The S tate Hornet March 10, 2010
C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento
O ne C opy F ree
E st . 1949
Capitol gets lesson on education
Julie Keefer State Hornet
A UC Berkeley student shouts while listening to speakers at the “Day of Action for Public Education” rally at the state Capitol on Thursday.
Robert Linggi State Hornet
Bill Camp, executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, took the podium during the Save My Education rally at the Capitol.
Legislators who graduated from the California State University
By Brittany Bottini bbottini@statehornet.com Students, faculty and activists expressed their animosity toward budget cuts for higher education at the state Capitol on Thursday. An estimated crowd of more than 1,000 protestors shouted and sang with the hopes of arousing empathy from the state Legislature on the designated “Day of Action for Public Education.” Political science professor Wendy Brown was among the 200 UC Berkeley faculty members who traveled to the Capitol to rally. “California, rich in resources, rich in human talent, rich in industries and very rich in the rich, can afford a first-rate education system,” Brown said to the crowd of protestors. “But our quagmired political system, anti-tax political culture, upside-down state budget priorities, and the configuring of higher education itself on the model of a business - these have demoted public education to the status of a failing discount store.” Dimitrios Philliou, a high school senior from Maryland, took part in the protest at the Capitol in hopes of achieving his dream of attending college in California. Growing up, Philliou’s parents were political activists for their union. Their political involvement encouraged Philliou to fight for what he thought was right. “I think it’s great that California can unite for a single cause, regardless of social status or wealth,” Philliou said. Phillious said he applied to many school across California, including Berkeley, UC Irvine,
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Nearly 1,000 students, faculty and community members protested at the Capitol for funding for higher education.
“I will no longer be apart of the band in Sacramento that is leading us down the path of mediocrity. Politics as usual, business as usual, is unacceptable.” Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont San Francisco State and Sacramento State, but is worried he may not get accepted. “It’s looking pretty dubious. I’m getting pretty discouraged,” Phillious said. “If I don’t get in here, I’ll be forced to go to school in Maryland, and I really don’t want that.” State Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, said in order for higher education in California to be turned around,
the state must first solve the problem of funding. “We need to raise taxes and revenues,” Torrico said. “I will no longer be a part of the band in Sacramento that is leading us down the path of mediocrity.” Torrico urged students to support Assembly Bill 656, a bill that would tax oil companies to provide funding for the California State University, University of California and state commu-
nity colleges. Margarita Berta-Avila, bilingual and multicultural education professor and Master of Ceremonies at the protest, said it is helpful for students and faculty to have allies in the senate like Torrico. “We’re all teaming together to present a united front from the community,” Berta-Avila said.
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Check out the slideshows and videos of the protest at statehornet.com.
see Protest | page A8
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Anthony Adams: CSU, San Bernardino Tom Ammiano: San Francisco State University Joel Anderson: Cal Poly, Pomona Karen Bass: CSU, Dominguez Hills Jim Beall: San Jose State University Tom Berryhill: Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Stephen Bradford: San Diego State University Charles Calderon: CSU, Los Angeles Wesley Chesbro: Humboldt State University Connie Conway: Fresno State Mike Davis: CSU, Dominguez Hills Paul Fong: San Jose State Jean Fuller: Fresno State Alyson Huber: Chico State Dan Logue: Sacramento State Bonnie Lowenthal: CSU, Long Beach Tony Mendoza: CSU, Long Beach Jeff Miller: CSU, Fullerton Pedro Nava: CSU, San Bernadino Jim Nielsen: Fresno, State Mary Salas: San Diego State Jim Silva: San Jose State Lori Saldana: San Diego State Mike Villines: Fresno State Sandre Swanson: San Francisco State
INSIDE THE STATE HORNET VARSHNEY STUDY CRITICIZED
Find out why critics have been hammering one of Sac State’s deans.
News | A3
CHANCELLOR REED AND THE GOVERNATOR What happens if these two guys meet to talk about the budget? Check out Marcy Hendricks’ comic. They definitely aren’t pumping iron.
Opinion | A5
PROFESSOR MARIA WINKLER
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
How did she break into the male-dominated art field of the 1970s?
Can they make it to the NCAA tourney? Not without beating Montana State.
Features | B1
Sports | B4
THE F-WORD FORUM
And no, it’s not about that word. Read the story on statehornet.com
Online News statehornet.com
The State Hornet Issue 7 | Volume 62 | No. 21
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NEWS ROUNDUP Sac State’s weekly news briefs and campus events ASI to hold State of the Students Address Associated Students Inc., will be having its fifth annual State of the Students Address at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the Hinde Auditorium. ASI President Robert Torres will discuss what ASI has done to accomplish the goals outlined in the board of directors’ 2009-10 strategic plan. Torres will also talk about the Capitol rally, titled “The March in March,” on March 22. Torres said the rally will serve as an urge for students to take action against cuts to higher education. After the speech, students can ask questions, raise concerns and talk to the board of directors. For more information, go to statehornet.com.
Anchor Blue comes to Sac State Anchor Blue will be on campus until 5 p.m. Friday to raise funds for Sacramento State’s athletics department. Store manager Vanessa Henderson said clothes are being sold for up to 60 percent off the ticket price. Henderson said 5 percent of the total sales will be given to the athletics department. Anchor Blue will also donate $750 and gift cards worth $750 to the athletics department. “It’s a way to get our name out and to get college students to know who we are,” Henderson said.
The State Hornet | Staff Editor in Chief Todd Wilson
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editor@statehornet.com Print Managing Editor Leidhra Johnson (916) 278-7300
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Library’s lower level closed due to flooding The Library’s lower level has been closed temporarily due to flooding from the March 2 downpour. Rooms 11, 53 and 65, all located in the lower level at the south end of the Library, are unavailable for use as the rooms are being cleaned. There was 3 to 4 inches of standing water inside Rooms 53 and 65, and more than 4 inches in Room 11, said Doug Jackson, associate vice president of Academic Computing Services. Dehumidifiers have been placed along the halls and inside the rooms of the lower level to get rid of the moisture from the flood. Facilities & Utilities is hoping to have Rooms 53 and 65 open on Monday and Room 11 on Apr. 5, said Linda Hafar, director of Facilities & Utilities. Go to statehornet.com for more information.
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Assistant News Editor Kristine Guerra
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Education summit to open up opportunities for students Forty Sac State students can register to attend the California Higher Education Student Summit, or CHESS, from April 23 to 26. The students, who will be sponsored by ASI, will have the opportunity to network with leaders from across the state. The event includes a welcome reception April 23, educational sessions and a news conference on April 24 and 25, and the “CSU Student Advocacy Day at the State Capitol” on April 26. The deadline for registration is Friday. For more information, contact the ASI office at (916) 278-6784.
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features@statehornet.com 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. Signed articles, letters and artwork express the opinions of the authors and illustrators. Unsigned articles are the responsibility of The State Hornet. The State Hornet reserves the right to reject or edit all submissions.
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Wednesday - March 10
News Section
Varshney study discredited By Timothy Sandoval tsandoval@statehornet.com The Dean of Business Administration at Sacramento State has been criticized for his report on Assembly Bill 32, California’s climate change legislation, which critics claim contains faulty methodology and an apparent bias. The report, titled “Cost of AB 32 on Small Businesses,” was written by Sanjay Varshney, dean of the College of Business Administration, and business administration professor Dennis Tootelian. The authors’ report finds that AB 32 will cost California small businesses $182.6 billion in gross state output and 1.1 million jobs. But critics have repudiated the authors’ findings, methodologies and intentions. AB 32 is the California climate change legislation, which would work to reduce greenhouse emissions to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. This would be done through state regulations, setting up a cap-and-trade system. “I was quite amazed when I read it,” said James Sweeney, director of the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center at Stanford, who wrote a review on the author’s findings. “I don’t see how anyone could get it so wrong.” Varshney declined to comment on the report. Varshney told the Sacramento Business Review, “I haven’t really kept up with the debate.” Tootelian also said he had nothing futher to add about the report. “We conducted an independent and unbiased study, and certainly support the spirit of AB 32,” he said in an e-mail. “Our study estimated the costs, and we have no other comment. We understand that some agree and disagree with our findings.” Critics are peeved that the authors count only the costs of AB 32, and omit any possible savings that would result from AB 32, because they find them
to be “speculative.” Sweeney said only counting the costs was not appropriate. “(They) just systematically say we will buy into all the costs increases and discount all the costs reductions,” Sweeney said. When accounting for the extra costs in transportation, the authors used the Air Resources Board’s estimated $30-amonth savings for those who buy energy-efficient cars. The authors multiplied this by the number of cars per household and counted this as a cost to all consumers. From this, the authors estimated that transportation costs will increase $756 per year for gasoline. “That’s just truly weird, I don’t know what other way to describe it,” Sweeney said. Many other experts who have criticized the report included Matthew Kahn, professor of economics and public policy at UCLA; Frank Ackerman, of the Stockholm Environmental Institute; and James Fine of the Environmental Defense Fund, among others. This report on AB 32 is not the only report by Varshney and Tootelian to be criticized. The pair also wrote a report on overall state regulation, which met with similar criticism. “For a guy who purports to be a professor, this is an embarrassment to himself and an embarrassment to the school,” said Chris Thornberg, economist and founding principal of Beacon Economics. Thornberg agreed. “The results are so screwy and crazy,” Thornberg said. “It’s so bad that if a freshman student handed this to me, I wouldn’t even give him an ‘F,’ I would call it incomplete and hand it back to them.” Hank Ryan, of Small Businesses California, a group of 4,000 small businesses that support AB 32, rejected the authors report on AB 32 as well. “That study is not funded by anyone closely related to small
Dean of Business Administration Sanjay Varshney has been criticized by many professionals about his report on Assembly Bill 32.
businesses,” Ryan said. According to one report, Varshney and Tootelian were paid $54,000 by the Small Business Roundtable to conduct their report on AB 32. Steve Maviglio, communication studies lecturer at Sac State, is a spokesman for Californians for Clean Energy and Jobs, which is leading a campaign against a proposed initiative to suspend AB 32. “What’s troubling about the survey is that it’s so far off the mark and our opponents use it at every turn,” Maviglio said. “They all use it and cite it as chapter and verse.” Sweeney said he was inspired to write his review because he witnessed a representative of gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner cite the report to show why he disapproved of AB 32. “The Varshney study has been used by opponents of doing anything about global climate change,” Sweeney said. “What I hope in my analysis is that people will say, ‘We can continue the debate, but not use the Varshney study.’”
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Goal of CSU partnership to increase Latino enrollment By Lauren Greenwood lgreenwood@statehornet.com
Courtesy photo
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Although the California State University and the Parent Institute for Quality Education, also known as PIQE, are coming to the end of their five-year partnership, they are working together again for “Es El Momento” (The Moment Is Now), a national campaign aimed at increasing Latino students’ graduation rates and enrollment numbers in college. PIQE is an organization dedicated to increasing college going rates in underserved communities that traditionally have had low college going rates by reaching out to the parents of students in these communities. PIQE teaches parents the skills necessary to foster a positive educationally focused environment at home and is specific to each grade. Teresa Guerrero, the executive director of the PIQE office in Modesto, said at least 30 percent of the parents of the entire student population participate in the parent course. The organization works with underserved schools and stresses the need to go to college. “Given our economic reality, and given our future workforce needs, we need as many students to graduate and obtain a college degree,” said Phil Garcia, executive director of government and civil affairs at Sac State. Sacramento is the most diverse city in the nation and has many schools with diverse populations. PIQE works with all kinds of communities and offers a nineweek course for parents of
students in these communities. Sacramento class sections are taught in English, Spanish and 12 other languages. “By getting the parents involved in the education of their children, it is more likely that their children will succeed, and they can go to college, graduate, and be successful in life,” Garcia said. “The curriculum covers the topics of home school collaboration, motivation and self-esteem, communication, discipline, drug and gang awareness. Most importantly, (PIQE) introduces the goal of attaining a college education.” Trained facilitators teach the curriculum. Guerrero said when PIQE recruits parents to enroll, it is also looking for potential facilitators to carry on the program. In Sacramento, PIQE initially targeted elementary and middle schools, but over the years, high schools became the focus. The 2008-09 year was the first year all the funded programs were in high schools.The program worked with Valley High, Florin High and Laguna High School, and all are in the south Sacramento area. “All the high school administrators, from what I recall,
Since the CSU and Parent Institute for Quality Education partnership began in 2006, Sac State has received $100,000 in aid from the CSU to continue the parntership. rave about the PIQE program,” Garcia said. The success of increasing college enrollment rates is still
too early to measure. However, there are schools such as Florin High that are repeat schools in the PIQE program, “which speaks to the sustainability that’s taking place. The administration at Florin believes it’s been successful,” Garcia said. Repeat schools continue to be in the PIQE program because administrators see the successful effect of PIQE and request for the program again. Students do have tracking cards, and PIQE is trying to gather as much information as soon as students graduate. Now, with the beginning of “Es El Momento,” PIQE is looking to focus on Latino students. The new campaign has already received support from the U.S. State Department, Univision, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a variety of other college-oriented organizations. Garcia said although there is not a lot information on a campus level about plans to implement “Es El Momento,” Sac State plans to help with the campaign. “‘Es El Momento’ is just one of several outreach programs launched by the CSU. The CSU is looking to provide critical outreach to underserved students and their communities,” Garcia said. Daniel Espinoza, junior physical therapy major and member of the Latino multicultural community service fraternity Sigma Lambda Theta, said the partnership between PIQE and Sac State is a positive thing because many Latino youth he knows don’t expect to continue their education past high school. “I am excited about the ‘Es El Momento’ campaign,” Espinoza said. “Programs that start at the home front and give students the push are very effective.”
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Construction management teams tackle the competition By Lauren Greenwood lgreenwood@statehornet.com The Sacramento State Construction Management teams triumphed against the competition in the annual 2010 Associated Schools of Construction Region 7 and Open Problems National competition. In the Region 7 competitions, the commercial team won first place. The teams took first place in the regional commercial competition and the national electrical and mechanical competitions. The teams also took second place in the multi-family and design competitions. “The competition is a great way for students to test themselves in a real world application and environment,” said Ryan Henry, senior construction management major and president of the Construction Management Student Association. Students compete for two days straight and maintain their high energy for the whole weekend, Henry said. “It’s a very intense weekend for students, but they enjoy themselves and enjoy the competition,” said Mike Anderson, director of the construction management program and faculty coach of the Heavy Civil team. Even though the first two days of the competition were grueling, the third
day of the competition was a networking opportunity for students to meet their potential employers. “Many of the competitions are essentially a job interview and the teams that do well often have recruiters meeting them in the hallway right after a presentation,” said Justin Reginato, faculty coach for the pre-construction team. Due to the economic recession, Anderson said construction is one of the first industries to decline, and less companies can afford to hire on the spot at the competition. This past competition, Anderson and Reginato noticed there were fewer companies and on-the-spot hiring and interviewing wasn’t as prevalent as years past. “In this economy, (competing in the competition) is the best route to get a job,” Reginato said. Knowing that there is so much at stake during the competition puts a lot of pressure on the students. Reginato said that it can be “incredibly nervewracking” and some students become visibly sick after a presentation Henry said that the students felt accomplished knowing they achieved such great success with one of the smaller construction management programs. “Sac State is a recognized program in the western region,” Henry said.
“We’ve been able to make a good name for ourselves these past few years and prove our name against the big powerhouses like UC Berkeley.” Students and faculty believe a large component of success has been the industry involvement. Anderson said industry advisers come from all over the region and most of them are Sac State alumni. “They fully dedicate themselves and we are so appreciative of their knowledge and expertise. It’s a collaborative effort to put together a strong team,” Anderson said. Students particularly enjoy working with the industry advisers such as Henry Meir, the senior project manager for Kaiser’s South Sacramento Hospital expansion. Industry advisers aid all of the teams. “By working with the professionals, it solidified what field of construction I really want to get into. On top of that, it’s just a fun way to compete, network and build relationships,” Henry said. The industry advisers provided expertise, support and, historically, the industry board of supervisors for the construction management teams has funded the competition costs. This year the teams raised the money, more than $35,000 themselves, to compete and will continue to self-fund the event.
Courtesy photos
Clockwise from top: Electrical team, commercial team and heavy civil team. The commercial team took first place in the Associated Schools of Construction Region 7 competition.
Sac State student awarded scholarship for autism study By Cahil Bhanji cbhanji@statehornet.com
Julie Keefer State Hornet
Lesley Macpherson studies in the library. Macpherson’s work on her thesis earned her the B.F. Skinner scholarship, which she will use to futher her studies on autism.
A Sacramento State graduate psychology student’s hard work paid off in January when she was awarded the B.F. Skinner Scholarship for her ongoing thesis work. Lesley Macpherson, who has a concentration in behavior analysis, applied for the scholarship in December. The scholarship is for $500 to aid with work on her thesis, “The Effects of Response Interruption and Redirection on Vocal and Motor Stereotypy.” “Stereotypy or self-stimulatory behaviors are commonly
noted as a major difficulty in autism interventions. Her research should help better refine applied behavior analysis’s methodology in targeting these problematic behaviors,” said last years B.F. Skinner award winner and Sac State behavior analysis graduate student Jared Coon. “I think people were surprised that we won it in two years in a row,” said Caio Miguel, psychology professor and thesis adviser. “That says something about the quality of research coming out of Sac State.” Vissy Kobari, graduate psychology student, is Macpherson’s colleague and friend. “I was very excited and proud
of her when she won,” Kobari said. “Her study is pretty awesome. She had a strong chance of winning.” Five scholarships were awarded for behavior analysis research from the B.F. Skinner Foundation. They are divided up regionally throughout the country, said foundation president Julie S. Vargas. The scholarships are then distributed by local behavior analysis organizations. The B.F. Skinner Scholarship is given to the best research proposal submitted. Submissions are made from most California State University campuses and some University of California
campuses that offer Behavioral analysis programs. A four-person panel from the California Association for Behavior Analysis evaluates each proposal for the California chapter of the scholarship, Miguel said. She has presented her research to top behavior analysis organizations such as the Nevada Association for Behavior Analysis and the California Association for Behavior Analysis. “I think it’s huge for Sac State that so many students have submitted work to the conferences, not just in the one California but the national conferences and the Nevada ones.” Kobari said.
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Protest: Fight for funding New associate dean named continues with students By Kalie Barnes-Young kbarnesyoung@statehornet.com
Continued | page A1 Berta-Avila said change will only come with the continued pressure of students. Outside the Capitol, the protests continued as enraged students made their frustrations clear. More than 100 Berkeley students marched during rush hour on the Interstate 880 freeway in Oakland, which was temporarily shut down by authorities, shouting “They say class cuts, we say class war.” Continuing the freeway protests, nearly 300 UC Davis students attempted to block an I-80 onramp. One student was arrested and California Highway Patrol officers fired pepper spray balls to subdue the crowd. Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association, said the March 4 protests were just the beginning of the fight for funding higher education. Tiaz said, “If they’re not listening today, they will tomorrow and the next day and the next because we aren’t going to shut up.”
Julie Keefer State Hornet
A student protestor at the rally on Thursday shows the state Legislature how he feels about the budget cuts.
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It’s less than a day’s journey between Sacramento and San Marcos, Calif., but for Kathy Norman, it’s a more than 400mile link between the past and present. Norman, who could not be reached for comment, is the new associate dean of Sacramento State’s College of Education. She starts her new position this month after spending 13 years of her teaching career at CSU San Marcos, where her primary focus was science education. Before accepting the position at Sac State, Norman was a professor and program coordinator of the Integrated Teacher Credential Program at San Marcos. Pia Wong, former associate dean of the College of Education at Sac State, said Norman is qualified to handle the occasionally demanding aspects of the job. Wong returned to her previous position as a professor in bilingual and multicultural education last fall. “Dr. Norman has had excellent experience to prepare her for this position,” Wong said. “I am sure she will be charmed by our college’s community and that will help her when the times get too difficult.” Wong said the most difficult aspect of the position she had held for two years was “prioritizing several projects, all with tight deadlines, insufficient information and political crossfire.”
During her time at San Marcos, Norman collected a number of awards. In 1999, she was named as the Outstanding University Science Educator in San Diego County. Last year, she received the Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award, San Marcos’ highest honor. “Dr. Norman’s student-centered teaching, thoughtful research and leadership through service embody the values of the Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award,” according to the statement about the award. Norman’s colleagues refer to her as “the heart of the science faculty,” according to an e-mail from Karen Haynes, president of San Marcos. It’s a sentiment Mark Baldwin, dean of the College of Education at San Marcos, agrees with. “She’s one of the nicest people I’ve had the opportunity to work with here,” Baldwin said. “She’s very passionate about her work and public education in general. I’m very excited that she has taken the position up there in Sacramento.” Baldwin admitted having “mixed emotions” about Norman’s decision to transfer to Sac State. “I was a little bit distraught about losing one of my faculty leaders,” he said with a laugh. “She’s a wonderful colleague.” Norman has founded and chaired several regional and national education-related programs throughout her career. In 2006, Norman was elected
president of the International Association for Science Teacher Education. She also helped develop a master’s program of education in science at San Marcos. Over the past few years, Norman has expanded her focus from science education to the integration of technology in the classroom. Part of that focus involved research on comparing in-class education and online teaching. Wong said she is optimistic that the job she left behind is in good hands. “With faculty work, you focus on ideas and people – the students – and their development,” Wong said. “The administrative work is a bit more focused on mandates, budgets and deadlines.” Both positions, she said, require an organized, focused and hardworking person. “I think the best advice would be for her to resist the pressure to dive into the work and hectic place and take the time to get to know the different faculty and staff in the college,” Wong said. With Norman set to join the ranks of Sac State’s faculty, she left an impression at San Marcos that Haynes and her colleagues can’t deny. “A great university begins with great faculty, with professors who are dedicated to scholarly excellence and devoted to the success of their students,” Haynes said. “Dr. Norman is a shining example of that.”
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Opinion
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M arch 10, Wednesday
| Spring Issue 7 | Sacramento State
EDITORIAL
Funding or not, graduate quickly On March 4, more than 1,000 students and faculty from the University of California and the California State University systems came out to the Capitol to protest against budget cuts to higher education. The protestors wanted students to have a real chance to learn and not be overcharged for an underwhelming education. They wanted professors to be in their class-
First-time freshman graduation percentage rates for 2009: 10 percent in four years 30 percent in five years 43 percent in six years
rooms, not furloughed. To justify an increase in funding, universities need to raise the number of graduates going into California’s workforce. If the state just handed universities more funding without expecting anything in return, they would be no better than the banks that gave loans without making sure their investments could be repaid. And really, that mentality is what put this country into its economic crisis. As President Alexander Gonzalez said in a statement to The State Hornet, students are the future of California. They are the ones who will be running businesses and writing laws. As such, the Hornet believes it is the students’ duty
to make sure they are graduating as quickly as they can to make room for newcomers to the university system. To graduate in four years, students need to make sure they speak to academic advisers before signing up for classes. The advisers are there to make sure students’ classes apply toward general education and major requirements, and are not being wasted on unnecessary units. Students who want to explore a subject outside their major will be affected by cutting back on these units. Minimizing these units, professor and graduate coordinator David Toise said, would cut into students’ ability to explore different subjects. “I liked that students saw
education as a process and not simply a means to a job. I guess in some ways I feel like the opportunity to see education that way is disappearing as the university becomes not only stricter but increasingly reflective of its bureaucratic side: students forced into classes, or just taking classes, because they fit into the schedule or meet a requirement,” he said. Yes, the General Education requirement gives students the opportunity to branch out from their major, but there are only so many classes for each section of the requirement students can take. If a student wanted to take more than one introduction to the arts or introduction to humanities class, they would be wasting units. Working toward gradu-
ating sooner would deny students their ability to take a wide array of classes, but they would be able to focus on learning the skills their ideal future careers need. And with the CSU system’s initiative to increase the graduation rate by 2016, each university in the system is designing a series of programs that are tailored toward helping students graduate, said CSU spokesman Erik Fallis. But this initiative can only help students work toward graduation. In the end, students have to be the ones putting in the effort. “You can put out all kinds of programs to help students,” said marketing professor Mike Lee, associate vice president and dean of academic programs. “But
eventually they need to help themselves.” The protest at the Capitol was not just about the Legislature giving more funding to our university systems. It’s about investing in this state’s well-being. Students need to be ready to work for the future of this state regardless of how much funding our university system gets.
Transfer student graduation percentage rates for 2009: 18 percent in two years 47 percent in three years 60 percent in four years
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Why do we ask for permission to protest?
By Julia Baum jbaum@statehornet.com Our determined leaders at Associated Students Inc., are joining up with the California State Student Association and Student Center for Community Colleges for another mass demonstration on March 22, in front of the Capitol. In order to make it all happen, CSSA had to apply for permits in advance. I’ll never understand why
there must always be red tape to do anything in government, but it’s nothing unfamiliar to me. After all, I did grow up in Davis, where you need a permit to build a treehouse or install a new dishwasher. While I love the idea of being able to do whatever I want when I want, I must agree that protest permits at the Capitol are a necessary evil. “I know that a lot of people feel that it’s bad,” said ASI President Roberto Torres. “It’s the perception that … you’re asking The Man to fight The Man.” The irony is a bit much. How do we trust those that grant permits to not abuse their power and deny the public their right to peacefully assemble? “The CHP has a responsibility for making the rules and regulations of … state security,” said California Highway Patrol
Permit Officer Keith Troy. “If you’re bringing 10,000 people we need to know that.” Freedom of speech is awesome, but a mass protest is still a public event, and public events need to be planned out. Olgalilia Ramirez, CSSA director of government relations, said groups are required to apply for a permit at least 10 business days in advance with the Office of Capitol Protection. Ramirez doesn’t consider applying for a permit to be a burden, but had an explanation for why it was necessary to get one. “The reason why it’s such a tedious process I believe is there’s several groups that want to protest at the capitol,” said Ramirez. “It’s fairly simple – it’s the state’s space.” But wait, isn’t the state’s space also the public’s space? Last
time I checked, the money used to maintain the Capitol came courtesy of We the People. If I am paying for that space to be kept up, so shouldn’t I be able to use it whenever I want? Troy said he only denies permits when another group has already reserved space at the Capitol. After all, crowd control can get a bit tricky if 10,000 people arrive to protest fee hikes and then another group of 5,000 shows up the same day to complain about gay marriage. “You can do pretty much anything you want when it comes to demonstrations as long as it’s not commercial in nature,” said Troy. “A lot of times … a company wants to sell hamburgers and … I have to tell them ‘You can’t do that’.” So, come March 22, Schwarzenegger and the Legislature
will have to once again face students who have had enough and want changes made to their system, thanks to the CSSA’s effort to get permits. So don’t waste this opportu-
nity to let the Legislature hear your voices again. On March 22, make sure you are screaming at the Capitol with the rest of your student body.
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
More than 1,000 protestors went to the state Capitol on March 4. Another protest is scheduled for March 22.
Locking up prostitutes will not stop the problem
By Paul Roundtree proundtree@statehornet.com According to a KXTV Channel 10 news story, certain
residential neighborhoods near Stockton Boulevard in Oak Park are complaining about prostitutes setting up shop in front of homes in broad daylight and leaving used condoms in the street. Even the male customers, or “johns,” occasionally soliciting innocent young girls as they walk to or from school. I had no idea that this line of work was still so prevalent in a city like Sacramento. Frankly I’m shocked at these
prostitutes and johns being so open about their criminal activity. But Sgt. Norm Leong, Sacramento Police Department spokesman, said prostitution on Broadway and Stockton Boulevard is “nothing new.” “Oak Park has gotten better than it used to be; street drug sales are down,” Leong said. But, “Prostitution has been a problem in that area for years.” Not only does it remain, but it appears to be thriving. Why,
after all this time, hasn’t this been cleaned up? “Prostitution is called the ‘oldest profession’ for a good reason,” Wu said. “So long as there is demand, supply will be there.” As true as this may be, I think a more important reason is there aren’t enough obstacles to conducting the trade. It’s just too easy to be a prostitute. I’m not suggesting that we incarcerate all prostitutes for 20 years, but slapping them on the
wrist is not going to have any effect. “Prostitution is a misdemeanor,” Leong said. “Girls get arrested and they are out same day ... it’s a revolving door.” But what incentive do we give a prostitute to quit her livelihood? “Many cities use suppression (or) arrest to try to clean out prostitution, only to see sex workers relocate to other places or go underground,” said Bohsiu Wu, professor of sociology.
He also said that some European countries, Canadian provinces, and the state of Nevada use a “legalization approach.” So apparently all we can do is chase it around indefinitely, or make it legal? I disagree. If we want to eradicate prostitution in our city, or any city, we need a more insightful form of outreach. These are daughters, sisters and mothers. They deserve better help than what we’re offering.
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| S p r i n g I ss u e 7 | S a c ra m ento S tate
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Megan Harris State Hornet
sac state hosts a festival that offers a forum for students to exhibit their work
By Erin Rogers erogers@statehornet.com
Courtesy of Brian Wermund
Above: Pieces of artwork by Brian Wermund, senior studio art major, which will be show in his exhibit, “Displaced,” this month.For more information on scheduling of events for the festival go to www.al.csus.edu/festival/
Students at Sacramento State are offered an opportunity to showcase their talents in this year’s annual Festival of the Arts. They will be able to celebrate all practices of art and gain not only experience, but recognition for their work as well. Participants in the art, design, music and theater departments will feature special events spread throughout a consecutive four days - March 17 through 20. The music department is hosting recitals, the theater department will hold productions and the art department will feature lectures and exhibitions. One event that art professor Catherine Turrill is looking forward to is Ray Beldner’s lecture, “Cash, Porn and Theft: How I Make My Art,” which will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 18 in Kadema Hall, Room 145. Turrill said Beldner is a well-known artist working out of the San Francisco area. According to his personal website, Beldner creates his pieces from the “stuff of everyday life: clothing, cash, stolen items and porn.” Some of his digital works include prints of a famous portrait accompanied with a glimpse of porn in the midst. Beldner’s art dealer who represents his work, Catharine Clark, will also be speaking dur-
ing the Festival of the Arts. Her lecture, “A Conversation with Catharine Clark: The Business of Representing Artists,” will be held at noon on March 18 in the Art Sculpture Lab, Room 108. These are perfect lectures for the Festival of the Arts, Turrill said, because the whole point of the festival is for aspiring artists to exhibit their work. “What is great about Beldner and Clark coming is that students get to not only hear from the artist, but the dealer as well, and will be educated on what it’s like to be in the business of running an art gallery in San Francisco,” Turrill said. Besides having well-known artists come to campus, Turrill said, the festival also promotes student exhibitions on campus. Allowing the students to present their work in a public arena, she said, provides them with a preview of what is to come after graduation from the art program. “The campus is a community where students can express their work publicly and in doing so, the work becomes highly professional - they are really superior quality,” Turrill said. “Not only is the student working for a grade, but they are working outside of the classroom as a professional.” Brian Wermund, senior studio art major, will be featuring his own work in the festival, which will be in the Witt Gallery from March 15 through 19.
The reception for his exhibit, “Displaced,” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 18 in the same gallery. Wermund is striving to make his weeklong exhibit an interactive piece where he connects students and others who attend through art by having them draw and communicate amongst each other. “We can all relate to the term ‘displaced’ in some form or another,” Wermund said. “I am hoping to connect the patrons and open up conversations.” By having his own exhibit, Wermund said, he is previewing what it would be like to have a gallery of his own. He said learning how to manage his own show - everything from publicity to making it look presentable is good experience for his future in art. “The biggest benefit of having an exhibit, besides the accomplishment of when the pieces are hung and you’re satisfied with your work, is hearing comments from fellow peers,” Wermund said. Ure Egbuho, sophomore theater major, who is performing in Metamorphoses, one of the theater productions featured in the Festival of the Arts, agrees that the arts will help prepare her for life after college. “Being able to perform in the arts definitely helps me prepare for a career in theatre,” Egbuho said. “Metamorphoses, in particular, allows me to explore
my own creativity and work on perfecting my acting skills.” Metamorphoses, directed by Richard Bay, is a live theater performance featuring music, puppets and song and will be shown Thursday through March 21. The production occurring during the festival will be at 6:30 p.m. on March 17 in the University Theater. “The arts help me be a more well-rounded person,” Egbuho said. “We need art and artists in our world, to make the world beautiful, whether it be through music, arts or theater.” Another important message of the Festival of the Arts is that arts are crucial for any type of academic institution, said art professor Maria Winkler. “All of the visual performing arts are critical,” Winkler said. “They involve all of the senses and use different critical thinking skills that traditional subjects in schools don’t.” Winkler said this festival is not limited to a specific department of the arts, but rather all disciplines. The Festival of the Arts serves the community, Turrill said, by bringing people from the community to see Sac State as a center of culture. “We are promoting art and showcasing the ability of our family,” Turrill said. “There is so much talent within the faculty and students right here on campus, and that is what the Festival of the Arts is showing the community.”
Art professor says her goodbyes to Sac State By John Saelee jsaelee@statehornet.com Stubbornness and determination were the two characteristics Maria Winkler, art professor at Sacramento State, used to break through barriers in the art profession. Winkler started her career as a feminist pioneer in the art world in 1975 and is now retiring after 33 years of teaching at Sac State. During her time on campus, Winkler co-founded the computer arts program, taught art education to college students and used her artwork as a means of social service in the community. Winkler said she began painting at 3 years old, but said a long career in art was never in her game plan. She said there were many career choices she could have pursued, but despite them all, she chose art because she knew she was good at it. “It’s the way I communicate. I’m basically a shy person. I tried other things like ballet and piano but I just didn’t have any talent in those areas. I seemed to show some ability in art. So I pursued what I got encouragement for and I felt I did well,” Winkler said. Her talent as an artist thrived as time went on, she said, but it was definitely not something with which she was born. “My personal belief is that 99 percent of it (becoming an artist) is perseverance,” she said. “I
don’t think people are born innately with something because all that has to be learned.” Although Winkler had a successful 33-year career at Sac State, she said she faced barriers earlier on in her career being a woman in the art field. “My first real job was at Pennsylvania State University,” she said. “This was only made possible when affirmative action was established; it forced employers to hire women.” Winkler said even then, when the art department was maledominated, she managed to persevere because of her strong will. In 1977, Winkler said, a position in the art department became available at Sac State - so she applied and was hired to fill the opening in the department. Winkler said her most notable achievement at Sac State was contributing her time and effort to help establish the computer arts classes in the 1980s. “I started the computer graphics classes at Sac State around 1987. That was the start of a huge technology explosion. I didn’t realize how big it was going to get when I started the classes,” Winkler said. “I was thrilled to see how the interests develop so quickly among the students all over campus.” She said the computer arts class was not on her list of plans; she merely got involved in the computer arts when a faculty member informed her about the opportunity.
“(The computer arts classes) came about indirectly because I was looking for some more opportunities to retrain in another area and the opportunity came up from a professor in engineering who came to the art department looking for someone interested in developing a computer arts class - and I volunteered - even though it was a great deal of work because I had to learn programming through Fortran because there was no software. It was very rewarding at the end when we were able to do art and a simple animation. It was a very exciting for me,” she said. Winkler said one of the contributing factors that helped start the computer arts class was with her experience working as an illustrator for Aerojet. She said she took the knowledge she gained at Aerojet and used it to her benefit in starting the class. “I was hired (at Aerojet) in their illustration department when I was going to college,” Winkler said. “I found some illustration book design and illustrations I did for people that were published. Plus, as an artist, a painter and drawer, I was interested in not only fine arts but also the graphic application of art. So, I had some background that led me to being ready in computers. I was not a graphic designer, but I felt that I should be open and flexible and do more than just fine art.” see Winkler| page B2
Ricky Aufang State Hornet
Courtesy of Maria Winkler
Above: Art professor Maria Winkler arranges her piece titled “The Body Vessel for The Soul.” This piece was inspired from Winkler’s own ideology that inside a woman’s body are vices and virtues; in Winkler’s cut out the virtues are where the light shines through, and the dark sides represent the vices. Winkler is retiring this year after 33 years of teaching at Sac State. Below: Winkler’s piece, “Koi Among The Willows,” will be exhibited during the Festival of the Arts this month in the Else Gallery.
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Wednesday - March 10
Features Section
statehornet.com
International dance festival brings folk dance to campus By Miriam Arghandiwal arghandiwal@statehornet.com In a celebration if its diverse student population, Sacramento State and The Sacramento International Folk Dance Council have teamed up to hold the 54th Annual Camellia International Festival on Friday and Saturday in Sac State’s University Union Ballroom. “This festival is a great way for students to learn about different cultures through dance and music,” said Toba Goddard, chair of the Sacramento International Folk Dance Council. Goddard said because of the decay of cultural diversity nowadays, events like the Camellia Festival are important because they restore lost traditions. “Fabricated cultures have spread throughout the world and everything is beginning to look and feel the same,” Goddard said. “It seems that international dance is one of the few places different cultures are being represented anymore.” Goddard said the Camellia Festival was named after a 17th century Moravian Jesuit, Georg Josef Kamel; the festival started out with a number of different features like flower shows, a ca-
mellia queen contest, a camellia and culture shift among generatoms of the old country,” Godadviser. They are expecting a ball and a children’s parade. tions could also be the cause for dard said. “Now the children of crowd of no fewer than 400 to Goddard said Sacramento’s reigniting an interest in interna- those kids want to know what attend this year. fondness of the camellia led to tional dance. their old countries were like. “We reach out to different dethe City Council taking it up as “When the generation before There is a renewed interest and partments, create press releases the city flower in 1955. last came to America, they international dance is one way and have professors encourage “The festival is celebrated wanted their children to adapt to get that.” their students to go - we also annually during the month to the American culture. They Last year, Sac State gathered have web promoting and reach of March, when the Camellia wanted them to learn to speak a crowd of 700 people for the out to other dance communiflower suitably begins to blosEnglish, and tried to avoid Camellia Festival, said Zenia ties to make this event possible,” som,” Goddard said. speaking the language or cusLaPorte, UNIQUE programs LaPorte said. Goddard said the first Goddard said the counfestival she attended was in cil has chosen Yvonne and the Memorial Auditorium in Andre Couvillion, Ryan and Sacramento, when she was a Dani Sandler and Jaap Leegteen in the early 1960s. She water to teach in the dance performed in front a full workshops this year. These house, she said. teachers have put together Since then, Goddard said, various dances that will she has seen the number of represent different aspects of attendees become smaller foreign cultures. and smaller over the years. “Jaap Leegwater is doing Fortunately, she said, the a Bulgarian dance. You may festival has found new ways not go to Bulgaria and find to keep itself alive. Previthese exact dances, but you ously the festival was more would see forms of them of a performance but now it because there are typical Bulhas been transformed into garian dance moves in each more of an interactive dance routine,” Goddard said. lesson, Goddard said. She said the dance moves “Over the last several years, being performed are taken since we’ve brought mastered from everyday rituals that teachers in, the festival has describe the countries’ ways started to grow again with of life. Courtesy Photos increased participation,” she “Dances may have very old Admission to the Camellia International Dance Festival is said. dance steps that were used to free to Sac State students with a valid One Card and to youth Goddard said the growth celebrate weddings or births, under 18 years of age. The cost for the general public is $10.
or working or even going to get well water. All these thing may be represented through the dances,” she said. Yvonne Couvillion, a regional teacher of international folk dancing, has been dancing with her husband Andre Couvillion for nearly 20 years now. The couple said although they have not been able to travel farther than Canada and Mexico, they feel they have gotten a good sense of the world through dance. “International folk dancing is a way for us to see the world without leaving home. You learn a lot about the countries that you learn the dances for,” Yvonne Couvillion said. The Couvillions said they will be teaching couples dances from various locations, including Israel, Scotland, England, Mexico, Cuba and Texas. Goddard said being fun and energetic are two factors the Camellia festival is known for. “Besides presenting and keeping ethnic dances alive, the festival doesn’t have a political agenda, and that’s what makes it special. It’s one of the few things that everyone can gather in and join, no matter what their beliefs are,” Goddard said.
Winkler: Feminist pioneer is Club says chemistry is more retiring from art education than formulas and lectures CLUB CORNER | CHEMISTRY CLUB
Continued | page B1
By Hanan Salem hsalem@statehornet.com If members of the Chemistry Club are not entertaining elementary school students with slimy science experiments, they are likely having just as much fun amongst themselves within chemically scented laboratories in Sequoia Hall. This particular club at Sacramento State prides itself on attracting new freshmen chemists and reaching out to younger, aspiring scientists. “We try to spread knowledge of what a chemistry degree can do,” said Jason Fell, senior chemistry major and president of Chemistry Club. “Our goal is to promote chemistry and all its wonder, get people to become chemistry majors, explaining to people what a chemical education can lead to.” Youth outreach events, like putting on science displays at local elementary schools and setting off chemical explosions in the downtown mall, are geared toward bringing new students into the sciences, members said. “So we try to get young kids interested in chemistry which makes a really big difference. We get a lot of freshmen coming to us and they’re really enthusiastic about chemistry. That’s because they had that chemistry teacher who made the difference for them. So I think if we could do that for younger kids, that’s really awesome.” Robert Rose, chemical engineering major, said middleschoolers recently attended a Chemistry Club demonstration at Sac State involving dry ice,
balloons and freezing matter with liquid nitrogen and another experiment that resulted in a root beer float. “When working with kids, sometimes we actually have a lot more fun than they do because we get to educate them and we still will do our own little experiments on the side,” Rose said. “They enjoy it quite a bit. You can definitely see it on their faces.” Fell said the club’s main focus is on showing how chemistry goes beyond sitting in a lab or lecture hall and is mostly handson. At time same time, he said, the club gives aspiring scientists a place to socialize, “talk chem” and tutor each other. Fell said club meetings are held every other Monday in Sequoia Hall, Room 31. Students and staff are often available to help tutor students during
these club meetings, he said, which is really beneficial to the chemistry department’s success. The recruited freshmen benefit from these sessions. At their most recent meeting, Fell said, members were charged up for their next demonstration: the science behind lightning and thunder. “We’re going to teach a sixth grade class about weather chemistry, which is perfect considering what’s been outside lately,” Fell said. Rose said many students may not do well with science in high school so they drift away from the subject altogether. “We’re here to keep them interested in that subject matter so that they’ll consider it in the future as a possible career or as an academic option,” Rose said.
Robert Linggi State Hornet
Jason Fell, senior chemistry major and president of the Chemistry Club, demonstrates what happens when boiling water and freezing liquid nitrogen are combined.
Connie Spickelmier, fine arts teacher at San Juan High School and longtime colleague of Winkler, said she took one of Winkler’s classes in the ‘80s and found her to be very in tune to computers. “She was kind of a trailblazer in the early years of computers,” Spickelmier said. “She taught a class for simple ‘DOS’ programming. It was new at the time.” Once the computer arts classes were thriving, Winkler said, another faculty member was hired to teach the course so she could go back to teaching art education. “My job is to take a student afraid of art, change their attitude and teach them how to teach this attitude to other students,” Winkler said. Winkler’s husband, David Komar, artist and special education teacher, said his wife takes a basic approach when she teaches college students techniques to implement in elementary schools. “(The art curriculum) the students are taught is all hands-on. She uses the experiences she has seen from children creating art and teaches them (Sac State students) how art is carried out from a child’s point of view,” Komar said. Traci Martinez, junior liberal studies major, said Winkler has made creating and teaching art more fun than she expected. “(Winkler) makes it easier art. She makes it so you don’t have to be a good artist,” Mar-
tinez said. Because of her teachings, Winkler said, many students who have taken her class have become art teachers at public schools in the area. Winkler has been important to children in elementary schools, Spickelmier said, because she has been guiding the next generation of teachers with the knowledge of art and art education - this makes her an amazing artist. One of the community services Winkler has been involved with during the past 33 years is sharing her water paintings with local hospitals. She said she enjoys sharing her water paintings at area hospitals such as Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Medical Center and Sutter General Hospital in the region with patients under intensive care and pediatrics. Winkler said her calming art work is therapeutic to many patients and helps to take their mind off of worries. “I like to direct the emphasis of my efforts on public work to uplift them with art that is meditative and relaxing,” she said. Komar said he enjoys seeing the art his wife does because her work is somewhat realistic and impressionistic. As an artist, Winkler considers her specialties under two types of art work: artist books and paintings. “My artist books are unique forms of art. They combine sculpture, literature and art. Each book portrays a different theme through visual representation. I got into it recently, and
ironically enough, this is the first time I’m exhibiting them in Sacramento (during the Festival of Arts this month). I’ve been exhibiting them nationally for the last six years,” she said. Winkler said her artist books have been put together over a long period of time and there were many factors that contributed to her artist books. “I’ve been doing it for six years. I also have been taking book binding classes along all that time,” Winkler said. “And also outside of my interests in my collection of my pop-up books. I have a huge collection, over 1,000 books that date back to the 1800s. I repair them as well. So I got into the paper engineering when I started collecting my pop-up books, really.” Winkler said it is great that people embrace their talents by creating art, but it’s hard to make a career as an artist. “Making a living as an artist is a long shot, like making a living as an actor, especially in this economy,” she said. “I think you have to find a way of supporting yourself while you pursue art.” She said she has had an incredible experience working at Sac State. “This campus has been the best of all the universities I’ve been at, that is why I’ve stayed here for so long,” Winkler said. As far as her retirement, she is looking forward to it since there will be more time for her to be creative and productive with her artwork. “In my retirement, I’m looking forward to have uninterrupted time in my studio,” Winkler said.
B3 NCAA Sports Updates
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M arch 10, Wednesday
| S p r i n g I ss u e 7 | S a c ramento S tate
Leading off his pro career
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at IDAHO STATE
MARCH 5
L 69-67 (OT) at WEBER STATE
MARCH 6
W 75-61 CLINCHED NO. 3 SEED IN BIG SKY TOURNAMENT THURSDAY - SATURDAY Jamie Craighead, women’s head coach:
“Our goal was to make the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Everybody’s records are now the same at 0-0 and our goal is to win on Thursday so we can play Friday. We will take this tournament one game at a time. We have as good a chance as any team there to win the entire thing. We are headed to Cheney, Wash., with that mind set!”
MEN’S TENNIS at NORTHERN COLO.
MARCH 5
W 7-0
at DENVER
MARCH 5
L 5-2
at IOWA
MARCH 6
W 4-3
WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. SAINT MARY’S
MARCH 7
L 4-3
BASEBALL vs. UC DAVIS
MARCH 5
L 11-3
at UC DAVIS
MARCH 6
L 13-2
vs. UC DAVIS
MARCH 7
W 7-6
Photos courtesy of Tri-City Digital Photography, Graphic by Megan Harris State Hornet
Former Hornet Tim Wheeler hit .256 with five home runs and 35 RBI in his debut season with the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League. By Marshall Hampson mhampson@statehornet.com The national buzz of becoming a professional baseball player started for former Sacramento State outfielder Tim Wheeler in his sophomore year. Wheeler was the 32nd overall draft pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft and is getting paid for his second year
in the Colorado Rockies organization for what he loves to do. As Wheeler was surrounded by his family and friends at his home on June 9, as the first round aired on television, everyone was eagerly watching to see if he was going to get picked in the first round. After hours of waiting and one pick remaining in the round, the Colorado Rockies selected Wheeler.
“It was a cool experience. The whole place went nuts and everything was loud for a couple of minutes,” Wheeler said. “The draft is a numbers game and I got an opportunity to play pro ball. I am very blessed to be where I am.” Wheeler was the highest selection in Sac State history. He was named NCAA AllAmerican and had a .385 bat-
By Ross Coleman rcoleman@statehornet.com
“The last at-bat, I was just trying to get a pitch I could drive. He threw me a fastball outside. I knew he was going to throw me something hard.”
GYMNASTICS at UC DAVIS/ EASTERN MICH.
MARCH 5
3RD PLACE SOFTBALL at HORNET ROUND ROBIN vs. CHARLOTTE
MARCH 5-6
L 4-0, 6-3, 4-3 vs. SAN JOSE STATE
MARCH 6-7
L 10-4, 11-5
Although baseball is a numbers game, Wheeler said he believes being successful is more than just numbers as he moves into his second year in the minor leagues. “It’s all about being comfortable and it’s just to get better on a daily basis. You’re always looking to be consistent,” Wheeler said. “Rather than see Wheeler| page B6
Women’s basketball Powering his tournament tips off way to the top
A.J. Nunez, outfielder:
Baseball’s version of the Causeway Classic is over. Check out our audio slideshow at statehornet.com
ting average with 18 home runs in his junior year. Wheeler went directly to Short-Season Class-A to start his professional career. He played for the Rockies’ minor league team, the Tri-City Dust Devils, as soon as that summer started where he played center field and hit .256 with five home runs for the Pasco, Wash., team.
Graphic courtesy of Tanner Gooch Big Sky Conference
Tournament play begins tomorrow as the Hornets take on the Bobcats at 3:30 p.m. By Jules Ramzy jramzy@statehornet.com Sacramento State’s women’s basketball team is going back to the Big Sky Conference Tournament for a second year in a row. The Hornets, which secured the No. 3 seed over the weekend, will take on No. 6 Montana State University on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. to tip off tournament play. The Bobcats had the Hornets’ number this season, beating Sac State on Jan. 16, 95-86 and Feb. 18, 84-73. The Feb. 18 loss halted the Hornets’ seven-game winning streak. Montana State is led by three 13-plus point per game scorers in Katie Bussey (13.6), Sarah Strand (13.4) and Erica Perry (13.2). Strand also leads her team in rebounding at 7.3 per contest. The Bobcats finished
with a 16-13 overall record and a 9-7 record in the conference. Head coach Jamie Craighead said ending the winning streak might have been good for the team. “Anytime you put together a few wins it makes anybody confident,” Craighead said. “I think the streak was pretty cool for the community and for the university itself. It just shows progress from our women’s basketball team.” The winner of the tournament will receive the Big Sky’s automatic bid into the NCAA Women’s Basketball Division I Championship. If Eastern Washington University (19-10, 12-4), the No. 1 seed, does not win, it will advance to the National Invitational Tournament. A Big Sky Tournament berth did not seem attainable after the Hornets lost eight of their
first 11 games of the season. But their defensive game plan changed, as they started to pressure their opponents. The result was an 11-2 close to the season, catapulting the team to its best conference record to date (10-6). The University of Montana (15-13, 10-6) earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Hornets split a pair of games this season with each team defending its home court. The Grizzlies won on Jan. 15, 77-61 while the Hornets won on Feb. 22, 100-83. Montana is the Hornets’ likely second-round opponent if they advance. Montana is also the defending Big Sky champions. “It has been a scramble to make it to the tournament,” said Robin Selvig, University of see Tournament| page B6
Josh Powers does not like playing shortstop. Sacramento State did not want him to play shortstop. It seems like a match made in heaven after Powers has started this season with a .387 average and a team-high 13 runs batted in from the first-base position. After he spent the 2009 season at third base, the position change was more out of necessity than anything else. “We didn’t have a first baseman,” Powers said. “They asked me if I had a problem moving over and playing first and I told them, ‘No problem.’” It is that kind of easygoing attitude that makes Powers stand out to anyone around him and rubs off on his younger teammates. “He won’t stop talking,” said shortstop and friend Derrick Chung. “He is one of those guys who never stops talking. The younger guys listen to him.” With 17 new players on the roster this season, Powers’ ability to lead the rest of the team guys on the team will be a big measuring stick for the team’s success. “We were picked to finish last, but I don’t believe in that and neither does Josh,” Chung said. “He believes in our ability to surprise people. We lost (Tim) Wheeler and (Blake) Crosby (to the Major League Baseball Draft) last year and this year we have younger guys but some of them are underrated.” Even the coaches see Powers as a team leader. “The players really respect him,” said associate head coach
Reggie Christiansen. “I think the guys understand where he is coming from and respect his opinion.” Powers had gained the respect of everyone after taking a winding route to Sac State. After a move from San Diego to Elk Grove, Powers starred in his one season at Elk Grove High School under head coach Jeff Carlson. Powers earned a scholarship offer to University of the Pacific. As a freshman, Powers started 24 games at shortstop for the Tigers, but the more the season went on the more he realized that it was not a good fit for him. see Powers| page B5
Nallelie Vega State Hornet
Powers is the leader of a young Hornet team.
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Wednesday - March 10
Sports Section
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Hornet cycling club looks to build reputation and popularity on campus By Sergio Saldana ssaldana@statehornet.com Dedication and the lust for riding are what the Sacramento State cycling team wants in riders as it looks to expand in size this year. The team, part of Sac State Recreational Sports, was established in the spring of 2009 by graduate student Emily Kachorek. She is also an avid cyclist of 10 years and the club’s president. Compared to other wellestablished schools, such as UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, which have roughly 75 to 100 riders, the Sac State club has 23 riders and is still growing. There are two divisions within Sac State cycling: a race team and a club organization.
The race members who are part of the Cycling Collegiate team for Sac State are one of 250 collegiate teams that span the nation and race competitively. “The collegiate racing is really fun,” said Sac State cyclist Sage Bauers. “Being a student, it allows you to race other students. It’s nice because it tends to be other people who can’t go out and train for 25 hours a week because they also have to go to class.” The members who want to race on the collegiate team pay a yearly due of $125, as well as $30 for a racing license. The license proves that the rider is a member of USA Cycling and helps keep track of which races the rider wins and the point system.
The yearly dues members have to pay goes toward entry fees for individual racing events. People who are also interested in cycling for recreation and who do not wish to pay any dues can participate in the club organization. There are no dues required and people can gain experience by attending meetings and have the ability to ride with others at a noncompetitive level. The only fee to race for noncompetitive racers is the $30 license fee as well as the amount for each individual race. Kachorek said many who are interested in cycling and want to learn more about can get information from the Rec Sports Center, located in the University Union.
Anyone can compete as a collegiate cyclist. Everyone starts as a beginner and, through points and experience, they work their way up. Sac State competes with all schools that have a cycling team located within California and part of Nevada that have a racing team. There are four different events in collegiate racing: road racing, mountain bike racing, cyclocross and track racing. For instance, the road race season is going on right now. Within road racing, there are subcategories. The road race, which every rider starts at the same time, is a distance of 20 to 80 miles long and points are given out depending on how each rider finished. The criterion is another event
Photo courtesy of Emily Kachorek
Members can participate on the competitive team, part of USA Cycling or the club team, which is recreational. where riders race mile laps. The race is about an hour long and there are intermediate sprints within the race and a sprint toward the end of the race. There are many different styles of racing; people are not limited to a particular race.
“Time trials are also a part of road racing. There is a set distance and the points are given out depending on the finishing time,” Kachorek said. “There are individual and team time trials see Cycling| page B6
New synthetic field turf to benefit Hornet football and bring San Francisco UFL team to Sacramento State By Ashley O’Con aocon@statehornet.com Hornet Stadium’s playing surface is getting a makeover. Sacramento State is replacing the stadium’s old grass field with a new synthetic field turf. The new surface will generate revenue and serve as a major recruiting tool for the football team. The project will also welcome the United Football League to Hornet Stadium. The California Redwoods will call Hornet Stadium home for five games during the 2010 season. Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said the project will not only enhance the football program but improve the use of the surface. “In an effort to expand the usability of our football stadium, we felt that an artificial turf has
allowed us to have multiple activities on the field that we currently cannot do,” Wanless said. “Right now, we use it for just five or six football games a year and a couple of track meets.” The renovation is a threemonth process and is expected to be completed in May. With a bid of $1.042 million, the company FieldTurf is tasked with installing the new surface. Wanless said paying the price was well worth it. “We’re putting in the best turf that money can buy,” Wanless said. “Generally, it’s a milliondollar project no matter where you go or what part of the country. It’s pretty much all the same.” The project funds are coming from private donations and approximately $500,000 has been donated by the UFL.
Tina Horton State Hornet
The Hornet Stadium’s field is being replaced with artficial turf. Work is scheduled to be completed in May. Deputy Director of Athletics Bill Macriss said no money from Sac State is going into paying for this project.
“We’re taking a portion of those game contracts and putting them into the turf projects,” Macriss said. “We’re utilizing
the resources from that with the help of the private donation to pay for the turf. So there is no general fund money, there is no state money and there is no student money or a penny of university money going into this.” Macriss said the new potential revenue stream will be saving money or making money, rather than spending money. “The university is going to save a lot of money in maintenance, water and management of the surface but they are not putting a penny into it. So it’s all pretty good news,” Macriss said. Football head coach Marshall Sperbeck said they are looking forward to the synthetic field. “We’re excited to have it put in,” he said. “Even during the season, when the weather during the games or practice gets
bad, we have a good playing surface. It’ll be a little hot during the summer months, but we’re fortunate to have the grass also so we can use both places.” Wanless said he is hopeful the new field will attract students to attend Sac State 365 days a year. “We expect that it will enhance recruiting because of the fact your field will look the same every day of the year,” he said. “In the offseason, it’s not painted – it’s just a grass plot. But when you have an artificial surface, the picture of the football field is out there all the time. I think that when a young man or woman visits our campus, they’ll see that we are making commitment to our athletic program to make our facilities better and so hopefully see Turf| page B6
Wednesday - March 10
statehornet.com
Sports Section
Hornet baseball beats UC Davis in walk-off fashion
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Powers: Infielder shows leadership, strong work ethic Continued | page B4
Caroline LeDoux State Hornet
Junior outfielder A.J. Nunez, who made his first start as a Hornet on Sunday, drove in the game-winning run with a two-out RBI single against Causeway rival UC Davis. The Hornets were able to avoid a sweep by winning 7-6.
Sac State women’s golfer described as ‘passionate’ by former PGA pro By Sergio Saldana ssaldana@statehornet.com Focus and determination have allowed Julie Shutler to quickly ascend to the top of her game and become one of Sacramento State’s strongest women golfers. The sophomore business major led the team last season with an average of 76.06 and set the 36- and 54-hole school records last fall. She set the 36-hole mark with a score of 78-69147 at the Cal Poly invitational where she tied for fifth. Her round of scoring a 69 is tied for second in school history. Born in Carson City, Nev., Shutler moved around until she was 4,when her family settled in Manteca. Emerging from a working-class background, she grew up with loving parents Bill and Laurie Shutler, who supported her throughout her life and golfing career. Shutler first picked up a golf club when she was 7 years old. She would go with her family to the Manteca Park Golf Course where they would play golf once or twice a month. “Occasionally we would try and take her out to the golf course when she was young,” Bill Shutler said. “It wasn’t anything major, though.” Her current swing instructor of five years, Tony Troncale, has been her mentor for the majority of her golfing career. He has been a Professional Golfers’ Association of America professional for 25 years. “When she first came to me, she was obviously very talented, but she didn’t have a very efficient golf swing,” Troncale said. Troncale said Shutler never received formal training, so he
helped her with her form. In high school, Julie Shutler was a three-sport athlete, playing golf, basketball and softball. “It wasn’t until she played her first year in high school that she really began to excel.” Bill Shutler said. Julie Shutler saw potential in golf so she stopped playing basketball and softball to focus solely on golf. Troncale said within the last few years he has really seen Julie Shutler progress on the golf course with her swing. She had success in her high school golfing career. She was named the Stockton Record’s Golfer of the year in 2008 and was the Valley Oak League and San Joaquin Section Division IV medalist. She also qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation of Northern California Championships, where she finished in 18th place. Toward the latter part of her high school career, she was recruited by multiple colleges, but ultimately decided upon Sac State to continue her golfing career. “I liked the potential I saw in the team and the coach (David Sutherland),” Julie Shutler said. “His background was better than any of the other coaches that were recruiting me. You can’t beat a PGA professional as a coach.” Sutherland, a respected former PGA tour pro and golf director at Sac State, said he knew he wanted to recruit Julie Shutler as soon as they first met. “You can tell she was passionate about golf,” Sutherland said. “She was great academically and she was a wonderful kid, I’d love to recruit Julie every year if
I could.” She started her freshman golf year with mild success, but it was not until last year where she really stood out among her teammates. It was also last year when Julie Shutler and her family received tragic news. Her mother was diagnosed in July 2009 with stage four breast cancer. Stage four is a level that describes the size of the tumor and whether or not the cancer has spread. So the higher the level, the more the cancer has infiltrated the body. “It was pretty devastating,” Bill Shutler said. “Luckily she has responded to treatment and is getting better.” Julie Shutler said in the summer was when she played some of her worst golf due to hearing of the news. “She is doing really well now and I am proud of her for all she’s fought through,” Julie Shutler said. Bill Shutler said the incident to her mother has inspired Julie to improve her golf game. It made her realize she has to make the most of life. Motivated and ready to play, Julie really set the bar for herself and had one of the best seasons in her career in fall 2009. “I played my best college tournament ever in September,” Julie Shutler said. “I don’t know if it was motivated golf or what, but it was surprising.” Sutherland said Julie works extremely hard at improving her game off the golf course. “The thing with Julie’s work ethic is consistency,” Sutherland said. “She sets a wonderful example of what you want student athletes to be.”
Dustin Nosler State Hornet
Julie Shutler prepares to tee off during practice. Shutler’s hard work ethic translates to the classroom, where she maintains a 3.7 grade point average. She said she has a few goals set for herself this spring season on the course. “I want our team to win another tournament and conference,” Shutler said. “As for myself, I want to win a tournament and to get my stroke average under 75.” Shutler does not know if she wants to purse a professional golfing career after college, but others believe she has what it takes to make the leap. “If she keeps improving from where she’s at right now, she is going to become a good professional golfer as well,” Troncale said. “There is no doubt in my mind that she has what it takes to play in the Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association of America Tour.”
“I liked the school and I made a lot of good friends,” Powers said. “I just didn’t fit there. There was something about it that didn’t click.” Powers talked to some of his Pacific teammates about the junior college route, and decided to transfer to Cosumnes River College and play for head coach Tony Bloomfield. The difference between Pacific and Cosumnes was noticeable for Powers. “The intensity level is different,” Powers said. “Practices could be longer because of lack of regulation. The caliber of baseball wasn’t as high as the Big West (Conference), but because of practices, it was more demanding.” Throw in the fact Powers was taking between 17 and 21 units the two semesters he was at Cosumnes, and the rigors of school added with baseball prepared him for a Division I school. But his time at Cosumnes was more about personal growth than anything. “It was a time for me to step back and re-evaluate where I was and my baseball career and where I was going and what my priorities were,” Powers said. It was during that time Bloomfield helped Powers refocus on the sport that he had loved since his childhood in San Diego. “My freshman year I got overwhelmed and I started looking at baseball almost like a job,” Powers said. “It was tough to do. (Bloomfield) helped me to see that the game is a game.” Coming out of Cosumnes, Powers looked for the opportunity to move from shortstop to another position and Sac State offered that chance. “I had been playing shortstop my freshmen and sophomore years at Pacific and Cosumnes and I didn’t want to play shortstop anymore,” Powers said. “I wanted to catch or play third base or something else. I just felt that it wasn’t where I belonged. It takes a special player to play shortstop and it’s just not a place I love to play.” Since he came to Sac State, Powers has been a fixture in the Hornet lineup. Last year, Powers was one of only four Hornet players to start all 54 games, and he made
See Josh Powers in action at statehornet.com
the most of his opportunities. He batted .358 with three home runs and 44 RBIs. Powers also finished sixth in the NCAA with 26 doubles. Powers could be Major League Baseball-bound with another strong season with the green and gold. “I have always wanted to play Major League Baseball,” Powers said. “It has always been a dream of mine but it is not something that goes through my head on a daily or even a weekly basis. I have a hard time looking past today. (I just think), ‘What am I going to do today to get better.’” That work ethic has been adopted not only Powers’ newer teammates, but by team veterans as well. “He is always at the field; he works hard all the time,” Chung said. “He is a good example to younger guys. It is hard to realize how important his role is on our team, but when we don’t have him next year, it will be a big loss.” While Powers’ loss will be tough to absorb next year for the Hornets, veterans like Chung are taking note of how to fill that hole. “I want to be like him,” Chung said. “The example he is to the younger guys, I want to be like that.”
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Wednesday - March 10
Sports Section
Wheeler: First Hornet player to be drafted in first round Continued | page B3 showing up and going through the motions, I make a concerted effort to gain something from every swing or every rep I have on defense.” Sac State’s head coach John Smith said he is always excited when a player of his makes it in the draft. “He’s got a great future in baseball. He can run, he can hit with power, he does a lot of really lot of nice things on the field,” Smith said. “I have a lot of respect for what he’s done for the program.” On top of being an All-American and the highest draft pick ever by a Hornet, Wheeler was also named to the Western Athletic Conference’s First Team for two years straight and set the school’s single-season (72) and all-time record in RBIs (142). Center fielder Justin Mezzaneras was Wheeler’s roommate last year and said he is happy for his former teammate. “It was history in the making being drafted in the first round,” Mezzaneras said. “Hopefully he
climbs his way up in the Rockies’ organization.” Mezzaneras said it was relaxing to play with him on the field and learned a lot in the season they both played together. Another former teammate, Tommy Elrod, said he now feels honored for even knowing someone who’s made it in the big leagues and to know a player as good as Wheeler. “I’ve played with a bunch of really good players but nothing to the caliber of him,” he said. Elrod said it was a weird experience because he learned so much from Wheeler on the field without either of them even talking about what Tim was doing. Wheeler’s former teammates had the chance to learn a lot from him, as he was ranked in the top 30 in six categories. Wheeler said the transition to the minor leagues involved a lot more time on the field everyday. “The lifestyle is more professional. You’ll be out there for eight hours a day and we don’t get a day off for a week,” he said. “It is what you make of it.”
Wheeler played a full season of short-season baseball which includes 68 games compared to Sac State’s season of only 54 games. Even with all the hard work being put in, he said getting an income from his dream is still strange to him. Wheeler recently left the Sacramento area after spending some time working out with his former teammates to start spring training in Tucson, Ariz. When spring training ends April 5, Wheeler will know which level of the minors he start the season. The placement is dependent on how well he plays during the spring. Wheeler said he has a chance at playing a full season of ClassA ball, or even higher, if he stays consistent. “I’ve got a bunch of great new teammates now but also at the end of the day we’re all competing for the same thing,” Wheeler said. “I just try and show up to the field everyday with a plan and a mindset of things I need to work on that will have an impact on my performance.”
Turf: UFL donates $500,000 to make the vision a reality Continued | page B4 that helps attract them to our program.” Wanless said he thinks both recruits current players stand to benefit from the synthetic turf. “We have an excellent grass field, so the playing surface itself won’t be that much different than what the current situation is, but a turf field is proven to be fast, it’s safe and it obviously requires less maintenance,” he said. “So from the players, I think it’s partially psychological. They enjoy playing on an
artificial surface. The look of it ‘pops.’ The paint is sewn right into the surface so it looks fresh and brand new.” Sophomore defensive back Deionte Gordon said the new turf will benefit the team. “I think it’s great because it can be used no matter what the weather is outside,” Gordon said. “It will also bring more speed to our team. By having a surface such as turf, we will be able to work out on it all yearround.” By having the field installed, Macriss said Sac State can
become an even better partner with the community in getting locals onto the campus. “There are probably a number of large events that want a venue that we can now bring to the campus, be it a high school championship or an international soccer-friendly type of activities and events that haven’t been able to come to this campus before,” Macriss said. “The university hasn’t had a chance to showcase the growth of the university in this big campus we have.”
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Tournament: Team won 11 of last 13 to grab the third seed Continued | page B3 Montana’s head coach. Selvig said the Hornets are a respectable opponent. “Sac State has a really good basketball team,” Selvig said. “Jamie has done a great job this season coaching the Hornets for the first time. They need a little work but they have progressed a lot as a unit this season.” Craighead said the Hornets have made improvements since the beginning of the season. “The team has had to adjust to a new style of play. It took them some time to figure what it was like to play the way we play and how hard you have to work to do what we do,” Craighead said. “The players are meshing well together, which can sometimes be a process throughout a season. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time.” Senior forward Charday Hunt said looking back at game footage has helped the team improve the way it plays the game. “We have been working on our presses and our defense a
little more,” Hunt said. “When we watch game film from the beginning of this season in comparison of now and we are a completely different team because we have gotten used to the system and we are starting to mold together as a team.” Senior forward Erika Edwards said the biggest change she has seen is the team is starting to believe in the program more. “We definitely have more confidence in ourselves,” Edwards said. “At the beginning of this season, starting a new system, we believed in it but we did not have it in the back of our hearts that it was going to work. After seven wins we know that it is possible and now we really believe in ourselves and have confidence in this team.” Hunt said the new program has allowed the Hornets to play better ball all-around. “We are all happy that this system has come about because it is so much more fun to play,” Hunt said. “It has helped us go from a slow motion team to a completely different team. It was really hard, but fun at the
same time.” Hunt said this season is memorable because of the accomplishments made as a team and her individual accomplishments as well. “Playing with the same group of girls that I came in with and me scoring 1,000 points means a lot to me,” Hunt said. “We have broken so many school records as a team and that means a lot because we are really trying to change this program around. It feels good knowing that I am a senior and I am helping to do that.” Hunt is the eighth person in school history to score more than 1,000 points. Craighead said the Hornets must continue to finish plays at both ends of the court if they want to continue to win games. “Rebounding is key for us,” she said. “We also must continually measure our success by being the hardest working team on the court. When we do that, we have really been able to wear teams down with our pressure and with the tempo of the game.”
Cycling: Collegiate racing is for those who want to ride against NCAA competition Continued | page B4 as well.” Nationals are the ultimate tournament for cycling. It is where the top four or five teams in each conference qualify to compete for the national title in May. The top eight riders from the qualifying teams would compete. The top school wins the national title. Hosting events is a way for schools to raise money to help
expand their racing team. It also allows for more experience to the riders working as a team. It also helps spread the word that the school has a cycling team. Sac State is looking into helping host an event that will take place at UC Davis in the near future, helping the team gain experience so that next year the team can host its own event. Current Sac State student and collegiate cyclist Curtis Hong is extremely excited about the
upcoming cycle season. “I like to ride road,” Hong said. “The team is really flexible with its members’ schedules and which events we can ride.” Anyone interested can go speak with Recreational Sports located on the 1st floor of the Union for further information. The cycling organization welcomes riders from any skill and experience level to come out and participate.