Sally Miller, known for her expertise in campus crime prevention, law enforcement and leadership, has been appointed Interim Senior Director for Police Services and Chief of Police at Sonoma State University.
Formerly SSU's Deputy Chief of Police, Miller joined the police force in 2008, and has been recognized for having served the campus with distinction since then. She replaces Chief Nate Johnson who was recently named Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the California State University system.
Miller is a dynamic and sought after presenter on the local, state, and national levels, providing more than 1500 presentations on a myriad of topics related to public safety and crime prevention.
She is a nationally recognized expert on the Jeanne Clery Act, a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. She has drafted both Federal and State legislation and was instrumental in drafting the Federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act and two California laws.
Miller has received numerous acknowledgements for her strong commitment to public safety within higher education communities and is quoted in the US Congressional Record for her law enforcement expertise.
Miller has been working in law enforcement since 1985, when she was employed as a police aide for the Contra Costa Community College District Police. She graduated with honors from the Contra Costa Criminal Justice Training Center Police Academy in 1988 and was sworn in as a police officer with the University of California San Francisco Police Department the same year.
She made her way north to Santa Rosa, continuing her work as a police officer with the Sonoma County Junior College District Police until her promotion to police detective in 1999 and then police sergeant in 2006.
Furthering her education, Miller attended University of Phoenix, Arizona, where she graduated on the dean's list with a bachelor's degree in business management in 2001. Miller has also successfully completed numerous police officer standards and training courses , including supervisory and management courses and the Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigations program.
She has also served as Commissioner for the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights, was the Sonoma County Volunteer of the Year, the Sonoma County Law Enforcement appointee to the Simon Wiesenthal Tools for Tolerance Hate Crimes Institute, and was appointed California Peace Officer of the Year by the California Women's Police Officer Association.
Sonoma State University will award diplomas to the Class of 2010 at its 49th annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 29. Approximately 2,000 are expected to walk for their diplomas with their families and friends watching among the 2,230 eligible to earn their degrees. The event historically draws more than 10,000 people to the Commencement Lawn on the Rohnert Park campus. The event will be held rain or shine.
Ceremonies are scheduled at 9 a.m. for the School of Science and Technology and the School of Social Sciences and 3 p.m. for the School of Arts and Humanities, School of Business and Economics, and the School of Education.
During and after, the ceremony can be viewed by visiting SSU's streaming media web site at http://streaming.sonoma.edu/ for those who wish to watch it from off-campus.
Keynote speaker for both the morning and afternoon ceremony is Anne Lamott, a Bay Area author and political activist. Lamott is the best selling author of over six novels and four books of non-fiction, and has been awarded with a Guggenheim Fellowship. She offers life experiences and honesty, discussing real life topics, and sugarcoating nothing.
The top ten degrees awarded this year are in Business Administration, Psychology, Liberal Studies (Hutchins), Sociology, Communication Studies, Education, Environmental Studies, Kinesiology, Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies and History.
Honorary Degrees will be presented at the afternoon ceremony to John and Jennifer Webley, local philanthropists who have been tremendous supporters of the Sonoma State community. Paired with their community involvement and generosity, the couple's dedication to education and the arts have contributed to the growth of the campus and the quality of education for all students.
Sonoma State University's campus-wide sculpture exhibition showcases is back this year with numerous sculptures designed to make a statement about issues that are important to the student artists. Approximtately 20 projects from COMMENCE: Sculpture Projects 2010 will be on view to the public at various locations around the campus until May 30. The public is invited to view the projects at any time.
For further information, visit the Commencement 2010 Web site at http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/commencement/.
Rainbow Graduation
The Fourth Annual Rainbow Celebration will be held on Thurs., May 27 from 7-9 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room, Student Union.
The Rainbow Graduation Celebration is a time for the queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving people and their friends, family, and allies of Sonoma State University to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of the last year and to recognize those moving on to the next chapter in their lives.
The speaker for this event is Rev. Roland Stringfellow who is Coordinator of the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations in the Bay Area of California with the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Sexuality on the campus of Pacific School of Religion.
For further information, contact Julie Greathouse, (707) 664-3305.
La Raza Graduation
Each year graduating Sonoma State University students with Native American, Latino or Chicano heritage gather for La Raza graduation.
This year's 27th annual La Raza ceremony is at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 28 in Evert B. Person Theatre. The ceremony includes cultural music, bilingual keynote speakers, and a unique opportunity for the graduates to thank the individuals who have assisted them in obtaining their degree.
The speaker is Dr. Elizabeth Martinez. Refreshments and light appetizers will follow in the Field house.
Many of the graduates participating in the La Raza ceremony are first-generation college grads, and this special celebration allows them to personally thank those who have gone out of their way to work with the students and help them achieve the goal of a college degree.
The event is co-sponsored by Raza/Native American Council and Chicano and Latino Studies. The bilingual ceremony is conducted in Spanish and English and is open to the general public.
African-American Graduation
The 18th Annual African-American graduation Celebration will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, May 28 in the Hospitality Center, Green Music Center. Members of Black Scholars United wil provide musical and poetry entertainment.
The speaker is Dean Elaine Leeder of the School of Social Sciences.
The African American Graduation Celebration is an opportunity for the University to acknowledge the achievements of African-American students and the students to thank their families, friends, faculty and mentors.
A reception follows the program. Because of the limited space place RSVP to Ashley, at ashleyyarbrough2007@gmail.com.
Questions about all of the celebrations may be directed to Chuck Rhodes, Director of Student Development, (707) 664-4033.
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 September 14.
To experience the Center, RSVP for one of the following dates
Tuesday, June 8 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, June 24 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Tuesday, July 13 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, July 22 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Tuesday, August 10 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, August 26 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Tuesday, September 14 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
RSVP's are required and can be made by contacting the Public Tour Information Line at (707) 664-4214 or via e-mail to bonnie.cormier@sonoma.edu. 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.
Because the tour covers areas of an active construction site, participants are required to first sign a waiver form, which can be downloaded from http://gmc.sonoma.edu/tour/index.shtml. Waivers may also be signed on-site prior to the tour. 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.
Sonoma State University will award honorary degrees to John and Jennifer Webley at the 2010 Commencement Ceremony during the aftenoon session on Sat., May 29. John Webley will be awarded the Doctor of Science (Sc.D.), and his wife, Jennifer Webley, will receive the Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.). The couple live in Santa Rosa.
The Webleys have been tremendous supporters of the Sonoma State community, and their philanthropic contributions to the growth of the campus and the quality of education for all students have made them prime candidates for these awards. Paired with their community investment and generosity, the couple's dedication to education and the arts have benefited SSU greatly over the past several years.
With a donation of $2 million from their family foundation, the Webleys helped to kick off the construction of the Donald and Maureen Green Music Center at SSU. The couple now serves on the Green Music Center Advisory Board, and advocate strongly for the GMC in the Bay Area.
As a Bay Area local, Jennifer Webley has served as a humanitarian in her community for many years. Raising four children, and serving on numerous boards and committees, she is currently continuing her education at Santa Rosa Junior College.
John Webley moved to America in 1985 from Cape Town, South Africa where he started his career at the Department of Telecommunications as a network systems engineer after having received both his Bachelor and Master degrees in Electronic Engineering from Stellenbosch University.
After having secured his position as the senior engineer at Lynch Communications, he moved to the U.S. and co-founded Advanced Fibre Communications, known today as one of the leading independent telecommunications suppliers. After founding Turin Networks, an optical networking company, John Webley took his current position of CEO and Director at PAX Streamline, a product development firm specializing in energy efficiency.
Very successful in the world of entrepreneurship, John Webley has contributed a great deal of knowledge and experience to the School of Science and Technology at SSU. Volunteering his time as a guest lecturer, as well as mentoring numerous students, helping them to develop business plans, John Webley is dedicated to the advancement of education at SSU. In 2004, The School of Business and Economics presented him with the North Bay Lifetime Entrepreneur (NOBLE) Award.
The Webleys are active not only in the SSU community, but within the entire Sonoma County community as well. In addition to serving on the GMC Advisory Board, John Webley was recently appointed to the Sonoma County Economic Development Board by Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane.
Jennifer Webley is equally active in the community, co-chairing the Council on Aging Capital Campaign, and serving on the Board of the Santa Rosa Symphony and the Sonoma County Mental Health Board, Third District.
SSU is not the only school to benefit from the Webley's generosity. Students at Santa Rosa Junior College were recently the recipients of the Webley's humanitarian ways, and their financial contribution to higher education.
In June of 2009, Exchange Bank announced that they would be unable to continue awarding Doyle Scholarships to incoming SRJC student recipients. In an effort to salvage the program, the Bridging the Doyle Campaign was launched in hopes that community members would take part in raising funds that assist 2,000 students in making the dream of higher education a reality. The Webleys offered to match every donation made, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, encouraging a number of other community members to donate as well.
Politics, conservation, sustainability; Sonoma State University's campus-wide sculpture exhibition showcases numerous sculptures designed to make a statement about issues that are important to the student artists.
COMMENCE: Sculpture Projects 2010 begins Thurs., May 27 with a reception starting at 4 p.m., in the Sculpture Courtyard, followed by a tour of the projects at 5 p.m. and is on view until May 30. The public is invited to view the projects at any time.
Several of the artists featured in the exhibition use their art as a means of expression, bringing to light issues ranging from the current need for sustainability programs and education, to concerns over the working conditions of manufacturing industries.
Diana Meehan showcases two of her sculptures, both focusing on the importance of water conservation. Through the use of reclaimed redwood, dried clay and garden hoses, Meehan created "Cracked," a bold piece capturing the essence of the necessity for water.
"Water is our most precious resource, yet most of us are unconcerned about the issues surrounding it. My current work is about bringing awareness to the issues of conservation and preservation of something we cannot live without," she said.
Eric Metz closely examines the ethics of U.S. companies who exploit the practice of Chinese manufacturing industries in his sculpture titled "A Chinese Workday." This working art piece includes a welder, welding rod, welding booth and pieces of propaganda as a means of expressing the severity of the issue.
"I welded on a single piece of metal for 12 hours (a typical Chinese workday) in this booth. A Chinese Workday examines Chinese working conditions," said Metz.
The SSU Sculpture Department, under the direction of Professor Jann Nunn, has created this exhibit as an opportunity for students to realize large-scale, temporary outdoor sculptures for the public on campus grounds. They will also be up for view during the May 29 Commencement ceremonies.
"The expressed objectives are to not only enhance the already beautiful campus environment, but to showcase of the strong visual arts program at Sonoma State and to give students a hands-on educational experience that fosters their post-college careers as practicing visual artists," said Nunn.
For further information, contact Jann Nunn, Associate Professor of Sculpture, jann.nunn@sonoma.edu, (707) 664-3043.
ABOVE, Rodney A. De Bois' "A Full Sentence; not a Text Message" in the University Library, second floor.
A list of the projects includes:
COMMENCE: Sculpture Projects 2010
Campus-wide Exhibition of Sculpture by SSU Sculpture Students
Sonoma State University
Thursday, May 27- Sunday, May 30
Reception 4-5 p.m., Thursday May 27, Sculpture Courtyard followed by a
tour of the projects starting at 5 p.m.
Kyle Alexander
Building Blocks for Life
Plywood, Clay, Paint, Electronic Parts
3'6" x 4' x 4'
Location: Next to the Alumni Amphitheater
"As the new generation arises, children engage with technological devices that often leaves them without crucial life experience that playing outdoors in natural environments provides."
The Daily Grind
Old Picture Frames, Wood, Paint, Electronic Parts
2'6" x 3' x 1'6"
Location: Art Building- Display case next to Room 102
"As a whole, in our society we dedicate a good portion of our lives to obtaining the latest piece of technology. We fall victim to a routine that becomes a religion."
Entranced
Wood, Fabric, Electronic Parts, Paint
8' x 2'3" x 2'
Location: Next to Art Department Computer Lab
"Large companies use advertisements to appeal to the average consumer. We buy their products thinking it will make our life better only to realize it leaves us feeling devoid, lacking the promised experience."
Wyatt Amend
Wrappings 2010
Steel, Industrial Strength Plastic Wrap
10' x 10' x 40'
Location: Art Department Hallway
"This piece attempts to deal with architectural steel wire
frames and the transformation they go through when wrapped in an everyday
household item. I use the wire to build complex forms in combination with
the plastic wrap to create new visual planes and tension filled pieces."
Dillon Crossman
Serpentine
Earth, Pine Needles, Pine Cones
3' x 3' x 30'
Location: Redwood Grove behind Printmaking Studio, next to Graduation Lawn
"This land art piece was inspired by an encounter with a snake near this location."
(Also see Dillon Crossman's artwork in the Library Art Gallery exhibition Past Present Future: Artists Reflect On Sustainability)
Rodney A. De Bois
A Full Sentence; not a Text Message
Books, Bronze, Wood, Chair
5' x 5' x 5'
Location: SSU Library, second floor
"As good as technology is, there is no substitute for the captivating experience of reading a story from an actual book and the pleasure one feels from knowledge acquired."
Missy Engelhardt
Burial
Clothes, Twine, Cement
4' x 4' x 6'
Location: Grassy area behind the Art Department Office deck.
Bags
Plaster
1' x 11' x 11'
Location: Grassy lawn between Stevenson Hall and the Art Building
"My work is all about the process. It's a time to reflect on the experiences that inspire me to create. I enjoy transforming mundane objects into something completely new and different that changes their meaning."
Dan Humke
Grow
Wood (Douglas Fir)
42" x 42" x 1.5"
Location: Rec Center, 2nd floor, east wing
The Chair
Plywood
3' x 4' x 6'
Location: Lawn between Art Department and Stevenson Hall, east side
Ben Lastufka and Eric Metz
Transcriptase
Glass, Steel, Aluminum Shavings, Steel Shavings, Silicon, Oil Paint
156" X 74" X 24"
Location: Sculpture Department Foundry
"Transcriptase represents the dialogue between the natural, biological processes of life with the synthetic processes embraced by modern society."
(Also see Ben Lastufka's artwork in the BFA Thesis Exhibition in the University Art Gallery)
Greg Looney
She Wolf
Wood, Metal, Chain
3.5'x 36'x .5'
Location: Outside Printmaking department, next to small pond
"As a sculptor I have always been drawn to earth art and using elements from nature. She Wolf is represented by the wood beam that is now being supported by the tree stumps Romulus and Remus."
When We Were Boys #1
Video, Mosin Nagant M38, Newspaper, Tape, Rifle Vice.
14" x 48" x 13"
Location: University Art Gallery
When We Were Boys #2
Waste Vegetable Oil, Conveyor belt, Glass Jars, Zip Ties, Sleds, Coon Skin Cap, Match Box, BB guns.
Dimensions Variable
Location: University Art Gallery
"The pieces in the BFA Thesis Exhibition are my homage, as well as a play on words, to Joseph Beuys and his influence on my work. It is also a small peek into my world from childhood to current."
Diana Meehan
Cracked
Reclaimed Redwood, Dried Clay, Garden Hoses
4" x 12" x 240"
Location: Darwin Hall lobby
"Water is our most precious resource, yet most of us are unconcerned about the issues surrounding it. My current work is about bringing awareness to the issues of conservation and preservation of something we cannot live without."
Splash
PVC Pipe
10' x 8' x 12'
Location: TBD
"How often do you turn on your faucet and let it run while brushing your teeth, doing the dishes or washing your hands? Several gallons per minute splashing down the drain, wasted. Something as simple as not letting your faucet run while performing these necessary tasks can save several hundred gallons of water per year."
Eric Metz
A Chinese Workday
Performance art. Welder, welding rod, welding booth, propaganda
5' x 8' x 2'
Location: Alcove in Art department near Painting Studios
"I welded on a single piece of metal for 12 hours (a typical Chinese workday) in this booth. A Chinese Workday examines Chinese working conditions as it relates to U.S. companies that prosper by exploiting the practice of Chinese manufacturing industries."
Kristin Palmer
Nautilus
Wood
6' x 25' x 25'
Location: Butterfly Garden
"Walk in and around the Nautilus and experience the precision of nature."
Sonoma State University honored Petaluma Adult School's Ready for Kindergarten program at the 23rd Annual Jack London Award for Educational Innovation Ceremony and Reception last week. Each year, the School of Education at Sonoma State University recognizes several innovative Sonoma County P-12 public school programs, awarding the winner of four finalists with the Jack London Award.
Ready for Kindergarten at Petaluma Adult School is a bilingual kindergarten transition program for disadvantaged children who have had little or no pre-school prior to kindergarten entrance. One or both parents attend class with the child to learn the academic, social and behavioral skills necessary for a successful kindergarten experience. Carol Waxman and Nancy Emanuele coordinate the program.
The Ready for Kindergarten program focuses on preparing English-limited families and their children for kindergarten, by working with the children on their social and emotional development, physical development, listening and speaking skills, reading readiness and math skills. Parents are mentored and prepared for the difficulties their children may face, and how to help them overcome challenges.
Children enrolled in the program develop social skills, build their confidence, enhance both gross and fine motor skills and learn how to better communicate their educational needs. The program is self-sufficient, and financially sustainable, allowing the school to offer Ready for Kindergarten classes at no cost to families.
"The goals of the Jack London Award Program are to recognize and publicize outstanding innovative programs and the individuals responsible for them, to project a positive image of public education and to cultivate collaboration between SSU and K-12 schools. Ready for Kindergarten is an innovative, community outreach education program that reflects these goals," says School of Education Dean Mary Gendernalik-Cooper.
SSU faculty and staff, as well as community and educational leaders, serve as judges for this annual award. In making its selection, the committee considers program vision and impetus, innovation and creativity, collaborative engagement of teachers and school communities, impact on students, and adaptability to other settings.
Among the other finalists for the 2010 Jack London Award were The University Center at Elsie Allen High School, Science Explorations at Sequoia Elementary School, and Active Student Engagement at Mountain Shadows Middle School.
For more details and photos visit http://www.sonoma.edu/education/jack_london/index2.html.
Sonoma State University and its alumni have a high-magnitude economic impact on its Bay Area region according to a recent study commissioned by the California State University System.
The study - titled "Working for California: The Impact of the California State University System" - found that SSU, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, contributed the following:
• Annual spending related to SSU ($213 million) generates a total impact of nearly $330 million on the regional economy and more than $376 million on the statewide economy. That spending includes: Out-of-Region Student Spending: $23.8 million; Auxiliary (bookstore, food services): $9.6 million; Capital (construction, improvements): $42 million; and Operations (salaries, services): $137.6 million.
• This impact sustains more than 2,500 jobs in the region and statewide more than 3,200 jobs.
• Per year, the impact generates $19 million in local and $21.4 million in statewide tax revenue.
• More than $941.5 million of the earnings by alumni from SSU are attributable to their CSU degrees, which creates an additional $1.6 billion of industry activity throughout the state.
The study details the significant contributions that the CSU makes to California including preparing the state's highly skilled workforce, providing multiple paths of access for students, training leaders for burgeoning "green" industry jobs, and creating products and services through research and innovation.
It was conducted by ICF International, and is based on 2008 data for operational, capital, auxiliary and student expenditures. It describes the economic impact of CSU campuses on eight different regions throughout California, as well as their technological, social and environmental contributions.
The study underscores the idea that the state's dynamic, knowledge-based economy can be directly tied to the investment in world-class public higher education.
An update to a similar report conducted in 2004, it was presented to the CSU Board of Trustees on May 10. The major findings include:
• The CSU system generates more than $17 billion in economic activity statewide and supports more than 150,000 jobs
• CSU-related expenditures create a return on investment of $5.43 for every $1 the state invests.
• In 2006-07, the CSU awarded half of all the bachelor's degrees statewide and one-third of all the master's degrees statewide.
• The CSU graduates more than half of the state's newly credentialed teachers and 60 percent of nurses statewide.
• Fifty percent or more of the state's Filipino, Latino, and African-American university graduates earned their degrees from the CSU.
"A CSU education is clearly an investment that pays for itself year after year for both the individual and the state," remarked CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. "The CSU's 2.5 million alumni are the educators, engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs of today. Current CSU students are the educated workforce and leaders of tomorrow."
On an annual basis, the study says that CSU campuses confer 71,000 bachelor's degrees, nearly half of all bachelor's degrees awarded by the state's public and private universities. In business, 54 percent of undergraduate degrees granted in California are from the CSU. In agriculture, it is 62 percent and in engineering it is 45 percent.
Detailed information about the new economic impact report is available at http://www.calstate.edu/impact.
A PDF fact sheet for SSU specifically can be found at: http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/newsrelease/archives/Sonoma_FS_v5.pdf.
Campus Life
COMMENCEMENT. Sat., May 29.
Music and Theater
"SIDES OF A WALL" Created and performed by Sara Nesson and Katherine Kunz, this is a German-Jewish story about friendship, reconciliation and the Holocaust, addressing how German Jews and non-Jews reconciled their differences following the Holocaust. 7:30 p.m., Wed., May 26. Warren Auditorium, Ives 101.
Galleries
BFA EXHIBITION- BFA Exhibition 2010 features the work of 13 students in the Art Department who are graduating this spring with their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), an advanced degree requiring an additional year of focused study in their chosen medium. Students whose work will be featured include Paul Alsop (painting), Kelly Casmey (painting), Danielle Clement (painting), Cathy Ellis (painting), Pauline Greenfield (printmaking), Nick Harris (sculpture), Amy Hoeck (painting), Ben Lastufka (painting), Greg Looney (sculpture), Andrew Merriss (painting), Jason Perry (printmaking), Morgan Rosskopf (printmaking) and James Warren (photography). The exhibit will run from April 15-May 29. The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and weekends, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. http://www.sonoma.edu/artgallery
"PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE: ARTISTS REFLECT ON SUSTAINABILITY"- From ceramics and sculpture created using found objects, including the Yellow Pages, to wall hangings and 3-dimensional objects created from recycled wool sweaters, ten artists each bring a distinctive perspective in exploring the meaning of sustainability to this exhibit. The exhibit runs in the University Library Art Gallery from April 16-July 30. The University Library Art Gallery is open Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. noon - 9 p.m. http://library.sonoma.edu/about/gallery
Sonoma State University team members Luke Haley (left) and Alex Christianson (right) show off their first-place check after capturing the FLW College Western Division team title at Lake Mead. (Photo by Gary Mortenson)
HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Sonoma State team of Luke Haley and Alex Christianson won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Western Division on Lake Mead recently with six bass weighing 11 pound, 11 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university's bass-fishing club.
The win also helped them advance to the Western Division Regional Championship where they could ultimately win a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine wrapped in school colors for their school's bass club and $25,000 for the school they represent.
"Luke really got our mojo flowing early when he landed his first monster smallie about 8:30 (a.m.)," said Alex Christianson, a junior business major. "After that we realized that the fish were bedding and went from there. We stayed within two miles of the marina, which was pretty protected all day, staying in coves with grassy areas with sandy bottoms. We stayed pretty shallow - 1 to 5 feet was it."
The team caught a mixed bag including the one kicker smallmouth weighing in at over 3 ½ pounds. The remaining five large mouths were all on beds; one was cruising and the rest were posted on the beds.
"This was my first tournament," said Luke Haley, a junior in physics. "I caught my first smallie on a drop-shot, and for the rest we just went sight fishing. Alex was amazing."
Rounding out the top five teams were California Poly - Scott Hellesen and Damian Bean., (six bass, 11-2, $5,000); University of Nevada, Reno - Seth Hofland and Ricky Nielsen, (six bass, 11, $4,000); San Jose State - Tyler Swasey and Anthony Lee, (four bass, 9-2, $3,000); Chico State - Thomas White and Allison Shaw., (four bass, 9, $2,000).
The next National Guard FLW College Western Division tournament is scheduled for June 12, at the California Delta in Stockton, Calif. College Fishing is free to enter, boats and drivers are provided by FLW Outdoors and all collegiate teams receive a travel allowance. The top five teams in each qualifying event advance to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships.
The top five teams from each regional championship will advance to the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship. The National Championship is a three-day televised event hosting the top five teams from each regional, 25 total teams. Teams will be provided jerseys and wrapped Ranger boats towed by Chevy trucks for this competition.
About FLW Outdoors
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Sonoma State University was recognized as having one of the most impressive environmental and sustainability programs among colleges and universities across the country in "The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges," released recently. The Princeton Review, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council featured SSU in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.
The Review praised SSU's use of green technology, such as the lighting in the recreation center designed to maximize energy efficiency, use of reclaimed water in toilets and urinals and the installation of low-flow faucets in the bathrooms. Salazar Hall was recognized as having one of the largest solar panel grids around, with 1,200 panels and was applauded for its mechanized air conditioning system.
Also acknowledged by the Review were the many classes like Environmental Communication offered by the Environmental Studies Department and the Communications Department and the Psychology Department's course in Eco-psychology.
Campus recycling efforts were cited for their 58 percent reduction in the amount of solid waste sent to landfills by the campus between 2001 and 2007 and additional sustainability initiatives, like those taken by departments choosing to purchase only 100-percent recycled paper.
SSU, along with the 285 other colleges included in the Guide, was chosen based on its very high "Green Rating" score received in the summer of 2009. That year, SSU earned a score of 98 out of 99 and was topped by only 11 other U.S. campuses that included Harvard University, Arizona State University and the University of Oregon. Of the 697 schools included in the survey, SSU was among the 286 campuses receiving scores higher than the eightieth percentile.
In the 2009 survey, SSU also outperformed ten other California colleges that scored in the 90s - UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Santa Clara University, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Stanislaus, Claremont McKenna and Stanford University.
This year, the campuses deemed the "greenest" according to their "green rating" scores were selected by the Princeteon Review to create the first free, comprehensive guidebook focused solely on colleges and universities that have demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability activities and initiatives.
The free guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/greenguide.
Sonoma State University students have joined the fight to cure cancer in this year's first ever Relay For Life event on campus set for May 15-16 on the track at the football field. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the Survivor's Lap kicking off the event. There will be a Luminaria Ceremony at 9 p.m. on Saturday. The Fight Back closing ceremony takes place at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The Relay consists of several teams of people who are asked to have at least one team member on the track at all times during this 24-hour period, representing the notion that cancer never sleeps. So far 18 teams and 136 participants have signed up and begun fundraising for SSU's first annual Relay For Life raising more than $4,748 to date.
Participants will camp out at the relay, giving support to their team members on the track, as well as to the many cancer patients currently fighting back against the disease. The theme of this year's event is "An Evening at the Movies," so each team has been asked to take on a movie to decorate their site with and come up with a cancer-related twist for it.
Relay For Life is a 24-hour relay, recognizing the strength and bravery of cancer patients as they endure the fight against cancer. The event began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, ran and walked around a track for 24 continuous hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay For Life has grown from a single man's passion to fight cancer into the world's largest movement to end the disease, taking place all across the nation.
For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org/sonomastateca or contact Jodi Roth, ASI Community Service Coordinator at (707) 664-3949.
Campus will be closed Fri., May 21 due to state mandated furlough.
Campus Life
RELAY FOR LIFE- Students have joined the fight to cure cancer in this year's first ever Relay For Life event on campus set for May 15-16 on the track at the football field. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the Survivor's Lap kicking off the event. There will be a Luminaria Ceremony at 9 p.m. on Saturday. The Fight Back closing ceremony takes place at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=27039
Lectures
BIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM- Dr. Frederic Theunissen (left), Department of Biology, U.C. Berkeley discusses "The Neurobiology of Birdsong." Noon-1 p.m., Tues., May 18. Darwin 103. (707) 664-2189. http://www.sonoma.edu/biology/home/colloquium.shtml
"GENOCIDE BENEATH OUR FEET."- Greg Sarris (right), Ph.D., Endowed Professor, Sonoma State University and Chairman, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria lectures. Event is open to all. 2010 Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series. 4-5:40 p.m., Tues., May 18. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. http://www.sonoma.edu/holocaust/center.ht
Films
"O AMOR NATURAL" Sonoma Film Institute presents a film by director Heddy Honigmann, in which several older Brazilians of all socioeconomic backgrounds recite Carlos Drummond's extremely explicit lines from his erotic poem "O Amor Natural." 4 p.m., Sun., May 16. 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
BFA EXHIBITION- BFA Exhibition 2010 features the work of 13 students in the Art Department who are graduating this spring with their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), an advanced degree requiring an additional year of focused study in their chosen medium. Students whose work will be featured include Paul Alsop (painting), Kelly Casmey (painting), Danielle Clement (painting), Cathy Ellis (painting), Pauline Greenfield (printmaking), Nick Harris (sculpture), Amy Hoeck (painting), Ben Lastufka (painting), Greg Looney (sculpture), Andrew Merriss (painting), Jason Perry (printmaking), Morgan Rosskopf (printmaking) and James Warren (photography). The exhibit will run from April 15-May 29. The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and weekends, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. http://www.sonoma.edu/artgallery
"PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE: ARTISTS REFLECT ON SUSTAINABILITY"- From ceramics and sculpture created using found objects, including the Yellow Pages, to wall hangings and 3-dimensional objects created from recycled wool sweaters, ten artists each bring a distinctive perspective in exploring the meaning of sustainability to this exhibit. The exhibit runs in the University Library Art Gallery from April 16-July 30. The University Library Art Gallery is open Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. noon - 9 p.m. http://library.sonoma.edu/about/gallery
Sandy beaches and surf zones ecosystems on the north central coast of California will be the focus of important research by Sonoma State University biology professor Karina Nielsen in the years ahead.
She is part of a team of scientists who will conduct a survey as part the Ocean Protection Council's $4 million award to support initial monitoring of the recently designated marine protected areas (MPAs).
Nielsen's team has been awarded $288,677 to lead a study to help establish an integrated picture of marine ecosystems and human activities in the North Central Coast from Alder Creek in Mendocino County to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County.
Sandy beaches and surf zones are important foraging areas for shore birds and fishes that feed on intertidal invertebrates, and are also used extensively by people for recreational activities, including shore-based fishing, bait collection, beach combing, ATVs, surfing, birding, dog-walking, and picnicking.
Beach wrack (mostly detached seaweeds and other marine plants) and carrion (dead animals) that wash-up on the shore from other ocean habitats form the base of one critical food web that birds and fish rely on for food. Another important food web is based on the microscopic phytoplankton of the surf zone itself that provide food for sand or mole crabs that live in the sand and are in turn fed upon by surf zone fishes such as surfperch.
"The amount of wrack and plankton cast onto beaches is also strongly linked to ocean conditions. These things make sandy beaches an important target for monitoring ecosystem health in this region," Nielsen says.
For up to three years, Nielsen, her colleagues (Steven Morgan, University of California, Davis, and Jenifer Dugan, University of California, Santa Barbara) and SSU students will collaborate to:
1) provide the first comprehensive, baseline description of the biodiversity of sandy beaches of the NCC region,
2) develop a plan for long-term monitoring of the network of MPAs involving citizen scientists (e.g., students, recreational fishers, members of conservation clubs) and collaborations with similar established volunteer groups in the region (e.g., Gulf of the Farallones Beach Watch program), and
3) interpret the important ecological links among the components of the ecosystem, including humans, for use in evaluating the ecological functioning of the newly formed network of MPAs in the NCC.
Through the baseline program, teams of researchers and citizen-scientists will survey shallow and deep rocky habitats, kelp forests, rocky shores, estuaries, beaches and other key ecosystems.
They will also monitor ecologically and economically important species of fishes and invertebrates, as well as range of human activities, including commercial and sport fishing, and also "non-consumptive" recreation such as tide-pooling, bird watching and scuba diving.
Researchers will combine new and historical data, collected inside and outside the MPAs, to document key aspects of the region's ecological and socioeconomic characteristics before and around the time of their establishment. From this, they will be able to document initial changes in marine habitats, species, fisheries and recreation that may be associated with new protections.
The results of the projects will lay a foundation for future assessments of the effectiveness of the MPAs in meeting the state's policy goals. Broader ecological, social and economic trends in the region will also be evaluated to distinguish possible effects of the MPAs from other influences on the region's ecology and coastal use patterns.
Further information on each of the projects are now available on the California Sea Grant website at www.csgc.ucsd.edu.
The North Central Coast MPA Baseline Program is a collaboration of California Sea Grant, Ocean Protection Council, Department of Fish and Game, Ocean Science Trust and MPA Monitoring Enterprise.
The set of projects funded through the program were solicited by California Sea Grant through a public call for proposals and selected through a competitive peer-review process.
The California Fish and Game Commission adopted the North Central Coast MPAs in August of 2009, as a step toward establishing a statewide network of MPAs, as required under the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act. The MPAs will take effect on April 1, 2010. MPAs for another region, the Central Coast, were established in 2007; baseline data collection in that region has been completed.
The commission is currently considering MPAs for the South Coast, and planning for the North Coast is under way. The act requires that MPAs be monitored to assess their effectiveness and facilitate adaptive management. The Ocean Protection Council has authorized $16 million to support MPA baseline monitoring in the Central, North Central, South and North Coast regions; it requires at least 25 percent matching funds or in-kind contributions for each baseline project.
NOAA's California Sea Grant College Program (www.csgc.ucsd.edu) is a statewide, multi-university program of marine research, extension services and education activities administered by the University of California. It is the largest of 32 Sea Grant programs and is headquartered at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Alumni Association and Student Alumni Ambassadors are throwing a party to celebrate Commencement 2010 and to welcome seniors to the "real world." It's free and open to all 2010 graduates (June and December grads welcome)!
Join President Armiñana and other Executive Cabinet members as they serve hot dogs, chips, soda and dessert. Enjoy music. Play games. Win prizes. And, don't forget to pick up a Senior Gift. All free and hosted by the Sonoma State Alumni Association.
http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/commencement/2010/alumni.shtml
A gripping tale of microbes, medicine and money, "Under Our Skin" documents the untold story of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic larger than AIDS. Each year thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told that the symptoms are "all in their head." Disability Services for Students is hosting a screening of the documentary "Under Our Skin" on Wed., May 5, from 7-9 p.m. at Warren Auditorium in Ives Hall.
As a part of Disability Awareness Week at Sonoma State University, DSS is hosting the screening of the multiple award-winning documentary followed by a discussion with physicians and patients and other health care representatives who specialize in Lyme Disease. May is Lyme Disease Awareness month.
The film is a gripping and often terrifying look not only at the science and politics of the disease, but also the personal stories of those whose lives have been affected and nearly destroyed. From a few brave doctors who risk their medical licenses, to patients who once led active lives but now can barely walk, the film uncovers a hidden world that will alarm viewers.
The New York Times calls it "heart-rending" and an "inflammatory documentary [that] takes aim at the medical establishment." The Centers for Disease Control admits that more than 400,000 people may acquire Lyme disease each year, a number ten times greater than AIDS and West Nile Virus combined.
This event is free and open to the public and anyone who is planning on attending this event is asked to RSVP to SSU's Disability Services office at (707) 664-2677.
