IS GOOGLE RACIST?
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Monday, April 23, 2018
PAGE 6
Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper
EDITORIAL
Will we learn from our mistakes?
CONTROVERSY
Civil rights groups defend Jarrar By Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado @cres_guez
Archives
Lars Maischak, Greg Thatcher and Randa Jarrar. The Collegian’s Editorial Board asks whether we can learn from mistakes by professors who shared their political views on campus or on social media and were criticized for it.
By Collegian Editorial Board @thecollegian
It’s the politics of it all that has us spinning in circles. We have been here before, and we will likely come back to this same place in the future. We can predict that another professor or administrator or even a student will soon face the wrath of online attacks for what they may say or do if it offends political junkies on either side of the spectrum. We find ourselves in a quagmire. It is the result of Fresno State English professor Randa Jarrar’s far left remarks on Twitter calling Barbara Bush a racist who raised a war criminal. Jarrar’s comments are shocking. Some of the responses from the right have been worse. The problem with politics today is that we are not looking to make friends
with strangers online who hold different views – much less make amends after we’ve let out our vitriol. When Jarrar said Bush was a racist who raised a war criminal, we saw no attempts by those who disagreed to understand what she meant and we saw no attempt by Jarrar and her supporters to fix that problem. Instead, the entire situation went into a menacing downward spiral. The question for the Fresno State community is: what, if anything, should we do together to survive this digitized political division that is here to stay? The fact is that social media is a hotbed for political speech and activity and any idea is subject to be torn apart by people next door or some who are thousands of miles away. Mistakes will be made on both ends of the political argument. And we can learn from them. We don’t need to get into arguments over everything. That a professor at a public university criticized the Bush family shouldn’t worry anyone too much. She’s a professor who is tasked with teaching difficult subjects, often some that will make your blood boil. The Bushes are a powerful family. They can take care of themselves, or
they wouldn’t be one of the biggest political dynasties in the United States. John or Jane Doe don’t need to speak for them or even fight their fellow man for them. Two people with different mindsets should be able to come together and explain the differences in their beliefs – even in 2018. There are ways to check power in the biggest and smallest levels of America’s democracy. Those systems will do the hard work for us. There needn’t be a mob of Twitter users attacking a single person for her views when a system is in place to make sure she knows it when she did something wrong. We’d ask for you, the reader, to simmer down and relax. The internet is not going anywhere. Politics is not going anywhere. Your energy is best kept doing things that benefit you and it doesn’t need to be wasted over spilled milk. The next time this online political faction reaches too close to home and you must respond, carefully craft your views. Be modest in your response to different opinions. And more importantly, don’t do it in a place where your thoughts are limited to 280 characters.
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T
he fallout of the tweets sent out by Fresno State English professor Randa Jarrar has continued nearly one week after the controversy
began. But even as the university plans an investigation into Jarrar’s tweets, several civil rights groups are calling for that investigation to stop. Not long after the news that former First Lady Barbara Bush died at 92 last Tuesday, Jarrar wrote on Twitter that she was happy Bush had died. Jarrar called Bush a “racist” who raised a “war criminal.” The responses to those comments were swift. Dozens of people on the social media platform railed against Jarrar and the fact that she taught at Fresno State. That pressure led to a statement from the university that same evening. University President Dr. Joseph Castro distanced the university from Jarrar and said her comments were made as a private citizen and not as a representative of the university. At a news conference last Wednesday, Fresno State assessed how it would move forward as the public outcry began to grow. Jarrar frequently responded to critics that she could not be fired for her tweets against Bush and the way she stated them because she was a tenured professor and therefore protected. Provost Dr. Lynnette Zelezny was asked by the press if that was the case, and she responded by saying that it wasn’t necessarily so. Whether or not Jarrar will be disciplined over the Twitter incident is unclear. Several news outlets also reported that she posted a number to a crisis hotline at Arizona State University and passed it off as her own cell phone number. Zelezny said a university investigation involving the administration, its legal counsel and the California Faculty Association will review the facts in the case. It is unknown if Jarrar has spoken with the university since the online skirmish began. “Fresno State will allow applicable law, policy and requirements of the faculty collective bargaining agreement to unfold,” Zelezny said. “We underscore that we are in motion and that we are taking this matter very seriously.” Though the matter seems to be of concern to the university, Jarrar’s comments are being defended. Several civil rights groups in a letter to Castro asked that the university
See CONTROVERSY, Page 3
OPINION
GOT OPINIONS? We want to hear them. COLLEGIAN-OPINION@CSUFRESNO.EDU MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
One tweet does not define the views of Fresno State All week long, I have received hateful calls and social media messages about the recent incident at Fresno State. But that is
not what this letter is about. All of this negativity reminded me of why I love Fresno State so much, and all of the great things that our university offers. The memories. The friends. The opportunities of a lifetime that I would have never been able to receive at any other place. The Bulldog Spirit is alive and well, and it’s down in my heart. When I stepped onto campus for the first time, I felt the Bulldog spirit reinvig-
orate itself. I had an instant flashback to my years as a kid, watching Fresno State football games – rain or shine, blaring sun or freezing winter – with my dad. That is where I became a Fresno State Bulldog. I cannot even begin to describe the impactful experiences I have had at Fresno State. Whether it has been through my fraternity, student government, the Maddy Institute, or the Smittcamp Family Honors College, I have met so many amazing men-
tors, friends and professors that I will never forget for the rest of my life. One tweet does not define our university. All of the political divisiveness in this world will not hamper down the amazing programs – academic, athletic, and extracurricular – that our university offers. And the Bulldog spirit is stronger than ever. Blake Zante is president of Associated Students, Inc. at Fresno State.
holding white supremacist ideology have been calling for her termination en masse; let alone making incendiary comments about her appearance and ethnicity. I don’t care how many AIDS babies Barbara Bush kissed, the Bush dynasty left blemishes on
our country and a mess across the world. That is a fact, but I digress. If you’re one of the many students I’ve heard saying Jarrar needs to be fired, I urge you to ask why? Promptly ask yourself if you really want to go to a college where freedom of speech is an afterthought. If you do, I suggest you take a political science refresher immediately. Better yet, Timothy Buchanan teaches a media law class on Tuesday evenings I highly recommend. To submit to the unfettered demands for Jarrar’s removal from our school is “deeply disturbing,” to quote Fresno State
President Dr. Joseph Castro, and echoes fascism. Fresno State leadership has a duty to uphold the First Amendment rights of its faculty and students. Disagreeing with someone’s opinion does not constitute an investigation into their employment. To do so sends the message that our faculty is not valued. I value them, I value their voices. Emily McKay Johnson studies media, communications and journalism at Fresno State.
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Would you want to study at a university where freedom of speech is an ‘afterthought?’ Whether she’s a professor, a writer or just a woman existing, Randa Jarrar has every right to say whatever she wants. The problem is the context of her tweet was forgotten and instead, an outraged populous of tone-deaf Twitter users up-
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MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS
PAGE 3
CONTROVERSY from Page 1
drop its investigation of Jarrar, claiming her speech against the Bush family is protected under the Constitution and there is no legal basis for punishing the professor. “Fresno State may neither investigate nor punish her for it,” said the civil rights groups, which included the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Fresno State spokeswoman Patti Waid confirmed he has seen it. The civil rights groups argued that Jarrar’s comments were on a matter of public interest and said an investigation by Fresno State could also violate the First Amendment. They allege that the university may only be focused on “quelling anger” from those who have put the pressure on the university. “Fresno State’s response will prove counterproductive or disagreeable,” the letter stated. It continued: the letter would only “reward complaints to public university administrators about the speech of any faculty member.” The civil rights groups expect a response from Castro by Wednesday, April 25. They expect to hear that the administration “will not investigate faculty members for lawfully expressing their views.” Concerns over academic freedom were also noted in the letter. Last week, Castro issued a letter in which he said he fervently supports academic freedom at the university. Diane Blair, chair of the CFA chapter at Fresno State and a communications professor, said that tenure is based on academic freedom principles and is meant to advance knowledge – even when it involves sharing controversial ideas. Blair said it would have been nice to be told by the university that an investigation would take place before Zelezny, who invoked the CFA’s collective bargaining agreement, spoke to the press.
Illustration by Casey Supple
The CFA’s role in any investigation is to ensure that a faculty member’s rights are protected, according to Blair. “We always have to be careful in these cases to avoid a rush to judgment,” Blair said, speaking in general terms about faculty members criticised or investigated for speech. On several occasions on Tuesday, Jarrar fought back against demands by critics that she be fired. She touted the rights afforded to her as a professor. But the pressure may have gotten to Jarrar. She closed off her Twitter content by 10 p.m. but has kept tweeting, according to screenshots posted online. She had been scheduled to speak at Fresno City College’s LitHop event last Saturday, but pulled out just days before. Jarrar, who was hired in August 2010, is not teaching her usual creative writing courses this spring due to a preplanned leave, according to Zelezny, but is scheduled to teach at least three courses in the fall. Several tweets following Jarrar’s Bush comments suggested there were protests
being planned at the university – some users even tweeted “#BoycottFresnoState.” But no protests appear to have taken place since the incident. Still, Zelezny said the university had put additional security measures in place. “Campus security is very much a priority,” she said. The Collegian contacted the Fresno State Police Department to see what additional safety measures were implemented. It did not respond by deadline. In a brief statement, Associated Students, Inc. President Blake Zante stood with the university in saying that Jarrar’s controversial comments were made as a private individual and not as a representative of Fresno State. He said in his statement, “We learn that having these conversations with civility and respect can create a better world for future generations.” The Fresno State College Republicans issued their own statement, calling Jarrar’s actions “provocative” and “irresponsible.” On the other hand, several students took
to Twitter to show their support for the university amid the backlash by critics of Jarrar’s comments. They signed their posts with #WeAreFresnoState. The Twitter controversy comes roughly one year after fairly similar outrage was caused by history lecturer Lars Maischak. He tweeted last April that “Trump must hang” to save democracy. Response to those online messages was swift, and the U.S. Secret Service was eventually called in to investigate Maischak. But Maischak was cleared and even granted The Collegian a one-on-one interview in which he stated that he never meant to come across as violent. Maischak was reassigned from the campus and continued conducting research and teaching courses online.
CRIME BUZZ
ASI NOTEBOOK
Mental health resources to be included in course syllabuses By Angelica Hernandez @avh1992
The Associated Students Inc. (ASI) passed a resolution to support mental health awareness and voted to approve the 2018-2019 budget at its senate meeting on Wednesday, April 18. Resolution to add list of resources in all course syllabuses Sen. Elias Karam, Lyles College of Engineering, presented a resolution in support of mental health resources and services at Fresno State. The resolution called for faculty and administration to assist ASI in spreading awareness of underutilized resources on campus by including a mandatory basic needs section in all course syllabuses. Karam said this would make vital information more accessible, considering every student receives a course syllabus during the first week of classes. Sen. Alexandra Chavez, student affairs, spoke in favor of the resolution. She said the initiative would also promote programs that benefit the overall well-being of each student, such as the Student Cupboard and the Money Management Center. However, there was opposition to the proposal. Dr. Thomas Holyoke, chair of the
Fresno State Academic Senate, argued that the syllabus is a bloated document and that adding a list of resources would not guarantee that students would read it. But Vice President of Finance Cam Patterson said that even if only a few students use the list to access resources, the resolution would be worth the extra pages in the syllabus. Sen. Travis Childress, Greek affairs, agreed with Holyoke. He said that he only pays attention to the calendar and office hours on a syllabus and believes most students would do the same. Childress also added that the resolution would be ineffective and argued that ASI would be “shooting ourselves in the foot” by claiming to have accomplished something without enacting effective change. Karam explained that ASI has taken many steps this semester to enact effective change; including the creation of Mental Health Week and a mental health task force. He said the resolution would be a way to continue those efforts. Sen. Casandra Ramirez-Sanchez, athletics and recreation, proposed an amendment for administration and faculty, as well as The Collegian, to “work continuously to increase awareness of mental health resources on campus.” The amendment was seconded by Chil-
dress, while Karam questioned ASI’s ability to recruit other groups to do something. Childress said it was within ASI’s power to “direct” groups to pursue a course of action. In a statement to The Collegian, ASI President Blake Zante said that ASI isn’t allowed to direct independent organizations to pursue any course of action. The senate voted to approve the amendment, and the resolution passed. Debates about next year’s budget After the mental health resolution passed, Patterson presented the 2018-2019 budget to the senate for approval. The budget included minimal changes but included an increased funding proposal for publicity and the addition of a new line item called “computer lab.” The increased amount for publicity is to raise awareness about ASI among students, according to Zante. The budget line for a computer lab refers to a potential future project to add more computers to the University Student Union, Patterson said. The creation of a budget line would give next year’s senate the opportunity to draft a formal proposal and vote on the project. The new line item sparked a lengthy debate between Childress and Patterson about the proper way to list future projects in the budget. Ultimately, Childress made a motion to postpone the budget approval. That motion failed. After numerous questions were answered by Patterson, the budget was voted on and approved for next year.
4/16/18 BURGLARY
PARKING LOT P27
4/17/18 BATTERY WITH SERIOUS INJURY
OFF CAMPUS
4/18/18 DRIVING WITH SUSPENDED LICENSE
OFF CAMPUS
4/20/18 MINOR WITH MARIJUANA
OFF CAMPUS
4/20/18 VANDALISM
PALAZZO APARTMENTS
4/21/18 VEHICLE THEFT
OFF CAMPUS
SOURCE: FRESNO STATE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDS
A&E
4
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
FRESNO STATE WINERY
Enology students pour over new wines at ‘Taste of Spring’ By Christian Mattos @chrisssymattos
F
resno State students from the viticulture and enology department showed off the fruits of their labor last week at the Taste of Spring
event. Guests were invited to the Fresno State Winery last Thursday to try five different wines produced by students and bottled in March. All of the wines available for tasting will be officially released to the public on May 4, said Kevin Smith, the business and marketing manager at the winery. “We’re releasing what we just bottled, showcasing them to the public,” Smith said. “The students get to show off what they’ve made through the last year, and that’s what tonight’s about.” The wines included were a 2015 petite syrah; a 2016 cabernet sauvignon; a 2017 chardonnay SJ; a 2017 muscat canelli; and a 2017 viognier. The wines were available for pre-order for 25 percent off, and a special aged sherry wine was available to purchase and take home. Guests were also able to try sausage from the Fresno State meat lab, tri-tip sliders from The Meat Market in Fresno and baguettes from La Boulangerie.
Christian Mattos • The Collegian
Cabernet produced by Fresno State students was available at Taste of Spring on April 19, 2018 at the Fresno State Winery.
The evening also featured live music from Fresno State music students Patrick Aguirre, Darion M. Coronado and Joseph White. A sangria-tasting competition also took place during the event. Three student assistants at the winery – Javier Garcia, Adrian
Garcia and Alex Romero – were able to make their own sangrias, and the guests voted on their favorite. Javier Garcia said that each student assistant used his own recipes and added whatever fruit he wanted to perfect his sangria.
“We all use different types of wine from the lineup that we just bottled,” Javier Garcia said. “I used the viognier that we bottled; Alex used the muscat; and Adrian used the pinot gris.”
See FRESNO STATE WINERY, Page 5
The Armenian Students Organization and Armenian Studies Program present
Monday, April 23 • 6:30 PM
Screening of the film
“Architects of Denial”
VISALIA TRANSIT
ON LY
RideVLIN E.com
University Business Center, Room 191, A. Peters Auditorium, Fresno State Free Admission
Followed by a Vigil at the Armenian Genocide Monument "Architects of Denial" is a first person account of genocide through the eyes of survivors. Included are new exclusive interviews with experts who graphically illustrate the real connection between historical ‘denial’ with present day mass exterminations in conflict zones around the world. This film warns that those responsible for genocides who are not brought to justice and confronted with the truth of their crimes, will only set the stage for more worldwide massacres in the future.
Tuesday, April 24 • Noon-1:00PM 103rd Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Armenian Genocide Monument, Maple Mall, Fresno State
Keynote speaker: Dr. Yektan Türkyılmaz, Kazan Visiting Professor, Fresno State
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS
PAGE 5
Vintage Days
2018 Ramuel Reyes • The Collegian
Vintage Days took place at Maple Mall between the Music building and the Satellite Student Union from April 20 to April 22, 2018. Photos clockwise: Tacos sold at Vintage Days are one of the main attractions, along with desserts such as funnel cakes and cinnamon rolls. Mestizos del Valle prepare to perform on the Performance Stage. The entrance to the Performance Stage at Vintage Days, which featured performances ranging from Folklorico dancers to local rock bands. The sign pointing to the Beer & Wine Garden, one of the most popular attractions. Angela Perez holds a ‘Fineapple’ on her right hand sold at the International Student Association booth.
FRESNO STATE WINERY from Page 4
Adrian Garcia said that he was wary of making his sangria too sweet. “I’ve never made a sangria before, and I heard they’re supposed to be sickeningly sweet, so I put a decent amount of lemon juice in there to hopefully add some tartness,” he said. Along with the 2017 muscat and fruit, Romero added an extra ingredient – jalapeños.
“It’s my secret ingredient, so it gives it a nice little kick,” Romero said. By the end of the evening, Javier Garcia’s sweet sangria was voted as the guests’ favorite. He explained that the process of testing sugar levels of grapes on the vine, maintaining acidity levels, filtering and bottling has made himself and the other students take pride in the release of wines they’ve worked to help produce. Romero explained that the delicacy of wines entails a lot of effort to preserve them. “A lot of work goes into these wines,” Romero said. “A lot of people don’t necessarily get to see what goes on behind the
scenes, but I’m telling you, it’s a lot of labor.” Also present was Tom Montgomery, the winemaker from the viticulture and enology program. As an alumnus of the program, he said he was glad to be back home to train young winemakers at the university’s commercial winery. “When [students] put grape vines in the bottle and they apply all the things they’ve learned, they get to see the outcome,” Montgomery said. “As a winemaker that’s been producing premium wines for many, many years, it’s nice to teach the students to do that, and they’re very excited about it.” Smith, the winery manager, said that the
students at Fresno State are what make the winery more exciting. “I guarantee you, there’s no other winery in this country that has a constant flow of new ideas, new energy and new approaches because of the students,” Smith said. Fresno State staff members Bryan Alvarado and Isamar Alvarez attended the event and agreed that the students made the wine tasting more special. Having never shopped at the Gibson Farm Market for wine, Alvarez said this event was a great way to support students. “It invites people to start really getting exposed to Fresno State wine and start purchasing it and to see what we have here on campus,” Alvarez said.
NEWS
6
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
HUMANS OF FRESNO STATE
She’s leading students that were once like her By Hayley Salazar @hayley_salazarr
K
elci Goss said she remembers her first year at Fresno State. As a first-generation college student, finding a sense of community on campus was important to her. She joined a first-year experience program and grew active in student organizations. Eventually, she became an orientation leader for Dog Days: New Student Orientation. Now, as an alumna from the media, communications and journalism department and assistant coordinator of Dog Days, she hopes to help students find their own communities. “I just want to help others and be a connector,” Goss said. She said she would love to help students find their path as they navigate through their university experience. Originally from Sacramento, Goss said she didn’t always know she wanted to go into the field of student success. But she soon discovered after being involved as an orientation leader during her undergraduate
INSTAGRAM: for more on this story, visit Humans of Fresno State on Instagram instagram.com/ humansoffresnostate/ years that helping students was her passion. After getting her master’s degree from the University of the Pacific, she returned to the Central Valley where her education first began. She said the area has a sense of community she “can’t really put into words.” “I know it sounds cliche,” she said. “But I think there’s a lot of support here, and it’s grown so much from even when I was a student to now as a professional staff.” Goss said it’s been an adjustment seeing herself in a role she once answered to as a student. Listening to her students and connecting with her staff is her tactic for being the best supervisor for them, she said. “I’ve been trying to find my confidence within this role. I get to call the shots which has been a challenge for me, but it’s also been a lot of fun because I get to help make change on this campus,” Goss said.
DISCRIMINATION
Alumna reveals Google’s racial biases By Bineet Kaur @hellobineet
Fresno State alumna Safiya Umoja Noble visited campus last Friday to talk about how Google algorithms can be racially biased. An algorithm is commonly defined as a process or a set of steps that can be followed to achieve a certain result. In the case of Google, a search using certain terms can give the user a certain list of results. Noble is a professor at the University of Southern California and the author of the book “Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.” As a Fresno State student, Noble was involved in Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) and the California Statewide Student Association (CSSA). Through her involvement, she advocated for making higher education more accessible to students of diverse backgrounds. “We worked heavily on keeping student fees low [and] on increasing financial aid from the state and federal levels,” Noble said. “Which was a huge access issue for students of color and for working-class and poor students.” In her talk, Noble reviewed an array of examples of Google’s racial biases. One example she discussed was when it was found that Google search results for “professional hairstyles for work” were predominantly photos of white women, whereas search results for “unprofessional hairstyles for work” were predominantly photos of black women. “This is how dominant narratives in society become normalized,” she said. Noble also discussed that the Google search results for “black girls” include more pornographic content than other types of
women. She said that stereotyping people of color is a real issue even today. “These are not new narratives,” she told the audience. Noble also discussed the incident involving Dylann Roof, a man who was sentenced to death for committing a mass shooting in a historical black church in 2015. In Roof’s manifesto, he stated that he discovered the “Council of Conservative Citizens” - a white supremacy organization. Noble noted that the name of the organization does not explicitly reference white supremacy. For this reason, even if a search using keywords that don’t relate to white supremacy are used -- it can still be included in Google search results, she said. Noble said as a college professor, she sometimes hears students say that they are heavily dependent on Google for completing school work, such as research papers. But although Google can provide users with a large amount of information, Noble doesn’t think it’s the best method for research. “Google is not really designed to amplify knowledge,” she said. “It’s designed to amplify its advertisers’ content.” Dave Tyckoson, a Fresno State research services librarian, said that although he feels that there are some merits to Google, the talk helped him further consider the search engine’s flaws. “Google is the best information – finding tool in human history,” he said. “Yet she’s pointed out a number of issues that –because Google is so omnipresent, – it doesn’t bring out the information as equally as we all think it does.” Noble ended her talk with a quote from her book: “We have more data and technology than ever, and more social, political and economic inequality to go with it.”
Ramuel Reyes • The Collegian
Kelci Goss sits in to listen to her Dog Days students during their new orientation leader training on April 13, 2018.
Goss has a few projects in mind, including expanding the overnight orientation sessions, providing connections venturing further into campus resources and, eventually, utilizing the new University Student Union space to host “breakout sessions” during Dog Days.
“It’s only going to continue to grow,” she said. “And we have some of the best working students, I think, in the CSU.” The possibilities for change are endless for Goss, and with her new career path, her work for the university and student success has only begun.
INVESTIGATION
Student caught taking down anti-abortion posters By Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado @cres_guez
The Fresno State Police Department is investigating complaints that a student ripped anti-abortion posters off walls as the group that posted them recorded the incident. Bernadette Tasy, president of the Fresno State chapter of “Students for Life,” said the incident happened April 10. She said she, along with two other club members, were posting fliers with language that opposed SB320, a bill that would make it possible for public universities in California to offer abortion medication to students by 2022. Tasy said the group was posting fliers in the Engineering East Building just after 8 a.m. when the student allegedly ripped a poster out of the hands of a student and later took down fliers that were left in a posting area of the building’s hall. The video posted to YouTube shows the moment the student ripped one poster off a bulletin board and also shows Tasy asking him, “Why are you tearing down our posters?” to which the student responded, “Go to hell.” The group had been allowed to print the fliers after it requested to use some of its club funds to print the papers. The fliers state that “abortion advocates are attempting to turn our state and college universities into abortion facilities.” The fliers allege that campus health clinics do not have proper equipment to administer the abortion techniques. According to the state Legislature, “when pregnant young people decide that abortion is the best option for them, having
WATCH: for video on this story, visit our website: fresnostate.edu/collegian early, accessible care can help them stay on track to achieve their educational and other aspirational life plans.” The Students for Life group has taken its fight against the bill to Sacramento, where members spoke to staff in the offices of lawmakers and told them about why they think the bill would be bad for university campuses. Tasy believes the message of the flier shouldn’t matter and that even “controversial ideas” should be allowed to be presented on a college campus. She said that since the fall of 2016 the group has experienced opposition to its messages, incidents that she has brought up to the university’s Office of Student Affairs. “There should be respect for differing views,” she said. The group is the same one that successfully challenged a professor in court who erased anti-abortion messages that the members were writing on campus last spring with chalk. That professor, Greg Thatcher, was ordered to undergo First Amendment training as part of the settlement, which included a $17,000 fine. The Fresno State Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. A Fresno State spokeswoman said the university police department is investigating the incident. Tasy said she last spoke with the police about the incident on April 16.
THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
PAGE 7
WATER POLO
Fresno State rallies for season finale win
Amanda Busick Fresno State BA, Sociology
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Fresno State Athletics
The water ‘Dogs’ regular season ends with a 6-5 win over No. 22 Cal Baptist on April 21, 2018 at Lancer Aquatic Center.
By Michael Ford @mfordcollegian
A late flurry of goals by the Fresno State women’s water polo team provided a happy ending to the team’s regular season as it defeated No. 22-ranked California Baptist University, 6-5, on Saturday. Both teams started slowly on offense. The game went scoreless for the first five minutes until California Baptist attacker Amy Branch scored a goal, assisted by driver Lizette Perez, on a power play. The Bulldogs were unable to take advantage of power plays resulting from CBU’s fouls, going 0-3. Several shots by Fresno State utility Callie Woodruff and freshman center Emily Nicholson came close to finding the net but just missed, and the Bulldogs were unable to come away with a goal after the first period. “On our power play, we were indecisive and didn’t attack with aggression or intent. This was definitely an aspect that held us back and made the first half so lopsided on the scoreboard,” head coach Natalie Benson said. The Lancers added to their lead a minute and a half into the second period on a goal by Annie Eubanks to make the score 2-0, but the Bulldogs refused to lie down. The Bulldogs answered CBU two minutes into the second period on a long-range goal by freshman utility Natalie Espinoza to cut the Lancers lead in half, 2-1. As has been an issue at times this season for the Bulldogs, they gave up a goal just 23 seconds later to Lancer Jaclyn Myers, and that was followed by another by Vickie Ochoa on a power play, again assisted by Perez. Perez then added a goal of her own with just 17 seconds left in the first half on a penalty shot, getting the ball just past Bulldogs sophomore goalkeeper Madelynn Garcia. Despite outshooting the Lancers 16-13 in the first half, CBU came away with a sizable 5-1 lead at halftime. The Lancers’ Eubanks nearly added another goal to her team’s lead on a long-
range shot that hit the crossbar. Fresno State answered by getting a goal from freshman defender Sydney Coachman to cut the deficit to three. Just a minute and 24 seconds later, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, Woodruff, who finished the game with two goals, scored her team’s first power play goal to make the score 5-3. The Bulldogs’ keeper, Garcia, came up big for her team as the third period came to an end by making two crucial saves to keep her team in the game. The Bulldogs still had work to do going into the fourth period as they trailed 5-3. The Bulldogs came out firing in the final period. Nicholson went on a tear of her own by scoring two goals within the first two minutes and 20 seconds to level the score at 5. The ‘Dogs weren’t done with their onslaught of goals. Less than a minute later, Woodruff scored on a penalty shot, and the Bulldogs took the lead with under five minutes left in the match. Benson said that her team was more aggressive and intentional with its play and that was the key to the barrage of goals that led to the victory. “I told them that if they are going to play scared and passive, they will lose,” Benson said. “They needed to choose to be their team’s hype-man and get fired up, as we were still in the game when it was 5-3. They earned this victory with their second-half play today, and I hope they are able to carry this lesson with them moving forward.” With the regular season now complete, the Bulldogs hope to add to the story of their first year of women’s water polo at Fresno State with a strong showing at the Golden Coast Conference Championships April 27-29 followed by the NCAA Championships May 11. Benson said that this season has been a great experience for her and the team and that she is exceptionally proud. “These young ladies have come a long way, and I look forward to the challenges that the future presents,” she said.
SPORTS
8
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
PAWSPECTIVE
Is there a solution to Fresno State’s weak fan attendance? It’s simple. If we win games, fans will come out.
Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State football ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Football attendance report for 2017. The team increased from a little over 25,000 fans to 30,362 fans this season.
By Nugesse Ghebrendrias @nugebear13
M
uch has been made about attendance at various Fresno State sporting events over the years. I’m a firm believer that the product on display is the most important aspect to fan support, and for the Bulldogs, their inconsistencies have taken a damning toll. The Fresno Bee’s Robert Kuwada and Marek Warszawski tackled this issue in extensive detail. They analyzed both the men’s basketball team, along with the football team.
They concluded that the athletic department is losing fan interest and money at an alarming rate. Warszawski highlighted the fact that since the 2006-07 men’s basketball season – which featured a 24-10 team with an incredible 17-3 record at home -- Fresno State has seen a 46 percent drop in home-game attendance. A staggering percentage, but not surprising. After that season, it took Fresno State over six years to have a winning record again. The team went a combined 85-114. That is an unacceptable period for a program intent on growing and becoming a legitimate and consistent player in the NCAA basketball landscape. With former head coach Rodney Terry at the helm, the Bulldogs’ had a streak of 20-
win seasons along with an impressive record at home – winning more than 10 games every year since 2013-14. But that statistic is misleading. The Bulldogs’ knack for losing to bad teams is beyond deflating. That is something most fans that I know can agree with. For instance, Fresno State had a fivegame winning streak heading into a matchup with Wyoming at home this past season. The Bulldogs needed the win for Mountain West seeding, but more importantly, for momentum. Things went from bad to worse for Fresno State. Star guard Jaron Hopkins went down to an injury, and once again the players failed to meet the standards they set throughout their season and winning streak. As a fan, we applaud the hustle and heart, but we want to win. When we look back on history, we see the Jerry Tarkanian era as the standard. There should only be improvement, not regression. Like I mentioned, it’s not just basketball. The football team is experiencing similar issues. After a period of poor play on the field, fans are reluctant to come out. Kuwada stated that after the 3-9, 2015 season, season-ticket purchases dropped by more than 3,000 -- going from 18,432 to 15,404 tickets sold. After Derek Carr’s departure after 2013, the Bulldogs’ faced an uncertain future. They would win only 10 games in the next
three years. It’s simple. If we win games, fans will come out. Head coach Jeff Tedford came, and he did just that. Along with a 10-win season and a bowl win, according to the NCAA Football attendance report for 2017, Fresno State had a top-10 surge in attendance. It ranked No. 7 for the greatest jump in attendance from the previous year, increasing by an average of 5,139 fans per game – 30,632 fans this season compared with 25,493 last year. Many fans have seen Jim Sweeney, David and Derek Carr and even Trent Dilfer donning the red and white. Our institution has the pedigree to be a consistently good program, and until that happens, the attendance fluctuation will continue to stain our sporting department. Interestingly, the football team wasn’t the only group to make headlines. The Bulldogs’ wrestling team just ranked fifth in the nation in home attendance, with crowds averaging a total of 4,566. An amazing restart to the program, but it’s not just the return that has sparked interest. These wrestlers are good. Redshirt sophomore Khristian Olivas and freshman heavyweight AJ Nevills took the Bulldogs’ leash and took them all the way to the NCAA Championships. Their performances captured the attention of the Valley, and even though they were relegated to the consolation bracket, their future in the program burns brighter and brighter. Undoubtedly, many questions face the Fresno State athletic department moving forward. However, one thing is for certain. Winning cures everything.
SOFTBALL
Fresno State loses winning streak but takes series By Jorge Rodriguez @jrodcollegian
The Fresno State softball team is at the top of the Mountain West standings after coming off a 10-game winning streak last weekend. The ‘Dogs were looking to extend that streak at home against conference rival San Diego State, but instead had it snapped. The ‘Dogs lost their first game on Friday, 10-0, but won on Saturday and Sunday to take the series 2-1. The Bulldogs had a difficult time in Game 1, even with ace Danielle East in the circle to start the game. East gave up two runs in the first, putting the Bulldogs in a hole early. Along with the defense, the offense also struggled to get anything going early in the game. The Aztecs shut down the Bulldogs, allowing only four hits. East continued to struggle in the circle as she allowed two more runs in the third and four runs in the fourth.
Fresno State Athletics
Sophomore Samantha Mejia pitched all seven innings and only allowed seven hits and one run in Game 2 against the San Diego State Aztecs on April 21, 2018 at Margie Wright Diamond. The ‘Dogs won the series 2-1.
Senior Sarah Santana replaced East in the fourth, but, by then, it was 8-0 and momentum was on the Aztecs’ side. It was 10-0 by the fifth, and the game ended by mercy-rule, giving the Bulldogs their first loss in the month of April to end their 10-game winning streak. For Game 2, Fresno State came out with sophomore Samantha Mejia in the pitching circle with hopes of getting its first win in the series. Mejia pitched all seven innings and only allowed seven hits and one run. She also got help from her defense which made some really impressive plays, especially sophomore
Schuylar Broussard at third base. The ‘Dogs’ offense was on fire from start to finish in Game 2. Junior Rachel Minogue doubled to center field, hitting the wall and bringing in three runs to give the ‘Dogs an early lead. Fresno State scored two more runs against the Aztecs – one in the second and another in the third – to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead going into the fourth. The Aztecs got on the board with one run in the sixth, but it was too late to mount a comeback. The ‘Dogs took Game 2, 5-1. In the last game of the weekend series, the
Bulldogs brought back East. And in what had started like another Game 1, the Aztecs were on the board early with one in the first. East, shaking it off, pitched two shutout innings right after. It wouldn’t be until the fourth when San Diego State got on the board again to extend its lead to 2-0. However, the Bulldogs rallied back in that same inning. With bases loaded, Fresno State’s first run of the game came after a pitch hit Broussard to walk in senior Savannah McHellon. Cutting its deficit in half, the ‘Dogs were not done yet. They scored two more runs thanks to a double by junior Kaitlyn Jennings, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. “[Head coach Linda Garza] helped me to narrow my focus in the strike zone. I’m a lot better when I trust myself, and she reminded me of that,” Jennings said. “Their pitcher had a good change-up, but towards the end, we made adjustments and hit a lot better.” Fresno State added to the lead in the sixth with another run after a hit by Jennings to bring in Brook Coates. East finished the game with another outstanding inning and offense. The final score for Game 3 was 4-2 in favor of the Bulldogs giving them the series 2-1 and adding to their overall record of 29-16 and 12-3 in the Mountain West Conference. “San Diego State came in, did some adjustments and, on that Friday, they were the better team,” Garza said. “We asked our team to bounce back and be more resilient in the box to put us in position to score, and the team did that.”