Chico State Terrific Titles of 2018

With the end of the 2017–18 year rapidly approaching, and the swirl of the spring semester struggle muddying your memory, it seems only right to recap what our Wildcats accomplished this year. However, wrapping up the year is easier said than done with so many amazing feats to cover! We narrowed down our trip down memory lane to a few outstanding achievements of 2018! Take a look:

Exceptionally Sustainable

Chico State goes strawless 

Living up to The Princeton Review title of one of the “Nation’s Greenest Campuses,” Chico State went strawless and sold out of its stainless steel straw kits within the first 72 hours! The mission of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 is well under way, with Chico State receiving a Gold Rating for its overall sustainability efforts on campus from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Our score of 73.41 is the highest score ever achieved by a CSU campus.

Thirteenth annual Sustainability Conference

With a number of diverse speakers covering a wide range of sustainable and environmentally oriented subjects, the 13th annual This Way to Sustainability Conference was a success. Keynote speakers including David Montgomery discussed subjects circulating around regenerative agriculture and soil degradation, subjects of great interest for students and professors in the College of Agriculture. Regenerative agriculture was listed by President Gayle Hutchinson as one of the research focal points for university pursuits.

April was Earth Month! 

Student activists didn’t stop there. The entire month of April was dedicated to a number of on-campus events that promoted sustainability, environmental awareness, and student wellness—i.e. Earth Month! The annual Creek Cleanup, Compost Garden workshops, Earth Day Festival and clothing swap, book drive and make your own cleaning products, and group yoga and mediation sessions took place, focusing on student engagement and accessibility to sustainable practices. It also featured visits from big-name speakers, such as Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, an indigenous youth activist at the forefront of the Juliana et al v. United States federal lawsuit for environmental advocacy.

School of the Arts Success 

Just a few amazing performances to go down in Wildcat history

The School of the Arts had an amazing year of diverse performances brimming with raw talent. Students turned a modern favorite artist into the entirely original punk production of “American Idiot.” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” spring musical sold out for the entire first week of performances, and the year concluded with comedy gold as students tried their hand in puppetry for an adult Sesame Street, “Avenue Q.”

Athletics 

Women’s softball West 1 Regional champions

Women’s softball threw down against the top teams in the West 1 Region, and came out on top! After a school-record 29-game winning streak, the Wildcats advanced to the national tournament final, where they were eliminated in two games. Seven Wildcats were awarded All-West Region from the Division II Conference Commission Association. The Wildcats finished at 55-6, shattering the single-season school win total record! #WildcatWinning

Wildcat softball moves on to NCAA West Super Regional with 7-2 win Saturday vs. Cal Baptist. https://t.co/wg21NwcVUO

— Chico Wildcats (@ChicoWildcats) May 13, 2018

Track and Field CCAA champions and All-Region honors

Solidifying their 17th consecutive win for the CCAA conference crown, Chico State Men’s Track and Field claimed the CCAA title with a total of 252.5 team points. The 5,000 meters run was a display of dominance, with Wildcats claiming spots 1-5 crossing the finish line.

At the season’s conclusion, 688 men’s track and field athletes earned 935 All-Region honors from 176 programs. 640 women’s track and field athletes from 151 programs earned 929 All-Region honors.

Chico State Women’s Club Rugby team claimed the D1 National title

Chico State Women’s Rugby took down the competition one by one to reclaim the 2001 D1 National’s title.

Meet your D1 National Champions! Repeating the accomplishments of the iconic 2001 Chico Women’s Rugby team, these ladies made history in Fullerton on May 5, 2018 #ProudWildcats pic.twitter.com/UoVRp8g7oT

— Chico State Women's Rugby (@CSUCWomensRugby) May 8, 2018

 

Fantastic Philanthropy 

Giving Day raising almost $300,000!

Chico State’s first coordinated 24-hour fundraising blitz united the entire Wildcat family to support the University’s community and programs, and resulted in a total of $297,514 raised for campus programs. Me-wow!

6: A whopping six figures—$297,514, to be exact—were raised on Chico State’s first ever Giving Day to support students and programs! And, in six days, the Wildcat statue will become a priceless feature of campus. #WeAreChico #SomethingWildIsComing pic.twitter.com/qeK1pw3EuZ

— Chico State (@ChicoState) April 13, 2018

Student Philanthropy Council

Student developed and lead philanthropy council was able to raise upwards of 50,000 dollars for student services through several philanthropic events such as Giving Tuesday, Chico Love Week, and Senior Send-Off the 2018 Senior Class Gift, where graduating students made a gift of $20.18 and received a gold commencement Wildcat Spirit cord.

Some Wild Awards

No. 1 National Model United Nations

For the ninth time in 11 years, Chico State students competed and claimed the highest possible award of “Outstanding Delegation” at the National Model United Nations Competition in New York City, an honor only designated to the top 10 percent of all schools competing.

During the first week of the separated two-week conference, Chico State students received the most individual paper awards for any one country competing; a total of 13 out of the 18 awards, and three “outstanding delegate” awards, compared to the second greatest number of paper awards given to Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany with 12 paper positions.

College of Business blasts to the top 

After the peer review visit in October, 2017, Chico State’s College of Business received a full five-year re-accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This certification is highly coveted, as fewer than 15 percent of all business schools in the world are accredited. The Chico State COB has been fully accredited by the AACSB since 1972.

Additionally, Students who participated in the 2018 American Marketing Association regional and national competitions carried the college strong, with 2 Chico State students placing in the top 18 finalists against 300 other competitors. 

Rawlins Merit Award winners

In a special ceremony on October 16, 2018 twelve students were honored as recipients of the 36th annual Lieutenant Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award. A one of the largest and most prestigious awards at Chico State, the Rawlins Merit Award celebrates scholarship, extracurricular activities, and outstanding academic and professional accomplishments.

Ultimately, we barely touched the surface of what our Wildcats were able to do with this academic and athletic year, and the tenacity and dedication students exhibited in their pursuit of excellence did not go unnoticed. Glowing with pride, we cannot wait to see what students have in store for the years to come.