HEMP HEADLINES WORLD AG EXPO Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
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Student health fee increase Fee to rise $52 in 20202021, then 3 percent annually until revised Page 2
Photo Illustration • The Collegian Editorial Staff
Bulldogs dominate on diamond
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Dance ensemble debuts program Page 7
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
Health fee to increase By Savannah Moore Reporter Student health fees will increase by $26 a semester starting in fall 2020. According to Student Affairs, Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro approved the Student Health and Counseling Center’s fee increase proposal on April 30, 2019. The health fee will increase by $26 a semester, or $52 a year, for the first year, and continue to increase by 3 percent each year for the next five years until it is reviewed again, according to Janell Morillo, associate vice president of student health, counseling and wellness. Currently, student health fees cost students $226 a year. With the increase, students will be paying $278 a year in health fees beginning next fall. These additional funds will provide counseling and psychological services with an additional two counselors and one case manager, raising the total number to 11 counselors and two case managers. The additional personnel will help to combat wait times and provide students with more available appointment times. Malia Sherman, director of counseling and psychological services, said the speed at which a student can be seen by a counselor at the health center depends on both the availability of the counseling staff and the availability of the student. Often, with students having busy schedules, the times they have free for an appointment doesn't match up with the appointment times the counseling center has available. “Another factor that comes into play is time in the semester,” said Sherman. “Typically right around midterm time, people have more stress, so we get more impacted.” The additional counselors and case manager should help alleviate this, she said.
availability] discourages students from going to the health center,” he said. However, students in crisis can be seen within the hour. As for students who have short-term or onetime concerns and need immediate support but aren’t able to make an appointment, there is another option provided by Counseling and Psychological Services. Let’s Talk is a daily service that allows students to talk with a licenced counselor without making an appointment. The counselors are the same ones students would meet with if they had made an appointment. Let’s Talk allows students to walk in and talk with someone about their concerns on the spot, and get the support and encouragement they need. The program is designed so that students feel comfortable to open up and share their concerns. Let’s Talk is available every day, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Industrial Technology Room 242 and Kremen Education Building Room 334. Oswald also likes to spotlight Let’s Talk in his classes at the end of each semester, as a valuable resource for students to turn to during the stress of finals. Suzzane Kotkin-Jaszi, a health professor at Fresno State, said, “I find that it [counseling and psychological services] is a very valuable resource to have on campus. I have students, even graduate students, who sometimes are rather depressed it seems. I’ve had people who cry and are acting out, saying how depressed they are, and when I’ve sent them over there they’ve gotten served immediately, pretty much, if they’re in that state. So I’m frankly glad we have a resource like that
The center has only had one case manager for the last three years. The additional case manager will help students with more basic needs that they were previously bringing to counselors, such as homelessness, access to healthcare and even financial difficulties. The additional counselors will be able to help provide long-term care for students dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns. Long wait times and a lack of availability of appointments can have a negative impact on students, said Karl Oswald, a professor in the department of psychology. “My suspicion is that it [appointment un-
on campus.” With additional counselors and case manager, the fee increase will provide additional support and will help make Counseling and Psychology Services more available to students. The program provides additional services for students, such as group therapy, a three-session skill class that teaches students how to deal with stress and anxiety, and other mental health resources, all of which are highlighted on the health center website. For more information on the Student Health and Counseling Center, visit their webpage at http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/health/
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Hemp takes centerstage at AG Expo By Melodie Aubinelliott Contributor Fresno State played a large role at the World AG Expo in Tulare last week, delivering demonstrations topics. However, there seemed to be one very popular this year. The hemp pavilion, which was in its first year, was bursting at the seams. The hemp and hemp seed growing for cannabidiol (CBD) oil was really a highlight of the expo. Several buildings were dedicated to hemp this year. Companies such as HiLo seeds which had a big hand in advocating for and bringing hemp to Expo, was proud to show off their seeds and technologies. Although it was the company’s second year bringing its hemp to the show, it was the first that was in such a grand space. The company also hosted a taco truck and had one of the larger displays at the Expo. Closely second in the Expo’s firsts was the abundance of women in the industry who were highlighted. There were several presentations from the Women in Ag Networking Group, as well as the World Ag Women Pavillion that housed all the demos for cooking, canning, gardening, goat raising and so forth. "There was a big draw to these presentations from women in AG, making them hard to even get into unless you snagged your seat early," said, Beth Dolen. “These are the talks we are
really needing to hear right now. It's uplifting to know that we as women have more support than we think in the male dominated industry, I can't wait to share a lot I learned with other women I know in AG.” Meanwhile, Fresno State University’s viticulture and enology exhibits have been very popular the last few years. But they were supported far better this year with several wineries pouring samples as well as making presentations, often headed up by Fresno State alumni Luca Brillante and Kristy Sun. Cardella, a winery located in Mendota was founded by Fresno State alumnae's in the 70s and its head wine makers are Fresno State grads. Another hit seemed to be the tri tip provided by the Goshen Mounted Police Group. The group starting in 1946 has been barbecuing for a cause for years. Third generation barbecuer Don Atahschled said, “They have all loved coming out to the expo the last 51 years to support AG, and also the proceeds earned all go back to the community.” Sales representative Jen Lamboy said, "HiLo were able to bring more info and have a greater presence this year now that it has been opened up to all hemp on a greater level. The company is really about cultivating growth for farmers and the hemp industry.”
Melodie Aubinelliott • The Collegian
Hemp took centerstage at the 53rd annual World Ag Expo Tulare on Thursday, Feb. 13 2020.
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
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Therapist is catalyst for patients' success through personal life journey
By Anjanae Freitas A&E Editor Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Manager of Adult Psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente Fresno. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy team leader/therapist. Any path in the mental health field and Leah Whitworth, 51, has more than likely worked it, while mastering her craft into making effective change for patients to build a life worth living. At 4 years old, Whitworth’s father decided to move her family from Mitchell, South Dakota, to Fresno for her oldest sister to continue her education at Fresno State. Whitworth decided to continue that family path and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1990. She then furthered her education through Fresno State’s counseling program, earning her Master’s Degree in 1993 in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling. During the transition to graduate school, Whitworth held a full-tme job at Gottschalks and took night classes to pay her way through college. Yet to be officially licensed, her degree required an additional 3,000 hours for her internship, prior to taking California’s State Licensing exams. Whitworth had originally enrolled in college as a music major because of her love for flute and choir, which had manifested as a creative outlet at a young age. That was until her oldest brother, Donn, had his first psychotic break in 1980. He was put on an involuntary psychiatric hold and diagnosed with schizophrenia right before her 12th birthday. “Nothing was the same after he was diagnosed. Back in 1980, mental health professionals did not do very much to help educate, validate, support, nurture family members,” said Whitworth. “I distinctly remember that night of my brother’s hospitalization, my mom and I and my brothers being basically shoved out of the office by the attending Psychiatrist, as he said, ‘This isn’t about you guys,’ and that is a memory that will stay forever. That and my brother’s face on the other side of that locked door when it slammed shut.” Whitworth pulled out a photo of her and her brother that sits at the edge of her office desk. She reminisces and cherishes the photo being one of her favorite memories of him bringing her a new pair of shoes. She jokingly blames her brother for her shoe addiction ever since! “Losing my brother was hideously painful. The loss started that night in 1980. It was as if he had died, he was right there, yet I could
not reach him. The lights were on but no one was home,” Whitworth said. “He was no longer the brother I knew. He was responding to internalized stimuli, laughing out of the blue, sitting and staring off into space. He was literally out in the flower bed at 4 a.m. digging, trying to hunt up ‘worms for the early bird.’” he said when our mother asked. Whitworth explained that people with schizophrenia do not understand idioms, which is a great diagnostic tool in a mental status exam. She explained a patient with schizophrenia may take things very literally and have a hard time with what idioms mean figuratively. “My brother's experiences will live in my mind forever. As well as what it was like to be the family members who were not only not educated about the mental illness my brother now had, but actually treated very negatively by psychiatric professionals back in the day,” Whitworth said. “I have always held that in my mind, so it is one of my missions to nurture, provide education, comfort, support and validation to family members.” Whitworth’s brother being diagnosed with schizophrenia took a toll on her own mental health. “By the time I was 16, I was so depressed... I was suicidal. '' Luckily for Whitworth there was a very intuitive, understanding and compassionate priest in her Catholic parrish. “At confession one day my priest said, ‘Gosh, Leah, you are really angry’ and I replied, ‘And what’s your point?’” The priest referred Whitworth to a therapist by the name of Barbara Fey, (LCSW) “I called her, I made the appointment, I paid for it myself. And my mother said, ‘Therapy? You don’t need therapy, there’s nothing wrong with you.’ “Yet she had no idea.” said Whitworth. By the time Whitworth was 17, she was starting to feel alive and herself again because of therapy. She decided to take the California high school Proficiency Exam to get out of high school early. As I continued in therapy, by the time I started college, I changed my major. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh!’ I want to do for somebody else what Fey has done for me,” said Whitworth. “My therapist taught me about self-empowerment, personal control, making my own choices, and setting my own limits. That changed everything. It was like suddenly someone had just opened a window on the world,” Whitworth said. Whitworth’s brother passed away on March 1, 2015, at 59 years old after 35 years of fighting schizophrenia.
Anjanae Freitas • The Collegian
Leah Whitworth, LMFT and Behavioral Health Manager at Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Fresno, shares her life story that lead her to build a DBT program at Kaiser Fresno. Whitworth's office at Kaiser Fresno on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. “People with schizophrenia tend to have shortened life spans. The thing that people do not know about schizophrenia, it can be a terminal illness," said Whitworth. “Typically this is an illness that can take 15 to 20 years off someone's life span.” In the start of Whitworth’s career as a postgrad at Tulare County Mental Health, she had her first opportunity to work with a patient in the midst of his first psychotic break. She had the opportunity to sit with the patient's family and give back the nurturance,
support validation and education she and her family never received with her brother. Many years later, Whitworth was offered a job at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Mental Health Department as a Behavioral Health Manager in 2017. During her interview process, she had one simple question that would later bloom into a prodigy of effective change: “Do you have a full DBT program, and if you don’t, can I build one?”
See THERAPY, Page 4
NEWS THERAPY FROM PAGE 3
Whitworth’s personal experience on both sides of being the patient herself and treating her patients made it her mission to strive toward impressive outcomes through Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which was created by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D in 1993. According to Whitworth, DBT is a “coping skills program on steroids”. DBT is broken up into four very distinct modules -- Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Distress tolerance: Learning how to tolerate
“ The AND opens
up the possibilities where BUT negates everything we said before it. The AND allows for both sides of the dialectic. — Leah Whitworth, LMFT and Behavioral Health Manager intense over-the-top emotions that are bigger than usual without making things worse, such as engaging in self-harming behaviors, suicidal behavior, tearing relationships, being destructive because your emotions are super hot. While also learning how to accept realities that you may not be really happy about. Emotion regulation: Learning how to regulate emotion in a healthy way vs self-destructive behaviors to avoid or to suppress thoughts. Interpersonal effectiveness: Learning how to have a relationship with yourself, because you can not learn how to have a relationship with anybody else till you learn how to have one with yourself. Learning how to set limits and say no when needed without fear of rejection or abandonment. Four months after starting work at Kaiser, Whitworth held an in-house DBT for Staff in July 2017, with the goal of getting five therapists interested and willing to commit to make
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 a DBT team. By the end of that day, she had a full staff of 10 therapists on board. The program went live in October of 2017, with a full DBT program that combines weekly skills training class, individual therapy and skills coaching. Skills coaching offers patients the opportunity to turn to DBT staff for quick problem solving using DBT skills. Every Wednesday morning the Kaiser DBT team of therapists come together to work on themselves. This helps the therapists nurture, validate and hold each other accountable to the DBT protocols, theories and framework in their practice and in their lives. The DBT program started with two skills classes and 20 patients. Now in 2020, the program’s census is seven skills classes approximately 150 patients. The program does a Pre-Post test measure through a 36-item questionnaire that measures a person's experience through their emotions and behavioral dyscontrol. “Just last week we had a patient who graduated after a year with 67 percent decreased emotion. We are getting amazing results,” said Whitworth. She then explained that every year, Kaiser takes on three doctoral students to conduct a research project. The 2018-2019 students did their research on DBT, following the treatment patients pre and post scores. With any clinical study you hope for a confidence level of .05 or better, the confidence level came back at a .000 for Kaiser Fresno DBT. “I know anecdotally that what we are doing here is working, I know what patients are receiving. I know what is going on. And It is beautiful to actually see it in hard data, ” Whitworth said. “It is so beautiful to get to witness not only the reduction of self-harming behaviors and suicidal ideation or attempts, but along with that comes the less obvious, which is the sense of peace and calm that you start to see in a person’s face,” said Whitworth. “That when life throws curves, they then roll with it. They gain confidence, self-love and acceptance of tolerating things that a year ago they would not.” Throughout the DBT program at Kaiser Fresno over the last two years, Whitworth has witnessed patients return to the workforce, watched people who have been “cutters” for 15 years replacing destructive behaviors with validation and breathe through their feelings, coming out on the other side. She has also watched people find positives in their lives and watched people repair marriages. She states that change is because “they are now skillful, not willful.” Whitworth is a firm believer that DBT skills have wholly contributed to the success of her
marriage the past 28 years. “The first seven years were brutal because I didn’t have DBT skills, we got married in 1992, and I did not meet DBT till 1999 and DBT has changed everything from the way I relate to myself, my thoughts, my feelings, my body, my actions. It also has been instrumental in helping my husband and our two kids. We are all pretty darn skillful,” Whitworth said. Whitworth jokes about how her children grew up fighting her “therapist mom style” like crazy. But knowing DBT skills has allowed her kids to notice when to call up the skill they need to use to keep themselves grounded. Overall, Whitworth is most proud of the changes in herself because of what she knows, and most importantly, because she lives her practice. Every Single Day. Whitworth said that DBT has helped her with her own addiction with impulsive spending, which she has been clean from for over 21 years, A unhealthy coping mechanism she developed to suppress and avoid her feelings through marital problems. It does not get more Emotion Mind than that. It was just a way to solve for painful feelings, which is really just a glass of ice water in hell,” Whitworth said. “I had a serious spending addiction from 16 to 31 years old. A little over 15 years, and people would joke, ‘Oh she’s a shopaholic.’ However it’s serious,” Whitworth said. “The No. 1 cause of divorce in America’s money problems.” “I never thought I would ever be someone who would not worry about money. It’s not that I make a ton of money. I am someone who grew up poor, where I watched my parents struggle their whole married life,” said Whitworth. “Then I was the one struggling, I worked myself into a terrible financial hole.” Using DBT skills, Whitworth was able to tackle the spending problem and conquer it. As an alumna of Fresno State’s Counseling program, Whitworth encourages students to stay in the moment each semester when catastrophizing the heavy workload. “One day, one task, one assignment, and one moment at a time,” Whitworth said. After graduation and searching for internships, Whitworth said students should look toward a county mental health department, as these are often the best training ground. “Students should be prepared to be true to the discipline of starting session on time and ending session on time to write notes right after each and every patient when it is fresh in your mind,” said Whitworth. In September 2019, Whitworth was given the chance of a lifetime to travel to Florence, Italy, after a colleague referred to a patient who had been struggling with depression since his
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BY THE NUMBERS
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patients a part of the DBT program with seven skills classes as of 2020. The program originally started with 20 patients and two skills classes. teens and is now in his early 70s. No amount of talk therapy, medication, electroconvulsive therapy or transcranial magnetic stimulation had helped him to overcome and move forward. The colleague had asked Whitworth to accept this patient into her class, and Whitworth was thrilled for the challenge. “That patient took to DBT like a starving person takes to food, he could not get enough. Within six months, suicidal ideation was gone with a 46 percent decrease in his symptoms,” Said Whitworth. Her colleague came to her to partner with her on an abstract for a case study. Several months later, Whitworth and her colleague were chosen to be presenters at the 25th World Congress of the International College of PsychoSomatic Medicine. Their case study was one of six case studies chosen for presentation at the conference. “It was the most surreal experience of my life to stand in front of clinicians and physicians from all over the world talking about DBT, which to me, is just simply my way of life,” Whitworth said. While looking in Whitworth’s office, there were seven ampersands of every size. Withworth said that the ampersand symbol represents the dialectic, looking at two sides, two things that are seemingly opposed, where the “and'' helps us find a middle group or a synthesis between those two sides. The AND opens up the possibilities where BUT negates everything we said before it. The AND allows for both sides of the dialectic.
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
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Understanding the ongoing Iran, US tensions
By Rachel Lewis Reporter
After a series of escalation and de-escalation tactics in January between the U.S. and Iran, there are growing concerns that Iran will launch cyber attacks against the U.S. On Jan. 3, the U.S. launched an air raid that targeted and killed an Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, who was the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Also killed was an Iranian deputy commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Iran, finding this an unwarranted military action, stated it would respond to the U.S.'s killing of Soleimani with its own military action. On Jan. 8, Iran launched missiles at an Iraqi base housing U.S. troops. At first, it was reported that this attack did not harm any U.S. troops or result in excessive damage, but it was later reported that 11 troops were injured. Despite President Donald J. Trump claiming Iran is “standing down,” some international relations experts believe that Iran is planning a cyberattack aimed at crippling U.S. infrastructure. Melanie Ram, chair of the political science department and professor of international relations at Fresno State, said, “Iran will not respond with traditional military action, but with a cyberattack. We will not know when or what area will be targeted, but a cyberattack is the most reasonable response on Iran’s part.” Preceding the Iran military response, the U.S. implemented strict sanctions against the Iranian government, which seemed to be backing down from any further military action. This close call marks one of a long list of issues between the U.S. and Iran. The history of conflict between these two countries needs to be understood in order to explain the present animosity. Reza Nekumanesh, director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, said, “The United States is seen as an imperial force by Iranians who believe the United States does not get to impose on Iranian sovereignty.” The military tensions that boiled over at the beginning of January are part of a longer history surrounding these two countries, which was broken down by Julia Shatz, professor of history, and Russell Mardon, professor of international relations in the political science department. During World War II, the U.S., England and Russia completed a coup d'etat in Iran where they instated the shah as the leader of Iran. The
shah, a monarch, served as an ally to the U.S. during World War II and during the Cold War with Russia, according to Mardon. The shah, however, was unpopular amongst Iranian civilians because they supported a governmental structure that would limit the power of the monarchy. In 1952, Iran held a democratic election where the shah was voted out of power and replaced by Mohammed Mossadegh as prime minister. Mossadegh, who supported a policy of nonalignment during the Cold War, was ousted from the Iranian government in 1953 by MI6 and the CIA in order to reinstate the shah, according to Shatz. “One of the very clear intrusions on Iranian politics by the Americans is the CIA overthrow of Mossadegh,” Nekumanesh said. Following the reinstatement of the shah,
towards political opponents.” The shah’s authoritarian tendencies came to a head in 1979 when a revolution broke out. Protesters were not just aggravated with the shah, but also the U.S. because of the alliance that had formed between the two governments. The revolution resulted in the creation of an Islamic government led by Ruhollah Khomeini. “So, you had a very pro-American and American-dependent government overthrown by a popular revolution that saw the United States as supporting political repression and subjugation,” said Shatz. Iranian discontent with U.S. intervention resulted in the hostage crisis, which caused President Jimmy Carter to sever ties with Iran. This loss of a crucial alliance in the Middle East encouraged the U.S. to support Saddam Hussein in Iraq with the hope that the war would
that the U.S. is infringing on Iranian success and ability to govern itself. “The United States as a whole has profited and flourished off of the suffering of many countries, Iran being one of them,” said Nekumanesh. “Economic sanctions, they’ve destroyed the economy there.” With tensions already high due to the economic and military strain placed on Iran by the U.S., the killing of Soleimani served as a tipping point for Iranian citizens who called for a governmental response. Though both the U.S. and Iran demonstrated increased militarization against one another, both stopped short of a declaration of war. “It would not be in the best interests of Iran or the United States to declare war,” said Ram. “Though both powers reacted militaristically, I do not believe either was ready to declare war against the other because it wouldn’t solve anything.” With direct military confrontation out of the question, international relations experts believe that a cyberattack would be a more calculated Iranian response. “I believe Iran will, if anything, respond with a cyber security attack,” Ram said. “Whether that be against our election system, our defense systems or our government agencies, a cyber attack would be the most calculated response by Iran and it is a form of retaliation we know they are capable of.” How the U.S. would respond to a cyberattack is yet to be seen, but there is little hope that the tensions between the U.S. and Iran will end soon. “The only solving thing there, assuming we win, is the current Islamic Iranian government has to fall,” said Mardon. “From our point of view, what Iran needs is an internal revolution, but I don’t think anything happens to the Iran issue until you get a different government in
the U.S. became one of Iran’s most powerful military allies as the two countries continued to work together to contain Soviet communist expansion into Central Asia and the Middle East, according to Shatz. The alliance became so strong that the U.S. helped Iran start a nuclear program to counter the Soviet expansionist movements. “Throughout this period, the United States supported the shah through economic and military aid,” Shatz said. “At the same time, the shah, who had always had strong opposition in the population, became increasingly unpopular because of failed reforms he attempted and because he was increasingly repressive and brutal
end with an overthrow of the Iranian revolutionary government. “The United States, when it first started being involved in politics in the Middle East, was very imperial in nature,” said Nekumanesh. “The United States tries to impose its will on countries, tries to force them to bend or bow to what it is that the United States says is within their best interest.” This view of U.S. interventionist tendencies in Iran is mirrored by the Iranian government and citizens who view the U.S. as an entity that continues to infringe on their sovereignty. According to Nekumanesh, U.S. policy toward Iran has proven to spur on Iranian beliefs
Iran.” There is also the question as to whether or not Iranian Americans will be faced from hostilities from U.S. society. “We are living in an era where you have the American president saying he will expand the Muslim travel ban, where 90 American citizens of Iranian decent were detained by border control when re-entering the country, so it is definitly not going to make anything better,” Nekumanesh said. “All the strides that people have made to show that we’re part of this society and we are working together and we support this society, all of that is very fickle and fragile when countries are talking about war.”
Courtesy Tribune News Service
Shiraz, celebrated for more than 2,000 years as the heartland of Persian culture, is known as the home of Iranian poetry and for its tolerant and progressive culture.
A&E
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
GOT TIPS? We want to hear them. COLLEGIAN@CSUFRESNO.EDU
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'A Girl from Mogadishu' tells the story of a feminist refugee By Savannah Moore Reporter Fresno State’s latest CineCulture meeting presented a film that celebrated the power of speaking up and telling your story. Presented last Friday, Feb. 16, was “A Girl from Mogadishu,” directed and written by Mary McGuckian, a filmmaker from Northern Ireland. The film is based off of a true story that ells the story of Ifrah Ahmed, played by Aja Noami King who is a young woman from Somalia who escaped civil war torn Somalia to travel to Northern Ireland. She is a refugee and became a humans righst activist and be a voice for women around the world. Once in Northern Ireland, Ahmed worked to become a citizen of Ireland, but she could not read nor write, and knew no English. But she wanted her story to be told. “I needed to learn it fast, so I can tell my story,” Ahmed said of learning English. Ahmed was a victim of female circumcision, or cutting, a life-threatening practice that is common in many African countries. While in Ireland, she did learn english and was able to use her voice and her story to bring awareness of cutting and get it outlawed in the country. Not everyone was supported of her efforts. She even found herself being threatened. “Good girls don’t talk so much,” said Hassan
in the film, the man who helped smuggle Ahmed into Ireland. However, Ahmed, though scared, did not back down. Her efforts and success in Ireland led to other countries also creating laws against cutting. The discussant for the night was Rose Maria Kuhn, who teaches a class called “Voices of Africa.” She led the discussion around Ahmed’s life and the topic of cutting and the risks it poses to women around the world. “[Ahmed had] two choices, play the victim or make something,” said Kuhn. Ahmed chose to make something by using her voice and telling her story. According to Kunh, there was not much information about Ahmed’s life before the film, so the real Ifrah was interviewed. It took two days for her story to be recorded. Many members of the audience seemed to show interest in the topic of cutting and the effect it has on women around the world. “[Cutting has] so many negative, horrible effects,” Kuhn said, also pointing out how cutting can lead to health problems, reproductive issues and even to death. In the film, Ahmed lost a cousin to cutting. Kuhn also noted how the practice is widespread, “all over Africa,” and has even been reported in the United States. However, Kuhn also noted that many organizations are fighting the practice and that the United Nations banned it in 2013. One student was surprised about how subtle
Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian
Audience members fill up seats for CineCulture's free film screenings at the Peters Education Center Auditorium, located inside the Student Recreation Center. the filmmakers were on the fact that cutting was about control over women and girls. “[Cutting is] a question controlling women’s bodies,” Kuhn said. “It’s to keep control over them.” However, Ahmed did not let that control her or let it prevent her from using her voice. “I will not be silenced,” Ahmed said in the film. The film celebrates the power of testimony when women find the reslience to speak aloud
and tell their truth. The film was sponsored by The French Program and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures. CineCulture meets at 5:30 p.m. every Friday in the Peters Education Center Auditorium. The events are free for students and the general public. The film for Feb. 21 will be - “Singing Our Way to Freedom,” presented by director Paul Espinosa.
Melanie Martinez makes her way to Fresno this summer By Anjanae Freitas A&E Editor Pop star Melanie Martinez announces her new single “Copy Cat '' in a recent press release from Atlantic Records. “Copy Cat” along with her first solo feature on her album since her 2019 “K-12”, the single release will come out in her EP titled “After School”, which is due for release this spring. “This song was written years ago and from an empathetic perspective, even while in a very hurt place,"said Martinez in an Atlantic Records press release. "We’re all told that imitation is flattery to ease the pain that the ego feels when other people get credited for our ideas and our work, "But being human includes feeling a multitude of feelings, and naturally this song came about when expressing those very raw emotions,” said Martinez in a recent press realase from Alantic
Records. “I hope this song can not only bring comfort to anyone experiencing that feeling but also remind them to empathize with people who are just doing what society has conditioned them to believe will make them successful.” she said. Martinez's first pro-claimed album was titled "Cry Baby" an alternative, indie, and electropop album earning over 1 million sales according to her website. The theme of her albums tell the stories of a child who is experiencing growing into adulthood and a messy child in her most vulnerable state. According to Martinez in a recent interview with Variety Magazine, the new EP follows the story elements that are present in her sophomore album, "K-12." However, the songs will be more personal to Melanie rather than relating to her character "Cry Baby".
That theme follows into her new single "Copy Cat" telling accusing a friend of coping her style and trying to make it big. According to Billboard, it is a visual dream world of the 24-year-old's own making of whimsical, highly dramatized verison of school life, filled with pastels, magic, oversized hair bows, and baby doll dresses. The chours reading: "You're the copy cat You take it then you leave it Honey, just like that You're falling flat You find someone like me to bring you up right back up right back Copy Cat." Martinez included American rapper Tierra Whack on the her new single In the Atlantic Record press release, Whack said, “Martinez is the sweetest, most realist, most genuine person I have ever met.”
In the press release, Martinez announced her major North American headline tour produced by Live Nation - her biggest tour and stage production yet to date. For the first time, Martinez will make her way to the William Saroyan Theatre on July 15, 2020. Martinez has partnered with PLUS1 for the “K-12 Tour '' to support crisis intervention and sucide prevention services for the LGBTQ youth. She is also partnering with the Trevor Project for her US dates, and local organizations to support and empower the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ communities. Tickets are now on sale to the general public. Citi is the official presale credit card of the "K-12" Tour. Tickets rage from $50 to $300. For more tour date or price information,visit melaniemartinez.com and Ticketmaster.com
A&E
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
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'Covenants' showcases a variety of contemporary dance styles
By Avery Johnston & Alex Yanez Reporter/Contributor Bodies were rising from the dead as they laythere concealed by plastic. Hands were reaching from the beyond. This isn’t a scene from a movie-- it was a part of Fresno State’s Contemporary Dance Ensemble show,"Covenants. " The ensemble debuted its program at the John Wright Theatre on Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. 'Covenants" was performed by the Dance 163 course offered by Fresno State and consists of 15 cast members. The show was choreographed by Kenneth Balint, Farrah Mcadam, Anandha Ray and Zachary Segovia. The ensemble began working on the show last fall. The name of the show comes from the title of one of the six dances performed. Each dance has a new theme and inspiration for it. The first dance, “The Whole Piece,” started off upbeat accompanied with music by Missy Elliot and Bruno Mars. Cast members enjoyed a slice of pizza while demonstrating a hip-hop dance. The cast dressed up like an episode of Saved by the Bell
and danced. Things got darker in the dance called “The Gathering.” Cast members were lying on the floor presumably dead with their hands raised from the grave reaching out. One by one, they were uncovered and a collection of bodies turned into a collaborative dance. Balint said the inspiration for “The Gathering” was “to offer a glimpse of the beneath the surface longings we all have as human beings." Covenant was the star of the show and rather than using the 15 members of the cast, it only featured three as they were lined up behind one another creating the illusion of one person. The lighting was dark and the music was eerie featuring many different composers. The dance was like a scene from American Horror Story and transcended the audience into a darker world. The show ends with a piece called “4CB” that tools the audience through a 1940s-like era, ending the show with a heartfelt look at the past. Confetti was released as the final dance took place. According to choreographer and artistic director Kenneth Balint, the inspiration was the
Avery Johnston • The Collegian
The cast of "Covenants" stands for applause at their opening show in The John Wright Theatre at Fresno State on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. idea of a fun dance looking back at past dance styles within the framework of hanging out with friends. Balint, has been at working at Fresno State since 2001. Balint has also had a 20 year career in professional dance. “'Covenants' represents the artistic work of four choreographers, fifteen talented dancers, and numerous behind-the-scenes artistic collaborators,” said Balint. Balint expects the performance to go well and he appreciates the time his students have put in through practice. “So they are short ten-minute dance works. Each have their own individual scene. I’ve choreographed two of them,” said Balint. “We’ve got a student choreographer who is title, ‘choreographer in residence’, who has done another one. Which is a real beautiful piece.” Balint also said that the Fresno State Dance Program students working on the performance had training from outside guest artists to train on one scene. “I think it is an awesome process. Creating the content and teaching the dancers the content, and perfecting it,” said Balint. “And getting on to see the final product on stage with an audience and lights and costumes. It’s a great process.” Balint is always looking for that support in order to fund future projects within the theatre and dance program, which comes from Associated Student Inc. at Fresno State.
These meetings for future funding are usually held in March said Balint. “The students have worked so hard and we try to publicize and advertise to the campus community to come out and see them and usually they are well supported,” said Balint. “ And I’m hoping again that this year they are supported.” “The students have worked so hard and we try to publicize and advertise to the campus community to come out and see them and usually they are well supported,” said Balint. “And I’m hoping again that this year they are supported.” Eric Olsen, a theatre major at Fresno State, works at the box office for the department of theatre arts. Olsen said he sells five to fifteen customers during his two-hour shifts when working at the box office. “My expectations for the show, I’ve seen a couple dance performances from last year. I really enjoy them. It’s a neat opportunity to watch the students dance and stuff,” said Olsen. “It’s pretty cool and they put a whole act together and there’s lighting and everything. So that is neat. So I’m excited to see this one.” "Covenants" will be performed again Feb. 18 through 22 at 7:30 p.m. with a daytime showing on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. in the John Wright Theatre at Fresno State. Tickets are $17 for general admission, $15 for staff, alumni, seniors citizens, and military and $10 for all students.
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
PAGE 8
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Gender should not indicate your innocence
By Enoc Villlarreal
Fresno State biology student
For instance, an incident emerged on December 18, 2018 when actress Amber Heard published an Op-Ed on The Washington Post about her personal abuse. That post sparked massive outrage toward Johnny Depp, Heard’s former husband, that led to a loss of numerous film opportunities and ostracization for the actor. Nevertheless, audio recordings recent-
Courtesy Tribune News Service
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp at the Art Of Elysium's Ninth Annual Heaven Gala, held at the 3LABS on Jan. 9, 2016 in Culver City, California. ly published reveal Heard admitting having abused Depp. She even mocks him for not retaliating as he reiterates that he has had to walk
away multiple times due to her recurring abuse. Heard even attempts to discredit him and portray herself as the victim although the re-
cording reveals that Depp is the genuine victim in this situation. This incident epitomizes how individuals, like Amber, can make unfounded malicious allegations towards Depp that perpetuate mindless and unjustified perceptions that men are automatically guilty without due process. Just because a woman makes this sort of claim does not mean we ought to immediately believe her. Women can also be violent, manipulative, and deceitful because they are humans subjected to fault, wrath, and a desire to benefit. Consequently, as a society governed by the rule of law, we should make the greatest efforts to remain objective and let the evidence speak for itself to ensure justice for all. Everyone should be considered innocent until proven guilty, as with Amber Heard, who was considered to be an innocent victim but now appears to be guilty according to the evidence presented.
The real world without Instagram filters By Avery Johnston Reporter
I feel like I shouldn’t have to remind everyone Instagram models aren’t real-- but I’m going to. I thought we were over the phase of thinking that people in real life were supposed to look like the people we saw on Instagram. Influencers set a new standard of beauty that people thought was achievable. We all were wondering if people on Instagram really looked like that. If they did, why don't the people we see in real life look like that? If they don't, they were just ugly. Typing the words makes me realize how ridiculous this thought process was, and it doesn't
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.
even seem logical. Unfortunately, not only was it unrealstic, it's still revelant today. How did we even let an app decide what the new standard of beauty was? Before that we had television and movies, but this was different. Of course there was a certain amount of editing done in the media to make people look better, but then there were magazines. Magazines added a whole other layer of unrealistic expectations. It was a picture that could so easily be manipulated or edited to make people look better. If you think about it, that’s basically what Instagram is now. But now they use apps to edit their photos to make themselves look better, and then the dangerous part: they post the picture. To the
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person posting the picture, this is harmless. It’s not like they are telling us we need to look like
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Staff Reporter Social Media Director General Sales Manage National Sales Manager Art Director Distributor General Manager Financial Manager Advertising Faculty Adviser Editorial Faculty Adviser MCJ Department Chair
that, but our brain is telling us something else. After day in and day out of seeing those photos, your brain starts to catalog those as “real” people and how “real” people can look. I constantly hear other people comparing real people to people they see on Instagram. This was a big problem at first when influencers became a thing, but now it’s gotten even worse. When I log out of Instagram and venture out into the real world, it’s a completely different scene. People aren’t less attractive because of an app, they are real people. Sure, I love to scroll through feed and see what trends people are following-- but I also live in the real world and I’d like to think everyone else is living with me.
Vendila Yang Julease Graham Diane O'Canto Jacob Mullick Jeff Vinogradoff Jorge Rodriguez Richard Marshall Kevin Fries Jan Edwards Timothy Drachlis Betsy Hays
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 a 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 © 2020 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.
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
PAGE 9
Considerations to make when voting in the Valley
By Rachel Lewis Reporter Though most people have an ambivalence or even an outright disdain for politics, it is a crucial part of our society. The bills that are passed and pursued by the representatives we elect have lasting impacts on our society. Whether it be bills on the environment, on water, on civil rights and liberties or on the economy, politics is essential. With this in mind, everyone should have at least the slightest desire to participate in voting and make use of their rights for civic engagement. No matter your party or political views, you should express what you desire by casting a ballot and voting for representatives, propositions and measures that will directly have an impact on the life you lead. When making considerations for representatives, however, I would caution voters to not align themselves so readily to the status quo or incumbent candidates. By allowing a candidate to represent the Valley election cycle after election cycle, we endorse a level of comfort that
allows representatives to ignore their constituents. There are representatives within the Valley who have not held a town hall in over a decade, who rarely visit the Valley and who ignore phone calls, emails and letters from concerned citizens who are attempting to make changes to their communities. These types of officials are not the ones we should be allowing to continue representing the Valley because they are not adequately representing us. No matter party preference, representatives should make themselves available to their constituents in order to ensure that they are held accountable and informed about what issues constituents find most pertinent. What kind of message does it send about the importance of Fresno when our own representatives do not take the time to visit us? If we want to be taken seriously as a city, valley and community by the rest of California and the nation, we need to elect representatives who demonstrate Fresno and Valley pride. Though we have representatives holding prestigious seats on congressional boards re-
Courtesy Tribune News Service
lating to Valley priorities, those representatives may not be adequately expressing what the Valley needs because they have not gone out of their way to interact with constituents they represent. When voting in the coming elections, keep
in mind the priorities and values you want to uphold as a voter. Use your ability to demand adequate representation by upsetting those congressional seats that house people who have proven to be purposefully ignorant and displaced from Valley life and Valley issues.
Student involvement will enhance your experience By Savannah Moore Reporter I don’t know about other students, but I spend the vast majority of my time on campus. In fact, the majority of my life is spent on campus. In my early college years, I had a “get in and get out” mentality. The moment I was out of class, it was a race to get back to my car and back home to my family, television and homework. At that time, college was tolerable. Nothing exciting, just something I had to do. It was a checkmark on my to-do list. College was the bridge I had to cross in order to graduate and get my real life started. However, for many people, college takes up many of our young adult years, four of them to be exact, and sometimes more. This survival mentality I had just wasn’t going to cut it. There had to be more to this college experience than taking tests and passing classes each semester. And there is. I found a new dynamic to college through student involvement. For many years, this was a dynamic to my education that I had been completely overlook-
Vendila Yang • The Collegian
Fresno State’s student night crowd during the women’s basketball game against San Jose State at the Save Mart Center on Feb. 12, 2020. ing and tons of opportunities I’d been ignoring. Once I took advantage of some of the opportunities the college offered, I found myself enjoying my college experience more. By stepping out of my comfort zone and taking a few leaps of faith, I was not only improving my college experience, but growing into a better student. Getting involved with clubs and other activities was a choice I am glad I made.
Our campus offers students numerous ways to get involved. There’s sports games, special events, volunteer opportunities and clubs to join. It’s a great way for students to take their college experience to another level. Often, with a student ID, students can get free tickets and a free guest pass to upcoming men’s basketball games. Fresno State’s Student Involvement offers
programs to students on leadership and event planning. More information about events can be found on the Student Involvement page on the Fresno State website. There are numerous clubs for students to join. Student Involvement also offers volunteer opportunities for them to serve their school, like helping out with the upcoming Vintage Days. There are opportunities on this campus for students, meant to get students involved with the campus and peers they will spend years of their lives with, and it is up to students to utilize these resources. Students should be involved on their campus. Getting involved on campus isn’t a waste of time, or even difficult, but instead an amazing way for students to step up, meet new people and serve their college campus. It’s a way for students to grow and become more connected with their campus and its community. Getting involved with your campus is one of the best ways for students to take their college experience to another level.
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
PAGE 10
Softball dominates Fresno State Kickoff Classic By Marc Anthony Lopez Reporter
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the bases were loaded for freshman Alesia Denby. With one strike in the count, Denby took a hefty swing at the ball. At the crack of the bat, St. Mary’s infielders and Fresno State’s baserunners all looked up in the air to follow the ball. Bulldog players and the Red Wave that were in attendance started jumping in excitement. The freshman had just hit a walk-off grand slam to force the run-rule and clinch victory against the visiting St. Mary Gaels 10-0, leaving the Bulldogs undefeated on the weekend. “One thing that was awesome was just being able to come out to Margie Wright Diamond and see all the people that were here,” said Bulldogs head coach Linda Garza. “We’re super grateful to be able to have that kind of showing. It was one hell of a weekend of offense. I’m super proud of our dogs.” The grand slam was only one piece of Denby’s dominant performance against the Gaels. Denby finished the game 3-for-4 with two triples, a grand slam, two runs and eight RBIs (runs batted in). She was just one RBI short of breaking the Mountain West (MW) record for the most RBIs in a single game.
Vendila Yang • The Collegian
Freshman Alesia Denby (5) at-bat against Cal Poly during the Fresno State Kickoff Classic on Feb. 14, 2020. Fresno State’s Lindsey Willmon set the MW record back in 2016 against Boise State. “It feels really good,” said Denby on her first collegiate grand slam. “Last weekend I really didn’t do well, but I just wanted to bounce back and do it for my team. I think it was just really fun to be at [Margie Wright Diamond].” Along with Denby hitting the game-winning dagger, she also sealed a combined no-hitter
Bulldogs water polo wins big at the Aggie Classic By Zaeem Shaikh
Sports Editor
The No. 12 Fresno State women’s water polo team won two out of three games at the Aggie Classic on Saturday and Sunday against No. 18 Pacific 12-7 and No. 14 UC Davis 12-10. On Saturday, the Bulldogs split two games, losing 8-6 to No. 1 Stanford and beating the Pacific Tigers. Against the Stanford Cardinals, Bulldogs center Emily Nicholson led the team with three goals and two steals. For the Bulldogs, Paula Nieto Jasny grabbed 12 saves and snagged four steals. Fresno State traded goals with Stanford, but the Cardinals pulled away in the fourth, scoring a goal with 1:45 left. In the second game on Saturday, the Bulldogs won the sprint, and Daphne Guevremont and Nicholson scored two goals to put them
ahead 2-0 against the Tigers. Both teams battled, but the ‘Dogs created some separation with back-to-back goals by Callie Woodruff. Pacific closed the deficit to one in the second quarter after scoring two goals. In the second half, the Bulldogs scored six runs and held the Tigers to two, closing out the game for their first win of the tournament. Bulldogs head coach Natalie Benson said she was really proud of the team’s effort on Saturday. “It was a good day for us, splitting our day with a win, and having a four-quarter battle with the defending National Champion,” Benson said. On Sunday, the ‘Dogs had a back-and-forth battle with the Aggies. The game was tied four times, but the Bulldogs won in the fourth off two goals from Emily Diacono and Guevremont.
for starting pitcher Haley Dolcini and Danielle East. Dolicini threw for five innings, allowed four walks and struck out six Gaels’ batters while East threw one shutout inning. The last time Fresno State threw a no-hitter was in East’s freshman year against the University of New Mexico, where she struck out a career-high 15 batters. “The first inning was a rough start trying to figure out what the strike zone was going to be like all day,” Garza said. “Finally, I felt like she settled in and managed to scatter the balls that were being contacted.” The Bulldogs swept their five-game tournament defeating the likes of Cal Poly and Fordham on Friday, Fordham again and Cal on Saturday and St. Mary’s for the final game of the tournament. The second game against Fordham on Saturday ended 10-1 in five innings with the runrule enforced. Senior Haley Fuller was the offensive leader against Fordham, hitting two hits in two at-bats, a three-run home run, a single and four RBIs. Redshirt freshman Dariana Orme held the Rams scoreless through four full innings and recorded two strikeouts and two hits. Against Cal, senior Miranda Rohleder went
2-for-3 with a home run, a single and two RBIs. As a team, Fresno State tied its season-high of 11 hits against Cal. Starting pitcher Danielle Lung held Cal scoreless up until the fourth inning. Cal started off the inning hitting three consecutive hits and scoring two runs. Cal would tally its final run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Lung pitched a full five innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts. Fresno State went on to beat Cal 9-3. The ‘Dogs’ offense finished the Fresno State Kickoff scoring 50 runs, 47 hits, 46 RBIs, 12 triples, four home runs and a team batting average of .379. Denby also had her breakout at the classic, logging nine hits in 15 at-bats, nine runs, four triples, one grand slam, 13 RBIs and a weekend batting average of .600. Denby’s weekend performance also earned her the MW Softball Player of the Week. This is Denby’s first career accolade. Following the dominant home-opener weekend, Fresno State traveled to the Bay Area to take on the Stanford Cardinals. The Cardinals managed to tie the Bulldogs in the 6th inning and force extra innings. With the bases loaded, the Cardinals hit a walk-off grand slam to defeat the ‘Dogs 7-3.
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
PAGE 11
Armando Carreno • The Collegian
Pitcher Nik Cardinal (42) comes in relief against the UC Irvine Anteaters in the first game of the series at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020.
Bulldogs win first home series of the season By Zaeem Shaikh Sports Editor
On Feb. 16, Fresno State baseball catcher Zach Presno was at the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Bulldogs were down by one. Despite trailing 9-4 in the fourth, Fresno State now had the chance to take the lead with left fielder Ryan Higgins on third base. UC Irvine pitcher John Vergara fired a fastball to Presno, and he slammed it to right field for a two-run homer that gave the ‘Dogs their first lead of the game. The Bulldogs went on to win that game 12-10 on Sunday’s series finale at Pete Beiden Field. The Fresno State (2-1) split the first two games with the Anteaters on Friday and Saturday. The Bulldogs won the first game, 2-1, and the Anteaters took the second,12-6. On opening night, the two starting pitchers — Bulldogs’ Jaime Arias and Anteaters’ Trenton Denholm went toe-to-toe. Both pitchers were All-Americans last season, and both finished the game with strong performances. In his seventh career win for the Bulldogs, Arias had three strikeouts, gave up three hits and one run in six innings. Denholm pitched for 5.2 innings, had six strikeouts and two walks
along with giving up three runs. Bulldogs’ head coach Mike Batesole said Arias came out strong on Friday. “Jaime came out and beat an All-American,” Batesole said. “I think he knew going in, that guy [Denholm] was an All-American. Jaime was an All-American last year and wasn’t a preseason All-American, so I’m pretty sure that was in his craw a little bit tonight.” The Anteaters’ lone run came in the third from right fielder Nathan Church. He singled up the middle for the Anteaters’ second hit of the night and scored off a single to left field by center fielder Mike Peabody. Anteaters’ head coach Ben Orloff said he was impressed by Church’s play on Friday. “He’s a great player,” Orloff said. “That was his first college game ever, so he’s going to be a really good player for us.” The ‘Dogs only racked up a total of four hits, but scored all their runs on home runs. Bulldogs right fielder Nate Thimjon hit a solo homer along the left-field line to tie the game, and shortstop Jeff Jamison slammed the ball to left-center field near the scoreboard for a tworun blast, giving Fresno State a 3-1 lead. The Anteaters would never take the lead back as the ‘Dogs held them scoreless for the rest of the game.
On Saturday, Fresno State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after Presno launched his first home run of the season with runners on first and second base, Higgins and Thimjon, respectively. UC Irvine, however, countered with three runs in the fifth and sixth, tying the game at 3-3. The teams began trading runs at this point, but the Anteaters created separation with four runs in the seventh. Still, the ‘Dogs got within one run and were trailing 7-6 after Presno hit a solo home run to right-center. The Anteaters continued to score, adding five more runs in the final two innings to earn their first win of the season. With the series split at 1-1, Sunday was the deciding game, and both teams fought to gain a winning record. Sunday’s game featured strong offensive performances from both teams as the Anteaters and Bulldogs tallied 14 and 15 hits, respectively. For the ‘Dogs, 10 different players tallied a hit and scored a run. UC Irvine scored nine runs in the first three innings while the ‘Dogs scored four runs in the second and third off a three-run home run by Jamison and an RBI single by redshirt freshman Zach Morgan. The Bulldog bullpen led by Alex Kendrick
and Julian Sotelo was able to slow down the Anteaters in the fourth, fifth and sixth, limiting them to zero runs and three hits. In the seventh, Morgan hit a single to right-center and added two RBIs as Nick Berry and Thimjon scored. In the eighth inning, Anteaters first baseman Adrian Damla hit a single up the middle and added an RBI as Peabody scored. After that run, the ‘Dogs held the Anteaters to zero hits and scored six hits and six runs, including Presno’s home run, to take a 12-10 lead. After the game, Batesole spoke about opening the season with a winning record. “It is early and just one game, but it is a gigantic different feeling coming back to practice this week being 2-1 instead of 1-2, especially how this game went. We would be kicking ourselves about how we played early in the game,” Batesole said. “It would be a whole different feel around here, and it was pretty electric in the clubhouse after the game and how high it was. It would have been about as low if we didn't finish it, so it is bigger than one game.” After a stellar performance this past weekend, Presno earned his first career Mountain West Player of the Week honors. At the plate, Presno hit .417, smacking three home runs, scoring four runs, adding six RBIs and slugging 1.250.
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
PAGE 12
Women's basketball takes Mountain West outright By Zaeem Shaikh Sports Editor
After winning the last two games against Utah State and San Jose State, the Fresno State women’s basketball team claimed the Mountain West regular-season title. On Wednesday, the Bulldogs were caught in a back-and-forth battle against the Spartans. In the final minute of the game, San Jose State guard Fieme’a Hafoka drained a three-pointer to give the Spartans a two-point lead, 76-74. After Fresno State guard Hanna Cavinder turned the ball over, the ‘Dogs’ winning streak was on the line as they were forced to foul to extend the game. With over 30 seconds left in the game, Fresno State used all three of their fouls to give and had one more chance to steal the ball. With no fouls left, Bulldogs forward Maddi Utti stepped up, picking off the inbound pass from Spartans guard Ayzhiana Basallo and passing it to Cavinder. In transition, Cavinder passed it to Bulldogs forward Wytalla Motta who hit the game-tying layup with 25 seconds left. After the Bulldogs made a stop on the defensive end, they called a 30-second timeout
Armando Carreno • The Collegian
Fresno State women’s basketball team celebrate its Moutain West title, clinching win in front of the student section at the Save Mart Center on Wednesday Feb. 12, 2020. to draw a play and substituted junior Bree Delaney. On the inbounds pass, Delaney threw an alley-oop to Utti under the basket, putting the Bulldogs up 78-76. After the game, Fresno State head coach
Jaime White shared her emotions after the win. “I thought looking out and seeing the crowd, the kids, hoop club members, the students that came out and supported us and the band who is with us day-in and day-out — they are all apart
of this,” White said. “This is their championship just as much as it's ours.” On Feb. 12, Fresno State only secured a share of the championship, but they secured the championship in the win against the Aggies on Saturday. The Bulldogs shot 48.4 percent (31-of-64) from the field and held the Aggies to 34.8 percent (24-of-69). Fresno State built up a double-digit lead at the end of the first half, 42-31, and continued to build up their lead to 18. The ‘Dogs held a huge advantage in the paint with 46 points inside to the Aggies’ 20. The win moved the Bulldogs’ winning streak to 14 and marked their 19th win when scoring over 70 points. Utti and Cavinder led the ‘Dogs with 18 and 20 points, respectively. Cavinder grabbed her ninth 20-point game of the season and is now nine points (412) away from Jaleesa Ross’ Bulldog freshman scoring record at 421. Cavinder was named Mountain West Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for three 20-point games against UNLV, San Jose State and Utah State. It was the second time that the freshman from Gilbert, Arizona received the honor.
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