The next Town Hall meeting (formerly known as Campus Forums) on the University Strategic Plan (USP) will be held on Monday, Nov. 24 from noon-1:30 p.m. in Schulz 3001.
Members of the University Planning Steering Committee will be on hand to provide some background on the USP and review its highlights, as well as take questions and feedback about the plan from the audience.
All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend. The USP is available on SSU's home page or at http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/strategicplan/.
After the Town Hall, the UPSC will meet to review campus feedback and consider if any final revisions of the USP are necessary, before referring to the Academic Senate and recommending it to the President.
*All events are free unless otherwise noted.
LECTURES
PEACE THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY - Jason Mark, Global Exchange Board of Directors (left), lectures. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 9. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2543. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a&h/WP_Calendar.htm
THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS: HOW IT ALL BEGAN - An exploration of Christmas led by Dr. Henry Shreibman explores the origins of this Christian celebration hijacked by hallmark and turned into one of the most secularly commercialized holidays in existence. From it foundations upon Hanukkah and other winter festivals, Shreibman explores the common celebratory themes of darkness and light, sun and moon, counting, gift giving, and liberation to determine the true origins of this "Hallmark Holiday" and why it all started. Religion and Spirituality Lecture Series. 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 9. Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. (707) 664- 2382. For more information, visit www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
THE TYRANNY OF OIL - Leading oil industry expert and critic Antonia Juhasz discusses her most recent work The Tyranny of Oil: the World's Most Powerful Industry, and What We Must Do To Stop It. Juhasz provides the hardest-hitting expose of the oil industry in decades, answering today's most pressing energy questions: Why are oil and gasoline prices so unstable? Who's really controlling those prices? How much oil is left? How far will Big Oil go to get it? And at what cost to the economy, environment, human rights, worker safety, public health, democracy, and America's place in the world? Modern Media Lecture Series. Admission is $5 at www.projectcensored.org/lectures, $10 at the door. SSU students and staff admitted free. 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 11. Darwin 103. (707) 664-3373. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://projectcensored.org/lectures/
THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN - Danielle Ronshausen, doula and SSU alumna presents the highly acclaimed documentary, "The Business of Being Born" in the second half of this lecture. The makers of the film depict both sides of the childbirth debate: have a baby in the hospital or at home with a midwife? Ronshausen will answer questions at the end of this highly controversial video. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Dec. 11. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/WHLSFLIER08.pdf
END OF SEMESTER CELEBRATION - Short Presentations of research carried out by Computer Science students and awards presented to Computer Science majors; Pizza served after celebration. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Dec. 11. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
FILMS
CHRISTMAS IN JULY - (1940)(left) Preston Sturges' breathlessly hilarious comedy with Dick Powell as an underpaid clerk who attempts to win a coffee company slogan contest. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 12. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. For a complete list of events in this series, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA : PRINCE CASPIAN - (right) The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian. Starring Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian and Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie. Scene It Big Screen Movie Night. 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. The Cooperage. (707) 664-2804.
GALLERIES
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION - Combining some of the most pressing political and social changes of the time, "Freedom of Expression: Art in an Age of Uncertainty" brings together approximately 14 California artists whose work directly addresses such issues. The show ranges from the powerful woodblock prints from Sandow Birk's Depravities of War series to the satirical-but no less powerful-paintings and drawings of Enrique Chagoya. The exhibition also includes prints by the noted Los Angeles-based political artist Robbie Conal, a sculpture composed of guns, bullets, buckshot, and bone by Al Farrow, a new video work by the collaborative team of Jeanne C. Finley and John Muse and a legendary "black painting" by the late artist Wally Hedrick that was made in protest of the Vietnam War. Gallery hours are Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, noon - 4 p.m. the gallery is closed on Mondays and holidays. The exhibition runs through Sunday, Dec. 14. (707) 664-2295.
FRESH START - Exhibit features the work of students from the advanced painting class under the direction of Mark Perlman, Professor of Painting in the Art and Art History Department. One painting from each student is displayed along with an artist statement and photograph, taken by Perlman, of each student in their studio. The subject matter from each artist is as unique as the themes they are exploring. Artist reception, 4 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 3. Exhibit runs from Nov. 20 through Jan. 8, 2009. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; weekends, noon - 5 p.m. University Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
MUSIC
ARS NOVA - Jesus Contreras, Will Johnson and Brian S. Wilson (left) direct student composers from the composition program in exciting new works and first performances . 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7. Ives 119. (707) 664-2235. For more information visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/season0809.shtml#1113
OLIVER MESSIAEN 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION - SSU's Messiaen Centenary concert features Flutist Kathleen Reynolds in Le Merle noir, Soprano Carol Menke in Pomes Pour Mi, and Music Studio faculty in Quartet for the End of Time and Oiseaux Exotiques with guest Pianist Paul Ammerman. Admission $12 general, $10 faculty, alumni and staff, $8 seniors/students. SSU students admitted free. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10. Ives 119. (707) 664-2325. For more information and to buy tickets, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/43222
IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD - John Simon (right) directs the SSU Jazz Vocal Ensemble. Noon, Thursday, Dec. 11. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2235. For more information visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/season0809.shtml#1113
AFIFI A FUEGO! - SSU's Latin Jazz Ensemble is all ablaze with their second stylistic sampler from the Caribbean and exotic points south and west. Directed by Bob Affifi. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 11. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2235. For more information visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/season0809.shtml#1113
MAGNIFICAT! - The Sonoma State University Chorus presents celebratory choral works including Vivaldi's Magnificat and selections from around the world that honor love and peace. Jenny Brent directs. Admission $12 general, $10 faculty, alumni and staff, $8 seniors/students. SSU students admitted free. 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. Holy Family Episcopal Church, 1500 E. Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. (707) 664-2235. For more information visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/season0809.shtml#1113
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
SKYDIVING - After this 9,000 ft plunge finals won't seem nearly as scary. Outdoor Pursuits provides transportation, the tandem jump, a lunch, and encouragement. Sign up soon, this trip sells out. Pre-Tripmeeting is 7 p.m., Wednesday Dec. 10 in the Outdoor Resource Center. Cost is $185. Jump is Saturday, Dec. 13. (707) 664-DIRT. http://www.sonoma.edu/campusrec/adventure/odp/Trip%20Listings/skydive.html
Combining some of the most pressing political and social changes of the time, "Freedom of Expression: Art in an Age of Uncertainty" brings together approximately 14 California artists whose work directly addresses such issues. The exhibit runs through Dec. 14 in the University Art Gallery.
The show ranges from the powerful woodblock prints from Sandow Birk's Depravities of War series to the satirical-but no less powerful-paintings and drawings of Enrique Chagoya.
The exhibition also includes prints by the noted Los Angeles-based political artist Robbie Conal, a sculpture composed of guns, bullets, buckshot, and bone by Al Farrow, a new video work by the collaborative team of Jeanne C. Finley and John Muse, mixed media work by Mildred Howard, and a legendary "black painting" by the late artist Wally Hedrick that was made in protest of the Vietnam War.
Art that addresses political and social issues, and in turn often criticizes the status quo, has existed in some form or another throughout much of art history, although the content was often allegorical and less direct (think of the 19th century paintings of Courbet or David).
Twentieth century examples include the German Expressionist George Grosz, the post-war Social Realism of Ben Shahn, or Picasso's Guernica of 1937, which was inspired by the bombing of the Bassque town of Guernica by German planes during the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Civil War also inspired Robert Motherwell's Elegy to the Spanish Republic series.
Contemporary political art came about during the late 1960s, a time when the boundaries between life, politics, and art were increasingly difficult to discern.
By the 1970s, many artists could no longer ignore the events happening in the streets-and within government agencies-and focused their art on reacting to, and commenting on, events such as the war in Vietnam, the civil rights movement, radical politics, the "sexual revolution", and other sweeping changing in Western culture and society.
Gallery hours are Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, noon - 4 p.m. the gallery is closed on Mondays and holidays. For more information, please call (707) 664-2295 or e-mail carla.stone@sonoma.edu
*All events are free unless otherwise noted.
CAMPUS CLOSED THURSDAY, NOV. 27 AND FRIDAY, NOV. 28 FOR THANKSGIVING
LECTURES
THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE- Dr. Leonard Kuhi of the University of Minnesota (retired) discusses the design and construction of a telescope having twin 8.4-meter mirrors, along with scientific expectations and various pitfalls encountered along the way. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
WAR AND PEACE IN THE ARTS - Tim Wandling discusses as part of the War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 25. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2543. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a&h/WP_Calendar.htm
FILMS
NOTE BY NOTE - (2007, Ben Niles) This fascinating documentary follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano in its long and complex journey from forest floor to concert hall. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. For a complete list of events in this series, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi
*All events are free unless otherwise noted.
LECTURES
MAKING GOOD USE OF THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE - Thomas McMahon ('85) of the University of Arizona (left) describes his team's construction of a nulling interferometer used with the Large Binocular Telescope to image planets in nearby star systems. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
STUDY ABROAD INFO MEETING - Learn info about SSU's Study Abroad and National Student Exchange programs. 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1. Salazar 1061.
"MONKEYS IN KENYA AND CALIFORNIA" - Anthropology Professor Karin Enstam Jaffe updates her primate research work on "Monkeys in Kenya and California: New Research and Results". School of Social Science Brown Bag,
Noon, Tuesday, Dec. 2, Stevenson 2011.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND INDIVIDUAL EFFECTS ON THE FORAGING SUCCESS OF AN APEX PREDATOR, THE NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL - Dr. Sam Simmons, Department of Biology, UC Santa Cruz lectures. Noon, Tuesday, Dec. 2. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2189. For more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.html
PLANNING A NON-VIOLENT FUTURE - Dr. Michael Nagler has devoted his life to exploring nonviolence as an alternative to war. Professor Emeritus of Languages at the UC Berkeley, and founder and former chairperson of the University's Peace and Conflict Studies program, Nagler has become one of the world's most widely respected peace scholars and activists. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2543. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a&h/WP_Calendar.htm
STAMP OUT THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS - A special panel convenes to discuss the stigmas, stereotypes, and labels associated with mental illness. Volunteers from the Wellness Advocacy Center of Santa Rosa explore the issues of depression, bipolar and eating disorders, hospitalization, recovery, and the social pressures placed upon those struggling with mental health issues. 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2. Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. (707) 664-2382. For more information regarding this event, visit www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
THREE-DIMENSIONAL THRUST WEDGE DEFORMATION - Matty Mookerjee, Geology, (left), lectures on the mathematical model developed to more fully understand the kinematics of thrust sheets moving over non-planar thrust fault surfaces. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 3. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/math/colloq/colloqf08.pdf
AIDS ACTIVISM IN SONOMA COUNTY - Twenty years of AIDS activism and the epidemic in Sonoma County is the theme of the keynote speaker, Dr. Mark Netherda in this special event co-sponsored by the Student Health Center and the Student Health Advisory Committee. Netherda has worked locally and in Africa with AIDS and HIV issues and can speak to the past and current issues. He will be joined by several "Reconnect Advocates" who will share their personal experience living with HIV/AIDS. 4:30 p.m., Wednesday. Dec 3, Cooperage. Free HIV Testing Van will be outside the Cooperage at 2:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT: JEWISH LITERATURE - Andre Aciman's novel, Out of Egypt (right) is the focus of this week's lecture. Aciman introduces the reader to the eccentric people who shaped his life; members of his "flamboyant" family who, after arriving in Alexandria, are forced into an exodus out of Egypt just three generations later.
Noon, Thursday, Dec. 4. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-4240.
THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN - Danielle Ronshausen, doula and SSU alumna shows the highly acclaimed documentary, "The Business of Being Born." which depicts both sides of the childbirth debate: have a baby in the hospital or at home with a midwife. The first half of the film will be shown on Dec. 4, and the second half on Dec. 11. Ronshausen will answer questions at the end of this highly controversial video. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Dec. 4. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/WHLSFLIER08.pdf
BODY LANGUAGE IN THE CLASSROOM - English Professor Mira-Lisa Katz discusses "Body Language in the Classroom: Multimodal Teaching and Learning Across Contexts and Disciplines." Arts & Humanities Forum. 12:05 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. Schulz 1121. (707) 664-2146. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/ahforum.htm
FACE TO FACE - Speakers from the Sonoma County AIDS Network provide a free informational discussion on the issues of HIV/AIDS risk, how to get tested and facts about the virus that has quickly become a global concern. A special guest speaker living with AIDS discusses how the virus has affected their life and what to do to avoid the disease. 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. (707) 664- 2382. For more information, visit www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
MODERN MEDIA LECTURE SERIES - Matthew Rothschild, freelance journalist and editor of Progressive magazine (right) discusses "Exclusive! The FBI Deputizes Business (the Infragard Alliance)" and "Bush's Executive Order on Lebanon Even Worse than the One on Iraq." Both articles discuss the surveillance and retribution policies government officials use to suppress dissent and protest in America. 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. Darwin 103. (707) 664-3373. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://projectcensored.org/lectures/
EAT RIGHT. FEEL GOOD. LOOK GREAT. - Healthy Eating Lecture with Deanna Latson. 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. Cooperage
PUBLIC VIEWING NIGHT - View the Moon and the Pinwheel Galaxy (right). 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5. SSU Observatory. For details and map go to http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html
FILMS
JOYEUX NOEL -"Merry Christmas," (right) directed by Christian Carion, (2005).German with English subtitles. German Film Series. 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2. Schulz 2015. For a complete list of events in this series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/forlang/GerFilmSeries_flyer_f08.pdf
THE APARTMENT - (1960) Billy Wilder's cynical comedy (left) about an insurance company drone finding a shortcut up the corporate ladder. With Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 5. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. For a complete list of events in this series, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi
GALLERIES
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION - Combining some of the most pressing political and social changes of the time, "Freedom of Expression: Art in an Age of Uncertainty" brings together approximately 14 California artists whose work directly addresses such issues. The show ranges from the powerful woodblock prints from Sandow Birk's Depravities of War series to the satirical-but no less powerful-paintings and drawings of Enrique Chagoya. The exhibition also includes prints by the noted Los Angeles-based political artist Robbie Conal, a sculpture composed of guns, bullets, buckshot, and bone by Al Farrow, a new video work by the collaborative team of Jeanne C. Finley and John Muse and a legendary "black painting" by the late artist Wally Hedrick that was made in protest of the Vietnam War. Gallery hours are Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, noon - 4 p.m. the gallery is closed on Mondays and holidays. The exhibition runs through Sunday, Dec. 14. (707) 664-2295.
FRESH START - Exhibit features the work of students from the advanced painting class under the direction of Mark Perlman, Professor of Painting in the Art and Art History Department. One painting from each student is displayed along with an artist statement and photograph, taken by Perlman, of each student in their studio. The subject matter from each artist is as unique as the themes they are exploring. Artist reception, 4 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 3. Exhibit runs from Nov. 20 through Jan. 8, 2009. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; weekends, noon - 5 p.m. University Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
MUSIC
FOR THE LOVE OF MOZART - Keeping the love of chamber music alive, four concerts are performed by student musicians. Marilyn Thompson and Ruth Wilson direct the Instrumental Repertory and Chamber Classes. Noon, Tuesday, Dec. 2 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6. Ives 119. (707) 664-2235.
LUMINESCENCE - Eric Caballo directs the SSU Guitar Ensemble, exploring a variety of musical eras to create a unique and varied program. Noon, Thursday, Dec. 4. Ives 119. (707) 664-2235.
FURTHER EXCURSIONS TO THE EDGE - Bob Afifi (right) directs the University Jazz Ensemble in two sets of post-bebop jazz standards and new works. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-2235.
FALL DANCE CONCERT 2008 - Kristen Daley directs the SSU Dance Program. $8 general admission. SSU students admitted free. 7:30 p.m., Thursday Dec. 4, Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6. Dance Studio Theatre, P.E. 1. (707) 664-2325.
TWICE AS NICE - R. Anderson Collinsworth (left) conducts the SSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble with guest Casa Grande High School Symphonic Band. The Sonoma State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble will join forces with the outstanding Symphonic Band from Casa Grande High School to perform an exciting program of wind band music. Admission is $12, $10 for faculty, alumni and staff, and $8 for Seniors/Students. SSU students admitted free. 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5. Evert B. Person Theatre. (707) 664-2235. For more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/season0809.shtml#1202
A BAROQUE CHRISTMAS - Robert Worth directs the Santa Rosa Symphony Bach Choir, featuring sopranos Carole Menke, and Jenni Samuelson, counter tenor Christopher Fritzsche, tenor Jos Milton, and baritone Hugh Davies. They will perform three works by Italian, French and German Baroque masters performed in a sacred, yet convivial, atmosphere. 8 p.m., Friday, Dec, 5 and Saturday Dec. 6. Visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/season0809.shtml#1202 for more information and to purchase tickets.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
FREE TUTORING - The Academic Resource Center provides help in the following subjects: Spanish, English, Philosophy, Writing, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and more. 6 - 9 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1, Tuesday, Dec. 2, Wednesday, Dec. 3, and Thursday, Dec. 4. Academic Resource Center (Semillion Bldg, Zinfandel). (707) 664-4033.
SSU LEADERSHIP WANTS YOU! - SAEM Leadership Position Info Meeting - Come learn more about the Summer Bridge, Summer Orientation, UNIV 102 and 150 peer mentors, FIG Peer Advisors, Co-op leaders and CSAs. 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1. Student Union CCGS. (707) 664-2804.
RSA GENERAL MEETING - All are welcome to join the Residential Student Association to talk about issues and events in the residential community. 8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1. Chalk Hill.
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA SF THEATRE TRIP - Residential Life Get A Way trip. Vans leave at 4:30 p.m. from in front of University Police Services. Tickets are $25 with RSA sticker, $30 without. Tickets go on sale Nov. 3 at the ZinfandelService Desk. 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. (707) 664-4033.
FREE BOWLING NIGHT - Currently enrolled students are able to bowl for free with Student ID. Associated Student Production's Free Bowling Night takes place the first Thursday of every month. 10 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4. Double Decker Lanes. (707) 664-2382.
OUTDOOR PURSUITS SPELUNKING TRIP - Energetic cave explorers can begin this exciting expedition with the 165-foot rope rappel, followed by one to two hours of exploration through deep chambers and passages. Most areas are undeveloped, so there are no lights, stairs, or walkways. Instead, visitors daringly explore by climbing and belly crawling with lighted helmets to show the way. Pre-trip is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 3 in the ORC. $165. 1 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 6. (707) 664-DIRT. For more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/campusrec/adventure/odp/trips.html
MOVIE MATINEE - Residential Life Get A Way trip. Vans leave at noon, in front of University Police Services. Tickets are $5 and are available in the Residential Life Office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Noon, Saturday, Dec. 6. (707) 664-4033.
Poverty, welfare, low-income families, and access to higher education are the issues that Sonoma State University Sociology Professor Sheila Katz will discuss at meetings with President-Elect Barack Obama's transition team at the Realizing the Promise Forum in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 4.
She also plans to meet with members of Congress and their legislative staffers on Friday, Dec. 5.
Katz was invited for her policy perspective and experience conducting community-based research on these issues. She conducts qualitative research with mothers on welfare who are enrolled in higher education programs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Katz is interested in why single mothers on welfare pursue higher education as their welfare-to-work activity, their narratives about their experiences in higher education and the welfare system, and how being involved in a grassroots advocacy organization affects women's experiences.
Most of the women who participate in her research are also domestic violence survivors. She is working on a book manuscript based on this project.
Katz will be part of a group representing Low Income Families' Empowerment Through Education (LIFETIME) and The California Partnership.
She has worked with the organizations for more than five years. She will travel with LIFETIME's Executive Director, community organizers from the CA Partnership and two community activists who are mothers on welfare.
Katz has been involved in national policy work for several years with LIFETIME. In 2005, she and LIFETIME released the "Family Violence is NOT an Option" research report about the experiences of domestic violence victims on welfare by holding a policy briefing on Capitol Hill during Violence Against Women lobby week.
This event was attended by more than 80 legislators, staffers, academics, advocates, and other community partners, including legislative staffers from the offices of then-Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
"I think this is an important opportunity to represent SSU and our community in this historic moment. President-Elect Obama faces many tough issues, and it is vital that community activists and policy advocates stay involved in this transition to strive for social and economic justice," she says.
Katz is currently scheduled to teach Women and Social Policy this spring.
LIFETIME's mission is to empower low-income parents to determine, pursue and achieve their goals for education, employment and economic security. Its goal is to help low-income parents enroll in, continue and successfully complete higher education and training .
The California Partnership is a statewide coalition of community-based organizations that fights poverty in California.
For further information, contact Dr. Sheila Katz at the CalWorks Higher Education Study, (707) 664-2583.
Listen to Katz's discussion with Margie Schafer on KCBS Radio at http://www.kcbs.com/pages/3404981.php?
MEDIA ADVISORY
Sociology Professor Sheila Katz and representatives from the Family Connection explore homelessness in Sonoma County and California during the current economic and housing crisis. Panelists will engage the audience in discussion of how the community can get involved to change the current situation. Questions on the causes of homelessness and how social safety nets have disappeared will be addressed. 7 p.m. Monday, Nov 17 at the Cooperage.
Several events are scheduled on campus during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week at Sonoma State University, Nov. 17-24:
Q & A PANEL: HOUSING CRISIS AND THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS IN SONOMA COUNTY AND CALIFORNIA - Sociology Professor Sheila Katz and representatives from the Family Connection present a brief presentation on homelessness during the current economic and housing crisis in Sonoma County and California. Panelists, including a formerly homeless SSU student, will engage the audience in discussion of how the community can get involved to change the current situation. Questions on the causes of homelessness, and how social safety nets have disappeared, will be addressed. 7 p.m. Monday, Nov 17, Cooperage.
"GLOBAL BANQUET: THE POLITICS OF FOOD" - Eye-opening documentary, introduced by Hutchins Professor Debora Hammond, is aimed to give students a better understanding of the world food crisis. The SSU Slow Food club leads a discussion after the documentary's viewing. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, Darwin 102.
FOOD AND CLOTHING DRIVES
-- THE HOLIDAY FOOD AND CLOTHING DRIVE - Donations can be dropped off in Salazar Hall, Stevenson Quad, the Student Union, Zinfandel Dining Hall or the Recreation Center.
-- REUSE-A-SHOE - Donations of worn out sneakers will be used to make Astroturf for playgrounds for low-income neighborhood
children.
-- BATTLE OF THE CANS - All SSU groups, clubs, the Greek community,
athletic groups, religious groups and JUMP are competing to collect as many canned food and drink as possible this week. All donations will be given to the Redwood Empire Food Bank to continue feeding 60,000 people every month, including 23,000 children.
The vindication of Charles Darwin's evolutionary work by a California Academy of Sciences expedition is the focus of a talk to be presented at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at College of Marin's OIney Hall.
Sonoma State University Paleontology Professor Matt James will discuss "Collecting Evolution: The Untold Story of the Vindication of Charles Darwin by the 1905-06 Galapagos Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences."
James says "The enduring legacy of the 1905-06 expedition encompasses much of what we know about Galapagos today, including giant tortoise taxonomy, David Lack's concept of "Darwin's Finches," plant zonation from coast to highlands, and many other natural history facts in ecotourism guide books and television programs on the islands."
"This knowledge stems from the men who explored and collected under difficult and dangerous conditions, and who have allowed us to better understand what has become known as Darwin's living outdoor laboratory of evolution," he says.
Today, the specimens collected 70 years after Darwin in 1905-06 are available in San Francisco and are used in evolutionary studies involving DNA samples, conservation efforts involving restoring plant and animal populations, and taxonomy and biogeography studies that examine how species distributions have changed over time.
For 17 months, from June 1905 to November 1906, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco sent out an expedition of eight young men in the 89-foot schooner Academy.
The expedition took three months to reach the Galapagos, having stopped at a series of Mexican islands and Isla Cocos on the way south, then spent a year and a day collecting on all the major and minor islands in the Galapagos, and returned home non-stop by sailing for two months.
During this expedition, the longest in Galapagos expedition history, some 75,000 specimens were collected. These well-curated specimens today form an important historical baseline for present conservation efforts by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Service.
Species that were common 100 years ago might be rare or endangered today, such as the Mangrove Finch, Flightless Cormorant, and Galapagos Penguin.
A key to the success of the 1905-06 expedition was that each of the eight young men had their own scientific collecting specialty: birds, reptiles, plants, insects, fossils, rocks, mammals, and seashells.
During the 05-06 expedition there was a series of "firsts" for Galapagos: the first sighting of tool use by the Woodpecker Finch, the first (and only) tortoise from Fernandina Island, and the naming of Academy Bay (named for the schooner, not the museum of the same name).
The connection to Charles Darwin was strong then as now. Why Darwin sailed on HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836 might surprise even Galapagos aficionados - it is a story of suicide, kidnapping, and pedophilia that is unfamiliar to many who are familiar with the islands.
For further information, contact Professor Matthew James, (707) 664-2301.
NOTE: A digital photo of the Academy's crew is available upon request.
Sonoma State University is currently experiencing a series of late-breaking budget cuts that will force it to reduce the number of classes offered to students in Spring 2009.
In addition, enrollment in Fall 2008 exceeded projections by nearly 500 FTES due to unexpected increases in average unit load, increased retention, and higher numbers of transfer students.
In order to mitigate the combined impact of these factors and provide a more equitable distribution of classes to SSU students, the University will modify the normal unit load enrollment policy for Spring 2009 only.
Outlined below is
(1) the normal, permanent unit load policy and
(2) the temporary Spring 2009 policy.
NORMAL, PERMANENT UNIT LOAD POLICY (suspended for Spring 2009)
- Students may only enroll for up to 16 units during the 1st registration period;
- Students may enroll for up to 20 units without special permission during the 2nd Registration period and the Add/Drop period;
- Students may petition the Registrar to enroll for additional units beyond 20, up to a limit of 23 during the 2nd Registration period, Open Registration, and the Add/Drop period. Successful petitions require a GPA of 3.0 and special circumstances which are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
TEMPORARY SPRING 2009 UNIT LOAD POLICY
- As before, students may only enroll for up to 16 units during the 1st registration period;
- For Spring 2009, students may only enroll for up to 16 units without special permission during the 2nd registration period;
For Spring 2009, students may petition the Registrar during the 2nd registration period to enroll for additional units beyond 16, up to a limit of 23. Petitions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and will require a GPA and special circumstances as specified below under Exceptions Criteria.
- As before, students may enroll for up to 20 units without special permission during the Open Registration and the Add/Drop periods;
- As before, students may petition the Registrar to enroll for additional units beyond 20, up to a limit of 23 during the Open Registration and the Add/Drop periods. Successful petitions require a GPA of 3.0 and special circumstances which are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
EXCEPTIONS CRITERIA (during 2nd registration and add/drop periods):
1) Seniors who have applied to graduate in Spring or Summer 2009 and have attained a GPA of 2.5 or higher will be allowed to take 17-20 units; those with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may take 17-23 units. The existing absolute maximum of 23 units remains for all students.
2) Other extenuating circumstances (reviewed by the Registrar and staff)
(Examples: evidence of financial hardship, such as EOP status; need for an additional supplemental unit in order to pass gateway math and science courses; need to take PE conditioning classes for athletics; need to complete internships).
SPECIAL POPULATIONS WITH AUTOMATIC EXCEPTIONS TO THE 16-UNIT LIMIT:
1) Hutchins Blended students
2) Post-baccalaureate Credential students
PETITION
The current petition will be adapted for the 16+ unit requests. Procedure questions may be directed to the Admissions & Records Office, Salazar Hall, second floor, or by calling (707) 664-2778.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why am I being limited to only 16 units in the spring when I know I can easily take more and then graduate sooner?
We are experiencing a series of late-breaking budget cuts that will force us to reduce the number of classes offered, so we have to limit the number of units so that we can equitably distribute classes to all students. While you may be able to manage a higher unit load, we are asking that you limit yourself to 16 units so that all students may be better served.
What if I really need more than 16 units in spring semester in order to graduate this spring or summer?
If you have applied to graduate in Spring or Summer 2009, you should file a petition with A&R prior to Reg 2 so that you can be allowed to register for the units you need in order to graduate. Make sure you submit your petition far enough in advance of Reg 2 to guarantee that A&R will have time to review your petition, make a decision, and permit you to register for more units.
Where can I get a petition?
You can get a petition online at http://www.sonoma.edu/ar/records/forms.shtml. Petitions should be completely filled out and then submitted to Admissions and Records (2nd Floor of Salazar).
I’m not a graduating senior, but I really want to take more units in the Spring of 2009. How can I do that?
You will not be allowed to take more than 16 units unless you have extenuating circumstances. You may file a petition explaining those circumstances, and the petition will be evaluated by A&R. Keep in mind that this is a temporary policy based on difficult budget issues that the university and the state of California are facing at this time. There are other ways that you can take extra units (e.g., intersession, summer, or community college). It is hoped that this crisis will not be a permanent one.
How can I get a special waiver and who can give it to me?
There are no special waivers, and no one is authorized to grant them. The only way to be allowed to enroll for more than 16 units is through the petition process, and you must either be a graduating senior, in one of the categories listed in the memo that went out to students, or have extenuating circumstances. These must be written out in a petition and submitted to A&R.
Who do I complain to about this policy?
This temporary policy has been put into place in order to equitably distribute classes to all SSU students. Limits have to be set in order to make sure that everyone is able to enroll for a typical full load of classes, which is 15-16 units per semester. This policy was necessitated by the budget crisis in the state of California. The decision was made after careful consultation with students, faculty, and administrators. If you wish to be advised about classes to take meet the 16 unit limit, please contact your academic advisor, either in your department or in the Advising Center. If you wish to petition, then follow the procedures outlined above.
I’ve heard that during Open Reg and Add/Drop I can I add more units without petition? Can I really do that?
Yes, you can. During Open Reg and Add/Drop, you can add up to 20 units without petition. As always, for more than 20 units, you would have to petition.
What classes will be available for me to take during Open Reg and Add/Drop?
The only classes that will be available are those that did not fill up during Reg 1 or Reg 2. Check the searchable schedule of classes online for open sections. Closed classes will remain closed; enrollment limits will not be raised in Spring 2009 during Open Reg and Add/Drop.
Should I contact professors whose classes are full but that I really want to get into? Should I "crash" those classes the first day of the semester?
No, you should not be contacting professors or "crashing" closed classes. You should try to add in to only those classes that are "open" and have space available. Because of the budget constraints, seats will not open in already closed classes, and new sections will not be mounted.
The Academic Senate's Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity will hold its first Open Forum on Diversity for students on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. in Schulz 1121.
The Forum is a chance for students to express their concerns and suggestions about diversity at SSU. Associated Students, Inc. is co-sponsoring the event.
The Forum will address diversity issues on campus in terms of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual harassment and sexual assault), sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, medical condition and covered veteran's status (as articulated in the University's Non-Discrimination Policy).
Free pizza will be served.
for further information, contact Barbarba Lesch-McCaffrey, (707) 664-2273.
Sonoma State University is holding a series of town hall meetings on the SSU budget. Sponsored by the Academic Senate, Associated Students, Inc., California Faculty Association, and university administration, these meetings are intended to help faculty, staff and students understand the budget process and constraints as well as the historical landscape of funding to higher education.
The first town hall meeting is from noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, in Cooperage 2
Presenters include Scott Miller (chair of the faculty Academic Senate), Tim Wandling (past-chair of the faculty Academic Senate), Derek Pierre (president of Associated Students, Inc.), Nicolette Margi (Vice President for Finance of Associated Students, Inc.), Andy Merrifield (president of the Sonoma Chapter of California Faculty Association), and Larry Furukawa-Schlereth (CFO and Vice President for Administration & Finance).
A question and answer period will end the presentation.
All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend. Future town hall meetings on the SSU budget will be announced via email, in the STAR, and through NewsBytes (for employees).
CSU BUDGET NEWS
For other news about the state budget deficit and its impact on the California State University system, visit http://www.calstate.edu/BudgetCentral/
As if deciding the results of the election weren't exciting enough, a select group of students and community members will have the chance of a lifetime to witness the inauguration of the country's 44th president as part of a new course offered at SSU in January 2009.
"Campaign 2008: The Presidential Inauguration Seminar" explores the aftermath of the 2008 General Election including the nomination and swearing in of the next U.S. President. Those enrolled will fly to Washington D.C. for the ceremony and will participate in inaugural events.
The 10-day academic seminar provides a backstage view into the Presidential Inauguration. Participants delve into the critical issues and events that surround the transfer of power in the political process it involves. It features a combination of lectures, site visits, tours, and special events.
Political Science Professor David McCuan leads the class in discussing the steps it took for the next Commander-in-Chief to be chosen and inaugurated, briefing them on the nominations of presidential candidates, general election campaigns, and the ratification of the general election results by the Electoral College.
The course is being offered through the School of Extended Education. Those interested in enrolling in the course should contact the instructor before registration at david.mccuan@sonoma.edu or by phone at (707) 664-3309.
Apply online for the program by the guaranteed space deadline of Nov. 17, 2008 at www.campaign2008.info/node/28. Applications filed after that date are not guaranteed acceptance. The course fee is $960, with additional costs for travel and lodging accommodations.There is also a one-time $60 application fee. Interested persons are encouraged to apply early, as space is limited.
Telescope Talks at SSU
Sonoma State University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the telescope with three free public lectures on Mondays at 4 p.m. in Darwin 103, starting Nov. 17.
Joseph S. Miller of the University of California, Santa Cruz will lead off Nov. 17 with “California Observatories as Leaders in the Development of Very Large Optical Telescopes”. Miller is a vice chancellor of UCSC and former director of the Lick Observatory.
The following Monday Leonard Kuhi will speak on "The Large Binocular Telescope," a huge new telescope in Arizona. Kuhi, an astronomer and retired vice president of the University of Minnesota, was a leader in the development of the telescope which carries twin 28-foot diameter mirrors.
And on Dec. 1, SSU physics graduate Thomas McMahon will describe “Making Good Use of the Large Binocular Telescope,” an account of the nulling interferometer his team at the University of Arizona has built to search for planets orbiting nearby stars.
It was on October 23, 1608, that Dutch spectacle maker Hans Lipperhey applied for a patent for “a certain instrument for seeing far.” A few months later Galileo Galilei pointed one upward and astronomy changed forever, which is why 2009 will be the International Year of Astronomy.
For further information go to http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/ or call (707) 664-2119.
*All events are free unless otherwise noted.
LECTURES
CHEMISTRY OF PLANET FORMATION - Dr. Sally Dodson-Robinson of the California Institute of Technology describes how planets form, what they are made of, and how astronomers use that information to discover new planets. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 3. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY PANEL: ROOTS, ISSUES, AND SOLUTIONS TO THE WORLD'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS - The recent concern over the health of the economy brought about by the "sub-prime lending crisis" and multiple record drops on Wall Street in a matter of weeks is an issue felt by all members of our community. The value of the dollar is decreasing, the job market is narrowing, and retirement savings are shrinking by double-digit percentage points. This panel will feature professors Florence Bouvet, Robert Eyler, Douglas Jordan, and Michael Visser, all experts on both domestic and overseas economic issues covering a broad range of topics. 5:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 3. Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. (707) 664-2382.
THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH - Dr. Glenn Brassington, Psychology (right), presents the current recommendations for frequency, duration, and intensity of physical activity recently released by the federal government. The hypothesized mechanisms by which physical activity appears to help prevent and treat disease will also be presented. School of Social Science Brown Bag, Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 4. Stevenson 2011. (707) 644-2112.
UNDERSTANDING WAR - Shepherd Bliss, Professor of Psychology and panel of Veterans discuss. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2543. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/WP_Calendar.htm
POST-ELECTION COVERAGE - Featuring Panelists: Ruben Arminana, Pete Golis, PD and David McCuan, moderator. It Matters! Lecture Series. Noon, Wednesday, Nov. 5. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2397. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://library.sonoma.edu/about/lecture.html
SECURE E-MAIL: PGP, HASHES AND DIGITAL SIGNATURES - Michael King, Joseph Muller and Dylan Field, Sonoma State University, give a brief introduction to cryptography using RSA; an overview of PGP and how it is used to secure communication over the internet; and an overview of hash functions (with MD5 algorithm as an example) used for password protection and message integrity. This is a student project from the Fall 2007 Math 485 class (Introduction to Cryptography). M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/math/colloq/colloqf08.pdf
WEBCT CLINIC - Students and staff have the opportunity to learn how to use the program. The "Grade Book" tool will be discussed. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 6. Schulz 2019. (707) 664-2009.
SIMULATING PLANETARY ENVIRONMENTS - Jason Shankel, Maxis, Walnut Creek, describes some of the techniques used to simulate realistic dynamic planetary environments for computer games, including geology, water flow, weather, and life. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 6. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
CHEMICAL RITES OF PASSAGE IN COLLEGE-AGE POPULATIONS: WHEN IS TOO MUCH ENOUGH? - Phyllis Haig, MFT, presents compelling information from current trends in substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment and harm reduction methods as well as local resources and a quiz to self-assess personal use and function. Haig offers a humorous, non-shaming, feminist approach to the topic of substance abuse. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 6. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/WHLSFLIER08.pdf
SOME THINGS ABOUT FOOD: A FILM SET IN A FARM MARKET - Michael Litle presents a new film: During a busy farmer's market in Sebastopol, Wadner Pierre (right), a foreign exchange student at SSU, attempts to sell his photographs of Haiti.; A&H Forum. 12:05 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2146. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/ahforum.htm
MODERN MEDIA LECTURE SERIES - Michael Schwartz, Professor of Global Studies, University of New York at Stony Brook (left) discusses "Is the United States Killing 10,000 Iraqis Every Month? Or Is It More?" (Alternet) and Wes Enzinna, Freelance journalist, NACLA Report on the Americas , discusses "Another SOA?: A Police Academy in El Salvador Worries Critics". 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6. Darwin 103. (707) 664-3373. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://projectcensored.org/lectures/
MUSIC
TRANSATLANTICA: FRENCH AND AMERICAN SACRED MUSIC - Christopher Fritzsche, countertenor and Charles Rus, organ. General admission is $10, $8 Seniors/Students, SSU students admitted free. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8. Holy Family Episcopol Church. (707) 664-2353.
TRIO NAVARRO - SSU's resident trio plays Paul Juons Miniatures, Rachmaninoffs Piano Trio No. 1 in G Minor and Anton Arenskys Trio. Roy Malan, violin; Jill Rachuy Brindel, cello; Marilyn Thompson, piano. $12 General, $10 FANS, $8 Seniors/Students, SSU students admitted free. 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2353.
FILMS
DON'T LOOK NOW - (1973, Nicolas Roeg) (right) Daphne du Maurier's story of the occult set in Venice and starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland. 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, Nov. 2. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. For more information, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi/schedule.html
DER BEWEGTE MANN - "Maybe, Maybe Not" (1994) Starring Sonke Wortmann. German with English subtitles. SSU German Film Series. 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4. Schulz 2015. For a complete list of events in this series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/forlang/GerFilmSeries_flyer_f08.pdf
OPERATION FILMMAKER - (2008) Nina Davenport's documentary about an Iraqi film student (left) who gets an internship on a Liev Schreiber film. A tale of good intentions gone dramatically (and comically) awry. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. For more information, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi/schedule.html
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. Library Art Gallery. (707) 664-4240.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
FREE BOWLING NIGHT - Currently enrolled students are able to bowl for free with Student ID. Associated Student Production's Free Bowling Night takes place the first Thursday of every month. 10 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6. Double Decker Lanes. (707) 664-2382.
*All events are free unless otherwise noted
CAMPUS CLOSED - VETERAN'S DAY, TUESDAY, NOV. 11
LECTURES
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING ANTIMATTER - Dr. Helen Quinn of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (left) describes how physicists address the puzzle of how it came about that, with very similar laws of physics for matter and antimatter, the Universe is populated with matter but very little antimatter. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 10. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119. http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
KARL MCDADE - Karl McDade, Diablo Valley College, spent the last year on sabbatical learning how to transfer digital images to ceramic surfaces. His newest body of work combines contemporary and ancient Greek imagery on to traditional classical forms. Visiting Artist Lecture Series. Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 11. Art 102. (707) 664-2364. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/art/visitingartists/
TOWN HALL MEETING ON SSU BUDGET - Discussion of financial and budget issues and the impact on the campus. Noon-1 p.m., Thursday, Nov 13, Cooperage 2. Town Hall SSU Budget Series. Barbara Danelia, (707) 664-2167.
A FORCE OF NATURE: REVEALING THE STRENGTH OF YOUR NATURE THROUGH YOGA - Barbra Brady, a certified yoga teacher, leads a discussion on the benefits of Tantric Hatha Yoga for women. Brady's teachings focus on creating a personal practice of yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation that are aligned with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, or "The Science of Life." Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 13. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/WHLSFLIER08.pdf
PDES AND ASYMPTOTICS FOR THE TROPICAL ATMOSPHERE - Joseph Biello, UC Davis (right) discusses patterns in tropical atmospheres. The equations governing the atmosphere are extremely complicated to solve even on modern massively parallel computers. However, amid this complexity there often arise well-organized structures such as jet streams and weather fronts in the middle latitudes. A more subtle and complicated example was discovered in 1972 in the tropics; it consists of an extremely large-scale wind pattern in which are embedded smaller scale storm systems, themselves consisting of organized storms. While this pattern moves eastward, its embedded structures move westward. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/math/colloq/colloqf08.pdf
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT: JEWISH LITERATURE - Allegra Goodman's novel, Kaaterskill Falls (left) is the focus. In Goodman's fictional recreation, Kaaterskill Falls is a place where various segments of American Jewish society come together. Goodman shows that during the summer of 1976 the interplay between individuals and their communities was particularly intense for American Jews as they celebrated America's bicentennial and Israel's courage at Entebbe. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 13. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-4240.
SIMULATING PLANETARY ENVIRONMENTS - Jim Horning, Sparta, Sunnyvale, describes methods for simulating atmospheric weather, ocean currents and the spread of life in a game-quality environment. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 13. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
JOURNALIST DAHR JAMAIL ON THE EXODUS OF IRAQ - Award-winning independent reporter and photographer Dahr Jamail presents his #1 ranked story on the refugee crisis in Iraq. 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, Darwin 103.
Tickets: $10 ($5 online at www.projectcensored.org/lectures) Free for SSU students and staff. Sponsored by Project Censored. (707) 664-2500.
FILMS
OPERATION FILMMAKER - (2008) Nina Davenport's documentary about an Iraqi film student (right) who gets an internship on a Liev Schreiber film. Is a tale of good intentions gone dramatically (and comically) awry. 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, Nov. 9. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. www.sonoma.edu/sfi
VIOLETTE - (1978, Claude Chabrol) Based on a true story, Isabelle Huppert plays a pretty and dissolute French working class girl who became nationally famous for a scandalous crime. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664- 2606. For a complete list of events, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi
HANCOCK- A hard-living superhero (left) who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who's trying to repair his image. Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman. Scene It Big Screen Movie Night. 9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15. The Cooperage. (707) 664-2804.
THEATRE
HEART OF A DOG - Adapted by Frank Galati from the play by Mikhail Bugakov and directed by Judy Navas. Heart of A Dog is an imaginative sci-fi comedy written just after the Russian Revolution. Professor Preobrajansky, an innovative medical practitioner who specializes in sexual rejuvenation battles with the management committee of his apartment house who want the professor to give up some of his many rooms. But when the professor takes in a stray dog, Sharik, and transplants human testes and a pituitary gland into his scrawny body, his troubles begin to multiply. Sharik not only learns to walk upright and talk, but becomes "Comrade Sharikov," the head of the Moscow Communal Property Administration in charge of exterminating homeless cats and turns the life in the professor's house into a nightmare. 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14; and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15. Evert B. Person Theatre. (707) 664-2353. For more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/cal_0811.shtml
MUSIC
TRIO NAVARRO - SSU's resident trio plays Paul Juon, Rachmaninoff, and Anton Arensky. $12 general; $10 faculty, alumni and students; $8 seniors/students; SSU students free. Resident Artist Series. 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9. Ives 119. (707) 664-2353. 
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
BIG CATS SHOW - Trainers Rob and Barbara Dicely of Leopards, Etc. lead discussions about the five different species of big cats. Scheduled to appear are a king cheetah, a cougar, a snow leopard, an ocelot, and a lynx. Many of the cats are endangered or at risk due to the fur trade hunters. 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12. The Cooperage. (707) 664-2815.
*All events are free unless otherwise noted.
LECTURES
CALIFORNIA OBSERVATORIES AS LEADERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERY LARGE OPTICAL TELESCOPES - Dr. Joseph S. Miller of the University of California, Santa Cruz (left) will discuss the central role that California observatories have played in the evolution of large optical telescopes, from the Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory to the giant Keck Telescopes on Mauna Kea. "What Physicists Do" Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2119. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
UNDER THE INFLUENCE: EXTREME SNOWBOARD VIDEO SCREENING - Teton Gravity Research continues to rule the world of action sports cinematography with their newest creation, "Under the Influence", a film exploring the people, places, and moments that define today's top riders. The film follows some of the biggest names in snowboarding as they traverse the globe in search of the unique terrain and conditions that emerged from one of the deepest winters in recorded history. 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17. The Cooperage. (707) 664-2382. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
THINKING OF A MAJOR WORKSHOP SERIES - Criminology and Criminal Justice. Information is presented on what do with this major and how to get there. Noon, Tuesday, Nov. 18. Salazar 1061.
ARE WE BORN TO FIGHT? - Rick Luttmann, professor of Mathematics (right) and Chuna McIntyre, Yup'ik Eskimo Cultural Ambassador, discuss. War and Peace Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2543. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a&h/WP_Calendar.htm
"GRAND AVENUE" NIGHT - Renowned author and Native American Studies Chair Greg Sarris hosts a special night featuring the showing of the film "Grand Avenue," based on his novel of the same name. The movie tells the story of the several generations of Pomo Indians who live on Grand Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., taking viewers into the compelling world of multi-cultural America in the 20th century. Suggested donation $5. Fundraiser for Raza/Native American Council of Sonoma State University. 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18. Cooperage. (707) 280-3867.
SYNCHRONY AND THE BRAIN: PHASE-LOCKING IN NEURONAL NETWORKS - Synchronous oscillatory behavior is a hallmark of electrical activity in neuronal networks. Its presence has been correlated with many higher brain functions, including attention, learning, and memory. Mathematical modeling and analysis is playing an important role in uncovering the mechanisms of synchrony of neuronal networks. Tim Lewis, UC Davis (left), will provide a brief introduction to neuronal networks and discuss a mathematical framework for understanding the mechanisms underlying synchrony. M*A*T*H Colloquium. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/math/colloq/colloqf08.pdf
THE HISTORY OF SATAN - Santa Rosa Junior College professor Dr. Eric Thompson traces the development of the character Satan, or "The Devil", from its beginnings in Biblical literature. He examines the evolution of that literature through analysis of Jewish, Christian and Islamic theological development, great literary works of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, and contemporary fill and comic strips. 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19. Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. (707) 664-2382.
USING PYTHON IN EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS - Chris Ramstad, Joe Miguel and Stephen West, Cyanoptic, Petaluma discuss. Python is a high level dynamic programming language with a large selection of built-in and third party libraries. Traditionally, it has not been considered as a primary tool for implementation of core functionality on an embedded product because it is a 'scripting language' and poor performance. However, given the growing complexity of software requirements, pressure to shorten time to market, and the continual drop of cost in computing power, leveraging Python makes more sense. Computer Science Colloquium. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 22. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
REBUILDING LIVES: THE FEMINIZATION OF POVERTY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE HOMELESS POPULATION - Tanya Wulff, Case Manager and Annie Nicol, FNP, from the Committee On The Shelterless (COTS) explore the feminization of poverty and its impact on the homeless population. Wulff and Nicol work at the Mary Isaak Center (MIC), which provides a transformative program designed to support individuals while they put their shattered lives back together again. Often homelessness is a direct result of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) as well as substance abuse and health issues. They discuss how ACES, along with substance abuse and health issues, directly attribute to homelessness. Women's Health Lecture Series. Noon, Thursday, Nov. 20. Carson 68. (707) 664-2840. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/WHLSFLIER08.pdf
INDIGENOUS MEXICAN MIGRANTS IN A MODERN METROPOLIS: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SOCIAL CAPITAL AMONG ZAPOTEC WORKERS IN LOS ANGELES - Daniel Malpica, professor of Chicano/Latino Arts and Literature Studies, explores how social capital and social networks influence the social and economic incorporation of indigenous Mexican migrants into the United States. In particular, what kind of work indigenous Mexicans do, how they find work, and how they struggle to work in the new low-wage economy, raise families, and move ahead. A&H Forum. 12:05 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2146. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/ahforum.htm
MODERN MEDIA LECTURE SERIES - Jacob Wheeler, Freelance Journalist, discusses "El Salvador's Patriot Act" (In These Times), and Ben Dangl, Freelance Journalist and Founder, Upside Down World presents "ILEA: US Restarting Dirty Wars in Latin America" (AlterNet). 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20. Darwin 103. (707) 664-3373. For a complete list of events in this lecture series, visit http://projectcensored.org/lectures/
THE HABITAT OF THE BODY - Poet Elizabeth Herron speaks. Six Elements of Sustainability Lecture Series. 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20. Environmental Technology Center. For more information visit http://sixelementsofsustainability.blogspot.com/
FILMS
VIOLETTE - (1978, Claude Chabrol) Based on a true story, Isabelle Huppert plays a pretty and dissolute French working class girl who became nationally famous for a scandalous crime. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664- 2606. For a complete list of events in this series, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi
SOPHIE SCHOLL--DIE LETZTEN TAGE - "Sophie Scholl - The Final Days," directed by Marc Rothemund, 2005. German with English Subtitles. German Film Series. 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18. Schulz 2015. For a complete list of events in this series, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/forlang/GerFilmSeries_flyer_f08.pdf
NOTE BY NOTE - (2007, Ben Niles) This fascinating documentary follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano in its long and complex journey from forest floor to concert hall. 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. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2606. For a complete list of events in this series, visit www.sonoma.edu/sfi
MUSIC
STUDENT SENIOR RECITAL - Deborah Bartle, piano, and Deborah Kakalik, piano. 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16. Ives 119. (707) 664-2235.
CONTRASTS QUARTET - Ayako Oshima, clarinet; Lisa Kim, violin; Caroline Stinson, cello; Evelyne Luest, piano. Acclaimed for their exhilarating performances of old and new repertoire, Contrasts Quartet is a group of four extraordinary virtuosi, its name chosen to describe the contrasting timbres of their instruments as well as the variety of its repertoire. The evening concert focuses on the modern repertoire and includes Sentiments by SSU Music Department Chair, Brian S. Wilson. $12 general admission, $10 FANS (Faculty, Alumni, Staff) $8 Seniors/Students. SSU students admitted free. Person Guest Artist Series. 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18. Ives 119. (707) 664-2235. To purchase tickets online, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/43198
MONTEVERDI: SECOND VESPERS - The SSU Chamber Singers, directed by Bob Worth, present a special pair of Vespers concerts, featuring on Friday Vespers for the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, and on Saturday Vespers for the Feast of St. Cecilia. Spectacular psalms and Magnificat from the late works of Monteverdi, and motets by Josquin, Palestrina, Jacquet de Mantova and Clemens non-papa. $12 general admission, $10 FANS (Faculty, Alumni, Staff), $8 Seniors/Students, SSU students admitted free. Presented by the Sonoma County Choral Society. 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22. Holy Family Episcopol Church (1500 E. Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park). (707) 664-2235. To purchase tickets online, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/43219
THEATRE
HEART OF A DOG - Adapted by Frank Galati from the play by Mikhail Bugakov and directed by Judy Navas. Heart of A Dog is an imaginative Sci-Fi comedy written just after the Russian Revolution. Professor Preobrajansky, an innovative medical practitioner who specializes in sexual rejuvenation battles with the management committee of his apartment house who want the Professor to give up some of his many rooms. But when the professor takes in a stray dog, Sharik, and transplants human testes and a pituitary gland into his scrawny body, his troubles begin to multiply. Sharik not only learns to walk upright and talk, but becomes "Comrade Sharikov," the head of the Moscow Communal Property Administration in charge of exterminating homeless cats and turns the life in the professor's house into a nightmare. 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16; 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18; 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19; 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20; Friday, Nov. 21; and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22. Evert B. Person Theatre. (707) 664-2353. For more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/cal_0811.shtml
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
FREE TUTORING - The Academic Resource Center provides help in the following subjects: Spanish, English, Philosophy, Writing, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and more. 6 – 9 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17, Tuesday, Nov. 18, Wednesday, Nov. 19, and Thursday, Nov. 20. Academic Resource Center (Semillion Bldg, Zinfandel). (707) 664-4033.
INTRAMURAL TURKEY TROT - The turkey trot is a fun run with a twist. Pay $5 or 3 cans for donation to charity to participate. The course will be a 5k run and entrants will be asked to guess their time. Whoever guesses the closest to their time is declared the winner. Everybody has a chance to win. This is a 1-day event. Sign-ups are due by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19. The race is at noon, Thursday, Nov. 20. (707) 664-4386. To download the registration form or to find more information, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/campusrec/intramurals/turkeytrot.html
MAD CHAD THE AMAZING CHAINSAW JUGGLER [ A once in a lifetime show. Chad is funny, talented and well....he juggles chainsaws. Presented by The Scene. 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101.
ASP BLACK-LIGHT BILLIARDS- Students rack and break 'em for a 3 hour free billiards blowout. Buffalo Billiards is bringing out the black lights, the balls, and the brews for another night of entertainment presented completely free of charge, featuring twenty-three pool tables, darts, arcade games, VIP room, and a sound system to wake the neighbors. Refreshments and pub food will be available from a bar that features the largest selection of micro-brews in Sonoma County. All of this is thrown under the black lights to bring that familiar free bowling feeling that all of us have come to know and love. Admission is free to first 100 students with SSU ID and valid CA ID. 10 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20. Buffalo Billiards in Cotati (8492 Gravenstein Hwy). (707) 664-2382.
