The orion vol 72 issue 7 by The Orion

EXHIBIT POPS UP

A pop-up exhibit has opened at the Chico Art Center in hopes of funding the transformation of the Veterans Memorial Hall into an art museum. theorion.com/arts

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volume 72 Issue 7

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Theft of electronics rises on campus Nathan Lehmann

Staff Writer

Royce Tevis, a professor of music and theater at Chico State, stepped out of his office to get a drink of water. When he returned, he saw that his department-issued MacBook was gone. “I lost 14 years of information,” Tevis said. All of the information on his computer was work-related, he said.

Theft of electronic devices has risen at Chico State in the past few weeks, said Lt. Corinne Beck of the University Police. There have been 14 electronic theft reports filed since the beginning of the semester, with a spike in the past few weeks, Beck said. Laptops have been the most frequently stolen, Beck said. Cellphones have also been a common target of theft. Locations have been widespread across campus, Beck said.

“The most important thing is to not leave your valuables unattended,” Beck said. She advised that students visit the University Police station and enter the serial numbers of their electronics into their database. The number will be logged into a statewide theft system and will be easier to track by law enforcement. “If someone’s laptop is stolen, report it,” she said. “We have investigation means to track something down.”

Since his laptop was stolen, he uses paper files in the music department, Tevis said. He has never felt the safety of his belongings were in jeopardy until now. “I lived in Chico a long time ago,” Tevis said. “We never locked our doors. Things have changed.” Nathan Lehmann can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_news on Twitter.

30-pound bag of pot found on campus Nathan Lehmann

Staff Writer

A garbage bag containing about 30 pounds of marijuana was discovered Thursday in the parking structure connected to the campus police station. Police received a cellphone call made from the parking structure near the corner of Second Street and Normal Avenue, said Lt. Corinne Beck of the University Police Department. The caller terminated the call before any words were spoken, she said. Officers were sent to track down the location from which it was made. The officers discovered a shopping cart next to an Emergency Blue Light phone in the parking structure, she said. A large black garbage bag of marijuana was found in the shopping cart. The garbage bag contained unprocessed marijuana that was not divided into packages, Beck wrote in an email to The Orion. University Police will keep the property in the meantime before they eventually destroy it. “It’s one of the strangest things I’ve seen in a long time,” Beck said.

The Orion ∤ Photograph by ANNIE PAIGE

Flying high again First-year exercise physiology major Brooke Whitburn participates in the second round of the long jump Friday during the Heptathlon “A” competition. Whitburn scored 4,056 points for fifth place in the Chico Multi-Classic and took first in the Group “A” long jump.

Track ’Cats continue success during Friday’s meet Three Chico State track team members qualified for the NCAA Championship, two finished in the top two of the Heptathlon “B” group and two made the top five of the Heptathlon “A” group during Friday’s Chico Multi-Classic.

Nathan Lehmann can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_news on Twitter.

MORE ON THEORION.com/sports Read full coverage of Chico State games and events online.

Drought depletes Lake Oroville Dam energy production Yessenia Funes

Staff Writer

If more water doesn’t land in Lake Oroville soon, off-campus students and Chico residents can expect an energy shortage and cost increase this summer. The ongoing drought has kept Lake Oroville nearly 20 percent below its average capacity for this time, according to the Department of Water Resources’ website, causing its power plant to produce only half the electricity it should be. People don’t use much power during the winter, so this energy shortage hasn’t affected off-campus students and Chico residents yet, said Jana Frazier, the facility’s tour guide. However, those who stick around in the summer may feel the impact if skies stay sunny. Summertime in Chico means air conditioners on blast, sometimes all day, Frazier said. The hottest day in Chico hit 111 degrees last year, according to WeatherSpark. These high temperatures will attract high electrical consumption, but Lake Oroville could be even lower by then. “We’re kind of expecting this summer that we’re going to have some power outages in the state,” Frazier said. “The drought is affecting any aspect of every person’s life.” This drought has left Lake Oroville lower than the drought from 1976 to 1977, according to the Department of Water Resources’ website. The 1976 drought left hydroelectric en-

The Orion ∤ Photograph by chelsea jeffers

dam drought Jana Frazier, Oroville Dam tour guide, explains how the hydroelectric turbines works. ergy low and electricity expensive because of increased oil and natural gas dependence, according to a 2011 U.S. Department of Energy study. The same happened during a 2001 drought. The same occurred from 1986 to 1992, according to the California Energy Commission. The Hyatt Power Plant at Oroville Dam is currently producing around 511 megawatts a day with only one turbine running, Fra-

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zier said. The plant can produce up to 853 megawatts per day with a full lake and all six of its turbines running. Dams run on water horsepower, said Steffen Mehl, a Chico State associate professor of civil engineering. This power depends on the flow, or volume, of water moving through the system and the height the water falls from, he said. In Oroville’s case, both are affected by the

drought. The plant can’t flow too much water out or it risks drying the reservoir if the same amount of water isn’t flowing in. The lake’s low elevation also eliminates the height needed for the drop to spin the turbines for optimum energy production, Frazier said. “The lake looks like a giant mud puddle,” Frazier said, “So all that space would normally be filled with water and normally drop into our intake system and fall into our turbines to spin our electricity system.” The dam outsources its electricity to California’s grid, which distributes electricity throughout the state. Pacific Gas and Electric Company draws energy from the grid, so it relies on the dam’s hydroelectric power. PG&E is Chico’s only energy provider, said Mark Orme, Chico assistant city manager. As far as he knows, the city can’t purchase energy elsewhere because no one else has asked to sell it. Early anticipation, coordination, planning and a public relations campaign to promote conservation efforts succeeded for past droughts, according to the 2011 Department of Energy study. “We can make this work even though we have no water,” Frazier said. “If everybody practices good conservation, we’ll be fine — and that might be flushing your toilet every second use, as gross as that sounds.” Yessenia Funes can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_yfunes on Twitter.

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