Alcohol being served on campus prevents drunk driving and other incidents

Sonoma State University has a plethora of selling points. The university’s Green Music Center is one that is brought up quite often, the small class size draws in those who actually want to get to know their professors, but one of the nicest things about Sonoma State is that we are in the heart of wine country. Sonoma County is known for its top of the line wineries and beautiful vineyards, and Seawolves, above the age of 21, are lucky enough to be on a campus that is able to actually serve them a glass.

Sonoma State is a “wet” school, meaning that students are able to purchase, consume, and store alcohol on campus. Now for some, this may cause concern. Students and parents alike fear the horror stories they are told of drunk driving accidents, alcohol poisoning on college campuses, and disastrous parties, so the fact that Sonoma State doesn’t have a hard ban on alcohol can seem as though the university promotes and encourages a culture of irresponsible drinking, however this is not the case. 

Having a “dry” campus, one that has a ban on alcohol, does not guarantee the safety of its students. In fact according to a study done by Project Know, dry campuses reported more liquor arrests on average than wet campuses, 19 per 1000 students as opposed to 16.

“The top five schools for liquor related arrests arrests included three dry campuses,” said Project Know’s website.

A dry campus clearly isn’t a solution to alcohol related issues and could actually even amplify the situation. Students who would just sit in their dorm and have a beer are instead forced to go outside of the campus to bars or parties where binge drinking is prevalent. Just because they can’t get it on campus doesn’t mean students won’t be able to find a way— one that could be even more dangerous than they were intentionally planning.

George Koob, director of the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse told TIME magazine, “That’s the whack-a-mole concern, and it’s a real one if other prevention programs are not implemented.”

At Sonoma State, if a 21 year old student decides they want to have a glass of wine in their room or go out to eat on campus and grab a beer, they have that option. Now, this is not just some lawless land where the alcohol freely flows at every venue for anyone who is lined up. The university has put in place several rules that keep its student body safe while also letting them enjoy alcohol is a safe space.

Food venues on campus like Lobos, the Wine Spectator building, and even the Green Music Center all serve alcohol, however there are drink limits in place to ensure that patrons drink responsibly. Workers in orientation are taught about the “stoplight” method. When a student first walks in they are green, meaning they are totally unimpaired and can start drinking. At the yellow stage, employees are encouraged to offer food to the patron and suggest they switch to water. Finally at the red stage, the student is cut off from alcohol to prevent anything dangerous from going on. With a wary staff, it is nearly impossible to binge drink but responsible students can get a drink before safely walking back to their dorm.

Another measure Culinary Services has put in place to prevent students from taking advantage of their privilege is by having employees at venues that serve alcohol attend a mandatory training on how to catch fake ID’s, lead by Detective Jon Kempf of Rohnert Park Public Safety. It is no secret that some underage students want to get their hands on alcohol, but Sonoma State puts in the effort to ensure this doesn’t happen on campus. These trainings, paired with the drink limits help protect students from the dangers of binge drinking while allowing them the freedom to enjoy a drink on the school’s beautiful campus.

Sonoma State also allows students over the age of 21 to keep alcohol in their dorms. These students now don’t have to worry about driving out, drinking, and then driving home. Instead, they can relax and not worry about possibly driving while impaired, hurting themselves or others. Of course, there are rules when it comes to from, which is for the best. According to Sonoma State’s website dorms should have “..one drink serving open for every person living over the age of 21 in the dorm.” It should also not be in view from outside of the apartment. This keeps underaged students from taking advantage of the system by getting drinks from older students, since only one drink can be open at a time within the dorm, and keeps the campus looking beautiful for visitors.

With enrollment dropping, Sonoma State needs every edge it can to entice students to come. Being able to serve alcohol on campus, especially on a campus situated so close to some of the greatest wine in the United States, is certainly a big plus. Students are grateful to be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage on campus and the safety of being able to walk back to their dorm.

Meme Culture: the global infectant we should actually be concerned about

In the last 20 years alone, the establishment of contemporary global culture has seen dramatic acceleration in an ever digitized, technologically entrenched world. Yet, while culture on a global scale has certainly thrived alongside widespread internet use, the value of borderless interconnectivity that the internet brings to the table has, in reality, enabled countless users to starve others, and themselves, of the necessary attention--and appropriate response--toward people enduring ongoing crises and tragedies worldwide. Indeed, the inherent free-to-roam aspect of the internet has seen users blindly portion-controlling treatment of an issue that they deem fit, also identifiable as everything wrong with the internet mainstay at work: “meme culture.” 

Kara Rogers, a member of the National Association of Science Writers since 2009 and writer for Encyclopedia Britannica, says that, “Within a culture, memes can take a variety of forms, such as an idea, a skill, a behaviour, a phrase, or a particular fashion. The replication and transmission of a meme occurs when one person copies a unit of cultural information compromising a meme from another person,” Rogers continued, “and those memes that are most successful in being copied and transmitted become the most prevalent within a culture,” according to her article for Britannica.

Within precisely what Rogers discerns to be the “successful” catalyst behind memes, internet users--college students included--prioritizing the ability to copy and transmit cultural aspects of memes often brutally undermines the realities facing people on a daily basis within said crises and tragedies. This aspect is still ingrained well across meme culture to this day. In fact, the most prime, recent example arises in the case of the Wuhan coronavirus. 

Reaching initial outbreak in mainland China on Dec. 1, 2019, the coronavirus--and those infected, especially those of Chinese ancestry or descent--has received comparable treatment online as Ebola and the people of Africa enduring the outbreak therein just several years ago.  

Yet, as parodying the suffering endured by any cultural group is never ‘okay’ nor excusable, the looming activity of meme culture--with no direct blame attributed to any one group, thread, or person due to the ‘masked’ value of the internet--has egregiously assigned self-excusal to these issues. 

To make matters even worse, the rising scope of the coronavirus outbreak has injected an even broader sense of hysteria as it is, as Ben Westcott, Adam Renton and Angela Dewan of CNN report, “Another 89 people died in mainland China on Saturday (Feb. 8), bringing the total death toll around the world to at least 813.” 

Now, while the scope of the coronavirus has well surpassed that of the Ebola outbreak (enough to be considered a pandemic), heightened hysteria around the virus is also readily puppeteered by the circus-like showcase of meme culture online. And, in what has carried equally egregious implications: for those who are -actually- affected by the virus at this stage, especially at its source in China, an onslaught of xenophobia at the hands of meme culture has been on careless display. 

One example arises in a Spongebob Squarepants meme that has surfaced since the turn of the year. While the meme is broken up into four pictures, scenes from the beloved Nickelodeon show are pulled to individually reflect major issues around the world. Spongebob and Patrick are depicted in two of the four boxes; One of which showcases the two drowning in a bed of water, with the caption “Venice:” underneath (referencing the floods) and, in the other, posing in a military-esque fort with a machine gun, captioned “Iran and USA.” While the third shows Spongebob on fire, captioned by “Australia:” the fourth and final box reigns as an up-close shot of Spongebob appearing deathly ill and nearly zombified, captioned with “China,” clearly, in reference to the coronavirus. 

Importantly, meme culture operates and thrives in a seemingly boundaryless comedic realm, and for those who view comedy, much like comedians themselves, as rightfully ‘blind’ to sensitive issues, tragedies and crises alike, indifference leads--and leads well. Yet, regardless of whether or not one is suffocatingly indifferent to an issue simply because it does not pose an immediate threat to him or her, it is beyond worthwhile--no matter who you are, or what your social location is--to harness values of one’s own subjective culture. While myriads of memes have surfaced across the internet satirizing the coronavirus, people affected and even an entire ethnic group, those who are “replicating” and “transmitting” the memes, in Rogers words, would undoubtedly act differently if it was on a basis of subjective culture, or inner-culture, like one’s moral codes.  

Instead, as meme culture exists as objective culture, or surface culture, millions of people around the world deem its activity as inherently acceptable, without question, no matter the case. Ultimately, people must begin to question why they do the things they do, especially on the internet--and for whom? 

Meme culture is just as pervasive across high school and college demographics and students alike must stop and ask themselves, ‘at what point am I going to draw the line on mindlessly conforming to a moral-less showcase of disregard for other people?’ And, for that matter, other cultures?

Noise violation fines to be raised, impacting off campus students

Last week, the Rohnert Park Police Department proposed that the infamous 120 ordinance, a noise violation, be raised from $500 to $1000.

     When a household has 10 or more people occupying it and is playing loud music, they are vulnerable to receiving a 120 citation. A 120 citation forces the residence to be silent for 120 days. If the 120-day rule is broken, violators must pay, what was once  $500, a $1000 fee. The residence is also given a sign that must be visible from street view stating that they were summoned to the 120-day rule. If caught without the sign, a fine of $100 can be issued. 

    When choosing a college to attend as a high school senior, it is important to most that the school has a reputation for fun. Most young, wide-eyed 18-year-olds are eager to let loose and party, something they have never been able to do before. The increase in the cost of the violation has caused outrage in current students as the fun party environment, that most people look for while applying to schools, will be compromised.

The city claims that the movement will not prohibit parties or social gatherings and that “they are not necessarily targeting students”. However, in a college town where house parties are the norm, it seems unlikely. Many students spoke on their experiences with prejudice neighbors, saying that there is a preconceived judgment of them before they even move in.  

    Sonoma State is a small community of just 9,201 students. As fraternities and other organizations begin to be fined $1000, the number of parties will decrease, ultimately damaging the reputation of Sonoma State. Punishing young undergraduates for having fun on their weekends will cause a significant decrease in enrolments. Over the next few years, because of the drop in enrolments, campus involvement will incinerate along with budget.    

    The mayor of Rohnert Park made it clear that he does not think the price will make any difference because parents usually pay the bill. He went on to say that there needs to be better communication methods between the students and the city community in order to form respect and understanding. 

    Many students understand that there are surrounding neighbors who do not appreciate the noise, but they do not want to give up their college experience because of it. There is a difficult dilemma between residents and students due to the differences in their agendas.

    As SSU advocates spoke at the council meeting, some brought up the idea of having a housing area strictly for students so that they can have the normal “college experience” without disturbing Rohnert Park residents.

 Seawolves have brought forth the idea of creating a Greek Row previously but were rejected. Creating a neighborhood for students would make the lives of RPPD, Rohnert Park residences, and Sonoma State students a whole lot easier. The police department would have an easier time patrolling student life, fewer drunk driving incidents would occur, and the community of Rohnert Park would be at peace knowing they have a quiet neighborhood to come home to. 

An increase in the 120 will decrease the number of parties hosted by students, however, it will not stop them altogether. The city previously raised the fine hoping to stop the constant noise violations, but they did not stop. In 2011, Rohnert Park attempted to stop the gatherings by raising the punishment from 60 days to 120. This just led students to move their parties to different houses. 

Raising the fine will not solve the problem, but tarnish the reputation of SSU by losing the interest of incoming freshman. Current students are not happy about the fine and are actively voicing their thoughts to both the city of Rohnert Park, and potential seawolves. Raising the fine will not solve the problem, but tarnish the reputation of SSU by losing the interest of incoming freshman.

Sonoma State shows support with coming out week

Sonoma State University is home to a variety of different students and it is important that the school creates an environment where everyone feels valued. The university has taken great steps to ensure members of the LGBTQ+ community feel included, evident not only in the planning of last week’s events, but also the care put in throughout the entire school year.

Oct. 11 was National Coming Out Day, so Sonoma State planned a week full of LGBTQ+ targeted events. Queers with Careers was the first of these. Students were given the chance to visit the Student Center, gain insight into the working world from queer and trans professionals from acrosss Sonoma County, and find specific LGBTQ+ resources on campus. Events like these are informative and provide an important niche view for LGBTQ+ students.

This was only the beginning of the festivities that were thought of during this week, unfortunately, the PG&E power outage resulted in some of these being cancelled. The HUB and the Confidential Victims Advocate organized the Hookup Culture and Queer Community Dialogue, which was set to discusss hookup culture for members of the LGBTQ+ community and how to safely navigate ambiguity and keep sex safe and consentual. Students would have had the chance to attend Out of the Closet, Into the Bedroom: Queer and Trans Informative Sex Education and become more aware of safe sexual practices for an array of different sexualities and identities.

An event like this is extremely valuable as standard sexual education typically does not cover or even mention homosexual sex or different gender identities. There aren’t many spaces where LGBTQ+ students can learn about sexual health specific to them so it is encouraging to see Sonoma State give its students a chance to explore this topic. Kevin Rose, a physician’s assistant that specializes in trans health, would have led the workshop and shared her new curriculum on queer and trans inclusive sexual education.

Finally, the week’s fun was supposed to come to a head in the form of a National Coming Out Day Photoshoot. Students could head down to the Seawolf Plaza and listen to Afro-Latin Funk band Sang Matiz while enjoying a photo booth along with a mountain of rainbow gear. This event would have been an excellent chance for LGBTQ+ students to meet and bond over a fun shared experience. It is a shame to see the outage affected some of these fun plans, but hopefully Seawolves see events like these return in the future.

Luckily, Sonoma State is always celebrating its LGBTQ+ students, not just this past week. There are a handful of ways the university includes the LGBTQ+ community. Our school has a Queer Student Alliance, that creates a safe space for queer students to find support from each other and plan various events meant to empower LGBTQ+ students. Whether they are putting on an event like “Welcome Gaybies” or promoting a show like “Kinsey Sicks: Naked Drag Queens Singing” the group is always working on making campus a more inclusive and exciting environment.

The Safe Zone program is put on every month on the 7th and is meant to educate Sonoma State students, faculty, and staff about the LGBTQ+ community. Safe Zone, attempts to foster an environment where everyone is respected regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The program provides “ally training” to those who wish to better understand and help LGBTQ+ students along with a comfortable space for LGBTQ+ students to talk about whatever may be troubling them.

We also can see visible evidence of Sonoma State’s efforts to be inclusive in the art exhibit in the library. Queeries: Queer Artist and Identity is an art gallery that features various LGBTQ+ artists. The library has planned to show this from Aug. 19 all the way until Dec. 13 and is meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. On Oct. 3 the library hosted a reception where students had the opportunity to meet the artists who created the works displayed.

One does not have to look far to see Sonoma State’s efforts in making the campus a fun, accepting space that caters to all its students, rather than a select few. Whether it’s a fun get-together, an informational meeting, or an art exhibit, Sonoma State continuously puts on events that show love and support toward the LGBTQ+ community. Hopefully, we continue to see the university put on fun events that make our LGBTQ+ students feel comfortable.

How Sonoma State is combatting rape culture

As reported rapes have been increasing exponentially across the United States, new programs have been started to raise awareness as well as teach women and men what to do to avoid being sexually preyed on. According to a new study, more than 3.3 million American women between the ages 18 and 44 reported being raped the first time they had sex. That is an insane number that screams for something to be done. 

Sonoma State University has done their best in bringing awareness with programs such as “It’s a Guy Thing,” “March for Consent” and there always is the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, formally known as Title IX. “It’s a Guy Thing” is a new approach at preventing sexual assault where all genders are welcome and casual conversation about what it is like to be a man. There has only been one meeting thus far for the group, but it was a success. Junior Oscar Urbina said, “I want to make sure all guys, including myself, are held accountable for all of our actions and follow through with our responsibilities, this event seems like a perfect place to talk about it.” The “March for Consent” is similar to the other ways to spread awareness about sexual assault, but is the first time it has happened here at Sonoma State. 

Measures are being taken to improve this campus-wide issue, but much more work is still ahead.

As the Sonoma State administration is doing a good job trying to keep the campus as safe as possible, one aspect the school that has continually neglected is the lack of proper lighting around the entire campus. Around the most populated parts of campus lighting is not an issue, but near the lakes and by the athletic fields there is a complete absence of illumination. The lighting problem has already come back to bite the university early in this semester, as there was a reported rape by the lakes late at night on Sept. 5. Lighting does not always stop crime, but having a well-lit area causes people to worry more about getting caught and may persuade them to not commit the crime.

Another seemingly easy solution is to increase the number of Emergency Call boxes. Sonoma State has some around campus in the main areas, but there are few in the fringe areas surrounding the campus . When using the Emergency Call Boxes, the call will go directly to the camps Police Station and will give the police the location of where the call came from. Some universities have upwards of 100 while Sonoma State has 35. Adding more Emergency call boxes would be a little expensive, but everybody would agree losing the 600 dollars it costs to install one in is less important than allowing another person to be sexually assaulted. 

“I CAN HELP” is another new program, but the school is planning on many more over the next two years. Campus-wide bystander intervention training will begin in the coming years, along with a revamped health center. 

During next semester there will be enhanced safety training for members in greek life. Numerous studies have shown that men are three times more likely to rape if they are in a fraternity and women in sororities are 74 percent more likely to be raped. Developing new and improved training for greek life members is a great way to try and prevent sexual assaults from occurring. Sonoma State also plans on sending out a Safety Service Newsletter every week or so. 

Plans are in place for the future, but people who have been sexually assaulted will say the plans should have been in place years ago. 

A former Sonoma State student who had been sexually assaulted said, “Consent is nothing.” She hopes universities not only teach women how to defend themselves but go to the root of the problem and show the men not to rape. That does not seem entirely possible, but getting to the heart of the problem is always the best way to prevent it from happening again.

A call for clean water

Consistent water problems spark the idea that the water systems on campus are outdated. Sonoma State University continues to issue proper safety precautions to provide safe drinking water to its 11,000 students, staff, and faculty.

Over the past few years Sonoma State has sent out numerous emails, cautioning people to not drink and cook with the water that the school provides in fountains and kitchen sinks due to a possible contamination to their well system. Specifically last spring semester members of Sonoma State that lived on campus were put into a tough spot when they were told to not drink the water for the “48 hour period.”

Supposedly the possible contamination was caused by a drop in water pressure. Therefore, the school had to run multiple tests that took “48 hours” to receive results and send out advisory emails. 

Unfortunately, members of the Sonoma State community have also received emails in the past, such as the one on Nov. 5, 2018 stating, “Due to a water line break and a valve malfunction this morning, significant parts of the campus experienced reduced water pressure or no water service. Crews have corrected the problem, and all water service has been restored.” 

There were no further emails sent advising students that tests were going to be conducted or that the water should be boiled before consuming even though there was “reduced water pressure.” Therefore, the 11,000 members that consumed Sonoma State’s water could very easily have been exposed to harmful contaminants and bacteria.

The emails were very contradictory in the sense that they advise everyone that it is safe to wash their hands and bathe with the tap water, but to also sanitize immediately after doing so. If one cannot wash their hands without using sanitizer afterwards, they probably should not be using the water at all.

Water contamination can cause severe health problems including neurological disorders, reproductive issues, and gastrointestinal illness. 

For such extreme possible side effects there should also be extreme precautionary measures taken in order to avoid and prevent water contamination.

The emails being sent out are untimely and usually sent after a majority of the people on campus have already consumed the possibly contaminated water. Sonoma State University should be sending out text message alerts immediately to ensure the safety of the students, staff, and faculty. 

The safety and health of the community should be the University’s number one priority. Instead, the members of this campus receive emails such as, “Yesterday I sent you an email where I shared three options to protect yourself during this ‘Boil Water Advisory’ - one of which was that it was ok to ‘use a Brita filter or other water purifying device.’  When I initially received information about the Advisory, I was informed a filter would suffice due to what we understood at the time about the quality of water on campus.  Since I received that tip about the filter, additional information was made available stating filtered water should still be boiled – which you received by email from the university.  Please accept an apology from myself and my supervisors for what I shared with you being outdated.”

Sadly, not only was the information outdated but so were the water bottles students received from the University. 

Sonoma State offered a measly one water bottle per student during this 48 hour testing period. The water bottles had an expiration date of Jun. 19, 2013. They claim that water bottle expiration dates are for quality not safety. While the water doesn’t go bad the plastic that incapsulates it does. The chemicals in the plastic will start seeping into the water once the expiration date has been surpassed. Sonoma State University is extremely unprepared for an issue in well contamination that  has been going on for years.

In a 2002 water assessment consumer report, “Wells #3 and #4 were identified as being vulnerable to contamination from sewage collection systems.” 

After receiving emails that provide inactive links and documentation that says it is from 2018 but provides data from 2002, it is safe to speculate that Sonoma State’s well system could possibly be deteriorating and outdated. 

The students, staff, and faculty at Sonoma State University deserve honesty and a reliable drinking source. There have been too many valve malfunctions, drops in water pressure, and line breaks over the past few years. It is time Sonoma State prioritizes the safety of the community and takes responsibility by making a change to their well system. Perhaps, some of the money students pay to have clean water should be used to make any updates and repairs that the water system needs.

Upsetting Netflix drama filmed on campus

The summer of 2019 brought Sonoma State University many things--a record heatwave, fire warnings, and the filming of 13 Reasons Why on campus. The controversial but ever-popular show transformed SSU into Sanderson University, with no Lobo or Bismarck in sight. Though students were excited to see their school on their laptop screens, many were frustrated and confused as to why SSU was chosen as the location of filming.

13 Reasons Why is a show following Clay, a teen, who finds explanations of why his classmate Hannah committed suicide. The series is based on a novel that was just as graphic and glorifying as the show. Even with trigger warnings and some now deleted scenes, the series still involves graphic depictions of suicide, self harm and rape. Many incidences of teenage suicide were noted to be inspired by the series, however scenes were only recently deleted, after years of being seen and accesible for anyone with a Netflix account. 

 According to CNN, the rates of suicide among young males went up nearly 29% in the month after the show premiered. 13 Reasons Why is notable for its romanticization of depression and self harm. Some critics say it’s an important show to have since it talks about tough issues while others note that the series does nothing to actually inform watchers of the warning signs, what to do if a friend is suicidal and so forth. Along with this 13 Reasons Why suggests that suicide is a solution to a temporary issue, can be used as revenge on bullies, or that the act should be blamed on others, when mental illness is the cause of suicide and self harm. Showing these scenes and this storyline will only lead to young people in a bad mindset to perhaps copy what Hannah did-- whether that be for revenge, out of impulse or to blame others. 

FOX reports that two families of young females who committed suicide blamed 13 Reasons Why for its triggering and upsetting scenes. Peter Chiu, an uncle of one of the females, told Fox reporters, “I feel it’s dangerous for that small percentage of young adults...the show gives only one alternative for cyber bullying and other teenage issues.”

Sonoma State has been known for its small and inviting campus, but that doesn’t mean that the school provides a high standard of mental health care in many students’ eyes. With previous issues regarding the lack of funding for CAPS and giving students a limited amount of therapy space or time, filming this show here can almost feel like a slap in the face.  

The transformation of the school left many students questioning why SSU was using their $30,000 dollars in filming funds to power wash bacon and eggs rather than put it towards improving CAPS. Some even thought that Sonoma was forgetting its morals and ethics in regards to such a distressing show for the money and exposure. A new sign has been spotted on campus, buildings are spotless and freshly painted--but these things only happened because of the filming, not just because SSU wants to improve its look and cleanliness for its own students. The university said, according to the Press Democrat, “it will put the funds toward educational programs — particularly around issues like suicide and school shootings.”

Educational programs are great for awareness and bringing light to situations others might be going through--but education isn’t going to give someone with a mental health issue ways to heal or cope. Allowing a TV show that romantizes depression and self harm on campus may remind the 1 in 5 students that contemplate suicide because of school stress in the US that SSU may not be as ethical as it seems.

New Title IX rules protect institutions, not students

New proposed guidelines for Title IX focus on protecting institutions, but leave students without resources. 

The Department of Education is changing the rules surrounding sexual assault on college campuses to protect the accused and reduce college’s liability. 

The definition of sexual assault is being changed. Now, schools will only be accountable for formal complaints filed through proper authorities and for conduct said to have occurred on their campuses.

These new Title IX guidelines are a step in the wrong direction at a time when progress needs to be made.

A vast majority of rapes aren’t filed through the proper authorities. 

This is seen at Sonoma State. Ten rapes were reported to the university last year, but hundreds of people reported a history of sexual assault when they visited Counseling and Psychological Services. 

For many reasons, it is difficult for sexual assault survivors to come forward. Whether they know the perpetrator, are afraid of being believed or just want to move on, there are plenty of reasons why someone might not go through the proper channels to report their sexual assault. 

To compensate for the fear sexual assault victims face, colleges need to be proactive in finding the sexual assaulters and removing them from the university. The responsibility can’t fall solely on the victim.

Only holding a college responsible for sexual assaults that occur on campus allows for rapes that are reported as off-campus to be swept under the rug.  Only 37 percent of Sonoma State students live on campus.

 A student is still a student even when they leave Sonoma State property. Just because a student lives off campus doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to the same resources that students who live on campus do.

 Universities should be held responsible for sexual assaults off campus too, especially if they involve a student perpetrator and student victim. The culture of Sonoma State doesn’t end where its property does--it extends across Rohnert Park and Cotati, into the neighborhoods where most of its students live.

This new set of guidelines also redefines sexual misconduct and only condemns severe, pervasive and objectively offensive sexual misconduct. This narrow definition would allow for administration to overlook Title IX violations if they do not believe it to meet this new criteria. This will impact those who work, teach and attend Sonoma State. 

Another issue with the new guidelines are that they create a new rule that calls for cross-examination of sexual assault victims. Although this wasn’t previously outlawed, it’s frowned upon due to the potentially traumatic problems associated with questioning an alleged sexual assault victim by asking them to relive their assault. The new rules explains that attorneys must be allowed to submit questions on their behalf for the alleged victim or accused to answer. 

These new rules let colleges off the hook for sexual assault. Laws are needed to force colleges to be proactive in preventing sexual assaults, or else they will do the bare minimum.

Eleven percent of students are sexually assaulted in college, according to the Department of Justice. This is an epidemic of dramatic proportions, and these new rules will only make it worse.