The orion vol 72, issue 15 by The Orion

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Down & OUT For a look at the struggle between the city, businesses and the community, visit homeless.theorion.com.

Mozes Zarate

News Editor

For James, home in Chico is where he lays his head. The 53-year-old is a transient by

The university is hoping to regain $2.37 million after it cleaned up toxic soil it claims came from a PG&Eowned gas manufacturing plant. Ernesto Rivera

Managing Editor

Chico State is suing Pacific Gas and Electric to recover costs from an environmental cleanup the university performed during the construction of the Wildcat Recreation Center. From 1874 to 1928, the Chico Manufactured Gas Plant on West Second Street generated tars, sludge and powdered carbon that were often left onsite, according to the lawsuit. Chico State claims that contamination found in the soil at the construction site, a hundred feet north of the plant, was a result of the disposal of byproducts generated by the gas plant. The university spent $2,369,000 cleaning up 1,037.64 tons of contaminated soil. Chico State alleges its damages include: • property damage • restoration costs • delay damages • property devaluation PG&E cleaned debris and the aftereffects from the plant’s contamination and received a certificate of completion from the Department of Toxic Substance Control, said Jeff Smith, a spokesman for the company. PG&E acquired the plant in 1905. Most gas manufacturing plants were shut down by 1930. “We successfully completed a cleanup from July 2006 to July of 2010,” Smith said. “We removed 3,500 tons of soil.” PG&E and Chico State have been in negotiations to see whether or not PG&E bears some responsibility to Chico State’s portion of the cleanup, Smith said. “We will continue to work with Chico State to amicably resolve any pending issues,” he said. Chico State is not able to comment on the lawsuit at this time, Lorraine Hoffman, vice president for business and finance wrote in an email to The Orion.

choice. He lives to travel, claiming to have walked every continent except Antarctica. James is joined by many transients seeking shade under Chico’s trees, local business awnings, public parks and homeless shelters. The Chico City Council adopted a sit-lie ordinance in November to remedy woes from local businesses that feared their community was being jeopardized by transients who inhabited sidewalks. Shelters are hardly filled to capacity with many transients still choosing to sleep outdoors. Some play music to survive. Others rely on the kindness of strangers. The homeless haven’t gone anywhere, and many businesses still want them off the streets.

Ernesto Rivera can be reached at

The Orion ∤ Photograph by emily teague

managingeditor@theorion.com or @ernestorivera on Twitter.

Free Bird James, a 53-year-old transient in Chico, said the best decision he’s ever made in his life was travelling to 17 different countries.

Women working toward equal workforce participation hind me,” Rodriguez said. Chico State is not an anomaly. Women earn Staff Writer about 60 percent of bachelor’s degrees overWomen at Chico State are widely under- all nationwide, according to an article by the New York Times. represented in the science, technology, engiHowever, only 20 percent of degrees in neering and mathematics fields. Few female students have graduated with computer science were earned by women and 18 percent of degrees in engidegrees in computer science, neering. computer engineering and elecMelody Stapleton, chair of the trical engineering in the past computer science department, four years, according to a study said when she came to Chico she by Jeffrey Bell, chair of the biowas the only woman with a doclogical sciences department. torate in a department of more The study covers 2010-2014, than 20 people. showing that four percent of “I was kind of a pioneer,” Stagraduates in computer science pleton said. “There were no tenand six percent in electrical engiure-track women in the entire neering were women. melody College of Engineering back No female students graduated stapleton then.” with a computer engineering deChair, computer Being smart and pursuing an gree. science department education in science or math may Michelle Rodriguez is the only not be seen as trendy for women, woman double majoring in computer and electrical engineering at Chico she said. “America’s culture is so pop-oriented and State. what’s portrayed to the youth as being hip is “If a lab is due and I didn’t get it, I not only not women in science,” Stapleton said. feel like I failed myself, but every woman beMadison Holmes

Index

Starting a family is also a priority for many women, said Colleen Bronner, a civil engineering professor. When Bronner was in college, a female engineering lecturer visited her school and said that women in the field need to focus only on either their careers or having children, not both, Bronner said. “There are women out there who are more than willing to help, but there are also women who think they have found the right path and believe everyone needs to follow that path, and in my opinion, that’s silly,” she said. Suffering through blatant and subtle sexism is also a risk for women seeking math and science degrees, Bronner said. “There are some old school men who aren’t huge fans of women in engineering or having a woman as a boss,” she said. When Bronner studied in Japan, she dropped a class because the male professor was sexually harassing her and the other female students in the course, Bronner said. Rodriguez remembers walking into her first science lab as a first-year and a male student told her she was in the wrong class. “I looked at him and said, ‘No, I belong

here too,’” she said. Often, if a woman succeeds in these fields, her academic accomplishments are ignored and her success is attributed solely to her gender, Bronner said. “You get told that if you’re getting an A, you’re getting that grade because of inappropriate relations with the professor or because they need to keep a quota of females,” she said. A study done by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011 revealed that a quarter of workers in science, technology, engineering and math fields were women. This kind of disparity may deter women from pursuing degrees that would lead to those professions, Bronner said. Erin Baumgartner, a third-year electrical engineering major, said that by the time she gets to the job market, she will be used to being a minority. “It’s just going to push me to try harder,” she said. Madison Holmes can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @madisonholmes95 on Twitter.

Inside

Corrections

Sports

Weather

Directory

Police Blotter

Features

Opinion

Sex Column

TODAY

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Opinion

Sports

Features

Opinion columnist Jane Eveland says media standards make losing weight difficult.

After missing the playoffs, the softball team finds positives.

Students in a gender and communications class march downtown for change in the world.

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Sex columnist Michael Karp compromises for having a higher sex drive than his partner. theorion.com/features

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Opinion columnist Kevin Crittenden learns a few lessons from friends’ mistakes. theorion.com/opinion

The Orion ∤ infographic by Monica fitch

Social service majors lack male students school teachers are men. Low salary, low status and easy potential for Staff Writer accusations of abuse are the most recorded reaCertain majors are largely dominated by sons of why men do not want to be teachers, acwomen, according to a study conducted by Jef- cording to the article. Men may also not pursue degrees in liberal frey Bell, chair of the biological sciences departstudies because they are more likely to be acment. cused of abuse, said Pamela Morrell, a liberal The study tracked the 2010-2014 graduating studies advisor. class. Males made up 10 percent of the liberal “I’ve heard people say that they don’t want studies graduating class and 9 percent of social their little girl to have a male teacher,” work, according to the study. she said. “There’s something wrong Child development was among one with that.” of the most gender-impacted majors There is a societal expectation that with only 3 percent male students. men have to be the breadwinners and Erick Garcia, a four-year liberal teaching may not pay enough, she studies major, is pursuing a degree so said. he can be a counselor. The same holds true for pursuing a He is one of the only male underdegree in social work. graduate students in the department. It’s not uncommon for there to be He was required to complete a ceronly one male student graduating tain amount of hours at elementary pamela with a degree in social work, said schools and out of all of the teachers morrell Vince Ornelas, director of the School he saw working at the school, only two Liberal studies of Social Work. were men, Garcia said. program advisor Social workers receive a lower sal“When a male comes into a classary which could hold men back from room, you can see how surprised students are because they’re only used to female pursuing degrees, he said. “Just like it’s wrong to tell a woman that it’s teachers,” he said. Gender stratification extends to professional wrong for her to be an engineer, the same thing is fields in the United States, according to an article true for men in female-dominated professions,” Morrell said. by Edudemic. Less than 25 percent of teachers Garcia was previously a biochemistry major in the United States are male. Only 2 percent of prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers are but pursued a degree in liberal studies, Garcia said. He had a male counselor in high school who men and 18 percent of elementary and middle Madison Holmes

was a great role model for him and encouraged him to pursue a degree. “It was cool to see that he’s a male and he did it and no one saw him differently because of it,” he said. Men interested in social work will also have a difficult time finding men to look up to because there are few men depicted in the media as social workers and few men in the actual profession, Ornelas said. Culture in the United States is a reason why men may not pursue degrees in female-dominated professions, he said. The patriarchal way of viewing the world gives certain characteristics to women and other characteristics to men. There is a societal stigma surrounding men teaching and helping young children because they cannot be nurturing, Morrell said. “If you look at traditional gender roles, we expect women should be with children because they are nurturing,” she said. “What we don’t expect is for men to be.” The pressure to have a masculine job can come from peers, she said. A male student once came in her office asking to switch from liberal studies after his friends called teaching a “woman’s profession.” “It was upsetting to me because he sat here and I could see that he really wanted to be an elementary school teacher,” Morrell said.

Photo by ernesto rivera

Chico State alumnus Josh Funk creates a stop-motion film that involves a space battle with an alien monster. theorion.com/arts

Photo courtesy of Chico State

Chico State guitar ensemble delivers a refreshing take on classical guitar. theorion.com/arts

Madison Holmes can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @madisonholmes95 on Twitter.

Limited jail capacity factors into theft increase drive them to Butte County Jail. University Police safety,” Duch said. “And if someone doesn’t meet will usually send them to county jail. that level, sometimes we have to let them go. It Once they are doesn’t mean they’re not processed at the arrested, it just means jail, they are usuthat they’re not sitting ally given a court in jail waiting for their date and released court date.” with a bus pass. Even a single bike or “It depends on cellphone theft can be what the crime is,” devastating to a student, said Capt. Andy Beck said. Cpt. Andy Duch Duch from Butte “To many students, it Butte County Sheriff’s Office County Sheriff ’s doesn’t feel like a petty Office. “If it’s a theft to them,” she said. misdemeanor, obvi“For some of these stuously, they get cited dents, that bike may and released. I have very, very little room in my be their only source of transportation, or their jail for anyone who’s a misdemeanor, especially phone might be their only contact they have with pretrial.” their family.” Because there is a limited amount of space, jail officials have to make judgment calls. Enrique Raymundo can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or “With the overcrowding issues, we have a priority scale of who we keep for the sake of public @ERaymundoCV on Twitter.

Enrique Raymundo

Staff Writer

Butte County Jail is near capacity and it may be affecting the security of students’ belongings on university grounds. University Police have seen an increase in arrests of people that are released from jail and awaiting a court appearance for theft on or near the campus this school year, said University Police Lt. Corinne Beck. “I think that any time you have a jail overcrowding situation in which people who would normally be held longer are released to the streets earlier, it creates a public safety issue,” Beck said. Bike and small electronics thefts are up this year, she said. Any theft of a possession under $950 in value is a misdemeanor crime, meaning that many bike and cellphone thefts are misdemeanors. When a person is arrested for a misdemeanor like petty theft, the arresting officer has discretion on whether to give the suspect a ticket or

CORRECTIONS

I have very, very little room in my jail for anyone who’s a misdemeanor.

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| College of Communication & Education | California State University, Chico | Chico, Ca 95929-0600 CONTACT | EDITORIAL Phone: 530.898.5627 Email: editorinchief@theorion.com

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Student study finds gaming can boost motor skills, memory, problem-solving Christine Lee

Asst. News Editor Chico State psychology students found that playing video games has positive effects. Playing video games increase a person’s cognitive, motivational, emotional and social abilities, according to their research. “I don’t play video games but I’m going to now,” said Priscilla Gates, a senior psychology major who participated in researching the subject. Gates, along with other students in her group, presented their research at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Student Symposium April 23. Playing video games affects the hippocampus of the brain, the area that regulates long-term memory and grows new brain cells, Gates said. She finds the benefits to be attractive. “I’m trying to get neurogenesis because I have intractable insomnia,” she said. Playing video games also affects the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum, according to the research. These areas of the brain are crucial for navigation, planning tactics, memory, motor performance and problem-solving. Competitive shooting video games can help people learn, focus and multitask, according to the research. “It’s not easy to play video games,” Gates said. “I can’t even get my guy to stand up.” Her son, who often plays online video games, is very competitive in school because he channels his video game competitiveness into his education, Gates said. “I do like to one-up my friends in some cooperative games even though it’s a team effort game,” said Jennifer Decker, a sophomore computer science major. “I like to contribute more than my friends.” The reward systems in video games Decker prefers single-player role-playresult in constructive behavior because ing games compared to competitive multiplayer games, she said. She plays “Fall- achievement, recognition and satisfaction out,” “Dead Space” and “Assassin’s Creed.” create an experience that motivate players to continue playing, according to the “I like the single-player experience more research by because I like storyGates and her telling,” she said. classmates. “It’s like reading a There are book. It’s intimate.” also social There’s more benefits when strategy planning playing video involved with games, esperole-playing games cially online in terms of probm u l t i p l aye r lem-solving, a skill Priscilla Gates ro l e - p l ay i n g she finds to be adSenior psychology major games such vantageous, Decker as “World of said. Warcraft,” ac“You’re concording to the research. stantly bombarded with puzzles in games,” “‘World of Warcraft’ is an online game I she said. “It’s not necessarily challenging but it makes your brain work strategi- used to play in high school and I was able to get my social stimulation,” said Decker. cally.”

These parts of your brain are active when playing video games:

Responsible for controlling your thoughts, emotion and behavior

Responsible for long-term memory

I don’t play video games but I’m going to now.

Responsible for a person’s posture and modifying their motor skills for accuracy The Orion ∤ infographic by liz coffee

“Now I make friends though Chico State. I talk to others who like gaming; we’ll go online to play or we’ll meet up to play together.” The research provides a theory that even violent video games can spark positive reactions when people play cooperatively instead of competitively. “The social reward people get from playing other people reinforces positive social ability,” Gates said. “It’s adding to people’s social lives. It’s not a replacement to the activity.” Emotional benefits are also a positive aspect of gaming, according to the research. Gaming supports relaxation and gives people the illusion that they are in control. “It really helps to take a step back and focus your attention on something else,” Decker said. “I use video games to get my mind off problems and calm down.” Despite some perceptions of video games encouraging negative behavior,

they also have positive sides including motivation and stress relief, said psychology professor Martin Van den Berg. “Video games can be rewarding and addictive,” Van den Berg said. “From my perspective, what I see as most negative is timing. People spend too much time until late in the evening to play video games and they become sleep deprived. It’s important to give your brain enough rest.” Students can overindulge in video games when it gets in the way of accomplishing goals, Van den Berg said. “If I hug a tree for 20 hours, I’m not going to get my work done,” Gates said. “Video games are just like a brain vitamin, like a brain supplement. It strengthens other things in your life and it’s just fun doing it.” Christine Lee can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or

@leechris017 on Twitter.

Butte College included in federal probe

An investigation by the Department of Education targets 55 higher education institutions nationwide for potential violations in federal sexual violence reporting laws. Nicholas Carr

Senior Writer

The U.S. Department of Education listed the Butte-Glenn Community College District as one of 55 higher education institutions nationally under investigation for possibly violating federal sexual violence reporting laws. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination in educational institutions receiving federal funds.

“We are making this list available in an law have been found, Lhamon said in the release. effort to bring more transparency to our One forcible enforcement sexual assault work and to was reported on foster better Butte College’s public awaremain campus in ness of civil 2010, which inrights,” Assisvolved rape and tant Secretary sexual assault for Civil Rights with an object, acCatherine E. cording to campus Lhamon at the Catherine E. Lhamon crime statistics U.S. DepartU.S. Department of Education for the college. No ment of Eduother reports of cation said in a sexual violence statement for a were listed. press release. Of the 55 schools listed, four are CaliforAn institution’s placement on the list nia institutions, including the Butte-Glenn does not mean that any violations of the

We are making this list available in an effort to bring more transparency to our enforcement work.

Community College District, Occidental College, UC Berkeley and the University of Southern California. The investigations supplement the goals of President Barack Obama’s White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, according to the release. The Department of Education released updated guidelines on April 29 regarding the responsibilities of colleges, universities and schools receiving federal funds in addressing sexual violence and discrimination. Nicholas Carr can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @nikecarr on Twitter.

Long commute presents no roadblock for faculty Christine Lee

Asst. News Editor Chico State English professor Geoffrey Baker spends about two hours and 40 minutes driving back home to Oakland every weekend, a commute that doesn’t affect his teaching. “I know it seems if we’re commuting that distance, we’re not working on the days that we’re not here but I guarantee you we are,” Baker said. Baker lived locally for the first four years he taught at Chico State before moving to San Francisco, he said. He signed a ninemonth lease to an apartment his friends moved out of because he loved the area and it was affordable. Now, he’s typically on campus Tuesday through Thursday and frequently on Friday, which is the same amount of time he spends on campus when he lived in Chico, he said. When he is in town, he lives with colleagues who teach at Butte College. If students can’t make it to his office hours, he makes himself available over the weekend for phone calls or Skype.

There is no university policy that dictates to present things in class a certain way. I one hour to work each weekday, which puts think I’m more organized because I get into them behind the wheel longer than his where faculty can live, said Charles Turner, class and I have a better sense of where I weekend commute does, Veidlinger said. president of the California Faculty Associawant things to go.” tion chapter at Chico State. “So that’s five days a week,” he Daniel Veidlinger, com“My hunch is that the said. “That’s 10 hours of commutparative religion and university has no business ing each week, so I actually comhumanities professor, telling employees where mute a lot less than the average commutes home to San they can live as long as person in California.” Francisco each weekthey fulfill their job duBaker said he constantly thinks end, something that also ties,” Turner said. about moving back to Chico, espedoesn’t affect his job perSome professors live out cially during his drive on Tuesday formance either. of the city because of their mornings. “It has nothing to do spouse, Baker said. He “It’s a good place to raise kids with commuting, it has to knew a professor who comand the commute is silly,” he said. geoffrey daniel do with doing your job,” muted to San Francisco “I’ve liked it for the time that I’ve baker veidlinger he said. “If you’re doing each weekend because of done it but I don’t see myself doing Professor, English Professor, everything necessary for his wife and teaching onit long term. For the research that department comparative the job then it shouldn’t line courses. I’m doing now, it makes sense to be religion and matter if you commute or “He was teaching classes close to more research resources humanities online, which is something the university is not but if you don’t do things down there but I think my views because you’re commuting, for trying to get people to do more and more, on that will change.” sure, you shouldn’t be allowed which also is going to impact how often peoto get out of obligations because you com- Christine Lee can be reached at ple will be on campus,” he said. newseditor@theorion.com or mute. You’ve made a choice to commute so On the road, Baker ponders how he could you shouldn’t get privileges to miss meet- @leechris017on Twitter. better his teaching. ings just because it’s hard for you to get to.” “I do a lot of thinking,” he said. “I think There are people in California who travel about research I’m working on, about how

DAILY DEALS IN YOUR POCKET find them in the “offers”section in our app!

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Police

Blotter Wednesday, 12:56 p.m.: Obscene phone call reported at Student Health Center. “Derogatory voice mails received from student. Sergeant called subject and left a message.” Thursday, 3:05 p.m.: Fire incident near bike path. “Contacted by Chico Police Department, Fire Department en route to unknown fire possibly in area of bike path. Advising fire near homeless camp near bridge/train tracks on west side. Vegetation fire, fire department on scene.”

Chico Police

University Police

The police blotter is a selection of information cited directly from Chico Police Department and University Police Department.

Tuesday, 8:03 a.m.: Petty theft at Valero toward campus. “White male adult subject took clerk’s personal keys and keys to business. Subject is on a bike carrying two small bike tires. Be on the lookout issued.”

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Monday, 8:44 a.m.: Subject disturbance at California Car Wash on Commercial Avenue. “Female just arrived on her bike, threw the bike down and ran at full sprinting back and forth through the car wash. Subject is yelling at customers and now is out in the middle of the street. Officer out with subject, advisement given.” Tuesday, 7:17 a.m.: Subject disturbance at Arco gas station on West Ninth Street. “Subject inside causing a disturbance, threatening to beat reporting party. Subject upset because the doughnuts didn’t taste good. Subject went outside and moved along, upset over being sold very old pastry.”

Friday, 1:54 p.m.: Assist other agency on Orange Street. “Assist Chico Police Department with male subject swinging chain in the air and threatening passersby. Officer with CPD and subject.”

Wednesday, 4:37 p.m.: Suspicious subject on East 18th Street. “Reporting party advising saw a male subject wandering around, writing on telephone poles with an ink pen. Waving arms around and walking into yards. Reporting party last saw subject in the alley walking towards Hemlock.”

Saturday, 3:47 p.m.: Suspicious subject at Bell Memorial Union. “White male adult subject, possible transient annoying festival. Subject went in to Meriam Library. Officer out with subject, denied causing any disturbance. Counseled and moved along.”

Friday, 4:25 p.m.: Parole hold at 20th Street Park on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. “Male subject was exposing himself to people. Urinated and turned to reporting party’s children and said ‘hey kids look at this.’ Requesting contact to parole.”

Sunday, 1:36 p.m.: Routine vehicle stop on First and Broadway. “Vehicle stopped for driving under the influence. Subject en route to Enloe Medical Center. Subject at hospital, en route to jail.”

Saturday, 6:03 p.m.: Suspicious subject at CVS on East Avenue. “Black male adult sitting on a bench with a 6-inch-dagger using it to scratch lottery tickets. Reporting party felt suspect was suspicious, subject made her very uncomfortable. Subject moved along.”

Reserved parking remains vacant

RED Enrique Raymundo

Staff Writer

While students struggle to find parking in the morning, about half of the parking spaces reserved for faculty and staff are often unused. For the past two weeks, empty parking spaces that are only available to faculty and staff with an R-2 parking permit were surveyed by The Orion in the structure on Second and Ivy streets next to the Wildcat Recreation Center. An average of of 77 R-2 parking spaces were vacant on the first floor between the hours of 8-11 a.m., Monday through Friday. Things didn’t change much in the afternoon, with an average of 70 open parking spaces every day starting at 2 p.m. The first floor contains 140 R-2 spaces, according to a floor plan. The highest number of vacant spaces during the survey was Monday of the second week at 8:15 a.m., when there were 96 unused spaces, or 70 percent of the total R-2 spaces. The lowest number of empty spaces at any time during the survey was 65, which is 47 percent of the total R-2 spaces.”

BLUE and

! w e n s y a w l a d an

The BloTTer JusT goT BeTTer.

Enrique Raymundo can be reached at

newseditor@theorion.com or @ERaymundoCV on Twitter.

Sunday, 9:26 p.m.: Suspicious subject in city lot on Salem Street. “Male standing on the ledge of the top story, yelling that he has a beer. Yelling that people should come up and join him. Reporting party is afraid he will jump or fall. Officer out with subject, no further action. All clear.” - compiled by Nathan Lehmann

daily police blotter Theorion.com

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Chico State’s Independent Student News Source since 1975

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

editorial

Breaking gender barriers Almost everyone has been asked by a teacher or parent what they want to be when they grow up. Answers vary from humorous, a dog, to all too often a gendered or stereotypical answer. Of course, by the time these young wannabe princesses, policemen and teachers do grow up and attend a university they’ve outgrown these old dreams and clearly gendered thinking. Unfortunately, that latter statement might not be so true. Here at Chico State there are several programs that have very clear gender biases. Child development, liberal studies, social work and nursing majors are dominated by women, with more than 80 and sometimes upward of 90 percent of the graduates are women.

This situation is paralleled in other majors typically considered predominately male areas of study and work, such as computer science, physics, mechanical engineering — hell, almost every major ending in “engineering.” These are all majors with about or less than 10 percent female graduating classes. Universities are supposed to be places filled with progressive ideas and attitudes that support diversity. A college with programs segregated by gender

flies in the face of these values. Currently, societal values still shape the views of students, what they choose to study and what future profession they hope to pursue. While more women are attending and graduating colleges, it’s important to consider what they are choosing to study or what society may be telling them they can. This question also needs to be asked of

Institutions of learning should be at the forefront of changing these attitudes.

the men attending as well. There is clearly a stigma about male teachers and nurses. Institutions of learning should be at the forefront of changing these attitudes. “Today decides tomorrow” is this school’s motto, and if these lopsided graduation rates continue, the ideas behind them will continue to be perpetuated as well. While scholarships for women who choose male dominated majors exist, there needs to be more oppurtunities. There needs to be support for men who decided they want to pursue a major where they would be a minority. Awareness for these kinds of opportunities needs to be more public so they can be seized. If Chico State values diversity they have an obligation to act.

Pitfalls of professor rating sites Zachary Phillips

Assistant Opinion Editor College students like to know what they’re getting in to before enrolling in a class. What if the teaching style clashes with my delicate attention span? What if the professor is a monster? What if they’re a stone-cold fox? With all of these questions regarding one of next semester’s professors swirling through my brain, I hopped on to ratemyprofessors.com, everyone’s favorite teacher evaluation website. “Just take him... you’ll see.. He is very, ummm, interesting.” As my mind ran wild contemplating all of the possible implications of having an “ummm, interesting” professor, I began to question Rate My Professors’ relevance. For the sake of future readers’ time and education, here are a few common evaluation balks that would be better off left unwritten.

When evaluating professors, specifics are always helpful. Foreboding and vague statements like “He’s slipping”— not so much.

Flame on

Hell hath no fury like an undergrad scorned, and Rate My Professors is the perfect forum to mouth off with no consequences. Just ask professor Ronnie Crane of Hawaii Pacific U n i v e r s i t y, who apparently “looks like a fried Barbie doll and acts like one too.” Insulting evaluations usually come from bitter and entitled stud e n t s lacking the necessary maturity to process their failures. Poking fun at a professor can be entertaining, but taking a cheap shot on an anonymous forum seems a little asinine, and are more indicative of the student’s character rather than the professor’s. “Unclear, Poor Grading System, Smells like old Bandaids, what more can I say?” A lot. You could say a lot more.

Whether they want to admit it or not, students can’t help but get excited when they see a flaming chili pepper.

Nebulous maximus

Some students’ Rate My Professors reviews are so ambiguous and poorly thought out that you’d think it was an assignment for a lowerdivision Pathway course. Unless the reader is unclear as to how education has functioned during the past 15 years of their life, comments like “Just do all of the assignments and pass the tests and you’ll be fine” really don’t help much.

Hot for teacher

Whether they want to admit it or not, stu-

The Orion ∤ ILLUSTRATION by Rachel Dugo

dents can’t help but get excited when they see a flaming chili pepper. There’s no shame in admiring a professor’s aesthetic giftings, but when a student’s libido hijacks the whole review, Rate My Professors gets real dumb, real fast. “He is very funny and likes to make jokes. He definately (sic) knows what he is talking about and DAMN IS HE SEXY!!!” I like classroom eye candy as much as the

next guy, but it takes a bit more than a sultry scholar to get me hot and bothered for class. Rate My Professors can still be a useful tool for students to choose classes and offer feedback. All it takes is some concrete detail, a cool temper and a cold shower. Zachary Phillips can be reached at opinioneditor@theorion.com or

@ZachSPhillips on Twitter.

Weighing in on weight loss perceptions Julianna Eveland

Opinion Columnist

By the age of 15, I already resented my natural body shape and size, because it didn’t match up to look like the girls in Seventeen magazine. Don’t even get me started on what being

a “plus-sized” model means these days. If those ladies are plus-sized, the majority of us are comparably super-sized. The media are the dictators of how people come to consider themselves as beautiful, fit, slim, overweight or desirable to others. When it comes to weight, it can be hard to find a happy medium with all the controversy surrounding what’s healthy, hot or normal.

A few weeks back it hit me that many important events were coming up that I needed to get in shape for. My birthday, Coachella and most importantly, summer — aka bikini season. What I’ve only recently realized is, I hit the gym everyday to improve the way I look, not necessarily the way I feel. It’s safe to say that yes, I do feel great when I look great. But my viewpoint on weight loss has been negatively affected by the media and the standards society holds for what in-shape people should look like. Every year when summer gets nearer, a little voice in my head pipes up to remind me that if I don’t change my diet and exercise now, pool parties and Bear Hole trips will be my most dreaded endeavors. I can’t stand next to skinny, bronzed babes in my bikini when I haven’t shed those winter pounds. That’s just crazy! This is where the problem lies. Shows like “The Biggest Loser” bring about the idea you have to be slim to win. People who fall in the weight category of the 200-500 pound range participate in “The Biggest Loser” for motivation and professional help in leading healthier lives. Rachel Frederickson, the winner of the most recent season, was publicly criticized

after her final appearance for being too thin. The show is called “The Biggest Loser,” which holds true, because it seems you really can’t win. Frederickson’s newfound figure is now comparable to models on the runway, in commercials and in magazines. But because she was much larger before, her significant weight loss is perceived by the public to be overly so. Good for Frederickson for her great accomplishments, but I do not support weight loss programs as hardening as “The Biggest Loser.” Losing weight is hard. It comes with eating less and exercising more, and that can be hard to manage with the stresses of college. The problem with the idea of working out and being active, however, is it comes with the premise of being successful in losing weight. If the perception of weight loss was changed and the images put out by the media were more realistic, I, for one, would have a much more positive outlook on what being healthy, active and fit really means.

If those ladies are plussized, the majority of us are comparably super-sized.

The Orion ∤ ILLUSTRATION by Liz Coffee

| EDITORIAL BOARD | Spring 2014 Editor-in-Chief Katrina Cameron Managing Editor Ernesto Rivera Art Director Liz Coffee

News Editor Mozes Zarate Opinion Editor Zachary Coyl Sports Editor Sharon Martin

Julianna Eveland can be reached at opinioneditor@theorion.com or

@janeca12 on Twitter.

The unsigned Orion editorial is the collaborative opinion of the editorial board. Features Editor Risa Johnson Arts Editor Nicole Santos Photo Editor Kasey Judge

Video Editor Emily Bertolino Chief Copy Editor John Riggin Public Relations Director Jessica Barber

OPINION

opinions all week @ theorion.com

WedneSday, May 7, 2014

Recent rant shines light on generational divide Matt Murphy

Opinion Columnist I don’t think about racism. That probably doesn’t carry much weight coming from a white male, the least discriminated-against of any demographic. I do, however, think that it is the prevailing attitude of people my age. Overt racism isn’t something I grew up with. The largest racially-charged event of my life was the Rodney King riots, and I was only a few years old. As little as my generation may care about a person’s skin color or sexual orientation, it seems there are always stark reminders that not everyone feels the same way.

It was in such a fashion that Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, sprang forth from a bygone era, spewing some of the most racist and hateful rhetoric I have ever heard in a recorded argument with his, ironically, biracial girlfriend. In a country that elected its first black president six years ago, and then reelected him four years later, here is a man who is genuinely confused as to why his girlfriend would want to associate with a person of color. Magic Johnson, the person of color

whom Sterling did not want his girlfriend associating with, appeared on ESPN, visibly distraught from what he’d heard. The backlash against Sterling has been swift and direct. Within days of the leaked conversation, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling was banned from involvement in the NBA in all forms for life and was fined $2.5 million, the maximum amount allowed under the NBA constitution. Silver also said that he will try to force Sterling to sell the team, an action that requires a 75 percent majority vote among the 29 other NBA owners. Perhaps Sterling stands alone. I’m certainly not insinuating that everyone from his generation is as unenlightened and despicable as he is. But it only takes one person, just one ignorant voice, to set society back two steps after it just took one forward. Whether Sterling is the Clippers owner for the rest of the week or the rest of his life, the damage his comments have caused is done. It matters not the beliefs of this generation when the previous one perpetuates oldworld thinking.

@matthewcharlesz on Twitter. The Orion ∤ ILLUSTRATION by Darian MAroney

Organ donors marred by murky myths Veronica De La Cruz

Opinion Columnist

More than 120,000 people are still waiting for an organ donor, according to organdonor.gov. Susan Vieira, 64, got a second chance at life thanks to the heart of a Chico State student, and vowed to do everything she can to ensure her donor’s dreams don’t go unfulfilled. Last September, Kristina Chesterman, a 21-year-old nursing student, died after being hit by a drunken driver while riding home on her bicycle. Chesterman chose to be an organ donor, and since then five people have been saved, Vieira being one of them. I’ve always been interested in helping people, from checking the donor box at the DMV to giving blood at school. I’ve done what I can to make a difference. I underwent my own personal health issues this year; my gallbladder had to be removed. Lucky for me, this organ isn’t vital for my survival. However, some people aren’t as lucky as I was. An average of 47 percent of people nationwide will register to become a donor, according to New York Organ Donor Network. Such a small percentage of donors might be caused by some common misconceptions. Some believe that doctors won’t work as hard to save the lives of organ donors. In reality, when someone goes to the hospital for any sort of treatment, doctors will focus on saving that individuals life, not someone else’s. Others think they won’t have the option

The Orion ∤ ILLUSTRATION by frances mansour

to have an open casket. In fact, organ and tissue donation doesn’t interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of donation. Lastly, some think that their organs are probably no good anyway, because of their lifestyle, age or health problems. Each person’s medical condition is evaluated at the time of their death to determine what organs and tissues are viable for donation. People living with chronic diseases or those who have a history of cancer or other serious diseases are still encouraged to join the donor registry.

I look at it as a waste when people aren’t donors, especially when there are thousands of people waiting to have their second chance at life. Simply educating oneself about a topic more before assuming can change a whole perspective. Even after her death, Chesterman’s legacy continues to live on. Not only in the hearts of those who knew and loved her, but also in the lives of those she’s since saved. Veronica De La Cruz can be reached at optioneditor@theorion.com or

@Veronica_dlc on Twitter.

Homeless need creative solutions, not security guards

The Sit and Lie Ordinance has been one of the most controversial issues in the Chico community. It is unfortunate the city is taking a reactive approach, rather than a proactive approach. Dehumanizing homeless individuals is not the answer to the problem. In other cities where similar Sit and Lie ordinances have been enacted, data has shown them to be unsuccessful. What makes Chico different? Imposing this new ordinance last December created hostility among different

The Orion encourages letters to the editor and commentary from students, faculty, staff, administration and community members.

Thumbs up to the men’s track and field team winning the conference championship for the 11th time in a row. Those boys sure are fast... Thumbs down to “dead week.” Apparently the name stems from the lack of schoolwork in preparation for finals, but professors must have missed the memo.

Thumbs up to the girl who reportedly fed her bullies semen and pubic hair cupcakes. They say revenge tastes bittersweet, and in this case, a little musky.

Thumbs down to Wichita Falls, Texas purifying sewage for drinking purposes. Sure, this drought is bad, but I draw the line at drinking pee.

TALKING POINTS

Photo by AspenSnowmass via flic.kr/p/bFbW19 Critical Change An Aspen High School student speaks about climate change at a rally in Aspen, CO.

Five teenagers and two nonprofits, WildEarth Guardians and Kids vs. Global Warming, are suing government agencies for not developing a climate change recovery plan. The suit is directed at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Departments of Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, Energy and Defense. With all of the support that this lawsuit is gaining, it’s encouraging to see American citizens take the future into their own hands. It is strange, however, to think that the Environmental Protection Agency needs a lawsuit as incentive to think about climate change.

The Orion ∤ Photograph by Enrique Raymundo PArking Peril Empty spots litter the University Police Department parking structure on a weekday afternoon.

Letter to the Editor

Cassandra Chervellera is a senior social work major. She wrote this letter after conducting a semester-long project regarding the Sit and Lie Ordinance. During this project, she found the homeless do not have a say in a law that directly affects their lives.

THUMBS

It only takes one person to set a society back two steps after it just took one forward.

Matt Murphy can be reached at opinioneditor@theorion.com or

| A7

populations. This is creating a tense presence in the downtown Chico community of businesses, homeless individuals, advocates for the homeless and the general population. I can understand that the D ow n t ow n Chico Business Association wants to create a more appealing presence around their businesses. However, hiring private security guards is not the answer. The DCBA states homelessness is deterring potential customers, causing a

• Letters and commentaries may be delivered to The Orion, Plumas Hall Room 001. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters are also accepted by e-mail and go directly to the opinion editor at opinioneditor@theorion.com

downturn in business. However, there is no data to back up these assumptions. Until verifiable data is published, there is no reason to blame a vulnerable population. Instead of hiring a private security force, the DCBA could help collaborate with service providers to assist in aiding the homeless population. Chico — let’s come together and display some empathy and understanding by developing positive, creative solutions to the homelessness issue.

Imposing this new ordinance last December created hostility among different populations.

• Commentaries should be limited to 500 to 700 words and are subject to editing for length and clarity. Please include your phone number.

The number of vacant parking spots in the parking structure by the Wildcat Recreation Center makes no sense. With convenient student parking in such high demand, the university should be more than willing to capitalize on this moneymaking opportunity. Wait until it’s clear that no faculty members are bidding for a spot, then sell it at a higher rate to students looking for first floor parking. See A4.

STUDY BREAK

Photo by Gage Skidmore Via flic.kr/p/fftQkn Star-Studded Slinger Andrew Garfield and Jamie Foxx star in Marvel’s latest superhero blockbuster.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Dane Dehaan and Jamie Foxx, opened in theaters Friday. The sequel to “The Amazing Spider-Man” series picks up where the last one left off as Peter Parker, played by Garfield, continues to balance his personal life with the responsibilities that he has as Spider-Man. Max Dillon, played by Foxx, falls victim to being bit by genetically modified electric eels that turn him into the comic book villain known as Electro. The film is a great watch for comic book enthusiasts and is a well-done representation of Stan Lee’s work. Viewers get the opportunity to receive insight of Peter Parker’s life and his continuous struggle to maintain his two different personas. While “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” may seem a bit too lengthy at times, the movie has some great action scenes that are sure to entertain viewers, especially Spider-Man enthusiasts. If you enjoy Spider-Man, comic books or action movies in general, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is worth a trip to the movie theater. -Michael Quiring

• Letters to the editor should be limited to fewer than 300 words, must include writer’s name and phone number (for verification) and are subject to condensation. Please include your year in school and major, or your business title.

• The Orion does not publish anonymous letters, letters that are addressed to a third party or letters that are in poor taste. The opinions expressed by The Orion’s columnists do not necessarily reflect those of The Orion or its staff.

A8 |

WedneSday, May 7, 2014

news all week @ theorion.com

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

WEEK

BASEBALL

GOLF

WEEKEND PERFORMANCE

CCAA CHAMPIONSHPS

2-2

The Orion ∤ orion file photo

ISAAC CHAVEZ Senior Distance Runner

Chico State The Orion ∤ Photograph by grant mahan

The Chico State golf teams are wrapping up the final day of the NCAA Championships. The men’s team is in Austin, Texas for the Division II Golf Championships. The fifth-ranked Wildcats will try to be one of the top six teams to move on to the NCAA championship finals May 19-23. Lee Gearhart and the rest of the ’Cats will try to move on individually as well. On the women’s side, Chico State is competing in the last day of the West Regional in Mansfield, Texas. The Wildcats will try to be one of the top three teams to advance to the 72-hole championship May 14-17. For coverage and updates of the final days of each tournament, follow along on theorion.com.

The Chico State baseball team had two straight chances to lock down first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, but couldn’t come through against Sonoma State. The ’Cats came out strong with a 4-3 win Friday and a 7-3 triumph in the early game Saturday. But Chico State fell 4-2 in the nightcap and lost its final regular season game 7-10 in Sunday’s Capital City Clash. Eric Angerer, Ruben Padilla and Cody Slader all hit doubles in Friday’s win, while Nick Baker threw eight scoreless innings to earn his league-best ninth win of the season during game one Saturday. Chico State dropped its final two to end the season with a 37-11 overall record and 29-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Wildcats will face UC San Diego in the first round of the CCAA Championship Tournament on Thursday.

swingin’ it Shortstop Cody Slader takes a cut against Cal State East Bay earlier this season.

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD CCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

isAac chavez

CCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS The Chico State men’s track and field team won its 11th straight California Collegiate Athletic Association title this past weekend. The Wildcats had 266 points over the 21 events, led by the CCAA’s co-Field Athlete of the Year J Patrick Smith. Oliver Hanf also grabbed the men’s track and field Coach of the Year. Smith won the 200-meter and took third in the 110-meter hurdles. He teamed with Joey Johnson, Teddy Elsenbaumer and John Brunk to win the 400-meter relay event. Other top three finishes for Chico State include: • Alex McGuirk and Barron Maizland with first and second place in the steeplechase. • Brunk with a win in the 400-meter. • Germay Tesfai and Phil Graber took first and third in the 1,500-meter. • In the high jump, Michael Souza took first, Smith took third and Brunk fourth. • Derek Taylor finished third in the triple jump. • Isaac Chavez won the 5,000-meter and took fifth in the 1,500-meter.

The Chico State women’s track and field team brought home its fifth straight California Collegiate Athletic Association title over the weekend. Kasey Barnett won the pole vault and was named the CCAA Field Athlete of the Year after the meet. The women’s track and field CCAA Coach of the Year title went to Robert Nooney. Barnett teamed up with Ashley Jones, Aja Erskine and Amilia Santos to put up a winning mark in the 400-meter relay. Ayla Granados took second in the 1,500-meter, while Olivia Watt placed fourth. Other Chico State podium performances include: • Tori Mason with a second place finish in the 100-meter hurdles • Watt placed third in the 800-meter • Jones with a win in the 200-meter • Granados, Quetta Peinado and Sara Mikesell put the Wildcats over the top for the team title by finishing first, third and fourth in the 5,000-meter

Sport: Track and field Class: Senior Major: Kinesiology

The senior distance runner helped the Wildcats to an 11th straight California Collegiate Athletic Association title. Chavez won the 5,ooo-meter with a time of 14 minutes, 46.51 seconds. He also placed fifth in the 1,500 on Saturday.

W ild C ats STAT ’CAT

77.2 (WOMEN’S GOLF) Senior Sarah McComish is averaging a school record low of 77.2 strokes per round this season.

The Orion ∤ Photograph by Salahadin Albutti

Flying ’Cats Pole vaulter Kelly Gundert gets vertical during warm-ups earlier this season.

MORE ON THEORION.com Read full coverage of these games and events online.

-Compiled by Nick Woodard

Standings

29 (BASEBALL)

The Chico State baseball team finished its season one win shy of having its fourth best season ever, with at least 30 wins in conference play.

baseball 1. Sonoma State

The Chico State men’s track and field team won its 11th straight California Collegiate Athletic Association title this past weekend.

(WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD) The Chico State women’s track and field team also won the California Collegiae Athletic Associaton title, the team’s fifth straight.

Overall 27 – 14

29 – 10

37 – 11

3. UC San Diego

26 – 10

32 – 14

4. Cal Poly Pomona

23 – 12

31 – 13

5. Cal State East Bay

24 – 16

30 – 18

6. Cal State Monterey Bay

18 – 22

23 – 27

7. Cal State Dominguez Hills

17 – 23

23 – 26

8. San Francisco State

17 – 23

22 – 28

9. Cal State L.A.

14 – 25

16 – 32

11 – 29

13 – 37

7 – 32

13 – 35

2. Chico State

11. Cal State Stanislaus

(MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD)

24 – 8

10. Cal State San Bernardino

CCAA

Men’s Golf

woMen’s Golf

1. Cal State Monterey Bay

1. St. Edward’s

2. Chico State

2. Tarleton State

3. Cal State Stanislaus

3. California Baptist

4. Sonoma State

4. Dallas Baptist

5. Simon Fraser

5. Chico State

6. Western Washington

6. Midwestern State

7. UC San Diego

7. Hawaii Hilo

8. Dixie State

8. West Texas A&M

9. Hawaii Hilo

9. Cal State East Bay

10. California Baptist

10. Western Washington

UPCOMING GAMES baseball

Track & field

Thursday, May 8

Saturday, May 10

WCC Invitational

7 p.m. CCAA Championships STOCKTON

Banner Island Ball Park

San Francisco

SPORTS

sports all week @ theorion.com

| B3

WedneSday, May 7, 2014

Rugby stumped again by Stanford Lee Masten

Staff Writer

The Orion ∤ Photograph by Grant Mahan

Locked in Junior outfielder Sammi Ridgway connects in a home game earlier this season. Ridgway batted .296 in 50 games this season with 47 hits and 14 RBis. Ridgway also collected nine doubles and two home runs as Chico State finished the season with a 24-26 overall record and 17-19 in the CCAA.

Softball savors strong season Angelo Boscacci

Staff Writer

The season ended for the Chico State softball team with a 24-26 overall record and a 17-19 record in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The team didn’t make the playoffs, but memories were made along the way. The highlights on offense were sophomores Alli Cook, Amanda Cordeiro and Desiree’ Gonzalez. Cordeiro finished the season with a batting average of .307 with 43 hits and 15 RBIs. Gonzalez led the team with 11 home runs, so good she was ninth in the CCAA. With Gonzalez providing the power, Cook provided the speed with 27 stolen bases, second in the CCAA. Cook was a highlight on the team and was named to the All-CCAA Second Team. One of her main goals this season, however, was to steal the most bases. “I am a little disappointed in myself,” Cook said. “From day one I wanted to have the most stolen bases, but I’ll get it next year.”

Gonzalez, who was a regular starter for “It showed that we had heart and that we the team, wants to improve her overall can come from behind,” Cook said. game. Gonzalez’s favorite memory was defeating “I hope to continue to provide power in Cal State Monterey Bay 5-2 and snapping its the lineup, as well as being a solid piece in 19-game win streak. the infield,” GonzaWildcats ace lez said. Alex Molina finKelli Keefe proished her final vided one of the season with a 12-12 most memorable record and tied for moments of the seasixth in the CCAA son when she hit a with 15 complete walk-off single to games. Kelli Keefe beat Sonoma State. Next season, the Softball infielder “The whole seaWildcats will have son was memoraa solid foundation ble,” Keefe said. to compete for a “We had a great group of girls.” championship. Keefe’s favorite moment was the last game “I hope that next year’s team will be able of the season. to fight through adversity and be able to rec“Being able to play with Alex, Scotie and ognize and change the things that are in our Kayla in their last game,” Keefe said. “They control,” Cook said. are irreplaceable as teammates and I love them.” Angelo Boscacci can be reached at Cook’s lasting impression of the season sportseditor@theorion.com or was Keefe’s walk-off. @Boscacci6 on Twitter.

They are irreplaceable as teammates and I love them.

Although they were decimated with injuries and had to rely on rookie talent, the Chico State rugby team found its way into the playoffs and all the way to the finals for the Pacific West Rugby Conference championship game. Unfortunately for the ’Cats, the game would end up being the second loss of the season, crushing any hopes for the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats fought hard in the championship, but were outnumbered and outdone by the Stanford University Cardinals in the final minutes of the game, losing 18-24. Things didn’t go well for Chico from the start, as many Wildcats were playing with injuries and didn’t have enough numbers. This led some of the players to play through the entire game without rest. On top of that, the ’Cats luck didn’t show up, as it had a kick blocked for a Cardinal try in the final half of the game. The taste may be bitter in wake of the championship game, but there is a lot to be proud of in a season when the team only lost twice to Stanford University in very close, competitive matches. Team captains Charlie Brennan and JP McKinley have high hopes for the future seasons. “For one, we were playing injured throughout most of the season,” Brennan said. “But seeing as though we won a lot, we know what we’re capable of and we know we’re a good team.” With all the injuries and shortage of veteran players, the Wildcats had to turn to a few of the younger guys to contribute to the team’s successful season. “For having such a young team this year, it was great seeing the results,” McKinley said. “We know we could have won the game against Stanford, but it was a fun season seeing all the great results and having all the new guys help out.” The Wildcat rugby team knows what it must accomplish in the offseason. The team must focus on keeping in shape, getting stronger and most importantly, healing and teaching the new players. Lee Masten can be reached at

sporteditor@theorion.com or @lee23masten on Twitter.

Conference title slips out of Wildcats’ paws

The Chico State baseball team lost Sunday to Sonoma State in the third annual Capital City Clash at Raley Field. ON THEORION.com View the full gallery of the Capital City Clash.

The Orion ∤ Photographs by ernesto rivera

cat attack Senior infielder Ryan McClellan attempts a bunt Sunday against Sonoma State at Raley Field in Sacramento, left. Junior pitcher Luke Barker keeps an eye on the runner at first base, center. Senior pitcher Marcos Lara warms up his arm in the middle of the first inning against Sonoma State. Chico State is 29-10 in conference and 37-11 overall, right.

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WedneSday, May 7, 2014

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MAKING YOU SAFE

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it’s a shoe-in Craft Cat creates a jewelry hanger out of a shoebox. Theorion.com

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The NEBULA B6 FOOD COLUMN B7 SEX COLUMN B7

Chico State’s Independent Student News Source since 1975

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

The Orion ∤ Photographs by Salahadin Albutti

pure positivity The audience joins in, dancing at the Beautifully Equal event, top. Students play an interactive game, bottom left. Kim Mion, an American Language and Culture Institute student, participated in the event’s costume photo booth; the pictures from the booth were posted on a big board, titled “Beautiful,” bottom right.

Class leads march, promotes equality Dominique Diaz

Staff Writer

“We are all equal! We are all beautiful! Love is in the air!” echoed throughout the streets of downtown Chico on Friday afternoon as students marched to spread equality. The march symbolized the overall message of what “beautifully equal” stands for. People from different backgrounds came together for one march and were able to promote their message as one. A gender and communications class on campus was given the opportunity to do an individual end-of-the-semester project or a “change the world” project as a class. They unanimously chose the latter. Josh Leith, a senior communications major and project manager of the event, is not only hoping to promote gender equality, but equality for all because of the stereotypes and judgments passed every day.

Rebecca Campbell, a junior “We see it every day, and everyone does it,” communications major and project manager Leith said. “We wanted to get the message of the event, wants to make a difference in out there that we are all equal.” While the class tabled earlier in the week, one person’s life with this event. “I think even in college there’s that students were able to pull from a box that contained positive messages written on discrimination against men and women,” Campbell said. small pieces of W h e t h e r paper. someone is These phrases gay, lesbian, included “You are short or tall, smart,” and “You discrimination are beautiful.” exists, she said. Students posted People don’t pictures of these think those messages on Josh Leith discriminatory Twitter, Snapchat Senior communications major words are and other social harmful. media sites. “We say, ‘Oh “There’s three words that can ruin someone’s day, and my gosh that’s gay!’ and don’t realize that little thing can affect someone,” Campbell three words that can really lift them up,” Leith said. “Why not be that person that’s said. The event went beyond being just a class lifting people up on a daily, constant basis?”

Why not be that person that’s lifting people up on a daily, constant basis?

project. “We have a diverse group of people that attend Chico and we think it’s the perfect place to spread our message to them,” Campbell said. Along with the march, a balloon arch represented the differences among people. The different balloon colors emphasized the diversity of the participants. The string that held those balloons together represented the connection between different people. Amy Lance, a gender communications professor, is proud of the class’ efforts. The concept of the event is a good reflection of what she practices in the classroom. “We all need to respect each other,” Lance said. “We get to be the judge of one person and that’s the person that looks back at you in the mirror every day.” Dominique Diaz can be reached at featureseditor@theorion.com or

@dominiqueldiaz on Twitter.

Community commuters congregate at Bike Month events Amanda Hovik

Staff Writer

The Butte Bicycle Association has geared up for Bike Month and is putting on many environmentally-friendly events, such as BikeChico! Chico Velo Cycling Club, a nonprofit organization, is a sponsor for BikeChico! Stacy Canada, a recreation administration graduate student and event co-director, has been connected to the cycling community through work with the Butte Bicycle Coalition and Chico Velo Cycling Club. “It’s nice to know Chico embraces cycling and is supportive of it,” Canada said. “Chico is very bicycle-friendly.“ Walk and Roll Wednesdays in May feature energizer stations at Second and Flume streets from 6:30-9 a.m. with coffee, Chico Chai and yoga demonstrations. “Those are just fun; who doesn’t want to get rewarded for commuting on their bike?” she said. “It’s just a social thing in the morning that makes you feel good that you rode your bike.” Canada stresses how easy and economical biking is.

“I think more students would find it’s an easy and accessible way to get around,” Canada said. “That’s the best way for students — if you ride your bike, you save money.” Students from Parkview, Sierra View, Emma Wilson, Citrus, Chapman, Shasta, Rosedale and Hooker Oak elementary schools can win a bike by attending the month’s events. Students from Bidwell and Chico junior high schools can win as well. Katherine Ketterer, co-event coordinator of Chico Velo Cycling Club, gets more satisfaction from bike peddling than pressing on a gas pedal. “You feel much better when you are exercising, and when you’re on a bike you see more of the world than when you’re in a car,” Ketterer said. “You also end up having an open mind, because you see people using alternative methods of transportation and how important it is to the community.” Partners of the Butte Bike Coalition include: Chico Peace and Justice Center, Butte Environmental Council, Chico Natural Foods, Growing Resourcefully Uniting Bellies and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Some events in May include:

The Orion ∤ Photograph by Matthew Vacca

cruiser crew Katherine Ketterer, Gabby Walters, Stacy Canada and Janine Rood are members of Chico Velo Cycling Club, a sponsor of BikeChico!, one of several Bike Month events in May.

• Seersucker and Little Nippers Ride: May 4 downtown to Five Mile • GRUB garden tour: May 18 at Chico Peace and Justice Center • 5th Annual Children’s Bike Swap at Boys & Girls Club • The Chico Bicycle Music Festival on June 7 at Camillia Way Park

Chico Velo Cycling Club is providing free bike valet parking, so attendees don’t have to worry about parking their bike or getting it stolen at the month’s events. Amanda Hovik can be reached at featureseditor@theorion.com or

@AmandaHovik on Twitter.

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Students film self-reflection documentary Dominique Diaz

Staff Writer

Students pair up to interview each other during an ice breaker activity. Ten minutes later, they write an obituary for the person they just interviewed. This advanced interviewing class activity prompted Alexis Thomas, a senior communications major, to start a project on self-worth. She was fascinated by how quickly she got to know a person in just a few minutes, Thomas said. Now she is on a quest to spread the message that “we all matter.” She began the project at the end of April by interviewing strangers and friends. The interviews take place whenever students want to be interviewed. There’s no set schedule. “We go to school every day. We see the same people, and there’s just that shallow relationship,” Thomas said. “We know their names, we know where they’re alexis from, but we don’t thomas know the things that Senior actually matter.” communications The project consists major of a series of videos that feature people from different backgrounds. Interviewees answer questions such as, “If death is inevitable, why are we so afraid of it?” and, “Is there a difference between love and infatuation?” The interviews will be used as a way to capture those differences and show students that their voices matter. “My hope is to bring Chico State students together in the community and to challenge them,” Thomas said. Vincent de la Torre, a junior communication design major and the videographer for the project, is also passionate about this type of communication. “I think it can get people to open up more and to see, ‘Hey, maybe we’re not all that different,’” de la Torre said. “I think that’s a beautiful thing.” De la Torre is one of many students that walk to class with headphones in, focused only on his destination and not those around him. “It’s really a loss when you think about it,” he said. These videos can help people change their own ways. “Just from the first five videos that we’ve done, I’ve already seen how incredible it can be when you get someone to open up and have these conversations,” de la Torre said. They’ve interviewed people with different experiences, ranging from addiction to depression. “This is a movement of ‘Let’s all get to know each other,’” de la Torre said. “We all matter.” Dominique Diaz can be reached at featureseditor@theorion.com or

@dominiqueldiaz on Twitter.

The Orion ∤ Photograph by Matthew Vacca

Cultures collide at International Festival

make a move African Diaspora Organization members perform an Afro-Caribbean dance to the sounds of steel drums at Saturday’s International Festival.

Amanda Hovik

Staff Writer

Afro-Caribbean dancers in patterned shirts and flowing skirts performed a Calypso dance to the beat of a steel drum band as a crowd on the lawn watched. The 40th annual International Festival on Saturday was open to the community, showcasing food, dance and music of different cultures. Pa Yang, a senior nursing and Asian studies double major, has been to the International Festival every year since she attending Chico State. “I love it,” she said. “I like the display and the performances and food. It shows you aspects of culture you probably wouldn’t have the chance to experience.” Some student organizations involved included: the African Diaspora Organization, Hmong Student Association, Filipino American Student Organization, Lambda Theta Nu sorority, Nu Alpha Kappa fraternity and the Saudi Arabian Student Association. Colin Barredo, a junior sustainable manufacturing major and Filipino American Student Organization president, performed at the event. “When I came up here, I wanted to continue being involved in my culture as much as I could be,” he said. “I didn’t think I would be able to, but once I saw FASO, they gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and take a leader position and be one with my culture.” Danielle Anguiano, a senior social science major and former Orion staff member, helped organize the event as the commissioner of multicultural affairs. “My favorite part about it is it provides a great fundraising opportunity for these or-

The Orion ∤ Photograph by matthew vacca

making connections Students from the Saudi Arabian Student Association dance at the festival. ganizations,” Anguiano said. “They can sell them food or goods or whatever, and basically it’s a great opportunity to tell the stories of these different cultures that have a great place on our campus.” Rayan Menkabo, a senior mechanical engineering major and Saudi Arabian Student Association member, attended the event. “It’s not just for Americans; it’s also for foreigners to learn about other cultures around the globe,” Menkabo said. “It’s good experience.” Hamdan Alqasemi, a senior business major, supported the Saudi Arabian Student Association at the International Festival. “I’ve always dreamed to come abroad to the U.S. and when that dream came true, I was so

happy and then I started here,” Alqasemi said. ”I’m almost graduating, but the best thing is I learned real language, new culture and met new people from all over the world.” Abdulkareem Altamimi, a junior mechatronic engineering major and member of the Saudi Arabian Student Association, dressed in a thobe, a full-length white garment, and wore a keffiyeh headpiece. “I think it’s a great thing to have in the U.S., for our culture to show the Americans part of our culture and cities and the way we dress,” Altamimi said. Amanda Hovik can be reached at featureseditor@theorion.com or

@AmandaHovik on Twitter.

Retiring counselor drives campus diversity work. In his 62-semester career, he’s been an instructor for the Educational Opportunity Managing Editor Program’s summer bridge program, has When Aldrich Patterson asked for a letter given keynote speeches for first-year convocaof recommendation from his Catholic school tions, worked with diversity programs across campus and taught classes in the School of vice principal, the letter read, “To whom it may concern, Aldrich Patterson will never Education. For his accomplishments, Patmake it at your university.” terson was given the Lifetime He ripped the letter up. Years Achievement Award at the Conlater, he graduated in the top 10 versations on Diversity and Inclupercent of his class at UC Irvine. sion award ceremony Wednesday. Now, “Dr. P.,” a counselor for He was praised for his work on dithe Psychological Counseling and versity and inclusion across camWellness Center, has made it his pus and the special relationships mission to inspire, mentor and he’s formed with students that prepare students to become suchave helped them succeed. cessful. “We already know that students Patterson reflects on his final Aldrich do well in college when they have semester at Chico State before rePatterson a connection to someone, when tiring as rewarding, because in his Counselor someone sets expectations for 31-year career, he knows he accomthem that are high,” he said. “We plished his mission. know they do well when someone shows interHe’s seen more than 6,000 students and has helped them deal with a vast variety of per- est in them.” Patterson, one of the two licensed black sonal issues. “We have a responsibility to look after the psychologists in the north state, believes that children of someone else,” he said. “I don’t see diversity plays a special role in education. “You have to have experiences with other myself as a baby sitter, but as a person who’s people to open your mind,” he said. “This keeping an eye on someone else’s child — I country was designed for all people, not for would want someone to do that for my kids.” Patterson’s drive is as expansive as his some people.” Ernesto Rivera

While people like Patterson have made are successful.” huge contributions to the university’s incluPatterson has gone above and beyond to siveness, there’s still a lot more work to do, he make sure he can accomplish that, she said. said. “During his lunch hour, he goes down and “Until we have an equal number of people sits on a bench, rather than sitting inside,” she that are represented in society in college, then said. “He always goes out and gets a pulse of the system’s not working,” he said. “If the uni- what’s going on campus. He’s a great observer. versity was doing That’s why he’s their job, there a very insightful would be a more colleague.” diverse faculty.” People will One way he sughave the chance gests doing that is to say their goodby developing probyes and pick his grams to inspire brain one last Aldrich Patterson and help students time at his retireCounselor of color become ment celebration leaders of the uniMay 14 at the versity. Patterson Student Services has had tremendous success helping black Center. and Latino students understand their potenHis one last piece of advice he can give to tial. students is to collect their winnings. “That’s my role,” he said. “Make sure that “They’ve been given the lottery of an opthey’re safe and they develop skills and will portunity to get an education that will change make them better when they leave.” their life,” he said. “To give anything less than Mimi Bommersbach, also a counselor, has their best would be to sacrifice their gift and worked with Patterson for 13 years. opportunities.” “He’s a bit of an institution,” she said. “When he came here 30 years ago, he decided Ernesto Rivera can be reached at managingeditor@theorion.com or this is where he was going to spend his career and make it his mission to make sure students @ernestorivera on Twitter.

We have a responsibility to look after the children of someone else.

WORKING WILDCAT: Improving interview body language sively. If this is an issue for you, try to sit with your hands folded in your lap instead. Ariel Hernandez

Asst. Features Editor Interviewing is a nerve-wracking process. Trying to say the right thing, dress appropriately and not sweat through your shirt can be exhausting. Unfortunately for some, the focus on saying the right thing overshadows proper body language during an interview. If you have an interview coming up, avoid these five body language mishaps.

1. Sitting with your arms folded Though it may just be a comfortable way to rest your arms, it appears that you’re unfriendly and disengaged from the interviewer. Some people fold their arms to keep from talking with their hands exces-

2. Avoiding eye contact When people get nervous, they tend to look away from the person they are talking to. This should be avoided during an interview. Try to look directly at interviewers when they are speaking to you and when you are speaking to them. It shows that you are confident and engaged in the conversation.

3. Fidgeting while you speak Crossing your legs and shaking your foot signals that you are nervous and can be distracting to the interviewer. Try to plant both feet on the floor and fold your hands in your lap. I once interviewed someone who kept clinking her nails on the table. By the end of the interview, I was so distracted that I missed almost everything she had said.

While there isn’t just one way to ace an interview, there are several ways to blow one.

4. Sitting with bad posture Slouching is just lazy and leaning too

far forward can come off as aggressive. It’s best to sit tall with your back pressed against the chair.

5. Being a bobblehead doll While you should nod occasionally to show you are listening, don’t overdo it. A nod is supposed to signify that you understand or agree. When you sit there with your head swaying back and forth, the interviewer might not know if you’re listening or just going with the motions. While there isn’t just one way to ace an interview, there are several ways to blow one, so keep these five tips in mind during your next interview. Ariel Hernandez can be reached at

featureseditor@theorion.com or @Aj7uriel on Twitter.

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READERS, DIGEST: Rice-filled bell peppers

Christina Saschin

Food Columnist

Using a vegetable as a bowl is a fun way to present a dish. For this recipe, I put wild rice into a bell pepper to give it more color and to hold a shape. Wild rice contains more protein and fiber than brown rice and also takes a longer time to cook than white rice. Christina Saschin can be reached at

featureseditor@theorion.com or @Stina127 on Twitter.

The Orion ∤ Photograph by Christina Saschin

pepper perfection This colorful dish made up of chicken, veggies and rice is full of protein and fiber.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Total Time Yield: 1 se : 40 minutes Ingredientrving • 1/4 cup s: • 3/4 cup long grain wild rice • 1 teaspo water • 1 chicke on olive oil • 1 teaspon breast • Lime to on cilantro, choppe d • 1/2 orantaste ge bell pep per THE O-FACE: Common misconceptions about sex Michael Karp

Sex Columnist

Through my journey of sexual exploration, my views about sex have changed dramatically. Things I used to believe simply do not hold true for me anymore. I have also noticed people around me continuing to view sex in some of these ways. Here are a few misconceptions I believe people have about sex:

Sex is over once the man climaxes Male friends of mine have expressed that they feel the interaction is over once they have ejaculated, at least until they are ready to go again. A large part of sex is about mutual satisfaction, and it contains many other aspects than traditional intercourse. Just because you have been satisfied doesn’t mean that your partner has, and there are many other pleasurable activities you can engage in until both of you are ready to go again. If I have climaxed but feel that my partner hasn’t been satisfied yet, I like to continue the interaction by immediately going down on her and possibly using a sex toy or two. This lets her know that even though I have been

The partner with a higher sex drive is supposed to initiate Sex can, and should, be initiated by either partner. If a couple hasn’t been having sex as often as usual, I’ve commonly observed the partner with a lower sex drive feels like their partner has lost attraction for them. I think this is a huge communication issue and an unrealistic view of sexual roles. While sex drives may be different between partners, there should be no responsibility placed upon anyone to initiate sex. I believe that it should be initiated by either partner any time they are ready and comfortable, and this process is made much easier with open communication about each other’s desires.

theorion.com

Sudoku

Answers for the sudoku and crossword can be found on

de boil r, onion pow g water to a e n d ri w b o t, p o ic p rl m add ga 1. In a mediu ce, you can ri e th r o v a fl set r. minutes. To g board and to the wate in tt lt u a c s a d n n a o y cilantro dried parsle king, chop o o c is e c er ri e e bell pepp th 2. While th per in half. p in e d p d ll A e b r. e cut th s of wate will aside. Next, inute. This oil four cup b m t, e o n p o r m fo iu r r med e wate 3. In anothe pepper in th ll e b e th e lor. . Leav s hten the co g ri b to blanch it d out 8 minute n b a a r r e p fo p n e e p k k the tro the chic slightly coo g, add cilan n and cook in a k p o o m c iu is d e n am e chicke 4. Heat oil in oked. As th o c d n a d e wn rve with until it is bro per, and se p e p ll e b e into th and lime. cooked rice e th n o o p s , 5. On a plate lad. a garden sa chicken and

satisfied, I still care about her pleasure and I haven’t suddenly become selfish after that moment.

THE NEBULA:

STUMPED?

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The longer it lasts, the better

most, not the quantity.

Many women can actually experience pain, mainly from friction, after extended periods of sex. The misconception for men is that if you last longer, you are better in bed and are seen as a manlier person. While this may be desirable for some people, there is nothing wrong or inherently less pleasurable about quick sex sessions. You usually want to find a happy medium between having sex for too long and not long enough. If that medium is difficult to attain, methods such as penis pills and lubrication can get you where you want to be. The pressure to last caused a lot of stress for me when I first began having sex, and it still affects me today when I feel like I haven’t lasted long enough. The point is that it’s fine not to have marathon “sexcapades” all the time, and these aren’t any better or worse. To me, it’s the quality of any sexual interaction that matters

To me, it’s the quality of any sexual interaction that matters most, not the quantity.

The goal of sex is to climax Sex is a mutual connection through intimacy, pleasure and fun. This is my point of view, but people tend to judge their sex lives on the ability to climax and make their partners climax. Orgasms are a large part of sex — it’s the big hoorah for both partners. But it is by no means an ultimate goal that anyone should set. If climaxing or making your partner climax is your only goal, neither of those happening may ruin the entire sexual interaction for you, even if everything that happened before was wonderfully pleasurable. Climaxing should definitely be a part of the experience, but it should not be the end-all beall of sexual activity. Of course, not everyone has these misconceptions about sex, but these are some of the ones I have noticed most often, and some that I believe can actually hinder the sex lives of those who still view sex this way. Michael Karp can be reached at sexcolumnist@theorion.com or

@_MichaelKarp on Twitter.

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