January 11, 2024
Happy New Year!
January promises to be a busy month for Sonoma State University. In addition to dodging raindrops, our main items of interest are the return of students and studies for the start of the semester on January 22. The university will be open and operating; the start of some classes might be delayed due to a planned strike by faculty January 22-26.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on the third Monday of each year, happens to fall this year on Dr. King’s actual birthday – January 15. It is an opportunity to reflect on the life and achievements of the civil rights leader and his historic advocacy for social, racial, and economic justice, and how we might emulate his good works.
The Sonoma County MLK 44th Birthday Celebration is on Sunday, January 14; more information can be found at facebook.com/MLKcommittee. The HUB at Sonoma State also is working with the Black Student Union to recognize Dr. King and other significant Black leaders at the opening ceremony and lunch to kick off Black History Month on February 1.
As the only federal holiday that also is a National Day of Service, MLK Day presents a chance to volunteer – as a mentor to a young person, sponsor for a food bank or other group serving the economically insecure, community cleanup crew member … the possibilities are nearly endless for those with the service mindset so prevalent at Sonoma State.
The next day, January 16, provides another opportunity for reflection and commitment to the larger world. SSU’s Fairfield Osborn Preserve will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) Learning Center on the preserve site. A generous gift from FIGR doubled the capacity of the Osborn facilities and incorporated a Listening Area, which is dedicated to listening to each other and to the wisdom of the environment. This welcome partnership between FIGR and SSU will, over time, foster a community of innovators working cross-culturally to identify social, economic, and environmental challenges and develop innovative solutions to address them.
The art lover in each of us should welcome the return of an event celebrating its 40th anniversary this year: “Art From the Heart,” at the University Art Gallery. This benefit auction on February 3 features celebrated artists from the Bay Area and beyond, and supports SSU students and the gallery itself as they bring new art and artists into the world.
That’s certainly not all that’s happening within the Sonoma State community this month – find out even more in the Noma News items below, which also speak to the diversity, commitment, achievement, and generosity of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community supporters.
2024 is off to a great start!
Warmly,
Mike Lee, Ph.D.
President