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Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion
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Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion
Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion
All content by Risa Johnson
Jennifer Tancreto, before she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Photo courtesy of Mim Roeder.

Deceased graduate remembered as ‘multidimensional, adventurous’

Risa Johnson
October 10, 2015
Jennifer Tancreto had just received her master's degree in fine arts with an emphasis in printmaking in May. Family, colleagues and students describe her as a humble, talented intellectual admired locally and internationally for her work.
Chico State anthropology graduate students and faculty frequently travel by helicopter to crime scenes. Photo courtesy of Colleen Milligan.

Anthropology lab draws students, cases across state

Risa Johnson
May 16, 2014
Chico State's anthropology graduate students explain the hidden gem that is the Human Identification Lab and why the anthropology graduate program is renowned across the state and nation.
Gabe Maddox, president of the Blacksmith Club, cuts steel bars into pieces small enough to eventually turn into chisels. Photo credit: Alex Boesch

Blacksmith Club sends sparks flying

Risa Johnson
April 15, 2014
The group started this semester and forges everything from practical tools to armor.
Mark Pullyblank, film animation instructor, works on a rig for an animation with Devon Mc Mindes, a senior applied computer graphics student. Photo credit: Matthew Vacca

Professor animated for ‘The Hobbit’ productions

Risa Johnson
March 9, 2014
A Chico State professor has worked on animating a variety of Hollywood films, most recently "The Hobbit."
Jason Yu, junior mechanical engineering student, and Tyler Gellinck, senior mechatronic engineering student, talk about parts for the frame.Photo credit: Risa Johnson

Engineering students build race car for competition

Risa Johnson
December 15, 2013
A student club has built a 600 pound car with 60 horsepower, mostly from scratch.

Entrepreneurship students build businesses

Risa Johnson
December 14, 2013
Students have received up to $10,000 from the Center for Entrepreneurship for their work in lecturer David Rahn's class.
Photograph courtesy of James Umekwe Workers measure the land during the early stages of constructon of Upon This Rock Medical Center last year. The Kristina Chesterman Memorial Clinic, which will be built in Umuahia, Nigeria, will be a sister clinic to the center.

Commemorating Chesterman

Risa Johnson
December 9, 2013
Nigerian clinic to be built in nursing student’s name
Workers laying out the land in the early stages of the clinic building last year. Photo courtesy of James Umekwe

Nigerian clinic to be built in honor of deceased nursing student

Risa Johnson
December 8, 2013
Clinic to break ground in summer 2015.
Attendees to enjoy the food provided by the Knights of the Knight on Thursday at Sylvester's Cafe by the Creek.Photo credit: Chris Ng.

Knights fight drinking dangers

Risa Johnson
December 2, 2013
Club works to promote safer drinking habits

Cardio ‘Cat: Training through illness

Risa Johnson
December 1, 2013
Being sick doesn't mean you have to miss a day at the gym

‘Spring Awakening’ shows off skin, skill

Risa Johnson
November 19, 2013
Imagine a world where parents don’t give “the talk.” A world where teenagers don’t know what sex is and girls get pregnant without understanding how. This is the world brought to life in the sexually-explicit and captivating play, “Spring Awakening,” in the intimate setting of Chico State’s Wismer Theatre. Based off an 1891 German play...

Thanksgiving, making the most out of your week-long break

Risa Johnson
November 18, 2013
Three ways to spend your Thanksgiving break in Chico.

Cardio ‘Cat: Gear up for triathlons

Risa Johnson
November 17, 2013
Arms thrashing and legs kicking their way through the water in a sea of people. Road bikes, tri bikes, all kinds of bikes, speeding around corners. And lastly, a mad dash with whatever is left in their somehow still-moving bodies. In the near future, I want to take on a triathlon, and it will be...

Mock trial addresses party culture

Risa Johnson
November 12, 2013
This event explained the consequences of alchohol-related deaths and provided a forum for discussing party culture concerns.

Winter Workout Wear

Risa Johnson
November 9, 2013
Don't let the cold keep you inside
Photograph by Shelby Keck Revelers packed the south-campus area and downtown on a fairly mild Halloween night. There were about 75 officers on duty for Halloween weekend.

Party patrol

Risa Johnson
November 5, 2013
Orion reporters accompany police on Halloween

Cardio ‘Cat: Food for fuel

Risa Johnson
November 3, 2013

I had a friend in high school that would down two scoops of ice cream right before track practice, no problem. Unfortunately, I am not as lucky, and food has a big impact on my work-outs. Knowing...

Live blog with Lt. Laver

Risa Johnson
October 31, 2013
Risa Johnson, the asst. features editor, will be starting a live blog at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday with live updates about her ride along with Lt. George Laver of Chico police.
Photograph courtesy of Connor Spiegelman Criminal justice students pose outside the prison.

Students learn about life behind bars

Risa Johnson
October 29, 2013
A group of Chico State students spent their Friday talking to convicts in a jail—and they liked it. The Community Legal Information Center sent students from the Penal Law Project to visit San Quentin State Prison. The prison is located along the coast, 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, adjacent to multi-million dollar...

Cardio ‘Cat: Telling your old shoes to take a hike

Risa Johnson
October 29, 2013
Out with the old, in with the new, why you need new running shoes.
Photograph by Norma Loya Sophomore Owen Hansen removes the instestines of junior Claudia Gonzalez at the Phi Kappa Tau haunted house on Friday night.

Honorable haunting

Risa Johnson
October 22, 2013
Fraternity hosts a horrendous house to benefit charity.
Risa Johnson

Cardio ‘Cat: Effects of caffeine and alcohol on a workout

Risa Johnson
October 21, 2013
The pros and cons of alcohol and caffeine.
Photograph courtesy of Risa Johnson Risa's half-marathon came with a surprise, but was extremely rewarding.

Cardio ‘Cat: Lessons learned from running a half-marathon

Risa Johnson
October 15, 2013
My first half-marathon was the most rewarding race I’ve ever finished, including 10k and 5k races. I have never had so much trouble walking after a race, but more importantly, I have never had so much support from friends, family and strangers ringing bells and waving signs along the way. Hopefully sharing my experience will...
Photograph courtesy of Chico State Gary Shields, the lead groundsworker, trims the roses in the George Petersen Rose Garden in the spring of 1999.

Stop and smell the roses

Risa Johnson
October 15, 2013
George Peterson Rose Garden is filled with history, beauty

Death row inmate may get retrial

Risa Johnson
October 8, 2013
After 24 years, new hope for former student on death row.

Fall for the season

Risa Johnson
October 8, 2013
Autumn is here, along with 3 fun activities you can’t miss.
Risa Johnson

‘Cardio Cat: Preventing injuries

Risa Johnson
October 8, 2013
A few tips for increasing flexibility and keeping injury-free.
Photograph by Shelby Keck Grandmaster Farshad Azad leads students in a mixed martial arts course at his gym. Azad also teaches classes at Chico State.

Mixed martial arts kicks up curriculum

Risa Johnson
October 6, 2013

Pairs of students are putting their partners in chokeholds and knocking them to the ground. It's just another day in mixed martial arts class. Farshad Azad, or “Grandmaster” as his students...

Risa Johnson

Cardio ‘Cat: Spice up your workout

Risa Johnson
September 30, 2013
We are already into week six of the semester and midterms are looming. With my small amount of free time, do I really want to go to the WREC—or do I want to curl up in bed and catch up on Breaking Bad? I think it’s important to spice things up with work outs in...

Professor hosts reptile show

Risa Johnson
September 24, 2013

In a small building crawling with boa constrictors, large lizards and other exotic reptiles, a man stands in a corner with a shirt that reads: "Got Wood? I do." Outside of teaching at Chico State and...

Assaults linger

Risa Johnson
September 24, 2013
As the trial for Lonnie Scott Keith begins, many rapes remain unsolved.

Music to our gears

Risa Johnson
September 18, 2013
Singing cyclist serenades students with freestyle jams.
Risa Johnson

Cardio ‘Cat: Benefits of personal training

Risa Johnson
September 18, 2013
  Ten-hut! If you want an intense, almost militaristic motivator when you work out, then personal training may be for you. A friend who goes to Boot Camp sessions at the Wildcat Recreation Center recently  sold me on joining personal training. I tried CrossFit last year and injured myself lifting weights because I wasn’t getting...
Risa Johnson

Cardio ’Cat: Tips for toned abs

Risa Johnson
September 10, 2013
How to get a toned midsection.

A legacy of giving: Dan Giustina discusses his large gift; dedicated to his longtime friend

Risa Johnson
September 9, 2013
The Orion sat down with Dan Giustina, who donated the largest gift in university history.

Cardio ‘Cat: Upbeat playlists improve workout

Risa Johnson
September 9, 2013
Turn up the tunes to improve your workout.
flowers left on tree

Limb fall probably caused by water load

Risa Johnson
September 7, 2013
After a student was killed by a fallen tree branch, an arborist discovered the limb was carrying extra water from the summer.
Cathrine Himberg Communications professor John Roussell can be seen in Jay-Z’s new music video “Picasso Baby.” Roussell dances and watches the rapper perform as if he is a painting in a museum.

Professor jams with Jay-Z in music video

Risa Johnson
August 29, 2013
One Chico State professor will show students what he did this summer by displaying his name in the credits for Jay-Z’s music video “Picasso Baby.” “I have to stay relevant,” said John Roussell, a communications professor. “This instantly will catch their attention.” Roussell and his wife, Cathrine Himberg, a kinesiology professor at Chico State, were...

Cardio ‘Cat: 5 ways to be healthy this fall

Risa Johnson
August 28, 2013

This summer I ran a 5,000 and a 10,000-meter race and went to the gym after work four to five days a week. I lost 10 pounds and gained speed and endurance every week. So I got to thinking: how the heck...