Across Campus

EOP Makes History

EOP StudentsThe Educational Opportunity Program has forever transformed higher education in California by providing access to students who historically have not been able to attend college, and Sac State has a personal relationship with that transformation.

In 1968, the University helped pioneer the EOP, and the program celebrated its 40th anniversary in the California State University system at a March conference in Sacramento with the theme of “Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence: A Legacy of Hope, Optimism and Opportunity.” Over the years, the EOP spread to every CSU campus, and as a result, 300,000 students have earned college degrees.

“The EOP revolutionized campus society. It opened doors for young people who may not have entered the academy, or may have entered and withdrawn because of finances, life-guidance problems or a sense of not fitting in,” says Ricardo Torres, Sac State EOP faculty counselor. “It shattered campus cultural isolation.”

The program’s mission is to serve people from families whose economic situations and educational backgrounds are barriers to success in higher education.

Torres says it also has “created a student body reflective of the state’s diverse population,” and has helped the CSU respond to the educational needs of the changing demographics of California, such as more immigrants from Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.

To be eligible for the EOP, students must meet family income requirements and demonstrate academic potential and the motivation to succeed.

Sac State’s extensive recruitment efforts reach out to potential EOP students and their families. About 450 EOP students enter Sac State yearly, with about 1,850 EOP students on campus.

“The EOP is often the only way underrepresented populations can access higher education,” says Assistant Vice President for Student Academic Success Marcellene Watson-Derbigny, who oversees Sac State’s EOP.

State Sen. Gloria Romero is one of the many EOP graduates who is giving back to California through public service.

“Through 40 years the EOP has honored its promise to provide assistance to needy students, but I’m worried,” says Romero (B.A., Psychology, CSU Long Beach). “I don’t want the next generation of disadvantaged students to find overflowing classrooms, closed campuses and unaffordable tuition. The EOP is pivotal to ensuring access to a quality education — and the American dream.”

— Perry Hartline

EOP Timeline


Cool Course: MUSIC 118C History of Rock Music

Description: In Gregory Williams’ History of Rock Music course, students examine the cultural and musical trends of rock music throughout the 20th century. They study the roots of rock from blues and country to the creation of rockabilly, to both British Invasions and the beginnings of acid rock, metal and rap.

Class work: The class begins with rock’s roots in blues and folk and follows its transformation through the decades. “Students use the library’s e-resource center to access playlists that I have created for the many genres covered in class,” Williams says. “Enrollment authorizes temporary downloads so that students can study by listening to the music we will discuss in lecture.” The playlists can be downloaded to listen at home on the computer or transferred to CD.

Assignments: In order to gain a better understanding of what makes a rock song, students are instructed in the composition of music through tempo, rhythm and note structure. “My personal goal with the course is to inspire the students to become more directly involved in culture,” Williams says, “whether it be by inspiring them to learn a musical instrument or to get them excited about attending more live performances.”

Students say: After the class started studying the British Invasion, student Morgan Enns says, “I knew that the Beatles were a big deal, but I never realized how much they revolutionized rock and modern music in general.”

—Christopher Neuschafer

Chamber Choir embarks on Canadian tour

When their fellow students kick back and relax at the end of the school year, members of Sac State’s Chamber Choir will enjoy an encore of sorts with a musical tour of Canada, May 23-29.

The 28 students will travel to Montreal and Ottawa, performing in some of the world’s most renowned cathedrals and the Parliament of Canada.

“We’ll be singing in English and French, as well as some Inuit, the language of Canada’s indigenous people,” choir director Don Kendrick says.

Venues will include the Cathedrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde and the Basilique Notre-Dame in Montreal, and Dominion-Chalmers United Church in Ottawa. The group will also sing in the Rotunda of the Canadian Parliament.

“The tour gives the students a good cultural and international historical experience,” Kendrick says, adding that they’ll get to savor French culture while in Montreal.

Putting together such a tour requires double duty by the students: They must rehearse their musical numbers, then put in more long hours raising funds for the trip. Students have collected pledges during a “sing-a-thon,” organized a prize drawing and sold ads in concert programs.

“They’ve been raising money for more than a year,” Kendrick says.

Not only do the students gain knowledge and experience from the tour, Kendrick says, Sac State benefits as well. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the students to become musical and cultural ambassadors for our University.”

For more information on the University’s choral program and upcoming concerts, call (916) 278-5155 or visit www.csus.edu/music/choral.

— Craig Koscho

Sac State atop sport’s wave of popularity

The lure of a fast boat, a rope and the chance to go airborne have turned wakeboarding into a huge draw at Sac State’s Aquatic Center.

Combining elements of skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding and surfing, wakeboarding is one of the world’s fastest-growing water sports. Its campus popularity is illustrated by a recent all-time high enrollment of 96 students in the University’s wakeboarding classes at the Lake Natoma center. Sac State also has a Wake Board Club competing against other colleges, and in October, the team took first place in the Fall Regional Western Conference Championship, sinking 13 other schools.

Wakeboarders love the freedom of cutting across a boat’s wake, or the waves generated as it plows through the water, flying through the air 15 feet high, then flipping, twisting or turning before — hopefully — landing feetand- board down.

That love of freedom led to the birth of Sac State’s club team. A few years ago, it formed as a part of the Water Ski Team and later branched out on its own.

“The timing was right,” says Brice Bennett, the new club’s coach and adviser. “There was so much interest in wakeboarding and so many college clubs forming, somebody had to do something.”

Today there are organizations worldwide holding international wakeboarding competitions. One of the best wakeboarders is Sac State graduate Shelby Kantar. She won the Wake Board Pro Tour and placed second in the International Water Ski Foundation World Cup two years ago.

Sac State’s team is ranked in the top five by the Collegiate Wakeboard Association. Bennett says the status is well-earned.

“It’s not showing off if you can do it,” he laughs. Helping Sac State become the best is one of Bennett’s top goals, but he also wants more students and community members to try out the sport. “I invite everyone to come take lessons.”

More information on Sac State’s Aquatic Center is available at www.sacstateaquaticcenter.com.

— Perry Hartline


By the Numbers

115,000 - Number of Scantron test forms sold by the Hornet Bookstore and University Union per semester.

6,775 - Number of books checked out from the University Library in a week.

60 - Number of games of pool played at the University Union in a day.

What do you like most at Sac State?

Candace Welch, First year, Nursing “I like the variety of clubs and activities on campus. They are fun and keep campus life interesting.”

Carrie Xiong, First year, Chemistry “I like the library. It’s quiet. I like to do my homework and study there.”

Cameron Murray, Senior, Kinesiology and Communication Studies “I like the Greek life. They’re great organizations, a great way to network and meet friends.”

Anshul Gupta, Graduate student, Electrical Engineering “Faculty. Professors have very good experience and knowledge about the material, and I appreciate that.”

Amber Dosh, Senior, Kinesiology “I like how closely students and teachers work together within their majors. Feels like you can get anywhere and accomplish anything.”

We Want to Hear from You

We’d like to hear from you about this issue of Sac State Magazine. Please send your opinions about the magazine to infodesk@csus.edu, or Sac State Magazine, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819-6072. You can also call us at (916) 278-6156.