
CELEBRATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERLIN AIRLIFT - Members of the top classical youth orchestra in Germany, the German National Youth Orchestra (Junge Deutsche Philharmonie) will present a special concert to commemorate and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the famous Berlin Airlift. The concert program features: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, String Quartett in B Major "Jagdquartett"; Kurt Weil, from String Quartett b Minor, "4. Durchweg lustig und nicht zu schnell"; Charles Argersinger, Quintett for Trumpet and String Quartett; Johannes Brahms, String Quartett in B Major. 8 p.m., Monday, May 5. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. Also on Monday, May 5, Karsten Tietz, German Consul for Cultural Affairs, will also offer a film screening and discussion on the Berlin Airlift at 10 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Student Union and at 1 p.m. in the Cooperage. (707) 664-2637.
AN AMERICAN CHORAL LANDSCAPE - The Sonoma County Choral Society presents "An American Choral Landscape". The SSU Chorus, directed by Jenny Bent, offers an eclectic concert of American choral music by such composers as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Moses Hogan. General Admission $12; SSU faculty, alumni, and staff $10; Students/Seniors $8. 8 p.m., Friday, May 9; 8 p.m., Sunday, May 11. Holy Family Episcopal Church, 1500 E Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. SSU Box Office 707-664-2353 (M-F, 12-5); online at sonomachoral.org.
MONTEVERDI'S LATE WORKS: THE EIGHT BOOKS OF MADRIGALS AND THE SELVA MORALE - The SSU Chamber Singers, accompanied by a chamber ensemble from Sonoma Baroque, and directed by Robert Worth will present some of the pieces from these books, representing the peak of Monteverdi's art in both secular and sacred realms. Sonoma County Choral Society. 8 p.m., Friday, May 16 and 8 p.m., Saturday, May 17. Holy Family Episcopal Church, 1500 E Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. General $12; SSU faculty, alumni $10; students/seniors $8. (707) 664-2353.
FILMS
CARNIVAL OF SOULS - Herk Hervey's low-budget cult classic is a combination of Alfred Hitchcock, Roger Corman and The Twilight Zone. A pre-credit drag race ends in tragedy, but one woman stumbles away with no recollection of what happened. Enroute to Salt Lake City, where she taking a job as a church organist, she is haunted by a ghoulish man who stares at her through the windshield, and lures her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. (1962, 85 min.) Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Thursday, May 1. Darwin 103. General admission is $5.00. $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free. (707) 664-2606.
FOG CITY MAVERICKS- This film explores and applauds the extraordinary cinematic achievements of San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers, with notable attention to the way in which their lives and work mirror the spirit of invention and independence that makes the Bay Area such a unique cultural and artistic community. Filmmakers featured in the documentary include Bruce Conner, Carroll Ballard, Chris Columbus, Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, John Korty, John Lasseter, Phil Kaufman, Walter Murch, Sofia Coppola and Saul Zaentz. (2007, 119 min.) 7 p.m., Friday. May 2. Warren Auditorium. General admission is $5. $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free. (707) 664-2606.
Hundreds of students from throughout the state will gather at Sonoma State to participate in the Spring 2008 California Statewide MEChA Conference on Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27. This will be the first time the Sonoma chapter of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan), has hosted the
biannual conference.
On Friday, April 25, at 8 p.m. in the Cooperage, Adelina Anthony will be performing "La Angry Xicana?!" Adelina's new, full-length stand-up comedy features her trademark salacious, brazen, Spanglish humor and flirts with all kinds of cultural taboos.
"La Angry Xicana?!" weaves together critiques on Hollywood, the U.S. corporate media, conservative politics, LGBT community health issues, religious icons, post-welfare life.
Following the performance, a screening of the documentary "Made in L.A." will be shown at 10 p.m. "Made in L.A." follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from trendy clothing retailer Forever 21.
Lifelong Chicano educator Sal Castro will speak on Saturday, April 26 at 9 a.m. at the Lakes as the keynote speaker. Castro, is a life-long Los Angeles school teacher with a national reputation as a school reformer. He has been a driving force behind the Chicano Youth Leadership Conference, an annual event that serves to empower Raza students every year, since 1963.
Castro is most well-known for his important role as an organizer of the famous 1968 blowouts when thousands of Chicana/o high school and junior high school students walked out of their schools in protest of years of inferior education.
For more information regarding this event, contact Omar A. Medina at (707) 318-6631.
World-renowned scholar and history professor RichardHovannisian shares his knowledge about the Armenian genocide in a lecture on Tuesday, May 6 at 4 p.m. in Warren Auditorium. He will be presenting the annual Armenian Genocide Memorial Lecture as part of the 25th annual Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series held at Sonoma State University.
"The Armenian Genocide is in many respects the prototype of pre-meditated mass killing and ethnic cleansing from the early part of the twentieth century to the present," says Hovannisian. "Those concerned with the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide have much to learn from the Armenian case."
Hovannisian is Professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has published 15 books and articles on the subject of Armenia and the Armenian genocide and has received many honors for his scholarship, civic activities, and advancement of Armenian Studies.
"Denial of demonstrated cases of genocide only serves to prolong the pain and suffering of the victims and their progeny. It is essential that the victim group know the truth of its suffering and that this be acknowledged by the world and the perpetrator side," he says.
For further information, contact the Director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, Dr. Myrna Goodman, (707) 664-4076.
Information about the lecture series is available at http://www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.htm.
This ancient art of paper folding has never been so practical. Origami has led to the creation of safer air bags, Brobdingnagian space telescopes and can be used to solve engineering problems according to Robert Lang, Editor in Chief of the IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, who will be discussing this topic at the SSU Math Festival Day on Wednesday, April 23 at 4 p.m. in Darwin 103.
"From Flapping Birds To Space Telescopes: The Modern Science Of Origami" will describe how the centuries-old Japanese art has made a revolutionary development with mathematical techniques. Lang will discuss how geometric concepts led to the solution of a broad class of origami folding problems - specifically, the problem of efficiently folding a shape with an arbitrary number and arrangement of flaps - and along the way, enabled origami designs of mind-blowing complexity and realism.
Robert Lang has been studying origami for thirty years, with over 400 designs catalogued and diagrammed. His work combines aspects of the Western school of mathematical origami design with the Eastern emphasis upon line and form to yield models that are at once distinctive, elegant, and challenging to fold.
His lecture is one piece of the M*A*T*H* Colloquium, which meets every Wednesday. Coffee, tea and cookies will be served at 3:45 and the lecture will follow after. For more information, contact Ben Ford at (707) 664-2472.
Well-known artist Masami Teraoka will be visiting Sonoma State University to give a special guest lecture and sign his books on Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. in the University Commons. His visit is sponsored by the University Art Gallery in conjunction with the Visiting Artist Lecture Series. Admission is free and open to the public.
Teraoka, an artist originally from Japan whose work pays homage to-and critiques-the traditions of both Japanese and European art, will not only discuss the works in his book, Ascending Chaos, but will discuss how his work evolved from Ukiyo-e narrative, providing both a social and personal context, and will discuss inspired him to arrive at the imagery in his current work. A Q&A period will follow, along with a light reception.
Masami Teraoka was born in Onomichi, Japan, in 1936. He moved to Los Angeles in 1961, where he received his B.A. and M.F.A. from the Otis Art Institute. He currently lives and works in Hawaii. Teraoka’s work has been exhibited internationally and is in major private and public collections, including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Walker Art Center.
For more information, please call Carla Stone at (707) 664-2295.
New York Times technology reporter John Markoff discusses how a political counterculture converged with the microprocessor during the 1960's and early 1970's to create personal computing at a lecture set for noon on April 24 in Darwin 102.
His presentation comes from his book entitled "What The Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry." The lecture is part of the Computer Science Colloquium.
Based from interviews conducted with surviving members,"What The Dormouse Said" captures the lives and times of those who laid the groundwork for the PC revolution, such as Fred Moore, a teenage antiwar protester who went on to ignite the computer industry, and "Cap'n Crunch", who wrote the first word processing software for the IBM PC (EZ Writer) in prison, became a millionaire, and ended up homeless. The book also discusses the early split between the idea of commercial and free-supply computing.
For more information, contact George Ledin, Professor of Computer Science, (707) 664-2810.
To kick off Earth Day celebrations on campus, Associated Student Productions will hold an Earth Day Awareness Super Nooner on Monday, April 21. Students will be painting pots and planting flowers and other plants outside of Darwin Hall from noon-2 p.m. Free pizza and live music will be provided. All students are invited to decorate their own pots and plant a seedling. Later that night, students will chalk the campus with eco-facts.
The Student Health Advisory Committee and the Student Health Center have also called Tuesday "No Butts Day," encouraging all students to help clean the campus by picking up cigarette butts on April 21. They are promoting a clean and non-toxic campus, and will be handing out sandwich bags and gloves to those interested.
Before the cigarette butts are disposed of, they will be used for a display on Earth Day. For more information about No Butts Day, call Toni Boracchia at (707) 664-2927.
On Tuesday, April 22, Sustainable SSU, ASP and various other clubs will be tabling around campus. There will be guest speakers, live music and plenty of information for those interested in helping the environment. Local mayor, Jake Mckenzie is scheduled to speak sometime during the even.
Members of Sustainable SSU will also be calling elected officials on Tuesday to call for a coal moratorium and action on Green Jobs.
Dining venues around campus will also honor Earth Day with discounts on drinks for clients who provide their own cup. Customers can get a free tea bag at Toast, a free fountain beverage at the University Commons and fifty-cent drip coffee at Charlie Brown's.
On Thursday, April 24, Bikes of Sonoma State will participate in a statewide Bike-To-School Day and encourage all students to participate. Rather than drive, participants will ride to school, where they can have a free bike tune-up, maintenance tutorials, safety/route advice, and are eligible for free bike supplies and giveaways. For more information, e-mail BikeSSU@gmail.com.
Friends of Copeland Creek will also be planting native species on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tools and gloves will be provided. They will meet along Copeland Creek behind the Environmental Technology Center at the end of West Redwood Drive near parking lot A. Contact Rebecca Crowe, crowe@sonoma.edu, or Steve Gordon, gordonst@sonoma.edu, for more information.
Above,Tracy Ramsdell Ray, Assistant Director, Dining Services, displays the many recyclable dining supplies now available at venues on campus. At right, Friends of Copeland Creek at work.
In 2006, over 270,000 women reported being sexually assaulted. One in three women will be assaulted in their lifetime, and college girls are four times more likely to be the victim of such an attack. To raise awareness about this problem and look for solutions, the Women's and Gender Studies Club and Student Advocates for Education (SAFE) will honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month by hosting events throughout April.
A Christine Cobough exhibit will be available for viewing from April 1 -15 in the Center for Culture and Gender Studies. The exhibit centers on bringing awareness toward violence against women while at the same time advocating a stop to it. Moving pictures are paired with poems from survivors of assaults and Cobough has donated a book to the event detailing a woman's story about surviving incest.
These Hands Won't Hurt, a display presented by SAFE will be available for viewing from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. by Salazar and Stevenson Halls.
On Saturday, April 12, SAFE will sponsor a free self-defense training course at 11 a.m. at Elite Academy. Those who wish to participate must sign up in the Student Union prior to the event, as space is limited.
A T-shirt exhibit, The Clothesline Project will be on display on Wednesday and Thursday, April 16 and 17 in the Stevenson Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information about Denim Day will also be given on April 17.
Take Back The Night, an annual rally, will be held on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. in the Cooperage. The event is free, but seats are limited.
A representative from United Against Sexual Assault, a community group which offers free counseling to victims of all forms of sexual assault, is planning visit Sonoma State sometime after Take Back The Night. He will run a workshop on sexual assault and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. More details about the event will be announced later.
For more information, contact Alyssa Messer, President of the Women's and Gender Studies Club at messeral@sonoma.edu or Katie from SAFE at (707) 664-2217 or safe@sonoma.edu.
The Indian Cultural Club is hosting the first ever Multicultural Night on Thursday, April 17 at 8 p.m. in the Cooperage. Admission is free. The event is a cultural celebration where each club will display a unique aspect of their culture in the forms of dance, fashion, song and more. The Indian cultural Club seeks to use this event to "cross all racial and cultural boundaries culminating in an explosion of diversity and entertainment."
Professor Lenny Strobel of the American Multicultural Studies department, and student Nick Jones, will be the two featured guest speakers, discussing diversity in the SSU community. All participating organizations will have recruitment tables with information about joining and contributing to the club.
For more information contact Areena Lal, President of the Indian Cultural Club at lal@sonoma.edu or (650) 353-1889. The event is co-sponsored by Asian Pacific Islander Organization, Black Scholars United, the Filipino American Association at SSU, and the Center for Culture, Gender & Sexuality.
The Campus Climate Committee and the School of Social Sciences are co-sponsoring a Multicultural Competence Retreat from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. on Friday, April 18 in the Student Union Multi-purpose Room. Due to limited seating, RSVPs must be made to holly.sautner@sonoma.edu by April 11.
The workshop is expected to hold a safe space for faculty and instructors to explore their own places of privilege, incorporate this awareness into their teaching with students and work relationships, explore ways in which participants can become allies to people included in the Big 8 of diversity (culture, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, gender, disability, age, and religion), analyze cases regarding issues of discrimination, sexism, etc., and brainstorm about effective way to resolve them, and present successful implementation of multicultural pedagogy.
Participants are asked to bring examples of multicultural pedagogy they use in their classroom and/or write up short description of cases involving multicultural issues.
Morning coffee and lunch are provided for all participants made possible due to a generous donation from School of Social Sciences (Psychology, MA) alum Vicki Bailey. Facilitators are Elisa Velasquez (Psychology), Jayamala Madathil (Counseling) and Bonnie Sugiyama (Center for Culture, Gender and Sexuality).
The Psychology Department Psi Chi Honor Society is partnering with Autism Speaks to sponsor the third annual campus walk to raise money for autism research. On Saturday, April 19, the Honor Society invites all to join in a morning walk sponsored by Walk Now for Autism to raise awareness and possibly make a donation.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. on the main quad. The walk begins at 10:30 a.m. Last year, the group was able to raise over $70,000. They hope to match or even exceed the same amount this year. For those wishing to volunteer, a meeting will be held on Friday, April 18, at 5 p.m. in Stevenson 2001. To donate money to this cause or form a team, visit www.walknowforautism.org/sonoma/. For additional information or to talk about volunteer opportunities, contact Sonoma@autismspeaks.org.
The Sonoma County Office of Education and SSU are collaborating to provide high school juniors interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with an exciting new education program, including a paid summer internship and the opportunity to enroll in SSU classes while in 12th grade.
Saeid Rahimi, Dean the School of Science and Technology, and Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong jointly announced the opening of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Program, a strategic partnership aimed at preparing more students for careers in the science and technology sectors.
"This initiative is designed to underscore the importance of a rigorous high school course of study as preparation for the demands of the global workforce," says Wong. "It also serves to strengthen the connection between the high school curriculum and advanced studies at Sonoma State University."
The STEM Program is open to high school juniors who are enrolled in science, mathematics, technology, and/or pre-engineering coursework in Sonoma County high schools. Following an application and selection process, ten students will be chosen to participate in a structured 4-6 week internship program this summer.
The internship will be directed by research faculty from Sonoma State's School of Science and Technology and will include coursework, data gathering and analysis, job shadowing, field studies and observations, and visits to worksites employing science and technology professionals.
"This is a unique opportunity for high school students to directly participate in research projects under the supervision of Sonoma State's Science and Technology faculty," says Rahimi. Students may choose from 13 research projects and will engage in activities such as:
- Studying the behavior and metabolism of elephant seals
- Performing biochemical experiments on lactic acid bacteria to aid in food safety
- Constructing and programming robots to auto-navigate
- Developing a pen interface for computers
- Assisting with the development of an astronomical observatory at Galbreath Wildlands Preserve
- Designing materials and sensors for high-magnetic fields
- Analyzing the statistics of Likert surveys to determine the optimal number of response options
Upon completion of the internship, each participating student will receive a $1,000 stipend underwritten by the Sonoma County Office of Education. The students will also be invited to enroll in related courses at Sonoma State University during their senior year of high school. Attendance at these classes will require concurrent enrollment at SSU and their local high school.
Wong and Rahimi hope that this developing program will be a catalyst to engage other community partners. "Throughout the county, state, and nation, there is a critical shortage of highly skilled workers with degrees in science, mathematics, and engineering," says Wong. "By working together, we are taking steps to address this issue in Sonoma County." All Sonoma County high schools have received information about the STEM Program. Interested students should contact the chair of their school's science department to obtain an application form. Information is also available from Sonoma County Office of Education science specialist Mike Roa, who is coordinating the student application process. He can be reached at 522-3253 or mroa@scoe.org.
Dr. William Silver of Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver has been named the new Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University.
Silver is currently the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer at Daniels and was previously the College's Associate Dean for Executive and Professional Programs.
He led the $50 million academic enterprise serving more than 3,200 business students and substantially increased its net revenue, emphasizing Daniel's key strengths in the business disciplines and in the areas of values-based leadership, innovation, international business and sustainable development.
For the past 18 years at Daniels, he also served as Executive Vice President for University College, Assistant Dean for Technology and Extended Learning and Director of Technology. Through these leadership positions, he remained a professor, teaching undergraduate classes, graduate classes, executive classes, professional programs, leadership programs and corporate programs.
Silver says he is "looking forward to joining a University with deep roots in the community, and to extending our community partnerships." He replaces Interim Dean T.K. Clarke on July 1.
SSU Provost Eduardo M. Ochoa says "Dr. Silver brings energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and a proven ability to grow and strengthen academic programs to his new assignment."
Silver did his undergraduate work in Organizational Psychology at the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. is in Business Administration from the University of Washington.
His wife Adrienne is a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente in Colorado, and will be joining the Kaiser practice at the Santa Rosa clinic. The couple have three boys - Benji, 8, Zachary, 5, and Ari, 2.
Silver's community involvement has included early childhood education, cancer research and health and wellness. He enjoys outdoor activities and the martial arts.
"I am excited to begin working with the great faculty colleagues I have met at the School of Business and Economics," Silver says. "I want to build upon the strong foundation that has been established at the School of Business & Economics with its accreditation by AACSB International, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Business, the well-regarded Center for Regional Economic Analysis, and the partnerships with the North Bay Wine Industry."
The Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver is nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top seven schools in the world for producing graduates with high ethical standards. According to Business Week's 2007 rankings of part-time MBA programs, Daniels was ranked No. 6 nationally and No. 1 regionally.
It also was ranked among the top 50 institutions for incorporating social and environmental issues into its programs in awards given by Beyond Grey Pinstripes.
To celebrate the launch of the new "Global and International Education" Web site, designed as a web portal for information addressing international relations within the campus community, International Services presents the first annual Global and International Education Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16 in the Salazar Quad.
The fair hosts several student cultural clubs and organizations, including the International Education Exchange Council, the International Business Association, the Spanish, French, and Indian cultural clubs and many more.
Tables will be set up with information regarding the upcoming sixth annual SSU Language Festival, the Study Abroad deadline, the Peace Corps, Phi Beta Delta Honor Society and the Sonoma State American Language Institute.
Free lemonade and cookies will be served for those who wish to talk with students, staff and faculty about international education opportunities at SSU. For more information or to participate in the event, contact International Services at (707) 664-2582.
The Alliance for the CSU is asking faculty and staff to drop by its table in the quad between Stevenson Hall and Darwin Hall this coming Monday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to fax or phone Governor Schwarzenegger's office to voice its opposition to the governor's proposed $386 million budget cuts.
The message to the governor is "I support the California State University and you should too! Restore the cuts to the CSU in the May Revise."
SSU is kicking off this program with the other 22 campuses who will be holding similar events in the upcoming days and weeks. Fax sheets and have cell phones will be on hand to aid in the communication.
"The Alliance for the CSU had meetings on all the campuses and thousands of people signed up to help save the budget for the next year. This is the next step," says Andy Merrifield, Chapter President, California Faculty Association.
"As all the speakers made clear at our All Campus Budget Summit on March 20, this is too big a project to be done by just one campus group, but working together and reaching out to the community, we know these cuts are not inevitable," says Leanne Bowes and Mike Hearty of California State University Employees Union, Chapter 304.
The Alliance is made up of students, alumni, faculty, CSU staff, administrators, parents of CSU students, employers, church leaders, labor union members, and people who depend on and enjoy the many assets the California State University adds to communities and cities.
Faculty and staff are urged to sign up for the Alliance at http://www.allianceforthecsu.org.
For further information, contact Andy Merrifield, (707) 664-3946.
The Sonoma State University campus community plans to commemorate the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy on Wednesday, April 16 in Schulz 3001 from noon to 2:30 p.m. at a forum called "When Silence Explodes."
The purpose of the forum, co-sponsored by the English Department and the Hutchins Dialogue Center, is to "gain a deeper understanding of the causes and early warning signs of school violence and, above all, to gain strategies for preventing it," says English Professor Noelle Oxendhandler.
The centerpiece of the event will be a panel featuring Ben Frymer, Professor of Sociology at Hutchins, who specializes in the study of school violence and has written a book about Columbine. Also appearing with him will be Lisa Wyatt, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services; Sonia Beck, a Santa Rosa psychologist who has spent decades working with juvenile delinquents; Ada Jaarmsa of the Philosophy Department and others.
The event also includes music, poetry and the announcement of the "Question Mark Kid" writing contest winners. The English Department and Hutchins Dialogue Center sponsored the writing contest in which students could explore - in a creative and non-violent way - their own experiences of feeling silenced, unseen, a question mark unto themselves or others. Cash prizes range from $50 to $100, and the winning entries will be published in the Literary Magazine, Zephyr.
For further information, contact Noelle Oxenhandler at (707) 664-2506.
*All lectures and events are free unless otherwise noted.
WEST SIDE STORY - West Side Story offers one of the most dynamic music-story-dance ever created for the stage. Presented by Quantum Opera Theatre. 5 p.m., Sunday, April 20; 8 p.m., Friday, April 25. Evert B. Person Theatre. $15 general, $12 faculty/alumni/staff, $8 seniors/students, SSU students free. (707) 664-2353.
A PHYSICIST'S PLAYGROUND: FROM DOLPHINS TO TOUCH SCREENS - Dr. James Aroyan of JRJ Simulation & Design discusses computational modeling applications ranging from marine mammal sound reception to Rayleigh wave scattering and solar cell design. 4 p.m., Monday, April 21, Darwin 103. http://phys astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/.
S. LOCHLANN JAIN, CANCER BUTCH - Jain is a professor of anthropology at Stanford University, and speaks on the challenges for gender non-normative people confronting breast cancer and its feminine-gendered meanings within a cultural context saturated by "pinkwashed" corporate care and advocacy marketing. Queer Studies Lecture Series. Noon-12:50 p.m., Tuesday, April 22. Carson 68, (707) 664-2574.
SAVE THE MALES: THE FIGHT AGAINST GENDER INTEGRATION AT THE CITADEL – Steve Estes, History, presents a lecture as part of the Brown Bag Series. School of Social Sciences. Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, April 22. Stevenson 2011.
DARFUR: CURRENT RESPONSES IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE - Jerry Fowler, Executive Director, Save Darfur Coalition, and Courtney Morales, SSU Alumna, Intern Committee on Conscience, United States Holocaust Museum, presents a lecture as part of the 25th annual Holocaust Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 22. Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-4296.
POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE OF WESTERN GULL - Dr. Carolina Pickens, Biology, discusses population genetic structure of the Western Gull along the Pacific Coast of North America. Biology Colloquium. Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, April 22. Darwin 103, (707) 664-2189.
THE MODERN SCIENCE OF ORIGAMI – Robert Lang describes how geometric concepts led to the solution of a broad class of origami folding problems and how they have contributed to practical engineering problems such as safer airbags, Brobdingnagian space telescopes, and more. Math Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 23. Darwin 103, (707) 664-2368.
WHAT THE DORMOUSE SAID – New York Times Reporter John Markoff describes how a political counterculture converged with the microprocessor during the 1960’s and early 1970’s around Stanford University to create personal computing. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, April 24. Darwin 102, (707) 664-2667.
ROMEO AND JULIET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE – This guy falls for this girl, and she falls hard for him. There’s trouble between their cliques, but they get it on anyway. Sex, street fights, secret potions and a not-too-happy ending. William Shakespeare’s timeless classic has it all. 8 p.m., Saturday, April 26. 5 p.m., Sunday, April 27. Evert B. Person Theatre. $15 general, $12 faculty/alumni/staff, $8 seniors/students. SSU students free. (707) 664-2353.
HARLEM WIZARDS - SSU hosts one of the most well known exhibition basketball teams in the nation in a match against the hand-picked Sonoma State All-Stars, the best and brightest of the Sonoma State University basketball team and campus community. The Harlem Wizards have been touring the world and entertaining crowds of all-ages since 1962. Their fast paced competition coupled with theatrical tricks and humor amaze and astound all in attendance. Associated Students Productions. 7 p.m., Saturday, April 26. SSU gym. $5 for SSU students and children (12 & under) and $10 general admission. To purchase tickets, phone (707) 664-2382 or visit www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
FILMS
PASSION AND POWER: THE TECHNOLOGY OF ORGASM - This intriguing film looks at the evolution of women's sexual satisfaction through one simple invention - the vibrator. The informative yet playful documentary expertly takes us through the vibrator's secret history, (2007, 74 min.). 4 p.m., Sunday, April 20. Warren Auditorium. General admission is $5. $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free. (707) 664-2606.
*All lectures and events are free unless otherwise noted.
ROMEO AND JULIET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE- This guy falls for this girl, and she falls for him. There's trouble between their cliques, but they get it on anyway. It gets worse. Sex, street fights, secret potions and a not-too-happy ending. William Shakespeare's timeless classic has it all. 5 p.m., Sunday, April 27; 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 29; 8 p.m., Friday, May 2; 2 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Evert B. Person Theatre. $15 general, $12 faculty/alumni/staff, $8 seniors/students, SSU students free. (707) 664-2353.
SHAKESPEARE'S ITALY: ROMEO AND JULIET IN CONTEXT - A pre-show talk by William Babula, professor of English and Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, will focus on Romeo and Juliet but also take us through the various plays set in Italy and the artistic and political reasons why Shakespeare chose a country he probably never visited as the setting for plays as diverse as Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. 1 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Evert B. Person Theatre. Matinee performance of Romeo and Juliet follows at 2 p.m.
FABRICATION AND STUDIES OF MAGNETIC NANOSTRUCTURES - Dr. Hongtao Shi discusses the fabrication of macroscopic masks with nanometer-scaled pores by anodization of aluminum. 4 p.m., Monday, April 28. Darwin 103. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
SOCIOLOGY OF RESISTANCE - Myrna Goodman, Sociology, presents a lecture in part of the 25th annual Holocaust Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 29. Warren Auditorium, (707) 664-4296.
REELS OF RESISTENCE: FILM AS SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISM - T. Kebo Drew will discuss how her organization counters the lack of representative images for queer women of color in traditional media by making film accessible as an art form for creative expression and an activist tool for social justice. Queer Studies Lecture Series. Noon-12:50 p.m., Tuesday, April 29. Carson 68, (707) 664-2574.
BENDING BORDERS AND BODIES: FOREIGN CITIZENS IN MEXICO - Theresa Alfaro-Velcamp, History, explores who determines Mexican citizenship-the government, the people, the immigrants themselves? Are there historical moments when citizenship changes? How do categories of personhood evolve over time? What is the difference between obtaining Mexican nationality and Mexican citizenship? Social Science Brown Bag Series. Noon - 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 29. Stevenson 2011. (707) 664-2278.
IRON-POOR PLANKTON- Dr.Graham Peers, UC Berkeley, presents "How Plankton Survive in an Iron-Poor Ocean." Biology Colloquium. Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, April 29. Darwin 103, (707) 664-2189.
WHAT DO STUDENTS LEARN IN STATISTICS - Brian Jerskey, Dean of Science at Saint Mary's College, discusses research on what students bring to the typical undergraduate introductory statistics class and what they take away from it. This talk reviews the research and shows how the results might inform our teaching of the subject. Math Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 30. Darwin 103, (707) 664-2368.
WEST SIDE STORY - West Side Story slams with the most dynamic music-story-dance ever created for the stage. Presented by Quantum Opera Theatre. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 30. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 1. 8 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Evert B. Person Theatre. $15 General, $12 Faculty/Alumni/Staff, $8 Seniors/Students, SSU Students free. (707) 664-2353.
NEW TRAINING METHODS FOR NEURAL NETWORKS - V. Scott Gordon, California State University, Sacramento, presents research into new neural network training methods such as particle swarm optimization (PSO) and neighbor annealing, combined with a divide-and-conquer approach, which may enable neural networks to solve even larger problems. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, May 1. Darwin 102, (707) 664-2667.
SSU CLASSICAL GUITAR ENSEMBLE - Eric Cabalo, director. Noon, Thursday, May 1. Ives 119, (707)-664-2791.
PREDATION AND ANTI-PREDATOR BEHAVIOR - Karin Enstam, Anthropology, presents a lecture on predation and anti-predator behavior in Old World monkeys and the effects of habitat structure on perceived risk of predation and anti-predator behavior as exemplified by vervet and patas monkeys. Brown Bag Series. Noon - 1 p.m., Friday, May 2. Stevenson 2011.
JOHNN SEBASTIAN BACH’S MASS IN B MINOR - Bach's sacred magnum opus glorifies both voice and instrument, as the orchestra wings the listener to heaven with brilliant harmonies and depth of sound. Presented by the Sonoma County Choral Society. 8 p.m., Friday May 2. St. Vincent De Paul Church. 8 p.m., Saturday, May 3. St. Eugene's Cathedral, $15 General, $12 Faculty/Alumni/Staff, $8 Seniors/Students, SSU students free.
SCENE IT MOVIE - The Golden Compass. 9 p.m., Saturday, May 3. The Cooperage.
FILMS
UGETSU - (1953) Kenji Mizoguchi's unforgettable tale of the supernatural, in Japanese with English subtitles. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m., Sunday, April 27. Warren Auditorium. (707)664- 2606. Students admitted free with ID.
CARNIVAL OF SOULS - Herk Hervey's low-budget cult classic is a combination of Alfred Hitchcock, Roger Corman and The Twilight Zone. A pre-credit drag race ends in tragedy, but one woman stumbles away with no recollection of what happened. Enroute to Salt Lake City, where she taking a job as a church organist, she is haunted by a ghoulish man who stares at her through the windshield, and lures her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. (1962, 85 min.) Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Thursday, May 1. Darwin 103. General admission is $5. $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free. (707) 664-2606.
FOG CITY MAVERICKS - This film explores and applauds the extraordinary cinematic achievements of San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers, with notable attention to the way in which their lives and work mirror the spirit of invention and independence that makes the Bay Area such a unique cultural and artistic community. (2007, 119 min.) 7 p.m., Friday. May 2. Warren Auditorium. General admission is $5. $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free. (707) 664-2606.
More than 135 colleges and universities from across the United States will be represented at the North Bay College Fair at Sonoma State University from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22 in the main gymnasium.
The fair is free of charge for students, parents and others interested in learning more about colleges and universities across the nation. Representatives from such institutions as the Academy of Art College, Hawaii Pacific, Pepperdine, and UC Berkeley will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on financial aid and the admissions process.
The fair is broken up into two sections in order to accommodate as many students as possible. Over 1,500 students within SSU's six-county service area will be bused to the campus for the morning session. It is anticipated that more than 1,000 students and parents will be attending the evening session.
This event is sponsored by the Western Association of College Admission Counselors and Sonoma State University. For further information, please visit the SSU Prospective Students Web site at www.sonoma.edu/ar/prospective or call the Sonoma State Student Outreach Office at (707) 664-3029.
To help students dealing with the confusion and stress of choosing a place to live for the first time, Housing Services will provide an Off-Campus Housing Fair Wednesday, April 9 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Main Quad.
For those who do not know where to begin, the fair provides an opportunity to learn about the different kinds of housing spaces in the area and their cost.
On Wednesday, students will have the chance to talk with local apartment complexes and property management companies in order to understand what renters are looking for and expect from lessees. Resources and materials will be available for complexes currently renting in the SSU community.
Some complexes will have applications on hand so students may even be able to start the process of applying at the fair with help from the renters.
Students participating in the event will be eligible to enter their names in a raffle for prizes from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
For more information, contact Housing Services at (707) 664-2541.
Cabaret numbers in Spanish, German, Japanese, French and francophone African languages share the stage at the sixth annual Language Festival to be held at Sonoma State University from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 18.
New this year is the International Disko, which will take place the evening of the Festival. The Disko is a chance for students on campus who enjoyed the entertainment of the Cabaret to continue dancing into the night.
In the first hour, the Disko will have a professional dance instructor teaching multicultural dances from many different countries. The organizers hope the success of this dance will be an impetus for the Disko to become a permanent event of the Language Festival.
Spoken language is a also big part of the day, as local middle school and high school students compete in language contests with the encouragement and support of SSU students and faculty. These contests include poetry, diction, public speaking, singing, theater and short film competitions in French, German and Spanish.
SSU students will serve as greeters, judges, and language-specific tour guides for this portion of the event. In addition, representatives from the Goethe Institute, the American Association of Teachers of German, the French Consulate and the Alliance Française de Santa Rosa will be in attendance.
"It's fabulous for local students to have the opportunity to compete for prizes using their academic language skills," says French professor Suzanne Toczyski. "The Language Festival gives students of all levels a place to show off all that they've learned and to engage with their fellow language speakers in a fun setting."
"Our annual Language Festival gets bigger and bigger, which is exciting," says German professor Michaela Grobbel. "It not only attracts more high school students now who are proud of displaying their language skills at a university, but our event has expanded as well."
"Because of student interest, our Festival now includes a world dance party in the evening, preceded by free dance instruction. I guess studying another language not only opens your mind, but gets your body moving, too!"
After a short brown-bag lunch, SSU students, high school students, and faculty will join together for a cabaret extravaganza at 2 p.m. in the Cooperage, including musical and dramatic performances in French, German, Spanish and more. In between the various numbers, the audience will be entertained by the Noam Lemish Trio, led by Lemish, an SSU alum and local musical celebrity.
For further information, contact Suzanne Toczyski, (707) 664-4177.
With genocide continuing to exist all over the world some 70 years after the Holocaust, renowned scholar, accomplished filmmaker and award-winning author Dr. Michael Berenbaum offers "Perspectives on the Holocaust in the 21st Century" on Tuesday, April 8 at 4 p.m. in Warren Auditorium in a free public lecture.
A reception follows from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Congregation Ner Shalom located at 85 La Plaza in Cotati.
Berenbaum is the director of the Sigi Ziering Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Ethics at American Jewish University. An acclaimed and prolific author, he is also the executive editor of the 22-volume Encyclopedia Judaica.
His extensive background includes overseeing the development of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and serving at the museum as Director of the United States Holocaust Research Institute.
He was also a member of The President's Commission on the Holocaust and President of Stephen Spielberg's The Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, which collected 50,000 testimonies from survivors in 32 countries and 57 languages.
Berenbaum will be delivering the Robert L. Harris Memorial Lecture as part of Sonoma State University's Holocaust Lecture Series which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The annual Robert L. Harris Memorial Lecture honors the educator and community activist who founded and headed the Alliance for the Study of the Holocaust at Sonoma State, a community partner of the University's in sponsoring the annual lecture series.
For further information, contact the Director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, Dr. Myrna Goodman, (707) 664-4076.
Information about the lecture series is available at http://www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.htm.
