Indie music ruled the night at the California State University, Sacramento Union Ballroom this past Monday. Both the opening and feature band gave the audience great performances and showed their eclectic sound. Opening the show was New Zealand group, Avalanche City, originally started as a solo project by Dave Baxter. The multi-instrumental band now includes musicians Ben Duncan, Strahan Cole, Romelei Rodriguez, Ben Tolich and Johnny Brock. From violin and accordion to banjo and ukulele, Avalanche City is anything but an ordinary band. Released in 2011, Avalanche City's debut album, “Our New Life Above The Ground,” had great success in both New Zealand and Australia. Avalanche City has

This is isn’t your parents’ networking event. Since 2006, Twitter has taken the world by storm. Ballroom 3 in University Union on the campus of California State University, Sacramento was the site of the first-recorded Northern California colligate tweetup on Wednesday night. Alejandro Reyes (@alejandroreyes), a local social media guru recently said, “Social media done right won’t take away from the live interaction, it should enhance it.” This was part of the idea behind organizing the Sacramento State Tweetup (@sacstatetweetup). “I believe that using social media for college students is a great way for them to get hired and make themselves known to the business community,” said Blake M

California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) put on its game face this Thursday as it went up against undefeated, 11 win, Northern Arizona. CSUS’ current ranking was 5-8. Thursday’s match also marked CSUS’ opener game into the Big Sky conference; Arizona arrived with an already 2-0 Big Sky lead. The match started promptly at 7pm with the national anthem and a half-filled stadium. Low attendance did nothing to impede the noise factor in the gym. Though they were few, loud fans filled the stadium with hoots and whistles as the volleyball match started. Sac State’s cheerleaders and dance team were in full force with green and gold pompons, while nearby parents applauded and stomped their f

Student fashion designers and stylists showcased their talent at the Styles of Paradise Charity Fashion Show on Friday night. Several hundred guests attended the event held at the University Union Ballroom at Sacramento State University. The Student Fashion Association (SFA) event benefitted the Autism Center for Excellence (A.C.E.) in honor of April’s National Autism Awareness Month. Some last minute rehearsals took place on and around the runway. Several models practiced their walk and looked for places to stand, pose, pivot and turn as DJ Elliot Estes played in the background. Maria Serquen, SFA Events Coordinator, helped on the runway, backstage and other places as needed. Final pract

New bike lanes could be added to 65th Street if the city receives enough cash from the state. The City Council is expected to approve the application for funding to install bicycle lanes on 65th Street between Fourth Avenue and Folsom Boulevard. The issue will be reviewed at Tuesday night’s council meeting. The city’s transportation department estimates the new bike lanes will cost $337,000 to install. California would pay most of the project’s costs if it selects the city’s application for the state’s Bicycle Transportation Account grant program. The city would pay 10 percent of the cost from revenues from Measure A, a local half-cent sales tax applied to street projects, according to E

Sacramento State Public Relations students and Will Travers, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of BORN FREE USA, will be training, stretching, lacing up their running shoes and donning their favorite animal costumes for the Kaiser Permanente MaraFUNrun & Fitness Walk on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 8 a.m. The students and Travers are running the maraFUNrun for BORN FREE USA; a Sacramento- and Washington D.C.-based international wildlife nonprofit conservation and protection organization. To help bring awareness to BORN FREE USA and its motto of “keeping wildlife in the wild,” the students and Travers will be running the 2.62 miles in BORN FREE USA gear and some will be participating dressed

A student Democratic group at California State University, Sacramento, is more than just a club of like-minded young people — it’s a major political player that attracts thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. The College Democrats group at Sacramento State both receives financial contributions from various interests and contributes to political candidates. A few months ago, the student club received a hefty sum: Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation contributed $10,000 to the group Dec. 22, according to campaign records. The student group is also a political player in advance of the upcoming June 8 primary: Just a few days after receiving the $10,000, the College Democrats contr

Students and faculty discussed the state of Sacramento's local governance today at the Sacramento State University Union. The event was a panel discussion led by three Sacramento State professors: Communications Professor Barbara O’Connor, Professor Tim Hodson from the Center for California Studies, and Public Policy Professor Ted Lascher. The discussion focused on the historical context and rationale for updating the city charter, which dates back 80 years. Professors O’Connor and Hodson opened the discussion by explaining Sacramento’s roots as a progressive city that emphasized a “collegial” form of government. But as the city grows, O’Connor explained, this system becomes harder. “In

Riding a unicycle, California State University, Sacramento, student Kaori Matsuzawa performed to music, circling the room with fluid dances and movements. A student audience applauded as she rode forward and backward, spun rapidly, and stood on the fork above the wheel. Approximately 75 students lined the walls of Sac State's Redwood Room at noon Thursday and watched as Matsuzawa showcased her award-winning unicycle talents during a recreation, parks and tourism class. Matsuzawa performed for the 9 a.m. and noon classes. Before she began, students volunteered to attempt unicycling with the help of other students acting as spotters. No one was successful at balancing alone, including the

In order to be successful in any profession, I believe one must have experiences. Being successful to me means that you are knowledgeable and self-efficient in your profession and you are a credible source for people to seek after. Here at Sacramento State University, I have gained knowledge as well as experience in Public Relations. The Spring 2010 Blood and Marrow drive has given me the opportunity to have hands-on experience by planning and carrying out a PR campaign for the drive. ComS 158 (Public Relations Planning and Management) is where my classmates and I began our campaign and tried to make an impact on the Sac State community and beyond. Under the guidance of our instructor, Dr.

Traditionalists will tell you that football season is in the fall.  Here in Sacramento, however, there is a roster of men who will tell you football season is right now!  The River City Gators football team is Sacramento's premier semi-pro football franchise.  A member of the Northern California Football League, the Gators have been in the community for a good part of the last decade.  A quick check of the roster confirms that this is no pushover team of kids looking to toss the pigskin around on Saturdays.  The offensive line weighs in at an average of 294.1 lbs.  The defensive line weighs in at an average of 274.5 lbs.  The Tallest offensive lineman is 6'5", and the tallest defensive l

Terrence Johnson said he wants Oak Park and surrounding South Sacramento neighborhoods to have more clout in City Council decision-making. “I felt as though the (District 5) neighborhoods didn’t have a voice,” he said. Johnson, 58, is one of five candidates competing for the seat held by Councilwoman Lauren Hammond. In addition to Oak Park, District 5 includes the neighborhoods of Curtis Park, Colonial Heights and Tahoe Park West. The Sacramento Press is interviewing City Council candidates in advance of the June 8 election. Johnson is a 20-year Sacramento resident and the executive director of the Oak Park Business Association and the Stockton Boulevard Partnership. He is chairman of

Gus Vina, already serving as acting city manager, has been selected to be the interim city manager for the following nine-to-12 months. City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned last month and will leave his post Friday. Kerridge has said he’s taking a private sector position, but has not yet announced where that position will be. Mayor Kevin Johnson and several council members held a press conference Wednesday to announce Vina’s new position. “And I think it’s very clear to all of us that (Kerridge) has very big shoes that we need to fill,” Johnson said. “And we feel that we found the right person to fill his shoes in a very short timeframe.” Johnson and the council members unanimously chose

Efren Guttierrez wants to bring his focus on social justice to City Hall. The 54-year-old real estate broker and community activist is running for a seat on the Sacramento City Council. The Sacramento Press is interviewing City Council candidates in advance of the June election. Guttierrez is running in District 1, now represented by Ray Tretheway. The district includes North and South Natomas and Alkali Flat. Guttierrez has worked in real estate for 28 years and is co-owner of New West Realtors in Natomas. He noted that his career pays the bills, but activism is his passion. “My love has always been social justice advocacy,” he said. Guttierrez was born in Stockton and has lived in S