The S tate Hornet March 17, 2010
C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento
ASI calls on students to aid in protest By Kalie Barnes-Young kbarnesyoung@statehornet.com Students were urged to get involved to help prevent more budget cuts by Associated Students Inc. President Roberto Torres at the annual State of the Students Address on Thursday. Nearly 80 students attended this year’s spring address, compared with the audience of five that attended the last address this past fall. “We need students to get involved through ASI and the lobby corps are a very effective way of doing that,” Torres said. “ASI is only as strong as the students involved.” Torres highlighted lobbying efforts to encourage more student involvement such as the ASI Strike Force and the California Higher Education Student Summit, which will take place in April. The ASI Strike Force is used by ASI to help train students on how to lobby effectively. As members of the Strike Force, students will also be educated on state politics. “Joining this committee would give you greater insight on how decisions are made within the state and within the CSU,” Torres said about the lobby corps. The California Higher Education Student Summit, also known as CHESS, will also give students a “crash course” in lobbying and leaning about the issues that affect higher educa-
tion. Students will also be able to use the skills they’ve learned during the summit in practice at the Capitol for California State University Student Advocacy Day. According to the California State Student Association, the statewide organization of which ASI is a part, the goal of the summit is to allow students to “learn by personal experiences and become certified student leaders.” Students from every CSU will be participating in the summit, with Sacramento State’s ASI sponsoring around 40 to attend. Torres also said student involvement is the key in making statewide events, such as the March 4 protest, more successful. On March 4, the state Capitol saw a crowd of more than 1,000 protestors expressing their frustrations over the budget cuts affecting higher education. At the same time, more protests were taking place on various CSU and University of California campuses throughout the state. The California Faculty Association estimates that more than 35,000 people participated in the March 4 protests. Those who participated are now setting their sights on Monday to once again make their voices heard. In a joint effort with the Sac State Student Coalition to help encourage more participation, see ASI | page A6
E st . 1949
O ne C opy F ree
Service day aids local charity
FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS | METAMORPHOSES
By Lauren Greenwood lgreenwood@statehornet.com
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
Mary Zimmerman’s award winning play “Metamorphoses” puts a modern twist on Greek myths. For more information on the event, read the article in Features.
Sacramento State students, faculty and staff volunteered Saturday to do ground work at the Ronald McDonald House, as part of a new program called Sac State Serves. Misty Sisneros, office manager of the Community Engagement Center, said a number of students, faculty and staff wanted to participate in the community. Other than the Alternative Breaks program offered every winter and spring, Sac State didn’t have a community service program, until now. “Sac State Serves is designed to make volunteering convenient and accessible to the whole campus with local, single-day service projects throughout the year,” said Sisneros, who started developing the program in December. Sisneros said she chose to work with the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit organization that houses families with sick children, because it could accommodate large groups of volunteers and she thought it was “a great opportunity to collaborate.” Sixteen Sac State students, faculty, staff and alumni worked from morning until noon, pruning and picking up weeds and trimming bushes around the facility. Maryann Williams, senior see Serves | page A6
ANALYSIS | FIELD POLL RESULTS
Voters prefer cuts-only approach to fix budget By Cahil Bhanji cbhanji@statehornet.com
made their voice clear on March 4, at the Capitol rally protests, Keigwin said. “The senator was very impressed with the protests,” Keigwin said. “He participated in several and even spoke at them. He supports that, students and teachers came together on an issue.” In an effort to help solve the problem of funding for
to the California State University system, 30 percent going to University of California, and 10 percent going to state community colleges. The bill has been amended four times in the Assembly and is now in the Senate. Critics of the bill don’t think the bill will help end up helping higher education. “The bill would destroy 10,000 jobs; now is not the
you get less of it we would get less oil so we would have to rely more on importing, which A solution to funding probwould be primarily the Middle lems for higher education in East” California cannot be agreed on Zierman offered two soluamong legislatures, experts and tions to help the budget crisis professors. with out new taxes. Results from a recent Field “We have over 10 billion Poll conducted in January are barrels of oil off the coast of being interpreted in different California. It’d be taxes at home, ways that affect the future of the and jobs at home, we could universities safely start in Califorprojects to nia. “We’re the world’s eighth largest economy. We’re not talking about a state that’s safely get the “Educaoil,” Zierman busted or has no resources. The fact that the whole public sector is collapsing is a tion affects said testament to the political crisis.” everything Opposition Jeff Lustig, emeritus government professor in our to AB 656 society suggested that so it’s a top priority,” said higher education, Assemblyman time to be destroying jobs in Torrico add into his bill instead Adam Keigwin, spokesman for Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, California,” said Rock Zierman, of new taxes, that domestic oil California State Sen. Leland authored AB 656, a bill to levy CEO of California Independent companies would dedicate the Yee, D-San Francisco. “It has to an oil severance tax. The bill Petroleum Association. royalties and future taxes from be first and foremost because it will change California from If more jobs were created in new offshore leases to higher trickles down. For every dollar being the only oil producing California and the unemployeducation. Torrico rejected the invested in education the state is state without the tax to taxing ment rate went down, that suggestion. paid back in several fold.” domestically provided oil nearly would help the state as a whole, Fixing the CSU system starts Supporters of stopping bud10 percent. which in turn could help higher with informing the public about get cuts to the university If passed, the funds will be education, Zierman said. all the benefits higher education distributed, with 60 percent “When you tax something brings to the state. going
Megan Harris State Hornet
Higher education is what provides the state with its po-
see Field Poll | page A3
INSIDE THE STATE HORNET ASK AN OFFICER
Read Det. Scott Christian’s column about how to avoid being victims of thefts on campus.
News | A3
TAKING CARE OF OUR BUDGET Our state has a $20 billion budget deficit, and we need taxes and budget cuts to take care of the problem. Read about The State Hornet’s idea on how to save our state.
Opinion | A5
BEATBOX, GUITAR AND PIANO?
MEGAN SCHAEFER
This former Sac State student can do all three at the same time.
How has she overcome injury to become the Hornets’ top starter?
Features | B1
Sports | B4
STUDENTS REACH OUT
See the video of the first Sac State Serves day at statehornet.com.
Online News statehornet.com
The State Hornet Issue 8 | Volume 62 | No. 22
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Wednesday - March 17
News Section
NEWS ROUNDUP Sac State’s weekly news briefs and campus events ‘The march in March’ A second statewide protest will take place at noon Monday on the north steps of the Capitol facing L Street. Students from across the state will march from Raley Field in West Sacramento to the Capitol. Sacramento State students have two options to get involved in the march. Students who choose to march from Sac State to the Capitol will meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Library Quad. Those who choose to march with other schools from Raley Field to the Capitol will meet at 8 a.m. at Serna Plaza. Associated Students Inc. will be providing buses to Raley Field. For more information, contact the ASI office at (916) 278-6784.
Educator Recruitment Expo The Career Center will be holding its annual Educator Recruitment Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the University Union Ballroom. The fair is for students and alumni who are interested in job opportunities in the education field. School districts in and out of Sacramento will be participating. For more information, contact the Career Center at (916) 278-6231.
Health care town hall Sac State’s Science Educational Equity and Kappa Psi Zeta will be hosting a town hall on health care reform from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Hinde Auditorium. The forum seeks to create an open discussion about the pending legislation on health care reform. Panelists include David DeLuz, president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League; Craig DeLuz, candidate for the California State Assembly; and Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access. For more information, contact Lauren Goudeaux at (916) 278-6519.
‘Airing out dirty laundry’ Victims of domestic violence will be honored during the annual Clothesline Project that will start on Monday. The four-day project, which is hosted by ASI Community Service, will be from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University Union lobby. Participants will decorate a shirt in honor or memory of someone who is a victim of domestic violence. The shirts will be hung on a clothesline around campus. For more information, contact the ASI office at (916) 278-6784.
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The State Hornet | Staff Editor in Chief Todd Wilson
(916) 278-6584
editor@statehornet.com Print Managing Editor Leidhra Johnson (916) 278-7300
ljohnson@statehornet.com Online Managing Editor Adalto Nascimento (916) 278-5590
online@statehornet.com News Editor
Man arrested for drunken driving Sac State police officers arrested a man Saturday for suspected driving under the influence, assault on a police officer, evading a police officer and possession of stolen property, according to the campus police department. Police officers attempted to confront 22-yearold Jesse Jenkins of Bothell, Wash., near State University Drive East and Parking Lot No. 4. Jenkins tried to escape and crashed his vehicle into a Sac State patrol car, according to a press release. Police officers also believe Jenkins was driving a stolen vehicle. One officer had minor injuries from the crash. For more information, contact the Sac State police department at (916) 278-6851.
Sac State students to host organ and tissue donation month Sac State public relations students are hosting the spring 2010 campaign, “What’s Your Legacy,” which will begin with a registration booth at 7:30 p.m. Saturday during a Stockton Thunder hockey game at the Stockton Arena. The campaign, led by assistant professor Timothy Howard, aims to educate students about the importance of tissue and organ donation. It also hopes to get more students involved in the events planned for April, which is organ and tissue donation month. For more information, contact the Public Affairs Office at (916) 278-6156. ▶◀ ▶◀ ▶◀ Contact Kristine Guerra in the News department at (916) 278-7248. ▶◀ ▶◀ ▶◀
Brittany Bottini (916) 278-5567
news@statehornet.com Assistant News Editor Kristine Guerra
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Assistant Features Editor Amber Wertman (916) 278-5148
awertman@statehornet.com Photo Editor Nallelie Vega
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nvega@statehornet.com Assistant Photo Editor Mia Matsudaira (916) 278-5500
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Graphics Editor Megan Harris
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mharris@statehornet.com Multimedia Editor Edson Guillen
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eguillen@statehornet.com Copy Chief
Opinion Editor
Benjamin R. Schilter
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David Loret De Mola opinion@statehornet.com Sports Editor Dustin Nosler
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Professional Journalist in Residence & Adviser
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Katrina Tupper
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 17
News Section
Police expand monitoring of campus to prevent theft By Ricky Alejandro ralejandro@statehornet.com With the recent spate of property thefts in the University Union and the Library, the Sacramento State Police Department is cracking down on thefts occurring on campus by installing new video cameras and alerting students to be more cautious with their valuables. The efforts of the department are in hopes of lowering campus theft, the most commonly reported crime on campus. Scott Christian, public information officer for the Sac State police, said a majority of thefts on campus occur in the Union and the library, and most of the items stolen were laptops. “Laptop are hot-ticket items when it comes to larceny on campus,” Christian said. “Students who leave their laptops or other items unattended or with friends are taking the risk of losing (them).” On Feb. 20, a student had her laptop stolen from the second floor of the Union. Less than an hour after the theft was reported, Sac State Police Chief Daniel Davis posted an alert on the police department’s website with pictures of the two suspects, both males appearing to act as students, holding the stolen laptop. “The new cameras will help us cover more areas on campus and gather footage of these individuals,” Christian said. A majority of these thefts occur when students leave their valuables to either use the restroom or get coffee and food, Christian said. “The question you want to ask students is whether or not they would leave hundreds of dollars at a table while you use the restroom, or in your unattended car,” Christian said. “That is basically what they are doing when they leave their laptops unattended on campus.” Betty Ronayne, a campus librarian, has noticed the carelessness some students demon-
lice, social workers, nurses and teachers, said Jeff Lustig, professor emeritus of government. “The Field Poll attests to the failure of political leaders and the CSU leaders to educate the public about the public good beyond their own self interests,” Lustig said. Not everyone believes that fixing higher education first, is best for fixing higher educations or the state’s budget problems in the long term. “The Legislature has been ineffective in solving the problems. The average voter doesn’t get it at the granular level,” said Barbara O’Connor, professor of communication studies and director of the Institute for the
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ASK A SAC STATE POLICE OFFICER
Students urged to monitor their belongings on campus Get answers to all of your questions about the Sacramento State Police Department affairs. This week, public information officer Scott Christian answers student questions about campus crime. What is the most prevalent type of crime on campus and what are some of the easiest ways we can avoid being victims of it?
The Sacramento State police department has placed surveliance cameras in the University Union to aid in their efforts to prevent campus theft. The cameras caught pictures of these people the department suspects to have information regarding a laptop theft in February. The department encourages anyone who has information about campus crimes to call the 24hour hotline at 278-6851. strate in the library. “I see many students leave their belongings while they search for books or use the restroom,” Ronayne said. “If a student is around, I always tell them to leave their things with me until they find what they are looking for.” Jason Burlingame, junior engineering major and member of a video club, is very cautious about leaving his belongings, including his camcorder, unattended. “I make sure that I have my protective strap over my camcorder to prevent any chance of forgetting it or having it stolen,” Burlingame said. Christian suggested that students keep a record of their laptop serial numbers before using them in public, in order to provide additional protection against theft. Without the serial number, the police are unable to gather proof as to the true owner of the laptop. Also, Christian mentioned that engraving laptops would be a smart choice for students. “These people who are stealing the laptops are able to
completely restore the laptops, and with a couple of keystrokes they have a brand new laptop,” Christian said. In order to prevent future thefts, the police department has created new programs to educate and protect students’ valuables. The department’s community service officers have increased the time they spend on bike patrols, where officers search for valuable items, such as bikes, offices, and vehicles, and leave tags that warn the owner that their item is an easy target to thieves. “These new programs are part of our plan to educate the public about these situations that happen all the time,” Christian said. Christian encourages students to call the University Police Department’s 24-hour hotline if they notice any suspicious activity. If students witness crimes or suspicious activity, Christian encourages students to call the 24-hour University Police hotline at (916) 278-6851, and visit www.csus.edu/police for alerts about crimes and ways to avoid them.
Field Poll: Single-issue fixes cause more damage Continued | page A1
statehornet.com
Study of Politics and Media. O’Connor said fixing higher education’s budget problems before fixing other problems will be ineffective in the long term because the system as a whole needs restructuring. “I tend to not be a singleissue solver, I care about the system as a whole not just the part I’m in,” O’Connor said. “When you start to make changes just for higher education, you start to cause a lot of other damages.” In order to restructure state government to help it perform better, O’Connor recommends making initiatives harder to pass; this would prevent them from being dominated by special interest groups, she said. Some of her other suggestions include the following:
Eliminate or lengthen term limits of various political offices, which would let politicians become more experienced in their jobs and not have to focus on raising money for re-election. The two-thirds approval rule needs to be amended. California is one of three states, the other two being Arkansas and Rhode Island, that require a supermajority to pass a budget and raise taxes. Expiration dates added to propositions would also help the state review what works for them. After five years, they can be reviewed and renewed if they would still provide a service to the state. “That’s what I do that would go a long way to fixing our problem,” O’Connor said.
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The most prevalent type of crime on campus is theft of personal property. Most students have backpacks, textbooks, purses, cellular telephones, laptop computers and other personal belongings with them when they come to campus. Unfortunately, all of these items are targeted by thieves. Books can be stolen and sold back without a receipt, backpacks and purses rifled through for credit cards, cash and information to be used in identity theft, and cellular telephones and laptops can be restored to factory conditions, then sold for cash or reused by the thief. It most cases, thefts on campus are crimes of opportunity, and the opportunity usually arises when students leave their property unattended to get up to use the restroom, get a cup of coffee, or simply to stretch their legs after a long day of studying. In some cases, the student might only be gone for less than a minute, but that is all it takes. The thief simply waits for the student to get a short distance away and takes the students belongings when he or she isn’t looking. Most students come to school with around $750 or more worth of property - if the value of their laptops, backpacks, books, cellular telephone and so forth were totaled together. Almost all of these students, if asked, would probably say they wouldn’t leave that amount of cash unattended. Sadly, though, police officers are often called to take a theft report from a student, and during the investigation, determine that the victim left his or her belongings unattended. Basically, the easiest way to prevent becoming a victim of a
theft is not to leave personal property unattended. Simply put, leaving personal property unattended is just an invitation for a thief. While it might be an inconvenience to pack up personal belongings when going to get a cup of coffee, it’s far less inconvenient than losing a semester’s worth of notes, papers and email, plus being out the replacement cost of a laptop, backpack, books and cellular telephone. Along with not leaving personal property unattended, students shouldn’t leave personal property in plain view in their vehicles. Most students commute to campus, and often have to juggle a busy part- or full-time work schedule, child care and a social life in addition to their class schedule. Often, this leads to students having all kinds of property in plain view inside the passenger compartment of their car. That personal property in the passenger compartment of their vehicle is, once again, just an invitation to a thief. All the thief has to do is wait until the coast is clear, smash the window and take off with whatever is inside the car. In police jargon, it’s known as a smash and grab. For students to prevent becoming a victim of a smash and grab, they should either take personal property out of their vehicle when they park, or secure it in the trunk, out of sight. Perhaps just as important as not leaving personal property unattended or in plain view inside their vehicles, students
should maintain an updated document containing the make, model and serial numbers of all electronic equipment they own, as well as their credit card numbers, so they will have the information on hand, should they become a victim of a theft. Students should be sure to also include their credit card company’s name, address and telephone numbers, the IMEI/ MEID number of their cellular telephone and pictures of their property in the document, and always keep a copy of the file in a safe, accessible location. With this document, students can not only provide the information to the police officer taking the report, but they have a ready-made list for their insurance company, as well as the contact information of their credit card companies, so they can cancel their credit cards. Most importantly of all, students should report all suspicious persons and activity to the campus police dispatchers, our number is (916) 278-6851. We’re always on duty, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. If you have a question for the police officers, dispatchers, and administrative staff members of the Sacramento State Police Department, email the question to asktheofficer@csus.edu, and your question may be answered in a future column.
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Wednesday - March 17
News Section
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News Section
Wednesday - March 17
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ASI: Group criticizes board’s response to cutbacks Continued | page A1 ASI will be providing buses to take students from campus to Raley Field where there will be a march to the Capitol to protest the budget cuts. “This will give everyone a clear understanding that enough is enough, and that higher education must be a priority for the state,” Torres said. Despite the united front shown by ASI and the Sac State Student Coalition, Robert Graham, a member of the coalition, has not been impressed by ASI this past year. “As an organization, ASI has not fostered student participation, but this is what they have continuously preached,” Graham said. “The Sac State Coalition came together because students wanted to be involved in a way that ASI wasn’t.” Graham was also critical of the organization’s approach to cutbacks within the university. “These budget cuts affecting our school like classes and faculty being cut and the fee increases, but we haven’t really
made any cutbacks within our own student government,” Graham said. In spite of his disappointment with ASI, Graham said it is important that ASI and the Sac State Coalition remain united for efforts such as the upcoming march because “we didn’t want to preach about being divided.” Like Torres, Graham called on for students to take part in Monday’s event. “This is the last great effort to make sure the legislature hears our voices,” Graham said. Getting the attention of state legislators is also something Torres would like to see happen. “Our students are suffering,” Torres said. “Our students are frustrated and need to be heard.” That frustration became illustrated after the address when one student inquired about the “rumors” regarding student fee increases. Torres said one of ASI’s goals for this school year included collaborating with administrators in working with legislators to put a stop to more fee increases. These efforts involved
administrators serving as the link between the students and Legislature. Administrators talked to legislators about the effects of cutting CSU funding. Anthropology major Brittania Petersen says ASI has been going a good job thus far in relation to the budget cuts affecting the university. “It’s clear to me that they understand the needs of the students,” Petersen said. “I don’t like paying more for my tuition as much as the next student, but they’re obviously making an effort and it shows that they care about us.” Torres hopes to demonstrate how much ASI cares about Sac State’s students by helping to improve student life on campus. During the address, Torres cited examples such as Peak Adventures, the Children’s Center, Saferides and KSSU 1580 AM, among others, as ways ASI has helped to provide services to students that evoke a sense of community on campus. “It is time to make Sac State feel more like a community than a commuter campus,” he said.
WORD ANALYSIS OF ROBERTO TORRES’ STATE OF THE STUDENTS ADDRESS
This word cloud represents the topics addressed in the State of the Student address. The size and color of the words indicate those most commonly used and emphasized by ASI president Roberto Torres in his speech. What it comes down to, Torres said, are the students themselves in order to provoke changes within the Legislature regarding higher education
issues. “While we live in a world that expects instant gratification, our education is not one of those areas,” Torres said. “The
fight for more classes and lower fees is a long battle, one that will continue when I am gone and when new leadership takes hold.”
Service: More community outreach events planned Continued | page A1 public relations major, said she volunteered because community service, particularly at the Ronald McDonald House, is important to her. When she was in ninth grade, her sister had a major back surgery. While her sister underwent tests and therapy, the Ronald McDonald House provided her mother with a place to stay, Williams said. “When I visited my sister, my mom showed me the Ronald McDonald House. Even though I wasn’t sick, I, as well as the other siblings, got to pick a stuffed animal, toy or DVD, all of which were donated,” Williams said. “It was just a little
gesture of support from the House and it was very thoughtful.” Williams said she hopes to work for a nonprofit organization when she graduates. “In our own communities, it’s important to give back and keep it a nice place to keep living,” Williams said. Sac State alumna Jessa Sanchez said her favorite part of the program is seeing the people who volunteer. “It makes me feel good to see that people come and take time out of their day to do something to help out an organization,” Sanchez said. Stacy Hodge, director of community relations, said the House serves nearly 900 families a year.
For every family it serves, two are turned down.
The House has about 1,500 active volunteers every
Graphic by Matt Erickson Photos by Yana Yaroshevich State Hornet
Students gardened at the Ronald McDonald House for the first Sacramento State Serves day on Saturday.
year. Volunteers do various tasks for the House, such as doing grounds work. Although this is the first time Sac State Serves has volunteered at the House, Sac State students have been volunteering since it opened in 1998. Lois Polaschek, house manager of the House, said members of the Sac State Accounting Society volunteered to provide security during the House’s first holiday party in December 1998. “I was talking to (the society) and they did not know that their group had been volunteering since we opened,” Polaschek said. “In different ways, Sac State has helped out all along.” Linda Lau, junior nursing
major, said she’ll definitely volunteer again. “I thought this would be a good way to give back. A lot of the patients and their families stay here,” Lau said. “It was worth volunteering.”
Sac State Serves will take part in a trash cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon on April 17, as part of Sacramento’s Creek Week 2010. Contact: Misty Sisneros, sisneros@skymail. csus.edu, (916) 278-4610
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Opinion
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M arch 17, Wednesday
| Spring Issue 8 | Sacramento State
When safety Let’s reconsider taxes is suffocating EDITORIAL
to balance the budget Our state is in the middle of a budget deficit too deep to be solved without a tax increase. Yet half of Californians want to solve our $20 billion deficit by only cutting the budget, according to a March 4 study by the Field Research Corporation. “When we’ve done previous surveys, what you find is: when voters are thinking is spending cuts, they’re not talking about cutting funding to K-12 schools, higher education or health care,” said Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo. “They actually oppose making cuts to those areas.” Technically, budget cuts could work. The problem is: to make up for the deficit, the state would have to cut into the larger programs. K-12 education takes up more than 40 percent of the budget, which is more than any other item in the budget by far. But Californians would never let that program get cut. The same goes for Corrections and Rehabilitation, Labor and Workforce Development, Higher Education and Health and Human
Services programs. If the rest of the programs on the budget were completely cut, the deficit would only be lowered by less than 75 percent. To fix this deficit problem, there needs to be more money coming into our state from taxpayers. To minimize the impact of these increases per person, it would require light increases
to a variety of taxes. The goal of these increases is to have every Californian between ages 18 to 65 paying an average of $100 more to the state. Increases to oil taxes have been tried before. Assembly Bill 656 was turned down by the Legislature. Had the bill passed, it could have brought in $1 billion for higher education by imposing a tax
McClatchy Tribune
on oil produced or refined in California. Since California is the only oil-producing state that does not have this kind of oil tax, this bill has the right idea. The bill goes wrong when it comes to where these taxes would have been going. That $1 billion should be put into to the General Fund, where the money won’t be allotted to just one program. To fix this budget problem, the state needs to cut back on its big-money programs like K-12 education and Health and Human Services, said public policy and administration professor Tim Hodson, executive director for the Center of California Studies at Sacramento State. “When you are in a period of budget strain, you should start making distinctions between what is desirable, what is important and what is necessary,” he said. “You may have to put what is desirable out the window.” The idea that this deficit can be solved by budget cuts alone is not realistic. The easiest money this state can make is going to come from taxation.
One final goodbye to my best friend
By David Loret de Mola ddemola@statehornet.com It was 2001, and I was 14 years old. My family had gathered in the veterinarian’s office. It was three months after we had moved to Folsom from New Hampshire. There was a mound of white fur with black spots on the veterinarian’s table. It used to be my dog Sheeba, an Australian Shepherd-Labrador mix. My sister. My best friend for 10 years. Bone cancer had stolen her ability to walk three days prior to the visit to the vet. She had been in pain and we all knew it. For those three days, she had been laid out on blankets and sheets in the living room. That way, if she needed to relieve
herself, or if she died, we could easily clean up the mess. We wanted her death to be painless and perfect. It was the least we could do, after everything she had done for us. She was laid out on a table with a veterinarian standing over her. The waiting room was full of inconsolable men – my three brothers and me. We were strewn about the place, bodies contorted in our sadness. Earlier that year I had tried to kill myself. No one knew about it at the time, except Sheeba. She was the one who I talked to when I hated the world. And when she would rest her head against me, I knew she understood. Even if she didn’t know what I was saying, she knew I needed someone to care. Sheeba had been my substitute for getting real help. That is not to say she cured my depression. She didn’t even make it go away for a little bit, but she saved my life by just being there. Now, in the waiting room, I couldn’t help her when she needed me. I couldn’t even stand being in the same room
as her, when the vet came in with the syringe. I walked out to the waiting room after kissing her head. My mom and dad were rubbing her, whispering “It’s going to be all right, girl.” Nick, my oldest brother, had found Dr. Seuss’s Hop On Pop lying on a stack of books in the corner. It had been my favorite book as a child. He had it open, his lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear him over the images running through my head. I could see the needle going in and the world leaving her eyes. The veterinarian came out to let us see her. Inside, my parents were still stroking her fur. The table was dripping with urine – for three days she had refused to soil herself. My mom compared the feeling to what it must be like to kill your own child. This wasn’t something we could just forget. We couldn’t say, “She’s just a dog.” She had been us for 10 years, almost two thirds of my life. My earliest memory is of us sitting in front of a Christmas
tree together, both looking up at the lights that wrapped around the pine needles. And I had abandoned her when she needed me to return all the love she had given me. My only consolation is that she had a quick death. And since she’s been gone, I am left with two things that I will always keep with me: the wallet-sized photo of her, and memories of the best friend I’ve ever had.
David Loret de Mola State Hornet
The faded photograph of his dog that David Loret de Mola has carried in his wallet since 2001.
By Julia Baum jbaum@statehornet.com The American Academy of Pediatrics wants potentially hazardous food like hot dogs to come with warning labels. Of course, anyone with a child wants them to be safe, but I think society has gone too far. Actually, dare I say it, completely insane? It isn’t enough to just label specific items with the obvious reality that your child could choke on virtually all solid foods; they also want to reshape hot dogs. Yes, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants actual hot dog reform, but isn’t this a bit much? Hot dogs, and their necessary minuscule dicing prior to eating, are one of the first solid foods pediatricians discuss with parents, so is this really necessary? This hotdog outrage seems to be more alarmism than an actual threat to the public. According to a review of the pediatric academy’s study by the Statistical Assessment Service, one to five children die annually in the United States from choking on hot dogs. Losing a child is terrible and painful for a parent, but there are far greater childhood dangers than dying from hot dogs: the National Center for Health Statistics lists car crashes as the leading cause of child deaths in the U.S. Many of those more than 600 deaths are preventable simply by using car seats, but auto manufacturers are not required to tell parents this when they shop for a new family car. Parents should raise their children to be adults, not handicap their natural instincts to be careful and alert about their daily activities by reshaping things for them. If your kid is past the toddler stage and they choke on an uncut hot dog, they’re not chewing carefully, which is not the food company’s fault. Professor Ann Moylan, director of the Center for Family Studies, said the public needs to look at the cost and benefit of putting a warning on hot dogs. “We need to remember that there are some parents who are much more diligent than others,” Moylan said. “How much responsibility will we put on the individual parent?” I will argue 100 percent of the
McClatchy Tribune
responsibility should go on the parents. It’s rather presumptuous to assume others will help raise your child; even if you have extended friends and family helping, things happen. All I’m saying is don’t count your chickens before they hatch and learn to rely on yourself first and foremost. I feel doing things like reshaping hot dogs, rubber-padding playgrounds, and putting GPS tracking devices on kids are possible symptoms of parents overprotecting them much more than before. The term “nanny state” seems to be taking on a more literal new meaning. Moylan was struck by the large spectrum of parenting in her neighborhood when her two teenagers were younger. She doesn’t necessarily feel that parents are overprotective now, but rather they raise kids according to the realities of the world we live in now. “We do parent in a very different way than most of us were parented,” Moylan said. “That was a different time and a different place.” Moylan said overprotective parents are often aware of their smothering behavior but are afraid to let go. “They might be thinking yes, ‘I know my child could benefit from more freedom, but I, on the other hand, would not be able to forgive myself if something happened’,” Moylan said. We need to ensure our children are smart enough to survive on their own eventually and can face the risks of daily life. Rubber-padding playgrounds and reshaping hot dogs is not going to reshape that reality. Leading by example seems like a better idea than trying to sugarcoat everything kids come into contact with. Kids are smart enough to internalize what we teach, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt to figure life out on their own little by little and not coddle them.
STATE HORNET OPINION ONLINE Is sorry ALL you can say? Sorry is a meaningless word. You know what’s the best apology? David Loret de Mola is tired of saying sorry. Cut the talk and change at statehornet.com
The last Weight Loss Wonderblog Come see the last edition of David Demola’s Weight Loss Wonderblog! This last episode features an editor who is training for a half-marathon. Come see who is taking over his blog at statehornet.com
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M arch 17, Wednesday
| S p r i n g I ss u e 8 | S a c ra m ento S tate
Puppets, stilts and props, oh my!
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
Ryan Harbert, senior theater major, tells an audience that all the trees in the world should be cut down for his benefit in the play “Metamorphoses,” directed by Richard Bay. This play highlights many Greek stories using not only acting, but singing, dancing, puppetry and live music as well. The remainder of the productions will be held Wednesday through Sunday in Sacramento State’s University Theater. Upper right: The hunger puppet is one of the many puppets designed by students and used in the play. By Miriam Arghandiwal arghandiwal@statehornet.com On Friday night, lights from the center of Sacramento State’s University Theater stage bounced off soft white drapes that dangled from the ceiling. Musical sounds took cue as a clan of performers marched slowly onto the stage holding candles and softly singing a Latin melody. Then suddenly, the show jolted - a lost young woman came to the front of the stage searching for answers on how creations on Earth transform from one state to another. These are the kinds of answers given in Mary Zimmerman’s award-winning play, “Metamorphoses,” which is being shown at Sac State this month. The play explores the progression of humans as they set off dealing with
different emotions and desires. Zimmerman inspects these desires and emotions by mixing the rational with the irrational and reality with fantasy. Richard Bay, director of the play, said Zimmerman based the play on Greek myths as written by Roman poet Ovid. He said Zimmerman gives these myths a twist by giving characters modern mannerisms. “The play has traditional Greek myths, like that of King Midas and his touch of gold and Orpheus and Eurydice and their journey of the underground. It also reflects today’s society,” Bay said. “If you think about King Midas, and examine what kind of characters we have today that behave like that you can find that, we have a lot of politicians and businessmen for whom gold comes first.”
Other traits of today’s society seen in the play include Aphrodite, the goddess of love, smoking a cigarette. These modernizations of the Greek myth make the play more relatable for today’s audiences, Bay said. One member of the audience, Robin Aurelius, a retired professor, said he thought the playwright took a good look at what was happening in the myths, extracted the essential lessons and portrayed them perfectly. He said the script was strong because it explained the story from various angles. The play’s inventiveness gave him appreciation of myths that he never understood or tried to understand before, Aurelius said. “I’ve seen other plays and I’ve always been bored. I give
‘Metamorphoses’ five stars. Everything worked for me. The music was right there bringing me along with bass. It was more than I ever expected in terms of myth,” Aurelius said. Bay said the production is more lyrical than literal so it was more difficult than usual to bring characters’ emotions to life. “We had to use a lot of narrative; we don’t usually do narrative work a lot as an actor,” he said. “So the actors couldn’t really use their words to portray the emotion they just had to wear it on their face.” In each scene of the play, instead of dialogue, the actors would be accompanied by other actors who would provide a narrative voice. Experimenting with narrative was not the only hurdle the cast
of the play had to overcome, Bay said. When Zimmerman originally directed the play, she had a pool of water onstage for the actors to perform in, which brought the play to life by making it visually abstract. Unfortunately, Sac State was at the disadvantage of not having the resources to create such a pool. Therefore, the production team had to look for different ways to make the play visually abstract, Bay said. “The most challenging thing about this whole production was just doing it and not relying on a set way of doing it. It also made it more exciting that we weren’t just doing something that someone else has done before,” Bay said. The cast was three times the size of what is regularly needed to perform the play, Bay said.
They put their creative minds together and from scratch, sketched and created 3-D puppets, hand-painted canvases, created costumes and filmed footage for the projection screen. In addition to their own creations, they also had original choreography and music to learn. Bay said, overall, the show has been a huge collaboration between himself and the cast. The students have been responsible for a lot of the designs in the show, he said. Christopher Carlson, senior theater major and puppet designer, said he has spent most of his waking hours working on the production of “Metamorphoses.” “The idea of having an audisee Puppets| page B2
Irish culture Butterscotch, more than candy welcomes all By Jennifer Siopongco jsiopongco@statehornet.com
By John Saelee jsaelee@statehornet.com
Sean McCullough, senior communication studies and digital media major, said he is proud of his Irish heritage because the Irish share their holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, with people from different backgrounds. “On St. Patrick’s day, we include everyone through dancing, singing and drinking,” he said. McCullough said he discovered the people of Ireland treat everyone equally when he visited Ireland last year. He said the Irish welcomed him and his friends in the bar scene, unlike many bars in the United States. “In the U.S. people feel they have to watch their back and it makes everyone feel on edge,” McCullough said. “In Ireland, people treat you like family.” An issue he said he has with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States is the non-traditional items people serve. “I’ve never touched green beer. The green beer is not part
Ricky Afuang State Hornet
Sean McCullough, senior digital media major, shows off his Irish tattoo. of our tradition. This is made by adding green food coloring to pale ale,” McCullough said. He said pale ale is not even the Irish’s beer of choice to begin with - it is usually Guinness or a dark beer. see Irish| page B2
Antoinette “Butterscotch” Clinton, a Sacramento State alumna, is a multi-talented beatboxer who recently performed at Sac State’s Hip-Hop Elements Event. Antoinette Clinton’s stage name, Butterscotch, originated from a song she wrote about candy in high school. “It’s funny because as a performer you always search for different stage names,” she said. “I tried to make up different names - like taking my last name and trying ‘Clintonium.’” Even with efforts toward other celebrity stage names, the name “Butterscotch,” along with her characteristic musical talents, stuck around. Butterscotch is now famously known for using beat boxing skills to accompany the various instruments she plays, like the classical piano. “Through all my experience with piano, guitar and songwriting, I started putting everything together and created my own style,” Butterscotch said.
Since then Butterscotch has spent the last few years being a beatbox mentor on MTV’s “Made,” becoming the World Hip-Hop Beatbox Women’s Champion in 2005 and winning
the West Coast Championship in 2007. Butterscotch’s mom, Yvonne Clinton, said Butterscotch was originally majoring in classical piano at Sac State, but had to
postpone her education because her music career was taking over. Since then, she has was popusee Beatbox| page B2
Ricky Afuang State Hornet
Butterscotch, a Sacramento State graduate, was the headliner for the school’s “Cap City Culture” event as she got the crowd going with her beat boxing skills. One piece that amazed the crowed was her rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”
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History of local terra cotta company exhibited on campus By Erin Rogers erogers@statehornet.com While driving through downtown Sacramento, a few buildings stand as landmarks to the community, such as the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
and Sacramento’s City Hall, but what many may not notice is the intimate terra cotta features that give each of these buildings flair and character. These small details, which often go unnoticed, are thanks to a Lincoln-based company located
just outside of Roseville, known as Gladding McBean. Gladding McBean, an architectural terra cotta factory, is the main source for the decorations that adorn many downtown buildings. The factory, which is named after the two found-
Caroline LeDoux State Hornet
A worker at the Gladding McBean factory crafts a design from terra cotta clay. The exhibit’s reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the University Library Gallery.
ers of the company, Charles Gladding and Peter McBean, opened its doors in 1875, said Phil Hitchcock, director of the University Library Art Gallery at Sacramento State. Since the Festival of the Arts is this month, Sacramento State officials asked Gladding McBean to showcase their work from Friday until June 12 in the University Library Gallery, in the exhibit titled “Gladding, McBean: 1875 - present.” “We want to tell our story at Gladding McBean and give our successful history, which is something we are very proud of,” said Mike Moraes, manager of Gladding McBean. Hitchcock said the exhibit will be showcasing decorations found on some of the buildings in Sacramento, which include City Hall and the Public Library, as well as Shriners Hospital. He said Gladding McBean is one of the only major factories in the United States that produce architectural terra cotta. “Terra cotta is a form of ceramics that is left unglazed to show the reddish-brown color of the clay,” Moraes said. Hitchcock said since its doors opened in 1875, the factory is one of the longest running
factories in the country. Another interesting fact of Gladding McBean, Hitchcock said, would be the wide range of the factory’s clientele. “Gladding McBean goes all over the world,” Hitchcock said. “The reason that they produce in Lincoln is that they have a great depository of this certain rich terra cotta clay there.” A terra cotta cast of a lion’s head, which is a decoration featured on a Catholic church in Ohio, is one of the displays at Sac State’s exhibit. “One great thing about this lion head is the fact that it seems so large in person but so small compared to the building,” Hitchcock said. “It might seem miniscule to the plans, but great detail went into making this terra cotta casting.” In the exhibit, the architectural floor plans and pictures of the church are placed behind the lion head, he said. Hitchcock said pieces like this show students the work that Gladding McBean produces and the beauty of these pieces. “This gallery is all about community,” Hitchcock said. “It’s about opening all kinds of visions and possibilities to the community, including students
here at Sac State.” Since the factory specializes in handmade craftsmanship, Hitchcock said, art students will especially benefit from the exhibit. “This is good for the art students because all of these pieces have to be crafted by ceramic craft artists,” Hitchcock said. “This could also be a possible vocation for art students.” Sac State art professor Catherine Turrill said she is looking forward to the Gladding McBean show since the exhibit will provide her with information on California’s past when it comes to terra cotta architecture. “It is nice to hear about the past of this company because they are a pretty significant part of American history,” Turrill said. ““This is an exciting exhibition to have here at Sac State.” Hitchcock agrees and said Sac State is very lucky to have Gladding McBean exhibit on campus. “We are grateful Gladding McBean is willing to come to Sac State and show students how beautiful terra cotta architecture can be,” Hitchcock said. “Gladding McBean is one of the gems of Sacramento and most people don’t know about it.”
Irish: Celtic pagans Club puts you in others’ comfort zone tamed by clovers CLUB CORNER | SALSA LOCA CLUB
By Miriam Arghandiwal arghandiwal@statehornet.com
The Salsa Loca Club at Sacramento State is pushing its boundaries this semester and trying new dances like the bachata and the merengue. Sac State alumnus Felix Barba and senior business major Stanley Sasaki founded the club in March 2007. Salsa, which is a Latin American dance with its music originating from Cuba and Puerto Rico, creates a very positive and festive environment, Barba said. The typical meeting begins with a lesson geared toward be-
To see how the Salsa Loca Club dances to relieve stress, visit statehornet.com Salsa Loca classes are from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Wednesday.
ginning dancers. After, officers then circle around and assist members in technique. Mikko Carranza, junior communication studies major and club treasurer, said anyone who is willing to have fun can join. “It’s a cultural experience because in the Latin American culture, dance is a very imperative part of life. We get to share that with a lot of people where dance is not in their background,” Barba said. O’Connor Griffin, sophomore psychology major and club president, said the main effort of the club has been to make the salsa community grow. Salsa dance is important because it teaches not only culture but also valuable life lessons outside of the classroom, said Bren Martinez, junior economics major and club member. “For me, personally, I never thought I could dance till about three years ago when I took a ballroom dancing class. I finally relaxed enough and learned I can do this, it gave me more self-confidence. That, in turn, has allowed me to do things in my life that I would never do before,” Martinez said. Martinez said salsa dancing also teaches various values. “Dancing with others teaches
Continued | page B1
Caroline LeDoux State Hornet
Loralyn Owen, Sac State alumna, jokes with her dance partner, Dave Wilding, during a club meeting. you to respect others because it puts you in others’ personal space. You get to know people and learn to trust them while having fun,” Martinez said. Amber Hadley, senior art history major and event coordinator for the club, said students can get join the Salsa Loca Club in its spring event from 7:30 to 11 p.m. today in the University Union’s Redwood Room. “It’s a free event. Instead of dance lessons, we’re just going to have dancing. There’ll be free food and we’ll play some dance
Beatbox: Former Sac State student pushes her dreams Continued | page B1 larized in 2007 by “America’s Got Talent,” when she placed third for beat boxing while playing the piano. Her classical piano professor at Sac State, Richard Cionco, said he was proud to see her on the show. “She played ‘My Funny Valentine,’ as she beat boxed, and also sang,” Cionco said. The first time Cionco heard Butterscotch beatbox while playing piano, he said he was in intrigued awe. “It’s absolutely new to me,” Cionco said. “And she does it very successfully.” When Cionco heard Butterscotch was leaving Sac State, he was disappointed, but supported her dream. “When these opportunities happen, you have to take them,” Cionco said. Yvonne Clinton agreed that chasing Butterscotch’s dreams was the right choice for her. “She’s very talented in classical music and so she could have made a career of that if she had pursued it, so in that sense I was disappointed, but my philosophy for my kids is that we need to find in life what makes us
happy and something that is fulfilling to us,” she said. While most people know Butterscotch through YouTube videos, few fans know the story behind her beginnings. Butterscotch said her mother got her started on piano at an early age. “My mom was a piano teacher, so me and my siblings all played the piano and at least one other instrument,” Butterscotch said. “My siblings played the trumpet, cello, trombone, clarinet; I had access to all these instruments.” As Butterscotch grew older, she was exposed to beat boxing by her high school friends, and said she was inspired to learn the skill. When she first started to beat box, Butterscotch said, she sounded “pretty horrible,” but through lots of practice she acquired a knack for it. “One of the funniest questions I get asked is, ‘When did you discover you could do this?’ And I’m like, ‘Uh, someone is not just born with this, you have to practice,’” Butterscotch said. Her mom said when she first heard her daughter beatbox in high school, she was impressed but not surprised with Butterscotch’s talent.
“One of the things I mention to people is that she’s very good at mimicking sounds,” Yvonne Clinton said. “I remember several occasions during soccer carpooling, when her teammates would ask her to make different sounds - ‘bark like a dog, now like a chicken!’” Today, Butterscotch hopes to create a curriculum where professional beat boxers will be able to help interested students strengthen their skills while attending school. “When I was going here (Sac State), I was performing with the vocal jazz group with the different jazz combos in the music department, but they didn’t have anything specifically for people like me,” Butterscotch said. As she works on her future beatboxing endeavors, she advises fellow beat boxers to also keep evolving their craft and fighting for their goals, no matter how crazy they may be. “Just get involved with anything musical as much as possible, even if you’re not into hip-hop,” Butterscotch said. “It’d be sick to have a rock band with a beatboxer.”
games,” Hadley said. Salsa Loca encourages anyone and everyone to come join, Griffin said, the club meetings are free and no experience is necessary. “When you go on the dance floor you can end up dancing with anybody. They can come from any walk of life, and as your dancing with them you get to talk and hear their story. This helps advance the mixed culture we have here in the United States. It’s beautiful,” Martinez said.
St. Patrick’s Day has evolved in the U.S. from mainly honoring a patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, to maintaining Irish traditions - which nowadays is implemented by Irish car bombs and pinching. Liam Murphy, associate professor of anthropology, said St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S. includes material unrelated to the holiday, which interferes with its original meaning. “As far as leprechauns, pots of gold and rainbows you would be better off asking Lucky Charms,” Murphy said. History professor Candace Gregory said the holiday is celebrated to keep Irish culture and roots in Ireland alive. “The modern St. Patrick’s Day celebration dates to the 18th century, and
was a way for Irish (immigrants) to celebrate their traditions and cultures,” Gregory said. Gregory said, the color choice, green, on this holiday dates back to the patron saint. His method of teaching Christianity to the pagan Celts in Ireland, Gregory said, was through the clover leaf. “St. Patrick used the four-leaf clover as a visual representation of the trinity to explain it to the pagan Celts of Ireland he was trying to convert how the religion works,” Gregory said. Murphy said St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to fully embrace Irish heritage. “I like to remember I’m of Irish decent,” he said. “I’m proud this heritage and every year I will raise a pint and remember my family.” Graphics by: Matt Erickson State Hornet
Puppets: Greek myths made modern by Sac State theater Continued | page B1
ence take time to see your show makes you want to give them
Tony Nguyen State Hornet
Ryan Harbert is cursed with hunger, which is the puppet above him, for one of the scenes in the play.
the best show you can,” Carlson said. Morgan ManFredi, production stage manager, said although it was difficult to get all the individual creative ideas to come together as one, it was possible because Bay brings in talented people. ManFredi said Bay was a perfect candidate to direct the play because he listens and collaborates with who he is working with. “Students perform better when they have a director like Richard. We all come in on our off hours and work for him,” ManFredi said. This was Carlson’s third show with Bay, he said, and every show he has done with Bay has been artistically and visually challenging. “If Richard does a show, you have to be in it,” Carlson said. Carlson said “Metamorphoses” is an ensemble so it has allowed the actors to see themselves as a team and feel like the have equally contributed to the show. “All the work is worth it. The show is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, ‘Metamorphoses’ will make audiences love theater,” Carlson said.
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| S p r i n g I ss u e 8 | S a c ramento S tate
‘Mr. Hornet’ will be missed
Bob Mattos, the winningest football coach in Sac State history, dies at age 68 By Ross Coleman and Dustin Nosler sports@statehornet.com Former Sacramento State football coach Bob Mattos died Sunday from the effects of brain cancer at the age of 68 at his home in Rancho Murieta. Mattos had an 84-73-2 record as Hornet head coach from 1978-92. The 1988 season proved to be most memorable, as the team earned a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Hornets lost to North Dakota State in the semifinals. “He was a great person and a great coach,” said current Hornet defensive coordinator Lou Biaz, who played for Mattos from 1989-90. “He always cared about the players and was a very loyal, hard working guy. He was very dedicated to the university here and put his heart and soul into the whole program.” Mattos helped greatly in the fund raising efforts for the Eli and Edythe Broad Fieldhouse. “The university lost a very important piece to its history,” Biaz said. “He has had a great deal of influence on a lot of different players and a lot of influence on the direction of the athletic department. He was a top-notch guy with some huge shoes to fill.” Former Sac State president Donald Gerth was around for most of Mattos’ tenure. “Bob was a very popular person,” Gerth said. “He knew how to bring the best out of people.” Most remember Mattos as a football coach, but Gerth remembers him as a teacher. “Bob was all about students,”
Photos courtesy of Hornet Sports, Graphic by Megan Harris State Hornet
Bob Mattos, Hornet football head coach from 1978-92, had a career record of 84-73-2. Gerth said. “He knew how to motivate them as football players and he knew how to motivate them as students.” Gerth’s favorite memory of Mattos’ was defeating rival UC Davis in 1988. It was the first victory over the Aggies for Mattos and the first win for the
school since 1969. “The sense of elation and pride in the university was very strong,” Gerth said. “Bob understood the university both as an alum and a former football player.” On finding out that Mattos had died, Gerth said that he was
“stunned.” The Hornets wore Mattos’ name on the back of their uniforms to pay homage to the former coach’s battle with cancer. The Hornets beat the Aggies on a last-second touchdown. “It was really meaningful to us (to have Mattos on our
jerseys),” said wide receiver Dylan Lane. “Hopefully it was really meaningful for him to see that. It brought us all together in the locker room it gave us a chance to come together for this man that did so much for out program.” In a statement made to The State Hornet Monday, Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez expressed the impact Mattos had on the Hornet family. “Coach Mattos was a beloved figure at our university,” Gonzalez said. “As a coach, booster, volunteer and staff member, he always put the students first, and he inspired countless young people to achieve their dreams. His love of the Hornets, and of Sacramento State, began during his time as a student, and we will forever remember him as the epitome of Hornet Pride. ‘Coach’ will be deeply missed, and our hearts go out to his family and friends.” The university set up a memorial fund in Mattos’ name. Donations can be sent to the following address: The Bob Mattos Fund c/o Marshall Sperbeck, head football coach, Sacramento State University 6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819 Mattos is survived by his wife, Maureen and children, Doug and Bruce. The family has announced a showing will be at 5 p.m. Thursday St. Joachim Catholic Church, located at 1121 Main St., Newman, Calif. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the same church.
Sacramento State will welcome the California Redwoods, San Francisco’s United Football League franchise, to play its home games at Hornet Stadium for the 2010 UFL season. The UFL and Sac State partnered up to bring in a football team to a city that has not had a professional team since 1995 when the Sacramento Gold Miners of the Canadian Football League last played games at Hornet Stadium. When the UFL kicks off in September, the Sacramento franchise will play five home games at Hornet Stadium during the 2010 UFL season. The UFL is a new American football league that allows players looking to get into the NFL a chance to perform at a professional level. The UFL started with four teams based out of Orlando,
Fla., Las Vegas and Hartford, Conn. Deputy Assistant Athletic Director Bill Macriss said the new field will create more opportunities for the university and the city of Sacramento. “The UFL will have a positive impact in funding 60-plus players and coaches coming to Sacramento,” Macriss said. “There will be internships through the UFL, which means more jobs. It will benefit club sports, rec sports and classes that have to cancel due to weather. We’ve been focused so much on making this a positive impact.” Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a March 3 UFL news conference that the addition of the team could pump $10 million into the Sacramento economy by creating more jobs. “Any team that would bring jobs to the city of Sacramento, I’m going to support,” Johnson said at the news conference. “In this case, you’re talking about
80 people that will be associated with the team. You’re talking about another 60 people who will have part-time jobs in our community. (And) an investment of $500,000 to Sac State.” In a UFL press release, UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue reacted to bringing the Redwoods, a team that went 2-4 in the league’s debut season, to Sacramento and the university. “Sacramento is a natural home for the UFL in that it is a major market that we believe will support a professional football team and we are excited to be here,” Huyghue said. “We are bringing sports fans in the area an exciting and highquality product on the field at an affordable price and hope they will embrace the team who will become a part of the local community.” In a recent UFL press release, Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez shared his thoughts on the franchise’s relocation.
At a young age, Ronald Brookins would attend church with his parents, Ronald Sr. and Pamela Brookins. His belief in God has influenced him to be a better student, athlete and person in general. Ronald Brookins, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group and a the Sacramento State track and field team, uses his talents and abilities to praise God and motivate others on regular bases. “God is a huge influence in my life,” Ronald Brookins said. “That is the main reason why I run track. Every time I run, I am running to glorify him.”
Ronald Brookins is a junior and was named the Athlete of the Meet at the Big Sky Conference Championships. He finished in first in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.28 seconds, third in the team sweep of the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.46 seconds and won the men’s long jump at the Big Sky Tournament. He also earned an invite to the NCAA indoor championships over the weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., where he broke a Sac State record in the 60-meter hurdles by running the event in 7.84 seconds. However, he ended up .04 seconds of advancing to the finals. As a child, Brookins played baseball and football, ran track
and did karate. When Ronald Brookins entered high school he stopped playing baseball and karate to focus on football, basketball and running track. “It was either play baseball or run track,” Ronald Brookins said. “So I decided to start running track in order to stay in shape for football.” Pamela Brookins said that Ronald’s dedication for sports started when he was young. “He was a good kid,” Pamela Brookins said. “He used to wake up early in the morning to practice. Ronald was always very dedicated. He started running track in elementary school, but didn’t gain interest until he was a teenager because as a child
BIG SKY TOURNAMENT vs. MONTANA STATE
MARCH 11
L 89-66
FINAL RECORD: 15-15 CONFERENCE: 10-7
WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. PORTLAND STATE
MARCH 11
W 7-0
GYMNASTICS vs. TEXAS WOMAN’S
MARCH 12
1ST PLACE Kim Hughes, gymnastics head coach:
“At this time of year, we need to focus on the little things and the necessary corrections to get it done.”
BASEBALL vs. UC IRVINE MARCH 13-14
W 2-1 L 5-3, 4-3
SOFTBALL vs. NEVADA
MARCH 10
W 4-3, L 5-1 at MUSTANG SOFTBALL CLASSIC
MARCH 12-13
L 3-2, 3-0
vs. SANTA BARBARA
MARCH 12
W 5-2
vs. IOWA STATE
MARCH 13-14
W 4-1, L 4-3 Megan Schaefer, starting pitcher:
Yana Yaroshvich State Hornet
Hornet Stadium is being renovated. The synthetic field will pave the way for more football at the stadium. “We are pleased to welcome the United Football League to our campus, and we are already seeing the benefits of our partnership. Thanks to the UFL, we are installing a new playing surface at Hornet Stadium without using state General Fund money,” Gonzalez said. “The field will allow Sacramento State to use the stadium for additional academic and student activities, as well as give us the opportunity to use it for other regional sporting events.” Sac State will not be using any
part of its budget or the $3.1 million in stimulus funds to pay for the new field. The football field at Hornet Stadium is under renovation as a synthetic turf is being installed for both the UFL and Sac State football teams to play on in the fall. The project is estimated at $1 million, with roughly $500,000 being paid for by the UFL. The remaining $500,000 will be made by the university playing guarantee games. The Horsee UFL| page B5
Track and field star dominates Big Sky, sets his sites on 2012 London Olympics By Jules Ramzy jramzy@statehornet.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
at CAL POLY
New football league unites with Sac State By Marshall Hampson mhampson@statehornet.com
NCAA Sports Updates
football was his main focus.” During his freshman year, Ronald Brookins was the Big Sky champion in the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump. At the end of his freshman year, he went to the International Association of Athletics Federations Junior World Championship in Poland and placed 17th in the world. Ronald Brookins said going to Poland was the most memorable moment in his track and field career. “Traveling with the USA team to Poland, getting to wear the USA uniform and representing our country was really cool,” Ronald Brookins said. “It was a see Brookins| page B6
“I know the team was pumped up, we had a good practice Wednesday. I felt good about that, I felt good going into because I knew the team was there.”
ROWING at SAC STATE INVITATIONAL MARCH 13
W 7-1
March Madness Bracket WANT TO FILL OUT YOUR OWN BRACKET FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT? YOU CAN INSIDE Page B5
Sport Clubs Updates WOMEN’S RUGBY at NEVADA-RENO
MARCH 13
W 26-23
TEAM QUALIFIES FOR PLAYOFFS AGAINST BYU AND UTAH MARCH 20
MEN’S RUGBY Photo courtesy of Bob Solorio
Ronald Brookins shattered Sac State records at the NCAA Championships.
vs. ST. MARY’S
FEB. 20
L 38-15
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Students have mixed reaction to NCAA March Madness By Matt Harrington mharrington@statehornet.com Every March, college basketball teams jockey for the No. 1 spot in their respective conferences as a way of earning their way to the NCAA Tournament. The process can be maddening to some. Conference winners get automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament and some teams perform well enough to receive bids into the dance. For the remaining teams, the process is not so simple. Some teams are on the proverbial bubble, which is liable to burst with its next lost. The NCAA selection committee decides which region and
ranking a team will receive in order to compete against other schools for the title. The current power rankings for the top four men’s and women’s college basketball teams as generated by the NCAA are as follows. The four men’s teams to earn a No. 1 seed in their respective regions are Duke University, Syracuse University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Kansas. On the women’s side, the top four teams are the University of Connecticut, University of Tennessee, Stanford and the University of Nebraska. For the 2009-10 season, the No. 1 spot has not been clear on the men’s side. The No. 1 team has lost its spot at least four
different times going into Selection Sunday. As for the women, it’s clear which team has been the clearcut No. 1 seed all season. The University of Connecticut has amassed a record of 30-straight wins this season and currently has a women’s basketball record 72-game winning streak dating back to Feb. 9, 2008. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Tribune, the NCAA estimates that more than 35 million Americans participate in office pools. The reaction to March Madness on campus varies, as some students will participate in pools and brackets, and some could care less. Some students who really get
into it follow a favorite team from start to finish. Others pay no attention to the tournament for personal reasons. Junior engineering major Anthony Doyle-DiGiacomo, he is among those that have no real interest in the tournament. He feels that college basketball is too commercialized. “It has gotten to the point where the athletes are being used for their talent,” DoyleDiGiacomo said. “There is less focus on the love of the game and more on the results. For other students, their interest lies at the end of the tournament, when the top four teams play for a chance to apsee Madness| page B5
Megan Harris State Hornet
Schaefer overcomes injuries Raske named Big Sky track to succeed as Hornets’ ace and field coach of the year By Sergio Saldana ssaldana@statehornet.com Megan Schaefer begins this softball season looking to continue where she left off 2009. Born in Portland, Ore., Schafer, displayed athletic ability from an early age, engaging in taekwondo, soccer, basketball and softball. Schaefer, junior criminal justice major, quickly found out softball was her niche. “We were always outside playing,” Schafer said. “We did tons of different sports, all of us. We are all athletic.” Her parents, Dick and Bonnie Schaefer, were athletes as well. Her dad received a wrestling scholarship from Northern Michigan University. Her mother received a volleyball scholarship from the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. Schaefer started playing softball at 6 years old and continued it until her senior year of high school, when she took the
year off to run track. “I wanted to compete in a different sport,” she said. “I knew going four years of softball, I would never get another chance to try another sport again.” Outside of high school softball, Schaefer played for the Oregon Reign. The Reign is a club team that plays in the offseason of high school softball. The team is usually made up of the area’s finest players. “Summer ball is where you get recruited from colleges,” she said. “High school is extra practice for summer softball.” The Oregon Reign was the club team Schafer played for while in Oregon. “She has a very athletic build and she is just so strong, as a coach we can do a lot with her,” said Sac State softball head coach Kathy Strahan. Schaefer wasted no time making up her mind in choosing the college at which to play her softball career. “I chose Sacramento because
By Ashley O’Con aocon@statehornet.com
Tina Horton State Hornet
Schaefer swings the bat during a March 10 game.
I came down here and I loved it,” Schaefer said. “The second I stepped on the field, I said I see Schaefer| page B6
Head coach Kathleen Raske of the Sacramento State track and field team was honored as the women’s Big Sky Conference indoor track Coach of the Year. The women’s indoor team won the Big Sky championship Feb. 27, which marked the sixth time a track and field team won a Big Sky title under Raske. The men won the indoor titles in 2007 and 2008 while the women won the indoor and outdoor titles in 2008 and the indoor title in 2009. It was also the ninth time Raske had been named coach of the year in her conference (three times at Central Michigan University and six times as a Hornet). She has also sent several athletes to the NCAA national championships, including Ronald Brookins, Renisha Robinson and Lea Wallace. Wallace was the first Hornet to score at the NCAA finals, finishing in
eighth place on Saturday. Raske’s dedication as a coach has improved the track and field program significantly. The coach of the year award is commonly awarded to the coach who brings his or her team to a championship victory. Assistant coach Jeff Magley said Raske’s connection with the team has grown strong over the duration of the season. “She is extremely passionate about her athletes and about the sport of track and field,” Magley said. “She’s a very caring and passionate person when it comes to her athletes and I think she portrays that with everyone that comes across her. She has a strong connection with her athletes academically, athletically and personally.” Sophomore undeclared major and track athlete Blair Wallingford said Raske’s interaction with the student-athletes positively impacts their performance on the track. “When she coaches you, you want to listen what she has to
say,” Wallingford said. “In the airport she’ll say, ‘You can do it, you’re going to have a good weekend I feel it.’ Just her saying stuff like that really helps. It makes us feel like we’ve already done a good job. You’re going to want to try harder and do better for her.” Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said he is proud of the hard work Raske has put into the program since her arrival. “She’s done a marvelous job of taking a program that was struggling and she has really created a dominant track program within the Big Sky Conference,” Wanless said. “So we’re very pleased and excited with what she’s done for the track and field program.” Magley said even though the award was expected to go to Raske, it was still well deserved. “There’s kind of an unwritten policy that the team that wins the conference championship, their head coach is see Raske| page B6
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Madness: Kansas, UConn lead the way Continued | page B4 pear in the Final Four. Senior Kevin Will said he follows the madness but only toward the end because the same teams keep continually make it to the finals. “It’s exciting to watch the games towards the end,” Will said. “Usually it’s the same teams that make it to the very end, that’s why I don’t follow the brackets.” The Sacramento State women’s basketball team had a strong chance to make it to the women’s tournament as an automatic bid from the Big Sky Conference. However, the team fell in the quarterfinals to Montana State University 89-66, dashing the chance to go dancing in the field of 64 for the first time in school history. The men’s team did not qualify for conference tournament play. However, that does not stop women’s junior guard Sami Field-Polisso from rooting for teams that she liked growing up as a child. “I am a big Tennessee fan, on the women’s side of the ball,” Field-Polisso said. “I’ve loved them since I was very little.” Her love of the tournament doesn’t stop at just Tennessee, but that of the men’s team at Duke as well. “I am a Duke fan as well,” she said. “I want to see them pull it out this year.” McClatchy Tribune
New Mexico is going to win
On 2nd Thought: March Madness
the tournament? Sienna, a No. 13 seed, in the Elite 8? Find out the other upsets and national championship picks of The State Hornet sports staff in this podcast at statehornet.com
Members of The State Hornet share their thoughts on March Madness at statehornet.com
UFL: Franchise puts up half the funds for new field Continued | page B3 nets will play more prestigious football teams such as University of Colorado, Stanford and Arizona State University in the next three years. After playing each of those away games, the universities will write Sac State a check for making the trip. Athletic Director Terry Wanless said the Sacramento franchise will only be playing home games at Hornet Stadium and said the UFL is working to find headquarters and practice facility locations so the team does not interfere with the university’s football operations. “Our No. 1 priority is the student-athletes,” Wanless said. “The challenge will be making sure the UFL operations doesn’t
infringe on that. I’m positive that it won’t.” According to the UFL press release, head coach Dennis Green hopes to bring a winning environment to the city. “I am excited that the team will be able to call the city of Sacramento home,” Green said. “When I coached in Northern California I won a Super Bowl ring during my time with the San Francisco 49ers and I hope to bring championship success to the people of Sacramento and the fans of the team.” The Sacramento team currently does not have a new name. Six names are being considered, all with the Sacramento prefix: Condors, Miners, Pioneers, Redwoods, Senators and Sting.
Voting for the new name is open until 8:59 p.m. tonight at www.ufl-football.com. Sac State football head coach Marshall Sperbeck said he has not met with the Sacramento franchise and still remains optimistic about the two teams sharing the field. “I hope it creates a bigger excitement for football and football fans in the area,” Sperbeck said. “I’m sure there will be some bumps in the road that we’ll just have to work out.” Sperbeck said the move for the UFL to move to Sacramento will create an opportunity to have his team see players and the game of football being played at the professional level. The UFL and the Sacramento franchise owner have not
reached an agreement on how long the franchise will be in Sacramento, but Macriss said the franchise will be here for more than one season. In the UFL press release, Johnson said he eagerly awaits the new season. “Welcoming a professional sports team to the city also means welcoming a positive focus for the local community,” he said. “Whether it comes in the form of economic impact, the creation of jobs or simply the buzz from your city’s team winning football games, the opportunity to have a Sacramento franchise in the United Football League is an exciting proposition. I personally look forward to seeing the team in action at Hornet Stadium.”
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Raske: Team thrives Brookins: Runner Schaefer: Fought for under leadership guided by his faith a chance to pitch Continued | page B4 awarded coach of the year. So it’s certainly an honor for her,” he said. “I think once our team performed at that level, that was kind of expected that she would be coach of the year.” Wanless said Raske’s determination to help the students on and off the field has caused her to be successful. “She’s a great teacher is how I would describe her,” he said. “She knows the sport, being that she was a very successful athlete herself. She’s been recognized and honored to be a part of a USA track and field national team so she’s well respected by her peers and student athletes. She’s the whole package. She has the ability to get kids to achieve goals that they sometimes can’t do on their own but through proper coaching they get it done.” Magley said Raske has a bond with her athletes on more than just a surface level. “She does a really great job of just having a personal relationship with the athletes as much as possible beyond the track,” he said. “She has a very caring heart and she cares way beyond what just happens on the track. So she has a great interaction with the student athlete.” With her outstanding coaching qualities, sophomore business major Sam Schur said Raske’s award was not a surprise.
“She really knows what she’s talking about,” Schur said. “Especially in the hurdles and the high jump, she helps us out. If you don’t feel good that day she’ll tell us to take a few off, ‘cause she’ll make sure we feel good on the days that count. I wasn’t surprised when she won the award.” Wanless said Raske’s strong devotion to the program has helped with the improvement of the track and field program. “The thing that has always impressed me most with her has been her commitment to excellence. She is very driven to be successful. She has worked hard and recruits studentathletes to fit who we are here at Sacramento State,” he said. Raske said her goal is to be competitive in conference. “First goal is always to be dominant in the Big Sky and win,” she said. “The second goal is to send as many athletes to the national championships as possible, then to get those athletes that go on to score at the nationals and be top eight in their events.” Wanless said Raske helps the students to be role models. “They do very well academically, and obviously they do very well athletically. We think that those are two ingredients that have to match each other in order to represent what our university is all about,” Wanless said.
Continued | page B3 taste of what I want to do when I get older.” During his sophomore year, Ronald Brookins won the Big Sky title in the 110-meter hurdles for the second time. Kathleen Raske, director of track and field/cross-country, said Ronald Brookins has improved his speed a great amount since his freshman year. “He transitioned from the high school hurdle height to the college hurdle height in his first year,” Raske said. “Ronald has improved am enormous amount in everything that has done. He is a very versatile athlete.” Pamela Brookins said she always knew her son was destined to be a great person because of
Photo courtesy of Hornet Sports
He has 12th-fastest time in 55-meter hurdles in nation.
his dedication and his leadership qualities. “He has always been a leader but I have seen him blossom into a greater leader,” Pamela Brookins said. “He expects the best and he wants to be the best.” Ronald Brookins said being a student athlete at Sac State can be hard work because you have to balance both school and sports. “Aside from the regular work, we have long practice hours,” Ronald Brookins said. “It’s cool that we get priority registration because of our long practice hours, but it is all about time management.” Ronald said his goals are what keep him motivated and working hard. “I want to graduate on the Dean’s List,” Ronald Brookins said. “Right now my grade point average is at a 3.5, so as long as I do well in the rest of my classes I can achieve my goal.” Ronald Brookins said that the Olympics are a goal of his but he wants to focus on his career as well. “I hope to make it to the 2012 Olympics, which is in London,” he said. “I have a couple of more years to drop my time down and get higher on the list. But as in life, I want to go to law school. I want to be a sports agent and if not a sports agent, then I want to be a consultant. Right now I am a business management major which flows in perfectly for me to do both.”
Continued | page B4 want to go here.” Her ability to pitch successfully at the collegiate level is a testimony to her athletic ability. “The thing about Megan is that she is a competitor, she is the kind of kid that puts her nose down and gets after what she wants,” said Oregon Reign coach Eric Leyba. Schaefer suffered a injury to her throwing wrist while throwing. She sustained ligament damage in late February 2009. Schaefer played the rest of the 2009 season with the torn ligament in her wrist. She had surgery in the summer after last season. She still experiences some discomfort to this day. Even with the injury, Schaefer still managed to be named allPacific Coast Softball Confer-
ence last season. Schaefer finished last year with a pitching record of 15-7, a 2.20 ERA, 25 starts, 18 complete games, four shutouts, and allowing hitters a .251 batting average. Her 15 victories tied her for the 10th best in Sacramento State Division I history. Schaefer won 11 of the team’s last 17 games last season. Schaefer said her goals for next season is not for her to make All-Conference again or lead the team in wins. Her goal is for her team to win the Pacific Coast Softball Conference. “The biggest goal I have is for my team to win conference,” Schaefer said. “I want to be a part of it in any way I can. If it means me pitching every other game or every third game, that’s fine I just want this team to do well.”