February 5, 2020

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Book Bargains Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Kennel online program gains Page 5 popularity Armando Carreno • The Collegian

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NEWS

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NEWS Francine Oputa receives trailblazer award WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter Francine Oputa, director of the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, was honored at the Black History Month Awards Banquet presented by the African-American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley (AAHCMSJV).

The museum annually presents trailblazer awards recognizing African-Americans throughout the San Joaquin Valley who continue to be devoted and inspirational to their community by their careers.

Oputa has received awards and recognition in “The 24 Women of Influence by KSEE Channel 24,” a social action award by Temple Beth Israel, “Top Ten Professional Women” by the

Marjaree Mason Center, women of color award for motivating youth, and more. “[This award] is moving because that is not why you do what you do; you do what you do because you believe in it and your heart is in it,” said Oputa. “It is honored to be recognized, but when it is your own people it is particularly sweet and particularly touching that your community recognizes you.”

The award was meaningful for Oputa because she is a transplant into the San Joaquin Valley and the award solidifies her true meaning of being an integral part of the Fresno community.

A most unforgettable moment for Oputa was watching the audience members as they all stood up for her, which had come unexpectedly for her.

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In 2009, the museum started the trailblazers event recognizing 25 people at that time, but it has decreased to 12 trailblazers due to time and long speeches.

“I like that this event lands in the Black History Month,” said Gregory Melancon, museum director of operations. “I like everything about it, and there is not one thing that I like more than the other.”

The museum was founded in 1986 by retired Fresno City police Sgt. Jack A. Kelley and his wife Rosa. Kelley was known in the community as an icon and champion for racial harmony, his generosity and more.

Co-founder Jesse McDonald, Jr. who was a dedicated community leader who participated in numerous civil rights activities throughout his life, helped Kelley raise the money to estab-

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lished the AAHCMSJV in Fresno.

As the event continued, many people greeted and congratulated the 12 trailblazers for their outstanding work.

Former Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer had announced Oputa’s award acknowledging her work. He commented that Oputa should run for mayor.

For Oputa, running for mayor would not be something that she is interested in.

She enjoys working with the students and that is where her calling is, with students and the community.

“I hope that people understand how important it is to give back to your community not for the recognition, but the recognition is an indication that the community needs us especially our students,” said Oputa.

Pro-life Fresno State students speak at Trump Rally

By Ashleigh Panoo Contributor Fresno State pro-life activists were invited to a rally for President Donald Trump in early January, where they met the president and shared their personal stories in front of a large crowd.

“It was an honor to be chosen to speak at the event, and it was an amazing experience,” said Bernadette Tasy, the former president of Fresno State’s anti-abortion group, Students For Life.

Tasy and Jessica Riojas, the current vice president of Students For Life, were invited to King Jesus International Ministry, a megachurch in Miami, to speak on Jan. 3. The event was the launch of the Evangelicals for Trump coalition.

Riojas, 26, told the story about how she chose life for her daughter, and how she credits the Students For Life organization for changing her stance on abortion.

Riojas, a graduate student studying speech pathology, said she happened to be walking by a Students for Life table about three years ago and saw a model of a fetus.

“I just took one and I put one in my car,” she said. “All of a sudden a couple weeks later, I find out I’m pregnant.”

Riojas was planning on getting an abortion.

“I thought this would be the best way,” she

said. “I thought having an abortion was going to fix everything.”

But she looked at the baby model in her car every day, and that changed her mind.

“The model helped me humanize my daughter,” she said.

Today, her daughter Eden is two years old and Riojas is the vice president of Students For Life at Fresno State.

Eden was able to watch her mom give her speech in Florida on TV. Riojas said when she received the email inviting her to speak at the rally, she thought it might be a prank.

“I didn’t believe it,” she said. “Me, coming from the Central Valley? My words and my story were cared about by the president of the United States?”

Tasy, who graduated with her master’s degree, now heads the young adult movement, Fresno Pro-Life Future.

She spoke at the event about her struggles with free speech at Fresno State. A court found a professor who wiped out anti-abortion chalk messages from the group in 2017 to be in the wrong, and Tasy said the group continues to battle to be heard.

“Though we face several struggles, we know that our fight is worth it,” she said. “Stories like Jessica’s help to remind us that our work changes hearts and minds and saves lives.”

The two were able to meet Trump before the

rally and take a photo with him.

Staff contacted Tasy and Riojas about a week before the rally, and they underwent background checks before they were flown to Florida, Riojas said.

Riojas said she was nervous because she

didn’t realize how many people were going to be at the rally, but she was proud to tell the world about her daughter.

“It feels so exciting as a mom talking about your daughter and your kid,” she said.

“Everyone was so happy that I chose life.”

Courtesy of Bernadette Tasy

From left, Bernadette Tasy, President Donald Trump and Jessica Riojas pose for a photo before Tasy and Riojas speak at an Evangelicals for Trump event in South Florida on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

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THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

Data concerning Fresno police misinterpreted

By Rachel Lewis Reporter Officer Todd Williams started his career at the Fresno Police Department in the patrol unit. He worked long hours, having to respond to constant distress calls from around the city.

After working at Fresno PD for 18 years, Williams made the move to the Fresno State Police Department where he is also an officer in the patrol unit. After three years of working at Fresno State, Williams has found the workload and work environment to be more manageable.

“The reason why I chose Fresno State over Fresno municipal is that it is nice,” said Williams. “It’s a different mentality here, it’s a large family.”

Williams’ desire to leave Fresno PD contrasts with a recent study, conducted by AdvisorSmith, that found Fresno to be one of the best cities to be a police officer out of 374 cities studied. These findings were based on an officer’s average annual salary, the cost of living index and job density.

Though these data points reveal Fresno to be above the national average, the study did not analyze a Fresno police officer’s quality of life and workload.

According to Justin Saeheng, an analyst from AdvisorSmith, the research was centered around quantitative, empirical data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The research is meant to provide citizens with resources surrounding what areas will allow workers to make the most out of their careers.

AdvisorSmith’s research, however, did not look into job demands or officer job satisfaction.

In Fresno, some police officers like Williams, who worked for Fresno PD for nearly 20 years, are leaving to work within other law enforcement agencies.

President of the Fresno Police Officers’ Association Todd Fraizer said officers are leaving because the department is overworked and understaffed.

“The department is understaffed and is having a hard time keeping up with attrition,” said Fraizer. “We have officers doing double duties to make minimum staffing requirements.”

Fraizer said that Fresno is, on paper, a great place to be an officer, but it has faced innumerable difficulties related to attracting and retaining officers.

Not only are other local law enforcement agencies trying to recruit Fresno police officers, but also agencies out of Los Angeles, the

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

Fresno Police Department car parked in front of Fresno State Police Department on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.

Bay Area, other Valley agencies and private employers who have been able to hire officers at higher rates due to the United States’ progressing economy, according to Fraizer.

“We lose officers to private companies because they offer a better quality of life.

Officers in the private industry work 9 to 5, but Fresno officers are on call 24/7 between court arraignments, scheduled shifts and rounds,” said Fraizer. Understaffing has made the demands of the job even greater, he said.

Fresno PD, which currently employs around 800 officers, is meant to have over 900 officers, but the city has not been able to attract enough officers to fill these positions.

An attempt was made to contact a representative from the Fresno Police Department, but it did not make anyone available to discuss staffing issues.

Fraizer said Fresno has been trying to fill these staff vacancies by increasing officer salaries, offering officers one of the most competitive retirement plans in California, competitive medical benefits as well as other fringe benefits like paid time off and overtime pay.

“We want to attract the top tier people and the city realizes they have to pay well to keep people working in this challenging environment, but it’s hard when we have to compete against other law enforcement agencies,” said Fraizer.

Fresno’s efforts, however, have yet to keep some officers like Williams who need a change of pace. Being a Fresno State police officer has

provided Williams with that opportunity to slow down and connect with victims.

“The quality of life is a lot better here for me, not just personally but by speaking with other officers and the staff that we have,” said

Williams. “This job, plugging into the quality of life here and with the quality of the job and the position, you can be very personable. In contrast to the city where you just go, go, go, go.”

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THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

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Disablities office continues goal of helping students

By Jace Dille Contributor Most Fresno State students have the goal to get a degree in the area that they are pursuing.

But for students with special needs, that goal may not be as easy.

To make that goal easier for those students, Fresno State has the Services for SSD, located in the Henry Madden Library.

Founded in 1973, the SSD serves as “A resource for students with disabilities to achieve academic, cultural and social excellence,” according to the SSD mission statement.

“We serve any disability with a diagnosis,” said SSD director Jeannie Johnson. “If there is a barrier to attending school and they have a disability, they will be providing accommodations.”

Johnson is the administrator of the SSD program, making sure that students’ concerns about accessibility are addressed on campus.

She also oversees finances and sits on the President’s Committee on Disability and Access (PCDA) and Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI).

“We serve students with a variety of disabilities, including ADHD, ADD, deaf, chronic illnesses, cancer, mobility impairments, mental health, and many more,” Johnson said. “We also provide temporary services for students, including someone who breaks their leg for example.”

There are nine full-time staff members at the SSD office. These include Johnson herself, in addition to an accommodation specialist, two counselors, an assistive technology coordinator, a reading coordinator, a testing coordinator, a program assistant that handles the day-to-day activities of the SSD office, and a lead interpretive coordinator.

The counselors are the first to meet with students, and they help start services for the students. The assistive technology coordinator teaches students how to use technology based accommodations, and the testing coordinator is responsible for ensuring that every exam is in the right format and has arrived at the SSD office prior to a student taking that exam.

In addition, the reading coordinator does research on books for a student’s classes and makes sure they are in accessible formats. The lead interpretive coordinator makes sure a student’s request for interpreters is fulfilled.

There are three positions for students at the SSD office. Students can work at the front desk, where they handle appointments to see staff members, as well as handle anything pertaining

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

Services for Students with Disabilities office inside the Henry Madden Library. to the calendar and filing. Students also work in the testing department, by serving as proctors for tests, communicating with instructors about getting exams into the SSD office if necessary, and checking on students while they are testing.

Students also serve SSD’s lab production team, where instructional material is converted into accessible formats.

Johnson also acknowledges some of the challenges involving SSD, including the demand for interpreting services.

“We have lots of interpreters, but they’re part time. We’re doing what we need to do in order to help students,” said Johnson. “But those students are becoming more active on campus, and with the limited availability of interpreters, we have to do a little bit of outsourcing outside of campus.”

Another challenge that the SSD office deals with is that of awareness. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 11.3 percent of undergraduates in college report one or more disabilities. SSD currently serves 3.3 percent of Fresno State students.

Johnson recalled a personal example about how she found out about the SSD office. “I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I

was a student at Fresno State,” she said. “I was at the point where I couldn’t make a fist, and it was very painful for me to do that.”

“It took a year and a half to get diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I went to the health center when it got worse, and they did a blood test and discovered I had rheumatoid arthritis,” Johnson added.

“I never really knew it existed until I was in graduate school. It would be nice for faculty and staff to be aware, so that way if students talk about the disabilities with friends or staff, that they can receive services with SSD,” Johnson said.

In order to set up services with the SSD office, a student first needs to self-identify as having a disability, in addition to having documentation that confirms that they have a disability. The documentation can be in the forms of an IEP, or Individualized Educational Plan, or a 504.

Then, the student meets with one of the two counselors, and in that meeting, they discuss the student’s disability, functional limitations, and any other issues. Afterward, the counselor and the student come up with an accommodation plan based on what they feel like would

allow the student to reach the same amount of success to that of their peers.

After that, the student can write down all their classes and list the appropriate accommodations that they would need for that class.

Later, the SSD office provides the student with letters in which the student can deliver to their instructors. These letters list all the necessary accommodations that the student needs.

There are a variety of services that SSD provides, including reading services, note-taking services, testing services, counseling, accessible furniture, and SCOUT transportation.

With reading services, instructional materials can be provided to students in an accessible format. According to Johnson, “A lot of students use text to speech, and ‘Read and Write.’” Read and write allows students to hear text spoken.

There are also various note taking services, including a volunteer note taker. With the volunteer note taker, the instructor will ask for a note taker but not mention who needs the note taker. The SSD office also provides digital recorders and the LiveScribe pen, in which the latter can record lectures while the student is writing information down. The LiveScribe pen does require a specific notebook.

In addition, the SSD office provides services to help students when it comes to test taking.

These services include extended time on exams, accessible formats, enlarging the text, blue paper, adjustable tables. Also, some students can have someone read the test out loud to them, or write down everything that the student says.

The SSD office also has two counselors, who in addition to setting up accommodation plans with the student, can help students with problem solving or any concerns involving classes.

Other services that the SSD provides include SCOUT transportation, and adjustable furniture in the classroom. With SCOUT transportation, the SSD office provides a schedule so drivers will know where to be at what time in the day. Afterward, Fresno State’s Traffic Operations go around and pick up students, and take them to where they need to be.

If the student wants to use adjustable furniture, the student needs to communicate with SSD if they need furniture. Accessible furniture is meant for students who are not be able to use normal furniture, and allows for those students to accomplish tasks that involve the use of furniture, such as taking notes for example.

The Services for Students with Disabilities office is located in the Henry Madden Library, Room 1202. Their office is open Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

PAGE 5

Kennel reinvents itself with largest IA

By Breanna Hardy Contributor Online booksellers have allowed students to save money on course materials at the expense of brick-and-mortar college bookstores.

But Kennel Bookstore at Fresno State has utilized Immediate Access (IA) courses to compete with online pricing while staying within students’ budgets.

Dusty Guthier, course materials manager for Kennel Bookstore, said that over the past few years, IA courses have grown exponentially, allowing students to purchase cheaper books that live in students’ Canvas accounts.

“We started with nine courses. We started with about 400 students. This semester is our largest semester in three years,” he said. “We have 14,500 students in the program. We have 326 courses, and we have a savings calculation of over $2 million in savings to the students in this program, and that’s just for spring ‘20.”

Guthier admitted that online booksellers have made it difficult to compete with students’ budgets.

“We understand that books are expensive, and we want them to understand that we are looking for all kinds of ways to keep costs low,” he said. “Our first priority is not making money; our first priority is and always will be students, and it doesn’t do a bookstore any good if you can’t service the students by looking at the profit dollars.”

Guthier said the costs are lowered for Kennel Bookstore as well because shipping, returning and labor costs are eliminated with IA courses.

“Obviously online competition has hurt a lot of bookstores, only because they have the ability to offer a lower price that we can offer, because we are pricing based on the publisher’s price to us,” Guthier said.

The Kennel Bookstore won’t always be the cheapest nor the most expensive. Nevertheless, Guthier encourages students to find the cheapest vendor, assuming it’s the correct book for the class.

He has described IA as a “win-win” for both faculty and students.

Faculty know students have the correct course materials, and students automatically receive the book on the first day of the semester at a fraction of the cost.

Students can choose whether to opt in or out of the program, allowing them to stay in control of how much money they spend on books. The program has grown in popularity because of its benefits.

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

The Kennel Bookstore at Fresno State has utilized Immediate Access (IA) courses to compete with online pricing while staying within students’ budgets, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.

14,500

BY THE NUMBERS

Students in IA program calculated to save over $2 million.

Guthier explained the science behind cheap books from online vendors – and the low prices don’t last long. When there is a surplus of books from the publisher, online vendors sell them for a fraction of the cost. That surplus will run out and the price will go back up, he warned.

“Online is only as good as the surplus that they have. So once you run out of the surplus, or if the demand is there, there’s an algorithm in place that raises that price,” Guthier said.

Kona April Vu, a pre-nursing student, said that she appreciates online textbooks because her science books can be expensive.

“There was one semester where I was taking physics, biology and chemistry within the same semester,” Vu said, “and they all had their lab materials and their lab manuals and their textbooks that I had to buy separately. So that was a really expensive year.”

She said that minimal changes in new editions of books can be frustrating.

“Different professors use different books, and they’re not all agreeing on the same textbook,” she said. “And the textbooks, despite that they’re an edition apart, are all the same.

They really are.”

However, some of her professors have accommodated by using lectures to teach newer material, while suggesting students buy an older and cheaper edition of the required textbook.

“I think that professors are now more understanding of how textbooks are becoming really expensive, so they’re allowing us the option to either purchase books from older editions or to utilize the ones that are online,” she said.

Vu also mentioned her appreciation toward professors who are honest about how much students will use the textbooks in their courses. If it’s just a reference rather than an integral part of the course, Vu thinks twice about purchasing the book.

Kelley McCoy, a mass communications professor at Fresno State, said that her textbooks are an integral part of the course.

However, she prefers IA courses because the material is readily available for students on the first day.

“There are also students who prefer to go elsewhere because, quite frankly, they’re still finding lower prices,” McCoy said.

McCoy said that when she started teaching

at Fresno State in 2007, the majority of her students purchased books from Kennel Bookstore.

In recent years, students have been purchasing books from Amazon and other various online book sellers.

But she said IA courses are a way for college bookstores to “stay in the game, so to speak.”

“The cost of textbooks is utterly outrageous, and there are so many other financial demands that students face,” McCoy said, “Any time we can save them money, we should try to do that.”

She said the IA program gives students an opportunity to not pay as much as they would for hardcopies. She also said that it’s more convenient because it’s immediately connected to Canvas, giving students access from day one.

McCoy mentioned that some students opt out of the IA program because they would rather learn from a hardcopy.

“They can make notes in the margins and find it easier to commit information to memory and they actually can interact with pages like that,” McCoy said.

However, Guthier said online books are becoming more interactive and advanced with more options to annotate and highlight throughout the textbooks. w “This is a good opportunity for bookstores, if they so choose, to kind of reinvent themselves in a new digital world,” McCoy said. if they so choose, to kind of reinvent themselves in a new digital world,” McCoy said.

A&E

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Music department to showcase 'Carmina Burana' spring 2020

By Anjanae Freitas A&E Editor The Fresno State music department’s alumni, faculty and students will perform three acts of Carl Off’s “Carmina Burana,” a popular piece for classical music fans.

All proceeds of the two performances will benefit the Music Student Scholarship fund.

“Carmina Burana” focuses on 24 medieval poems in Latin. The works are divided into three sections: “In Spring,” “In the Tavern” and “Court of Love.”

The symphony orchestra and the Fresno State grand chorus will also perform under the direction of Cari Earnhart, who will conduct 150 performers.

Alumni Aaron Burdick and Lim Forgery

will perform as vocal soloists during the show alongside faculty member Maria Briggs.

In a recent Fresno State press release, Matthew Darling, chair of Fresno State department of music, stated, “We are extremely excited to perform this popular work for the Central Valley community and hope to raise significant scholarship funds for our students in the process.”

The concert will take place on March 13 and March 14 at 2:30 p.m. and March 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the general public, $15 for seniors and $5 for students.

Parking will be free in Lots P1 and P31.

For any further questions or information, contact the Fresno State music department at (559) 278-2654.

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

PAGE 6

'The Perspectrum' exhibit to change perspective

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

"The Perspectrum" exhibit currently displayed at Phebe Conley Art Gallery, showcasing "A Human Eye Versus the Word" on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.

By Alex Yanez Contributor The Perspectrum” exhibit, currently displayed at the Phebe Conley Art Gallery, gives viewers a chance to look at art in ways their own eyes can only perceive it.

The art offers an interactive experience for viewers to determine what they are truly looking at and can judge for themselves.

“The Perspectrum: A Human Eye Versus the Word” exhibit was created and displayed by artist Robert Hagen and faculty from the art and design department at Fresno State.

“When words polarize, colors, shapes and spaces have the capacity to unify,” said Glenn Terpstra. “Advances in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in the near future will change how we understand and experience our built domains.”

The artwork varies from many different forms at first glance. Most of the artwork is painted with bright colors that glow in the dark and reflect light, also incorporating the use of LED lights.

Terpstra is one of theYa artists who had their artwork displayed. “Word Wall and a Full Range of Emotion” consisted of screenprints on wood that had emotional words painted in bright colors like silence, alone, despair and misery.

The art display also included a mysterious white couch and a table with a screen projector displaying quotes on the ceiling.

“Known for so long, but knowing something

new, as if the past barely existed, but only as a grainy reflection of the future,” said Hagen.

“This show explores how a space can be transformed and how a viewer transforms the experience of that space,” said Terpstra. “There is no right or wrong in interpreting the work, but how you choose to navigate the atmosphere is relative to individual points of view…. All unique.”

Hagen and Terpstra want the emotion pertained by the viewer to rely on interaction and not just from looking at physical paintings.

More importantly, it is a part of the SIXHalf Artist Collective and relies on bringing the artistic community together and integrating their artistic ideas for the greater good.

“The artist collective aims to bring artists together who share in this movement and create work relating to the power of social engagement and positive influences,” said Terpstra.

David Ordaz, an art major at Fresno State, said, “The first time I saw it, I fell in love with it.

Just to sum it all up, I really like the interactivity of this art show. It is not a traditional, ‘Here’s a collection of paintings and statues it is more of a creative experience than it is an art show.”

Ordaz said he appreciates the interactivity of it all and the use of predetermined algorithms that accompany the artwork.

“The Perspectrum: A Human Eye Versus The Word” is still available to the public to see at the Phebe Conley Art Gallery, running until Feb. 14.

PAGE 7

THE COLLEGIAN • A&E

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Hospital hosts 3rd 'Dance Your Heart Out'

By Leticia Leal Reporter The Community Regional Medical Center hosted its third annual “Dance Your Heart Out” dance fitness event to raise money for the hospital’s cardiac and vascular service funds.

For the first time ever, the event was held at Fresno State’s Satellite Union on Feb. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The $10 entrance fee, along with the rest of the money that was earned from this event, will go toward funding the services that the medical center offers for free for community members in the area, said Carlos Perez, event organizer and communications specialist at the hospital.

Perez said he came up with the idea three years ago.

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women and dancing is a way to stay fit and lower your risk,” Perez said.

The hospital offers patients a range of diagnostic procedures and approaches to detect and treat cardiovascular problems, according to the hospital website.

The turnout of this event has grown too

large to be held at a local gym. Perez said he was grateful that Fresno State was able to accommodate for the occasion.

“We get to raise awareness, money and we get to dance!” said returning participant Jordan Pickering, professor at Fresno State’s criminology department.

Pickering explained how she noticed the increase in the amount of growth and support this event had from the previous years.

Organizations such as the American Heart Association, George Brown’s Sport Club and CRUNCH Fitness participated in this event.

Cardio fun, high fitness, dance fitness and Zumba fitness were all of the different dance styles the participants exercised to.

As the 10 instructors from Zumba and high fitness began to dance together on the stage, the audience followed by mirroring the demonstrators’ dance moves.

For more information about this event or any questions about next year’s event, contact Perez at cperez@csufresno.edu.

WATCH: For video on this story, visit our website: fresnostate.edu/collegian

Vendila Yang • The Collegian

Zumba participants dance along with the instructors during the "Dance Your Heart Out" event on Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Satellite Student Union.

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OPINION The start of an addiction is a slow creep WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

GOT OPINIONS? We want to hear them.

COLLEGIAN@CSUFRESNO.EDU

By Anjanae Freitas Reporter

Everyone has their own addiction, mine happened to be Xanax.

It all started a few years ago. I made an appointment with my psychiatrist to discuss medications to reduce my anxiety.

“Here’s a bottle of Xanax.” These should be used for emergencies only,” my psychiatrist said.

I was relieved to finally have something to ease the symptoms of feeling like an elephant was sitting on my chest.

I started to take Xanax every time I had a panic attack, which fulfilled its purpose of “emergencies.”

Shortly thereafter, I started to take Xanax anytime I felt any emotion that I did not know how to handle or did not want to feel.

I started with one pill a day, two became three, then it led to almost four every single day.

I had never felt better. Every inconvenience felt like it was no longer a big deal. I would feel my body and my mind slow down. I would lie down and feel the weight of every problem leave completely while I blocked out the world.

I went back to my psychiatrist for a refill, which should have lasted three months. Yet, I had finished the bottle in two weeks.

Even then, it did not occur to me that this was becoming an addiction. In my mind, I was cured and found the drug that would take away my problems. I needed more.

After my psychiatrist said no to the prescription, I made it my goal to find Xanax off the streets however I needed to. Not to mention, I also drove myself into debt during the process. I would go anywhere and meet anyone for a fix no matter the time or place.

It still was not an addiction to me. Then, one day everything changed for me.

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.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

I went to work and started to fall asleep at my desk. I could not keep myself from falling over.

My speech was slurred, and my supervisor said, “You do not look well, you should go home.” The next thing I remember I woke up and I was in my bed.

“How the hell did I get home?” I asked myself. I looked at my call log and saw I had called my friend. When I asked him what had happened, he explained to me that I was passed out on a bench near my work and he had to pick me up and put me in his car and carry me into my house.

I told that close friend that I would get help.

I thought about the fact that anyone could have picked me up off that bench that day. I thought about how I knew I would experience withdrawals if I had to go even a few days without Xanax. I thought about how I started to forget most days and how I would even get to work.

Most importantly, I thought, “I really am an addict.”

I told people close to me that I would get help after their concern in the change of my

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personality. Yet instead, I continued to drink excessively and engage in other impulsive risky addictions.

I was too out of body to have awareness of how others perceive me, and too addicted to care how it was ruining my interpersonal relationships.

I wanted to feel anything other than blame, shame and guilt.

The truth is, I just wanted to numb out from the trauma and pain of childhood neglect and abuse.

I would go to therapy and sit there and feel angry at everyone and everything. They did not experience what I did. How dare they tell me how to feel.

That was until one day, I was introduced to a skill in dialectical behavioral therapy, called radical acceptance.

According to “DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets” by Marsha M. Linehan, radical acceptance is defined as allowing yourself to stop fighting reality, even if you do not like it.

Now, you are most likely thinking, accep-

Anthony De Leon Samantha Domingo Ashleigh Panoo Anjanae Freitas Zaeem Shaikh Larry Valenzuela Marc Anthony Lopez Leticia Leal Rachel Lewis Jennifer Reyes Avery Johnston

Staff Reporter General Sales Manage National Sales Manager Art Director General Manager Financial Manager Advertising Faculty Adviser Editorial Faculty Adviser MCJ Department Chair

PAGE 8

tance means I must accept it to change it. Trust me, I did, too.

Yet I learned radical acceptance meant that I can accept the pain and the hurt and work toward recovery.

I learned that I do not have to like sobriety in order to achieve it. I had to understand that pain cannot be avoided, and rejecting reality turns that pain into suffering.

Through exposure to coping skills of DBT, I did an extensive amount of individual and group therapy sessions, in which I allowed myself to feel the feelings and try to solve for the problems.

I did not wake up one morning and think, “I am cured.” The truth is, with the withdrawals are a painful place to be in. Being 22 years old and sober around young adults was a hard reality for me to accept. I had to remove myself from the people and places that were feeding my addiction.

I surrendered myself to choose a life worth living, that led me to a month sober, which now has now led to six months sober from all substance abuse and negative coping mechanisms.

I met an extremely experienced therapist in the medical field who taught me that I could not recover by a half-assed attempt to be sober. I had to be all in or all out in my treatment program. I decided I wanted to be all in, and that decision changed my life.

Addiction is scary, and getting help is uncomfortable. Replacing your addiction with another addiction will not solve the problem.

Having to feel your feelings and work through your problems will hurt. It is not easy to be vulnerable with yourself. It is not easy to admit that you are an addict.

However, if there is anything I want to share with people seeking to recover, it is that everything is unfolding exactly the way it is supposed to, even when it is painful.

I am worth fighting for, and so are you.

Armando Carreno Diane O'Canto Jacob Mullick Jeff Vinogradoff 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.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

THE COLLEGIAN • OPINION

PAGE 9

It is finally time for a female U.S. president

By Rachel Lewis Reporter At the beginning and even before announcing their campaigns for president, powerful female politicians, such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and author Marianne Williamson, have faced undue speculation.

A select group of pundits, politicians and voters have brought up the notion of electability, coming to this conclusion: A woman is not electable.

Whether this conclusion is justly founded or not, it raises the question as to why a woman is not deemed electable.

The more pundits and politicians raise doubts about a woman’s ability to become president and break through the glass ceiling, the more voters assume that putting their support behind a female president is hopeless.

A great demonstration of this is that we are down to three women who have continued their presidential campaigns: Warren, Klobuchar and Gabbard. The other candidates have since dropped out of the race because it was not “their time.”

With this being said, I raise this question: If it is not “the time” for three female candidates, than how is it “the time” for a candidate like Joe Biden?

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

The final three female candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination. From left to right: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobucher and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Though he is a white, heterosexual, older man (“presidential qualities” America seems to prize above all else), he has demonstrated that he is not the most electable candidate due to his incoherency, inflexibility and the fact that he has lost presidential elections in the past (he lost when he ran in 1988 and again in 2008).

Democrats, though claiming to be a party centered on intersectionality, inclusivity and progressive policies, are still more comfortable electing a white man over a woman.

Even though Pete Buttigieg has shown through his campaign success that America is ready to throw its support behind a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is still a white man. American politics have not come that far, but that could and should change.

I am not dissuaded that a female president will fix the centuries of suppression, marginalization, colonialism, imperialism, disenfranchisement and discrimination that America has caused, but it would be a small step in the

direction of progress.

Warren and Klobuchar, though on different ends of the political spectrum, have demonstrated that they can and will push through policies centered around equity and inclusion.

Their campaign plans are factual, well thought out and adhere to the ideals of a broad set of people.

It is possible for America to elect a female president, not just because she is a woman, but because she is the best person for the job.

Repression of opinion has led to my growth

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter Growing up, I do not remember ever being allowed to have a voice to speak out about what I believed in, what I was thinking about, and what I was feeling during many moments in my life.

The only voice I had was “OK, mom and dad.”

As a child, some of us are told not to speak to others about our household business.

They say, “Nobody needs to know our business, and there is no need to be running to anyone for help; everything is under control here.”

They did not know that children get scared and when children get scared, they run for help.

In tears the child seeks help, but

there is no response because their voice cannot be used to speak.

In my house, I was one of those children with no place to run to for help. I was traumatized.

There should not be any finger pointing, but I do know of one person who may have caused most of this -- my father.

He was an alcoholic.

I had a love/hate relationship for my father. On his sober days, I loved him because he was not drunk-- he actually knew he had children On other days, with every drink he took, I hated him because he was reckless and unaware of the fear, danger and tears one of his children shed.

At the age of 11, I did not want anything to do with him because it seemed like as I got older, bad days were more

common than good days.

And with those bad days, I was not allowed to run and ask for help.

Ideas do not flow right out of me.

I am still at some point afraid to speak out loud about my opinions.

That is a reason why opinion stories are a challenge for me to get done, but somehow I am managing to fight my closed-minded self and let my thoughts flow.

I have found an interest in journalism, and it is my own way of expressing myself whether it be published or written down in my personal journal.

Because I can finally say that I will not be asked to close my mouth.

Because my opinions are valid for once.

And as I sit, I think about my next opinion story. Speak.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

PAGE 10

Bulldog superfan hopes to pack the stands

By Zaeem Shaikh Sports Editor In his first football game as a student, Elliot Meme was in awe as he sat in the student section and watched the sun dip behind the top of Bulldog stadium.

Every little detail caught his eye from the checkerboard end zones to the massive light fixtures.

As he stood among other Fresno State students, Meme noticed something more — a connection and a drive to be as loud as possible.

That feeling blossomed into a passion for Meme as he began attending every sporting event he could.

Four years later, he was honored at a men’s basketball game on Jan. 14 for attending his 300th Fresno State athletic event.

“My high school football coach used to say: ‘do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do,’” Meme said. “When it comes to Bulldog sports, I feel like the right thing to do is to go to as many games as I can to support them.”

However, that Bulldog spirit wasn’t always ingrained in Meme. Born in Martinez, California, Meme said he was “Bulldog born but not Bulldog bred.”

Both of his parents attended Fresno State, and his father is a Top Dog Alumnus who graduated from the geomatics program.

From a young age, Meme watched Bulldog football and basketball games on television with his father.

On certain occasions, his father drove almost 200 miles down with Meme to Fresno to

“

My high school football coach used to say: 'do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. When it comes to Bulldog sports, I feel like the right thing to do is go to as many games as I can to support them," — Elliot Meme, Fresno State grad student

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

Elliot Meme, superfan, stands in front of the bronze Bulldog statue at the Save Mart Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. watch a few games at the Save Mart Center and Bulldog Stadium.

Still, Meme didn’t sit on the sidelines all the time as he developed his own talents on the field.

As a kid, Meme played several sports — soccer, baseball and football. He said sports made him appreciate how much work is involved behind the scenes.

“I worked on the scout team in high school football, and I realized that if I don’t give the starters the best look I can, that’s going to affect them come game time,” Meme said.

After high school, Meme went to Diablo Valley Community College and then transferred to Fresno State, majoring in business administration with an emphasis in management.

He brought his passion for sports with him, but left one thing behind — his friends.

“When I came here, I knew no students, and I didn’t even know my roommate when I moved in,” Meme said.

Before the semester started, Meme saw an opportunity to meet new people in an area he knew all too well — sports. Looking at the sports schedule, he noticed an upcoming soccer game and decided to go on a whim.

“When I went to the soccer game, I saw

some students and talked to them about the sport,” Meme said. “As time went on, I saw them at soccer games periodically, so I made many friends like that throughout my first year.”

Over his first year as a Bulldog, Meme went to 60 games, but he said the biggest change was attending more events besides men’s basketball and football.

“Over that first year, I watched men’s basketball and then decided to go see women’s basketball,” Meme said. “Through that, I also discovered how much I love the speed of college softball, and I never had watched softball before.”

After seeing more than 300 games, Meme said his favorite one was the Las Vegas Bowl when Arizona State played Fresno State in 2018.

He went to the game with his father, and the best part for him was the ability to share the experience together.

“Towards the end of the game, there was a TV timeout, and the stadium played ‘Jump Around,’” Meme said. “When it started, the entire Fresno State section was electric, and I looked across and saw the Arizona State fans were silent with their heads down.”

Some of his best experiences have also come from watching games on TV. When the ‘Dogs won the Mountain West Championship Game, Meme said his family and friends burst with joy.

“When Ronnie Rivers crossed the goal line to win the championship, I was running around the house, and my friends were going nuts,” Meme said. “I feel so bad for my neighbors because we were ballistic.”

After diving head-first into college athletic events, Meme recognized the importance of the school to the community.

He noticed Fresno State signs, flags, posters and bumper stickers throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

“The Valley is a working-class area, and the ‘Dogs are a direct manifestation of all the hard work that everyone puts in,” Meme said.

“They’re putting in the hard work on the field to represent the area.”

As Meme finishes his master’s degree this semester, he hopes more students head to games and watch sports they’ve never seen before.

“If I can go to more than 300 games in four years while working and studying, you can do it too,” Meme said.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS

Niven Hart shines as 'Dogs fall to Colorado State

By Marc Anthony Lopez Reporter Although the Bulldogs were not able to continue their two-game winning streak, freshman guard Niven Hart shined bright against Colorado State University.

Hart came off the bench, scoring a career-high 29 points on 21 attempts and grabbing four rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. 26 of his points came within 17 minutes in the second half.

Hart was out for four games earlier this year with a concussion and started fighting for playing time when he returned against Wyoming.

“Nevin has shown us in practice that there are times he can get going. We knew that about him…” said Bulldogs head coach Justin Hutson on Hart’s performance. “We told him when he came back from his concussion that we were going to give him some opportunity.

12-21

BY THE NUMBERS

Freshman guard Niven Hart made 12-of-21 shots from the field.

And we said it doesn’t matter what position you are at, we’re going to give you some opportunity because we know you can score the ball and you have been trying really hard. He has continued to earn his opportunity.”

The first half of the men’s basketball game against the Rams started off on the right note with Noah Blackwell hitting a three-point shot.

Signs of a great passing game as well started the game off when the Bulldogs scored its second basket.

By the first timeout of the game, the Rams had a 12-7 lead over the Dogs. A turnover by senior forward Nate Grimes snowballed into a 10 point lead with 12 mins left in the half.

The Bulldogs would continue their turnover plague by turning the ball over a total of nine times in the half. Five of the nine turnovers were committed by freshman guard Jarred Hyder. Yet, the Rams only scored 12 points off the many turnovers.

By the start of the second half, Fresno State continued its sloppy play. Scoring only two points within four minutes at the start of the second half, Hutson subbed out every starter and put in every reserve in the game.

As the reserves subbed in, they were faced with the challenge of coming back from an 18-point deficit.

“I wasn’t hoping for much and hope is not a strategy,” Hutson said. “Those guys didn’t deserve to be out on the floor, so I was going to try

PAGE 11

Vendila Yang • The Collegian

Niven Hart (4) dunks on the fast break against Colorado State at the Save Mart Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. some other guys.”

This is where Hart showed his true capability. There was a point in the second half where he scored nine consecutive times for the Bulldogs. The second-highest scorer for the Bulldogs was Grimes with five points.

Hart was tied for the most minutes on the court with most of his minutes coming in the second half. On average, Hart plays for about 15 minutes per game.

“I was pretty tired, but [Hutson] wanted me to stay in because everything was flowing,” said Hart on his career-night. “[Hutson] wanted me to push through it, so I was going to push through it.

That’s what I did. I tried to do whatever I could to make us come back. I wasn’t so much in the game thinking about how many points I

had or how much I was scoring. I was just trying to score right — trying to win the game.”

Alongside Hart’s performance, the Bulldogs suffered another hit to their lineup during the second half. Redshirt freshman guard Jordan Campbell took a hard fall when he tried to score on a fast-break opportunity around the 13-minute mark.

Although it wasn’t clear what Campbell’s injury was, Hutson speculated that Campbell’s injury may have been concussion-related based on how he left the court and went straight to the locker room.

Colorado State expanded its winning streak to five games beating the Dogs 80-70. Fresno State will now travel to Las Vegas to take on the fourth place UNLV Runnin’ Rebels on Saturday, Feb. 8.

Haley Cavinder: January Athlete of the Month

By Zaeem Shaikh Sports Editor The Collegian sports staff has selected Haley Cavinder as its Athlete of the Month for January.

Cavinder had a stellar month of January with the women’s basketball team, averaging 16.5 points per game and 7.4 rebounds. To start the month, she posted a double-double in a 7954 blowout win against San Diego State, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

The Bulldogs finished January with an 8-0 record, including a nail-biting win at Boise State, thanks in large part to Cavinder scoring 25 points on 7-of-15 shooting and 4-of-9 from

three-point range.

In January, Cavinder grabbed 72 rebounds and posted a total of three double-doubles out of the ‘Dogs eight contests.

Against Boise State, the ‘Dogs were in trouble with under four minutes left in the game.

With their winning streak on the line, Cavinder stepped up, banking a three-pointer from the wing.

After hitting one three, she wasn’t done.

She attacked the Broncos’ defense, hitting two from the free-throw line and making another three-pointer.

Cavinder’s 8-0 run helped the ‘Dogs recover from a four point deficit to lead 75-71. Due to her late-game heroics, Fresno State was able to steal the crucial win from Boise State.

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

Haley Cavinder (1) shoots a three-pointer against an Air Force defender at the Save Mart Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

PAGE 12

THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS

Esports unveils team for 2020 season

By Marc Anthony Lopez Reporter

On Feb. 3, 2020, Fresno State officially introduced its esports program with a launch party in the Bulldog Zone.

Students, staff, faculty and others were in attendance for the unveiling of the first two esports rosters in history.

Coordinator of the esports program, Jerry Gomez, opened up the party speaking about the history and his excitement creating the program.

“We are really excited. I think our players got the energy from the Fresno State community,” Gomez said. “I think that this is really going to pump them up to perform very well in their next matches.”

Not only were both the League of Legends (LOL) and Overwatch rosters and coaches revealed, but the team’s jersey that they will be wearing for the 2020 season were also revealed to the public.

LOL and Overwatch’s head coaches both spoke on the team and highlighted their journey together since the initial formation of the teams.

The event also had virtual reality machines, portable gaming console cases for students and information on intramurals esports tournaments.

Standing out in the Overwatch roster are two women players. To some, this came as a shock, and the audience gave a great round of applause once the players were shown on the introduction video for the Overwatch roster.

Syndey Ruppert, a support player on the Overwatch team, said that she expected some backlash but noted that people have been accepting when it comes to being in the male-dominated world of esports.

Yet, she noted that neither one of them are focusing on the sexism in the community but instead are eager to play and improve on themselves.

Other speakers from the launch party included Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Carolynn Coon and Athletics director Terry Tumey.

Castro said he is looking forward to the future of Fresno State's newly formed esports program.

“This program is going to enable Fresno State to tap into talented students who love esports for years to come,” said Castro. “Students who may not have looked at Fresno State as an option will now do that because we have esports here. I know that our players will be great ambassadors for Fresno State in order to get students from around the valley and beyond.”

Kelsey T. Schulteis Psychology Major, Fresno State SJCL Juris Doctor Candidate

“If you are contemplating what to do with your bachelor’s degree in Psychology consider law school. A bachelor’s degree in any major fulfills the education prerequisits for law school.”

Law School 101 Thursday, January 30, 7-9pm

You’re invited to this free program to learn more about the legal profession and what a law degree can do for you! At this forum you will be introduced to law school, from courses offered to admission requirements.

Register now at www.sjcl.edu or 559/323-2100

A Degree in any Major Qualifies you to Apply to Law School.

Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian

Esports unveiled in a ceremony in the Bulldog Zone in the USU on Monday, Feb. 3, 2020.

SJCL ADMITS STUDENTS OF ANY RACE/ COLOR, RELIGIOUS CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN/ANCESTRY, AGE, GENDER, MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY, MEDICAL CONDITION, MARITAL STATUS, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE MARCH 30 LSAT IS FEBRUARY 11