CSU, Chico News

California State University, Chico’s much-honored student newspaper, The Orion, has won an award for stories detailing difficulties in getting public agencies to comply with the state Public Records Act.

The Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter, announced the 14 winners of its 17th annual James Madison Freedom of Information Awards Wednesday, Feb. 20. The Orion was the sole university recipient.

The award is given to organizations or individuals who promote and define free speech and public access. Winners will be honored at an awards dinner Saturday, March 16, in San Francisco.

Other winners of the Freedom of Information Awards included the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune and State Controller Kathleen Connell.

The Orion stories began as a class project in the university’s Advanced Reporting class in the Department of Journalism. Students went to seven public agencies, including the City of Chico, Chico Unified School District and CSU, Chico, and requested 18 records that are public documents under the California Public Records Act. Six of the requests were denied, and in other cases the students reported that they were met with confusion and suspicion.

The Orion published eight stories on the public records survey results in May 2001.

In June 2001, The Orion received the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence for Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper in the country. Over the past eight years, the paper has won eight national and five statewide “best newspaper” awards.

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A series of free tours to see the trees of the California State University, Chico campus arboretum will be available on five Wednesdays, starting March 6. The easy walks will begin at 11 a.m. in front of Kendall Hall, the administration building.

Additional tours will be offered every two weeks thereafter on March 20, April 3 and 17, and May 1. Each tour will cover a different part of campus, with minimal repetition. The walks are open to the public and are led by members of the staff and faculty.

A new map and guide to over 200 species of woody plants on campus, “Campus Trees,” is available for $2 at the Associated Students Book Store, Bidwell Mansion and the Department of Biological Sciences office, Holt Hall 279. The guide includes a brief history of the arboretum and gives the location of an outstanding example of each kind of tree.

The first tour will feature plants used in traditional and modern medicine such as cascara sagrada (California coffeeberry), ginkgo, Oregon grape, sweetgum and soap root, as well as any plants in bloom. Future tours will cover planting, pruning and watering woody plants and choosing the right varieties for Chico yards.

The arboretum was dedicated in 1982 and includes all the woody plants on campus, encompassing about 225 species of shrubs and vines as well as trees. John Bidwell planted some of the cultivated trees about 1870 around the mansion and along both sides of Chico Creek, including American Chestnut, several Oaks, and California Incense Cedar. Others date from the founding of the Normal School in 1887and still exist in front of Kendall Hall, including the huge London Plane near the entrance. Recent plantings include bunya-bunya from Australia, dawn redwood from China and purple beech from Europe.

A nature trail with 16 marked sites identifying some of the arboretum plants runs through campus along Big Chico Creek. This area is being restored to emphasize native California riparian plants such as buttonwillow, white alder and redbud. A new brochure, “Campus Creekside Nature Walk,” illustrates and describes the importance of these and is also available at the sites listed above.

Joe Covert, manager of buildings and grounds, and Wes Dempsey, biology professor emeritus, will lead these tours. They can be reached at 530-898-6222 or 530-342-2293.

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Construction Management (CM) teams from California State University, Chico competed Feb. 5–8 in the 14th Annual Associated Schools of Construction Management Competition and placed higher than teams from 23 other universities. The competition, known for its grueling schedule, was held for more than 500 students at the Reno Hilton.

The CSU, Chico teams received several top awards: a First Place Award in Residential Building Projects; a Second Place Award in Commercial Building Projects; and a Second Place Award in Heavy Civil Projects. Only the University of Washington received as many awards in the competition, with one first- and two third-place finishes.

CSU, Chico has participated in the competition for 13 years. Teams of six students have to replicate in a short amount of time—less than 24 hours—the process by which a real construction firm organizes, schedules and bids an actual project. To do this, they must convert hotel rooms to work spaces that include desks, computer hookups and printers.

“The students experience the value of working in teams to solve involved and complex construction projects,” said Rovane Younger, chair of the construction management department. “The students have the opportunity to make valuable comparisons of Chico’s CM program compared to some very high profile universities. It increases their confidence about their preparation for the field.”

The Residential Building Projects team received a first place award. Chico’s team of Kevin Hunewill, Cheryl Gregor, Ryan Hill, Eugene Laico, Bryant Rumbaugh and Mike Wozniak, coached by professors Lori Dixon and Mark Maybee made the best cost estimate, schedule and construction plan for the construction of a 66-unit three-story apartment building on a four-story subterranean parking garage. The project plans were provided and judged by Morley Builders of Santa Monica, Calif. Washington State University placed second and Central Washington University placed third.

The Commercial Building Projects team received a second place. Bobby Coucoules, Steve Boitano, Ryan Lippman, Larissa Rouen, Stephanie Verdon and Kyle Walker, coached by professors Bruce Yoakum and Maxine Harrington, estimated the cost and made a construction schedule and plan for a 117,000-square-foot, three-story office building with a concrete exterior wall structure of 38 tilt-up concrete wall panels that were 30 feet wide and 28 feet high. The plans for the building, in Rancho Cordova, were provided and judged by Hensel Phelps’ San Jose office. Oregon State University placed first and the University of Washington placed third.

The Heavy Civil Projects team also received a second place. Michael Herlax, Jeff Farr, Chad Fischer, Clark Gardner, Mike Makin and Justin Storm coached by Professor Rich Holman and assisted by Professor Bart Bartholomew made a cost estimate, schedule and construction plan to remove and replace a 2,000-foot by 150-foot section of the Reno-Tahoe airport runway. The project was provided and judged by Granite Construction of Watsonville, Calif. Oregon State placed first and the University of Washington placed third.

“The comraderie of each team and their obvious ability to work together as a unit really showed. These were four very focused groups of students, and it was a joy to watch them grow through this experience,” said Professor Bruce Yoakum, coach of the Commercial Building Project team.

“The passion the CM faculty have for their profession is displayed by the time and energy they devote to the students on these teams. The faculty coaches begin organization meetings at the end of the spring semester, organize curriculums, and in the fall semester, meet weekly with the team to hone their skills in estimating, scheduling, and presentations,” said Younger.
After the team competitions there was a construction management career fair, which the students attended, with more than 30 companies attending.

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California State University, Chico’s School of Nursing announced the spring 2002 recipient of the Sierra Health Foundation. The Sacramento-based Sierra Health Foundation is providing $100,000 to fund a scholarship program for nursing students in northern California. One goal of the scholarship program is to help address the shortage of nurses in northern California.

The spring 2002 recipient is Sun Mayfield of Red Bluff. Mayfield is a native of South Korea, who dreamed of being a nurse as a young girl. This goal seemed unlikely to be fulfilled, as education beyond elementary school is expensive, and she was the youngest of six children. She felt fortunate to receive a high school education, but could not afford college. Mayfield came to this country with her husband following his military tour in South Korea. Because of family and financial demands, she went into the field of cosmetology, but never lost her dream of nursing. She began working on her nursing prerequisites in 1998, and achieved an outstanding academic record.

A Sierra Health Foundation Nursing Scholarship recipient receives $2,500 per semester for five semesters for a total of $12,500. Eight nursing students over six years will receive scholarships. Ongoing recipients include Lisa Alvarez of Redding, Jennifer Scinto of Chico, and Kimberly Brown of Forest Ranch.

Scholarship recipients are chosen based on merit. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be admitted to the CSU, Chico nursing program, have a minimum 3.5 GPA in nursing prerequisites and be from one of 26 northern California counties in the Sierra Health Foundations’ funding region.

CSU, Chico’s School of Nursing offers a baccalaureate in nursing and a master’s of science in nursing program. The baccalaureate program accepts 30 students each semester out of an applicant pool of approximately 100.

The CSU, Chico nursing program was the first baccalaureate program in the state university system to achieve National League for Nursing accreditation. It is also accredited by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

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Northern California Local Government Leadership Institute, a partnership of local government leaders, Humboldt State University and California State University, Chico, presents Leadership Ethics, a one-day conference, March 15, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., at the Chico Family Masonic Center in Chico.

Key decision-makers at all levels of local government—counties, cities, special districts and tribal governing organizations—are invited to attend this one-day conference. The goal is to improve the ethical quality of decisions and enhance personal leadership skills through discussion and interaction with regional professionals.

Leadership Ethics will focus on three key content areas based upon the works of the Josephson Institute of Ethics:

* The Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship
* Public Service and Ethics
* The Josephson Institute Model for Ethical Decision Making

The featured speaker is Will Randolph, recently retired from a distinguished career in local, state and federal government and currently the executive director of the County Administrative Officers Association of California.

Registration is $95 before March 12 and $105 after March 12. Registration fees include Josephson Institute of Ethics materials and lunch. Four or more participants from the same organization are eligible for a group rate.

To enroll or for more information please visit the CSU, Chico Continuing Education webiste or call 530-898-6105.

The Northern California Local Government Leadership Institute’s mission is to serve northern California local government leaders with continuing executive leadership education and resources. Leadership Institute events provide an opportunity for county, city, tribal government and special district governing board members, executives and managers to develop proactive leadership skills and address critical issues facing the region.

The March 15 conference is the second event sponsored by the institute, which was formed last fall. The first event was Leadership Insights, held in December 2001, featuring more than 30 local government representatives from a 20-county Northern California region.

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The Health and Community Services Department at California State University, Chico, in cooperation with the Honey Run Covered Bridge Association, will host the Ninth Annual Honey Run Run on Saturday, March 9.

The Honey Run Run is a three-mile community walk/run which starts on Honey Run Road near the Covered Bridge. The course consists of a single loop over Butte Creek, continues up Honey Run Road toward Paradise, and ends back at the Covered Bridge Park. Baby strollers and wheelchairs will be available for participants who need them.

The event also includes an interactive health fair, Ugly Feet Contest and wildflower planting. The Centerville Museum will be open to visitors from 1-4 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three female and male contestants in each age division of the race. All children under the age of 13 will receive a participation ribbon. Prizes will also be given to the first place finishers in all categories of the Ugly Feet Contest.

Pre-registration will be accepted until Friday, March 1, and race packets can be picked up on Friday, March 8 at Butte Hall on the CSU, Chico campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or at 8 a.m. at the Covered Bridge on March 9.

Additional sponsors include Fit One, Team Chapman, Honey Run Honey Company, Alhambra Water and the A.S. Bookstore.

For a registration form and more information, or to sponsor a child runner, please contact Mary Portis at 530-898-4994.

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William J. Murray, professor of microbiology at San Jose State University and a visiting scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine, will give a talk on the ethical dilemmas we face in this age of bioterrorism. The talk will take place Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in Laxson Auditorium, on the California State University, Chico campus.

A recognized expert in infectious diseases, Murray appeared on television a dozen times during the height of the “anthrax hysteria,” as he termed it.

“The risk of infection is nearly zero,” Murray asserted about the recent anthrax scare. In his talk, he will explain how we can better prepare ourselves psychologically and physically, what the public can do, and how we should get involved in these issues, including educating ourselves.

“This whole issue of bioterrorism epitomizes the double-edge of technology—its potential for great good or great harm. As microbiologists, we are trained to understand how pathogens cause a particular disease and then figure out how to treat the disease, vaccinate against it, even eliminate it,” said Murray. “Bioterrorism is the opposite of that: purposely making people sick using microbes.”

“The shock of the anthrax terrorism, coupled with the Sept. 11 attacks, has given us a whole new context in which to consider what ethical weight ought to be given to the common good and to individual and civil liberties, respectively,” said Andrew Flescher, coordinator of the Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE). “Murray will help us understand how the technological advances and fanatical zeal of some groups could put us in a precarious and vulnerable position, as well as sort out the ethical issues raised by these new forces.”

Murray’s talk, “Responding Ethically to Bio-Terrorism,” is free and open to the public and is sponsored by CAPE and the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. For more information, call Flescher at 530-898-5534.

The Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE) promotes ethical reflection about issues of concern within and outside the university.

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The Associated Students will be celebrating the First International Women’s Day at California State University, Chico on Friday, March 8 with an educational fair. This day is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made to advance women’s equality, to review the challenges facing women today and to celebrate women’s achievements.

CSU, Chico clubs and organizations, such as the Chico State History Club and the Nutrition Club, will be showcasing women’s achievements in their area or field of study in the Free Speech Area. An educational fair and an art exhibit, along with performances, workshops and booths, will be a part of the events taking place Friday, March 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. Speakers will be on hand at the booths discussing women’s issues and achievements. In case of rain, the event will be moved into the BMU Galleria, located on the first floor of the BMU.

Also taking place in the BMU Galleria will be an art exhibit by Dr. Christa Seybold-Haynes, displaying “Colors of Cultural Crossing: Celebrating Diversity Through Fashion Design and Art Cards.” Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Maria S. Haynes (1912-1998), this public gallery exhibition is intended to promote peace and intercultural understanding by showing the beauty and inherent unity of all the world’s people. The exhibit will open a few days prior to International Women’s Day.

In correlation with International Women’s Day will be a performance by Mystic on Thursday, March 7, 2002, in the BMU Auditorium. Tickets for the concert are $7 for students and $10 general, and can be purchased at the University Box Office.

Sponsored by the Associated Students and funded by the A.S. Activity Fee, International Women’s Day is a celebration that expresses the richness, beauty and value that women bring to the community. International Women’s Day at CSU, Chico will highlight both women’s successes in their struggle for equality and social justice and an opportunity to honor their achievements. For further information, please contact Amber Johnsen or Lisa Perry at 530-898-5701.

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Is each man responsible for a society that disadvantages women? Or are the inequities the result of an unfair patriarchal system? Sociologist and author Allan Johnson will lead discussions with faculty, staff and students about gender and racial inequities Wednesday, Feb. 20, on the California State University, Chico campus.

The first discussion program, on the topic of patriarchy, will be 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The second program, about white privilege, will be 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both will be held in room 210 of the Bell Memorial Union.

Johnson, professor of sociology and women’s studies at the University of Hartford in Conn., is the author of “The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy” and “Privilege, Power, and Difference.”

Johnson has spoken on gender issues with a number of corporate and higher education entities, including the American Association of University Women, BankBoston, California Institute of Technology, General Electric, Harvard University and United Technologies Corporation.

For each program on Feb. 20, Johnson will begin with a lecture on the system of patriarchy and white privilege and how people can change it. Then he will facilitate a discussion among the participants.

“A lot of people hear ‘men’ whenever someone says ‘patriarchy,’ so that criticism of gender oppression is taken to mean that all men—each and every one of them—are oppressive people,” Johnson writes in “The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy.” “If we are ever going to work toward real change, it’s a confusion we have to clear up.”

The event is sponsored by Building Bridges, CSU, Chico’s program designed to increase acceptance and respect on campus and within the Chico community, the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies, the Women’s Center and the Department of Sociology.

Anyone interested in attending the free sessions should contact the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies at 898-5249.

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The Committee of Arts and Lectures (CAL), College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Department of English and the Multicultural and Gender Studies Program, under the auspices of the Writer’s Voice Reading Series, present poet and fiction writer Rigoberto González. González will be giving a reading of his poetry and fiction on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the University Center Lounge at California State University, Chico. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer period. He will be offering a Creative Writing Master Class for interested students on Friday, March 1 at 3:00 p.m. in Taylor Hall 206.

While at CSU, Chico, González will be visiting undergraduate poetry writing classes and a graduate-level creative writing workshop. Students are also invited to have dinner or coffee with González before his reading. Professor Jeanne E. Clark will be hosting a reception for González at her home, to which students and faculty are invited.

González’s workshop, “Writing the (Other) Body: Creative Writing Master Class,” will cover representations of the body, our own and the bodies of others, in poetry and fiction, focusing on narrative strategies, characterization and narrative subject position. This workshop will elaborate representational possibilities in writing about gender, race, ethnicity and sexuality. Sponsored by CAL, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Department of English and the Multicultural and Gender Studies Program, this workshop is open and free to interested students.

González’s first collection of poetry, “So Often the Pitcher Goes to Water Until it Breaks,” was selected as one of the five volumes published in the 1998 National Poetry Series. Recently, González received the John Guyon Prize for Literary Nonfiction from the Crab Orchard Review and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in Creative Writing. Publications include two chapbooks, “The Night Don Pedro Buried His Best Friend, The Rooster” and “Skins Preserve Us.” González will be adding a memoir, a novel and a children’s book in 2003 to his collection of works.

González currently lives in Seattle, where he is a residential counselor for developmentally disabled adults. For further information, please contact Jeanne E. Clark at 530-898-6457.

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