THE COLLEGIAN FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2014
FRESNO STATE'S STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1922
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SUBMARINE
VETERANS
HONORED
Sigma Chi donates $25,000 to Children’s Hospital By Nadia Pearl @Nadia_Pearl_
Photos by Julian Paredes • The Collegian
Students ring a ceremonial bell 54 times and announce the names of the 54 U.S. Navy submarines that have been sunk since World War II during a ceremony Wednesday commemorating the 114th anniversary of the inception of the U.S. submarine fleet .
Celebrating the 114th anniversary of the Navy submarine fleet By Julian Paredes @HighDefJulian
Sweltering heat, cramped quarters and exploding depth charges were just a few of the challenges World War II submarine veterans had to face. A ceremony to commemorate the 3,733 submariners of the U.S. Navy who have died since the war was held Wednesday at the Submarine Memorial Monument in the Maple Mall at Fresno State. Wednesday marked the 114th anniversary of the inception of the U.S. submarine fleet. The 54 tulip trees that line the Maple Mall were planted in the honor of the 54 U.S. Navy submarines that have been lost since the beginning of World War II. The granite monument was draped in American flags, and Fresno State students rang a gold bell and announced the name and call sign of each submarine that was sunk. Vintage photos of World War II sailors and a scale replica of USS Seawolf (SSN-21) were available for students to view after the ceremony.
Members of the Wahoo Base of the United States Veterans Inc. honor the 54 submarines sunk since World War II.
Fresno Navy veterans of the Wahoo Base of the United States Veterans Inc. were present to witness the ceremony and hear Bernard Vinovrski, associate vice-president for enrollment services of Fresno State, honor the deaths of their fellow submariners. Vinovrski himself is a veteran of the Marine Corps, and he said that it is now more important than ever for students to remember the country’s men and women in
uniform. “Especially us coming off two conflicts now, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, for students to understand that the price of freedom in an enormous, enormous price,” Vinovrski said. “In many cases they were their grandparents, even their fathers, so it’s really wonderful to see students come out.” Several representatives of the Fresno
See VETERANS, Page 3
Students spend spring break in service By Sam Desatoff Collegian Staff
With spring break beginning, many students are looking forward to a recess from classes. However, there is a campus organization offering an alternative to those students looking to give back to the community during their free time. Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is dedicated to making the most of spring break by volunteering with local nonprofits. “The ultimate goal of ASB is to provide students with an opportunity to have fun and give back to the community as an alternative to traditional spring break activities,” said Haley Barcus, marketing and public relations coordinator.
Barcus, a senior majoring in business marketing at Fresno State, said approximately 30 students will commit four days of their spring break to volunteering with two nonprofit organizations. “There are two projects taking place,” said Barcus. “One at the Fresno Rescue Mission: Rescue the Children, and [one with] the Ronald McDonald House.” At the Fresno Rescue Mission site, volunteers will paint and organize rooms and host activities with children. On the final day of activities, participants will also hold an Easter carnival for the children. At the Ronald McDonald House, volunteers will interact with children while doing crafts, hosting movie nights, a game day and an Easter egg hunt. They will also help in restoration projects such as gardening, clean up and general repair.
The projects will take place April 14-17. This is the ASB’s sixth year volunteering during spring break. Barcus said over the years, the number of ASB participants has grown. “One of the challenges is trying to get the word out and making sure that students are aware ASB exists,” said Barcus. “This year, we focused a lot on promoting the program through tabling, social media, posters and word of mouth.” The increased promotion has paid off, Barcus said. ASB received a large number of student applications. The deadline for signing up for this year’s activities has passed, but for those interested in participating next year, Barcus said to keep an eye on the organization’s social media outlets. Find ASB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fresnostateasb.
Fresno State’s Sigma Chi chapter donated $25,000 to Children’s Hospital Central California Tuesday after its annual fundraising event Derby Days. “It’s something we can see first hand how much of a help and contribution it is to give here in the local community itself,” said Jared Bertoni, a Sigma Chi member. “Sigma Chi’s been at Fresno State and active since 1952 now, so we do have a rich history within the university but also within the community,” Bertoni said. With such a history, Bertoni said contributions from alumni are a big factor in their fundraising success. “One of the biggest ways we donate and raise the philanthropy for the Valley’s children is that we rely a lot on our local alumni within the fraternity and that went to Fresno State,” Bertoni said. Receiving donations ranging from $50 up to $1,000, Bertoni said this was the main way to generate funds. As well as reaching out to alumni, money is raised through Derby Days, an event that features both fraternities and sororities coming together in various competitions. “While at the same time we’re having fun, we’re also raising money for a great cause,” Bertoni said. The fraternity’s philanthropy efforts this year means Sigma Chi has now reached the $100,000 mark in their donations to the hospital. Last year they donated $16,000. “When you look at $16,000 to $25,000 in just a year, that speaks volumes,” Bertoni said.
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