The S tate Hornet March 3, 2010
Fight to fund CSU
C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento
E st . 1949
Putting Her Story Back in History!
see Rally | page A6
Traffic group gets grant By Robert Linggi rlinggi@statehornet.com
By Timothy Sandoval tsandoval@statehornet.com Faculty and students from all levels of education across California will protest Thursday at the Capitol and hold classes to teach the Legislature the importance of funding for public education. The “Educate the State” rally will be hosted by the California Faculty Association. CFA will hold classes for the state Legislature and the public on the north steps of the Capitol from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. “We’re inviting all of the Legislature to come and have us educate them about the value of public education,” said Kevin Wehr, president of the Sacramento chapter of the CFA and one of the main organizers of the event. “It’s going to be a real classroom setting.” Approximately 1,000 people are expected to attend the rally, “Educate the State.” The event may be one of the largest rallies for public education to have ever occurred at the Capitol, Wehr said. “I think it’s going to be pretty historic,” Wehr said. John Ryan, government major and president of the College Democrats, said he thinks students should join the rally to fight for higher education. “We need to come together in mass and show the state Legislature that we are pretty fed up and are united in our opposition to fee raises on top of cuts in services,” Ryan said. “We shouldn’t be the ATM for the states budget problem. Students shouldn’t be paying for the mistakes that the state has made fiscally.” The rally is part of larger movement of public educators. Across the state, educators have chosen to take furlough days and will be holding dozens of rallies across the state at high schools, colleges and public spaces for the “day of action.”
O ne C opy F ree
“I think it’s important on a campus so close to the state Capitol,” Brent said. “Women need to be more aware of what has happened through history and the rights and privileges we have now, not always have been.” The struggle for equality, however, is still continuing into 2010, said women studies professor Moni Sujatha. “We live in a society which likes to believe that women achieved equal rights long ago, and the struggles of the feminist movement are a thing of the past,” Sujatha said in an e-mail. “Young college students need to be informed that many of those rights have yet to be won.” Sujatha said there’s still a wage difference between male and female employees who do the same job, and a number of women earn 77 cents to the dollar earned by their male counterparts.
The Institute of Traffic Engineers, a club at Sacramento State, was recently awarded a grant for its work involving traffic data collection at a local high school. The institute, a club for students interested in transportation engineering, was awarded a $1,000 grant by The Institute of Traffic Engineers International Board for its participation in The Institute of Traffic Engineers International District Data Collection Project. The board reviewed 22 proposals from various colleges and awarded five grants, including one to Sac State. “The club took it as a compliment that ITE’s board awarded them the grant over other schools,” said Stephen Nelson, senior civil engineering major and president of the Sac State branch of the traffic engineers group. Both the Institute of Traffic Engineers’ National and International branches offered grants to student chapters. The club did not receive the national grant because the international district wanted to award it the Data Collect Project award, said Sean de Guzman, the club’s vice president and senior engineering major, in an email. De Guzman said that he felt a sense of pride when the club was awarded the grant. “I feel proud to be involved in such a respected professional organization,” he said. “Students who do not hold leadership positions within clubs do not know how much time and effort we take and devote to projects such as these.” The data collected by the club will be used in the writing of the newest edition of the constantly updated Institute of Traffic Engineers Trip Generation Handbook. “The Trip Generation Hand-
see Month | page A4
see Award | page A6
Photos by Ricky Afuang Graphic by Matt Erickson State Hornet
From top to bottom: Lynnzi Brent, co-coordinator; Pao Tran, leadership assistant programmer; Anu Raghavan, program assistant; and Alysson Satterlund, director of student organizations at the Women’s Resource Center, are organizing Women’s Herstory Month to empower women and make people aware of women’s struggles for equality.
By Cahil Bhanji cbhanji@statehornet.com March is all about the “Power of Expression” at Sacramento State as the university celebrates Women’s Herstory Month, dedicated to educating students about gender discrimination and to highlight women’s self-expression through different media. “All the events showcase the opportunities in which women express in different venues, in art, work, leadership, intellectual contribution,” said Alysson Satterlund, director of Student Organizations & Leadership and interim director of the Women’s Resource Center. Lynnzi Brent, senior psychology major and co-coordinator at the Women’s Resource Center, said women need to be aware of women’s struggles for equality.
CSU nursing programs decrease, Sac State nursing strong By Lauren Greenwood lgreenwood@statehornet.com The California State University’s nursing programs have been downsizing across the state, but Sacramento State’s nursing program will not be decreasing enrollment now or any time in the future, department officials said. Sac State’s nursing program attracts more than 400 applicants for 80 spots, said Ann Stoltz, chair of the nursing department. According to the 2010-11 CSU Undergraduate Impacted Programs Matrix, all 17 of the CSU campuses that offer nursing education programs are
heavily impacted. Stoltz said while other campus programs are impacted, the Sac State nursing program has enough funding and clinical placements for students to sustain the amount of students accepted and enrolled in the program. “Right now, it’s not a matter of clinical agencies for Sac State. Right now, there are no directives to decrease the size of the program. So far, we’re OK,” Stoltz said. Freshman nursing major Leanne Orino said faculty have allowed third- and fourth-semester nursing students volunteer and serve as a resource for new nursing students.
“The faculty has been very accommodating and because they are limited,” Orino said. “(The students) can come in for advice and technique improvement for when a professor isn’t available.” Although the department has had its budget reduced, Stoltz said it is looking at bringing in private donors to increase the quality of the program. “We do see the need to expand, but we won’t be expanding until the economic crisis stabilizes. We were just awarded a $500,000 grant from the Doyle Foundation, and we are currently looking at more outside sources to better the program,” Stoltz said.
Stoltz said the department’s relocation to Folsom Hall will provide a good foundation to expand the program once the budget turns around. Despite being named in Galt’s Guide to Top Nursing Schools in California, some of the nursing program’s graduates have had difficulties finding a job after graduation. “In previous years, even two years ago, 90 percent of students had jobs before they graduated. Now, I don’t know percentages, but it’s taking many about six months,” Stoltz said. “We haven’t had to track graduate employment because it wasn’t an issue before.”
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see Nursing | page A4
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The State Hornet Issue 6 | Volume 62 | No. 20
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Wednesday - March 3
News Section
NEWS ROUNDUP Sac State’s weekly news briefs and campus events Leakage update Trenchless Co. has completed repairs on underground pipes connected to staff restrooms at the university Dining Commons. The damaged pipes caused leakage outside the Dining Commons. The restrooms are still closed, and maintenance of the pipes connected to the restrooms will be done over the spring break. There is still no estimate of the cost of the second phase of repairs. The first phase of repairs was $15,000. For more information, go to statehornet.com.
Students to learn about teaching careers The Career Center will be holding “The Educator Exchange: Teaching Trends of Tomorrow,” where professional educators will discuss current trends in the education field. The event will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Union’s Lobby Suite. For more information, contact the Career Center at 278-6231.
Polynesians aim to be active in 2010 census Sac State’s Polynesian Connection Club hosted a census awareness forum on Saturday in the University Union Ballroom to encourage Polynesians to “Get Counted” in the 2010 census. About 400 Polynesians from Sacramento and the Bay Area participated in the forum. The event also included special performances depicting Polynesian culture. To read more, go to statehornet.com.
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In last week’s news roundup entry “Man caught stealing bicycle parts,” the entry should have read: Police say Ly, who is not a Sacramento State student, later admitted the tires were stolen and told them he comes to Sac State to steal bikes that appear to have been abandoned. The State Hornet apologizes for this error. Please contact Leidhra Johnson, print managing editor, for corrections at (916) 278-7300 or ljohnson@ statehornet.com.
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A student’s laptop was recently reported stolen on the second floor of the Union. Sac State Police Lt. Joe Green said there are no updates yet on the theft. Over the last several months, laptops have been reported stolen in several campus buildings, according to the police department. For questions, contact the University Police Department at 278-6851. To read more about thefts on campus, go to statehornet.com.
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ASI President Robert Torres to address students Associated Students Inc. President Roberto Torres will be holding the State of the Students Address at 11:30 a.m. on March 11 in the Hinde Auditorium. Torres said the address will focus on urging students to become active in advocating for funding for higher education. For more information, contact the ASI office at 278-6784.
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Wednesday - March 3
News Section
Opportunities for student jobs decrease at career fair
A student and employer discuss jobs at the engineering Career Day in 2009.
By Ricardo Alejandro ralejandro@statehornet.com Job possibilities for the engineering department’s 2010 Career Day have been cut in half and the number of employers attending has decreased by 30 percent. While the event will provide the opportunity for students to interview and apply for nearly 1,700 jobs, department staff remain optimistic of the event, attributing the reductions to the recession and the housing industry collapse. “A lot of these companies have stimulus package money,” said Cici Mattuizzi, director of the Career Service Office in the
engineering department. “And even when you have the worst economy, there is always that little window of hope.” In addition to the opportunity to interview for jobs, students will be able to attend seminars in the University Union, hosted by companies such as San Diego Gas and Electric, PG&E, General Electric Energy and Chevron. The seminars will include job openings and business goals. Matt Johnson, senior electrical and electronic engineering major, will be attending the event to find an internship. “It’s an opportunity to get face time with the companies and see what kind of person I
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am,” Johnson said. “It’s almost like a preliminary interview.” Johnson, a student in Mattuizzi’s career planning class, said he has e-mailing different companies, including a number of the companies that will be in attendance at Career Day. “If you sit down and spend time working in her class, she will basically program you to get the most out of the career fair,” Johnson said. Students are able to log on to the Engineering and Computer Science Career Services website and see which companies will be conducting interviews in person on Career Day. “Any student will be able to log on to my website and read each job description and minimum requirements, along with tips on how to impress the potential employers by the way you dress and act,” Mattuizzi said. On the website, students of all majors are able to search for job hunting and interviewing skills, without paying for the units and textbooks. “We want students to be prepared, which involves researching the company and assessing themselves,” Mattuizzi said. Career Day will be held Friday in the University Union Ballroom. For a schedule of events and a full list of companies attending, see the website at ecs.csus.edu/career.
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“There has always been wait lists at impacted universities. It’s started to become more of a situation we’re seeing.” Saralyn Taormina, counselor at McClatchy High School in Sacramento
Freshmen waitlists to lower student enrollment at CSU By Nallelie Vega nvega@statehornet.com
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California public universities will begin a new practice this fall that will employ freshman wait lists throughout many University of California and California State University campuses in hopes of reducing enrollment numbers in the already impacted school systems. Many CSU campuses will implement a processes of waitlists. The number of campuses that will participate has yet to be determined. “These wait lists exist because the California State University needs to lower student enrollment due to the drastic reduction in state budget support,” said Erik Fallis, spokesman for the CSU chancellor, in an e-mail. He said other methods, such as earlier application deadlines, have been used to treat campus impaction and waiting lists. Individual CSUs will also be required to manage wait lists, Fallis said. “New enrollment must be carefully managed to enable campuses to reach their enrollment targets with greater precision while still offering a space to as many deserving students as possible,” said UC Director of Admissions Susan Wilbur in the press release. The press release also stated that eligible applicants who don’t receive admissions offers from UC campus to which they applied for would be offered admissions into non-impacted campuses, regardless of wait list status in other campuses. According to Sacramento State’s Student Affairs records, Sac State received about 28,000 admissions applications for fall 2010, including 17,500 freshman applicants and 10,500
transfer student applicants. Ed Mills, associate vice president of enrollment management, said about 80 percent of those 28,000 applicants - or 14,000 freshman applicants and 8,400 transfer applicants - were admitted into the university. “Even though that’s a very large number of applications and a very large number of admits, when it gets down to it, it’ll still be around 3,000 actually enrolled students at Sac State,” he said, adding that many applicants applied and get admitted to several other campuses. Mills added that if acceptance offers exceed more than 3,000 in the fall, the student affairs office would restrict admission during the spring semester. Since admissions were closed for spring 2010, he said his office overcompensated by overenrolling students this past fall. He said the student affairs office also works with community colleges in the area to evaluate the number of transfers in order to better serve the community. He added that many applicants don’t make a final decision on what school they will be attending until the end of spring. Saralyn Taormina, counselor at McClatchy High School in Sacramento, said she encourages her students to apply to various universities based on the volume of applicants and the waiting lists in campuses around California. “There has always been wait lists at impacted universities,” she said. “It’s started to be more of a situation we’re seeing; however, most students don’t apply to just one college I encourage all my students to apply to eight to 10 schools.” Taromina said many high school students usually apply to about two to three dream
schools - schools that take less than 40 percent - and five to six realistic matches. She said it is very unlikely that students will get wait listed in all colleges, even in an impacted public university system. John Pascual, freshman pre-nursing major at Sac State, said as a senior at Mesa Verde High School in Citrus Heights, he applied to about 10 schools, including San Jose State, Hawaii State University and Sac State. “I was wait listed for most schools, except Sac State,” he said. “My primary school was to go to Hawaii State, but I was wait listed and Sac State accepted me.” Pascual said it was very frustrating to apply to various universities and be wait listed, but he was grateful he was admitted into a university that was close to home. Even though Pascual was wait listed in all schools except Sac State, the campus was already ahead of the curve. Mills said Sac State began implementing enrollment control this past fall. He said priority filing for undergraduate students began Oct. 1 and ended Nov. 30. He added: “This is the first year we’ve had our deadlines back this early.” Mills said upper-division transfer students were given an extended deadline, but their applications would only be considered based on space availability. He said those students wouldn’t get a status update until the end of May or the beginning of June. Most transfer students typically don’t apply to as many universities as first-time freshman and that is why their applications are accepted after the deadline, he said.
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News Section
Wednesday - March 3
Month: Events encourage women’s self-expression Continued | page A1 “The glass ceiling is not a myth, but a lived reality for hundreds of women working in the corporate industry,” Sujatha said. “Further, women’s basic rights over our own bodies are constantly being threatened, and on the brink of being taken away from us. These and many other issues women face every day in our society compel us to pay attention to them at least one month in a year.” Satterlund and Brent both have helped coordinate events for the Women’s Herstory Month. They started preparing for these events back in December. One of the events is a monthlong exhibit titled “Stop the Pain – Photographic Reflections on Breast Cancer” by A.J. Pero, an artist whose sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. “It’s really touching and a positive expression of their experience,” Satterlund said. The exhibit aims to use photography as a medium to raise breast cancer awareness. “This is an important event using art to understand another person’s perspective and experience,” Brent said. Women’s Herstory Month also hopes to dispel myths about feminism through the F-word Panel. The panel of students, staff and faculty members who will share their thoughts and experiences about feminism, for which the letter F stands for. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile. To say what feminism is and what feminism isn’t,” Brent said. “It is 2010 now (and) it’s time to dispel some of the myths about feminism.” Brent said she hoped to chal-
Tina Horton State Hornet
Top: Students write messages on paper for interactive boards at Stop the Pain. Bottom: The interactive boards slowly filled with messages at the photographic reflection on breast cancer by A.J. Pero in the University Union Gallery from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until March 24.
lenge the notion that men can’t be feminists, noting that celebrity Ryan Reynolds is a feminist. “It’s a great opportunity to dialogue about the generations of feminism,” Satterlund said. The experiences between different generations of feminists over the years will be represented at the panel and by the audience. Another myth the event hopes to dispel is notion that there’s no place for feminism in 2010.
Events for Women’s Herstory Month • Now to March 24, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in University Union Gallery “Stop the Pain--Photographic Reflections on Breast Cancer” by A.J. Pero • March 8, 4 to 5 p.m. in California Suite, University Union The F-Word Panel • March 10, noon in Redwood Room, University Union Sacramento Taiko Dan Drummers • March 16, 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Library, Room 11 Women in Technology • March 17, noon to 1 p.m. in Folsom Room, University Union Women’s Rights and Politics in America • March 23, 5 to 6:30 p.m. in American River Courtyard Conference Room Women of Influence Award Reception
“It’s easier to think of the anti-power in today’s age than the powerful role model,” Satterlund said. “Think of Mother Teresa. What if all women could aspire to do that sort of contribution to humanity?” The Women’s Herstory Month events end with the Women of Influence Award Reception at 5 p.m. on March 23 in the American River Courtyard Conference Room. This event celebrates and honors Sac State’s female students, faculty and staff who have been a positive influence on campus. Anyone who’s had a positive influence on campus can be nominated, Satterlund said. “This event is really special and we’re hoping to get a ton of nominations,” Brent said. Women’s Herstory Month is an event crossing over cultures. “This whole experience is new to me. I came from a society where no one talks about this,” said Anu Raghavan, engineering graduate student and program assistant at the Women’s Resource Center. “I think about feminism now. If I wasn’t associated with the Women’s Resource Center, I would not have ever known.” Sujatha said she’s looking forward to see more feminists at Sac State. “I would live to see more feminists (both men and women) in top administrative positions who could positively impact our university,” she said.
Nursing: Program hopes to accomodate students Continued | page A1 Orino described the job market climate as overwhelming, knowing that others have faced struggles. Stoltz said students are having to look for employment outside of the Sacramento region. She knew of a group of students who took jobs in Reno and moved in with each other while commuting back to Sac-
ramento for school two days a week. Stoltz recommended that students be open to working with rural areas because of the high demand. Stoltz said that students just need to wait because the average age of a nurse is 45 to 48 and they will soon retire. After that, Stoltz said, will again be huge need for nurses. Although the nursing department has its share of financial
hardships, Stoltz said she and the rest of the faculty members are committed to making sure the department’s integrity isn’t compromised and that they will not decrease enrollment. “This will turn around in the next two years,” Stoltz said. “(When it does turn around), we will be happy to accommodate more students.”
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Wednesday - March 3
News Section
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Award: Data found by students used in handbook Continued | page A1
Courtesy photo
Kevan Shafizadeh, associate professor of civil engineering, holds a traffic counter used to count cars.
book is used by transportation engineers in practice when deciding how large or small to design a facility such as a highway, freeway, or even local street,” De Guzman said. With the help of computerized counters, teams of volunteers collected parking data at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento during the school’s peak traffic hours. “We stayed a full 12 hours during the three-day data collection project,” De Guzman said. “We were positioned at strategically planned stations along American River Drive and the North American River Levee … The most difficult part was collecting the data during the morning and afternoon rush of students.” Volunteers used a combination of handheld and automatic traffic counters to record each car that came and went from the parking lots’ main and secondary driveways. Club members used handheld counters to document exactly how many vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians commuted to campus in 15-minute intervals, De Guzman said. “We designated what buttons to push for certain actions observed. There was one for entry, another for exit, and a third for bicyclists and pedestrians,”
Olsen said. While manual traffic counters could be used for smaller driveways, another system needed to be devised to tackle roads with larger volumes of cars. “The other traffic counters we used were automatic vehicle counters,” De Guzman said. “They are the black tubes drivers drive over without even noticing. Whenever a vehicle passes over them, it sends air through the tube and into the counter box relaying the information that a vehicle has just passed over the tube and counts one vehicle.” A variety of factors were taken into account including building type, location, parking availability, and whether the land was rural, in a city or a suburb, said Kevan Shafizadeh, associate professor of civil engineering and the club’s faculty adviser. The data collected by the club for the Trip Generation Handbook is important because professional engineers will use it in real-world situations. “Let’s say a city is expanding and creating a new neighborhood with a school. They can use the data ITE collected to size the access and parking area for the new school,” Olsen said. Without the Trip Generation Handbook, engineers in charge of these kinds of projects would have to hire a third party group to perform costly data collection studies. Engineers would pay
much more for these studies than the $1,000 grant received by the club, Olsen said. The Institute of Traffic Engineers is like any other club on campus, Nelson said. The club holds meetings, hosts guest speakers and goes on field trips, Shafizadeh said. He, along with four other student officers, attend the Western Regional Annual Meeting every year. Nelson said the club plans on using the grant money as a fund for this year’s Western Regional Annual Meeting in San Francisco. “I am very proud of the work we’ve accomplished over the years, and I do not think Stephen gets enough credit for all of the work he’s put in,” De Guzman said. “He is by far one of the hardest working students I have ever crossed paths with and is going to make a great engineer.” To find out more about ITE, see Shafizadeh or go on the chapters website at http://www.csus.edu/ org/ite.
“We need to come together in mass and show the state legislature that we’re fed up and are united in our opposition to fee raises on top of cuts in services” John Ryan, government major and president of College Democrats
Rally: Protestors aim to teach legislators a lesson Continued | page A1 Wehr said this marks the first time he has seen public educators at all levels of the state education system rallying together, and is also first time educators will take statewide action. Each rally across the state will have its own character, Wehr said. For instance, CSU Maritime Academy will hold a “die-in” in their main quad, where students will pretend to die to protest budget cuts. At Wilson High School in Long Beach, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine will be playing music after speeches from union leaders. As for specific solutions, Fred Glass, communications director of the California Federation of Teachers, said the rallies will
address the need for California to tax rich individuals and corporations, which could amass billions of dollars in revenue for public education. “It’s not that you and I are not paying are our fair share of taxes, we are,” Glass said. “It’s the people who have the most money and the most resources who are not.” Glass said Proposition 13, the anti-tax legislation which capped property taxes at 1 percent of the property’s value, has hurt local funding for public education, causing the state general fund to bail out local public schools. Proposition 13 also requires the Legislature to meet a twothirds majority vote to pass any new tax in California. The state constitution requires a
two-thirds majority vote to pass a budget as well, making California the only state in nation to require a two-thirds vote for
blame should go,” Glass said. “Every single Republican in the Legislature with the exception of one has singed a no-new-tax
CFA invites faculty, students and friends to “Educate the State” at the north steps of the Capitol, on the L Street side, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday. both any new tax and for passing a budget. “That coupled with the fact that just over one-third of the Legislature are hardcore antitax ideologues is where the
pledge.” The CFA, along with Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, also proposed a severance tax on oil to fund public education in AB 656. The bill
received no Republican support, forcing Democrats to remove the tax. Timothy Hodson, director for the Center for California Studies, said the rally must address reality if it is going to succeed. “It is not realistic to base the efforts on naïve assumptions like the governor and the Legislature are unaware of the impact of the cuts or that the cuts could have been avoided if someone had tried harder,” Hodson said. “Because of the two-thirds vote requirement, no budget and no tax increase can be passed without Republican support. Republicans are the key.” Wehr said he hopes the Legislature will be receptive to the message.
“A majority of the Legislature have been educated in public institutions of higher education, and most have gone through public K-12.” Wehr said. “I would hope they would support their alma mater.”
Courtesy Xico Gonzalez
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M arch 3, Wednesday
| Spring Issue 6 | Sacramento State
EDITORIAL
Make legislators
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Students can garden too
For Sacramento State students, gardening is often out of the question due to limitations on space, said Jasmine Greer, senior biology major and president of the Environmental Student Organization. Serving as a solution, suburban gardening is becoming increasingly popular in rural and urban communities, she said. The Sacramento area has a total of five communal gardens in operation, with two others being created this year. Bill Maynard, who works for the Department of Parks and Recreation in Sacramento, is in charge of these gardens. “We want to offer the community a way they can grow their own produce locally,” Maynard said. “That way, they can not only eat healthier but save money at the same time.” These gated communal gardens are open to everyone and would be a great place for students to participate in growing produce if they do not have a garden of their own, he said. To help students go green and produce greenery on their own, the Environmental Studies Organization and other groups on campus are creating a plan for the production of a communal garden on campus. “Communal gardening is wonderful and the Environmental Student Organization feels this is really important,” Greer said. “Eating locally and growing your own food is the easiest way to transport your food and reduce your carbon footprint, which is very important to our organization.” Greer said no one realized there once was a communal garden at Sac State. The garden closed in 2002 due to poor management and the lack of student
Robert Lingii State Hornet
Above: Fremont Community Garden, located at 14th and Q streets, is one of the five public gardens in Sacramento. Urban gardens, such as this one, are excellent ways for students to become involved in gardening. Bottom left: South Side Community Garden is located on 5th Street. Bottom right: Gloves left behind by gardeners at the Fremont Community Garden.
participation; the gardening was left to members of the surrounding community rather than Sac State students. Greer said they hope when the organization creates a new communal garden, students at Sac State will recognize their hard work and join in on the effort to create resources on campus. “What we are hoping is that students take the initiative when it comes to this garden we are recreating,” Greer said. The produce created by this garden, Greer said, will either go to local food closets in the area or straight to the students through the Dining Commons. Of course, students can also keep the food they grow at the new communal garden for themselves, she said. “We are really hoping to work something out with the dining commons,” Greer said. “Then students can eat healthier and see the benefits of growing food locally.” Besides reducing carbon footprints, the Environmental Studies Organization also hopes these communal gardens will have the effect of “peace gardening” on students. “‘Peace gardening’ brings the community together through the sense of accomplishment that they are successfully producing greenery as a group,” Greer said. Greer and Maynard are both working toward creating this garden, but need students to know this garden is ultimately in their hands. Greer believes the Sacramento area lends itself to becoming a green community. “We are so lucky to be in Sacramento and surrounded by agriculture, we should buy and most importantly grow locally,” Greer said.
Talini’s employee gives advice on easiest planter-box gardens By Erin Rogers erogers@statehornet.com A local Sacramento nursery, Talini’s Nursery and Garden Center, offers insight to college students on how to maintain a garden in a small space. Michael Lawrence, Sac State graduate and employee at Talini’s, said herb gardens are popular for small spaces, since they can grow in small contain-
ers. “Herbs are easily grown in a planter that can sit in a windowsill,” Lawrence said. “They do need regular watering and sunlight, but can be maintained by almost anyone.” Herbs offered by Talini’s include rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme, oregano and cilantro. Lawrence said cilantro is best grown in spring and fall, while rosemary and oregano can be
grown at all times of the year. Another option for college students would be cacti or succulent gardens. “Cacti and succulents would be great for college students; growing them is super easy,” Lawrence said. “They only need to be watered once a month and require only a small amount of sunlight.” Lawrence said Talini’s offers both cacti and succulents in
Bonsai gardening made easy By Erin Rogers erogers@statehornet.com Growing bonsai trees can be both enjoyable and feasible for college students. “Bonsai trees can be grown by practically anyone, as long as they have the drive to do so,”
said Dolores Rauh, president of the American Bonsai Association of Sacramento. A bonsai, Rauh said, is simply the art of growing a plant in a pot that traditionally originated with the Chinese culture and moved to Japan. “Chinese tradition focused on
Robert Lingii State Hornet
A Bonsai tree on display during a meeting of the American Bonsai Association of Sacramento on Feb. 23.
‘clip and grow’ while the Japanese introduced wires and the manipulation of the shape of the tree, mainly for decorative purposes,” Rauh said. Bonsai trees are ideal plants for dorm rooms considering there are many indoor variations, the costs are low and the effort to maintain bonsai trees are relatively low, she said. “Bonsai costs what you put into it, the main cost is in the tools, the wire, the pots and the special soils,” Rauh said. “You don’t have to get fancy; it’s free for a plant to simply grow.” To learn how to start a bonsai tree, Maruyama Bonsai Nursery in Sacramento is hosting a bonsai repotting class on Sunday. For more information regarding this class, call the nursery at (916) 421-6888. Rauh said this class is a great place for beginners to see if growing a bonsai is something for them. “By being in Sacramento, you can grow almost any type of bonsai because of the great climate here, the possibilities are endless,” Rauh said.
many different varieties, colors and textures. As for produce gardening, he said strawberries and tomatoes are just about the only items that can be grown on a patio, for students who live in apartments. “Put the strawberries in pots or hanging baskets near sunlight, right now is a good time to start them,” Lawrence said. “Dwarf tomatoes are also great for small areas, they grow well
in containers.” Since strawberries and tomatoes are actual produce, Lawrence said, they are going to require more work than herbs or cacti. Besides watering and routine maintenance, these plants also require fertilizer. A great eco-friendly source of fertilizer would be countertop compost bins, he said. Deposit raw produce scraps into the container and in a couple of
weeks, free fertilizer is created and ready to use. To find plants for any home or growing situation, Talini’s nursery on Folsom Boulevard is always willing to provide insight on the best options for an individual’s specific needs. “Talini’s is a great place to find the best plants that can be grown in small areas, there are many options for any college student,” Lawrence said.
RA makes dorm room gardening possible By Erin Rogers erogers@statehornet.com The residence halls on the Sacramento State campus prohibit specific types of gardening, but Resident Adviser Leo Sun, senior communication studies major, manages to keep a small bamboo plant in his dorm room. “There are certain regulations in regards to what type of plants you can have when it comes to the dorms,” Sun said. “We cannot have flowers with pollen, but bamboo is one of the plants allowed.” Since there are regulations on certain plants, gardening is out of the question for students living in the residence halls; Sun believes one way to make use of students’ inner green thumb is to create a communal garden on Sac State’s campus. “A garden that is accessible to all students would be a great alternative since garden-
ing in a dorm room is impossible, considering there aren’t patios available,” Sun said. To liven up the atmosphere in his dorm room, Sun received a bamboo plant from a friend and takes pride in knowing that he is responsible for the growth of his green friend. “The plant adds a nice touch to my room, it is more than just my computer and clothes,” Sun said. “This is a living organism that I am responsible for.” One of the reasons why his plant is doing so well, Sun said, is because a bamboo plant is one that takes little to no care - it is a plant built for college students, he said. Besides the occasional watering every two to three weeks, Sun said the only care he has to uphold is trimming the excess roots that grow out of the pot. “I put my plant in the window sill during the day to get some sun, water it every once in a while and it simply grows,” Sun said.
Robert Lingii State Hornet
Leo Sun stands near his bamboo plant on his desk in his dorm room. Sun is an Resident Adviser at Sacramento State’s Residence Halls.
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Wednesday - March 3 CLUB CORNER | GERMAN CLUB
German culture explored by club By John Saelee jsaelee@statehornet.com In the United States, 25 percent of the American population is from Germany, and many of the German customs and food have been adopted by the American people, said Marjorie Wade, German professor and club adviser. By joining the German Club at Sacramento State, Wade said, members of the campus community can be educated on parts of German culture that may be evident throughout the states. “There is German food American people eat that they may not be aware of, such as sauerkraut, bratwurst, gingerbread cookies and Black Forest Cherry Torte Cake,” Wade said, which are some topics members can be educated about. Neal Iverson, junior international relations major and club president, said he found his home at Sac State when he joined the club last year. “The club is about providing a place for people to meet and have fun by sitting together relaxing and talking to new people as a group,” Iverson said.
Yana Yaroshevich State Hornet
Dr. Marjorie Wade, German professor and club adviser, stands outside the German department.
He said they also try to take trips outside of Sacramento to experience areas related to German history or cultures. Iverson said upcoming events for the club include visiting historical sites such as the Lola Montez Dance Hall in Grass Valley, Calif. and a German prisoner of war immigration building at Angel Island. The club also attends Oktoberfest every year, Wade said, a German festival held in fall by a local German organization and Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht’s. Toward the winter season, the German Club celebrates a German variation of Christmas called St. Nikolaus Day, where “naughty” children are taken away in a hamper. St. Nikolaus Day is Wade’s favorite event that is hosted by the German Club. “We hold it at my house,” Wade said. “Someone dresses up as St. Nikolaus and represents the man in the folklore and people in the club also play Christmas carols and folk songs at the celebration.” Although the tradition is mere history now, said Wade, the club still enjoys learning and remembering German traditions. “Since Sac State is a commuter school, people often come in and out of class and many people do not know anyone,” Iverson said. Now as the German Club president, Iverson said he feels less estranged from the campus community because he frequently bumps into people he has previously met at the club.
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Internships give students upper hand By Miriam Arghandiwal arghandiwal@statehornet.com With two years of work experience at The Sacramento Bee doing side jobs, Sam Amick applied for a full-time position. To Amick’s surprise, the newspaper denied him the position. Amick said although he had been working as a paid employee for two years, the Bee wasn’t able to offer him a full-time position until he had a resume with internship experience. “One of the big decisionmakers was ready to hire me, but he couldn’t,” Amick said. “They were The Sacramento Bee, an established newspaper, and they couldn’t hire anyone without a fully equipped resume.” In an attempt to help students avoid Amick’s struggles, the Sac State Career Center is holding its first employer internship panel at noon today in the University Union. The panel’s goal is to encourage students to pursue internships and to help them prepare for the job world. The Career Center has already verified a few representative employers for the panel, including Apple and the North Western Mutual Financial Network. Candace McGee, Sac State’s internship manager, said the panel will answer questions for students seeking internships. She said the panel will give tips on how to be successful in receiving and taking advantage of an internship from an employers’ point of view. Amick said, because he did not land an internship early on before working at the Bee, he had a difficult time applying for internships. After much searching he finally got one
with a newspaper called The Stockton Record. Amick said at this internship he was paid $8.50 an hour, which was barely enough money to cover the gas costs for his commute from Sacramento to Stockton. “It was a sacrifice from a financial standpoint, but the experience was worth it,” Amick said. It was worth it, he said, because he got the opportunity to work among people who had the jobs he wanted while covering a San Francisco 49ers training camp in Stockton. He felt that the experience gave him a good vision of his future job. “I was working everyday, side by side with people from ESPN and it showed me that this was what I was going to do, day in and day out. It was challenging but it was fun,” Amick said. The more experience one has, the better off that person will be, he said. “Even with the experience of one internship under my belt, I felt uneasy returning to The Sacramento Bee,” Amick said. “I felt vulnerable in the eyes of my employers because I feared more experienced collogues.” McGee said she feels whether a student’s experience with the internship is good or bad, it is beneficial to them. “Internships are important for all fields of study. They allow students to gain an insight about the career they’re going into,” McGee said. McGee has been responsible for holding a similar event in past semesters - like the student internship panel. This panel took place last semester, she said, when Sac State students heard from peers who had already experienced internships. From the successful results of these previous panels, McGee said she feels the employer
Megan Harris State Hornet
panel will be an effective way for students to gain insight on what employers are looking for and how to conduct themselves while seeking an internship. “Some students may learn that the career they’re studying for is not for them, others can utilize the program to gain great experience and network,” she said. Nathaniel Miller, The Sacramento Bee’s online content developer and Sac State graduate, said he also feels that internships are beneficial to students. “The benefits from any internship can be boiled down to three categories: tangible work, developing contacts and getting something to put on your resume,” Miller said. “So students should look for internships early and don’t be afraid to initiate first contact.” Internships leave students with the benefit of having an upper hand in the job industry, McGee said. “From an employer’s point of view, if they have two candidates with degrees applying for a job, they will choose the one with more experience,” McGee said. It helps students brush up on their interviewing skills for
internships, which can be just as important as an interview for a job, she said, because applying for internships requires intelligence on the students’ part. McGee said students should be realistic with time management throughout the process because gaining a beneficial internship takes time. “They should stay consistent and constantly apply – also, follow up on all their applications,” she said. McGee said students should treat internships like a job. Miller shared the same sentiments as he advised students to sharpen up on their work. “Be motivated, have flexible hours and be professional,” Miller said. Sac State students can get help with internships by visiting the Career Center for more advice and checking in on their department of study’s office for more opportunities specific to their major. McGee advises students to utilize all the opportunities given to them and to never be afraid of asking for help in doing so. “Everybody within two feet of you should know you’re looking for a job,” McGee said.
Students share experiences on different types of dating ONLINE DATING James Gross, sophomore kinesiology major, said he began the lifestyle of online dating after he got out of a long relationship. Online dating was a system he used to lift his spirits by finding a date. “I heard about this website from a friend and found it to be a legitimate site with no fees involved,” Gross said. “I’ve met about 10 girls there and took them on dates but I stick to one
girl at a time.” He said the girls he has found through the Internet behave differently than girls he has date through one-on-one. “I took this girl I met online to dinner for the first time and during dinner, she comes and gives me a hug,” Gross said. He said he felt very uncomfortable at the moment because he was not use to people coming on to him in that way.
DOUBLE-DATING “None of these girls are normal,” Gross said. “Many are a bit socially retarded.” He said he no longer uses the Internet to find a girlfriend because the girls he has met have not met his expectations. “Don’t get your hopes up with online dating, but it was a route for me I decided to take that helped me get my confidence level back up,” Gross said.
ONE-ON-ONE DATING Grace Nicolas, senior public relations major, said if a guy wanted to date her, he needs to approach her through one-onone dating because she does not like other types of dating. Nicolas said she understands there are many different types of dating but she has been “embedded” by her parents to value one-on-one dating. “If a guy is really interested in a girl, they will approach you,”
she said. Bobby Tran, junior management information system major, said one-on-one dating is the only medium he knows. Although Tran is aware of different types of dating, he does not agree with them. “I haven’t looked into other forms of dating but they seem too impersonal,” he said. “I think one-on-one dating it more personal because there’s a lot of
body language.” Nicolas said if a guy wants to date her, they have to meet her high expectations. “I can be pretty picky when it comes to the right guy but I will leave it to fate,” she said. Nicolas said it is not up to the girl to go out of their way and find the guy. She said one-on-one dating has a lot to do with first impressions. “I go with vibes,” she said.
Amy Carlson, sophomore government major, said when she is asked to join her friends on a double-date, she is very open to saying yes as long as they do not give her the “creeps.” Recently, Carlson’s friend and her boyfriend went out for the night and invited a guy to meet her. “I was not looking for a relationship but I was looking
for a good time,” she said. “I never say no because I am open to all options and all types of people as long as there is some connection.” Carlson said many people are not open to double-dating but it is a great opportunity. “I know many people going into dating with closed minds and feel it is important stay to their values,” she said. “Taking risk sometimes is not always
comfortable but it can result in making new friends, meeting new people and discovering new activity.” Lauren Bartley, senior health science major, said her friend often bombards her with invitations to proceed in doubledating. “People should be open to the idea because it can be a positive experience with the right people,” Bartley said.
LONG-DISTANCE DATING Christopher McConneaughey, freshman criminal justice major, said if people can last in a long-distance relationship, they can make it through anything. He said he met his girlfriend in high school in Salinas, Calif., but his relationship became long distance after graduating high school then moving to Sacramento for school.
“Even though there is a big distance between us, we still trust each other to stay faithful,” McConneaughey said. “Communication is a real big thing.” He takes matters in his own hand to better the situation by carrying out the same honor. “Anything (I do) that can be considered as misconstrued, (I) will tell my girlfriend about it so she is aware of my actions,” McConneaughey said.
The most difficult part for him is the fact they do not get to physically see each other. One of the fun things he enjoys about his long distance relationship is the “phone dates.” “Whenever there is a show on that we both enjoy watching, we both call each other and watch it together,” he said. From being in a long-distance relationship, he said he has grown as an individual.
Reporting and Writing: John Saelee
Graphic: Matt Erickson
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| S p r i n g I ss u e 6 | S a c ramento S tate
NCAA Sports Updates WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at NORTHERN ARIZ.
FEB. 25
W 104-98 at NORTHERN COLO.
FEB. 27
W 93-89 CLINCHED SPOT IN BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT MARCH 11-13
MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. NORTHERN ARIZ.
FEB. 26
L 73-59 vs. NORTHERN COLO.
FEB. 26
L 78-66 Justin Eller, center:
“I was really proud of our team this season. We played so hard. We had a couple of tough breaks but we just kept pushing through it and even though we may have lost a few games I think we still had a good season.”
FINAL RECORD: 9-21 CONFERENCE: 3-13
WOMEN’S TENNIS at UC IRVINE
FEB. 25
W 4-3 at SAN DIEGO
FEB. 27
W 4-3 MEN’S TENNIS at MONTANA STATE
FEB. 27
W 5-2 at UTAH STATE
FEB. 27
L 4-3
GYMNASTICS at BOISE STATE
FEB. 26
3RD PLACE Mike Connors, rowing head coach:
“The people coming in have talent, they just need experience.”
BASEBALL at PEORIA COLLEGE
SHOWCASE vs. KANSAS
FEB. 26
L 4-3
vs. GONZAGA
FEB. 26
W 8-2 vs. KANSAS
FEB. 27
L 10-4 Sport Clubs Updates MEN’S VOLLEYBALL at LEAGUE MINI
TOURNAMENT FEB. 26-27
L 6-2
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL at LEAGUE MINI
TOURNAMENT FEB. 26-27
L 5-1
Megan Harris State Hornet
By Jules Ramzy jramzy@statehornet.com Imagine traveling nearly 6,000 miles away from home in order to continue your decadelong passion as well as your education. Imagine traveling to a country where the traditions and customs are different than the ones you are used to. Imagine facing language barriers in order to succeed in a learning environment. Now add in tennis practice, games and meetings into your schedule. This may seem like an unrealistic imagination for some, but for five players and two coaches of the Sacramento State tennis teams, it is not imaginary. Katrina Zheltova, Tatsiana Kapshai, Maria Meliuk, Kiryl
Harbatsiuk and Anton Stryhas all decided to follow the women’s head coach Dima Hrynashka and the men’s head coach Slava Konikov from Belarus to play for Sac State. Zheltova said it was difficult being a Belarusian and adjusting to the American lifestyle. “It is hard. It’s a different culture. Different people. Also learning a second language has been hard,” Zheltova said. “I mean, now it has been four years since I’ve been here. Of course it is easier but I am still closer to my country. I was born there and my whole family is there. I miss it.” Meliuk said it was difficult to adjust to American lifestyle. “It is tough because Americans are very different from Belarusians,” Meliuk said. “Our
conditions, culture, the way we talk, the way we do things, everything is completely different. So I am still trying to adjust. I have still not gotten used to it.” Every player said that family plays a huge role in the lives of many Belarus natives and one thing that they missed about Belarus is their family. Harbatsiuk, who is ranked 40th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association men’s tennis singles rankings, said his family misses him but they know there are great opportunities for him here in America. “They miss me of course, but I know that they are proud of me because I am here,” Harbatsiuk said. “I am not on the streets, I am doing something with my life. I am a student. I am an athlete. So they are proud of me.”
Belarus has had some notable tennis players over the years, including Max Mirnyi, Olga Govortsova and Vladimir Voltchkov, despite it not being a primary sport in the country. Even though tennis is becoming a popular sport in Belarus, it still is not properly funded and many of the expenses fall on the family of the players. Meliuk explained how difficult it is for a young player in Belarus. “We don’t have many good coaches and there are not many opportunities to practice,” Meliuk said. “Our parents have to pay for all the trips, all the tournaments that we travel to, all of the practices for taking the courts, for everything. It is just so expensive. Our country is not privileged. So for poor
people, it is really tough.” Harbatsiuk said he likes America because anyone can come here in order to better themselves and their family. All of the players said after their families, tennis plays the No. 1 role in their lives. Kapshai said tennis is important to her. “The first place in my life is tennis, that’s all I do. It is all I have done for the last 11 years. I practice almost all the time, so it is practically whole life outside of family” Kapshai said. Tennis is the most important thing to Meliuk, she said. “I think tennis is everything to me because I have been playing since I was 8 and I played tennis almost every see Belarus| page B6
Women’s indoor track team wins Big Sky Conference championship By Marshall Hampson mhampson@statehornet.com The women’s indoor track and field team set a school record Sunday by scoring 167.5 points, beating second-place Northern Arizona University by 76.5 points in the Big Sky Indoor Championship. The Hornets scored points in all but one event and had five women win their respective events, giving the team its second Indoor title in three years. Head coach Kathleen Raske
Courtesy of Montana State University Sports Information
The Big Sky Champions beat the Lumberjacks handily.
has coached the Hornets for seven seasons and was thrilled with the results. “Our women just dominated,” Raske said. “They knew they would be the team to beat and they came out of the gate with barrels loaded.” During the first day, Naima Goodwin and Moria Robinson managed to tie in the high jump, becoming co-winners. Goodwin also got second in the pentathlon with 3,691 points and helped put points up on the board in two events in the meet.
Ericka Violett went into the Big Sky Indoor Championship to defend her long jump title from last year’s meet. Violett jumped two inches farther than the second-place contestant to earn her back-to-back title. “It was awesome to repeat. It’s something we always talk about during the season,” Violett said. “I’m so proud of our girls team.” Sakya Bolton won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.94 seconds, while her teammate see Indoor| page B6
Hometown golfer making name for self By Sergio Saldana ssaldana@statehornet.com Jake Johnson was destined to be a golfer. While he may have not been born swinging a club, his parents Oscar and Cathi Johnson did play while Cathi was pregnant with Jake. Jake Johnson, a sophomore business major, of Cameron Park, began playing golf on his own at a young age. A homegrown talent, Johnson was born in Sacramento. As a child, Johnson’s parents cut down golf clubs to fit Jake’s size and take him to go play golf with them. By the time he was 4, Jake Johnson had played a
full round of golf alongside his parents at the Elk Horn Country Club in Stockton. “We started him at a really young age,” Oscar Johnson said. “He took to golf literally how a duck takes to water.” Jake’s parents supported him in golfing career and still are. As a freshman at Sac State, Jake Johnson was a walk-on to the team. He battled for a spot on the team and beat out his competition, allowing him to earn a sports scholarship. Soon after showing promise on the golf course, his parents decided to move from the Land Park area of Sacramento to
Cameron Park, when Jake was 6 years old. Growing up, Oscar Johnson had the biggest influence on Jake’s golfing career. He helped his son with his swing and mentor him until Jake was about 11. That is when his parents decided hire a professional instruction to improve his game. Cathi Johnson said a major reason for moving was so Jake could have as much access to golf as he wanted. “From sun up to sun down in the summer time, Jake was raised on the golf course,” Cathi Johnson said. see Golf| page B6
Ricky Afuang State Hornet
Jake Johnson, sophomore golfer, picked up a club early in his life, and looks to focus on golf after he graduates.
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Wednesday - March 3
Sports Section
Decision to not redshirt Dickson benefits Hornets By Ross Coleman rcoleman@statehornet.com When the Sacramento State men’s basketball team joined Division I of the NCAA in 1991, John Dickson was in diapers. The Hornets have never reached the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, however. But the 6-foot-6-inch, 185-pound guard/forward hopes that over the next three years he can be a reason for that to change. Dickson could have gone to schools with a more storied history than Sac State. He could have gone to the alma mater of NBA Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell and K.C. Jones and played in his home city of San Francisco at the University of San Francisco. But the 19-yearold decided he wanted to blaze his own trail. “I came to Sac State because I wanted to make some history and turn the program around,” Dickson said. Dickson played his high school ball at Fairfield High School under head coach Eddie Wilson. Wilson was someone who not only gave Dickson his first taste of varsity basketball, but he also taught Dickson the importance of humility and maturity. During his last game as a Falcon his senior year, Wilson benched Dickson during the playoffs due to a verbal altercation he had with an assistant coach. It was a decision that Dickson said helped him learn a lot about basketball. “I had to learn that basketball was more about being a team,” Dickson said. “You got to be a team to win.” Dickson said Wilson helped him learn a lot during his time at Fairfield High. “(Wilson) gave me my first opportunity to play varsity,” Dickson said. “He is very honest, a great person and I love him to death.” The summer before he enrolled at Sac State, many, including Hornets’ head coach Brian Katz, believed Dickson
would redshirt. At the time, he was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed 165 pounds. He would likely have to sit out a year to put on weight and get stronger. Dickson had other thoughts. “I came here thinking I was going to play, help the team out and win some games,” Dickson said. “I can’t sit out and watch someone play basketball. I have to be in the game.” Dickson took a train from Fairfield to Sacramento a few times a week to work out with the Hornets. He would then take those workouts back to Fairfield and try to recreate them the rest of the week. The results were staggering. By the time he arrived at Sac State, he had sprouted another inch and put on 15 pounds. “He did a really good job after we signed him on the weights,” Katz said. “He put on 15 pounds of muscle through his hard work and weight training. That is what gave him a chance to play.” Dickson’s work ethic has made an impression on his teammates, especially senior tri-captain Justin Eller. “It’s exciting to see young guys like (Dickson) who have the work ethic of people who have been in the program for two or three years,” Eller said. “He already has that part of it figured out.” However, the question is not Dickson’s work ethic or his ability. It is his leadership. Can he be the face of Sac State basketball going forward? Can he be the guy to lead the Hornets to their first-ever NCAA tournament bid in the future? Dickson certainly thinks so. Wilson said he sees Dickson as a natural leader. “He has innate leadership skills because he is receptive to the things his coaches say,” Wilson said. “He is extremely loyal and he is committed to doing well.” Eller also sees the leadership potential Dickson possesses. “A lot of the guys respect him and a lot of the guys listen to him,” Eller said. “I think that over the years he is going to
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Students face challenges of organizing, running teams By Matt Harrington mharrington@statehornet.com
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
John Dickson steals the ball and gets an easy dunk on Saturday night. grow into a leadership role easily.” Katz has already begun to have conversations with Dickson about his leadership qualities. “I think leadership is more than just one or two people,” Katz said. “Everybody’s got to lead a little bit everyday, but I have specifically talked to him about that and I would like to see him develop into a leader. At some point I believe that he will.” Dickson believes he is already a leader. “Even though I am young, I like to show people I can be a leader,” Dickson said. “I lead by example and work hard.” The freshman finished third on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game and grabbed 3.6 rebounds a contest. Katz said he sees Dickson has a knack for rebounding the ball. “I feel at some point he should lead the conference in rebounding,” Katz said. “He is long and athletic and has a nose for the ball.” That nose for the ball could be genetic. Dickson’s mother, Kelli Danner, is a former college basketball player at Eastern see Dickson| page B6
Intercollegiate Athletics on campus have a whole department devoted to their smooth running. In contrast Recreational Sports Clubs have to do everything themselves, with the help of the Recreational Sports department. Recreational Sports Clubs are made up of students who have a desire to compete in sports at the college level. Students come together and create sports clubs that compete with other clubs from different schools. Some sport clubs here at Sacramento State include ice hockey, women’s rugby and women’s volleyball. In order to form a club sport, students must first meet with Rich Clakeley, coordinator of Sports Clubs for Recreational Sports, and meet certain requirements. “The club needs eight members. Two officers then need to attend nuts and bolts, then a description of who they are needs to be written, and then a constitution needs to be filled out,” Clakeley said. Club sports are different than varsity intercollegiate sports. A varsity intercollegiate sport has a large staff personally responsible for the scheduling of games between other schools and scheduling practices. Official intercollegiate sports are governed by the NCAA. Varsity club sports have two departments, the office of Student Organizations and Leadership and the office of Recreational Sports, that help them find and manage available resources. In order for varsity club sports to begin competing, they must first be recognized as an official club by the office of Student Organizations and Leadership. Bill Macriss, deputy director of athletics, stated that in most cases, schools carry sports that are regional in nature. “Many sports are regional
and are not always found in the Western states,” Macriss said. “For example, hockey is not a typical sport you would find in our region due to the make of weather and regional interest.” Other reasons include, funding, coverage by athletic conference and Title IX rules. Title IX is a regulatory law that requires schools of higher education to provide equal facilities and comparable spending for both women’s and men’s sports. This also includes the ratio of men to women competing in an intercollegiate program be as equal as possible. Clakeley helps the clubs with organization, management and small business skills. He said the students need to schedule their own games, find places to practice and hire a coach, on top of learning the business aspects. Ice hockey President Justin Ellison said the most difficult aspect for the team was getting the team organized. “They had to find members, get reinstated to the league, Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association and be cleared by the Rec Sports department and Student Affairs,” Ellison said. The club’s current focus is on sustainability. “We want our numbers to grow, so we can make this a dominant club on campus,” Ellison said.
The management skills he has learned have proven to be invaluable. “It will definitely help me later on in life and in my potential careers,” Ellison said. For new club sports, like cycling, the unfamiliarity of campus rules and regulations pose the biggest challenge. Emily Kachorek, cycling club president, said she finds the process a little daunting. Kachorek said her main challenge is “getting team members to take greater responsibility and leadership roles within the club.” Management skills for Kachorek have taught her some valuable skills. “I have learned that I need to become more comfortable delegating responsibility to others,” Kachorek said. Kachorek takes great pleasure seeing her teammate’s excitement for riding and racing their bikes. Recreational Sports clubs do a lot to maintain their clubs in order to complete, but for Kachorek and Ellison, it is all worth it. “Not everyone gets a chance to play an intercollegiate sport in college,” Ellison said. “But being on a sports club, you get that chance to compete at a high level, while making life long friends and learning how to run an organization.”
Robert Linggi State Hornet
Intramurals coordinator Sean Basso updates standings of the men’s five-on-five basketball games.
WEST COAST BIAS
Possible Pac-10 expansion could prove to be a positive
By Ross Coleman rcoleman@statehornet.com Ten team conferences are so 2009. So why is the Pac-10 still behind the times? Even the Big 10 has 11 teams after Penn State joined in 1993. But new commissioner Larry Scott and his new deputy commissioner, Kevin Weiberg, seem to be exploring options of turning the Pac-10 into the Pac-12. It’s no secret the Pac-10 is a top-level athletic conference but the addition of two teams from top-flight media markets would turn the conference into a pinnacle of college athletics. Finding the right fit is the issue. Pac-10 schools fit a certain demographic. They must maintain a certain level of academic
standards and they must have a well rounded athletic department. It is not just about football and basketball. Women’s athletics and non-revenue sports play a major part of making the Pac-10 what it is. So the reason why the Pac-10 has not taken the leap yet is because Pac-10-caliber schools are hard to come by. You can also cross off Fresno State, San Diego State and Boise State because there is not enough balance between academics and athletics. Media market size also impacts the decision. The two largest media markets in the western United States that aren’t already occupied by the Pac-10 are Salt Lake City and Denver. That points to three teams to fit the Pac-10 mold: University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and the University of Colorado, Boulder. All three schools have balanced athletics and put a premium on academics. I spent my first two years out of high school at Colorado and while many of the students may argue about the premium put on academics, the in-state stu-
dents say it is one of the most difficult schools to get into in the state. Colorado also has its strongest alumni association in the Los Angeles area. Meaning they already have a large level of support in Pac-10 country. The choice between BYU and Utah is not as easy choosing Colorado. The Pac-10 would take Colorado first because the Denver market is the No. 16 market in the country, while Salt Lake City is No. 31. The Pac-10 would choose Utah over BYU without question. BYU would be the better athletic program to take, but the mixture of the Latter Day Saints association with BYU as well as the fact the Pac-10 has
had trouble with the power that private schools possess. USC is able to bring in players to school that other schools would not be able to admit into school. Stanford goes the opposite way but they have the ability to have top-notch facilities that are privately funded. Putting that together means Utah would be the likely choice to join the Pac-10 over BYU. With Southern Califorina being such a fertile recruiting area, it wouldn’t be fair to create Northern and Southern divisions because there could be a few teams that would go a year without playing in California. One idea that I have heard is sort of an AFC-NFC division
separation. In one division you have UCLA, Stanford, Washington, Oregon State, Arizona and Colorado. In the other division you have USC, Cal, Washington State, Oregon, Arizona State and Utah. The way the conference would be set up, you play everyone in your division, plus your natural rival and two other members of the other division. This would allow for up to four non-conference games and a conference championship game. That move would nurture conference rivalries and allow for a more balanced conference. One of the few things holding back this dream is the Big 12 conference’s rules about schools giving notice of their intentions
to leave the conference. If Colorado left the Big 12, it would have to give a two-year notice. But the move would be more about the long run. I think the Pac-10 needs a facelift and the addition of two teams would greatly improve the conference as a whole, but if it does expand the big wigs in charge of the conference must get the right schools into the conference. I just hope they figure it out sooner rather than later.
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
Wednesday - March 4
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Sports Section
B5
Rowing looking for fourth championship in last five years By Matt Harrington mharrington@statehornet.com The 2010 Sacramento State women’s rowing team is looking for its fourth Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association team championship in five years. Sac State has won three out of the last four championships including its most recent championship last spring. While at the WIRA championships, the eight-person varsity boat placed second in the finals in its category. The rowing team has six returning seats from last year’s boat that it needs to fill for this upcoming season. The team will be looking to last year’s novice team to fill the remaining seats and keep the momentum in Sac State’s favor. Head coach Mike Connors is heading into his eighth season at the helm of the women’s rowing team. In those eight seasons, Connors has led the varsity eight-boat to a 51-11
record. In that same time, he has led the novice eight-boat to a record of 31-11. In spring 2009 action, Connors coached the varsity eight-boat to a 10-4 record in dual-meet formatting. Connors said he believes the success of the team will be based on the core group of rowers who are returning from last year’s team. “I am hoping that this will translate into an even faster boat,” he said. “Most of the rowers have improved from last year and we are trying to fit in pieces to create a successful boat.” Sac State will be led by senior captain Holly Hopkins, who was named to the second team All-West Region by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association in 2009. Since 1995, 11 Hornets have been named to the All-West Region. She is also a two-time recipient of National Scholar-Athlete Award. This award is given to rowers with a 3.5 or higher cu-
mulative grade point average. Holly Hopkins said she feels in order for the team to win another team championship, it will have to produce more firstplace finishes in each of the eight-boat divisions. “We are hoping to build on that production and have more boats win,” Holly Hopkins said. Holly Hopkins also said she feels the women’s novice eight boat is as important to the success of this year’s team as it was last year’s team. “It’s really important for those girls that are moving up and that are going to be here for the next two years to be role models for the new girls,” Holly Hopkins said. “To show the current novices what can be done as first-year rowers.” Her teammate and sister, Heather Hopkins, said she believes a key to Sac State’s success will be its depth on the roster to get beyond any injuries that may come over the season. “With a team like Sac State, we are always a little bit on the
Robert Linggi State Hornet
The women’s rowing team gets drenched by rainwater that collected in their boat during a scrimmage against Cal on Saturday at the Sacramento State Aquatics Center. line and every person on the
ly good point right now, where
team is important,” Heather
the girls that do have injuries
Hopkins said. “We are at a real-
are coming back, getting in the
boats and getting stronger.” Sac State’s rowing season begins Saturday at Santa Clara.
Big Sky honors 27 Hornets for fall academic performance By Matt Harrington mharrington@statehornet.com Just two years after having the most sports penalized for academic for any one NCAA division one school, the Sacramento State athletic department was awarded with 27 fall student-athletes being named to Big Sky Conference all-academic honors. Sac State has focused on academics in recent years, due to the university being hammered two years ago on academic sanctions. However the recent hard work the athletic department has put in is apparent in postseason academic awards. The Big Sky Conference named 27 Hornets studentathletes on the fall all-academic team, which was announced
Feb. 4. The athletes needed to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher in order to be eligible for the award. The football team led the way with 10 athletes recognized. Football was followed by women’s soccer and women’s cross country, both with five members on the team. Volleyball had four men’s cross-country had three. Sac State’s overall athletic GPA has been on the rise. Of the 21 categories that are charted for athletics, the overall average GPA is 2.957. The men’s teams are averaging 2.927 and the women’s teams are slightly higher with 2.966. “The 2.957 is the highest it has ever been during Dr. Terry Wanless’ tenure,” said Deputy Director of Athletics Bill Mac-
riss. “I have been here for 14 years and that is the highest overall GPA we have had.” Macriss said the athletic department’s ultimate goal is to get the overall GPA above 3.0. Women’s soccer head coach Randy Dedini said one of his players, senior Kimberly Kem-
per, does what it takes to do well off the field. “She is one of the hardest working players I have coached here at Sac State,” Dedini said. Kemper said it is an honor being a student-athlete. “It means devoting a great deal of your time and energy to
studying for your classes and training and competing in your sport,” Kemper said. Scott Grose of the men’s cross country team said he was excited when he was informed of the honor.
“It’s nice to be recognized and to be a part of that small group,” Grose said. Of the 27 athletes named to the all-academic team, 12 of them posted a 4.0 GPA Macriss said.
B6
Wednesday - March 3
Sports Section
statehornet.com
Belarus: Players leave family, culture to Golf: Family moves follow dream of college tennis career to nurture talent Continued | page B3 day,” Meliuk said. “I travel and I usually hang out with tennis players. Here in America it is a bit different because I have an opportunity to hang out with other people, but back in Belarus it was mainly tennis players. So basically, tennis is me and I am tennis.” Konikov said the men’s tennis team is a diverse group of players who all work well together.
“The connection between Sac State and Belarus is fine,” Konikov said. “We bring in good guys, good players from all over the world. Most of the players come from Belarus, like Anton and Kiryl. We have a couple of guys from the United States, like Jason Smith, he was top 10 in the United States. We also have a player from Croatia as well, he is pretty good. Everybody on the tennis team works hard and plays well.”
As for the players, completing school is the main goal for all of them and many would like to continue their careers. “I want to do something with tennis,” Zheltova said. “That is how I will live the rest of my life. I want to try playing professionally and if not that then I will be teaching and coaching tennis.” Stryhas said he would like to finish off the season strong but the most important thing to
him is continuing his education and getting a career. “I want to finish my bachelor’s degree; that is the priority,” Stryhas said. “Finish the season, I want to win the conference and I want to go to the Nationals as well. Do our best as a team and as individuals as well. For further future I will try to get my master’s in business and try to get a job. Oh, and professional tennis as well, that is one of the options.”
Dickson: NCAA Tournament berth is No. 1 goal for high-flying swingman Continued | page B4 Washington University. Despite the fact that basketball has been in his blood for much of his life, Dickson never felt pressured to play the sport that his mother grew up playing. “My mom never pushed me towards basketball,” Dickson said. “Even if I didn’t want to play basketball she would be on my side.” His basketball IQ is also something that can be attributed to having a former college basketball player as his mother. “From an X’s and O’s standpoint, he is a sponge,” Wilson
said. “He soaks everything up. His mom did a great job of raising him.” Fairfield High School is not known as a basketball hotbed. Dickson is the first player from the school to earn a Division I basketball scholarship. But the impact Dickson left is something Wilson will always remember. “He probably has the greatest work ethic of any player we have ever coached at Fairfield,” Wilson said. “Because of that, he became the most successful athlete we have ever had. I would argue that our impact at Fairfield High on him was less than his impact on us.”
Wilson and Dickson still speak a few times a week. The next step for Dickson is the only step he sees for his career at Sac State: an NCAA Tournament bid. “Going to the NCAA Tournament is my No. 1 goal,” Dickson said. But he realizes Sac State must work together to get there. “We all have to become one big family and trust in one another,” Dickson said. “We have to work hard in the offseason, become stronger and faster. We showed earlier in the season against Oregon State that we can dominate, we just have to put out the effort every game.”
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
John Dickson averaged 9.7 points per game during his freshman year.
Continued | page B3 Cameron Park Country Club was the biggest factor in his developmental years. Jake would use the golf course to hone his golfing skills, and the members there, as competition. “The club was his playground, he literally spent every waking minute at the club,” Oscar Johnson said. “He would play early morning to dinner time.” Cameron Park Country Club is where Jake met Steve Frye, the club’s head professional. Frye worked with Jake Johnson and enhanced his natural talents to higher level of play. Jake Johnson said he owes a lot of his growth to Steve Frye. “He took me from a level of just liking golf and turned it into a more serious career,” Jake Johnson said. “Steve worked with me a lot. I have to thank a lot of my golf career to him. He really got me motivated in it.” Johnson took what he learned from Frye and put them into action in various tournaments. Johnson played on the Sacramento Area Youth Golf Tour, where he displayed his talent from the ages 12 to 18. He participated in those tournaments twice a year. When Johnson started high school at Oak Ridge High, he really began to flourish. He played all four years on the varsity golf team, simultaneously playing in the Junior Golf As-
sociation of Northern California and Sacramento Area Youth Golf Tour. He participated in roughly 15 tournaments a year for the Junior Golf Association of Northern California. “Senior year of high school is when I began to really to put in a lot of effort with working out, staying in shape and working on my golf swing,” Jake Johnson said. “ I really stepped up what I was doing.” When Johnson was 16, he played on the Future Collegians World Tour. The tour was for 16- to 18-year-old kids to play in tournaments across the country. The tour allowed Johnson to play in three or four tournaments a year at famous courses. Johnson also developed a close relationship with swing coach Philip Dawson. Dawson was introduced to Johnson through Frye. The two continue to work on Johnson’s game. Jake Johnson’s friend, freshman Jake Pineo, said he works really hard at his game. “He is ultra competitive and that really influences the way he practices and plays,” Pineo said. That competitiveness helped to lead Jake to a second-place finish at the Purple & Red Invitation on Oct. 3. He has aspirations to continue golfing at the next level. “In the end, I do want to turn pro after college,” he said. “I do want to turn this into a career.”
Indoor: Men’s team finishes in third place with 113 points Continued | page B3 Renisha Robinson took the 800-meter title in 2:11.32. Triple-jumper Nicole McGlory leapt into the record book with a jump of 40-07, third-best at Sac State. The women competed and scored points in many events.
“We had a lot of girls who were able to do more than one event,” Violett said. “Our coaches do a good job of strategizing to get the most points during the meet.” The men scored 113 points throughout the two days, coming up 19 points behind Northern Arizona and 14.33 points
behind second-place Montana State University. Ronald Brookins led the Hornets both days, claiming the long-jump title during the first day while breaking the school record in the 55-meter hurdles on the second day with a time of 7.28 seconds. Raske said Brookins had a
standout performance and with his hurdle time of 7.28, Brookins now has the 12thfastest time in the nation. Assistant coach Scott Abbott praised the men’s third-place finish, as they competed against fully funded programs and did not have a deep lineup. “Our score of 113 points
would have been good enough to win any other year,” Abbott said. “That was a sign that our guys really stepped up.” Andy White took first in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.42 seconds. White, Brookins and A.J. Reed were part of the Hornet sweep of the 55-meter dash and gave the team some
much-needed help. “It was an incredible sweep and it takes a lot of hard work,” Raske said. “During finals, everybody had to execute.” The teams will participate in Last Chance Meet in Seattle to try and qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12.