ARTIST’S PAIN TURNS INTO ART SEE PAGE 5
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017
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PRIDE IN A NEW QUAD
QUAD
Khone Saysamongdy • The Collegian
Ishaq Ali, Assoication Student Inc. senator for the College of Social Science cuts a ribbon in honor of the new social science quad on Feb. 14, 2017. Construction on the quad began before the fall semester of 2016, and reopened up in December 2016.
By Jessica Johnson @iamjesslj
About 100 people gathered, along with Victor E. III, as Fresno State formally dedicated the newly renovated quad Tuesday afternoon by cutting a red ribbon.
“I am ecstatic to have such an aesthetically pleasing common area for students to study, collaborate and enjoy the outdoors,” said Ishaq Ali, Association Student Inc. senator for the College of Social Sciences. While sage burned, the
grounds were blessed by the tribal chairman of the North Fork Mono Tribe, Hon. Ron Goode, as he performed a traditional Native American blessing song. Tobacco, native to the hills of the San Joaquin Valley, was handed out to the ceremony’s honorees as part of Native American tradi-
Letters to legislators ask for student love
Khone Saysamongdy • The Collegian
California Faculty Association representative Terri Prall (right) and English professor Lisa Weston (left) with large cards in the Peters Business Building on Feb. 14, 2017. Prall and Weston walked around Fresno State getting signatures and letters from students, faculty and staff on issues such as AB 21, fee and tuition moratorium and fully funding the university.
By Razmik Cañas @Raz_Canas
The California Faculty Association (CFA) spent Valentine’s Day obtaining signatures across cam-
pus in support of student success, hoping Sacramento can return the love. Diane Blair, a professor in the department of communication, serves as the president for the CFA Fresno chapter. The CFA
created Valentine’s Day cards for state legislators in support of advancements in the California State University (CSU) system. “The idea is that we’ll be sharing these messages with our governor and legislators and hoping that they’re willing to show the CSU’s some love on this Valentine’s Day,” Blair said. Each of the three cards represented something that needed to be improved or added into legislation. One card was for legislative action for an increase for student funding. “Over time the state legislature has been disinvesting,” Blair said. “In terms of the amount of money spent per student in today’s dollars doesn’t even come close to what they were spending per student in dollars from 1985.” Blair explained that in 1985 state support for a student was
See LETTER, Page 6
tion. The university’s dance company, Los Danzantes de Aztlan, also performed. Interim dean Dr. Michelle DenBeste said that although there was noise and fencing for the duration of construction it was “worth it.”
DenBeste said she found it funny to look out of her office window to the newly-revitalized area surrounded by the Social Science Building, McKee Fisk building, Psychology and Human Services building, and Family and Food Science building, to see benches
See QUAD, Page 3
ASI aims to get students involved By Razmik Cañas @Raz_Canas
Fresno State’s Associated Students, Inc. is searching for ways to get students involved after several projects have failed. Last year, the ASI executive team decided to discontinue “Thirsty Thursdays.” The event was an opportunity for students to meet their ASI representatives in an informal setting and connect with them. ASI noticed not many students were attending, and those who did come did not interact with ASI representatives. “It didn’t really fit the mission that we had of trying to connect with students,” ASI President Tim Ryan said. When Campus Pointe opened, ASI thought of a new event – a movie at Maya Cinemas. But since the movie was on a school night
and there was trouble getting the word out, that event was also discontinued due to low attendance. “We wanted to re-evaluate what programs we could offer for students,” Ryan said. “Services we could have that would both be something fun and something students would be interested in, but also a way to connect with ASI.” This semester, ASI continued its annual leadership training program, “Fresno State 101,” but with a twist. The once-a-week for three weeks program was condensed to two days, on Feb 4. and Feb 6. Although the duration was shortened, the program’s mission stayed the same: Get students aware of campus issues and even inspire them to run for student government. “The goal was to increase the amount of students that were able
See ASI, Page 6
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vote ‘yes’ for a better student experience By Juan Guzman
Special to The Collegian I am writing in regards to your article “Students seek inspiration for a Bold New U” published Jan 24, 2017. I am glad to hear that Fresno State is considering the possibility of building a Bold New Union. The University Student Union (USU) is the heart of campus. The building is highly used by students and staff. The building is never empty, as there is always something going on. From club
meetings, to students grabbing something to eat, the USU seems to be used by everyone. The USU is also the home to the Student Involvement Office, the Reservations Office, Associated Students Inc. (ASI), the Bulldog Bowl and many other great services that shape who we are as a campus. It is a shame that the building has not gone through any major expansions since it was built in 1968, even though since then our student population has more than doubled. I am pleased to hear that studies have
been made that show that we need more space for the expansion of current services and for the incorporation of new ones. A Bold New Union would provide us with the opportunity to better the Fresno State experience and the look of our campus. It is our opportunity as students to give back to Fresno State. If we vote “yes” to this project, we are voting “yes” to more services, to a better student experience and to a better Fresno State. I hope Fresno State students vote “yes” to a Bold New Union March 28 - 30.
We become effective allies when we dismantle hate By Dr. Meta L. Schettler Special to The Collegian
I teach Africana Studies here on campus and recently attended the Discussing Whiteness event hosted by the Cross Cultural and Gender Center. We heard that the university had received negative complaints as soon as the event was advertised. This negative reaction explicitly proves the need for more conversations about race, racism and white American identity. At this crucial time, politically, more than ever we need skills to recognize and call out
2 From the editors
GOT OPINIONS? We want to hear them. COLLEGIAN-OPINION@CSUFRESNO.EDU
white nationalism and recognize its divisive negativity. White Americans will need to learn to move past defensiveness, fear and/or resentment to dismantle attitudes, habits and privileges which prevent us from being effective allies. Given the apparent popularity of xenophobic and bigoted statements made in last year's election campaign, we have learned that appealing to racial fears stirs up hate crimes and intolerance nationwide in public spaces and our schools. We too quickly forget that Donald Trump strongly supported fringe theories about President Barack Obama not being
a U.S. citizen, and now his racial targeting has continued in this new administration. We need to continually call out this administration’s white nationalist agenda, from protesting the recent Muslim travel ban to calling out their offensive lack of acknowledgement of Jewish victims on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Whiteness is constructed. Let us not let politicians with pathological and autocratic agendas tell us how to behave or react. We will need to open up even more constructive spaces to build stronger dialogues about race and racism to overcome the negative forces currently at play.
Results from the debates in The Collegian newsroom.
THUMBS UP FAST FOOD: Chicken strips are superior to chicken nuggets.
THUMBS UP SHOPPING: Campus Pointe needs more shops, restaurants and hair salons.
THUMBS DOWN HEALTHY EATING: Overpriced salads in the university snack bars.
THUMBS DOWN APPAREL: Women’s pants having fake pockets instead of real ones.
THUMBS UP GRAMMYS: Adele wins the award for “Album of the Year.”
Jordan Bradley • The Collegian
THE COLLEGIAN 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. fresnostate.edu/collegian
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THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
Calling all Veterans and Family Members of Veterans…
Renovated quad to feature mural QUAD from Page 1
Veterans to Law School ~ A free forum ~
Thursday, February 16, 2017 | 7:00 - 9:00pm Clovis Veterans Memorial District Auditorium 808 Fourth Street, Clovis, CA 93612
PAGE 3
being installed and students quickly flocking to them. She said there are various factors that go into having a successful college experience, such as engagement, community building and making connections, and said the quad will further those interactions. “It will be a space where we can showcase the achievements of our students,” DenBeste said. “We can have activities for faculty, staff, students and alumni.” She announced that a mural will be added to the quad in coming months and that she wants to see more tables for students to sit. Fresno State President Dr. Joseph Castro said the renovated quad “is a
symbol of our rebirth.” “Here we are in our 106th year, and there are a lot of positive things happening because of each and everyone of you – our talented students, passionate faculty and staff, our alumni, our family and friends,” Castro said. He said the university has many things to be thankful for and the quad is just one of those things. Sticking with the Valentine’s Day tradition, Castro did not leave out the theme of love. He said he hopes people fall in love with the quad and also fall in love with someone they meet in the quad. The renovation of the quad was a part of Castro’s $20 million deferred maintenance allocation. The total cost of the quad was $761,000.
Mindfulness: a ‘practical technique’ for stress relieving
John Miser Class of 2016 FocusVision Worldwide, Inc. United States Army
Sally Moreno Class of 1995 Fresno County District Attorney’s Office United States Army
Daniel Avalos • The Collegian
Health educator Georgianna Negron-Long performs breathing exercises along with the students that attended the Mindfulness and Play workshop in the University Student Union on Feb 13, 2017
By Bineet Kaur @hellobineet
Monique Taylor Class of 2019 Spouse of Air Force Veteran
Jason Trupkin Class of 2017 United States Coast Guard
A Degree in any Major Qualifies you to Apply to Law School. SJCL admitS StudentS of any raCe, CoLor, and nationaL or ethniC origin.
www.sjcl.edu • (559) 323-2100
At a relaxed event Monday, an educator helped students dig deep into the concept of mindfulness, something that took playing with coloring books, paint and puzzles. “Mindfulness is one of the most powerful and practical techniques for dealing with stress,” said Georgianna Negron-Long, who hosted “Love at the University Student Union. Negron-Long is a Fresno State graduate who is a health educator for Health Promotion and Wellness Services at the university. She spoke at the event about mindfulness and guided attendees through mindfulness exercises. Negron-Long explained that one way to define mindfulness is as a self-awareness of what one is experiencing. It can be a state of mind as well as a personal characteristic. Mindfulness has origins in Buddhism as well as yoga. Negron-Long said that often the goal of yoga is to focus on one’s breathing; she showed attendees a breathing exercise. “I really liked the breathing technique. I think it’s really helpful,” said Jenny Cabanillas, a junior majoring in sociology. “Sometimes, we just need to take a moment to breathe.” Negron-Long also guided attendees through a mindful eating exercise. First, people were instructed to look at the food item before eating it. Then, they were told
to smell it and pay attention to what it smells like. After taking a bite, they were told to focus on the different flavors of the food. Negron-Long said that eating mindfully can help one know when he or she is full. She also discussed types of mindfulness. There is “body mindfulness,” such as breathing, thought mindfulness, being aware of one’s own thoughts and not trying to control them or “emotional mindfulness,” about knowing what one’s own personal feelings are. Negron-Long said the benefits of mindfulness include improved concentration, fewer sleep difficulties and increased empathy. The event concluded with an emphasis on playfulness, in which attendees were allowed to choose from various objects, such as bubble wrap and games. Negron-Long said that it’s important for individuals to play as it can reduce stress. Arcellie Santos, a Health Promotion and Wellness Services coordinator who is a graduate student at Fresno State, agrees that playing can be beneficial. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can help you relax a little bit,” Santos said. The event was part of the Student Health and Counseling Center’s Month of Love, which takes place in February and centers on self-care and loving oneself. Negron-Long said, “[Mindfulness] is certainly practical and can be quite useful.”
A&E
4
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
USU PRODUCTIONS
A James Bond experience and a night off for students By Yesenia Candelaria @yesiamanda6
Students will have their own James Bond adventure at the “Top Secret: Skyfall” dinner theater experience. On Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. USU Productions is hosting its fourth-annual dinner and theater event. The Satellite Student Union will be transformed to fit the secret agent theme for students. As they eat dinner, students will enjoy live entertainment and watch a screening of “Skyfall.” Delivering an evening of fun means weeks of behind-the-scenes work. Alejandra Prado, a fifth-year social work major, is a student event coordinator for USU Productions and is one of the people in charge of organizing the event. She said the planning began in October and was in full swing by December. “We like having events to cater to students by students, and, overall, it’s just a
Courtesy of USU Productions
night for students to get away from school and have affordable fun,” Prado said. “It’s like planning a wedding in two months.” Prado said that after the students voted on the movie and theme, their first challenge was booking the venue. “Usually our event is in March, but Fresno State Talks was nice enough to give us one of their dates in early February,” Prado
said. “So I would say that time can be our enemy sometimes.” Once the venue was officially booked and university catering had been contacted, the next step was to find a way to incorporate the theme. Alexis Orozco, a second-year recreation administration major and student event coordinator, said he helped with ideas for games students can play, such as pin the
tie on the James Bond. “There’s not a lot of spy-themed parties so I would say the research was the hardest part,” Orozco said. “But Pinterest is where we got the ideas for the games and mocktail drink names,” Sona Soghomonian said a big challenge was getting the decorations and centerpieces done on time. Since the movie is set in three countries – England, Scotland and China – the Satellite Student Union will have three sections of tables, each corresponding to one of the countries. Soghomonian said the volunteer students in the pit crew were a big help in making the posters for the event as well as promoting it on social media. She said everyone’s hard work pays off in the end because they are able to give students a fun night off from school. Soghomonian said, “Everyone is already stressed with homework and exams, so our mission is to get students to come out and enjoy time for themselves.”
REVIEW
‘Fist Fight’ misses the punch By Selina Falcon @SelinaFalcon
OKAY
After watching the trailer for “Fist Fight,” I instantly brushed off the film as just another raunchy comedy focusing on teachers at a high school with a bad reputation. While I was mostly correct, I was also pleasantly surprised. “Fist Fight” follows high school English teacher Andy Campbell, played by Charlie Day, as he tries to navigate budget cuts, terrible administration and senior pranks on the last day of school. Things get worse when Campbell manages to get on the bad side of fellow teacher Ron Strickland, played by Ice Cube, who is feared by both students and staff. To teach him a lesson, Strickland challenges Campbell to an old-fashioned fist fight after school. As soon as the film begins, the audience is met with words, images and actions that lend to the film’s R rating. This bothered me initially because I don’t like when comedies rely on saying curse word after curse word to get a laugh – it seems like lazy writing. However, once you push past the off humor, you get the real humor in the way the film ties in a social message about public education and the way in which the
public education system sometimes fails its students. Ice Cube shines in his role as Strickland. Though the audience tends to focus more on Day’s character because the film is centered on him, by the ending you can’t help but appreciate Ice Cube for taking on a role that delivers an important message – actions have consequences. That isn’t to say that Day didn’t also give his all; in fact, he did. His character delivers what I feel is the second most important message of the film – don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself when necessary. Day delivers this message with excellent acting and shines throughout the film with great comedic timing. “Fist Fight” was full of wellknown and experienced actors with large roles, including Jillian Bell and Tracy Morgan, but the person who I think stole the show was 10-year-old actress Alexa Nisenson, who played Campbell’s daughter Ally. Though Nisenson doesn’t have much screen time, her biggest moment is the one scene that had me cry-laughing. I know it will be taking the internet by storm very soon. Overall, I enjoyed “Fist Fight” and appreciate the important messages it delivered. It was funny, and I think anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of blue-collar humor will enjoy it. “Fist Fight” will be released in theaters on Feb. 17.
Warner Bros • TNS
Ice Cube and Charlie Day in “Fist Fight.”
WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Become an appointed student representative to a campus committee.
Many University decisions are made in committees. ASI wants to make sure the student voice is being present for each decision making process. We need students like you to fill vacancies on various committees across campus.
TO APPLY
visit asi.fresnostate.edu under “Get Involved” and fill out the “Student Representative” online application. All appointments are proposed by the ASI President and confirmed by the ASI Senate.
THE COLLEGIAN • A&E
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
PAGE 5
FEATURED ARTIST
Biology alumna turns pain into art
By Marina McElwee @MarinaMashelle
What do you get when you cross a biology major with chronic pain? Bee Deegan said she uses her art as “therapy” to manage her depression and pain. “I’ve dealt with chronic pain my whole life,” Deegan said. “Last year my jaw popped out of socket and I punched it back in place. My jaw is still misaligned.” Deegan said this injury had the biggest impact on her art in the last year. “I had depression before that, but that just totally sunk me down,” Deegan said. “Art has always been an escape for me. When I do it, I can kind of ignore the pain of everything.” Deegan graduated from Fresno State in 2016 with bachelors in biology and a minor in chemistry and said that her artistic is naturally scientific. “ I try to approach things in a scientific and an artistic manner,” Deegan said. “Like looking through a microscope, you have to pay attention to detail and I feel like I do that with my art.”
Fresno State alumna Bee Deegan in her home explaining her passion for art and science on Feb. 11, 2017.
Yezmene Fullilove • The Collegian
“I feel like I always have a conversation with a piece. I start off with nothing in mind and let the art work me,” Deegan said. “I’m currently not talking to three of my paintings and I talk about them like they are a thing, they are alive. Like this one is unfinished, I get intimidated by them.”
ASSOCIATED STUDENTS, INC.
ARE YOU
A NEW CLUB ON CAMPUS
HAVING TROUBLE WITH FINDING FUNDS?
CONTACT US!
ASI OFFICE: 559.278.2656 FRESNOSTATE.EDU/ASI ASI is now providing funds to help grow your new club. ASI will support promotional materials such as flyers, t-shirts, as well as daily operational supplies for your club.
Yezmene Fullilove • The Collegian
Yezmene Fullilove • The Collegian
Deegan said this photo is representative of the pain she feels in her jaw. The flower in the center is a carrion flower, which smells like rotting flesh.
Must be officially recognized by the Office of Student Involvement. Club must have started within the past 4 semesters.
THE AWARD GRANT IS FOR $500
DEADLINE FOR SPRING SEMESTER IS FEBRUARY 28
APPLY ONLINE Yezmene Fullilove • The Collegian
“I feel like I’m trapped in my body, it’s like a prison sometimes,” Deegan said. “So art has been really helpful.”
NEWS
6
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
Online tool helps with greener planning
Khone Saysamongdy • The Collegian
Jessica Daniel (left), Environmental Protection Specialist, with Jose L. Zambrana (right), Senior Science Advisor at the EPA’s Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator, introduces the EviroAtlas tool in the Grosse Industrial Tech building on Feb. 14, 2017.
By Jessica Johnson @iamjesslj
Did you know there is a tool that can measure how many trees you’ll encounter on your way to the park? The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development stopped by Fresno State on Tuesday to showcase the EnviroAtlas tool, a web-based collection of interactive tools and resources that provides data, research and analysis among humans, nature, health and the economy. It can be utilized by states, communities and citizens to become better informed when creating policies and planning decisions that impact where people live, work, learn and play. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to get acquainted with the map tool twice throughout the day. A morning showcase was in the Henry Madden Library, and the afternoon showcase was held at Grosse Industrial Technology Building. The map tool is formatted through a process of layering. Layers can be added to zero in on demographics, such as the age groups who have a walking distance to parks two miles or less in west Fresno. Health risks and benefits can also be assessed through the map. Pollution in the chosen mapped area is measured, and it displays
health effects. Data from Fresno was shared, such as walking distance to parks, tree coverage along walkable roads, commute times and urban heat island mitigation. Users of the map tool can explore more than 100 fine-scale maps of the greater Fresno area and also more than 300 maps of the U.S. José L. Zambrana Jr., senior science adviser at the EPA’s Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator and the Office of Research and Development, said the tool showcases how the EPA is using “science to support communities.” “We are really challenged every day about how we can help the environment through the decisions that we make personally, [through] your community, mayor and city council, organizations, builders and planners,” Zambrana said. “[They can] make decisions that can help the environment.” He said the goal of the map tool is to provide decision-support tools using web-based data. The creation of the tool was a collaborative effort with various government agencies and universities. Jessica Daniel, environmental protection specialist, said: “We center on the concept of ecosystem goods and services. The reason we do that is because the benefits we get from nature are all intertwined.” The interactive mapping appli-
cation has two scales. The first is a national scale with more than 200 national data layers. The second scale is for select communities, including Fresno, which was one of the first communities to be mapped, according to Daniel. Fresno has more than 100 informational data layers that are available for access through the interactive map. Aristides Aguilera Figueroa took a special interest in the showcase because he is currently earning his Geographic Informations Systems certificate through the university’s Geography and City and Regional Planning department. Figueroa said, “EnviroAtlas shares similarities to ArcGis [which is] the software we use in the lab, so I thought I should check it out.” He added that the power of information needs to be explored. “One day, I have a vision of interdisciplinary collaborations using information technology software for the well-being of communities and regions throughout the world,” Figueroa said. The event was sponsored by the university’s Department of Recreation Administration’s Sustainable Parks and Recreation Community Initiative (SPARCI) program. The tool is free to use on the EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/ enviroatlas.
Participation leads to advocacy
ASI from Page 1
to be involved in that and to also give them more time to potentially get a petition [for office], fill it out and get that turned in,” Ryan said. The first day was devoted to meeting campus officials and learning how to make an impact at Fresno State. “They all really valued the opportunity to hear from some leaders on campus,” Ryan said. The second day was when students and ASI’s knowledge was put into practice. For the first time, the group members drove to Sacramento where they lobbied government officials and their staffs regarding a potential tuition increase. The group also toured the Capitol. “[We went] to advocate against the potential tuition increase by asking our local legislators to support Fresno State students and the CSU by voting in favor of more funding for the CSU,” Ryan said. He said the potential tuition increase played a role in shifting the focus of the program this year. “That more-narrow focus may have influenced our decision to do a one-day Saturday training and then actually going up to Sacramento,” Ryan said. The two-day program also allowed more students to stay for the complete program. Ryan said that attendance would drop when the program spanned three weeks. Although the students were nervous about going to Sacramento, they found that
working together made a difference, said Ryan. He added that the trip made them closer. The program left students with knowledge on how to become a leader, and let ASI connect with a new group of students. “Overall, that was a really great experience. Something we’re going to try to expand on is providing more opportunities like that for students to get involved in advocacy and leadership training,” Ryan said. Ryan invites all students who are curious about getting involved to attend ASI meetings. He said the meetings are opportunities to hear about ways to be involved and to be better informed on campus issues. “It’s a really great opportunity to see what we do, [and] what we work on,” Ryan said. He also recommends students who are interested in helping make campus decisions or expressing their ideas to join an ASI internal committee or campuswide committee. Students who would like more information are encouraged to visit the ASI office in University Student Union, Room 316 & 317. “That is a really great way for students to get a feel for whether or not they want to be involved in the shared governance process on campus,” Ryan said. “If they don’t want to run for a position, it’s definitely less responsibility and less of a time commitment but still a great way to put yourself in a leadership position and represent fellow students.”
Leaders ask for ‘quality education’ LETTER from Page 1 $11,607; today it is about $6,888. “We’ve increased student enrollment. We’re serving a much more diverse student body,” Blair said. “The state’s not fulfilling its mission by providing the CSU with the support it needs to actually ensure a quality education for those students.” The other two cards supported a separate bill each. One bill is “Access to Higher Education for Every Student” – intended for support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.
“It’s designed to provide protection and some basic resources for our DACA students,” Blair said. “Making sure their rights are being protected and also that they have access to basic resources.” The resources would include health care stipends and housing during breaks for the students. The students would also have their immigration status protected against federal authorities. The second bill is a “Mandatory Systemwide Fees and Tuition Moratorium.” “This bill would ensure that CSU and community colleges would not raise tuition or fees at least until 2020,” Blair said.
She said many students are struggling to get by financially, and additional debt may prevent students from attending the CSU’s. The CFA hopes to raise awareness on issues at Fresno State and other campuses, and they plan to lobby at the capitol in April. Ramon Jimenez Ortega is a third year double major in political science and English, who serves as one of three student interns for the Fresno State chapter of CFA. “With the internship we have been talking about trying to push for the CSU’s to become sanctuary campuses,” Jimenez-Ortega said. “The sanctuary wouldn’t
just be for undocumented students; it would include all people.” Jimenez-Ortega also serves in the campus organization Students for Quality Education. Part of his advocacy includes the safety for all students to move forward in their education. Fresno State currently has about 1,000 DACA students. The CFA is pushing for everyone to come together in support of them and each other. “It’s not a one-person issue, it’s a community issue we have to take care of each other,” Jimenez-Ortega said. Jimenez-Ortega plans to be a teacher. His goal is for his stu-
dents to have a quality education without any obstacles. Throughout the day Jimenez-Ortega admired all the students who were willing to come up and sign the cards. He was glad that members of campus came together in support of one another. Blair, the CFA president, said that the CSU system is responsible for providing California with so many college graduates. “We’re always about making sure that public higher education is accessible and affordable for every student in California,” Blair said. “An investment in the CSU is really an investment in the state and its future.”
Sunday
Saturday
Friday
Wednesday
This Week in Sports
Men’s Basketball v. SJSU @ 7 p.m. Save Mart Center Women’s Basketball v. SJSU @ 7 p.m. San Jose, California
Swimming & Diving @ TBA College Station, Texas
Baseball v. Oregon @ Men’s Tennis v. UNC Equestrian 6:05 p.m. Wilmington @ 1 p.m. v. SMU @ 10 a.m. Pete Bieden Field at Bob San Diego, California Student Horse Center Bennett Stadium
Men’s Basketball v. New Mexico @ 3 p.m. Save Mart Center
PAGE 7
Thursday
THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
Lacrosse v. Stetson @ 7 p.m. Deland, Florida Softball v. Mississippi State & Florida Gulf Coast @ 8 a.m. & 11 a.m. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Softball v. Florida Gulf Coast @ 2 p.m. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Women’s Basketball v. New Mexico @ 1 p.m. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Women’s Tennis v. Oregon @ noon Spalding G. Wathen Tennis Center
Equestrian v. Baylor @ 11 a.m. Student Horse Center
Men’s Tennis v. San Women’s Tennis v. UCSB @ 11 a.m. Diego @ 10 a.m. Spalding G. Wathen San Diego, California Tennis Center
Lacrosse v. Mercer University @ 2 p.m. Macon, Georgia
Softball v. Texas Tech @ 7 a.m. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Men’s Golf @ TBA Palm Desert, California
Softball v. Cal State Fullerton @ 9:45 a.m. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
’Dogs take batting order south of the border
SOFTBALL from Page 8 Fresno State will go toe-to-toe with Mississippi State, Florida Gulf Coast, Cal State Fullerton and Texas Tech. While the ’Dogs are in Mexico, they
will join other teams in visiting local elementary schools and spending time with children. Fresno State will face off against Mississippi State on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
KATHMANDU, NEPAL May 21-June 6 GEOG 177T—3 units Information Session: Wednesday, February 22, 2017, 12 noon to 1:00 pm, Science I, Room 182 For more information, contact instructor: Dr. Mohan B. Dangi 559.278.4857 • mdangi@csufresno.edu
SPORTS
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
WRESTLING
Weighing in on men’s wrestling program and club
Fresno State wrestler Davit Gevorgyan attempts to pin CSU Sacramento’s Teddy Anderson during the NCWA California State Championship hosted at Fresno State on Feb. 11, 2017.
By Jenna Wilson @fsjennawilson
With the Fresno State wrestling recruits pinned for their resurgent program’s season set to begin in late 2017, the fate of the current Fresno State men’s wrestling club could quite possibly be in a chokehold. But new head wrestling coach Tony Steiner said, “I don’t think our program will threaten the thriving wrestling club program. If anything, I think it can help the club and really help the entire Valley and state because some of these wrestlers will go on and teach and coach in the future.”
Club co-founder Jovany Gonzalez, a fifth-year graphic design major, had one word to say about the re-emergence of the university’s wrestling program: amazing. “It’s a great opportunity for people to continue wrestling at the college level,” Gonzalez said. With only six — including Fresno State — collegiate wrestling programs at fouryear universities in California, Gonzalez said, that is exactly what club wrestling is — an opportunity. “Club wrestling is like that little transition period of the in-between of you want to wrestle at the four-year level, but you still want to continue your education,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of these guys have
jobs. A lot of these guys have majors that had they been in a four-year program, they wouldn’t have been able to do” Founded in 2013, the wrestling club has served as a continuation for high school wrestlers turned college students who want mat time without the Division I commitment. “It’s such a time commitment to wrestle at the D-I level or any level,” Gonzalez said. “We have guys that just want to wrestle past high school and guys that never made it out of their league tournament, so this is a great avenue for them to continue wrestling, but not commit too much time to it.” Armando Manzo, a freshman biology
Daniel Avalos • The Collegian
major, is planning to try out for the new wrestling team, but has faith the club will not fold. “If we have a good president, it’ll keep on going,” Manzo said. Because of the team’s roster cap, Steiner said, it would be difficult to allow club members to gain a spot on the roster because most of the student-athletes are recruited. He said that if he feels someone in the club is at a Division I level, they could possibly make the roster. Gonzalez and Manzo said the club is great for potential student-athletes to train and gain mat time in the future before the wrestling season starts.
SOFTBALL
Fresno State travels to Mexico By David Chavez @d23chavez
The No. 21-ranked Fresno State softball team is ready to take its talents south of the border as it prepares to compete in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico Feb. 16 to 19. The Bulldogs wrapped up the weekend going 4-1 in the ASU Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona, defeating Indiana, Purdue, San Diego and Stanford. Their only loss was to No. 9 Oregon. Fresno State’s 24-8 victory over Stanford featured six home runs from the ’Dogs and included a program record-breaking 23 RBIs. Fresno State sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung has three wins on the season and will look to carry that success to Mex-
ico. The Fresno State ace said she and her teammates are excited to play softball in a place they have never been. “It’s the first time out of the country for a lot of us,” Dung said. Head coach Linda Garza said it’s a special opportunity for the team to compete internationally. “It’s a business trip. We’re going to still pack our swimsuits and be able to enjoy some sunshine, but we do have a goal,” Garza said. “Our goal out there is to come back and to win the games we’re supposed to win. Take care of business and enjoy that opportunity along the way.” The first-year head coach said the team will look to focus on getting better game by game and continue its offensive consistency.
See SOFTBALL, Page 7
Courtesy of Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State freshman outfielder Kindra Hackbarth steps in the batter’s box and awaits the pitch at the ASU Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.