2020-2021 2nd Semester Staff
editor in chief
Max Connor joined The State Hornet as a transfer student in fall 2019, became the managing editor in spring 2020, and is the editor-in-chief for the 2020-21 school year. Before joining The State Hornet, he was an editor and reporter for The Connection at Cosumnes River College. In addition to being the editor-in-chief, he created the award-winning podcast "Max's Table" for The State Hornet all abou...
managing editor
Tara Gnewikow is a managing editor for The State Hornet. She joined in spring 2020 and has previously worked as a copy editor and as an arts and entertainment reporter, interviewing subjects such as director and activist Boots Riley. She enjoys making art in her free time.
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managing editor
Chris Wong is a managing editor for The State Hornet. He joined in fall 2019 and previously served as news editor and web editor. He plays mallet percussion in the Sac State Marching Band and Sac State Indoor, and he hopes to go into either the K12 education beat or teaching high school after graduating.
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copy editor
Jordan Parker joined The State Hornet in fall 2019 and is currently the copy editor. He previously was a writer on both the general assignment desk and opinion desk. When he’s not editing, Jordan enjoys playing video games as well as watching movies and sports.
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news editor
Mercy Sosa is the news editor for The State Hornet. She is a sophomore who joined the State Hornet in spring 2020 as a politics beat writer. She moved from San Diego to Sacramento where she covered the 2020 midterm elections and a Pete Buttigieg town hall.
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news editor
Camryn Dadey joined The State Hornet in fall 2020 and is news editor. A Sacramento native, Camryn is a junior majoring in political science and journalism and previously was the editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper. She is also vice president of Sac State’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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arts and entertainment editor
Nijzel Dotson is The State Hornet's arts and entertainment editor. He joined The State Hornet fall 2019, his first semester at Sacramento State after transferring from Contra Costa College where he was a staff writer for The Advocate, CCC's student newspaper. He enjoys writing poetry, binge watching Marvel movies and listening to rap and R&B music when not editing stories for The State Hornet.
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deputy arts and entertainment editor
Chanelle Anne Muerong joined The State Hornet in fall 2020 as a features beat writer and is currently the deputy arts and entertainment editor. She was previously an editor of multiple pages during her time on the Collegian at San Joaquin Delta College. In her free time, Chanelle records and edits videos of her friends.
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sports editor
Ian Edwards is the sports editor for The State Hornet. He previously was the men's basketball beat writer for the 2019-20 season. Prior to joining The State Hornet, he spent a semester as the opinion editor at Chaffey College’s student news organization, The Breeze.
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deputy sports editor
John Cabales joined The State Hornet in spring 2021 and is the deputy sports editor. He previously worked as a general assignment writer in the sports section. Before joining The State Hornet, he was the sports editor for the Cosumnes River College paper, The Connection.
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opinion editor
Magaly Muñoz joined The State Hornet in fall 2019 and is the opinion editor. Before joining The State Hornet, she wrote lifestyle pieces for her hometown newspaper in high school. After graduating from Sac State, Magaly hopes to pursue a career in the book publishing field.
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podcast editor
Robbie Pierce is the podcast editor for The State Hornet, having joined in spring 2019 and taken over podcasts in spring 2020. A Bay Area native, Robbie previously served as podcast editor for the Los Medanos College Experience. They are minoring in art history and design characters in their spare time.
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multimedia editor
Sara Nevis joined The State Hornet in fall 2020 and is the multimedia editor. During her first semester, she won fifth and seventh place in the ACP/CMA Fall National College Journalism Convention for broadcast news. She works freelance as a photojournalist for The Stockton Record.
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visuals editor
Patrick Posuniak is the visuals editor for The State Hornet. Majoring in anthropology with a focus in culture, language and society, Patrick strives to tell meaningful and culturally-accurate stories through his images. He extensively covered the 2020 U.S. Presidential election last fall.
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video editor
Gerardo Zavala is the video editor for The State Hornet. He moved to Sacramento from Santa Barbara, where he was the sports editor and photography editor for The Channels student newspaper at Santa Barbara City College. He is majoring in journalism and political science and is minoring in mathematics and is looking to cover science and politics for a publication after graduating.
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newsletter editor
Isabelle Juarez joined The State Hornet fall 2020 and is currently the newsletter editor. Isabelle started in the diversity/identity beat where she won an award in COVID-19 coverage from the Associated Collegiate Press before becoming co-deputy news editor. Isabelle is a junior political science-journalism major and hopes to cover politics after she graduates.
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audience engagement editor
Anila Lijo joined The State Hornet in fall 2020 and is now the audience engagement editor. She was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and is multilingual. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball and reading. Anila hopes to pursue a career in social media and writing for magazines.
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staff writer
Sydney Roll is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. She is a film production major and likes to incorporate her multimedia background into her reporting. Sydney is originally from Portland, Oregon but has been living in California since 2017.
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staff writer
Skyler Lacey is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. This is her first semester writing for The State Hornet. She’s a second year political science-journalism major and enjoys reading and watching movies in her free time.
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staff writer
Michael Eskridge is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. He is from the Bay Area and has his own travel blog called Chill Life Network.
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staff writer
Kimberly Gomez Santos joined The State Hornet in spring 2021 as a staff writer focusing on Spanish-language coverage. Kimberly moved from Santa Maria on the Central Coast to Sacramento to study journalism. She was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and has been a Zumba instructor for three years. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting and become a TV news anchor.
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staff writer
Jacob Holden joined The State Hornet spring 2021 as a staff writer on the general assignment desk. He previously wrote for his high school newspaper, the El Camino Eagle Eye, as opinion editor and as an intern staff writer for the Elk Grove Citizen. He is majoring in political science-journalism and plans to do policy analysis after graduation.
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staff writer
Giana Seltzer joined The State Hornet in spring 2021 as a staff writer on the general assignment desk. She is currently majoring in journalism and minoring in film studies. After college, she hopes to pursue a career in broadcast journalism for entertainment.
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staff writer
Diego Tejeda is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet and has been published by The Elk Grove Citizen. In his spare time, he writes poetry, crashes motorcycles and philosophises about kimchi and rice. Tejeda used to cook in a Michelin-starred kitchen.
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staff writer
Colin Madigan is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. This is his last semester at Sac State and his first semester writing for The State Hornet. When Colin graduates, he hopes to pursue a profession in the field of journalism.
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staff writer
Christopher Escamilla is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. He has previously done journalism work as a staff writer for The Collegian, San Joaquin Delta College’s newspaper. Before college, he graduated from Stockton Collegiate International School.
staff writer
Adeola Ogunsanya joined The State Hornet spring 2021 and is a staff writer on the general assignment desk. She is originally from Staten Island, New York and attended College of Staten Island and New York City College of Technology where she majored in graphic design. She is a journalism major with a minor in studio art and she loves to draw and paint in her spare time.
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staff writer
Mengting Tian joined The State Hornet in spring 2021 as a staff writer on the general assignment desk. She has been an international and transfer student working towards her bachelor’s in journalism at Sacramento State since fall 2018. She hopes to continue to study for a master’s degree and become a journalist.
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staff writer
Deanna Sanchez is a sports photographer for The State Hornet for the spring 2021 semester. She is a communications major and hopes to pursue a job in PR or at a magazine. This is her last semester before graduation.
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staff writer
Alan Trinidad is an arts and entertainment writer for The State Hornet. This is his first semester with The State Hornet and last semester at Sac State. Alan hopes to pursue a career writing for magazines. Alan enjoys piña coladas and long walks on the beach.
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staff writer
Sarah Blunt is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. Before joining The State Hornet, she was a part of The Lumberjack at Humboldt State, where she was able to interview Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter.
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staff writer
Chrissy Martinez joined The State Hornet as a COVID-19 and higher education beat writer in spring 2021. A Tracy native, Chrissy advocates for the youth in Tracy and informs Tracy residents about local news. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting and run for local office to represent the Tracy community.
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staff writer
Angela Rodriguez joined The State Hornet spring 2021 as a staff writer on the general assignment desk. In her hometown of Hughson, she interned at the local paper, Hughson Chronicle, as a columnist. In her free time, she enjoys binge-watching TV sitcoms and online shopping.
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staff writer
Robert J. Hansen is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. He is a graduating senior double majoring in political science-journalism and economics. In 2018, he was a member of CSU-Sacramento Transportation Advisory Committee. He is from St. Louis, Missouri and has lived in Sacramento since 2001.
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staff writer
Shelby Tolly has been a staff writer for The State Hornet since spring 2021, currently covering the opinion beat and mainly covering the video game industry. She previously worked on the Sac City Express as a staff writer and photographer. She lives off espresso and video games and hopes to be a video game journalist for IGN or Kotaku.
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staff writer
Emma Hall is an investigative reporter for The State Hornet. Along with The State Hornet, Emma is a California Journalism Network Fellow with CalMatters, focusing on race and ethnicity in higher education. In her past, she wrote for The CCC Advocate, The Pleasanton Weekly, and was the former editor-in-chief of The DVC Inquirer.
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staff writer
Alec Ramey joined The State Hornet in spring 2021 as a staff writer on the general assignment desk. A native of Sacramento, he hopes to graduate in spring 2022. He is also a musician.
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staff writer
Michael Pacheco is the ASI beat writer for the State Hornet and also covers a variety of other news topics. A Sacramento native, he was previously a staffer for American River College's publication, The Current. After graduation, he hopes to eventually get into education.
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staff writer
Brandon Bailey joined The State Hornet in fall 2020 and is currently a sports feature beat writer. He is a senior from Berkeley majoring in journalism and minoring in communication studies. He hopes to pursue a career as a sports beat writer after graduation.
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staff writer
Khalil Bourgoub covers the music beat for The State Hornet. He moved from San Jose in 2017 and is a senior pursuing degrees in journalism and philosophy. He hopes to continue writing about arts and entertainment in the future.
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staff writer
Katerina Graziosi joined The State Hornet in fall 2020 and is currently an arts and entertainment beat writer. An Orange County native, she has been living in the City of Trees for the last 10 years. She is excited to graduate spring 2021 and is majoring in journalism and minoring in sociology.
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staff writer
Colby Case is the esports beat writer for The State Hornet. This is his second semester on staff, with graduation planned for the end of the spring 2021 semester. He likes to travel, primarily out of state or country.
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staff writer
Samaha Samy is a political opinion writer for The State Hornet. Before joining The State Hornet in fall 2020, he worked as a freelance journalist with Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of the top five newspapers in Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East. During his work for Al-Masry Al-Youm, he interviewed many prominent subjects such as Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek and Egyptian and Ar...
staff writer
Dylan McNeill is a sports features beat writer for The State Hornet. He joined The State Hornet in the spring of 2020 as a writer on the general assignment desk. He is a sophomore majoring in journalism.
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staff writer
Jordan Latimore joined The State Hornet in spring 2019 as a staff writer and is now a beat writer for the sports section. Before joining The State Hornet, Jordan wrote a sports column for his high school paper, The Bruin Voice. Majoring in journalism, Jordan is aspiring to become a sports writer and cover professional athletics after he graduates.
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staff writer
Erick Salgado is a news reporter and COVID-19 beat writer for The State Hornet. He reported for The State Hornet in the spring 2020 semester as a general assignment desk reporter before becoming a news writer. Erick hopes to bring awareness and help to his local communities through his reporting.
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staff writer
Bradley Hinkson is an opinion beat writer for The State Hornet. Bradley is a film studies major who joined spring 2020 and focuses mostly on film and television reviews. He hopes to one day write film reviews professionally.
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staff writer
Gurneet (Garry) Singh joined The State Hornet spring 2019 and is now a multimedia staffer, sports beat writer and podcaster. Garry is from Sacramento and is majoring in business and minoring in journalism. He is also station manager at KSSU, the CSUS student-run radio station, where he has his own weekly radio show. Garry received fifth place “Best of Show” award at ACP/CMA 2020 Fall National ...
staff writer
Drue Goncalves first joined The State Hornet in 2019 and is a staff writer on the general assignment desk for The State Hornet. When Drue graduates, he hopes to get a job covering sports.
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staff writer
Estefany Nuñez is the diversity and identity writer for The State Hornet. She’s been published by the Woodland Daily Democrat, and has participated in journalism since her freshman year of high school. She hopes to continue reporting for local communities in the San Joaquin Valley and write film reviews as well.
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staff writer
Eric Jaramishian is a news reporter for the State Hornet. In the past, he reported for The State Hornet in 2018-19 as a general assignment reporter and copy editor. In addition, Eric is the vice president of finance for the Sacramento State chapter for the Society of Professional Journalists. Eric hopes to report locally in the Sacramento area for a career.
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multimedia reporter
James Fife joined the State Hornet in spring 2021 and is a part of the broadcast team. He previously went to Sacramento City College and The Art Institute of Sacramento. He has been editing and filming since high school. He is currently majoring in film.
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multimedia reporter
Blynn Beltran is a multimedia reporter for The State Hornet. He covers esports and video games. He likes to play video games and basketball.
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multimedia reporter
Madelaine Church joined the State Hornet in spring 2021 as a multimedia staffer during her freshman year. Her previous photography experience includes being the editor, photo editor and main photographer for three years for her high school yearbook program. Her favorite things to photograph are portraits and anything to do with arts and entertainment. A journalism major, Madelaine hopes to intern for a...
multimedia reporter
Allisyn Mayhew is a multimedia reporter for The State Hornet. She serves as a news anchor for The State Hornet News Broadcast and previously served as a sports beat writer. She hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting after she graduates spring 2021.
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multimedia reporter
Mack Ervin III has been a member of The State Hornet since fall 2019, previously working as a football beat writer and broadcast staffer before moving to podcasts. He is a senior double majoring in journalism and communication studies and currently interns with The Sacramento Bee and the Bellingham Herald. Originally from Seattle, he is an avid motor racing fan, podcaster and video gamer.
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multimedia reporter
Dominic Vitiello is a multimedia reporter for The State Hornet. He spends his time away from broadcast shooting photos and gaming as a passion.
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podcast staff
Rose Vega is on The State Hornet’s podcast staff. Before joining The State Hornet, she served as editor-in-chief for the Sac City Express. Majoring in journalism, Rose hopes to continue reporting after graduating and get into more investigative journalism.
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podcast staff
Gavin Rock joined The State Hornet as a politics beat writer in spring 2020 and is now on the podcast staff. Before writing for The State Hornet, Gavin was the sports editor at Diablo Valley College's student newspaper, The Inquirer. He is also a member of Sacramento State's Society of Professional Journalists.
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audience engagement
Linneah Flahive joined the State Hornet in spring 2021 as an audience engagement staffer. She has previously interned for the Folsom Telegraph and freelanced for Gold Country Media. She hopes to work in social media after graduation.
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audience engagement
Kaylin Flatland joined The State Hornet in spring 2021 and is currently part of the audience engagement team. She previously wrote for Cosumnes River College’s The Connection and Sac City’s Express. She looks forward to graduating in the fall and is interested in pursuing a music or fashion-related journalism career.
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audience engagement
Hannah Quijas joined the State Hornet in the spring of 2021 and is a part of the audience engagement team. Hannah loves social media and hopes to further her career and execute her creativity in the internet community.
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audience engagement
Alex Muegge is an audience engagement staffer for The State Hornet and this is his first semester on staff. Previously, he worked as a staff writer for the American River Current and was editor-in-chief of his high school paper, The Rio Mirada. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and watching Marvel movies.
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