Welcome back, students

When Chico State and Butte College are in session, the whole community knows. Restaurants have more patrons, shops and boutiques get more traffic, and the streets in general—especially those surrounding campus and downtown—are a lot more lively.

As Chico prepares for an onslaught of new and returning students, those students—and their professors—are preparing for a new semester to start Monday (Aug. 22). We’ve put together a nice package of stories right here, along with others sprinkled throughout this issue, to get everyone back in the school frame of mind.

So, if you’re interested in what’s going on with the education budget (and tuition prices!), look no further. If you’d rather read about students interning on Alcatraz Island, the state of Chico State’s Journalism Department or a new Diversity Resource Guide, click through the upcoming pages.

And look throughout the issue for other stories about higher education. Did you know, for example, that Butte College is the first U.S. college to go grid positive? Or that Chico State’s Student Health Service is now a Family PACT provider? (You do now!)

Welcome back!