Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

THE ORION STYLEBOOK

Albert E. Warrens Reception Center Formerly called the Julia Morgan House.

Academic Senate

Academic Titles Academic titles are tricky. At Chico State, ranks and titles abound. Instructor or Lecturer is a non-tenure track appointment that may include full-time or part-time assignments. Avoid the term adjunct. 

An Assistant Professor is on tenure track but has not yet achieved tenure. An Associate Professor has earned tenure but not been promoted to full Professor. Professor is the highest appointment for a faculty member. 

Acker Gym Acceptable on all references to Arthur Acker Gymnasium.

Adventure Outings Acceptable on all references. Do not abbreviate

Alumni Glen

Alumni House (See Ella Caroline Sapp Hall.)

Accessibility Resource Center Not disability services. Use ARC on second reference. 

arboretum Lowercase in reference to Chico State’s arboretum, the outdoor areas throughout campus where plants have been cultivated for scientific and educational purposes

Associated Students on first reference, A.S. thereafter. A.S. should be abbreviated when coupled to a program such as A.S. Programming or A.S. Recycling.

Avenues A neighborhood north of campus. No apostrophe. Avoid use of Aves unless in direct quote.

Ayres Hall Acceptable for all references to John C. Ayres Hall.

Aymer J. Hamilton Building

Between the Stairs and the Office Gallery An art gallery located at the first floor of Ayres Hall. B-SO Space is OK after first reference.

Bell Memorial Union on first reference, BMU thereafter. Refers to Hugh M. Bell Memorial Union.

Bidwell Bowl The campus amphitheater along Big Chico Creek. 

Bidwell Mansion

Bidwell Park Capitalize the proper names of places within the park: the Bear Hole, Upper Bidwell Park, Bidwell Park Golf Course. But lower case general references such as the park, lower park, the grove.

Bidwell-Sacramento State Park on first reference. Use the state park on second reference. 

Big Chico Creek First reference for the 45 mile creek that runs from Colby Mountain through Bidwell Park and Chico State and into the Sacramento River. 

Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve on first reference. The 3,950 acre reserve is owned by Chico State Enterprises. Use the reserve on second reference. 

Blue Room Theatre

businesses Please find the website or Facebook page for any and all businesses, then spell the name exactly as it appears on the website or Facebook page, e.g. Tender Loving Coffee. Pay attention to possessives, plurals and unique spellings, e.g. Bill’s Towne Lounge

Butte College Not Butte Community College.

Butte County Public Health Department Not Butte County Department of Health.

Butte County Jail

Butte County Sheriff’s Office

Butte Hall

Butte Station

CalFresh

California Collegiate Athletic Association spelled out on first reference; CCAA thereafter.

California Faculty Association Spelled out on first reference; CFA thereafter.

California Highway Patrol for first reference. Use CHP on second reference. 

The California State University system The CSU system is acceptable in all references. A breakdown of correct usages for each campus: 

Chico All references, Chico State

Bakersfield all references, Cal State Bakersfield

Channel Islands All references, Cal State Channel Islands

Dominguez Hills All references, Cal State Dominguez Hills

Fresno First reference, Fresno State; second reference: Fresno State or Fresno

Fullerton All references: Cal State Fullerton

East Bay (Hayward) All references: Cal State East Bay

Humboldt All references: Humboldt State

Long Beach All references: Long Beach State

Los Angeles All references: Cal State L.A.

Maritime Academy First reference: California Maritime Academy; second reference: Cal Maritime

Monterey Bay All references: Cal State Monterey Bay

Northridge All references: Cal State Northridge

Pomona All references: Cal Poly Pomona

Sacramento All references: Sacramento State

San Bernardino All references: Cal State San Bernardino

San Diego All references: San Diego State

San Francisco All references: San Francisco State

San Jose All references: San Jose State

San Luis Obispo All references: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

San Marcos All references: Cal State San Marcos

Sonoma All references: Sonoma State

Stanislaus All references: Cal State Stanislaus

Camp Fire Not the Paradise fire. The fire started on Nov. 8, 2018, on Camp Creek Road in Butte County and 85 people from Paradise died. 

Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center on first reference, CADEC thereafter.

Career Center

CARE Team Acceptable for all references to Campus Assessment Response and Education. 

CAVE Acceptable for all references to Community Action Volunteers in Education, but it may be helpful for readers to include the proper name somewhere high in the story.

Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies

Center for Continuing Education

Center for Healthy Communities on first reference. CHC or the center on second reference. 

Chico Area Recreation & Park District on second reference, CARD.

Chico City Council

Chico Enterprise-Record Drop Chico on second reference.

Chico News & Review Drop Chico on second reference.

Chico Police Department on first reference. Chico PD on second reference. 

Chico State Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry

Chico State Wildcat Store Wildcat Store on second reference. 

The City of Chico The proper noun for the city government. Do not use city of Chico when simply referring to Chico.  

City Plaza The downtown park between Fourth and Fifth streets.

colleges Chico State has six colleges, plus the Office of Graduate Studies and Regional & Continuing Education. Colleges are made up of departments and some departments contain programs. Use lowercase when possible to avoid inaccuracy. 

College Panhellenic Council 

Colusa Hall

Common Grounds

Community Legal Information Center on first reference, CLIC thereafter.

Cross-Cultural Leadership Clinic on first reference, CCLC thereafter.

degrees Use the lowercase version of relevant academic degrees. Keep in mind that some degrees are singular and possessive, e.g. bachelor’s in journalism, master’s in biology. Exception: holds a doctorate in English. Avoid abbreviations like Ph.D. 

department Lowercase in most references unless using the full title of the academic department, e.g. Chico State’s Department of Journalism & Public Relations. Make sure the discipline is a department, not a program. Incorrect: He works for the Department of Journalism. Correct: He works for Chico State’s Department of Journalism & Public Relations. Also correct, he teaches in the journalism department

Department Chair is a formal title capitalized before a name: Department Chair Aaron Quinn. You should also mention the department to avoid confusion, e.g. Aaron Quinn, chair of Chico State’s Department of Journalism & Public Relations. 

Deen House

doctor Unlike AP Style, The Orion encourages the use of the title Dr. before a person’s name, e.g. Dr. Susan Wiesinger of the Journalism & Public Relations Department. Always make it clear in what department the doctor works or in what discipline the doctor specializes. You may also avoid Dr. by using the phrase who holds a doctorate in journalism. Only use Ph.D. in a long list of faculty or experts. Do not assume that all faculty have a doctorate. Many do not. 

dorms Dorm and dorms are acceptable as generic references. Dorms on campus include:

Esken Hall

Konkow Hall

Lassen Hall

Mechoopda Hall

Shasta Hall

University Village

Whitney Hall

Sutter Hall 

Eagle Lake 

Educational Opportunity Program on first reference. EOP on second reference.

Ella Caroline Sapp Hall Official name of the building known as the Alumni House; refer on first reference as Ella Caroline Sapp Hall; Alumni House on second reference.

Enloe Medical Center Enloe on second reference. 

the Esplanade Lowercase the. Pronounced: Es-pluh-neyd. 

Financial Aid & Scholarship Office Acceptable as a first reference. Second reference: Financial Aid. Lowercase if not referring to the office: He applied for financial aid.

Founder’s Week

Gender & Sexuality Equity Coalition (to replace Women’s Center entry): Formally known as the Women’s Center. GSEC or the coalition on second reference. 

Glenn Hall

George Petersen Rose Garden on first reference; the Rose Garden thereafter.

Gus Manolis Bridge Dedicated for the former football coach and located between Selvester’s Café and Holt Hall

Harlen Adams Theatre

Highway 32 is acceptable in all references for California State Route 32

Highway 99 is acceptable in all references for California State Route 99

Holt Hall Acceptable on all references for Vesta Holt Hall.

Old Hutch’s Plaza

Interfraternity Council IFC on second reference.

Instructional Media Center on first reference, IMC thereafter.

Ivy/Warner streets Ivy Street becomes Warner Street north of Big Chico Creek.

Jacki Headley Art Gallery 

Janet Levy Center

Janet Turner Print Gallery

KCSC KCSC, an Internet station, is the Associated Students-supported radio station. No periods are used for radio/television call letters.

Kendall Hall Acceptable on all references for Glenn Kendall Hall.

Langdon Engineering Center Acceptable on all references for Herbert F. Langdon Engineering Center.

Larry Wismer Theatre 

Lassen National Forest on first reference. LNF is acceptable on second reference. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park on first reference. Lassen is acceptable on second reference. 

Laxson Auditorium 

Little Chico Creek 

majors/minors Please lowercase all academic majors, minors and disciplines unless the word itself is a proper noun: She is journalism major and an English minor. 

Marketplace Café

Mary Lemcke Camellia Garden

Meriam Library

Modoc Hall

Monstros Pizza

Multicultural & Gender Studies Department Not to be confused with the Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies. 

Nettleton Stadium Home of the Chico State Wildcat baseball team. The game will be at Nettleton Stadium.

Northern California

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve on first reference. Table Mountain reserve acceptable on second reference. (See Table Mountain)

north state/north valley Use two words, both lowercase.

NSPR North State Public Radio on first reference. NSPR on second reference. The station (91.7 FM) is a partnership between Chico State and Cap Radio. Chico State Enterprises owns the license and Cap Radio runs the station. 

O’Connell Technology Center Acceptable on all references to John F. O’Connell Technology Center.

Oroville Dam The tallest dam in the U.S.

Performing Arts Center on first reference, PAC thereafter.

Physical Science Building

Plumas Hall

resident adviser Do not capitalize before a name. On second reference it may be abbreviated to RA when referring to a specific adviser. The RA inspected the room. Avoid generic terms such as He wanted to be an RA.

Roth Planetarium

Rush/Rush Week

Ruth Rowland-Taylor Recital Theater

Sapp Hall (See Ella Caroline Sapp Hall.)

Science Building

Selvester’s Cafe on first reference, Selvester’s thereafter. Refers to John I. Selvester Cafe.

Shasta Hall

Shurmer Gym Acceptable on all references for Jane W. Shurmer Gymnasium.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Siskiyou Hall

south-campus area A neighborhood south of campus. Instead of avenues, the area has streets such as Fifth Street.

Southern California

Stiles Warehouse

Student Learning Center on first reference, SLC thereafter. 

Student Services Center on first reference, SSC thereafter.

Sutter Dining Hall

Table Mountain in all references to the volcanic mesa between Chico and Oroville. Table Mountain emcompasses more than just the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve

Taylor Hall Acceptable on all references for Alva P. Taylor Hall.

Tehama Hall 

The Orion capitalize The.

Thursday Night Market Not to be confused with the Chico Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

Trinity Hall

Trinity Commons Formerly the Free Speech Area.

University Art Gallery

University Box Office

University Farm

University Housing

The University of California system All references: The UC system. A breakdown of schools: 

Berkeley All references: UC Berkeley

Davis All references: UC Davis

Irvine All references: UC Irvine

Los Angeles All references: UCLA

Riverside All references: UC Riverside

San Diego All references: UC San Diego

San Francisco All references: UC San Francisco

Santa Barbara All references: UC Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz All references: UC Santa Cruz

University Police The proper name for the Chico State police department. 

University Stadium not University Track.

vice president The official title is “vice president for” not “vice president of.” Thus the title is “vice president for Academic Affairs.” Capitalize before a name, e.g. Chico State Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas R. Rios

Veterans Affairs Office

Wellcat Counseling Center

WellCat Health Center

Wildcat Recreation Center Use on first reference. On second reference and in headlines, WREC.

Wildcats In sports reference, use Wildcats and avoid terms such as Lady Cats should be avoided. Wildcats is plural so the correct pronoun is they

Willie Wildcat Official mascot of the Chico State Wildcats.

Writing Center

Yolo Hall