A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf
A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf
A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf
SRJC student and Resident Advisor for SRJC's Polly O'Meara Doyle dormitory Jayce Kaldunski maximizes space in his room with a couch and study area surrounded by his carnivorous plant collection under a bunk bed.

SRJC’s 30-second commute

Michael Combs, Editor
December 5, 2023
Toby Carter, a French bulldog-corgi mix, takes his person Samantha for a walk at Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Oct. 21, 2023.

Four Great Dog-Friendly Trails in Sonoma and Marin

Samantha Carter, Reporter
November 30, 2023
Max Millan’s abuelito, Gonzalo, a native of Toluca, holds him up as a toddler as they look towards an early 2000s Mexico City sky. Along with his wife, Millan’s abuelita Teresa, Gonzalo remains a fixture in his grandson's memories. From suffering from the vices of alcoholism to evolving into a faithful Christian, Gonzalo's life has inspired Millan, even more so now that he’s become his last living grandparent.

Dreaming in Limbo

Max Millan, Reporter
November 30, 2023
Leilany Sosa sits on her dad Wilfredo's lap next to her mom Lourdes at a party at a friend's home.

Fading in and out

Leilany Sosa, Reporter
November 28, 2023
Five SRJC students tell the Oak Leaf how they selected their majors and what they hope to accomplish in their careers. Clockwise from top left: Sarah Barnett, nursing; Gabriela Andrade, psychology; Meghan O'Leary, nursing; Langley Durham, mechanical engineering; Mandy Miller, filmmaking.

Major decisions

Lucas Cadigan-Carranza, Editor
November 28, 2023
The Oak Leaf Magazine: Spring 2023

The Oak Leaf Magazine: Spring 2023

May 19, 2023
As SRJC’s first president of color, Dr. Chong feels he came to the right place at the right time, when the community was starting to change. He arrived with plans to make Latino, first-generation, homeless, LGBTQIA+ and veteran students feel indispensable to the college community.

So Long, Dr. Chong

Michael Combs and Sean Young
May 19, 2023
As a college president, Dr. Garcia looks forward to connecting with students. She kept sneakers in her office at Berkeley City College so she could walk the campus to socialize throughout the day.

Gabbing with Garcia: An interview with SRJC’s incoming president

Michael Combs and Sean Young
May 19, 2023
Maia Kobabe’s first book “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” published in 2019, is already hailed as a queer comics classic. It is also the most-banned book in the country. The controversy and the accolades both catapulted Kobabe into the public eye, leading to a second book deal and an invite to speak at the Library of Congress.

Maia Kobabe: America’s most banned author won’t be silenced

Chelsea Kurnick, Reporter
May 18, 2023
Waste Diversion Technician Guy Tillotson manages trash, recyclables and compost, and is notably responsible for campus “waste installations.”

SRJC’s Steps Toward Sustainability

Dharma Niles, Editor
May 18, 2023
Mitote Food Park, located in Roseland, is open all week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and represents the local community.

Mitote food park: tacos, tunes & tequila

Roland Petty and Jaden Burris
May 18, 2023
Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu provide a diversity of content that ensures something for everyone.

Streaming services worth keeping during inflation

Javi Rosas, Reporter
May 17, 2023
Clockwise from top left: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Blue Beetle, The Marvels and The Flash are among this year’s superhero blockbusters, but with a decline in both box office and critical reception the future looks uncertain for both the Marvel and DC’s Cinematic Universes.

The future of superhero movies

Erina Corl
May 16, 2023
Sophie’s 2015 revolutionary electronic project created a new frontier for electronic music.

Three albums that inspired modern music trends

Cameron Romanik, Reporter
May 16, 2023
A pair of raccoons get caught red-pawed as they break into a closed bank in Redwood, California.

Raccoons and Chopsticks: Six Ways To Ensure Your News is Legit

Lucas Cadigan-Carranza and Peter Morales
May 16, 2023

The dangers of AI in media and three non-controversial ways to use ChatGPT

Stephen Howe and Malek Madani
May 16, 2023
Stress from assignments and exams can lead to burnout. Try implementing new study tips into your routine, and make a difference in your school performance.

The Next Step: Recovering From Burnout

Leilany Sosa, Reporter
May 16, 2023
She doesn't want to use her real name, because she's afraid 'they'll' find her. "Zen," a Santa Rosa Junior College student who fled her life in China, still receives threatening phone calls.

Living in hiding

Sam Guzman, Reporter
May 13, 2023
Homelessness is not a uniquely American problem, but visitors from other countries may find it jarring to witness the disproportionate amount of the population that are unhoused in America.

Things I wish I had been told before moving to America

Tom Healy, Reporter
May 13, 2023
A mock dorm room sits in the corner of the SRJC Student Housing Leasing Office so students can preview before signing up to live in Polly O’Meara Doyle Hall, which will open Aug. 11.

Crashing on campus

Christian Vieyra, Sports Editor
May 12, 2023
Santa Rosa forward Rose Nevin drives to the basket and scores in a 81-39 victory over Napa Valley in the first round of the CCCAA playoffs on Saturday, Feb. 25 in Santa Rosa.

Women’s basketball team makes history

Tony Moeckel, Sports Editor
May 12, 2023
Judine Mayfield spends most of her adult life in the Bay Area, caring for and providing a home for many family members, including myself.

Living with my 89-year-old great grandmother Judine Mayfield

Jaden Burris, Reporter
May 11, 2023
Bear Cubs pitcher Austin Ehrlicher throws a solid five innings against College of Marin on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Santa Rosa.

SRJC baseball star faces big decision

Alex Cambron Padilla, Reporter
May 11, 2023
A Santa Rosa Junior College golf team member shows perfect form during a match in 2012. The men’s golf team was discontinued in spring of 2019 because of budget reductions in athletics.

Opinion: SRJC should bring back Golf program

Trevor Lee, Reporter
May 11, 2023
Lisa Amaroli produces award-winning, certified organic and biodynamic wines at Benziger Winery.

Breaking the glass bottled ceiling

Nick Vides, Photo Editor
May 9, 2023
The Oak Leaf Magazine: Fall 2022

The Oak Leaf Magazine: Fall 2022

Oak Leaf Staff
December 31, 2022
Top 3 TV Adaptations of Video Games

Top 3 TV Adaptations of Video Games

Stephen Howe, Editor
December 31, 2022
The latest entries in famous video game series like “Call of Duty,” “Kirby” and “God of War” are several of the top video games of 2022. The diversity of gamestyle ensures something for everyone.

Top Five Video Games of 2022

Cristian Garcia, Reporter
December 31, 2022
Bennett Friedman continues to perform for audiences of loyal students and SRJC community members with an annual performance of his current jazz ensemble, The Bennett Friedman Quartet. The SRJC legend has backed up megastars like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson

The Performer and The Professor: Bennett Friedman plays among giants

Sean Young, Co-Editor in Chief
December 30, 2022
SRJC football team punter Seth Vernon practices his punts at Bailey Field on Nov. 16, trying to stay ready for any opportunity.

Former SRJC punter is ready for next call: A stint with Atlanta Falcons showed Seth Vernon what it’s like to play in the NFL

Christian Vieyra, Editor
December 22, 2022
SRJC football coach Lenny Wagner (center) under the Bailey Field lights with Swiss-born strong safety Nils Lehmann (left) and France-born Malian tight end Dodji Dahoue (right).

A new kind of ‘beautiful game’: A tight end from West Africa and a strong safety from Europe take a chance on American football

Christian Vieyra and Jonathan Cangson
December 22, 2022
Flipping the script: Creative instructors found new ways to educate during the pandemic and are implementing them permanently

Flipping the script: Creative instructors found new ways to educate during the pandemic and are implementing them permanently

Peter Morales and Lucas Cadigan-Carranza
December 17, 2022
Firefighters on Mountain Hawk Road fight devastating flames as the Glass Fire moves in on eastern Santa Rosa Sept. 28, 2020.

“That’s what I need to do”: Sonoma County residents feel compelled to join SRJC Firefighting Academy

Nick Vides, Editor
December 15, 2022
24th U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón thinks the pandemic was a time where it was easier for Americans to be numb and hopes poetry can help us remember we are thinkers and feelers.

Songs of Sonoma: U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón reads select poems from her life in Sonoma County

Michael Combs, Editor-In-Chief
December 14, 2022
Legendary climber Kevin Jorgeson scales the wall at his new climbing gym, Session, his latest passion after a life spent clinging to natural walls including Yosemite's storied Dawn Wall, which he and his climbing partner, Tommy Caldwell, were the first to summit.

School of Hard Rocks: The Story of Kevin Jorgeson

Michael Combs, Editor-In-Chief
December 13, 2022
Ukrainian Hennadyi Balabonav walks among the burnt remains of his home, burned down by Russian forces in revenge for his son's military service, in Malaya Rohan on Aug. 10. 2022.

24 Hours in Kharkiv

Aryk Copley, Former Oak Leaf Reporter
December 12, 2022
A photo sent to Yana Kalmykova shows a high-rise building burning moments after a Russian artillery strike that Yana was hiding from one block away in her mother's basement

Waking up to War

Sam Guzman, Reporter
December 12, 2022
From top left: SRJC's new security infrastructure includes emergency buttons in some buildings that initiate a classroom or building lockdown when pushed; SRJC District Police Chief Robert Brownlee; campus security added.fixed and updated all call boxes on the Santa Rosa campus.

Mass shootings on campus: Is SRJC prepared?

Hana Seals, Reporter
December 11, 2022
Attendance at Bear Cubs sporting events lags due to low student interest influenced by the college's lackluster effort at increasing school spirit.

Opinion: No students in sight: Attendance lags at marquee events

Tony Moeckel, Editor
December 10, 2022
With careful planning, you can decrease the dent in your wallet and increase the fun you have on your next trip to Disneyland.

Disneyland on a dime: Making memories while saving money

Javi Rosas, Reporter
December 8, 2022
“Don’t Flunk me Records” production team finalizes edits for a video interview the marketing team will use to promote the label’s Fall 2022 artist, G.Rob Jamz.

Don’t Flunk Me Records: Where JC Students Sign, Produce and Promote Local Artists

Bryan Fructuoso, Reporter
December 8, 2022
Eighteen to twenty-four-year-olds have historically favored Democratic candidates.

Young voters shape election results despite low turnout

Dharma Niles, Reporter
December 8, 2022
The Oak Leaf Magazine, Spring 2022

The Oak Leaf Magazine, Spring 2022

June 17, 2022
With the overwhelmingly positive reception of his short film "Under the Lights," former Santa Rosa Junior College student Miles Levin has his sights set on a feature-length production.

Big screen Bear Cubs: Four SRJC alumni producing feature length films

Aryk Copley, Photographer
May 25, 2022
Meghan Walla-Murphy, SRJC instructor and director of the North Bay Bear Collaborative, believes feral pigs benefit Sonoma County's oak woodlands by rooting in the ground, which distributes acorns, aerates the soil and increases water percolation.

Humans vs. feral hogs: Why can’t we be friends?

Michael Combs, Editor
May 25, 2022
A screenshot from "Vroom in the Night Sky" depicting a magical girl on a motorcycle flying over city streets. A dialogue between her and her magical girl rival in the left bottom corner. Main character says "I want to live in such a high-rise." Rival character says "That's simply impossible."

The good and the bad of the decade’s worst video games

Alex Fuller, Editor-in-Chief
May 24, 2022
A stock photo of an empty restaurant

Tips to be a good customer — from your waitstaff

Ava Domenichelli, Reporter
May 24, 2022
The new Olympic-sized pool on the south side of campus is now filled as of April 13.

Summer pool party: SRJC swim and dive receives Olympic-sized upgrade

Richard Tucker, Reporter
May 23, 2022
The field at Cook Sypher Field is now entirely turf, including its infield, which is colored brown to look like a traditional dirt base path.

SRJC athletes score “state of the art” facilities

Christian Vieyra, Reporter
May 23, 2022
A drawing of a dog turning up their nose and facing away from a steaming cooked steak in a bowl. The dog has a collar with "Princess" on it.

Hospitality hostility: SRJC students share their waitstaff horror stories

Ava Domenichelli, Reporter
May 21, 2022
A look at the varying format options for some Spring 2022 SRJC classes.

Transformation in education: How the pandemic forced SRJC to evolve its learning options

Garrett Ashton, Reporter
May 20, 2022
Meta's VR peripheral, the Meta Quest, has a number of different home screen themes.

The metaverse: Boom or bust?

Stephen Howe, Reporter
May 20, 2022
A baseball catcher in uniform in front of a blurry baseball scoreboard.

SRJC’s Gallagher and Handron join Sonoma Stompers

Tony Moeckel, Reporter
May 20, 2022
SRJC has Hispanic Serving Institution status, but are Latinx students easily able to access the resources allotted to them?

Is SRJC truly a Hispanic Serving Institution?

Liam Vinueza, Social Media Editor
May 19, 2022
Jean Schulz, widow of the beloved "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles M. "Sparky" Schulz, sat down to talk with the Oak Leaf about the Sonoma County community, the legacy of "Peanuts," her husband, and herself.

A Q&A with Jean Schulz: Fostering the “Peanuts” legacy and more

Garrett Ashton, Reporter
May 19, 2022
Attendees at Sonoma County Record Swap came from all over the Bay Area to celebrate vinyl in April at Shady Oak Barrel House in Santa Rosa.

Wax nostalgic: The resurgence of vinyl

Albert Levine, Reporter
May 18, 2022
Alan Soto and Emanuel Padilla receive their All-American awards on stage at the 2022 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

From Montgomery High to SRJC to All-American: Two soccer players honored among nation’s best

Christian Vieyra, Reporter
May 18, 2022
"If life circumstances stop your progress, never, ever give up on the dream," is Saldaña-Talley's advice to students trying to fine their way.

Rebuilder and retiree: Jane Saldaña-Talley leaves SRJC

Sean Young, Reporter
May 17, 2022
Abrea Tillman, Santa Rosa Junior College Student Wine Club president and student body president-elect, is excited that a new wave of vitculture and oenology students are changing the approach to wine making.

New vibes, same vines: How young wine aficionados are revamping a traditional industry

Nick Vides, Reporter
May 17, 2022
Shady Oak Barrel House has nine pinball machines and an assortment of other arcade cabinets tucked in the back of the tasting room.

15 pinball machines in Santa Rosa to check out

James Domizio, Magazine Editor
May 16, 2022
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