Sacramento Votes

Voters turned out in record numbers this election year not only in Sacramento but the rest of the Nation as well. The abnormally large number of voters is likely do to the fact that this has been one of the most heated presidential races is recent history.

In one corner you have the extremely liberal Barack Obama. It is undesputed that he has the most charisma of the two candidates. His ticket to fame is that he is a minority: the first ever black presidential nominee.

His opponent: The Maverick... John McCain. He's the relatively conservative war hero. He was tortured for this country and his physical frailness can attest to that fact. He isn't the orator that Obama is but what he lacks in magnetism he says he makes up for i experience.

The U.S. economy is spiraling out of control and it is up to the winner of the election to try to rescue it. Both candidates had different views on how to do this.

The controversial Iraq War is still going on. To stay or not to stay is a question on the minds of Americans. One candidate says stay and the other says to leave.

The two nominees had very different views on almost every major issue and the American citizens came together on November 4th to decide who they trusted to make the right decisions.

Jordan Frazier, a 21-year-old Sacramento man said it was his first time voting in a presidential election. He was at the polls early Tuesday morning and said he voted for Obama. Frazier was open about why he voted for his candidate, "because he's black," he said. "It's not gonna be the white house now it's gonna be the black house."

Kayla Freitas, a local college student, said she didn't really like either of the candidates. It was her first time voting as well.

Brianna (who didn't give her last name) who works at ULTA on Howe avenue said that it was her first time actually going to the polls. "Yes on Prop two!" she cheered. She had sent in absentee ballots before but the poll was a new experience for her. "It wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be," she said as she proudly showed off her "I voted" sticker.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the nations oldest person (and voter as well) lives in Sacramento. He is a 112-year-old black man named George Rene Francis. The Bee reported that he only voted for president and left all the other spaces blank. His vote was for Obama. In a quote from the Bee he stated "I think he's great, because he's black! Because the white people thought a negro would never be promoted!"

The most important vote on that ballot to Francis was the vote for president. Many Americans see this election year as a turning point for America. If voter turnout is any indication of the importance of this election than this year is the most important election in a very long time.

Women's Volleyball Loses to Aggies for First Time in 16 Years

"What happened?" is a question Hornets fans may be asking themselves after Saturday night's Volleyball match against UC Davis.

Sac State has won every match against their cross-town rivals for the past 16 years.

The long-standing record fell on Saturday as the Aggies beat the Hornets in four sets.

The first set looked good for Sacramento State as they easily won 25-18.

The next set was a much closer one with UC Davis coming out on top.

After that the whole match seemed to go downhill as UC Davis swept the next two matches somewhat easily.

The stadium was filled with both UC Davis and Sacramento State fans; also some alumni and parents.

The atmosphere seemed charged during the match as a group of Hornet fans yelled and screamed to distract the Aggie players who went to serve; a smaller group of UC Davis fans returned the favor when it was the Hornets turn.

Before the game, both teams seemed excited to face their rivals.

They warmed up on opposite sides of the court with a stereo blasting to help get them pumped up for the game.

Head coach Rueben Volta seemed optimistic about a win, "I don't think we have any particular advantage over them... I think we can win."

In the end the Aggies were the ones who came out with a win, leaving Sacramento State with an all-time low overall record of 2-11.

Classrooms With too Much Class

For Sacramento State students a place to sit in class is quickly becoming harder to find than a parking space.

According to some Sac State students classrooms tend to be over crowded, especially during the first week when people are trying to add into classes. 

Far too often students have to sit on the floors or worse: outside of the classroom in the hallway.

Criminal Justice major Sam Martin, 20, a junior at Sac State, has experienced the effects of overcrowded classrooms first hand. 

He explained that even though he was officially enrolled in a class this semester he had to sit on the floor because so many students that wanted to add the class had gotten there before him.

He felt that the professor should have had the add-ins sit on the floor because that would be more fair.

Overcrowded classrooms are more than just uncomfortable, they can negatively affect a students ability to learn. 

The more packed a classroom, the harder it is for each individual student to get the attenetion or help they may need. 

It can also be a distraction to students; with so many other people to talk to and look at it can be hard to pay attention to a lecture or power point presentation.

If the classroom happens to be a computer lab, another issue appears: lack of computers. 

Some students have been asked to bring their own laptops if they wish to add a class where a computer is needed. 

This gives an unfair advantage to those students who own laptops and those who don't. 

If two people want to add a class where computers are needed but only one person can bring their own then that student will probably be the one to get into the class.

What can be done to solve the problem? 

A seemingly simple solution would be to offer more than one class per course, but with budget cuts and less faculty that solution may be impossible. 

Martin's solution was a first come first serve idea. 

He thought that teachers should not allow more students than seats available. 

Graduating seniors don't always agree with this outlook because being denied access to a class means they will be paying for another semester of schooling.