Sonoma County has been in lockdown since the middle of March, and it’s been ordered for this to stay in place until May 3, but it’s very possible for the order to be longer than that. Although California is planning to stay indoors for as long as possible, there are some states that are already thinking of reopening again.

Though recently California had one of its highest records for coronavirus deaths, Sonoma County seems to be doing a good job at staying safe and healthy. Compared to Los Angeles County with about 730 deaths, Sonoma County is showing that they are capable of practicing sanitation and social distancing, as required.

The COVID-19 pandemic is leading students to live a traumatic experience that only leaves them to question when the ordeal will end. Recently, Sonoma County announced the extension of shelter-in-place orders until May 3, which means that students at Sonoma State will not come back to campus for the remainder of the semester.

All students from the U.S., whether they are K-12 or college level, are encountering some kind of hardship in the absence of face-to-face classes. There is enough evidence to say that college students’ mental health has been of concern for some time, attributable to the fact that students are experiencing high amounts of psychological problems.

The novel coronavirus pandemic is causing worldwide suffering due to the abundance of deaths it has caused and more than one million confirmed cases around the world. Though this is the first outbreak to affect the majority of the population in recent times, coronavirus is not the first pandemic to hit the United States.

One of the most memorable, recent pandemics, that possibly every Sonoma State student remembers, is the 2009-2010 Swine Flu. The Swine Flu was first detected in the U.S and spread quickly across the globe.

Many activities have been canceled for the rest of the Spring 2020 semester due to the virus that causes COVID-19 becoming a worldwide pandemic. As of March 19, Sonoma State University’s president, Judy K. Sakaki, announced that Sonoma State will not resume face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the spring semester.

The postponement of the Spring 2020 Commencement was also announced as well, a decision that leaves graduating students afflicted.

Raymundo Lopez is a Sonoma State University senior that was recently awarded a prestigious 2020-2021 American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship.

The American Political Science Association was founded in 1903 but established the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) in 1969 to increase the number of underrepresented students in the political science field. Originally, MFP was for African American students, but as the program began to expand, they included all minorities in order “to include support for racial and ethnic underrepresented scholars,” according to the APSA website.

Among eight other nominees, Laura Lupei, the Senior Director for University Budget at Sonoma State University, won 2020’s Wang Family Excellence Award For Outstanding Staff Performance.

The Wang Family Excellence Award chooses four faculty and one staff member who are honored for their remarkable dedication to student achievement and their contributions in their work environment. Each recipient receives $20,000 to show appreciation for their hard work for CSU schools. The honorees were recognized during the Board of Trustees’ meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 8 a.m in Glenn S. Dumke Auditorium in Long Beach.

The night started off slow, lonely, and low in energy; not one student at Lobos Pub at Sonoma State wanted to step up and perform their karaoke bit to kick off the night. That is, until Devin, a first-year student, and his friend began to sing a song called “I miss you,” injecting the audience with a heightened sense of engagement, appreciation and the drive to “sing the night away” that would turn the night on its head.

On Friday, Jan. 30, Sonoma State let students showcase their array of talent with the opportunity to perform on the Student Center Ballroom stage in “Seawolves Got Talent,” much to the delight of peers alike.