By Jeff Barron, social media and photography intern
If you’re connected to Chico State on Facebook (and even if you’re not), there’s a good chance you’ve already seen our Valentine’s Day video. Viewed by more than 80,000 times in less than a week, the response has been incredible, and your feedback so positive. It shows how Wildcats embrace the idea that love can be shared by everyone, whether it’s romantic love, friendship, or simply a love for life.
In case you missed it:
By Quinn Western, social media and photography intern
Here’s a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of three Chico State students. Sara McGuire is a junior communication studies major with a minor in nutrition and food sciences. Senior Ryan Clare is studying environmental science with a concentration in atmosphere and climate studies, and is a member of the award-winning speech and debate team. Emily Duran is a senior on the volleyball team who is studying journalism with a minor in Spanish.
On the fence about making one of the biggest decisions for the next chapter of your life? You’ve probably taken the tours and seen the brochures that talk about our exceptional academic programs, and of course we are slightly biased, but we’ll see if we can sway you with a list of 10 more reasons you should #ChooseChico!
Chico State has been named a top-10 public university in the West by U.S. News since 1998, when the magazine started its ranking. We have also made Forbes magazine’s “best bang for your buck” list.
We’re not kidding. Chico State has nine beautiful bridges on campus over Big Chico Creek. The same creek that runs through Bidwell Park (No. 5) also runs through campus. Chico State is the only California State University with a creek coursing through campus.
There is roughly one professor for every 22 students on campus. To put this in perspective, 64 percent of courses last year had less than 30 students in a single class. Students get to know their professors well and have a more hands-on learning experience — and professors always notice if you’re not in class.
Volunteering is more than just lending a hand. It’s giving back to a community that students feel a part of. Students logged 40,360 hours of community service during the 2012-13 school year – the equivalent of four and a half years.
Bidwell Park is the third largest municipal park in California and one of the 25 biggest in the nation. And it just might be the No. 1 most beautiful. Think of it as a Central Park a hop and a skip away from campus. Lower Park is greener and more urban, with One Mile, a popular community swimming hole. Upper Park has more wild space, with hiking/biking trails, Bear Hole (another swimming destination), and Monkey Face (a rock formation that’s great for climbing).
The Wildcat Recreation Center is equipped with a suspended indoor track, a climbing wall, three basketball courts, a multi-purpose court, a pool and hot tub, latest cardio and weight-lifting equipment, and group exercise rooms that feature tons of free classes.
Classic Hollywood movies like Gone With the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Red Badge of Courage filmed in Chico.
Chico State is one of the top schools in the CSU in graduation rate. And we plan to be number one! Our new Aim 4 Four and Take 2 programs emphasize that graduating in four years for first-time freshmen and two years for transfer students are totally reachable goals.
You get the gist. Forty-seven student athletes received California Collegiate Athletic Association All-Academic awards last year. Oh yeah, this was all while competing as one of the top Division II athletic programs in the nation. Eight teams competed for national titles last year. It was also our third consecutive year claiming the CCAA Commissioner’s Cup.
Chico State hosts the largest student-run sustainability conference in North America. This Way to Sustainability brings together, students, faculty, administrators, and public officials to explore ways toward a sustainable future. Students’ passion for sustainability is also visible through the work done by Associated Students Recycling, which collects 600,000 pounds of recyclables each year with the goal of being zero waste by 2015.
You get to say that you were a Wildcat along with Troy Bolton and Sharpay Evans of High School Musical. The community feeling on campus is a reminder that “We Are All in This Together.”
Image sources: PixyGiggles, RedFordTheatre, thelifeinexile, kadethebabe, giphy, Teamliquid, Gleewiki, nelsonmonty, teen.com, Berahtee
To kick off the beginning of the year, we worked in collaboration with the Chico State Wildcat Store and the Athletics department to host a 2-day photo event Sept. 10-11 on the Trinity Commons lawn. Students were encouraged to stop by our booth and show off their Wildcat Pride by posing for photos with Chico State gear and Willie the Wildcat.
More than 250 photos were taken over the two days and 178 were featured on our Facebook page. We loved everyone’s creativity and enthusiasm, but here are five of our favorites:
To see the rest of the photos from the Wildcat Pride shoot, check out our Facebook album.
What:
Help us choose CSU, Chico’s Facebook cover photo! Share your photos, and then help select from our favorites to be the next California State University, Chico Facebook page cover photo.
Guidelines:
Photos should show off the best of Chico State and the Chico experience. Take photos of our beautiful campus in all its spring glory or your student club hard at work—or make a creative collage of campus scenes. All photos should represent your own work, be in good taste, and comply with the Chico State Social Media Comment Policy.
Photos need to be large enough to work for a Facebook cover photo (851p x 315p, file sizes of 1 to 2MB work well). Most current smartphone camera photos are OK. (Sorry, Instagramers—most Instagram images won’t have high enough resolution when cropped and enlarged to Facebook cover size.)
You may submit up to three photos.
How to Enter:
Share your photo(s) with us in one of three easy ways!
Selection Process:
Share your photos with us by Monday, April 15, 2013, at 5 p.m. The Chico State social media team will select up to 10 photos to be featured in a photo album posted on our page Wednesday, April 17. The photographers’ names will accompany the photos, so feel free to brag to your friends if you’re featured. The photo within the album with the most “likes” by Wednesday, April 24, at 5 p.m. will become the next CSU, Chico Facebook cover photo!
Note: This challenge is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Facebook Inc. Any and all information provided with your submission is to California State University, Chico and not to Facebook.
By Luke Reid, Sports Information Director
A spectacular season for both men’s and women’s basketball came to an end last weekend. Both teams made it to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional, held in Bellingham, Washington. The women battled to the end against Cal State Monterey Bay, while the men played against Cal Poly Pomona.
The Chico State men’s basketball team walked off the floor for the final time in 2012–2013 Friday, March 15, in all-too-familiar fashion—with a loss at the hands of Cal Poly Pomona. The fifth-ranked Broncos beat the Wildcats for the fourth time this season, 69-61, in the opening round of the NCAA championships.
“They’re a good team,” said Wildcats Head Coach Greg Clink. “We’ve taken our best shot at them four times.”
And the Wildcats’ best shot brought them excruciatingly close to victory: Sims sank a 3-pointer with 6:09 left that gave Chico State a 53-51 lead. A Sean Park jumper with 4:39 left again stretched Chico State’s lead to two.
Cal Poly Pomona’s Mitchel Anderson, the MVP of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), sank a 3-pointer on the Broncos’ ensuing possession to give them the lead for good.
Friday’s game marked the final appearance for Chico State seniors Damario Sims, Jason Conrad, Spencer Moyer, James Staniland ,and Jake Lovisolo.
“Those five guys have helped take this program to a new level,” said Clink. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to have had the opportunity to coach them. It’s just a special group.”
Sims scored 21 points in his final game with the Wildcats, Rashad Parker added 15, and Jordan Semple scored 12. Chico State finished the season with a record of 19-11.
The women had a very similar experience the following day, coming tantalizingly close to a win in the opening round of the NCAA championships.
The lead changed hands 15 times that Saturday night. For a bit, it looked as if the 14th time would be the last. But the Wildcats missed their final five shots and committed two turnovers down the stretch.
Miller nearly stopped the bleeding with a nifty spin move on Chico State’s next possession, but her layup spun off the rim with 30 seconds left, setting up the Otters for Jefferson’s game-winning shot.
Cal State Monterey Bay scored the game’s final 10 points to beat the Wildcats women 66-64.
“We just needed another four-tenths of a second, and we’d still be playing,” said Brian Fogel, women’s head coach.
Jazmine Miller led the Wildcats with 16 points and Monnie Davidson-Mays scored 11 and grabbed four steals. Courtney Hamilton finished with nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Synchro Bull chipped in eight points.
“I’m extremely proud of my team,” said Fogel. “I’ve coached for a long time, and this is one of the most enjoyable groups I’ve ever had.”
The Chico State women’s basketball team, winner of the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s regular season title, finished its season with a record of 23-6.
“We’re a very unselfish team,” said Miller. “We worked hard for each other every day. It’s been the most fun I’ve ever 
had playing basketball.”
Now back home, Fogel and Clink are busy putting the final touches on next year’s recruiting classes. Though they’re both excited about their returning talent and already signed freshmen classes, they’re always on the lookout for the special talent that can help them get back into the NCAA Championship Tournament, and perhaps help them make a run at an NCAA title.
For more athletic news and schedules visit http://www.chicowildcats.com/
During Chico Experience Week we asked our Facebook and Twitter followers to use Instagram to take photos of themselves during the week. Here are some of our favorites:
Here is the contest’s winning photo by tbufete!
By Rory Miller, Assistant Sports Information Director
Re-posted from Chico State Athletics.
For fans, coaches and players assembled upstairs Sunday night at Madison Bear Garden, the atmosphere was one of anxiousness for the Chico State women’s basketball team, as the Wildcats waited to see if their late-season heroics were enough to earn a berth into the NCAA Championship Tournament.
For the Chico State men, there was more of an air of confidence, as the Wildcats, knowing they had locked up an NCAA West Region berth, awaited word of their seed, first round opponent and where the ’Cats would be playing. It turned out to be a great night to be a Wildcat, as the NCAA Selection Show included both the Chico State men’s and women’s teams in their respective fields of 64 for a chance to play for the national title.
The Chico State women grabbed the No. 8 seed in the West, and will travel to San Diego to take on the region’s top seed, UC San Diego, on Friday. On the men’s side, the Wildcat men earned the fifth seed in the West Region, and will head to Bellingham, Wash. Friday for a rematch with No. 4 Humboldt State – the team which beat the ’Cats Saturday in the CCAA Championship Tournament final – in opening round NCAA Championship Tournament action.
Most seasons, the NCAA Selection Show waits until the very end to announce the West Region teams, but this year the announcement came in the first five minutes, and when the women’s bracket revealed Chico State among the eight selections, a huge cheer erupted at The Bear. Players hugged, coaches wiped their brows in relief and received well wishes from fans, as the excitement of more March basketball was at last a reality.
“I’m extremely excited for the team, and especially for fifth-year senior Natasha Smith,” Head Coach Brian Fogel said following Sunday’s announcement. “The team kept improving week-to-week, and we’re playing our best basketball of the season right now. We’re a confident group, and we’re planning on making some noise this week in San Diego.”
The Wildcat women, 18-10 overall, closed out the regular season with five straight wins, then knocked off Humboldt State 62-60 in the CCAA Championship Tournament before bowing Saturday to eventual tourney champion Cal State Monterey Bay. Friday’s NCAA West Region opener will mark the third time Chico State and UC San Diego have met this season, with the Tritons – ranked No. 1 in the country starting the week – winning both contests, though they needed double overtime to down the ’Cats Jan. 7 at Acker Gym.
The cheers at The Bear were just as loud for the Chico State men, as the Selection Show announcement officially gave the program its first NCAA Championship Tournament appearance since the 2004-05 season.
The Wildcats, 24-7 overall, are also heading into the West Regional on an impressive roll, having won 10 of their last 12 contests. Friday’s first round match-up with Humboldt State will be the fourth time this season the ’Cats and Lumberjacks have gone head-to-head, with Chico State winning two of the first three.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEST REGIONAL
March 9-12, 2012
La Jolla, Calif.
Friday, March 9 – First Round
No. 1 UC San Diego (28-2) vs. No. 8 Chico State (18-10)
No. 2 Alaska-Anchorage (27-4) vs. No. 7 Cal State L.A. (18-11)
No. 3 Grand Canyon (23-3) vs. No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona (19-8)
No. 4 Western Washington (21-7) vs. No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay (21-8)
Saturday, March 10 – Second Round
Regional Semifinal No. 1
Regional Semifinal No. 2
Monday, March 12 – Third Round
Regional Championship Game
NCAA DIVISION II MEN’S BASKETBALL WEST REGIONAL
March 9-12, 2012
Bellingham, Wash.
Friday, March 9 – First Round
No. 1 Western Washington (25-5) vs. No. 8 Grand Canyon (19-7)
No. 2 Alaska-Anchorage (22-6) vs. No. 7 Montana State-Billings (18-11)
No. 3 Seattle Pacific (21-7) vs. No. 6 Dixie State (20-6)
No. 4 Humboldt State (22-7) vs. No. 5 Chico State (24-7)
Saturday, March 10 – Second Round
Regional Semifinal No. 1
Regional Semifinal No. 2
Monday, March 12 – Third Round
Regional Championship Game
Exploring the Chico Experience 
