Wanderlei Silva keeps spirits high during Wrectacular >> SPORTS, B1
RAYRAY gallery shows art by Fifth Sun graphic designers >> ENTERTAINMENT, C1 Look insidee for our survival guide
Flashdance surprises new students during Wildcat Welcome >> FEATURES, D1
Wildcat
W Wednesday August 25, 2010 A Volume 65 V IIssue 1
Guide
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1 free copy per person additional copies 50¢ a
a l w ay s o n l i n e >> t h e o r io n .c o m
No furloughs planned for fall 2010
National News
Rudro Roy STAFF WRITER
Recall affects 550 million eggs in salmonella outbreak >> More than a half-billion eggs were recalled in the nationwide investigation of a salmonella outbreak that, as of Friday, expanded to include a second Iowa farm. The outbreak has already sickened more than 1,000 people and the toll of illnesses is expected to increase. Iowa’s Hillandale Farms announced Friday it was recalling 170 million eggs after laboratory tests confirmed salmonella. The company did not say if its actions were connected to the recall by Wright County Egg, another Iowa farm that recalled 380 million eggs earlier this week. The two recalls are related, said FDA spokeswoman Pat El-Hinnawy. The strain of salmonella bacteria causing the poisoning is the same in both cases – salmonella enteritidis.
The fall 2010 semester will see the end of the furlough program. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger established furloughs for some state
workers, but that does not include California State University employees, said Joe Wills, director of public affairs and publications. The program officially ended July 1. “Furloughs as a way of saving money has not been discussed this
year,” Wills said. “So as of now, there are no plans to do furloughs.” One way Chico State is managing budget depletion is through a reduction in the number of students, Wills said. Spending in areas such as hiring and professional travel are also being
watched closely, he said. There is still a projected $19 billion deficit in the state budget, according to a Chico State budget update. The governor’s recent budget proposes restoring $305 million to the please see BUDGET | A4
Convocation offers hope, future goals
WRECTACULAR >>
Mark Rojas ART DIRECTOR
Source: Associated Press
California News
THE ORION • ELI MAY
GETTING TO KNOW YOU Students wander the basketball court of the WREC while investigating booths hosted by local and national vendors. Wrectacular featured 70 companies that provided students with samples, coupons, free merchandise and more.
WREC showcases businesses Lindsay Woychick STAFF WRITER
Former teacher's aide faces charges of inappropriate sex acts with minors >> A woman who formerly served as a teacher’s aide at Shasta High School in Redding has been arrested on suspicion of engaging in sex acts with members of the Orland High School wrestling team. Laura Michelle Gallegos, 38, turned herself in Tuesday on an arrest warrant at the Glenn County Jail in Willows, following an extensive investigation that began mid-April. Gallegos was booked into the jail on charges including two counts of exhibiting lewd material to a minor, three counts of contacting a minor to commit lewd acts, two counts of arranging meetings with a minor to commit lewd acts, one count of oral copulation and two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor with more than a three-year age difference. Gallegos posted a bond on bail of $110,000 immediately following her arrest.
The Wildcat Recreation Center was transformed into a miniature downtown Chico Friday for “Wrectacular.” The WREC, which is entering its second year of operation, opened its doors to more than 6,600 people for the free event promoting healthy living in Chico, said Ben Daters, assistant director of marketing for the WREC. President Paul Zingg led 2,500 new students from Wildcat Welcome Week at the Student Services Center Plaza to the WREC to begin the event. Other attendees included parents of Chico State students, returning students, local residents and even one celebrity. Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Wanderlei Silva was stationed at Chico’s StandAlone Mixed Martial Arts Academy booth inside the WREC. His scheduled
appearance at the event wasn’t made public until Aug. 16. Silva was smiling and shaking hands as he signed autographs and took pictures with attendees. Planning for Wrectacular began in early summer, Daters said. Members of the WREC staff and Daters were responsible for organizing the event. The forefront of event promotion began with social media, he said. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Associated Students website were key ways news spreadabout Wrectacular. The WREC is becoming a place where college students can hang out and have fun, Daters said. “They can actually connect and interact on campus,” he said. “There really hasn’t been anything like that before at Chico State.” The event was modeled after UC Berkley’s “Caltopia.” please see WREC | A4
THE ORION • ELI MAY
INTRODUCTIONS President Paul Zingg shakes hands with a WREC employee during Wrectacular. Zingg participated in the Flashdance Mob in the Student Services Center Plaza, which kicked off the event.
Fire department budget cuts may cause lower response times Rudro Roy
Source: The Chico Enterprise-Record
INDEX
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Police Blotter
A4
Opinion
A7
Sports
B1
Entertainment
C1
Calendar
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Features
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President Paul Zingg delivered a message of hope for the coming school year and talked of efforts for protecting higher education in California. During the convocation, Zingg and other speakers discussed Chico State’s impact on the community and the university’s goals for the future. Zingg stressed the positive impact that student-led events such as the Chico State Action Rally and Catalyst Blitz Build had on the community. Chico State witnessed the largest event in the California State University system at the Action Rally Mar. 10, Zingg said. He was impressed by how many people rose to Chico State’s defense. Chico Mayor Ann Schwab was also present to emphasize a need for the city and Chico State to continue working together and to keep moving forward. “There is a special relationship between the city and university,” Schwab said. “We depend on each other.” “Keeping it Chico” was Schwab’s slogan throughout her speech, which highlighted actively removing barriers and promoting diversity. A.S. President Amro Jayousi also spoke about the importance of having a strong commitment to diversity and sustainability. It is up to student leaders and faculty alike to elevate the status and quality of education, Jayousi said. CSU Employee’s Union President Jessica Post discussed the impact of furloughs on the university. While there are no furloughs planned for this year, Zingg has not lost sight of please see SPEECH | A5
THE ORION • KEVIN LEE
HOT SEAT Fire Station 1 was forced to lay off three employees and to retire one engine in July. The station's response reliability dropped from June to July, said fire Chief James Beery.
Budget cuts at the Chico Fire Department are making it harder for firefighters to do their jobs. In order to reduce operational costs, the department had to let go of three people and lost one fire engine at Fire Station 1 in July. The fire stations are located strategically to try to cover the city as thoroughly as possible, fire Chief James Beery said. Removing even one component creates a “ripple effect.” “If a call comes in and somebody’s not there, another station has to respond,” he said. “So it has the potential to affect the entire city.” The response reliability dropped from 93 percent in June
to 85 percent in July, Beery said. Response reliability is the ability of the fire station that’s responsible for a certain part of the city to answer a call from its area. “It fluctuates just depending on what happens to be going on,” Beery said. “We watch it monthly, but we have to look at it over a period of time to determine the trend.” The national standard response time for an emergency call is about five and a half minutes, Beery said. Cuts mean that the department has had to work harder to keep response times at optimum levels, he said. One plan to keep response times low is to relocate certain fire stations, Beery said. The department please see CUTS | A5