Lisa Wyatt, Director, Counseling and Psychological Services, offers tips for those who need help identifying and coping with anxiety that is related to the swine flu outbreak.
She writes:
"The emotional impact of a public health emergency, such as the swine flu, can have a powerful effect on the mental health of individuals of all ages. People naturally become alarmed and upset when they believe that their health may be threatened.
However, during these times of heightened concerns regarding public health risks, it is critically important to take care of yourself and monitor your own emotional reactions. Tending to your own mental health and emotional needs will make you a better, more reliable resource for friends, colleagues, and loved ones in helping them to better handle their concerns.
Anxiety and Emotions
Anxiety is related to fear of the unknown. It is normal to feel anxious and worried about a spreading disease, especially if there is no known cause or cure. Coping with your feelings during times of uncertainty can be challenging, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. All people will react in their own way to this flu outbreak.
Normal reactions include:
Physical
- Headaches, tiredness
- Fast pulse, high blood pressure
- Changes in appetite
- Unexplained aches or pains
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Emotional
- Panic, anxiety
- Distrust, fear
- Anger, irritability
- Sadness, depression
- Blame
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Increased stress
Mental
- Trouble concentrating
- Problems with work or school
- Memory problems
- Troubling thoughts that won't go away
- Concern about health issues
Behavioral
- Avoiding others
- Increased substance abuse
- Excessive cleaning or washing
- Being overly cautious, jumpiness
Coping with stress and anxiety
- Limit your exposure to news stories which can include incorrect or outdated information
- Get accurate, timely information from reliable sources
- Educate yourself about the specific health hazards associated with swine flu
- Maintain your normal daily routine to the extent possible
- Exercise, eat well, and rest
- Stay active- physically and mentally
- Stay in touch with family and friends
- Find comfort in your spiritual and personal beliefs
- Keep a sense of humor
- Find healthy ways to express your feelings
Stay Connected
The fear associated with this swine flu emergency can push people apart. Those normally close to friends and family may avoid contact because they are afraid they might get sick. Sonoma State University's Student Health Center medical director will tell you how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Until then, stay connected by phone and through e-mail. If you are anxious about a health risk, talk to someone who can help. This may be a doctor at the Student Health Center (707-664-2921) or a mental health professional at Counseling and Psychological Services (707-664-2153) or in your own community, a family member, friend, clergy member, or SSU faculty or staff member.
If you notice a big change in a loved one, friend, or co-worker, reach out to them. Make some time to talk. Watching out for others shows that you care. It can be comforting to both of you.
If you or someone you know is having a hard time managing their emotions, seek help from a medical or mental health professional. The SSU Counseling and Psychological Services can be reached at (707) 664-2153.
Get Reliable Information
When we face uncertainty about health risks, it is important to keep things in perspective. Get information during a public health emergency from http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
Sonoma State University President Ruben Arminana and Student Health Center Medical Director Georgia Schwartz have sent the following communication to the faculty, staff and students on the Rohnert Park campus:
In light of the rapidly developing story regarding swine flu, Sonoma State University is closely monitoring the swine flu situation and staying in contact with public health officials.
There are currently no reported cases of swine flu at Sonoma State University or in Sonoma County and no increase in reports of influenza-like illness. Ten confirmed cases have been reported in California, with 62 cases reported nationwide.
Increased public health surveillance and testing for this particular virus will likely increase the number of reported cases, but will not necessarily mean that those who test positive are severely ill.
Swine flu is a viral respiratory illness similar to regular seasonal influenza. To date, all confirmed cases in the United States have been mild. Most people are not expected to be immune to this virus strain.
Therefore, in collaboration with local public health experts, Sonoma State University is focusing on preparation, monitoring and disease prevention.
We are asking each member of our campus community to become informed and take preventive steps as follows:
To reduce the risk of spread of swine flu and other infectious respiratory diseases:
Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Cover coughs and sneezes. Use your elbows or a tissue. Dispose of used tissues in a waste container and wash hands immediately.
Avoid sharing drinking and eating utensils, and similar mouth contaminated items with others.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as this facilitates the transfer of germs from your hands to your mucus membranes.
Clean potentially contaminated environmental surfaces with soap and water or diluted bleach - nothing more substantial is needed.
Stay home if you are ill with flu symptoms (fever and cough or sore throat) and avoid close contact with others who are ill.
Follow CDC travel guidelines and other suggestions for prevention as listed on their website.
Help out your immune system:
Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, including second hand smoke and other respiratory irritants or substances that interfere with immunity.
Get 7-8 or more hours of sleep a night, and eat regular balanced meals.
Avoid stress, including anxiety based on media reports rather than prevailing public health information - see links below.
If you become ill with flu-like symptoms - fever and cough or sore throat, body aches, etc.:
Stay home and limit contact with others.
If symptoms are mild, follow self-care guidelines including rest, fluids, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever.
Call your health care provider (including the Student Health Center if you are a student) in advance to determine if you need an appointment.
If you have difficulty breathing or are severely ill, seek medical attention promptly, but still call ahead if possible.
Information
The Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and Sonoma County Department of Health Services swine flu websites are ideal sources of updated and accurate information.
Web links are available from the Student Health Center and are also listed below:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The World Health Organization (WHO)
Sonoma County Department of Health Services
CSU Influenza/Swine Flu Update
More than 180 colleges and universities from across the nation will be represented at the North Bay College Fair at on Weds., April 29 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 6 - 8 p.m. Both fairs will be held in the main gymnasium at the Rohnert Park campus and are open to the public.
Representatives from a variety of public to private and specialized schools will be on hand to answer questions and give out information on financial aid and the admission process. Schools from all across the country will be represented, including Penn State University, Claremont McKenna College and Lewis and Clark College.
Those who attend will be able to have face-to-face contact with college admissions personnel from a variety of post-secondary institutions for an opportunity to discuss course offerings, admission and financial aid requirements and college life.
Gustavo Flores, director of admissions and records at SSU, has the following suggestions for questions to ask at this year's fair.
- Are faculty members interested in students and accessible outside of class?
- Do many students go home on weekends?
- Are the athletic facilities open to all students or only to athletes?
- Does the college have academic programs that fit my interests?
- Where are computer terminals located? Will I have to pay extra for computer time?
- Will I have access to special equipment (such as an electron microscope) as a first-year student?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the college's advising system?
- How many students will there be in courses I'm likely to take in my first year? -Are those courses taught by professors or graduate assistants?
- What kinds of campus jobs are available for first-year students?
- Will there be any new programs or facilities in the next two
years?
- What are the college's recent graduates doing now?
The event is sponsored by the Western Association of College Admission Counselors (WACAC).
For more information or a full listing of participating colleges, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/ar/prospective/nbcf.shtml.
Lectures
THE ACOUSTICS OF BAROQUE BASSOONS- Music Professor Bryant Hichwa describes the physical acoustics of 250-year-old bassoons and shows that mathematical models based on examination of museum bassoons reveal interesting societal cultural differences. Mon., April 27, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. What Physicists Do Lecture Series.http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/.
ASPERGER'S SYNDROME - (left) Psychology Professor Lorna Catford explores what it means to go through life with Asperger's Syndrome. Disability Awareness Week Brown Bag Lunch Series. Mon., April 27, noon - 1 p.m. Salazar 2014. Disabled Student Services. (707) 664-2677.
OUR MOTHER'S WAR: A BIOGRAPHY OF A CHILD OF THE DUTCH RESISTANCE - Christina Radisch explores her mother's life and the lives of the Dutch people under the German occupation during WWII. 26th Annual Holocaust Lecture Series. Tues., April 28, 4 - 5:40 p.m. centerh@sonoma.edu www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.htm.
BEING A SATURDAY SIDEKICK - Curriculum Studies and Secondary Eduation Professor Elaine McHugh and the sisters of Lambda Sigma Gamma Sorority, Inc. describe what it means to be a Saturday Sidekick, a once-a-week student volunteer program to aims to improve the lives of developmentally disabled children. Disability Awareness Week Brown Bag Lunch Series. Tues., April 28, noon - 1 p.m. Salazar 2014. Disabled Student Services. (707) 664-2677.
MCNAIR SCHOLARS RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM -The first annual McNair Research Symposium, named in honor of Ronald McNair (right) and fellow astronauts killed in the Challenger explosion, celebrates the research accomplishments of McNair Scholars who present a culmination of their research and current findings. Various disciplines are represented. Tues., April 28, 1 - 4 p.m. Cooperage. Jeff Davis. (707) 664-2698.
BIRDS, BEES, AND VENEREAL DISEASE - Julian Carter, a queer theorist and historian and currently the Chair of the Critical Studies Program at California College for the Arts, describes the ways in which modern U.S. sex education, from its early 20th-century roots, promoted cultural hetero-normativity and whiteness through claims to "development" based in ecology and zoology coupled with claims of "contagion" spread by so-called "perverse" sexualities. Gender Lecture Series. Tues., April 28, noon. Carson 68. Don Romesburg. (707) 664-2574.
MATHEMATICS, ENERGY, AND CLIMATE CHANGE - Juan Meza, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, examines the connections between mathematics, the development of new and efficient energy sources and methods for analyzing the effects of climate change. M*A*T*H* Colloquium. Wednesday, April 29, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. http://www.sonoma.edu/math/nsf/colloquium.shtml.
AUDIOLOGY - Peter Marincovich explores what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing. Disability Awareness Week Brown Bag Lunch Series. Weds., April 29, noon - 1 p.m. Salazar 2014. Disabled Student Services. (707) 664-2677.
ON THAT DAY EVERYBODY ATE- Magaret Trost, founder and director of the What If? Foundation, speaks about her book: On That Day Everybody Ate. Partnering with Father Gerry Jean-Juste and St. Clare's Catholic Church in Port-au-Prince, Trost and the What If? Foundation help to feed and educate hundreds of impoverished children in Haiti, providing hope and opportunity for countless poor and disadvantaged individuals. Her story is an account of the creation of this partnership, and a powerful testimony of one woman's effort to make a difference. Weds., April 29, 10 - 11:30 a.m. Schulz 3001. Suzanne Toczyski. (707) 664-4177.
TURNING AWAY FROM HATE WITH T.J. LEYDEN - (left) T.J. Leyden, a Neo-Nazi white supremacist, activist and recruiter experiences a profound change of heart, turns away from hate and begins teaching tolerance. Associated Student Productions and Residential Life. Weds., April 29, 7:30 p.m. Cooperage. (707) 664-2382. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
UNDERSTANDING ROTATION - Jason Shankel, Maxis Software, explains how geometric rotation is a cornerstone of physics, animation, and graphics programming and examines how rotation operations are represented and utilized in 3D applications Computer Science Colloquium. Thurs., April 30, noon. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/CS_S09_Colloquium.pdf.
TRANSITION TO WORK - The Department of Rehabilitation raises awareness about the process of transition back to work for those with disabilities. Disability Awareness Week Brown Bag Lunch Series. Thurs., April 29, noon - 1 p.m. Salazar 2014. Disabled Student Services. (707) 664-2677.
THE REAL WORLD: BROOKLYN'S KATELYNN CUSANELLI - (right) On the TV series "Real World: Brooklyn," Katelynn Cusanelli's past stood out in stark contrast to those of her roommates. From her early childhood, Cusanelli struggled with gender identity in an attempt to figure out why she was born male when she clearly felt female inside. She completed her transformative surgery just three weeks before moving into the Real World house and brought the results to be seen all over the world. Cusanelli has toured the nation delivering her message to students of all backgrounds. She discusses equality for all genders and sexualities and her struggle with the inequality and prejudice in the world around her. Fri., May 1, 7 p.m. Cooperage. (707) 664-2382. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
HISTORY OF DISABILITY SERVICES AT SSU - Anthony Tusler describes the history of SSU's Disabled Services Department. Disability Awareness Week Brown Bag Lunch Series. Fri., May 1, noon - 1 p.m. Salazar 2014. Disabled Student Services. (707) 664-2677.
PUBLIC VIEWING NIGHT - Join amateur and professional viewers to observe the night sky, including the Whirlpool Galaxy, Saturn and the Moon. 9 - 11 p.m. Sonoma State Observatory. (707) 664-2267.
Theater
MIRACLE JUNKIE - The Miracle Junkie concerns Gus Chitnik, a middle-aged retiree living in Vallejo, California. His core focus in life is centered on a bizarre, underground religion called Crystal Moonrayism, named after a renowned clairvoyant. Gus is so entranced by Moonrayism that he neglects the needs of his rather eccentric, but highly dysfunctional family. His family includes a perpetually depressed wife named Eileen and four children, all of whom are forced to deal with individually troubling crises through the course of the play. Though it is not a musical, music and dance are integrated to offer a deeper immersion into the variety of dramatic storytelling methods of theatre arts which will bring something new to an original, contemporary American story, and give audiences something they have never seen before. This piece was inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht, Ancient Greek theatre, and German Expressionism. Fri., May 1, 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 2, 7:30 p.m. Sun., May 3, 2 p.m. Ives 76. (707) 228-0766.
SPRING DANCE PERFORMANCE- (left) Spirited dancing by the SSU Dance Ensemble and stunning choreography by critically acclaimed guest artists from the San Francisco Bay Area and resident dance faculty Kristen Daley and Nancy Lyons. $15 general, $12 faculty/alumni/staff, $8 seniors/students, Free SSU students. Fri., May 1, 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 2, 7:30 p.m. Tues., May 5., 7:30 p.m. Weds., May 6, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., May 7., 7:30 p.m. Fri., May 8, 7:30 p.m. Sat., May 9, 7:30 p.m. Person Theater. http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf.
O PRIMAVERA - The SSU Chorus celebrates spring time with a variety of choral works, featuring Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, as well as selections by Monteverdi, Bach and Brahms. Music director is Jenny Brent. $12 general, $10 faculty/alumni/staff, $8 seniors/students, Free to SSU students. Fri., May 1, 8 p.m. Sat., May 2, 8 p.m. (707) 664-2353. www.sonomachoral.org.
Films
THE GREAT RAID - Based on the inspirational true story of the most triumphant rescue mission in U.S. military history, the liberation of the Cabanatuan prison camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during WWII. Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Mon., April 27, 7 p.m. Student Union Multipurpose Room. (707) 664-2382. www.sonoma.edu/s/asp.
LEON, THE PROFESSIONAL - (1994) (French Gangsters in New York City) Two years after it was first released, Luc Besson came out with this extended version of his international hit Leon (released as The Professional in the U.S. 24 minutes of footage was added to this stylish tale of a hit-man (Jean Reno) who becomes an unlikely friend to a 12 year-old girl (Natalie Portman) as he shoots it out with the police and a maniacal gangster, played in a typically unrestrained fashion by Gary Oldman. (132 minutes). Thurs., April 30, 7 p.m. Darwin 103. (707) 664-4332. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/.
TWO EARLY DOCUMENTARIES BY MIRA NAIR - India Cabaret- By focusing on a group of female strippers who work in a nightclub in the suburbs of Bombay, India Cabaret explores the "respectable" and "corrupt" stereotypes which typify women in contemporary Indian society. It shows us the ordinary lives the dancers lead during the day, and follows them into the dressing room where they transform themselves into "queens of the night" (1985, 60 min.). So Far From India- A documentary examining two worlds: that of an Indian subway newsstand worker in Manhattan and the traditional world of his new bride awaiting him in his ancestral home in India (1982, 52 min.). Sonoma Film Institute. Fri., May 1, 7 p.m. Sun., May 3, 4 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-4332. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/.
BURN AFTER READING - (2008) Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a Balkan expert is fired at the CIA, so he begins a memoir. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, a philandering State Department marshal, to leave his wife. A diskette of Osbourne's musings falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash. Scene It Movie Night. Sat., May 2, 9 p.m. Cooperage. (707) 664 2815. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
Galleries
ANNUAL BFA EXHIBITION 20009 - The BFA Exhibition 2009 features the work of six students in the Art Department graduating this Spring with their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), an advanced degree requiring an additional year of focused study in their chosen medium---Lily Cain (painting and printmaking), Abelardo Cruz-Santiago (mixed media printmaking), Itzul Gutierrez (sculpture/print installation), Johnny King (printmaking), Logan Stocksdale (ceramic sculpture), and Emily Wiseman (painting). Open Thurs., April 30 - Sat., May 23. Tues. - Fri., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sat. & Sun., noon - 4 p.m. Carla Stone. (707) 664-2295.
Lectures
COSMIC COLLIDERS - (left) Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, University of California at Santa Cruz, shows how observations of the interplay between black holes, neutron stars and other objects in dense stellar systems allow us to draw firm conclusions about the properties of these extreme forms of matter. Mon., April 20, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/.
SEGREGATION AND "THE GREATEST GENERATION" - History Professor Steve Estes examines World War II veterans who returned from duty overseas to fight not for equality, but for segregation. The traditional story of the "Good War" highlights the advances of African-Americans and women during and after the war. In this hopeful narrative, the victorious fight against Nazi bigotry made Americans more critical of injustices at home, gradually shifting popular sentiment in favor of expanded rights for ethnic minorities and women. "But what are we to make of the former paratrooper who founded the White Citizens Councils, the war hero president who privately scorned the Brown decision, the Army Air Corps veteran who famously stood in the schoolhouse door to stop racial integration in Alabama?," he asks. Are these men part of the "Greatest Generation" or part of a conveniently forgotten one? What are we to make of the war's legacy for them and for the South? Estes says "perhaps by considering these men and their experiences we can come to a more nuanced understanding of the "Greatest Generation" and its legacies." School of Social Sciences Brown Bag Lecture Series. Noon - 1 p.m., Tues., April 21. Stevenson 2011. (707) 664-2424.
WE WILL REMEMBER: 2ND AND 3RD GENERATION SURVIVORS - Women's and Gender Studies professor Barbara Lesch McCaffry moderates a panel in Observance of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). 26th Annual Holocaust Lecture Series. Tues., April 21, 4 - 5:40 p.m. www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.htm.
FREE TIBET - The World Care Project Manager for Tibetan Projects, Amy Eisenberg, explores the many layers of the Tibet conflict, the Free Tibet movement, progress that has taken place and what can still be done to support the effort. Local Tibetan musicians and dancers are alsofeatured. What Can I Do? Lecture Series. Tues., April 21, 7 p.m. Multi Purpose Room. (707) 664-2382. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
THE POLITICS OF BEING HEARD: BOOK PUBLISHING AND QUEER LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY - (right) Felice Newman, a founding publisher of Cleis Press, discusses the "pay-to-play democracy" of the U.S. publishing industry and suggests how diverse queer voices break through the barriers of the marketplace. Gender Lecture Series. Tues., April 21, noon. Carson 68. Don Romesburg. (707) 664-2574. romesburg@sonoma.edu.
PLANT HERBIVORE INTERACTIONS - Sharon Martinson, University of California at Santa Cruz, eplores relationships between plants and the herbivores that eat them. Biology Colloquium Lectures Series. Tues., April 21, noon. Darwin 101. www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.shtml.
RANDOMIZED RESPONSE, THE POWER OF SIMULATION AND THE SIMULATION OF POWER - Scott Nickleach examines a technique for estimating the proportion of people who have cheated on a significant other and the proportion of people who lie about it. He also incorporates simulations into the results using the statistical and software package, R. M*A*T*H* Colloquium Lecture Series. Wednesday, April 22, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.sonoma.edu/math/nsf/colloquium.shtml.
href="http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp">http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
ENERGY TECHNOLOGY AND THE CARBON IMPERATIVE: THE CASE FOR AN AUDACIOUS NEW VISION - Environmental Students and Planning Professor Alexandra Von Meir argues for the abolition of fossil fuel combustion and discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by different technologies and strategies to this end. Specifically, she will analyze issues of scale, coordination and infrastructure that need to be addressed for carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power, and a portfolio of renewable resources. Each of these strategies to displace carbon emissions on a large scale entails not only technological innovation, but a long-term societal commitment to a comprehensive infrastructure investment. Von Meier will discuss theoretical and practical limitations of each strategy and the engineering problems that await solution by the current generation of students. Engineering Science Colloquium Lecture Series. 4:30 p.m., Thurs, April 23. Salazar 2009A. (707) 664-2030.
GAY BACK IN THE DAY: AN INTERGENERATIONAL ROUNDTABLE - An annual Women's and Gender Studies panel explores what it meant to be lesbian or gay at Sonoma State in the 1970s and 1980s. The dialogue includes veteran and new students, professors and staff for a dynamic dialogue. Panelists and audience members will be encouraged to share their memories about relationships, activism, controversies, and campus climate for LGBT people during Sonoma State's early years. Students for Social Change and the Women's and Gender Studies Foundation. Thurs., April 23, 6 - 8 p.m. Schulz 3001. Don Romesburg. (707) 664-2574. romesbur@sonoma.edu.
CLORPT, CORES AND REFERENCE SLIDES: NAURAL HISTORY MEETS PERSONAL HISTORY - Hutchins Professor Heidi LaMoureaux explores the ways in which scientific tools and theories can be used to facilitate and deepen personal history examination and memoir writing. Arts & Humanities Research & Creative Forum. Thurs., April 23, noon. Schulz 3001. www.sonoma.edu/a&h/AHForum.htm.
IS SOFTWARE STILL PATENTABLE? SHOULD IT BE? - (left) Pam Samuelson, University of California at Berkeley, explores several Supreme Court rulings that cast doubt on whether computer programs (or at least certain kinds of innovations embodied in programs such as algorithms) were patentable subject matter. She suggests that the Federal Circuit is likely to continue to hold software innovations to be patent subject matter, but that the Supreme Court may wish to revisit this question, as the Federal Circuit's approach is too formalist and unpersuasive. Computer Science Colloquium Lecture Series. Thurs., April 23, noon. Salazar 2016. www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/CS_S09_Colloquium.pdf.
RICHARD GAGE WITH ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS FOR 9/11 TRUTH AT SSU - Richard Gage, founder of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth which is composed of 641 architectural and engineering professional who question the official government story of 9/11, presents scientific evidence for controlled demolition on 9/11 in New York City.He reviews new evidence from Steven E. Jones' peer reviewed research paper in the Open Chemical Physics Journal. Project Censored, Students for Media Democracy and Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. Fri., April 24, 7 p.m. Stevenson 1002. Suggested donation- $10 general, $5 students.
PATTERNS OF INDIVIDUATION: TRANSFORMATION IMAGERY IN DREAMS, ART AND NATURE - Lynne Ehlers, a Jungian-oriented clinical psychologist in private practice in Berkeley and San Francisco, explores Carl Jung's interpretation of the early alchemists quest to turn lead into gold as a quest for the Self. Ehler refers to dreams and slide images from art and nature to amplify this exploration into the archetypal depths. $25 admission. Sat., April 25, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Cooperage. Laurel McCabe. (707) 664-2130. Laurel.mccabe@sonoma.edu.
Theater
INCOGNITO - In a one-hour, solo-theatrical, autobiographical storytelling presentation, Michael Fosberg relates his story of growing up believing he was white, then discovering early in his thirties he is actually black. In this often funny, deeply emotional one-man play, he guides his audience on a discovery of self. Filled with issues of race, diversity, family history, divorce, adoption and finding a father. Associated Student Productions and Department of Theater and Dance. Weds., April 22, 8 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. Paul Draper. paul.draper@sonoma.edu.
Films
MADE IN L.A. - The 2008 Emmy-Award winning documentary Made in L.A. makes its Sonoma County premiere. Praised as "an excellent documentary... about basic human dignity" by The New York Times, Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar's heartrending documentary follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from trendy clothing retailer Forever 21. Compelling, humorous, deeply human, Made in L.A. is a story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find your voice. Lupe Hernandez, who is featured in the film, and filmmaker Almudena Carracedo will discuss the movie and answer questions after the screening. (English and Spanish w/ bilingual subtitles) Thurs., April 23, 7 p.m. Bruce Berkowitz, (707) 664-2782. berkowit@sonoma.edu.
LE CERCLE ROUGE - (1970) Impassive faces, snap-brim hats, dangling cigarettes, sunglasses after dark, raincoats without rain, nightclub floor show and a prologue quote from an ersatz Indian mystic. Four archetypal tough guys meet their appointment with destiny. The outstanding cast includes Yves Montand and Alain Delon. (150 minutes, in French w/ English subtitles). Thurs., April 23, 7 p.m. Darwin 103. Sun., April 26, 4 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-4332. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/.
VALKYRIE - (2008) In Nazi Germany during World War II, as the tide turned in favor of The Allies, a cadre of senior German officers and politicians desperately plot to topple the Nazi regime before the nation is crushed in a near-inevitable defeat. To this end, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, an Army officer convinced he must save Germany from Hitler, is recruited to mastermind a real plan. To do so, he arranges for the internal emergency measure, Operation: Valkyrie, to be changed to enable his fellows to seize control of Berlin after the assassination of the Fuhrer. Scene It Movie Night. Sat., April 25, 9 p.m. Cooperage. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
The Sustainable Enterprise Coalition will be holding its fourth annual Sustainable Enterprise Conference on Friday, May 8 at the Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park.
The day-long learning and networking conference is dedicated to helping North Bay businesses and organizations transition to economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
Sonoma State University business faculty created the idea of the conference several years ago and the University continues to support the event.
Participants at this exciting conference will learn how to drive the changes that will position them for success in the new economy.
Attendees will also recognize opportunities to network with other North Bay business professionals who have benefited from positive change in the areas of social, economic, and environmental responsibility.
This year's Keynote Speaker will be California State Assemblyman, Jared Huffman, who has introduced significant legislation to protect public health and the environment and promote green power.
Huffman will present an overview of new local, state and federal policies designed to promote sustainable business practices at the community level.
Later in the day, facilitated case study discussions will feature leaders who have experienced both the challenges and opportunities of embracing a high level of sustainability in the workplace.
Workshops include Understanding Compliance Funding and Financing in the New Green Economy, Saving Green by Going Green, and Back to the Roots:Energy, Water and Land Management.
Workshops and informal breakouts will offer access to program experts ready to discuss the practical applications of sustainability strategies for organizations.
To register, visit www.SustainableEnterpriseConference.com.
A gathering to celebrate the life of Dr. Kenneth Stocking, founder of the Environmental Studies and Planning Department at Sonoma State University, will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, in the Environmental Technology Center.
A tour of the Native Plant Garden follows.
A graduate of the College of Pacific and the University of Southern California, Stocking began his career at Sonoma State in 1964. During his 15 years with the university, he was professor and chair of the Biology Department, founded the Department of Environmental Studies and Planning, and started the botanical garden near the lakes which still bears his name.
While working at SSU, Stocking was appointed by then-Governor Ronald Reagan as the Central Coast representative for the California Coastal Commission.
He was the president of Sonoma County Tomorrow, chairman of the Sonoma County Conservation Council, board member of the Sonoma Land Trust, and an active member of the Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society, Audubon Society and many other organizations.
The public is invited. For further information, contact Joann Smith, Environmental Studies and Planning Department, (707) 664-2306. RSVP's are appreciated.
There has been a sea change in the awareness of modern day business students and Bob Girling is taking advantage of it.
"Today's business students are much, much more aware of social and environmental issues than at any time in the past," says Girling who will introduce his MBA students to three successful social entrepreneurs this week.
"Today's students are looking for social solutions and inclined to choose to work for companies with a social mission over one with a purely financial one," says the business professor who has been promoting the virtues of social entrepreneurship for several years.
"It is a new day that is being influenced by the political change in Washington."
Girling's MBA students will visit with three innovative and socially responsible environmental entrepreneurs from 7-9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 in the business cluster at Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park.
They will meet Jeff Mendelsohn, CEO of New Leaf Paper, Rick Theis, founder of the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy, and Trathan Heckman, creator of Daily Acts.
Girling's past symposia have included global innovators like Matt Reynolds of Indigenous Design and Mike Hannigan of Give Something Back, an office products firm that returns 65% of its profits to the community.
For more information, contact Professor Robert Girling, Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics, (707) 664-2228.
How sensationalized media coverage of the Columbine High School shootings created a new fear of alienated white youth is the subject of research published by a Sonoma State University professor.
Professor Benjamin Frymer wrote "The Media Spectacle of Columbine: Alienated Youth as an Object of Fear" in the American Behavioral Scientist 2009 as part of its special issues on the 10th anniversary of the high school shootings in Colorado.
The Colorado high school massacre occurred on April 20, 1999 and is considered the deadliest for an American high school. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed 12 students and a teacher, as well as wounding 23 others, before committing suicide.
Frymer is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at SSU and specializes in the study of alienated youth in schools. He wrote his doctoral dissertation at UCLA about the Columbine High School tragedy.
Frymer says "Although the perception of unruly and violent youth has historically generated a larger fear of young people in American life, especially since the 1950s, the media coverage of the Columbine shootings created a new fear and reality of "alienated youth" run amok."
Analysis of both print and television media shows that the Columbine killers were turned into representatives for an entire category of youth, the "alienated" who could no longer be understood, trusted or controlled, he says.
"The mass media created a spectacle of youth, one which continues in 10th anniversary coverage, in which American youth as a population were demonized and therefore further estranged from American society," Frymer says.
For further information, contact Jean Wasp, Media Relations Coordinator, (707) 664-2057.
Sonoma State University hosts a month long celebration of Earth Day to promote sustainable lifestyles on and off campus.
Special Earth Day celebrations include lectures, a local creek clean-up, a tour of SSU's Environmental Technology Center, screenings of educational, environmental documentaries and a special live music performance.
The School of Science and Technology features two talks for Earth Week 2009.
On Thursday, April 23 from 4-5:30 p.m., the Engineering Science Department presents a public lecture on "Energy Technology and the Carbon Imperative: The Case for a Bold New Vision" with Professor Alexandra von Meier, Department of Environmental Studies and Planning. It will be held in the Cerent Engineering Science Complex, Salazar 2009A.
Dr. von Meier will argue for the abolition of fossil fuel combustion and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by different technologies and strategies to this end. Specifically, she will analyze issues of scale, coordination and infrastructure that need to be addressed for carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power, and a portfolio of renewable resources. For more information, call (707) 664-2030.
On Wednesday, April 29, the Mathematics Department features a colloquium lecture called "Mathematics, Energy, and Climate Change" with Juan Meza of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Darwin 103 from 4-5 p.m. Meza will discuss the connections between mathematics, the development of new and efficient energy sources and methods for analyzing the effects of climate change. For more information, call (707) 664-2368.
A tour of SSU's unique Environmental Technology Building is offered at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 24. The ETC features include passive solar heating and cooling, daylighting, advanced window systems, "smart building" control technologies, photovoltaics, and energy and water-efficient landscaping.
Project Earth and Cotati Creek Critters host a Cotati Creek Earth Day trash pick-up from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sun., April 26 to help maintain SSU's local creek ecosystem.
Volunteers will also have the opportunity to work alongside Sonoma Land Trust volunteers from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday, April 24 to clip and weed pervasive plants in the grassland meadows and oak woodland areas of the historic Glen Oaks Ranch property in Glen Ellen. Volunteers will also be treated to a hike on the 234-acre property.
Other events include:
An Earth Day Super Nooner offers celebrations and educational programs with a live performance by Old Jawbone and opportunities for students to plant mini trees, pet snakes and win sustainable prizes. Noon, Tues., April 21, Darwin Quad.
Student tabling in the main quad on Wed. April 22 include many sustainable projects such as:
- The Engineering Science Department hosts a table about the amount of energy consumed by typical consumer products and how these items, when turned on, contribute to the much larger global energy crisis and climate change. The presentation will also show how solar panels work and demonstrate their energy
efficiency.
- The Student Health Center raises awareness about the environmental danger posed by improperly discarded cigarette butts with "No BUTTS Day." Students will collect cigarette butts on campus and display them to raise awareness of the pollution caused by butts that do not biodegrade and can hurt animals if ingested.
Special screenings of two documentaries include:
"Sisters of the Planet" illustrates the stories of four extraordinary women fighting against climate change in their communities. 7 p.m., Wed., April 22, Schulz 2015B.
"Everything's Cool" explores the quest to move the United States away from its dependence on fossil fuels to a clean energy economy. 7 p.m., Tues., April 28, Student Union Multipurpose Room.
For more information, call (707) 664-2382 or visit www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
Students at Sonoma State University are now able to earn a minor degree in Jewish Studies thanks to a new donor-funded program.
Executive Director Dr. Michael Ezra leads the endeavor, which creates a vital outlet for students looking to understand the diverse 21st-century world. Ezra is a Professor of American Multicultural Studies.
The Jewish Studies Program provides Sonoma State University an important first step toward integrating religion more fully into its curriculum, Ezra says.
"You cannot understand the history of the world and its future without taking religion into account," he says. "Launching the Jewish Studies Program gives the University a chance to begin training students to do so."
Response to the Jewish Studies Program has been overwhelmingly positive. Ezra has involved many other departments around campus in this endeavor. These partnerships reflect the interdisciplinary nature of Jewish Studies.
Jewish and non-Jewish students from diverse backgrounds have flocked to the minor. They reflect the program's mission of using Jewish education as a means to foster inter-religious cooperation, tolerance, and understanding.
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of founder and local philanthropist Claude Ganz, a Holocaust survivor and former presidential envoy to Bosnia during the Clinton Administration, the program has raised enough financial support to offer classes through 2011.
There are efforts underway to seek more donors in order to permanently endow the program.
For questions about the Jewish Studies minor, contact Professor Michael Ezra at (707) 664-3293 or ezra@sonoma.edu.
ABOVE, Claude Ganz and Professor Michael Ezra discuss plans for future Jewish Studies curriculum offerings.
A self defense seminar, a candlelight vigil and an honest and personal discussion about sexual assault prevention are part of the offerings during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April on the Sonoma State University campus.
National statistics report that one in three women will be assaulted in their lifetime, and those in college are four times more likely to be the victim of such an attack.
Kelly Addington and Becca Tieder present "Let's Talk About It," an unusually honest and personal discussion about sexual assault prevention, awareness and sexual empowerment on Mon., April 6 at 8 p.m. in the Cooperage.
The two lifelong friends, who endured a personal experience with sexual assault that forever changed their lives, founded Unite for Change, a national campaign to support sexual assault awareness and education.
At "Take Back the Night," the community is encouraged to break the silence surrounding sexual assault on Tues., April 28 at 7 p.m. in the Cooperage. Students will be given a safe space to speak out about their concerns about walking alone in the dark to their cars or around campus and are encouraged to make their voices heard about sexual assault issues.
The Sonoma State Kinesiology Department, Kinesiology Club and Grandmaster Perry's Full Circle offers a free self-defense seminar to all female SSU students, staff and faculty members on Sun., April 19 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. or 2 -5 p.m. in Fieldhouse 101.
All participants must be at least 13 years old. For more information, call the Kinesiology Department, (707) 664-2357.
For more information, contact SAFE at (707) 664-2217 or safe@sonoma.edu.
Several European countries, notably France and Germany, have resisted President Obama's calls for further large stimulus packages and even greater deficit spending says Sonoma State University Economics Professor Florence Bouvet.
She is available for commentary to the media.
She reports:
"Several factors can explain their opposition to larger fiscal spending. First, national fiscal policies of countries that have adopted the Euro are constrained to keep their budget deficit below 3% of GDP by the Stability and Growth Pact. France's budget deficit is forecast to reach 5.6% in 2009, and the European Commission has already asked France (along with Spain, Greece, and Ireland) to bring its deficit below the 3% threshold by 2012."
"Second, European leaders correctly argue that their countries' extensive social safety nets (job protection programs and generous unemployment benefits) limit the need for large government spending, as these programs soften the social impact of rising unemployment."
"However, given that the current recession has so far been as severe in Europe as in the US, European governments might have to resolve to more fiscal interventions after all."
Contact information:
Florence Bouvet, Professor of Economics and an expert on The European Union, and EU regional economics.
E-mail: bouvet@sonoma.edu
Office Phone: (707) 664-3074
Lectures
REMEMBERING OUR MANONGS: SONOMA COUNTY'S FIILIPINO HISTORY - This documentary, produced by six Filipino AMerican women is explores the local history and culture highlighting the Filipino immigrants who settled in Sonoma County beginning in the 1920's/ Some of the local prominent Filipino Americans in the film include interviews with Greg Sarris, Jeannette Anglin and others, who relate their fond memories of the Manongs (respected elders) and of growing up in Sonoma County. Mon., April 6, 6 p.m. Student Union Multipurpose Room.
WHISPERS IN THE DARK - Jodi Cooley, Stanford University, explore how a group of physicists from the U.S. and Canada are searching for dark matter by listening for faint whispers of their interactions in the CDMS detector located in the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Minnesota. Mon., April 6, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/.
LEWIS DESOTO - (right) Lewis deSoto has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States as well as in England, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Known for public projects and sculptural installations that often incorporate sound, video and theatrical lighting, deSoto brings to his work a strong interest in archaeology, anthropology, sociology and world religions. Tues., April 7, noon. ART 102. http://www.sonoma.edu/art/visitingartists/.
COURTS AND CORRECTIONS: THE EFFECT OF PRISONS ON LOCAL AND FEDERAL COURTS - Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies professor Eric Williams explores the substantial effect prisons have on local and federal courts, since inmates get involved in the court system in both criminal and civil matters. When inmates commit crimes inside the institution they become the jurisdiction of the local courts. This talk is based on a two part study of the effect of new prisons on the courts. The first part is a qualitative study of the effects of prisons on local criminal and civil courts in two communities, while the second part will look at the quantitative effects of new prisons on federal courts across jurisdictions School of Social Sciences Brown Bag Lecture Series. Tues., April 7, noon - 1 p.m. Stevenson 2011.
GENOCIDE OF THE TUTSIS IN RWANDA - Mathilde Mukantabana, professor at Consumnes Community College President and President of FORA: Friends of Rwanda Assosciation will explore the genocide of the Tutsis people in Rwanda. 26th Annual Holocaust Lecture Series. Tues., April 7, 4 - 5:40 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.htm.
THE POWER OF MEDITATION - One of the cornerstones of the Sonoma Mt. Zen Center is the process of meditation. Experience and learn about the impact of this spiritual took that so many religions use today. Featuring Zen Priest Chris King. Religion and Spirituality Lecture Series. Tues., April 7, 7 p.m. Student Union Multipurpose Room. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
ADDING VALUE: THE WORLD OF DVD EXTRAS AND HOW THEY CAN SOMETIMES BE QUEER (left) Jeffrey Schwarz is the President & CEO of Automat Pictures, an award-winning entertainment company widely recognized as one of the industry's leading producers of studio EPKs (electronic press kits), DVD content, original television programming and feature films. Schwarz gives a behind-the-scenes talk on content produced for DVD releases of Hollywood films, with an emphasis on titles with queer content. Gender Lecture Series. Tues., April 7, noon - 1 p.m. Carson 68. Don Romesburg. (707) 664-2574.
THE WAY THE WIND IS BLOWING - Heather Davis explores genetics and reproductive biology in two rare vernal pool grasses. Biology Colloquium Lecture Series. Tues., April 7, noon- 1 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.shtml.
GOLDRUSH! DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN RATIO - John Martin, Santa Rosa Junior College, explores the legend and lore surrounding the number known as the golden ratio, as well as the mathematics behind it. M*A*T*H* Colloquium Lecture Series. Wed., April 8, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.sonoma.edu/math/nsf/colloquium.shtml.
GARDENING AT THE DRAGON'S GATE - Wendy Johnson, a founder of the organic Farm and Garden Program at Green Gulch Zen Center in Marin County, will discuss the worth of soil, the art that comes from the living earth, the dance of stories and science as they intertwine and a wealth of gardening lore. Six Elements of Sustainability Lecture Series. Thurs., April 9, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Environmental Technology Center. http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/index.html.
JURIED STUDENT EXHIBITION 2009 - Join the University Art Gallery for a celebratory opening for an exhibition featuring over 35 works in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, drawing and mixed media, which reflect courses offered in the art studio program at Sonoma State as well as the students' own individual creativity. The jurors who selected this year's art pieces are Nemo Gould, artist, Oakland, and Diane Evans, Executive Director, Sonoma County Museum, Santa Rosa. Through April 26. Tues. - Fri., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sat., Sun., noon - 4 p.m. (707) 664-2295.
JUMP LEADERSHIP APPLICATIONS - Join Us Making Progress (JUMP) is now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 academic school year. There are 14 positions currently available, covering a wide range of social issue. Programs include: tutoring and mentoring children, working with homeless youth, alternative breaks, working at a food pantry, environmental projects, etc. Applications due Fri., April 10, 5 p.m. Jump Office, Student Union. Applications are available in our office and online at:
www.sonoma.edu/as/jump/leadership.shtml. Jodi Roth. jodi.roth@sonoma.edu.
Theater
SAN JOSE TAIKO DRUMMING - Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming, San Jose Taiko will mesmerize the audience with a unique percussive experience. Thurs., April 9, 7 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-2832. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
LAXMI G. TEWARI - Sonoma State University music faculty artist, Laxmi G. Tewari, will perform a concert of classical North Indian Vocal and Instrumental music with a distinguished group of guest artists. The San Francisco Chronicle writes about Tewari: "...sterling, almost uncanny musicianship. The beauty of sound is like a warm ray, flawlessly focused... clearly he is a master." Free to SSU students, $8 non-SSU students/seniors, $10 faculty/staff, $12 general admission. Sat., April 11, 7:30 - 10 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54392.
FAT PIG - (left) A man named Tom hits it off with a woman named Helen, who happens to be a touch large. This doesn't sit well with Tom's friends, Carter and Jeannie, who are sometimes sage, sometimes stupid, almost always nasty. How much has our relentless pursuit of beauty turned us into an uglier species? Does love need society's blessing to be complete? Written by Neil LaBute. Directed by Tori Truss. Tickets available at the door or online. $8 for SSU students and seniors, $12 for SSU faculty, staff and alums, $15 for general admission. Tues., April 7. Weds., April 8. Thurs., April 9. Fri., April 10. Sat., April 11. 7:30 p.m. Evert B. Person Theater. (707) 664-2353. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54391.
Films
THE BRIDE WORE BLACK - (1968) (Hitchcock Homage) Francois Truffaut's stylish and suspenseful homage to Hitchcock stars a stone-faced Jeanne Moreau tracking down and killing (each in a unique way) the five men responsible for her husband's accidental death. The film features an eerie, atmospheric musical score from Bernard Herrmann and is beautifully photographed by Raoul Cotard (107 minutes, in French w/ English subtitles). Thurs., April 2, 7 p.m. Darwin 103. Fri., April 3, 7 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-4332. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/.
KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM ("SOMETIMES HAPPINESS, SOMETIMES SADNESS") - (2001) (Hooray for Bollywood!) (right) Big, big, big emotional family melodrama with great sets, dazzling costumes, music, dance, glitzy cars, helicopters and EMOTION! The story revolves around the extremely wealthy Raichand family and what happens when one of their sons falls in love with a girl from a middle-class family (210 min. in Hindi w/ English subtitles). Fri., April 10, 7 p.m. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-4332. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/.
In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of a telescope to view the skies, SSU is joining a worldwide event consisting of a wide range of public outreach activities. Dubbed "100 Hours of Astronomy," events take place around the world from April 2-5.
There is a free public viewing night at the SSU Observatory on Fri., April 3 from 9-11 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join and observe Saturn, as well as the Moon as it shifts from its new moon to gibbous phase, the ideal time for early evening observations.
UC Berkeley professor Alex Filippenko presents a free public lecture entitled "Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe" on Sat., April 4 at 4 p.m. in Warren Auditorium. And, Dr. Jodi Cooley of Stanford University lectures as part of the "What Physicists Do" lecture series, on the mysterious dark matter in the universe.
Her lecture is entitled "Whispers in the Dark" and takes place Mon., April 6 at 4 p.m. in Darwin 103.
For more information on the International Year of Astronomy, visit http://astronomy2009.us.
Lectures
ENERGY RESEARCH IN DENMARK - Jeremy Hieb, University of California, Santa Cruz and Zero Motorcycles, will discuss renewable energy research in Denmark-including wind, solar, bioenergy, electric vehicles, hydrogen micro-grids, and smart grids for a sustainable biosphere. What Phsyicists Do Lecture Series. Mon., March 30, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/.
PROJECTIVE GEOMETRY FROM PAPPUS TO PIERI - Elena Marchisotto (left), CSU Northridge, explores the significance of Pappus theorem to projective geometry in ways that that are perhaps not so well known, and will include original research findings on the mathematics of Mario Pieri (1860-1913). M*A*T*H* Colloquium Lecture Series. Wednesday, April 1, 4 p.m. Darwin 103. http://www.sonoma.edu/math/nsf/colloquium.shtml.
DAT PHAN - Celebrate April Fool's Day by seeing Dat Phan, the original winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing, who has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and his own feature show on Comedy Central Presents. Growing up poor in San Diego after being born in Saigon, Vietnam, Phan frequently uses the accents and stereotypes of his youth to portray his upbringing and current life in a Vietnamese born family. His cultural perspectives engage the audience and make them laugh him about the time he brought home a white girl and the fact that PF Chang's is not Chinese. $5 for SSU students, faculty and staff, $10 general admission. Weds., April 1, 8 p.m. Cooperage. (707) 664-2382. www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
CIOGNOSTIC TOOLS, CASE TOOLS, MODERN APPS - Thomas Poff, Micromat, Santa Rosa, will explore Micromat's role in modern computer science, as it is being quietly integrated into the finder and modern apps. Computer Science Colloquium Lecture Series. Thurs., April 2, noon. Salazar 2016. http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/index.html.
WHO KILLED OSCAR GRANT: A PUBLIC FORUM ON POLICE VIOLENCE IN THE BAY AREA - Students, faculty and staff, and community members are invited to participate in an open discussion about the BART slaying of Oscar Grant and community safety and protection. Forum will feature Donald F. Tibbs, Drexel University, Christina Gomez and Malachi Larrabee-Garza, Community Justive Network for Youth (CJNY), and a local Sonoma County representative of the Police Accountability Clinic and Hotline or Graton Day Laborer's Center. Tryon Woods. tryon.woods@sonoma.edu.
RESTRICTIONS ON HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE (ROHS) - Dr. Don Estreich, Agilent Technologies, explores restrictions on hazardous substances. Engineering Science Colloquium Lecture Series. Thurs., April 2, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Salazar 2009A. http://www.sonoma.edu/scitech/lecture_series.shtml.
JUMP GARAGE SALE - Join Us Making Progress (JUMP) will be hosting a Garage Sale to benefit students participating in the Alternative Breaks program. Trips this academic year have focused on hurricane relief efforts. Over winter break 10 students spent a week in Texas cleaning up and rebuilding after Hurricane Ike, while this spring break 35 students will be focusing their relief efforts in New Orleans, LA. Sat., April 4 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 343 Arlen Dr. Rohnert Park. http://sonoma.edu/as/jump/.
PUBLIC VEWING NIGHT - Join professional and amateur astronomers in observing Saturn and the Moon as part of a worldwide viewing event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the telescope. Fri., April 3, 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Sonoma State University Observatory. (707) 664-2267. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/pvn.html.
Theater
FAT PIG - (right) A man named Tom hits it off with a woman named Helen, who happens to be a touch large. This doesn't sit well with Tom's friends, Carter and Jeannie, who are sometimes sage, sometimes stupid, almost always nasty. How much has our relentless pursuit of beauty turned us into an uglier species? Does love need society's blessing to be complete? Written by Nicholas Bute. Directed by Tori Truss. Tickets available at the door or online. $8 for SSU students and seniors, $12 for SSU faculty, staff and alums, $15 for general admission. Fri., April 3, 7:30 p.m. Sat., April 4, 7:30 p.m. Sun., April 5, 5 p.m. Evert B. Person Theater. (707) 664-2353. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54391.
Films
MILK - (2008) (left) The story of Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official. Scene It Big Screen Movie Night. Saturday, April 4, 9 p.m. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-2804.
TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI ("DON'T TOUCH THE LOOT") - (1954)(French Gangsters) "Over-the-hill gangland buddies Jean Gabin ad Rene Dary have just pulled the heist of a lifetime: enough "grisbi" (loot) to give them both a cushy retirement. But when Dary's two-timing mill Jeane Moreau spills the beans to drug-dealing bad guy Lino Ventura, it's tme for a showdown with guns and grenades on a deserted country road." -Film Forum (90 min., in French w/ English subtitles). 7 p.m. Thurs., April 2, 7 p.m. in Darwin 103. Fri., April 3, 7 p.m. (707) 664-4332. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/.
GALLERIES
INTERRUPTED LIFE - A traveling art exhibit intended to explore issues related to motherhood, incarceration, reproductive and welfare policy and politics in the United States, features artwork by incarcerated women, their children and professional artists. Thurs., March 26 through Tues., April 28. Gallery opened Tues. through Fri. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. and Sun., noon to 4 p.m. (707) 664-2295.
