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Wednesday, April 4, 2018
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CSU
Fight for funding heads to the capital
Iran Khan • Los Angeles Times/TNS
Students from across the California State University system’s 23 campuses protest outside the Cal State trustees board meeting on March 22, 2017 in Long Beach, California.
By Bineet Kaur @hellobineet
I
ndividuals from many California State Universities, including a busload of students from Fresno State, are gathering Wednesday in Sacramento to ask legislators to allocate more funding to the CSU system. The CSU Board of Trustees has previously requested $263 million in additional funds from the state government to fund the CSU system in the 2018-19 budget, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Chapin. Gov. Jerry Brown initially allocated $92.1 million to the CSU system in his 2018-19 budget proposal released in January. The amount that the board requested is to fund a variety of areas within the CSU system: $30.9 million for mandatory costs, $15 million for academic facilities and infrastructure needs, $20 million for a 1 percent increase in funded enrollment, $122.1 million for employee compensation increases and $75 million for Graduation Initiative 2025. In March, Fresno State Associated Students, Inc. President Blake Zante issued an open letter to Gov. Brown. In it, he encouraged the governor to “fully fund” the CSUs by highlighting challenges students – specifically at Fresno State – have faced, like hunger, homelessness and financial insecurity. “The young people of our Valley will continue to be at a disadvantage if they are denied access to a higher education,” Zante wrote.
FRESNO STATE
Zelezny appointed CSU Bakersfield president By Razmik Cañas @Raz_Canas
The California State University Board of Trustees has appointed Fresno State Provost Lynnette Zelezny as president of CSU Bakersfield. Zelezny will be the fifth president of the university and the first woman to enter the role. She will succeed current President Dr. Horace Mitchell upon his retirement after this school year. Zelezny is a Fresno State alumna who earned her master’s degree from the Craig School of Business and has served as university provost and vice president for academic affairs at the university since 2014. In a statement to The Collegian, university President Dr. Joseph Castro said that although Zelezny will be missed, her dedication to Fresno State makes her an “excellent” leader for CSU Bakersfield. “Her warm, caring and insightful leadership will propel CSU Bakersfield to new levels of academic distinction in the coming years,” Castro said. “I look forward to working closely together with Dr. Zelezny to serve our talented Valley students.” Zelezny has held other roles at the university including professor of psychology, the chair of the department of psychology, associate dean for the Craig School of Business, dean and associate vice president for continuing and global education
Fresno State Provost Lynnette Zelezny.
and vice provost. After Zelezny’s appointment, the CSU announced that for the first time in history, there are more female university presidents than male within the system. On Monday, Zelezny and six other female CSU presidents were honored by Sen. Ricardo Lara at the state capital. In a statement to The Collegian, Zelezny said she is honored to be the first woman to take the presidency at CSU Bakersfield. “I love the Central Valley – it’s beau-
Collegian File Photo
ty, promise and people. I’m glad I’ll be a neighbor just down the road,” she said. Zelezny called Fresno home for over 30 years and served her professional career on campus. She said she will miss the community spirit and the bonds she has created with colleagues. “I look forward to promising future partnerships between Fresno State and Cal State, Bakersfield, that will leverage our assets and lift the Valley,” she said. Zelezny will begin her new role as president in late June.
OPINION
GOT OPINIONS? We want to hear them. COLLEGIAN-OPINION@CSUFRESNO.EDU WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The significance of Nelson Mandela in today’s world
By Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor |
Professor Emeritus & Chair of the Human Rights Coalition All over the globe, one can find memorials in honor of Nelson Mandela, an iconic leader who is regarded as an international hero. There are statues, buildings, schools, universities and even flowers that bear his name. The exhaustive list of memorials amazes me because it shows the extent of Mandela’s influence on people and nations across the globe. And now, there are plans underway to install a memorial in honor of Mandela at Fresno State. Hopefully, within a year or so, there will be an addition to the Peace Garden where Mandela will be honored alongside great luminaries and visionaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar E. Chavez and Jane Addams, who are memorialized for their unique contribution to peace, nonviolence, human rights and social justice. Our community will be blessed the day when the Mandela monument is installed in the Peace Garden. Here are my reflections about this great man of history and humanity: Mandela spent 27 years in prison because of his fight against apartheid, the system of oppression maintained by the violent white
Illustration by Kong Thao
racist regime in South Africa. He demolished the apartheid system without any bloodshed and brought real democracy to South Africa. He was responsible for creating a rainbow nation in South Africa where people of all shades and colors, castes and creeds, can live harmoniously next to each other. For this, he came to be considered the “George Washington of South Africa” as the father and architect of a new nation. His life is an extraordinary example of peace, nonviolence and forgiveness. He taught us that we have a choice of love over hate, forgiveness over bitterness and peace over anger. “It is possible to forgive one’s enemies,” he said. Mandela broke bread with his archrivals and champions of apartheid – Betsie Verwoerd, the wife of former Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd of South Africa (considered the architect of apartheid) and Percy Yutar, the attorney general who recommended Mandela’s death sentence. He had no bitterness or hatred toward
those who tortured and imprisoned him. He was hailed as a global symbol of reconciliation. He was a master in intergroup communication and negotiation which led to his release, the end of apartheid and the dawn of democracy in South Africa. He was the first black president democratically elected in South Africa and became a revered statesman. He was the ultimate public servant and restored trust and confidence among people toward government as an institution to serve the people. He instituted the “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” led by Bishop Desmond Tutu. The commission has become a model for conflict resolution and reconciliation globally. He was a peacemaker and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. He paid high tributes to King for his works and methods during his speech. Mandela drew inspiration from the political struggles of Gandhi. He referred to Gandhi as his “role model” as he was deeply inspired by Gandhi’s philosophy of Satya (Truth) and
CAMPUS COLUMN
Research policies and Facebook surveys By Dan Waterhouse Special to The Collegian
Who knew that moderating polls or surveys on a Fresno State-oriented Facebook group could get so controversial? I found out the week before spring break how contentious it can get. Last Wednesday, The Collegian ran a story about the final Associated Student, Inc. senate vote on its contribution to the proposed Nelson Mandela statue in the Peace Garden. The piece mentioned that Sen. Travis Childress, Greek Affairs, was basing his proposal to reduce the amount of the donation directly on a poll he had done on the Fresno State Book Trade and Advice Facebook group. It just so happened I’m one of the moderators of that group. I had seen the poll posted and had participated in it. After reading The Collegian article, I went back and looked at
The Collegian is a student-run publication that serves the Fresno State community. Views expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or university. collegian.csufresno.edu
Childress’ post again. Nowhere did he mention he was going to use the results for official Associated Students, Inc. business. Students were sandbagged. I had been sandbagged. During the senate meeting, ASI President Blake Zante criticized the poll, saying it didn’t represent students on campus. He added that participants had not been verified as current students. Those were and are valid concerns. The Facebook group includes current students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators. Not every member is a current Fresno State student. Polls and surveys are posted all the time on the Facebook page. The majority generally will say what they’re for and how the results will be used. That generally conforms to campus policy regarding research using human subjects. I won’t bore the reader with all the details – the policy runs 22 pages – but in
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sum, it requires full disclosure. Childress’ poll did not provide full disclosure. Several students who participated later remarked to me that if they had known how their answers would be used, they would have answered differently. I commented that Childress had been out of line and in future polls that didn’t fully disclose why they were being done and how the data might be used might be deleted. I was surprised at the reactions at my response. It appeared many students have no difficulties with what some might consider unethical behavior and potential violations of common research policies and practices. Some argued that class research wasn’t covered by campus policy, that they were free to do whatever they wanted to. A few even claimed I was making it all up, to scare people. Now, I do research all the time. Because I do, I must be familiar with all the policies and rules affecting how it’s done. Because I
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Ahimsa (Nonviolence). He claimed that he owed his success to Gandhi. A working committee consisting of students, administrators, educators and community leaders was established in October 2016 with a view to developing a framework, a timeline and funding goals for the memorial project. The committee, co-chaired by Fresno State President Dr. Joseph Castro and Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, professor emeritus and founder of the Peace Garden, has met periodically. Recently, Castro created a committee to develop fundraising strategies – the committee is co-chaired by Ashley Swearengin, former mayor of Fresno, and Oliver Baines, Fresno City Council member. The goal of the committee is to help raise $150,000. We are very hopeful that the project will be completed in a timely manner and the addition of a monument in honor of Mandela will be in place in the Peace Garden. Mandela was a “Giant of History” and remains a source of inspiration to many, including myself, because of his courage, commitment and compassion. A memorial to honor Mandela’s life and legacy in our Peace Garden at Fresno State will be a constant reminder to all of us and future generations to carry on the values and causes that he stood for. It will be a landmark achievement with our united efforts. Let us be peacemakers like Mandela. Let all of us in the progressive and peace community support this monument by contributing generously. To make a tax-deductible gift to the Nelson Mandela tribute fund, visit www.fresnostate.edu/peacegarden.
typically use archival material and to be sure of my facts, I double-checked the human research policy. While the campus committee on research using human subjects doesn’t routinely review work done for classes, the policy makes it clear the research must conform to the rules. Our Facebook group occupies a no-man land of sorts. We’re not an official part of the university, but to a greater or lesser degree, we should reflect its values. That includes being transparent about what’s posted there. In a response to my comment, Childress said I had a case of “sour grapes” over the senate vote. I assured him that I had no vested interest in the proposal (unlike the new University Student Union), so how he voted was of no importance to me. Rather, it was a question of ethics and common courtesy. Dan Waterhouse writes The Collegian’s Campus Column, which prints on Wednesdays. Waterhouse is a lifelong Fresnan. He has written for the Fresno City College and Fresno State student newspapers over the years, including other local publications. Follow him on Twitter: @WaterhouseDan Accountancy Assistant General Manager Financial Manager Advertising Faculty Adviser Editorial Faculty Adviser MCJ Department Chair
Edgar Jimenez-Ordaz Rich Marshall Cheryl Carlson Jan Edwards George Hostetter Dr. Katherine Adams
The Collegian carries four different ethnic supplements inserted several times throughout each semester into its print publication. Each supplement is produced by its own staff and advisers and is separate from The Collegian. The news stories or opinions in the supplements do not reflect those of The Collegian.
Each member of the campus community is permitted one copy of The Collegian. Subscriptions are available for $25, on a semester basis. Staff positions at The Collegian are open to students of all majors. All content Copyright © 2018 The Collegian. Letters to the Editor (collegian@csufresno.edu): All letters submitted to The Collegian should be between 250-500 words in length, must be type-written, and must be accompanied by a full name and phone number to verify content. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all material for length, content, spelling and grammar, as well as the right to refuse publication of any material submitted. All material submitted to The Collegian becomes property of The Collegian.
THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
PAGE 3
GRANT
Failed a class? Here’s a way to make it up
Collegian File Photo
The Office of Advising Services is located in the Joyal Administration building.
By Michael Ford @MFordCollegian
Fresno State is helping students get a second chance at taking a class they may have failed thanks to the Provost Graduation Initiative. The grant, provided by the Division of Continuing and Global Education, is now in its third year of existence. Krista Hall, academic counselor for the College of Arts and Humanities, said the initiative is designed specifically for two groups of students at Fresno State and can be used for the May and June intersession and summer courses.
Hall said the first group is for students who are close to graduating – students with at least 80 units completed are considered close to graduating. “Let’s suppose someone was supposed to graduate in June and failed a course,” she said. “Now they have to take the class in the summer for another $900 or come back in the fall and pay huge tuition for really just one class.” Hall said those who are awarded the money could finish in the summer rather than attending the fall semester course. Rosie Ochoa, who graduated in 2017, said she was able to complete her degree in liberal studies faster due to the program. “I’m honestly impressed how helpful
they are and very formal when it comes to filling out the forms. [They] are really good with responding to any questions one might have,” she said. Ochoa used the grant to fund the last class that she needed for graduation so that she didn’t have to take a class the following fall semester. The second group of students who qualify is those who are not close to graduating and do not expect to have their families contribute more than $4,000 to their tuition costs. To apply in this category, undergraduate students must be in good academic standing with the university, have their coursework approved by an adviser and must pro-
vide a one-page narrative describing their financial need. Senior psychology major Der Yang said that she could use the grant if she does not pass a class she is struggling with this semester. “I’m on track to graduate this semester, but I am having a really hard time in a class,” Yang said. “I’m hoping this option would allow me to retake the class so that I don’t have to come back [in the fall].” Students can apply by filling out an application provided by their academic counselor. Those who apply by the April 16 deadline will be given priority consideration.
CELEBRATION
Board toasts to a New USU By William Ramirez
— Athena Niayesh, USU Board Chair
@willoveslakers2
Nearly two weeks after the historic New University Student Union (USU) referendum, the USU board of directors took a moment Tuesday to celebrate the result. Sixty-seven percent of voters in the 2018 Associated Students, Inc. elections approved the New USU. Support for the project skyrocketed after a vote on a similar proposed project, the “Bold New U,” failed last year. After a number of moments of gratitude and applause, the meeting moved on with reports from the USU board’s four committees and the Associate Dean of Student Involvement Dr. Colin Stewart. The four committees are: public relations and marketing; budget and operations; campus involvement ambassadors and USU Productions. Stewart also congratulated the board for its work, and rewarded members with bottles of apple cider. The board toasted to its success.
When I saw the results I just wanted to cry.
Ramuel Reyes • The Collegian
The USU Board of Directors convene for their monthly meeting in the University Student Union, Room 312-314 on April 2, 2018. The meeting was the first since students voted to build the New USU.
“I’m excited to see how its all going to come together,” Stewart said. “It’ll be a really exciting process for [the USU board],
and our staff, and our faculty, and the rest of the campus.” After the toast, USU board chair Athe-
na Niayesh reminded the board that things are just getting started with the New USU project. The board hopes to break ground for the new union by summer 2019. The next USU board meeting will take place on May 7 in USU 312 at 3:30 p.m. The directors also discussed tabling, operating an existing University Student Union blog and plans to recruit students to the board. “I feel like such a proud mom. I’m just so proud of all you guys,” Niayesh said. “When I saw the results I just wanted to cry.” Niayesh complimented Juan Guzman, the board’s graduate assistant, for his marketing contributions toward the project. Guzman said: “We have left our mark, and we built a better campus for future Bulldogs.”
A&E
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
REVIEW
‘The Director’ uncovers sexual abuse in the film industry
‘The Director: A Memoir’ is written by J.K. Stein and details her experiences of sexual harassment and assault.
By Christian Mattos @ChrisssyMattos
S
OKAY
exual harassment and assault have plagued society seemingly since the beginning of time. The internet sensation of #MeToo has provided a platform and safe space for people to voice their stories and seek justice following abuse. The issues of sexual harassment and assault are particularly disturbing within the entertainment industry. In particular, film producer Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexual abuse by more than 80 people. Writer and performer J.K. Stein overcame her own story with another movie mogul and decided to tell her story in her book, “The Director: A Memoir.” Told through her unedited journal entries, Stein writes of her experiences socializing with a man identified as The Director. After meeting at a Starbucks in New York City, The Director paints Stein as his
muse for a new film for which he promises her a lead role. Throughout several encounters, Stein documents their conversations centered around sex that aim at helping The Director write her character for the film. Five years later, Stein left New York City, an abusive relationship, an eating disorder and The Director in her past as she continued her education and creative projects on her own. I’ll be honest – this was a hard book to read. Stein’s relationship with The Director is uncomfortable from the beginning. Readers might think, “Well, why didn’t she just say ‘no’ and cut him out of her life?” But as the book progresses, we learn more about Stein and the choices she makes. It isn’t as cut and dry as one might hope. I can’t speak for those who have experienced this caliber of sexual harassment or abuse – or any kind, for that matter – but I don’t know what sort of effect this book would have on those who have a similar past. If it was hard for me to read, how might another person feel who can relate more closely to Stein? What starts off as philosophical conversations instantaneously turn sexual as The Director claims he needs to get to know Stein better to write her character. But ev-
A&E BRIEF
Author of ‘George’ to give campus lecture during Diversity Week
By Bineet Kaur @hellobineet
Author Alex Gino is scheduled to visit Fresno State to give two lectures and to speak with an LGBTQ+ English class reading his book. Gino’s talks are part of Fresno State’s
J.K. Stein
erything he says is about sex. Though Stein admits in her writing that the movies he has made are good, The Director doesn’t seem to have a personality much deeper than sex-centric thoughts, conversations and behaviors. The biggest issue at hand in every interaction with The Director is the power dynamics. He is a hot-shot director with money and connections, and she is a college student trying to break into the business. Stein also mentions that he is “well above 6-feet tall and weighed about three of me.” That’s intimidating in and of itself. And it is where consent is now questioned. Is it appropriate to ask an actor to undress themselves and partake in other activities with a director in the name of inspiration? Is it fair to guilt them into uncomfortable situations in order to “learn more about them?” When that person is experiencing abuse in other aspects of their life, and this is taken advantage of by the person in power, the lines only blur further. In my opinion, the entire relationship detailed in this book was inappropriate and disturbing. Stein’s story is one out of numerous others, but I think it’s important that it be told. Abusers need to be called out for their wrongdoing, and victims need healing. If this memoir is her way of getting
closure, then by all means, more power to her. What I also found hard to read was how Stein coped with these interactions at the time they occurred. This book was written nearly a decade after she met The Director, but she details her life struggling with disordered eating and body dysmorphia. These issues seem to only worsen after each meeting with The Director, and my heart broke for Stein as she dealt with the anxiety and confusion of this fruitless movie-making process. By the end of the memoir, I felt tired alongside Stein. What made up for the stress and discomfort while reading the rest of the book was the epilogue – not to say that she owed it to the readers, but it did put the content into perspective and explain how she was able to digest her experiences. Perhaps reading the epilogue first and then again at the end will remind readers why this book was written in the first place. While I don’t necessarily recommend this book to everyone, I think it is particularly enlightening for those working in the entertainment industry. It not only brings to light the abuse and unethical practices within the industry, but it also may serve as a lesson that this shouldn’t happen again.
Diversity Week and will take place in the University Dining Hall at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9. Gino’s book “George” is about a student named George who isn’t allowed to play the character Charlotte in a school production of “Charlotte’s Web” because the school she attends views her as male, even though she identifies as female. George and her friend
Kelly work to help George play the role of Charlotte. The event was created through a collaboration of the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender + Allies Network at Fresno State, and the community organization Trans-E-Motion.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS
PAGE 5
EVENTS
LGBTQ+ prom to foster environment of inclusivity
Illustration by Kong Thao
By Bineet Kaur @hellobineet
The Fresno State Cross Cultural and Gender Center will host a prom on Friday to provide those in the LGBTQ+ community with an environment in which they can feel comfortable being themselves. “We’re doing this because there aren’t spaces like this all the time,” said Deyanire Del Toro, the center’s coordinator for gender and LGBTQ+ programs and services. The LGBTQ+ prom was held for the first time in fall 2016 and was organized by
Joury Robles, the graduate student coordinator for LGBTQ+ programs and services for the center. Robles wanted to create a social event for the LGBTQ+ community, since many of the events related to the community that the center organizes are geared toward education. “We need something that we can go to, but not have an agenda for it,” Robles said. Del Toro said that, often, those in the LGBTQ+ community experience prom in high school differently than others. At times, they don’t go with a date that is the gender of their preference or wear the clothing they wish – whether due to school policy
reasons or worries about harassment. “Everybody else gets this experience, so why can’t they?” Del Toro said. “That’s what’s unfortunate. They kind of have to hide who they are or deny themselves those experiences.” At this year’s prom, there will be themed tables for various cultural backgrounds and ethnic groups. This is an effort to promote intersectionality and highlight the presence of the LGBTQ+ community in different cultures. “A person is not just LGBT. A person is a lot of other identities,” Robles said. “I really want students to be able to celebrate every
part of themselves.” The theme for this year’s prom is “The World Awaits You.” Robles said that she wanted the prom to be themed in a manner that was meaningful and pertinent to the LGBTQ+ community. This theme refers to the concept that people throughout the world are open to members of the LGBTQ+ community embracing their true selves. “Due to our political climate, it really felt like people were really starting to hide themselves,” Robles said. “It was really hard for people who belong to the LGBT community to feel comfortable with who they were.” The prom is open for all people to attend, whether they belong to the LGBTQ+ community or not. Del Toro hopes that those attending recognize the importance of providing safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community. “A lot of times there’s this sensationalization of going to [places like] a gay bar,” Del Toro said. “My hope is that when people come, they can understand that there aren’t a lot of spaces like this open for queer people.” Del Toro said that safe spaces like the LGBTQ+ prom can feel liberating for some. “With our LGBTQ+ students, [they] have to think – ‘is that space going to be safe for me? Will people be accepting of my identity?’” Del Toro said. “Having to think about those things on a daily basis can be really exhausting.” But at the prom, the hope is that they can put those thoughts to rest – at least for the evening.
A&E BRIEF
Los Danzantes de Aztlán will take stage in San Francisco By William Ramirez @willoveslakers2
Los Danzantes de Aztlán, Fresno State’s folkloric Mexican dance group, will showcase its talent and culture in July at the 40th annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. The festival will take place over the course of three weekends from July 6 to 22 at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House and City Hall. Los Danzantes will perform on July 21 and 22. This is the group’s third time auditioning for the festival. It has been accepted to perform all three times.
Los Danzantes is the only university-based and Central California-based group to be accepted that many times. “Being selected to perform at this festival is no easy accomplishment,” said Dr. Victor Torres, the group’s director and a professor in the Chicano and Latin American studies department at Fresno State. “It takes lots of dedication, passion and rehearsal.” Los Danzantes will perform huapangos from the state of Hidalgo. The music is tied to a number of Mexican states: Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Hidalgo. The festival will also feature music and dance from Alaska, Bolivia, Cambodia,
Fresno State News
China, Cuba, India, Korea, Liberia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Spain, Tahiti, the continental U.S. and Zimbabwe. Tickets for the festival go on sale April
24. They can be purchased online at worldartswest.org/main/tickets.asp or by phone at 415-392-4400.
A&E BRIEF
Theatre for Young Audiences visits Valley Children’s By Christian Mattos @ChrisssyMattos
The Fresno State Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) touring company visited Valley Children’s Hospital on March 15 for a special performance of its spring production. The college acting troupe presented “Wondrous Tales of Old Japan,” by David
Furumoto, directed by Fresno State Theatre Arts Department Chair J. Daniel Herring. The play incorporates music, dance and pantomime to re-enact a collection of Japanese folk tales. The performance at Valley Children’s was made possible through the Adopt-aSchool program and a donation from College of Arts and Humanities Dean Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and his wife, Dr. Mariana Anagnostopoulos.
The Adopt-a-School program through TYA allows donors to contribute to the costs of the performance. It also allows them to select schools to donate to and bring the TYA troupe to their community. TYA performed in the Guild Hall with an audience of about 15 patients, their parents and caretakers. The presentation was coordinated through Valley Children’s Big Hearts for Little Hands program that allows special events to be put on by high schools,
church groups and other volunteers. TYA has performed at more than 40 elementary schools for more than 16,000 children throughout the San Joaquin Valley, providing students with a taste of the arts. The students in this spring’s TYA production will tour throughout the Valley this semester as well as perform on campus during Vintage Days. Two free performances are scheduled for April 21, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre in the Speech Arts Building. The showings are open to the public, and attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis.
NEWS
6
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
AMERASIA WEEK
Comedy dreams come true
Alyssa Honore • The Collegian
Jenny Yang, a stand up comedian, delivers a motivational speech to a group of students on April 2, 2018 in the Satellite Student Union for Amerasia week.
By Bineet Kaur @hellobineet
Jenny Yang’s upbringing as an Asian woman living in the U.S. became the theme on Monday of her lecture at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union. Yang’s appearance kicked off Amerasia Week, a series of events organized by the Fresno State Amerasia Organization. Amerasian is a term used for those who identify as both Asian and American. “Our mission is to acquaint the student body and the greater Fresno community on [Asian and Pacific Islander] culture and our experience,” said Vanna Nauk, president of the Amerasia Organization. Growing up, Yang, the performer, said she excelled in academics because her parents expected her to do so. She began to believe that this would be integral to her success in life overall. “I thought – ‘OK. If I do well in school,
I’ll be completely fine,’” Yang said. She didn’t consider embarking on a career in comedy until she finished college. She said she didn’t view it as a viable career choice growing up. In her comedy, Yang asked the audience two questions. In the first, she asked audience members to consider their typical response when someone asks what career they would like to pursue after finishing college. Second, she asked what they would pursue after finishing college if they felt no worries regarding money, skill sets, the expectations of others or time. Yang noted that a lot of people give different answers to the questions. However, she feels that it’s possible to merge one’s life path with one’s desires. She told the audience, “If there’s something that you feel is out of reach – it’s not.” “She brings a very unique Asian-American, female perspective to comedy that you don’t typically see,” said Asian-American studies professor Gena Lew Gong. “I think
it’s good to put voices like hers out so more people – like students – can hear from other voices.” Yang said that when people find out she’s a stand-up comedian, they often
ask how her parents feel about her career choice. She said she feels that people don’t ask this out of concern with her parents, rather people wonder how their own parents would react to certain career paths. When she initially told her parents that she wanted to pursue stand-up comedy, they didn’t view it as a legitimate career. But later, she said, they became more supportive. “It’s not [an] either/or proposition of going for what you want versus what other people want for you,” she said. Yang said she appreciates that standup comedy provides her with a platform to express her ideas, especially those that are heavily discussed in society. “I like being able to talk to people about how I grew up and comment on the gun control issues,” she said. “I like to be able to do that, but also do it in a way where I can connect with an audience.” Yang said that when she speaks to college students, she relates to them because she sees herself in the audience. “The people who show up to my events are me. They’re the people that I was,” she said. “I remember how it felt to feel like the world was in front of me – but that also was scary because there’s so many challenges and paths to take.” For a full schedule of “Amerasia Week” events, visit the Amerasia Organization Facebook page, @AmerasiaOrganization.
Career Panel ThuRSDAy, ApRiL 12 from 7:00-9:00pm at SAn JOAquin COLLege Of LAW in CLOviS
Leila Alamri-Kassim Labor, employment, & education Law
Hon. Christine Nijjer administrative Law Judge
Whitney Northington Barnick general Civil Litigation & appeals attorney
NEWS BRIEF
Meeting to discuss The Collegian’s future moved to April 10 By Collegian Staff @TheCollegian
A meeting to discuss The Collegian’s financial future has been postponed to April 10, according to media, communications and journalism professor Dr. Bradley Hart. The meeting was originally scheduled for April 3. The rescheduled meeting is slated for 10:30 a.m., but the location has not been determined, Hart said in an email Monday afternoon. A group of media, communications and journalism faculty who make up the Collegian Task Force has met once before to discuss this publication’s finances.
Collegian Financial Manager Cheryl Carlson is expected to provide an update on the student newspaper’s financial status. And the task force is expected to make recommendations on ways to move forward with funding The Collegian. The meeting comes on the heels of financial strain to The Collegian’s operation. Earlier this semester, this publication reported that it has been facing a decrease in advertising revenue and a depleting fund reserve. A student fee also funds The Collegian, but it has not risen in several years. A Collegian Governing Board has also been revived in order to discuss Collegian matters.
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THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
PAGE 7
WATER POLO
Texan turned Californian dominates By Michael Ford @MFordCollegian
When one thinks of sports most likely to be played in Texas, water polo doesn’t necessarily come to mind. But Fresno State freshman water polo standout Callie Woodruff might just be ready to change all of that. Woodruff grew up in Baytown, Texas, a town of about 75,000 people, before moving to Clovis midway through her junior year. She graduated high school in 2017. She started playing water polo at the age of 6, and if she had stuck with her initial impression of the sport, she likely wouldn’t be at Fresno State leading the team in goals and points. “When I tried it the very first time, I completely hated it, and I did not want to play it,” Woodruff said. “I tried it just a few months later, and I just absolutely loved it because I was little and was pretty good at it, and I was like ‘OK, this is cool,’ and I just stuck with it, and I have loved it since.” In addition to playing the sport for Clovis High School, Woodruff pieced together quite the resume during her prep career. Among her many achievements, she was a member of the Olympic Development Program’s national team for the 16-and-under class in 2015 and a Cadet National Team member in 2014. It was while playing there that she met Natalie Benson, her head coach then, and now the head coach of Fresno State’s water polo team. “I had kept in contact with her throughout the years. It was cool knowing her already when I came into this,” Woodruff said. Still, it wasn’t until Woodruff played club water polo in Southern California that she heard that her former coach was interested in recruiting her to be a part of
Fresno State’s inaugural women’s water polo season. “I played with Rose Bowl Water Polo Club down in L.A. and she has really good connections with the coaches there. I would hear about it from my coaches,” Woodruff said. She added: “At first I wasn’t big on the idea, but I started coming into contact with Natalie. Last year was my third summer there, and so sophomore year I would fly out and play with them here for tournaments and then move out here for the whole summer to compete in Junior Olympics with them.” Benson said she knew that once she took the job to coach at Fresno State, Woodruff would be one of her highest recruiting priorities. “She is a hard worker, and then when I got this job, I knew that Callie had moved from Texas to Clovis, and I figured why not have her one of the first kids here, and we went after her pretty hard,” Benson said. It was not just Woodruff’s natural talent or the fact that she lives in the Central Valley that drew Benson to want to recruit her. It was her toughness. “She is Texan and the Central Valley ideals as well of toughness and perseverance and grit [are similar]. I have seen her play with a broken hand, pulling her stitches out when she was playing 18-and-under,” Benson said. “Seeing her so upset on not being able to play and coming back in, she’s a tough kid. She has been hurt and continues to get back in and mixes it up. I appreciate her toughness and her grit and determination.” Woodruff said that she is still adjusting to the sizable gap in competitiveness between high school and college-level water polo, explaining that the training in college-level water polo is more intense.
Fresno State Athletics
Freshman Callie Woodruff attempts to score a point for the ‘Dogs. She leads the water polo team with 29 goals and 36 points.
But that intensity in training hasn’t slowed her down. Through 18 games, Woodruff has scored 29 goals and amassed 36 points. That is eight more goals and 10 more points than the next closest player on the team. Benson isn’t surprised by Woodruff’s statistics. Benson said she knew that her star freshman was offensively inclined. What Benson is impressed with is how Woodruff has improved on the opposite side of the ball, on defense. “Defensively has been her biggest area of improvement. Her learning curve has gone through the roof. Her attention to detail
in practice has gotten a lot better because she is a gamer. She loves playing games, and she can lose a little bit of focus in practice,” Benson said. Benson said she and the other Bulldogs also admire Woodruff’s personality. Benson described Woodruff as one who keeps things light but not too light; a person who knows when to be serious and when to joke around. “The girls love her,” Benson said. “She will throw in a joke. She will even joke with the coaching
staff about things. She did an impression of me in one of our closeout meetings. She looked at me kind of funny, and I said ‘Nope, keep going. I want to see what I sound like to you.’” Although Woodruff is just beginning her time at Fresno State, she has her sights firmly set on two goals. Winning conference which would get her and the team to the NCAA championships. And, Woodruff said, “I want to get better. Everyone wants to get better.”
SPORTS BRIEF
Edgar Gonzalez named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week It is the third time junior right-handed pitcher, Edgar Gonzalez, earns the honor in 2018. The other two came in the first two weeks of the baseball season. The Preseason All-Mountain West selection earned the honor on Tuesday after his fifth win of the season on March 31 to take the series against Long Beach State. The Newark native pitched a career-high nine innings, striking out 11 and allowing the Dirtbags only two hits. "I felt stronger as I went through the game, and we stayed focused and played great de-
fense," said Gonzalez of his pitching performance. Gonzalez retired the final 21 batters he faced, tossing 73 strikes out of his 103 pitches. With the 2-0 win over the Dirtbags, Gonzalez is now 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA. He also leads the Mountain West with 64 strikeouts in 50 innings while walking only 10. He has held his opponents to a .207 batting average. The junior is the second Bulldog to earn three or more MW Pitcher of the Week honors, alongside Ricky Tyler Thomas who pitched in 2015-17.
SPORTS
8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
ATHLETICS
The top 3 moments in Fresno State sports history
By Nugesse Ghebrendrias @nugebear13
I
n a sporting sense, the Bulldogs have quite the pedigree. Fresno State is nationally-known for producing some of the best athletes in sports today and in years past. With them came some of the best moments in school history. From Derek Carr to Ryan Matthews, from Aaron Judge to Paul George, the list goes on and on. These former Bulldogs left behind championships and, most of all, memories. Although Fresno State has a long line of great athletes and teams alike, I’ve narrowed down the top sporting moments in Fresno State history to three.
3.
Fresno State football beats USC 24-7 in the 1992 Freedom Bowl Some say this game is the Bulldogs’ biggest victory in their program. Led by Trent Dilfer, who would become a Super Bowl winning quarterback, and Lorenzo Neal, a Hall of Fame caliber fullback, the Bulldogs erased an early deficit to stun the Trojans in front of 50,745 fans. The Bulldogs ended the 1992 season on a six-game winning streak that earned them a share of the Western Athletic Conference title. Looking back, having Dilfer and Neal on the same team was something special, let alone beating the revered Trojans in their territory.
2.
Women’s softball wins 1998 National Championship The Bulldogs on the 1998 team were pioneers. Thanks to them, the Bulldogs had
Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State celebrates the 1998 National Championship win for softball.
their first NCAA team championship in any sport. Amanda Scott headlined the team during her career from 1997-2000. The four-time All-American earned the MVP honors of the championship tournament. The seventh-ranked Bulldogs endured a tough road to the final, where they defeated top-ranked Arizona, 1-0.
1.
Men’s baseball wins 2008 National Championship This team in the beginning wasn’t the world beaters that we saw at the very end. In fact, the Bulldogs were just plain bad. After losing 12 of their first 20 games, the Bulldogs had to win the WAC to even make it to the postseason and that’s exactly what they
did. Fresno State entered the tournament as one of the lowest seeds, but that didn't stop the Bulldogs from disposing of teams in their way. Led by third baseman Tommy Mendonca, who hit four home runs along with 11 RBIs, and Steven Detwiler, who hit two home runs in the championship game, Fresno State collected its second NCAA team championship in school history.
PAWSPECTIVE
Will Fresno State bring back men’s soccer? By Jorge Rodriguez @jrod2763
Soccer has been a big part of the Central Valley, and the admiration for the sport has hit an all-time high with the introduction of the professional soccer club, Fresno FC. In March, during Fresno FC’s opening night against the Las Vegas Lights at Chukchansi Park, the team brought in a record-setting attendance of nearly 8,000 fans, and this number is expected to grow. There are also more children playing the sport in the U.S. As of 2012, more than 30 percent of American households had someone who played soccer, making it second only to baseball. Soccer is also creating a new fan base. Despite the sport’s popularity, you can’t find a varsity men’s soccer team at Fresno State. The last time Fresno State had a men’s soccer team was 2003 – 15 years ago. Fresno State men’s soccer, which started in 1970, had major success in the 1970s and 1980s with many conference titles and playoff appearances. The soccer team ranked No.1 in the nation in 1987, becoming the first program to ever do so in Fresno State’s history. The Bulldogs continued their success
Kiel Maddox
Fresno FC won its first home victory, 2-1 against OKC Energy FC on March 31, 2018 at Chukchansi Park.
into the 1990s. Although not as successful as previous decades, the men’s soccer team managed to win conference championships in 1996 and 1998. Slowly the attendance began to drop in the 2000s, and in 2004, the men’s soccer program was cut for issues relating to Title
IX. A men’s soccer club was created to try and fill the void. However, a club team is not the same as having an actual program to compete in the top division of the NCAA. The one thing that has been keeping Fresno State soccer fans entertained has
been women’s soccer, which has remained active throughout these years. With the World Cup happening this summer, the sport will be getting a lot of attention, even without the participation of the U.S., and this would make it a great time to bring back the program. Fresno State brought back the wrestling program this year, which was initially pulled in the early 2000s. Men’s soccer programs at Fresno Pacific and Fresno City College have shown that there is a fan base and local talent here to build a successful program. It feels like this is the right time for the men’s soccer program to make a comeback at Fresno State. But there are some challenges that will most likely prevent this. One of the biggest: the athletics’ department has serious budget issues. Another challenge is that there is no permanent athletic director appointed yet at Fresno State, and that can complicate the process of getting the program back on track. And if Fresno State brings back men’s soccer, which women’s sport could the university add? Think about Title IX. It’s very unlikely that men’s soccer will return. It feels like the right moment though. Soccer fans at Fresno State should not lose hope.