Vibrant School District Starved by State

By Leslie Layton

Some California school districts have gone broke because of gross mismanagement. Some have gone broke on fraud and corruption. The Chico Unified School District has gone broke on good intentions and a crashing state economy.

You could argue that it went broke by providing what parents in this college town wanted, even when the district could no longer afford those amenities. It offered small primary school classes and high school electives like French IV and ran tiny schools in the nearby communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch. read more

Dedication to Mercedes Sosa

by Leslie Layton
“All I Ask of God”

Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa died Oct. 4 at age 74. The news saddened a Sunday for millions of people who knew her voice that was deep and rich and her songs that were deep with meaning. Sosa became an icon because of both her native talent and her acquired courage to stand up to repressive regimes. She was once detained right along with her audience, which happened to be 200 students studying veterinary medicine. read more

Dance of Passion Demands Patience, Control

Flamenco_Show_400_284

photo by Erik Aguilar

by Tania Flores

I was introduced to flamenco by a blood-letting, like a tailored and sharply-cut red dress whipping out from the back of my head. I was introduced by a woman who had my name, who called herself La Tania, who marked the end of the time when the purity of ballet was enough to contain my six years of age. I watched her dance in Chico State’s Laxson Auditorium, my head wrapped in a turban of white bandages. Wearing my ballet tights and leotard, I had cracked my head open earlier that afternoon on a cold, metallic bathtub rim. La Tania’s resounding footwork helped stem the flow of the hysteria and screams, and transform them into echoing syllables. read more

see slideshow Flamenco

slideshow by Erik Aguilar

Class of ’09: Spend Your Pennies Wisely

by Tania Flores and Oliver Wong

People inhabit the Earth. These simple, inconsequential creatures mow lawns, collect knick-knacks, walk aimlessly, climb trees (sometimes even fall out of them), and bleed. Some people throw things, such as footballs, fits, and paper airplanes. They might also read books, pick flowers, or join gangs. read more

Hibridad lingüística por los pasillos del BMU

Osiris Aníbal Gómez
Osiris Aníbal Gómez

Por Osiris Aníbal Gómez

“Oyes, llámame para atrás porque voy tarde para mi clase, OK. Luego te veo, bye!” No recuerdo el día que al caminar por los pasillos del BMU de la Universidad Estatal de Chico, no haya escuchado conversaciones como ésta. No es ninguna sorpresa, ni tampoco un nuevo estilo de habla entre los hispanohablantes de California, esta mezcla del español con inglés, va más allá del ya popular Spanglish.
Lo que sucede hoy en día, es que todos los hispanohablantes nativos y de segunda generación contribuyen inconscientemente a un fenómeno idiomático que se propaga por todos los rincones de EEUU. La razón es la gran influencia que el inglés tiene sobre el español. A pesar de que muchos lo catalogan como incorrecto, es algo tan legítimo como natural. Es un fenómeno evidente e imparable, cuya influencia queda reflejada en las conversaciones que escucho a menudo entre los estudiantes: read more