The S tate Hornet
November 18, 2009 HORNET INSIDE
C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento
SAC STATE THEATRE AND DANCE DEPARTMENT | SHAKESPEARE’S TWELFTH NIGHT
CAUSEWAY CLASSIC
E st . 1949
Graduation petition price up 46 percent By Blazej Bruzda bbruzda@statehornet.com
Planning on going to the Causeway Classic? Find out how you can safely have a good time before the game.
Sports B4 WATER AND ICE
Find out about the professor showcasing her artwork in the University Union. Where does she get ideas for her paintings?
Features B1 STUDY FOR FINALS Chase Mason State Hornet
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a story of love, betrayal and mistaken identity. Here three minstrels are tricking the steward Malvolio into thinking Lady Olivia is in love with him. The play will run through Sunday. See the full story in Features page B1.
O ne C opy F ree
Sacramento State has raised yet another fee this year: the graduation petition fee, which burdens students with the second-highest graduation application fee in the 23-campus California State University system. Juniors planning to graduate next year will have to pay $63.50 for the graduation petition this year, which includes the $28 diploma fee - up $20 from last year, said Kim Nava, public relations interim director of news services. The raise was put forth by Sac State university registrar director Dennis Geyer and approved Aug. 15 by Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez, Nava said. Four items contributed to the fee increase this year, she said. Mailing costs, ceremony costs, diploma covers and application processing fees have all increased. “The increase was necessary to close the gap in covering the expenses associated with the ordering, printing and mailing of the diploma and the inclusion of a leather-style diploma cover, which will be mailed with the diploma,” Geyer said. “The increase also helps cover staffing, external services and postage.” Senior English major Michael Ha said he always thought paying for the petition to graduate
was unnecessary, especially with tuition increases this year and everyone struggling financially. “I feel lucky that I managed to submit my petition before the raise,” he said. “But I still think it is unfair to the students.” Similar feelings were expressed by junior history major Vanessa Mieleszko, who is planning to graduate in spring 2011. “Paying to graduate is ridiculous, it does not make sense paying more money to leave.” Mieleszko said. “This represents how the system is profiting on students and less on how it is making education accessible to a wider demographic of our society.” Mieleszko said she does not understand why all of the fee increases are taking place while a lot of the administrators are making six-figure salaries. When the original article about the graduation petition fee ran in The State Hornet in 2002, graduation fees were $32.50. Ha said he paid around $45 for his petition last year. The graduation fee consists of two fees, Geyer said. The two parts are commencement and diploma, or graduation services. Only the diploma portion was increased, Geyer said. The commencement fee is $35.50 and has been for some time, he said. see Fees| page A6
Ribbons sold on behalf of Scott Hawkins Finals are coming up, and you know what that means: it’s time to study. But are you doing it right? Daniel Vasilchuk tells you how to be more efficient.
Opinion A5 NEW DEAN OF HHS The College of Health and Human Services has a new dean. Read about the experience Patricia Clark-Ellis brings to campus.
News A3 MATSUI SPEAKS TO CAMPUS
By Miyu Kataoka mkataoka@statehornet.com Student Activities, a Leadership Education and Development intern and volunteers have been selling autism awareness ribbons in memory of Scott Hawkins, the student killed Oct. 21 in his suite at the American River Courtyard residence hall. “It is always a terrible tragedy when we lose a student,” said Karlos Santos-Coy, coordinator for leadership education at Student Activities. The fundraiser, which was planned to take place for one week only, Nov. 9-13, has been extended to include another
In spite of the budget problems faced by Sacramento State, students, staff and faculty have organized efforts to help people in need throughout the Sacramento community this Thanksgiving.
Charitable activities on campus include the Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive, Hearts for Homeless Winter Drive and the Run to Feed the Hungry. “As a student and a citizen, it is important to be active in the community,” said Alexandria Lopes, senior social work major and activities director for
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The State Hornet Issue 12 | Volume 62| No. 12
Hawkins, Ellen Cesaretti, senior English major and LEAD intern, hopes to make a difference in the autism research. All the proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated on behalf of Hawkins to UC Davis’ Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute for autism research. According to the UC Davis MIND website, the institute strives to understand the causes and develop treatments and cures for neurodevelopmental disorders. The fundraising event was developed by Cesaretti. Cesaretti has been working with autistic see Ribbons| page A6
Kristen Smith State Hornet
Samuelu Folau, sophomore therapeutic recreation major, and Chelsey Kaiser, senior nutrition major, volunteered on Thursday to accept donations for autism research.
Fundraising to help the Students thrive needy on Thanksgiving in Thailand as guest teachers By Brittany Bottini bbottini@statehornet.com
Rep. Doris Matsui came to campus and spoke about grants, health care and clean energy. Find out how this will affect you in the future at statehornet.com
week, Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, in the University Union. The project was a fundraising event to raise awareness for autism, a developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Hawkins had Asperger’s disease, which the Autism Society of America said is a milder case of autism with fewer difficulties in speech and communication. Unlike people with severe cases of autism, people with Asperger’s disease do not usually have delays in speech development and often show interest in developing relationships with others. In addition to remembering
Courtesy Photo
Last year, 28,000 particpants attended Run to Feed the Hungry. Organizers expect even more this Thanksgiving.
the Bachelor of Social Work Association. “In economic times like this, there are many people in need.” BSWA is hosting Hearts for Homeless, a winter clothing drive created to donate to Loaves and Fishes, a homeless shelter in downtown Sacramento. “We feel that right now the issue of homeless is huge in our community, and it’s starting to get cold outside,” Lopes said. The drive has been collecting blankets, jackets, longsleeved shirts and pants in bins around campus since Oct. 5, and will continue to collect until Nov. 30. The Community Service Events, a program of Associated Students Inc., is also seeking the campus’ help this month in order to donate food baskets to local families in need. Campus departments and see Giving| page A6
By Brittany Bottini and Kristine Guerra news@statehornet.com Due to the success of student teachers over the past four years, five times the number of Sacramento State students will be accepted into the yearlong paid teaching program in Bangkok, Thailand, this upcoming year. The program, started by communication studies professor Thomas Knutson in 2006, has accepted four or five students each year to teach at Chitralada Royal Palace School in Bangkok. Because of the work of past student teachers, six students will be accepted to teach at Chitralada for the 2010-11 school year and an additional 15 to 20 students will be able to teach at the Ideal English Academy.
“The more students learn about other countries and gain international experience, the better off they’ll be,” Knutson said. “Living in Thailand is a marvelous opportunity. Where else can you find a place to gain international experience with no out-of-pocket costs, but in the most welcoming country in the world?” Students in the program will live and work in Bangkok, teaching English to K-12 students for 14-16 hours per week. They will be provided with round-trip airfare, a $500 monthly salary, single living accommodations, free meals and transportation on teaching days and college credits; they will be regarded as dependents of the king. “I never considered going abroad for any purpose but see Thailand| page A4
Wednesday - November 18
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News Section
NEWS ROUNDUP Sac State’s weekly news briefs and campus events Piano recital Professor Richard Cionco will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Music Recital Hall. Cionco has been teaching at Sacramento State for 16 years. In June 2008, Cionco won the 2008 Teacher Recognition Award in Washington D.C. from the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. He has played recitals throughout the country and won a Solo Recitalists Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Cionco has entered and won many piano competitions throughout his career.
Coat Drive The Eta Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will be collecting coats for women and children today in the University Union from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The coats will be given to the St. John’s Shelter program, which is focused exclusively on homeless women and children in Sacramento.
Causeway Classic Extraordinaire and tailgate party Associated Students Inc. will host the Causeway Classic Extraordinaire at 11 a.m. Thurdsay in the Library Quad. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, head football coach Marshall Sperbeck and ASI president Roberto Torres will be speaking at 11:30 p. m. From noon to 2 p.m. will be a talent show called “Sac State’s Got Talent” where the top three winners will win prizes. The first 500 students will be given Hornet Pride T-shirts and those who show up to the game wearing the shirt can enter a drawing to win a Nintendo Wii console. The Sweatshirt Exchange Program will also start during the Extraordinaire. Students can bring in sweatshirts from other colleges and trade them in for a new one from the Hornet Bookstore.
The Alumni Center will be hosting a tailgate party on the Center patio before the Causeway Classic on Nov. 21 at noon. People can register for adult meals for $10 and meals for children under the age of 10 for $7.50. The food will be catered by Ludy’s BBQ and will be serving steak, chicken, salad, rolls and drinks. There will be a DJ playing music appropriate for people of all ages.
Whale watching hike Peak Adventures is offering a backpacking trip to Point Reyes this Saturday at 7 a.m. The hike starts over hills and through trees with the chance to see foxes and deer. While hiking, the group will go over the San Andres fault and pass by a fence that has been torn in two, showing how far the land has shifted over the years. The path will wind down to the coastline where whales, walruses and sea lions can occasionally be seen in the distance. A campsite will be set up that night with everyone returning on Sunday evening.
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The cost of the trip is $98 for students, $126 for faculty and $140 for the public. The fees pay for a dinner, transportation, camping equipment and permits.
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Wednesday - November 18
News Section
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Professor acknowledged Patricia Clark-Ellis to for research in topology be interim dean of HHS By Inna Gritsak bbottini@statehornet.com This year’s President’s Award for Research and Creative Activity was awarded to Janusz R. Prajs, associate professor in the department of mathematics and statistics. Prajs was awarded for his extensive work in the area of topology, an abstract branch of pure mathematics. He presented his research in a lecture titled “The Nature of Mathematical Discovery” Nov. 10 in the University Union’s Foothill Suite. “Professor Prajs’ research, publishing record and worldwide prominence in the field of topology have brought great pride to Sacramento State,” said Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez. Originally from Poland, Prajs has been teaching mathematics at Sac State since 2003. Prior to his position at Sac State, Prajs taught at Opole University, Texas Tech University, Idaho State University and the University of Missouri at Rolla. His research, consisting of more than 40 papers, has been published in various world-
renowned publications, including the American Journal of Mathematics. “He’s well-respected not just here at Sac State but throughout the country, throughout the world, in his field,” said Tom Schulte, professor of differential geometry in the mathematics and statistics department. Prajs’ area of focus in the field of topology is homogeneous continua. To even slightly grasp the meaning of this complex mathematical concept, Prajs said it is necessary for students to have at least an undergraduate education in mathematics. “Mathematics is like a foreign language itself. It means we cannot communicate with mathematics outside of the field and this is a problem,” Prajs said. Prajs defines topology by using the crude example of a donut and the surface of a coffee cup. “They are topologically the same, even though they look completely different, but it can be formed one to the other without breaking these rules that nothing is glued together, nothing is broken,” Prajs said. As for homogeneous continua, Prajs said they are spaces
Mia Matsudaira State Hornet
President Ålexander Gonzalez presents Janusz Prajs with the 2009-10 award for research and creative activity.
that look the same from the viewpoint of each side. “A circle is a perfect example of homogeneous continua,” Prajs said. Prajs’ colleague, Marcus Marsh, professor of topology in the mathematics and statistics department, also praises Prajs for his allegiance to mathematical research. “He’s a prolific researcher and he certainly deserves the award,” Marsh said. “He’s very enthusiastic, he’s very excited about the math research that he does.” Prajs has had many successes in mathematics, although some seemed to start as failures. An event that stands out in Prajs’ memory is an international meeting with American mathematicians, at which Prajs presented the solution to a conjecture of another mathematician. Prajs said he was humiliated when a member of the meeting questioned his answer. The incident persuaded Prajs to go over his results and check for errors. “Then I had to admit in the end, that she was actually right,” Prajs said. This experience, Prajs said, led to his greatest achievement. He was able to come up with significant results in another area of mathematics and use those results to go through habilitation. In Poland, habilitation is the highest form of academic qualification a person can achieve. In terms of American education, habilitation is like a degree past the doctorate level, Prajs said. Prajs said his mathematical ambition is to classify all homogeneous continua. This would take decades and generations to achieve, Prajs said. The adventure of the seemingly impossible endeavor, however, has made Prajs determined to reach for that goal.
By Inna Gritsak bbottini@statehornet.com On Dec. 1 Patricia Clark-Ellis, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Services, will become interim dean of the college. The current dean, Marilyn Hopkins, is leaving Sacramento State to take on the position of provost and chief operating officer for Touro University, California. “Patricia Clark-Ellis is an experienced educator and administrator, as well as a proficient social worker and attorney,” Hopkins said. “She will be an excellent interim dean and I leave the college in good hands.” Clark-Ellis started at Sac State as a professor in the social work department and then moved her way up. She has worked for the university for more than 15 years and became the dean of HHS in 2002. Clark-Ellis said the promotion to interim dean was not something she anticipated. Fred Baldini, chair of the kinesiology and health science department, will take over Clark-Ellis’ job as HHS interim associate dean. His promotion also goes into effect Dec. 1. “We’ve already started to work together on some things. I’m really excited about the opportunity and I’m learning a lot. It’s a big step up in responsibilities,” Baldini said. Clark-Ellis said she does not have plans to make changes to the college, but instead will focus on continuing its mission. “My goal is to fulfill the mission of the college, and the mission of the college basically talks about providing a sound education for our students and also graduate students with leadership qualities,” Clark-Ellis said. Clark-Ellis has extensive
experience working with students, as well as faculty and staff. Prior to being associate dean, Clark-Ellis achieved the rank of full professor and held the position of coordinator for the undergraduate program in the division of social work. She was also director of field education for undergraduate, graduate and intensive weekend social work students. Clark-Ellis serves on a number of committees and boards, including the President’s Sacramento State University Foundation Board and the California Court Appointed Special Advocates Association Board. “As a professor, she is one of the most student-centered faculty members I have worked with,” said Donna HoenigCouch, judicial administration fellowship director for the Center for California Studies. Clark-Ellis was among three other members of the planning committee to create the Judicial Administrative program in 2007. Last year, seven students did internships through the program. “Every year, I find students who are in need of mentoring,” Clark-Ellis said. “Impacting their lives and forming relationships with students, I think, has been the most important thing that’s happened to me on this campus.” Clark-Ellis actively works with foster children through the Guardian Scholars Program at Sac State. The program is designed to provide mentorship to foster children who are attending college. It is important to encourage students to do well in school and graduate, Clark-Ellis said. “I want to help students, but I want to empower them to be advocates for their own education,” Clark-Ellis said. Clark-Ellis has a juris doctorate from the UC Davis School
Chase Mason State Hornet
Patricia Clark-Ellis will be dean of the HHS on Dec. 1.
of Law. She worked as an associate attorney at The Crow Law Firm in Sacramento and later as a sole practitioner, specializing in Social Security law. After a seven-year hiatus from Sac State, Clark-Ellis returned to her lecturing position because she missed the learning environment at Sac State, she said. Clark-Ellis said she is looking forward to her new position as interim dean, even though she knows there will be adversity along the way. “I know these are challenging times at the university, but I look forward to working with my departmental chairs and the faculty and students and staff to at least maintain the quality of our programs and hopefully to improve the education of our students here on campus,” Clark-Ellis said. Hoenig-Couch said ClarkEllis’ wide-ranging experience will bring a wealth of resources to the critical work of the College of HHS. “(Clark-Ellis) is personally magnetic and encouraging,” Hoenig-Couch said. “She will make a fine campus dean.”
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News Section
Wednesday - November 18
Thailand: Doors open for more Sac State students Continued | page A1 travel until Thailand was introduced to me,” said Emily Smith, former student teacher and graduate of the Sac State communication studies program. Smith now works in Germany for Siemens, translating documents from German to English for the Siemens worldwide internal magazine. “Going to Thailand was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Smith said. “Its value is priceless and cannot be compared to resume or career success.” In the past four years, 17 students from Sac State have participated in the program. Three of those students received the best foreign teacher award from Chitralada, including Maria Xiong. Xiong graduated from Sac State in 2007 with a degree in organizational communication and said the experience she had in Bangkok was very humbling. “This experience going from an individualistic society to a collectivistic society helped me embrace my personal biculturalism and positively affected my life,” Xiong said. Xiong said the knowledge and experience she gained in Thailand will help her in every situation she comes across. On her first day teaching, Xiong said she was nervous and worried about what her students would think of their new English teacher. “The lesson that I gave them that first day was useless,” she said. “I spoke too fast and forgot that I was a teacher, not a presenter.” After class, she remembered the Thai philosophy of “mai pen rai.” “It’s a ‘no worry’ attitude; even in the toughest situations,
just relax and say ‘mai pen rai,’” Xiong said. “So the next class, instead of worrying, I walked into class and started an open conversation about the first topic that came to my mind and the students were much more relaxed.” Communication studies department chair Nick Burnett said the department is pleased to have such an opportunity available to students. “It gives students a chance to live in a culture pretty different from their own, in a way that they might not have been able to outside of the program,” Burnett said. “It really is a wonderful immersive kind of an experience.” Senior communication studies major Kimberly Itani participated in the program during the 2008-09 school year and said it was an eye-opening experience that greatly shaped her as a person. “I was around diplomats and at birthday parties for the king and queen. I got to be in this elevated arena that I never would have been exposed to,” she said. Itani said the program exposed her to a new world that she was never aware of, and that the monthly salary she received allowed her to travel to nine other countries. “The whole thing was like this test on how well you can adapt to different cultures; I feel like I passed all of those tests,” Itani said. “The exposure transformed me to be more culturally aware and to be able to define what it is to be an American.” Knutson said he is looking for students who can speak and write English grammatically and be good representatives of our country and Sac State. “We’ve had everybody from communications and English majors to electrical engineering
and business majors,” Knutson said. To be a guest teacher, students do not need to undertake any preparation for their classes prior to their arrival in Thailand, and there is no requirement that they be able to speak, read, write or learn Thai. An informational session will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in Shasta Hall, Room 264. Additional information and application materials are available in the communication studies department office in Mendocino Hall, Room 5041 and in the English department office in Calaveras Hall, Room 104.
Foreign teaching program in Bangkok, Thailand Students will be provided with: • • • • •
Round-trip airfare $500 monthly salary Single living ac commodations Free meals and transportation College credits
There are no requirements that students learn to speak, read or write Thai. An informational session will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in Shasta Hall, Room 264. Additional information is available in Mendocino Hall, Room 5041 and Calaveras Hall, Room 104.
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Wednesday - November 18
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News Section
Giving: Helping Ribbons: Uniting Fees: Rising cost the community to raise money of graduation and awareness Continued | page A1
Continued | page A1
individuals were requested to buy a number of nonperishable items to create Thanksgiving dinner baskets for families. The goal of ASI was to receive more than 60 baskets. This year, 25 baskets were donated, said community service events coordinator for the Student Life and Services Center Ashley Skaggs. Baskets were decorated Monday and Tuesday by volunteers and will be delivered to families today. “I love the basket decorating. It is my favorite part of the fundraiser,” Skaggs said. Dezarae Johnson, manager of the Student Life and Services Center, said if not enough donations are made, the center will be using money from its budget to make sure that identified families in need get the warm meals they were promised. Recently graduated criminal justice student, Maria Parra, said charitable activities and fundraisers on campus are very important to our community and should have more student involvement. “It’s a great way for us to give back to the community,” she said. “It feels good to make a change and to help people in need.” In addition to its own charitable events, Sac State will be participating in the 16th annual Run to Feed the Hungry with a team created by John Kepley, assistant to President Alexander Gonzalez in Public Affairs. The Run to Feed the Hungry started in 1994 with only 800 runners, who raced Thanksgiving morning to raise money for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Last year, 28,000 participants attended the event and raised $750,000 for the food bank. Organizers expect to raise more
Continued | page A1
MARCY HENDRICKS State Hornet
Daniel Xiong, freshman computer engineering major, decorates a basket.
than $800,000 by participants this year. “This is the first year we have had such highly organized efforts for a Sac State team,” Kepley said. Kepley urged students, faculty, staff and anyone else interested in running or walking with the team to register. In order to encourage people to sign up, Public Affairs offered team shirts and special parking for runners in lot one. This year the run will start in front of the J Street entrance to Sac State, and end in a nearby East Sacramento neighborhood. “The run has started outside the campus doorstep for many years, so it only makes sense that the university has its own team,” Kepley said. The team has currently raised $2,705 for the food bank from participant fees and donations. In order to participate, people needed to register before Tuesday night. Donations in the teams name will still be collected. For more information, contact John Kepley at: (916) 278-4378.
children since she was 10 years old. As the coordinator of the fundraiser, Cesaretti did not set a monetary goal for the fundraiser because the main goals were to unite the campus community after Hawkins’ death and bring more awareness to autism, she said. “From my personal experience, the best action one can take to provide healing for the community is to connect the loss with hope,” Cesaretti said. The fundraiser raised approximately $240 from Nov. 9-13 and the presentation of the check will be Dec. 15 at a MIND institute board meeting, Cesaretti said. Like breast cancer ribbons, the autism awareness ribbon has meaning in its colors and pattern. The cards given out to donors explained that the multicolored puzzle piece pattern on the ribbons reflects the mystery and complexity of autism. There were signs and posters throughout the campus urging students to donate to the cause. The signs also displayed quick facts about the disease, such as boys are more likely to have autism than girls. As a member of Alpha Chi Omega and friend of Cesaretti, Michelle Frank, junior liberal studies major, signed up to work at the booth. Cesaretti contacted the sorority because it also raises money for autism awareness. “Ellen contacted us because of our involvement with the cause,” Frank said. “And we decided that we should work for the common cause and raise money together.” What made the fundraiser
more approachable to students was how little they needed to donate, she said. “It’s only a dollar,” Frank said. “It’s such a small contribution per person, but it does benefit someone and you are giving a giving a gift to someone else.” What makes the story so tragic, Santos-Coy and Cesaretti said, is Hawkins was a good student who was living above his disease. Through the fundraiser, they hope the community will remember Hawkins as someone who overcame the disease.
The diploma fee is what increased. The increase was from $7.50, which was set back in the 1980s, to $28. Students also expressed feelings toward the other aspect of graduation: the deadline for graduation petition submission. The university registrar said students planning to graduate need to file petitions one year prior to the graduating semester. For example, if the student’s plan is to graduate fall 2011, then the petition deadline is Nov. 1, 2010. Likewise, if a student wants to graduate in spring 2011 the
deadline is May 1, 2010. Mieleszko said she does not understand why Sac State requires students to apply of graduation a year in advance. “This shows just how ridiculous this school is, the whole bureaucracy of Sacramento State is very out-of-touch with its students,” she said. Nava said with approximately 6,500 students graduating each year, the university needs time to process applications. “It’s such a huge volume of students to process; if we waited a couple of weeks before, it would be an absolute mess,” Nava said.
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THESTATEHORNET
Opinion
www . s t a t e h o r n e t . c o m
N ovember 18, Wednesday
| F a l l I s s u e 12 | S a c r a m e n t o S t a t e
EDITORIAL
Help the homeless year-round This holiday season, people from across the Sacramento area are gathering to help the homeless. Homeless shelters and soup kitchens will be full of holiday cheer and goodwill. The effort is admirable, but the do-good sentiment the season brings seems to fade away sometime shortly after the Christmas trees come down. After the new year comes around, these people are still homeless. They still have needs that are not being met throughout the rest of the year. Loaves and Fishes program director Janet Green said they always get a major surge of help around Thanksgiving and Christmas. “We get a lot of people who want to make their one volunteer commitment of the year,” she said. If you want to help the
Salvation Army around Thanksgiving, openings are running low, said Ava Simpson, community relations coordinator for the Salvation Army. So it is probably too late to volunteer for this coming holiday. But should the spirit of volunteerism really be that constrained? Does that mean you cannot volunteer later? Of course not. Green said organizations are always looking for more people to help with their everyday operations. Green said during the year, work and school schedules get in the way of volunteering. Just being able to stay committed to a charity can be difficult. “I think the hardest part of being a volunteer is keeping up with your commitment,”
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Green said. “That’s usually the first thing that gets replaced (in people’s schedules).” Can students work, go to
school and help the homeless at the same time? Green suggests it is possible. “A lot of students (vol-
unteer) on Saturdays and Sundays,” she said. She also said that having a personal connection to your charity’s work is what matters. “At one point sometime in your life it is really important to go volunteer with a program that’s interesting to you,” she said. Instead, students with the time and interest should take every opportunity to help the homeless. There are a lot of simple tasks students can do to support the homeless, even if they do not have time to volunteer. Clothing, as well as money and canned food, can be donated to charities. The end of the holiday season does not have to signal the end of our compassion. The cheer of the season should inspire us to help the homeless more.
Helping the homeless should not be a once-a-year occasion. It should be a focal point of our society. So this year, let’s keep the goodwill going.
Sacramento homeless shelters and support centers Loaves & Fishes 1321 North C St. Sacramento, CA (916) 446-0874 Salvation Army 9416 Kiefer Blvd. Sacramento, CA (916) 563-3700 St. John’s Shelter for Women & Children 4410 Power Inn Road Sacramento, CA (916) 453-1482
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Don’t you know Daniel Vasilchuk hates it when you’re not on time? He’s just sayin’ at statehornet.com
Find a new place, get a new body with David Demola’s Weight Loss Wonderblog. statehornet.com
Be self-focused, not self-centered By Samantha Palileo spalileo@statehornet.com So often we set aside the things that make us happy to please others. To some degree, people have to learn to be a little selfish. A certain sense of gratification comes from meeting other people’s needs. But who is going to take care of you when you are busy taking care of everyone else? That is why assertiveness is so important. When we are so tuned to the needs and feelings of others, we forget that our own are just as valid. A little healthy argument never hurt anyone, especially when you are clutching to your
values. Sometimes our inner pushover really needs to be shoved out of the way. We are often reluctant to challenge authority, but it is a great way to exercise assertiveness. Jacqueline Irwin, communication studies professor at Sacramento State, encourages students to set aside the fear of failure and embarrassment that tends to hold them back. “So what if you don’t agree
with your professor? You’re in college to develop a voice,” she said. At the same time you have to choose your battles and be careful how you fight them. “There are those times when someone will cut you in line at the grocery store, and you can just let it go. Other times you need to defend yourself and stand up for what you believe in,” Irwin said. “Just remember
who the other person is, and what you want.” But really, disrespect never gets anyone very far. It is important to make the distinction that being assertive does not mean being aggressive. You do not have to step on people’s toes to get what you want. In fact, according to the article “Standing Up for Yourself - Without Stepping on Others”
Megan Harris State Hornet
in Sac State’s Freshman Seminar textbook, “to stand up assertively for your rights … (you must have) mutual respect and personal responsibility.” Being assertive is actually more about you than anyone else. You need to embrace respect not only for others, but for yourself. In the article, author and counseling psychologist Ruthann Fox Hines suggested adopting this mantra: “I respect myself and my right to my ideas, feelings, needs, wants, and values, and I respect you and your rights to the same,” in order to achieve this selfawareness. To be free-thinking is a strong characteristic, but harnessing the ability to vocalize those thoughts is even more valuable. This has been a personal battle for nearly my entire life. As the youngest in my family, I was raised to respect my elders, which was pretty much everyone. Getting “the look” was
enough to smother “that tone” out of my voice. It is difficult to turn off my “sir,” “ma’am” and “how can I help you?” mindset. My customer service job of more than four years pushed those phrases into my vocabulary. Every part of my life has been dedicated to putting the needs of others before mine. But becoming an opinion columnist has completely changed my perspective. I never intend to offend people with my writing. I only want to show a different perspective and have my thoughts noticed. The opinions I express have always been there. Becoming a columnist was just the first time I was encouraged to voice them. And even though that voice is stronger now, making other people happy will always be important to me. But my life is no longer controlled by a mute button, because my own happiness is just as important.
Cramming for a test? Give me a break
By Daniel Vasilchuk dvasilchuk@statehornet.com You might assume the more hours you study for a class, the better your grade will be. But studying is not about the number of hours. It is about following a predetermined plan, like the autopilot strategy. Much like airplanes can use autopilot systems to navigate, study habits can be automated. The strategy works like this:
Assign specific times of the week to do homework for each of your classes. Then follow the schedule as you have laid it out. If you are always worried about not finishing your homework assignments on time, this will more than likely help get rid of your anxiety. Not only will you be less anxious, the schedule will help you stay focused and be more efficient. Cal Newport, author of “How to Become a Straight-A Student,” interviewed a multitude of college students who had high grade point averages as research for his book. Newport came up with the idea of an autopilot schedule after his interviews showed that this was an effective strategy for
getting better grades. “The power of this strategy is that it allows you to sidestep the ‘what work should I do now’ trap,” Newport said. “You just have to follow the schedule blindly, week after week.” Newport said it might take a bit of restructuring until you get the schedule to work for you. Using the autopilot schedule involves time management. If you schedule too many things to do in one day, the strategy might fail. Also, include breaks in your study schedule. A study session does not have to be a long period of time. Plan on taking a short break every hour or so to refresh your mind. “A big enemy to the effective studying process is that feeling
of mental numbness and fatigue that signals your brain is done for the day,” Newport said. Working without breaks will only cause you to mess up and produce lower-quality work. Newport suggested taking a 10-minute break for every 50 minutes of work. Taking a break might seem like the wrong thing to do, especially when you have a limited amount of time to do an assignment, but it is vital to working effectively. Along with an autopilot schedule, there needs to be a specific list of things you will do during those study hours. “Most students approach studying as some amorphous activity,” Newport said. “Never ‘study.’ Instead, be working on
specific actions.” Even when a schedule can be planned out and followed, many students still choose to procrastinate and put things off until the last minute or for an all-nighter. No amount of energy drinks of coffee can substitute for sleep. If you must work on an assignment under such pressure, there are ways of working more productively. Dan Melzer, University Reading and Writing coordinator, said one strategy for removing pressure when writing a paper is to write a “zero draft.” This involves writing very quickly and without thinking about grammar or other mistakes.
McClatchy Tribune
Melzer also said that it is important to be an active reader. To actively read is to highlight or underline the important ideas or concepts within a text. By creating a plan and following it, you will be studying smart, not hard. Getting better grades is only an autopilot schedule away.
Features B1 Cast delivers a tale of love N ovember 18, Wednesday
THESTATEHORNET
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| F a l l I s s u e 12 | S a c r a m e nt o S t a t e
Chase Mason State Hornet
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” opened in Sacramento State’s Playwrights’ Theatre on Thursday and will play through Sunday. “Twelfth Night” is a story of love and betrayal.
Chase Mason State Hornet
Left to right: Trina Kruger, who plays Olivia, and Tygar Hicks, who plays Viola dressed as Cesario, are caught in an awkward moment of mistaken identity during the play. By Jennifer Siopongco jsiopongco@statehornet.com The cast of Sacramento State’s Theatre and Dance department has rigorously prepared to perform one of William Shakespeare’s well-known comedies, “Twelfth Night.” Michelle Felten, theatre and dance professor and director of “Twelfth Night,” said this play is a beguiling tale of cross-dressing, mistaken identity, and the pursuit of love. “‘Twelfth Night’ is about twins, Viola and Sebastian, who
are separated when their ship capsizes,” Felten said. “Viola washes ashore, disguises herself as a boy servant named Cesario and takes a position with Duke Orsino’s court.” Viola as Cesario is secretly in love with Orsino. She then woos the Countess Olivia, Orsino’s object of affection. Trina Kruger, senior theater major who plays Olivia, said “Twelfth Night” is about the characters being in love and what they are willing to do to prove it. “Viola has to dress like a man
and woo another woman for a man she’s in love with to be loyal (to him),” Kruger said. The play “Twelfth Night” also has a subplot that involves Maria, Olivia’s right-hand woman and Malvolio, Olivia’s steward. Mayette Villanueva, senior theater major who plays Maria, said her character comes up with a plot to write a letter to Malvolio, imitating Olivia’s penmanship. Maria attempts to make a fool out of Malvolio because of his self-centered personality. “It’s like the attack of wits,”
Villanueva said. “Maria tells Malvolio to dress up in funny stockings because (shes says) Olivia is secretly in love (with him).” John Young, sophomore theater major who plays Malvolio, said his character’s name is translated as “ill-willed.” “He’s kind of a prick,” Young said. “I wouldn’t say he’s the antagonist or the villain. He’s just mean to everybody and people want revenge.” Felten said after the incident with Malvolio, Sebastian comes back into the picture and all the plots and secrets are revealed. “Twin brother Sebastian shows up and is mistaken for Viola, who is still disguised as Cesario, and unintentionally wins the heart of Olivia,” Felten said. “Light mayhem ensues.” Jesse Heckendorf, junior liberal studies major, saw “Twelfth Night” and said his favorite scene in the play is when Malvolio receives the fake letter. “I always liked Shakespeare,” Heckendorf said. “The letter scene with Malvolio’s facial expressions are hilarious. The play is overall humorous and entertaining.” Felten said “Twelfth Night” has 12 main characters, unlike many of Shakespeare’s plays that usually have five main characters. “It’s hard to tell who the lead is,” Felten said. “In this play, almost every role has something substantial to do.”
Kruger said she tried out for “Twelfth Night” because she loves being in shows directed by Felten. She was in last fall’s production of “Picnic” and said she wanted to take on a Shakespearean piece this semester. “I’ve always been interested by the (Shakespearean) language because it’s intimidating. I’ve done a lot of work being the side character who’s comedic and Olivia’s different,” Kruger said. “She’s not the funny best friend kind of character. She’s something I wouldn’t typically play.” Felten believes that Shakespeare’s language provides a challenge that her students would not normally get in a modern play. “It’s a much more complicated way of speaking than we speak now. It has a romantic and very passionate feel to it,” Felten said. In helping to prepare the cast for “Twelfth Night,” Felten had them practice meter, verse, and prose. David Chernyavsky, junior theater major who plays Orsino, said he has done a lot of research for the play because his character speaks in verse instead of prose for the entire show. “We looked at the language and we got a dictionary and looked up every part and line we didn’t get,” Chernyavsky said. “There are operative words like verbs and nouns
you need to stress in a phrase or sentence.” Villanueva said she feels “Twelfth Night” requires more commitment because of the language. “If you don’t understand what you’re saying, then the audience won’t understand,” Villanueva said. “Shakespeare is literal and if you just picture what he describes you’ll get it.” Elizabeth Fernandez, an audience member, said she had no trouble following the play because the performers did a great job acting out the scenes. “If you don’t understand the words, you get the actors’ actions and then it makes sense,” Fernandez said.
“Twelfth Night” will be performed at 6:30 p.m. today and Thursday. The play will be performed at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Playwrights’ Theatre in Shasta Hall. For more information on tickets and prices call (916) 278-4323.
Professor inspired by her travel photos By Katrina Tupper ktupper@statehornet.com Maria Winkler, professor in the art department at Sacramento State, utilizes her artwork to benefit others in society. Winkler’s most recent exhibit, “Water and Ice,” is being hosted in the University Union Gallery. The paintings in the exhibit are transcribed versions of photographs she has taken on her travels. Winkler said she enjoys using art as a journal of her travels because it represents a connection she had with each location. The subjects of the pieces in her show range from water puddles to snowy riverbanks. “I have a real affinity for painting snow, water and ice,” Winkler said. “I come across a lot of that in my travels. Some of it is local, like Lake Tahoe,
but others are based in Europe.” Winkler said she has had many opportunities to paint snow because she and her husband do a lot of snowshoeing. She said she takes her camera on these trips, captures the scene and then paints at home. Winkler said her water-based pieces deal with environmental issues. “Water is a natural resource that is diminishing. Therefore, my art can be interpreted as representing the purity of nature and the preservation of clean and unpolluted water and even forest land,” Winkler said. Winkler said she is pleased with how her work has evolved over the years. “My work used to be very social, feminist and personal but, eventually, it came to some kind of resolution and peace. I like to think of my work as a sanctuary, not only for me, but
“Water and Ice” exhibit • The pieces at the exhibit are for sale and 20 to 40 percent of sales will be donated to Sierra Forever Families. • The exhibit will be up through Dec. 17. • The exhibit’s reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today in the University Union Gallery.
for those viewing my work as well - especially with the world as awful as it is now,” Winkler said. Winkler said she has created more than 150 public commissioned pieces, many of which are housed in patient centers and hospitals. “It pleases me to no end that I can share the tranquility of my work in the places where it is needed the most,” Winkler said. Winkler said her favorite piece in the exhibit is “Tahoe Rain,” which marks her adventure to Squaw Valley. Eddie Emerick, junior criminal justice major, said Winkler’s art exhibit opened up his creativity. “The pieces of the snow and water seemed really abstract and I felt like I could find things in the painting that no one else could,” Emerick said. “In the ‘Tahoe Rain’ piece, I thought the puddles reflected mountain tops, but my friend said she didn’t see the same (thing).” Emerick said he thinks the abstract nature of Winkler’s work is largely due to her blending techniques. He said her paintings appear to be either blurred or out of focus. Emerick said he enjoyed this technique because each viewer can look through the fog and see something a little different. Winkler said feedback from outside sources is an important
Robyn Barnes State Hornet
Art department professor Maria Winkler stands in front of one of her favorite pieces in her Water Series: H20 Reflections Collection called “Tahoe Rain.” Her art will be on display in the University Union Gallery now through Dec. 17. part of the development process for an artist. “It isn’t completed until someone views the final product. I see certain things in the painting that I don’t want to tell others because I want them to experience it in their own way and from their own history,” Winkler said. “As an artist, alone in the studio, you crave feedback. Some people
see images in my water pieces that I never intended to put there and it proves to be really interesting.” Janice Schneider, senior kinesiology major, said she was drawn into the gallery because of Winkler’s exhibit. “Normally when I walk by that exhibit, the paintings hanging up are very loud and obvious, but that day when I
walked by, I couldn’t tell what some of the pieces even were, so I had to step inside and see them up close,” Schneider said. “Upon entering the exhibit, I noticed it was very small, but somehow I still managed to spend 30 minutes in there. Not only were the paintings calming, but the whole ambiance of the gallery set me in a good mood.”
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Wednesday - November 18
Features Section
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Circle K wins award for community service By Miranda Marsalla mmarsalla@statehornet.com Circle K International, a club at Sacramento State, was awarded as the third recipient of the “Hornets in the Community” Award for volunteer services the members provided to the local Sacramento community. CKI was awarded the “Hornets in the Community” Award for volunteering over 100 hours of community service throughout Sacramento this semester. Sac State’s Student Activities and Wells Fargo Bank have collaborated to recognize studentrun organizations who give back to the community with “Hornet in the Community” awards. The latest award was presented Nov. 7 to CKI at Sac State’s women’s volleyball game. CKI is a student-based club that provides community service to local organizations. CKI focuses on fostering compassion and goodwill towards others and creating leadership and fellowship among its members. The award of $1,000 from Wells Fargo Bank was addressed to Starlight Children’s Foundation in Northern California, a nonprofit organization that CKI has been raising funds for throughout the semester. Starlight Children’s Foundation creates programs that educate, entertain and inspire ill children. Victor Chan, CKI president, said the club chose to give the award money to the Starlight Children’s Foundation because it is one of the club’s district fundraising initiatives. “It feels wonderful knowing that our members can really feel like they have really accomplished something because the money that we have won is going towards a great cause,” Chan said. Erica Ryan, senior liberal studies major and CKI social chair, said the group is extremely busy with volunteer work
and is happy to be awarded the “Hornets in the Community” award. “We do a lot of community service hours and we are just happy that our fundraising gets recognized. Starlight is a brand new fundraiser this year, so we are really excited,” Ryan said. The CKI Club was not only recognized for its support of Starlight Children’s Foundation, but also for volunteering over 100 hours this semester to Shriner’s Hospital, Pioneer House, and St. Philomene’s Church. “We focus on community service, developing leadership skills, and also providing fellowship opportunities to our members. As a group, we average 250 to 300 community service hours a month,” Chan said. Chan said CKI members volunteer at St. Philomene’s Soup Kitchen every other Tuesday and at Shriner’s Hospital twice a month to do arts and crafts with the children. “We just spend a couple hours with the kids to get their minds off the hardships they are going through,” Chan said. CKI also volunteers at the Pioneer House, an assistedliving home for senior citizens. Calvin Hara, facility administrator of the Pioneer House, said CKI has been graciously volunteering for nearly a year. Hara said CKI introduced the facility’s senior citizens to Wii Bowling, a virtual Nintendo game that replicates the active capabilities of bowling through a hand-held wireless controller. Hara said the seniors look forward to having students spend time with them playing Wii Bowling. CKI also engages in gardening and planting for the Pioneer House’s residents. “Circle K is a great, enthusiastic group. They are kind and have great compassion for seniors,” Hara said. According to CKI’s mission statement, CKI is the largest collegiate community service,
leadership development and friendship organization in the world. CKI has a membership of more than 11,000 students on more than 500 campuses worldwide. Chan said Sac State’s CKI works with other surrounding CKI clubs in California, Nevada and Hawaii. “My favorite part is seeing all our members going out there and giving back to the community while having fun at the same time. Sometimes volunteering takes a lot out of you. It’s quite labor intensive,” Chan said. “But in our club, we not only go out there and get a lot of work done, but we enjoy ourselves at the same time.” Ryan describes CKI as a closeknit group. He said that the club of 50 members has formed some very strong relationships by doing service work. Chan said the club has a close connection because CKI works towards creating a sense of fellowship among its members. “We have a lot of fellowship events where we get together and we can bond with the club. We have socials where we get together and go to places like Golfland Sunsplash and the Jelly Belly Factory,” Chan said. Chan said that CKI strives to help develop leadership skills for members. “We provide a lot of opportunities for our members to step up and get involved with help-
Marcy Hendricks State Hornet
Circle K International members Zua Cha, junior computer science major, and Erica Ryan, senior liberal studies major, hold the check for $1,000 that was presented Nov. 7 to Starlight Starbright during halftime at the Women’s Volleyball game in the Hornets’ Nest. ing us run the club, whether it’s through fundraising, designing a website, writing newsletters, or creating a scrapbook to document events,” Chan said. CKI wants to start organizing events on its own and is currently planning a canned food
drive for the upcoming holiday season. “We have been going to a lot of other people’s events and volunteering, but I want to start organizing events that will directly give back to the community,” Chan said.
For more information on CKI’s events and club meetings, visit their website at csuscki.blogspot.com.
Wednesday - November 18
Features Section
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CLUB CORNER | SKATE HORNET
New club aspires to keep kids off the streets By Katrina Tupper ktupper@statehornet.com The Skate Hornets skateboarding club is a new organi-
Kristen Smith State Hornet
George “JoJo” Montesdeoca, the president of The Skate Hornets skateboarding club shows off his skills at a local skate park.
zation on campus and, although it may not have a loaded events calendar, the club’s weekly skate sessions at Granite Skate Park cover the necessary field experience. The skateboarding sessions follow the club’s weekly meetings which run from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in the University Union. The room in the Union varies from week to week. George Montesdeoca, junior kinesiology major and club president, created the club at the beginning of the fall semester. Montesdeoca said he hopes to gain sponsorships from local skate shops to help maintain funding for the club. He said skateboarding has become a way of life for him and that skateboarding has an important history and reputation. “Skateboarding started board
sports altogether back in the ‘60s and, for that reason, skateboarding has gained respect,” Montesdeoca said. Chad Whitaker, senior international business major and club member, said the club’s two main goals are to have fun and to promote the positive aspects of skateboarding. He said these positive aspects include keeping kids active, out of drugs and out of gang activity. He said community awareness and safety is also a huge concern for those in the club. Whitaker said a few of these goals will be highlighted in the club’s first “Skate-a-thon” on March 27, 2010. “This will be a communitywide event to promote awareness and safety to children and young adults. This event will include a barbecue, competition, and a number of prizes and giveaways,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker said skateboarding has been an important part of his life for 22 years. “Growing up, skateboarding was my way of staying out of trouble and away from drugs,” Whitaker said. “Now that I’m a little older, it’s proving to be an amazing way to stay in shape and keep in touch with my inner child.” Anthony Charles, freshman mechanical engineering major and member of the club, said skateboarding has become a passion for him. “It gives us a break from the world and allows us to feel free from the stress of school and work,” Charles said. “Skating gives me a chance to just be me.” Charles said the club is not limited to experienced skaters. He said inexperienced skaters can learn at the skate park trips. “Anyone can join and every-
one should join. If you want to learn how to skateboard, this is the place,” Charles said. “If you want to watch skateboarding, this is the place. If you just like meeting and hanging out with cool people, this is the place. No pressure. We’re all just here
to have a good time.”
For more information on the club, contact George Montesdeoca at gmjojo46@gmail.com.
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N ovember 18, Wednesday
| F a l l I ss u e 12 | S a c ra m ento S tate
Sports Updates FOOTBALL at MONTANA STATE
NOV. 14
L 27-17 Dorian Brown, Senior defensive back:
“We had to battle some adversity playing in the extremely cold weather, but I think we fought hard and did a good job battling through the conditions ... it was unfortunate that we didn’t come out with a win because it was a hard fought game and there was no quit in us.”
MEN’S SOCCER vs UNLV
NOV. 13
W1-0
vs NEW MEXICO
NOV. 15
W5-4
BOTH GAMES AT THE MOUNTAIN PACIFIC SPORTS FEDERATION TOURNAMENT David von Stockhausen, Senior defender:
“The first half we weren’t playing very well as a team. At half time everyone was kind of looking around at each other wondering why we weren’t playing as well as we should be. The second half we came out and played as a team and were able to win the game.”
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL at MONTANA
NOV.13
L 3-2
at MONTANA
NOV. 14
W 3-2
MEN’S BASKETBALL vs HOUSTON BAPTIST
NOV.14
W 70-40 vs RICE
NOV.13
L 85-51 vs SOUTH ALABAMA
NOV.15
L 70-58 ALL SCORES FROM THE RICE BASKETBALL CHALLENGE HELD AT THE TUDOR FIELDHOUSE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS
Photos: Archive; Graphic by Megan Harris State Hornet
Can Hornets win again?
By Britney Rossman brossman@statehornet.com
The Sacramento State football team started off the season slow, but the Hornets look to finish out the season on a positive note as they head into their final game, the Causeway Classic.
Sac State head coach Marshall Sperbeck looks forward to the final game against UC Davis. “(Davis) is a good program and has a good team,” Sperbeck said. “This is a big rivalry game that the players are excited about going into.” The Hornets plan to keep the
Sperbeck believes the team’s camaraderie has been a factor to the last few games and will help in the final game. “We have done well recently,” Sperbeck said. “We have played with better emotion and with better passion, which I believe has showed with these past
three games.” Defensive back Deionte Gordon also finds that the team’s bonding has aided in ending their slow-started season. “Overall, I’ve felt that it has been a good season - though we see Classic | page B5
Tailgating safety is Slopes bring necessary for fun satisfaction By Dustin Nosler dnosler@statehornet.com
If you have ever been to a Sacramento State football game, you are sure to have seen tailgaters in the parking lots. Hot dogs, hamburgers and beer are the stars of the festivities. Safety concerns, however, are not usually at the forefront of people’s thoughts. What does the university do to take the precautions necessary to have a successful, fun time for everyone involved? “In the past, the policy was not as structured as it is now,” said Sgt. Joe Green of the university police department. “The policy the President’s Office came out with a few years ago is very structured now. It gives us very clear-cut guidelines as to
where and when tailgating can take place.” The new policies introduced by President Alexander Gonzalez have made unfortunate incidents nearly nonexistent. Tailgating safety is magnified with Saturday’s Causeway Classic against UC Davis. The Hornets defeated the Aggies 2919 in last year’s Classic. The Sac State Department of Public Safety is taking extra precautions with greater attendance expected. Green said for a non-Causeway game, there are typically six to eight officers on duty in the tailgate area. For the upcoming Classic, Green said 45 officers from campus police, the Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of
Alcohol Beverage Control are slated to be on duty. The officers will be uniformed, plainclothes and on horseback. Alcohol is prevalent at tailgates across the nation. Sac State allows alcohol in designated areas. However, no alcohol is allowed inside the stadium. Bill Macriss, deputy athletic director, said responsibility is paramount of tailgaters. “What we’ve tried to do is create an environment that is fun, which also breeds responsibility and will take into account the enjoyment of the adult who wants to have alcohol as part of the tailgate and all the way down to the see Tailgating | page B6
Volleyball falls short of postseason berth By Nick Hunte nhunte@statehornet.com It has been a roller coaster season for Sacramento State’s women’s volleyball team. However, the Hornets did not end
their ride the way they would have wanted to. The Hornets are still trying to salvage what’s left of their season and finish off the season with a couple of wins after losing to the Montana Grizzles 3-0
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs
same strategies they’ve used for this season and hope to execute effectively. “At this point in the season you just have to go with what you have. We may have a few tricks up our sleeves, but we have to see how that goes this week in practice,” Sperbeck said.
CSU FULLERTON NOV. 15
L 90-68 Erika Edwards senior forward:
“We just need to work on our enthusiasm more.” Jasmine Cannady, junior guard :
“We didn’t play our game today, We could have ran a lot more, we just didn’t play our game.”
Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet
Sophomore Eryn Kirby, right, digs the ball to save from losing a point against Idaho State on Nov. 7.
Friday and being eliminated from playoff contention. The Hornets were Big Sky Conference Champions from 2002-07 under former head coach Debbie Colberg. The task of transitioning and keeping up Colberg’s legacy is up to head coach Ruben Volta, who was an assistant coach under Colberg for seven years and was an associate coach in 2007. “The transition was easy for me, since I was an assistan coach previously for seven years,” Volta said. “I think it was more so the pressure for me to keep the team at the level that Colberg had them at.” Montana head coach Jerry Wagner is well aware of the Hornets’ competitiveness. “We know how successful the Hornets have been in the past and we always try to play up to the same level as them,” Wagner said. As of Saturday, the Hornets hold a 16-14 overall record and a 6-8 record in the Big Sky Conference this season. The team has had its share of winning and losing streaks. From Sept. 12-24, they won six out of seven games. However, the Hornets did not get off to a great start against Big see Volleyball | page B6
Photo by Nallelie Vega and Graphic by Megan Harris
Kenneth Carson, senior business operations manager, will attempt to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics. ByAndrew Hazard ahazard@statehornet.com Kenneth Carson’s family and friends have always admired him for his work ethic and kindness toward others. Now, he hopes to be the admiration of an entire nation. With 86 days until the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Kenneth Carson is looking to earn Olympic gold as a part of the Republic of the Philippines’ snowboard cross team. Each country can send up to 18 competitors to the Olympics and since Carson has dual Philippine-American citizenship, he decided to try out for the Philippines’ National Team. “People may look at it as a loophole, the way I looked at it was from a cultural aspect,” he said. “It is me saying thank you to the culture that has had the biggest effect on me and made me who I became.”
He said snowboard cross is a test of vigor and willpower. “Snowboard cross is all-out adrenaline racing,” Kenneth Carson said. “There are between four and six racers lined up in a set of gates. After a certain cadence the gates drop and you all race to the bottom. It is pretty intense, first one down wins.” Kenneth Carson started snowboarding when he was 17 years old. He has been snowboarding competitively for four years. He said he has to make up for his lack of experience in snowboard cross with his love for the sport. “I got off to a little bit of a late start compared to a lot of the people I snowboard with. I didn’t get to start when I was 10 or 11 years old,” he said. “I took it on and became talented in what I do.” A snowboard cross race usually takes one to two minutes to complete. Kenneth Carson said some courses have jumps see Carson | page B6
Wednesday - November 18
Sports Section
statehornet.com
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Two Hornets honored by ESPN for grades By Jeondra Arrington jarrington@statehornet.com Two Sacramento State senior soccer players were named “ESPN: The Magazine” firstteam District VIII Academic All-region finalists. The College Sports Information Directors Association announced women’s forward Kim Kemper and men’s defender Kyle Beasley were nominated for the all-academic team. Kemper, a second-team honoree last year, has a 3.93 grade point average in liberal
studies, while Beasley, a first time honoree, has a 3.932 GPA in business administration. To be eligible for nomination, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve player with least a 3.3 cumulative GPA. Student-athletes must also have been enrolled at their current institution for more than a year and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games. Beasley said time management is the hardest part about being a student athlete in terms of balancing school and sports.
“We’re on the road and we’re flying and it’s hard to balance school work and studying on long trips,” Beasley said. “You always have to have your classes in the morning or at night because we practice every day.” Beasley said doing well academically has always been important to him because he never planned on playing soccer professionally. “I’ve always taken school very seriously, even before I came here,” he said. “I always knew there was going to be life after soccer and I needed to do the
best I can.” Beasley said this season has been a highlight of his career. “(My greatest achievement) would have to be this year starting and playing the whole year, having reasons for being part of Sac State’s best season in school history with winning conference and the most wins, and having a chance to go to the NCAA tournament,” Beasley said. Kemper’s last game as a Hornet was against Portland State. “I’m going to miss the competitions and being a part of
something, everything, all of it, the whole experience,” Kemper said. “Being on the team and having a common goal, and being a part of something bigger than myself.” She said she manages school, work and sports by doing all the work for her classes and studying while she is on road trips. Sac State women’s soccer team head coach Randy Dedini said Kemper has always been able to manage her time well “Playing a Division I sport is like a full-time job. You really have to work hard on it outside
of practice,” Dedini said. “For her to maintain her high level of fitness and also practically get straight A’s in the classroom says a lot about her character and how hard she is willing to work for what she wants.” The sports information directors association members in each district vote on their district’s nominee pool. Players with the most votes earn first team honors. The studentathletes who earn first team alldistrict honors are then put into one nominee pool for Academic All-America voting.
Classic: Hornets go for back-to-back Causeway victories Continued | page B4 started off slow, it was because we were playing ranked teams and our chemistry wasn’t very strong,” Gordon said. “But now, we’ve come together and are playing a lot better.” The Hornets tried for their third victory in a row Saturday against Montana State, but came up short, losing 27-17. Despite the loss against the Bobcats, Sac State still has another chance. The team turns its attention to Saturday’s 56th Annual Causeway Classic, which serves as its biggest rivalry game against Davis. Sac State defensive lineman Christian Clark said the Hornets build off their fast pace. “We are looking definitely into maintaining our momentum - as long as we come out aggressive and strong we will be able to match up well against a good team,” Clark said. Unfortunately, however, aggressiveness just wasn’t enough to win the game. Regardless of the handful standout defensive performances, Sac State’s defense has recently lacked in playing for the whole game. In the Northern Colorado game, Sac State was up 31-0 by
halftime. However, the defense let the Bears back in the game during the second half, which Sac State won, 38-35. Clark acknowledged the team got too comfortable with the lead and briefly lost focus. “Without a doubt we got a little complacent. I mean. when you’re up 31-0 it’s easy for any team to fall into the trap of being lackadaisical,” Clark said. “We have to learn to play for the whole game.” The same scenario happened against Northern Arizona when the Hornets fought back for the victory, but the defense struggled. They pulled out a win when quarterback Jason Smith scored a touchdown and the defense picked up momentum with two interceptions. Sperbeck said the defense has improved, but still has room to get better. “I think we need to start all games like we did Northern Colorado - fast pace. The major problem we are having defensively is playing the full 40 minutes,” Sperbeck said. “If we can do that, we will be successful the rest of the way.” With one game left in the season, the consistency of some standout Hornet players may be enough for a Causeway Classic
win. Running back Terrance Dailey leads the team in rushing, with 617 yards on 118 attempts, thanks to his 182-yard performance against Idaho State. Smith has thrown 12 touchdown passes, along with 1,656 yards and a 58.2 completion percentage. Freshman defensive back Zach Schrader leads Sac State, ranks third in the Big Sky and is tied for 16th nationally with a total of 95 tackles. Clark leads the conference with 10 sacks, including a school-record four sacks against Northern Arizona. Last season, the Hornets pulled out a respectable win against the Aggies as they fought for the program’s first Causeway Classic win since 1999. So far, the Aggies have an overall record of 6-4, essentially beating the Hornets by one game due to Sac State’s overall record of 4-6. UC Davis has averaged 24 points per game and has successfully scored 26 touchdowns so far this season. Leading in rushing yardage for the Aggies is junior running back Joe Trombetta with 104 yards. Junior quarterback Greg
Denham has completed 219 passing yards out of 366. Unlike the Hornets, the Aggies will head into the rivalry game with a huge win from their game Saturday, as they claimed their first Great West Conference championship since 2005 with a 28-20 victory over North Dakota. The win also brought UC Davis its first winning season since 2006, improving to a conference record of 3-1. The Causeway Classic is well on its way and both teams are geared up to play. Clark summarized the team’s feeling about the big game. “The Davis game is definitely the one game everyone circles on their calendars,” Clark said. “We’re all very excited for the atmosphere, the crowd and just everything about it.”
Samantha Poulin State Hornet
Sac State quarterback Jason Smith (11) throws a pass during the Hornets’ first home game against Eastern Washington. Smith has 12 touchdown passes this year.
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Wednesday - November 18
Sports Section
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Tailgating: Alcohol Volleyball: Young Carson: Family is problems absent team took strides proud of his feats Continued | page B4 little kids who don’t want to see people acting irresponsibly,” Macriss said. Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said he could not recall any significant issues about tailgating at Sac State in his eight years as a athletic director. “The worst thing we ever had was a fraternity left a couch in the parking lot after one of the football games,” Wanless said. The smooth tailgating scene is due in large part to all those involved, especially when it comes to alcohol, Wanless said. “We’ve had great cooperation with the community and the students in our tailgating area and we haven’t had any incidents, that I’m aware of, that would cause us concern,” Wanless said. “If we had that, we would deal with it appropriately - working with our campus security and campus police - we’d
make sure we’d act responsibly and make sure things don’t get out of control.” Tailgating is done in parking lots seven and eight, next to the football stadium, and takes place from three hours before the game up until 15 minutes before scheduled kickoff. In the end, tailgating is an activity for people who are Hornet fans, alums and current students to gather and have fun before a football game. “You’ve got thousands of students, faculty, staff, administration who are all affiliated with Sacramento State … There are few events when you get to all come together and celebrate together the fact that you’re a Sac State Hornet or a Sac State Hornet fan,” Macriss said. “The tailgate and football game specifically are the areas where you get to do that. We want to encourage more people to be a part of that.”
Samantha Poulin State Hornet
A view of the tailgating scene before a Sacramento State football game earlier this season
Continued | page B4 Sky teams, losing three of their first four Big Sky matches. The Hornets had a disappointing home stand as they lost to Weber State and Idaho State Nov. 6 and 7. It was the first time the Hornets lost two straight matches at home and the first time Idaho State defeated the Hornets at home. Volta said the team’s schedule is tougher than last year’s, but the Hornets have managed to still play well. “We’ve taken really big strides from last year and we’re a lot better in so many statistical categories,” Volta said. “We have obviously won more matches this year but the top-ranked teams that we played seemed to be tougher than years past.” An area that some players seemed to have struggled with is staying focused during their matches.
“We cannot get comfortable when playing against any team,” said senior setter Melissa Melcher. “When we stay focused throughout a game, we usually win, so that’s what we’re trying to work on for the rest of the season.” Senior outside hitter Desiree Hoyum acknowledged the struggles the team has gone through, but remained optimistic about the remainder of the season. “I think we can still prosper from being in a tough position and we know we’ll never give up,” Hoyum said. Volta is pleased with the performances of his freshman and sophomore players this season. “The freshman and sophomores this year have improved immensely,” Volta said. “I think that stats clearly show their improvement and the sophomores have improved from their freshmen seasons as well.”
Continued | page B4 as high as 60 feet and would not be surprised if he reached 50 mph in any given race. Kenneth Carson’s family said his passion for snowboarding outweighs the concerns about him competing in what can be a dangerous sport. “I am scared of him getting injured, but he is doing something he loves. You can get injured walking across the street,” said Kerry Carson, Kenneth’s father. Although he has earned his way on the Philippines’ National Team, Kenneth Carson still has some work to do in order to guarantee his spot in Vancouver. “No one is officially qualified yet. We have a few preliminary events in December. If you make a minimum point total at the cutoff period then you are officially qualified,” he said.
Kenneth Carson must finish in the top 30 at a World Cup event and earn 100 FIS points by Jan. 25 if he wants to earn a spot on the 2010 Philippines’ Olympic National Team. “The race against time right now is pretty crucial. The World Cup has already started this season, the first stop was in Argentina (during) the whole first week of this semester,” he said. He said the next World Cup event is in Colorado in the beginning of December. He said he will probably skip that event to go to another preliminary qualifying event in Japan. Kenneth Carson said school, snowboarding and work as the floor manager at Mikuni Sushi in Elk Grove keep him busy.