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Richmond Confidential •

Richmond group raising money to expand unique arts program for toddlers and pre-schoolers

In a dimly lit backroom of The Factory Bar, a neighborhood cocktail and beer spot in Richmond, Maria Tuttle and her life partner, Ana Gutierrez, set up prizes and Lotería cards on a small table in the back corner with a banner that bears the name of Tuttle’s organization, Children’s Art Studio Richmond.


A year ago, the organization opened and began providing free art classes in English and Spanish to young children, ages 2 to 5 years old, in Richmond. On Friday night, there was a celebration...
Richmond Confidential •

For Richmond’s Laotian and Mien population, language presents a barrier to voting

Seuy Karnsouvong remembers going to the fire station by Crescent Park in Richmond with her late husband, Boonthong, to vote. Since she wasn’t familiar with English like he was, he would walk her through filling out her ballot.


That was decades ago, but Karnsouvong still needs help dissecting the complicated language used in measures and other parts of the ballot. She isn’t alone in needing assistance with voting. 


According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Richmond has 1,667 Laotian and 182 Mie...
Richmond Confidential •

El Sobrante celebrates Pride with first community festival

Drag queens danced through the crowd as families picnicked and children mingled with chickens, goats and rabbits at El Sobrante’s inaugural Pride celebration in La Moine Park on Sunday. 


The event also featured music by DJ Page Hodel, vendors from the business committee and information about resources offered through area nonprofits. Hundreds of people watched drag performances from Viva Commotion, Summer Lynn Spears, Angel De Vil and Ash N Tell Starlight, singing crowd favorites such as Kesh...
The State Hornet •

EDITORIAL: Latino, Latinx or Hispanic?

The use of Latinx/e and Chicanx/e has been a long contended topic within the Hispanic/Latino community, nonetheless as journalists we carry the responsibility of properly identifying our sources.
In order to respect our sources from these communities and accurately represent them in our coverage, we will be adjusting our use of those terms in our coverage according to their preferences.
At the beginning of stories involving the Hispanic/Latino community, we will be adding the following editor’s...
The State Hornet •

The State Hornet Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Style Guide

In fall 2021, we added a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion section to our publication to diversify our coverage and create systems to hold us accountable for our DEI goals. 
Our DEI editor Jasmine Ascencio created this guide to help answer common questions and give insight into topics that may arise while writing and editing content. 
As the topics and sections in this guide evolve, so will our guide. With this in mind, we encourage suggestions and questions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to...
The State Hornet •

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Fall midway 2023 audit results

Hello readers of The State Hornet!
My name is Jasmine Ascencio and I’m the current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion editor for The State Hornet. Since fall 2021, The State Hornet has published the diversity audit midway and end-of-semester to hold itself accountable for goals and suggestions made in previous audits.
As the DEI editor, part of my responsibility includes auditing The State Hornet’s coverage of centered sources, finding ways to improve our coverage of underrepresented communities an...
The State Hornet •

OPINION: Dark humor: the Vaporub to our intergenerational trauma

Editor’s Note: The usage of Hispanic, Latino/a/e/x and Chicano/a/e/x is in accordance with the preference and language of the sources and/or organizations included in this story.
If you grew up in a Latin household, the smell of Vaporub is a hard one to forget. Forever imprinted in our senses, the intense smell of eucalyptus is usually associated with sickness. Thickly slathered on our chests, the soles of our feet and wherever else our guardians deemed necessary to help us recover quickly from...
The State Hornet •

Dia de los Muertos 2023

Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, celebrates life and reunites the souls of the dead with their loved ones.
A blend of the Indigenous tradition of honoring the dead on their journey to the Land of the Dead and Catholic holidays like All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, this Mexican holiday typically takes place from Nov. 1 to Nov. 2.
Read more about it here.

Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, celebrates life and reunites the souls of the dead with their loved...
The State Hornet •

Invisible and visible: Disability Access Center aims for inclusivity for all disabled students

When Sacramento State’s Director of the Disability Access Center, Mary Lee Vance, was first approached about the possibility of a Disability Cultural Center by students, she wasn’t optimistic about it due to a lack of space offered by the university.
In 2020, Vance acquired room 2011 in the Academic Information Resource Center and got rid of old technology that became defunct during the center’s transition to a more digital layout.
“As the space started opening up, I started to visualize,” Vance...
The State Hornet •

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: End of spring plus summer 2023 audit results

Hello readers of The State Hornet!
My name is Jasmine Ascencio and I’m the current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion editor for The State Hornet. Since fall 2021, The State Hornet has published the diversity audit midway and end-of-semester to hold itself accountable for goals and suggestions made in previous audits.
According to our spring 2023 midway audit, our overall diverse coverage improved but our Native, Indigenous, and people with disabilities communities needed more coverage.
Last semest...
The State Hornet •

Renovations further delay launch of Sac State Native student center

“Construction Zone” sign posted on the ‘Esak’tima Center door in Lassen Hall Thursday, April 23, 2023 . To respect the land Sac State occupies, the name ‘Esak’tima means ‘A Place Where Knowledge Comes’ in the Nisenan language. (Photo by Jasmine Ascencio).

“Danger: Construction Zone” warnings adorn the doors of the new ‘Esak’tima Center, located in Lassen Hall. The end date of these postings read “to be determined.”

Rena D. Horse unlocks the door to the Center, revealing a room with no ceiling...
The State Hornet •

Ethnic studies professor faces allegations of unethical practice, offered monetary extra credit

Amador Hall’s sign contains labels for departments found in the hall on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Sacramento State Professor Rashad Baadqir is being accused of unethical academic practices after offering monetary extra credit fall 2022.

Ethnic studies professor Rashad Baadqir is facing allegations of structuring his Intro to Ethnic Studies course as intentionally difficult in order to influence students to donate money to the Sacramento State Softball Club.

Baadqir, who is the head coach for the S...
The State Hornet •

Latin dance club returns to campus after pandemic hiatus

Sac State Salsa Loca Club President Isabel Chavez in the University Union Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Before becoming the club’s president, Chavez said she served as its treasurer and helped revive the club after the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you ever make your way to the University Union on Wednesday nights, you’ll likely hear Latin music coming from the Redwood Room.

Peek inside, and you’ll see a diverse gathering of Sac State students and guests grooving, twirling, stepping and learning Latin dan...
The State Hornet •

‘We are the product of everyone who has supported us’

Andrew Yang, Sac State’s first coordinator for the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Center, hanging out in the APIDA Center lounge in Lassen Hall on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. Yang aims to encourage students to join the APIDA Center and offer support services such as scholarships and internships.

The eldest of seven children and a first-generation Hmong-American, the only thing on Andrew Yang’s mind was to get a job, make money and take care of his family.

Growing up in South Sacramento, Yan...
The State Hornet •

Little Africa: Rebuilding connection and success within the Black student body

Fourth-year civil engineering major and President of National Society of Black Engineers Aissatou Fall speaking with attendees of Little Africa in front of the Library quad Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. Event organizers said they hope for more support from the university in promoting similar events.

Laughter and excitement filled the air as feet shuffled to V.I.C’s “Wobble” in the Library Quad. A normally quiet area on campus was filled with music, occupied by a variety of Sacramento State Black stu...
The State Hornet •

Diaspora, resilience and common ground: Library Gallery celebrates Hmong culture in latest exhibit

‘Cloth as Community’ on display through May 19

A group of models posed together in front of the “Cloth as Community” sign in the Library Gallery on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. The varied ensembles express Hmong culture through textiles.

Patterns of brightly colored cloth, textile and artifacts line the wall. Each artifact holds a unique and rich history with a  significant cultural impact that weaves the past and present for the Hmong community. Beyond the intricate textiles, stories and history a...