The Goods

Welcome back
Chico has been quiet without all the students around. The traffic has been lighter, and lines were shorter at Aca Taco and Celestino’s, and that was all fine and good. But let’s face it, Chico is a college town and there’s nothing quite like having students around to make it feel like home. So, welcome back, students. Good luck this semester. And, for those of you new to Chico State, welcome! There’s an orientation Friday (Jan. 25) at 10:30 a.m. in Bell Memorial Union.

Scoring big
Four Butte College football players signed letters of intent this month. Center Rob Houser signed with the University of Pittsburgh, wide receiver Taylor Clements signed with Arkansas State, defensive lineman Joe Ma’aseia will head north to Portland State, and Joe Larsen, also on the defensive line, signed with Weber State. The four players were All NorCal Conference players and starters. Also in Butte football news, former player and Chico native Brett Ratliff has signed a reserve/future contract as quarterback with the New York Jets. He was on the team’s practice squad in 2007. So, who knows, maybe he and fellow North Stater Aaron Rogers will share a field sometime soon (assuming Brett Favre retires sometime soon).

Sand art
Chico State students will have a rare opportunity to see a mandala, or sand painting, created by a well-known Tibetan scholar and teacher, Lama Losang Samten. He will create the Kalachakra mandala called the Wheel of Time in the ground floor mall of the BMU, and students can see him working most days from Jan. 28 to March 1. Samten will also be on campus for speaking engagements. Don’t hesitate to stop by and view his mandala in progress, and ask him questions while he works.

Construction zone
The sound of bulldozers is in the air as the spring semester begins. The recreation building is being ripped to pieces to make way for a new residence hall on Legion Avenue. Meanwhile, work has already begun on the new Wildcat Activity Center.

I’ve been robbed
More than 130 Chico residences were burglarized over the Chico State holiday, meaning more than a few students are likely returning to broken-in homes. We feel for you. The Chico police are requesting that anyone who is approached on the street to buy goods that seem a little fishy should give them a call.

Always interested
We want to hear what you have to say, so don’t be shy. Feel free to leave comments on our Web site, or send an e-mail with feedback or story ideas to Associate Editor Meredith J. Cooper (<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> </script>).