Five of Sonoma State University's most successful and influential alumni will be honored for their achievements at the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel. All are welcome to attend.
Donald and Maureen Green, Duane Hill, Myrna Goodman and Julie Denkins will receive the awards from the Sonoma State Alumni Association.
For their dedication to community service and founding grant for the Green Music Center, Donald and Maureen Green will receive the Alumni Community Achievement Award. The Greens are also responsible for the creation of the Carriage Trade Group, a community organization that promotes the adoption of children in association with the California Department of Social Services. Both hold a strong love for music, and dedicate themselves to improving the quality of music instruction in the area.
Duane Hill, retired Chief Executive Officer and creator of Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award for his work with the company. In the 33 years with the corporation, Hill led them to become the largest nonprofit affordable housing developer in rural Northern California. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from SSU in 1978.
Myrna Goodman, Director of the SSU Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide will be given the Distinguished Faculty Award. Goodman is responsible for coordination of the Holocaust Lecture Series, an annual series aimed at raising awareness about genocide, which attracts one hundred students every year as well as renowned speakers from around the world. She also teaches the upper-division course, Sociology of Genocide, and is the faculty advisor for the Human Rights Club.
Julie Dinkins, Access Services Manager for the University Library will receive the Outstanding Staff Award. Dinkins has shown exceptional dedication in all of her positions at the Library. She has made large contributions, from making the Library a more efficient and pleasurable place, and taking on extra responsibilities. Dinkins graduated from Sonoma State with a B.A. in Anthropology in 1985.
To RSVP for the banquet, call (707) 664-2426 or email alumni.office@sonoma.edu by Oct. 10.
She was an adopted child who not only faced financial problems but was once homeless, living in a shelter.
Now, Sonoma State University junior Constance Bravos has a 3.61 grade average and won the William Randolph Hearst/CSU Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement, picking up the $3,000 scholarship that comes with it.
Recipients of the award have overcome challenging odds to pursue a college
degree.
"Asthma has proven to be one of my most prominent and consistent struggles throughout my life. It made my lungs collapse when I was six," says Bravos, 20, who is from Martinez but now lives in Rohnert Park while she attends school.
Bravos lost her home when she was ten, and says it took five years to find a home and see her life get back on track. "You could say it was because my parents didn't graduate to go on to college in order to make a better living wage and not have to rely on their parents to help them with a house," Bravos says.
"But really, I just remember being ten and receiving the two weeks notice and coming to the realization that my life was going to be different and difficult."
During school Bravos feared being teased because she was homeless and so she had only a few select friends that did not know her past.
"Instead of focusing on my peers and my struggles, I began to expedite my energy toward school and my future," Bravos says.
Bravos is a psychology major looking forward to graduating in 2010. Because of her own hardships, she wants to make a difference as a psychologist for Martinez's Juvenile Hall after completing her degree at UC Berkley where she plans to study counseling and psychology.
She already has worked toward this goal by being a peer mentor and a teaching assistant at SSU, helping the freshman class become more aware of college opportunities. She is involved in the Educational Opportunity Program, Future Scholars, among others.
Bravos feels blessed by the award.
"I feel honored in knowing that my life and goals are being recognized for their true worth. It's an indescribable feeling to come from a history of being a part of one of the most forgotten populations - the homeless - to end up becoming someone who is not only remembered, but awarded for my efforts," she says.
- Cheyenne Kent-Welling
*All lectures are free unless otherwise noted.
THE SIMPLEST CHEMISTRY THERE IS: DOING REACTIONS ONE MOLECULE AT A TIME - Dr. Miquel Salmeron of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (left) describes the use of simple, yet powerful microscopes to push and pull molecules and to stretch and bend their chemical bonds. Coffee at 3:30 p.m. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 6. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION - Lynn Cominsky, Professor of Physics, presents as part of the War and Peace lecture series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 7. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-2543. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/WP_Calendar.htm
VISIBLE NUMBERS - Raphael Patton, Saint Mary's College (right), works through some examples of how ancient mathematics dealt with the heronian triangles. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/math/colloq/colloqf08.pdf
CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS RECEPTION - The annual awards reception honors Bay Area K-12 teachers and administrators who have made tremendous achievements in the education field. 4:30 - 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8. University Commons. RSVP at (707) 664-2312.
SOCIAL WEB: HOW SOCIAL AND COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING IS CHANGING THE ENTERPRISE - Julia Grace, IBM Almaden, discusses several of the Web 2.0 applications used at IBM to promote and foster business relationships and increase productivity. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 9. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
YOU FIRST: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF EATING - Najine Shariat, Clinical Dietitian/Nutritionist, has an unparalleled approach to nutrition and the "art of living" which links nutrition to how humans live, to helping prevent and treat major diseases, and making eating a pleasure. Shariat is the founder of IT'S YOU! nutrition clinic. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 9. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/WHLSFLIER08.pdf
ARCHITECTURE & IDENTITY UNDER KING HASSAN II OF MOROCCO - Assistant Professor of Art History Jennifer Roberson (left) examines the architecture of King Hassan II (1961-1999) and the king's attempt to create a facade for Morocco that was carefully crafted to highlight Morocco's identity. A&H Forum. 12:05 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2146. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/ahforum.htm
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT - Forum with Sonoma County Board of Supervisor Candidates discussing the future of the built environment in Sonoma County. Rue Furch (5th District), Will Pier (1st District), Shirlee Zane (3rd District), Valerie Brown (1st District), and Sharon Wright (3rd District) participate. Six Elements of Sustainability Lecture Series.6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. Schulz 3001. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://sixelementsofsustainability.blogspot.com/
EXAMINING THE HOME-GROWN TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT- Freelance-journalist, photojournalist Lindsay Beyerstein (right) examines the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, the Constitution, and civil liberties. 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. Darwin 103. Modern Media Lecture Series. (707) 664-3160. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://projectcensored.org/lectures/
NATIONAL DEPRESSION SCREENING DAY - Students can participate in free, anonymous screenings for various mental health illnesses including depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorders. Offered by Counseling and Psychological Services. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8 and Thursday, Oct. 9 , Stevenson Quad, near Stevenson 1088. (707) 664-2153.
FILMS
THE UNFORESEEN - (2007, Laura Dunn) An urgent, beautifully crafted examination of urban sprawl and its impact on the environment. Co-sponsored by the Sonoma Land Trust. 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. 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664- 2606.
GALLERIES
I EXPRESS. . . - ''I Express . . . " explores themes SSU students identified as important in the current election cycle - such as war and the environment. Participating artists were selected by the spring 2008 Gallery and Museum Methods class and include: Katy Anderson, Allegra Burke, Nuala Creed, Rob Keller, Thomas Pratt, Mario Uribe, and Nancy Worthington. Aug. 22-Nov. 5. Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
ART FACULTY EXHIBITION 2008 - The biennial SSU Art Faculty Exhibition features the work of John Ferdico (sculpture), Stephen Galloway (photography); Nathan Haenlein (printmaking), Rob Keller (sculpture); Kurt Kemp (drawing and printmaking); Jann Nunn (sculpture); Mark Perlman (painting); Gregory Roberts (ceramic sculpture), and Carole Splendore (painting). Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, noon to 4 p.m. Through Oct 19. Closed Mondays and holidays. Admission is free..jpg)
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
ONE DOLLAR MOVIES AT THE RIALTO! - "Religulous," a documentary by Larry Charles (right), former writer of Seinfeld, stars comedian, Bill Maher who leads an examination of the presence of religion in many of the big news stories of recent years. Tickets are on sale for $1 at the Student Union front desk with SSU ID. 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. Rialto Cinema in Santa Rosa. (707) 664-2782.
SAFARI WEST - Safari West hosts a 90-minute tour, half-walking, half-driving through Sonoma's private slice of the African Savanna for the Sonoma State community of students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are on sale for $10 at the Student Union front desk and in the Residential Life Office. 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11. Safari West, Santa Rosa. (707) 664-2382.
Sonoma State University's ratio of residences to students will be among the highest in the California State University system with the construction of Tuscany, the next phase of housing now underway at the Rohnert Park campus.
SSU enrolled approximately 8,800 California resident students this fall semester and had another record number of high school applicants this year. The campus received 12,291 applications, compared to last year's 11,279.
Built to house approximately 700 students in 114 town homes, the Tuscany project is scheduled to open in August, 2009. Once completed, Sonoma State will be able to accommodate almost 3,200 residential students, nearly 40% of its estimated population.
Resident hall suites are normally offered to first-time freshman but Tuscany Village will provide an opportunity for second and third year residents to live on campus additional years, says Nicole Hendry, Associate Director of Housing Services.
Upper division students who have lived off campus will also be able to take advantage of opportunities to live on campus, Hendry says.
Designed to silver LEED standards, the housing construction will operate at 24% below Title 24 energy standards with a projected annual energy savings of $34,300 and an annual greenhouse gas reduction of 31 tons.
The project is financed by California State University Systemwide Revenue Bonds which will be paid for by housing rental income.
The Tuscany project consists of eight, two-story residence clusters and a student activity room spread over the 12-acre site. Each townhouse will have four bedrooms (two singles and two doubles) and four bathrooms, a kitchen with breakfast bar, dining room and living room.
The exterior of Tuscany will be similar to that of Sauvignon and Beaujolais Villages with each building featuring stucco, redwood trim and red tile roofs. Buildings will surround separate courtyards and residents will have access to laundry facilities within their village and will be able to enjoy the pool at Beaujolais Village.
Additional construction for the Tuscany project includes the addition of a student activity room which will be located near a new entrance on East Cotati Avenue. The room will be used to house student-related functions and accommodate meetings.
A new parking area will border the south side of the project adjacent to East Cotati Avenue providing space for Tuscany residents. Beaujolais Village will also receive a community building for student activities.
Preparation of the site began last December with the clearing of eucalyptus trees along East Cotati Avenue. These trees were not native to the area, posed a fire hazard and because of their age, were a falling risk to students, cars and buildings.
They will be replaced by trees and landscaping more appropriate to the University environment which will block the buildings from road noise and provide aesthetic beauty.
To raise money for the Entomology Education and Outreach Program, the Sonoma State School of Science and Technology will host a benefit workshop entitled "Garden Allies: Beneficial Insects and Other Helpful Garden Denizens". The workshop will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Darwin 103. There is limited seating, contact Frederique Lavoipierre at (707) 829-0751 or lavoipie@sonoma.edu to reserve a space.
The Entomology Education and Outreach program provides presentations for local school gardens and classrooms for grades K-8 as well as workshops for garden groups and other organizations.
Tickets are available for $35 ($25 tax-deductible) by contacting Frederique Lavoipierre at (707) 829-0751 or lavoipie@sonoma.edu. There are a limited number of seats so reserve a spot soon.
The workshop will include these lectures and events:
Meet the Garden Allies: How to Control Pests without Pesticides;
Powerpoint lecture on beneficial insects and the advantages of conservation biological control. Presenter Frederique Lavoipierre is author of the Pacific Horticulture magazine series 'Garden Allies', coordinator of the SSU Entomology Outreach program, and director of the SSU Sustainable Landscape Program.
Creating Beautiful Habitats:
Powerpoint lecture on creating attractive and effective habitats for beneficial insects and other garden inhabitants. Presenter Kate Frey is an instructor in the SSU Sustainable Landscape Program, winner of two gold medals at the Chelsea Garden Show in London, and works as a landscape designer and consultant.
A Look Through the Lens:
A close-up look at some of the insects that keep gardens healthy, using high-quality microscopes. Includes a tour of the SSU Museum entomology collections, and displays of posters and exhibits developed for the outreach program.
Garden Tour:
A tour of the SSU gardens: the demonstration garden at the Center for Sustainable Communities, and the Butterfly and Native Plant gardens.
STUDY ABROAD INFORMATIONAL MEETING - Information about the official Study Abroad and National Student Exchange Programs of SSU. Students only pay SSU state tuition, financial aid applies and have the opportunity to earn credit towards a degree. Noon, Monday, Sept. 29; Tuesday, Sept. 30; Wednesday, Sept. 30. Salazar 1061. (707) 664-2582.
STUDIES OF THE ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF LOW DIMENSIONAL NOVEL METALS - Dr. Eli Rotenberg of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will describe how the electronic band structures of solids are measured using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at a third-generation light source. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 - 5:15 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119.
GO! HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO? - Associated Students Productions presents an awakening presentation of the conflict in Uganda with accompanying screening of the acclaimed film "GO! How Far Would You Go?" 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29. Student Union MPR. (707) 664-2382.
IT MATTERS LECTURE SERIES - The Environment with Laura Watt, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies and Planning Department and Caroline Christian, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies and Planning Department. Noon, Wednesday, Oct. 1. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2397.
WEBCT CLINIC- Students and staff will have the opportunity to learn how to use the program. The assignments and quiz's section will be covered. Noon - 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1. Schulz 2019. (707) 664-2009.
PARTIAL COMPUTATION OF EXTREMELY LARGE NUMBERS - Numbers like 2^2^1000 are so large that even if every elementary particle in the universe is used to store one of its digits, it is still not possible to store the number. Bala Ravikumar will address the problem of computing some of the specified digits of such numbers. Some interesting mathematical issues related to such computations will be discussed in this talk. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct.1. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368.
LOST IN TRANSLATION - by Eva Hoffman. A part of the "Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature" Series. Noon - 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-4240.
ACUPRESSURE FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH - Stephanie Halderma, Dipl. ABT, EMT, CMT, and founder of the Eastern Holistic Center will be address how acupressure and therapeutic massage techniques can help restore hormonal and emotional balance, help with PMS, menopause, pain reduction and more. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 2. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840.
MICROSOFT TERRASERVER: A LOOK BACK AT A 10-YEAR SCALABILITY RESEARCH PROJECT THAT WON'T DIE - Tom Barclay, Microsoft Research San Francisco, will discuss the Microsoft TerraServer, an industrial research project whose primary focus was to improve the chances of transfers. This talk will review both the organizational and technical characteristics and accomplishments of the project and how TerraServer led the way to systems like Google Earth (Keyhole), Virtual Earth, and others. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Oct. 2. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667.
FILMS
MIDNIGHT - (1939, Mitchell Leisen) Screwball comedy written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore. 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. 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664- 2606.
THE LEOPARD - (1963, Luchino Visconti) Based on the Lampedusa novel, the Leopard chronicles the downfall of a powerful family as the world gives way to a new order. With Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. 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. 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664- 2606.
SPEED RACER - Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless in his incredible Mach 5 built by his father. When he runs into a plot by the devious Royalton Company to fix the top races he must find a way to beat them at their own game. Scene-It Big Screen Movie Night. 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4. Cooperage. (707) 664-2804.
GALLERIES
I EXPRESS. . . - "I Express . . . " explores themes SSU students identified as important in the current election cycle - themes such as war and the environment. Participating artists were selected by the spring 2008 Gallery and Museum Methods class and include: Katy Anderson, Allegra Burke, Nuala Creed, Rob Keller, Thomas Pratt, Mario Uribe, and Nancy Worthington. The exhibit runs through Nov. 5. Admission is free. Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; weekends, noon-5 p.m. Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
ART FACULTY EXHIBITION 2008 - The biennial SSU Art Faculty Exhibition is now open at the University Art Gallery and will be on view through Sunday, Oct. 19. The exhibition features the work of John Ferdico (sculpture), Stephen Galloway (photography); Nathan Haenlein (printmaking), Rob Keller (sculpture); Kurt Kemp (drawing and printmaking); Jann Nunn (sculpture); Mark Perlman (painting); Gregory Roberts (ceramic sculpture), and Carole Splendore (painting). Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, noon to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays and holidays. Admission to the gallery is free.
The Modern Media Censorship Lecture Series examines the nature of news distribution in the United States and considers the potential for censorship in the most powerful media system that has ever existed. The series meets on alternate Thursdays throughout the Fall semester in Darwin 103 at 7:15 p.m.
The series provides a forum for working investigative journalists and researchers in the country today, allowing them to give an "insider's perspective" on the hard-hitting news reports that fall through the cracks of the mass media in the US.
These independent reporters have agreed to participate in a series of lectures aimed, not at 'blaming the media," but at taking the time to examine the dysfunctions that plague the entire system.
The lectures seek to expand and deepen the conversation about news prioritization, self-censorship, pressure from advertisers, and the role of other influential players; and to look at the efforts being taken to create a truly informed citizenry.
The lectures are free for all SSU students, faculty and staff, and season tickets are available for $50 (includes all discussions and bonus lectures). For individual lectures, tickets cost $5 prepaid or $10 at the door.
A complete schedule includes:
Thursday, Sept. 25
Joshua Holland - Freelance Journalist -"Iraq death toll rivals Rwanda genocide, Cambodian killing fields" (Alternet)
Marcy Wheeler - Freelance Journalist - "Down The Rabbit Hole (When it comes to surveillance and the treatment of classified information, President Bush is making up the rules as he goes along)" (The Guardian UK)
Thursday, Oct. 9
Lindsay Beyerstein - Freelance Journalist - "Examining the Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act" (In These Times)
Thursday, Oct. 23
Mary Bauer - Research Director, Southern Poverty Law Center - "Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States" (co-written with Sarah Reynolds) (Southern Poverty Law Center)
Felicia Mello, Freelance Journalist - "Coming to America" (Rangel calls H-2 visa programs "the closest thing I've ever seen to slavery") (The Nation)
Thursday, Nov. 6
Michael Schwartz, Professor of Global Studies, University of New York at Stony Brook - "Is the United States Killing 10,000 Iraqis Every Month? Or Is It More?" (Alternet)
Wes Enzinn, Freelance journalist - NACLA Report on the Americas: "Another SOA?: A Police Academy in El Salvador Worries Critics"
Thursday, Nov. 13
Dahr Jamail, Freelance Journalist --"Iraq: Not Our Country to Return to" and "Occupation Strangles Farmers" (Inter Press Service)
Thursday, Nov. 20
Jacob Wheeler - Freelance Journalist - "El Salvador's Patriot Act" (In These Times)
Ben Dangl- Freelance Journalist and Founder, Upside Down World - "ILEA: US Restarting Dirty Wars in Latin America" (AlterNet)
Thursday, Dec. 4
Matthew Rothschild - Freelance Journalist and Editor -Progressive magazine - "Exclusive! The FBI Deputizes Business (the Infragard alliance)" and "Bush's Executive Order on Lebanon Even Worse than the One on Iraq" (the Progressive)
Thursday, Dec. 11
Antonia Juhasz - Foreign Policy Analyst - On "The Tyranny of Oil."
Visit www.projectcensored.org/lectures for schedule, bios, and new developments. For further information, call (707) 664-3160, or e-mail simsk@sonoma.edu or mickeyhuff@mac.com
Dr. Michaela Grobbel, Assistant Professor of German at SSU, received the 2008 Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Award at an awards ceremony in August.
Grobbel is currently the only full-time professor of German at Sonoma State and teaches all levels of the German language. She recently remodeled the entire program at SSU after the courses at Georgetown University, which currently employs 11 professors in the program.
She is responsible for organizing and directing the SSU Language Festival, and bringing university students to high schools in Vallejo, Livermore, Pleasanton and Palo Alto to teach a German lesson to students. The presentations were designed not only to test and practice the SSU student's knowledge of the language, but to excite more interest in it from high school students.
Grobbel also worked tirelessly to arrange a visit from the German National Youth Orchestra, accompanied by the Consul General of Germany. This visit was part of an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
Low cost physical examinations and health appraisals for well adults and children are being offered through the Sonoma State University Nursing Department's Family Nurse Practitioner program on Wednesdays from Oct. 15 - Dec.10. They are available only to Sonoma County residents.
The cost of a physical examination is $30, Pap test $45 and cholesterol check $25. Hearing tests are free and a DMV physical examination is $60.
The exams are supervised by nursing faculty and performed by Family Nurse Practitioner students who are registered nurses enrolled in the Master's nursing program.
Services include a complete medical and health history, identification of health risk factors, complete physical examinations and screening tests such as blood pressure checks, vision testing, audiology testing, urinalysis, hematocrit (for anemia), cholesterol testing, and Pap smears for cervical cancer.
These services can be used for annual exams, sports physicals, pre-employment physicals, camp physicals and Class II DMV licensing physicals.
Appointments can be made by calling SSU's Nursing Department at (707) 664-2466, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED ANTINEUTRINO PHYSICS - Dr. Adam Bernstein of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory discusses the surprising utility of antineutrinos for addressing practical and fundamental problems, including cooperative monitoring of nuclear reactors, mapping the Earth's crust and mantle distributions, sensitive detection of supernovae, and deepening an understanding of the mysterious nature of the neutrino. Coffee at 3:30 p.m.; "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 22. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119.
COPD AND TOBACCO INDUCED LUNG INFLAMMATION - Dr. Ben Davis, UC Davis, lectures. Biology Colloquium. Noon - 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2189.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IN A DEMOCRACY - Professor of Political Science Andy Merrifield lectures. War and Peace Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-2543.
IT MATTERS LECTURE SERIES - Oil and Energy with Jeff Baldwin, Geography Department and Sascha von Meier, Professor, Environmental Studies and Planning Department. Noon, Wednesday, Sept. 24. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2397.
EXODUS, THE SECOND BOOK OF MOSES - A part of the "Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature" Series. Noon - 2 p.m., Thursday, Sept 25. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-4240.
STUDY ABROAD INFORMATIONAL MEETING - Information about the official Study Abroad and National Student Exchange Programs. Noon, Thursday, Sept. 25. Salazar 1061. (707) 664-2582.
RDBMS: FROM FANTASY TO INFRASTRUCTURE - A JOURNEY OF INNOVATION - Dr. Bruce Lindsay, an IBM Fellow at the IBM Almaden Research Center, reviews the series of innovations that led to the acceptance and deployment of Relational Database Management Systems. Lindsay will describe the technical innovations that were key to the adoption of RDBMS technology in business critical applications. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Sept. 25. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667.
"YOU CAN BE PROACTIVE ABOUT YOUR BREAST HEALTH" - Breast Thermography: The only preventive, non-invasive, 100% safe breast screening for women 20 years and older. Renee Russo and Jenna Montgomery, discuss practical actions to maintain or improve breast health. Noon, Thursday, Sept. 25. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840.
THE NEW MIDDLE AGES IN THE CLASSROOM - Medieval literature pushes in new and eccentric directions, emphasizing the instability of European cultures, blurring temporalities, picking up theoretical moves, and channeling past literature's affective power and inescapable strangeness. Brantley Bryant critically assesess these recent developments and discuss how they have made their way into the classroom. Arts & Humanities Creative & Research Forum. 12;05-12:55 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25. Schulz 1121.
A NEW AGENDA FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE- Former Peruvian President Alfredo Toledo addresses issues surrounding social injustice, indigenous people, education and democracy. The fight against poverty through health and educational investment was the central aim of Toledo's presidency. As a result of sustained economic growth and deliberate social policies directed to the most poor, extreme poverty was reduced by 25 percent in the five years he served as president. Andrea Neves and Bart Evans Social Justice Lecture Series. No charge. 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25. Evert B. Person Theatre. (707) 664-2394.
MODERN MEDIA CENSORSHIP LECTURES - Featuring "Iraqi death toll rivals Rwanda genocide, Cambodian killing fields" by freelance journalist Joshua Holland, and "Down The Rabbit Hole (When it comes to surveillance and the treatment of classified information, President Bush is making up the rules as he goes along)" by freelance journalist Marcy Wheeler. 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25. Darwin 103. Tickets are $5 presale, $10 at the door. SSU students admitted free. (707) 664-3373.
EAT RIGHT. FEEL GOOD. LOOK GREAT - Noted nutritionist, author and motivational speaker Deanna Latson will talk about foods to stay fit and energized and will also uncover the "slow poisons" that create lethargy, sabotage weight loss efforts and interfere with strong mental functioning. 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25. The Cooperage. (707) 664-2382.
PUBLIC VIEWING NIGHT AT THE SSU OBSERVATORY - View Jupiter, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Eagle Nebula at the SSU Observatory. For details and map go to http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html. 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26. SSU Observatory. (707) 664-2267.
FILMS
FAUBOURG TREME: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS - Documentary by New Orleans natives Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elie brings alive the long history of Black New Orleans through an in-depth look at one historic neighborhood, the Faubourg Treme. Admission $5, $4.50 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $3.50 for SFI members and children under 12. SSU students admitted free. 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 21. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664- 2606.
MIDNIGHT - (1939, Mitchell Leisen) Screwball comedy written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore. 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. 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664- 2606.
WANTED - Starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. Wesley Gibson, a frustrated office worker spends his days in a cubicle, until he discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin. ASP Scene It Movie Night. 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-2815.
GALLERIES
I EXPRESS. . . - ''I Express . . . " explores themes SSU students identified as important in the current election cycle - themes such as war and the environment. Participating artists were selected by the spring 2008 Gallery and Museum Methods class and include: Katy Anderson, Allegra Burke, Nuala Creed, Rob Keller, Thomas Pratt, Mario Uribe, and Nancy Worthington. Aug. 22-Nov. 5. Reception to celebrate the artists, 4 - 6 p.m, Thursday, Sept. 25. Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
ART FACULTY EXHIBITION 2008 - The biennial SSU Art Faculty Exhibition is now open at the University Art Gallery and will be on view through Sunday, Oct. 19. The exhibition features the work of John Ferdico (sculpture), Stephen Galloway (photography); Nathan Haenlein (printmaking), Rob Keller (sculpture); Kurt Kemp (drawing and printmaking); Jann Nunn (sculpture); Mark Perlman (painting); Gregory Roberts (ceramic sculpture), and Carole Splendore (painting). Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, noon to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays and holidays. Admission to the gallery is free.
Former Peruvian President, Alejandro Toledo will address issues surrounding social injustice, indigenous people, education and democracy in his lecture entitled "A New Social Agenda for Democracy" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25 in the Evert B. Person Theatre. The lecture is free and open to the public on a first come, first serve basis.
The event is the fourth in a series of annual lectures in the Andrea Neves and Barton Evans Social Justice Lecture Series, co-sponsored by SSU's School of Extended Education, the Osher Lifelong Learning, Associated Students and organized by the School of Education and the School of Social Sciences.
In his remarkable life, Alejandro Toledo emerged from extreme poverty in a remote village in the Peruvian Andes, to later become one of the most prominent democratic leaders of Latin America.
Appearing on the international political scene in 1996, he formed and led a broad democratic coalition to bring down the autocratic regime of Alberto Fujimori and became the first Peruvian President of indigenous descent to be democratically elected in five hundred years, serving from 2001-2006
The fight against poverty through health and educational investment was the central aim of Toledo's presidency. As a result of sustained economic growth and deliberate social policies directed to the most poor, extreme poverty was reduced by 25 percent in five years.
Employment grew at an average rate of 6 percent from 2004-2006. During the five years of Toledo's presidency, the Peruvian economy grew at an average rate of six percent, registering as one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America.
His dream is that other men and women of the large socially excluded Peruvian and Latin American population can also become Presidents of their respective countries by having access to quality health and education.
Toledo received a BA in Economics and Business Administration from the University of San Francisco and has a MA in Economics, a MA in Economics of Human Resources, and a PhD in Economics of Human Resources, from Stanford University.
Toledo has lectured in more than forty countries on issues of poverty, economic growth, and democracy as well as on the benefits of human capital investment. He has received forty six honorary doctoral degrees from prestigious universities around the world.
He is actively committed to the promotion of the Global Center for Development and Democracy, of which he is the founder and President.
For more information on this event, contact Kerry Gilbert, School of Extended Education, (707) 664-2394.
NASA planetary scientist Carol Stoker will present the first results from the Phoenix Lander Mission at 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15 in Darwin 103 at Sonoma State University. The event is part of the" What Physicists Do" series.
The Phoenix has been digging into the icy polar region of Mars since May, establishing the presence of ice and looking for conditions that might have harbored life at some time in the past or present. Stoker, who earned her Ph.D. in astrogeophysics, has performed field studies to analyze Mars-like environments in the Arctic, Antarctic, and other remote regions on Earth, using robots that were precursors to the robotic instruments sent to the frigid planet fifty million miles farther from the Sun.
She was a participating scientist on the Mars Pathfinder mission where she provided a three-dimensional interactive virtual reality model of the Pathfinder landing site as a tool for operating the rover mission.
She played a similar role in the Mars Polar lander mission, the scientific progenitor of Phoenix. She currently leads the MARTE project to develop a robotic system for drilling the subsurface of Mars to search for living organisms. MARTE is searching for subsurface life in Rio Tinto, Spain, an analog to the Sinus Merdiani site explored by the MER rover.
For a free poster describing all thirteen lectures in the series, visit http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/, send e-mail to phys.astro@sonoma.edu, or phone (707) 664-2119.
From the U.S. intelligence community, to the role of religion in war, to planning a non-violent future, this semester's War and Peace lecture series at Sonoma State University explores a wide variety of topics. Lectures are offered from 4-5:15 p.m. on Tuesdays through Dec. 16 in Warren Auditorium, Ives 101.
The public is invited to attend any of the following presentations. There is no charge for admission. However, a fee of $2.50 is required for parking on campus.
The schedule for the fall semester includes:
Sept. 9 - "The Experience of War," John Wingard, Professor of Anthropology
Sept. 16 - "The Role of Religions in War," Rashmi Singh, Professor of Peace Studies,
Sept. 23 - "Intelligence Community in a Democracy," Andy Merrifield, Professor of Political Science
Sept. 30 - "The Armaments Industry," Peter Phillips, Professor of Sociology and Robert Eyler, Professor of Economics
Oct. 7 - "Weapons of Mass Destruction," Lynn Cominsky, Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Oct. 14 - "The United Nations: Challenges of the 21st Century," Robert McNamara, Professor of Political Science, SSU
Oct. 21 - "Voices of Conscience," Ann Wright, U.S. Army, U.S. Department of State diplomatic corps
Oct. 28 - "The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict: Personal Reflections," Chuck Sher and Therese Mughannen, Reichik, Peace Activists and Bridge-Builder, with Laure Reichek, Holocaust Survivor
Nov. 4 - "Understanding War," Shepherd Bliss, Professor of Humanities, and Panel of Veterans
Nov. 18 - "Are We Born to Fight?," Rick Luttmann, Professor of Mathematics, and Chuna McIntyre, Yup'ik Eskimo Cultural Ambassador
Nov. 25 - "War and Peace in the Arts," Tim Wandling, Professor of English, SSU
Dec. 2 - "Planning a Non-Violent Future," Michael Nagler, Professor of Peace Studies, UC Berkeley
Dec. 9 - "Peace Through Sustainability," Jason Mark, Global Exchange Board of Directors, San Francisco
For more information, contact Rick Luttmann at (707) 664-2543 or rick.luttmann@sonoma.edu.
It is "Take Three" for Campus Movie Fest
Associated Students is proud to present the third annual SSU Campus MovieFest. CMF is an Associated Students Productions sponsored event to take place the week of Sept. 17 with a finale showing on the night of Friday, Sept. 26 in the Spreckles Theater in Rohnert Park where the 16 finalists will be shown to a historically packed house. The competition and equipment are free to all students to make their movie dreams a reality.
This popular event turns SSU students into film-makers for one week, giving them the tools and the know how to produce 5 minute long movie master-pieces. Students are provided with a digital camcorder, tripod, backpack, and an Apple laptop loaded with iMovie, FinalCut Pro, and thousands of songs.
In addition, Campus MovieFest staff will be on hand all week in the Student Union to answer questions about film editing and guide students to their spot in the top 16 movies that will be shown on Campus Movie Night.
Campus MovieFest (CMF) began at Emory University in Georgia in 2000 as a program put on by residential life staff and has quickly grown in the last six years with the film fest taking place every year across the country and even in the United Kingdom.
This year, the top films from Sonoma State will compete against those from Stanford University, San Jose State, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley in the regional finale on Saturday, November 15 in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall.
The participants in SSU's first place film (up to 10 members) will win engraved iPods and teams in the regional finale have a chance of winning Apple computers.
Take a look at the attached movie to get an idea of what this event has to offer! This event is sponsored by Associated Students Productions, Campus MovieFest and the Student Union.
Information about Campus MovieFest and how to sign up is available at www.campusmoviefest.com/events/california.
For more information about additional ASP events, please call (707) 664-2382 or visit www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
Slow and steady is not winning the race.
Rapidly shrinking numbers of California's only native aquatic turtle species - the Western Pond Turtle - has sparked the development of a pioneering partnership between Sonoma State University and two Bay Area zoos to save the reptile from extinction in California.
Sonoma State Biology professor Nick Geist successfully hatched the first six young turtles last Friday from 57 eggs collected this summer from an undisclosed Lake County location. Geist and his graduate students, and Oakland Zoo staffers, spent the summer monitoring a Lake County site for mother turtles and followed them to the nests where they collected their eggs.
The eggs were placed in five incubators in his lab at the Rohnert Park campus. Young turtles began to emerge last Friday. More are hatching daily in the first-of-its-kind breeding program for this species in the state.
"Slow and steady is not winning the race for this species," says Geist. "The turtles must be saved before the population reaches critically low levels."
Geist has solicited the support of Bay Area zoos in a captive-breeding program - a "head start" program - to protect the young turtles, who at the size of a quarter at birth often become tender morsels for predators such as bullfrogs, skunks and foxes. These predators, as well as the loss of 90% of its habitat, have contributed to a shocking decline in the species.
This past Friday, the first hatchlings went to the Oakland Zoo for care until they are large enough to be released back to their original birthplace in Lake County. Plans are to send the second batch to the San Francisco Zoo on Friday. The SF Zoo plans to create a public exhibit around the project at its Koret Animal Research Center.
Geist envisions a network of zoos throughout the state that will raise the hatchlings in captivity for almost a year to facilitate the immediate conservation and ultimate recovery of the Western Pond Turtle in the state.
Geist is also using the program to determine at what temperature the sex of the turtle is decided so that better conservation management techniques can be designed.
The Western Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata) has declined precipitously, or been eliminated entirely, in so many parts of its former range, that it is now protected by the Department of Fish and Game as a California Special Concern species.
Originally, the pond turtle ranged from Mexico to the Canadian border in a narrow strip along the coast. It lives to be 60 years old and its shell gets as large as 12 inches in length.
Once estimated to have populations in the millions, it has virtually disappeared from urban areas of southern and northern California and most of the Central Valley.
ABOVE, Adult Western Pond Turtle basking at lake at Fairfield Osborn Preserve, and recent hatchling born at SSU biology lab which is only the size of a quarter.
For further information, contact:
Dr. Nicholas R. Geist, Associate Professor of Biology, (707) 664-3056 , nick.geist@sonoma.edu
Nancy Filippi, Director of Marketing, Oakland Zoo, (510) 632-9525, ext 132, nancy@oaklandzoo.org
Gwendolyn Tornatore, Public Relations Manager, San Francisco Zoo, (415) 753-7174, GwendolynT@sfzoo.org
