Opinion Archives - The Oak Leaf

What I gained from two coronavirus outbreaks

June 16, 2020

Getting on a plane from Florence, Italy back to San Francisco wearing dish gloves was not how I thought my study abroad experience would end. At 4 a.m March 11, I arrived at the Florence airport with my roommate, sweaty from wearing a multicolored ...

A recent Whole Foods customer caviled to me about how she was one of Amazon Prime Now’s best customers, but now, because the pandemic prohibits her ability to receive delivery times on orders, she has to physically shop for her groceries in-store like some kind of wild animal.

COVID-19: Give me convenience or give me death

May 14, 2020

As a temporary employee for Whole Foods, working as an Amazon Prime Now shopper, I have a front-row seat to the end of the world, or at least the end of convenience. A recent Whole Foods customer caviled to me about how she was one of Amazon Prime Now’s...

Santa Rosa Junior College will not hold an in-person commencement ceremony after the Spring 2020 semester due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Graduating without graduation

May 7, 2020

I can’t think of an event I have more mixed feelings about than this; the day I finally finish school and walk with my peers, in robe and cap, down the aisle. I can almost hear my friends and family laughing, cheering, and crying as I walk onto the s...

Central Santa Rosa's back alleys offer walkers a peaceful and calming respite from traffic and paved roads.

Walking Santa Rosa’s back alleys

April 23, 2020

I’m a walker. Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s I walked long miles to school and home (by choice) and by high school I regularly walked from my home in the Silicon Valley sticks to downtown Palo Alto or vice versa, a distance of 5 miles ea...

Grandma is metal as hell. Get her wisdom while you can.

5 things to get from old people before they’re gone

April 8, 2020

The older folks in our life, despite not always being politically appreciative of the plight of their youngers, are an invariable source of wealth, knowledge and culture. Though our time with our elders is always limited, the coronavirus pandemic threat...

It didn't take long for students to start pushing the boundaries on Zoom. This internet famous bong-ripper is a solemn warning to those who think Zoom and distance education is an adequate replacement to real learning.

Why your classes are a joke now

April 6, 2020

The rise of Zoom and the steady decline of the empire have forever changed the face of collegiate learning. As the world fails faster than we can keep up with the news, distance education is here to stay. But what kind of learning can be achieved in...

Confessions of a Hippie Survivalist

April 3, 2020

It’s difficult being a hippie survivalist. I should know. I have a foot in each camp, but belong to neither. It’s like this: I go to the shooting range and I meet friendly and capable people, but I’m scared of breaking gun etiquette the ent...

A reasonable — and perhaps beneficial — choice: Postponing the Tokyo Olympics

March 30, 2020

The International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that the Summer Olympics will be postponed to July 23, 2021. While this news is surely heartbreaking to many athletes whose strict training schedules are now upended, it is good news for the U.S. Wo...

Every California resident must participate in the 2020 Census

March 15, 2020

Every 10 years, the U.S. government counts the country’s population to determine federal funding and congressional representation for every state. Californians — a word that for the census means everyone who lives in the state, including documented...

With millions of schoolchildren on assisted lunch programs and an underpaid labor force with no sick leave or universal healthcare, America is uniquely unequipped to handle coronavirus.

Four reasons why the U.S. isn’t ready for coronavirus

March 12, 2020

Coronavirus has arrived in America, and America isn’t ready. COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has canceled the remainder of NHL and NBA seasons, closed Disneyland and forced most major universities to offer online only instruction. California, ...

Senator Bernie Sanders embraces a loving fan at a recent rally in Richmond, CA. The energy in the crowd is electric as Sanders takes the time to shake hands and hug fans at the front of the audience.

The Oak Leaf endorses Bernie Sanders for President

February 26, 2020

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board, considering the interests of Santa Rosa Junior College students and faculty, endorses Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to be the 46th President of the United States because of his positions on climate change, Medicare-for...

The San Francisco 49ers' Katie Sowers is the first female to coach in the Super Bowl, taking the field against the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive assistant.

Why female coaches matter in male professional leagues

February 25, 2020

History was made earlier this year when women made headlines on coaching staffs in two professional sporting leagues. On Jan. 9, Alyssa Nakken took her place as the first female full-time coach in Major League Baseball, for the San Francisco Giants; o...