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.

People love to run around and dance, create music and harmony. But they also enjoy making bombs and destroying lives. And for some unfathomable reason, they hardly ever use public pay phones anymore. People are obsessed with discovering the unknown, they are afraid to make mistakes, foolishly think that pillars can make them strong. They drink water, blow up balloons, laugh, and learn to recycle. Some people smoosh themselves under vending machines, others contract diseases. People create cures, and support groups. Sometimes people trip and fall flat on their faces, and sometimes they catch themselves before they make that fatal downward plunge. People tend to embarrass themselves more often than not, but they learn to laugh at themselves later in life. 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

Vigil for Gaza Chico residents protest attacks in Gaza

Arrow
Arrow
Slider
photos by Tania Flores and Leslie Layton

In nationwide protests Jan 10, thousands of Americans encouraged debate over Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza. In Chico, several dozen people gathered at City Plaza and later downtown to condemn attacks that are killing hundreds of civilians, to call for a ceasefire, and to call on the United States to end its unconditional support of Israel. Tens of thousands of people protested in Europe and elsewhere, including about 2,000 Israelis who demonstrated in Tel Aviv against their government’s offensive, according to Inter Press Service. read more

Chillaxin’ in California

by Denise Minor

When people learn that I teach Spanish linguistics, there is often an automatic assumption that I am a strict grammarian. They picture me drilling students on the correct verb conjugations and becoming exasperated with their lack of comprehension of the difference between subject pronouns and indirect object pronouns. Sometimes, just to make conversation and show their commiseration, they complain about the way kids these days talk and their declining knowledge about proper language use. read more