Chico State
Take a Hike!
The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) fulfills a variety of important functions: it provides numerous opportunities for graduate student research projects from archaeology to zoology; it serves as an outdoor classroom for third and fourth grade students who learn about its flora and fauna within the framework of California State Science Standards and California […]
Let’s Do Some Dancin’!
By Rory Miller, Assistant Sports Information Director Re-posted from Chico State Athletics. For fans, coaches and players assembled upstairs Sunday night at Madison Bear Garden, the atmosphere was one of anxiousness for the Chico State women’s basketball team, as the Wildcats waited to see if their late-season heroics were enough to earn a berth into […]
The Diversity Iceberg
By Tracy Butts, Chief Diversity Officer On the few occasions when I have accompanied my colleague Victoria Bass on outreach trips for the university, many parents and prospective students upon hearing that we are representing Chico State remark that the university is not very diverse. Because Chico State is a predominately white institution (PWI) whose […]
A Walk Down Memory
As we begin the 125th anniversary of Chico State, we recognize the growth and development of our university since its establishment as Chico Normal School in 1887. Throughout the years, more than a hundred thousand students have had their Chico Experience on campus. From those who helped create and transform the campus we know today […]
Words with Wildcats!
This week’s inquiry: “Do you have any goals or resolutions for the spring semester?” Frank Rebelo, Senior, Environmental Science: Atmospheric Science “I’m going to try to manage 22 units well enough to not miss any assignments or due dates. I’m also aiming for straight A’s this semester.” McKenna Collins, Freshman, Business “My goal […]
Writing with Light
Santy Gray, Senior, Anthropology Anthropology, the study of people and their impact on earth, is by nature a fascinating subject. Every human being is connected by the simple fact that we are human. To understand the ways that we are all connected is to tell a story. The experiences we have and our reactions to […]
Why Our Ag Majors Are Growing
By Jennifer Ryder Fox, dean of the College of Agriculture After reading the January 19, 2012 Yahoo Education article “College Majors That Are Useless,” one might be led to believe that the author, Terence Loose, has something against eating, wearing clothes, enjoying a natural landscape, or smelling a bouquet of roses. What other reason could […]
Steady Pace Towards Olympic Dreams
Scott Bauhs, BA Social Science, 2008 Scott Bauhs was a standout distance runner at Chico State from 2004 to 2008. He is now working out at a USOC Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., where we caught up with him. He spends time both at the sea-level training center in Chula Vista and in […]
Man vs. Wild, Huber Style!
Scott Huber, Education and Research Coordinator, Ecological Reserves I have the world’s best job. As the education and research coordinator for CSU, Chico’s Ecological Reserves I get to do both of the things that I love most: sharing my love of nature with others and getting my hands dirty as I help protect the reserve’s […]
Hidden Gems: Creekside Educational Garden
The Creekside Educational Garden is quite the hidden gem due to its location behind Colusa Hall. Directly south of Big Chico Creek sits an 8,000-square-foot section of land that has been set aside for this special project. The project began in the spring of 2011 as the third part to the larger Creekside Plaza Landscape […]
Delta Xi Phi Days
by Michaela Boggan, Senior, Journalism Being a member of Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority Inc. has challenged my beliefs, priorities, and goals. When I decided to pledge a sorority at Chico State, I was forced to think about what I stood for, who I was, and who I wanted to be. My decision became obvious […]
Vegan Treats: Easy as Pie!
By Jessica Post, Faculty Affairs Coordinator and alumna (BS 2006, MBA 2008) After 10 years being a vegetarian I decided to make the switch to a completely vegan diet. This change was surprisingly easy for me, and I have been enjoying the challenge of finding new ways to cook and bake. While I had an […]
Big Bass, Big Money
By Bryce Hayes, CSU, Chico Alumnus, Construction Management 2011 When a good friend of mine mentioned he was starting up a fishing club on campus in 2009, initially I didn’t think much of it. I have always had a passion for fishing and the outdoors, but never considered joining a club that offered this type […]
Hidden Gems: Chico State Rope Course
By Lee Shawver, Challenge Course Director Nestled in the southwest corner of our campus is an area consisting of telephone poles connected by steel cables and other peculiar contraptions. This is Chico State’s ropes course—clearly a hidden gem. Here, groups climb, jump, swing, fly, laugh, cry, and ponder—all in an effort to get a better […]
Monsters in Film
By Asa Simon Mittman, Professor, Art and Art History Department I’m an art historian and I study monsters. When I picked my area of research, I wanted to work on something exciting, and what’s better than man-eating, fire-breathing, shape-shifting, giant, magical, horrifying, terrifying monsters? For several years I’ve wanted to teach a course on monster movies. […]
Words with Wildcats!
This week’s inquiry: “What is your favorite fall activity in Chico?” Charissa Pilling, Freshman, Nursing Major “My favorite part about fall is the weather change and playing in the rain!” Cindy Dizard, Administrative Assistant – College of Agriculture “Fall is a beautiful time of year and the temperature is perfect. I like doing outdoor […]
Hidden Gems: The Janet Turner Print Museum
In the heart of Chico resides one of the great artistic treasures in Northern California – The Janet Turner Print Museum. In its larger and more accessible space in Meriam Library, the museum serves more people than ever. On any given day you might see a class full of 7–year–olds creating a print, a university […]
Chico Experience Week at the Museum of Anthropology!
Adrienne Scott, Curator, Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology Each year, Chico Experience Week introduces new students and their hopeful parents to Chico State and its namesake town in a fun way, coaxes alumni and alumnae back to revel in fond memories of collegiate life, and, of course, reminds current students and faculty how awesome […]
Words with Wildcats!
This week’s inquiry: “Where is your favorite place to eat in Chico and why?” Paul Zingg, President: “There are few things I enjoy more than a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a slice of Celestino’s pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and dried peppers generously sprinkled on top. I appreciate the Pale Ale because it’s a […]
Summer Construction Time-lapse
By Pat Berry, Library Administration The video is comprised of photos that I took from the fourth floor of Meriam library and was created using iPhoto. I’m not that great with video, so I went with the easiest option available. I started taking photos so I would be able to measure the progress being made. […]
Saving You Dimes One Cup at a Time!
By Avery Beck, Senior, Anthropology Major Being away from home. Meeting new people. Spending late weekend nights roaming around downtown looking for parties. My freshman year at Chico State was basically everything I imagined college would be, based on the impression the movies I grew up watching gave me. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel […]
Dinner, Courtesy the University Farm
By Anna Harris, Assistant Editor, Public Affairs and Publications It’s not often that beans become an impulse purchase, but after visiting the Organic Vegetable Project stand last Wednesday (every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Services Center Plaza), I found myself walking across campus with a 10-pound bag of beautiful yellow […]
Recycle, Reuse
By Bianca Hernandez, Senior, Majors: Anthropology and Journalism — News Editorial I nervously eyed the shelves brimming with binders and notebooks. The nice woman at the desk in BMU 301 had told me to help myself since everything was free, but I just couldn’t trust it. Free school supplies? It felt like a trick. I […]
Summer Renovations!
Construction workers have been quite busy on campus this summer, digging holes, pouring concrete, planting trees, among other things! This summer’s endeavor is the second of three phases in the First Street Promenade project. There are a few other projects going on around campus, including re-roofing the Performing Arts Center, transplanting the iconic flame statue […]
Rock and Roll and the Fall of Communism
By Matt Robertson, Graduate Studies in History Studying abroad means more than just studying, and few public institutions of higher education facilitate the experience better than Chico State. Two weeks ago in Berlin, I saw Checkpoint Charlie (where WWIII almost began) and the Brandenburg Gate, and quivered with unbridled emotion at a Holocaust museum. But […]
Study Abroad in Spain
By Gia Martucci, Senior, Liberal Studies Major One evening about a month ago I found myself sitting on my 7th floor balcony, catching up with a good friend of mine from Chico when he confessed that he thought I was very brave to traverse the world by myself to spend the summer in San Sebastian, […]
My Summer in Prague
By Kjerstin Wood, Sophomore, Major: Journalism Here’s a question for you: What can you do in 57 days? Let’s narrow it down even further—what can you do for 57 days in the summer? With no classes, friends travelling back home, and maybe you dreading going back to that summer job you’ve done five summers in […]
The Orion is My Life
By Liam Turner, Senior, Major: Communication Design — Graphic Design, Minor: Photographic Studies The Orion is unabashedly my life. During the semester, from midday Sunday until Tuesday night, I spend about 14 hours sleeping and what seems like the other 46 in The Orion offices in the Plumas Hall basement. With a couple more hours […]
The Perks of a Passport!
By Amanda Clifford, Senior, Major: International Relations and Social Science, Marketing minor I never thought I´d leave Chico State with my most valued possession being my passport, but the places it has taken me and what I´ve learned have sincerely changed my life. Spring semester of my sophomore year came, and I was feeling stuck […]
Zesty Lemon Chicken — Chico Style!
By Chelsea Beights, Senior, Major: Studio Art — Photography Ciao! My name is Chelsea and I am the new social media and photography intern for Public Affairs and Publications. I will be blogging, tweeting, and Facebooking on the official University sites as we work to connect more with you, our audience. As a Chico local, […]
My Unexpected Paradise
By Jaclyn Percy, senior, major in journalism option in public relations If you would have asked me four years ago where I was going to go to college, never in a million years would the words “Chico State” have come out of my mouth. I was bound and determined to get the heck out of […]
…And 4 Years Later, Let the Party Begin!
By Dan Hokenson, senior, business administration major with an option in finance And 4 years later, the adventure is coming to a close. After all the late nights studying at Meriam Library, the hundreds of Scantrons purchased and nervously turned in, and the countless numbers of essays written, it seems that my four-year experience at […]
BCCER: A Classroom in the Great Outdoors!
Tired of sitting in a classroom? Do you find yourself staring longingly out your dorm room window? Does parking yourself in the library with a laptop on a sunny, spring day make you stir crazy? Get out into Mother Nature’s classroom! We are exceptionally fortunate in Northern California, and at Chico State, to have access […]
To the Brink and Back
After some of the toughest days of his running career, Ed Hudson returned to the states after finishing the Marathon Des Sables, through the Sahara desert in Morocco, in 60 hours and 14 minutes, 107th in his age group. (See our earlier blog below.)The 151-mile race left Ed with an experience that will stay with […]
Time to Put on Your Dancing Shoes
By Megan McCourt, senior, journalism major On the first day of beginning ballroom dance, most people looked scared. Some of them think they have two left feet, others worry they won’t be able to keep time. Most everyone is nervous about having to be physically close to the opposite sex. By the end of the […]
Pigs, Goats, and Heifers, Oh, My!
If you are anything like me, you may not know much about the University Farm. But after a guided tour by student Kayla Pauwels, my eyes were opened to the amazing things our 800-acre University Farm provides. Split into livestock and crops and orchards units, the farm has been operating since the 1960’s and giving […]
Not Expected, But Graciously Accepted
Students choose to study abroad for multiple reasons—to live in another culture, learn a new language, travel, and the list goes on. Whatever the reason, they make their choice then develop an image about their new college town. And even though many students have some preconceived notion about what their study abroad experience will be […]
Crazy? Maybe a Little…
Imagine running 151 miles. Granted you have six days to do it, but here is the tough part: the trail winds through the Sahara desert in Morocco. Sounds insane, right? Not to Chico State’s Information Security Manager Ed Hudson, who will be traveling to Africa March 27 to put his body to a truly grueling […]