Uncle Dad’s Art Collective does Madonna
theorion.com
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Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
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Vol. 80, Issue 1 |
print and online content free |
INSIDE Vol. 82, Issue 1 CONTACT | EDITORIAL Phone: 530.898.5627 Email: editorinchief@theorion.com
Managing Editor Natalie Hanson News Editors Josh Cozine Brian Luong Opinion Editor Rachael Bayuk Sports Editor Ricardo Tovar A+E Editor Alex Coba Visuals Editor Christian Solis Designer Mandi Wilson Copy Editors Salma Reyes Christina Cahill Sam Rios
MATHEW BOEW—THE ORION
The cast of Uncle Dad ending the first act of their Madonna Show.
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JOSH COZINE - THE ORION
Wells Fargo donates $3.25 million for Camp Fire relief.
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MELISSA HERRARA - THE ORION
Ali Meders Knight working on the mural painting on Second Street and Ceder Street.
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CORRECTIONS
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANNA WEISS
Adviser Diego Aparicio
After a great 2018 season the Wildcats look to replicate its success in 2019.
RACHAEL BAYUK - THE ORION
Buying loot boxes is the equivalent to gambling in the gaming world.
3 |BLOTTER / EDITORIAL Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Shave yourself the hassle simple brief checklist. What IS “Toxic Masculinity?” -Sexism, homophobia and treating people who aren’t cis males unfairly. ”Locker Room Talk” and catcalling . Using the phrase “boys will be boys” to excuse inappropriate behavior. Feeling threatened by men wearing makeup or wanting to
Gillette. Let me be frank: I liked the commercial. I thought it said things that our society needed to be told again. It is fair to critique Gillette as well. They sell “women’s” razors at a steeper price than “men’s.” They have also had women in skin tight bodysuits as sex symbols to sell their brand and products. So I hope that Gillette will take its own good advice and make the proper changes. Now, if you are offended by someone, even a company, suggesting people stop raising men to act like animals then re-evaluate yourself. The mere suggestion that men be held accountable for their actions is enough to make some boycott a brand and act like fools on social media. Only proving the point that Gillette’s public relations team was making. When someone uses a general critique, they are not talking about YOU, unless of course the shoe fits. If this commercial bothers you it’s probably because you have done something in your live that makes you feel defensive for being called out on it. There seems to be confusion about what toxic masculinity is, so let’s clear it up with a
show their emotions. What ISN’T Toxic Masculinity?” Having a drink with your bros. Enjoying traditionally “Masculine” things such as hunting, fishing, barbecuing and playing sports. There is nothing wrong with being masculine. No one is attacking masculinity. No one has ever attacked masculinity. There is however a siege on catcalling, sexism and abuse. So if you are still thinking that the criticism of Toxicity Masculinity is a criticism of you its because it is. These aggressive and dominating ideas that still linger among men have left a deep scar for generations. Being told to “man up” has become such an issue that entire generations of men have been hardened to the world. Seventy seven percent of suicide deaths are males. There are many factors to suicide but social pressure is one of the largest. Feeling an overwhelming amount of pressure to fit into a box can be suffocating. Continued online... Rachael Bayuk can be reached at opinioneditor@gmail.com or @ BayukRachael on Twitter.
The police blotter is a selection of information cited directly from the Chico Police Department and the University Police Department.
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TheOrion75
Chico Police
On a base level advertisements are meant to connect potential buyers with products. On a deeper level ads are meant to cause recognition. This commercial was a hit in that regard. Whether you loved the commercial, hated it or didn’t care you’ve been reminded about
Call Type: Disturbance Thursday, 8:50 p.m., 1500 Springfield Drive Suspect was escorted out of the store due to past shoplifting experiences. The suspect then became angry and threw a trash can at the window. Call Type: Fraud Friday, 3:34 p.m., 3400 Brook Valley Commons Victim received a fraudulent call from a suspect claiming to be an Apple employee. The suspect stated that her computer had a virus and that a payment was necessary. The victim then gave the suspect three Google Play gift card numbers over the phone worth $1,500. The victim later called Apple and was told that they had never contacted her and advised her to contact FBI. Call Type: Threat Friday 1:30 a.m., West 2nd Street/Salem Street An arrest was made outside of Madison Bear Garden. The subject was identified by the Bear staff who stated that the subject threatened to go get a gun, come back to the bar and “shoot up the place.” Call Type: Suspicious Circumstance Friday 5:40 a.m., Cobblestone Drive An unknown subject was found sleeping on the reporting party’s couch. The subject was intoxicated and thought he was at his friend’s apartment. The subject later left.
4 |NEWS
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
Red Cross Camp Fire shelter to close Thursday Kendall George Staff Writer
Walking into the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico looks quite different from four months ago. Once a place for carnival rides and horse racing, it has turned into a National Emergency Red
MELISSA HERERRA - THE ORION
Cindy Huge is a Red Cross volunteer who has worked at 24 national emergency shelters. She is currently stationed in Chico as part of public affairs for the Camp Fire shelter.
MELISSA HERERRA - THE ORION
A family dormitory at the Red Cross shelter used to house dozens of families. This dormitory has since been moved to a smaller room as families continue to move out of temporary housing.
Cross shelter for victims of the Camp Fire. Since Nov. 8, this emergency shelter has been home to 657 victims of the fire, although only 121 remain as of Friday. However, this shelter is set to close Jan. 31 with plans to relocate its residents into permanent housing, creating their “new norm,” post-disaster. “We’re planning on everyone having somewhere to go. As we progress through this next week, people will have a recovery plan and begin to work that,” Cindy Huge said. Huge is a Red Cross volunteer who has worked in 24 other disaster relief locations and is currently a part of public affairs for the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds shelter. Although some may not know where they are going to live after the shelter closes, Huge seems certain of caseworker volunteers’ ability to help residents find temporary or permanent housing. “We just don’t close the doors and say, ‘you’re out,’” she said. Huge said that although it is the goal to close the shelter on Jan. 31, if it is “absolutely necessary,” the shelter will remain open longer. The news of the Chico shelter closing came just days before Wells Fargo announced a $3.25 million donation to Camp Fire
victims, $2 million of which will go directly to relocation and housing. The other $1.25 million will go to help small businesses affected by the fire, a donation that is added to the total $40 million donated by various organizations, individuals and companies. The shelter currently has female, male and family dorms as well as a dining area, medical tent and animal shelter. There are also dozens of portable toilets and free laundry service available. Huge emphasizes the importance of volunteering, especially for students. “It’s amazing. You can be anybody and volunteer as long as you pass a background check. Even if you have a class, you can volunteer for two hours—it doesn’t have to be two weeks,” she said. Huge has been a volunteer for six years, made thousands of connections and enjoys giving back to the community. “It’s the only place you can volunteer where everybody has the heart to help other people,” Huge said. To look more into volunteering for Red Cross, you can visit its website, redcross.org. Kendall George can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com on or Twitter @kendallmgeorge
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
NEWS |5
Crowd protests Camp Fire shelter closing Julian Mendoza Staff Writer
On Monday, the California Homeless Union protested in front of the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in response to the Camp Fire shelter closing on January 31. “We actually had an agreement with some of the Red Cross officials so we could have access and they reneged on that agreement,” said Anthony D. Prince, the General Counsel Union Attorney of the California Homeless Union. “We got people out here protesting the fact the county is going to terminate the lease.” Prince also mentioned that there were false reports in the media regarding the shelter closing date. The group reported that individuals felt like they were being treated like criminals.
We got people out here protesting the fact the county is going to terminate the lease Anthony D. Prince, General Attorney of the California Homeless Union
“Our civil rights and their civil rights have been violated,” said Raelynn Butcher, one of the leaders of the Marysville local union. “We are here today to demonstrate, a non-violent demonstration of course, on their civil rights being violated for having no place to go.” The protesters stood in front of the fairgrounds across the other side of the street. They later crossed the street to rally on the other side.
Left to right: Anthony D Prince, Bryan Leebrown and Raelynn Butcher speak during a rally outside the fairgrounds
Our civil rights and their (the Camp Fire victims) civil rights have been violated Raelynn Butcher, a leader of the Marysville local union “What we’ve been doing all along, ever since the shelter has been open, we have case workers that meet with everybody who is staying at the shelter,” said Stephen Walsh, a spokesperson for The American Red Cross. “There’s two populations that were given 48 hours notice to
CHRISTIAN SOLIS—THE ORION
leave and that expired yesterday. One is people that we met with who essentially, we met all their needs that we discussed with them, and the other group is folks that we have been unable to meet with who aren’t sitting down at the table with case workers because it’s hard to provide services if we can’t sit down and talk about what your needs are.” Julian Mendoza can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_ news on Twitter. CHRISTIAN SOLIS—THE ORION
Protesters held signs like “If you a have roof be grateful,” and “The street is not a home,” while security made sure the protest didn’t get out of hand.
6 |NEWS
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
Wells Fargo donates $3.25 million for Camp Fire victims
IMAGE CREDIT: JOSH COZINE
Karen Woodruff, Vice President of Community Affairs, Government and Community Relations with Wells Fargo broke down the distribution of the $3.25 million at a press conference Friday morning. Julian Mendoza Staff Writer
O
n Friday, Wells Fargo announced that $3.25 million would be donated to support Butte County for Camp Fire relief in conjunction with the Butte Strong Fund. The announcement took place in the Old Municipal Building, with representatives from multiple organizations connected to relief funds. Karen Woodruff, Vice President of Community Affairs, Government and Community Relations at Wells Fargo, described the goal of the donations as being to get victims out of temporary housing and into permanent shelters. “$2 million will help get those folks situated and into a semi-permanent housing structure,” Woodruff said. “The second $1.25 million will be focused on business recovery.” The main focus right now is to make sure that those that are still in the shelter find more
permanent shelter. “The first goal is to obviously work with folks that are in the shelter to identify a place for them to go, because living in a congregate shelter situation is not ideal long term,” Casey Hatcher, Butte County Economic and Community Manager, said. “We recognize that there are significant impacts, not only to the community of Chico but also to surrounding cities and Butte County and some of our surrounding counties as well. It has created a housing crisis in a situation where we already had a shortage of housing so this is going to take our community coming together.” Julian Mendoza can be reached at @theorion_news on Twitter.
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
NEWS |7
Death Cafe encourages healthy conversations about dying articipants in the Death Cafe conversed about the taboo topic of death over drinks and snacks on Monday afternoon at the Chico Branch Library.
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such as paperwork, property ownership and corpse disposal. The Death Cafe model was developed by both Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid in East London, according to the Death Cafe website. The model is based off the ideas of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, who organized
of the members stated that he enjoys the Death Cafe because it allows for an open discussion about a subject that society doesn’t quite normalize. Another member was training to become a hospice nurse and was interested in other people’s experiences with death to better prepare
Conversation topics ranged from the use of psychedelic drugs, assisted death, suicide and sense of self. “My body dies, but there’s a part of me that’s connected to the whole,” one member in attendance stated. Members also shared stories
their own lives. After the event, members stayed to help clean up and share some of their favorite works that pertained to the topics discussed throughout the night. Some of the works shared included the movie Still Alice, the writings of controversial author Carlos
The monthly event, hosted by volunteers Donna Wilson, Stephen Kathriner and Dan Shoemaker, covered a variety of topics related to death. These topics included not only the spiritual side of death but also what happens afterwards with things
events called “café mortels” to have honest conversations with others about all aspects of death. There has been over 7,000 Death Cafes in over 65 countries since 2011. People at the Death Cafe attended for a variety of reasons. One
herself for her career. The event was intimate, with only the person with the “talking object” being able to speak without interruption or judgement from others. Everyone at the table was given the chance to speak or pass on the subject at hand.
about how death has affected their friends and families and gave advice on ways in which they dealt with such hardships. Wilson and Shoemaker both agreed that participating in the Death Cafes has helped them deal with the affects of death in
Castaneda and the artwork of of Alex Grey. Death Cafes are hosted every fourth Sunday at the Chico Branch Library.
Brian Luong News Editor
Donna Wilson (left) and Dan Shoemaker, hosts of Death Cafe at the Chico Branch Library Monday night.
Brian Luong can be reached at newseeditor@theorion.com or @bluongorion on Twitter.
BRIAN LUONG-THE ORION
8 |COVER STORY Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
Chico artists
successfully revamp Madonna’s smash-hits
The cast ends the first act with a bang.
MATHEW BOE—THE ORION
9 |COVER STORY
MATHEW BOE—THE ORION
The Dancers open the show with an ensemble routine
Rayanne Painter Staff Writer
T
he sass of Madonna and the raw talent of Uncle Dad’s Art Collective joined forces for a fiery opening night. Filled with all of Madonna’s classic hits from “Material Girl” to “Like a Prayer,” musicians, vocalists and dancers collaborated beautifully to commemorate community art and ’80s favorites. The show debuted on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Laxson Auditorium and two more performances took place on Saturday and Sunday evenings. There was no shortage of musical expertise throughout the
night. Ranging from blaring horn sections to smooth jazz bands, the set was constantly changing from one skillful ensemble to the next. Cover bands may not be too exciting, but Uncle Dad’s never failed to impress with powerful vocalists and remixes on popular Madonna tunes. At one point, a full gospel choir was brought onto the stage for the final song of Act One. The classic “Like a Prayer” began slower than the original, with vocalist Samantha Francis building anticipation with her long and bluesy notes. When the beat finally dropped, so did the energy from the gospel choir and horn section as the song found its upbeat anthem.
The crowd cheered as Francis nailed her vibrato and somehow kept up with her footwork as well. The band and vocal talent were noteworthy, but the dancers stole the spotlight in many numbers. Some of the slower songs featured lyrical dance and ballet, its members twirling and bounding about with skirts that caught the air. The more energized sets highlighted tap-dancing and bright jazz numbers. Francis and Ben Ruttenburg stole the scene with “Cherish,” performing the song as a duet and spinning each other around while still managing to maintain in tune and rhythm. Audience members clapped and awed as the two shared
an endearing kiss at the end of the song. This evening of music and spirited performances brought the Chico community together. Many seemed to be supporters of Uncle Dad’s Art Collective and friends or family of performers, but Chico State students and faculty appeared to be in attendance along with town members. Uncle Dad’s Art Collective is all about community, as they act as a collaboration between local dancers, vocalists, writers, directors, actors and artists. They are dedicated to fostering mixed arts within Chico and to allow a space for artists to explore their passions freely. The group has
produced nine theatrical, musical and art events since being founded in 2013. Keep an eye on its Facebook page and website for upcoming events and auditions for theatrical or musical shows. Rayanne Painter can be reached at artseditor@theorion.com or @rayphenomenon on Twitter.
10 |ARTS Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
Local mural artist Christian Garcia helps indigenous Chico Alex Coba Arts Editor
If you were to drive past the corner of Second Street and Cedar Street here in Chico, you might see a new mural being worked on bearing the image of a bear and flicker bird surrounded by foliage. This work of art was done by local artist Christian Garcia, best known for his captivating mural work. Garcia’s recent completion of a mural on 20th and Fair Street adds to the many murals he has done in town. “It was one of the largest murals I’ve done so far in Chico. I’ve had a lot of experience working collaboratively with a lot of artists that are local,” Garcia said. Garcia startedd by doing graffiti when he was younger, which began the evolution of his art. Garcia started finding ways to make his art shareable and appealing to everyone. “A lot of my work transitioning to a conscious effort. Thinking of ways to represent ideas that I’m passionate about or topics of interest that I think the world needs to see.” The mural being worked on is a collaboration between Garcia and Ali Menders-Knight, a local artist and activist who put Garcia on the project after meeting at an art exhibit at The Museum of Northern California Art (MONCA). “She was able to obtain the wall and permission for us to do the mural,” Garcia said. “I wanted to contribute what I could, add my own art take to create something relevant.” Knight had put together the project after having done previous designs of a macho village.
MELISSA HERRERA—THE ORION
Christian Garcia posing in front of his artwork. After meeting with local business owners, the site of the mural was settled on the property of a local vending machine company. The mural itself represents the indigenous people of the area. The goal is to educate the community about the indigenous people living in Chico. “The Mechoopda tribe are local to the area of Chico,” Garcia said.”We’re bringing the culture right back into it. The foliage behind me is all indigenous to the Chico area.” Garcia’s process when working on a new mural is to first figure out what he is trying to represent and what direction to take it. “I want to share and look at a lot of imagery and figure out what it is that beautiful aesthetics. Seeing how it appeals and can be put together.” Garcia is a big fan of mixed media, using materials like chalk to draft line or to draw images,
MELISSA HERRARA—THE ORION
Ali Menders-Knight and Christian Garcia with their work. and spray paint which he used to create 95 percent of the mural. “Mixing media gives it a differ-
ent element and aspect when you create a lot of different techniques,” Garcia said.
When it comes to getting started in this line of work, Garcia has some very valuable advice. “Put in the work, the time and effort,” Garcia said. “When you start building a portfolio in different areas, approach your local businesses and small areas that you want to propose a mural and work on something like that you earn the right to get bigger projects and delivering the work you show someone” The mural currently being worked on by Christian Garcia and Ali Menders-Knight can be found on the corner of Second Street and Cedar Ave across from the Breakfast Buzz. Christian Garcia can be found on his Facebook page Christian Garcia as well as on Instagram @594evah. Alex Coba can be reached at artseditor@theorion.com or @ThatOneGuyCoba on Twitter.
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
ARTS |11
THEATER
‘Our Town’ brought to life by dramatic opera Based on a play by Thorton Wilder, ‘Our Town’ is told in three acts with the help of opera
Our Town: An Opera in Three Acts” is the latest show to come to the Harlen Adams Theatre. Based on the play
Gibbs (Kevin Anderson) and Mrs. Gibbs (Raphaella Medina) and Editor Webb (David Hess) and Mrs. Webb (Christine Buckstead). Both families have children named George Gibbs (Valdis Birzniecks) and Emily Webb
by Thornton Wilder, this production of the classic play utilizes the dramatic art of opera singing to bring the story to life. The show tells the story of a small American town called Grover’s Corners between the years of 1901 and 1913, through the perspective of a typical citizen. The play itself is interesting given that it has the main character in the form of the stage manager, played by Dashiell Waterbury, who interjects to address the audience directly. The stage manager even asks the audience questions. Waterbury’s interjections caught the attention of audience member Madeline Olwery. “It was really interesting how the narrator will break out of the present to talk about things that happened in the past. So it was interesting to see the jump around,” Olwery said. The cast member used zero props, with exceptions like tables and chairs. It was quite interesting to watch a play where the cast members had to mime out different actions like opening and closing doors, eating and drinking. The opera’s three acts consist of three different themes. The first one, daily life, is where the stage manager introduces the different characters in the play. It’s here that we meet two families, Doc
(Megan Schwartz) who we learn couldn’t be more different from one another. George is the captain of the high school baseball team while Emily is a studious girl who is worried that no boy will notice her. In fact, Emily has a talk with her mother about this issue and it’s here that her mother delivers my favorite line of the whole play. “You’re pretty enough for all normal purposes.” This, I would have to say, is the most comedic part of the play as it has the most levity in it compared to the rest of the story. Act two is about love and marriage. It’s here where things become more serious and stressful. Three years go by and Emily and George are about to get married. They reminisce on how they got there and how nervous they both are about starting a life after marriage. The final act deals with death and eternity. Nine years have pass by and we learn that Emily died during childbirth. The most dramatic part follows as Emily joins the dead, but does not accept death. She asks the stage manager to take her to her memory. Upon seeing it, she is overjoyed, but quickly turns pained as she realizes how little people appreciate life. The play concludes with the stage manager wishing the audience goodnight.
Alex Coba Arts Editor
“
Funeral Presentation during the play “Our Town.”
ALEX COBA—THE ORION
The cast and crew did an amazing job bringing these characters to life, especially toward the end. You could feel the agony that Emily felt when she was seeing one of her past memories. The sadness George felt as he knelt down on his wife Emily’s grave was conveyed beautifully. Overall, the play was incredibly interesting to watch and I would highly encourage anyone who has an opportunity to watch the play to take it. Chico State School of the Arts’ next production will be “MidCentury Modern, Vol. 2” on Sun. Feb. 10 at 2:00 p.m. in Zingg Recital Hall. Alex Coba can be reached at artseditor@theorion.com or @ThatOneGuyCoba on Twitter
ALEX COBA—THE ORION
Megan Schwarts and Valdis Birzniecks on ladders during the play “Our Town”
12 |SPORTS
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
RECAP
Chico State softball team seeks comeback After a successful 2018 season, the Wildcats are ready to continue its streak Lucero Del Rayo-Navo Staff Writer
F
ebruary is around the corner, signaling the start of the Wildcat’s softball
season as they come back from winning its first-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association championship. The team also claimed the National Collegiate Athletic Association West Region title which hadn’t been reached by any Wildcat squad since 2002. After a successful 2018 season, the team looks forward to continuing their domination. They ended the previous season with a 23-0 record at home and a 19-4 record on the road, leaving them ranked seventh in the nation. Luckily for the squad, they will only lose three starters this season and keep the remaining six. As for letter winners, they will lose five and keep 16, which will be a huge advantage later in the season. The most impactful returners from last season are seniors Ari Marsh and Wendy Cardinali, and junior Kristin Worley. Marsh is a two-time First Team All-CCAA selection, from 2017 and 2018. Her most remarkable career record to keep track of is her 114 career runs batted in, which ranks her third in Chico State softball history. Cardinali is a First Team All-CCAA selection and First Team All-West Region selection from the 2018 season. She set two Wildcats’ softball single-season records for her 58 runs scored and 53 walks, all while leading
2018 All-West Region Selection and Second Team All-CCAA and Wildcat’s lead pitcher, senior Naomi Monahan. the team in on-base percentage at .471. Worley is a two-time First Team All-CCAA and First Team AllWest Region selection, from 2017 and 2018. Her biggest accomplishment last season was her .380 batting average, which led the Wildcats and ranked her third in the CCAA. She also had 35 stolen bases, which also ranked her third in the CCAA. This dynamic trio looks to come back and take the NCAA championship this year. The addition of their top three incoming athletes will help this campaign. Two sophomore transfers, Brooke Larsen and Megan
Krause, along with freshman Rachael Atkins look to add to the already successful team. Larsen is a transfer from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco holding a record of 22-5 as a starter, striking out 217 batters in 187 innings. She batted .360, earning First Team All-Pacific West Conference, First Team All-West Region and Second Team All-American honors. Larsen has also been honored twice as Capital Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year and three times as Sacramento Bee’s First Team All-Metro. Krause is a transfer from Kansas Wesleyan University,
holding a 13-10 record, striking out 151 batters in 148 innings. This earned her First Team All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference honors. Atkins had a career-high at Liberty Ranch High School with a batting average of .461 her senior year. She led her team to two straight Sierra Valley conference titles. Over her four-year varsity career she batted .411 with 37 extra-base hits. With these new athletes, the softball team hopes to continue the momentum that was gained last season. This will be a long battle for returning coach Angel Shamblin as adjustments to the
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANNA WEISS
new team dynamic will occur. It will take collective effort and time to build the same type of chemistry that took the team to the NCAA championship finals in the 2018 season. Lucero Del Rayo-Navo can be reached at sportseditor@theorion.com or @del_rayo98 on Twitter.
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
SPORTS |13
SOCIAL
Superbowl parties are easy to throw Ricardo Tovar Sports Editor
s
eventeen weeks of regular season and three weeks of playoff football has led us to this moment. Sunday is upon us and Super Bowl LIII is promising us an enticing matchup between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. I say let’s us not wallow in the despair that is a football-less existence. Let us go out with a celebration mightier than a Rob Gronkowski spike. Here are some ideas for a Super Bowl party that will make you look like more of a football genius than someone who has interacted with Sean McVay: 1. Wings Let’s just get this one out of the way. An absolute must for any football gathering. This finger-food screams football and you’ll look like a dope if you don’t have these. Just order them right now! Every wing place will be packed with orders and you
could miss the game waiting in line if you are not prepared. 2. Take care of the small stuff first It’d be awfully embarrassing if the day of the game came and your TV didn’t show it... Or you didn’t have enough seats to accommodate guests. Make sure you are ready to have guests over on the morning of the game and always have a backup plan in case your cable goes out. Have a livestream ready to go or have rabbit ear antennas if they still make those. 3. Dress up for the occasion Chances are, your team didn’t make the Super Bowl. The odds are 2/32 after all, well 2/31 when you automatically take out the Cleveland Browns to start the year. Thankfully the Super Bowl is more about the celebration of football as an American pastime. So have your guests dress up in their team’s gear. We’re in college, where we have people from all across the country who grewup rooting for a different team. It
will be cool to see many different jerseys in your living room. 4. Make sure you have at least one Patriots and Rams fan there There will be nothing more satisfying than watching your buddies who have something emotionally riding on the outcome of this game present. If it is a close contest, which I believe it will be, you will see your friends experience joy, anger, pain, loss, triumph or soul-crushing anguish, which could all be in the first quarter. You’ll be guaranteed three hours of quality entertainment. 5. Invite your friends who aren’t into football Sports at its finest create an environment where people can bond over a common love of a game. You can get the chance to show your friends what the big deal is by showing them the biggest game of the year. With laughs, food and a casual football environment, you can ease friends into the world of football
with a showcase meant for anyone. I personally fell in love with football at a Super Bowl. I can attest that a room full of people can make getting into football easier. 5. Food I touched on this a bit with wings... But that deserved a spot of its own. My advice is to just keep it simple. A couple bags of tortilla chips and salsa, regular chips, some patties for burgers and you’ll be on your way. Pizza and nachos are also good foods to have. You should provide water and an arrangement of sodas as well. If you want variety, ask your guest to bring something, that way everyone is happy and your wallet isn’t hurting from the cost of food. 6. People love the commercials, take advantage of it A huge reason 103.4 million people watched the Super Bowl last year was because of the commercials. You should take that into account when planning your party. Have people try to
guess what company will have a commercial this year, or which company’s commercial will come next, or vote on your favorite commercial of the night. Give out prizes and get people invested in the whole afternoon. 7. The halftime show isn’t going away, so just embrace it It’s long been a complaint of football fans that the Super Bowl halftime show sucks. Maroon 5 is performing it this year and if they don’t scream non-stop action and Americana, then I don’t know what does. Remember the halftime show is for everyone but the football fan, so let it go and look for a memeable moment. We have gotten all-time American TV moments such as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction and “Left Shark.” With so many eyeballs on a screen at one time, there is bound to be something to meme. Ricardo Tovar can be reached at sportseditor@theorion or @rtovarg13 Twitter.
14 |OPINION
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
ADDICTION
Online gambling is now child’s play
The deception of free-to-play games is creating a generation of addicts game loot boxes in games like “Overwatch,” “Counter-Strike” and “Battlefront II” as “child gambling” in a progressive move that will hopefully spread to the rest of the world.
Reed McCoy Staff Writer
K
ids are quickly getting addicted to “luck of the draw” virtual goods and
it’s as terrible as it sounds. Imagine a huge casino for children, a place with no supervision, specifically designed for them to gamble away their parent’s money. They go in and quickly get addicted to the thrill. The desire to “win big” leads them to spend more and more, without understanding what they are doing to themselves. THIS PLACE IS REAL. Gambling has a long and often rightfully vilified history. It often distorts the player’s reality. Countless amounts of people have lost nearly everything due to its addicting qualities.
As a gamer myself, it is hard for me to see this trend reversing unless this type of gambling is banned in the U.S. With the advent of the Internet, gambling has become more mainstream. But, this new and youthful form of gambling is carefully disguised behind colorful loot boxes in “free-to-play” (FTP) games, such as the hit game “Overwatch.” This new type of gambling is now accessible to the young and impressionable, who do not have a sense of financial responsibility. “Overwatch” allows one to play the game with no charge,
Do yourself a favor and don’t buy these gambling loot boxes. More importantly, spread the word to your family and friends. If they have kids, don’t let them play FTP games! They are not free from psychological manipulation. If you or someone you know is facing a gambling problem reach out to the campus Health and Wellness Center for counseling or contact the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG.) Call 1-800-522-4700 Chat ncpgambling.org/chat Text 1-800-522-4700 Free to play games are available on Xbox, PS4 and PC platforms. however, the player is constantly enticed by in-game purchases. The players pay money to get crates, each of which has a predetermined chance of getting a cosmetic upgrade for their character or other types of goodies. How many of these chests would one have to purchase to get what they wanted from them? More importantly, what would the cost be? This figure could be in the low-tens to hundreds of dollars. This is the definition of gambling; spending money to obtain an unlikely outcome. It is worrying to see, given the dominance that FTP games have in mainstream video games as a result of
FTP app store games. As a gamer myself, it is hard for me to see this trend reversing unless this type of gambling is banned in the U.S. Given that people spend over $30 billion on loot boxes in the U.S. every year.
More importantly, spread the word to your family and friends. If they have friends don’t let them play FTP games! The worst part is that children and young adults watch Youtubers online opening dozens of these boxes, which further
RACHAEL BAYUK—THE ORION
encourages these frivolous purchases. It is one thing when you are an adult with a sense of financial responsibility, but it is another when you are a child. Youth shouldn’t be exposed to such an evil and psychologically deceptive tactic dedicated to manipulate you into giving video game corporations your parents’ money. This isn’t right. Thankfully, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is now considering banning the existence of loot boxes in the U.S. stating that they “mirror casinos and games of chance.” Belgium has gone a step further and decided to label these video
Reed McCoy can be reached at opinioneditor@theorion.com or @ReedMcCoy6s on twitter.
OPINION |15
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019 Wednesday Jan. 30, 2019
MOTIVATION
Letter to: discouraged students
If you are feeling discouraged, don’t worry most college students feel that way too Janette Estrada Staff Writer
D
ear discouraged student,
Fine, I admit it. As a college student, I frequently ask, “Why am I in school?” Although this question may be the result of the stress of writing a last-minute essay due at midnight, it is nearly impossible to believe I am the only one. If you have reached this point in your college career and have begun to doubt your position, this is a message to you.
As a college student, I frequently ask, “Why am I in school?” Find your passion. Obviously we are all in school to get an education and become valuable workers. However, college is also a key benefactor for your future. It allows you the opportunity to discover your purpose while revealing your individual qualities. In other words, finding your passion will substitute “I have to do it” for “I want to do it.” Now you may be thinking, “but I am broke.” Unfortunately, this world runs on money. In fact, this may be your biggest stressor as a broke college student struggling with living expenses. Let this motivate you. College students are not intended to be financially stable. Instead, understand why our education is worth paying for. Its value comes in securing your future and dream
DIEGO RAMIREZ—THE ORION
A letter may help you feel a little bit better.
College is also a privilege. Value the position that you have. job. But most importantly, it is securing the bag. In the meantime, here’s a tip: use your resources. I am sure the majority of us at Chico State are unaware on the list of available student resources. Tuition pays for professional staffing and spaces available for our use. For example, health and wellness. Chico State provides
free healthcare, food pantry and personal counseling.
Allow yourself the time to socialize and build new friendships. College is also a privilege. Value the position that you have, some others wish they had it too. It is believed America is the land of opportunity, for most of us. If you are not politically informed by now, undocumented individuals are not granted the same op-
portunity to enroll in college. You are special. You hold the privilege of deciding what to do with your life while others are forced to live with restrictions and limited choices. My advice: enjoy your stay. Allow yourself the time to socialize and build new friendships. Do not lose track of who you are based on temporary feelings of discouragement. Learn to prioritize while also keeping up with yourself. College is only a small dose of what you will find in the outside world.
Please, accept the challenge for all the right reasons. Sincerely, Janette Estrada Janette Estrada can be reached at opinioneditor@theorion.com or @Jane_11e on Twitter.