CSU, Chico News

The Golden Key International Honour Society at California State University, Chico was recently presented with the Key Chapter Award at the 2003 Golden Key International Convention.

The Key Chapter Award is the second-highest honor delegated by Golden Key headquarters. The CSU, Chico chapter was one of 24 groups to receive the award, out of 335 eligible chapters.

The Key Chapter Award recognized the CSU, Chico chapter for upholding all 13 chapter standards, performing honorary member outreach, conducting officer elections and transitions and submitting a chapter yearbook.

Chapter delegates representing CSU, Chico at the convention included Tiffany Lee, chapter president; Joshuah Whittinghall, chapter advisor; Natalie Fink, service and social director; Danielle Melanson, honorary member liaison; and Julie Scaife, former service director and Spring 2003 graduate.

“The Chico chapter particularly excelled in service contributions to the community,” said Lee.

The Golden Key International Convention was held July 31-Aug. 3 at the Hyatt Regency McCormack in Chicago. More than 1,000 delegates from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia and South Africa attended. Corporate, non-profit and graduate school partners conducted professional exhibits and career workshops.

###

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, California State University, Chico’s Department of Political Science and the students of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, will sponsor a forum on the California Recall Process.

The forum–The California Recall Process: The Process, The Target, The Replacement–will take place at 7 p.m. in Ayres Hall 106.

Participants on the panel will be Bruce Lang, former news director of KHSL TV; Charles Turner, assistant professor of political science; James Gregg, professor emeritus of political science; and Charles Price, professor emeritus of political science.

The panel will discuss issues that have led to the recall effort of Governor Gray Davis and offer insights into the outcome and consequences of the gubernatorial recall election of Oct. 7.

Admission is free and open to anyone interested in an informed and lively discussion about the recall process in California politics.

Lang is a long-time local journalist, political observer, television news director and reporter who produced public affairs and news programs for KHSL TV.

Turner teaches state government in the Department of Political Science. He has been a member of the faculty since 2000 and is widely published on subjects related to American Indian policy in Congress. He is the faculty adviser to the award-winning campus chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, and he is a co-author of an introductory text in American government.

Gregg was staff secretary for education to Governor Edmund G. Brown in the mid 1960s and special consultant to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Wilson Riles from 1977 to 1978. He served as dean of the CSU, Chico Graduate School and has been a professor of political science since 1966.

Price has been a member of the Department of Political Science since 1965. He is an expert on direct democracy in California as well as California state politics. He is the author of a widely used text on California government and politics, “California Government Today,” and he has been a prolific author of articles and books on the initiative, recall and referendum processes in California. He is a former director of the California Assembly Fellowship Program, and he served for nine years on the Board of Editors of “California Journal.”

For further information, contact Byron Jackson, chair, Department of Political Science, at 530-898-5301.

###

California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) recently awarded $6,250 in scholarships to five CSU, Chico College of Agriculture students. Animal science majors Megan Brown of Chico, Ashley Cockrell of Cedarville, Megan Tipton of Marysville, and Regina Zapponi of Clearlake each collected $1,000 or more in scholarship monies. Jennifer Baker, also an animal science major, received a $500 award, and freshman Dallice Wood won a $500 Cornerpost Publications/California Cattleman Magazine scholarship, which is awarded to agriculture communications majors.

“This is an excellent scholarship program that gives our students an opportunity to interact with industry leaders throughout California,” said Professor Dave Daley, a CCA member and program coordinator for the College of Agriculture. “The students from CSU, Chico continue to excel in this statewide competition, a testament to the caliber of our undergraduates.”

CCA awarded 11 scholarships this year to agriculture students attending junior colleges and universities in California. CCA scholarships are awarded annually and are open to students who are either CCA Young Cattlemen members or whose parents are members of the organization. Recipients are chosen based on scholastic achievement, community involvement, knowledge of and career plans in the beef industry. The panel of donors responsible for interviewing the recipients and awarding the scholarships include members of the CCA Feeder council, CCA Allied Industries Council, Allflex USA, and Cornerpost Publications/California Cattleman magazine.

###

California State University, Chico’s Department of Anthropology is opening a new lab to train students how to preserve objects for museum collections.

The ribbon cutting for the new Conservation Laboratory in Butte 305 is tomorrow, Sept. 5, at 3:30 p.m.

The lab was created to teach students about the conservation of objects for museum collections, as well as the importance of cultural resources and heritage projects.

A new course, Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Resources, is being taught for the first time this fall. While it is part of the anthropology and museum studies curriculum, it is also available to students from other departments.

The anthropology department has a certificate program in museum studies and an emphasis in museum studies as an option for master’s students.

The lab was funded by a $4,000 grant from CSU, Chico’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) and a like-sized grant from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Additional gifts to establish the lab were received from Amgen Pharmaceutical and Boeing Corporation.

Georgia Fox, assistant professor of anthropology and co-director of CSU, Chico’s Museum of Anthropology, said the lab will not only teach students how to care for valuable objects as part of their academic program, but help preserve collections in the area for study and posterity.

Fox said the conservation lab will be the only one of its kind among U.S. universities on the West Coast. Before coming to CSU, Chico, Fox helped set up a conservation lab at the University of Haifa in Israel.

###

Elbert D. Glover, an internationally recognized authority on smoking cessation and tobacco addiction, will be California State University, Chico’s first President’s Visiting Scholar for the 2003-04 academic year.

Glover is director of the Addiction and Psychiatric Medicine Research Center and professor in the Departments of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry and Family Medicine at the School of Medicine, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University.

Glover will give a talk Wednesday, Sept. 10, in the BMU Auditorium at 7 p.m. titled “Tobacco Research Interventions: From Primary Prevention to Treatment.” On Thursday, Sept. 11, he will give a talk in the BMU Auditorium at 3 p.m. titled “The Nicotine Addicted Person.” Both lectures are free and open to the public.

Glover’s research has been published in numerous publications, including New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Public Health and Modern Medicine. He has been featured in many print publications and media programs, including USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Time, Newsweek, 20/20, the Charlie Rose Show, Good Morning America and CBS Morning News.

Glover was one of 28 scientists selected to write the 1994 Surgeon General’s “Report on Tobacco and Youth.” He has been selected as the American Association Health Education Scholar for 2003, which is given annually to the top scholar in the health education field.

Along with serving on the editorial boards of 20 health journals, including the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Health Education, Glover is editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Health Behavior and founder of the American Academy of Health Behavior.

Glover’s particular research interest concerns cessation aids for individuals interested in quitting smoking. He is the only researcher in the world to have conducted clinical trials with six different nicotine pharmacologic adjuncts, including nicotine gum, transdermal patches and nasal sprays.

The President’s Visiting Scholar program is sponsored by the CSU, Chico Office of the President. Glover’s lectures also were made possible by support from the Department of Health and Community Services and AS Recycling.

###

The California Recall, SARS, the Patriot Act, media ethics and the United States’ role in the world are topics to be addressed by the Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE) at California State University, Chico during the fall 2003 semester.

CAPE was established by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts in 1987 to assist in furthering the teaching, research and community service missions of the university.

All forums this fall are held on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. They are free and open to the public.

On Sept. 11, in Performing Arts Center 134, “America as Global Partner?” will focus on changes in the country’s role in the world, and global responses to those changes, during the two-year period since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Speakers will be Bill Stewart, Department of Political Science, Jim Jacob, Department of Political Science, Michael Perelman, Department of Economics, and Tom LeBlanc, Graduate, International, and Sponsored Programs.

On Sept. 25, in PAC 134, “Responding to SARS: Public Health, Civil Liberties, and the Ethics of Quarantining” will address the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and the difficult decisions that were made to combat SARS, balancing individual freedoms against the common good. Speakers will be Peter Cruise, Department of Health and Community Service, Roland Lamarine, Department of Health and Community Service, and Charlie Geshekter, Department of History.

On Oct. 9, in PAC 134, “The Media and the Ethics of Reporting” will address media influence, ownership and responsibilities in a democracy. Speakers will be Glen Bleske and Kurt Nordstrom, Department of Journalism, Troy Jollimore, Department of Philosophy, and David Little, Editor, Chico Enterprise-Record.

On Oct. 30, in PAC 144 (Harlen Adams Theatre), Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub will give a special CAPE talk titled “The California Recall: A Retrospective.” Weintraub has covered state politics for 16 years, including eight as a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and five as the Capitol Bureau Chief for the Orange County Register before joining the Sacramento Bee in 2000.

The final CAPE event of the fall will Dec. 11, in PAC 134. “Patriot Act II?” will explore the impact of the Patriot Act, and implications of subsequent legislation, informally being called Patriot Act II, being considered by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Speakers will be Paul Persons, Department of Political Science, Gregory Knell, litigation specialist, Washington, D.C., and Ali Sarsour, Chico-area activist and member of the Butte County Human Relations Network.

For more information, contact religious studies professor Andrew Flescher, director of CAPE, at 530-898-5534.

###

A double CD-ROM with more than 1,100 photos of the Chico area for use as computer screensavers and slideshows has been created by California State University, Chico faculty member and health educator Mark Tomita as a fund-raiser for his college and department.

Life in Chico, Parts 1 and 2, is available at the Associated Students Bookstore and other retail businesses in Chico this week for $19.95. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Department of Health and Community Services and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences as well as the CSU, Chico Office of Advising and Orientation.

Tomita took the photos with a digital camera in the spring and summer of 2003 and organized them for use in CD-ROM form. He is a specialist in the use of computer technology in health education and public health.

The CD-ROMs are formatted for PCs only. Tomita said he is working on a version for Macintosh computers.

Subjects in the CD-ROM include Bidwell Mansion, Bidwell Park, CSU, Chico, Chico downtown Friday Night Concerts, National Yo-Yo Museum, Saturday Morning and Thursday night markets, Silver Dollar Fair, Gold Nugget Museum in Paradise and the Centerville School House, Museum and Cemetery.

Instructions for how to download the images and place them as computer screensavers and slideshows are included on the CD-ROMs.

Tomita, who moved to Chico in summer 2002, got the idea for the CD-ROMs after doing a slideshow of Chico photos for a friend. “People enjoyed the images, and I had the idea of expanding it as a fund-raising project for the school.” He said he hopes businesses can use the CD-ROM for recruiting personnel, and civic groups for attracting new businesses to the area and promoting the Chico area as a great place to visit, raise children, or to retire. It could also be a gift for homesick Chicoans living abroad or relatives and friends who have never visited Chico, but who have heard a lot about the area, he said.

“I learned while taking these photos why people like Chico,” said Tomita, a native of Kaneohe, Hawaii. “The area has a lot to offer.”

Among the photos that stand out for him are shots of the Fourth of July pie-eating contest–“A must see,” he calls it–and the public art at various area schools.

Tomita said civic promotion is more than boosterism and can have a positive effect on the quality of people’s lives. “Building good feelings about your community is good for public health,” he said. “Public health is more than physical health–people should feel good about where they live. Health educators need to be promoting mental, emotional and social health.”

For more information, contact Tomita at 898-4417 or e-mail him at: mtomita@csuchico.edu.

###

Thanks to generous donations from ag-related businesses, the CSU, Chico Superior Ag Wittmeier Ford Golf Classic will net close to $40,000 when all expenses are in. These funds will be used for scholarships and other worthy programs within the college.

Wittmeier Ford and Ford Motor Company’s Business Preferred Network came through with a $7,500 sponsorship, making this their second year in a row as the tournament’s major sponsor. Other key sponsors included Tri-Counties Bank, Matson and Isom, Bell Carter Olive Company, C.F. Koehnen & Sons, Durham Pump, Northern California and Sacramento Valley Farm Credit and Interwest Insurance.

“Wittmeier Ford and Ford Motor Company’s Business Preferred Network both feel it is a great thing to support agricultural development, and starting at the college level helps those entering this important field,” says Gary Mitchell, Wittmeier’s commercial accounts manager.

On July 21, 189 players entered the scramble, held at Butte Creek Country Club. Participants in the tournament included production agriculturists, irrigation specialists, bankers, food processors, co-op managers and commodity organization managers. The winning team, with a combined score of 51, consisted of Don Gordon, Tom Ramme, Jack Snyder, Bill Thomas and John Welty.

After the tournament, participants were treated to a tri-tip dinner in the clubhouse, an evening program with 2003 Superior Ag Scholarship winner K.T. Lee as guest speaker and a drawing with 16 great prizes. The grand prize winner was Ron Coleman, who won a round-trip plane ride and a round of golf for four in Las Vegas.

“The College of Agriculture works hard to provide excellence in our programs,” said Charlie Crabb, dean of the College of Agriculture. “It is rewarding to see sponsors and players demonstrating their commitment to helping us ensure we are able to provide California and the agricultural industry with high-quality graduates.”

###

California State University, Chico has named new directors for the Offices of Financial Aid and University Housing and Food Service.

Meredith Kelley, assistant director of operations for the Financial Aid Office at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, has been named the new financial aid director at CSU, Chico. She starts in her new position Aug. 4. Kelley replaces Annette Edwards, who has resigned to pursue other professional opportunities.

David Stephen, director of residence life and housing at the University of Akron, has been named the new director of university housing and food service at CSU, Chico. He will replace John Lauer, associate director of university housing and food service, who will continue in the position of interim director until Stephen begins his new post Dec. 1.

“We are delighted to have Meredith and David join us in Student Affairs,” said Paul Moore, vice president for university advancement and student affairs. “We conducted national searches for both of these key positions, and had a number of highly qualified candidates apply. We are fortunate to have these two outstanding professionals coming to Chico-they are part of a new generation of administrators that will be leading Chico State in the years ahead.”

Kelley has worked in Cal Poly’s Financial Aid office since 1986, holding administrative positions of increasing responsibility. As assistant director of operations, she supervises a staff of eight, oversees the reporting of the federal Pell Grant aid program and chairs the Policies and Procedures Committee, among other duties.

Kelley received her master’s degree from Cal Poly in 1994 and did her undergraduate work at New York Regents College in Albany. She is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

“I’m really looking forward to working with everyone at Chico State,” said Kelley. “The university has a strong reputation as a congenial and collaborative campus.”

Stephen has been at the University of Akron since 1995. Prior to that, he was director of housing and university food services at the University of Washington. From 1990 to 1993, he was associate director of residential life at Arizona State, and from 1987 to 1989 he was associate director of student housing and residence programs at Oregon State.

Stephen earned a doctorate degree in education in 1982 from Oregon State, where he also earned a master’s in education. He has an M.A. from University of Redlands and a B.A. from Northern Arizona University. He is currently president of the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International.

“The CSU, Chico position represents many exceptional opportunities,” said Stephen. “The university has expressed a strong interest in expanding the housing program. I find this sort of challenge to be exciting and professionally rewarding. I found the university housing staff to be highly dedicated and commitment professionals, and I look forward to being part of this team.”

The CSU, Chico Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering $60 million in federal, state, private and institutional financial aid to students. The office includes 26 full-time staff and 15 student staff members.

CSU, Chico’s University Housing and Food Service is responsible for providing housing and food service to 1,761 student residents in six residence halls. The staff includes 43 staff positions, 54 paraprofessionals and 150 student assistants.

###

The Orion, California State University, Chico’s student newspaper, has placed second nationally in a prestigious newspaper competition.

The National Newspaper Association this week announced second-place honors for The Orion in the general excellence category of its collegiate division. First place was captured by The Daily Texan at the University of Texas at Austin, while third place went to The Lantern at Ohio State University.

The Orion was previously awarded first place for general excellence in the NNA’s 2000 and 2002 Better Newspapers Contests.

This year’s awards will be presented during the NNA’s 117th annual convention Sept. 24-27 in Kansas City, Mo. In addition, award winners will be recognized in a special October issue of the NNA publication Publishers’ Auxiliary.

“This marks the third time in four years that we’ve been No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation,” said Orion adviser Dave Waddell. “That’s according to the National Newspaper Association, the biggest newspaper organization in the country. Our students’ work was judged by professional standards and again came out on the top of the heap nationally.”

Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association calls itself the national voice of community newspapers. NNA represents owners, publishers and editors of America’s community newspapers and, with 3,200 newspaper members, is the largest newspaper association in the United States.

The Orion has been a consistent winner of state, regional and national awards. In addition to the NNA, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Collegiate Press both have named The Orion the nation’s best college weekly in recent years. The CSU, Chico paper also has been the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s top university paper in California in seven of the past nine years.

The Orion’s 2003 entry in the NNA contest consisted of three issues from 2002-those published on Feb. 6, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4.

During the spring semester 2002, Niesha Gates was managing editor, Colm Conn was art director and Joe Van Noy was business manager. During the fall semester 2002, Jen Cooper was managing editor, Brent Hainsworth was art director and Tyler Lewis was business manager.

The Orion, first published in 1975, is a laboratory newspaper of CSU, Chico’s Department of Journalism.

###