The OrionA8

May 2, 2007Biology major Allison Lawrence, 21, dies from cancer. Friends describe her as cheerful, sarcastic and “lovable weird.” Her sense of humor and grace remained during the worst parts of her battle against cancer.

May 28Freshman Dimontrae Sykes, 18, dies after falling off a tube pulled by a boat on the Sacramento River. He never resurfaces. He drummed on desks and wrote lyrics, hoping to make it into the hip-hop music business.

June 27Chanel Olivera, 23, dies from lupus after graduating with a degree in health science education. She was a quick-witted, energetic woman who never missed a friend’s birthday.

Aug. 4Psychology professor Paul Spear dies from a heart attack at age 66. Paul pushed other professors to put students first. He loved the arts, music and theater and had an infectious sense of humor. Spear came to the psychology department in 1970.

Aug. 26James Sturgeon, a building maintenance specialist for the Bell Memorial Union, dies battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He loved fantasy football and making wood projects. He studied art at Chico State and was an employee for 16 years.

Aug. 27Fall enrollment reaches record highs. About 17,000 students attended Chico State in fall 2007 compared to 16,250 the previous year.

Sept. 9Biology student Angela Marsh was found dead in her home. She was a spontaneous, “all-around sweetheart.” Complications from using a combination of drugs caused her death.

Sept. 19President Paul Zingg receives a more than $30,000 raise, bumping his salary up to $279,500. The California State University board of trustees approved raises for all CSU presidents, the chancellor and his four top officials. The raises are part of an attempt to make salaries more equivalent to comparable institutions across the United States.

Sept. 25Music professor Deborah Reinhardt, who expressed her love of music through teaching, dies in a car accident on Highway 70. She was 56 years old. She began teaching at Chico State in 2000. Her main instrument was the piano.

Sept. 28 Gregory Dean Wright, 17, walks into Las Plumas High School in Oroville with a loaded gun with the purpose of killing a romantic rival. He holds students hostage in the band room, fires two shots into the ceiling and eventually lets students and the teacher go. He is later sentenced to 22 years and eight months in prison.

Oct. 12Professor Jeff Price is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore and 2,000 other scientists for contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Price has been with the geological and environmental sciences department for four years. He incorporates his research into the classes he teaches.

Oct. 14John Long, chair of the communication design department, dies of an apparent heart attack. He was 56. Long’s first priority was helping students. He loved the New York Yankees, his two German shepherds and a dry sense of humor.

Oct. 21Uncontrolled fires light up Southern California, forcing more than 320,000 people to evacuate and others to leave their homes voluntarily. More than 2,000 Chico State students are from the six counties affected by the fires.

Nov. 5Butte College student Evan Benevento, 20, is arrested for two counts of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing two Chico State students. Benevento allegedly stabbed senior James Wojcik in the face and senior Cory Cofran in the torso during a party Sept. 7 near Third and Ivy streets. Wojcik spent a day in the hospital before being released. Cofran spent two nights in the hospital.

Nov. 15Three former members of Beta Theta Pi accused of hazing plead not guilty and enter once in jeopardy pleas. Chico State students Chris Bizot and Mike Murphy, The Orion’s former opinion editor, and Matthew Krupp, a Butte College student, were charged with misdemeanors for allegedly hazing pledges during spring recruitment. The alleged hazing included forcing pledges to submerge themselves up to their necks in ice water.

Dec. 19Weikun Cheng, an associate professor in the history department, dies in a car crash. Cheng was on his way to the San Francisco International Airport for a family vacation in Hawaii with his wife, son and nephew. His son Stephen Cheng, 19, was the only survivor in the crash.

Jan. 4Northern California is hit by a storm, knocking out power to 44,000 homes and businesses in the Chico area, some for more than a week. The storm cost Chico residents more than $2.5 million in private property loss.

Feb. 29Puck Smith announces his retirement after 21 years as the head coach of the men’s basketball team. He lead the team to four California Collegiate Athletic Association championships and five NCAA tournaments. He has the second-best record as a coach at Chico State behind Art Acker.

March 3Hebrew instructor, Elaine Ilana Meiri pleads not guilty to charges of possession of marijuana for sale, selling or transporting marijuana, child endangerment and three counts of possession of controlled substances. Four days earlier police found about 45 pounds of processed marijuana, packaging materials, controlled substances and more than $4,500 in cash in her house. She started teaching Hebrew on campus this semester and is no longer an employee of the university.

March 7Sophomore Christopher Haller and Butte College student Brett Robinson, both 19, are bailed out of Butte County Jail for charges of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.

March 8Tibetan monk Losang Samten dismantles a Kalachakra mandala sand painting, distributes it to onlookers and pours it into Chico Creek, blessing the environment. The Kalachakra is a symbol that promotes peace, the environment and education.

March 9A Chico man, Jeremy Hoptowit, allegedly sexually assaults a 21-year-old Bay Area woman in the 500 block of West Third Street while she was visiting Chico State students. Hoptowit, 35, was arrested and released the next day on charges of assault with intent to commit rape, sexual penetration with a foreign object, false imprisonment with violence and burglary. The woman later testified in court against Hoptowit.

March 29Twenty-year-old student Scott Wood allegedly sexually assaults a 20-year-old student at her apartment in University Village. He was charged with two counts of felony forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sodomy by use of force. Wood pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.

April 12Junior Scott Bauhs breaks the four-minute mile, running four laps in 3 minutes, 59.81 seconds. Only about 300 American runners and no other Chico State runners have broken the four-minute mile.

April 13Junior Ryan McElhinney and his running mate, Kimberly Durso, win the caucus to be delegates for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

April 15 City Council approves the new language of the Disorderly Events Ordinance 5-2 to go into affect May 15. Revisions were made because of concerns limiting citizens’ First Amendment rights during political protests.

April 16Police arrest junior Tobias Platts, 24, for possession of a loaded handgun at his apartment complex on the 800 block of West Second Avenue, a high-crime area. He was taken to Butte County Jail and later released on bail.

April 21About 25 Chico State students rally at the Capitol along with more than 2,000 other students to protest the $1 billion proposed budget cuts to higher education.

April 24Students elect junior Jesse Eller as the new Associated Students president, and sophomore Julie Wright as the new executive vice president. The Social and Environmental Purchasing Policy and Take Back the Tap advisory measures passed with about 85 percent of the vote. About 4,717 students voted in the election this year, about 2,000 more than last year.

May 1 Two Chico State seniors end their monthlong fast after having no solid foods and losing almost 10 pounds each. Lucia Pinotti says she plans to fast every April because it helps her realize the meals she’s taken for granted. Mark Herrera says the fast is a way to spread awareness about environmental struggles and starvation.

AA 27AuAug 27

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Illustration by Alyson Schiffmacher

Flash presentationof the timeline

at theorion.com

WEDNESDAY , May 21, 2008

Summer IssueBest of Blotter A4

The Year in Review A8Best of Thumbs A11

Photo illustration by Alyson Schiffmacher

The semester in snapshots

OLGA MUÑOZSTAFF WRITER

More than four years after a Chico State junior was shot in the head on his doorstep, police have made no arrests in the case despite a $10,000 reward.

Christopher Herrmann, 22, was killed about 8:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 2003, outside his Hazel Street home, said Sgt. Rob Merrifield of the Chico Police Department.

“It was one of these cases where the suspect had minimal contact with the victim,” he said. “There was no physical evidence of a struggle. Basically someone knocked at the door, Chris opened the door and was executed.”

Police questioned several people about the case. A few leads popped up, but nothing materialized, said Sgt. Dave Barrow of the Chico Police Department. Herrmann didn’t get along with a lot of people. He had been in fights and police found marijuana and methamphetamine inside his house. Neighbors speculated the murder stemmed from drug dealings, but Barrow would not comment on the matter. Neighbors told police that Herrmann was

Vol 60 Issue 16

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WHAT’S INSIDE

Staff gives out Sports Awards MULTIMEDIA Get to know A.S. President Jesse Eller VIDEO Watch regional baseball playoffs VIDEO

w w w.t h e o r i o n . co m

ORION

>> OPINION

Modern art featuring induced

miscarriages not appropriate for

display, artistic consideration. A11

Champion women’s basketball

team wins sports staff best

team award. B1

“Bye Bye Birdie” migrates for

summer to Chico Theater

Company. C1

Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy

finalist in national competition

for best ice cream scoop. D7

>> SPORTS

>> THEORION.COM

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>> FEATURES

Police Blotter A4Opinion A10Sports B1Entertainment C1Calendar C4Comics C7Classifieds C7Sudoku C7Crossword C7Features D1

INDEX

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President Paul Zingg loves his job, games

Young voters get involved

Murder case remains unsolved

ELLEN WALRATHSTAFF WRITER

Youth voter turnout is the highest it has been since 1968, the year 18-year-olds first got to vote.

Years from now, 2008 will likely be the answer to more than a few advanced placement civics questions, and political science students will have stacks of books on this election to choose from for their essays.

Almost 1 million youth voters — people younger than 30 — turned out for California’s Feb. 5 primary, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement.

Junior Ryan McElhinney is going to the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 25 in Denver as Barack Obama’s male delegate from Butte County.

Junior Aaron Skaggs, president of the Student Democratic Club and former candidate for Obama’s delegate spot, is also planning on attending, he said.

Junior Darla Medley, president of the College Republican Club, has been focusing on building the club’s membership, she said. It has about the same membership as the Student Democratic Club by her count.

The College Republican Club plans to have a much higher profile on campus fall semester, possibly participating in an on-campus debate, Medley said.

“I know there’s going to be a push because it’s an election year,” she said.

It will have brochures for likely Republican nominee John McCain when they have booths in the Free Speech Area, as well as brochures for Republican candidates in Chico-area elections.

More than 5 million youth voters voted in the primaries and caucuses this year, according to CIRCLE. Youth votes tripled in at least six states, including Oklahoma, Iowa and Florida. Youth votes quadrupled in Tennessee.

Ellen Walrath can be reached atewalrath@theorion.com

please see REWARD A7 please see PRESIDENT A6

Students return from combat in IraqKATY SWEENY

NEWS EDITOR

RENEE CALDERASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

A junior kept lookout atop gun trucks at night in Baghdad for about nine months. The machine gunner, Evan Quaco, 21, left Chico about a year ago for training before deployment.

“It’s so different. You go from being in a college town to Baghdad, Iraq, where there are dirt roads, pieces of buildings missing and you have the chance of dying almost every day,” Quaco said.

Shooting at people didn’t bother him, he said.

“If they shoot at me, I shoot at them,” Quaco said. “When your life or your friend’s life is in danger, you accept it. It’s more excitement than fear.”

Quaco and his Sigma Chi fraternity brother, sophomore Josh Pedigo, were deployed to Iraq in August 2007, he said. They were in the same platoon. They returned to Chico on May 3 to continue business management degrees.

It wasn’t hard for Quaco to adjust when he returned to the United States because he has lived here longer than he was in Iraq, he said. But he has caught himself staring at the road looking for improvised

explosive devices, one of his jobs in the Army.

When they got back to Chico, Pedigo, 23, thought it was odd that people walk around without a worry in the world, he said.

Pedigo enlisted in the Army in 2002 because of the military’s request for more soldiers after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks,

please see SOLDIER A7

Photo courtesy of Marcia Herrmann

Junior Christopher Herrmann, 22, was shot and killed Dec. 5, 2003, outside his Hazel Street home. The business major’s murder remains unsolved despite a $10,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest. Police found marijuana and methamphetamine in Herrmann’s home. Anyone with information about the case can call the Chico Police Department at 897-4911.

KATY SWEENYNEWS EDITOR

President Paul Zingg somersaulted down a hill in July at a child’s birthday party in Ohio. He tumbled down the green grassy hill with two of his friends’ kids.

“It was the perfect hill to somersault down,” Zingg said. “So I did it.”

Zingg is 60 years old. His somersaulting partners were about 6 or 7, he said.

He came to Chico State as the president in February 2004, and he fit right in.

But he arrived at a time when several students died, he said.

“There were real, deep concerns about drug abuse, a couple of racist incidents,” he said.

Zingg challenged students and staff to live up to the university’s

values, he said. “But I think then and now, my

focus has been: Who do we choose to be, and how do we go about being true to those choices?” Zingg said.

He has support from faculty and administration, but thinks there’s a lot of work to do, he said.

“I expect to be here for a very, very long time to come,” he said.

Work is his lifeZingg’s family is more than 17,000

students and two old, yellow Labradors. He doesn’t have kids or a wife, but

he has a girlfriend, he said. Zingg grew up in New Jersey with

his two younger brothers, he said. He left his family for college in North Carolina and “never looked back.”

When Zingg got to college he knew he wanted to be a professor. They were good role models, he said. He

Check out Chico’s hottest spots

for summer. VIDEO

Check out The Orion’s best spring 2008 photos on D2

WALTER FOLEYSTAFF WRITER

Two 19-year-olds pleaded not guilty Friday to gun charges that could lead to prison time.

Chico State sophomore Christopher Haller and Butte College student Brett Robinson were arrested March 7 for allegedly shooting guns toward railroad tracks near an apartment complex on the 400 block of Nord Avenue. They are being

charged with discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, which can lead to up to a year in prison if it risks injury or death to a person, and carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, which can lead to up to a year in prison, a $1,000 fine and can be counted as a felony, according to the California Penal Code.

Robinson said information previously reported by The Orion contained things that were untrue and made him look bad, but declined to comment further.

“All I can say is the first story was wrong,” he said.

Haller couldn’t be reached by press time.

He was a resident of the Nord Avenue apartment complex where the alleged event took place, but was asked to move out, said Amado Hernandez, onsite manager for the complex. He was getting ready for bed when he heard what he first thought were firecrackers in his backyard. He heard three clusters of shots, each separated by

the sound of doors closing.“After I heard a ricochet ‘ping’ on

metal, I knew it was time to call the cops,” he said.

Police didn’t arrive until after a fourth set of shots was fired, Hernandez said. The guns were being fired at a bicycle chained to the fence and toward the railroad tracks in the direction of the university, and the men appeared

GET A JUMP ON TAXES WITH THE ORION’S HOW-TO GUIDE A6

WEDNESDAY , March 26, 2008

Vol 60 Issue 8

1 FREE COPY PER PERSON · ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS2008

Label

Income

Payments and tax

Refund

Use the IRS label.

Attatch Form(s) W-2 here.

1. Enter the amount of your wages from box one of your W-2 form.

2. Enter your taxable interest, as in interest on bank accounts.

3. Enter any unemployment compensation and Alaska Permanent

Fund dividends.

4. Add lines one, two and three to get your adjusted gross income.

5. Follow the directions.

6. Subtract line five from line four to get your taxable income.

7. Enter your federal income tax withheld from box two of your W-2 form.

8a. Enter your Earned Income Credit if you have any. You can go to the IRS Web site and look up earned income tax credit and answer questions to see if you qualify.

8b. Enter your nontaxable combat pay if applicable.

9. Add lines seven and 8a to get your total payments.

10. Open a new tab on your browser, go to www.irs.gov look up

1040EZ booklet tax tables and click on Instructions 1040EZ in

Adobe PDF Format. Then follow the directions on the 1040EZ

form.

11. Follow the instructions for your refund.

Type in your social security number.

Type in your spouse’s social security number.

The Orion’s step-by-step instructions to filing taxesGo to www.irs.gov.Under Most Requested Forms and Publications, click on Form 1040EZ. That will open a PDF file you can fill out on the computer.Fill n the Label Here section with your name, spouse’s name (if you have one) and your address.

WHAT’S INSIDE

Residents discuss new dorm NEWS Activity center gets new name NEWS Nursing program video MULTIMEDIA

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ORION

>> OPINION

The Orion’s recent water bottle

story, editorial misrepresent what

class aims to do. A8

Women’s basketball team ends

its illustrious season after losing in

NCAA tournament. B2

Comedic performance keeps

audience laughing despite play’s

religious undertones C1.

Competitive nursing program

pushes students to work hard for

acceptance. D2

Watch a video of St. Patrick’s Day

festivities. MULTIMEDIA

>> SPORTS

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>> FEATURES

Police Blotter A4Opinion A8Sports B1Entertainment C1Calendar C6Comics C7Classifieds C7Sudoku C7Crossword C7Features D1

INDEX

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Teens plead not guilty to gun charges

St. Patrick’s Day proves mild for police

Groups hope to nationalize holiday

Students plunge into poverty during break

Thieves swipe students’ IDs

EVAN BURT STAFF WRITER

St. Patrick’s Day: Some people got drunk, some got arrested and some partied hard, but this year that’s just about all that happened.

Police arrested 39 people on St. Patrick’s Day and 56 between March 14 and 16, said Sgt. Dave Barrow of the Chico Police Department.

University Police also made four drunk in public arrests and one DUI through the

Chico Police Department, he said. “Arrests have been down

dramatically this year and for any St. Patrick’s Day,” Barrow said.

Last year, police made 65 arrests on St. Patrick’s Day alone, he said. In 2006, they made 58 arrests and 69 in 2005.

“This is obviously the lowest figure in four years that we’ve had,” Barrow said.

The activity level has gone down since St. Patrick’s Day has fallen during spring break, he said.

Police prepared for a greater turnout and had about 40 officers on duty, Barrow said. Officers were on foot, on horseback and in vehicles. But there was no significant violence or fights.

“Even if you look at this last weekend, you could compare this to an average busy weekend,” Barrow said.

Overall, the experience was pretty weak

RAELENE WILLISSTAFF WRITER

Identities are stolen daily through stolen credit, debit and Social Security cards, and student victims are no exception.

“Students tend to be more careless with identity information,” said Detective Jim Parrott of the Chico Police Department.

Their identities are taken because students leave doors unlocked, don’t shred their mail and leave their homes for months at a time, he

said. These things college students don’t take into consideration make them more likely to get their identities stolen.

Police get a lot of calls during winter and spring breaks reporting stolen laptops, which hold personal information, he said.

Some people steal identities through burglaries and mail theft, but Dumpster diving has become a common problem for victims, said senior Jeremiah Sanders,

RAELENE WILLISSTAFF WRITER

California and seven other states celebrate Cesar Chavez Day by giving some students the day off, but some people in the multicultural Greek system want all 50 states to celebrate it.

Lambda Sigma Gammaand Gamma Zeta Alpha set up booths in the Free Speech Area starting 9 a.m. Tuesday to obtain signatures to make Cesar Chavez’s birthday, March 31, a national holiday. They will continue until 2:30 p.m. Thursday, saidNatalia Ferruggia, a member of Lambda Sigma Gamma.

“For the Latinos, especially the Chicano

community, he is our civil rights leader,” she said.

Chavez was a labor activist and a leader of the United Farm Workers. He strived to improve the working conditions and salaries for farm workers.

“I don’t think people know what he means to us,” she said. “People see it as a day to party, but when Riley’s, a couple years back, told everyone to dress like an immigrant for Cesar Chavez, I found it really offensive.”

Ferruggia and other Greek members will try to collect thousands of signatures to bring to Congress, although they have no set goal as to

please see HOLIDAY A7

T h e O r ion • BRIANA MORRISON and BRITTANY BLEDSOELEFT: Sarah Peasley, a Chico resident, celebrates St. Patrick’s Day at LaSalles on March 17. TOP RIGHT: Crowd members dressed in green drink and dance while they watch The Hooliganz perform at LaSalles. BOTTOM: Phillip Rubalcava of the Butte County Sheriff’s Office arrests Jeanette Wason near Second and Ivy streets for fighting. Although this year’s St. Patrick’s Day was calmer than the past, police arrested 39 people.

please see OPINIONS A7

please see IDENTITY A4

please see POLICE A2

TAYLOR FLORESASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Some students opted to spend their spring breaks living on the streets of Washington, D.C., to learn about homelessness.

“It’s like a whole other world,” said Ayla McCandrew, CAVE’s Alternative Spring Break program coordinator. “It’s an experience you can’t describe.”

Five students and a staff member from Community Action Volunteers in Education participated in the annual program and lived on the streets for three days and then volunteered in various shelters. The goal was to bring awareness and knowledge that can be applied to homelessness in Chico, she said.

“It wouldn’t have been as dramatic if we did it here,”

McCandrew said. “In D.C. you see people living on the streets with nothing outside the White House. It’s our nation’s capital, and the two extremes of living are next to each other.”

Washing ton, D.C ., has the largest homeless population per capita and had a homeless population of 5,518 in 2005, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Students began their homeless “plunge” March 17 as they separated into two groups the first night, then three groups the next, to live on the streets.

They wandered the streets, panhandled and slept on cardboard and newspaper to keep warm, McCandrew said. The temperature was about

please see TRIP A7

Chico State students set up newspapers to sleep on during CAVE’s Alternative Spring Break Program in Washington, D.C. Temperatures fell to about 30 degrees.

T h e O r i o n • LINDSEY NORTHJunior Nicole Critchlow signs a petition Tuesday in the Free Speech Area to make Cesar Chavez Day a national holiday. Lambda Sigma Gamma will gather signatures until 4 p.m. Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Leonard Cannerdy

VISIT THEORION.COM

FOR VIDEO OF ST. PATRICK’S

DAY

ORION STAFF

Whether it’s designing T-shirts or passing out pingpong balls, Associated Students candidates have been busy campaigning and preparing for the elections.

Candidates for A.S. positions have until April 24 to win over students when the polls close at 5 p.m.

Students will vote Tuesday through April 24 online

at aschico.com. Although no voting locations will b e on c a m p u s

this year, students can vote using an absentee ballot, which they can pick up at the Information Center. Those ballots are due by 5 p.m. Monday.

More than 20 candidates are up for election this year, and students have the opportunity to vote on two advisory measures.

To get to know the candidates better and to see the advisory measures please see A6, A7 and A8.

COUPON CLIPPER SNIPS STUDENTS’ COSTSE1

WEDNESDAY , April 16, 2008

Vol 60 Issue 11

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WHAT’S INSIDE

Get informed about A.S. elections NEWSBasketball coach nominees SPORTS Video of Lie-in NEWS

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ORION

>> OPINION

A.S. presidential candidate uses

pingpong balls to attract voters,

attention, stand out. A10

Track star Scott Bauhs breaks

legendary four-minute-mile mark,

sets school record. B1

The Misfats, known as the “fattest

Misfits cover band in the world,”

takes Monstros Pizza by storm. D1

CAVE offers students way to get

in touch with community, give

back, learn. C4

Contenders face off in the ring at

Chico Fight Night VII. VIDEO

>> SPORTS

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Police Blotter A4Opinion A10Sports B1Features C1Entertainment D1Calendar D6 Comics D7Classifieds D7Sudoku D7Crossword D7

INDEX

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Court to revisit victim ID in Beta case

please see DEFENSE A4

KATY SWEENYSTAFF WRITER

A student waived his right to have a speedy trial in court Thursday for two charges of felony rape, forcible oral copulation and sodomy by use of force.

Chico State student Scott Wood, 20, is accused of allegedly sexually assaulting another student March 29 at her University Village apartment, said University Police Lt. Matthew Hansen. The two met at a party at Nord Gardens that night where they were drinking. They decided to walk to his place to watch a movie but stopped at her apartment to use the bathroom. When the 20-year-old woman came out of the bathroom Wood allegedly attacked her.

Detectives helped the woman arrange a meeting with Wood in a telephone conversation with him. Police arrested Wood on April 1 at the Starbucks on Nord Avenue without incident, police said.

A restraining order was granted against Wood on April 4, and he was released on $100,000 bail.

Several women went to Butte County Superior Court in Oroville to support Wood at his arraignment April 4, said defense attorney Matt Beauchamp.

“He’s a decent fellow, a true gentleman,” Beauchamp said.

Wood is scheduled to return to court May 19 for a preliminary hearing where the prosecution will present its evidence.

Wood declined to comment. The alleged victim could not be reached for comment.

Katy Sweeny can be reached at ksweeny@theorion.com

Student goes tocourt for alleged sexual assault

RENEE CALDERSTAFF WRITER

Thirty-two bodies will be scattered in the Free Speech Area at 12:50 p.m. today, one year after the Virginia Tech shooting, to raise awareness for gun control.

Students and a faculty member will dress in black shirts and lie in the grass for three minutes to

remember the anniversary of the shooting and the 32 people killed by Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho,

said Christian Heyne, president of Chico’s Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

The number also represents the number of people who die from gun violence every day, he said.

“Our motto has always been the same,” said Heyne. “If one person can be alive because

of our efforts, then everything we’ve done has been worth it.”

Senior Jennifer Tringali thinks people should

please see PERSONAL A5

n

t

Candidates vie for campus votes

Chico gas prices on rise, unlikely to stop

Associated Students

Elections 2008Please see A6

T h e O r i o n • SENG VANG

Members of Nick Boles’

campaign sit in the Free Speech Area to attract voters. Boles, a

candidate for A.S. president, and the other

candidates have until

April 24 to get votes.

WALTER FOLEYSTAFF WRITER

An appellate court announced April 4 it would hear arguments about the evidence that can be used against two Chico State students and a Butte College student accused of hazing fraternity pledges.

The prosecution and defense will meet May 30 to argue if the people

of California can be considered the victims in the case, instead of the individual pledges who were allegedly hazed in spring 2007, said Deputy District Attorney Michael Sanderson.

Chico State students Chris Bizot, 24, and Mike Murphy, 23, and Butte College student Matthew Krupp, 24, face misdemeanor charges for allegedly hazing pledges. The men

belonged to Beta Theta Pi, which lost university and international recognition after the police were contacted about alleged hazing activities.

Murphy, who is also The Orion’s opinion editor, declined to comment. Bizot and Krupp couldn’t be reached by press time.

The defense requested the prosecution provide good reason why

no individuals need to be named at a jury trial to find the defendants guilty, said Bill Mayo, Bizot’s lawyer.

The jury trial, which was scheduled for Monday, will be rescheduled after the court decides whether specific victims need to be named, Mayo said.

If the appellate court rules in favor

EVAN BURTSTAFF WRITER

People may want to get in touch with their penny-counting ways because the price of gas continues to increase and shows no signs of stopping.

The national average for regular unleaded gasoline was $3.386 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report. This is up from last year’s average price of $2.847 per gallon.

The per-gallon cost in the United States also increased by 5.7 cents last week, according to the Energy Information Administration.

And the price of gas in Chico may be even higher than the national average.

Based on a survey of 20 gas stations in town, the mean price for regular unleaded gas was $3.69.

The higher cost has even

begun to cause problems for farmers who come to the Thursday Night Market.

Rodolfo Martinez, owner of RM Farms, has been selling strawberries and raspberries at the market for about four years, he said.

But he has to make a four-hour drive every Thursday when he comes to Chico from Hayward, and gas prices forced him to increase his prices, he said.

Martinez makes a living off his fruit, and times are hard, he said.

His strawberries are now 20 percent more expensive. A half flat at his stand used to cost about $10 and now costs $12, he said.

Ann Lee, a Chico resident whose family owns a farm in Orland, is having a harder time making a profit because of the cost of transportation,

T h e O r i o n • ELYSSE BONNER

please see GAS A5

Brady Campaign honors victims of school shooting>>

Video of Lie-in at

TheOrion.com

Photos by DAVID FLANNERY / Illustration by ALYSON SCHIFFMACHER