The Goods

Our business
The Princeton Review likes to make lists. Its most recent release is the Best 290 Business Schools. Chico State is included, although there are no ranks given within the 290 to see where it placed among Harvard, UC Berkeley and the like. The PR did, however, rank the top 10 schools in several specific categories, including Best Professors, Most Competitive Students and Best Campus Environment. Chico State didn’t fall on any of those lists, but did rank No. 7 for Greatest Opportunity for Women. Not too shabby.

The big bucks
Chico State microbial ecologist Gordon Wolfe will be spending a little more time in Lassen Volcanic National Park in the coming years. Specifically, he’ll be helping to set up a microbial observatory at Boiling Springs Lake, which is the largest hot spring in North America. He and three other experts from two other colleges have been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study organisms that live in the boiling acid pools. The grant will provide an opportunity for about 100 students from the three schools to participate in research, which will also be integrated into classroom work.

Into the wild
It’s time to get out and explore. Why not check out the wildlife refuge at Butte College? On Saturday (Oct. 20), the school will host its first community showcase and tours for the public, including hikes led by biology instructors and a tractor-drawn tour. Head on over to the main campus from 8 a.m. to noon—park in lot 4 and follow signs to the Boyer Glen Picnic Area, by the footbridge.

Safety first!
Forget shootings and violence. Let’s concentrate on what’s really important. And that’s riding bikes and skateboards in the middle of campus. It’s a no-no, as people can get hurt. University Police Chief Eric Reichel says in his letter to students: “In this age, when many of us use our cell phones, iPods or other personal technology devices while we walk, it can be easy to miss seeing someone riding toward us.” In other words, oblivious pedestrians are ruining it for the rest of us. Chico State has updated its map of the “campus core” to help bikers figure out where they’re not welcome (walking your bike is, of course, allowed). Basically it’s anywhere on campus except Ivy/Warner, but check it out for yourself: www.csuchico.edu/up/forms/Bike_Parking_Map.pdf.

Thoughts and condolences
We regret to report the death of one of Chico State’s beloved faculty members: John Long. He died at age 56 of an apparent heart attack Sunday (Oct. 14). Long had been chair of the Department of Communication Design. “We have been enriched by his presence, and will be diminished by his absence,” his colleague, Alan Rellaford, said in a letter to students. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Long’s family and friends.