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The State Hornet

The student news site of Sacramento State University

The State Hornet

The student news site of Sacramento State University

The State Hornet

Kristine Guerra, Author

All content by Kristine Guerra
Quran Jones, the suspect in ARC homicide - Sacramento Police Department. Photo taken in 2009.

Quran Jones pleads not guilty by reason of insanity

Kristine Guerra
November 19, 2010

Quran Jones, the suspect in last year's killing of his dorm mate Scott Hawkins, pleaded today not guilty by reason of insanity. Jones, 21, was accused of one count of homicide, three counts of attempted...

CSU Board of Trustees to vote on fee increase

Kristine Guerra
October 31, 2010

The California State University Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on a 15 percent student fee increase next week. "The chancellor's office is proposing to increase tuition in a two-step process to...

Candidates woo Asian-American community

Kristine Guerra
September 27, 2010

Candidates courted Sacramento's Asian-American population during a voter-education forum held Sunday in the University Union Ballroom. U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina addressed about 500 people in...

Zip Car "Shae":Zip Car is a self service ?car share? company, which allows licensed drivers to rent cars on an hourly or daily basis. Each Zip Car location is marked by Zip Car parking signs. The car for rent here is named ?Shae?.:Chris Chiang - State Hornet

Community members remove trash from Lake Natoma

Kristine Guerra
September 27, 2010

Instead of going to Lake Natoma to kayak like normal, Sacramento State senior Kristina Sessler went on a boat Saturday morning to collect trash that clogs up the lake. Sessler, humanities and religious...

USMNT:Landon Donovan, far right, leads U.S. Men?s Soccer.:McClatchy Tribune

Giving more to foster students

Kristine Guerra
May 11, 2010

Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson and Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez signed a memorandum of understanding that will broaden services to emancipated foster youths. According to...

super sunday:CSU Chancellor Charles Reed shows parishioners a poster about going to college during today's morning service at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. Reed emphasized the importance of preparing for college early. :Nallelie Vega - State Hornet

Black churches open services for CSU recruiting

Kristine Guerra
February 24, 2010

California State University Chancellor Charles Reed had one message to black families during the Sunday morning service at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church: Black children can get into the CSU system....

Suspect in campus thefts and burglaries arrested

Kristine Guerra
February 18, 2010

The suspect in multiple campus thefts and burglaries over the past months was arraigned today and is now in custody at the Sacramento County Jail. Gary David Moreno, 29, was arrested on Thursday and is...

Opportunities for job seekers

Kristine Guerra
February 17, 2010

Despite the economy, in- and out-of-state employers and recruiters will be at Sacramento State today to talk to students and alumni about job opportunities. Recruiters from retail, insurance, health and...

One-time federal funds to increase CSU classes

Kristine Guerra
February 10, 2010

California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed announced Thursday the allocation of the remaining $50.9 million in one-time federal stimulus funds for campuses to add courses for fall 2010. Systemwide,...

Grad rate gap may decrease

Kristine Guerra
February 3, 2010

The California State University Board of Trustees recently launched a graduation initiative that's expected to raise the system's graduation rate from 46 to 54 percent in the next six years. The initiative...

Vault includes Capital Fellows among top 10

Kristine Guerra
February 3, 2010

Sacramento State's Capital Fellows Programs were recently recognized by Vault, a career management and research information website, as one of the top 10 internships in the United States. Vault chose the...

Fewer classes available in spring

Kristine Guerra
January 5, 2010

Although Sacramento State received $1.5 million from the chancellor's office to add more classes and sections to the spring semester, certain departments still have to make cuts. Fred Baldini, interim...

New budget aimed to ‘recover and reinvest’

Kristine Guerra
January 4, 2010

The California State University Board of Trustees recently adopted its 2010-11 budget proposal, which asks the state to increase funding for the CSU system by $884 million. The budget proposal, which the...

Limited H1N1 vaccines available on campus

Kristine Guerra
December 11, 2009

The Student Health Center has received H1N1 vaccines and will be administering them this week and next week. There will be enough vaccines to administer to priority groups, said Katherine Ledesma, administrative...

Poster artist acknowledged for hard work

Kristine Guerra
December 10, 2009

Tiffany Dreyer started out as an 11-year-old playing around with Print Shop Deluxe and Microsoft Word designing logos and banners for her family's business. Now, at 26, the Sacramento State alumna is the...

Death of higher education:Students protest at the end of the fall semester.:File Photo

Funeral for higher ed

Kristine Guerra
December 10, 2009

At Thursday's rally, nearly 300 Sacramento State students and faculty members yelled, sang and chanted their protests against fee increases, budget cuts, employee furloughs and fewer, more crowded classes....

Death of higher education:Students protest at the end of the fall semester.:File Photo

Mock funeral rallies student body

Kristine Guerra
December 4, 2009

There was a different kind of mourning today at the Library Quad. It was loud and people were angry. About 300 students and faculty, many of whom were dressed in black, gathered in a mock funeral to symbolically...

Donate to charities this winter without spending an extra dime

Kristine Guerra
December 3, 2009

By simply searching the Web or shopping online, students can now donate money to a cause they care about without spending a dime. One such site, GoodShop (goodshop.com), an online shopping site, provides...

Author will speak about multicultural education

Kristine Guerra
November 13, 2009

This year's multicultural education conference will feature Brian D. Schultz, author of "Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way," an acclaimed and widely read book by Sacramento State education students....

ARC residence hall’s unfinished facilities

Kristine Guerra
November 11, 2009

Contrary to students' expectations, three American River Courtyard amenities are still not completed halfway through the semester. Housing and Residential Life Director Michael Speros said there is not...

Memories of Scott Hawkins shared at funeral service

Kristine Guerra
November 2, 2009

More than 100 family members and friends cried, laughed and told stories of Scott Hawkins' life during a memorial service Friday night at the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church in Cupertino, Calif....

Foster youths now priority for on-campus housing

Kristine Guerra
October 28, 2009

Legislation that requires California's public universities to give priority for on-campus housing to emancipated foster youths was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. AB 1393, or Foster Youth...

Application requirements change with budget cuts

Kristine Guerra
October 28, 2009

Because the California State University system has imposed enrollment restrictions in response to state budget cuts, students are now scrambling to submit their fall 2010 applications within the priority...

Campus housing for foster youth bill signed.

Kristine Guerra
October 24, 2009

Legislation that requires California's public post-secondary education systems to give priority for on-campus housing to emancipated foster youths was recently signed into law. AB 1393, the Foster Youth...

Energy Conservation Awareness day shows Sac State students how to save.

Kristine Guerra
October 15, 2009

Students learned about money and energy-saving tips Thursday during the "Energy Conservation Awareness Day" at Sacramento State. "We're here to educate students, faculty and staff about ways to reduce...

ASI State of the Students Address

Kristine Guerra
October 14, 2009

In his "State of the Students" Address, Associated Students, Inc. President Roberto Torres outlined three main goals of this year's "comprehensive strategic plan" and emphasized student involvement on...

Former Sen. Graham encourages activism

Kristine Guerra
October 14, 2009

In his first visit to Sacramento, former Florida governor and former United States Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., encouraged Sacramento State students to be active participants in influencing public policy decisions....

nursing:Nursing students crowd into a classroom in El Dorado Hall to work on a simulation dummy. A grant from the Doyle Foundation will provide more space for learning.:File Photo

Overcrowding impacts nursing students

Kristine Guerra
October 14, 2009

Student enrollments in nursing programs in California have increased over the last few years, but shortage of well-trained nurses remains a problem because of budget cuts to higher education. California...

Legislation aims to overhaul financial aid

Kristine Guerra
October 12, 2009

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation that overhauls the financial aid system by expanding aid, shifting to direct federal lending and removing subsidies to private lenders. The...

Former senator, governor encourages students to get involved

Kristine Guerra
October 12, 2009

In a speech yesterday in Hinde Auditorium at the University Union, former governor and United States Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., encouraged Sacramento State students to become active participants in influencing...

Candidates forum held in Union

Kristine Guerra
October 10, 2009

Politicians and candidates addressed education, health care reform and under-representation of Asian Pacific Islanders in the political arena at the 8th Annual Voters Education & Candidates Forum held...

Job training by Sac State CCE

Kristine Guerra
October 7, 2009

This semester, Sacramento State's College of Continuing Education offered two new programs to help address the 12 percent unemployment rate in Sacramento County. The two programs, the Sustainable Facilities...

Women encouraged to join STEM fields

Kristine Guerra
September 30, 2009

The National Science Foundation recently awarded $250,000 to Sacramento State to create Fast-Track Math for Women, a program that will increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.

The researchers of the program are Mridula Udayagiri, sociology professor, and Madeleine Fish, director of Sac State's Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement program.

"I wanted to focus specifically on gender in STEM areas," Udayagiri said. "I found that there is a great deal of underrepresentation of women in the sciences and mathematics. The STEM fields tend to be masculinized."

Fast Track Math for Women aims to provide K-12 public school math teachers and community college professors with classroom techniques designed to create a friendlier environment for female students and to encourage them to do well in math, Udayagiri said.

"If a woman or anybody is going to go to these technical fields, the key classes that they have to do well in and keep taking are math classes," Fish said.

This summer, the researchers will train up to five teams of math teachers and professors from public schools and community colleges. The training will involve flash-animated and web-based modules, training manuals and a two-week on-site practicum.

"What we're hoping to do with this project is to put out some kind of manual or product, like a toolbox that math teachers can use in the classroom," Udayagiri said.

The intent of the program is to make teachers more aware of gender issues in the classroom, Udayagiri said.

Research trends have shown that girls do well in math before they reach middle school, Udayagiri said.

"By the time they enter middle school, they stop getting interested in math," Udayagiri said. "One of the reasons why girls are disengaging has a lot to do with what teachers are doing in classrooms. A lot of times, teachers don't pay as much attention to girls."

Research has shown that girls lack confidence in math classes. This lack of confidence comes from a lack of knowledge, Udayagiri said

"By the time they go into high school, they don't have the proper preparation for pre-calculus and calculus," Udayagiri said. "That means they opt out of taking those classes and once they opt out, they're not going to think about pursuing a career in a STEM field."

The program will also teach math teachers how to improve students' math skills by focusing more on their weak areas.

"We believe that a lot of students, after taking a lot of years in math, very often end up with gaps in their math education, and those gaps make it impossible for them to really be math thinkers," Fish said. "We have a math program that we think can help repair those gaps. What we're doing is we're isolating each student's problem area or gaps and we're filling those. So we're going to teach math teachers how to administer that math program."

Udayagiri and Fish said the program will not train university professors.

The NSF has an annual budget of $10 million devoted to STEM and gender-related programs and research, said Jolene Jesse, program director of NSF's Research on Gender in Science and Engineering.

"We aim to reach practitioners with intervention strategies for women and girls," Jesse said. "We're reaching out to teachers with strategies that get women and girls into STEM careers."

The NSF requires that programs funded by grants be evaluated. Sac State's Institute for Social Research will conduct evaluations while the program is being implemented.Sac State's Institute for Social Research will assess the materials presented to the teachers and will conduct surveys throughout the program to measure change over time.

It will also conduct pretests and post-tests to teachers to assess how their knowledge of and attitude toward gender issues have or have not changed, said ISR director Ernest Cowles.

As part of the program, the teachers who attend the summer training will eventually train other teachers in their schools and districts.

The grant will be disbursed through University Enterprises, Inc.

"The campus takes an overhead that is used to compensate the campus for use of facilities and financial stewardship of grants," Fish said. "For an NSF grant, this is about 30 percent ($75,000) of the total award."

The other 70 percent of the grant will be spent on salaries for teachers, videographers, software designers, technical and curriculum writers, training supplies and travel expenses. The researchers are not compensated for their time on the project, Fish said.

"In this country, we just need more people going into technology, and we can't exclude half the population," Fish said. "We have to make an effort to get women and underrepresented groups all to consider careers in technical fields."

Kristine Guerra can be reached at [email protected].

Student loan bill passed by House of Representatives

Kristine Guerra
September 27, 2009

The United States House of Representatives on Sept. 17 passed legislation that overhauls the financial aid system by removing subsidies from private lenders and shifting to direct federal lending. The...

Spring admissions open for 150 students

Kristine Guerra
September 23, 2009

A small group of 150 Sacramento State students will be admitted into the teacher credential programs this spring despite the California State University system's closure of all spring 2010 admissions....

El Grito ceremony displays Latino Culture

Kristine Guerra
September 17, 2009

Mexican culture and independence was celebrated during El Grito, a commemorative event held at Serna Plaza outside of the University Union. El Grito, which means "the cry," was jointly organized by UNIQUE,...

Advanced theatre class gets emotional

Kristine Guerra
September 17, 2009

When one sees students who seem to be yelling at each other, waving their hands in the air and making faces, they're probably in Michelle Felten's advanced acting class. "We're rehearsing a scene from...

Machines pulled from women’s bathrooms

Kristine Guerra
September 16, 2009

Because of the budget crisis, Sacramento State is cutting costs wherever it can. One specific area is the Facilities Services department, which will no longer provide free tampons and other feminine hygiene...

H1N1, seasonal flu vaccines available on campus

Swine flu vaccines to come in October

Kristine Guerra
September 12, 2009

With more cases of H1N1, also known as swine flu, expected this fall, Sacramento State will offer free swine flu vaccines to students, faculty and staff members, along with seasonal flu vaccines given...

ASI yearly strategic plan makes promises

Kristine Guerra
September 10, 2009

In one of the toughest fiscal school years in Sacramento State's history, Associated Students, Inc. is pledging to make extensive efforts to help the university's student body with various issues. "Where...

Gonzalez gives fall address

Kristine Guerra
September 1, 2009

Huge budget cuts, student fee increases, faculty and staff furloughs were discussed by President Alexander Gonzalez at his annual fall address Thursday in the University Union Ballroom. See video of Gonzalez's...

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