volume 28, issue 1

issuu.com/bcroadrunner Volume 28 Issue 1 - October 5, 2015The voice of Butte College

Dealing With the Drought

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Cover: Dealing With the Drought

Page 4

2 The Roadrunner Volume 28 Issue 1 October 5, 2015

neWs:

Car Fire In Butte Parking LotPage 3

New Student PresidentPage 5

Butte’s Interim PresidentPage 6

Native Club ReactivatedPage 7

arts & lifestyle:

Album Review: Miley CyrusPage 8

HoroscopePage 9

Who We Are: Michaud ChrislotPage 10

Campus TalkPage 11

sports:

Brandon Banks UpdatePage 18

Butte Football Off to Rough Start

Page 18

table of Contents:

features:

Transfer DayPage 12

Lost But Not FoundPage 12

Camraderie In TransitionPage 13

The Two-Year MythPage 14

Butte Feminist Union RestartsPage 15

The Top 5 Student-Friendly Restaurants

Page 16

Cover photo by David McCall

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the first issue of the 28th volume of the Butte College Roadrunner. If you’re reading this, then congratulations, you are a rare sort.

I’m Spencer Hill, and after one semester of being a copy editor and one semester as the designer, I have become the editor-in-chief of this fine publication. I’m pretty excited for my new position. After all, it’s an honor to take up a position that was previously held by such editorial giants as Kevin “Notorious K.P.G.” Gray and Dan Christian.

For the last two semesters, I have written a science-oriented column. But since I have now become the editor, I’ve decided to pivot to writing a more opinion-oriented column, as is customary for editorial columns. As such, I’m also switching titles. “A Loaded God Complex” is a lyric from Fall Out Boy’s 2003 single “Sugar We’re Going Down,” which I think fits my personality.

As the writer of an opinion column, I have an awful lot of opinions to share. The first one I’m going to write about is related to what’s currently a hot topic – technological progress.

Technological progress is a big deal in the 21st century. More insanely amazing technologies are avaliable for use by the public than

a loaDeD goD ComplexSpencer HillEditor-In-Chief

ever before. For young people like college students, it’s easy to forget that things like the iPhone were pure science fiction just a few decades ago.

But some people still haven’t forgotten about those dark ages. That’s right – I’m talking about older people. You may have seen them in your classes. You may even be one yourself.

Having lived through a Snapchat-less time, some older people can be very skeptical about the benefits of cutting-edge technology. They believe that since it was clearly once possible to live without such things as Google, many modern technologies are simply superfluous. They even claim that young people are losing some of the valuable skills that their parents and grandparents knew, as they become too lazy and reliant on modern technology.

I’ve always had a bit of an issue with this argument, though. Yes, it is true that a lot of kids these days don’t know how to use a library card catalog or send a physical letter. But the argument that this means modern technology is bad for people isn’t as clean-cut.

The entire point of technology is to make things easier for people. Your grandparents might have used typewriters when they were growing up, but at the time, their grandparents were probably grumbling about how kids these days never wrote anything out by hand. It’s okay to become a little bit lazier. Just because you’re not working as hard as your ancestors were doesn’t mean your work is worth less.

Many people talk about illegal music downloading killing the music industry – but long before that, people thought the player piano would kill the music industry. Technology has its upsides and downsides, but it’s not the end of the world by any means.

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opinion

The Roadrunner:eDitor-in-ChiefSpencer Hill

neWs eDitorHannah Stevens

arts & lifestyle eDitorLaura Le

sports eDitorNoen Rodrigues

photographerKanako Otani

staff WritersDesiree CagleCale CastroKyle HamblinWilliam HausleyVincent HylerCarly JacksonJohn MarcuzDavid McCallSummer Smethurst

The Roadrunner Volume 28 Issue 1 October 5, 2015 3

Medical Assistance 8/25/2015 12:15 Arts 214Petty Theft 8/24/2015 18:00 CHCPetty Theft- backpack 8/26/2015 12:00 Gym 118Petty Theft 8/25/2015 14:00 CCStolen Car 8/27/2015 12:10 Dirt Lot Traffic Accident 8/27/2015 15:15 Lot 3Disturbing peace / Resisting arrest 8/28/2015 12:30 LRCMedical Assistance 9/1/2015 10:25 Gym 118Traffic Collision 8/27/2015 Medical 9/1/2015 17:15 LRC 112Towed Car 9/2/2015 12:10 LCTowed Car 9/2/2015 13:45 Staff LotPetty Theft 9/3/2015 Main CampusMedical Assistance 9/9/2015 Main CampusPetty Theft 9/12/2015 Main CampusEarly Alert to SHS 9/11/2015 CHCPetty Theft 9/11/2015 Main CampusPetty Theft 9/14/2015 CHCPetty Theft 9/14/2015 CHCMedical Assistance 9/16/2015 CHCPetty Theft 9/21/2015 CHCVehicle Theft 9/22/2015 Main CampusMedical Assistance 9/22/2015 ArtsDrug Possesion 9/22/2015 ArtsHit and Run 9/22/2015 Lot 1CTraffic Accident 9/23/2015 Main CampusTraffic Accident BC Bus 9/24/2015 Nord/5thTraffic Accident 9/24/2015 Lot 4bSuspicous Person Incident 9/24/2015 SASMedical Assistance 9/24/2015 ArtsIncident 9/24/2015 Lot 3Petty Theft 9/28/2015 LBParking in Disabled Spot 9/28/2015 Lot 1DPetty Theft 9/28/2015 Skyway CenterPetty Theft 9/30/2015 MC 25C

Compiled by Spencer Hill & William Hausley

poliCe blotter

A car burst into flames in Butte College’s Parking Lot 4 on Sept. 24 at around 11 a.m. A witness said the car’s driver pulled into the parking lot

with smoke billowing from beneath the engine. She exited the vehicle and jumped into another car that had pulled up next to hers. They drove off and the car burst into flames. A fire truck and six firefighters arrived

to extinguish the flames.

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Car fire in butte parking lot

David McCallStaff Writer

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Does turning the pages of a physical newspaper tire you out?If so, try The Roadrunner’s new

online edition atissu.com/bcroadrunner

and turn virtual pages instead.

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Many walking the Butte College campus have no doubt noticed, as it is hard not to, the dying brown turf all across college grounds. It’s part of the “brown is the new green” tactic that the facilities department is doing to help preserve water in these barren years.

California is in a dry spell, to put it lightly. Or as California Gov. Jerry Brown stated, we are in a state of emergency. The rainfall in California has been abysmal for the last decade. Water conservation in California is now, more than ever, a pressing matter that needs to be addressed. Colleges in California are looking at Butte, after a conference where schools around the state discussed how to reduce their water wasting habits and comply with Gov. Brown’s executive order to reduce water consumption by 25 percent.

Ken Albright, director of Facilities Planning and Management, said that Brown’s order was “absolutely necessary” for reducing water usage at Butte and across the state. Consequently, creative efforts have been taken to deal with the restrictions.

Butte has forsaken many turfs to lower its water consumption rate and improve efficiency. At this pace Butte is scheduled to use half as much water as it did in 2013 thanks to the efforts of Albright and

Dealing With the Drought

Jeff Jurickovich, the head groundskeeper and recently certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor. Both have spearheaded putting Butte at the forefront of water conservation tactics in California. Albright said that people had a “see no evil” attitude concerning the drought prior to Brown’s order, but that he “knew we needed to do something” long before it here at Butte. Albright has kept water consumption at this point to just 51 percent of what it was last year through August.

According to the school’s website, from January through August, Butte has used 28 million gallons of water, compared to 55 million gallons for the same period last year. The Ag Department reduced irrigation of the school’s orchards and vineyards by 50 percent, which is the the minimum required for plant survival

Albright and Jurickovich

John MarcuzStaff Writer

outlined the steps Butte is doing to lead the way in conserving water for schools all around the state. Equipped with a modern irrigation system, Butte is now a highly efficient green campus, but transitioning to “climate appropriate” trees is at the top of their to-do list.

With more than 1,000 individual trees and 100 species of trees on campus, Jurichovich’s task of making sure each species is getting the necessary amount of water can be difficult. Furthermore, trees that aren’t, in his words, “climate appropriate” are at great risk. These non-native trees require more water than central California gets in an average year, anywhere from double to triple the amount Jurickovich explained. With the drought it has been “especially harsh and a cause for concern for the trees’ health. We haven’t stopped

irrigating them, but we can’t make up for the lack of rain either.”

Schools all around the state have rushed to lower the amount of water they had been consuming, but at a recent conference that Albright and Jurkovich attended, no other schools had much of anything to offer, they said. Butte provided a goal for other schools to reach. Jurkovich’s training and effectiveness at handling his new responsibilities have garnered the respect of UC Davis, where he was scheduled to give a presentation on how Butte has managed to surpass expectations and how Davis could do the same.

Albright and Jurickovich said they have made it a priority to keep trees alive while sacrificing the rougher turf lawn areas that aren’t native to the area. As the lawns die native fauna will replace them and more climate-appropriate trees will be planted. Expect change to come to Butte in a healthy and ecologically responsible manner. The biggest use of water will remain the sports fields, as they are heavily regulated to maintain a certain standard of quality. They’re the only lawns at Butte you can expect to not change in the coming years.

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ZaChary alConero: neW stuDent presiDent

Desiree CagleStaff Writer

It’s a new semester, which means new classes, new teachers, new classmates, and because it’s fall, a new Associated Student president.

This year’s model is Zach Alconero of Anaheim. Alconero said he enjoys fish sticks and prefers broccoli over squash.

A typical day includes classes in the morning followed by his office hours in which he talks to the people in the office, has meetings with various officers and sends and reads emails.

“Lots of emails,” he said. “Lots of emails.”

After another round of classes, he heads home for work at either the Rice Bowl or Outback Steakhouse in Chico. Once a month he’ll be meeting with Butte College President Samia Yaqub, along with the vice president of the Associated Students and their advisor, Kelly Munson.

Alconero’s responsibilities include checking in with each officer, making sure he knows what everyone is dealing with.

“Essentially having my hand in every pot at once,”

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he said, and helping in any way he can with support, making sure everyone is moving along in the right direction. He has meetings

that he has to attend as well as committees that he sits on. There are the weekly meetings of the Associated Students that he leads. His

position is non-voting because he’s in charge.

“It’s a position of knowing things and telling people things,” he said.

Alconero’s responsible for knowing if something is within the rules, and if he doesn’t know it, to look it up and make the proper judgments. But because he is still new to the position, there is still more that he’s learning every day.

A teacher recommended that he run for the position, saying that he would be good at it due to his

“It’s a position of knowing things and telling people things,” he said.

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Connectivity Workshop 10/6/2015 11:00 CCC

Student Government Meeting 10/6/2015 14:00 CC 116

Wildlife Refuge Hike 10/7/2015 12:30 SRC

Poetry Slam 10/8/2015 18:00 CHC Lounge

Coming Out Day Celebration 10/13/15 11:00 CCC

Wildlife Refuge Hike 10/13/2015 12:30 SRC



Wildlife Refuge Hike 10/21/2015 12:30 SRC Harvest Festival 10/27/2015 10:00 Main Campus Halloween 10/31/2015 Everywhere

Compiled by Spencer Hill

event CalenDar


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Interim Butte College President, Samia Yaqub, took over for former President Kimberly Perry July 1.

That interim term ends next June and the school will select a new president in July following a nationwide search. Yaqub said she will apply for the more permanent position.

Yaqub is a friendly, welcoming person and well aware of her very foreign-sounding name, which she takes it in stride with a streak of humor.

“After hearing my name, a typical question is ‘Where are you from?’” To which she replies, “Indiana!”

Her Arabian father and American mother met while attending UC Berkeley. Each eventually received their master’s degree. Her father earned a PHd in mathematics at Purdue. Their love, she said, crossed all borders and they eventually married and had children.

“I am the fourth out of five siblings,” she said.

The name Yaqub is a common Arabic name, she said. “It translates to Jacob, in English. But my mother was from California. Watsonville, the artichoke capital of the world. She loved to travel. Probably because she grew up with chicken farmers.”

When Yaqub was 5 years old, her family strapped trunks, duffle bags and

a talk With butte’s interim presiDent

household items to roof of their ‘60s minibus and drove to the East Coast. They were leaving American soils.

They boarded a ship charted to dock in Europe, from where they would make the cross-continental drive to Greece. They then crossed the Mediterranean to Beirut, Lebanon.

Family was gathered and waiting in Beirut, Yaqub recalled.

“It had been 17 years since my father and grandmother had seen each other,” she said, noting it was the first time she’d ever seen her father cry. “The second time would be when my mother died.”

When she was 13 years old, civil war broke loose in Lebanon.

“I lost friends to the fighting,” she said. “We would need to call every morning, in case classes were cancelled.” Even when school doors were open, whether or not students or instructors would be there was a gamble. Limited access to education made progress

Cale CastroStaff Writer

difficult. At the age of 17, she

fled back to the states to live with her brother, who was living in California at the time.

She finished high school, and then completed undergraduate courses at UC Davis as an English major, concurrently earning her Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification.

For more than 20 years, she has served Butte College in various departments.

The college hired her full-time in 1989 to instruct English as a Second

Language (ESL) courses. There was an intermission of one year during which she taught linguistics to graduate students in China. She chaired the Language Education and Development (LEAD) department from 1995, until becoming an assistant dean in 2001.

She earned a doctorate in education with an emphasis in Community College Leadership in 2010.

She said the state recently directed $1.6 million toward the Butte College student equity fund, which exists for the enhancement of education completion equality among minorities.

“This is an area I would like to see inroads with the hiring of faculty that represent student body,” she said. She said that based on a study conducted in 2014, 41 percent of Butte College student body are ethnically diverse, while only 14 percent of the faculty represent an ethnically diverse demographic,

As for the president position she clarified:“I will apply, only if I feel I am making a difference.”

[email protected]

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work ethic and his ability to work well with many kinds of people because of his previous experiences and his jobs in restaurants. His teacher said that he would excel in the position and really do a good job. Alconero agreed and soon began his campaign.

He said he wanted to improve his leadership skills, as well as his management skills. He has quite a bit of free time this year, and many of his supporters thought that he’d possibly go stir-crazy if he didn’t have something to fill the time. Also, Alconero thought that the position just sounded like a lot of fun.

Overall, he is still trying to figure out exactly what he wants to do with his position. He didn’t have anything specific he wanted to do or get done during his time in office when he was elected. His main goal, he said, is supporting the students and the school in any way he can to help make everyone’s college experience the best that it can be.

So far, Alconero has no regrets, but can see a potential for them.

“I can see the work load,” he said, “and how it’s going to be growing as we’re getting into the roll of things, as more responsibilities are there, after more things are known, which I am anticipating, so I think it’ll be good for me. I like to stay busy.”

One of his main regrets

ZaChary alConero: neW stuDent

presiDentContinueD from page 5

is the lack of a real “lunch time” to himself, but that’s not a huge concern. He said he likes to have something to eat when dealing with the mountain of emails. Mostly he worries that he’s spread too thin, but even that isn’t a problem. “Ask me closer to finals.”

Alconero doesn’t see politics in his future.

“I’ve never had the inclination to go into politics,” he said. He’d much rather work with his hands. After completing the automotive program here at Butte, he’d like to go into mechanical and electrical engineering.

“I’m kinda fascinated with the construction of different things,” he said.

Alconero said he enjoys working with a team, whether it’s making or breaking things. Someday, he’d like to start his own engineering firm. He thinks that this position will give him a lot of preparation and experience with running a group of people in order to create (or destroy) an end product that can make the whole team proud.

“When you’re running a business,” he said,” you’re not dealing with one type of person, you’re dealing with all these different aspects and that can be overwhelming to just step into.”

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native ameriCan Club reaCtivateD

Cale CastroStaff Writer

On her usual route between Butte College classes a few semesters back, KZFR radio personality and coastal Pomo Indian Shannon Ilar found herself under the timeless race-triggered revolver.

Several student athletes came circling, badgering and wha-wha-wha-ing, berating Ilar with hate, she said.

“It was the first time in my adult life that I was harassed for my background,” she said. “And by another minority.”

Vigilant of the wrongdoings, two students—one Mexican, the other a Native brother—came to her aide as strangers, united.

The incident prompted her to reactivate the Native American Club, which had been inactive since 2011.

The Native American Club meets on Thursdays on the Main Campus in Swing Space F. The club invites Aztecs, Pomos, Miwoks, Peyotes, Mechoopdas, Maidus, Meccas, and anyone interested, whether Native American or not.

“There are issues needing to be brought to the table,” Ilar said, when asked her thoughts on campus diversity and minority representation. “We have come a long way. But,

there is a long way to come.”She said she was shocked

to learn that no grants were available for Native Americans through the Butte College Foundation office.

She defines the word “tribal” as “To be there and to care for one another.”

She encourages the community to “Tribe up” and overcome adversity through diversity. “We are all diverse in our own way,” she said. Adding that persons of all backgrounds should “Not assimilate, but accept.”

Taking center stage, Native American Days was set to run from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30 on the Main Campus. The event, conceptualized and coordinated by Ilar, is designed to shine a light on variety, she said. At the event, students can attend workshops and seminars led by elders and tribesmen, or just browse the booths and kiosks where hand-strung beads from Four Winds—a local native-based private school—or artwork from Iko Shy, of the Peyote people, is for sale.

Martin Martinez, creator of Red Road, which Ilar described as a guide for the misguided where sobriety is inspired through spirituality, was scheduled to channel “Waya” (spiritual energy) into blessings for whomever so requests.

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you – LEGGINGS. Leggings will never go out of style, and are much preferable and lightweight in comparison to jeans.

Makeup wise, my favor-ite item is the deep berry or red lipstick that almost looks as if it has hints of black or brown in them. If you think it’s too dark for you, it’s not. It’s like Nike – just do it. For the eyes, a bronze shadow all over would do nicely. As you can see, the colors I name are all inspired by the turning of the leaves, so if you ever need to know what colors to wear, then by golly just look outside.

For men, there’s not much to say really, since fashion for men vary in two categories: hot or cold. It’s always good to go for the basics in the color trend, such as a light brown pant, burgundy shirt, and a pair of dark brown combat boots or loafers. Usually with men’s fashion the seasonal trends come in with accessories like a scarf or a trench (which is too hot to wear here), so a pair of boots is key here. Don’t be afraid to wear printed shirts either, especially the button ups.

Well, that sums up the wearable fall fashion trends for this year. Next time, I’ll tell you about some probably very similar winter fashion trends, because let’s be honest – the only thing that will really be changing is the color scheme.

xoxo-Lolo

[email protected]

Dear Butte,

Fall is coming quickly, which usually means it’s time to pull out the boots, sweaters, and scarves-- unless you live in Butte County that is. For the past five years, I’ve lived in Colorado, so fall weather to me has been a range of rain, snow, and a little bit of breeze. Now I’m no weather wizard, but I am a person with a greatly average observational skill and it seems to me that I won’t be needing that sweater anytime soon, for I myself will be the sweat-er (I live for puns).

(Stay tuned, boys, I’m covering your fall fashion advice here too.)

Butte weather actually all works out in my favor, consider-ing the new fall trends in store for this year. Opt out of the knee high boots for a pair of heeled ankle booties – a must have for this year. Also, a theme I’ve been noticing is 70’s inspired clothing such as nice loose strappy tiered dresses and psychedelic vests.

And I have one word for

Laura LeArts & Lifestyle Editor

Dear butte

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arts & lifestyle

Ah, Miley Cyrus. When the name reaches my ear I go through a multitude of emotions. She’s not just one character to me, but every character she’s portrayed in her career.

This new album “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz” marks the creation of yet another new character. If I tried to describe her album in one word, it would be like trying to explain how to tie a shoe to a newborn. The music is trippy and the lyrics are honest. Her album consists of 23 tracks, two of which are just 50 seconds of noise, most of which can be described as “What the hell did I just listen to?”

To save you some precious time, I’ve listened to every song and have picked the top five songs you don’t have to be under the influence to enjoy. These songs are “Lighters,” “I Get So Scared,” “Fweaky,” “Space Boots,” and “Karen Don’t Be Sad.”

Listening to this album reminded me of

Laura LeArts & Lifestyle Editor

album revieW: miley Cyrus & her DeaD petZ

the Dead Floyd concert my friend brought me to this summer where I was surrounded by fun-loving hippies and 40-somethings rocking out to psychedelic tunes, so it was no surprise to hear that The Flaming Lips helped produced “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz.”

Listening to all the songs was like listening to her life story of the past two years. She connects to her audience by giving them everything that she’s felt and gone through, stripping away not only her clothes, but her emotions. In her song “Karen Don’t Be Sad,” she sings “You know you’re only letting ‘em win by letting all their lies and hate destroy you from within,” probably referencing how the media portrays her as a crazy, troubled pop star.

A take away from this album should be that in a chaotic mess, you’ll end up finding something valuable you weren’t even looking for.

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horosCope

Aries: 21 March – 20 AprilPull friendly pranks on your professors. Your impulsive, dare-devil nature will aid you.

Taurus: 21 April – 21 MayThe homework assignments you’ve been procrastinating on? Maybe it’s time to get them done. You might get a sticker!

Gemini: 22 May – 21 JuneUse your quick wit to extend an important deadline for the whole class. You’ll be known as a hero for the rest of your days.

Cancer: 22 June – 21 JulyYou’re very attached to a class of yours that is literally ruining your life. LET IT GO!!

Leo: 23 July – 22 Aug.Put your creative mind to use by giving all of your classmates nicknames. You’ll be Top Cat.

Virgo: 23 Aug. – 23 Sept.Use your attention to detail to your advantage. Point out all your professors mistakes; they’ll thank you in the end.

Libra: 24 Sept. – 23 Oct.If you have a strong attraction to one of your professors, now is the time to strike! Fire up the romance and go get ‘em, tiger!

Scorpio: 24 Oct. – 22 Nov.Debates will be your strong points. Make sure your voice is heard. (This means yell a lot.)

Sagittarius: 23 Nov. – 21 Dec.You might have done well on that test, or maybe not. That cutie you sit next to might be into you, or not. Your blind op-timism will be your downfall.

Capricorn: 22 Dec. – 20 Jan.Sorry, it’s a bad luck month for you. Beware of falling pencils detaching from the ceiling.

Aquarius: 21 Jan. – 19 Feb.Your arms are all over the place. PEOPLE CAN SEE YOUR TEST ANSWERS! We know you’re too honest to cheat, but not everyone has such good intentions.

Pisces: 20 Feb. – 20 March.Sit in a different seat every day this month. It will force your professors to learn your name faster and make you more memorable.

Divinations by Desiree Cagle & Carly Jackson, Drawings by David McCall

Divinations for stuDent suCCess


Who We are: miChauD Jean ChrislotSummer SmethurstStaff Writer

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Butte College student Michaud Jean Chrislot, 23, who prefers to go by the name of “Young-Beast,” traveled here from Haiti to not only further his education and improve his English, but also to experience as much of America as possible.

Young Beast said he was given the opportunity to study at Butte thanks to a nurse who helped him in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. The nurse happened to live in Chico and he has kept in touch with her since.

There is another thing: He happens to be, according to him, somewhere around 3-feet-2.5-inches tall.

Despite his short stature, Young Beast has high goals.

He just began his five-year journey to obtaining a degree in sociology with a business

arts & lifestyle

minor, so he can one day open a business that’s sole purpose is to help people.

“I see myself as a rebel and want to have my own business in Haiti because I don’t want anybody yelling at me ever,” he said.

He further explained his choice of career in social work.

“After the earthquake the amount of people that can work in Haiti is probably under 10 percent, so we need people who can work there.”

Why did he choose the nickname “Young Beast”?

“My friend Adam started it and all of my friends from home have always told me, ‘you are the beast’ and other people have said the same,” he explained. So he’s decided to embrace the name

and live up to its meaning.He said the biggest

challenges since moving to the states have been the weather and the food. The temperature in Haiti is much warmer than what the temperature can be in Chico, so arriving in mid-December was a huge shock.

“My first experience in America was playing in the snow,” he said. “It was cold and fun but not fun at the same time. Anything below 70 to 60 degrees is very cold.”

Although he did not have many complaints about the food here, Young Beast’s number one issue is cheese.

“I don’t like cheese, but I haven’t tried it,” he started to say. Then he stopped and laughed. “My eyes tell me that cheese is not good! In Haiti they use butter the way you use cheese, so I plan to spend all my time in America without cheese.”

When not at school or studying, he said, he bounces between a few different activities.

“I mostly stay at home, ha-ha! I like video games, reading and listening to music. My host family work as paramedics at the racetrack and I enjoy going with them to watch the races. I enjoy the life, this is life!”

Young Beast said he hopes that people do not think he is rude or antisocial, and that he encourages them to ask him more about his story.

[email protected]

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“What brought you to Butte College?”Compiled by Spencer Hill & Hannah Stevens

Campus talk

“I wanna start something to make me happy in life.”

- Alicia Green

“The Bus.”

- Todd Williams

“It was a community col-lege in my town, and it had a great agriculture depart-ment.”

- Claudia Randall

“I thought everybody was here.”

- Steve Samon

“Probably the fact that I didn’t wanna be on a high school campus anymore?”

- Kayla Bridges

“Lived in Chico; didn’t wanna pay Chico State’s higher tuition for the same education.”

- Tyler Ceccato

“I came to Butte because I wanted to move to Chico. Why I’ve been here for 5 years is another story.”

- Matthew Dick

“College Connections. Am I done? Can I go to class now?”

- Angel Hagan


features

Hannah StevensNews Editor

transfer Day at butte

On Sept. 15 represen-tatives from 21 universities from all over California lined up on the Main Campus Lawn as Butte College held its annual Transfer Day. At the event, students of all age groups were given the oppor-tunity to ask the universities’ admissions representatives a variety of questions.

Lisa Overstreet, an ad-missions representative at UC Berkeley, said that students had questions about tuition costs, minimum admissions requirements and the different programs on campus.

“Students are also asking a lot about the social

life and kind of what it’s like in the San Francisco area,” she said. “We’ve talked a lot about culture and food and kind of the diversity off the campus.“

Raumee Nassar was en-couraged by an instructor to browse different universities.

“They’ve been really helpful and initiated conver-sations,” she said. “I found out a lot about Concrete and Construction Management. I’m really interested in it and didn’t know it was a major.”

Chico State, not sur-prisingly. was particularly well represented at Transfer Day, with representatives from 12 different departments on campus.

“We tell students about the resources we have on campus,” said Jenni Rocca, a Chico State admissions representative. “If they’re a Butte College student, we encourage them to talk to the departments and utilize the resources here because we work so closely with Butte college.”

Students said that Chico State admissions rep-resentatives were particularly informational.

“Chico even gave us a list of classes that we can take at Butte that will help us save time when we transfer,” said Nassar

“It’s a great partner-ship that we have here,” said Rocca.

For those who missed out on Transfer Day, Butte College has a Transfer Counsel-ing Center to answer questions. The center is located on the main campus at SAS 258. To make an appointment with a transfer counsel-or call (530) 895-2264.

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David McCallStaff Writer

lost but not founD

If you have lost an item on campus the Butte College Police Department asks that you visit their lost and found department, located in the Facilities Planning and Man-agement building just past the ARTS building on the west side of the main campus. Those in search will be asked to describe the missing item, and if they have something matching that description it will be returned.

The campus police are currently in possession of more than 500 lost items, including jackets, laptops, thumb-drives, a yoga mat and even a one-of-a-kind wooden walking stick. The police are very interested in returning the lost items to their proper owners, said Chief Casey Carlson, but they have so many lost, unclaimed items that they don’t have any more space, and so after 90 days, if an item is still unclaimed, it is donated to the Salvation Army or Jesus Center.

If it is an electronic device with possible personal information, such as a cell phone, and it’s not claimed, then it is dismantled and its parts are shipped to electronic ContinueD on page 15...

Students peruse Transfer Day tables


William HausleyStaff Writer

CamaraDerie in transition

The transition from life in the military back to civil-ian life is often a difficult and obscure one. For many service members obtaining a higher education is part of that transi-tion. The Butte College Vet-erans Resource Center (VRC) started as a pilot program in 2008 and has quickly become an example for programs across California, with Dan Torres at the lead, a Navy veteran him-self.

Torres is dedicated to his leadership role in the VRC.

“I see my job at the VRC as a continuation of my service in the military,” he said, emphasizing that the VRC’s primary goal is to ensure the transition of service members to civilian life. The VRC is a hub that connects veterans with a multitude of resources.

Most veterans have gone through the VRC to use the GI Bill, which the center will walk the vets through step by step making a potential full day of filling out paperwork turn into an hour. The GI Bill is only the beginning of the resources that the VRC has available, ranging from priority registration to the loaning of graphing calcu-lators.

Located on main cam-pus at Swing Space C, the cen-ter always has open computers, a comfortable study area and

five-cent printing. Torres and the student assistants in the VRC connect veterans with the resources they need. Torres mentioned that many student veterans do not understand than they are eligible for ad-ditional financial aid outside of the GI Bill.

Conveniently they will also help with financial aid.

The VRC feels more like a club, with flip-flops, board shorts, beards galore juxta-posed to the occasional per-son still holding fast to prior military grooming standards.

The sheer difference between military life and college life is staggering and often disorient-ing.

The VRC is also home to the Butte College Student Veteran Organization (SVO), which offers a common net-work where veterans can find the camaraderie that is difficult to find outside of the military. Often helping coordinating events with the VRC the SVO also coordinates a fantasy foot-ball league along with a variety of raffles and parties.

The SVO is affiliated

VRC Head Dan Torres

with the Student Veterans of America whose vision is that “All veterans will succeed in higher education, achieve their academic goals, and gain meaningful employment.”

The SVO helps connect veterans to resources much needed in light of the sober-ing realization that the envi-ronments veterans are often exposed to cause them to live with Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse.

College can be a stress-ful place on top of the compli-cated process of transitioning from one existence to another. The VRC is a good place for vets to find a laugh, an open computer or just a place to breathe and relax. Then there is Torres who pops his head around the window with a greeting, a few questions and some new event to check out on the calendar.

There is always some-thing new on the calendar be it NASCAR tickets or the odd raffle. The VRC is a place where brothers and sisters all speak a similar language packed with acronyms and jokes.

The author served in the U.S Navy from 2003 to 2008.

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features

Hannah StevensNews Editor

the tWo-year myth

According to a non-profit organization called Complete College America, in 2014 only 4 percent of students at two-year col-leges actually completed an associate degree within two years. With 96 percent of students graduating late, there is clearly a flaw in the system.

“In most cases, call-ing it a two-year degree isn’t really, really accurate,” said Susan Bertozzi, a Butte Col-lege counselor.

Bertozzi said she be-lieves that basic skills make a huge impact on the time it will take a student to gradu-ate.

“If students have skills that they have to build,” she said, “then those classes are typically going to keep them here longer.”

Bertozzi also pointed out that 12 units is not a fulltime class schedule.

“They would then need to carry 15 units a semester to get done in two years or plan to take some classes over summer,” she said.

It is also helpful if

a student has the time to commit to being a fulltime student.

“We always tell stu-dents to plan on having an hour of class time and two hours of homework time for every hour of class time,” she explained. “So let’s say you’re carrying 15 units, and you’ve got to plan 30 units for homework time. That’s a fulltime job right there.”

Counselors can help students to create a clear educational plan to make more efficient use of the classes that they’re taking.

“If they don’t realize that they’ve met a general ed area and they’re taking more classes in that same general ed area, but they still have these other general ed ar-

eas to meet, then they’ve basically taken classes that they didn’t need.” said Bertozzi.

Garrett Cuslidge has been here three semesters and won’t be graduating for another four.

“I haven’t gotten any of the classes I’ve wanted,” he said. “They’re usually all full the second I’m able to

enroll because certain peo-ple get a couple days ahead to enroll in their classes.”

Bertozzi said that isn’t always a valid reason.

“They should be able to get into any of the classes that they want or need that first week,” she said. “If they linger, then more and more classes are going to fill up. My under-standing is that Butte has increased classes so that there is more availability.”

Bertozzi encourages students who can’t get into a class to be persistent.

“So if somebody has a specific major and they’re needing a class and unable to get into it, I would have them come talk with us and we would email the in-structor.”

Cuslidge said he doesn’t think that coun-selors are helpful.

“They just tell me what I already know,” he said. “Like, why am I even meeting with you?”

Tyler Barney is a pre-nursing student who has been at Butte College for two years. He’s likely to be here another six semesters. Barney has a much differ-ent impression of counsel-

With 96 percent of students graduating late, there is clearly a flaw in the system.

ors than Cuslidge. “I don’t have many

complaints,” he said, noting that he’s taken advantage of the state’s Extended Op-portunity Program Services, which offers qualifying stu-dents academic support and financial assistance.

“I’ve had EOPS and the counselors there have been phenomenal. They helped me initially to get an ed plan. Without them, I would have gotten lost.”

[email protected]

Student Tyler Barney

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Kanako OtaniPhotographer

butte feminist union restarts

On Sept. 9, the Butte Feminist Union (BFU) held its first meeting of the semes-ter at the Culture and Com-munity Center (CCC) on Butte College’s main campus. Three faculty members joined the three students who have started the club, and they dis-cussed the activities the BFU will do during this fall semes-ter, including the tabling on Spirit Day (Sept. 24).

BFU started last spring semester with the aim of providing a voice for all stu-dents no matter what gender. The advisors, Alicia Trider and Lauren Wilson, said they

hope the club both educates students about feminism and helps empower them. Club member Moriah Mathers specified the club is not about making men inferior to women—a stance known as “Feminazism.”

“We just seek a healthy, safe, and comfort-able place for all people no matter what gender and race they have,” she said. “Femi-nism should focus on other issues about diversity.”

Wilson said that the club also helps students with their networking and pro-vides them with leadership opportunities, which helps them have fulfilling college lives. In addition, the BFU is

From Left: BFU Members Maggie Berrier and Moriah Mathers

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going to get involved in the community. Last semester, the club conducted fundrais-ing and donated feminine hygiene products to local shelters.

The meetings of BFU are held every other Wednes-day at 3:30 p.m. at CCC. The dates are: Oct. 7 and 21, Nov. 4 and 18, and Dec. 2. Both male and female stu-dents can join the club.

“We want men to join the club,” Trider said. “The more men, the better.”

On Sept. 14, the BFU conducted a tabling on the first floor of Campus Center to promote the club. Mem-bers distributed fliers and lollipops to students who passed by the table.

On Oct. 7, BFU hosts “Laci Green Video Night” at CCC from 4 to 5 p.m. Stu-dents can watch and discuss video clips from feminist activist Laci Green.

The author became a member of the BFU shortly after writing this article.

[email protected]

recycling centers. Items val-ued at more than $250 dol-lars are an exception; they are logged into the evidence sys-tem instead of the lost-and-found. These items can still be claimed by their owners.

The police say elec-tronic items are frequently claimed by the proper owners while clothing is almost never claimed.

Items lost on campus don’t always go to the police department. Those found in the tech building, library, and Student Life office tend to stay in the lost and found collections of those respec-tive locations for a few days, before being shipped to the campus police.

Police officer Jason Taylor asks that students put stickers with their names, IDs and phone numbers on their clothing, electronics and other possessions to help them contact and return lost property.

For further informa-tion, or to claim that sweet jacket lost a few weeks ago, the police department’s lost and found can be contacted at (530) 895-2351.

[email protected]

lost but not founD

ContinueD from page 12


features

Kanako OtaniPhotographer

the top 5 stuDent-frienDly restaurants

As the new semester starts, many new students might wonder, “Where should I eat when I have no time to cook? Where should I hang out with my new friends?” I in-terviewed 50 students at Butte College randomly and determined five popu-lar restaurants. For the sake of student equity, two are in Chico, two are in Oroville, and one is in Paradise.

Crush (Chico)

201 Broadway St. (530) 342-7000

An Italian restaurant with a cozy ambi-ence in downtown Chico. “I usually order Caesar salad and a chicken bas-ket,” said Butte College student Kristen Sannar. Crush employee Mary Beem said Bolognese and chicken piccata are the most popular menu items in the res-taurant, which has happy hour specials from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every day, offer-ing dishes for less than $10.

Hours:Mondays-Thursdays and Sundays: 3:30 p.m.~ 9:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays: 3:30 p.m. ~ 12:00 a.m.

Smokin’ Mo’s BBQ (Chico)

131 Broadway St. (530) 891-6677

“I usually order chicken strips and French fries, and all the menu items are reasonable,” said said Brenton Driscoll. Scott Mcleod, a Smokin’ Mo’s BBQ manager, said the pork ribs with sweet Carolina sauce is one popular menu item in this restaurant, which also serves “Students Specials” for $7.45: a ham-burger with pork, beef, or chicken; chips and a drink. Mcleod said consistency is the main strength of the restaurant. Smokin’ Mo’s BBQ has been open for 14 years, and he said the restaurant has retained the same quality of food and comfortable atmosphere from day one.

Hours:Mondays-Wednesdays and Sundays: 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Are you a student artist? Email your art to

[email protected] have it featured in the

next issue of The Roadrunner!


featuresBird Street Café (Oroville)

2025 Bird St. (530) 532-1338

A small restaurant located on Bird Street in Oroville. “We love people, and we love to make people happy, and everybody loves to cook food!” said Darlene Johnson, a manager of Bird Street Café. College students mostly come to this restaurant for lunch, of which hamburgers and French fries are the most popular. As for breakfast, people can try a tradi-tional meal: eggs, ham or bacons, and toast. Prices are reasonable, with meals at less than or around $10.

Hours:Breakfast: 8 – 11 a.m. Lunch: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Dinner (only on Fridays): 3 – 8 p.m.

Si Senor (Oroville)

2100 5th Ave. (530) 534-3430

A Mexican restaurant located in Mis-sion Square Shopping Center. Wait-ress Winter Willard said the chili rel-leno is the most popular item on the menu. She said enchilada soup is also ordered by many patrons, and that the food ranges from mild in taste to more spicy. The owner, Lucia Sanchez, also runs another Mexican restaurant called Tortilla Flats in Chico (2601 Esplanade Chico, (530) 345-6053).

Hours:Mondays-Fridays: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sundays: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

MoonGate Chinese Restaurant (Paradise)

6689 Skyway. (530) 872-4999

A Chinese restaurant just across from the Butte College school bus stop at Skyway & Luther Drive. The place opened in 1998, and it’s kept the original sauce recipe and the family-friendly atmosphere for 17 years. “There are repeats who have come to this restaurant since it opened,” owner Judy Wong said. During lunch, people can choose lunch special menu items, which are served with steamed or pork fried rice.

Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. Dinner: 4:45 – 9 p.m. (Closed Mondays)


Butte College’s football program has been a perennial powerhouse in years past, stacking up 16 conference titles and two national titles. However, the 2015 season has been a bit different so far. The Roadrunners began the year with three straight losses, and seemed in danger of making it four.

After giving up 56 points in a big loss against a dangerous San Mateo squad, the Roadrunners’ defense had to right the ship against the high-powered offense of Fresno. Fresno, who was also trying to avoid a losing streak,came to Harrison Stadium in Oroville.

It’s fair to say that the Roadrunners’ confidence was deflated as they came into their matchup against Fresno.

Head coach Jeff Jordan said, “Obviously, our confidence level isn’t too high. Fresno is another top tier ball club. The way the new schedule is structured is tough on us… We have to face a lot of quality ball clubs early on.”

butte football off to rough start

However, the Roadrunners played much better than expected against the talented Fresno roster. It was a hard-fought game with

Butte coming out on top 31-28. Freshman quarterback Tommy Hays was able to shake off a few bad outings with a big performance against Fresno. Hays had two passing touchdowns to go along with 74 rushing yards.

The Roadrunners will still have to improve their play rapidly if they would like to still have a shot at a state championship. Butte’s running game is not as dominant as it’s been in years past, leaving most of the pressure on Freshman Tommy Hays.

Hays has had a few rough outings to start the year, throwing six interceptions in the four games. Nevertheless, head

Noen RodriguesSports Editor

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Above: Quarterback Tommy Hayes (No. 2)

sports

Butte College’s athletic department found itself in the eye of a media storm last year when rape allegations arose against one of its football players. That player was Bran-don Banks, originally a stand-out safety at Vanderbilt.

In June of 2013, Banks and three of his teammates were dismissed from the Vanderbilt team after be-ing charged with aggravated sexual assault of an uncon-scious female student. While awaiting trial, Banks popped up on the Butte Roadrunners football roster.

Banks bolstered Butte’s secondary at the beginning of the 2014 season. That was until Banks’ alleged transgres-sions were spotlighted by local media. Soon after, Butte’s athletic department dis-missed Banks for violating the school’s code of conduct.

Banks was accepted to Oregon’s Lane College in late August. Lane is a Di-vision II school affiliated with the Christian Method-ist Episcopal Church. The 21-year-old Banks still faces five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Two of Banks’ Vanderbilt teammates, Bran-


upDate on branDon banks

don Vandenburg and Corey Bailey, were found guilty last January before a problem with a juror lead to a mis-trial. They await their second trial, which is scheduled for November.

Today Banks and former teammate Jaborian McKenzie await trial as well. The date of their trial is still unknown. Both Banks and McKenzie are set to play football this season while they wait, as McKenzie is also back on the field at Al-corn State.

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September marks the starting gates for football. Over the past decades, the NFL and NCAA football leagues have taken over the spotlight of American sports. However, the purest form of this new age American pastime lies at the high school level.

No million dollar boosters, contracts, or fame. High school football is simply for the love of the game and positive character building. This is what makes the events of a recent high school contest so disgraceful.

Many people have already heard what transpired between John Jay H.S. student athletes and referee Robert Watts, on September 4. Video of the incident has gone viral, making this a steaming topic across the nation.

The jarring video shows two John Jay H.S. safeties intentionally blindsiding referee Watts. The first player

sports games through rayban frames

delivers a huge shot to Watts’ spine, ripping his hat off and sending him face first into the ground. The second safety follows up with a diving hit to the grounded ref, spearing his helmet into Watts’ back again.

Watts somehow got up uninjured and finished the game, but this was just the start of the story. Michael Moreno, 17, and Victor Rojas, 15, were the players responsible for delivering the hits. Since the incident, both boys have been tossed into the focus of the media, forced to defend their actions.

Moreno and Rojas have appeared on Good Morning America and Outside the Lines stating their shocking sides to the story. The boys stated that referee Watts had used racial slurs towards the predominantly minority John Jay team on multiple occasions.

Referee Watts allegedly called John Jay’s African American quarterback the N-word and then ejected the quarterback for his reaction to the hate. Watts also confronted an African American player after he was blindsided, suspecting him of the dirty hit. Watts ejected the young man after allegedly yelling at the kid, “Did you hit me, n-----?” The young man ejected was not even


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involved in the hit on the ref.Moreno and Rojas as

well as other players for John Jay have also stated that their assistant coach Mack Breed ordered the “code red” on the unsuspecting referee.

Moreno stated on OTL, “Right before I was going to the field he pulled me and Trenton to the side and told us, ‘You need to hit that m-----f-----,’”

The span of this incident keeps widening as more eyewitness accounts come out. John Jay coach Mack Breed has been put on indefinite leave for his role in the matter. Moreno and Rojas could face criminal charges from referee Robert Watts, while Watts and his lawyer are refuting the reports of racist remarks.

After everything said by all parties, I have no idea who to believe. Nothing good can come of this for anyone involved. Two boys’ lives have been turned upside down and they still could face charges. Meanwhile, the coach and referee have most likely lost their professions permanently.

@NoenRodrigues

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coach Jordan has remained supremely confident about the future of his team under the young 6’4” field general.

Jordan said, “We are evolving as an offense. Usually we are an elite power running team but things are different this year. Some of Tommy’s interceptions are just normal rookie and freshman mistakes. He has tremendous upside and I love his competitiveness.”

Hays and the Butte secondary definitely stepped up this to avoid going 0-4. Before the game with Fresno the Roadrunners’ defense had been susceptible to the big play this season, allowing an average of 31 points per game so far. But the win against Fresno may have turned things around.

Butte has only one more game against nonconference opponents--Delta which took place after this paper’s deadline-- before the games get more important inside the Golden Valley Conference. The Roadrunners will open up conference play Oct. 17 against the Feather River Golden Eagles, and Butte definitely wants to be 2-3 when the team gets there.

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volume 28, issue 1

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