United States of America
Former Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Oak Leaf
Santa Rosa Junior College's first Black Student Union was formed in the early 1970s by students demanding an African American studies program. Although the program now exists, the group fizzled out over time. Two years ago, students Mark Goitom, 25, and Damion Square, 28, started a new club.
By JULIE LEE / Special to Towns Every heroine needs an origin story, which is why "When I First Realized I Was a Feminist" seems both befitting and belated as the topic of an anthology published by the Sitting Room, the private library in Penngrove that emphasizes women's issues and achievements.
On a rooftop near downtown Santa Rosa, Benjamin “Brutus” Gruey, a former Santa Rosa Junior College student and co-editor-in-chief of The Oak Leaf, pulled a queen-sized mattress up with a rope and made himself at home with blankets and pillows. For two years this was his favorite sleeping place.
Prominent civil rights attorney John L. Burris, who has represented Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Tupac Shakur and other well-known figures in police brutality cases, said prejudice has become a serious impediement to law enforcement during "Deconstructing 'Protect & Serve,'" a panel discussion organized by the SRJC Black Student Union Sept.
By JULIE LEE / Special to Towns After three years of newfound sobriety, hope and passion, Anthony "Tony" Haas, a homeless Santa Rosa Junior College culinary student, died June 18 from complications of alcoholism in a sleeping bag near the church garden he built. He was 60.
Julie Lee, Contributing Writer Kayla Kearney was no stranger to the stage, but on Jan. 14, 2011, the drama was her own. The Maria Carrillo High School senior gripped the microphone as she stood under the familiar stage lights that had illuminated her lead performances in numerous productions.
A woman walks to her car after a long night shift. She hears footsteps nearing, then a gruff voice: "Hey baby." She grips her keys between her fingers. Her fear is all too familiar to women out alone.
As the 88th celebration of Black History Month nears its conclusion, the Santa Rosa Junior College Black Student Union maintains its zeal and encourages others to follow suit. Mark Goitom, founder and former co-president of SRJC BSU, said that Black History Month deserves to be acknowledged year-round with the respect that it has rightfully earned.
As a UC Berkeley student in 2007, Angela Wooton found herself in the center of the local food movement. She heard Michael Pollan discuss his book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma," and activist Raj Patel gave lectures in her Anthropology of Food class. She also was a single parent on public food assistance.
Cherry, melon and pineapple are the smell of springtime at Santa Rosa Junior College this year. The scents aren't coming from ripe fruit but a pen-shaped object: an electronic cigarette. SRJC students en masse take illegal drags that go undetected by District Police around campus; anecdotal reports and local sales figures indicate a rapid rise in e-cigarette use among students.
U.S. Ambassador Lewis Lukens explained how the State Department addresses global threats, shared his experiences abroad, promoted the importance of becoming a global citizen and encouraged a career in the Foreign Service during "Passport to the World," a Q-and-A session noon Sept. 15 in the SRJC Bertolini Student Center.