A collaboration between the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Tehama Group Communications, the biannual Building Bridges newsletter portrays how CSU, Chico connects students through the power of diversity. We guide our students through inclusive environments so that we can celebrate our differences hand in hand.
Chico State was built on land that once sustained the first people of this area, the Mechoopda.
Chico State's political clubs discuss their views.
The Educational Opportunity Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2019.
The first day at a new school can be difficult to navigate for some students.
Jeremy Olguin has worked in accessibility since he was 18 years old.
“It is in my spiritual makeup, it is in my DNA, to respond to injustice,” social justice activist and founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke said.
Please contact Tray Robinson with any questions or comments at trobinson@csuchico.edu. Also check out the Office of Diversity page.
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By Kaylie Lewis
Photo by Kaylie Lewis
Chico State was built on land that once sustained the first people of this area, the Mechoopda. The Mechoopda are a tribe of Maidu people, indigenous to California.
Chico founder, John Bidwell, purchased the lot previously named Rancho Arroyo Chico in the early 1850s that once occupied the Mechoopda tribe. Bidwell later donated eight acres of the orchard for the originally named Normal School campus that is now Chico State.
The tribe was terminated in 1967 , losing its 26-acre Chico Rancheria. They, along with three other tribes, regained recognition in 1992 after a successful lawsuit won in 1986 against the United State, according to the Mechoopda Indian Tribe site. Approximately one-half of that land is now owned by Chico State.
Since, the tribe has re-established residency in Chico and consists of 560 tribal members.
Chico State recognizes its rich culture and offers many resources for Native American faculty, students, and supporters.
The Office of Tribal Relations offer a computer lab, free printing, financial aid workshops, and cultural campus tours. The office is in Meriam Library, room 163, and open to all students.
The office hosts the Native American Club for their weekly meeting. The club attends local cultural events throughout the year where they participate in traditional ceremonies and play games.
Lily Vargas, student staff to the Office of Tribal Relations, works at the front desk and assists the director with maintenance of the office.
Vargas is a member of the Maidu tribe and from Enterprise Rancheria located near Oroville. Part of her job expectations are to support Native students on campus and help with outreach to local tribes.
“This semester we visited a round house where we wear presentable clothing. Women wear traditional skirts, and we watch the dancers perform,” Vargas said. “We also play hand games together, which is a cultural game anyone can play. We get together and play here in the office sometimes.”
The office is in the works of a new summer program for Native students. This will allow high schoolers to stay on campus in the dorms for a few weeks and get a feel for Chico State. They hope to offer more programs and resources on campus for Native American students and staff.
Browning Neddeau started teaching at Chico State this year in the Department of Multicultural and Gender Studies. He is apart of Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Originally from the Great Lakes area, this tribe was moved by the government to Oklahoma. His family has documents that date back to the 1700s and outline most of their history.
“Our tribe was the first in the present-day US that were granted citizenship. There are nine bands of Potawatomi and my citizen band is the last of the nine bands, located near Shawnee, Oklahoma,” Neddeau said.
"Our tribe was the first in the present-day US that were granted citizenship. There are nine bands of Potawatomi and my citizen band is the last of the nine bands, located near Shawnee, Oklahoma."
-Browning Neddeau, Professor in the Multicultural and Gender Studies Department at CSU, Chico
Neddeau participates in traditional powwow dancing and started at age five with influence from his family.
“My uncle welcomed me in, who I’m named after, and I’ve been dancing in Oklahoma and California pretty much my whole life,” Neddeau said.
Neddeau describes his interest in agricultural education and the specific foods native to his tribe.
“We have ceremonial times and different practices and rituals we perform. There are things to do during different seasons.” Neddeau said. “I’m particularly interested in the way agriculture has changed through colonial practices and that maybe people have forgotten the native ways of agriculture.”
Neddeau’s research expands to explore student engagement and culturally appropriate representation on campus. He strives to incorporate these ideas into his courses.
Neddeau is an assistant professor in two departments on campus, the School of Education and the Department of Multicultural and Gender Studies. In the course, American Indian Environmental Philosophies, the class will discuss issues and experiences within different tribes.
“In my early field experience course, I created a project called ‘I see me.’ The project gets students to think about their own identity and perception of themselves in the school curriculum,” Neddeau said.
He relates this project to a lack of Native American representation in school curriculum and his own experiences as a student. He shares his story with his classes and in his published work. He strives to relate these ideas to class assignments and add his culture and traditions.
Chico State strives to promote and recognize the origin of the land and the people who are native to this area. The campus celebrates Native culture through exploration of the past and increasing awareness of their impact on the history of Chico.
Fall 2019
By Callie Ross-Smith
Photo by Eddie Aldrete
Besides going to the same school, students may feel that there is little that connects them to each other. In many ways, the experience of a student appears to be a solo journey. People attend university to improve their prospects down the road and to reach new heights in character development that would have perhaps never been achievable otherwise. It can be a lonely period, especially when viewpoints on campus can be so radically different.
Yet, while being a student, people expand their campus experience by joining school organizations. Politically speaking, Chico State has clubs that represent the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The members of these parties often don’t come close when they attempt to agree on policy issues, and the issues that student members advocate for on campus are completely different.
For the members of these clubs, being able to express their political passions freely on campus has been important to their time at Chico State.
“There were a lot of different opportunities that came up,” said Emily Bruns, president of the Chico State Democrats. “I think Clubtacular got me involved in the Dem Club in particular, and I don’t know what my college experience would have been like if I didn’t have that.”
"There were a lot of different opportunities that came up. I think Clubtacular got me involved in the Dem Club in particular, and I don’t know what my college experience would have been like if I didn’t have that."
-Emily Bruns, President of the Chico State Democrats
Students form opinions outside of their normal communities, and in their classes they are often exposed to subjects that may cause them to think differently. Political clubs like the Republican and Democratic clubs on campus are outlets for students to be passionate about their beliefs, discuss what they learn in and out of the classroom, and have an impact on their community.
When they do not see their voice accurately represented, students can join a side where they see themselves and take charge of their own circumstances.
For Jacob Scoggins, the transition from Apple Valley, a small town in Southern California, to Chico was initially a tough one. Scoggins, now a senior, said that he spent most of his first year at Chico State in his room. This was not how he imagined college to be. However, in spring 2019, he became frustrated by the current political environment and tried to find a way where he could be more involved. This eventually led him to the Chico State Republicans.
Scoggins said before coming to Chico State, he had more left leaning views, but through the support of his club, he was able to explore his beliefs and express them the way he wanted to.
“I remember seeing the College Republicans table, and that kind of got me interested. So, I was like, ‘I'm glad I found somewhere to belong now,’. . . it's kind of refreshing,” he said.
Both parties recognize that they need to improve communication with each other in order to actively diffuse political tension on campus. Bruns said that she and the president of the Chico State Republicans are working on a date for an open discussion about issues. The goal is to not discredit the other side’s opinion. Instead, Bruns hopes that the two parties’ members walk away feeling like they had their voices heard.
“I think that our biggest thing this year has been that communication and having those conversations with people . . . We're not about choosing a side; we’re about figuring out what's best for everyone,” said Bruns.
Author’s Note:
On Nov. 20, a political protest occurred on campus. While I agree that this event should not have escalated the way it did, we as students should have the belief that both sides should freely express themselves. Everyone in our community just wants to belong to things that they value.
Fall 2019
By Heather Oest
Photo by Eddie Aldrete
The Educational Opportunity Program celebrated its 50th anniversary throughout the California State University system in October 2019. At Chico State, a gala and dinner were held in honor of the major milestone. When the program began, the goal was to facilitate access to the University for underrepresented, low income, first-generation college students. Fifty years later, it has become much more than that.
The mission of the EOP is to provide access and support services to first-generation college students. The EOP encourages those who experience economic, educational, and environmental barriers, but display the potential to succeed in post-secondary education, to utilize the program. The EOP assists the University in the matriculation, retention, and graduation of EOP students. Some goals of EOP are to provide support services, promote diversity, educate about services, and encourage participation.
“If we can’t provide the direct services, then we’re able to connect you to the services that can give you what you need in order to make sure that you are successful,” EOP Director Cecilia Santillán-Robles said.
"If we can’t provide the direct services, then we’re able to connect you to the services that can give you what you need in order to make sure that you are successful."
-Cecilia Santillán-Robles, Educational Opportunity Program Director
Santillán-Robles has been the director of Chico State’s EOP since March 2019, but she worked for EOP for 20 years prior to this role and is a product of the program herself. Santillán-Robles was the first in her family to graduate from college. She needed guidance, which brought her to EOP. She hopes that what she gained from this program will be reciprocated with her students now that she is director. EOP makes higher education a possibility for those who may not have the opportunity. From advocacy to help with transitional experiences, EOP also distributes grants as a part of financial aid packages.
There isn’t really a typical day for Santillán-Robles. She considers herself a strong advocate for the program and is grateful to have a seat on committees that can make a difference. In her current role, she attends meetings, performs human resource duties, and handles the budget. Santillán-Robles is also responsible for five additional programs, which include Student Support Services and Promoting Achievement Through Hope (PATH) scholars.
The 50th Anniversary EOP Gala was a huge milestone and celebration for the program. EOP alumni were excited to see each other and everyone spent the night eating, drinking, and dancing. The celebration was a great opportunity for EOP alumni to reconnect and to learn about how EOP plans to move forward. Hearing success stories and the impact EOP has planned moving forward was a highlight for Santillán-Robles.
“The event was about honoring the alumni, celebrating the alumni… reaffirming that the purpose of why this program exists is still very much appreciated and valued,” Santillán-Robles said.
Early Outreach and Support Programs, which includes EOP, hold annual graduation celebrations as well as informational career fairs in the fall. It gives alumni a chance to reconnect and offers current and prospective EOP students a chance to learn. As far as next steps go, the EOP is always focused on meeting students’ needs and filling in the blank spaces. The question of “what do our students need now?” acts as a constant driving force for EOP staff to continue their inspiring work.
The Educational Opportunity Program office is in Student Services Center, room 310. Their hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fall 2019
By Kaylie Lewis
Photo by Kaylie Lewis
The first day at a new school can be difficult to navigate for some students. They can become overwhelmed with not knowing where to study or who to ask for help, but Chico State has a place for them to turn to.
The Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Center exists to eliminate that lost sensation and support students’ academic success through various programs, services, and events. The STAR Center serves as a hub for all majors, degrees and students, and welcomes collaboration and partnership between students and the resources readily available to them.
Marvin Herera, a paraprofessional for the center, helps develop new and existing programs and works directly with faculty members.
“For me, the STAR Center is a place for students to feel comfortable to do homework. I know the library is very busy throughout the week,” Herera said. “This is a place for students to work where they can see familiar faces and learn about resources that they might not already know of.”
The STAR Center provides computer and iPad access, free printing, whiteboards, study spaces, games, and academic advising to all students. It is located on the first floor of the Meriam Library across from the BMU Marketplace in room 161. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The STAR Center offers various programs to help prepare students for their courses, offers opportunities for more engagement around campus and provides a comfortable place to work. These programs range from sit-down discussions with faculty members to on-site advisors that will assist in course planning.
These programs include Men of CHICO, Women of Excellence, Nerdy Under 30, FaculTea, and 7 Keys to Success.
The Men of CHICO program has been on campus for three years and consists of a cohort of 40 men. These men take a three-unit course that meets once a week to discuss success tips and resources to utilize during and after their time on campus. The program serves to support, empower, and provide opportunities for men of color on campus.
Women of Excellence is a new sibling program to Men of CHICO, housed in the STAR Center, and created to support students who identify as women of color. This program gives women a chance to collaborate on social and academic levels while they discuss important issues that surface on our campus. These issues range from how to create more representation of gender identity and color, and how we can better support women in our community.
FaculTea is a program that meets once a week where faculty members and students get the opportunity to sit and chat over a cup of coffee or tea. Topics range from success tips for class, time management and social issues.
"For me, the STAR Center is a place for students to feel comfortable to do homework. I know the library is very busy throughout the week. This is a place for students to work where they can see familiar faces and learn about resources that they might not already know of."
-Marvin Herera, Paraprofessional for the STAR Center
Anna Flores, an academic advising coordinator, helps students with a variety of tasks. Students visit her office to get help with the selection of courses, support on academic probation, and assistance with homework.
“When the STAR Center first got started one of the key components was academic,” Flores said. “In doing so, I moved from the Academic Advising Center in the Students Services Center to here. I am now the embedded advisor.”
Flores said that her main focus as an advisor is making sure students have a clear understanding of the policies and procedures to get to graduation and that they feel supported along the way. She builds partnerships with students to mentor them beyond their time on campus and instills skills for professional success.
Visit the STAR center in Meriam Library 161 to access these opportunities and work with helpful staff like Flores and Herera.
Fall 2019
By Callie Ross-Smith
Photo by Callie Ross-Smith
Celeste Cramer is thinking big. As the new executive director of the Stonewall Alliance, you can find Cramer and her staff on the Chico State campus teaming up with Gender and Sexuality Equity Coalition and tabling and various on-campus events. Next semester, part of her big plans includes expanding her alliance relations on campus even more. Cramer looks forward to adding an additional 10 Chico State interns to the three she has already by next semester.
Her new position is not necessarily challenging because of the number of staff she leads, or the size of the organization, but because of the unique challenges associated with providing a wide range of services to the LGBTQ+ community in a rural, more conservative area. The nonprofit relies solely on funding from grants and private donations to do programs. Keeping this in mind, she says the Stonewall Alliance of Chico is the largest LGBTQ+ center north of Sacramento, serving about 12 North State counties.
“I would like to see us extend that, so we have services that we’re offering to almost any county,” Cramer explained. “Plus, I would love if other counties would start centers so we could be a support system for them.”
"I would like to see us extend that, so we have services that we’re offering to almost any county. Plus, I would love if other counties would start centers so we could be a support system for them."
-Celeste Cramer, Stonewall Alliance Executive Director
So far, Stonewall Alliance has opened two support groups in Oroville and Red Bluff within the last year. Cramer sees these branches as vital because people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, especially youth, can experience higher levels of poverty. These challenges make it sometimes impossible to have the proper transportation to travel to services.
Funding for the alliance comes from 70 percent grants and 30 percent from private donors, typically local businesses. During its efforts to increase its funding, Cramer hopes the alliance will become overall less dependent on grant funding and change that ratio to an even 50-50 split. Writing grants is a lengthy process and there are a limited number of grants available to rural-based California nonprofits serving minorities. Even if Stonewall Alliance’s grant writer finds a grant that checks all these boxes, sometimes it still is not accessible because of the alliance’s limited resources.
“We don’t even have the capacity right now to look at a grant and say ‘wow this supplies housing, you know, let’s go ahead and apply for it’ because we’re not at a capacity where that could be a possibility ... we’re a team of five paid staff,” said Cramer.
The nonprofit’s situation was made even more difficult after the Camp Fire.
“Participants are feeling more stressed, they have much more serious issues on their plate. Obviously, we have a higher homeless situation; we have lower income, people lost their jobs. So how this affects us is that the need for services has increased, and the amount that people can give us for those services has decreased,” said Cramer.
With the increased funding that she is trying to secure, she wants to eventually hold quarterly community trainings that are designed for people who do not necessarily identify themselves as LGBTQ+ but still involve topics that affect that community. An example of one topic would be how to deal with trauma.
Cramer imagines once she starts this program, she wants 100–200 people to participate each time. Through these trainings, she expects to increase community awareness about the Stonewall Alliance, possibly leading to more recurring private donors.
“So many nonprofits don’t have this. Let’s not live month to month. Let’s think five, 10 years down the line. Where do we want to be? Sort of that development component,” said Cramer.
All the programs and goals Cramer has in mind for the Stonewall Alliance are not only going to take a lot of time but space too. Three to 10 years from now, Cramer wants to have enough funding from a capital campaign to either build or buy a larger building for the organization to operate in. Having a bigger building would allow the alliance to keep support groups more intimate.
The current support group for LGBTQ+ youth has 25–30 attendees, including one 10-year-old. Cramer wants the space to create enough programs for kids of all stages to feel supported because the needs of an LGBTQ+ teen are much different than those of a child.
One other grant that the Stonewall Alliance is looking into getting is to have enough money to fund the production of a documentary for its 50th-anniversary celebration on October 10, 2020. Should the alliance have enough funding, Cramer said the documentary will talk about the history of the alliance and LGBTQ+ people, locally as well as nationally. The alliance would fly in people who have left Chico but benefited from the Stonewall Alliance and have them tell about their experiences.
Cramer encourages those who are interested in an internship or any other volunteer opportunity to fill out a volunteer application on the organization’s website.
Fall 2019
By Heather Oest
Photo by Eddie Aldrete
Jeremy Olguin has worked in accessibility since he was 18 years old. As a student at Cal State Monterey Bay, Olguin discovered that the school’s accessibility department had few resources for students with disabilities when it came to technology. Olguin is committed to learning all he could about accessible technology for students. Following his efforts, he saw graduation rates increase and he experienced a new level of fulfillment. That sense of making a difference pushed Olguin to continue in this career path and has brought him to where he is today.
Chico State’s Office of Accessible Technology and Services (OATS) “works with staff, faculty, students, administrators, and community members to ensure that Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and CSU ATI standards are met in all aspects of the University.” What started off as a branch of the Accessibility Resource Center soon became its own office.
Chico State’s Office of Accessible Technology and Services (OATS) “works with staff, faculty, students, administrators, and community members to ensure that Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and CSU ATI standards are met in all aspects of the University.” What started off as a branch of the Accessibility Resource Center soon became its own office.
“We ended up seeing a need for larger depth on campus when it came to inclusivity and equitable technology practices, so then we kind of started helping faculty and helping staff, outside of the disability arena, which then got us into working with diversity, got us working into universal design, kind of took us into all the different directions that we weren't planning on,” Olguin said.
"We ended up seeing a need for larger depth on campus when it came to inclusivity and equitable technology practices, so then we kind of started helping faculty and helping staff, outside of the disability arena, which then got us into working with diversity, got us working into universal design, kind of took us into all the different directions that we weren't planning on."
-Jeremy Olguin, O.A.T.S. Program Coordinator
OATS provides captioning of University videos, alternative media, and content literacy tools. Along with the School of Education, OATS will release a universal access toolkit within the next couple of months. This kit, available to all Chico State students and faculty, will be an easily accessible commonplace for various technologies and services.
At first, only students with disabilities sought out what OATS has to offer. Now, however, students from all backgrounds are starting to seek help from OATS. They won’t turn students away, so employees help with general technology as well, such as Blackboard. As of late, OATS is seeing more and more graduate students walk through their doors, also.
“I think in the grad arena… they tend to leverage a lot more of these technologies, maybe they also just feel more comfortable at that point of their academic career,” Olguin explained, regarding the sudden influx of graduate students in OATS.
Olguin believes that the students who benefit most from OATS are the ones who don’t have or don’t feel that they need access to the services that the office provides. Students not defined to certain groups, such as Educational Opportunity Program or Accessibility Resource Center, benefit even more from OATS. The tools are out there for these students to use at their own leisure and to benefit their education.
Unfortunately, not many students know that OATS exists. Emails have gone out, but Olguin finds that they rarely get opened. The office has a hard time defining a clear way to market to students. To spread the word on the benefits of the program, OATS has joined their efforts with Associated Students marketing.
Honest dedication, trust, and truthfulness make up the core of what Olguin aims to bring into the office. He brings trust into his work relationships, which is something he prides himself on.
“It's the whole ‘be impeccable with your word,’ it really is, you know, when it comes to doing this kind of work, it's not always going to go smoothly, it's not always going to be great,” Olguin said. “You're going to make mistakes, but make sure you learn from those and provide the best service possible.”
Chico State remains diligent in providing access to its diverse student, employee, and community populations. The Office of Accessible Technology and Services is in Student Services Center 320 and open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
Fall 2019
By Emma McDermott
Photo by Eddie Aldrete
“It is in my spiritual makeup, it is in my DNA, to respond to injustice,” social justice activist and founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke said.
Burke spoke at Chico State in October to share her lifelong journey of lifting up sexual violence survivors. Chico’s university-oriented community filled Laxson Auditorium with supporters of her ideals and vision of solidarity.
The #MeToo movement was born in 2006 to support survivors of sexual violence and sexual assault but became increasingly popular in 2017 after the hashtag made its way to social media. Burke’s steadfast goal for this movement is to give the floor to survivors who are of a broad-spectrum, multicultural background.
Burke, a former social worker who helped sexual violence survivors, noticed the service inconsistencies when dealing with minorities and their sexual assault history. By standing up for survivors and incorporating empathy into her healing strategy, she launched a worldwide movement that took the world by storm.
Chico State professor of sociology and multicultural and gender studies Nandi Crosby sat down with Burke to lead the discussion about what makes her story so impactful to the millions of women who resonate with the #MeToo movement.
“What I needed, I had to create. Once I focused and looked at the gaps, [injustice] was everywhere,” Burke said.
By visiting Chico State and other universities across the nation, Burke is sharing her journey with the activist generation accumulating throughout the nation. As a woman standing beside the brave who step forward to tell their own #MeToo story, Burke is outspoken about her personal journey as an assault survivor.
“I serve from a place as a black woman survivor,” she continues, referring to her original place of social work, Selma, Alabama. “I started this work for the little black girls in Alabama.”
Through her strides of success, she feels the biggest problem that contorts the heart of her movement is the media. Burke explained to Crosby that media has the power to manipulate true intentions or meanings, but it also played a powerful part in getting her movement the recognition it deserved.
"I serve from a place as a black woman survivor. I started this work for the little black girls in Alabama."
-Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo Movement
“Social media concerns me to some degree, but the world was ready,” Burke said, regarding the “Me Too” hashtag.
In our community, Chico State’s Safe Place is a trusted source for all who seek help when dealing with any type of sexual violence. Founded in 2010, Safe Place will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in April 2020.
Since 2017, Alix MacDonald, director of Safe Place, has been a teacher and activist dedicated to holding up Burke’s mission to amplify diverse voices. MacDonald has created a Diversity Promise page on Safe Place’s website where she addresses how it can be easy for white people to dismiss the struggles and stories of people of color regarding sensitive topics such as sexual violence.
“I want to be intentional and clear that Safe Place is truly a safe place for you. It is meant to validate and honor your experiences,” MacDonald wrote on the webpage. “I can promise you that I will not invalidate your experiences and will not undermine the unique challenges you face.”
Burke ended her talk with a call-to-action. She believes it is everyone’s responsibility to raise attention to the effects of sexual violence.
“If you want to help a community you must support the leadership of that community,” Burke said about people of color. “Amplify the people pushed to the margins.”
Burke demonstrates to those of all backgrounds what they can do to spread the core values of her vision. She believes that looking at one’s own privilege is essential to keeping her movement relevant in a climate where social justice issues prompt people to take stands from media perception.
“It’s about self-awareness and self-awareness is critical in this moment,” Burke emphasized.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college. If you or a friend have experienced sexual assault, then there are many options for you on and off campus. Call Chico State Safe Place at 530-898-3030 or the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline (NSAT) at 800-656-4673.
Fall 2019
