March 20, 2019

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Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Credentials at risk John D

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Certification of at least 60 students from Fresno State’s mental health nursing program may not be valid.

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Free Fresno State ice cream for Ag Day

By Payton Hartung Reporter

Agriculture students recently had an outdoor celebration for National Agriculture Day that featured free Fresno State-made ice cream and an agricultural club fair.

ASI senator for the College of Agriculture Jacqueline Taylor said that this year’s celebration was bigger and better than ever.

“We are really excited to see what happens,” Taylor said. “We hope to continue this.”

The ice cream and snacks were provided by the Fresno State Gibson Farm Market. All of the produce from the market is grown by Fresno State students.

Fresno State student Omar Hernandez said he is surprised that some people are still unaware of the market.

“Something like this gives us a chance to show students the people behind the products and get people to know that we have those products available,” Hernandez said.

Lately, there has been a big disconnect between farmers and the public, Hernandez said. He said he hopes to ensure people that farmers care greatly for the environment and its sustainability.

“We have to keep our livelihood going for generation[s] to come,” Hernandez said. “We are some of the strongest advocates for the environment.”

Many of the agricultural clubs attended to share their love for agriculture. The president of the Fresno State Viticulture Club, Eddie Rios, said he was very excited to share the great opportunities that the club has been providing to viticulture and enology students.

Geoff Thurne • Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology

Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro and his wife Mary observe a livestock exhibit during National Ag Day on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

ASI passes graduate school resolution

By Jacob Mulick Reporter

Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI) senators unanimously passed a total of six action items at their meeting on Wednesday,

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March 13. The items passed included four Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) for undergraduate and graduate research, Homecoming and Vintage Days, a resolution supporting the creation of a new graduate school and student court appointments.

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The MOU for graduate research is good for one year and will draw from ASI reserves for now, but is expected to become a budgeted item in the future. The MOU allocates $25,000 an amount which will be matched by the provost’s office and doubled by the dean marshall of research and graduate studies.

The graduate research MOU is a 3-year renewal of a previously existing MOU and is already budgeted in ASI funding. The grant is for $10,000 each year and will allow graduate students to apply for research project funding.

A resolution supporting the creation of a new graduate school by ASI was also passed unanimously. The resolution lists reasons why the graduate school should be implemented and asks the president to support the institution.

“We wanted to write a resolution in support of that so the [President’s] cabinet can see that the student body think this is an important issue and an initiative that should be passed,”

said Sen. Alex Chavez.

MOUs to help fund Vintage Days and Homecoming were also passed after the contract was slightly reworked and finalized.

Student court appointments were also confirmed. During election season, the student court resolves any conflict between candidates and determines any breaches of policy. Coincidentally, all student court appointees are part of mock trial.

Additionally, ASI Vice President of External Affairs Primavera Martinez announced that ASI is working on a $3,000 scholarship for undocumented students. Work on the details of the project is still ongoing and led by Vice President of Finance Ben Warnerdam and Martinez.

Additionally, ASI granted $1,000 to the Domestic Abuse Survivor’s Pathway project headed by media, communication and journalism professor Jes Therkelsen. The pathway will open on April 26 and will be located in the wooded area near the south side of the fountain.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

PAGE 3

COVER STORY

Accreditation lapse affects at least 60

By Larry Valenzuela News Editor

Several dozen Fresno State nursing students have been notified that the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program from which they received certificates was not accredited.

According to Dean of Health and Human Services Jody Hironaka-Juteau, Fresno State officials and students received notices late last year that the four-semester online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program was not accredited.

Hironaka-Juteau said the program has been around since 2009, but accreditation wasn’t required

for the advanced study until 2014, affecting at least 60 students that were in the program.

According to Hironaka-Juteau, the lack of accreditation is a result of an administrative misunderstanding with the application process and requirements.

A statement released by Hironaka-Juteau and Sylvia Miller, chair of Fresno State’s School of Nursing, said, “We are working closely with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) to seek remedies to address the individual situations of these former students.”

Because the program was not accredited, students who received

certificates must now re-enroll in a program that is accredited or risk losing their credentials, The Fresno Bee reported.

Hironaka-Juteau said that accreditation of the program has been moved up to the coming fall semester and is now on track to become accredited by 2020. The nine students currently in the program are not expected to be affected.

In the same statement, Hironaka-Juteau and Miller said, “We deeply regret the challenges this situation has caused our graduates, and we are committed to helping them resolve any potential impacts. All other programs in the School of Nursing are accredited and not affected by this situation.”

Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian

The College of Health and Human Services off ices located in the McLane Hall Building. The college is notifying at least 60 students who participated in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program that they were not accredited.

Summer Arts brings creative students together

By Vanessa Rios Reporter

With the 2019 CSU Summer Arts program fast approaching, students who have participated in the past are reflecting on why they want to return and why other students should enroll.

The program, which features both classes and a festival,is scheduled from June 3 to Aug. 12 on Fresno State’s campus, as well as abroad.

“We expect about 400 students to join us this year, and a lot of them from Fresno State,” said Joanne Sharp, assistant director of CSU Summer Arts.

In total, the program will have 16 classes: 14 of them at Fresno State, and 2 others abroad in Japan and Spain, according to Sharp.

Enrollment costs vary depending on several factors, including whether students are California residents, whether they are undergraduate or graduate students and how many units they are taking if they are a non-California resident.

Tuition fees, which range between $1,685$4,478, cover the class but do not include class materials, on-campus living or meals.

Classes will feature subjects including art, music, dance, theater, writing, media and animation. The program brings all the arts together to offer courses for students of all creative fields.

Marisa Mata, an undergraduate student who studies English and creative writing at Fresno State, has attended Summer Arts more than once and plans to do so again this summer.

“Having done the program a few times already, I know that I would be missing out on so much if I didn’t enroll in a course that piqued my interest,” Mata said. “It really creates a space for you to concentrate on your craft, whatever it may be, and give it your all while being supported and surrounded by like-minded people, many of whom become your very close friends.”

Mata has taken various writing courses in the program, all of which she said have further inspired her to reach her dream of becoming an accomplished writer in ways that a regular semester class hasn’t.

“I learned about taking risks and creating the art that I want to, that only I can,” Mata said. “I learned to identify myself as a writer and artist and to fully embrace that.”

Mata said the class helped her gain confidence.

“I learned to believe in myself,” she said.

Echoing Mata’s interest in attending Summer Arts again was Tessa Barretto, who just graduated at Fresno State with a double major in art and French.

Barretto would be a graduate student the next time she signs up for the program.

She said it would benefit her because Sum-

mer Arts offers graduate credits in addition to undergraduate credits for the same course. Her longing to go again is simple, and she said she “absolutely loved Summer Arts!”

“I got to step out of the norm of regular class learning and explore new experiences,” Barretto said. “Even if you’re not into art, it’s a great experience to broaden your mind and learn by stepping outside of the comfort zone.”

“I highly recommend Summer Arts for everyone,” she added.

Meanwhile, Michael Flores, a theater arts major, will return to Summer Arts this year— not as a student, but as a member of the production crew.

Like Mata, Flores said he was highly motivated to continue pursuing his dream job thanks to the summer program, so he felt the need to be a part of it again somehow.

“I plan to move out of Fresno after I graduate to pursue improv and sketch comedy, so the comedy class I took gave me the tools and knowledge I need to make that next step,” Flores said. “I feel so lucky to have been to a class that catered to exactly what I want to do in my future.”

Mata, Barretto and Flores all took Summer Arts courses at Fresno State, while studio arts student Melissa Noriego traveled to Florence, Italy last year to take the contemporary drawing and painting class.

“My experience at Summer Arts was noth-

ing short of life changing,” Noriego said. “What I appreciated most about the experience was the group of students I had the privilege of studying with.”

Noriego said that she valued the connections she made working with other artists from all over California who had different backgrounds and artistic styles that helped her develop artistically.

Although Noriego would like to do the Summer Arts program again, especially abroad, she realized that “funding can be an issue.”

“I was fortunate that I was able to find scholarships and gifts to support my studies,” Noriego said. “I know some students had to take out more loans, which is difficult, especially when, as students, we are accruing lots of debt and interest on said debt.”

Scholarships and financial assistance are available to students for the Summer Arts program.

“About 80 percent of students get financial assistance,” Sharp said. “However, 20 percent of them don’t ask about scholarships.”

Knowing about the available scholarships is crucial because they “cut down the price a lot” for the program, Flores said.

Registration for Summer Arts opened on Jan. 3, and students have until the summer to sign up to appreciate art, no matter their major.

A&E

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

4

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

REVIEW

Justin Timberlake sells out SMC for five-star performance

Jose Romo Jr. • The Collegian

Above: Justin Timberlake performs in f ront of a packed Save Mart Center as he brings his ‘Man of the Woods’ tour to Fresno on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

Right: Timberlake interacts with fans standing next to catwalk.

By Paige Gibbs Reporter

After several months of anticipation following the concert’s postponement in December 2018, fans of Justin TImberlake were treated to a night of some of the performer’s most memorable hits.

The 10-time Grammy Award-winner came to the Save Mart Center on March 13 for his “Man of the Woods” tour.

Filling nearly every seat in the arena, Timberlake performed for more than two hours, sang 22 songs from his entire catalog of music and danced alongside his professional cast the entire concert.

In addition to Timberlake’s excellence as a performer, he had a cutting-edge light show.

The tour did not hold back, giving audience members a spectacle not easily forgotten.

Crowd favorites included “Suit and Tie,” during which Timberlake performed an ex-

tended solo dance on the center stage with an engaging light show. Following that, he used a grid sampler to mix his song “My Love” before performing it in its entirety.

The “Man of the Woods” tour features a traditional stage that sat at the front of the stadium and a winding catwalk that ran the length of the arena. The catwalk had two stages on each end, and in the center was a round stage.

Timberlake and his dancers utilized the full length of the Save Mart Center, giving attendees in any seat a chance for a close view.

VIP tickets allowed audience members to stand next to the catwalk. Both sides of the round center stage had a bar with bartenders serving drinks.

Timberlake was accompanied by opening acts DJ Freestyle Steve and Francesco Yates.

Steve opened with a 30-minute set of throwback club favorites, like “Low” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain and “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid. He had the crowd up on its feet and dancing. Steve

chose two pairs of lucky “best friends” he pulled from the general admission seats to the VIP area closest to the stage.

Yates is a 23-year-old pop artist from Toronto. He is most known for his vocals on Robin Schulz’s song “Sugar” released in 2015.

Yates was as vibrant as he was quick with

his feet, scooting along and dancing as he sang.

He covered Bruno Mars’ “Finesse” sang original songs and ended his opening set with “Sugar.”

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PAGE 5

THE COLLEGIAN • A&E

Fresno State hosts Lanford Wilson’s 40th Wind Festival ‘Book of Days’

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter

The Fresno State Concert Hall hosted the 40th annual Dr. Lawrence R. Sutherland Wind Festival from March 15 through 17.

Its March 16 showing featured a performance by Fresno Pacific University’s Symphonic Band, the Fresno State Wind Orchestra and special guest conductor Sutherland for an audience that filled more than half the hall.

The Symphonic Band opened up the evening gala concert with conductor Dr. Eric Leung.

They performed in honor of the late David Maslanka for his dedication to the band.

Maslanka died two years ago, and his last work was with the band.

Members of the audience watched the hand movement of the conductor and nodded their heads to the music.

The audience applauded the band loudly

after its performance. Leung received a gift basket and a conducting baton for being a part of the festival.

Next, Donald Barley, a Fresno State Wind Orchestra performer majoring in music education, and who started playing the trumpet in the fourth grade was featured. Barley said he was influenced by many teachers who had encouraged him to reach out and inspire others.

“After college, I would really want to give back to another community, especially middle school,” Barley said. “I feel like that is a turning point where a musician wants to keep going. If you are inspired in middle school, I feel like you are more willing to continue with music education.”

ONLINE: for more on this story, visit our website: fresnostate.edu/collegian

opening this week

By Marilyn Castaneda A&E Editor

Fresno State’s University Theatre will present its latest production, “Book of Days,” opening Friday at 7:30 p.m at the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre.

The premiere is written by Lanford Wilson and directed by J. Daniel Herring.

Performances will run from March 22 to March 30, beginning at 7:30 p.m., except for a 2 p.m. start on March 24.

The play focuses on the small town of Dublin, Missouri, dominated by three institutions: a cheese plant, a fundamentalist church and a community theatre. When murder strikes in the town, Ruth Hoch begins her quest to find truth and honesty among the town’s jealousies,

religion, greed and lies. “‘Book of Days’ depicts a small Missouri town on a collision course comprised of religion, politics, secrets and scandal,” Herring said in a news release. “Judgements are made and justice is at stake. Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we shake our heads in disbelief at the events in today's world, just as the residents of Dublin, Missouri."

Tickets are $17 for adults; $15 for Fresno State faculty, staff, alumni and military; and $10 for all students. Children under 5 years old will not be admitted.

Parking is free for shows on Friday through Sunday nights. A parking pass will be required on Tuesday through Thursday nights.

For more information, contact the box office at 559-278-2216 or universitytheatre@csufresno.edu.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Free Speech Lies are told, fact is printed Platform condones campus harassment

By Noel Gallardo

Local community activist

By Christina Tran | Opinion Editor For the past couple years, a group of extreme evangelists have come to the Free Speech Platform during the spring semesters to preach their vision of Christianity to Fresno State students, staff and the public.

Whether it be religion, social or political issues, everyone is welcome to say whatever they want at Fresno State’s public campus in the free speech zone. However, the altercations and arguments between the extreme evangelists and students have created so much tension that a police presence is always necessary when a crowd begins to form.

Often drawing huge crowds of people for several hours at the center of campus, their controversial messages and ideals seem to be an effort to garner as much attention and dramatic reactions from passersby as possible.

Many students who have attended Fresno State for longer than a year have come to discover that the religious group is most commonly referred to as the crazy people who scream absurd and often offensive things at people, like “You’re going to hell” and “Everyone is a sinner.”

By constantly blurting out aggressive phrases and confronting anyone near them, the separation between what counts as free speech and what is a clear form of harassment has become blurred.

Positioning the extreme evangelists directly in the way of students heading toward the Henry Madden Library or University Student

The Collegian is a studentrun publication that serves the Fresno State community.

Views expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or university.

A statesman once expressed, “ … to announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public … ” The man who spoke those words was Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the U.S. It is within that quotation that we all possess our august freedom of speaking without fear of detention, and for some, the freedom to courageously pursue journalistic interests that must

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Union has proved to be both a distraction and an obtrusive voice to anyone walking on campus.

This dissonance of allowing the harassment of the public is in conflict with the value of providing religious groups not only a platform, but an entire area which is highly populated on campus to spout their interpretations of the Bible. On top of this, their confrontations with the campus community often extend beyond the interested crowd.

Students walking anywhere near the free speech area are susceptible to this aggressive ideology when they are not looking to engage, or even stop to pay attention to the extreme evangelists.

This is why the line between promoting free speech and harassment treads dangerously close to being a public nuisance for everyone attending the university.

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be reported on.

Now, to those majoring in journalism in an age where a megalomaniacal elected official and his appointed administration can repulsively discredit the truthful investigations of objective reporting, we implore you not to succumb to

such words of negativity and to not be strongarmed into wearing their myopic lenses.

Kindly cast their one-size-fits-all version of wearable red herrings into their brimming receptacle of red tape.

It is unethical to extraordinarily create news for the bombastic few (the sitting president), as real stories from ordinary people (99.99 percent of humanity) instill hope, change and civility.

Moreover, the need to sift the mechanisms of those sowing many apocryphal ideals, along with those rare authentic interests, must be brought forthwith before aggressive fallacies break the earth.

If the delusion has been taken ground deep, expose it for what it is -- lies. Then keep excavating and get to the hardpan of the story.

It is then that truth will be found.

That is what news is -- and freedom of the press.

Divisive statements don’t belong in government

By Dr. Alex Vavoulis | Fresno State professor emeritus in chemistry During the last week, it has been reported on the internet that the president of the U.S., Donald Trump, said, “Abortion is murder.” At the same time, the vice president of the U.S., Mike Pence, said, “All homosexuals should be eliminated.”

The harshness of these pronouncements allows for no debate on these social issues; they allow for no balance or equilibrium to exist in human societies.

They are demagoguery statements and have no place in a democratic system of government.

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One is reminded of a question asked by Nobel Laureate George Seferis in 1945 at the end of WWII, when people sacrificed so much to defeat Nazi fascism, when he said, “What should an intellectual do in the face of the religious fanaticism unleashed by the political orthodoxies of the time?”

To save freedom, justice and human dignity, part of the answer to Seferis’ question must be that we must emphasize the “We” (the communal mind), and not the “I” (a politician’s opinion).

Corbin Roache Joy Lyle Jovanni Cardenas Julie Wong Casey Supple Jeff Vinogradoff Crystal Reyes 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 © 2018 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, MARCH 20, 2019

THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS

PAGE 7

FRONT PAGE

Fresno State snub? You should be angry!

By Anthony De Leon

The lasting memory of the 2018-19 Fresno

the NCAA introduced this season to replace the Rating Percentage Index (RPI). The NET system incorporates factors such as game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin and net efficiency at both ends of the

Conference and San Diego finishing seventh in the West Coast Conference.

Despite the snub, those who supported the Bulldogs at the Save Mart Center, watched the ‘Dogs play this season on TV or have interacted

State men’s basketball season likely will be an 85-60 loss to Utah State in Las Vegas at the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

Though it shouldn’t be the final memory to a great season, ultimately it will be.

The loss is surely what popped into the heads of committee members of the National Invitation Tournament committee (NIT) as it chose to snub a 23-9 Bulldogs team, denying it the chance to continue its season.

Along with the NIT snub, the Bulldogs were denied an opportunity to play in the College Basketball Invitation (CBI) and the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), which are tournaments that go by the pay-toplay format.

After media outlets, like drating.com and MidMajorMadness, that focus on studying and projecting which teams should make the NIT, had the Bulldogs selected as a team that would receive a bid to NIT, can you blame them for refusing to pay for postseason play?

In an article by The Fresno Bee, head coach Justin Hutson brought up some good points on why it was disappointing that the Bulldogs didn’t get into the NIT after the season they had.

“We were disappointed we didn’t get into the NIT with our resume, our (kenpom.com)

court.

With NET being all the rage this season, here are a list of schools in the NIT with a NET rating below 80, which is what the Bulldogs’ rating is, and a record worse than Fresno State: Campbell University (20-12, 223), Harvard (18-11, 129), Saint Francis University (18-14, 265), Wright State University (21-13, 140), Loyola-Chicago (20-13, 128), University of San Diego (21-14, 97), Norfolk State University (2113, 226), Georgetown (19-13, 82), Wichita State University (19-14, 83) and Sam Houston State University (21-11, 174).

Some of the aforementioned schools you may have heard of and some of them you may be thinking are just made up. Seven of those schools earned automatic berths by way of their regular season conference titles and not by being selected to the NCAA tournament.

And with the other three remaining on that list, the only school that you could say deserves its spot more than Fresno State is Georgetown, due to it playing in the Big East Conference.

Wichita and San Diego could arguably be replaced with Fresno State after the season the Bulldogs had, especially after both teams failed to finish as a top-five team in their respective conferences during the regular season with Wichita finishing sixth in the American Athletic

with players personally should view this season as a success and look forward to next year’s play.

Now, the one big question going into the NCAA Tournament will be whether or not Fresno State fans should cheer for No. 7 seed Nevada and No. 8 seed Utah State because of conference affiliation.

The decision will ultimately be in the hands of fans, but here are some points that may help you make the decision.

What were your thoughts on losing a somewhat close game at the SMC to Nevada and an even closer game in Reno, with both coming in questionable fashion?

If I were you, I wouldn’t cheer for them.

How did you feel after losing to Utah State by 25 points in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament?

So you should probably not cheer for them.

Do you feel the pain and anger that Deshon Taylor, Sam Bittner and Braxton Huggins feel not being able to suit up one more time in a Bulldogs uniform because they were snubbed for a postseason play after outstanding senior campaigns?

Then you should definitely not cheer for them.

Sports Editor

Jose Romo Jr. • The Collegian

Deshon Taylor is one of three Bulldog seniors that will not have an opportunity to play one more game in a Bulldogs uniform after Fresno State men’s basketball was snubbed on Sunday, March 17, 2019. ranking, our NET ranking and our Quadrant One and Quadrant Two wins, our wins on the road and playing in a tough conference,” Hutson told The Bee. The main takeaway from the quote is the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking that Hutson mentioned, which is an analytic system

Women’s basketball hosts Pacific in WNIT

By Jorge Rodriguez Reporter The Fresno State women’s basketball team accepted an invitation to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), making this the eighth appearance by the Bulldogs in the postseason tournament.

According to a Fresno State Athletics news

release, the Bulldogs will host University of the Pacific at the Save Mart Center on Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. in the first round.

This will be the first appearance for the Bulldogs in the WNIT since 2016, during which the ‘Dogs defeated Santa Clara University in the first round, but were eliminated in the second round of the tournament by the University of Oregon.

With an overall record of 19-12, the Bulldogs finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a record of 11-7. This was the sixth time the Bulldogs have reached the semifinals of the conference in seven years.

At home, the Bulldogs are 14-8 against the Tigers and have averaged a 10-point margin victory the last two times the programs played.

Pacific finished sixth in the West Coast Confer-

ence with an overall record of 19-12.

Both Pacific and Fresno State have faced each other 47 times, with the Bulldogs having the edge on the all-time series with 26 wins and 21 losses, winning six out of the last seven encounters.

If the Bulldogs advance to the second round of the tournament, they will face either Idaho State University or the University of Arizona.

In her fifth season as head coach, Jaime White is one win away from getting her 100th victory as coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Coach White has a record of 1-1 in the last three postseason appearances by the Bulldogs.

The WNIT tournament will go from March 20 to April 6 and will be televised by CBS Sports Network.

Jose Romo Jr. • The Collegian

Candice White plays at the Save Mart Center in WNIT on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

8

19 Bulldogs showcase skills for NFL

By Anthony De Leon Sports Editor

Fresno State football held its annual Pro Day at Bulldog Stadium on Monday for players who have declared for the NFL Draft and seniors looking to impress scouts in order to possibly make an NFL roster.

Nineteen Bulldogs from last year’s team performed numerous drills in an attempt to spark interest from 33 professional scouts in attendance, which included 28 different NFL teams and Canadian Football League teams.

Most eyes were on touted prospects linebacker Jeff Allison, defensive back Mike Bell and wide receiver KeeSean Johnson to see if they were able to improve on the marks achieved while at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month.

Monday was an opportunity for players who were not invited to the combine, like quarterback Marcus McMaryion, wide receiver Jamire Jordan and defensive back Anthoula ‘Tank” Kelly, to perform in front of NFL scouts before the upcoming NFL draft.

The Pro Day began at 10:30 a.m. at the Duncan Athletics Building, where players performed in the bench press, broad jump and vertical jump.

Jose Romo Jr. • The Collegian

Marcus McMaryion (left) and Mike Bell (right) showcase their skills in front of scouts from 28 NFL teams and three from the Canadian Football League at Bulldog Stadium for Pro Day on March 18, 2019.

Linemen posted the three best bench press marks as Markus Boyer led all players with 26 repetitions, while Patrick Belony and Micah St. Andrew posted 25 reps each. Delvon Hardaway led all wide receivers with 17 reps, and Kelly led all defensive backs with 16.

As the test moved to Bulldog Stadium, the focus shifted to the 40-yard dash, as Johnson and Bell both improved on their combine numbers. Bell recorded a 4.65, and Johnson posted a 4.53. Allison declined to run the 40-yard dash.

Four Bulldogs posted sub-4.5 second 40yard dashes. Wide receiver Brian Burt finished with 4.31 time, followed by Jordan (4.41), Kelly (4.43) and Hardaway (4.47).

Jordan may have had the most impressive day of all, finishing his day by posting a 42-inch vertical jump, a 10 foot 8 inch broad jump, a 4.0-second short shuttle mark and a 6.78 threecone run to go along with his 4.41 40-yard dash.

McMaryion took part in a 35-40 rep showcase throwing to six different receivers who

took part in Monday’s workouts.

McMaryion’s performance was above average for the most part. He was on point with many of his throws, including a few deep balls that his receivers failed to corral. But there were also times that some of his passes did not come out the way he would have liked.

McMaryion came out of Pro Day confident in the performances of both he and his teammates in front of the scouts.

“I’m excited for all the guys, and myself included, to have an opportunity in front of all these scouts,” McMaryion said. “Couple things here and there I’m sure everyone wished they had back, but overall, we put out our best performances.”

Bell, whom some media outlets project going as high as the third round in the NFL Draft, has continued to hear nothing but positive feedback from the scouts that he has spoken with during the draft process.

“Everybody likes my film. So far, they can tell my film speaks for itself,” said Bell. “A lot of coaches like me, and a lot of scouts have been talking to me. I’m excited for what is next.”

What is next for the former Bulldogs is the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee as the draft hopefuls will wait and see if their names will be called to continue their dreams of playing at the next level.

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