On April 17, student workers in the California State University system filed over 4,000 cards with the California’s Public Employee Relations Board declaring the formation of a student union that will help represent and fight on behalf of the 10,000 predominantly undergraduate student assistants who work throughout the CSU system’s 23 campuses. If successful, these students will be officially represented by the California State University Student Employee Union. This proclamation is the largest non-academic student organization effort in all of U.S. history.
On April 25, the City Council of Rohnert Park officially proclaimed May as Asian America, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage month, in celebration and in honor of the contributions brought about by members of the AANHPI community to American and Rohnert Park society, history, and culture.
On April 18, national conservation organization American Rivers released their report “America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2023,” and listed Northernwestern California’s Eel River as being the sixth most endangered river in the U.S.A. American River publishes this list every year, and judges the state of different rivers based upon criteria including the river’s significance to people and nature, the magnitude of the threats presented to the watershed and surrounding communities, and how the public can influence decisions impacting the river’s future.
On April 11, the Rohnert Park City Council reviewed the status of homelessness within the city and discussed a response. As a part of the city’s response to the issue, the council was asked to enforce the Sonoma County Continuum of Care (CoC) Five Year Strategic Plan to help guide the regional board to better deal with the issue of homelessness.
The California State University System announced on March 21 that they will be launching a new transfer program this August that is expected to boost the low number of community college transfer students across the 23 CSU campuses.
Lives were forever flipped upside down on March 13, 2020. What was initially announced as a short two-week break, transformed into a lockdown that spanned over a year and affected the lives of billions.
On March 23, renowned Bay Area sculptor Bruce Johnson passed away at his home in Timber Cove at the age of 77. For over 50 years, Johnson worked and lived on a forested ridge in Timber Cove along the Sonoma County Coast overlooking the Pacific, and created multiple intricate and inspiring art pieces from wood and steel, including the two sculptures, Asia and Understanding Matter located outside the Green Music Center.
On March 2, a $950,000 grant from the Department of Energy’s RENEW (Reaching a New Engine Sciences Workforce) program was awarded to Sonoma State Professor Alexandra Miller in partnership with Stanislaus State Associate Professor Wing To in order to teach high energy physics and keep students engaged with research and internship opportunities.
On Feb 28, the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) president, Kaye Wise Whitehead, released an email statement in regards to Florida governor Ron De Santis’ attempts to delegitimize AP African American Studies curriculum and pressuring the CollegeBoard against making revisions to these courses. This isn't anything unique, as similar instances over the last two and a half years have seen courses focusing on similar subjects being targeted for supposedly being “woke”.
![[Both photos courtesy of sonoma.edu]
Ming-Ting Mike Lee stepped in as the new SSU president following Sakakis resignation in July 2022](https://sonomastatestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CC4520AB-22A7-41B2-9F6F-2A2D5F76A28C-1200x1200.jpeg)
