FRESNO STATE BASEBALL PLAYER TO SIT
Country stars rock Save Mart Center A&E What should we do about Egypt? OPINION What is new about the GRE? FEATURES
‘Dogs OF Robinson to sit first five games for Sept. DUI
monday Issue february 7, 2011 FRESNO STATE
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Fresno State Budget New fraternity cuts: Where is the makes its way money going? to campus By Jessica Chamberlain The Collegian As California faces a huge budget deficit and budget cuts all around, so does the California State University system. Fresno State will be faced with the challenge of overcoming a huge budget
cutback, and the students are bearing the brunt of the cost. During a press conference last month, President Welty opened his speech by saying, “I wish I could tell you that the fiscal situation was improving, but it is not; it’s gotten worse.” Fresno State is facing an
18 percent reduction in the school’s budget from the state, which equates to approximately $28 million that needs to be made up elsewhere. This is not good news for s t u d e n t s. T wo q u e s t i o n s remain: What happened to the money and what is going to be done about it?
Infographic by Michael Uribes / The Collegian
With each passing semester, students are encountering higher tuition fee costs that leaves them wondering where it all goes even as the fees increase. Sharon Briscoe, the budget and treasury manager at Fresno State, provided a breakdown of where the tuition and fees go and what they fund. “Student tuition revenue is pooled with state appropriations and allocated to each program area, using the Level A percentages as established by President Welty on 4/18/07,”
Briscoe said. CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said, “It is not going to be pretty, about 84 percent of our budget is tied up in salaries and benefits.” He continues on to say that they will have to downsize the CSU to make up for the state’s budget cuts. A 10 percent fee increase has been implemented for this semester along with fee increases from previous semesters to help close the gap left in Fresno State’s budget. President Welty reported that with this increase in tuition
there has been an increase in revenue of $8 million. That seems to be an effective move, but looking deeper, more money can be found. The Campaign for Fresno State has also raised $160 million for the university as of Dec. 31, 2010. President Welty also reported that 80 percent of that amount would be used for academic enhancement. “Dollars received through the Campaign must be used as donors direct,” director of Campaign communications Jill C. Wagner said. “Most contributions are ‘designated,’
By Dana Hull The Collegian Alpha Sigma Phi has arrived on campus, and they are looking to recruit. Matt Humberger, director of chapter and colony development, said he is looking for a group of founding fathers that want to be part of something new and something that compliments the other fraternities. Fresno State would be the only fouryear university in Central California to have an Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. “We have five groups in Norther n Califor nia, and we want to go into Southern California,” he said. “Before we do that we wanted to have something in between northern and southern California that we can have be the staple for the state — the premier chapter — and we are hoping that the group we create in Fresno can be that.” Humberger said that before the frater nity can become an official chapter, it must become a colony first. “It’s just a lot of getting your name out to the campus, recruiting more individuals and starting to operate like an actual fraternity does,” he said. “Typically it could take anywhere between nine and 15 months.” Ryan Bakita, expansion coordinator for Alpha Sigma Phi, has been on campus since Jan. 31 giving presentations and holding meetings
for students who are interested in joining. “We couldn’t be more excited to be on a campus like this,” Bakita said in a release. “The community has been so welcoming and we’re thrilled to create a group of like-minded men who want to collaborate with the university and the Greek community to make Fresno State an even better place than it already is.” Bakita said that in the short time they have been on campus, they have already had several individuals who are interested in joining their organization. “We are well on our way to being successful here,” he said. Alpha Sigma Phi was founded in 1845 at Yale University. More recently, the fraternity has expanded to other Califor nia State U n iv e r s i t i e s i n c l u d i n g Sonoma State, San Francisco State and California State University, Chico.
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Opinion PAGE 2
THAT’S WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING... Mubarak’s continued leadership is critical — it’s “P resident his opportunity to write his own legacy.” – Frank Wisner, U.S. diplomat
OPINION EDITOR, DANIELLE GILBERT • COLLEGIAN-OPINION@CSUFRESNO.EDU
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
EDITORIAL
Should the U.S. assist Egypt? Where will events in Egypt go from here? This is the question the Obama Administration must be asking itself. Among the intelligentsia, two positions have been staked out: One side proclaims support for the protesters no matter what — liberté, egalité, fraternité is their cry; the other side wonders why the United States is treating its ally in such a poor manner — send in the tanks, they say. Obama is notable in that he has taken neither of these positions. The administration’s policy could rightly be described as one of trying to pick the winner. Whatever this is, it is not leadership. Undoubtedly, this is a difficult situation. Hosni Mubarak, the president of Egypt, has been a steadfast ally in the region for 30-plus years. Since Anwar Sadat, Mubarak’s predecessor in Egypt, was assassinated for signing a peace treaty with Israel, Mubarak has almost singlehandedly kept peace between Israel and the Arab states in the Middle East. Egypt is the region’s largest country, and no jihad against Israel could be successfully attempted without Egypt’s acquiescence. Mubarak has been indispensable in this regard. He has also been a dictatorial thug. He has tortured foes, imprisoned journalists and made a mockery of the democratic process.
This is what makes the Obama position reasonable. It doesn’t make it the right one. If Egypt continues to descend into chaos, instability will reach other Arab countries. It started in Tunisia and has already extended in part to Jordan and Yemen. It sounds right and just to American ears to hear people from other countries speaking of throwing off
and Iraq conflicts, its that there is a limit to what the United States can do around the world. But we must try to shape events in Egypt in a way that coincides with our interests. It is clear that Mubarak cannot stay in power now; if he were to remain in power, those who protested his government would have their lives endangered, as some have already experienced. We should use the power of the purse (the U.S. government gives billions of dollars in aid to Egypt every year) to persuade emocracy means nothing without freedom of Mubarak to step down as speech, freedom of religion and the rule of law.” soon as possible. It is equally clear that Egypt will be prone to anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments if years of tyranny and oppression and leaders from the opposition movement of instituting true democracy and free were to take power. Mubarak’s vice and fair elections. president, Gen. Omar Suleiman, should But democracy means nothing take the reins of government. He has without freedom of speech, freedom of the respect of the Egyptian military, religion and the rule of law. one of the most popular institutions This has been shown throughout the in the country, and is removed Middle East: wherever democracy has enough from Mubarak that he could been instituted in the region, radical realistically command the support of a Islamic groups have taken power, majority of Egyptians. notably in Iran with the ayatollahs in But democracy is not the answer in 1979, and in Gaza with Hamas in 2006. Egypt. Better the devil you know than But what should the United States the devil you don’t. do? What can we even do? America is COMMENT: The Collegian is a hated all around the Arab world, with forum for student expression. al-Qaeda even being more popular in http://collegian.csufresno.edu some countries. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Afghanistan
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One-Finger Salute
Culled each week from discussions in The Collegian newsroom.
Thumbs up
Men’s basketball Not even Doc Brown would have seen that win coming. The men’s basketball team actually won an important game and beat last year’s WAC champion, New Mexico State.
Thumbs down
DeKalb County, Georgia DeKalb County police banned residents from charging money for admission into their annual Super Bowl bash. Police vowed to “cite and or arrest the homeowners for operating a business without a license.” Every party has a pooper. And the pooper is you DeKalb County Police Department.
Thumbs up Verizon Wireless
The AT&T rival finally got with the program. On Feb. 3, 2011, Verizon debuted the iPhone 4.
Thumbs up
Coach Mike Batesole Thumbs down to Dusty Robinson. The outfielder finally got suspended for his post-birthday DUI. Robinson will be benched for the first five games of the season. I’m sure he’d like to be playing, but thats some serious stuff. Check out the sports section.
Thumbs down Janet Jackson
Ever since Janet Jackson’s nip slip at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, organizers have banned women from performing at the game. That was until Fergie promised a nipple-free performance. Look what you and your sun-shaped, metal nipple ring did — ruined it for everyone.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS NEWS EDITOR, DANA HULL • COLLEGIAN-NEWS@CSUFRESNO.EDU
Conspiracy charges filed against Muslim students By Gillian Flaccus Associated Press SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A group of Muslim students accused of disrupting a speech by Israeli ambassador Michael Oren at the University of Califor nia, Irvine, were charged Friday with misdemeanor conspiracy counts, ending speculation about what would come from their actions nearly a year ago. The 11 students each face one count of misdemeanor conspiracy to disturb a meeting and one count of misdemeanor disturbance of a meeting, the Orange County district attorney’s office said. If convicted, they could face anything from probation and community service to six months in jail.
The students were arrested Feb. 8, 2010, after shouting and protesting during Oren’s speech on U.S.-Israeli security, forcing the diplomat to stop his remarks for 20 minutes. Eight of the students were from UC Irvine, and three were from the nearby campus of the University of California, Riverside. Muslim students from the Irvine school protested outside the district attorney’s office earlier this week after word leaked that a grand jury had been convened in the case. Jacqueline Goodman, an attorney for all 11 defendants, said they would plead not guilty at an arraignment scheduled for March 11. District Attor ney Tony Rackauckas defended his decision Friday, saying the
protest was a pre-meditated attempt to quash the speaker and prevent the 500 to 700 people gathered there from hearing his remarks. That made the incident about more than free speech, he said. “This is a clear violation of the law, and failing to bring charges against this conduct would amount to failure to uphold the Constitution,” he said in a statement. “We must decide whether we are a country of laws or a country of anarchy. We cannot tolerate a pre-planned violation of the law, even if the crime takes place on a school campus and even if the defendants are college students.” Goodman said that just because the district attorney can bring charges doesn’t mean he should, particularly
in this case where the students protested peacefully and didn’t resist arrest. “T he district attor ney enjoys wide discretion as to which crimes he’s going to choose to prosecute. We don’t prosecute every crime ever committed. We don’t have the unlimited resources to do that,” Goodman said. “It becomes very dangerous to a democracy when we allow the district attorney to prosecute a peaceful protest on a campus based on the contents of that speech.” T he American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California said it is “deeply troubled” by the decision and called on the district attorney to dismiss the charges immediately.
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BUDGET: CONTINUED from page x meaning they are directed to scholarships or a particular program or fund. Unrestricted gifts are typically less than one percent of total gifts each year,” “The impact of gifts to Fresno State is felt campuswide.” Wagner added “Gifts are supporting scholarships, equipment, research prog rams, building enhancements and experiences for students and faculty that wouldn’t happen without private support.” Fresno State is also making travel cutbacks, leaving positions unfilled, halting maintenance and major projects. But on top of all that, enrollment will also be looked at, the university will make cuts to how many students can be enrolled and who will be admitted to the school. Progress is being made at various levels, but the brunt of the cutbacks will be felt by students, staff and faculty.
Personal Brand Week launches today By Dana Hull The Collegian PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the largest professional services fir ms nationwide, is giving students another chance to learn what it takes to make it in the job market after they graduate. Starting today, PwC is hosting its second annual Personal Branding Week, which is a virtual career event that gives college students nationwide the tools and techniques they need to learn to get a job in a very competitive job market. “Creating a unique personal brand helps job candidates differentiate themselves,” Paula Loop, US and global talent leader for PwC said. “Personal branding is absolutely invaluable in today’s highly competitive environment.” Campus recruiting leader Amy Thompson said that Pe r s o n a l B r a n d i n g We e k
teaches students how to demonstrate and articulate the traits that would make them stand out to potential employers. “It is really designed to help people identify their unique traits that make them valuable in their search for a job,” she said. “[Personal Branding Week] is for anybody in any major who would be looking for a job or looking for ways to enhance, deter mine and define what their strengths are.” Personal Branding Week is a five-day campaign that will focus on a different topic everyday, from learning how to build your own network to knowing what employers look for. Thompson said students don’t necessarily need to attend all five virtual events to benefit from the advice they have to offer. “Maybe they have a great
network and know how to write, but they need help in their elevator speech or online makeover,” she said. O n d ay 3 , H o l l y P a u l , recruiting leader for PwC, will host a live chat so students can get advice from a real person, whether it be how to land an internship or how to enter into a particular industry they are interested in. On Friday, students will then be able to enter a contest to win $5,000. “The contest is open to any undergrad who is willing to put together a 30-second video, which we would term their elevator speech,” Thompson said. “This is their 30-second pitch about who they are. They can post it and win $5,000.” Students have from Friday, Feb. 11 until Friday, Mar. 25 to submit their video entries. The winner will be announced in April.
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THE COLLEGIAN • FEATURES FEATURES EDITOR, JANESSA TYLER • COLLEGIAN-FEATURES@CSUFRESNO.EDU
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
Changes to GRE could affect students' futures By Beeta Taidi-Laskowski The Collegian Students applying to g raduate schools could potentially be affected by the upcoming revisions to the Graduate Record Exam, more commonly known as the GRE. Graduate programs review a student's GRE scores to determine his or her readiness for graduate-level work. The GRE General Test has three sections: analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning. The Education Testing Services website says the changes being made to each section create a “friendlier, more technically advanced” test.
There will also be a way for students to earmark questions that they are unsure of and return to them at a later time. The revisions could not only impact the students, but the faculty and administrative staffs. It is unclear whether or not those who administer the tests will see a change in the way they give the exam. “The biggest impact that this campus would have is that we're computer based,” Linda Ensch, the test coordinator of the GRE, said. Ensch administers the GRE throughout the year in the lower level of the testing center on campus, in the Family Food and Science building. The testing center on campus allows
“W
e prepare people for how graduate studies in English are conducted.” — Lisa Weston, English Department Chair
Janessa Tyler / The Collegian
“GRE scores are valid for five years after a student has taken the test,” Linda Lazalde of graduate admissions said. So for the next four years, there will be two types of scoring that will be observed. There is, however, the chance that certain programs will not recognize the old scores, which may force some students to retake the exam. The new test places a greater emphasis on data interpretation, real-life scenarios and provide specific responses to showcase their skills in directly responding to questions. The revised GRE will no longer have analogies or antonyms and will instead center on higher cognitive skills. The revised test has been geared to be more closely aligned with the way students will be learning in their graduate studies. Students are expected to rely less on their memorization skills and more on their ability to comprehend what they are reading. In addition to the way the test questions will be formed, there will be other changes to the test itself. The scoring system will change from a 10-point increment to a one-point increment.
The
students to sign up and “book” slots to take the GRE. If the method to sign up is altered, there is a possibility that students will sign up for an already full testing session. The testing center will not know how they are affected until the change takes affect. Students should continue to turn to their professors for guidance of ways to prepare for their future schooling. The faculty will not be changing any of their daily routine. “What we do is teach discipline-standard curriculum,” English department chair Lisa Weston said. “We prepare people for how graduate studies in English are conducted.” Free preparation tests have been available since July 2010. Students will be able to register for the revised GRE test on March 15. The revised version will take effect on Aug. 1. The next available test offered at Fresno State is on April 9. Students should register by March 4.
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Arts & EnterTainment MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, MADDIE SHANNON • COLLEGIAN-FEATURES@CSUFRESNO.EDU
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George Strait and Reba McEntire perform at Save Mart Center Arena housed thousands of local country music fans Friday night
By Karlena Franz The Collegian The Save Mart Center was packed almost to capacity Friday night for two big country stars Reba McEntire and George Strait. McEntire and Strait’s fellow country star Leann Womack opened the concert. She is known for her chart topper hit “I Hope You Dance,” a song on her album of the same title in 2000. Reba McEntire kept the audience on their toes with her performance. She played a number of older songs
and newer songs that audience members of each generation could enjoy. Songs like “Consider Me Gone” and “I Want A Cowboy” from her 2009 album, “Keep on Loving You,” had the ladies singing along. Other than putting on a great show, McEntire sounded amazing. She hit every note and sounded like she just came out of the studio, if not better. McEntire also sang “If I Were A Boy,” written by Beyonce, and “Because Of You” by Kelly Clarkson, both of which became popular
with Reba fans. Womack came back on stage to do a duet with McEntire for the song “Does He Love You,” a song about two women sharing one man. Melissa Peter man from McEntire’s sitcom “Reba” c a m e o n s t a g e we a r i n g a George Strait T-shirt, an “I Love Reba” headband and a Budweiser bottle in hand. McEntire was about to perfo r m t h e s i t c o m ’ s t h e m e song “I’m A Survivor” when Peter man interrupted her. The funny skit left fans laughing and wanting more. Just when everyone thought McEntire’s performance was
finished, she surprised the crowd by coming back onto the stage to sing “Fancy” in a yellow taxicab and a shimmery red dress similar to the one she wore in her 1991 music video for the song. McEntire was entertaining, funny and a pleasure to listen to. She definitely made this performance memorable in so many ways. The crowd went wild when George Strait entered the stage. He started off with one of his newer songs “Twang” off his 2009 album of the same title that lifted the audience to their feet.
Strait played for a solid two hours with a mixture of slow and upbeat songs. Unlike the other performances, Strait’s show lacked the pizzazz and flair of McEntire’s. He kept things simple, by just using his singing to do the job. Strait and his band left the stage, but that didn’t stop the audience from continuing to roar and cheer. He came back on after and played several more songs before calling it a night.
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THE COLLEGIAN • FUN & GAMES ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, MADDIE SHANNON • COLLEGIAN-FEATURES@CSUFRESNO.EDU
The daily crossword ACROSS 1 Starboard’s opposite 5 Made with needle and thread 9 Two pints 14 Swear 15 Lotion ingredient 16 Citified 17 ___ record (make history) 18 Beef cut from behind the loin 19 Bumbling 20 Seers’ devices 23 Introductory Greek letters 24 Permit 25 Deg. for an executive 28 Solution for a clogged drain 29 Wild and crazy (Var.) 32 Salesman’s handout 33 Gracefully slender 34 Flannel pattern 35 Jane Fonda thriller (with “The”) 39 Minimal bottom 40 Like some seals 41 Sunrise direction 42 Tribulation 44 Palindromic honorific 47 Took in takeout 48 Animal often seen with a bell around its neck 49 Mel of Hollywood 51 Some metalworkers 54 Mimicking 57 Neglect to mention
Edited by Timothy E. Parker
Puzzle by Maurice Howard
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PUZZLE SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Copyright 2011. Universal Press Syndicate.
8 Forehead 5 59 Scroll of Judaism 60 Winter Olympics sled 61 Decidedly uncool 62 Quite proficient 63 Old ruler 64 Voyeur DOWN 1 French mathematician Blaise
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
2 Adjective with “optimistic” 3 Do over, in a way 4 Garbage 5 City in west-central Florida 6 Twelfth Jewish month 7 Where human life begins 8 Man from Katmandu 9 It often gets down 10 Coffeehouse vessels
1 Mount Rushmore guy 1 12 Light knock 13 Something to level with 21 Looters’ activity 22 Popular jeans brand 25 Address for a lady 26 Spreadable cheese 27 Sum (up) 30 Understanding cries 31 ____ in (entered, as data) 32 Earthy lump 33 Navel reserve? 34 Main-event preceder, briefly 35 Friendly conversation 36 Sprinkler connection 37 Scottish “no” 38 Racecar with a parachute 39 Steeped beverage 42 Wise old bird 43 Spartacus led one 44 Bad way to be led 45 “Scram, kid” 46 Solver’s quest 48 Square-dance complement 50 Resource for a sermon 51 Play starter, in football 52 Swift runners of the outback 53 Latvian port 54 ___ mo-ment’s notice 55 Spacecraft chamber 56 Fury
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Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively. SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu
Word of the Day
Wall an hb The act of wishing someone ‘Happy Birthday’ in a Facebook wall post.
Source: UrbanDictionary.com
History of Fresno State in Pictures In honor of Fresno State’s centennial
Michael Urrutia / The Collegian
The Fresno State women’s basketball and track teams teach a traditional Fresno State cheer to a group of young women athletes on National Girl and Women in Sports Day, 2002. This photo ran in the Friday, Feb. 8, 2002 issue of The Collegian.
News Briefs
Brief news for the brief attention span LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jaime Pressly has pleaded not guilty to drunken driving charges in Los Angeles. Court records show former “My Name is Earl” co-star entered the plea through her attorney Friday. Prosecutors in the city of Santa Monica charged Pressly with driving under the influence and having a blood alcohol content of more .20 on Wednesday. Pressly was arrested Jan. 5 after police say she was stopped for a traffic violation. She was released after posting $15,000 bail. Records show a judge also ordered the 33-year-old model-
actress to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at least twice a week. The office of her attorney, Richard Hutton, confirmed the plea and that the case will be called again on March 18. NEW YORK (AP) — An Au s t r a l i a n w o m a n s a y s A c a d e m y Aw a r d - w i n n i n g filmmaker Steven Soderbergh fathered her baby daughter, and she’s suing for child support. Soderbergh’s lawyer declined to comment Thursday on the lawsuit, and his mana g er didn’t immediately return a telephone call. F r a n c e s L aw re n c i n a
Anderson’s paternity suit says the “Traffic” and “Ocean’s Eleven” director helped pay medical expenses during Anderson’s pregnancy, and a DNA test showed he was the
father of the girl she had in August.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR, BEN INGERSOLL • COLLEGIAN-SPORTS@CSUFRESNO.EDU
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MONDAY, FEB. 7, AT 8 P.M., SAVE MART CENTER
Bulldog Game Day Fresno State Bulldogs (10-12, 5-6 WAC)
vs.
CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners (9-13, independent)
1. Run through Olekaibe The freshman is on fire. Olekaibe has averaged 22 points per game in Fresno State’s last four contests. Getting him going early and often will be critical.
RADIO: KMJ-AM 580 Analysis by Ben Ingersoll The Collegian
Breakdown: Bulldogs Just when it looked like the Bulldogs were becoming the Western Athletic Conference doormat, Fresno State scored perhaps the biggest victory of the season. Head coach Steve Cleveland’s squad hung on to take out reigning WAC Tournament champion New Mexico State last Thursday in an overtime thriller, 88-83. Behind freshman sensation Kevin Olekaibe’s 24 points, Fresno State got a seasonsalvaging victory at the Save Mart Center. Fresno State shot 49 percent from the field, breaking a sixgame WAC losing streak after opening conference play 3-0. L i ke t h e B u l l d o g s, C a l State Bakersfield has struggled down the stretch. The Roadrunners began the season strong, but have stumbled lately. Cal State Bakersfield has lost eight of its last nine contests, dropping to 9-13 on
the season. Fresno State and Cal State Bakerfield squared off last s e a s o n i n t h e S ave M a r t Center. The Bulldogs won 79-68 due in large part to center Greg Smiths 17 points. T h e B u l l d o g s w i l l h ave their hands full with the Roadrunners’ stellar front court, especially Cal State B a k e r s f i e l d t wo l e a d i n g scorers Stephon Carter and Donavan Bragg. Combined, Carter and Bragg score 30 points per game, nearly half of the team’s average output.
Breakdown: Roadrunners C a l S t a t e B a ke r s f i e l d ’ s season has nearly mirrored Fresno State’s early success followed by recent struggles. The Roadrunners opened the season 8-5, including winning five of six from Dec. 4 to Dec. 22. But after a home win against UC Riverside, things went downhill for head coach Keith Brown’s team. Brown and company lost six consecutive games following the win, and eight of nine up to this matchup. Through the losses, however, Cal State Bakersfield leading scorer Stephon Carter has shined. The sophomore has scored 16 points per game through 22 games. Carter has scored in double figures in all but five games this season. Alsongside Carter is senior Donavan Bragg who, like his runningmate, has posted double figures in all but six of the Roadrunner’s games.
Keys to Victory
But the Division I independent Roadrunners are near the bottom in the NCAA in rebounds per game (33) and field goal percentage (262nd). Competing on the block against Fresno State center Greg Smith will be 6-foot6-inch Rashad Savage. The junior is averaging nearly eight points per game to go along with a team-leading 10 rebounds per game. Savage has had 12 double-digit rebounding efforts this season. Smith has just four double-digit rebounding games in 2010-11.
2. Get Smith going on the block Smith will have his hands full with Roadrunner forward Rashad Savage, especially in the rebounding battle. Smith has taken his share of criticism this season, but has a good chance to prove himself against a seasoned forward in Savage. 3. Enjoy time away from the WAC The WAC season hasn’t been too kind to the Bulldogs this season. But out-of-conference games in the middle of WAC play have been friendly to the ‘Dogs in the past couple years.
Mike Howells / Collegian File Photo
Player to watch: Tyler Johnson, guard
SUPER BOWL: The Lombardi Trophy returns home as the Packers win their first Super Bowl title in the post-Brett Favre era CONTINUED from page 8 to two late-season victories
just to make the playoffs as a wild card. Then he guided them to wins at Philadelphia,
Atlanta and archrival Chicago before his biggest achievement — against a Pittsburgh team ranked second in defense. They barely survived a sensational rally by the Steelers, who still own the most Super Bowl rings — six in eight tries. But Pittsburgh failed to get its third championship in six years with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger’s season began with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. It ended with Roethlisberger standing on the sideline, his head down, hands on his hips, feeling something he never experienced: defeat in a Super Bowl. “I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and my teammates,” Roethlisberger said, “and it’s not a good feeling.” Not even a decidedly blackand-gold crowd, with Terrible Towels swirling throughout the $1.2 billion stadium, could make a difference for the mistake-prone Steelers. Their two biggest defensive stars — Defensive Player of the Year safety Troy Polamalu and outside linebacker James Harrison — were virtually invisible. The offense didn’t seem to miss outstanding rook-
ie center Maurkice Pouncey, who was out with an ankle injury, but Roethlisberger only occasionally made key plays until the second half. The biggest plays were left to Rodgers, Nick Collins with a 37-yard interception return for a TD, Jennings, Nelson, and the rest of the guys in green and gold. In the end, they gave coach Mike McCarthy his first Super Bowl victory against the team he rooted for while growing up in Pittsburgh. Besides Lombardi, Mike Holmgren won a title in 1997 with Favre. “This is a great group of men here, a lot of character,” Rodgers said. “We went through a lot together.” Even on Sunday, they did. Woodson went out late in the first half with a collarbone injury, a few plays after Driver was sidelined with an ankle problem. “It was very dif ficult to watch,” Woodson said, “but it feels good now.” Woodson saw the Steelers, who rallied from a 21-7 halftime hole against Baltimore three weeks ago, show the same resilience. A 37-yard catch and run by Antwaan Randle El — an almost forgotten figure during his return season with just 22 receptions
— sparked a quick 77-yard drive. Hines Ward, the 2006 Super Bowl MVP, had 39 yards on three catches during the series, including an 8-yard TD when he completely fooled Jarrett Bush. A quick defensive stop and a 50-yard drive to Rashard Mendenhall’s 8-yard touchdown run made it 21-17. But w i t h P i t t s b u r g h d r iv i n g for perhaps its first lead of the game, Mendenhall was stripped at the Green Bay 33 by Clay Matthews — one of the few plays the All-Pro linebacker made. The Packers recovered, and Rodgers hit Jennings for 8 yards and the winning points. Pittsburgh’s last gasp was on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace and a brilliant pitchout by Roethlisberger to Randle El for a 2-point conversion. M a s o n C r o s by a d d e d a 23-yard field goal for the Packers and the Steelers had no more comebacks in them. “You play to be world champions,” Matthews said, “and that’s what we are today.”
The
Collegian
SPORTS Bulldog slugger to sit first five games THIS COMING WEEK...
The track and field team competes in the Husky Classic on Friday and Saturday, one of the most prestigious indoor meets in the nation.
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SPORTS EDITOR, BEN INGERSOLL • COLLEGIAN-SPORTS@CSUFRESNO.EDU
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011
Two-time All-WAC selection Dusty Robinson suspended for September DUI incident By Ben Ingersoll The Collegian
Brianna Campbell / Collegian File Photo
Fresno State outfielder Dusty Robinson will sit out two home series against Gonzaga and Oregon State for being cited for DUI in September.
Baseball season is a mere days away, and head coach Mike Batesole’s team will be without one of its premier players in two full series. Outfielder and Bulldog slugger Dusty Robinson will serve a five-game suspension to open the 2011 season for an incident that occurred in September of last year. Just two days after tur ning 21 years old, Robinson was cited for driving under the influence near the Fresno State campus. The junior’s blood alcohol concentration level was nearly twice the legal limit for a 21-year-old at 0.14. After serving less than a week of jail time, Robinson was released but had a hearing in front of Fresno State’s athletic code of conduct committee. Originally, there was no announcement of punishment for Robinson, which drew some scrutiny to the baseball program. But this past weekend the announcement was made that
Robinson would be forced to sit through the home-opening series against Gonzaga, as well as the home series with 2006 and 2007 College World S e r i e s ch a m p i o n O re g o n State. Robinson will also sit the first game in a three-game home series with Pepperdine. He will be eligible to play his first game on Feb. 26 against the Waves. The Bakersfield product is expected to be a key component in Fresno State’s quest to avenge last season’s disappointing snub of the national tour nament. The Bulldogs fell in the WAC championship game to Hawaii, missing out on the NCAA Tour nament automatic qualifying bid. But Robinson, along with the 21 other leftovers from last year’s roster, have a daunting schedule and their eyes set on Fresno State’s eighth regular-season WAC title. The Bulldogs were picked to win this year’s conference championship in the preseason coach’s poll. Robinson, meanwhile, is a preseason All-WAC selection after g ar nering All-
Conference honors in his first two seasons in a Bulldog uniform. Robinson had 74 hits and drove in 60 runs last year to go along with 16 home runs while hitting .308 from the plate. Altogether, Robinson already has 31 career home runs. His freshman season, Robinson was named to the 2009 Louisville Slugger freshman All-American team. The junior has started 115 of Fresno State’s 125 games the past two seasons, including all 63 games last year. Robinson is still eligible to play in the annual alumni game to kickoff the 2011 season, which will be held on Feb. 12 at Beiden Field. Robinson is not the only Fresno State athlete in recent memory to have run-ins with the law concerning alcoholrelated arrests. In 2006, Fresno State football player Jason Shirley ran his car into an apar tment complex while driving intoxicated. Shirley was later dismissed from the football team. N e i t h e r Ro b i n s o n n o r Batesole were immediately available for contact.
Packers take home Super Bowl XLV Pack win first title in 14 years behind Aaron Rodgers’ 304-yard, three-touchdown MVP effort By Barry Wilner Associated Press Forget Lombardi on Broadway. Green Bay has the newest Super Bowl hit: Aaron Rodgers. Capping one of the greatest postseasons for any quarterback, Rodgers led the Packers to their first NFL championship in 14 years Sunday, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers reclaimed the Vi n c e L o m b a r d i T r o p hy, named for their legendary coach who won the first two Super Bowls and is making his own star turn in New York these days in the play named after him. Rodg ers, the g ame’s MVP, thrilled his legion of Cheesehead fans with a spectacular six-game string that should finally erase the bitter ness of the Brett Favre
separation in Green Bay. He’s now equal with Favre in Super Bowl wins, and he extended the Packers’ record of NFL titles to 13, nine before the Super Bowl era. “It’s what I dreamt about as a little kid watching Joe Montana and Steve Young,” Rodgers said, “and we just won the Super Bowl.” The Packers QB threw for three touchdowns, two to Greg Jennings, and the Packers (14-6) overcame even more injuries, building a 21-3 lead, then hanging on to become the second No. 6 seed to win the championship. Coincidentally, the 2005 Steelers were the other. Rodgers threw for 304 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, who had nine catches for 140 yards to make up for three big drops. Rodgers found Jennings, nor-
mally his favorite target, for 21- and 8-yard scores. “Wow! It’s a great day to be great, baby,” Jennings said. Then the favored Packers held on as Pittsburgh (14-5) stormed back. “We’ve been a team that’s overcome adversity all year,” Jennings said, who noted injuries to Charles Woodson and Donald Driver. “Our head captain goes down, emotional in the locker room. Our No. 1 receiver goes down, more emotions are going, flying in the locker room. But we find a way to bottle it up and exert it all out here on the field.” Few teams have been as resourceful as these Packers, who couldn’t wait to touch the trophy honoring their greatest coach — and their title. Several of them kissed it as Cowboys great Roger Staubach walked through a
Associated Press
Aaron Rodgers capped off one of the best playoff performances by a quarterback in history with a thrilling 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh.
line of green and gold. “Vince Lombardi is coming back to Green Bay,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said as the silver prize was
handed to the team. After sitting for three seasons, Rodgers took the Packers See SUPER BOWL, Page 7