Everybody’s business

Biz student winners
Associate Professor Nitish Singh contacted the CN&R to let us know about “something good” Chico State University students had done. Hey, if anyone knows Chico State students do good things, it’s the media. It’s just that no matter what we do, porn videos stick in readers’ heads a lot longer than nursing school graduate test scores.

But it is pretty cool: Singh’s e-marketing students presented research papers at the International Academy of E-Business Conference held March 25 in San Francisco. Seven students rose to the top as their papers were reviewed alongside others from across the United States and other nations, including Brazil and Canada.

“I am proud of the fact that our students can do high-quality research and compete successfully at international-level conferences,” Singh said, calling it “a truly noteworthy achievement.”

Chico State’s own John Van Dinther took home the title of best undergraduate student paper for his work, “Emerging Traits of Commercial Online Communities.”

Capping it off
Student advocates’ energy has paid off with the success of an advisory measure that would cap energy use at Chico State.

Of the students who voted in the Associated Students election on April 12-13, 82.5 percent endorsed the measure, which would cap energy use at its 2002-03 level and reduce overall consumption by 10 percent over five years.

It’s the first such measure in the CSU system. The effort was led by students in Professor Mark Stemen’s environmental-studies capstone seminar, in which students agree on a cause to petition for inclusion on the ballot. The seminar’s measures have won in each of the five years they’ve been put to a vote.

Again, the measure is only advisory, just like last year’s attempt to forbid students living within a mile of campus from obtaining parking permits.

Great Scott
Filling the role of director of pupil personnel services for the Chico Unified School District will be Dave Scott, who has previously been principal at Loma Vista School and Fair View High School.

Scott, who started work April 7, takes over for Bob Feaster, who was promoted to human resources director.

Golf envy
I’ve always thought it would be fun to play in one of those golf tournament fund-raisers. I could hobnob with local greats and enjoy the great, grassy (pesticide-grassy) outdoors. But I’m no duffer and can’t spare a steep entry fee. So, until they add a Scrabble fund-raiser for us nerds, I’ll leave it to the experts.

The above ramble leads up to my promo for the 10th-annual golf tournament benefiting Chico State’s College of Agriculture and Superior Ag. The event is not until July 18, at Butte Creek Country Club, but the organizers want to give businesses time to step up and sponsor or build teams to compete. (The deadline is April 30.) Since 1995, the golf tourneys have raised more than $340,000 for ag scholarships and other student-related programs.

The organizers say there are plenty of sponsorship opportunities available for those who, like me, don’t play golf. There’s also a tasty tri-tip dinner and an awards program. For more information call Desiree Gonzalez at 898-4597 or e-mail dgonzalez@csuchico.edu.