The S tate Hornet February 24, 2010 HORNET INSIDE NEW RUGBY FIELDS?
C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento
Honoring heroes of our dark past
O ne C opy F ree
E st . 1949
Morris brothers pay homage to former Negro League players in third annual tribute game By Dustin Nosler dnosler@statehornet.com
Could Sac State be in for some new rugby fields? Find out in Sports.
Sports B4 JAVA CITY
Ever wonder why Java City is the only coffee provider on campus? Find out why in Features.
Features B1 FURLOUGHS HURT OUR EDUCATION Tony Nguyen State Hornet
Members of the Morris League dressed in the uniforms of the San Francisco Sea Lions and Oakland Larks of the West Coast Negro Leagues on Sunday. The Larks won 9-7.
As students, we’re paying thousands of dollars for an education that is being eroded by furloughs. Matt Rascher explains how professors are being forced to cut back on how much we learn, on page A5.
JULIA MORGAN HOUSE
News A3 PRESIDENT GONZALEZ’S PERFORMANCE The chancellor gave President Gonzalez an A. See if students think otherwise on statehornet.com.
Online News statehornet.com
The State Hornet Issue 5 | Volume 62 | No. 19
see GAME | page A6
Stimulus funds Gonzalez tells his story to new citizens part-time jobs
Opinion A5
It’s an empty house that Sac State pays $40,000 a year for. Find out what students think about it in A3.
Knee-high socks, wooden bats and wool jerseys: All of which were staples of the Negro Leagues, and all of which were present at the third annual Morris League Honorary Negro League Game on Sunday at McAuliffe field. Roughly 150 fans braved the less-than-optimal baseball weather to support the league, which was created by two Sacramento State brothers - Dominic and Donte Morris. The event has been held every year since the league’s inception not only to honor the Negro Leagues, but also in conjunction with Black History month. Three former players with ties to professional baseball attended the game, something the league tries to accomplish every year. Negro Leaguers Elmer Carter and Don Porter and former Major Leaguer Jethro McIntyre all made an appearance at the tribute game. All three of the former players have ties to the Sacramento area. Donte Morris said having Carter, the oldest living former Negro Leaguer, out to watch the game was an honor.
Nallelie Vega State Hornet
Serian Atef Shaef was among those gaining citizenship during the USCIS naturalization ceremony on Feb. 17.
By Nallelie Vega nvega@statehornet.com Sacramento State President
Alexander Gonzalez urged hundreds of recent naturalized citizens to continue learning about the world and to continue
to make education a part of their culture during the U.S. Immigration & Citizenship Form Services Naturalization Ceremony on Feb. 17 at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. The ceremony granted 811 immigrants from 88 countries, including 14 Sacramento State students, citizenship. Gonzalez, who spoke at a naturalization ceremony last April, said he knows what issues immigrant families deal with when settling in the United States. Gonzalez’s parents were both born in Mexico, and moved to the U.S. to escape the revolution in the 1930s. His father became a naturalized citizen after his service in the Air Force during World War II, while his mother remained a permanent see Citizens | page A6
By Marshall Hampson mhampson@statehornet.com
Sacramento State plans to hire part-time faculty members using its share of the remaining $50.9 million in federal stimulus funds given to the California State University system. There will be openings in all seven colleges and the University Library. Vice President of Human Resources David Wagner said those hired will be temporary faculty members because the length of employment has yet to be determined. He said the university has not decided how many will be hired. “Temporary covers faculty who can be teaching one course a year or five courses a semester,” Wagner said. Sac State received $3.1 million of the remaining $50.9 million in federal stimulus funds that were recently released by CSU
Chancellor Charles Reed. “These numbers we see are people,” Wagner said. “They represent hundreds of courses offered and thousands of students.” Kevin Wehr, president of the Sac State chapter of the California Faculty Association, felt relieved after hearing the news. “It’s about time. It broke my heart to see them get laid off,” Wehr said. “We could’ve had (the money) last year but the chancellor was afraid of midyear budget cuts.” Wagner said the application that the university posted on the Sac State weekly bulletin about openings for part-time, temporary professors has to be posted annually whether or not there are openings. “In most instances, it will be part time faculty that has already been working with us. It see Jobs | page A3
Black churches open services for CSU recruiting By Kristine Guerra kguerra@statehornet.com California State University Chancellor Charles Reed had one message to black families during the Sunday morning service at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church: Black children can get into the CSU system. Reed spoke to about 1,000 parishioners at the church in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, emphasizing that good college education is a necessity in today’s competitive job market. “You as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can give no greater gift to your children than a college education,” Reed said. Sunday’s event was part of the annual CSU Super Sunday event, an initiative to inform black communities across the state about preparing and applying for college. Also present was Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Sacramento State Presi-
dent Alexander Gonzalez and focus is doing everything that go to college,” Reed said. Provost and Vice President of Reed said black students face we can for African-Americans Academic Affairs Joseph Sheley two major challenges in getting to understand what it takes to relayed a college the same educamestion. “Our focus is doing everything that we can for Africansage on “One Americans to understand what it takes to go to college,” Sunday is getCharles Reed, CSU chancellor at two ting different preblack pared churches for in Sacracollege mento. educaThis tion and year’s knowing Super what Sunday classes took to take,” place at Reed 22 black said. churches “Two is in knowing Northern when Califorand how nia, acto apply cording for adto a CSU missions Nallelie Vega State Hornet press and release. how to Parishoners at St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church worship “Our request during the CSU Super Sunday service on Sunday.
for financial aid.” Despite today’s higher education crisis, Reed assured that eligible black students would still be able to get into the CSU and have financial aid. “The ones that were turned down were not eligible and we recommended that they go to a community college if they haven’t taken all the classes,” Reed said. Reed said students who come from a family that makes less than $70,000 a year will not have to pay for college. Sacramento State Financial Aid Office Director Craig Yamamoto and representatives from Admissions and Outreach, Equal Opportunity Program and Capital Fellows Programs also distributed informational booklets and fliers and answered questions from families and students. “We are the predominant university in the region, and we offer quality education see Church | page A6
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Wednesday - February 24
News Section
NEWS ROUNDUP Sac State’s weekly news briefs and campus events Deferred maintenance causes sewage problems at Dining Commons Due to delayed maintenance and lack of financial resources, the university Dining Commons has had drainage and sewage leakage since last week. An investigation by Trenchless Co. revealed that some of the underground sanitary sewage pipelines needed to be repaired. Linda Hafar, director of Sac State’s Facilities and Utilities, said the first phase of repairs will cost approximately $15,000. Trenchless Co. will repair the pipelines from Friday to Sunday morning. For more information, go to statehornet.com.
Man suspected in thefts, burglaries arrested
Ly, who is not a Sac State student, later admitted the tires were stolen. He also told campus police officers that he comes to Sac State to steal bikes that appear to have been abandoned. The police department is encouraging students, faculty and staff to register their bikes at the police department during normal business hours.
Door-to-door solicitors posing as Sac State students Sacramento State officials recently received a complaint from a Sacramento resident about a person who is posing as a communication studies student soliciting money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Communication Studies Department Chair Nicholas Burnett said in a statement that communication studies students are not involved in any kind of fundraising activity. Lt. Joseph Green of the Sac State Police Department said similar incidents have been reported in San Diego State, UC Santa Barbara and colleges in Oregon. The university advises everyone to report any suspicious solicitors seen on campus.
ASI holds town hall meeting
The suspect in campus thefts and burglaries that occurred over the past several months is now in custody at the Sacramento County Jail. Gary David Moreno, 29, is facing multiple charges of burglary and is ineligible for bail. Over the past several months, projectors, laptops and university master keys were reported stolen in several campus buildings. For more information, go to statehornet. com.
Associated Students Inc., board of directors addressed students’ questions and concerns during the town hall meeting on Monday. The board of directors also urged students to get involved in ASI’s programs and departments, such as KSSU, Peak Adventures, grants and scholarships. About 15 students attended the town hall meeting. For more information, go to statehornet.com.
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Man caught stealing bicycle parts The Sacramento State Police Department recently arrested a man, who was caught stealing bicycle parts near the Academic Information Resource Center. According to a press release from the police department, an officer saw Sinh Ly walking on the north side of AIRC with bike tires in both hands.
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Positive self-image focus of ‘Love Your Body Week’ events By Kalie Barnes-Young kbarnesyoung@statehornet.com Valentine’s Day may be long over, but Sacramento State’s Student Health Center is promoting something it believes everyone should love: their body. Love Your Body Week kicked off at Sac State this week with a series of events designed to educate and promote healthy and positive body image. Love Your Body Week, a collaborative effort between Student Health Services and Psychological Counseling Services, began four years ago under the coordination of Kalyn Coppedge. Coppedge, who is a health educator for the Fitness, Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program, designed the week of events to coincide with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The decision for this crosspromotion was intentional, said
Shauna Schultz, nutritionist and coordinator of this year’s events. Like Love Your Body Week, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week focuses on body image issues and providing resources and education to raise awareness. On Tuesday, both of these overlapped with the “How to help a loved one with an eating disorder” discussion hosted by Jennifer Lombardi, director of admissions at Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program. The discussion, which happened after The State Hornet went to press, was to be centered on eating disorders and tips on how you can provide support to those suffering from an eating disorder or are in recovery. It also planned to touch on the overlaying theme of body image and self-esteem and how important they are in living a healthy lifestyle. Body image is, of course, the
focal point of Love Your Body Week. While Love Your Body Week is in its fourth run, and although the events change annually, its purpose remains the same. The aim is to give students the education and resources to help them in improving their body image and self-esteem. “Having a poor body image can affect all areas of your life,” said Schultz. “Body image is definitely important.” This week’s events feature everything from lectures to documentaries to open forum discussions to even raffles all intended to create a greater awareness of the importance of a positive body image. Peer Health Educator Macelina Amonoo organized today’s event “Not My Hair,” an educational event about African American hair. The event also discussed how issues with Af-
rican American hair can affect one physically and emotionally. As part of the the “Not My Hair” project, the documentary “Good Hair” will be shown in the Student Health Services Lobby at 6 p.m. Comedian Chris Rock created the documentary, which focuses on the subject of African American women’s hair and how it correlates to society’s norms and African American culture. Headscarves will be distributed after the showing following a discussion panel to remind people “we are more than our hair.” Thursday will highlight Peach Friedman, a spokeswoman for the National Disorders Association. From 11 a.m. to noon, Friedman will be reading excerpts from her book, “Confessions from an Exercise Addict,” as well as holding a raffle to give away 20 signed copies. Friedman will share her
own experiences with exercise that age in which they’re combulimia and how to exercise in ing into themselves as adults.” a healthy way. Schultz also has high hopes Closing out Love Your Body for Love Your Body Week. Week is Lori Roberto, a clinical “I hope that it increases psychologist for Fit HELP. In a awareness,” Schultz said. lecture titled “Body Image Bust- “Hopefully (students) will walk ers,” Roberto hopes to dispel away from it with a greater accommon body image myths ceptance of their bodies and feel in today’s culture and provide comfortable in their own skin.” stepping stones for students who want to better their self-image. When asked why the focus on students in Love Your Body Week, Schultz said, “With college-age students, there’s a higher prevalence of Matt Erick body issues. son State Horne They’re at t
Wednesday - February 24
News Section
statehornet.com
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Vacant mansion costs Sac State $40,000 a year for upkeep By Timothy Sandoval tsandoval@statehornet.com
Julia Morgan House, the historic home worth millions that was donated to Sacramento State, has not been used since 2007, despite the university paying more than $40,000 a year for its maintenance. The house was previously used to host various faculty and student events and fund-raisers for the university, but has not been used due to budget constraints. The house, located on T Street, was built in the early 1920s by Julia Morgan, the first licensed female architect in California. “It’s a very attractive building,” said Don Gerth, president of Sacramento State from 1984 to 2003. Charles M. Goethe, a founder of Sac State, bequeathed the house when
he died in 1966 as part of a nowcontroversial package of donations Goethe left to the university, which also included his library, papers and $640,000. Goethe was the president of the Eugenics Research Association in the 1930s, which believed in selective breeding to create a master race and publicly supported Nazis. University Enterprises Inc. has operated the house since it was bequeathed in 1966. The house is listed on the National Registry for Historic Places, which incurs responsibility for UEI to continue preventative and operational maintenance on the house. UEI also pays for general maintenance and landscaping for the house, costing UEI $41,458 in the last year UEI has budgeted. “We maintain it so it doesn’t become an eyesore in the neighborhood,” said John Kepley, special assistant to Presi-
dent Alexander Gonzalez. In the Aug. 5, 2009, meeting notes for the University Budget Advisory Committee, Gonzalez noted that not using Julia Morgan House was necessary as a cost-saving measure to UEI because the house had “steadily been losing monies.” When the house was in use, it cost UEI a $244,000 a year to operate. Since the house is listed on the Registry, UEI also cannot change the house in many ways that would save it money. For example, UEI cannot install dual-plated windows onto the house, which would save substantially on the house’s heating costs. UEI’s funding comes from investments its activities and business operations. Kepley said there are no future plans for the house. There is no current appraisal on the
home; a 2004 article in The Sacramento Bee valued the home at $2 million. Kevin Wehr, president of the Sac State chapter of the California Faculty Association, said the house’s lack of use is another example of administrative mismanagement. “They have this terrific resource that could be used by the campus and the community,” Wehr said. “It seems to me that once again the administration is not making the best use of resources that it could for the benefit of the campus and students.” Wehr said the house could be used for many different things, including community meetings, faculty and student events, or fundraising. Wehr said the house could be selfsustaining, pointing to how many city parks, and even Sac State’s University Union, now charge a small rental fee for the use of facilities.
WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE JULIA MORGAN HOUSE?
Kelly Debotts junior, communication studies
Brett Perkins junior, criminal justice
Heather Downing junior, geography
Robert Smith senior, anthropology
Mark Savin senior, communication studies
“If we have open space we should rent it out or use it for events for our school.”
“We pay the president $12,000 a year to live in his own house. That’s a lot. Using it to house the president sounds like a good option.”
“It should be rented out like the Old Governor’s mansion. Try and make revenue off of it and hold tours or hold events there.”
“It would make sense to rent it out to make money for the campus. Someway to use it for the students’ benefit.”
“We should rent it out or hold events there. Do something productive with it.” Photos and reporting by Timothy Sandoval State Hornet
Jobs: $3.1 million will restore faculty positions Continued | page A1 really depends on what departments are offering,” Wagner said. “(Being a part-timer) is like being a permanent seasonal worker. It’s a mark of dedication if they still have the passion of teaching.” Wagner said that they will get new hires only if there are still spots to fill that were not taken by former faculty members. Most of the positions should be filled by the beginning of summer. In order to apply, the applicants will have to submit a personal letter and a resume to the college in which they are applying. If selected, they will then be evaluated by the dean. The deadline for the application is Monday. Interested applicants are required to have at least a master’s degree in the field in which they’re applying. Former government professor Steve Iverson was one of the many part-time faculty members who received a letter from Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez saying they would be laid off after fall 2009. “I would hope that the administration would bring back the lecturers that were let go in January,” Iverson said. “If I was offered classes I would absolutely take them. I love the other faculty and I love the students here.” Iverson said he is unemployed and has been looking for other teaching opportunities since being let go in January. He said he didn’t think the layoffs were acceptable despite the CSU system’s budget problems.
“You’d think the administration would have some sensitivity,” Iverson said. “It feels like when you’re out on your own that nobody really cares about you.” Wehr said they will make sure the administration will follow through with the contracts with the CFA. These contracts are for ensuring tenure, academic due processes and academic freedom. “The only thing we can do is make sure they follow the contract,” Wehr said. “The problem is that the administration doesn’t want to follow the contract all the time, whether it’s unintentional or not.” The federal stimulus funding plan became public Feb. 9, when Gonzalez and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced what they planned to do with the money given to the university. According to the Sac State bulletin, Gonzalez announced that building projects like the renovation of Del Norte Hall for more classrooms and funding for science equipment will also be paid for by the stimulus funds. Wehr, however, said CFA will make sure the stimulus funds will be spent solely on instruction and classes and the whole process will be quite long if the administration doesn’t follow CFA’s contracts. Like Wehr, Wagner wants to see the former professors come back. “It’s a very difficult job because you’re relying on availability from semester to semester,” Wagner said.
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Wednesday - February 24
News Section
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Wednesday - February 24
Game: Those who played ‘black ball’ share stories Continued | page A1 “It just put the game in
perspective,” Donte Morris said. “We’re not only playing to honor someone, but a guy we’re honoring was actually watching us play from a whole different generation. It’s a blessing.” Dominic Morris said the tribute is something that does not happen every day. “For our league to have a day where we can throw on retro uniforms – it’s an historic day,” Dominic Morris said. “I feel humbled being here, throwing on these uniforms and to actually see the former Negro League players here at our game is quite a feeling.” McIntyre said people have a misconception about the Negro Leagues. “A lot of people want to say that, ‘Well, it’s a shame,’” McIntyre said. “No, it’s not. It’s not a shame. It’s just the way the country was at that time. That was the mindset. What makes white America think that
we didn’t play against the best? parallel.” You had the Josh Gibsons, Paul Morris, Dominic and (Satchel) Paiges … those guys Donte’s father, said the day is a could play.” The Negro League was started in 1920 behind Andrew “Rube” Foster’s leadership. Porter likened that to the way the Morris brothers started their league. “They tried out for the team at Sac State and they didn’t make the team, but they didn’t get dejected,” Porter said. “They decided to start a league of their own. I always think, ‘Negro Leagues.’ This Tony Nguyen State Hornet is what these kids did. It’s Dominic Morris rounds third base before just a little being thrown out at home on Sunday.
good way to educate people. “It means that they take baseball more seriously than other people because they did research on the Negro Leagues,” Paul Morris said. “It’s almost a forgotten league. It started years and years ago and they took the time to do the Honorary Negro League (Game) every year.” McIntyre said the Morris League goes about telling the story of the Negro Leagues in the right way, as opposed to the way the Major League Baseball and some media outlets portray the league. “Don’t belittle these guys’ accomplishments,” he said. “They don’t really know what these guys put up with just to play baseball.” Paul Morris said he is proud of what his sons have accomplished. “Words can’t hardly describe how I feel,” Paul Morris said. “Just to see the positive impact and support we’re getting from the people – I love every minute of it.”
Sherri Morris, the twins’ mother, said her sons took the time to find old Negro League players. “They found players that played in the Negro Leagues,” Sherri Morris said. “That makes it better. Not just playing the game, but they actually found Negro Leaguers that represent this honor.” McIntyre said players in the Negro Leagues had to deal a lot just to be able to play baseball. “To put up with that and still continue to play at a high-level of ball … that’s amazing,” McIntyre said. “Why would they still want to play? What would give them the incentive to play, other than they love the game? It’s a great game. It’s the greatest game that’s ever been put on this planet.” Donte Morris said he was pleased with the attendance for the event. “For a cold, drizzling day, I’m liking the turnout,” Donte Morris said. “I see people out there with umbrellas and cold coats together; they show lots
of support. I’m very thankful to have all the people who came out.” The Larks defeated the Sea Lions 9-7. Donte Morris equated this day for he and his brother’s league to the Super Bowl. “During the context of Black History Month, this is our biggest day,” Donte Morris said. “Major League Baseball honors the Negro Leagues with Jackie Robinson Day. Compared to our league, this is like our Super Bowl. This is where the community can come out with one common purpose. This is a real goal with us getting Negro League players out there today … that’s a real goal for us.”
See highlights of the game at www.statehornet.com.
Citizens: University offers Church: Community told programs for immigrants college is within reach Continued | page A1 resident her entire life. Gonzalez was the eldest of seven children and was the first in his family to attend college. He said throughout his childhood there were various hardships, but education helped guide him in the right direction. Gonzalez said the California State University system gives more immigrant students the opportunity to further their education. “We’re the gateway, that door that opens up for students who otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to go to a university at
all,” he said. He added that Sac State has various programs, such as the College Assistance Migrant Program and Equal Opportunity Program, to help immigrant students successfully make it through college. Jose Luis Pinon-Ramirez, who became a naturalized citizen on Feb. 17, said he is looking forward to giving back to the community. Pinon-Ramirez has lived in the U.S. for about 30 years. He and his wife are both from Mexico. “I want my children to have a good life,” he said in Spanish.
Susan Curda, district director of U.S. Immigration & Citizenship Form Services in Sacramento, urged all citizens at the ceremony to not forget about their “chores.” “You are now part of our family, and as member of our family we’re going to give you chores, just like every good family does,” Curda said. “And those chores are to show your involvement in this country, to vote, to get yourself involved in the community.” She said all citizens represent various different threads, but they must not forget that now they all make up one fabric.
Continued | page A1 and affordable service, so it is important for Admissions and Outreach to be here and let them know the opportunities we have to offer,” said admissions counselor Charles Cole. David Ortega, academic outreach coordinator for the Equal Opportunity Program, said they want black students to be able to get into the program. Reed said preparation for college should start during middle school, emphasizing the importance for sixth graders and above to take and pass challenging courses that would
better prepare them for a college education at the CSU. “Tell your teachers and principals you want your kids to go to college,” Reed said. Now in its fifth year, the CSU Super Sunday initiative has reached 100 churches across the state, according to a CSU press release. Reed said the number of black students who attended the CSU has increased by 28 percent since 2005. “This means we have 5,000 more African-American students attending the CSU today than we have five years ago,” Reed said.
Parishioner and junior family studies major Adrienne Bushrod, who attended last year’s Super Sunday event where Gonzalez spoke, said it helped her make the transition from a returning student to a full-time student at Sac State. Bushrod said she was out of college for 20 years before going to Sacramento City College and transferring to Sac State. “I spoke to a counselor during last year’s Super Sunday,” Bushrod said. “Then I knew what I needed to do.”
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February 24, Wednesday
| Spring Issue 5 | Sacramento State
A cheap justification New destination: that invades privacy EDITORIAL
Help the faculty It’s 2010, which means Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez’s Destination 2010 initiative has reached its namesake year. But even after this deadline, Gonzalez has said he plans to continue the initiative’s goal of improving this university. And he would be continuing a concept that has already done so much good for this campus. Destination 2010 has broadened students’ ability to study what they are interested in. Since 2007, Sac State has been able to issue doctorates in educational leadership and, in 2006, our campus added an honors General Education program to our curriculum. The Writing Partners Program, added in 2005, was created to help students learn basic writing skills. Improvements like these give students the opportunity to graduate, get jobs and give back to the communities they came from. Gonzalez said our university actually makes a difference to the Sacramento region, and gives back a substantial amount of money to our area. “It’s very important to the region,” Gonzalez said. “The economic impact we have as a campus on the region
is close to a billion dollars … When you look at long-term contracts, and all those things, it makes a big difference.” Even though 2010 should mark the end of an initiative with a name like Destination 2010, Gonzalez said the idea of making this university better will endure. But if it does, there is a major issue that needs to be addressed. Destination 2010, up to this point, has not focused enough on its goal of maintaining Sac State’s faculty. “We’ve begun those discussions through the SPC (Strategic Planning Council),” Gonzalez said. “Pretty soon we’re going to start making it much more formal in the types of discussions we have about the future.” Professors suffer from cutbacks and furloughs. The quality of their teaching is expected to be up, but they are given less time with their students. They need to feel the support of this university just as much as students. They just want to teach, even if their pay doesn’t justify their hard work. “We’re not here for the money,” said sociology professor Kevin Wehr, California Faculty Association capital chapter president. “Frankly, the money we get
is pretty abysmal. We’re here for students.” Professors want to teach students but they need better classrooms and better equipment. He also said the initiative has focused too much on beautifying our university and not enough on actual education. Citing the construction of the Recreation and Wellness Center and the purchase of the California State Teacher’s Retirement System building near campus, Wehr said that funding could have instead gone toward education. But since the old CalSTRS building is being converted for use by nursing, speech pathology and audiology departments, it seems to have been a solid investment. Destination 2010 is almost six years old, and even with the budget problems that have been going on lately, there is little denying that the initiative has done a lot of good for this campus. Is it at its final destination point? No. But Gonzalez seems to know what it takes to get to his end-goal of making Sac State a vibrant, beautiful community-oriented campus. And while we might have reached 2010, here’s to hoping this initiative keeps going for a long time.
By Julia Baum jbaum@statehornet.com I’m a wanted woman, folks - there might be a warrant out there with my name on it. My offense was forgetting to tell the city of Sacramento that they have permission to inspect my house. Because of that, they gave me a warrant that says they can go through my property. Apparently, the city thinks that I’m in imminent danger because I live in a rental home. Now I must give them yearly access to where I live, under their Rental Housing Inspection Program. Did I mention before that I just moved into my new apartment in November? Shouldn’t inspecting an empty unit before renting it out be sufficient? This program is either just another perfect example of a “nanny state” trying way too hard to protect its citizens, or the city lining its coffers. My inner cynic is inclined to lean toward the latter. “We’ve created a program
that assumes everyone is a bad actor,” said Cory Koehler, senior deputy director for the Rental Housing Association of Sacramento Valley. Landlords must pay $28 per unit annually to support this program for its first five years. They also pay any fines for code violations or re-inspection fees. This program does not affect private homeowners, who would probably be able to easily and successfully sue the city for invasion of privacy. But somehow the city has been trampling through renters’ homes for several years. Professional property managers will do a pre-move-in inspection to make sure everything is alright, Koehler said. One would think, between that and another law allowing tenants the option to a premove-out inspection, there would be plenty of laws governing the safety and condition of rental units. Shouldn’t a renter’s common sense dictate whether a city inspection is even necessary? “If the renter declines the inspection there is a provision,” Koehler said. “They can get an administrative warrant and go in anyway.” Koehler said that the rental housing industry is one of the most regulated around. The program costs renters and the industry over $2 million more, because some renters just have
to ruin the home they’re paying for. “The professional owners are subsidizing a program for the bad owners,” Koehler said. “That’s the fundamental problem with this program.” Roy O’Connor, operations director for the city code enforcement department, said the program is there to benefit the tenants because, unlike homeowners, they do not have total control of their property. “If they endanger themselves, then that’s their doing,” O’Connor said. “The owner is running a business when they’re renting out to tenants and have an obligation to keep it safe.” Is it necessary for all renters to give up their right to privacy at the expense of picking out the bad apples? “I think (the city’s) point is if you’re a homeowner maybe you take better care of your property,” Koehler said. “I could see where a resident has a legit argument to say, ‘I’m being treated differently than someone who owns their own home.’” Just because I can’t afford to own a home yet does not mean I have given up my right to not have strangers come inside the one that I rent now. We may not own our homes, but we should still have for the right to peace, safety and - oh yeah, privacy.
STATE HORNET OPINION ONLINE Stressed out? Put the sandwich down Take a walk, write or do something aside from eating. Maybe use that time to read David Loret de Mola’s weight loss blog on Thursday at statehornet.com
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Marcy Hendricks State Hornet
Being a Resident Adviser for a dorm room is hard work and requires someone with dedication to the job. Paul Roundtree writes about why he finds this job interesting at statehornet.com
Professors shouldn’t have to downsize education
By Matt Rascher mrascher@statehornet.com I have to admit, when I first heard about the furloughs, I was actually kind of excited about the prospect of not having as much class to go to. I know it has always been a relief when a teacher canceled class and I got to go home early, but this just doesn’t feel the same. It’s not just a teacher being sick or having a conference call to take. It’s a teacher deciding which days we won’t be getting our full $2,450 worth. There are few things in life that we would pay a relatively high amount of money for
and not expect the most out of them. I wouldn’t buy a new car if the dealership told me it wouldn’t work two days out of the month. I wouldn’t install a home security system if the Brinks guy told me it wouldn’t work every day. So why would I pay for a college education if I’m not going to get a full one? We all know the details of the state budget crisis, or at least enough to know that it is hurting every state employee from Los Angeles to Eureka. We know that our faculty and staff alike are feeling the pay cuts and their hardship is no easier than ours. However, along with the cuts in their pay came a rise in our fees. And now we are left with more expensive, yet less educationally satisfying classes. So we protest and shake our fists and stamp our feet and we try to make a difference, but are we directing our anger toward the wrong people?
I’ve called out our administration in past articles and discussed with many students and faculty the poor decisions made by those in charge, but not once have I ever pointed the finger at those who teach us. Never once have I blamed those who have taught me to be a critical thinker or analyze situations from an unbiased and thoughtful perspective. I never blamed those who have taught me to be the kind of person I am today. But should I have? The teachers at California State University campuses statewide purposely take furlough days on days of instruction. Some of them have no choice having classes every day of the week or close to it. But what about those who only teach Tuesday and Thursday? Or only on Monday and Wednesday? What excuse do they have to be canceling classes when they don’t have to? Because the California
Faculty Association has fought to let them to have the right to choose. Otherwise, it would be left up to the President Alexander Gonzalez and the rest of the administration as to what days. The thinking is if they can show how much of a hindrance the furloughs are to everyday life, the administration may do away with them or find an alternative. Sociology professor Kevin Wehr, CFA capital chapter president, said exposure to this problem is the only way it will be solved. “If we simply chose non-instructional days only, then that makes it appear to the students, to the administrators, to the public ... to anybody involved in the community that there is no consequences to these cuts,” he said. “But cuts do have consequences.” The only problem is that this form of protest keeps students out of the classroom. Wehr made the argument that it’s not the teachers who
are hindering the students, it is our government and the highest level of the CSU system’s administration. “It’s not the faculty being selfish, or hurting the students. It’s the Legislature and the governor and the chancellor who are hurting the students and not doing the right thing,” Wehr said. So yes, our professors should be taking their furloughs on
days of instruction. It is their way of showing not only the campus, but the administration and everyone else who is paying attention, that our current system isn’t right. The big thing we should realize, however, is that they shouldn’t have to be making this decision at all. When our educators are put into this position, everyone is hurt.
File photo
Students and the California Faculty Association rallied in the Library Quad last fall to protest fee increases.
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| S p r i n g I s s u e 5 | S a c r a m e n to S t a t e
Daily roasts have sac state origins By Hanan Salem hsalem@statehornet.com
Tom Weborg, co-founder of Java City, likens his experience in the coffee industry as flying on a “magic-carpet ride.” Weborg, alumnus of Sacramento State, has brought his specialty coffee to Sac State’s campus for years and credits his success to his well-rounded education and luck in finding the right spouse at the right time. Weborg said he was involved in his family-owned coffee business, Stirling Restaurant Coffee Service, in his younger years before he knew what he was going to do with his life. “You don’t know what the right things to do are. You’re going to just start doing them. In my situation, I worked very, very hard for about 20 years and it wasn’t until I started roasting my own coffee, selling it by the cup and being in a specialty coffee business that my energy and effort really played out for me,” Weborg said. Students should watch out for opportunities in places they may not expect success to be, Weborg said. He always thought coffee was a means to an end - not a career. Although, it is clear now, he said, that Java City was in his destiny. “I’m a firm believer that energy and effort over time, if you’re in the right business, will pay off,” Weborg said. “You can bust your anal in the wrong business and it might not be a success.” Weborg said it was because of his wife that the idea of Java City came into existence in 1985. He met her, Sandra Singer, at their McClatchy High School reunion, and then they started dating in the ‘80s. Weborg said Singer not only became his wife later, but also his own business guru. “She said, ‘Why don’t we start roasting our own coffee? I really don’t like your coffee - it doesn’t taste good. I like specialty coffee.’ So we started exploring various ways to do that and we came upon the idea of beginning our own business, which ultimately turned out to be Java City. It all started with this little roasting operation we opened up on the corner of 18th and Capital,” Weborg said. Driven by his wife’s distinct taste in coffee, Weborg started his very first micro-roasting operation in Midtown. Within six years, the couple owned six Java Citys in Sacramento. Java City was later purchased by the Venture Capital firm in 1993. Singer and Weborg remained investors in the company until it was sold to a company in Dublin, Ireland. Weborg remained a consultant of Java City until he retired in March 2009. He described Java City’s growth as being almost magical, as it boomed during America’s coffee revolution. “In terms of size, you start one store and you don’t think you’re going to go anywhere further than that. You just want to sort of be successful and get your money back.” Weborg said. “Then, all of a sudden, you have six stores and the next day you’re bought out.” Singer said their joint success, as in most businesses, was a surprise. “When you open any new business you’re just sort of excited to be in business the next day,” Singer said. “You can’t really know what will be and so you put everything into it ... The goal is to hopefully continue to be in business in a positive way.” Singer said a large part of their success is due to Weborg’s impeccable timing and work ethic. “I think Tom has the wherewithal to not take something on until he has what it takes to make it happen,” Singer said. “I had been bugging him to do something in the gourmet coffee long before Java City started and I think he knew when the time was right for Sacramento.” Likewise, Weborg described himself as being a really lucky “sales guy.” “I feel very fortunate to have been doing the right thing at the right time with the right person,” Weborg said. “There have been a lot of things that Sandra and I talked about doing that didn’t include roasting coffee. I mean why that? Yes, I was involved in that business before but I was lucky that I met her. It was lucky that she knew about specialty coffee ... I feel very blessed and fortunate that our paths crossed.” Weborg said he admits that his vision did not materialize out of sheer luck. His experiences at Sac State earned him a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business. “I credit CSUS for giving me a very round exposure to all aspects of business that a young person going out in the world would need,”
Ricky Afuang State Hornet
Tom Weborg, a Sac State alumnus, enjoys a cup of coffee from Java City, the company he co-founded in 1985.
see Java City | page B2
Discussion series builds LGBT awareness By Erin Rogers erogers@statehornet.com
Jackson Harris, junior business major and intern at the PRIDE Center, will be speaking during a discussion series this semester that will educate Sacramento State students on the underrepresented “queer” community on campus. The term “queer,” said Harris, refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning and ally community, or LGBTIQQA (LGBT) community. These discussions, hosted by the PRIDE center, allow students to hear about members of the LGBT community on campus, Harris said. Harris hopes that by having the students comes together, the PRIDE center will see how effective the center is being and ways in which they can increase representation and acceptance on campus. “What this campus is slightly lacking is the representation of these individuals, especially since they are everywhere,” Har-
ris said. Harris said everyone deserves to be represented and to have their issues feel important. “Since we are a student center, there is a big emphasis on the students. We are here for the students and we want the best possible experience for them,” Harris said. Even though organizations are momentarily nonexistent for some LGBT groups, Scanlan urges people who fall under these categories to seek representation through the PRIDE Center and the Queer Straight Alliance Club. “By just getting involved with the programs already on campus, we can work to improve the campus climate,” said Nicole Scanlan, co-coordinator of the PRIDE Center. Scanlan said the first discussion, held Tuesday, focused on what the center does, who they are, events they are hosting and how they can better the campus. “We are trying to gather some information on how effective we are being as a center and what the student body would like to
see from us in the future,” Harris said. “The LGBT community can help improve representation by providing their opinions at the discussions and ways they feel Sac State can improve.” All members from the LGBT community are urged to attend these discussions, including straight individuals or “allies.” Allies are people who support the LGBT community, Scanlan said, who act as advocates and support the LGBT community without being a gay or lesbian person themselves. “We are trying to bring more awareness to everyone, rather than just the lesbian and gay people in the LGBT community, even the allies,” Scanlan said. The second event, on March 23, focuses on domestic partnership versus marriage, specifically in California. Scanlan said she feels strongly about the discussion series because she has personal experience in the field. “I am legally married in the state of California, but I am not federally recognized as a married person,” Scanlan said.
The third and final discussion, on April 21, will focus on members of the LGBT community in the Greek system at Sac State, Jackson said. Joel Saslaw, senior history major, will be speaking at this discussion since he is openly homosexual in his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilom. The goal of this discussion, Saslaw said, is to let people in the LGBT community know there are fraternities and sororities that welcome all people, no matter the sexual orientation. “No organization should be concerned about someone’s sexuality,” Saslaw said. “Someone’s sexuality is their own business and they should not be judged or treated differently because it might be different.” There are Greek organizations, Saslaw said, that support members who are LGBT. “We want to help you find that Greek organization where you feel safe,” Saslaw said. “Some organizations have anti-discrimination clauses right in their national bylaws.” Even though Sac State could
improve on representation of LGBT members within the campus community, Scanlan and Harris agree that Sac State is on the right path for LGBT representation. “Sac State is one of the best
places to be queer and feel welcome in the community,” Scanlan said. “We are definitely making steps on building a community that accepts everyone for who they are, regardless of sexual orientation.”
Matt Erickson State Hornet
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SBAD performs to show students that praise is universal By Vanessa Johnson vjohnson@statehornet.com Sacramento State University Black Art of Dance Company is hoping to “awe” students with their depiction of praise and spirituality through dance in their show “Praisesong.” The title “Praisesong” was chosen in order to portray African dancing as a movement and culture. Nathan Jones, who is the associate artistic director of SBAD, wants the people who watch the show to realize that there is not just one universal meaning of praise, but rather a variety of meanings that people can interpret for themselves. “I think that there is more scope to the word praise and what it is,” Jones said. “Praise comes out of the black experience and what their interpretation of praise is.”
Even broader than that, Jones said, praise is a way to express a passion for something and the beauty that it is. “Praisesong” will run from Thursday to March 7, but the production has been in the works since December of 2009. All different kinds of dance will be displayed in the performance, Jones said, including praise, hip-hop, modern, African Caribbean dance and even ballet. The production will include not only the company’s dancers, but also guest choreographers and dancers such as Katherine Dunahm, Pearl Primus, dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and featured guest “Ascension.” Jones wants those who see the show to really think outside the box. He stresses the importance that everybody has a different perspective on the definition of
“praise.” “We want the audience to enjoy themselves and see humanity on stage. We want the audience to come away with an enlightened feeling and join us in a celebration of black dance culture,” Jones said. Dancer Jurusha Woods was not planning on partaking in the recital this semester because of her workload, but she opted to join the praising celebration, and is excited for the production that will take place. “I went to the auditions of SBAD, and immediately I was hooked,” Woods said. “I loved the passion that went into each dance move and the aesthetics that it offered.” Woods expressed that SBAD dancers have great unity when they dance, and “Praisesong” is a chance for them the show what the black art of dance really is.
“No matter what religion or background, we want you to enjoy the art of dance,” Woods said. “Because the SBAD dancers enjoy it so does the crowd.” The company is a unit, Woods said, and although they all have different beliefs, they all understand each other. “I love performing with SBAD, it’s always a joy to see what we can do and who we can influence,” Woods said. Jones said the dance company, SBAD, has been around for almost 20 years and works to bring forth the art and passion that the black culture has to offer. “SBAD productions are meant to portray the different colors of the black art of dancing,” he said. The company holds auditions in the fall of each year and offers a yearlong program where dancers learn all types of dance, from
contemporary (modern dance) to African Caribbean. However, Jones said, SBAD is not simply about dancing, but also a community of people sharing their love of dance and their variety of ideas. “We are here to provide voice to an aspect of the African American experience. We are a company that doesn’t compete with each other; we come together and celebrate the different ideas that we have,” Jones said. The audience should expect to enjoy themselves at “Praisesong,” they should leave the production with joy in their hearts, said Jones. “We want them to walk out with emotions that are as many colors of the rainbow. We want the audience to know that the human is beautiful, varied and spirit-filled,” Jones said.
Courtesy Photo
Members of SBAD perform a piece from “Praisesong.” The general admission for “Praisesong” is $12, $10 for senior citizens and Sac State students, and $8 for children under 12.
Eritrean artist depicts social Java City: Weborg’s CSUS struggles around the world education led to his success Continued | page B1
By John Saelee jsaelee@statehornet.com Artist Mahader Tesfai uses an organic approach to create art that empowers people by revitalizing the past and painting them on non-traditional surfaces. In this time period, Tesfai said, he uses art to inform the public of struggles many have faced outside of the United States including hardships of Africans, displaced refugees due to push factors, people carrying dual identities and post colonialism. Tesfai’s interests in this subject matter are largely due to his Eritrean roots. Tesfai was born in Sudan, East Africa, but his roots are in Eritrea, located near the Red Sea and the horn of Africa. Tesfai said Eritrea, like many small nations, have been traded as a colony throughout its existence, but in 1952 Eritrea was annexed from Ethiopia. Tesfai said struggles still occur on a more personal level throughout Eritrea and these are the kinds of difficulties he hopes to portray in his art. His most recent exhibit, “Decolonize,” will open at 3 p.m. today and will be held in Sacramento State’s Multi-Cultural Center. Tesfai said the underlining concept of “Decolonize” is decolonization which, by definition, is when people fight for change in their country to obtain autonomy. Tesfai said, in reference to the struggle closest to his heart, Ethiopia heavily disagreed with Eritrea’s action to create autonomy for their country. “A lot of the national borders of Africa were artificially created based on colonial divisions of the land,” he said. “There was blood shed on both sides and many people fled at the time.” Tesfai said he implements an aspect of his culture in honor of his heritage by drawing faces of traditional Eritrean people. “Despite the fact that art is a reflection of the artist, I don’t want to be consumed in myself,” he said. Jessica Castellon, social justice major and art intern for the Multi-Cultural Center, said Tesfai will offer a free workshop on the opening day of “Decolonize,” which will be led by Tesfai himself. She said the workshop is open to faculty, staff, students and alumni but reservations are
Courtesy of Mahader Tesfai
The Multi-Cultural Center will hold Mahader Tesfai’s exhibit, “Decolonize,” until late March. For reservations to the workshop email Jessica Castellon at jc994@saclink.csus.edu. recommended. “People should expect an open invitation to explore their histories and an opportunity for self-expression,” Castellon said. Kalat Yared, president of the Habesha Student Union, said her organization is sponsoring the “Decolonize” exhibit and is excited to see Tesfai, who is of Habesha decent, bring his artwork and experience to campus. “In the broadest sense, the word ‘Habesha’ may refer to anyone from Ethiopia or Eritrea,” Yared said. Tesfai’s artwork is powerful because she sees Habesha influences in it, Yared said. The art represents social issues, she said, his personal experience and also a representation of Habesha. “I think students will experience a different side of art - it’s unique,” Yared said. “He has bright and dark colors in his art. The dark colors represent the dark side of society and the bright colors give you hope.” The first of Tesfai’s artwork Martinez encountered was painted on old cutting boards and she was immediately intrigued by his style, she said. “He’s very real about his
impressionism,” Martinez said. “It’s not patterned or simple it’s complex and multi-dimensional - it’s alive and real and he doesn’t stick with the same medium.” Tesfai said he avoids presketches. His approach is to create art on objects easily accessible to him, a process, he said, he feels the most comfortable with. Yared said February is Black History Month and Tesfai’s art can help shine a light on Africa in a universal way.
Weborg said. “The university exposed me to many aspects of business that I would come into contact with as entrepreneur. That roundness of knowledge, I think, is very, very important.” While several Java City employers said they knew a lot about Java City’s history, some said they knew much less about the life of their retired boss. Those who do recall their interactions with him remember them as being pleasant. Frances Swengel, supervisor of the Java City at the Union Station, said she knew Weborg as a qualified, sociable leader. “He didn’t make you feel small when you talked to him,” Swengel said. “I’ve met him only once or twice but he was nice. He was very professional, very respectful.” Singer also said Weborg’s sociability helped create a lighthearted bond among his employees. “He had tremendous people skills and was the kind of person that people tended to like, whether they worked for him, whether he met them for the first time or worked for him over periods of time,” Singer said. Although Weborg was part of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, he said he was not involved in frat parties. He focused on completing an average of 15.5 units per semester, until he graduated in 1964. “When I got out of school,
I knew about finance. I knew about accounting. I knew about law. I mean I took various bits of that information as a tool when I went out to work for myself,” Weborg said. “I knew where to go as a result of my education.” Weborg has gone far in life, even as a retiree. He has served on two public bank corporations in the past 10 years. Today, he serves on Sac State’s business school advisory
council and is the president of the Crocker Art Museum Association’s board of directors. Weborg is also helping raise funds for the expansion of the museum, which will triple its size and be completed in October 2010. Looking back at his Sac State experiences, Weborg said he not only values his bachelor’s degrees in marketing and business but also the life skills he gained. “I think I became confident from CSUS,” Weborg said. “I would go back to school if I could learn something similar to
that in four years. It’d be worth it to me, knowing I could come away from CSUS with something in my bag that I could rely on for myself. No matter what I do, whether it’s making money or helping to run the Crocker Arts Association.” The self-confidence he developed in and outside of his business classes was priceless, he said. “I wasn’t intimated by people because you know I spent four years talking in class, meeting different professors, meeting business leaders,” Weborg said. “I don’t care if I’m talking to Gov. (Ronald) Reagan, which I have done, or whether I’m talking to city council. I don’t get easily intimidated and I think it’s just because I became comfortable with myself after attending Sac State.” Weborg said despite being a 67-year-old retiree, he finds happiness in the simplicity of his current life. “Now I’m trying to unwind things so that life becomes a little bit simpler - simple is good,” Weborg said. “I used to work 50 to 60 hours a week. I sort of toned it down; it was necessary.” He travels about 60 days a year, manages his own investments, plays golf, enjoys his grandchildren and will carry on as such until he reaches “the big 99.”’ “The big 99 is when you die,” Weborg said. “All the things I’m doing now I’m going to continue to do until the big 99.”
Wednesday - February 24
Features Section
CLUB CORNER | PHILOSOPHY CLUB
Argumentation increases club members’ knowledge
Julie Keefer State Hornet
Members of the Philosophy Club promote their club in a minimal fashion. The club meets from noon to 2 p.m. every Friday in the University Union’s Maidu Room. By Hanan Salem hsalem@statehornet.com Time travel, existentialism and the link between reality and science are a few of the Philosophy Club’s hottest topics. This club welcomes students of all intellects to showcase their academic skills, argue and make a good time of it. Carol Radkins, senior philosophy major, said the club is based on academia and is essentially “the knowledge club.” “It’s not like there’s a philosophy that we all agree with. I mean you have 10 philosophers in the room, which means 12 different opinions,” Radkins said. “Philosophy is a mindexpanding field. It’s not like you focus on something that’s specific and quantifiable.” Members said because they promote free thought, they in turn find satisfaction in disagreement. “Everybody is curious about everything,” said Amanda Muncill, senior philosophy major. “I think the general goal
is embracing knowledge and just enriching ourselves with just as much as we can get it. We embrace all subjects. It’s not just philosophy. It is everything.” Moreover, members said they encourage students to go beyond what they normally learn in philosophy-based classes. “We encourage extremism. We want to hear each other’s views. We love to argue. We have a lot of fun,” said Richard Edwards, senior philosophy major and club president. Muncill said much like the nature of the club, the weekly meetings are disorderly, spirited and yet highly intellectual. “I think they’re fun. They are chaotic because everyone wants to talk all at once,” Muncill said. Radkins, the club’s moderator, said she thinks everyone appreciates her efforts to maintain order. “Philosophers are full of ideas and they all want to speak their ideas all the time, so it’s hard to keep people focused on a single thread of a conversation,” Radkins said. “Philosophy is such a
varied field, it’s difficult to keep the club focused.” To break the ice among new members, meetings are kickedoff with witty “roll-call” questions, Edwards said. One model roll-call question is: How much would it cost for you to kill someone convicted of murder and what would you pay to be the executioner of that criminal? “For that question, rarely does a dollar amount get brought up,” Edwards said, laughing. “Incredibly elaborate answers are totally acceptable.” Edwards also said their weekly discussions may inspire undergraduates and those with undeclared majors. “People expect that philosophy majors would be like stoners and slackers. It’s really not the case. The group is academic; students either want to be professors or are trying to figure out what they want to do,” Edwards said. “Myself, I don’t think I’ll be in philosophy forever. But it took philosophy for me to figure out what I wanted to do.”
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| S p r i n g I ss u e 5 | S a c ra m ento S tate
“I got to travel and meet great people, but I knew I wasn’t going to make it in the NFL. There really was no future there. I came to Sac State to get a degree. I was always pretty realistic. One thing Coach always said was, ‘Use football, don’t let football use you.’” Jason Smith, former Sacramento State quarterback
Injuries end Smith’s career
NCAA Sports Updates WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. MONTANA STATE
FEB. 18
L 84-73 vs. MONTANA
FEB. 20
W 100-83
Non-Cancerous
Suffered during the Northern Arizona game Chris Chiang State Hornet
MEN’S BASKETBALL Six bulging discs in back
at MONTANA STATE
FEB. 18
L 80-74 at MONTANA
FEB. 20
L 86-58 GYMNASTICS
Suffered during freshman season
vs. SAN JOSE STATE
FEB. 19
1ST PLACE Kim Hughes, head coach:
Photos by Nallelie Vega, Graphic by Megan Harris State Hornet
Jason Smith finishes his career as the second-most prolific passer in Hornet history. He completed passes at a 57.5 percent rate in 2009. By Ashley O’Con aocon@statehornet.com Jason Smith suffered some typical quarterback injuries. However, some were more overwhelming than he imagined, leaving him with no choice but to quit the Sacramento State football team once and for all. Although Smith wanted to remain the team’s starting quarterback, his body was forcing him to do otherwise. Due to a bad back, ankle and shoulder, Smith decided to hang up his cleats following his junior sea-
son as a Hornet. “I had a bunch of health problems. I hurt my back freshman year and then my ankle - I don’t want to necessarily say it was worth it, but I was tired of getting beat up,” he said. “After the NAU game, I hurt my shoulder. I got hit hard and landed on it. It wasn’t feeling right and after that I just didn’t have the same strength. I couldn’t throw the ball like I used to. After the season, I sat down and really thought, ‘Is it worth it to keep beating myself up?’” Despite having to adjust to a different quarterback, head
coach Marshall Sperbeck said he believes Sac State will be successful next season. “Jason had a good career,” Sperbeck said. “We’re going to miss him. He did a lot of good things for us. But we’re excited about McLeod (Bethel-Thompson) coming in and having an opportunity to play, and we think McLeod is ready to take on the challenge.” Junior offensive line Dustin Pfaff said although it would have been difficult to give up everything he worked so hard for, he probably would have made the same decision.
“If I was in as much pain as he was, I probably would have done the same thing,” Pfaff said. “If I knew it was going to prevent me from being able to move around when I’m older and stuff like that. I would want to be able to play with my kids one day without a broken back.” Smith was shocked to find his health was more in danger than he had thought. “The week before the UNLV game, I went into see the doctors and they found a brain cyst in my head,” he said. “It wasn’t cancerous or anything, but it still kind of freaked me out.”
He will go back in six weeks to receive another CT scan. Smith said after getting hurt constantly, he had to decide what was more important – his future or his reputation as a college quarterback. “I love playing football and I love these guys, but I think for my health, in the long run, it was better that I didn’t play,” he said. “I would like to play with my kids and stuff when I get older and be able to walk.” Smith said he gets to keep his football scholarship through the
vs. WASHINGTON ST.
see Smith| page B5
W 10-8, 19-5 L 18-14
Quarterback injuries New park could have serious impact benefit Hornets By Marshall Hampson mhampson@statehornet.com
By Ross Coleman rcoleman@statehornet.com Quarterbacks are seen as the golden boys of football. They are essentially born with a silver spoon in their mouths. It is the position with the most rules protecting their well-being on the field. But there is a reason why leagues have started to crack down on hits to the quarterback. “Quarterbacks are pretty much sitting ducks,” said director of athletic training Steve DeHart. “They can be seen as the pretty boys, but they take as much of a pounding, if not more, than anybody because they get everybody’s full hit. As a quarterback, you have people winding up who want to kill you.” The Sacramento State football team has learned just what a detriment the constant pounding on the quarterback can be to a team. Jason Smith, the starting quarterback for much of the past three seasons, has been forced to take a medical retirement due to his small stature, which just can’t take the constant beating he got over the past few season. Smith’s smaller stature (6 feet, 195 pounds) is not able to withstand as many hits as his replacement, junior McLeod Bethel-Thompson (6
File Photo
McLeod Bethel-Thompson (9) will take over for the injured Jason Smith during the 2010 season. feet, 3 inches tall; 235 pounds). Bethel-Thompson has a more prototypical stature to withstand the rigors of the quarterback position. Quarterbacks deal with many ailments which could have a negative impact on their onfield performance. “Obviously you see all the throwing type of injuries,” Dehart said. “When they get hit with their arm up, there is potential for labrum damage. They get hit by big guys who throw them down on their shoulders and you get shoulder separations with some regularity.”
Two other areas where injuries to quarterbacks tend to occur are the ribs and the lower legs. “They can get hit in the ribs, they have a lot of padding in there, but there is always the chance for bruised ribs,” DeHart said. “Sometimes you have linemen and linebackers diving at their knees so there is a lot of knee and ankle injuries.” But as DeHart pointed out, in virtually every play there is a chance for injury for the
The Sacramento Valley Rugby Foundation’s plan to build a rugby complex in Mather Field Park is on its way to being cleared by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. The plan to build the 1,400acre complex is estimated at $5 million and was first introduced to the county staff six years ago. The rugby facility will consist of four fields, a rugby history center and a two-story banquet building for Sacramento State to use. The park is a centralized location for most of the teams in the area and is 8.9 miles away from Sac State campus. The men and women’s rugby teams currently use the sport-
ing field behind Yosemite Hall for practices and games, but the field is in poor condition. According to the preliminary blueprint, two of the four fields will be called “championship fields” – one being built with field turf instead of grass. The championship fields are where most of the big match-ups will be played in the tournaments they host. Jerry Ahlin, president of the rugby foundation, said he wanted this complex to be built because he didn’t have a facility like this growing up when he played rugby 28 years ago. Mather Field Park was one of the cheapest pieces of land the foundation could find when trying to find somewhere to put the complex, he said. see Fields| page B5
WOMEN’S TENNIS at WASHINGTON
FEB. 20
L 4-3
FEB. 21
W 5-2 BASEBALL at UNLV
FEB. 19-21
Sport Clubs Updates MEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs. CAL
FEB. 20
L 3-0
vs. SANTA CLARA
FEB. 21
W 3-0 MEN’S RUGBY vs. CHICO STATE
FEB. 20
L 19-17 MORRIS LEAGUE HONORARY NEGRO LEAGUE GAME FEB. 20
LARKS 9 SEA LIONS 7 Dominic Morris, Morris League co-founder:
“For our league to have a day where we can throw on retro uniforms – it’s an historic day. I feel humbled being here, throwing on these uniforms and to actually see the former Negro League players here at our game is quite a feeling.”
Courtesy of the Sacramento Valley Rugby Foundation
see Football| page B5
Starting with vault you could see the enthusiasm, the effort, and the confidence. Everything just flowed from event to event.”
The proposed Mather Park site includes rugby fields.
Wednesday - February 24
Sports Section
statehornet.com
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Work ethic a determining factor in Westerhold’s honor By Jules Ramzy jramzy@statehornet.com There are many people in the athletic department who are in the background, yet they play important roles in keeping the department running. Tina Westerhold, one of Sacramento State’s Employees of the Month for February, is one of those people. She was the compliance coordinator of the resource department before she moved to the financial department. While she was the compliance coordinator, Westerhold’s job was to monitor all of the coaches, student athletes and booster clubs to make sure they adhered to NCAA rules.
Westerhold said she had no idea she was going to win. “I knew of it because I heard a colleague talking about the award before, but when I heard the president of the department’s phone call, I was shocked,” Westerhold said. “Then I received a basket and now I am in the paper.” Katherine Zedonis, also a compliance coordinator, said Westerhold was nominated for the award because of her dedication and attitude on the job. Zedonis described her as “of the highest integrity and professionalism both in her dealings with the student-athletes she serves and her colleagues in University Administration and the Athletics Department.”
Westerhold said it is nice to be recognized for working hard. “It is nice to know that your hard work is not going unnoticed,” she said. “The fact that my co-workers took the time to nominate me is just awesome.” Westerhold said she wanted a career in a college athletic department after graduating from the University of Nebraska. “All I have ever known is college athletics,” she said. “That is all I have ever worked in. I have come from Nebraska and it is a much different program.” Mark Livingston, associate athletic director for development, commended Westerhold on her work ethic and attitude. “She probably has one of the best work ethics I have ever
seen, and she makes everyone around her work better,” Livingston said. “She is an outstanding person.” Westerhold has been working with Livingston in the Financial Services Department. “She is going to assist in all aspects in our fundraising for student scholarships,” Livingston said. Westerhold is excited about her new position and plans on doing her best to improve the department. “I am going to be helping with the outreach and with the fundraisers and working with different people and with the booster club,” she said. “It is a change that I am excited about.” She also said work ethic is
Tina Horton State Hornet
Tina Westerhold earned February Employee of the Month for her work in the athletics department. something she values greatly. “I want to improve and make it better,” she said. “I want to see how we can do bigger, better things. That is what I want to do
in this new position. It is always nice seeing a position after you have left. Being able to say it was one way when I started but now we have come this far.”
Smith: Decision to retire was Football: Quarterbacks take a to prevent further damage beating on a regular basis Continued | page B4
Continued | page B4
end of this semester. Smith said even though things did not go as planned, he is still able to reflect on his past with a smile on his face and be optimistic for the future. “I think if I didn’t have the injuries, I would still be playing my last year,” he said. “It’s been a great experience. I came in as a walk-on and I met a ton of great people.” Junior tight end Matt Carter was shocked when he first heard the news. “When he first said he was quitting, I didn’t think he was being serious,” Carter said. “I didn’t know he was having all those injuries because even when he was hurt in the game, he still kept going.” Smith said his best recovery is to get lots of rest and exercise, especially since he has six bulging discs in his back. “I’m recovering good. I still work out every day and still do a lot of stuff, just without getting beat up and getting hit,” he said. “The pain is not as bad. There are some days when it’s bad and some days where it’s not. Running on pavement is still a little tough for me, so when I do run I try to run on grass. There is still some lifting I can’t do, though.” Going from the star on the field to a spectator, Smith said he is hopeful the team will continue to improve the program. “I think they’re going to be great next year,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys training on both offense and defense, so I’ll be highly surprised if they don’t do better than we did last year. Smith said he felt most comfortable telling his coach about his decision before anyone else. “Coach was the first one to know,” he said. “We sat down and were talking about ‘if ’ for a long time. I told him before I told my parents just because I probably saw him the most. He understood why I was doing it.” Going from a walk-on to the starting quarterback, Smith has built a relationship with Sperbeck that made it hard to leave the team but also gave him a tremendous amount of support. “He came in and started coaching around the same time I had walked on,” Smith said. “I probably came into his office for two straights weeks just bugging him asking, ‘Can I walk on? Can I get a chance to walk on?,’ and he finally gave me a chance.” Smith was grateful to have a coach who supported him the way Sperbeck did. “He really did understand and he helped me a lot, and he really did look out for me,” he said. “I don’t think most coaches would take that kind of interest in
quarterback position. “They get the run of the gamut,” he said. “They also have the concussion issue. They got people teeing off on them, especially from the blind side.” Conditioning and age play a major role in injury prevention. “We can take a pounding when we are young, but every hit builds on with the next one,” DeHart said. “Once we get fatigued, we don’t protect ourselves nearly as well as we can. And when they do have injuries, it’s doing all the rehab” Sports injuries have become
File Photo
Jason Smith (right) played his final game as a Hornet during the 2009 Causeway Classic against UC Davis. their players.” Although Smith’s announcement to the team was devastating to some, Sperbeck was sympathetic with Smith’s decision. “I was very supportive of his decision,” Sperbeck said. “He’s been beat up and he’s had a lot of injuries. You never want to see a kid get hurt to the point where it effects them down the road and with all the injuries that he’s had, he just felt like it was time to move on.” Even though his love is football, he remembered why he came to school in the first place – to get his degree in business administration. “I got to travel and meet great people, but I knew I wasn’t going to make it in the NFL,” he said. “There really was no future there. I came to Sac State to get a degree. I was always pretty realistic. One thing Coach always said was, ‘Use football, don’t let football use you.’” Smith works at Northwestern Mutual, an insurance company where he plans to land a fulltime job after he graduates.
“My parents were supportive, but they were caught off-guard cause I hadn’t really told them much about it. I tried not to ask too many people about it because it was kind of a decision I wanted to make on my own.” Jason Smith, former Hornet quarterback
“I used football to help pay for my school and it got me the job I have now,” he said. “I’m excited, I have fun doing it and I might as well graduate since that’s what I came here for.” Loyal fans have helped him get through his injuries, including an individual who respected the quarterback during his career at Sac State. “I actually got a card from someone last week I didn’t even know,” he said. “Steve Smith. I
was trying to get in contact with him but I couldn’t find him. It meant a lot, cause I didn’t even know the guy, but he took time out of his day to send me a card and it really meant a lot. I appreciate everyone’s support.” He said announcing his retirement from the team was difficult for his family and friends but he was glad to know he had their support. “My parents were supportive, but they were caught off-guard cause I hadn’t really told them much about it,” he said. “I tried not to ask too many people about it because it was kind of a decision that I wanted to make on my own. I know how much they enjoyed coming out here on Saturdays and watching me, but they understood that it was probably better for me to move on.” Although making the choice was something that would impact his teammates and those around him, Smith knew it was something he had to do. “I didn’t want to let someone else dictate my decision since it is my life,” he said. “I think it was better that I didn’t really ask anyone about it because they didn’t really understand what I was going through. And they’re not in my shoes.” Sperbeck was certain that if Smith’s injuries weren’t so severe, he would have still been a quarterback for Sac State. “If he didn’t have all those injuries I think he might have considered playing one more year. It just didn’t work out that way,” he said. After a fulfilling, yet long journey at Sac State, Smith is now ready to graduate and start a new life after football. “I think I’m starting a new chapter in my life,” he said. “I feel kind of like I’m a freshman in college again. Just because all I have to do is go to class, so I look back as football being a phase of my life.”
a large industry and the need for physical therapists who can assess and rehabilitate sports related injuries has made it one of the fastest growing fields in the country. According to an article on Yahoo!, physical therapist assistant is the fourth-fastest growing career in the country. Kin Ho, a physical therapist at First Physical and Sports Therapy in Burbank, Calif., may be new to the physical therapy industry, but she has a fresh knowledge about rehabilitation, as she recently got out of school. “I like to assess their pain first and work on their range of motion before trying to strengthen their muscles,” Ho said. While prevention is the first step in her field, she would be
the first to admit that injuries happen no matter the amount of energy put into prevention. “Some things we just can’t control,” Ho said. But there are always things that can be done to prevent some minor injuries. “A lot of strengthening of the surrounding muscles,” Ho said. “Strengthening the surrounding muscles can protect the joints.” DeHart said other than a strong body, the quarterback must rely on his teammates for protection. “Have a good offensive line,” DeHart said. “What can you do to avoid it? Not get hit, but that’s not gonna happen. Get rid of the ball before you get hit, get to the ground a little earlier.”
Fields: If passed, teams would share new fields with others Continued | page B4 “Throughout the years it was difficult to find a place to play,” Ahlin said. “The rugby community has been waiting for a place to play for years.” Sacramento State Women’s Rugby Club President Lisa Roselin said she loves the plan to get a new complex built so close to Sac State. “The Sac State men’s and women’s rugby clubs as well as the Sacramento Capitals have all worked their way up to compete a Division I level,” she said. “It would be amazing for the city to support their athletes and give them a field that they can be proud of.” The County of Sacramento staff and the Sacramento Valley Rugby Foundation are working on an 87-year lease for the project, which still must be approved by the Sacramento County Parks Committee on Thursday before heading to the county supervisors for final approval. Along with all the turf fields built in stadiums, the initial expense of installing the turf field is much higher than a grass field. But Ahlin has no problem getting one turf field in this complex. “Obviously it costs money to build a nice field but it will actually end up paying for itself in 10 years,” Ahlin said. “Parents want to see their kids playing at nice facilities.” Unlike most fields in the area that have minimal seat-
ing and standing room on the sidelines to watch, this complex will have bleachers put in to accommodate 3,000 to 4,000 rugby fans. “Every one of our fans is considered part of our team,” Roselin said. “Having the potential to have 3,000 people at our games is overwhelming. It would be an awesome experience to entertain so many rugby supporters.” Since the facility requires a big budget, the rugby foundation partnered up with San Juan Soccer Club to share the fields and are planning fundraisers to pay for the construction. “We will seek whatever funds we can get,” said Ray Thompson, the rugby foundation’s secretary. “We will get a massive fundraising event going to help. We have a lot of pledges already for when we actually get the land.” The complex will host tournaments, conference games and practices throughout the rugby season and will have learning programs to get more rugby
coaches and referees in the area. Ahlin said he is supportive of the Sac State program hopes to get many teams involved with the complex as possible including other college-level teams, high school and middle school programs. Other additions to the facility will include a parking lot that can fit approximately 260 cars and a sloped landscaping plaza right next to the turf field for viewing games if the fans decide not to use the stadium’s seating. Thompson said the last couple of steps of showing the plan to the Parks Committee and the Board of Supervisors should go well for the rugby foundation because the supervisors need make sure everything is realistic and that they are serious about completing this project. The date for the lease to be signed by the Sacramento County Supervisors has not been set and will not be set until the meeting Thursday with the Parks Committee has been successfully completed.
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Wednesday - February 24
Sports Section
statehornet.com