The campus is closed Fri., Feb. 19, due to state mandated furlough.
Campus Life
BLACK COMEDY JAM: Reggie Steele (Left), having worked along side some of comedy's brightest stars from Dave Chappelle and Ian Bagg, to Arj Barker and Damon Wayans, comes to SSU for this month's Free Pizza Comedy Series with his natural way of telling stories and unique outlook on comedy and African American culture. 8 p.m., Wed., Feb. 17. University Pub. (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
FREE H1N1 FLU VACCINE CLINIC. The Student Health Center and the Student Health Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Sonoma County Dept. of Health Services and the SSU Nursing Department hold a free H1N1 Flu Vaccine Clinic. Both Nasal and injectable vaccines will be available. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 18. Student Health Center. (707) 664-2921. http://www.sonoma.edu/shc/
Lectures
"QUEER PUBLIC HISTORIES OF THE TENDERLOIN"- Joey Plaster, Historian and Journalist and Rev. Megan Rohrer, Pastor and Activist give a multimedia presentation on queer public history engaging San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. Queer Studies Lecture Series. Noon-12:50 p.m., Tues., Feb. 16. Rachel Carson Hall 20. (707) 664.2840. http://www.sonoma.edu/womenstudies/current_lectures.htm
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM- Laura Rogers-Bennett (Right), California Dept. of Fish and Game, Bodega Marine Laboratory, lectures. Noon-1 p.m., Tues., Feb. 16. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2189. http://www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.shtml
"QUEER PUBLIC HISTORIES OF THE TENDERLOIN"- Joey Plaster and Rev. Megan Rohrer give a multimedia presentation on queer public history engaging San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. These projects probe the intersections of poverty and social stigma, the role of theology in the GLBT movement, and parallels with current social and activist work. Plaster is an independent oral historian and Director of the GLBT Historical Society's Oral History Program. Rev. Rohrer is Executive Director of Welcome Ministries. Lecture series. Noon, Tues., Feb. 16. Stevenson 1002. (707) 664- 2574. romesbur@sonoma.edu.
"MATH COLLOQUIUM"- Larry Langley, Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of the Pacific lectures on "Graphs and DNA." 4 p.m., Wed., Feb. 17. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2368. http://www.sonoma.edu/math/nsf/colloquium.shtml
"BEE3: SILLY PUTTY FOR COMPUTER SCIENTISTS!" John Davis, Microsoft Research; Mountain View, lectures. Computer Science Colloquium 30 Second Series. Noon, Thurs., Feb. 18. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
"FROM NANO TO GIGA, MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES AND US."
Dr. Ken Wong, Manager, Agilent Technologies, lectures. Engineering Science Lecture Series. 4:30-5:30 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 18. Salazar 2009A. (707) 664-2030. http://sonoma.edu/engineering/lecture_series/
THE BLACK JEW DIALOGUES. CANCELED ASP presents Emmy award winning veteran Boston performer Ron Jones and award winning actor Larry Jay Tish (Right). 7 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 18. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
"MUSIC, MEMORIES AND THE BRAIN." Sonoma County Choral Society presents an in depth look at how music evokes thought and feelings linked to autobiographical memories. Dr. Petr Janata (Left), Associate Professor of Psychology, University of California, Davis, explains how a single area of the brain plays a particularly prominent role in associating music, memories, and emotions throughout our lives. 8 p.m., Fri., Feb. 19. Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa. (707) 664-2353. http://www.sonoma-choral.org/
"JUNGS RED BOOK REVEALED." Murray Stein, Ph.D. and Jungian Psychoanalyst. Web seminar from Zurich, Switzerland hosted by the Asheville Jung Center. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., Feb. 20. Cooperage. Admission is $47 for adults, $23 for students and clergy, and $15 CE. Participants must register at the Ashville Jung Center website under the Sonoma CA event. (www.ashevillejungcenter.org/RedBookRegistration.aspx) Depth Psychology Center Public Programs. http://www.sonoma.edu/psychology/depth/events/index.html
Galleries
FIELD DAYS EXHIBIT-Field Days is based on Raskin's newest book FIELD DAYS A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California which chronicles the renaissance in farming organically and eating locally that is unfolding in Northern California. Jonah Raskin tells of the year he spent on Oak Hill Farm - working the fields, selling produce at farmers' markets, and following it to restaurants. The exhibit highlights his experience with photos by Paige Green from Petaluma and Candi Edmondson of Oak Hill Farms. Also on exhibit are materials from the University Library's Special Collections and items on loan from the Sonoma County Museum. The exhibit runs Jan. 27-March 21. University Library Art Gallery. http://library.sonoma.edu/about/gallery.html
Music and Theater
"COMPANY." The award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth is filled with brilliant rhymes and wordplay about relationships, isolation, alienation, conformity, adult identity, and the pressure to marry. Set in modern day Manhattan, the story takes place on committed bachelor Bobby's 35th birthday. Through a series of vignettes and reminiscences featuring his best friends and his past loves, Bobby weighs the pros and cons of a committed relationship to determine whether it's time to find one for himself. "Company" opens 7:30 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 18, in Person Theater, and will run through Sun., Feb. 28. Tickets range from $8-$15 and are FREE for SSU Students with valid Student ID. (707) 664-2235. http://www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/cal_1002.shtml
Films
"IMAGE BEFORE MY EYES: A HISTORY OF JEWISH LIFE IN POLAND BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST."- Film and Discussion open to all. 2010 Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series. 4-5:40 p.m., Tues., Feb. 16. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. http://www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.htm
"HAVE YOU HEARD FROM JOHANNESBURG?" Modern Media presents this Active Voice/South Africa Movie, compiled of six documentary stories, chronicling the history of the global anti-apartheid movement that took on South Africa's entrenched apartheid regime and its international supporters who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War. 5-6:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 17. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-3160. http://www.mediadialogueseries.org/
Lectures
"IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS." Professor Griff (left), one of the founding members of the iconic rap group Public Enemy, discusses the social, political and global impact of Public Enemy's groundbreaking album, "It Takes a Nation of Millions," and the power of hip hop music in America. 7:30 p.m. Mon., Feb. 8. Cooperage. (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp/
"THE NEXT GAY GENERATION: ARE THEY LISTENING?" Through music, films and outreach, BeBe Sweetbriar dedicates her time and talent to fundraising for many AIDS service organizations. With progressive HIV/AIDS medication, gay-straight school services, and resurgence in the LGBT equality movement, what role do drag queens play in preparing the next generation for the battles ahead? Lecture series. Noon., Tues. Feb. 9. Stevenson 1002. (707) 664- 2574. romesbur@sonoma.edu.
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM-Dr. Gitte McDonald (Right), U.C. Santa Cruz, lectures. Noon-1 p.m., Tues. Feb. 9. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2189. http://www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.shtml
"NEOLIBERALISM AND THE MEDIA" - Lecture by Tony Kashani, a cultural critic, author, and professor of media studies, East-West philosophy, and pedagogy. His work is anchored in critical theory. Modern Media Dialogue Series. 5-6:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 10. Warren Auditorium. (707) 664-3160. http://www.mediadialogueseries.org/
"INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN THE ENTERPRISE." Joe Dupre, Sonoma State University, Information Technology lectures. Computer Science Colloquium 30 Second Series. Noon, Thurs., Feb. 11. Salazar 2016. (707) 664-2667. http://www.cs.sonoma.edu/cs_dept/events/
"SONDHEIM'S COMPANY." Music Professor Lynne Morrow (Left) and Theatre Arts & Dance Adjunct Instructor Adrian Elfenbaum (Right) discuss Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's "Company." Arts and Humanities Research and Creative Works Forum, 12:05-12:55 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 11. Schulz 3001. (707) 664-2146. http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/AHForum.htm
"YOUTH SPEAKS, BLACK POETRY SLAM" - Award-winning Youth Speaks show their way of empowering the next generation of leaders, self-defined artists, and visionary activists through written and oral literacy. They challenge youth to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of social change. 7 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 11. The Pub (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
"PLEIADES AND THE ORION NEBULA - Public viewing night open to all.7-9 p.m., Fri., Feb. 12. SSU Observatory, Soccer Field. (707) 664-2119. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/publicviewingnight.shtml
Music and theater
GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA: Black Scholars United presents Reverend Minor and The Kingdom Travelers and other gospel groups, singing popular gospel pieces. 7 p.m., Fri., Feb. 12. Cooperage. (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
Films
"TROUBLED WATER." (Left)The story of a man trying to come to terms with his past, and move on with his life after serving eight years in prison for the murder of a young boy. Sonoma Film Institute. 7 p.m., Fri., Feb. 12 and 4 p.m. Sun., Feb. 14. Warren Auditorium. Admission is $6.00, $5.00 for non-SSU students and senior citizens, $4.00 for SFI members and children under 12, and $2.00 for SSU students. (707) 664-2606. http://www.sonoma.edu/sfi/
Galleries
BLACK HISTORY MOBILE MUSEUM: (Right) Collection of Khalid el-Hakim exhibits rare artifacts dating back to the slave period in America. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Mon., Feb. 8. Student Union Multi-purpose room. (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp/
"ART FROM THE HEART." This marks the twenty-sixth annual silent art auction and party. Proceeds from the auction directly benefit the Art Gallery's exhibition, publication, and lecture programs. 6-9 p.m., Sat., Feb. 13. University Art Gallery. There will be a free preview of the artwork on Wed., Feb. 10, 11a.m.-8 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 11, 11a.m.-4 p.m. and Fri., Feb. 12, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (707) 664-2295. http://www.sonoma.edu/artgallery/
(The campus is closed Fri., Feb. 5, due to state mandated furlough.)
Campus Life
BLACK HISTORY MONTH; OPENING CEREMONY. Associated Students Productions along with BSU kicks off Black History Month on campus. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Tues., Feb. 2. Stevenson Quad. (707) 664-2382. http://www.sonoma.edu/as/asp
Lectures
INTRODUCTORY MEETING: with Dr. Karina Nielsen (Left), Department of Biology Colloquium Coordinator, marine ecologist and Associate Professor of Biology. Noon-1 p.m., Tues., Feb. 2. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2189. http://www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.shtml
"MEDIA LITERACY AND CRITICAL THOUGHT IN THE MODERN ERA." Introduction by Benjamin Frymer and Margaret Anderson of the Hutchins School and Dialogue Center. Session begins with a presentation and Q&A followed by dialogue activities. Modern Media Dialogue Series. 5-6:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 3. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101. (707) 664-3160. http://www.mediadialogueseries.org/
"FAST, AUTHOMATED, PHOTO-REALISTIC MODELING OF LARGE SCALE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS." Dr. Avideh Zakhor (Right), EECS Dept., UC Berkeley, lectures. Engineering Science Lecture Series. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 4. Salazar 2009A. (707) 664-2030. http://sonoma.edu/engineering/lecture_series
Subscribers to the Santa Rosa Symphony get a sneak peak of the Green Music Center and are treated to a special performance. Video courtesy of The Press Democrat. Produced by Kent Porter.
Everyone is invited...
Hundreds have taken a tour of the Donald & Maureen Green Music Center and people are talking with excitement about what it will mean to the students of Sonoma State University and the residents of Sonoma County and beyond.
A new tour schedule has been announced for the public from now until May 11.
To experience the Center, RSVP for one of the following dates:
Sunday, January 31 from 1-2 p.m.
Tuesday, February 9 from 3- 4 p.m.
Sunday, February 28 from 1-2 p.m.
Tuesday, March 9 from 3-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 from 1-2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 13 from 3-4 p.m.
Thursday, April 22 from 6-7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 11 from 3-4 p.m.
To make a reservation or for further information, contact Bonnie Cormier at (707) 664-2158 or e-mail bonnie.cormier@sonoma.edu.
RSVPs are required. If no RSVPs have been received, the tour will be cancelled.
Tours begin in the lobby of the Music Education Hall. Free visitor parking is available in Lots L and O (adjacent to the Green Music Center) for the hour of the tour.
To view a video of one of the tours and read more about the Green Music Center, visit gmc.sonoma.edu.
Faculty, staff and students of Sonoma State discuss the future of the university in these challenging times at the upcoming Spring Convocation on Thursday, Jan. 28 in Evert B. Person Theatre on the Rohnert Park campus.
Speakers will begin their remarks at 9 a.m. and continue until closing at 11:30 a.m.
A complete schedule of events includes:
9 a.m. - Welcome, Dr. Susan Moulton, Chair of the Faculty
9:15 a.m. - Heather Hanson, President, Associated Students
9:20 a.m. - Dolores Bainter, Staff Representative to the Senate
9:25 a.m. - Dr. Andy Merrifield, President, California Faculty Association
9:40 a.m. - Dr. Eduardo Ochoa, Provost/Vice President, Academic Affairs
10 a.m. - Dr. Ruben Armiñana, President of the University
Question and answer period follows.
School meetings are held in the afternoon.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Copies of the speeches made during the Spring Convocation will be available online after the program at www.sonoma.edu.
A diminutive 18-inch tall sapling from the horse chestnut tree that once gave Anne Frank hope as she hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam is now at its final home on the Sonoma State University campus.
The Rohnert Park campus was the first of 11 locations nationwide to receive a sapling taken from the mature, aging tree that resides behind the Annex where Anne Frank, her family and friends spent two years in hiding during WWII. The 150-year-old tree is battling a lethal fungus.
To greater accomplish its educational goals, the Anne Frank Center USA (AFC) together with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam donated the eleven saplings of the Anne Frank Tree to sites across the country. The remainder of the saplings are still in a Maryland facility awaiting processing. SSU's sapling arrived even earlier than the one destined to be planted on the White House grounds in Washington D.C.
The AFC is primarily interested in protecting the health of the tree and donating it to establishments that are equipped to tell the story of Anne Frank so that it is relevant to other incidences of injustice, intolerance and discrimination, says Yvonne Simons, ExecutiveDirector, The Anne Frank Center, USA.
The sapling will grow in a special shade house under lock and key for three years supervised by Sam Youney, Director of Landscaping, who is an expert in plant diseases and pest control. It will be protected so rain, rodents and insects cannot penetrate it. It passed initial inspection by a state pathologist last week.
"SSU has the experience and resources, including an onsite arborist who can oversee the tree's growth and health and a full complement of landscape specialists that have demonstrated experience, to ensure that this sapling grows to full maturity," Youney says.
The choice of SSU is a "perfect fit," says Senior Director for Capital Planning, Design and Construction Christopher Dinno. "We live in a world- renowned region with the climate and soil characteristics that are ideal for this historic sapling."
SSU has other chestnut trees growing on campus. The sapling will eventually mature to be 80-feet high and 75-feet wide.
In three years, the sapling will be planted at the foot of the Erna and Arthur Salm Holocaust & Genocide Memorial Grove near the campus lakes area which now features a ten-foot tall light tower sculpture created by SSU Professor Jann Nunn. Signage near the tree will carry the words written by Frank in her diary: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
A special ceremony celebrating the sapling's arrival will be held in the spring semester.
ABOVE, Director of Landscaping Sam Youney with newly arrived sapling grown from a cutting taken from the original horse chestut tree located outside the Anne Frank annex in Amsterdam.
RESOURCES
SSU Holocaust and Genocide Memorial to Receive 1 of 11 Anne Frank Saplings in US
http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/newsrelease/archives/2009/10/post_13.html
Erna and Arthur Salm Holocaust & Genocide Memorial Grove at SSU
http://www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/grove/
Anne Frank Center USA
http://www.annefrank.com/
Video of the Chesntut tree from Anne Frank's hiding place
http://www.youtube.com/annefrank#p/u/6/hrYMPwK6HIk
Digital photos of the Horse Chestnut tree, the SSU Memorial Grove and sculpture, and other illustrations are available upon request.
Stephen Sondheim's "Company," Molieire's "Imaginary Invalid" and a 40-year dance retrospective by a well-known and loved dance professor are the highlights of the theatre arts and dance season at Sonoma State University this spring semester.
Whether it is an offering of Steven Sondheim's innovative music, a hilarious look at universal health care issues (17th century style) or Nancy Lyon's dance concert down memory lane, the season promises months of entertainment at an affordable price.
COMPANY by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. The award-winning musical is filled with brilliant rhymes and wordplay about relationships, isolation, alienation, conformity, adult identity, and the pressure to marry. Set in modern day Manhattan, Company takes place on committed bachelor Bobby's 35th birthday. Through a series of vignettes and reminiscences featuring his best friends (5 couples) and his past loves (3 girlfriends); Bobby examines the pros and cons of a committed relationship to determine whether it's time to find one for himself. Company features some of Sondheim's best known and most beautiful songs, including "Another Hundred People," "Getting Married Today," "Marry Me a Little," "Barcelona," "Ladies Who Lunch," and "Being Alive." The production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 1970 and Best Revival of a Musical in 2006. Musical Direction by Lynne Morrow. Stage Direction by Adrian Elfenbaum. February 19-28 in Evert B. Person Theater.
THE IMAGINARY INVALID by Molière. Eccentric and very rich Argan, a self-centered hypochondriac preoccupied with body functions, will do anything to defeat his fear of dying-- including marrying his daughter Angelique to an idiot man-boy whose main qualifications are that he is in Med School, that his father is a doctor and that his uncle is a pharmacist. Witty, wily servant Toinette creates in a series of outrageous tricks and disguises that force Argan to accept that his greedy second wife the scheming for his money, and to see that Angelique truly loves him. The Imaginary Invalid targets medical quacks and unfaithful wives --while skewering those who imagine they are sick at the expense of others. The Imaginary Invalid explores self-image, hypochondria, fear of dying, fear of being stuck with the wrong spouse, parental tyranny, miserliness, young people trying to fight off their parents' impositions. What happens when you pretend you are phyiscally sick? When do you start to believe your own lies, and what happens when pretense becomes a new reality? Directed by Paul Draper. March 19-27 in Evert B. Person Theatre.
SPRING DANCE CONCERT: A RETROSPECTIVE OF WORKS BY NANCY LYONS. A celebration of Dance Professor Nancy Lyon's 40 years of dancing, teaching and making dances in Sonoma County, bringing together three generations of dancers, from "old school" alums to rookie teens, building and engaging community through a love of dance. Celebrate the vitality and longevity of the dance program at SSU with imaginative dance theatre that embraces humor, musicality and investigation of humanity. Performed by this year's ensemble of especially dynamic, skillful and spirited dancers. Alumni night on Saturday, May 1 invites all alums of the dance program at SSU to a special reception before the performance. Directed by Nancy Lyons. April 30-May 8 in Evert B. Person Theatre
Tickets for performances range from $8-12 with special rates for seniors, students and alumni.
For further information and ticket sales, visit the School for Performing Arts website at www.sonoma.edu/performingarts/perf/boxoffice.shtml or phone Jenny Juhl, (707) 664-2325.
ABOVE, Digeo Garcia plays Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's "Company" who wrestles with the various issues surrounding long term commitment, and three past girlfriends, played by (left or right) Skye laFontiane, Brenda Weaver and Fionna Lane. (Photo by Linnea Mullins).
The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) presented a City of Santa Rosa Biomass-to-Fuel Project started by an SSU biology professor with the 2009 Theodore Roosevelt Environmental Award recently.
The winner in Category One (projects under $100,000) was the City of Santa Rosa for its Aquatic Biomass-to-Fuel Project. The city, in collaboration with Sonoma State University, built two channelized aquatic scrubbers that use vegetation to remove nitrate and other nutrients from wastewater that can clog waterways and compete with native plants. The plants also create biomass, which can be harvested for anaerobic energy production.
Professor Michael Cohen's initial work with the City's treatment plant has focused on the development of affordable systems for concomitant bioremediation and bioenergy production. He and his students are testing channelized scrubbers that contain aquatic plants and filamentous algae for their efficiency at removing nutrients and other pollutants from treated municipal wastewater.
He is also optimizing anaerobic digestion of the harvested scrubber biomass, mixed with agricultural by-products from local dairies and wineries, to produce methane gas. Other experiments examine the use of digester effluent (digestate) as a plant growth-promoting soil amendment.
The project has gained national recognition with three awards, most recently winning a "Pearson Sustainable Solutions Award", and has garnered over $200,000 in funding from a variety of sources, including the California Energy Commission, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the City of Santa Rosa.
Graduate student Catherine Hare is a key researcher on the project and recently earned a prestigious Switzer Fellowship
Begun in 2007, the project has now expanded to include two experimental anaerobic digesters to be operated by graduate student John Kozlowski for his Masters Thesis research. In addition, the California Strawberry Commission is sponsoring the research of graduate student Aaron Agostini to determine the efficacy utilizing spent digestate as a co-treatment to combat pathogens of strawberry and support plant growth.
This strawberry-related research is being conducted in collaboration with Research Plant Pathologist Dr. Mark Mazzola of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Graduate student Mia Maltz, working with undergraduate Jackie Sankisov, is examining an application of digestate in stimulating microbial degradation of petroleum in contaminated soils.
The winner in Category Two (projects between $100,000 and $1 million) was El Dorado Irrigation District for its Caples Lake Fisheries and Habitat Preservation Program and the winner in Category Three (projects over $1 million) was the Sonoma County Water Agency for its Summer Youth Ecology Corps.
"ACWA's member agencies are making significant strides in resource management," said ACWA President Glen Peterson. "The Theodore Roosevelt award honors these innovative projects that encourage responsible resource management and protection. The winners are among the best of the best."
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California.
NOTE: Digital photos of the bio-mass project are available upon request.
For more information on the project, including a gallery of photos, viist http://cohenlab.pbworks.com/.
ABOVE, Biology graduate student Catherine Hare works with the algae in the waste water pond at the Laguna treatment plant in Santa Rosa.
The following Sonoma State University professors are available for commentary on issues surrounding same-sex marriage as the first federal trial to determine if the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from outlawing same-sex marriage gets underway Monday.
The proceedings, which are expected to last two to three weeks, involve a challenge to Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November 2008.
Please feel free to contact:
* Don Romesburg, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, teaches courses in which he explores the political, legal, historical, cultural and ethical stakes involved in same-sex marriage. He can speak to several concerns:
"First, in the past decade marriage equality has become the principle action item for the advancement of LGBT rights. Since October 2008, it has exploded into a mass movement of diverse grassroots efforts, advocacy by civil rights organizations, diverging legal strategies, and legislative efforts. Given the recent setbacks in Maine, New York, and New Jersey, the stakes for this most recent federal trial have become even higher.
Second, the core issues involved with marriage equality in terms of civil rights are securing access to healthcare, protecting property and relationship rights, and extending equal access to full citizenship to same-sex couples. Marriage equality ensures LGBT couples protection from second-tier status within political, legal, and social structures. At the federal level, other issues, including immigration rights, come into play.
In this federal case, historians and social scientists are testifying to the changing meanings of marriage, the ongoing problems of antigay discrimination, and the differences and similarities between same-sex versus opposite-sex couples and parents. These will all be considered in determining whether marriage, as a fundamental federal right, extends to same-sex couples.
Third, stakes for LGBT rights beyond marriage equality include affirmation of not just same-sex couples, but of the integrity of all people to be able to live healthy lives free of harassment in a dynamic, socially diverse society. Marriage equality alone cannot solve these complex challenges.
Other issues, such as healthcare reform and employment non-discrimination protections, are key. Recent trends signal that some LGBT people are eager to look beyond the marriage equality movement to more expansive visions of meaningful democracy that could, potentially, benefit far more than just LGBT people."
Direct Line: (707) 664-2574
Cell Phone (Media Calls Only): (415) 850-8580
Email: romesbur@sonoma.edu
* David McCuan, associate professor of political science at Sonoma State University, is available for comment on the politics of Same-Sex Marriage and Same-Sex Unions (SSM/SSU) in both California and across the country.
McCuan is an expert on California state and local politics. He has written extensively in this area, including a specific focus on the rise of nationwide bans across the U.S. in his book, "Initiative - Centered Politics: The New Politics of Direct Democracy" (2004).
He has closely followed the politics of same sex marriage across the country and how the "culture war" battle over SSM/SSU has affected the politics of both the Democratic and Republican parties especially in the wake of 2008 election results.
McCuan can speak to the broader issues affecting politics based on actions taking place in San Francisco, across the country, and in Washington, D.C. As one example, his analysis includes a focus on the rise of ballot box movements to ban SSM/SSU and more recent legislative attempts to loosen such bans.
The issue of SSM/SSU was first tested in Hawaii and in Alaska in 1998 and in California in March 2000. From these victories, proponents of this issue moved inland placing the issue on ballots in Nebraska and Nevada where they both passed handily giving rise to the chances that this reform is here to stay and likely to flourish as a battle on ballots across the country.
McCuan has provided commentary and analysis to CNN, The Wall Street Journal, as well as regional and national news outlets on the politics and practices of state politics.
McCuan teaches in the fields of state and local politics, campaigns and elections, and political behavior. He is also graduate coordinator of the Master's in Public Administration program at the University.
Main Office: (707) 664-2179
Direct Line: (707) 664-3309
E-mail: david.mccuan@sonoma.edu
Sonoma State University's campus will be closed two Fridays a month during the spring semester beginning Jan. 8 as part of the reductions caused by the current state budget crisis.
Four days in the April spring break period will also be used as furlough days. During these days the campus will be closed except for the Student Recreation Center which will remain open.
Additionally, Police and Parking Services, and services for the residential community, will be available for students.
Parking will be addressed like weekends or other holiday closures. Residence hall parking lots will continue to be enforced for permits. Non-permit violations, including timed zones, disabled zones, fire lanes and no parking areas will be enforced. Permits will not be required in non-reserved and reserved parking lots.
On May 21, the last day of instruction before finals week, the University Library will be open.
The complete schedule is:
Staff and Managers
• January 8, 22 (Fridays)
• February 5, 19 (Fridays)
• March 12, 26 (Fridays)
• April 5, 6, 7, 8 (Spring Break)
• May 7, 21 (Fridays)
• June 4, 11 (Fridays)
Faculty
• January*
• February 5, 19 (Fridays)
• March 12, 26 (Fridays)
• April*
• May 7, 21 (Fridays)
• June*
* Faculty must take three additional furlough days from January 27, 28, 29, April, and June 1, 2 and 3. Faculty may not furlough during Spring Break (April 5-8) and may not take more than one furlough day in any given week.
More details are available at http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/furlough_central/.
For further information, contact Susan Kashack, Assoc. Vice President of Communications and Marketing, (707) 664-2122.
