OctOber 7, Wednesdayb1 tHestateHOrnetFeatures

W W W. s t a t e H O r n e t . c O m | Fa l l I s s u e 6 | s a c r a m e n t O s t a t e

Graphic By Nallelie VeGa

photos By ryaN GreeNleaF aNd roBert liNGGi State Hornet

Professor Joe Mazzaferro and students Joe Berry and Caitlin Clark display their talents during a Tuesday night jam session at Capitol Garage in downtown Sacramento.

The lights are dim, the audi-ence is captivated, and nothing can be heard but the strik-ing harmony of jazz music as Sacramento State students and local residents take center stage at Capitol Garage.

Capitol Garage is a cafe by day and a local nightclub and lounge by night. It is located in downtown Sacramento and has a tradition of supporting local musical talent.

Every Tuesday night, Capitol Garage offers an open jazz ses-sion from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Sac State students and those interested in live music are invited to come out and “jam” with the house band.

These sessions begin with a house band of seven musicians. After this band performs the first set of jazz songs, the stage opens up for other musicians.

Joe Mazzaferro, professor of jazz studies, said he started the Tuesday night tradition nearly two and half years ago.

“I think it has grown into something really good and positive. Everybody comes out and plays and some people just

come out and watch. It’s a cool environment. We are not going to push people away who want to play,” Mazzaferro said.

Joe Berry, senior jazz stud-ies major, runs the open jazz sessions and is the saxophone player for the house band.

Berry said the environment at Capitol Garage gives students who are not comfortable or established in the jazz scene a chance to meet and play with other musicians who are profes-sionals around town. He said that playing at Capitol Garage is a great way for students and other musicians to learn from one another.

“It’s kind of educational-based but, at the same time, it’s cool for all musicians in the area,” Berry said.

Mazzaferro said the open jazz sessions have been a way to cre-ate a jazz scene in Sacramento and to create a great outlet for older and younger people to lis-ten to each other and network together.

“It’s a really good social atmo-sphere and a good way to meet people. It is really more about community. Yes, it’s about mu-sic, but there is also a sense of community with the musicians

and the people,” Mazzaferro said. “I think with our regular-ity here, it’s become something special.”

Berry said that students who perform at Capitol Garage are trying to keep jazz alive among the younger crowd.

“We are coming out for the love of the music and to bring joy to the jazz community,” Berry said. “Everyone always pins jazz with the old: music for the old people. But you can see there (are) tons of young people.”

Berry said that the environ-ment at Capitol Garage is very welcoming and comfortable.

“It’s a lot of love. Most every-body here all know each other and, if we weren’t friends a year ago, we are friends now because they come out,” Berry said.

Caitlin Clarke, senior clas-sical voice major, was encour-aged by Berry to participate in the open jazz sessions. She said that performing at Capitol Garage is one of the most excit-ing things to her because of the feedback she gets during and after performances.

Clarke said Capitol Garage is a safe place for students to perform.

“It’s comfortable because most of the people that come out are Sac State students, so they are our peers and our friends. So it’s not a really strange place to go and be scared. I think that’s why it’s so special,” Clarke said.

Mazzaferro chose Capitol Garage as a location because it is centrally located and easy for students to get to. He also said that the nightlife around Capitol Garage draws a large and diverse crowd of students and musicians from various regions.

“This is the kind of place to come down (to). We have had musicians from everywhere. We have had musicians come in from New York, Chicago, Boston, and Tennessee,” Maz-zaferro said.

By miranda marsallammarsalla@statehornet.com

Capitol Garage is located at 1500 K St. There is no cover charge for Tuesday open jazz sessions. Those interested

in performing at Capitol Garage can contact Joe Berry at joemarcelberry@gmail.com.

Coyote Grace brings awareness

courtesy oF treVor McKee

Band members left to right: Ingrid Eyen and recently transitioned Joe Stevens.

Coyote Grace is a band un-like most. Not only does the band have a different indie-folk sound, but band member Joe Stevens has recently transi-tioned from female to male.

Coyote Grace will have a concert at 11 a.m. on Thursday

in the University Union’s Hinde Auditorium for Queer History Month that will feature Stevens, who plays the guitar, and Ingrid Eyen, who plays the upright bass.

Following the concert will be a workshop by the band highlighting Stevens’ firsthand account of female-to-male transition.

Stevens said that although some of the band’s lyrics are based on his transgendered experience, most of the lyrics are about life experiences.

Nicole Scanlan, co-coordina-tor at the PRIDE Center, said Stevens’ willingness to share his personal life experience means a lot to the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender com-munity.

“Transgendered issues are very foreign to a lot of people, whether they’re LGBT or het-erosexual,” Scanlan said.

Scanlan said it is important to personalize the term “transgen-dered” because it is much easier for students to relate this way. She also said Stevens’ workshop will do so by putting a face on the transgender community.

Before his transition, Steven said he and Eyen played together as two girls for a little less than a year, however, during this time he felt very awkward and disconnected with his body.

“I just didn’t treat (my body) very well. I smoked a lot and drank a lot. I wasn’t really going

By katrina tupperktupper@statehornet.com

see Band| page B3

To hear the musicians from Capitol Garage visit www.statehornet.com.

photo By roBert liNGGi aNd Graphic By Nallelie VeGa State Hornet

Musicians jaM it up with jazz

See the video of Coyote Grace on Thursday at www.statehornet.com.

Wednesday - OctOber 7 Features sectIOn stateHOrnet.cOmB2

be sleeping in class any closer & you’d

uvsacramento.com916.383.9591

7767 LA RIVIERA DR

great location to campus | resort-style amenities

Experience the thrill and rush of skydiving

Peak Adventures at Sacra-mento State is set to deliver 13,000 feet worth of thrills to a group of daredevils as they jump out of planes into the wild blue yonder.

On Oct. 18, the outdoor recreational program will lead a group of Sac State students, fac-ulty, and the public to the Lodi Airport on a skydiving trip.

The dive itself is a tandem jump with a veteran skydiver attached to the jumper from 13,000 feet above Highway 99, where Lodi Airport’s Parachute Center is located.

Madison Shepard, senior business major and employee at Peak Adventures, said she has led skydiving trips in the past. She said that before diving out of the plane, participating jumpers start off by relaxing in the hangar.

“You get to see the regular jumpers practicing (and) doing tricks. It’s a calm, relaxed feel-ing. People are sitting around, making sandwiches by hand to eat. It’s a cool atmosphere,”

Shepard said. After jumping from the plane,

the skydiver goes into a free fall for about a minute followed by a gentle floating to a ground.

“The free falling is an intense rush; a feeling you just can’t simulate on the ground,” Shepard said. “The second half is calming. The chute opens, and it’s a great view. You can see the Bay Area (and) the Si-erra. Because it’s tandem, your partner points stuff out (and) you get a geography lesson. My partner let me grab the handles (and) do some turns on my own. It was really neat.”

During the fall, a separate jumper falls alongside the skydiver. Attached to his helmet is a camera, taking video and pictures, giving jumpers some-thing to remember their jump.

“He’s in your face, although he peels off after you open the chute,” Shepard said. “Once you land, you are shaking with energy. It’s something you want to share.”

The trip is aimed at students and faculty, but the general public is also invited to join in the fun.

Shepard said the skydiving

trip has proven to be a suc-cess with students in previous semesters.

“It’s our most popular trip,” she said. “There’s usually a wait list. We have two 12-passenger vans and they are usually full.”

Alicia Taylor, Peak Adven-tures programs specialist, said the reason why the skydiving excursion draws students in is simple.

“It’s exciting, jumping out of a plane,” Taylor said. “It’s on a lot of people’s list to do.”

Shepard said that people who sign up for the trip are mostly first-time skydivers.

“A lot of people on the trips are beginners. You come to college and want to experience something you haven’t before,” Shepard said.

Allen Kendricks, freshman criminal justice major, said he would like to go on the skydiv-ing trip so he could experience the thrill of jumping out of a plane.

“I’d go. I’ve never done it before,” Kendricks said. “People say it’s fun, so I’d like to go.”

Ian Anderson, freshman international relations and Spanish major, on the other

hand, said he is not interested in trying death-defying feats.

“I don’t think I’d go,” Ander-son said. “I’m not an adrenaline junkie. It’s not for me.”

Shepard suggests that anyone looking to make friends, espe-cially new students, should go on the outing.

“It’s something that auto-matically makes you friends, something you are sharing with (other people on the trip),” Shepard said. “It’s a bonding experience.”

By cole mayercmayer@statehornet.com

-Student price: $128-Faculty price: $144-Public price: $160

-Trip includes transportation and jump certificate.-Those interested can contact Peak

Adventures at: (916) 278-7158.courtesy oF peaK adVeNtures

After jumping out of the plane, those who participated in the skydiving trip slowly float to the ground.

CLUB CORNER | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDENT ORGANIZATION

Going green a step at a time

Students interested in envi-ronmental issues and promot-ing awareness on campus and in the community may want to consider joining the Environ-mental Student Organization.

Ken Sala, senior environmen-tal studies major and treasurer of ESO, said that at the begin-ning of the year, the members of the club took part in a Coastal Cleanup Day at Lake Berryessa. Jasmine Greer, senior environ-mental studies major and presi-dent of ESO, said that ESO took on just one small section of the lake and picked up 30 large bags

of garbage as well as 17 bags of recyclables.

ESO, which has been estab-lished on campus for more than 39 years, was very strong back in the ‘80s.

Greer, who hopes to have a similar impact this year, said ESO will be channeling its efforts towards a few focused goals.

“Right now, we have a big focus on sustainability, like better recycling or compost programs. You see these things on other campuses, but they are really missing here (at Sac State) and that’s a big concern to us,” Greer said.

Alex Neiswender, senior

environmental studies major and vice president of ESO, runs ESO meetings at 1:45 p.m. on Mondays in the Buzz in the University Union, and Greer runs meetings at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in Amador Hall, Room 262.

Greer said she is passionate about environmental issues because she knows that natural resources do not last indefi-nitely.

“Our generation has inherited a mess of problems from our parents and grandparents. Our water, soil and air are terribly polluted,” Greer said. “Natural resources have been exploited and depleted without any

regard to sustainability or true economic efficiency and our production practices have been carried out without any regard to social welfare and human health.”

Neiswender said that in order to tackle the issues Greer mentioned, action must be taken. Therefore, ESO focuses on helping the environment through upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.

Greer said many events are being planned for this year, including an educational booth for homecoming and planting native trees with the Sacramen-to Tree Foundation on Oct. 24.

Although being green is a

trend right now, Greer said that it is not always easy.

“For people to actually apply (being green) to their daily lives is still a struggle. It takes a group effort and it takes people putting their heads together,” Greer said.

courtesy oF JasMiNe Greer

Members of the Environmental Student Organization at Lake Berryessa for Coastal Cleanup Day.

By katrina tupperktupper@statehornet.com

Students interested in joining ESO can

contact Jasmine Greer at

jgreer.eso@gmail.com.

Wednesday - OctOber 7 Features sectIOn statehornet.com B3

Therapist uses art to help clients ease pain

As an art therapist and Sac-ramento State alumna, Majica Phillips is healing the Sacra-mento community through paint, drawings, collages and more.

Phillips was on her way to becoming a teacher during her last semester at Sac State as a child development major when she took an introduc-tion to counseling class that introduced her to the idea of a career in art therapy.

Although being an art thera-pist was not her original career plan, Phillips said that art therapy “rang true” as a career for her because it involved a wide range of age levels and a wide range of art styles.

In art therapy, Phillips does not require her patients to verbally tell her why they came to therapy, where they are hurt-ing, or what they are struggling with. She believes the clients’ thoughts and struggles are expressed through art forms and she trusts that the art will show what the client needs to work through.

Phillips said art therapy is different from other styles of therapy or counseling because Phillips and her clients are able to refer back to the art the cli-ent has produced during his or her treatment.

Phillips said she is able to show the client how sad, mad, frustrated or angry they were six months or a year ago through the art they created. The colors, words, or drawings show the emotion the client was going through at the time. This allows the client to see his or her progress.

Phillips will begin a session with a brief discussion and from there, she invites her cli-ent to create art. Phillips will decide what medium of art the client will use - whether it is

crayons, paint, pencils, or col-lage material, after determining what stage the client is at in his or her treatment.

Jeff and Kimberley, a husband and wife who chose only to share their first name because of privacy issues, have been clients of Phillips for more than six months. During a therapy session with Phillips, Jeff and Kimberley said they were working on an art piece together and similar patterns from their relationship at home came up, such as sharing.

After the patient has created his or her artwork, the patient pins the art on the wall. Phillips

and the patient will then dis-cuss what they see together. Phillips said she notices often that the art allows the person to get their emotions out of their body and onto the pa-per. She said the patient has more clarity and understand-ing of the issue at hand when they use art.

Cheryl, a client of Phillips who requested only her first name be used, said that Phil-lips has taught her that she has the inner strength to face challenges.

“Majica has shown me to look at the possibilities in my life,” Cheryl said.

By vanessa garibaldivgaribaldi@statehornet.com

Band: Issues to be explored

anywhere. I was just killing time and killing the pain,” Stevens said.

Stevens said that after his transition, he felt more com-fortable than he ever thought was possible and that this was when life really started for him.

“I can do whatever I want,” Stevens said. “I don’t have to walk around and feel awk-ward or defensive anymore. Everything is great now.”

Stevens said that his transi-tion was not the easiest thing in the world, but it was neces-sary for him.

Stevens said that because of voice alterations due to hormone intake, Coyote Grace’s music was put on hold for two years until he fully transitioned.

Stevens said he was lucky not to encounter too much adversity from his friends and

family throughout the transi-tion.

“Honestly, I really underes-timated my friends and family. A lot of my friends said they weren’t really surprised (by the transition), which is kind of validating,” Stevens said.

Stevens said it took a while longer for his family to come around, mostly because he was the only girl in the family, but eventually his family members accepted the change.

Eyen, who notices there have been a lot of physical changes with Stevens, said the obvi-ous changes such as facial hair aren’t shocking to her.

“I really had a front row seat to the physical changes and they happened so progressively that I didn’t notice as much,” Eyen said.

Eyen said Stevens is still the same person at his core.

“He has the same personal-ity with the same history, same friends and family, same influ-

ences and all of that,” Eyen said.Overall, Stevens said he is

stunned with the acceptance and understanding he received before, during, and after his transition.

“I was very surprised that there was a community out there at all (for transgendered individuals),” Stevens said. “It seemed impossible to transition and still be a relatively normal member of society, but it is.”

Continued | page B1

courtesy oF treVor McKee

Ingrid Eyen and Joe Stevens will perform at Sac State for the first time on Thursday.

chase MasoN State Hornet

Sacramento State alumna Majica Phillips in her art therapy studio on Capitol Boulevard in Downtown.

Coyote Grace will be performing at 11 a.m. on Thursday in the Hinde Auditorium

in the University Union. There will be a

transgender workshop following the

concert.