Opinion Archives - The Oak Leaf

Students, faculty and citizens gather outside the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office June 6, just a week after the killing of George Floyd.

Do more: SRJC’s Black community speaks out

September 16, 2020

This is a time of great social upheaval. A time where the world’s most militarized police force is exacting violence on Black people across the country. During a global movement, it can be hard to keep sight of local issues, so here are the perspectives of...

A love letter to pre-corona America

September 5, 2020

I never realized how much I loved the American way of life until COVID-19 took away our civility, our mutual respect and our sense of normalcy. When the country does eventually open back up, I will never take it for granted again. I want to go back to ...

While the Golden State is well-loved for its temperate weather, living in California is akin to playing with fire.

California: Waiting in heaven for hell to arrive

September 1, 2020

When it comes to pursuing education after high school, everyone wants to be in California. The state is home to a broad assortment of college options both public and private, and California graduates are highly valued in job markets. Even internatio...

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...