Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento state"

Mary Mackey and Sharon Coleman at SPC

2011-11-26T08:03:57Z

The Sacramento Poetry Center will welcome Mary Mackey and Sharon Coleman on Monday as part of its ongoing weekly reading series. Tim Kahl, local poet and longtime poetry center board member, will host the free reading at the gallery space at 1719 25th Street at 7:30 p.m.

Mary Mackey is a poet, novelist, screenwriter and professor emeritus who is always working on at least one new project. Her latest book of poetry, “Sugar Zone,” was released by Marsh Hawk Press on Oct. 1, and has received great praise. In addition to this sixth book of poetry, she’s authored 13 novels and five screenplays.

Mackey helped found the Sacramento State women’s studies program, the Sacramento State graduate creative writing program with former Sacramento poet laureate Dennis Schmitz and novelist Richard Bankowsky, and the Feminist Writers Guild with Adrienne Rich, Susan Griffin and Valerie Miner.

Mackey has also served as the president of the West Coast Branch of PEN American Center, whose mission is “to stimulate and maintain interest in the written word, to foster a vital literary culture, and to defend freedom of expression domestically and internationally.”

New projects include a novel she’s outlining, and “a series of poems inspired by the works of Brazilian poets and novelists.” She’ll combine Portuguese and English and create “poems that use Portuguese as incantation to evoke the lyrical space that lies at the conjunction of the two languages,” she said.

Several of her books have been released as e-books, but Mackey said that the most exciting news is that her “long out of print first novel ‘Immersion,’ which is arguably the first eco-feminist novel ever published, is being re-released as an e-book in the very near future, which means it will be available for the first time since 1972.”

Mackey will be joined by Sharon Coleman, a contributing editor to “Poetry Flash.”

Coleman also teaches poetry and composition at Berkeley City College and is the faculty coordinator for the college’s art and literary journal, Milvia Street. Additionally, Coleman is a member of the Northern California Book Reviewers, which presents annual book awards to northern California authors.

In addition to writing, teaching and reading, Coleman also co-curates the reading series at Pegasus Books in Berkeley. The year-old “Lyrics & Dirges,” which features writers at various stages of their careers in order to showcase the Bay Area’s diverse literary community has also featured several Sacramento area poets at this third Wednesday series.

Coleman studied translation and women’s studies at the Université de Paris 8 after completing her studies in comparative literature with a focus on French literature at UC Berkeley. Her poetry, reviews and translations have appeared in a variety of publications, and a recent fiction piece in Blink has been nominated for a Pushcart.

“I'm still working on / finishing a poetry chapbook manuscript entitled ‘Half Circle’ and am working on a manuscript of blink fiction (50 words each) entitled ‘Paris Blink,’” said Coleman.

VIDEO: Sacramento State falls to Davis 23-19 in Causeway Classic showdown

2011-11-22T01:39:31Z

Sacramento State hosted the 58th annual Causeway Classic football game, its rivalry game against UC Davis Saturday at Hornet Stadium. The Hornets were hoping to win its third Causeway Classic game in four years, but unfortunately the Aggies did not let that happen as Davis defeated Sac State 23-19.

Sac State did not score until the second quarter when freshman defensive lineman Ben Cowger sacked Davis quarterback Randy Wright, causing Wright to fumble the ball into Davis’ end zone allowing Cowger to recover the ball for a Hornet touchdown. Davis however would answer back with a touchdown of its own when freshman running back Austin Edmondson rushed to the end zone from the 8-yard line.

During the second half, Davis’ defense was too much to handle for Sac State as the Hornets could not score until 0:01 left in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Garrett Saffron ran 30-yards into the end zone for the final touchdown to end the game. That was not enough to top the 13 points Davis scored in the second half.

The Hornets also had trouble stopping the Aggies’ rushing offense. Davis scored all its touchdowns from rushing plays and has a total of 206 rushing yards for the game compared to Sac State’s 114.

Saffron struggled throughout the game completing only 11-of-31 passes for 155 yards while Wright completed 14-of-23 of his passes and threw one interception.

This is Davis’ second Causeway Classic win in a row, but both wins came by slim margins of four points or less. Davis won last year’s Causeway Classic 17-16 at home. Both teams end the season with 4-7 records.

Morris Baseball league moves to new heights

2011-10-19T15:44:54Z

Photo essay by Dan Ward

Baseball in Sacramento is extending its reach to a higher medium. The Morris brother’s baseball league is now producing podcast shows, along with launching their clothing line online.

The Morris league started up back in 2007, when the two brothers were playing catch at the Sacramento State dorm fields. While seeing others play they decided to start up a pick-up game at a local park. From there they saw the potential to do more than just play a game here and there. Donte and Dominic Morris saw a league happening. After countless hours of research and fundraising the Morris brothers started up their first season with two teams and since then building over the years to have more teams.

Five years later the Morris brothers are still successful and now want to expand their reach. The brothers originally always had their Hats and shirts for sell, but now with their new online store in the works their pushing out for more. With more color styles for hats, shirts, tank tops, hoodies and other merchandise on its way.

Donte and Dominic Morris are both CSUS graduates with business degrees and they are putting that experience to good use. Along with the new merchandise line launch, they extended their voice to the media literally. With two new podcasts in which one airs weekly on Sundays nights at 10pm on u-stream.

The first podcast is about local baseball talk and interviews with members of the of the Morris league including athletes, coaches and more.

The second podcast which comes along with a show viewed on u-stream is called the “Sacramento Sunset”. The Sacramento sunset airs Sunday nights at 10pm. The show consists of two recent graduates from CSUS, Britney Rossman and Vince Vicari who are the hosts of the show. The show covers popular news and interesting topics for mostly college and post graduate students’.

The Morris brothers would like to expand out even more throughout the Sacramento area and other locations. They would to take everything to its full potential. Going national is the mindset for the brothers.

www.morrisleague.com

Art In Sacramento, Where Do We Go From Here?

2011-03-27T22:57:17Z

Master Barber & Beauty Shop presents:
Art on Stockton Blvd. - Art Panel Discussion

"Art In Sacramento - Where do we go from here?"

This is your chance to share and discuss with some of Sacramento's lead art professionals and artists! Join Master Barber & Beauty Shop and panel participants, Dr. Allan Gordon, Lorrie Kempf, Patris Miller, Daphne Burgess and James Sweeney for an evening of lively discussion on "Art in Sacramento." Come with your thoughts, stories and questions as professionals in the art world tell their personal and professional views on the Sacramento art scene.

Keynote Speaker: Gerry GOS" Simpson - Artist, Photographer and Author

Moderator: Tim Foster - Editor, Midtown Monthly

Panelist:
Allan Gordon (PhD, Curator, Artist)
Lorrie Kempf (SMAC, Curator, Artist)
Patris Artist (Artist, Gallery Owner)
James Sweeney (Art Collector, SAAAC)
Daphne Burgess (Artist)

Coffee and Tea is provided by: Old Soul Co.
Refreshment will be Available
This is a FREE event

City wants 65th Street bike lanes

2011-03-15T00:35:46Z

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 Ed Cox, the city’s bike and pedestrian coordinator.

“The city is seeking to put bike lanes at this location because there are few opportunities to cross Highway 50,” Cox said in an e-mail Monday.

Bike lanes at the 65th Street site would link bicyclists to several key spots, he said.

“This location happens to connect existing student housing at Fourth Avenue to the (Sacramento) State campus,” Cox said. “It also connects East Sacramento residents to the new Target store, and it connects residents south of Highway 50 to the 65th Street light rail station.”

Tricia Hedahl, executive director of the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates organization, spoke positively about the city’s plans. She said bike lanes on 65th Street would link with the T Street bikeway, allowing bicyclists more access to points such as Sacramento State.

“This is a really important connection,” Hedahl said.

At the same time, she said she is concerned about the high traffic on 65th Street. If the city moves forward on the project, it should ensure that bike lanes are 6 feet wide and “very visible,” she said.

The city could create the bike lanes by October 2012 if the state decides to fund the project, according to Cox.

Read the report by city staff on the bike lanes proposal here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac State launches 'One Student' campaign for sexual assault awareness

2011-02-16T16:39:54Z

“One sexual assault is too many. One student can make a difference.” So goes the slogan for the “One Student” campaign which kicked off locally at Sacramento State University on Tuesday with volunteers collecting pledges from students stating that they would not tolerate sexual assault and that they would themselves be respectful when talking about sex in general.

The campaign doesn’t coincide with any tragic event in particular, it's a response to all sexual violence in general said senior Megan Olson who was collecting pledges inside the student union.

“Students can make a difference in their individual actions. It can be as small as intervening at a party…. Education is the best way to spread any message. (We are) educating students that they can make a difference in stopping sexual violence,” Olson said.

One Student campaign has taken off nationally even though it has its roots in community, said Victim Advocate Jessica Heskin, who has been in the position for 10 years.

Heskin believes campaigns like One Student help because of its focus on “bystander intervention.”

“If you are at a party, at a bar, and you see something go wrong, it's your job to intervene even if you don't know the people involved,” Heskin said, adding that studies have shown that when bystander intervention campaigns are combined with “rich production campaigns” (which include self defense classes), a positive impact develops in terms of campus climate and student empowerment.

As a victim advocate for the university, Heskin is on-call. Anytime a student reports sexual assault, a hate crime, or stalking, the university pages her and she comes to help, informing victims of their rights and options.

Heskin said she has the power to arrange for things like medical or psychological care, counseling and restraining orders.

“Let's say the victim says, 'I don't want to talk to a cop.' That is their right, and I still provide all the supportive services outside the legal system,” she said.

Sacramento State has 28,000 students, and most of the assaults Heskin handles are off-campus. So even if a student is assaulted at a party downtown, she is still able to give services. She said it's unusual for a college to have a victim advocate position, noting that she may be the only one in the entire CSU system.

According to a Nov. 18, 2010 report by Lori Varlotta, vice president for Student Affairs, statistics indicate Sacramento State is a relatively safe campus.

It is ranked 61st out of 450 campuses nationwide and seven out of 44 in California by the FBI Safe School Index. In her report, she lays out “Initiatives to Enhance Campus Safety,” which include:

1. Adding more blue light phones to select areas – Residence Halls
2. Augmenting outside lighting
3. Bolstering the CSO – Community Service Officer Program
4. Increasing vehicle patrol – including a truck with flashing lights
5. Maintaining bike patrol program
6. Increasing the use of video surveillance is under consideration

Jessica Spohn is a student manager for health and wellness program on campus, and she explains that sexual assault can be a difficult topic because nobody really wants to talk about it.

“It is something that is very personal, but what we're trying to do is to get the message out that it's OK to talk about it. Because most people do know their perpetrator. It's not the stranger coming out from behind the bushes kind of thing,” she said

Spohn said there are various resources to help out including: campus police, the victim advocate,
free counseling and psychological services and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans-gender/ Women's resource center.

Sacramento State campus police can be reached at all hours at 278-6900 for emergencies and 278-6851 for non-emergency calls. Blue phone are found outdoors all around campus; no dialing is necessary. You can also use any wired phone on campus and dial 86900 for emergency or 86851 for police non-emergency. The campus police department is located directly east of parking structure three.

Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com

Single on Valentine's Day?

2011-02-08T06:57:16Z

Couples scurry before Valentine’s Day to find their significant others the perfect gift: flowers, chocolate, perhaps an engagement ring? For many people Valentine’s Day may seem like a Hallmark holiday but for others – the single variety – it’s just another day in February.

The Sacramento Press set out to find how singles spend their Valentine’s Day.

“As you get older, it doesn’t matter as much when you’re in college and you’re busy,” said Erica Childs, a Davis native and first-year student at Chico State.

Childs added that she will be busy with sorority rush week at Chico State on the week of Valentine’s Day.

In addition, Yesania Villaroñ, a first-year nursing student at Sacramento State, said she hopes to keep herself busy with various school events on Valentine’s Day.

Like Villaroñ and Childs, Tina Smith, a Sacramento resident, said she will be working for 12 and a half hours on Valentine’s Day serving couples at P.F. Chang’s restaurant on J Street.

While many are busy working and engaging in school events on Valentine’s Day, Sacramento offers “anti-Valentine’s Day” parties to singles.

Lounge On 20 is holding an “Anti-Valentine’s Day Party” on Feb. 12 with an extended happy hour featuring chocolate covered strawberries, numerous prize giveaways and $5 drink specials after 10 p.m. Lounge On 20 is at 1050 20th St.

For those under 21, the Second Saturday Art Walk on Feb. 12 will be offering an “Anti-Valentine’s” gallery reception with the art of Nicolas Caesar and John Hageman Jr. The artists were selected by Wes Craven to be in the upcoming film Scream 4. The gallery is at 5635 Freeport Blvd., Suite 6.

For those looking to meet someone special on Valentine’s Day, the Sacramento News and Review is holding an “Un-Valentine’s Day” party at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom at 8 p.m. on Feb. 1. Tickets are $25 per person and more than 500 local singles will be attending in hopes of finding that special someone. The party will also offer a class on how to reel in other singles for an additional $14.

Kai Ross, 23-year-old Elk Grove resident, said he hopes to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his sister’s friends.

“You should find someone you like spending time with,” Ross said. “Not someone you’re willing to just jump into bed with, but someone for camaraderie.”

Although Eric Brockman, a sales associate at J Street Hydrogarden, said he doesn’t normally celebrate Valentine’s Day himself, it still has a sentimental value to him since his parents were married on Valentine’s Day.

“I don’t really celebrate it, but I call my parents every Valentine’s Day because that’s when they got married,” Brockman said. “That’s what I do.”

Hornet Shuttle faces reductions

2010-11-11T01:53:54Z

The good news is more and more people at Sacramento State are using alternative transportation and parking as they should. The bad news is revenue from parking citations has been down, and that may lead to changes to the university’s Hornet Shuttle program.

The University of Transportation and Parking Services, or UTAPS, held an open forum this afternoon regarding proposed Hornet Shuttle route changes for Spring and Fall 2011.

The Hornet Shuttle program began in 1989 with shuttle routes running off campus Monday – Friday from 7am to 7pm during the Fall and Spring semesters. The current fleet of six buses, all running on compressed natural gas, make 18 to 24 runs combined among three routes daily: The Gold Line runs through the Arden-Arcade area; the Green Line runs throughout the Campus Commons area; and the Hornet Line loops through the campus, to Folsom Hall, to the 65th Street Light Rail Station and back.

The Hornet Shuttle program is funded from fines and forfeitures received in University’s Parking Revenue Fund, which is part of UTAPS.

“Where we get our revenue is from parking citations,” said Abbi Stone, Associate Vice President of Business and Administrative Services, the division UTAPS is associated with.

“Tickets that people get and pay when they park on campus when they don’t have a parking permit or if they park in a space they are not allowed to park,” said Stone. “This money we collect from citations can only be used for alternative transportation, or the administration of people giving the citations, and the processing and listening to appeals.”

Currently, revenue from citations has been flat and is not expected to improve. While ridership on the Hornet Shuttle saw a seven percent increase from 2008/09 to 2009/10, expenses to maintain the fleet are also increasing.

All of this comes with a rising contract cost with Regional Transit, increasing from $376,648 in 2008/09 to $1,000,522 in 2011/12. The contract allows students to ride for no extra cost with their OneCard and Commuter Pass.

This is not the first time UTAPS has faced financial trouble. In 2007, the department spent $325,000 when breaking its lease with a moving solution company to provide a temporary on campus office prior to moving to Folsom Hall. The department is also tied into 30 year loans for the construction of Parking Structures II and III, requiring them to pay $3 million in debt per year.

To combat their expenses, UTAPS is proposing two changes. The first is to reduce the number of runs on all three lines beginning in the Spring 2011 semester. Each line would be limited to two runs apiece in the morning (7:40am-9:40am) and afternoon (2:20pm-4:20pm). Runs from 9:40am to 2:20pm and after 4:20pm would be eliminated.

“Based on our data from our ridership surveys, we find that those times are the least utilized,” said Stone.

UTAPS is also proposing to eliminate the Gold Line in Fall 2011 saying the route has a high level of redundancy with Regional Transit’s. The Gold Line route closely aligns with Regional Transit routes #22, #26, #82, and #87, all of which connect to the campus directly or via transfer. The elimination of the Gold Line is estimated to provide an annual savings of $50,000.

UTAPS will hold a second forum to discuss these changes on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 from 2pm – 3pm at Sacramento State in Library 11.

International track and field registration now open

2010-11-05T02:25:58Z

Sacramento will be hosting the 2011 World Masters Athletic Championships, and registration is now open.

The worldwide event draws track-and-field athletes from about 80 countries every two years and is rarely held in the United States, with the last time being 16 years ago, according to Bob Burns, spokesman for the Sacramento Sports Commission.

“It’ll mean quite a bit of business here locally,” he said, explaining that most of the estimated 5,000 athletes and their families will be staying in the area for at least a week, as the event is held from July 6-17.

The biannual event is open to everyone 35 and older, and Burns said there is usually at least one athlete 100 years or older.

Registration costs are available at the event’s website, but Burns said the average cost per athlete is about $125.

So, why Sacramento?

“There are probably three factors we had,” Burns said. “We’re in California, and that’s attractive. We’ve put on the Olympic trials, and our group knows how to put on a complicated, multi-day event, and we have good facilities.”

The facilities include Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium. American River College’s Beaver Stadium and Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium, where more than 80 percent of the events will be held.

To register for the event, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

CSUS 2010 Festival of New American Music

2010-11-05T00:47:14Z

Sacramento State's 33 annual Festival of New American Music runs November 4- 14. The festival begins with Keynote Address at 12:00pm on Thursday, November 4, on the life and work of Arthur Jarvinen. Jarvinen's music will be featured at the Gala Performance at 8:00pm on November 4, also in the Music Recital Hall, featuring performances by TempWerks, Earplay and percussionist Chris Froh.

Saturday evening as part of the St. Paul's Arts and Culture Experience 2010 – 2011 the Festival of New American Music will present a free cocert featuring Zoe Keating.

The Sacramento Bee has described St. Paul's Episcopal Church as one of the best venues in Sacramento to hear classical music.

Zoe Keating will be concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (1430 J Street in Sacramento) on Saturday, November 6 at 8:00pm. Keating uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, to create lush, beautiful and otherworldy music. Born in Canada and classically trained from the age of eight, she spent her 20's dabbling in computer software while moonlighting as a cellist in rock bands. Inevitably, she combined the two and developed her now signature style. Keating's self-released albums have sold 30,000 copies and several times been #1 on the iTunes classical and electronica charts. She has performed her music live on National Public Radio, on television, outdoors in the Nevada desert, in medieval churches, in punk clubs, and before thousands of screaming teenagers in mainstream rock venues across North America and Europe. She has worked with a wide range of artists, including Imogen Heap, Mark Isham, Curt Smith, The Dresden Dolls, Rasputina, DJ Shadow, and Paolo Nutini, to name a few.

Other Festival of New American Music performances include:

The Ahn Trio performing on Monday, November 8 at 8:00pm in the Music Recital Hall. Born in Seoul, Korea and educated at Juilliard in New York City, the members of the Ahn Trio, (cellist Maria, pianist Lucia, and violinist Angella) brings a new energy and excitement to the chamber music world.

Clarinetist Jean Kopperud presenting a program entitled Rated X II on Friday, November 12 at 8pm in the Music Recital Hall.

Harpsichordist Jory Vinikour performing on Saturday, November 13 at 8pm in Capistrano Hall 151.

The festival will close on Sunday, November 14 at 8:00pm in the Music Recital Hall with a performance by Sacramento State's Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, in a concert which will also feature various Sacramento State jazz faculty.

Here is more information of the Festival of New American Music and the performers. Here is the full schedule. directions for on campus events including parking instruction and cost. All events are free.

More information on St. Paul's Arts and Culture Experience 2010 – 2011, SPACE:music, program and other performances.

Thanks to CSUS Department of Music for information and photos.

Mountain Lions seek redemption against Colonials Saturday

2010-10-28T00:38:33Z

The Sacramento Mountain Lions are looking to avenge their loss in this season’s opening game with a victory over the Hartford Colonials Saturday night.

“We’ve got to try to see if we can get that win back from Hartford, and with three games to go, I think we’ve just got to get out and play very well in the second half of the season,” Head Coach Dennis Green said after the team’s practice Wednesday.

The Colonials (1-4) beat the Mountain Lions (2-3) in the Sept. 18 opener. The teams are part of the United Football League, a professional league in its second season. Last year’s season was six games, but this year’s season has been expanded to eight games.

“You play everybody twice, and they were better than us that day,” quarterback Daunte Culpepper said about the Colonials. “We’ve got to rectify that and make sure we do what we have to do to get the win.”

Culpepper and his team are fresh off a win at Florida against the Tuskers last weekend, after which Culpepper was named offensive player of the week.

“(This) game is very, very important to us,” Culpepper said. “Every game is extremely important for us. We have to get this one to be able to get the next one.”

Defensive back Ronnie Prude agreed with Culpepper’s assessment.

“It’s very important that we win this one,” Prude said. “We’re coming back off a fantastic win down in Florida, so this game is going to be very key for us and very important to put us back in the hunt for the championship game.”

Prude said that despite looking forward to playing well the second half of the season, it’s important to take it one game at a time.

“We’re not overlooking Hartford,” he said. “We know they’re a great team, and they’ve got great players and two great quarterbacks.”

The key to winning the game will be staying focused and playing smart and physical, Prude said.

“I just want to come out on the field, get my hands on the ball and be physical and be a leader out there for my guys,” he said.

Running back Cory Ross said Hartford will see a Sacramento team that has improved since their last matchup.

“We’re a better team than the first time we played these guys, and we want to show them that,” he said. “We’ve got to play a full game. They are definitely a full-game team. We played them last time from start to finish, and they played their hearts out.”

Ross is poised to play a key role in Saturday’s game, with a UFL-high 37 catches this season, and 20 just in the last two games. He also combined for 311 yards from scrimmage over the last two games.

Ross will have to face Hartford outside linebacker Simoni Lawrence, who is coming off a 10-tackle performance in his last game.

But Ross, who led the UFL in rushing a year ago, chalking up 462 yards in six games, isn’t letting the Hartford defense get to him.

“I just want to do anything I can to contribute,” he said. “I’ll catch the ball, run the ball, block – whatever they want me to do. I just want to contribute and take home a victory.”

The Mountain Lions will host the Colonials at 8 p.m. Saturday at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Exclusive video: Sacramento State Homecoming game

2010-10-19T18:59:51Z

The Sacramento State Hornets football team defeated the Northern Colorado Bears 42-7 during its annual Homecoming game at Hornet Stadium on Oct. 9. The Hornets shut out the Bears 28-0 in the second half and 14-0 in the first, third and fourth quarters. This victory moved Sac State up to fourth place in the Big Sky Conference.

Here is some exclusive video footage of the game. Highlights include a running back Bryan Hilliard's first touchdown of the game and post-game interviews with players.

Photo taken by Nick Hunte

Mayor releases Nov. 2 endorsements

2010-10-12T00:56:32Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson released his endorsements for several Nov. 2 political races on Friday. He named his candidates in local, state and federal elections in a post on his blog.

In the Sacramento City Council runoff in District 5, Johnson endorsed education policy consultant Jay Schenirer. He had endorsed Schenirer for the first time in May, when the City Council candidate was running against four other candidates. Schenirer is competing against attorney Patrick Kennedy in the November runoff.

The winning candidate will replace current City Councilwoman Lauren Hammond.

Johnson decided not to endorse a candidate in the District 7 runoff. Ryan Chin, a communications director at Sacramento State is running against retired Sacramento police captain Darrell Fong for the seat. Outgoing City Councilman Robbie Waters lost the seat in the June election.

“Either candidate will serve the best interests of Greenhaven, the Pocket and Valley Hi,” Johnson wrote about the District 7 race.

By contrast, the mayor did not take a position on Measure B, one of the most controversial measures on the ballot. Measure B would halt a 9.2 percent utilities rate increase and restructure how the Utilities Department manages utilities rates.

“I voted against the last rate hike, have concerns about utilities operations, and am still gathering information,” Johnson wrote on his blog.

Johnson did not respond to a request for further comment Monday.

Councilman Kevin McCarty, a leader in the No on Measure B campaign, said the good news is that Johnson is still studying the issues relating to the measure. The position of the No on B campaign is that it would harm the city’s budget.

McCarty noted that every other member of the City Council opposes the measure.

Craig Powell, chairman of the campaign supporting Measure B, said he respects Johnson for “taking the time” to learn about the facts. The text of Measure B claims that utilities rates in Sacramento are unaffordable.

While Johnson has released endorsements for many races, he wrote that he will endorse education races in a separate announcement. Here is the list of endorsements Johnson released Friday:

U.S. Senate: Barbara Boxer
U.S. House of Representatives: Doris Matsui

Governor: Jerry Brown
Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom
Attorney General: Kamala Harris
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen
Controller: John Chiang
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer

State Senate District 1: Roger Niello
State Senate District 6: Darrell Steinberg
Assembly District 5: Dr. Richard Pan

Sacramento County

Sheriff: Jim Cooper

City of Sacramento

District 5: Jay Schenirer
District 7: No preference.

Roseville City Council

Dr. Tim Herman

State Propositions

Prop. 22: Yes
Prop. 23: No
Prop. 25: Yes

City Measures

Measure B: “Still gathering information.”

Measure C: “Yes, but only if statewide initiative Prop. 19 passes.”

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac State football routs Northern Colorado at Homecoming game

2010-10-11T23:37:40Z

Sacramento State’s football team showed everyone the meaning of a blowout victory after defeating the Northern Colorado Bears 42-7 Saturday in an exciting homecoming game.

With this win, Sacramento State holds a 3-3 overall record and is currently in fourth place in the Big Sky Conference at 2-2.

With 9,011 in attendance, the Hornets’ fans rallied behind their team while the visiting side of Hornet Stadium was sparse.

In a game with only touchdowns, Sacramento State got off to a strong start when running back Bryan Hilliard ran in for the short one-yard touchdown run with 6:30 left in the first quarter.

“I just did what the team told me to,” Hilliard said of the play. “We’ve been working on that play all week, and we executed it (according) to the plan.”

The Bears scored their only touchdown of them game thanks to a 9-yard pass from quarterback Matt Baca to wide receiver Patrick Walker with just 27 seconds left in the second quarter.

At halftime, the score was just 14-7, but the second half was when Sacramento State took complete control and did not look back.

Northern Colorado punter Dave Eden had his punt block by defensive back Corey Vanderbeek at the 7-yard line, which was recovered by linebacker Randey Peterson at the 3-yard line. He ran the ball in for the touchdown after the recovery.

The Hornets were up 28-7 by the start of the fourth quarter, and with 12:43 left on the clock, Hilliard scored another touchdown for the Hornets after a 3-yard run.

One of the biggest plays for the Hornets that day, however, was their last touchdown when Fleming threw a pass to wide receiver Morris Norrise, who ran in for an 80-yard touchdown.

Norrise’s touchdown run was the longest touchdown run since Sept. 23, 2000, when Ricky Ray threw a pass to Lament Webb for an 80-yard run. It was also Norrise’s fourth consecutive catch that resulted in a touchdown this season.

After the game, when Fleming was asked about how he felt about his 80-yard pass to Norrise, he was unaware that it was the longest pass play in 10 years.

“Hey, Mo made a great play for me,” Fleming said, referring the Norrise.

Fleming talked about what Head Coach Marshall Sperbeck told his teams during halftime that helped the Hornets outscore the Bears 28-0 in the second half.

“You know he just said come out and fight, because in the past couple of weeks, we’ve done pretty good in the second half,” Fleming said. “He just said just keep fighting, you know, bring up the energy because it was a little low. We came out, we executed and did some things right. Defense and special teams came up huge for us. It really benefited the team.”

Sperbeck said that what he took out of the game was the fact that everyone contributed to the win.

“I thought this was one of our best team efforts when you look at special teams contributions and defense’s score and offensively some good things,” Sperbeck said. “All the way around I think it’s a good team win, and our guys responded well to the last two weeks and took care of business.”

Sacramento State has a bye week next week before going on the road to face Eastern Washington Oct 23.

Photos taken by Nick Hunte

Locals gear up for Gold Sprints indoor bicycle races

2010-10-01T23:29:11Z

As Sacramento’s bicycle scene continues to grow, be it among fixed-gear aficionados in Midtown or hardcore racing fans, a decades-old indoor cycling sport is gaining popularity – Gold Sprints.

“It started out 50, 60, 70 years ago,” said Dean “Dino” Alleger, a mechanic at Rex Cycles, 1811 E St. “It had two fixed bikes and a big clock with wires, but now it’s all digitized.”

Alleger said the basic premise of Gold Sprints is that racers use fixed-gear bicycles mounted without their front wheels while the rear wheels rest on rollers. When the race starts, racers “pedal like crazy” for 500 meters or one kilometer, and the computer keeps track of who wins.

“Gold Sprints are all indoors, and there’s very little danger – you’re not riding your bike in the streets,” Alleger said.

The racing event will be a permanent fixture at Spin Burger Bar, set to open in mid-November, and Alleger will also be running Gold Sprint races to raise money for the building of an outdoor bicycle racetrack in Sacramento.

“Gold Sprints are geared toward the masses,” Alleger said. “Anybody that’s into bikes and drinking beer will love it.”

While some take a serious approach to the races, Alleger said most riders use it as an opportunity for a good time and a fun way to settle a grudge match in front of a cheering crowd.

“I would say it’s definitely getting bigger,” said Brian Durling, manager of Mike’s Bikes, 1411 I St. “Up in Portland, it’s pretty large.”

Mike’s Bikes has held Gold Sprint tournaments in the past, and Durling said they have always been popular.

“There’s typically a beer-chugging competition before you start the race,” Durling said. “Every time we’ve held them at our stores, it’s gone over really well.”

The Peak Adventures bicycle shop at Sacramento State, 6000 J St., has also held Gold Sprint races in the past.

“It’s awesome for friends just to compete,” said Head Bicycle Mechanic Rad Beauton. “It’s a lot safer than mashing down the road really fast.”

Beauton said he enjoys the competitive nature of it the most, but still prefers actual outdoor riding.

“It’s not something I’d put down on my calendar to do, but if I was out and saw it, it would be fun,” he said.

Alleger said he hopes the draw of Gold Sprints will help raise funds to build a permanent outdoor velodrome racetrack.

“The main reason we started was to build a velodrome track here in Sacramento,” Alleger said. “The closest one is in San Jose. It would be big for the cycle community here.”

Alleger said velodrome racing was a really big sport at one time, but the popularity died off and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity at the grassroots level.

Velodrome tracks are steeply banked oval racetracks.

“There used to be a couple hundred of them, but now there’s only 24 in the country,” Alleger said. “But they’re popular. I was at a race in Washington, and the stands were packed.”

Alleger, a licensed cycling coach, said velodrome racing is another sporting opportunity to youths ages 10-18 as well as older enthusiasts.

He’s in the process of filing paperwork to start a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising the approximately $1 million he said he expects it will take to build a velodrome track here.

In addition to the approximately $10 fee he expects to charge racers to participate in Gold Sprint tournaments, he said he hopes to get donations and partner with the city of Sacramento to make the track a reality.

“It’ll happen,” Alleger said. “How fast? Who knows? But I’m not going to stop.”

To contact Alleger, click here.

Photos courtesy Mike’s Bikes, Sacramento.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Atmosphere, Rhymesayers Ent. come to Sacramento Sept. 28

2010-09-21T16:46:20Z

When you think of a “rap superstar,” what words come to mind? Gaudy? Violent? Subjective to women? How about humble, loving, and community-oriented? All of these words and many more could describe hip-hop duo Atmosphere, which will grace the University Union Ballroom stage at Sacramento State Sept. 28.

This unique outlook on music production and life in general has pushed Atmosphere, composed of Sean Daley (Slug) and Anthony Davis (Ant), to the forefront of the international hip-hop scene. Working together for close to two decades, the duo has produced dozens of EPs, tour albums and collaborative albums with outside artists, traveled the world and started the wildly successful independent record label Rhymesayers Ent.

The artists hail from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in Minnesota, where they were introduced by then-mutual friend, now-label-mate rapper Musab. Slug describes Minnesota as more accepting of cultural diversity than some places in America and as a place with a long history in musical success. For Slug and Ant, (both of whom are Caucasian) this was the perfect place to start a hip-hop lifestyle, and when the rap scene hit the area in the early '80s, both were eager to join.

Slug admitted that rapping was not his first love, let alone career choice. As a teen he tried his hand first in break dancing, then graffiti art, then turntable DJ and music production before he even thought of handling a microphone. But even when he started writing rhymes, making songs and hosting small-venue hip-hop shows, his music was only intended for the ears of the neighborhood kids. Even today, Slug revels in the fact that his music is being heard and his concerts being attended by people in Europe, Japan and all across America.

Since the days of playful music production in their youth, it has been their shared work ethic that has held Slug and Ant together as a duo throughout the years.

Slug said this has helped them grow and go through the phases every artist experiences without holding steadfast to any given identity. In his words, a rapper sticks to his style with any producer he works with, and vice versa, to try and maintain their consistency. Working with one person has allowed them both to grow together and try new things, but every new thing is still a product of “Atmosphere” as a whole.

This becomes obvious when you hear the feisty, almost angry tones of earlier albums “Overcast” and “Lucy Ford” compared with middle-stage albums such as “God Loves Ugly” and “You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having,” where drinking and life on the road began to take their toll.

Atmosphere’s newest albums, “When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint that Sh*t Gold” and “To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy” (the album on which their current tour is based), contain an air of adult responsibility and a reminiscent look back at what brought them to where they are today.

The idea for the “To All My Friends Tour” came about through a book project started by photographer Dan Monick documenting seven years touring with Atmosphere and Rhymesayers Ent.

Atmosphere decided to release an album with this name focused on the fun and friendship of life on the road followed by an album released later in the year titled “Blood Makes the Blade Holy” that discusses the pitfalls of homesickness, poorly received performances and traveling with people that they just didn’t get along with.

Monick’s book release, however, was pushed back to late October, so instead of keeping the original plan, which may have increased record sales, Atmosphere put both albums together with a list of tour dates to share the experience with the fans that would later be exposed in the book.

The tour features fellow Rhymesayers artists Blueprint, Budo & Grieves and DJ Rare Groove. Blueprint and Rare Groove have been longstanding members of the label and shared Slug and Ant’s feelings on tour life to make a perfect addition.

Budo & Grieves are a newer act, and Slug promised an amazing performance, saying that once people get a chance to see them, they will be remembered as a staple of the Rhymesayers lineup.

The group is very much looking forward to its Sacramento performance and has only the best things to say about previous shows here. Slug described Sacramento as “having the heart and energy of California without the plastic and fakeness, which is, to a performer, the best of both worlds.”

This article began asking about opinions of what rap or hip-hop is supposed to mean. But Atmosphere is one group that truly shows that what it’s supposed to mean and what it actually is are two completely different things. Hip-hop can provide an escape from reality or a reminder of what reality is to some people. It can show you a new way of thinking or simply remind you to have fun. The “To All My Friends” tour will contain a small part of each of these and is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Show begins: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 28 at The University Union at Sacramento State, 6000 J St.

Tickets available at http://www.rhymesayers.com/atmosphere/.

Photo Credit: Molly Mady (Left to right: Ant, Erick Anderson (keyboard), Nate Collins (guitar), Slug)

Darren Carter -- Free Show at CSUS this Thursday

2010-09-16T16:09:57Z

By Jennifer A. Gordon

Be ready to receive an infusion of laughter. L.A. comedian Darren Carter, “the Party Starter,” is coming to town. He’ll be performing at Serna Plaza at Sacramento State’s University Union from 7:30-9 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 16. All ages are welcome. No alcohol will be sold or permitted at the venue. The show is free.

Beat
Energy, fun, hip hop and razor-sharp wit, Carter’s act has beat. His musicality pervades his comedy and gives it rhythm and punch. And, Carter’s the only comedian with a theme song, written by a rapper fan of his, Big Fluff Nickolantern.

Grown-ups like him, too
A favorite among college students, Carter has a solid following among the adult crowd, too. When I told a ‘mature’ gentlemen with three young sons that I wrote for AmericasComedy.Com, he asked gleefully, “Do you know Darren Carter, ‘the Party Starter?’ ”

Fatherhood
Carter is a dad. He loves his son, and fatherhood provides fodder for jokes and pervades his comedy. He’s in awe of his wife’s devotion to raising their son “24/7,” while he’s on the road. This makes Carter even more lovable. His comedy is very grounded in “real life” and, because of this, it strikes a universal chord.

“Orange Armenian Baby-Man”
Carter’s new animated YouTube video, “Orange Armenian Baby-Man,” is fabulous. He and his 2-year old son (soon to be 3) watch it together. Carter said his son likes the part where the baby makes his own hip-hop sounds. Also, he said his son is terrified of the part in the video where the baby is running around with the umbilical cord still attached.

Social Media savoir-faire
Carter is social media savvy, and he has a fabulous webmaster. Even so, Carter has to check his website frequently, as English is his Cambodian web guru’s second language. For example, “Where is Phoenix, Az?” And, sometimes, cultural differences in graphic design appear. Rainbow colors, for example, simply do not work for a virile, heterosexual man. Carter said he wouldn’t be surprised if he went to his website one day and saw a tiny penis for the cursor. That would never do!

More Carter goodies coming soon
There’ll be another “Darren Cartoon” coming out in October. And . . . Carter and fellow comedian “Dangerous Dick” produce “The Dick and Darren Comedy Podcast,” which is surprisingly classy, intriguing, entertaining, fun and, in some cases, inspiring. Carter and “Dangerous Dick” will be co-producing these podcasts more frequently in the near future.

“The Dick and Darren Comedy Podcast” brings the audience into the green room, where comedians interplay and relax in online radio format. For example, their 15th show with Kyle Cease was incredibly inspirational, as Cease shared his insights into success, the world of comedy and changing our approach to ask different questions for different results. “Dangerous Dick” is masterful at navigating and guiding the show’s stars.

The openers
Opening for Carter Thursday night will be Leo Flowers and David Lew. Flowers has also opened for such stars as Bill Burr, Mo’Nique and Mitch Fatel. Lew has shared the stage with Kyle Cease, Craig Robinson from “Knocked Up” and “The Office,” Darren Carter and Manny Maldonado.

Come on out
Carter said he cannot wait to meet you. Come out to Serna Plaza at Sacramento State’s University Union from 7:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. All ages are welcome, and it's free fun. This comedy show is sponsored by the University Union UNIQUE Programs. Parking is free after 6:30 p.m. on the top floor of Parking Structure III.

Sac State celebrates opening of The WELL

2010-09-03T04:17:24Z

Sacramento State students won’t be disappointed with their investment.

The WELL officially opened Thursday in front of a crowd of 250 students, faculty, staff and community members. The University’s new 151,000 square-foot recreation and wellness center was paid for by a student fee approved by students in a campus-wide referendum.

“Today is a historic day for Sacramento State,” said Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez. “I especially want to congratulate the students, because you are the ones who came to me and told me this is what you wanted, and you worked very hard to make it happen.”

“I know for many, many years you’ve been looking forward to this day, and what a day it is. It’s a day when all our recreation, health and fitness services are housed under one environmentally friendly roof. It’s a day when your commitment to passing the referendum has come to fruition.”

Getting The WELL built was no simple task. Two ASI Recreation Center Referendums failed in the late 1990s. It wasn’t until 2001 that ASI President Peter Ucovich raised the possibility of a new referendum with University Union Director Leslie Davis. Student-center open meetings and focus groups began taking place in 2003 to explore possible features and interest levels. Gonzalez offered support and assistance.

Students approved a measure to fund The WELL – then called the “Recreation Wellness Events Center” – in Spring 2004. Fee increases began the following semester. The facility was later renamed “The Wellness, Education, Leisure, Lifestyle Center”, or The WELL.

“It’s a wonderful day to be here to see what coming together really can accomplish,” said Ucovich. “I have yet to be inside this building, so I’m excited to see what is actually inside this great facility.”

“This represents a beacon of hope,” said California State Assemblymember Alyson Huber, who presented Gonzalez an Assembly Resolution recognizing the work that went into making The WELL a reality.

The WELL comes equipped with 13,860 square feet of cardio and weight space, an indoor running track, a multi activities court, a four basketball court complex, a rock climbing wall, a MAC Court, and four racquetball courts. Peak Adventures (outdoor recreation and bike shop) moved to the facility from its previous, much smaller location at the University Union. The Health Center also moved from its older location near Yosemite Hall.

The facility is also a LEED Green Building. It is projected to use 23% less energy than a typical new building, 43% less water than a typical new building, and its construction used 25% recycled content materials, and diverted 82% of the total waste generated from going to a landfill.

“This building has a wonderful presence,” said John Davis of Hornberger & Worstell Architects and the design team leader. “It’s an energy sustainable model for Sacramento and the California State University system.”

Individuals eligible for membership to The WELL include Sac State Students, administration, emeriti, faculty, staff, and pre-paid alumni. Alumni Membership is currently limited to alumni memberships to those who have paid into the facility.

Tours of the facility were given throughout the day with demonstrations provided on cooking, rock climbing, and roller hockey.

A dodge ball tournament was scheduled for later in the evening.

Pictured performances: 2nd Nature Crew, Martial Arts Club of CSUS

Mountain Lion Meet & Greet and Player Signing Party Tonight

2010-08-21T05:29:02Z

On Friday August 20, the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions held a special Meet & Greet event for season ticket holders and fans at the team's facilities on the campus of the California State University, Sacramento. Information provided by the Mountain Lions Ticket Sales staff indicated the event was scheduled to take place from 6-9pm.

Initial pictures and autographs for fans were followed by player introductions by Head Coach Dennis Green, and performances by the Mountain Lions cheer and dance squad. Thereafter, players and fans reconvened for more pictures and autographs.

By about 7:30pm, a few players needed t leave in order to tend to other commitments. Wide receiver Fred Otis Amey, who played college football at CSUS, before signing with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and several other teams, hosts "The UPrising" every third Friday of the month at 2230 Arden Way in Sacramento, just behind Arby's.

The event goes from 8:30-10:30pm, and combines spoken word, soul, hip-hop, dance, music from live bands, and more. It is a combination of ministry and nightlife that offers young people an alternative to being on the streets, while engaging in public freestyle promotion of the talent of the young people already in FOA's My Generation Now organization.

Wide receiver Cameron Colvin, a University of Oregon Duck Alum who previously played for the San Francisco 49ers, also departed early, but for another reason. Together with the Mountain Lions drafted defensive back, Willie Glasper, also a University of Oregon Duck Alum, Colvin is throwing a signing party at Lounge ON20 tonight. The party is scheduled to begin at 10:30pm and go until close. Lounge ON20 is located on the corner of 20th and K Street in Midtown Sacramento.

Another player, Tyler Clutts, who played college football at Fresno State University, drove up from the Fresno area today, and was headed back there tonight. He made that trip once before for outreach purposes, when he came up to meet fans at last month's California Automobile Museum Car Cruise and Show that was held in Midtown Sacramento.

The Mountain Lions have arranged for player and staff accommodations at the Hilton Hotel near Arden Fair Mall. The Hilton Sacramento Arden West will announce a special Mountain Lions promotional rate package on Monday, August 23.

With the start of fall camp just a couple of days away, Mountain Lion players, coaches and staff are energized and ready to go. The fans are very excited. A brief conversation with SCUS police officers outside the football complex gates clearly indicated that they're excited too. With the first home game on September 25 looking to be a sellout, and sound attendance projections for the rest of the home schedule, it seems everything is coming together well for Sacramento's newest professional sports team.

For more information, or to buy tickets, call the Sacramento Mountain Lions Ticket Office at or visit the Mountain Lions website ticket page.

FOA Celebrates Signing with Mountain Lions

2010-08-07T22:34:53Z

The UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions Wide Receiver Fred Otis Amey hosted an official signing party last night at the California State University, Sacramento Alumni Center. The event featured an appearance by members of the Mountain Lions cheer and dance squad, catered food, a video segment, the unveiling of a unique FOA logo, a raffle with prize giveaways, a benediction, and music - featuring a live performance by FOA himself.

The Mountain Lions had staff on site, as did Team Dynamix - the event organizer. Representatives from My Athletic Resume, a local enterprise focused on building personal resume websites for athletes, were also present. Several members of the CSUS Athletic Department and Football Alumni Chapter were also in attendance. FOA played for the Sacramento State Hornets prior to his professional career.

Clearly visible in the middle of everything was FOA's lovely and amazing wife, Tyreina. There's an old saying, "behind every great man is even greater woman." Understandably, she prefers to remain out of the spotlight, but it was absolutely clear that FOA honors her and deeply respects and appreciates the important role she plays in his life.

FOA also took the opportunity to announce the creation of the Generation Now Foundation, a non-profit enterprise committed to making a difference in the lives of others because the time for action is right now, people in our communities need help right now, and there no better time to give than right now. The website has not been developed yet, but the URL will be will be www.MyGenerationNow.org. FOA says the foundation "is all about helping get kids to that next level now, whatever it may be. It might be college, the NFL, or simply preparing for their SATs. We'll be mentoring, coaching, and developing these athletes' young minds."

For those who haven't followed his career, FOA's playing career at CSUS was quickly followed by some time on the NFL's San Francisco 49ers roster. Despite a thrilling preseason performance that produced the lone touchdown pass completed by 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith, and a regular season debut 75 yard punt return for a touchdown against the Saint Louis Rams, FOA's time on the field in the Bay Area was short. Sidelined by injury, he spent much of that first season recovering. FOA has also been a member of the Austin Wranglers, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Gladiators, BC Lions, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

After being released from the NFL, FOA played in the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League. However, he always remained committed to returning to both the top of his game and the community he knows and loves - Sacramento. When the UFL announced the move to Sacramento, he set his sights on playing here. He is one of four people who participated in the local Open Tryout who were invited to the Mountain Lions mini camp. His performance and character combined to present a compelling case for inclusion on the Mountain Lions roster.

The evening concluded with an exclusive look at the training facilities and field that the Mountain Lions will share with the Sacramento State Hornets. Mountain Lions staff assured us all that by the time the season comes around, we would not recognize the field. The combination of banners and turf insignia adjustments will clearly display the Mountain Lions brand.

Despite being in an NCAA facility, the Mountain Lions have secured the right to sell adult beverages at their games. The NCAA prohibits the sale of alcohol at sanctioned sporting events and facilities. That rule does not apply to the UFL or other professional sports leagues even when they lease those facilities. Combined with tailgating that will run throughout the day and early evening, Mountain Lions games are sure to be exciting. Team staff assured FOA and his close supporters that the first game will be a sell out. Across the spectrum of pro sports generally, Sacramento needs a sellout.

Walking with the Mountain Lions staff, we came across a black Nike slipper on the sidewalk outside the Alumni Center. The staff was quick to point out that it has been there all summer and no one has touched it. Superstitious athletes players consider it cursed. Anyone visiting the facility is highly encouraged not to touch it and to leave it right where it is.

There will be a select public viewing of facilities on August 20 from 6-9pm. The tour will be limited to season ticket holders. People interested in becoming season ticket holders can get more information through the Sacramento Mountain Lions website, or by contacting Daniel Curran at the Sacramento Mountain Lions business office. He can be reached by calling (916)-383-5466, or by email at daniel.curran@ufl-football.com.

New gym/wellness facility at CSUS

2010-07-08T01:56:28Z

With 151,000 square feet of floor space, self-shading sky lights, recycled sunflower seed walls, and a host of Big Ass Fans, Sacramento State's new recreation center is sure to be the main attraction when the fall semester begins.

The name of the building is the WELL. It's an acronym for: wellness, education, leisure, lifestyle. Inspiration for the name came from the perspective that the university didn't want just an athletic center, but a place that encouraged wellness in all aspects of a student's life.

The WELL will house a primary and urgent care clinic, pharmacy, psychological services and laboratory services in addition to four basketball courts, four racquetball courts, an indoor track, and plenty of cardio and free-weight space. The full list of features can be viewed here.

"It's more than just a recreation center — we're looking to service the students on many levels," WELL Director Mirjana Gavric said. "We're building a place where people can go and forget about books and finances for a half-hour and then get back to the world."

The project has been a long time in the making, dating back over 10 years when the student body rejected the proposal through a referendum in 1999. The project was shelved until three years later.

In 2002 the University Union Operation of CSUS Inc. explored the idea again in partnership with the university, Associated Students Inc., and other auxiliary organizations to discuss how to proceed.

They held open meetings and focus groups, and conducted a student survey to find out what the campus community would want in a building like this. They also hired an outside consultant to help them with feasibility aspects.

"It was really the partnership between the students and President (Alexander) Gonzalez that bought the project to fruition," Union Executive Director Leslie Davis said.

In the spring semester of 2004, a referendum was finally passed that made way for the WELL's construction. The project's groundbreaking ceremony was held in October 2008.

"The biggest thing about the WELL is the impact it will have on the campus. It will aid in the recruitment of students, it will aid in the retention of students, and it will be a source of pride," Davis said.

The new building cost $71.3 million, $50 million of which is being paid for through a California State University system-wide bond. The other portion of the cost is being covered by student fee hikes approved through the referendum passed six years ago, according to University Project Manager Victor Takahashi.

Takahashi is in charge of the design and construction of the WELL and has been one of the leaders in making sure the building meets LEED certification standards.

"We are trying to make this a sustainable building," Takahashi said.

The WELL management staff anticipate getting the silver certification but are working toward attaining gold. In order to achieve this, the building employs many different energy-efficient technologies. The abundance of natural lighting in the building and the use of recycled materials in the walls and floors are two examples of the building's green characteristics.

"We're cutting edge," Davis said.

The grand opening will be on Sept. 2 and will be open to the public. There will be free food, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the building and an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest dodgeball game.

You can view the WELL webcam with live video of the construction progress here.

Sac State's Undeveloped Hive

2010-06-30T03:28:25Z

Faculty and families living a mile from the university was the vision. Now, that vision may be a dream of the past.

The structure fire at a former California Youth Authority facility, now owned by Sacramento State, occurred just days before the demolition of 21 buildings on the property is slated to begin.

The fire at the 25-acre site the university calls Ramona Village was reported shortly after midnight Tuesday, June 29 in a building that formerly served as the CYA center’s commissary.

Demolition work is tentatively scheduled to begin mid-July and be completed by the end of September. University Enterprises Inc., an auxiliary of Sacramento State, oversees the property and contracts for a security firm for nightly patrols.

Sacramento State and UEI took possession of the 25-acre property in July 2005 following two years of negotiations with CYA and the state’s Department of General Services. University Enterprises paid $2.3 million for the land before transferring it to the University. The goal was to build housing to help recruit top faculty and staff to an area with fast-rising housing costs.

Ramona Village looked to meet this goal. Its initial concept looked to construct 500 mixed-use housing units, a community center, shops and restaurants. The housing units would be a combination of rental apartments, for-sale condominiums or townhouses, and single family homes specifically for Sacramento State faculty and staff. A child care center, a swimming and fitness center, parks and green space were also slated for construction. Public transit was also slated to go to the property.

Ramona Village’s final development plan, building designs, and environmental impact analysis was scheduled for completion in late 2008, with the first houses to be occupied by the end of 2009. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $150 million.

All plans for Ramona Village have remained on hold because of the economy, and the future use of the property has not been determined.

Ramona Village rendering from Sacramento State Facilities Services.

Circa Survive rocks Sacramento State

2010-05-08T02:02:07Z

Circa Survive, currently opening for Coheed and Cambria, made a pit stop in Sacramento on Thursday. The band took one night off its regular tour to play for more than 200 students and rock enthusiasts at Sacramento State's Union Ballroom.

The standing-room-only crowd was treated to two opening acts, both Sacramento bands. Ksera, which is playing for the Vans Warped Tour in June, played a 30-minute set that eased the audience into the rock that was yet to come.

Next came Mozart Season, playing songs from its upcoming album Nightmares. The group played songs such as "Look, Mom, I'm on TV" and "Saint Peter". As the four band members bobbed their heads in perfect unison, the music in the ballroom got louder and louder.

"We're having an awesome time up here opening for Circa Survive," said Nate Richardson, lead singer of Mozart Season. At the mention of the group, the crowd cheered.

Circa Survive hit the stage 90 minutes after the show began, before a screaming crowd. Lead singer Anthony Green wore a white T-shirt with the word "college" on the front.

"Is it finals week?" he teased. "I don't even know what that means anymore." Much to the crowd's delight, Green gave his expletive-laden thoughts on finals.

Circa Survive played tracks including "Get Out" and "Imaginary Enemy," off of Blue Sky Noise, its third album, which came out last month. The band's Sacramento stop was between shows in San Francisco and Portland.

"Thanks for coming out," said Green, "dancing and singing, being a part of this whole thing even if it was only for a little bit."

The guitar died down and the drums walked the band out, but the crowd wanted more. After five minutes of "one more song," Circa Survive came back for one last tune.

"You guys make us very happy," a smiling Green said. "This song is for all of you; we can't thank you enough" he added, tossing bananas into the crowd. Circa Survive ended with "Living Together" off of the album On Letting Go.

Erica Dal Lago, a Sacramento State student, and Brian Peat, who owns all of Circa Survive's albums, still were pumped up after the show.

"This was just as good as on their album," Peat said. "Anthony Green is amazing on stage."

Of the Sac State venue, Dal Lago said, "I think it's cool. It's small and inexpensive." She called the concert the perfect way to end her last semester.

Circa Survive rejoins Coheed and Cambria in Portland on Friday for the concert series that will run through May 28.

Late Sac State alum wins journalism award

2010-04-26T04:13:52Z

Jamie Gonzales was a good journalist and a better friend. Her tragic death at age 25 as a result of colorectal cancer never seemed fair to those who knew her.

Despite her short career in journalism, Jamie made an impact, and her work was recognized last week when the California Newspaper Publishers Association awarded her first place for column writing in its annual Better Newspapers Contest.

Her column/blog series focused on her “experiences and struggles with rectal cancer.”

Jamie graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a degree in government-journalism in 2007. She spent some time as an intern at The Auburn Journal before working as a reporter at the Elk Grove Citizen, covering the city's government.

When she was diagnosed with cancer, the Citizen editors let her stay on, enabling her to continue doing what she loved. And when it got so bad that she couldn’t go into work, they allowed her to blog from home. In a time when newspapers are cutting every cost possible in order to stay solvent, I thought that concrete gesture of support was really special.

I know Jamie did.

I met Jamie during my first semester at the Sacramento State campus newspaper, The State Hornet. At the time, she was the photo editor. I was surprised when she made the transition into reporting, and then eventually became the breaking news editor.

It’s uncommon for a student journalist to do so much and actually do it well, but Jamie had a knack for the business. She was even writing a fantasy novel in her spare time.

“It's not hyperbole to say her work helped usher The State Hornet website into a daily news operation,” former Hornet Editor-in-Chief Nate Miller wrote in his blog.

Jamie was diagnosed with cancer in March 2008 and told she had less than five years to live. I can’t imagine how hard that would be to hear, but Jamie never let it dampen her outlook on life. During hospital visits, she was always happy to see me and our other friends, and she always wanted to know what was going on in our lives.

Her condition quickly worsened as cancer treatments had little to no effect.

She enjoyed her 25th birthday party at The Cheesecake Factory with about 25 of her friends. At that point, most of us knew it would be her last, though we didn’t want to admit it.

That was in the spring. In the fall, her doctors told her she only had a few months to live. She really wanted to marry her fiancé, James Carey, but an infection took her life a month before her scheduled wedding date in November.

On Oct. 14, 2008, Hornet Adviser Holly Heyser went to visit Jamie with another Hornet staffer.

“(We) went to see her the night she died, and we didn’t realize it going over, but when we walked in the door it was pretty clear she was on her way out,” Heyser said. “She was on a lot of morphine, in a lot of pain.

“We told her how much we all loved her and cared for her,” Heyser said. “She opened her eyes and said, ‘Hey guys, thanks for stopping by,’ like we had come over for a beer or something. It seemed so automatic to come from her like that.”

A bridal shower scheduled for later in the week ended up being her wake.

For all of us who knew Jamie, hearing she won the award was bittersweet.

“It was kind of hard, because I read her last column over again, and it made me cry,” Heyser said. “I wish she could have been alive for this award, but I’m glad she got the recognition for it, and I’m glad the paper got the recognition for it. The paper definitely deserves some kudos for it as well.”

According to the Citizen’s website, it is the first award of its kind the paper has received since 2000.

“Reading through the very end of her last column, it reminds me how incredibly important education was to her,” Heyser said. “She really valued that degree, and she was very proud of it.”

Whether she realized it or not, I think Jamie taught us all something we could never have learned in school. She taught us how gracefully people can carry themselves in the face of a horrible, incurable condition.

Because education was so important to Jamie, Miller suggested starting a journalism scholarship in her name, and Heyser helped with the process.

“We wanted to channel people’s kindness through her, and we definitely need some more contributions to her fund to make it sustainable in honor of her accomplishments,” Heyser said.

Donations to the scholarship fund can be made to:

The Jamie Gonzales Memorial Scholarship Fund
c/o The State Hornet
Sacramento State
6000 J St., University Union-2nd Floor
Sacramento CA 95819-6102 

Brandon Darnell is a copy editor for The Sacramento Press

Top spoken word artist to perform at Sac State

2010-04-20T04:09:21Z

Award-winning slam poet Andrea Gibson will be performing in Sacramento for the first time on Thursday, April 22, to help celebrate the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community during California Statue University, Sacramento's Pride Week.

Boulder, Colo.,-based Gibson placed third in both the 2006 and 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam and was the first poet to win the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2008. Although awarded many slam titles, Gibson considers herself a spoken word artist rather than strictly a slam poet and now puts her emphasis on performing rather than competing.

The themes within Gibson's poetry range from gender norms to civil rights, from passionate love to detrimental heartbreak. A particular quality of Gibson's work is that she often shows both sides of an issue, forcing her audience to connect on basic, humanistic level.

Gibson also uses stories and experiences from her personal life to add to her shows, sometimes making herself feel overexposed.

"I think the real problem with our culture is how much it hides, how much it buries the truth," Gibson said. "In a culture so latent with lies, I think simply speaking the truth is a revolutionary act."

Gibson always loved writing but never dreamed of becoming a full-time traveling poet. "(Becoming a poet) is simply not something we are taught to believe," Gibson stated. Before hitting the road and making a career out of poetry, Gibson held several jobs. "I've worked with at-risk youth, I've been a preschool teacher, a construction worker, a pizza maker."

Although slam-style poetry has been around since the mid-1980's, Gibson is one of the few poets who consistently tours the country. This small group, which Gibson estimates is around 15 performers, is composed of poets who make a living out of their work while paving a path for future spoken word performers. In regards to the future of spoken word, Gibson said, "My hope is that the art continues to grow and inspire. I think at its best, spoken word can move people in ways they've never been moved before."

Opening for Gibson will be local spoken word performer and activist Jovi Radtke. Though raised in several scattered places throughout the Midwest, Radtke has called Sacramento home for the past 14 years. Radtke's personal definition of spoken word is "telling a story without breaking away from rhyme."

Radtke has performed in front of large rallies at the Capitol as well as at nonprofit fundraising events. In general, Radtke aims to perform in front of audiences that have never heard spoken word before. “I’m like a poet missionary,” she said, as one of her main goals is to spread the art form to unfamiliar listeners.

Issues of homelessness, gay rights and Christianity are sprinkled within Radtke’s work, but she considers the central purpose of writing to be personal therapy, saying, "The focus of the art for me is to say what I can't on a day-to-day basis.”

Using spoken word as a tool for activism, Radtke tries to create a universal common ground for her audience. "I'm not saying anyone is wrong," she said. "I'm saying we're all right."

Currently an office and project manager for a graphic art company by day, Radtke said she hopes to someday turn her poetry into a career.

Along with Phil Collins and David Bowie, Andrea Gibson is on Radtke's top list of inspirational people. "I'm very excited to share the stage with her," Radtke said with a smile.

The event is co-sponsored by UNIQUE, a program aimed at bringing quality and affordable shows to the community, as well as Sac State's PRIDE Center, a program supporting the gay community at Sac State. The PRIDE Center's co-coordinator, Nicole Scanlan, said she is excited for the festivities.

"The main goal of Pride Week is to bring awareness, educate and celebrate the LGBT community." Although the events of Pride Week take place on campus, Scanlan said the entire community is invited and encouraged to attend. For more information and a lineup of the week’s events, visit csus.edu/pride/events/.

Thursday evening's show is a free event and starts at 7:30 p.m. in the University Union Ballroom at Sac State, located at 6000 J St. There will also be an open mike before Radtke and Gibson take the stage.

For more information about Andrea Gibson, visit andreagibson.org, and for Jovi Radtke, joviradtke.com.

Capital Public Radio Reporters Win Distinguished Journalism Awards

2010-04-13T21:27:45Z

April 13, 2010
Contact: Constance Crawford
Capital Public Radio
(916) 278-8955
constance.crawford@csus.edu

Capital Public Radio Reporters Win Distinguished Journalism Awards

Capital Public Radio’s Marianne Russ has won the well-respected California Journalism Award. The annual award recognizes excellence in state government reporting in print, radio and television. It’s sponsored by the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State and the Sacramento Press Club. Russ, who is CPR’s Capitol Bureau Chief, won for a compilation of stories. They included an in-depth piece on legislation to stabilize the state’s water supply, as well as three stories about California’s ongoing budget woes. Russ dug into the details of Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget line-item vetoes, examined the state’s cash crunch and reported on California’s giant garage sale.

In April, Capital Public Radio Reporter Ben Adler received the 2010 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award given by The Radio Television Digital News Association. Adler won in the “continuing coverage” category for a series of stories examining homelessness in Sacramento. Adler’s series was selected over entries from other large market commercial and public stations in California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.

Russ was thrilled to learn she had won the California Journalism award. “I am deeply honored by the recognition”, she said. “I love covering state government and view it as critical to our democracy.”

Rick Eytcheson, President and General Manager of Capital Public Radio said, “Marianne is truly one of a kind. She’s a big part of the reason our California Capitol Bureau has seen such great success throughout the state and beyond. Ben is an excellent reporter who pursues local stories with energy and commitment. I am very proud of Capital Public Radio News.”

Russ runs CPR’s statewide political news service, the California Capitol Network (CCN). In 2006, she and fellow reporter Jenny O’Mara received the California Journalism Award for an in-depth series on bonds. In addition to his duties as a
reporter, Adler hosts All Things Considered weekday afternoons on Capital Public Radio’s News/Jazz stations.Links and stories related to each award can be found at capradio.org/awards.

Capital Public Radio serves more than 420,000 listeners per week with classical music, jazz, and in-depth news and information. Capital Public Radio also operates California Capitol Network (CCN) providing California State Capitol news to a network of over 30 radio stations in California, Nevada, and Oregon. The seven listener-supported, non-commercial frequencies: 88.9 FM (Sacramento), 90.9 FM (Sacramento), 91.7 FM (Groveland), 90.5 FM (Tahoe/Reno), 88.7 FM (Sutter/Yuba City), 88.1 FM (Quincy), and 91.3 FM (Stockton/Modesto)are licensed to Sacramento State.

####

Sacramento Statewide Leader in Green Job Growth

2010-04-12T20:57:28Z

Sacramento led the state in green job growth in 2008, with an increase in green jobs of 87% between 1995 and 2008, reports Many Shades of Green: Diversity and Distribution of California’s Green Jobs. This report was released by nonpartisan Next 10 and Collaborative Economics, and provides the most comprehensive green jobs accounting to date, systematically tracking the most recent available data on green companies, job type, location and growth across every sector and region of California.

There are other positive indicators in the Sacramento region that we are on our way to becoming the clean tech capital of the state. In its annual CleanStart Progress report, SARTA identified over $130 million in clean tech grants that were awarded in 2009 to organizations in the region. In 2010, we’ve already seen $905 thousand awarded to Sacramento State University for the development of a new training and workforce development program to enhance the region’s growing smart grid system.

SARTA’s CleanStart program identified 98 companies in the region engaged in the clean tech sector for 2009; twenty of these companies were new to the list. The clean-tech companies in the region include three publically traded companies: Solar Power Inc. (SOPW.OB), Octus Energy (OCTI.OB) and Pacific Ethanol (PEIX). Solar Power, Inc. one of the biggest clean tech success stories in the region, is making a splash with its 3.6 MW solar installation at Aerojet, soon to be upgraded to 6 MW. That installation will be the largest single industrial solar site in the country. The company recently announced a move to the growing clean tech park at McClellan, with an intention to add over 100 jobs there.

“Solar Power is joining a half dozen others in clean tech at McClellan Park,” said Gary Simon, Chairman of CleanStart. “All of them will be showcased at a networking mixer we are hosting at the Lions Gate Garden Pavilion at McClellan Park from 5 to 8 pm on Tuesday April 13, open to the public*. The entire growing clean tech cluster is one of the brightest spots in the local economy.”

Details for registering to attend Tuesday’s PowerSurge networking mixer as well as downloads of the CleanStart 2010 Progress report and the complete list of companies in Sacramento’s Clean Tech Cluster are available at www.cleanstart.org.

*PowerSurge is open the public but includes a general admission fee of $30; a reduced rate of $15 is available for SARTA members, full-time students and facutly members.

Save the trails around Sac State

2010-04-07T00:38:12Z

Just just off the campus of Sacramento State, across from the arboretum, lies a nature trail that is being repaired. Under the guidance of Prof. Michael Baad, students are trying to repair the trail and fix the ecosystem. They plan on planting plants native to California and improving the existing eucalyptus grove.

"Our goal is to have this area used as a real teaching tool," said student Nick Macias. "Hopefully, we can connect the trail to existing Sac State trails." Macias works in conjunction with Baad on the weekends to improve the trail.

Macias' goal is to improve the entrance and make it more accessible. Donations are being sought for rail ties, gravel, wood planks, shovels. Volunteers are welcome, too. Interested parties can contact Macias at nm539@saclink.csus.edu.

"I'm passionate about this project," Macias said. "If this gets people outside, then I'm happy."

Improv comedy performs at Sac State

2010-03-20T03:45:13Z

If finishing my last midterm was the cake, then watching Upright Citizens Brigade was the icing. And I had my fill when UCB performed its classic improv sketch comedy for an hour and a half Thursday before a crowd of 200.

Walking into the University Ballroom at Sacramento State, I could feel the energy as everyone waited for the show to begin. With UCB's television show long canceled, the only chance for viewing the show is at its Los Angeles or New York City theaters.

While I waited, I remembered a phone call earlier in the week:

"We take 15-22 of the best performers from both theater casts for the touring production," said director and coordinating producer Carter Edwards. "What people see are the best of the best from our talent pools."

Though there are only four cast members at each touring show, they change characters and run around the stage so much that it creates the illusion of 20 more people on stage.

The show was in three acts, with an intermission after the first.

In the first act, an audience member was chosen and given the microphone. Using his statements as fodder, the cast constructed short -- 45 seconds to 4 minute --improv skits that all related to one another.

I laughed uncontrollably as the cast pretended to look for American River College and pick up a hitchhiker along the way. "All sorts of crazy stuff goes on in this town," they said.

Skits centered around pop culture events to which everyone could relate. Topics included video games, snuggies and, my personal favorite, a French robot.

I wandered during intermission to the lobby, which was unusually busy for 8 p.m. A booth in the corner offered energy drink samples, and 10 or so shots later, I was more than ready for intermission to end.

I ran back into the ballroom and searched for my seat just as cast members retook the stage. They don't use many props, except four chairs. I never knew four regular office chairs could resemble a car, phone booth or couch.

The second act began with the audience shouting out movie titles. "Fight Club," a movie everyone had seen, was chosen and cast members began to act out "deleted scenes" lost from a DVD.

As the energy drink pumped in my veins, I laughed out loud at the parody. My favorite bit was about the real beginnings of "Fight Club" and its quest for more members. "It's hard to get members when the first rule states I can't talk about the club."

The last act was my favorite. Audience members were encouraged to share text messages from their cell phones.

Skits involved interrogating a man who just wants to party and a women's quest to label a man a liar for life.

The show was extremely funny, with cast members manipulating characters and plots into a common theme. Cast members cycled in and out of scenes, waiting to be called into the comedy arena.

Cast members were Joel Spence, Colton Dunn, Heather Anne Campbell and Suzi Barrett.

Photo credits: Matthew Ceccato

Veterans helping veterans

2010-03-08T03:48:55Z

Veterans all over the region are homeless, struggling to find their next meal. They served their country with pride and now find themselves in dire straits. Enter the Student Veterans Organization from California State University, Sacramento.

Until March 26, all nonperishable donations are being accepted by the club. There are several drop-off bins located in the Sac State student union that are available for anyone to use. Donations can also be made to the Student Veterans Organization, located in Lassen Hall.

All donations will benefit the Sacramento Veterans Resource Center. The center has multiple ways of assisting veterans from every generation. It provides counseling, housing, employment help and training.

"It's important for us to take care of each other," said veteran Tom Chute. "(Veterans) are the ones who served and deserve respect and their basic needs taken care of."

This is the major donation drive of the year for the club. Each fall, clothes are collected for the center, while canned goods are collected in the spring.

"The resource center and their services are the key to dignity for veterans," Chute added. "Talking to someone who cares and has gone through similar experiences is extremely helpful for struggling veterans."

Donate now to help people who know the meaning of service.

The Student Veterans Organization can be reached at 278-6733 or on its website.

Wellness at Sac State

2010-03-02T17:51:51Z

Earlier this winter I was at Sac State's track for a fitness event. I was surprised to see the magnitude of the new Wellness Center that had been in the planning stages when I was there as a grad student a few years ago. As a graduate of UCLA, I have a scale of comparison to what I experienced returning to Sac State. I had also attended Sac State for one very mediocre year after high school so I was interested in seeing what had changed. I can only speak about the Art Department and can't say enough great things about the faculty. About the facilities? Shockingly underfunded and at times, pathetic, with students having to do work that facilities should do. The Art Dept. is split into two areas on the campus. The original building exists just as it did in the 60's, and the other building, far across campus, occupies what I told was the former fish and game facility, a corrugated, dirty peeling hulk with noisy, retrofitted air and heat. By comparison, a new, very expensive book store was recently built and now, back to the sports facility.

On that first day, I noticed a banner sagging sadly on a fence near the new building. It read, "Wellness Center, opening Fall 2010." I noted the irony of the elaborate building compared to what had happened to the student experience in the last several years. Two Saturdays ago I returned to the track for another event and was surprised to see the construction site crawling with workers. I was annoyed, so I asked a "hardhat" if they were getting paid overtime. He gave me a thumbs up.

Now I'm not here to whine about the state of the art facilities verses sports. It's all critical. I am here to comment on the priorities of the physical plant verses providing a full selection of classes for a full-time talented faculty, five days per week, all day, at reasonable costs, without the burden of overloaded administrative costs.

Kip Fulbeck Brings Mixed Race Discussion to Sac State

2010-02-23T07:39:38Z

Kip Fulbeck, an artist, slam poet, filmmaker, and teacher at UC Santa Barbara, informed and entertained about 300 people Thursday at Sacramento State.

Fulbeck is a renowned figure who created the Hapa Project, a project focusing on mixed-race people that includes a book, photograph exhibit and online community. The term "hapa" is used to refer to someone of mixed racial heritage that includes Asian or Pacific Islander descent.

His nearly hour-and-a-half-long presentation, "Race, Sex and Tattoos," combined short films, poetry, humor, stories, and even a quiz in a format that analyzed personal identity, with a focus on mixed-race people. While the event featured some of Fulbeck's humorous films, his stories about his own mixed-race background and the creation of his three books guided most of the presentation.

Fulbeck was honest and quite funny, and presented his material with enthusiasm and passion, instantly connecting with the audience.

"It was honest," said Jacki Rohrer, a communications studies major. "He spoke about things people are afraid to speak about."

"It opened my eyes to how mixed-race people see the world," said Lisa Prefach, a sophomore studying computer engineering.

Fulbeck opened with a short film before reciting a poem and giving the audience a quiz. He then talked about his books "Part Asian, 100% Hapa" and "Permanence: Tattoo Portraits," which both feature portraits of either Hapa people or people with tattoos and the corresponding statements they give.

He told a touching story about a Holocaust survivor, featured in "Permanence," who shared with Fulbeck pictures of her family members who died in the Holocaust.

Fulbek ended the evening with a video about how a number of "ethnically-ambiguous" Disney characters look like him. It was a lighthearted and humorous way to end a presentation that dealt with some intriguing issues in a way that only the multi-talented Kip Fulbeck could have done.

Fulbeck's books "Part Asian, 100% Hapa" and "Permanence: Tattoo Portraits" are available now, and his new book, "Mixed Kids," which features portraits and statements of mixed-raced children, comes out next month. You can find more on Fulbeck and watch some of his short films at his website, redsushi.com.

Jack's Mannequin Bringing Piano Rock to Sacramento State

2010-02-09T04:27:27Z

Popular rock band Jack's Mannequin is playing at Sacramento State Thursday. The concert is the fifth stop for the "Sing for Your Supper Tour," which also features rock bands Vedera and fun.

fun. member Andrew Dost said the tour has been awesome so far.

"It's been such a joy to play for people who are so accepting of new music," he said. "The bands are good. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Jack's Mannequin."

Dost said fun. is on its second tour with Jack's Mannequin, which is enjoying the success of its second album, "The Glass Passenger." The album has sold over 200,000 copies since its release in September 2008.

Jack's Mannequin formed as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the lead singer and songwriter of piano-punk band Something Corporate, when McMahon wanted to write music that wouldn't fit the Something Corporate sound.

He started recording the debut album of Jack's Mannequin, "Everything in Transit," during a hiatus from Something Corporate. "Everything in Transit" was a success, selling over 250,000 records and earning Jack's Mannequin a large following. But McMahon's life was about to change.

McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on the last day of recording "Everything in Transit."

Over the next year and a half, he received constant cancer treatment, started the "Dear Jack" foundation for cancer research, and saw the public release of "Transit." In July 2006, McMahon announced he no longer needed treatment and had made a full recovery. McMahon recently released the "Dear Jack" DVD, a documentary about his struggle with leukemia.

Since McMahon's recovery and the release of "The Glass Passenger," Jack's Mannequin fan base has continued to grow, with people gravitating to McMahon's honest songwriting and catchy rock songs laced with piano hooks.

The "Sing For Your Supper Tour" marks the third time McMahon has played at Sacramento State, once with Something Corporate and once with Jack's Mannequin.

"Both shows were great," said Zenia LaPorte, program adviser for Sacramento State's UNIQUE program. "They were very entertaining and did very well attendance-wise."

LaPorte said the show is going to be great.

"Jack’s Mannequin has great energy," she said. "Most wouldn’t think you could do much with a piano, but this guy really rocks it."

Jack's Mannequin and the "Sing For Your Supper Tour" will be in the University Ballroom of the Sacramento State Student Union Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available, and are $18 for Sacramento State students and $24 for the general public. You can get tickets at the Sacramento State box office, or at tickets.com.

Chuck D raps a new game to Sac State students

2010-02-06T03:19:49Z

Chuck D of Public Enemy spoke Thursday night at Sac State's Union Ballroom. Students from Sac State, Sacramento High School and community members braved the rain to listen to him speak for an hour-and-a-half.

D directed his speech to the younger students in the room, the freshmen and sophomores who are new to the higher learning system. He spoke about the importance of education, stressing that it is a way for people to improve their lives.

He credited his wife,Gaye Theresa Johnson, a college professor who was in attendance, with instilling a love of knowledge in him.

D captured his audience by using slang and references of the younger generation.

"(Chuck) gave us the tools necessary to be successful," said Sac State junior Connell Johnson. "Tonight was very useful and I hope to take these tools into the future to empower myself."

The message was simple : Manage your life.

D warned students to be aware of the dangers of technology. Constant texting and tweeting is ruining the generation, he said. "Students need to use the Internet for better purposes. Become a nerd in what you love."

He also criticized the thousands of kids on the street wearing clothing and brands they have no knowledge of. D stressed the need for people to learn everything about the things they love, be it clothing, cars or books.

"What does this have to do with you doing you?" D asked the audience frequently. He explained that it's students' responsibility to educate themselves and become marketable in a shrinking job market. D said uneducated people will face the toughest job market in 2020.

Every generation is worried about the next, he said, and technological advancements are dividing our country. Mixing jokes, stories and charisma, D was able to reach his target generation, as proven by the cheers and applause that broke out during and after the lecture.

"His message was good," said Trevon Walker, a Sacramento High student, as he played with his iPhone. "I will try to use his advice in my life."

Photos by Matthew Ceccato

The New Humans Rock at Sacramento State

2010-02-04T03:28:47Z

From its first note to its last song, The New Humans rocked the Sacramento State campus earlier today.

The New Humans, a Sacramento-based four-piece band that describes its sound as "electro piano rock," played a 40-minute set in the University Union for approximately 150 students.

It was part of Sacramento State's weekly "Wednesday Nooner" free concert series, presented by UNIQUE.

The band opened with an intro that quickly set the tone for the show: Drums, synth and loops swelled until the band launched into its first song, a dance-worthy tune that featured heavy drums and piano hooks.

The rest of the set was filled with energetic songs that showcased The New Humans' ability to mix soaring vocals, funky bass lines, piano riffs and intelligent drumming to impress even the most jaded music critic.

Their sound could be compared to The Killers, but with a little more dance and a little more intensity. The comparison is welcomed by keyboardist Cole Cuchna.

"We love The Killers. They are one of our major influences," he said. Cuchna also credited British musicians Keane with showing his band that you don't need a guitar to rock.

The New Humans, like Keane, don't have an electric guitar, but use a keyboard, synth, bass guitar and drums to write good songs and get the crowd dancing. It was more than enough to entertain the audience, who gave a loud ovation at the set's close.

"It was very good," said student Mike Archibald, a DJ with Sacramento State's student-run radio station KSSU. "I enjoyed their musicianship."

"My mind is blown," student Will Floyd said.

The New Humans loved the opportunity to play at Sac State.

"We were stoked to play," lead singer and synth man Scott Simpson said. "It was great to play for people who normally wouldn't hear us."

There will be more opportunities to view The New Humans, as they are enjoying a busy year. They recently performed at the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival, and are looking forward to more performances, including a show in San Francisco Thursday and a Haiti relief show at Luigi's Fungarden on Feb. 19.

They are also expecting to release an eight-song EP later this year, although you can get their song "Fever" now on the iTunes Music Store and Amazon's MP3 store.

The New Humans are definitely worth checking out. Just remember to bring your dancing shoes and prepare to be impressed.

Chuck D to speak at Sacramento State

2010-02-03T07:43:03Z

Chuck D is a rebel without a pause. The co-founder of seminal hip-hop group Public Enemy is a rapper, author and activist. He refers to himself as a "raptivist," and "an ambassador for hip-hop."

Thursday night, D will give a free speech at Sacramento State, where he'll be talking about rap, race, technology and communication. The event will also be a celebration of Black History Month.

D likes to talk. Given that he writes a blog, tours the world on speaking gigs, and owns the SLAMjams music label, which recently threw together an iTunes album for Haiti, he is surprisingly available. He called me for an unscheduled interview, just a few minutes after I e-mailed him.

"You can't go through life afraid to speak your mind," he said. "That is what you have your mind for. You're not a robot. Companies make robots. You have the capacity to think beyond that."

Public Enemy holds itself to the same mantra. Including its debut, "Yo, Bum Rush The Show" in 1987, Public Enemy has released 10 ten albums, each one a complete reinvention for the group. It even released albums online before MP3s were popular.

Most importantly, Public Enemy defied listeners to remain open to different types of music and people. Their collaboration and tour with thrash metal group Anthrax is still groundbreaking. On top of that, Public Enemy was one of the first hip-hop acts to use songs like "Fight the Power," "Bring the Noise" and "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," as political statements.

"I think that people want to be (politically) active, but the business, the music industry, has not encouraged artists to go far out of the box," he said. "It's kind of like a controlled state."

But the future has hope. D wants artists to reach inside themselves and form their own opinions, he said.

"I think the thing that inspires me is young minds, especially on the collegiate level," he said. "It's important to understand that a lot of young minds are not corrupted by the things that have plagued society — they're like an open book."

Relative fame and fortune aside, the nearly 50-year-old D is still humble. He still has love for his longtime friend and Public Enemy co-founder Flavor Flav.

"He's the same Flavor Flav as he was on day one," D said. "It's no different than Bruce Springsteen and Little Stephen. (We're) still in the same band."

When the earthquake struck Haiti last month, he threw together a Haiti benefit album in five days by asking artists on his label to contribute songs. D reasoned that any dollar he can donate will be a dollar more than what the Haitians have now.

Chuck D, 7:30 - 10:30 p.m., CSUS University Union Ballroom, all ages, free.

Photograph credit Walter Leaphart

Tough times ahead for students and professors

2010-02-03T04:40:23Z

With unemployment rising and private college tuition skyrocketing, more and more people are returning to school at all ages. Sacramento State and Sacramento City College have both seen an increase in enrollment despite an increase in fees.

Sacramento State's fees were raised $672 per year. Increased fees doesn't equal a better education. After reaching a compromise with the Board of Trustees, the California State University Employee's Union approved 24 furlough days school wide. These days are designated under the direction of President Alexander Gonzalez and each department head.

With eight campus-wide furlough days, the entire school shuts down. Students are unable to inquire about financial aid or other services, teachers are forbidden from grading or preparing for the next lecture and the administration is banned from work on or off campus.

In essence, students at Sac State are paying 30 percent more per class for 10 percent less class time than in previous years. Teachers are forced to re-tool their lecture plan for the added days off.

"My biggest concern involves students getting into the classes they need for graduation", said Kim Roberts, a psychology professor at Sac State. "There are seniors that only need one class to graduate and they are unable to get into the class needed."

Other problems plague local students as well. Class sizes have swollen to record numbers, forcing students to take fewer units than planned.

"I enrolled on my exact enrollment day and every class I wanted was already closed or wait-listed," City College student Charles Latham said. "I tried around 30 classes and couldn't find a single one. I started the semester wait-listed for eight classes— I got into one."

With a decrease in the amount of instruction days, professors are tailoring their lesson plans for the new schedule. Essays, projects and even finals have all been cut from various classes by the professor. Students are upset about paying more for less class time.

"We are still tested on information they don't have time to teach in class," Sac State senior Kirsten Williams said. "I absolutely believe my education has been effected by furloughs."

Photos by Michael Ramirez

Photo #1: The main enterance to Sac State

Photo #2: Professor Robert's psychology class

Hornets defeat Seattle

2010-01-10T07:00:44Z

Charles Garcia began the 2009-10 college basketball season relatively unknown while playing for Seattle University. With 2010 underway, it's clear Garcia is registered on the NBA radar.

Some observers say the 6-foot-10, 230-pounder could be a first-round choice in the June NBA draft.

Garcia was at Sac State during his freshman year, but could not keep his academic status stable enough to play or practice for the Hornets.

Garcia made a return to the Hornet Gym with his Redhawks, Saturday afternoon. It was Sac State who displayed all of its wares during a closer-than-it-seemed 80-67 victory before a crowd of 783.

Garcia scored 16 points, but made just five of 14 field-goal attempts and grabbed just five rebounds.

He entered the game the nation's 10th-leading scorer at 21.8 points per game and was averaging 9.3 rebounds. Garcia was the Redhawks leading scorer, but the Hornets made him and his teammates work for everything they had. Chris Gweth scored 14 for Seattle (7-10) and former Sacramento High and Yuba College point guard Cervantes Burrell scored 11.

Meanwhile, the Hornets placed six players into double-figure scoring, led by Antonio Flaggs and Duro Bjegovic, with 16 each.

Hornets coach Brian Katz, who was selected out of a coaching candidate field that included Seattle's Cameron Dollar, admitted to wondering what it would be like to coach Garcia.

"I didn't do it during the game, but all week while I was watching film I did," Katz said. "I don't know a coach who wouldn't want to coach Garcia. He's a tremendous athlete."

That didn't prevent Katz from using an attack-dog mentality in an attempt to slow Garcia. A number of pro scouts, including Kings President Geoff Petrie, were in attendance to see the 21-year-old from Los Angeles.

"We wanted to try and make him put it on the floor," Katz said. "We didn't want to let him get comfortable. When he did put it on the floor, we wanted to put what I call our blitz on him and make him back up and don't leave.

"I didn't care if he dribbled into the next county."

Hornets guard Domineek Daniel, who scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, said having a week off prior to the game helped the team prepare for Garcia and the season's remainder.

"We had physical practices Monday and Tuesday and I think that helped us get back to tightening up our defensive game," Daniel said.Katz said his team needed a reminder of what it is about.

"Sometimes during a season you can lose your way," Katz said. "But you have to hang your hat on something. For us, we've got to play the most relentless defense there is."

Garcia found out the Hornets' defense was in a pretty good state Saturday afternoon.

Classical Concert This Sunday Features Bach’s Goldberg Variations

2009-12-19T00:02:05Z

Concert pianist Sachiko Kato will perform Bach’s Goldberg Variations on Sunday, December 20, at 3 p.m. The hour-long performance will take place in Capistrano Hall at Sacramento State. Concerts are free to members of the Crocker Art Museum, $12 for nonmembers and $5 for students and seniors. Free parking is available in Parking Structure I, which is adjacent to the Hall.

The Goldberg Variations, composed in 1742, is one of Bach’s masterpieces, but it is not often performed in concert due to the complexity and length of the work. Kato will open the concert with a work by contemporary Japanese composer Somei Satoh titled Hashi (Bridges) II.

A native of Osaka, Japan, Kato grew up in Los Angeles where she gained recognition as a promising artist and started performing with the Brentwood Symphony Orchestra at age 15. She received a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Northridge, and was offered a scholarship to study at the Juilliard School, where she received a Master of Music degree. Her teachers included renowned pianists Russell Sherman, Jerome Lowenthal and Herbert Stessin.

Kato has performed extensively throughout the United States and Japan. She has recently been heard at the Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall and Performing Arts Library, World Financial Center, Steinway Hall and Klavierhaus Hall in New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She is also a founder of "Weaving Japanese Sounds – Music of Modern Japan" which presents the works of various Japanese contemporary composers to American audiences in friendly settings. Her debut album, Sachiko Kato: Live at the Phoenix Hall, was released in 2008 and features piano works of Japanese and American contemporary composers.

The Crocker’s Classical Concert series will go on hiatus following the December concert. The series will resume after the Museum opens its expanded facility to the public on October 10, 2010.

Crocker Classical Concerts are supported in part by Capital Public Radio. For more information, call (916) 808-7000 or visit crockerartmuseum.org/classical.

The Crocker Art Museum was established in 1885 and continues as the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of California, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in Downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday; Thursday until 9 p.m. Admission is free on Sundays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 808-7000 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.

Social Media for the Social Good—Non-profits Explore New Methods of Outreach

2009-11-20T04:17:59Z

Three local non-profit organizations were featured in a Sacramento Social Media Club panel on Tuesday evening hosted by the Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. The panel included Celia Cortez, Projects and Event Manager for the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Jordan Blair, Board Member for River City Food Bank; and Jon Benorden, Program Coordinator for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Service (CARES). Lesley Miller, Media Director for 3Fold Communication, also sat on the panel. Moderator Josh Morgan, principal at Morgan/Dorado and program director for the Sacramento Social Media Club, focused the discussion on how non-profits are using social media to educate, engage, and build lasting relationships with their communities.

Facebook was the unanimous point of entry into social media for all three organizations. Cortez said the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber selected Facebook because it was the most popular platform among their member organizations; Blair choose Facebook for River City Food Bank because it is the platform upon which he spends the most time. “Facebook provides an easy way for people to connect with causes and non-profits thanks to its one-click ‘become a fan’ feature, “commented Morgan. River City Food Bank, where many of their long-term contributors are past retirement age, is finding that Facebook helps them to engage with the next generation of donors. However some of their loyal supporters are stepping out into social media as well; an 85 year old volunteer joined Facebook just so he could “friend” the River city Food Bank. Benorden said that their “old school” supporters are beginning to mesh with the new people they’ve engaged through their group & page on Facebook but that CARES still has a long way to go.

Both the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and CARES are also using Twitter to promote their organizations and causes. Miller said 3Fold encourages their clients to cross post on multiple social media platforms to increase the traffic among all the sites. For example, use Twitter to remind people the organization is on Facebook or create an event on Yelp and ask people to write a review. I frequently use Twitter to drive traffic to SARTA.org’s website or LinkedIn group where more detailed membership and event information is available.

CARES created both a group page and a fan page for its campaign “Are You the Difference” which strives to eliminate new cases of HIV in the Sacramento region by 2015. Benorden plans to expand the campaign to include other platforms like Flickr and YouTube. On YouTube, CARES wants to personalize and promote their campaign by featuring user generated videos about how individuals can be or are the difference in eliminating new cases of HIV.

The biggest challenge for all of the organizations is finding the time to manage and maintain their social media accounts. Cortez shared that she uses cross posting tools to lessen the amount of time she spends managing each platform the Hispanic Chamber employs. Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and Seesmic were mentioned as free services for managing multiple accounts and platforms and Radian6 was recommended as a new professional service for this purpose. Benorden prefers to uniquely post to Facebook and Twitter to keep variety in the CARES messages, but he sticks to a common theme. Blair, who in addition to his responsibilities as a board member of the River City Food Bank works a full time job, schedules time on his weekly calendar to tend to his social media chores. When asked if a volunteer could handle the job, the general consensus among the panelists was that most volunteers and interns do not have enough depth or experience with the organization or its causes to determine social media platform content or to respond to questions and remarks received by followers and friends on the sites. For CARES, sensitivity to and experience with HIV/AIDS is a must for anyone representing the organization on its social media platforms.

The panel wrapped up with a discussion on event promotion using Facebook ads and other tools. All of the organizations are considering using Facebook ads and River City Food Bank has budgeted money for this purpose next year. Benorden pointed out that even if no one clicks through an “Are You the Difference” ad, if enough information is included about the campaign, there is value in people seeing the ad multiple times. Miller said 3Fold advises their clients to put nearly as much energy into post event promotion as they do pre event. Blair followed this advice after a recent River City Food Bank fundraiser, uploading event photos long into the night. The post event promotion is a valuable investment in the success of future events and helps those who attend feel more part of the organization—especially if they are featured in a photo!

After the panel ended, participants informally exchanged ideas on how they are using social media and also had a chance to meet the panelists and ask more questions. The event was live tweeted by volunteer Ira Cohen on behalf of @SMCSac using the hashtag #smcsac. The venue provided by Sacramento State College of Continuing Education is well equipped for meetings and seminars and the Senior Program Coordinator, Toni Ramirez shared that the college is considering offering courses on social media in the future.

Social Media Club, an international non-profit organization, brings together journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, amateur media creators, citizen journalists, teachers, students, tool makers, and other interested collaborators. The Sacramento chapter was founded in March of 2009 by local users of social media. Free events are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month, but in December, the group is planning a Holiday Party or “holitweetup” in partnership with SacTweetUp on December 10 at Hot Italian in midtown. In January, the normal schedule of monthly panels will resume. For information about the Sacramento Social Media Club and its events, join their groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter.

Photgraphs by Marie Young Photography. For more photos of this event visit her Facebook Page

Sacramento Social Media Club Leadership Team:

Julie Berge, Angela D'Arcy, Laura Good, Suzanne Hopkins, Ronnie Ledesma, Jeff Marmins, Josh Morgan

Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Announces Keynote Speaker Daniel Sperling

2009-10-03T01:39:34Z

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is an internationally-renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues. In December he co-authored the book Two Billion Cars which projects that within 20 years the number of motor vehicles on the planet will double from its current total of one billion due primarily to growth in India and China.

Sperling is a Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis, and Founding Director of the university's Institute of Transportation Studies. He also serves on the California Air Resources Board, chairs the Future of Mobility Council of the Davos World Economic Forum, and has authored 10 books and over 200 technical papers and reports on transportation and energy.

Recently, The Clean Tech staff sat down with Dan Sperling to discuss the future of green technologies in the Sacamento region and the upcoming Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase.

CleanTech: How important will green technologies be to the economic growth of the Sacramento region?

Dan Sperling: Green technologies could provide a large economic boost to the Sacramento area. UC Davis and Sacramento State provide the knowledge base and, very importantly, the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs needed to build green technology companies. Angel and venture capital investors are key to launching entrepreneurial start-ups, while larger biotech and IT companies have the resources to expand their Sacramento initiatives.

CleanTech: Can you give us a preview of your keynote address?

Dan Sperling: We need to transform our vehicles, fuels, and mobility systems if we are to significantly reduce oil use and greenhouse gases. It is less a question of cost than vision, leadership, and will. Most vehicles of the future will be powered by electricity, hydrogen and biofuels. Such a future transportation system would be very efficient and could be very low carbon.

The two places with the most troublesome emissions problems - California and China - are taking the lead in developing effective strategies that can help wean us from our reliance on conventional, petroleum-fueled cars.

California's embrace of eco-friendly policies, supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and China's willingness to confront the twin environmental and energy crises wrought by exponential growth in cars, suggest that if they can develop ingenious and effective solutions, there really is reason for hope.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase features some of the nation's key thought leaders on green and clean technology. It is the ideal venue to network with experts, explore new technologies, navigate regulations and examine workforce concerns.

The Clean Tech Showcase will be held Friday, October 16 at Sacramento State University. For more information or to register, visit www.cleanstart.org.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is produced by CleanStart, an initiative of SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) designed to accelerate the development of clean technology ventures within the Greater Sacramento Region. SARTA is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth and attract investment capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Join the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Facebook Page

Spike & Mike's 'Sick & Twisted' at Sac State

2009-09-24T03:41:30Z

Audiences will laugh and cringe through a variety of disturbing and repulsive topics at Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation, coming to Sacramento State's University Union Ballroom Thursday.

"Spike & Mike shows are different from other movies," said Zenia Diokno, program adviser for event-sponsor UNIQUE. "There is a ton of energy in the crowd. Everyone is yelling and having fun. I thought it would be great to host this on a college campus."

The film will include 28 short animated clips ranging from one to five minutes. Highlights from this year's film include "Washington," the popular Internet cartoon by Brad Neely, and Jeff Chiba Stearns' Post-It production of "Yellow Sticky Notes."

"It's all gonna be good," Diokno said. "My favorite animation is 'Rats on Cocaine' [by Apocalypse Cartoons]. It's kind of like the movie Blow, but with rats and way more disturbing."

Sick & Twisted is presented by Mellow Manor Productions, Inc., better known as "Spike & Mike."

Mellow Manor, started by Craig "Spike" Decker and Mike Gribble in the early '70s, originally promoted underground bands with retro-style short animated films. This led to presentations of special shows, including all-night horror-thons, and movie classics like Slaughterhouse 5 that would open with animated shorts, such as "Betty Boop" and cult favorite "Bambi Meets Godzilla" by well-known animation filmmaker Marv Newland. The popularity of these films grew, and in 1977, Spike & Mike began promoting animated shorts full time.

In 1990, the Sick & Twisted Festival began as an outlet for animated pieces that were too revolting, adult in nature, or politically incorrect for the Classic show. This festival is the birthplace of Mike Judge's "Beavis and Butthead" and Matt Stone and Trey Parker's "Spirit of Christmas," the original, uncensored "South Park."

Justin Randle, UNIQUE volunteer, looks forward to a peek at the up-and-coming animations. "I'm excited to see what will succeed past the festival and come out on television," he said.

Spike & Mike shows have amassed a huge cultlike following and have been hosted at a multitude of notorious festivals including the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes International Film Festival, and the International Festival of Animation in Annecy, France.

Each year the Sick & Twisted show premieres at the San Diego Comic-Con convention and continues to play throughout the year at theaters, film festivals and college campuses in over 50 cities across the United States and Canada.

While the popularity of the festival has continuously grown, it has sparked controversy for exhibiting works perceived as violent, sexist, ageist, or insensitive in nature.

The Crest Theatre has hosted the Sick & Twisted show many times in the past. "It's very popular, but it definitely appeals to a distinct audience," said Sid Heberger, theater manager. "I love, love, love 'Lupo the Butcher' [an animation by Danny Antonucci]. I'll wear my Lupo T-shirt tomorrow to support the festival!"

Several well-known animators got their start with Spike & Mike, bringing bizarre works into mainstream culture.

Tim Burton and John Lasseter of Disney and Pixar have both premiered their works in the Classic Festival of Animation. Popular animators Bill Plympton, known for drawing every frame of an animation himself, and Don Hertzfeldt, famous for traditional pen-and-paper animation of hand-drawn stick figures, have been nominated for Academy Awards for their films ("Your Face" and "Rejected," respectively) featured in past festivals.

UNIQUE is a volunteer group, started in 1978 at Sacramento State, that works to bring innovative, quality entertainment to campus. Student volunteers plan, promote and produce all UNIQUE events with the goal to present a variety of highly attended, low-cost events.

"UNIQUE really brings a lot of people together," Randle said.

Entertainment and educational events organized by UNIQUE include concerts, lectures, cultural programs, films, comedy and performing arts. Past events include a screening of The Simpsons Movie and concerts featuring the Plain White T's and Ozomatli.

The show will run from 7:30 to 9:05 p.m. and is free of charge. All ages will be admitted to the film; however, most content is not suitable for children.

CSUS Budget Rally

2009-09-03T23:45:51Z

The California State University system faces a $1.27 billion dollar cut in its 2009-10 General Fund Budget from one year ago. While total enrollment is up 4,000 students across the CSU system, budget outlays are 55 percent less than they were in 2008-09.

To balance the CSU budget, the CA Board of Trustees has enacted a three prong approach. Teachers will be furloughed twice a month in order to save jobs, classes are being cancelled to save cash, and students will see a 32 percent increase in their student fees. This is the seventh time in eight years that student fees have gone up, and students are finding it very difficult to graduate because the classes they need have either been canceled or are completely full.

Ten years ago (1999-00), the California State University system had a General Fund Budget of $650 million more than it does today. From that same fiscal year, CSU enrollment is up over 80,000 students and student fees have increased 263 percent.

Video by Adam Christy

Sacramento State graduation 2009

2009-05-23T05:55:41Z

Sacramento State University sent thousands of graduates off to their next venture in life Fri. May 22 during graduation ceremonies held at Arco Arena. Tomorrow, Sat. May 23, will see thousands more move their tassels.

The ceremonies' main speaker was Sac State president, Alexander Gonzalez, who wished the graduates well in their upcoming quest for employment. He placed emphasis on the importance of hard work and diligence in the struggling economy and requested alumni to remember to give to the university when they achieve success.

A highlight of the College of Arts and Letters commencement ceremonies, held at noon, was the graduation of 92 year-old Estelle Rees Arroyo who received her Bachelor of Arts History degree. When asked why she returned to school Arroyo told ABC news on Wed. May 20, "I was watching too much TV. I decided if I kept it up my mind was going to go to mush." Arroyo received a standing ovation twice, once when her accomplishment was announced by Pres. Gonzalez and also when her name was called to receive her degree.

Another moment of importance was the awarding of an honorary doctorate degree to Sacramento businessman and philanthropist, Fred Teichert. Teichert is executive director of the Teichert Foundation, which offers grants to charities and other local community organizations.

After a long ceremony, graduates refrained from the traditional hat throw, opting instead to bat around several beach balls. Excitement filled the air as congratulations were offered by Pres. Gonzalez and the group was dismissed to celebrate with their families.

Hornet Gymnastics Look to Continue a Strong Start

2009-01-17T01:38:25Z

The Sacramento State Women's Gymnastics Team have traveled up to Seatle for a meet tonite against the University of Washington, Stanford, and Seatle Pacific. This is the second meet of the season for the Hornet's who defeated Cal Berkley and their rivals UC Davis last Saturday in Berkley. Tonite's meet begins at 7:00 and is being broadcasted by the University at http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=wash&media=98456

Hornet Gymnastics Look to Sting Competition This Season

2008-12-10T20:43:02Z

Sacramento State isn't generally known for their athletic prowless. This can be contriubted to the fact that the sports that usually get the most publicity, Football and Men's Basketball, are routinely fairly mediocre. The truth is that Sacramento State is actually extremely competitive in most women's sports including Softball, Rowing, and Gymnastics.

The Sacramento State Women's Gymnastics team is perhaps the most consistantly talented teams on campus. They have made 3 straight trips to the NCAA Regional Finals and were back to back Western Athletics Conference Champions in 2006 and 2007. This year Women's Gymnastics looks to take a third title in 4 years at their home gym on campus where the Conference Tournament will be held on March 21.

For those of you who found yourself captivated by the performance of the USA Women's Gymnasitcs team this summer in Beijing you should make it a point to come out and see these Hornets compete! Tickets are in expensive and every seat is a good seat at the Hornet's Nest Gymnasium on the Sacramento State Campus.

This Friday, seniors Amber Basgall and Marina Borisova look to lead their team in an intersquad competition at 7:30 pm. The competition pins the girls against eachother as they are separated into two teams in a warm up meet for the upcoming season. This will be a great meet for new fans to check out how talented the Sacramento State Women's Gymnastics team really is.

For more information about the team and this year's schedual check out www.hornetsports.com/wgym