'DOGS GO 4-1 IN KICK-OFF TOURNAMENT
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MONDAY Issue February 11, 2013 FRESNO STATE
COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU
SERVING CAMPUS SINCE 1922
BULLDOG BORN, BULLDOG BRED: JIM SWEENEY REMEMBERED By Ricardo Cano The Collegian
In 1976, coach Jim Sweeney first roamed the Fresno State sidelines. In his time as the Bulldogs’ coach, Fresno State found a home – Bulldog S tad i u m. F res n o S t at e ’ s s u c c e s s brought life to a now-rabid fan base. Fresno State, a sleeping giant awakened in the Sweeney era, said goodbye to its forefather, its groundbreaker – its catalyst.
Mr. Sweeney, Fresno State’s emphatic fixation largely credited for elevating the Bulldogs to previously unreached heights, died on Friday. He was 83. “Coach Sweeney challenged our university and community to be better in all things,” Fresno State President John Welty said in am email. “He knew how to motivate others and challenged them to achieve beyond what others thought might be possible. He awakened the sleeping giant in Central California.”
Mr. Sweeney, born on Sept. 1, 1929, coached the Bulldogs from 1976-78 and 1980-96. In his 19 seasons at the Fresno State helm, he compiled a 144-74-3 (.658) record, and led the Bulldogs to eight conference championships and five bowl victories. One of those bowl victories came against No. 23 USC in the 1992 Freedom Bowl. The Sweeney-coached Bulldogs won 24-7 in a win considered as one of the biggest in program history. For Welty, it was Mr. Sweeney’s pas-
sion and personality that he appreciated. “Coach Sweeney was a passionate coach who cared deeply about his players. He had a quick wit and he knew how to motivate people.” News traveled fast of Mr. Sweeney’s p a s s i n g . O n F r i d ay n i g h t , t h e Twittersphere erupted. Rick Kolstad, a scoreboard operator at Fresno State women’s basketball See SWEENEY, Page 7
Serving in South Africa By Zack Edwards The Collegian The unofficial theme of the night was “get out of Fresno,” as a variety of speakers presented study-abroad opportunities to Smittcamp students at the weekly Colloquium last Thursday night. Students briefly heard about experiences in China and the inability to use social media there, as well as Prague and its disdain for vegetables. However, the main speaker of the night was senior biology student Walid Hamud. He recently spent a year in Por t Elizabeth, South Africa. Hamud discussed taking biology classes at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He explained the many tourist activities he did while in South Africa. He held a cheetah, went on a safari and visited the local beaches, but he was there for much more than that. H a m u d , h o n o r e d a s a Ro t a r y Ambassadorial Scholar of Goodwill, has to do service work while abroad. As a pre-med student, Hamud had originally planned to do something medically related. However, he changed focus once in South Africa. “What the scholarship does an amazing job of doing, is it gives a lot of autonomy and freedom to the scholar,” Hamud said. “They basically tell them, ‘Go find a need in the community that you live in and work with Rotary in the community to help fulfill that need.’ See ROTARY, Page 3
Michael Bergen / McClatchy-Tribune
A new policy implemented by the Pentagon will allow women in the military to face combat roles, which has sparked controversy among Americans.
WOMEN OF HONOR Opportunity and opposition for females on the front lines By Dalton Runberg The Collegian In a historic decision, the Pentagon dropped its ban on women in the U.S. Armed Forces serving in combat roles, a move which has been met with much excitement and apprehension. The order was signed Jan. 24 by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Though it will continue to be under review and its effects will likely not be seen until as late as 2016, it has become a hot-button issue that has brought up questions on both sides of gender equality, physical aptitude and the nature of war itself. Nathan J. Hoepner, an assistant professor of military science at Fresno State and a retired lieutenant colonel, said that the decision simply reflects the reality of the nature of modern war. When dealing with counter-insurgency
“A Khlarissa Agee / The Collegian
Fresno State senior, Walid Hamud, talks about his experience attending Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
lot of people were involved in combat situations, no matter what your job was, if you were inside Iraq or inside Afganistan. I think we're merely reflecting reality at this point” — Nathan J. Hoepner, Assistant professor of military science
operations, as is the case with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are not clearly defined front lines or rear areas, he said, and many women were already serving in combat roles. “A lot of people were involved in combat situations or under the threat of combat situations, no matter what your job was, if you were inside Iraq or inside Afghanistan,” Hoepner said. “So I think we’re merely reflecting reality at this point.” Though women in the military have been faced with these types of combat situations for the past 11 years in the Middle East, the official policy was that women were not allowed to serve on the front lines. Policy reviews began a few years ago, Hoepner said, but the combat exclusion policy goes back to 1994. “But as the realities of war become more obvious,” he said, “the Department of Defense began reviewing this policy. It’s still an ongoing process.” Blain Roberts, an assistant professor of U.S. women’s history at Fresno State, said that the exclusion of women in front-line combat is a result of a long history of “deep-seated, cultural constructs that say that women should not be placed in certain situations. “But, I think within the last couple decades, these ideas have kind of lost their currency,” Roberts said, “and more and more Americans, I think, are starting to see women are capable of doing these same jobs that men are
“M
ore and more Americans, I think, are starting to see women are capable of these same jobs that men are doing in the military.” — Blain Roberts, Fresno State U.S. women's history professor
doing in the military.” Sgt. Krista Brown, a member of the Fresno State veterans fraternity Omega Delta Sigma, said that females have already been filling combat roles, but have not been able to be listed in that particular combat MOS, or military occupational specialty. After being a part of the military for four years and serving in Iraq for 12 months, she feels that it means a lot to women to be treated as equals for performing the same duties as men. “I think we’ve finally found our place. I think we’ve been in combat,” Brown said. “We’ve been in multiple deployments, and finally people are realizing that we’re just as capable as any of the men out there, and it’s time for us to step up and fill those roles.” Megan Maloy, cadet battalion executive officer in the Fresno State Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), said that this change comes as a result of See HONOR, Page 3