collegian.csufresno.edu
Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017
ARE FOOTBALL WINS BOUND TO MAKE COMEBACK?
Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper
Page 8
LARS MAISCHAK
Lecturer in Twitter controversy: ‘They have not found me guilty of any of these things’ By Collegian Staff @TheCollegian
“In hindsight, Twitter is rubbish in using it like I did as a scratchpad or as a journal,” admits history lecturer Lars Maischak after his graphic Twitter posts against President Donald Trump and Republicans made na-
tional headlines in the spring. Maischak recently spoke out for the first time since April, when the public became aware of his social media posts. Editors of The Collegian who met with the history lecturer pressed him on whether his Twitter posts were written with violent intentions. He continuously denied that. “I don’t want that. It would be tragic,” he
said. “It wouldn’t send the right signal to do that.” Maischak said he got online threats after news broke of his posts. However, he said he did not deem any of them credible. And he forwarded the threats to authorities, he said. Conservative websites like Breitbart and The Daily Caller first reported on Maischak’s tweets. Then, local and national media
scrutiny followed. The political firestorm revolved mainly around the Twitter posts, which included language some interpreted as alluding to a political assassination. The posts also expressed views critical of capitalism and fascism. “To save American democracy, Trump must hang. The sooner and the higher, the better,” one of Maischak’s tweets said. Another read: “Justice [equals] the execution of two Republicans for each deported immigrant.” The posts were branded with hashtags, like “the resistance.”
See LARS MAISCHAK, Page 3
VIEWING
Daniel Avalos • The Collegian
Fresno State students wear their eclipse viewing glasses to get a glimpse of the partial eclipse over Fresno. The eclipse-viewing event took place outside the Engineering East Building on Aug. 21, 2017.
Students eclipsed with historic sight
By Alexandra Harrell @TheCollegian
Fresno State students and staff gathered around campus on Monday to watch what many called the “Great American Eclipse,” the first of its kind in nearly 40 years. The Fresno State Henry Madden Library hosted Experience The 2017 Eclipse Across America, a solar eclipse viewing party along with a live stream of the eclipse from NASA. David Drexler, digital initiatives librarian at the Henry Madden Library, said students could hang out in the library and watch the eclipse’s totality in parts of the country. “We only get a partial eclipse here,” Drexler said. “People can sit and watch the totality,” said, “because we don’t get a total eclipse here. We only get a partial eclipse.” Those attending the live stream cheered as they watched a total eclipse pass the sun. The live stream allowed the audience to see the total eclipse from many different locations across the United States. “We had sort of a spontaneous gathering outside the front door,” Drexler said. A large crowd gathered outside of the library to witness the eclipse with the protection of special viewing glasses. “The big thing about this eclipse is that it goes straight across North America and the U.S., and it has totaled in a lot of places.” Drexler said. According to Drexler, the solar eclipse is an important event because it gives scientists a lot to study.
“When they have a total eclipse, they can see the corona of the sun,” Drexler said. “For the rest of us, we’re just doing this because it’s neat to watch.” At the Engineering East building, students took photos of the eclipse with their phones. Some tore apart pairs of their glasses so their friends without glasses could view the eclipse. Carter Dana, an electrical engineering student, said he came out to the Engineering East Building around 9 a.m. to watch the eclipse because he considered it a once-in-alifetime opportunity. The university was handing out safety viewing glasses to watch the eclipse and although they went quickly, Dana said he was able to score a pair. Cindy Wathen-Kennedy, public relations communications specialist at the library, said about 200 people attended the event. Wathen-Kennedy said the solar eclipse is significant to her because it brings everyone together. “It’s just nice to have something collectively we can all enjoy and feel good about,” Wathen-Kennedy said. “ [There’s] a lot of turmoil in our world right now, but everyone loves the eclipse. It’s just nice to see everyone so joyful and happy, and there’s nothing divisive about it.” WATCH: For video on this story, visit our website: http://fresnostate.edu/collegian
CONVOCATION
Students asked to be ‘curious’ at convocation By Hayley Salazar @Hayley_Salazarr
Professor Jes Therkelsen from the department of media, communications and journalism was chosen as this year’s keynote speaker. In his speech, he stressed the importance of curiosity driving students in their
college careers and beyond. “I wish you the courage to be curious and to not be afraid of curiosity,” Therkelsen said. “It takes courage to be curious just as it took courage for you to come to Fresno State.” Therkelsen says curiosity is related with youth and is lost quickly as people are taught through movies, stories and tradition that “curiosity kills the cat.”
Daniel Avalos • The Collegian
Jes Therkelsen Speaks in front of a crowd of a couple thousand new students. Therkelsen was elected to be the keynote speaker at the New Student Convocation at the Save Mart Center on Aug 21, 2017.