Chico State’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1975
LOVELY IN LAVENDER
BEST OF OFSSHOW SHOW The Orion sports staff chooses and celebrates the top athletes of the year. Package A6
The first Lavender Graduation ceremony was held for LGBTQ students and allies Friday. Story B5
VOLUME 68 ISSUE 16
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012
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3 students attacked over weekend Quinn Western STAFF WRITER
Two Chico State students suffered stab wounds and a third was severely battered Saturday morning just one week after a crime-filled Cinco de Mayo weekend. Two students were stabbed multiple times about 2 a.m. Saturday on Citrus and West Sacramento avenues, according to a press release from the Chico Police Department. Both students are expected to survive. One male and one female are suspected of stabbing the students in a fight, Chico police Sgt. Curtis
Prosise said. The male and female walked down the street yelling, said Sean Ross, a sophomore civil engineering major. Nicholas Swietlow, also a sophomore civil engineering major, and Ross yelled at them to be quiet, and then the male and female ran onto the property, threatening that they carried a weapon. Swietlow and Ross told the male and female to calm down, Ross said. The woman came from behind and stabbed Swietlow in the back. The second stab victim, David Preher, chased after the male and was stabbed twice in the back by
the female, Ross said. Swietlow suffered a gash in his left arm cutting his artery and no longer has feeling in his pinky, Swietlow said. The stab to his left upper-side started fluid build-up in his left lung. Preher suffered a punctured spleen and internal bleeding, Ross said. Police officers also found a severely battered 21-year-old female in an apartment at 1 a.m. Saturday on Mechoopda Street, according to the press release. An unknown male came into the apartment through a window and found her sleeping, said Katie >> please see CRIME | A4
THE ORION • QUINN WESTERN
STABBINGS Emergency medical technicians load an ambulance at West Sacramento and Citrus avenues early Saturday morning. One student was beaten and two were stabbed over the weekend.
STATE BUDGET
OCCUPY
Governor’s budget revision met with different reactions
Student protesters occupy Chico creek
Ben Mullin NE WS EDITOR
Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget revision, released Monday, projected no further funding cuts to the California State University system, provided his tax initiative passes in November. If the tax initiative doesn’t pass, $50 million in additional “trigger cuts” would be added to the CSU cuts, but if it does, current funding for the CSU will be left intact, CSU spokesman Erik Fallis said. “Higher education has been largely spared,” Fallis said. But banking on the fact that economic recovery “is just around the corner” does not serve higher education, Chico State President Paul Zingg said in an email to The Orion. “I think the proposal is dreadful,” Zingg said. If the trigger cuts pass, Chico State will lose about $40 million from its general fund, which could cause further program suspensions, a hiring freeze or reduced enrollments in 2013, Zingg said. “Nothing in the governor’s budget even hints at reinvestment,” Zingg said. The California Community College system, which has seen $809 million in cuts over the last few years, could be cut by an additional $300 million in November if the tax initiative doesn’t pass, said Paige Dorr, a spokeswoman for California Community Colleges. If the initiative does pass, the community college system will be given $300 million, Dorr said. “It’s critical that we don’t sustain any further cuts but secondly that we get some new money in,” Dorr said. The revised budget also changes the amount that Cal Grant recipients would receive to pay tuition. Rather than being given a single “all or nothing” grant that covers the entirety of tuition at a University of California or CSU campus, 37 percent of all Cal Grant recipients would receive a lesser amount of money based on their cost of college attendance and family income. Ben Mullin can be reached at
broke down over the winter intersession, and now NE WS EDITOR many of the people who spent Six students shouted that their nights outside for stuthey were drowning in debt dent advocacy have stopped Wednesday, but they were coming to Occupy meetings, held above water by inner Davidovitz said. “People have conceded that tubes and water wings. The students, some this is the way things are,” he stripped down to their bath- said. The students who joined the ing suits, waded into Big creek protest laughed Chico Creek and held as they each tried aloft cardboard signs to outdo themselves reading “Drowning with progressively in debt,” “C$U Chico” more ridiculous puns. and “Stop cutting People “School is for fish,” classes.” As passhave Wanner yelled. “This ersby walked across conceded is a university.” the concrete bridge Although the stubetween Glenn and that this dents were laughing Plumas halls, the stuis the way about their protest, dents yelled slogans. things are Davidovitz said they “Our school is were sick of the highly liquid,” California State Unishouted Colton MITCHEL versity system taking Wanner, a junior DAVIDOVITZ sustainable manufac- junior music industry advantage of stuturing major, gently and technology major dents and that he and his group expected paddling his inflatstudents to underable raft against the stand their message. current of Big Chico Creek. “I think they take us seriNext to him, on the south bank of the creek with a ously,” he said. “I’m worried bright blue plastic water wing the administration isn’t takwas Mitchel Davidovitz, a ing us seriously.” Junior political science junior music industry and technology major. Every few major Steven Perle, who seconds, he gave a huge blast watched the protest from a from a whistle and yelled a nearby bank, said the proslogan at someone walking test’s main purpose was to spread awareness of the conon the bridge above. Like Davidovitz, some of stant cuts made to the CSU. As the group began packthe students who joined the protest are former leading ing to leave, Davidovitz said members of Occupy Chico that another purpose of the State, he said. The universi- protest was to get students ty’s Occupy movement, which excited about advocating for protested rising student themselves. “Students just need to tuition and bloated administrator salaries at the end be more involved,” he said, of fall 2011, has lost speed squeezing the air out of a because of diminished stu- green and white inner tube. dent interest. Communication between Ben Mullin can be reached at Occupy Chico State members newseditor@theorion.com Ben Mullin
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THE ORION • ANNIE PAIGE
TROUBLED WATERS Students wearing bathing suits in inner tubes shouted slogans at passersby Friday to protest rising tuition fees and the high salaries of administrators like Chancellor Charles Reed.
newseditor@theorion.com
Former professor kills himself after arrest for sexual abuse Ben Mullin NE WS EDITOR
A Chico State professor emeritus died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Friday after being arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor two days before. Robert Britton, 73, shot himself in the head with a .38 caliber handgun in an orchard near Meridian Road after being released from jail on bond, said Lt. Allen Smith of the Butte County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. Police found his body some distance away from his car with the gun and a suicide note at 3 p.m. Friday.
Britton had been arrested at public affairs and publications. Wills about 10 a.m. Wednesday, foldeclined to comment on the allegalowing an interview with police, tions against Britton. Chico Police Sgt. Scott Franssen Mike Ward, the dean of the College said. Britton was released on of Engineering, Computer Science bonds Wednesday night. and Construction Management didn’t Franssen declined to comknow Britton well during his time at ment on other facts surrounding Chico State, he said. Ward only saw the arrest out of concern for the ROBERT BRITTON Britton occasionally but was upset at suspected victim’s privacy. the news of his arrest. The professor Britton, a former computer sci- emeritus was “It’s a sad, sad state of affairs,” found dead Friday ence professor, taught at Chico he said. State until 2008 as a part-time professor in the school’s faculty early retire- Ben Mullin can be reached at ment program, said Joe Wills, director of newseditor@theorion.com
INDEX >> World News
BREAKING NEWS >>
Student arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor Paul Michael Braun, a 48-year-old Chico State student, was arrested Tuesday at 2 p.m. on suspicion of committing lewd acts with a child under the age of 14 earlier this year. University Police arrested Braun and he has PAUL BRAUN Chico State stubeen booked into Butte dent arrested on County Jail. suspicion of child molestation
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Everyone’s favorite orphan hits the stage tonight in “Annie Jr.” in Laxson Auditorium. Preview B2
Features See how the suspension of the Chico State music education program affects schools in town. Story B6
Opinion Don’t care about what other people think. Just be yourself. Column B9
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