BULLDOGS AVOID SWEEP
Fun summer jobs that won’t bum you out OPINION Fresno State alum becomes first city poet laureate FEATURE Teacher brings music education back to the classroom CULTURE
Fresno State pulls off 7-4 win at home against CSU Bakersfield
WEDNESDAY Issue MAY 1, 2013 FRESNO STATE
COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU
‘BIG’ INSPIRATION
SERVING CAMPUS SINCE 1922
Preserving Fresno’s history By Careen Wong The Collegian
Dalton Runberg / The Collegian
Members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity perform a dance routine in the Free Speech Area on Tuesday to bring awareness to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California. The organization, which matches adult volunteers, “Bigs,” with children, is looking for new people to join and mentor. A poster on display asked, “Who inspired you as a child?” receiving answers such as “My parents,” “My grandma” and “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”
Rich in culture, diversity and history, Fresno is home to more than 300 historical properties and 3 historical districts. And it is up to the future generation including Fresno State’s students to continue preserving historical landmarks in Fresno, Karana HattersleyDrayton said during an open forum Monday after noon. Some of these landmarks include the Forestiere Underground Gardens and the Old Administration Building of Fresno City College. Drayton is the historic preservation project manager of the City of Fresno. She works under the Development and Resource Management Department and the speaker of the forum. The forum is part of the “Fresno Future Project” organized by A. Sameh El Kharbawy, a Fresno State professor of art and design. “It aims to inform and promote public discussion on the fundamental questions that pertain to who we are,” he See HISTORIC, Page 3
Agriculture ‘Thrills Without Pills’ brings awareness to drug abuse students learn off-campus By Brianna Vaccari The Collegian
By Jacob Rayburn The Collegian The education of Fresno State students is not restricted to the library or chemistry labs. Through various opportunities students can gain knowledge working in the same field in which they hope to build a career after graduation. Randy Perry, a professor in animal science and agricultural education who specializes in beef cattle, said that for students interested in agriculture have a first-rate classroom in Fresno County. “We’re in agriculture and Fresno County is the number one agricultural county in the whole world,” Perry said. “We have all kinds of stuff around us here. You got the best producers in the world, especially on the plant side and some on the animal side. We have got the best dairies in the world right around here, same with poultry facilities.” Michelle Ganci, a professor in animal science and agricultural education who specializes in poultry science, added that you cannot learn everything you need inside a lab. “I am a huge believer in hands-on education,” Ganci said. “I learned what See AG, Page 3
In an effort to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse, Fresno State professor Gregory Thatcher and his community health class teamed up with campus and community experts Monday morning in the Free Speech Area in an event titled “Thrills without Pills” that offered students alternative methods to rid pain and seek thrills. Organizations like the DAAWG (Drug and Alcohol Awareness and Wellness Guide) program, FREAKS (Finding Responsible and Entertaining Activities on KampuS), PAWS (Peer Ambassadors of Wellness), the Lock it Up Project and PAIN (Prescription Abusers In Need) all showcased their methods to prevent prescription drug abuse. Thatcher said that prescription drug abuse is an increasing problem among college students, one that often goes unnoticed. “Prescription drugs are the second largest problem, and they can and are being abused,” Thatcher said. Thatcher’s class puts on the event every year, and every year the class learns how to make the event better. Jasneelam Kaur, the student in charge of the project, said the goal of the event was to get different organizations together and show the college community where to go for help. The class provided different “thrill” ideas in place of taking prescription drugs. There were thrill boxes set up that produced surprises, like Jell-O and live worms and crickets. Whoever correctly guessed what was inside the thrill boxes was entered in a raffle to win passes to SkyWalk, movie tickets and rock climbing.
Thatcher said that college students in Fresno don’t really have anything else to do besides party on the weekend. FREAKS, a club that had a booth at the event, aims to provide an answer for that problem. FREAKS is a club that organizes a game night every Friday night in the Resident Dining Hall from 5 p.m. to midnight. Attendees play board games and video games the entire night, providing entertainment outside the party scene on Friday nights. Michelle Alcantara, an outreach specialist at the Lock It Up project said the goal of the organization is to educate youth on prescription drug abuse. The organization provides “lock boxes”
and teaches parents to keep prescription drugs in a safe place and away from teens. The program has three components: peer education, a phar macy initiative that promotes the lock boxes and trainings for high school students. The organization has attended many high schools and junior highs in Fresno County to raise awareness for prescription drug abuse. A discussion panel made up of experts from the Fresno State campus and community answered questions about prescription drug abuse, specifically in college students. Mark See THRILLS, Page 3
Christopher Costello / The Collegian
Students promoting the “Thrills Without Pills” event present alternative ways to get thrills without using prescription medication, running a booth where participants could place their hands in mystery containers and try to guess what is hidden within (such as worms and crickets).