Chico State’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1975
ART OF THE DRUM
FIGHT FOR CONTROL Depression and eating disorders add stress to college life. Package B4
VOLUME 68 ISSUE 4
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2012
Check out the high-speed Taiko drum performance at Laxson Auditorium. Video theorion.com/multimedia
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TAKE ME OUT Troy Neiman, a junior psychology and natural sciences double major, pitches a ball to a Saint Martin’s University Saints player during the Wildcats’ weekend series against the school. Chico State swept its four games against the Saints.
The Wildcats are ringing in the season with high expectations. Story A6 THE ORION • FRANK REBELO
Odor lingers University suspends fraternity near Kendall Juniper Rose
A SST. NE WS EDITOR
The university-recognized fraternity Phi Kappa Tau has been suspended pending investigation and cannot issue bids to potential recruits this semester after violating recruitment week alcohol policies Wednesday night. Members of Phi Kappa Tau were drinking alcohol with potential new members at a private home after recruitment activities, said Connie Huyck, student organizations and leadership programs coordinator. While the drinking occurred after recruitment events and did not take place at the Phi Kappa Tau chapter house on West Fifth and Hazel streets, it is still a violation for fraternity members to drink with potential new members, Huyck said. A few students alerted the university to the violation, she said. Huyck and two Greek-life advisers met with the fraternity’s representatives and an adviser from Phi Kappa Tau’s national organization, and it was confirmed the drinking had happened, Huyck said. All Phi Kappa Tau recruitment functions have been suspended. Phi Kappa Tau members will work together and take steps to ensure this type of problem does not occur in the future, said Marcus Dubois, president of Phi Kappa Tau, in an email to The Orion. “We are truly sorry for any consequences this has on our members, prospective members, our alumni and the university,” Dubois said. “We stand together as a fraternity
Juniper Rose A SST. NE WS EDITOR
The odor surrounding Kendall Hall causing students to pinch their noses has been blamed on a fertilizer experiment gone wrong. Organic fertilizer was applied to the front lawn of the administration building during winter break and, unfortunately, there hasn’t been the rain that was expected to work the fertilizer into the ground, said Durbin Sayers, manager of the custodial and grounds department. This has caused the smell to linger. The product used was an organic corn and gluten fertilizer, Sayers said. “We certainly try to use organic fertilizer whenever we can and so a byproduct of it is it does have an odor,” Sayers said. “But as it gets worked into the soil, it will become less and less stinky.” The department has been experimenting with various organic fertilizers to find one that works well without the side effects currently experienced on the lawn, he said. The smell of the fertilizer was expected to reach its peak after two weeks, but because of the continuation, the university has been irrigating to assist in working it into the soil. “I’m guessing within a couple weeks you shouldn’t really notice it,” Sayers said. The issue of the odor has been brought to the attention of Lorraine Hoffman, vice president for Business and Finance, she said. “We will take into account the odor prior to selecting a campus standard,” Hoffman said in an email interview. Students have noticed the smell near Kendall Hall and have been curious of its source. The smell reminded Tyler Ward, a junior history major, of his high school, which had a similar smell created by backed-up grease traps, he said. However, he ruled out this theory because there isn’t a kitchen around Kendall Hall. “I don’t mind it too much,” Ward said. Juniper Rose can be reached at jrose@theorion.com
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Pedro Quintana STAFF WRITER
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to give the fraternity and will maintain the educational sanctions strong brotherhood based on what took and values that we place, Huyck said. The embrace.” It’s not university has had The investigation of the violation will be something suspended groups participate in workshops completed within the that we or create something next couple of weeks, deal to benefit the orgaHuyck said. with on nization or Greek “We will work in a regular community upon their tandem with their return to campus. national organization, basis. If suspended, the their board of goverfraternity would no nors and the university longer be a universityto determine what the recognized student sanctions will be and CONNIE HUYCK and how we will impose student organizations organization, coordinator the suspension could those upon the chaplast from a number of ter,” she said. weeks to a number of In the past, consequences for similar cases have years, Huyck said. National fraternities generranged from the fraternity being exonerated, put on pro- ally require that a chapter be bation, suspended or banned recognized by a university to be in good standing with the orgafrom campus, Huyck said. “Those are really the four nization, she said. In some situations, the unioutcomes that could come from versity has required that this,” she said. Suspension is a punitive sanc- suspended fraternities take tion, one that serves to punish, down the letters from their and the university also intends chapter houses, but there has
not been a final decision in this case, she said. This is the first incident that the university has had since Huyck took her position in Ocober 2010, she said. “It’s not something that we deal with on a regular basis,” she said. Tyler Hemphill, a freshman business administration major, is rushing another university-recognized fraternity and thinks the policy in place is too extreme, he said. “I don’t think they should be suspended for that,” Hemphill said. “I think they should get a slap on the wrist but nothing too crazy.” Drinking is just something that occurs during recruitment week, Hemphill said. “I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing,” he said. “I think it is definitely something that happens in Greek life, but not only Greek life, just college life.” Juniper Rose can be reached at jrose@theorion.com
School plans to use A.S. money for mural
“ACADEME” With Taylor Hall’s destruction set to make way for a new fine arts and humanities building, Chico State plans to pay John Pugh to recreate the mural he painted in 1981.
World News
THE ORION • KEVIN LEE
LETTERS The Phi Kappa Tau chapter house is on West Fifth and Hazel streets. The university suspended the fraternity after a few students alerted the school to a recruitment week alcohol violation.
The mural on the wall of Taylor Hall that fools passersby will be destroyed when construction begins on a new art and humanities building, but it won’t be gone for good. The mural, located on the corner of West First and Salem streets, is dubbed “Academe” and was painted by John Pugh in 1981. Pugh was attending Chico State at the time.
Since “Academe,” Pugh has gone on to paint more than 250 murals around the world, according to the Art of John Pugh Facebook page. The university has been considering preservation options since last year and exploring if and how the mural, which has become a landmark of sorts, could be saved. Chico State received a letter from Pugh in August regarding the repainting of the mural, said Lorraine Hoffman, vice president for Business
and Finance, in an email interview. The university plans to pay Pugh $75,000 to repaint the work using money it receives from Associated Students. The money is identified as non-state funds. Taylor Hall will be torn down in 2013 to make way for construction of the new building. The preservation of the mural has students and faculty wondering if the money is being >> please see MURAL | A4
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Baseball starts season off right. Story A6
Arts Students, faculty and community members “get it on” at Harlen Adams Theatre. Story B2
Opinion Find out what students think about same-sex marriages. Story B7
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