The Student News Site of Sonoma State University

Sonoma State Star

The Student News Site of Sonoma State University

Sonoma State Star

The Student News Site of Sonoma State University

Sonoma State Star

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Fraternities involved with hazing face harsh consequences

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer April 10, 2019

According to CNN, “There have been more than 77 fraternity-related deaths across the country since 2005.” That’s almost seven deaths a year for the past 12 years due to hazing.

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Fitness influencer fraudulence: lies and deception

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer April 3, 2019

The problem with social media nowadays is anyone can claim to be an expert on anything, even if it is just a hobby or passion. For example, most popular fitness accounts have no training or certificates that give them the knowledge or power to be recommending their followers exercise routines or nutritional plans.    

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Climate change worsens with lack of action

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer March 13, 2019

Twelve years is all humanity has to start making changes to keep this planet alive. 

The Washington Post said, “the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climate Assessment reports late last year made it clear that the world must cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 45 percent in 12 years to preserve any hope of maintaining a livable planet.” 

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Youtube Kids leaves parents concerned for children online

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer March 6, 2019

Millions of people of all ages use the internet daily whether it be through a computer, tablet, or phone. A plentiful proportion of those users are young children on gaming sites and video sites such as Youtube.


The internet is not regulated and with children being so tech-savvy nowadays it is hard to know what exactly they are getting themselves into. Parents do not want to have to regulate their child's every move, so Youtube came up with an apparent solution. Youtube Kids was launched on February 23, 2015 with the concept of having a safe place for kids to explore and watch videos.

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Breast implants linked to cancer and other medical issues

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer February 27, 2019

Women have long turned to cosmetic surgeries to enhance their looks. Whether it be rhinoplasties, tummy tucks or facelifts. However, none of these procedures can compete when it comes to the popularity of breast implants.

Breast implants, also known as breast augmentation, is the most popular cosmetic procedure performed annually. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “Of the nearly 1.8 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed in 2017, the top [was] breast augmentation (300,378 procedures, up 3 percent from 2016).”

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Behind the scenes at the SSU costuming department

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer February 20, 2019

Behind the performances and shows, the costume department is hard at work making the director’s and choreographer’s visions come to life only really having downtime when shows are up and running. 

Down to Earth Cafe and Deli: Review

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer February 13, 2019

Hidden in plain sight is the delicious gem that is Down to Earth Cafe and Deli. It is located in downtown Cotati right across the street from Friar Tuck’s Pub and Spancky’s Bar, making it a prime location for locals.

Hulu and Netflix documentaries dive into the secrets of a fraudulant festival

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer January 30, 2019

Two of the online entertainment giants, Netflix and Hulu, recently released their own separate documentaries of the infamous Fyre Festival.  While, both Netflix and Hulu made films about the same festival failure they take vastly different approaches. 

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Fake reviews rise while consumer trust begins to drop

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer December 5, 2018

With the holiday season nearing, Amazon is reminding everyone why it is one of the largest online retailers worldwide with new product reviews flooding in everyday. 

Many users look at reviews before they decide whether or not to purchase an item online since they themselves may have never used it before. So since customers rely so heavily on reviews while online shopping, they deserve the truth about the product instead of paid lies.

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Covergirl’s cruelty-free efforts better late than never

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer November 13, 2018

Covergirl recently made the leap to become cruelty-free, meaning everywhere the cosmetics brand is sold will include products of which the ingredients are not tested on animals. 

Covergirl itself posted about its brand new approach to makeup, “at COVERGIRL, we believe that you shouldn’t have to choose between the beauty products you love and the values you believe in. As the biggest makeup brand to achieve Leaping Bunny certification in partnership with Cruelty Free International, we’re committed to getting affordable, ethical makeup into the hands of anyone who wants it.”

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No child too innocent for the First Amendment

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer October 31, 2018

The concern of whether to publish something or not is a question journalists struggle with everyday when deciding how exactly a story needs to be told. In this range of debate lies the graphic picture of a child, and what it signifies for the audience as well as the subject in the frame.

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Assisted suicide provides one last privilege

Kaylie Boettner, Staff Writer September 19, 2018

Death is a taboo subject most have no interest in talking about, especially when planning their own. 

Physician-assisted suicide is a choice many terminally ill patients prefer to have access to, but do not. Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, along with Washington D.C., are the only locations in the country that provide opportunity for assisted suicide via legislation. California, which used to be another of those states, recently had its ruling overturned by a Riverside County Judge, according to the Los Angeles Times. Montana, meanwhile, is the one state that has legal physician-assisted suicide by court ruling. 

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