Ralph Yarl is finally home after what should have been a simple misunderstanding, turned into a nightmare. 

Yarl, who is 16-years-old, was just doing what his mother asked him to do, which was to pick up his twin brothers from someone's house. Little did Yarl and his mother know that he would have to run for his life after being shot twice for knocking at the wrong door.

“Don’t let anyone talk you out of your dream. People will talk you out of your dreams because they don’t understand it,” said Sonoma State employee Tramaine Austin-Dillon, who has recently been considered one of the most influential people under the age of 40 by North Bay Business Journal.

Covid is not the only reason people are hesitant to attend large gatherings, according to the American Psychological Association, a third of adults say that the fear of mass shootings prevent them from going to certain events.

At a recent budget meeting on March 16, it was announced that Sonoma State is in the process of cutting back on staff. Sonoma State University President Mike Lee confirmed these staffing changes in a memo to all SSU employees on March 10 in preparation for the budget forum.

Greek organizations are required to complete multiple trainings, one of which is on drugs and alcohol education. However this semester, many organizations are veering from their usual training and opting for an alternative option.

Graduation season is around the corner and many students are preparing to celebrate their accomplishments while preparing for the future. 

The future is uncertain for all of us and for graduating students, the unknown can be scary. 

Trevor Leopold was only 15 when he was introduced to cannabis. After a three year battle with addiction, Trevor was found dead in his dorm room after taking a pill containing a lethal amount of fentanyl. He was just 18 years old.

At SSU, the voices of veterans and military affiliated students can become lost because their experiences are different from the average student population. 

According to the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs, “Only 15 percent of student veterans are the same age as traditional college students.” Most often, student veterans are older between the ages of 24-30. Some of these students have families of their own.

“Being a student here I am very aware of my age since the majority of people in my classes are younger than me.” said Jessica Bergler, a fourth year psychology student and a veteran. 

Hair is one of the first features we notice about a person. In the Black community, hair is a form of expression, it is their crown.

While textured hair has become more accepted in mainstream culture, it hasn't always been considered attractive. In fact, discrimination against textured hair can be traced back to slavery. 

School isn’t always a safe place. Many of us began to understand this concept at a young age. We took part in active shooting drills at school that attempt to prepare us for the worst case scenario. Not only did we take part in these drills, but we were exposed to mass shootings reported in the media.

Alex Gonzalez, who is a fourth year communications student, stated that he first became fully conscious of school shootings when the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting happened in 2012. 

As of 2020, Sonoma State University is the fifth predominantly white institution among all California public universities, according to the UC and CSU 2020 enrollment dashboard.

When you visit our school’s website, you may notice the banner at the top of the page that says “Latinx Heritage Month”. If you click on the banner, you will be redirected to a page with events for Latinx Heritage Month along with links to past cultural and identity celebrations at SSU.

Self-care is a phrase we hear a lot these days, especially on social media. Images of people taking long hot baths, lighting candles, and eating comfort food immediately floods the mind at the mention...