Here at SSU, the university places students on a pathway towards success because of their FREE support systems and resource accessibility. Oftentimes, Seawolves feel like their cultural, economic, and recreational needs are not met at this school. The Sonoma State STAR believes that students have to take more of an initiative to find certain resources on campus. Be curious about Sonoma State-the school has endless opportunities to discover. 

Contrary to the common belief, libraries have much more than books to check out. One of Sonoma State’s largest resources on-campus is the Jean and Charles Schultz Information Center. The library ranges from resources such as the 24 hour computer lab to reserved study spaces on the third floor. The building comprises three stories, each with their own noise level. The first floor is the most collaborative floor and it serves as a one stop shop for academic excellence. Students can book appointments with offices such as the Transfer and Advising Center or explore free tutoring options at the Learning Academic Resource Center (LARC). The STAR had an opportunity to speak with LARC’s Administrative Support Coordinator, Gillian Estes. Estes explained the concept of the on-campus program, “[LARC] provides one on one as well as small group tutoring… it’s all free for SSU students.” With over 10 subjects to get support in, the free study program brings out Seawolf success.  

When logging into your SSU online services a purple app titled, “LARC WC online” is there to make an appointment with LARC and the Writing Center (WC) which is another feature of the program. WC assists in course curriculum as well as non-academic writing.

The second floor is the most overlooked creative outlet within the library. The “Makerspace” is an area with a variety of equipment. Seawolves are entitled to use machines such as: embroidery station, sewing machine, 3D printer and Virtual reality. SSU Welcome Center worker Daniel Beglin was not aware of the resource until he was trained as a tour guide, “I only knew the building as the library… I didn’t know what was inside, I just knew they had printers.” 

The STAR also had the opportunity to speak with Senior HUB Program Executive, Shelley Gomez. She emphasized how much the HUB Cultural Center is dedicated to SSU students.

The HUB is a popular resource utilized by Seawolves that offers weekly activities that are no cost to attend. The office is located in the heart of our campus in Seawolf Plaza. Overall, The HUB represents a safe space for anyone and everyone. With its acronym reading, “Honoring the past, Uniting the present, and Building the future.” The HUB falls under the The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Aside from support groups, the space offers resources such as a mini kitchen and food storage. The HUB primarily serves as an educational resource in order for students to deepen their understanding of each other as well as those around us. 

This FREE resource empowers ethnicities, sexualities and world wide views from across the globe. Every week the office hosts support groups for fellow Seawolves including: Queer, Trans, People of Color (QT-POC), Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI), Women of Color Collective (WOCC) and several more. 

“Here at the HUB we really try to stay in tune to what’s happening on campus and support [students] in general with navigating this institution,” said Gomez. SSU provides and promotes these resources across campus for any student willing to look for them.