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

Angélica Garcia prioritizes connection with students and attention to underrepresented communities at SRJC.

The Oak Leaf endorses Dr. Angélica Garcia to be SRJC’s 6th president

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board March 30, 2023

With Santa Rosa Junior College President Dr. Frank Chong’s retirement looming at the end of the Spring 2023 semester, The Oak Leaf is proud to endorse Dr. Angélica Garcia to replace him in Fall 2023,...

Californians will return to the ballot box on Nov. 8 to vote on numerous propositions that include womens rights, online gambling and the banning of flavored cigarettes.

The 2022 Oak Leaf Editorial Board Proposition Recommendations

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board October 24, 2022

Californians will vote in the California General Election Nov. 8, and The Oak Leaf Editorial Board has researched each proposition and formed our recommendations on how to vote on this year's propositions. Proposition...

A Santa Rosa Junior College Student Health Services sign pointing to where students can receive COVID vaccines.

SRJC’s vaccine mandate was implemented too late

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board October 8, 2021

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board fully supports the Board of Trustees’ Sept. 14 decision to require vaccines for all students, staff and faculty for the Spring 2022 semester, but believe the Santa Rosa Junior...

A photo edit that combines an image of California Gov. Gavin Newsom with a photo of conservative radio host and candidate to replace Newsom, Larry Elder.

The Oak Leaf advises students vote no on Newsom recall

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board September 10, 2021

The result of the Sept. 14 recall election will determine whether California continues to navigate the COVID-19 crisis using science, support public programs like expanded early childhood education and...

A person sits at a desk taking notes and watching a lecture on their computer screen.

SRJC should embrace a hybrid digital-and-in-person learning model — in perpetuity

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board March 11, 2021

There’s no return to education normalcy in our immediate future, thanks to an abysmally slow vaccine rollout that at the current rate would take as long as two years to vaccinate everyone in Sonoma County....

What we learned from 2020

What we learned from 2020

Oak Leaf Editorial Board January 16, 2021

As we leave behind 2020, let’s reflect on what we’ve learned from the worst year of the century—so far. The pandemic has forced us to change how we live and while we would love to leave that all...

For his inciting role in yesterdays incident at Capitol Hill, the President must be removed from office.

The President incited a terrorist attack yesterday

Oak Leaf Editorial Board January 7, 2021

The Oak Leaf Editorial Board is vehemently opposed to the events that unfolded on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol Building. Yesterday, the president directly incited an insurrection against the United States...

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

Oak Leaf Editorial Board 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...

A forgotten stuffed animal sits alone at a gas station during floods that crippled Guernville in February of 2019.

Climate Changed: Time to change our habits

Oak Leaf Editorial Board September 29, 2019

It’s in the back of our brains, omnipresent as we walk from building to building, the unusually torrid October breeze slapping against our skin. Climate change is real. It’s happening all around us...

Gun control is once again in the national spotlight, but other related issues deserve recognition.

Gun control: Not the only solution

Oak Leaf Staff April 3, 2018

Guns are an easy target for activists. They’re loud, scary-looking and they account for just over 70 percent of multiple homicides. But the issue of school shootings stems less from guns, and more from...

Allegations: why we published

Allegations: why we published

December 12, 2017

Even Santa Rosa Junior College has not escaped the ongoing cultural reckoning in America. Since the news broke around allegations of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein this fall, women (and men) have...

The list of sexual predators is long and distinguished.

Individuals can stop sexual predation

Editorial November 16, 2017

Do egotistical people seek power? Or do powerful people become egotistical? When people use their position of power to leverage unwanted touch or an unwilling audience to a sexual encounter, the victims...

Hunger Pangs, Bear Cub stomachs growl for a palatable solution

Hunger Pangs, Bear Cub stomachs growl for a palatable solution

Oak Leaf Staff November 13, 2017

The administration responded admirably to last month’s wildfires for at least one of the following reasons: it was the right thing to do and/or to prevent mass disenrollment that would devastate the...

Will the love in the air remain thick once the smoke clears?

Will the love in the air remain thick once the smoke clears?

October 31, 2017

Remember the week following 9/11? When it seemed like every car you saw proudly displayed an American flag decal on the bumper? Or how every house had a flag planted in the front lawn? The entire country...

Let’s make a joint effort to be aware

Let’s make a joint effort to be aware

June 29, 2017

What you want may not be what Sonoma County needs, especially when it comes to uncertain cannabis laws. While California celebrated the legalization of cannabis, many voters are unaware they opened...

Ten bucks, brighter future

April 26, 2017

The first step to significant change is unifying Santa Rosa Junior College—but it comes at a price. Bernie Sanders’ demonstration of an effective grassroots campaign with his average $27 donation to...

Editorial: Oak Leaf endorse Martinez for SGA president

April 11, 2017

Down to earth. Practical. Experienced. Robert Martinez is the best choice for SGA President of Santa Rosa Junior College. In order to pick the best candidate to endorse, the Oak Leaf asked for the three...

A day without a woman-2017

Women’s equality starts with seven

March 14, 2017

Women’s issues are undeniable. Women aren’t equal and continue to be marginalized politically, economically, culturally and socially. In the United States, Latina women—the most underpaid demographic...

Quit your day job

Quit your day job

February 28, 2017

It doesn’t matter if you've never cared about politics in the past. It doesn't matter if this your first time voting. It doesn’t matter if you're a professional athlete, an Uber driver or work at...

Editorial: Divided states of America

Editorial: Divided states of America

February 7, 2017

Intolerance is the greatest threat facing our country. Violent protests broke out in Berkeley Feb. 1 forcing Milo Yiannopoulos to cancel his planned talk promoting hate speech. Yiannopoulos is an editor...

Editorial: Says who? Anonymous accusations do more harm than good

Editorial: Says who? Anonymous accusations do more harm than good

December 15, 2016

We’re living in an age where it’s easy to hide our opinions. We can rant and rave anonymously without taking any accountability for our words or actions. But accountability is key. We’ve seen...

Editorial: Electoral College, legal voter fraud?

November 15, 2016

Three days after the United States 2016 presidential election, Google reported 99 percent of popular votes for presidential candidates have been counted. Donald Trump scored 60,072,551 votes. Hillary...

Editorial: Vote, damn it!

Editorial: Vote, damn it!

October 25, 2016

California has 17 propositions on the ballot this year along with 23 county and municipal measures. These are not unsavory presidential candidates or local officials you know hardly anything about. These...

Editorial: If you want to invest in the middle class, invest in education

Editorial: If you want to invest in the middle class, invest in education

October 11, 2016

Both presidential candidates say they want to invest in us. But in reality, they want to invest in a manufacturing economy that's shrinking. They want to invest in a minimum wage that's way behind its...

Editorial: Petaluma campus ripe for the picking

Editorial: Petaluma campus ripe for the picking

October 9, 2016

Students have two choices: a guaranteed state-of-the-art facility or a chance at a sub-par, decaying classroom. Here at Santa Rosa Junior College we face this choice, and we're making the wrong one. The...

Editorial: An unfair choice, an unfair system

Editorial: An unfair choice, an unfair system

September 13, 2016

Our greatest right as citizens of the United States is to vote for our commander in chief. Our voice. Our President. But when this infinitely important decision is reduced to a choice between the lesser...

Editorial: Student affairs office needs to clean house

Editorial: Student affairs office needs to clean house

May 17, 2016

A series of damaging incidents within the student affairs department has snowballed into a catastrophic end to the school year, leaving administrators and student government officers scrambling to tie...

Editorial: Police brutality not OK in Lemos’ case

Editorial: Police brutality not OK in Lemos’ case

April 28, 2016

A recent police brutality case involving a Santa Rosa Junior College student sparked a heated discussion, prompting Sonoma County residents to question who’s at fault: the civilian or the officer. The...

Editorial: Minimum wage vs. maximum profits

Editorial: Minimum wage vs. maximum profits

April 12, 2016

A minimum wage increase to $15 sounds great to Santa Rosa Junior College students who make low wages and can barely scrape by. Yet the issue is more complex than a quick pay raise.  Worries about company-wide...

Editorial: Forget the mystery, express women’s history

Editorial: Forget the mystery, express women’s history

March 8, 2016

Though we have a full month dedicated to the accomplishments of strong, powerful women throughout history, there is still an overwhelming lack of representation of women in history textbooks. Women’s...

Editorial: Society needs to stand up against rape culture

Editorial: Society needs to stand up against rape culture

February 23, 2016

While couples celebrated Valentine’s Day, dedicated members of the Santa Rosa community gathered at Old Courthouse Square to march towards Santa Rosa Junior College to speak out against rape culture. A...

Editorial: Pushing the boundaries of a nation’s trust

Editorial: Pushing the boundaries of a nation’s trust

February 9, 2016

A common perception persists among the nation’s informed public: consistently declining trust in federal and state government officials.   While this phenomenon is nothing new, recent public distrust...

Editorial

Editorial

December 10, 2015

Surprise! Sometimes college students drink alcohol when they’re not supposed to. In what amounts to predictable circumstances, an inappropriate use of alcohol embroiled four student representatives...

Editorial

Editorial

November 16, 2015

A paradox hangs over this country. The United States, the wealthiest nation on Earth, has more capital in its economy than any point in history, yet income inequality now parallels the Great Depression....

Bill Means speaks of new interpretations of the “discovery” of America, which are upcoming in social consciousness.

Editorial

October 27, 2015

Every fall, Columbus Day controversy stirs a national conversation about the ugly legacy of European colonization. This evaluation does more than address past injustices, it underscores how elusive the...

Editorial

Editorial

October 13, 2015

Any morning visit Monday through Thursday will expose a glaring transportation problem at this college. Thousands of students from the reaches of the North Bay and Wine Country flock to the Santa Rosa...

Editorial

Editorial

September 29, 2015

It comes down to one day every four years, the first Tuesday of November. Election Day. In one simple exercise, millions cast their preference for the presidency of the U.S. That’s all; one day, one...

Editorial Sept.14

Editorial Sept.14

September 15, 2015

American college culture is at a critical point where adherence to political correctness threatens to undermine the sanctity of free speech, a supreme value of higher education. This conflict intensifies...

Editorial May 11

Editorial May 11

May 11, 2015

When Governor Jerry Brown signed the California DREAM Act in 2011, it was a step forward for the U.S. in terms of immigration reform. In 2012, the Obama Administration enacted Deferred Action, designed...

Editorial April 27

Editorial April 27

April 27, 2015

Do you think America is the greatest country in the world? For today’s politicians, the answer to this question doesn’t reveal their reflections on American history; it falsely validates their patriotism....

Editorial April 6

April 14, 2015

The Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees oversee everything at the college, from hiring the president to planning construction projects. Each of the seven board members represent a district in Sonoma...

Editorial March 9

Editorial March 9

March 10, 2015

Most Californians are aware of the drought. Most people don’t like their local water agency telling them how to use water on their property. Yet most people in Santa Rosa probably weren’t aware in...

Editorial Feb. 23

Editorial Feb. 23

February 24, 2015

Last semester the Oak Leaf class interviewed Santa Rosa Junior College president Dr. Frank Chong about his life and issues of the day. It was an open-ended interview in which Dr. Chong took time to tell...

Editorial Feb. 9

Editorial Feb. 9

February 10, 2015

Proposed legislation could require all college students in California to receive the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination in 2017. Of the 103 measles cases to hit California during the 2014/15...

Editorial Jan. 26

Editorial Jan. 26

January 26, 2015

Santa Rosa Junior College students responded to evangelical Christian radicals Jan. 15 with a small counter-protest, echoing an international debate about the interaction between free speech and religious...

Editorial Dec. 8: Make a stand against the ‘police vs. minorities’ fear cycle

December 8, 2014

You’re walking down the sidewalk of in an unfamiliar neighborhood when you see a man approaching you. You turn to avoid him, but he also alters his course, clearly intending to meet up with you. As he...

Editorial Nov. 17: Stop Black Friday from eating into Thanksgiving

Editorial Nov. 17: Stop Black Friday from eating into Thanksgiving

November 17, 2014

Sale! Sale! The year’s best deals, the lowest prices, the biggest crowds — all encroaching on a holiday near you! Since its earliest usage by police officers dealing with traffic jams in 1960s Philadelphia,...

Jared Huffman: Incumbent Congressman 2nd District

Oak Leaf guide to endorsements

October 30, 2014

The editorial board's opinion of the candidates, propositions and measures on the Nov. 4 ballot Dorothy Battenfeld One of the most important questions the Oak Leaf editorial board asked each candidate...

Editorial Oct. 27: Students deserve a voice

Editorial Oct. 27: Students deserve a voice

October 30, 2014

Representation in government: it’s the foundation of the United States of America, it’s the principal core of democracy – and for Santa Rosa Junior College students, it’s sorely lacking at the...

Board of Trustees endorsement: Jordan Burns

Board of Trustees endorsement: Jordan Burns

October 9, 2014

Challenger: Jordan Burns Although he is a new candidate for SRJC's Board of Trustees, Jordan Burns is by no means a new face. Burns graduated as valedictorian from the college in 2009 before...

Editorial Oct. 6: The future of Measure H

Editorial Oct. 6: The future of Measure H

October 8, 2014

Sonoma County’s Nov. 4 ballot includes a bond measure proposal from Santa Rosa Junior College, and any objection to receiving $410 million seems nonsensical, considering the college’s needs – and...

Editorial Sept. 22: A community with questions

Editorial Sept. 22: A community with questions

September 23, 2014

Andy Lopez died at age 13. Six seconds, seven 9 mm bullets, fired from the gun of a 24-year veteran of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department. The community’s anguish poured out in rallies and protests....

Editorial Sept. 8: Earthquake preparedness a must

September 8, 2014

As one walks around the Santa Rosa Junior College campus, one can’t help taking in its history. The brick-and-mortar architecture holds the level of dignity found more often at an Ivy League school than...

Editorial, Issue 7: Affirmative action slipping away

May 14, 2014

The end of May is a time of pride and accomplishment. Many Santa Rosa Junior College students will graduate May 24, ready to move on, whether to pursue careers with their associate’s degree or transfer...

Editorial, Issue 6: Keep SRJC’s heritage oaks healthy

May 1, 2014

When two trees, weakened by disease, fell down in inclement weather earlier this year, the Santa Rosa Junior College administration decided to remove four more trees due to safety concerns. Planting...

Editorial, Issue 5: A pickpot with a pension

Editorial, Issue 5: A pickpot with a pension

April 17, 2014

It’s been nearly a year and a half since the Oak Leaf’s first coverage of the Holzworth investigation, and the former Santa Rosa Junior College District Police officer remains on our newsroom’s radar....

Editorial, Issue 4: Controversial nominations deserve more attention

March 10, 2014

American pop culture makes much ado about nothing, giving awards to the rich and famous. Actors, singers and celebrities have their Tonys, their Grammys, their Oscars. There’s another annual honor,...

Editorial, Issue 3: Interim Board endorsements: Renée and Peyton

February 25, 2014

In the first editorial of the spring 2014 semester, the Oak Leaf outlined a few attributes we felt the soon-to-be appointed Board of Trustees member should possess. Rather than rehashing those, let’s...

Editorial, Issue 2: State of the Union promises education reform

February 10, 2014

President Obama has always been impressively articulate, and of course the 2014 State of the Union address was no exception. The president touched on several politically relevant issues in his speech,...

Illustration by Deborah San Angelo

Editorial, Issue 1: Homogeneous white males need not apply

February 4, 2014

When Onita Pellegrini announced her resignation at the Jan. 14 Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees meeting, students and faculty alike turned their attention to replacing our Board’s only female...

Editorial Issue 6

Editorial Issue 6

December 10, 2013

The end of the fall semester is a stressful time for students, a problem exacerbated by the long semester. Thanksgiving break makes them relax and yearn for the end. When it’s darker sooner and longer,...

Editorial Issue 5

Editorial Issue 5

December 10, 2013

As finals approach, some Santa Rosa Junior College students have to come to terms with the fact that they might fail some of their classes. Lack of motivation, trouble at home and the stress of working...

Editorial Issue 4: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Editorial Issue 4: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

December 10, 2013

As October comes to a close, we say goodbye not only to the omnipresent commercialism of Halloween, but also to the omnipresent commercialism of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a terrible...

Editorial Issue 3

Editorial Issue 3

December 10, 2013

It’s a difficult scenario to imagine, but the possibility of a shooting here at SRJC is all too real. We live our lives under the shadow of gun violence, but there is a very real disconnect between...

Editorial Issue 2

Editorial Issue 2

December 10, 2013

We the people. Three very simple words, yet they introduce the most important document in our nation’s history, the document that forms the very foundation upon which this country was built. But we...

Editorial Issue 1: Parking

Editorial Issue 1: Parking

Oak Leaf Editorial Staff December 10, 2013

Ah, fall. The smell of fresh leaves and crackling pencils. Pumpkin spice lattes and the slow, circular motion of SRJC students searching for parking in an endless loop, doomed to wander the lots like so...

Editorial: 2013 Student Elections

April 30, 2013

Our nation is six months removed from a heated election process that pitted fellow Americans against one another in parliamentary free-for-all of red versus blue. Big money was spent, things got personal...

Editorial – Holzworth

February 25, 2013

After months of investigations into the Jeffrey Holzworth embezzlement case, this week brought new revelations, an admission of guilt and the potential of a settlement deal. The 28-year veteran SRJC...

Editorial: SRJC Has Lost More Than Money

Editorial: SRJC Has Lost More Than Money

December 11, 2012

It’s all about trust. Over recent years, the SRJC community has weathered many storms. A revolving door of police chiefs, prolonged search for our new president, years of budget cuts and disappointing...

Editorial: Obama Needs to Get Tough on Romney

October 11, 2012

The first presidential debate of 2012 between President Barack Obama and the Republican challenger Governor Mitt Romney was held on Wednesday evening and to everyone’s shock the wealthy Mormon businessman...

Editorial: The Doyle Scholarship is not for everyone

September 25, 2012

Many of you have heard of the elusive Doyle scholarship, but very few current students have received it. Well, it’s back. Starting next fall semester, the Doyle will be available to incoming students....

School’s out for summer…

May 12, 2012

Ask any student how much more his or her brain can digest. Look in the faces of faculty members. All are tired, burned out and done. After 16 weeks of the semester, students and faculty alike are ready...

Vote Oak Leaf for every seat; we’ll get you a unicorn petting zoo

April 23, 2012

If you would like a brand new unicorn petting zoo on campus, vote for the Oak Leaf in the upcoming student elections. It will represent you, The Students. Citizen’s United vs. Federal Election Commission,...

The Oak Leaf apologizes for inappropriate cartoon

April 11, 2012

During an unusually hectic Easter production weekend, the Oak Leaf included a graphic on the front cover that the entire staff believes to be inappropriate. The graphic, a cartoon in connection to the...

Occupying the capitol is our next step

March 11, 2012

The Oak Leaf thanks the 68 students and supporters who were arrested after occupying the capitol for standing up for education. They showed courage and conviction, took a risk and put themselves in harm’s...

Faith and Santorum

February 28, 2012

It's known in the Rick Santorum campaign as "The Santorum Google problem." The problem is that if you Google “Santorum,” the first result is either extremely offensive or hilarious. Definition number...

Editorial

February 14, 2012

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families...

All we have are the stories before death

January 31, 2012

All but Death, can be Adjusted— Dynasties repaired— Systems—settled in their Sockets— Citadels—Dissolved— Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors By Succeeding Springs— Death—unto...

Aristotle would oppose the SSTF, and so do we

Aristotle would oppose the SSTF, and so do we

December 15, 2011

The following editorial was written in solidarity with 10 sister community college newspapers denouncing the Student Success Task Force’s recommendations. The Oak Leaf did its own investigation and came...

$150,000 later, and not a dime of improvement

November 22, 2011

While the 1917 Steinway grand piano --recently purchased by the Friends of Petaluma Campus--is more than impressive as a gift, the instrument valued at $150,000 plays more to the wants of a few and less...

And the next president should be…

November 10, 2011

There are three things SRJC needs from its next president/superintendent: an ability to lead, the capacity to be the face of the school and the willingness to look unflinchingly at the economic realities...

Shock and awe does not make your argument valid

October 25, 2011

Project Truth staged an assault on the minds and eyes of SRJC students last week. Members came with their posters, their flyers and their aborted fetuses to prove to the school that abortion is wrong....

Occupy Wall Street will need conviction to succeed

October 11, 2011

The continued occupation of Wall Street has finally broken into mainstream media and now America is eager to see what will happen next. Will sweeping reform change how big business influences our politics?...

Students smart enough to deal with controversy

Staff September 27, 2011

The Arts and Lectures Committee is considering bringing Ward Connerly to speak at SRJC. Connerly, a former UC regent, is a controversial figure because he helped abolish affirmative action in California...

When we are a community…

September 13, 2011

Google+ may not be for you. If you are looking for a place to share gossip about your real life friends, to post photos of the latest party or browbeat your “friends” into helping you work on your...

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