Issue 7, Fall 2009

The S tate Hornet October 14, 2009 HORNET INSIDE “ALL-ACADEMICS”

C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento

E st . 1949

O ne C opy F ree

Sac State’s time to vent

It is always exciting when a student-athlete is voted on an All-Academic team, but to have six athletes on one team earn such an honor is superb. Find out which six athletes from the cross-country/track & field team were named to the team.

Sports B6 SEA MONSTERS?

By Inna Gritsak igritsak@statehornet.com

Killer sea beasts are nothing when one is focused on finding companionship. Ben Winters’ story on finding love isn’t so traditional.

Features B2 SAC STATE ALUMNI WIN AWARDS From students to teachers, read how Sac State alumni have become award-winning leaders in the classroom.

News A3 SUPPORT RIGHTS FOR ALL

Don’t let them discriminate against you. Have some PRIDE in who you are, and read Nelly Hayatghaib’s column in the opinion section.

Opinion A7 HOPEFULS COME TO OFFER TIPS Crowded classes, rising fees and fewer days in class. Listen to faculty and students release their frustrations about the lack of funding for higher education.

Online News statehornet.com

The State Hornet Issue 7 | Volume 62| No. 7

Vent at the Tent, going on Monday through Thursday this week in the Library Quad, is an opportunity to get voices heard about the recent California State University budget cuts, furloughs and student fee increases.

Provided by the California Faculty Association and Coalition of Students for Quality Education, the event encourages students, faculty and staff to

write down their complaints in response to the way the budget cuts at Sacramento State have impacted them. People who prefer to vent verbally have the chance to be videotaped.

“We’re calling it venting.

We’re not trying to be totally negative but a lot of people have had some really difficult experiences this semester,” said CFA Sac State chapter vice president Lois Boulgarides, lecturer/ adviser in the kinesiology and health sciences department.

Vent at the Tent is not just

an event to get out student frustrations, but it is also an effort to get the campus community involved in the process of making things better for the campus. The CFA hopes the student responses it receives will bring overlooked concerns to the surface.

The input gathered at the tent will be evaluated and presented to the Sac State administration and CSU Board of Trustees.

“My hope is that our adminissee Vent| page A8

Mia Matsudaira State Hornet

Lois Boulgarides (upper left) helps at Vent At the Tent. Janet Hecsh (right) reads student comments.

Queer history month Show promotes

By Brittany Bottini bbottini@statehornet.com The Sacramento State PRIDE Center is celebrating Queer History Month throughout

October, striving to promote awareness and education of the queer community on campus and at large.

Gay Lesbian Bi-Sexual Transgender Month, as it is

Chase Mason State Hornet

Coyote Grace performed recently for Queer History Month. After the show they led a transgender workshop for students interested in learning about gender change.

known nationally, has been recognized every October in countries around the world for nearly 50 years. Today queer communities around the world will commemorate National Coming Out Day, a holiday focused on promoting awareness of GLBT persons living honest and open lives.

National Coming Out Day was established in 1988 by Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. The day was created to celebrate the second national march in Washington, D.C., the year before, when more than 500,000 people marched for queer rights.

“Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or not, be proud of who you are and your support of LGBT equality,” according to the Human Rights Campaign website. see Queer| page A6

cleaner energy

By Gina Cruz gcruz@statehornet.com Sacramento State has partnered with the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance to host the third annual Clean Technology Showcase on Friday.

The event will showcase more than 100 local environmentally conscious businesses and their products.

“The showcase is an amazing opportunity for students to learn what the clean technology companies in the Sacramento area are doing and it’s an extraordinary opportunity for them to meet people in the clean technology business,” said J.D. Stack, chief executive officer of SARTA. This is the second year the event is being held at Sac State.

The showcase will take place throughout the University Union from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The cost to attend the Clean Tech Showcase is $80 for general admission and $40 for fulltime college students. Lunch will be provided from noon to 2 p.m. and free, private, 15-minute sessions with clean energy professionals will be available.

Special arrangements were made to have the general admission costs lowered 50 percent for students. SARTA wanted to make it convenient for the students to come and learn about the trends and the future of clean technology, Stack said.

There will be an open exhibit hall displaying clean energy products and equipment, panel see Tech | page A6

Overcrowding impacts nursing students

By Kristine Guerra kguerra@statehornet.com Student enrollments in nursing programs in California have increased over the last few years, but shortage of well-trained nurses remains a problem because of budget cuts to higher education.

California colleges and universities will need to graduate more than 40,000 nurses within the next decade to meet projected demand, according to a report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

However, because of the budget crisis, funds needed to expand or maintain nursing programs in state universities and community colleges are

either cut or unchanged, said Sara Bachez, consultant for the Assembly Budget Committee.

“In this budget year, we didn’t treat any program differently,” Bachez said. “Everyone took a hit.”

This year, funding for California State University nursing programs remained at $6.2 million, Bachez said. This reduces the likelihood of expanding the programs.

Historically, Sacramento State has not been able to accept all qualified applicants to the nursing program due to limited numbers of qualified professors, facilities and placements see Nursing | page A8

Robyn Barnes State Hornet

With nursing program enrollment at a high, students find themselves in crowded rooms.

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Wednesday - October 14

News Section

NEWS ROUNDUP

Sac State’s weekly news briefs and campus events Governor vetoes three bills related to higher education SB 86 Senate Bill 86 was written to freeze raises to California State University and University of California executives during bad budget years.

“This bill would limit the ability of the UC and the CSU to continue to provide a high level of quality education that our students deserve when they choose to attend California public universities,” according to the governor’s website.

“A blanket prohibition limiting the flexibility for the UC and CSU to compete, both nationally and internationally, in attracting and retaining high level personnel does a disservice to those students seeking the kind of quality education that higher education segments offer,” the website also said. .

“Finally, this measure,” the governor said on the website, “is flawed by failing to adequately specify what appropriations would be considered in triggering its provisions.”

“It is possible,” the website says, “that capital outlay appropriations and lease purchase debt appropriations, which have little to do with discretionary instructional program expenditures, could vary considerably from year to year.”

SB 218 SB 218 was written to place California Community Colleges, CSU and UC auxiliary organizations under the California Public Records Act. Auxiliaries, such as University Enterprises Inc. are exempt from public records requests.

Schwarzenegger released a statement saying “While I am a firm believer in providing openness and transparency when it involves public entities and public funding, this bill inappropriately defines private auxiliary organizations as a state or local public agency for purposes of the California Public Records Act. Subjecting the altruistic activities of private donors and volunteers to the CPRA will have a chilling effect on their support and service, if they believe their personal privacy could be compromised.”

SB 219 SB 219 was written to provide whistleblower protection for UC employees. The

California Supreme Court ruled in July 2008 that employees cannot sue for retaliation under the Whistleblower Protection Act if the university reviews the complaints in a timely fashion.

Schwarzenegger released a statement saying “I strongly support correcting the current problem with existing law concerning the availability of judicial review for employees of the University of California that file claims of retaliation against the University of California for violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act. Unfortunately, rather than extending the same protections as provided for CSU employees and other state employees to employees of the UC, discouraged UC employees from filing claims in the superior court.”

Get out and hike this fall Peak Adventures is offering a hike Saturday throughout the Sierra Foothills at 7 a.m. The trip is designed to offer the best scenic spots for picture taking. The trip will continue if light showers occur but will be canceled in the event of a storm.

The cost of the trip is $32 for students, $40 for faculty and $45 for the general public. The fee pays for transportation and entrance fees but does not include any meals. ▶◀ ▶◀ ▶◀ Contact Mitchell Wilson in the News department at (916) 278-7248. ▶◀ ▶◀ ▶◀

statehornet.com

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Please contact Natalie Flynn print managing editor, for corrections at (916) 278-7300 or nflynn@statehornet.com.

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Edson Guillen

Features Editor

Vivian Uwate Nelson accepted an honorary degree on behalf of her late mother Aiko Nishi Uwate on Sept. 23. This information was incorrect in last week’s opinion column about honorary degrees.

Nallelie Vega

(916) 278-5500

News Editor

nhunte@statehornet.com

Correction

Anne Morrison

The first copy of this newspaper is free. Additional copies cost $1. All views expressed herein are the responsibility of The State Hornet and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sacramento State Journalism Program, the Communication Studies Department, administration, student body or ASI unless otherwise noted. The State Hornet is copyrighted, and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of The State Hornet.

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Further, The State Hornet shall not be liable for any omission on an advertisement ordered to be published. By written request, The State Hornet will reschedule and run the advertisement at the advertiser’s cost. In no case shall The State Hornet be liable for any general, special or consequential damages. Claims for adjustments of any error must be made no later than three days after publication date upon which said error occurred.

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News Section

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Study shows drop in student alcohol abuse

By Miyu Kataoka mkataoka@statehornet.com Reported liquor law violations have dropped at Sacramento State since 2006. This reduction reflects the reported decrease in alcohol-related incidents throughout the California State University system.

The overall number of students abusing alcohol has decreased since universities started alcohol abuse prevention programs, according to the fourth biennial report on the CSU’s Alcohol Policies and Prevention. This report was released on Sept. 24.

The CSU Board of Trustees implemented Alcohol Policies and Prevention Programs in 2001. These policies required campuses to report the progress of each campus’ alcohol education and prevention programs every two years.

The goal of the CSU alcohol policy is to prevent alcohol-related incidents among students such as driving under the influence, underage drinking, alcohol-induced deaths and binge drinking, according to the Sept. 24 report.

The committee came together in November of 2000 after CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed called for a review of all of CSU’s alcohol policies and prevention programs to help prevent alcohol-related deaths and accidents.

“I’m happy that the chancellor’s efforts are paying off,” said Cyndra Krogen-Morton, professional staff and health educator of Sac State’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education Program.

The CSU Board of Trustees requires each campus to come up with its own substance abuse prevention programs that fit

the needs of students attending individual schools.

The report states that substance abuse prevention programs are necessary for all CSU campuses because “alcohol abuse is a threat to the health and academic success of CSU students, but prohibition of alcohol is not a realistic response to the problem.”

While the number of liquor law-related arrests on campus increased from zero to 10 in 2008, the cases of disciplinary actions taken for violation of liquor law on campus decreased from 331 in 2006 to 203 in 2008.

In total, the combined total of liquor law violation decreased from 331 in 2006 to 213 in 2008.

“I am very excited about it,” Krogen-Morton said. “We have been working hard with the law enforcement and Alcoholic

Beverage Control.”

The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education Program aims to provide information to prevent alcohol and drug abuse through peer educators and workshops.

While there are students who abuse alcohol at Sac State, Krogen-Morton said the students here seem to be less interested in the drinking scene.

“I feel that students here are more focused to learn and be in school and enjoy the academic experience,” she said. “They seem like they are not into partying too much (compared to students from other campuses).”

Except as expressly permitted by law or university regulations, Sac State’s university policy manual states that the use possession, manufacture or distribution of alcoholic beverages is prohibited while on campus or at any Sac State-related activity.

In addition, all sales of alcoholic beverages are prohibited at any athletic events on campus.

This policy was implemented by the chancellor’s office in fall 2006.

Tailgating, a popular pregame party and social gathering among college students, is limited to two hours prior to the start of a game.

Similar to the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education Program, Associated Students Inc. works to prevent alcoholrelated incidents.

Safe Rides, a free and confidential taxi program, provides rides home to Sac State students, staff and faculty. With student volunteers as drivers, Safe Rides operates on Wednesday through Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The program has been in service for nine nights this semester. Rachelle Kerns, Safe

Rides coordinator, said she has seen more people calling for the service.

Students and faculty can use Safe Rides by calling (916) 2788294; a OneCard must be presented at the time of pick-up.

Nearly 700 people have used Safe Rides for a pick-up this semester, which averages about 77 people or 25 calls for the service per night.

“I hope students know that Safe Ride has their back,” Kerns said. “But at the same time, I hope they are using the service as a back up plan and not a reason to get wasted.”

The number of calls for Safe Rides has increased, Kerns said.

“More people know about us, so I think that’s why we have more traffic,” she said.

Melanie Pemberton, senior sociology major, said many students use the Safe Rides program.

Sac State alumni awarded as county’s best

By Blazej Bruzda bbruzda@statehornet.com Ten Sacramento State alumni were awarded the 2010 Sacramento county teacher of the year awards at a countywide teacher recognition banquet.

The 10 Sac State alumni were honored at a banquet as the best teachers in the county. Out of 75 candidates, 15 teachers won the award.

Peggy Green, JoEllen Shanks, Scott Meyer, Jennifer Carlson, Anna Ampania, Donna Hartje, Bob Crongeyer, Christy Fung, Robyn Cox and Reginald Harris are all Sac State alumni who won the award this year.

Green, a seventh grade language arts and history teacher at Sam Brannan Middle School in the Sacramento City Unified School District, praised Sac State for the award. Green said the university prepared her well as a teacher and she cannot think of a better school or

program.

“Sac State offered me that non-traditional program which is what I appreciate,” Green said. “I learned a lot of on-thespot skills which is what I think teaching really is.”

Green appreciated the fact that she was able to start and finish with the same professors.

They were enthusiastic about what they taught and went above and beyond their duty as teachers, Green said.

It was simple things that made Green’s professors so special, she said.

For example, they brought in the best artists in the state to teach art. They also gave grants for each participant to spend on their classroom needs, she said.

Shanks, a second grade elementary school teacher at Stone Lake Elementary in the Elk Grove Unified School District, also remembers Sac State and its teachers positively.

“Sac State prepared me very

well as a teacher,” Shanks said.

“The teachers I was able to go out in the field with were excellent and always helpful.”

While working on her liberal arts master’s degree, Shanks was able to work at the Children’s Center on campus. This gave Shanks an excellent opportunity to gain real world experience and furthermore prepare her for the classroom, she said.

“It was a great opportunity to have the center available to students who wanted to get some experience and work at the same time,” Shanks said.

Meyer, a social science teacher at Mills Middle School in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, is another teacher of the year award winner for 2010 and optimistically recalls Sac State.

Meyer remembers the program as challenging but one that prepared him for the world of teaching, he said.

He said the program was

intense but the classes never felt without a purpose.

All the classes had meaningful assignments and the professors were passionate about the subject, Meyer said. This made the program easier and more enjoyable.

“I chose Sac State because their credential program had a great reputation for preparing teachers,” Meyer said. “Sac State was instrumental not only preparing me for teaching but also getting me ready for the challenges educators face.”

Meyer recalls the times he would go to Round Table and vent with his friends after a long day of teaching, he said.

It has been six years since Meyer completed the credential program and he still talks to the people he met during that time, he said.

Meyer enjoys having the spontaneity and variety of

teaching, he said.

His schedule gives him the time to teach a variety of students and cover many different

topics, Meyer said.

“One day we will be worksee Teachers | page A4

Samantha Poulin State Hornet

JoEllen Shanks, second grade teacher at Stone Lake Elementary, was one of the 10 Sac State alumni awarded with the 2010 Sacramento county of the year award.

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News Section

statehornet.com

Teachers: Sac State’s credential program flourishes Continued | page A3 ing on a multicultural fair and the next we will be creating a survival guide for the black plague,” Meyer said.

Shanks and Meyer both received bachelor’s degrees at different CSU campuses and moved to Sacramento for credential programs at Sac State.

Shanks transferred from CSU Fullerton in 1983. She entered Sac State’s master’s degree pro-

gram and received her master’s in liberal arts in 1986.

Meyer transferred from Chico State in fall 2003 and entered the credential program at Sac State. In the spring of 2004, he completed the program.

This is not the first award for Meyer.

In 2007, Meyer received the Educator of the Year award from Rancho Cordova community council. In 2008, he received the Teacher of the Year

Award for Mills Middle School.

“To be recognized for something I truly love is a great honor and something I will never forget,” Meyer said.

Green, Shanks and Meyer thank Sac State for providing them with preparation and ability to handle their careers and provide the kids with attention and education they deserve.

The 15 teachers who won the award will be honored when the Sacramento Kings host the

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Phoenix Suns on Feb. 5 at Arco Arena. The Sacramento River Cats will host a special Teacher Appreciation Night on May 3.

The teacher award program was presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Sacramento River Cats, Intel Corporation Folsom and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.

Samantha Poulin State Hornet

Scott Meyer, teacher at Mills Middle School, is another Sac State alumnus awarded as teacher of the year.

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News Section

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Former Sen. Graham encourages activism Student reaches for moon with research

“We come from a working family, we were taught to look forward. I think that him experiencing that…pushes him every time.”

Liliana Gonzalez, sister of Javier Gonzalez - Rocha

By Kristine Guerra kguerra@statehornet.com

In his first visit to Sacramento, former Florida governor and former United States Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., encouraged Sacramento State students to be active participants in influencing public policy decisions. “(We should) attack a fundamental program, and that is the problem that says ‘You can’t fight city hall,’” Graham said. “Let’s get in the arena as informed, motivated citizens, and we can begin to save this country from a death spiral of citizenship.”

The address was held Oct. 7 at the Hinde Auditorium in the University Union before a roomful of students, faculty members and university officials.

Graham authored the book “America, The Owner’s Manual: Making Government Work for You.” He said he goes to universities and talks about his book to students to “to reverse the decline of citizenship in our democracy.”

Graham served for three terms in the U.S. Senate. Prior to that, he was governor of Florida for two terms and was in the Florida Legislature for 12 years.

He said his book offers two basic lessons: citizens should know they can influence government policies and they should be persistent in trying to do so.

“I think it’s very important that our citizens, particularly our younger citizens, be taught these lessons,” Graham said.

“You can be a successful citizen, but to do so, you have to be prepared to be an effective citizen.”

Over time, Americans have grown more indifferent about politics. Current surveys show that more Americans know little about government policies and their communities, Graham said.

“Citizens had gotten much less exposure to what’s happen-

ing in their own community, and if you aren’t alert to what’s happening, you’re not likely to be motivated to want to do something,” Graham said. “In civic organizations and a whole array of institutions, which have traditionally been an important part of the civic fabric in America, their membership has collapsed. We have, I think, a serious situation.”

Graham addressed this in his book by using real-life situations, or what he called “models of success.” The situations he used aim to demonstrate how civic-mindedness and political activism can influence public policy decisions at all levels of government.

One case study in his book involves a Sacramento woman, Candice Lightner, one of the founders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Lightner’s daughter was killed in a drunken driving accident in 1980.

MADD pushed for legislation that raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 21.

“One woman was the prime source of saving 11,000 American lives a year by reducing the number of persons killed by drunk driving,” Graham said.

“She decided she wasn’t going to stop at grieving, that she will actually do something about the slaughter through drunk driving.”

Graham said his passion for active citizenship started 30 years ago when he accepted a challenge to teach civic education for 18 weeks to 12th graders at Carol City High School in Miami.

He was a member of the Florida Legislature then.

“It’s emotionally different to learn by actually experiencing the issue that you would like to become more familiar with,” he said. “That experience was so meaningful to me that I decided there were other areas in which you could learn by doing.”

Graham then started his “workday” program where he took different jobs every month, with the first one at Carol City

High School. After 30 years, Graham said he has worked 408 jobs. These jobs vary from

By Julia Baum jbaum@statehornet.com

Carli Knickerbocker State Hornet

Former Sen. Bob Graham, encourages students to participate in government. fisherman to police officer.

“I think it’s a great reminder that if we want something changed, we need to be active,” said Ramon Gabriel Figueroa, senior film studies and psychology major and recipient of the William R. Hearst/CSU Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. “We need to educate ourselves so we know what we’re talking about and the reason why we want things changed.”

Figueroa said the forum inspired him to be more politically active.

“I enjoyed the conversation, and I thought he (Graham) brought up a really interesting analysis on the current political system as it is and the context of citizenship today and civic engagement overall,” said Brendan McVeigh, community partnerships coordinator at the Community Engagement Center at Sac State.

Graham said he was “especially gratified” with the response he got from Sac State students.

When he was in high school, Javier Gonzalez-Rocha’s guidance counselor told him to pick something else to pursue in college besides mechanical engineering. The answer did not sit well with the kid whose sixth grade class once got to create classroom explosions in the pursuit of academic excellence.

Since then, Gonzalez-Rocha has gone even further than his doubter might have imagined.

He received the California Strawberry Commission 2010 scholarship and is working on a research paper to be presented to NASA this fall.

“I didn’t take no for an answer,” Gonzalez-Rocha said. “I guess it just got me mad.”

Gonzalez-Rocha said he used his anger to fuel his motivation to come to Sacramento State in 2005 and study mechanical engineering.

The scholarship is awarded each year to children of strawberry field workers and is based on academic merit and community service.

While earning this scholarship has not gone unnoticed, it is the presentation of Gonzalez-Rocha’s research paper that has his friends and family predicting a very successful life ahead of him. He said having so much focus on him now is a bit unnerving.

“I’m not used to all of this attention,” Gonzalez-Rocha said.

His paper examines the factors for why so few Latinos consider engineering as a career option. Gonzalez-Rocha chose the topic because it related closely to his own experience in high school, where he said the school’s objective was to merely get students to pass standardized tests.

Jose Granda, professor of mechanical engineering department, has known GonzalezRocha for three years.

As the campus director for the California Space Grant Consortium, which funds aerospace-related projects, Granda submits applications to the consortium on behalf of Sac State and recommended Gonzalez-Rocha be funded for his research project.

“This is a crucial project because NASA is developing the workforce of the future,” Granda said. “The geniuses that put the man on the moon are retiring.”

Granda is a NASA Faculty Fellow, which means engineers from NASA regularly contact him for consultation.

Students like Gonzalez-Rocha often help develop computer simulation models of the space station and shuttle missions.

Gonzalez-Rocha has recently been working on the Constellation Project to send humans back to the moon.

“He’s going to be doing the computer model of the Constellation Project to understand the

control system and modes of vibration,” Granda said. “These are the games that the big boys in engineering play.”

Gonzalez-Rocha’s younger sister Liliana Gonzalez said their family always suspected Javier might one day become an engineer because he was always playing with toys.

She said that their mother would frequently get mad at Javier for disassembling small radio sets, only to put them back together again.

The siblings used to help out at their parents’ work in the strawberry fields during the summer in Watsonville, where they grew up. Gonzalez attributes her brother’s academic dedication to the grueling physical labor and sweltering heat of the fields.

“We come from a working family, we were taught to look forward,” Gonzalez said. “I think that him experiencing that … pushes him every time.”

Gonzalez-Rocha said that in his high school graduating class at Aptos High School, there were just five Latino males, including himself.

Robyn Barnes State Hornet

Javier Gonzalez-Rocha works on his proposal to NASA. He was awarded the Strawberry Scholarship for academic merit and community service.

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Queer: PRIDE Center works to increase awareness Continued | page A1 The Human Rights Campaign is the organization currently responsible for the holiday as part of its National Coming Out Project, designed to promote the fight for queer rights and queer families living openly.

In honor of National Coming Out Day and Queer History month, the PRIDE Center will host a variety of activities today and throughout the month.

Co-coordinator of the PRIDE Center and junior business major Alex Harris said the goal of the month is to show students they can relate to what is going on in the queer community.

“There are, in fact, common interests between us,” she said.

“We hope to bridge the gap that divides us and promote and foster an environment of

well-being.”

Alysson Satterlund, director of Student Activities and interim director of the PRIDE Center, said the importance of Queer History Month lies in its opportunity to allow students to think critically about stereotypes and for the queer community to be proud of who they are.

“Our goal is to create opportunities where the queer community at Sac State can celebrate their community and educate others who may not be aware of their accomplishments and perspectives,” Satterlund said. “Plus, the importance of association for the queer community can’t be underestimated.”

The Equality Forum has been responsible for hosting GLBT History Month nationally

since 2006. The celebration is intended to teach GLBT history, provide inspiring role models and highlight the GLBT community’s extraordinary worldwide contributions.

Each day of the month, the Equality Forum will honor the accomplishments of profound figures in GLBT history. Today for National Coming Out Day, it will highlight the life and accomplishments of American biologist Alfred Kinsey.

“Known as the father of sexology, Alfred Kinsey conducted groundbreaking and controversial research on human sexuality that profoundly influenced social and cultural values,” according to the Equality Forum’s website for GLBT History Month.

According to the website, Kinsey founded the Institute

for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University. The institute is now named the Kinsey Institute in his honor and is one of the leading academic centers on human sexuality.

“Queer individuals deserve recognition and celebration of their accomplishments in the community and around the world,” Harris said. “Contributors don’t have to be people like Ellen Degeneres or Rosie O’Donnell. Every individual queer contributor should have their story told.”

In addition to providing education on the accomplishments of members of the queer community, Harris said Queer History Month is a valuable tool to show the diversity of the queer community.

“The queer community can’t

be fit into one stereotype,” Harris said. “Events like Guess Who’s Gay will show that.”

The game show-like event, Guess Who’s Gay, will include a panel of 10 people who will answer trivial and personal questions about their lives as the audience tries to guess their sexuality.

Last year, questions ranged from simple to personal topics, including favorite colors, favorite sexual positions and body shaving preferences. Only two of the audience members told The State Hornet they correctly guessed all 10 panelists’ sexuality.

Rachel Pearman, graduate director for Associated Students Inc. and graduate student in education, said the university has a strong mission of diversity and these efforts of PRIDE sup-

port that mission.

“I think for years the PRIDE Center has put on events with educational value and entertainment,” Pearman said.

“Personally, this is a great opportunity for me to connect with students that identify with members of the queer community.”

Justin Williams, senior recreation and leisure studies major, attended the Coyote Grace concert last Thursday in honor of Queer History Month. Williams said such events are important to all people because they allow them to broaden their perspectives to other ways of living.

“People sometimes forget that there are many different types of people,” Williams said.

“You can’t neglect others simply because they aren’t the same as you.”

Tech: Sac State hosts Clean Technology Showcase Continued | page A1 discussions, question and answers and a mixer for networking.

The event was coincidentally scheduled on a campus-wide furlough day, so it provides a great opportunity for students and faculty to attend, said Emir Macari, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Students will be able to meet potential employers and see firsthand all of the latest developments and career opportunities in clean technology field that Sacramento has to offer.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Daniel Sperling.

Sperling is a professor of civil engineering at UC Davis and founding director of the university’s Institute of Transportation Studies, serves on the California Air Resources Board and is an internationally renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues.

He has authored 10 books and more than 200 technical papers and reports on trans-

portation and energy. Sperling co-authored the book “Two Billion Cars,” a book in which he predicts that within 20 years the current number of 1 billion cars on the planet will double, primarily due to growth in India and China.

From 10 to 11:50 a.m. and from 2 to 4:50 p.m. there will be four tracks, or panels, located in different rooms throughout the Union. The tracks will hold discussions and presentations on various clean technology topics.

The four panels are Clean Technology Workforce, Clean Technology Public/Private Policies, Clean Technologies and Clean Tech Startups.

In the Clean Tech Startups track, the panelists will give the audience details of how to get training and information to create your own clean technology business.

Students and entrepreneurs can get inside information on the right path to take to open a successful business in the clean technology field.

The presenters on the

panel are people from emerging companies currently producing clean technology products and servicing the Sacramento region.

During the Clean Technology Workforce track, the panelists will discuss opportunities and training for the growing clean technology job market in the region. This panel might be especially interesting to graduating seniors or those interested in a career in clean technology.

The topics for the Clean Technologies track, moderated

by Macari, will focus on the latest technologies such as the Smart Grid Technology being demonstrated in the Smart Grid Center on campus.

The Clean Technology Public/ Private Policies track will discuss the cooperation between public and private sectors to give clean technology a jumpstart in the region.

SARTA, a non-profit organization founded to promote entrepreneurial growth & attract investment funds to the greater Sacramento region, has recognized the development

of projects in the engineering department such as the Smart Grid Center.

“Sac State has become a regional leader in clean technology education and research.

Our professors and students work with our region’s clean technology industry to help them develop their proposed technologies and help launch them into the market,” Macari said.

A group of four senior mechanical engineering students from Sac State will be displaying their senior project at the showcase. They are in the process of transforming a classic 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia into a completely battery operated, electric vehicle.

All the gasoline-consuming components in the car have been removed and replaced with electric components. The car will contain nearly 800 pounds of batteries and 600 volts of battery power.

“This is a very expensive project. It cost more than the average mechanical engineering senior project. We’ve worked

really hard to get companies to donate and so far we’ve received $7,000 worth of components for our project and $4,000 in cash,” said Johnathen McCasland, senior mechanical engineering major.

Tesla Motors, Silicon Valleybased company that engineers and manufactures electric cars will also have two vehicles on display. The Roadster, a highperformance electric sports car that goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, will be available for showcase attendees to ride, Stack said.

The first Clean Tech Showcase was held at UC Davis in 2007.

Last year it was held at Sac State and coordinators decided to bring it back again this year because the facility worked out well for the event, Stack said.

“They really rolled out the red carpet for us last year and I am delighted to partner with Sac State again,” Stack said.

To register for the showcase or learn more about the event and see a partial list of exhibitors log on to www.cleanstart.org.

any closer & you’d be sleeping in class

great location to campus | resor t-style amenities uvsacramento.com 916.383.9591 7767 LA RIVIERA DR

Clean Tech Panels

Clean Tech Startups track: panelists will give the audience details of how to get training and information to create your own clean technology business.

Clean Tech Workforce track: panelists will discuss opportunities and training for the growing clean technology job market in the region.

Clean Tech track: moderated by Macari, will focus on the latest technologies such as the Smart Grid Technology being demonstrated in the Smart Grid Center on campus.

Clean Tech Public/Private Policies track: will discuss the cooperation between public and private sectors to give clean technology a jump-start in the region.

A8

Wednesday - October 14

News Section

statehornet.com

Vent: Students, faculty express budget frustrations Continued | page A1

tration will be open to receiving information from our students and our faculty,” Boulgarides said. “My hope is, if we can

present the administration with some real, concrete evidence that people are suffering because of some of the decisions

Mia Matsudaira State Hornet

Two Sacramento State students take the opportunity to write their frustrations during CFA’s Vent at the Tent.

that are being made, that efforts will be made to reexamine how decisions are made and reapportion some of the resources on campus.”

The CFA will also take the information collected at the tent to the California State Legislature and the governor.

“I think that this will be a really powerful tool when we take it to the Legislature,” Boulgarides said. “We can take all of the papers that people give us, all of the comments that they’ve written, all the stories that they tell and we can take them to the people who are responsible for funding higher education and we can set them on their desk and say, this is what’s happening to our students.”

Because legislators are not directly involved in the lives of students, they are often unaware of the problems students face every day, said Kevin Wehr,

CFA Sac State chapter president and sociology professor.

“They’re away in their little offices down there in the Capitol, they never come to campus, they don’t know what it’s like, they don’t see the overcrowded classrooms, they don’t hear the students complaining because they have to be here for an extra year because they can’t get the classes they need to graduate,” Wehr said.

Freshman psychology major Tyisha Wilder, who works as an intern for CFA, agrees that student participation in the event is necessary.

“I think students should get involved and speak out, get their voices heard,” Wilder said.

“Students are the ones that should be here. They should look at the CSU, like, you should be happy we’re here, not we should be happy to be here.”

The event, however, is not

Nursing: Competitive enrollment Continued | page A1 in clinics and hospitals.

“We have plenty of students who want to become nurses, but we just don’t have the capacity to take them all,” said Ann Stoltz, chair of the division of nursing.

Since fall 2007, Sac State only admits 60 applicants from a pool of about 400. In fall 2009, 204 qualified students were not admitted.

Stoltz said the division of nursing is not yet sure how the budget will affect the program, and the university has not suggested cutting enrollments.

“They know the reality of it. They’re, of course, disappointed,” Stoltz said. “What we tell our students is just apply everywhere.”

Applicants must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better and with a minimum grade point average

of 3.0. Starting in fall 2010, the minimum grade point average requirement will be raised to 3.3.

Students can only take upper division courses once they are admitted into the program. Students are ranked based on their grade point averages, and only the top 60 are admitted.

Because of this, other students, after completing all the prerequisites for the nursing program, often change their majors because they could not get in the program.

The kinesiology and health science department, for instance, has several students who were previously in the prenursing program.

“We tend to get a lot of change of major and majority (of the students) are prenursing majors,” Baldini said.

“The nursing program is very competitive. Even students with

a high GPA don’t get in.”

Senior Erin DeGoede started prenursing as a freshman, but decided to shift to health science.

“I had all the prerequisites and general education done,” DeGoede said. “I applied to the nursing program but didn’t get in because my GPA is not high enough.”

DeGoede said she’ll wait until she graduates and apply to a nursing program at another university.

While funds for the CSU system’s nursing programs remain the same this year, funds for California community colleges went from $22 million last year to $18.5 million this year, a 16 percent reduction, Bachez said.

Susie Williams, associate vice chancellor for research and communications at the Los Rios Community College District, said the district partnered with

major health care providers to expand their nursing programs.

“This partnership has allowed us to more than double the number of nursing students in our program,” Williams said.

California community colleges graduate 70 percent of registered nurses in California.

Community colleges in the area, such as the American River College, Sacramento City College and Sierra College, offer associate’s degree in nursing, which enable students to become registered nurses.

Stoltz said it’s important for students to be able to get their bachelor’s degrees in nursing because doing so provides career advancement.

“It’s very important that we provide the trajectory from associate’s degree in nursing to master’s degree in nursing, and we’re the only way they (students) can get that,” Stoltz said.

only for students. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to participate, Wehr said.

“I didn’t take this job in order to work for free. I could go out into the private sector and probably double or triple my salary, but I’m here because I believe in public higher education,” Wehr said.

Janet Hecsh, associate professor of teacher education, who agreed to be videotaped venting at the tent on Monday, is also sticking to Sac State even in hardships.

“We have a choice in where we teach and we choose to teach here, even in hard times,” Hecsh said. “I am not com-

plaining about petty things. We want our cuts reinstated. We want the people of California, ultimately, to value education as a public good.”

Vent at the Tent is not meant to be a negative experience only, Boulgarides and Wehr said. Students will also be encouraged to share their hopes and dreams for the future of the CSU. “We’re trying not just look backward and be frustrated,” Boulgarides said. “We’re trying to look forward and have a vision that we can have to present to the state of California, so that we become leaders instead of just reacting to the situation.”

Want to see what students are venting about? Check out The State Hornet’s slideshow of the event at www.stathornet.com

A7 STATE HORNET OPINION ONLINE Find your place on our campus

Do you like it noisy or quiet? Students talk about study spots. www.statehornet.com

Who cares about your status updates?

Daniel Vasilchuk is sick of having to read about every detail in your life.

He’s just saying at www.statehornet.com

Big Brother invades our privacy Are you ready to be watched? Daniel Vasilchuk isn’t. Read about it at statehornet.com

THESTATEHORNET

Opinion

www . s t a t e h o r n e t . c o m

O ctober 14, Wednesday

| Fa l l I s s u e 7 | S a c r a m e n t o S t a t e

EDITORIAL

Step up for Sacramento If you have ever considered being a volunteer, now is your time to make a difference.

With budget problems affecting our entire state, Sacramento could use the extra help.

The State Hornet recognizes how hard it can be to volunteer.

The extra work takes up a lot of time and does not offer a paycheck.

But the benefit of helping out around Sacramento is longer lasting than any cash reward.

You are improving your own community.

And let’s face it; the extra work will make you look more attractive to employers.

Why? Kathy Chow, director of the volunteer organization Hands On Sacramento said, “(Volunteering) helps you develop job skills, depending on where you volunteer.”

Being able to work in your community shows employers that you care about the world around you, and work well as a team with others.

On top of that, volunteering for a group that is working with the mayor of Sacramento does not hurt your resume.

The group in question, HOS, is working with Mayor Kevin Johnson and Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, for the mayor’s Volunteer Sacramento Initiative.

Last March, Johnson started the initiative as a challenge to the people of Sacramento. His goal was to have 500,000 volunteer hours logged in by the end of 2009.

As of now, the amount of time people have worked for totals more than 689,000 hours, Chow said.

Michael Winans, a representative of HOS, said this volunteerism does more than just put people to work.

“Not only are we engaging the citizens of our area ... but we are trying to make a more civically minded and civically involved situation,” Winans said.

If you think that your set of skills will not be useful in a volunteer setting, Chow disagrees.

“The good thing about volunteering is, wherever your passions lie, you can make

an impact,” she said.

The HOS website shows a wide variety of places to work for.

The work listed on the site relates to assisting the homeless, mentoring students or working with animals.

But there are options that do not relate to social work.

Offered on the website are computer programming opportunities, car care for the California Automobile Museum and work related to water conservation for California.

Megan Harris State Hornet

On top of being helpful to your community, working as a volunteer can also improve your own life, Chow said.

“As you move through your career … volunteering brings out the quality of your own personal life,” she said.

The work that these volunteer organizations provide seem to be aimed at creating a stronger community in Sacramento.

The Hornet hopes that students, faculty and administration are all trying to make Sacramento a better city.

Even if your schedule is constricted, you can make a difference by donating money to volunteer organizations.

The Salvation Army, for example, accepts donations of clothing, furniture and cars.

Best of all, these donations can be written off your taxes.

HOS, along with other similar groups, has an online section to its website, handsonsacto.org. On their website, people can give money without having to leave their computer.

No effort is too small for Sacramento.

Like Chow said, “It’s about the lasting imprints you can make when you have the time.”

Gays deserve straight support

By Nelly Hayatghaib nhayatghaib@statehornet.com When Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban, was passed last November, tens of thousands of gay people lost a basic right.

And still, bigotry continues to prevail over the gay community.

This country didn’t let blacks marry whites until 1954. When our government realized how ridiculous, prejudiced and intolerant that rule was, the law

changed. It became a period of historical shame.

But here we are, telling people who they cannot marry, again.

In high school, I helped start a Queer-Straight Alliance, because I don’t believe you have to be gay to care about gay rights.

I didn’t choose to be straight just like it is not a choice for gay people, and I don’t think biology should affect equality.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community just wants and warrants the same rights and privileges that the straight community has.

Gay people should not have to ask for equal treatment, but they have been forced to.

But not everyone sees the absurdity.

Gays and straights work

together to show that we are all equal. We protest and rally remind people that love is universal. Inequality is intolerable.

Student Alex Harris is a co-coordinator at the PRIDE center. She helps organize an annual event called, “Guess Who’s Gay.” The event confronts stereotypes of gay people. The audience questions a panel of LGBT and straight students before guessing their orientations.

Harris said the purpose of the game is “to foster a connection between the LGBT community and the heterosexual community, in a way that both can have something to relate to.”

This connection boldly presents the gay community to people who often would not normally be exposed to

this other lifestyle. It reminds people of the LGBT presence in our communities.

It’s hard to think that we need to warm people up to the idea of equality. But, sometimes people need to be familiarized with something to become comfortable with it.

We strive for acceptance. No effort in this fight is a lost cause.

These rallies hold great weight in enlightening people about the bigotry endured by the LGBT community. They put faces to people most affected and bring social awareness.

We are trying to foster a tolerant and inclusive community everywhere.

Alysson Satterlund, interim director of the Women’s Resource and PRIDE centers,

said the most effective way to manage prejudiced perspectives is by educating people. “(Opponents of gay rights and equality) believe just as passionately as we do, and I don’t think you can counter that kind of passion without education,” Satterlund said.

We, the LGBT community and its allies, are eagerly waiting for when everyone can look back on this bigotry.

When this time has passed, we as a country will wonder why it was ever appropriate to deny the LGBT community such basic rights.

But that will not happen without an attack on all the ignorance, misinformation and stereotypes that lead people to such active discrimination.

I just don’t understand how we can protect the right to own a gun, but not the right to be with who we love.

We need to stand, march, rally, yell - whatever it takes - to spread this message.

We are young and we will not make our grandparents’ mistakes. These are our friends.

This is our civil rights movement.

See what students think about the gay rights movement at statehornet.com

Appearance policy is ugly practice

By Samantha Palileo spalileo@statehornet.com Discrimination used to hang in my closet in the form of three Abercrombie & Fitch sweatshirts. But there’s no room for that in my wardrobe anymore.

Blown up images of ivory skin and sun-bleached hair adorn the storefront and panel the walls within. In this way, A&F makes very clear for whom their products are intended.

The discrimination suits filed against the company this year alone shows that people are getting the message.

A Sept. 23 column in TIME Magazine detailed the case of 19-year-old Samantha Elauf, who is suing the company.

Elauf claims that she denied

McClatchy Tribune

Two models show off clothing from A&F and Fruit of the Loom. These models exemplify A&F’s target audience. employment because she wears a Muslim headscarf, known as a hijab.

Riam Dean, who worked at the flagship store in London, filed a suit against the company in June of this year. According to a June 24 article by Liam Berkowitz for ABC News Money, Dean was asked to buy a cardigan to cover up her

prosthetic arm.

When store management allegedly felt that wearing the sweater violated the company’s “Look Policy,” she was made to work in the back stockroom.

Federal law requires companies to practice Equal Opportunity employment. But some of Abercrombie & Fitch’s practices seem to treat employees as if

they are “separate but equal.”

All signs point to the company’s “Look Policy,” part of the Associate Handbook, which dictates how employees should present themselves.

In a June 25 article, The Telegraph published some of the policy’s standards.

Both male and female associates are to have a “clean, natural, classic hairstyle.” Women specifically are to wear makeup that “enhances natural features.”

There is nothing wrong with wanting a fresh, natural look.

But what say do you have in the “natural look” of a prosthetic substitute when you’re born without a limb like Riam Dean?

Or what if someone’s “natural, classic hairstyle” is concealed beneath a religious headdress like Samantha Elauf ’s?

To gain a better understanding of the actual policies, I inquired at the Arden Fair Mall store about getting a copy of the Associate Handbook.

I was told to clear it with Human Resources, then was given a toll-free phone number to call.

One call to that number turned into countless failed attempts at navigating through menu after automated menu.

Determined to speak with a real person, I called the Arden store again to ask a manager about the policies.

In just a brief conversation, I learned firsthand just how difficult it would be to get a little cooperation.

“I really don’t care to take time to answer questions about my company being sued and blah, blah blah,” the manager said.

And yes, you read that correctly. The manager’s actual words included “blah, blah blah.”

Others are not so hasty to dodge this issue. Some patrons of the store are not amused.

“There can be a dress code, but when they bring religion into it, it’s wrong,” said Sana Khan, pre-optometry student and senior psychology major.

Though she has shopped at the store in the past, she feels that Abercrombie’s policies are in need of serious change.

Elauf ’s case struck a chord with Khan, who herself is a follower of the Islamic faith.

“If someone was wearing a cross necklace, would they make them take it off?” she said.

We have come a long way from the segregation that plagued the United States before. But the “it’s not a big deal” mentality keeps discriminatory practices alive.

For me, even just walking into the store as a chubby Asian girl feels like I am jumping into a tank of hungry piranhas while wearing a steak suit.

Associates are either tan, buff guys or girls half my size, watching me with eyes that wonder if I got lost on the way to the food court.

The perfect airbrushed faces that stare down from the walls say, “Silly girl, Abercrombie & Fitch is not for you.”

And you know what? The feeling is mutual.

I’m not for Abercrombie & Fitch, either.

Features

B1 Music from around the world THESTATEHORNET

www . s t a t e ho r n e t . c o m

O ctober 14, Wednesday

| Fa l l I s s u e 7 | S a c r a m e n t o S t a t e

Photos Courtesy of Glen Davis and Graphic By Megan Harris

Sacramento State brings a diverse amount of music and culture during the World Music Concert series that is performed in Capistrano Hall’s Music Recital Hall.

By Amber Wertman awertman@statehornet.com The World Music Concert series at Sacramento State feature a variety of music from different countries. At Saturday night’s performance, I had the opportunity to listen to Pusaka Sunda, artists of West Java, Indonesia.

The lights were shining brightly on the stage in Capistrano’s Music Recital Hall, as the audience waited anxiously for Saturday night’s performance of Pusaka Sunda, artists of West Java, Indonesia.

As I sat front and center, my eyes were glued to nine beautiful maroon instruments that appeared to be radiating from the stage.

The ensemble of 10 finally entered the stage and the audience was quickly taken on a musical journey with them.

As the group began their first piece “Lengser Midang,” I immediately noticed that each musician in Pusaka Sunda playing his or her own specific instrument.

One musicians set the beat with the jengglong, a set of small hanging bronze gongs, while another sporadically hit the goong, a large hanging bronze gong that makes a deep

rippling sound when hit.

Another member of the group played on a panerus, which looks like a large xylophone.

There are two instruments that are considered modern instruments to Indonesians and they are the cempres and two sarons, both of which are variations of metallophones. A metallophone looks much like a xylophone.

All 10 members had their own pattern of notes that at times they repeated over and over for as long as 20 minutes.

Together, the musicians created a sound that made me feel like I was on some sort of magical journey with them that I didn’t want to have end.

The music made me feel as if I was listening to the soundtrack of “The Secret Garden” because it made me feel enchanted as I once did when I was 13 years old.

The second piece the group performed had some singing in it for the first time. “Ladrak Reumbeuy Bandung” featured two women, Laura McColm and Danni Redding Lapuz along with the rest of Pusaka Sundra.

The singing was oddly faint throughout the song which I found a bit strange because I was expecting something

overpowering and strong, but as I closed my eyes and listened closer, it was clear their intention was not to overpower the rest of the music but to blend in with it.

At times, the music would fade and the only sound that could be heard was the singing along with the accompaniment of one other instrument, which made me feel as thought the ensemble was setting a mood in the song. After a few moments, this music faded back into the chorus and the rest of the group performed together again.

Sujatmi Yudhoyono, freshman music major, said she liked the group’s distinct sound.

“It helps me remember my culture and plus, there aren’t many 10-piece bands that can make me feel like I’ve been taken someplace far away the way Pusaka can,” Yudhoyono said.

The third piece called “Gawil” was my favorite performance of the night, mainly because of the Indonesian dancing.

Margot Lederer Prado, the Pusaka Sunda dancer, wore purple and yellow scarves and a maroon vest with gold-embroidered detail. Prado danced with meaning and vigor in many circular and sometimes robotic motions while the ensemble

carried on with their powerful performance.

Budi Wahid, undeclared freshman, said his heart skipped a beat during the third performance. “(Prado’s) dancing was astounding to me. It’s a lot harder than people think to move your feet in zigzag motions while having your arms and hands moving in circular motions while still maintaining the unique beat of the group,” Wahid said. “They make me proud to be Indonesian.”

I also observed non-Indonesians enjoying the group’s distinct and oftentimes meditative sound.

Toward the end of the concert, I noticed a daughter in her mother’s lap. Both of their eyes were closed as they swayed back and forth in a chair, letting the music consume them.

Longtime Gamalan Degung player, Daniel Kelley, said he loves the togetherness of the group when he performs with them.

“For me, my favorite thing is the feeling of a group playing together and because everyone works from a skeleton,” Kelley said. “Everyone sort of expresses that skeleton in their see Music| page B3

Robert Linggi State Hornet

Margot Lederer Prado dances the Gawil, one of the

keurseus dances at the performance Saturday night.

Complex issues simplified in art

By Jennifer Siopongco jsiopongco@statehornet.com Self-taught artist Jesse Aguirre brings subtle humor through relevant issues in his “Facing Faces” exhibit being showcased in Sacramento State’s University Union Gallery.

“Facing Faces” will be exhibited until Nov. 5 and its opening reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow in the University Union Gallery.

Aguirre said he likes to draw and paint his opinion and commentaries of what he sees in society, whether they’re issues everybody has to face person-

ally or as a society. “Facing Faces” is an example of how Aguirre likes to simplify the images he sees in everyday life onto canvases.

Most of Aguirre’s artwork are commentaries about topics such as the current economic crisis.

Aguirre’s piece called “Up in Smoke” is a series of paintings that consist of three simple drawings of individual men smoking. While these men are all drawn the same, Aguirre differentiates their economic status by the color of each painting’s background: reddish-pink, blue, and a dark gray.

“I wanted to make a comment that it wasn’t affecting everyone

Robert Linggi State Hornet

“Woman #3” is a tribute to a contemporary Chinese artist.

the same, that it had different effects on different economic classes,” Aguirre said.

Brittany Rodriguez, freshman theater major, said she can see how Aguirre relates the issues he paints to society as a whole. “(The exhibit) made me feel like there’s a lot to focus on in our society right now, and it gave me a deeper insight to all of it,” Rodriguez said. “I am now aware to how it can affect people and maybe in some way it could reunite us because we can all relate and maybe take actions toward fixing the issues.”

While most of Aguirre’s paintings are commentaries,

some of them include a bit of humor. Aguirre said he tries to add a good amount of humor in all of his work as a way for people to be interested.

Aguirre caught 15 minutes of a comedy program on a small Mexican Network and decided to take the humor from the show and make it into a series of paintings entitled, “Mexican TV,” which are all painted in shades of red.

“I was doing quick sketches of what I was seeing on TV. It was hilarious and I was trying to capture the humor and hoping the humor would come across.” see Aguirre| page B3

B2

Wednesday - October 14

Features Section

statehornet.com

Sea monsters help to enliven Austen classic

By Katrina Tupper ktupper@statehornet.com

Courtesy of Melissa Monachello

The topic of love is complicated enough and yet author Ben H. Winters manages to further the complexity by including sea monsters in his novel, “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.”

In Jane Austen’s original classic, “Sense and Sensibility,” the characters live in the Victorianera, which was also the time period in which Austen lived.

In the novel Austen explores the stress of young love affairs. In Winters creation of the novel, he merely amplifies the issues of love by including a cast of sea monsters - all the while, maintaining Austen’s original characters and plot.

Winters adds Austen’s plot by heightening all absurdities in love and the process of falling in love. Austen develops a slight humor aimed toward young love in which she portrays it’s silliness and minute importance to the rest of the world.

Winters cements this idea by inflating the silliness of love to blasphemy.

The importance of financial stability in marriage in one

CLUB CORNER | JAPAN CLUB

Culture through club

By Miranda Marsalla mmarsalla@statehornet.com The members of the Japan Club are all integrated together through the interest of Japanese language and culture regardless of their differences in various backgrounds, traditions and religious upbringings.

The Japan Club at Sacramento State strives to create cultural awareness and community support between Japanese and American students by educating members on facts of the Japanese culture at club meetings.

The club’s next meeting will be held Monday, October 26, at 4:30 p.m. and feature “Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai” or gathering of 100 tales where club members will take turns telling scary ghost stories as part of the Japanese tradition.

“Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai” is thought to have originated as a test of courage, but is now fashionable amongst Japanese culture.

Ria Fae Caldo, senior accounting major and secretary of the Japan Club, said the club’s meetings usually start out with a Japanese children’s game and then focus on the prefecture cities around Japan like Aoyama, and Ehime. Caldo said the majority of these meetings consist of large presentations that examine a detailed aspect of the Japanese culture, such as general history, pop culture, and traditional art and dance.

Cesar A. Chavez, senior computer science major and president of the Japan Club, said the club is open to all students regardless of their nationality.

Chavez said the club does not require fees because he wants to make sure that people who are

interested in the Japanese culture attend the club’s meetings.

“The club’s purpose is really to give you more knowledge about (Japan). We try to make it open enough to make sure that people get to know about Japan, even if they just have a small interest,” Chavez said.

Chávez said the club hosts a series of specialized events throughout the year. This semester, the Japan Club will feature a Private Tea Ceremony to demonstrate traditional Japanese tea ceremonies from 3 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 20 in the Library.

A Halloween Movie Night, featuring a scary Japanese movie, YokaiDaisenso, will be shown on Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.

The Japan Club will also hold an Origami-a-thon on Nov. 21 from noon to 6 p.m. where club members will make 1,000 paper cranes to send to Japan.

The club’s biggest event, Japanese Culture Night, occurs during the spring semester each

year. The Japan Club presents guests with songs, dances, skits and history on Japanese culture.

Caldo said the club gets a lot of exchange students from Japan.

“We have a lot of alumni (of the Japan Club) down there (in Japan) who are either working or studying down there. That’s the aspect I like most,” Caldo said.

aspect of love that is especially targeted. In Austen’s original work, marrying into a wealthy family is constantly considered by the single characters, but it is Winters who takes this concept to a whole new level with his additional characters.

In “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters,” a character named Lucy is a sea witch who disguises herself as a human.

Lucy marries a young man in the novel and conceals her true identity. On the night of their marriage, Lucy kills her new husband and sucks the bone marrow out of each of his limbs in order to maintain mortality.

I easily caught the selfish similarity between marrying for money and marrying for bone marrow and I applaud Winters for uncovering these absurdities in such a creative way.

It seemed that within every dramatic scene in the novel, Winters included an intrusive sea monster to liven up the plot. The fact that the characters ignored these sea monster disturbances definitely made me chuckle.

I believe that Winters creates this indifference toward sea monsters in the characters not

because they are comfortable with the attacks, but because he is poking fun at the cordiality of the times. Appropriateness above all else is the overwhelming tone in Austen’s writings, and it is something that Winters seems to find comical, as do I. At one point in the novel, the “Devonshire Fang-Best,” a two-headed serpent, attacks two young women while they are competitively discussing a man whom they both adore.

The conversation continues throughout the attack, even after one girl is knocked from the boat and surrounded by the beast.

Main characters, Elinor and Marianne, endure similar attacks daily. They are constantly being preyed upon by estranged lobsters and oversized tuna. The girls find these pesky sea-beasts to be the least of their worries.

Instead, they fret day after day about their current love affairs and why men haven’t come “to call” yet.

Many readers may find Austen’s writing style confusing because of the time period in which the text was written.

Although, Winters writes very similarly to Austen, somehow

Alex Harris, junior business major and PRIDE Center co-coordinator

Event strives to break down misconceptions

Courtesy of Alex Harris

By Miranda Marsalla mmarsalla@statehornet.com

Kazue Masuyama, Japan Club adviser and Devin Stagg, junior business major lead the pack in a game of Tug of War during the Japan Club event Taiiku No Hi on Friday in Swanston Park.

Want to find out more about this New York Times Best Seller?

Visit www.statehornet.com to read the exclusive interview with Ben H. Winters, the author of “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.”

“We set out to prove that in the gay community - yes there are those flamboyant men and there are those really butch lesbians, but everybody comes in all shapes, sizes, and interests, so why can’t the queer community?”

The Japan Club meets bi-weekly on Mondays.

The club’s next general meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the University Union’s Summit Hall.

Students who are interested in joining the Japan Club can contact Ria Fae Caldo at M1aka221@yahoo. com.

Marcy Hendricks State Hornet

his extra content is more easily read and comprehended.

For example, Winters wrote, “(Elinor was) grateful to have the monster attack as an excuse for her reticence.”

I like how Winters belittles the vicious monster attack. He does so by utilizing Austen’s cordial style of writing.

All in all, Winters does an excellent job of molding Austen’s traditional plot with unusual circumstances, while using a tongue-in-cheek as a catalyst for this dynamic combination.

Sacramento State students and members of the community are invited to tonight’s cultural game show, Guess Who’s Gay, to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community at Sac State.

The Guess Who’s Gay game show is brought to campus to

celebrate the LGBT community during Queer History Month.

The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today in the University Union’s Hinde Auditorium.

The Guess Who’s Gay panel will be composed of 10 participants. This year’s panel will represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight sexual orientations.

The panel is asked both trivia and personal questions from audience members. When the questions are completed, the audience members vote by a show of hands to determine their best guess at the participant’s sexual orientation.

Josh O’ Connor, the host of Guess Who’s Gay, said he brought this event to the Sac State campus five years ago because of his passion for breaking down stereotypes on college campuses.

Alex Harris, junior business major and PRIDE Center co-coordinator, said that the audience is often surprised at the results.

“We set out to prove that in the gay community - yes there are those flamboyant men and there are those really butch lesbians, but everybody comes in all shapes, sizes, and interests, so why can’t the queer community?” Harris said.

Harris said the PRIDE Center is trying out a new element this year where the panel will be required to dress in black shirts and jeans to eliminate the clothing factor in determining the panelist’s sexual orientations.

“Basically we look for people who are not only ambiguous in appearance, but ambiguous with the things they like to do to sort of get the audience thinking. In the past we had a guy who is gay and his favorite pastime is working on cars with his dad. The audience guessed him as straight, so that sort of situation where you know, gay people can do this too,” Harris said.

Alysson Satterlund, Director of Student Activities at Sac State, said Guess Who’s Gay is an important event at Sac State because it celebrates and recognizes the campus’ diverse community.

Harris said that the overall purpose of Guess Who’s Gay is to educate people and to prove that the queer community isn’t just one stereotype.

Stefanie Bullock, junior pre-nursing major, said she has never attended Guess Who’s Gay before, but is anticipating tonight’s event.

“I think it’s a great event to teach people about stereotypes.

I personally think that I am not judgmental when it comes to different sexual orientations, but I am curious to see what my predictions are and how I base those decisions,” Bullock said.

O’ Connor said that Guess Who’s Gay’s mission is to prove that the queer community is not always one stereotype and to make allies through the event.

“The purpose of this event is so that folks do not judge a book by its cover,” O’ Connor said.

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Music: Sound of Indonesia dazzles audience members Continued | page B1

Robert Linggi State Hornet

A member of Pusaka Sunda plays a metallophone while behind her, another member plays hanging bronze gongs. A metallophone looks like a xylophone. Pusaka Sunda peformed on Saturday at Capistrano Hall’s Music Recital Hall.

own way, and then it all comes together in the performance.”

Kelley said his favorite piece to perform is “Bulan Sapasi” because of its beautiful vocal melody.

After the concert, fans stayed around to marvel at the instruments, ask questions, and ask for autographs from the members of the group.

Muhammad Suparman, an elementary school teacher, said the concert couldn’t have come at a better time.

“When life stresses me out and I need to just let go and not think about anything I try and find concerts that will play my native music because it calms me,” Suparman said. “Then coming here and seeing how relaxing it is for non-Indonesian’s is fascinating.”

Romy Gabriella, junior Spanish major, said she decided to go to the show because mid-

terms are coming up and she needed a way to de-stress.

“Meditative music helps me not freak out come test time,

and I knew if I came tonight that I would be relaxed and ready for midterms,” Gabriella said. “Sure enough it worked.”

The next World Music Concerts will be at 8 p.m. on Saturday featuring Chirgilchin and at 8 p.m. on Nov. 22 featuring Kyrgyzstan in Capistrano Hall’s Music Recital Hall.

General price ticket: $15 Student price: $8

Aguirre: Simple paintings may not be easily understood Continued | page B1 Aguirre’s most recent exhibit at La Raza Galeria Posada on 22nd Street presents serious issues.

“My artwork (at La Raza Galeria Posada) is all over the place, but mainly about (Mexican) immigration,” Aguirre said. “I kind of like to draw current topics like the economic crisis, immigration, and health care.”

Some people might not understand Aguirre’s paintings because they’re simplified into easy drawings. One of Aguirre’s painting series being exhibited at the gallery, titled “Keep Laughing,” shows this type of simplicity.

Aguirre said that for his piece “Keep Laughing,” he painted three different drawings of men with huge smiles on their-

faces to express how people are expected to keep smiling while the government bails out businesses and tells everybody not to worry about it.

Joel Cuevas, sophomore speech pathology major, said he doesn’t understand Aguirre’s paintings.

“I think he’s trying to be inspirational with his symbols, but I just don’t get it,” Cuevas said. “He’s great, but he needs to be in here every day to explain it.”

Rodriguez, who analyzed Aguirre’s paintings, came up with her own conclusions. “(The exhibit) was very expressive because the pictures were so different, and they all had different meanings to what’s going on right now, whether it’s politically or economically,” Rodriguez said.

“It made sense once you gave it

some thought.”

Although students like Rodriguez may believe that Aguirre’s paintings are aimed to unite us, Aguirre said that is not his purpose. Aguirre said he wants people to have their own opinions and personal reactions toward his work.

“I’m really not trying to unite anyone to do anything. Art is a kind of individual thing,” Aguirre said. “Whatever you want to think it’s up to you.”

Aguirre’s exhibit will be open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, and from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Robert Linggi State Hornet

Jesse Aguirre’s exhibit at the University Union Gallery displays his 2007 series, “Up in Smoke,” which illustrates the financial crisis that was building and its effect on individuals from different economic levels.

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MARCH NG

STATE HORNET PHOTO ESSAY |S

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Marcy Hendricks State Hornet

Ryan Greenleaf St

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G ON HOME

SAC STATE THROUGH THE LENS

tate

With grace and enthusiasm, the marching band performed during Saturday’s football game against Idaho State in hope of spreading school spirit at Sacramento State.

For 51 years, the Sac State marching band has made it a mission to perform and impact the lives of Sac State students as well as community members through its music.

“We try to provide support for the athletic department, entertainment for the fans, and it’s also an opportunity to train music education majors on how to be marching directors,” said Clay Redfield, associate director of bands.

The band is also a nonprofit organization which volunteers at Sacramento River Cats games for fundraising purposes. It is also considered a club on campus.

The band currently has 100 members, mainly consisting of music education majors as well as other majors from Sac State, and students from community colleges.

Band members, such as Brittany Burris, junior music education major, feel that the marching band is an important part of school pride.

“I think it’s really important for us to be out there,” Burris said. “Music is a huge part of culture and it’s something that all people have in common in one way or another and through that, we hope to bring everybody together as a campus and community.”

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Design and reporting by Nallelie Vega State Hornet

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Hornet

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Marcy Hendricks State Hornet

B6 Sports Updates WOMEN’S SOCCER

THESTATEHORNET

Sports

www . statehornet . c o m

O ctober 14, Wednesday

|F a l l I ss u e 7 | S a c ra m ento S tate

Victorious Homecoming

vs. NORTHERN

ARIZONA OCT. 9

W 2-1 at. NORTHERN

COLORADO OCT. 11

W 1-0 Sophomore goalkeeper Savannah Abercrombie broke the school record in the Northern Colorado game for most career shutouts. She now has 14 career shutouts, which surpassed the previous record of 13 set by Stacy Himes (1994-97).

MEN’S SOCCER at SAN JOSE STATE

OCT. 8

L 2-1 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL at IDAHO STATE

OCT. 9

W 3-0 at WEBER STATE

OCT. 10

W 3-1 Senior Desiree Hoyum recorded a game-high of 22 kills against Weber State.

Junior Maddison Thivierge had a .500 hitting percentage, which was also a game high.

Senior Melissa Melcher had 58 assists, which was three shy of her career-high.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Samantha Poulin State Hornet

Running back Sam McCowan (left) ran for 60 yards to help Sac State cruise to a 38-17 victory over Idaho State in Saturday’s Homecoming game.

By Britney Rossman brossman@statehornet.com The Sacramento State football team has climbed its way out of a 0-3 hole and is now 2-3 overall. The Hornets are 2-1 in the Big Sky Conference thanks to their 38-17 win over Idaho State on Saturday.

The Hornets wrapped up homecoming week on a good

note with the victory.

Running back Terrance Dailey rushed for a career high 178 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown.

Dailey got Sac State rolling early with a 42-yard run into the end zone with 12:38 left to go in the first quarter to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead.

“The offensive line did a real nice job, which led to good opportunities for me to take

advantage of. It’s a real good feeling to have another win,” Dailey said.

Idaho State tied the game 7-7 with 8:51 left in the first quarter when quarterback Russel Hill connected with wide receiver Andrew Benavides on a fouryard pass.

The Hornet defense played well for the second consecutive week. Defensive backs Durrell Oliver and Marquese Smith

both returned interceptions for touchdowns in the second quarter, Oliver’s interception return was 37 yards long and Marquese Smith’s interception return went for 83 yards.

This was the first time Sac State’s defense took two interceptions for touchdowns in one game since its game against Saint Mary’s on Sept. 6, 2003.

Oliver said he saw an opportunity to pick off the ball so he

took advantage.

“It was my first pick of this season, and my fifth overall.

I think the d-line played very well, and was able to put a lot of pressure on Idaho State. It was just a fun game to play,” he said.

Smith said he was not sure how much time was left until halftime, so he just kept on running until he was either tackled see Football | page B7

WAC PREVIEW

(Left) A cheerleader watches the game while hoisted by a teammate.

(Middle) The Green Army gives away T-shirts during halftime.

(Right) Sac State players celebrate after Saturday’s win.

RENO, NEVADA OCT. 10

WOMEN’S 1st PLACE Renisha Robinson, sophomore: “I think it is mental thing, you should think of it as another race, dont think about anything else but running. If your going out there thinking, ‘Oh, it’s altitude; the air’s thinner so it’s going to be hard to breathe’ then you are already mentally slowing yourself down.”

MEN’S 1st PLACE Scott Gross, senior: “We did pretty good. It was a really really small meet for the guys, there was some competition for the girls, we just went up and did a tempo run/race trying to get a little working altitude because the big Sky Conference is Altitude. I think it went pretty good for everybody.”

Anne morrison State Hornet

SAC UP!

Danger in the drive of competition

MEN’S GOLF NEVADA WOLF PACK CLASSIC RENO NEVADA OCT. 5 - 6

7th PLACE

Jake Johnson, sophomore: “I think we we’re playing really well right now. We’re super close to breaking out.

We’re all a little bit off and we’re still almost winning.”

By Stamati Horiates shoriates@statehornet.com Athletes hold a distinctive place in our society. We praise them as our warriors, championing for greatness on the field of battle. Revered for their strength and grit, we admire their persistence in the face of adversity. Through their ability to struggle, endure and overcome challenges both mental and physical, they inspire us to test the bounds of our own

limitations.

Motivated by the thrill of victory and the fear of the agony of defeat, athletes spend countless hours, days, weeks, months and years training to extend their capabilities. Spurred by the notion that their competition is pushing even harder, they adhere to strict guidelines, diets and workout regimens looking to gain or preserve any advantage over their competition.

In fact, in a recent study done by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and originally reported by The New York Times on Sept. 29, former NFL players were found to be five to 19 times more likely than the national populasee Injuries | page B8

Mia Matsudaira State Hornet

Samantha Poulin State Hornet

Six Hornets named to all-academic team

By Poetiic Reid preid@statehornet.com Six members of the Sacramento State cross-country/ track and field team were named to the United States Track and Field/Cross-Country Coaches Association all-academic team.

The six student-athletes include sophomore Ify Agwuenu, sophomore Ronald Brookins, junior Scott Grose, senior Morinsola Keshinro, junior David Rabinowitz and junior Ericka Violett. The six members of cross-country/track and field director Kathleen Raske’s team have also earned all-Big Sky Conference academic honors.

In order to be eligible for the award, student-athletes need to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and qualify for the NCAA Division I regional meet in their respective event.

Brookins said that he was excited that he was excited to be recognized for all of his hard work in the classroom.

“Academics are really important to me I have always strived

to get great grades since I have been in private school. My parents instilled it in me since I was a little kid to do good in school,” he said. “This means a lot to me because it means that sports still care about academics. It is not all performance based; they like well-rounded athletes also.”

Brookins advanced to the

NCAA Track and Field Championships last season.

“Certainly it’s a great honor to have six cross-country student-athletes make the allacademic team. It shows their program values all-around excellence,” said USTFCCCA President Bob Braman. see Academics | page B8

Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet

Scott Grose, Ronald Brookins, Ericka Violett, Ify Agwuenu, Morinsola Keshinro and David Rabinowitz were named to the USTFCCCA All-academic team.

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B7

Volleyball thrives on Field of play teaches decades-old rituals many life lessons WIN OR GO HOME

By Britney Rossman brossman@statehornet.com

By Nick Hunte nhunte@statehornet.com Sacramento State has hundreds of student-athletes, and most of them will go pro in something beside sports.

The rewarding experience that Sac State students receive from being an athlete is an experience they would not have been able to live through if they decided not to become a Hornet.

Many student-athletes possess a passion for athletics that in the long run help them with lifelong goals outside of sports.

After these Hornet players graduate from Sac State, they don’t just know how to play their sport better, they know how to work well with others and they will developed the discipline and work ethic that can help them in the careers that they plan to pursue.

Let’s face it, it takes a lot of discipline for a student-athlete to perform rigorous workouts and practices and travel with his or her team every week while still keeping up with classes and maintaining good grades.

Student-athletes also need to learn to work with their teammates in order for the team to succeed because the saying always goes: there’s no “I” in team. In order for a team to earn a win, the players need to work together as one unit, which requires selfless decisionmaking and even basic social skills that these student-athletes

might not have learned if they were not on the team.

Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said there are three main areas for a student-athlete to grow in: relationship building, discipline and organization.

Wanless said building relationships is important since developing social skills tends to be overlooked nowadays.

“Relationship building can be applied to respecting others in a social environment, whether that may be faculty, staff, coaches students,” Wanless said.

“I get a lot of chances to talk to kids and I even teach them the importance of saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ It may seem trite at this age, but it’s never outdated.”

Wanless also said that these simple social skills have become forgotten since people generally take care of themselves and forget to look out and lend a helping hand to those around them.

Social skills that studentathletes developed at Sac State have benefited and it shows.

Sophomore communication studies major Deionte Gordon said that throughout his experience being an athlete on the football team, he developed a strong sense of trust among his teammates that he will cherish forever even if he does not play football professionally.

“I learned to trust and rely on my teammates as I kept playing with these guys,” Gordon said. “Once I gained that trust, I wanted to protect my teammates. I started to develop a sense of loyalty towards them.

That’s the biggest thing for me.”

Senior sociology major Melissa Melcher of the volleyball team also developed a strong sense of trust among her teammates, but she trusts her team-

mates on and off the court.

“After playing with most of these girls for four years, I learned to trust them as an individual,” Melcher said.

Melcher also said that she has developed leadership skills from being on the volleyball team throughout her time at Sac State.

“I learned a lot of leadership skills from being on the team,” Melcher said. “Now that I’m a senior and the team captain, it was time for me to take the reign, and I learned a lot about how to deal with a lot of different personalities.”

Wanless also mentioned discipline as a skill set that studentathletes develop. He said that athletes go through a process of performing tasks repetitively.

“In order to have skilldevelopment, you need to have repetitive instruction, no matter what sport you’re in,” Wanless said. “In order to achieve greatness, you must practice doing things right.”

Organization skills are important according to Wanless because it teaches athletes how to work with other teammates with diverse backgrounds.

“You’ll be with people who don’t look like you, who don’t talk like you, but all of you have a common goal and understand that in order to achieve that goal, you all must work together,” Wanless said. “That’s a very valuable experience that the student-athletes go through, and because it helps as they move into the business world, having that mindset of being a good teammate is important to achieving the ultimate goals and objectives for a corporation or whatever the business may be.”

One specific example of discipline in athletics is work ethic and mental toughness.

There are many rituals and traditions athletes perform before, during, or even after a game whether or not the team or they as individuals are succeeding. The Sacramento State women’s volleyball team is one of the most superstitious teams on campus.

Not only does the volleyball team prepare for its competition with conditioning and practices, but their rituals and “old school” traditions also cater to the team’s chemistry.

Sac State performs at least three traditional chants before every game to get hyped for the match.

Senior setter Melissa Melcher said it is an honor to keep the traditions alive of former Sac State players who have succeeded. She would like to follow in their footsteps.

She said that biggest superstition the team has dates back at least 20 years. Based off “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves,” Melcher explained the relevance of the Hornets’ favorite tradition.

“With ‘Ali Baba’ we all get into a large circle and follow the actions of whoever is the leader for that game. While chanting ‘Ali Baba and the 40 thieves’ over and over, we dance or do whatever silly thing the leader does. After, we huddle up and end with a cheer,” she said.

When coach Debby Colberg retired after 32 years at Sac State in 2007, Ruben Volta was hired as Sac State’s new head coach.

The Hornets struggled last season with an overall record of 10-23 and 8-8 in the Big Sky Conference. Volta’s rebuilding process has begun, rituals or not.

Melcher said that the team is improving but that transition is

slow. As of Saturday, Sac State has an overall record of 10-9 and is 2-3 in conference play.

For more than two decades, Sac State’s typically dominant program has continued its routine of rituals and superstitions.

These rituals bring excitement to each game for the Hornet faithful.

Senior outside hitter Desiree Hoyum said that she believes that “Ali Baba” serves as a reminder of coming into each game focused and with an attitude that the team is always the underdog going against its opponents. Even when the volleyball program is down the Hornets still perform their rituals.

“After warm-ups we run outside and do our ‘Ali Baba’ dance - the underdog story,” she said. “It reminds us that with every game we start out at ‘the bottom’ and work our way to the top - similar to Ali Baba’s story.”

Although “Ali Baba” is the most respected and cherished superstition of past and present Hornets, each year they come up with new superstitions in hopes of bringing back the program’s winning tradition.

Melcher said she has taken it upon herself to keep one of Sac State’s longest traditions alive.

“Before each match, our coach will draw our game plan on the whiteboard. We adopted the idea and after he’s done, we draw too. We basically draw a tree, and on it will be several symbols relating to that game,” she said. “For example, if we were to play UC Davis we would probably write, ‘annihilate the Aggies’ and hang the mascot on the tree. In the meantime, we also draw a hornet defeating the opposing team. Kelsey Elston and I have taken over this tradition that has been going on for a while.”

Football: Victory brings signs of a turnaround Continued | page B6 or in the end zone.

“Our coaches always tell us to

use tunnel vision - just playing to play. So I just got the ball and just ran with it; I wasn’t really paying attention to the

time,” Smith said. “I kind of had a felling that there was not much time left just because of the play that was called. Other

Samantha Poulin State Hornet

Terrance Dailey (30) had a career high of 178 rushing yards in Saturday’s game.

than that, I didn’t know there was 12 seconds left until after the play.”

Quarterback Jason Smith threw a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandyn Reed as the Hornets took a 3110 lead going into halftime.

The Hornets did not come out with the same intensity in the second half. Sac State’s offense did not find its rhythm until its fourth drive of the third quarter.

Jason Smith threw a 54-yard pass to wide receiver Dylan Lane for a touchdown to give the Hornets a 38-10 lead.

Idaho State running back Skylar Morgan scored the Bengals’ first rushing touchdown of the season with 2:58 left in the third quarter. This was the final scoring drive by either team the rest of the game.

Head coach Marshall Sperbeck said he believed, although the second half was not as strong, his team was still able to execute the game plan.

“I think the game plan today went well. We executed in the first half and I was very pleased with how we played,” he said.

“We did get lackadaisical and that very much showed, but overall they played well and we need to keep the momentum.”

Mia Matsudaira State Hornet

Women’s volleyball performs its ritual “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves” chant.

Melcher said that each individual has his or her own superstitions that are subtler than the major traditions that involve the entire team.

“I have different handshakes with a few of the girls on the team, which usually take place before the game and sometimes in between sets,” she said. “We also have a tradition when announcing the opposing team and our starters. We all stand in a line and will hands while the announcing takes place - we clap once for the competition and twice for us.”

Hoyum said that she has a preferred superstition that pumps her up before each match.

“We have a traditional chant that we do right before the game begins that basically just says, ‘We want a victory.’ We will always alternate with who the leader is, and they will yell ‘What do we want?’ while the rest of us respond in ‘Victory.’” she said.

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Injuries: Program assesses Academics: Sensational six readiness to return to play put school before athletics Continued | page B6 tion to have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-related injuries.

While it might seem that this is an issue only for professional athletes who make a living out of putting their bodies into harm’s way, it has been happening more and more frequently in the worlds of college and high school athletics.

In fact, special measures have been instituted in universities throughout the country to protect athletes when it comes to injury, especially concussions.

Heather Farwig, assistant athletic trainer, said Sacramento State retailored its protocol again this year for assessing concussions and preventing players from coming back too soon.

“We’ve grown a lot more conservative, especially when dealing with concussions,” she said. “Athletes are restricted from all activity for a minimum of three days and can only gradually work back in when all symptoms have cleared.”

At Sac State, athletes are

even given a specially designed online test called the ImPACT Test to help assess the severity of concussions and the recovery process in other injuries.

At the beginning of the season, when completely healthy, an athlete is administered the online exam which tests his or her capacity for shape memory, word memory and reaction time, along with a 20-question symptom survey. During the season, if a player is suspected of having a concussion, they are re-administered the test and the scores are compared to the original.

The test has proven highly effective, as it is unique to each individual as opposed to being standardized and leaves little room for cheating. Enduring pain is a prerequisite in athletics. Used as an adrenaline rush, pain can even become part of the appeal. Athletes learn to feed off it, sometimes going so far as to grow addicted to it.

Hornets free safety Deionte Gordon, who sprained both his ACL and MCL in a game against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, said that the process for

getting back on the field after serious injury has become more thorough.

“I spent a lot of time in the training room where our trainers did a great job of rehabbing me,” he said. “After that, I had to get cleared by the team doctor. If he doesn’t clear you, you can’t play. Once he cleared me, it became my decision to play or not.”

Even with the possibility that he could have torn his ACL or MCL, Gordon has played in all three of the Hornets’ games since the injury occurred on Sept. 12.

This does not even take into account the psychological damage that can come from returning to a sport too early.

According to a study done by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, athletes who are not psychologically ready to get back in a game but do so anyway for fear of being cut, can lead to re-injury or they can even get an injury to a different body part. They are so worried about protecting their injured body part that they forget to protect the rest of their body.

Megan Harris State Hornet

Continued | page B6 All six winners said that time management played a major role in their success on and off the track.

Raske forces all freshmen to go to a mandatory study hall, but after their freshman year, they are not required to do so.

Several members of her squad said that they continue to attend study hall even when not obligated to do so because the study hall time is a great resource.

“Study hall did help me freshman year when it was required, but the thing is, a lot of people do not do this but I am a junior this year and I still go to study hall,” Agwuenu said.

“I find it to be an advantage because being in study hall I can work with people and help people that are taking the same classes as I am, and I learn more when I teach.”

The six runners are happy that they are proving that maintaining good grades as well as performing well on the track is achievable if you manage your time well and stay focused.

Agwuenu admits she is not as organized as she should be, but she makes it a point to get all of her work done, even if that means she hardly gets any sleep or she does not get to hang out with friends.

While Agwuenu stays up late making sure all her work gets done, Grose takes a different approach. He said that he likes to get his work done as soon as possible to avoid having to rush. He does his homework as soon as he receives the assignment and he likes to work on big projects early.

Violett said keeping up with her athletic training and studies is routine, it is just what she has to do in order to succeed.

“It is a lot of work on both ends academically as well as athletically, but I think you just learn to manage your time good, and we have a lot of help from the support staff,” she said. “Honestly, otherwise I do not think I would be as organized, but I kind of have to be in this situation.”

Each of them may have a different way of managing school, sports and work, but they all said anything is possible if you have a plan and the drive and motivation to succeed.

Raske said that the coaching staff is proud to have six standup student-athletes represent the Sac State cross-country/ track and field team.

“These athletes are proving that is possible to attain great grades while the demands of athletics are upon them, and they lead by example both in the classroom and on the track,” she said.