The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, and with the holidays coming up many people are experiencing mental health difficulties. Although breaks are supposed to have a positive effect on mental health, this is not the case this year as students and their families are adjusting to celebrating holidays during a global pandemic.

When looking at high-end fashion, there is a list of recognizable designers, but none have quite the recognition that Virgil Abloh had. He is as highly praised as he is loved in the culture of fashion and streetwear, and many were devastated to find out that he had passed away while privately battling cardiac angiosarcoma, a form of heart cancer, on Nov. 28, 2021. Virgil left a massive impression within the industry of fashion and streetwear by creating his own unique style that was presented in his coveted products that he and other companies co-released.

Black Friday has to be one of the most exciting holiday traditions. Stores present doorbuster deals for consumers to get them hoarding in line before they open, with the promise of exclusive deals on items that are only seen that day after Thanksgiving. Exciting? Sure, but it is a tradition that has slowly been on the decline, and it is not from one reason, but many attributing factors.

As holiday breaks like Thanksgiving and Spring break roll around, students could either feel a sense of relief for a moment’s notice or groan from the annoyance of being assigned homework to do during the break. It’s definitely a refreshing feeling knowing that you can kick back from thinking about school and just relax for a minute.

Vineyards are what Sonoma County has always been known for, but as a different kind of green landscape takes root, something new may become the hit of the county. Marijuana is quickly becoming a hot industry in wine country, and this boom is a direct result of some very wise legal counsel.

Unacceptable and demoralizing: These are the blunt yet meaningful words Aegría De La Cruz, director of Sonoma County’s Office of Equity, used to describe the departure of Sheba Person-Whitley. Person-Whitley stepped down from her position in the Sonoma County office following racial discrimination and is following a role in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

While driving around Sonoma State’s campus, it doesn’t go unnoticed that the roads could use some TLC. The campus has been open and active since 1961, and it’s seen many changes since then, but for years now, the roads have been a subject of concern among many students. Uneven pavement, potholes, and a lack of road signs make the drive around the otherwise beautiful campus a little unpleasant. Not only is it a matter of general road quality and upkeep, but of safety for students who provide the majority of campus traffic.

When it comes to safety, students have mixed feelings about walking through Sonoma State’s campus. Some may feel comfortable walking around campus, while others feel that they cannot walk alone due to the poor lighting among other factors. There has been concern in the past regarding the transparency of SSU’s campus police and what crimes students are informed of. Many are questioning whether or not the campus police scanner reports should be publicized or more easily accessible to ease students’ minds.

Another year brings another Halloween, one of the most popular holidays among people of all ages. As COVID-19 is still present in day-to-day life, taking precautions to keep everyone safe is of utmost importance this Halloween season.

Visible as you walk into Sonoma State University’s gymnasium is a banner of a famed football player, Larry Allen. Allen dominated football at Sonoma State between the 1991-1992 season and was inducted in the pro football hall of fame following a stellar career in the NFL. Despite this athletic history of SSU, many current students are completely unaware of the school’s former football team.

Online classes have been the bane of manu SSU students’ existence ever since the university had to transition to fully remote learning in March 2020. Almost two years later, classes have resumed partially in person, which has students both elated and worried, as conditions are not as they were before COVID-19. The transition was abrupt for many, and as a result, the stress of this new mode of learning is taking a mental toll on SSU’s students and faculty.