Chico State’s Independent Student News Source since 1975 Features
News »Environment: New hydration stations placed in Glenn Hall. A3
»Aphrodisiacs: Food columnist Grace Kerfoot discusses meals that set the mood. B6
Opinion »PTSD: An opinion columnist discusses often unseen damage of veterans. A6 Sports: »Column: How the NFL commissioner dealt with a controversial season. B3 J.Q. Hammer/The Orion
Arts »Artist: Local “pro-doodler” and student works to make her business stick. B7
STD SURGE
Theorion.com | Wednesday, February 11, 2015 | Vol. 74, Issue 4 | First copy free, additional copies 50¢
Medical marijuana use limited by location Medicinal weed use allowed in state, but subject to restrictions William Rein
Staff Writer
A property manager who owns a house on West First Avenue has threatened to contact police to crack down on students who are using the backyard as a hideaway to smoke marijuana. On Feb. 3, a hand-written sign was posted on the fence of the property warning that the owner would contact police if there was continued problems with drug use. While medicinal marijuana is legal in California, no designated locations exist to be able to use it, as with pubs for alcohol or hookah bars for tobacco. On Dec. 13, the federal government officially stopped its active proscription of medical marijuana. States previously stuck between state legalization and federal prohibition — like California, which has allowed medicinal marijuana to anyone recommended since the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996 — are now free from government persecution. Today, 18-year-olds in California can see a doctor to get approval to purchase a green card for about $100 annually. This allows them to possess up to 8 ounces of marijuana legally. However, green cards still don’t protect the holder from smoking in public, driving under the influence and employer urine tests. Further, medical marijuana laws prohibit use: at or within 1000 feet of a youth center, recreational center or school, anywhere smoking is prohibited by law and in a moving motor vehicle or boat. The 1000-feet rule is illustrated by a map on the police department’s website that includes the area where the West First Avenue house is located. The guidelines surrounding enforcement have been full of contradictions and conflicts throughout the past few years. In 2011, the Chico Police Officers Association sent a letter to the Chico City Council after plans for the construction of two medical marijuana dispensaries were approved. The letter described that members of the police union “will not participate in any part of the medical marijuana ordinance that involves commercial
» please see WEED | A3
INDEX Corrections
A2
Weather
A2
Police Blotter
A4
Opinion
A6
Sports
B1
Directory
B3
Features
B5
Sex Column
B6
A+E
B7
WEATHER
70 44
Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 55% Wind: 5 mph
APP Our brand new app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Increase in gonorrhea cases causes concern for sex safety, education in Butte County Whitney Urmann
News Editor
T
he number of gonorrhea cases being reported in Butte County has doubled during the last year and reached epidemic levels, according to a press release by the Butte County Public Health Department. Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that can be spread through oral, anal or vaginal sex. It can cause infections in areas like
the genitals, throat and rectum. If left untreated, it can result in serious health problems, such as sterility. Three hundred cases of the sexually transmitted disease were reported throughout the county last year. Ages affected ranged from 13 to 62 years old. In 2013, there were 143 reported cases, which was more than double the 69 reported in 2012. The Public Health Department classifies the outbreak as an epidemic because of the high rate of increase that has occurred in a such a short amount of time.
Despite Chico having such a compact population of college students, less than half of the 300 cases were in people between the ages of 14 and 25. Less than half, however, still put numbers in the hundreds for the younger demographic. One in two young people will contract an STD by the age of 25, said Lisa Almaguer, communications director for the Butte County Public Health Department. County officials are working to get the word out about the epidemic and stop it from worsening. A couple of projects the department has in store include: public service announcements, social media outreach and radio and television notices, Almaguer said.
» please see STDS | A3
Housing adapts to increased enrollment “If I wouldn’t have got a place through incoming students this year, University the school, I don’t know where I would be Housing and Food Service moved the comStaff Writer living,” Short said. puter lab in Sutter Hall to generate more With enrollment on the upswing this Not only did student enrollment inbed space. It also added about 100 extra year, University Housing and Food Sercrease from last year, so did the waitlist beds overall, Stephen said. vices is having to adjust to the increased of students seeking housing through the But because the department thrives on demand. university. student demand, it is more than welcomChico State offers both Last school ing to the inon- and off-campus housing year, the waitlist About 85 percent of all creased number to its students. for University of students. first-time freshmen live But because the number Housing was 44 “Our only in university housing. of beds are limited, the students. This source of revenue amount of new students year the waitlist comes from the David Stphen, students that stay enrolling each year is a dejumped to 264 termining factor for people students, said Director of University in University that wish to live in UniverDavid Stephen, Housing,” SteHousing and Food Services sity Housing. director of Uniphen said, “We CHRISTIAN This semester, about versity Housprefer to open at SHORT 17,000 students are enrolled ing and Food full capacity each Freshman business at Chico State, said Sarah Service. semester.” administration major Langford, public affairs “Usually if University coordinator. you’re between 75 to 100 on the Housing offers 2,150 beds at full capacity. In the fall semester, there were about waitlist you might get in, depending on Currently, about 95 percent of the beds 16,000 students. how many people cancel,” Stephen said. are occupied, leaving only 99 beds vacant, “We felt prepared for the jump,” Lang“This year there were more than 600 Stephen said. ford said. “We want to serve as many cancellations.” “We expect next year to be just as students as we possibly can.” The high amount of wait-listed students crowded,” he said. The availability of housing through the this year is due to the larger class of firstuniversity is important to students who year students, Stephen said. Michael Arias can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or may have trouble figuring out a living sit“About 85 percent of all first-time freshuation on their own, said Christian Short, men live in University Housing,” he said. @theorion_news on Twitter. first-year business administration major. In reaction to the larger amount of Michael Arias