The
Collegian Sports The football team’s new associate head coach, Pete Alamar, Page 8
Fresno State | Serving the campus since 1922
Multimedia A comprehensive look at the efforts to prepare a musical, Online May 7, 2010 | Friday
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Campus blueprint on life support By Joe Bailey The Collegian In November of 2007, Fresno State’s Campus Master Plan was created in order to revitalize the university’s outdated facilities and revive the its struggling infrastructure. Schematics and blueprints generated a 30-year plan for demolishing some old and obsolete buildings in order to construct newer buildings among other projects. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, vice president for administration services, said Fresno State has amassed $105 million in deferred maintenance to this date. A campus boulevard was drawn up as a gateway to the new and improved Fresno State, a university geared to “guide our pursuit of excellence in learning and discovery,” according to President John Welty’s statement on the Master Plan’s website. Teniente-Matson said she sees the master plan as a roadmap to making Fresno State one of California’s universities with premier facilities. “It connects our physical campus presence to our strategic plan and academic initiatives,” Teniente-Matson said.
Collegian Staff
“This type of planning tool facilitates robust decisionmaking regarding facility priorities.” A lot has changed since 2007 and financial shortcomings have tur ned this concrete roadmap into an uncertain wish list. Teniente-Matson, who manages funding for the construction budget, has seen those plans drift from reality. “Ideally, the campus would have the funds to demolish facilities that are beyond their useful life or no longer suitable for contemporary use See MASTER, Page 6
Sidebar story:
McKee Fisk fiasco By Lacee Solis The Collegian
Nimat Davis, administrative coordinator for the women’s studies and political science department at Fresno State makes her way to her office up to the second floor of the McKee See McKEE, Page 7
Matt Weir / The Collegian
Last month, after several days of rain, the ceiling of the McKee Fisk building began to leak. Facilities Management staff has since stopped the leak and cleaned the ceiling of the mold that had collected.
Ag building gets needed upgrade
Matt Weir / The Collegian
The new air conditioning unit, pictured, is only part of the construction underway in the Agricultural Science building. Asbestos abatement is planned.
By Chelsea Cushing The Collegian Upgrades to the Agricultural Science building’s air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems started earlier this month and will displace some offices and classrooms until fall 2010. The west wing of the building is affected by the construction as the dean’s office, plant science of fice and lecture
halls 224 and 236 are temporarily moved to an alternate location. Wendy Moritz, from facilities planning, said the dean’s office and plant science department office have moved to the downstairs section of the University Center. The construction affects 33 offices, two computer labs and 12 classrooms, Moritz said. The moving of the offices and classrooms will be done in
Peters Building cleared
two phases. The first was conducted earlier this month and the next is scheduled at the end of the semester, Moritz said. The job of upgrades and asbestos abatement will be conducted by a private construction company. “[I’m] hoping it won’t interfere with fall classes,” Moritz said. “We are being asked to move right after finals,” Art Parham, faculty chair of the Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education Department, said. The building was constructed in 1953 and was one of four original buildings on campus, along with McLane Hall, Thomas Administration and the Agricultural Mechanics building. “The problem with the system was it is an old, antiquated three-pipe system,” Parham said. A three-pipe system only allows heating or cooling at one time in a building and the design obsolete. “There are rooms where you freeze all winter and burn up all summer,” Parham said. Funding for the construction will come from the minor
capital repair budget, Parham said. Some of the air conditioning and heating units have been repaired and replaced over the years, and around 1968 the system was retrofitted for an effective cooling system. The north, south and east wings are still active until summer, Charles Boyer, dean of the Jordan Colle g e of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, said. Along with the upgrades on the air conditioning, heating and ventilation, asbestos removal is planned for the building, Boyer said. The asbestos abatement will be conducted on the ceiling tile, floor tile and insulation around the pipes. The University has known for a number of years the air conditioning and heating was in need of replacements, Boyer said. “The main reason for delay was the lack of funds in the maintenance budget,” Boyer said. Last year, the dean’s office was flooded because pipes that connected to the three-pipe system in the building broke, Boyer said.
Occupants of a building on the northeast side of campus Thursday morning were evacuated after a report of the smell of smoke. The first floor of the Peter’s Education Building had to be cleared at approximately 8:30 a.m. due to the smell of smoke filling the lower levels of the building. Bob Boyd, the associate vice president for facilities management, said a belt attached to an air conditioning unit in the basement floor of the building began to spin and produce friction. The resulting smell was similar to smoke, officials said. The smell travelled through the air vents located inside Peters Business the building. Building “It was not a real big problem, but more of an interruption,” Boyd said. Amy Armstrong, the public information officer for the University Police Department, said there were classes and offices opened at that time. She said no open flame or fire was found. As a precaution, the Fresno Fire Department responded to the notice within minutes and evacuated the building. As fire officials ventilated the building, occupants who were kept away from the building were able to return an hour and a half later. All buildings were reopened and classes resumed instruction that day, Boyd said.
No-smoking discussion continued By Mike Boylan The Collegian A t We d n e s d a y ’ s f i n a l Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) senate meeting of the semester, a branch of the American Lung Association, which visited two weeks ago, once again pushed for a smoke-free campus to similar results. A motion to give Project Individuals, Mentors and Peers Advocating to Control Tobacco (IMPACT), a no-smoking advocacy group whose aim is to raise awareness about the See ASI, Page 6
Opinion The
Collegian
That’s What the People Are Saying On the constitutionality of ‘Miranda’ rights
“M
Opinion Editor, Tony Petersen • collegian-opinion@csufresno.edu • Friday, May 7, 2010
Page 2
iranda is not a constitutional requirement, like giving someone a lawyer. People who grew up watching cop shows on TV think it is more than that, but it’s not.” — Paul Cassell, The Seattle Times
W eb-Spe@k Are fetuses human beings? Op-ed
Culled each week from discussions on The Collegian Online.
By Oscar Perez
I
n 2005, Scott Peterson was sentenced to death for the double murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child, Connor. Should Connor, the unborn, have been considered human? After all, many pro-choice advocates would say that Connor was unborn, and therefore was not human, so he should not have been recognized as human and received human rights, such as the right to life. In my viewpoint, pro-life is not the opposite of pro-choice, but rather the counterpart of pro-death. From 1973 to the present day, there have been a total of 50 million victims of abortion, and sadly, this number keeps growing. I do not want to point fingers at someone or judge anyone. I simply want to show my perspective on such a controversial issue throughout. Now, I ask of you to please reconsider your stance on abortion, if you are pro-choice. The decision is ultimately up to you to make, and your conscience. What I can do is purely try to defend my position as to why I am pro-life, and will continue to do so until abortion is no longer an option in this country. Going back to the Peterson case and to what seems to be the core question of the abortion debate: When are the unborn considered a living human being?
Scientifically, the unborn are living human beings. Any embryology book will confirm this. If the unborn baby is growing, then it must be living, then it is certainly alive. Then we look at the fact that the unborn baby has parents that are human, so it must be human. Two human parents must make a human. We need to recognize that the unborn within the woman’s womb is a unique, whole organism. It is inside the woman, but it is not a part of the woman. And now we move on to the philosophical aspect of why the unborn are living human beings. Philosophically, we can securely state that embryos (the unborn) are obviously not as developed as newborns. Many will try to argue four main points that connect to the abortion debate; those points being size, level of development, environment and degree of dependency. Yes, the unborn are smaller than newborns and adults, but what does this have anything to do with why someone should have the right to life? Women are generally smaller than men, but we don’t believe that men should have more rights. Size should not equal how a living human being is valued. Then, we look at the level of development of the unborn to that of the born. It is true that the unborn is less developed than say you or I, but so is a 3-year-old girl compared to a
23-year-old woman. Should we give the 23-year-old more rights because she is more developed, and take away the right of life from the 3-year-old, and the handicapped, people in a coma, or even those with Alzheimer’s disease? I mean, they are not as developed as a “normal” human being. Now, let’s look at your environment. Does your value change when you are in a building or simply in your kitchen? So why should a journey of eight inches down the birth-canal suddenly change the unborn from not being human being to becoming a human being? Why does their location make them valuable? It doesn’t, they are human beings before they are born, period. And lastly, why is the unborn looked upon as less because they are dependent on the woman? In that case, people dependent on certain medication should also not be valued and killed off. Dependency does not make one’s value as a human-being. The reason for this is not to have a debate between pro-life and pro-choice, but rather to ask you to give these children an opportunity to live life. Was Connor Peterson human? Stop the genocide of America’s unborn! Oscar Perez is a sophomore Mass Communications and Journalism major and contributing writer who was recently elected as Associated Students, Inc. senator at-large.
Response:
What will health care do? GM: “At first I thought Mr. Steele was going to write a response that reflected actual thought and analysis of the recent health care bill. Instead, what we got was the usual talking points drivel that both sides in this debate engage in. Need evidence? Mr. Steele writes that the bill will lower health care costs. Apparently he didn’t read or chose to deliberately hide the government report that came out last week saying the bill will actually increase spending by $311 billion. This report came from the chief medicare actuary who has been lauded by Democrats, not some partisan hack like Mr. Steele. The report also states that the costs could actually be much higher if the cuts to medicare projected in the CBO analysis of the bill don’t take place. At the same time, those cuts might be politically unsustainable because they could drive many hospitals and nursing homes out of business limiting access to care. Furthermore, cuts to medicare advantage will reduce benefits (coverage) for millions in order to diminish costs.” joshua4234: “Very good article. Puts that crazy loon Perez in his place. And I still don’t understand the whole abortion thing, having to keep funds separate for it. I mean, it’s a terrible precedent to set. I’m against the war, so can I decide I don’t want any of my funds going to it? I’m not sure things work that way.”
Response:
Not racist, just dumb blondegirl: “There are some very racist assumptions behind your ‘immigration restrictionist’ attitudes. Maybe you should stop and think that this country was founded by immigrants. If there were walls and fences around North America’s borders, the United States would never have happened.” Editor’s note: “That’s right, I forgot Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison all immigrated to America. Good point.”
Response:
Disillusioned graduate MaryLee McGough: “I enjoyed reading your article about the ‘Disillusioned graduate’ because before graduation a student should consider the reality of getting a job in his or her major. And I think it would be a good idea if you would write another column about a student preparing a Work Plan A, B, C or D that is closely related to the student’s major.”
THE
Collegian
The Collegian is a student-run publication that serves the Fresno State community on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Views expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or university.
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Friday, May 7, 2010
The Collegian • Arts & Entertainment Arts & Entertainment Editor, Danielle Gilbert • collegian-features@csufresno.edu
The daily crossword
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis Los Angeles Times
ACROSS 1 More, to a minimalist 5 Coll. performance barometers 9 Boatloads 14 Reflection in a cave 15 Its quarter reads “Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers” 16 Petty objection 17 Sign at a laundry? 20 Low cells 21 Like a quarter’s edge 22 Uno e due 23 Wilbur Post’s buddy 24 Sign at a nuclear reactor? 29 Killer __: powerful software 32 Turkish peak 33 Dept. headed by Tom Vilsack 34 First king of Israel 35 Secondary 36 Results of some receptions: Abbr. 37 __ deaf ear 38 Soft footwear 39 Strong squeezer 40 Wisconsin college or its city 41 Whatever 42 Sign at Cape Canaveral? 44 Not exactly exact words 45 Perps’ patterns 46 Batter’s position
Puzzle by Donna S. Levin
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PUZZLE SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Copyright 2009. Tribune Media Services, Inc.
49 CD holder 54 Sign at the Ukrainian tourism bureau? DOWN 1 Bawdy 2 Neutral shade 3 Commonly bruised bone 4 Track, perhaps 5 Words of encouragement
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6 Ringers 7 Pretensions 8 Message in a storm 9 Shield from view 10 Submitted 11 All fired up 12 Rolling “bones” 13 Arctic carrier 18 Be very successful 19 Fielder’s flub 23 “Top Gun” enemy planes
24 Third in a sequence 25 Sirius’ master, in some depictions 26 Sluggo’s pal 27 Fertility deity 28 Time’s 1977 Man of the Year 29 Baseball record breaker of 4/8/1974 30 Like the wars between Carthage and Rome 31 Subject of the 2003 film “Sylvia” 34 Enterprise helmsman 36 Miss Gulch’s bête noire 37 Afternoon service 39 “The Buddy Holly Story” star 40 Screws up 42 Prom flower 43 Puzo novel 44 Frére de la pére 46 Lang. that gives us “ombudsman” 47 Tex-Mex nosh 48 Molecule constituent 49 Flag Day month 50 Solidarity hero Walesa 51 Gp. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler 52 “0” button letters 53 Princess from Amphipolis 55 Lummox
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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
Name ambush When an acquaintance you haven’t seen for a long time greets you by name but you don’t have time to remember their name. Source: UrbanDictionary.com
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The Collegian
Friday, May 7, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Collegian
Page 5
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The Collegian • News News Editor, Thaddeus Miller • collegian-news@csufresno.edu
MASTER: Budget crisis slows plan CONTINUED from page 1 and replace them,” TenienteMatson said. “However, at this stage it is likely that we’ll be focused on deferred maintenance and short-term capital improvements.” This results of this have been buildings with leaks in the roofs, lights that don’t work, peeling paint and dirty bathrooms, among other things that usually aren’t associated with a university. With the current state of the campus, postponing maintenance and extending the lives of dilapidated buildings will force students to endure an even harsher road for higher education. Chair of the academic senate and member of the campus plan’s coordinating committee Michael Botwin said everyone realizes that the plan is now optimistic, but that it’s better than a weak plan. Botwin showed little optimism about the immediate implementation of what is laid out in the blueprints. “This has to happen,” Botwin said. “Things are falling apart.” A c c o r d i n g t o Te n i e n t e Matson, carrying out the master plan has not been a complete failure thus far. Some projects have been completed, such as the Henry Madden Library and Peace Garden. The aquatics facility and University High School are currently underway. “Various projects are in the planning stages, such as roadway improvements, utility infrastructure upgrades, an agricultural research building and parking structure,” Teniente-Matson. Teniente-Matson said the fiscal crisis has caused a decline in funds available for construction projects. “In addition, the furloughs impacted the amount of time available for staff in facilities planning to accomplish tasks,” Teniente-Matson said. Gover nment of ficials in Sacramento could help the dire situation at Fresno State, Teniente-Matson said, with the campus struggling to maintain daily operations. “This is a serious problem [deferred maintenance], not only at Fresno State and within the CSU, but for public higher education in general,” Matson said. “The solution requires the state legislature to make higher education a priority in California.” The money that is used to make improvements on campus can come from various resources besides state funds. Matson said campus improvements are funded separately from operating budgets, and most of it comes from the California State University (CSU) systems’ budget allocation, voter approved-ballot measures, grants, gifts or selfsupporting funds. Private gifts to the university are becoming ever more vital with state funds diminishing. Tabl e M o u n t a i n C a s i n o donated $10 million to the Henry Madden Library. In return, a portion of the library was named after the casino. However, private donations for areas of infrastructure are few and far between. Director of auxiliary services, Debbie Adishian-Astone, said she is uncertain about the future the master plan provided for her department due to dire economic times. Auxiliary services run the Save Mart
Center, the food court, bookstore and the dorms. “With enrollment decline, for auxiliary services we are being impacted from lower resident population, campus dining, and Kennel Bookstore,” Adishian-Astone said. “Our reduced revenues would not be able to support financing of new facilities for auxiliary enterprises.” Adishian-Astone said that these budget crises occur in cycles and Fresno State will return to prominence in the future. “We still have to plan for the future and be in a position to accept enrollment g rowth when budget levels are again stable,” Adishian-Astone said. Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Robert Boyd is faced with the task of up keeping the campus and buildings with a slashed budget. With a pile of maintenance left undone the mission of the administration may not be constructing modern buildings and luxuries.
Friday, May 7, 2010
ASI: Senate remains undecided on a no-smoking policy campuswide CONTINUED from page 1 dangers of smoking tobacco, ASI’s support in moving forward on creating a school-specific policy for a smoke-free campus did not pass. Some senators said that they are on board with the idea, but they also wanted a policy proposal that was more concrete. The senate passed a resolution giving approval for further discussion with Project IMPACT on a move towards a smoke-free campus. Project IMPACT featured short news segments from “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” on MSNBC in their presentation, which explained the severe dangers of smoking. In addition, the report said cigarette butts are the most littered object nationwide. These butts are filled with toxins that
can contaminate drinking and water supplies. The nicotine residue that lingers on clothing and furniture can react with other chemicals in the air to form harmful carcinogens. Sen. Clifton Wahlberg objected to Project IMPACT’s emphasis on health concerns. “Every time you step outside in Fresno you are subjected to air that is 20-times worse than that of second- and third-hand smoke,” Wahlberg said. Fresno has consistently ranked toward the bottom of cities with the worst air pollution. Sen. Brie Witt suggested that the current policy – smoking is prohibited on campus except for 26 designated areas – should be kept, and the focus should be on better enforce-
ment. Derrick Schaffer of Project IMPACT said it is extremely difficult to enforce the current smoking policies. Schaffer cited Califor nia State University, San Francisco as an example of a campus that uses regular parking officers to enforce its no-smoking policy across campus. Ultimately, the consensus among the senators was that such a policy needs to be considered with a more thorough, concrete proposal.
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Friday, May 7, 2010
The Collegian • Sports Sports Editor, Brianna Campbell • collegian-sports@csufresno.edu
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McKEE: Building leak raises concerns Where CONTINUED from page 1 Fisk building daily. It’s a trek she’s made for the past three years and one getting more difficult with the deteriorating building around her. Last month Davis and anyone else who visited the second floor of the McKee Fisk building could see vacant tile frames on the ceiling in front of the men’s restroom creating a leaking roof. Concerns were raised about the safety of sporadically falling tiles, the wet floor produced from the roof from rain and exposure to what
appeared to be a compilation of black mold. “I called right away once I was informed that it had fallen and asked for someone to come from Plant Operations to come pick it up and they did,� Davis said. “They brought two trash bins, one with toxic on it, so it probably did make the faculty and everyone else nervous.� Robert Boyd, associate vice president for facilities management, explained the 50-year-old McKee Fisk roof has far exceeded
the usual 25 year roof lifespan. He said the aging roof began to leak and dripped down causing the ceiling tiles to soak up the moisture. The chain reaction lead to the loose tiles falling. During the April showers the roof began to leak creating a potentially hazardous slippery floor.
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ONLINE: For the rest of the story go to The Collegian Online. http://collegian.csufresno.edu
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is the money?
Former football player Alphonso Bigelow donated the largest pledge in Fresno State athletics, $10 million, almost a year ago By Megan Morales The Collegian Fresno State Athletics File Photo
In June of 2009, for mer F r e s n o S t a t e l i n e b a c ke r and CEO of NykelBam International, LLC Alphonso Bigelow pledged to donate $10 million to the Fresno State athletic department. Almost one year later, Fresno State has received just one percent of the promised amount, and Bigelow is nowhere to be found. Bigelow is a Long Beach, Calif. native who played football at Fresno State under head coach Jim Sweeney for four years, and graduated from the Sid Craig School of Business. He credits his selfstarted company as the source of the donation. The pledge was the largest philanthropic donation in Fresno State history. There were plans to “transform athletic facilities, provide scholarships and enhance the experience for student-athletes.� The only thing the athletic department even broke ground on is a new aquatics center, which was in the making before Bigelow’s projected donation. D e a d l i n e s f o r p ay m e n t installments have since passed. Unfortunately for those who are curious about what comes next, the Bulldog Foundation has the right to refuse discussion about pledges or donations, and those curious fans have no choice but to wait and play the situation by ear. The Universities [Fresno State Athletic Department] won’t announce whether or not they did a background check on Bigelow or his com-
Of the $10 million that Bigelow pledged to Fresno State athletics only 1 percent has been received.
pany, was performed. When the announcement was made last June, questions about the corporation surfaced, Bigelow described NykelBam as “a company that facilitates mainly gold and diamond transactions between private parties.� The business, however, did not have a website nor did it have an office to conduct business. But, after research was conducted the conclusion was that neither exists. In addition to Bigelow not responding to several media outlets’ requests for comment, there’s also another ironic twist to the situation. For mer F resno State Associate Athletics Directors for Development Danny White and Jay Vickers were in charge of fundraising for the athletic department. Just months after the donation was announced, the two left for larger schools. If a director in charge of fundraising was able to raise $10 million for a program, schools would likely salivate over the opportunity to have them on their staff. However, in this case, the full amount of money was never received. Vickers went on to serve the same position at the University of Arizona, and White took the same job at Ole Miss. White even listed the $10 million dollar donation as an accolade of his.
Sports The
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Collegian
Sports Editor, Brianna Campbell • collegian-sports@csufresno.edu • Friday, May 7, 2010
Is cheerleading a sport?
Mmm... Mmm... Good! Brianna Campbell
B
orn and bred an athlete, let’s just say my respect for cheerleaders has not always been high. But I decided to put my ego aside and dig deep to find the answer to the ongoing question: Is cheerleading a sport? As an athlete, I never thought of cheerleading as a sport. I mean really, does it take that much skill to learn a dance and some words? So, I went inside to find out what the fuss is all about. Senior cheer captain Bernadette Fiehler is a committed team member. She has built many friendships on the squad and said she is grateful for the opportunities she has been a part of, such as the NCAA Tournaments, bowl games and community service projects. “One of my other favorite things about cheering would be the feeling of excitement you get at the beginning of every game you cheer at,” Fiehler said. “You feel the roar of the crowd and spirit of each and every fan.” And of course when talking to a cheerleader they will argue that cheerleading is absolutely a sport. “I definitely consider cheerleading a sport. I think that cheerleading is a combination of gymnastics, dance and weightlifting, except with people instead of weights. I have seen firsthand that my teammates work just as hard as any other athlete.” Nichol Gagnon will return to the ‘Dogs’ squad this upcoming season as the assistant head coach after cheering herself for five years in a Bulldog uniform. “When a cheer team comes together to create a competition routine, there are many different aspects that come into play to consider cheerleading a sport,” Gagnon said. “We train ourselves in tumbling [gymnastics floor routines], stunting, dance, flexibility and stamina.” While an athlete’s practice consists of sprints, drills and related intense cardio pertaining to that specific sport, I was curious what a cheer practice consisted of. Much to my surprise they were very similar. “As a team at practice, we will warm our bodies up (cardio), then stretch (flexibility), then spend the remainder of the time with choreography, stunting and tumbling,” Gagnon said. So what do the “true” athletes think of the cheer squad? Who better to ask than Bulldog quarterback Ryan Colburn. “It takes a special person to be a cheerleader,” Colburn said. “I think it takes a certain mindset. You have to have a lot of energy, you have to have a lot of excitement to you and I think that they have done a terrific job.” So, whether or not that answers if cheerleading is a sport, they have at least twisted my arm a bit and I have a newfound respect for them. If you think you have what it takes to lead our fans in Bulldog pride, head out to tryouts today and tomorrow at the North Gym and decide for yourself if cheerleading is a sport.
Matt Weir / Collegian File Photo
Pete Almar will join the team after previous special teams coach John Baxter decided to leave for USC as the associate head coach.
As the latest addition to the Bulldog football family, Pete Alamar has big expectations in the special teams department By Vongni Yang The Collegian Heading into his 26th season coaching, and his first at Fresno State, special teams and tight ends coach Pete Alamar is excited to be a Bulldog. Before coming to Fresno, Alamar served seven years as an assistant at the University of California where his units finished second and third in the Pac-10 in punting and punt returns respectively in 2009. Alamar will be replacing John Baxter, who left to USC to become the associate head coach and special teams coordinator. Under Baxter’s guidance, the special teams unit excelled, having blocked the most kicks in the nation since 2002 with 49. The ‘Dogs have returned 20 punts, eight kickoffs and 11 blocked field goals or punts for a touchdown during Baxter’s 13 years as the special teams coach. “I have a lot of respect for John and what he’s done,” Alamar said. Alamar has a tough act to follow, but he doesn’t view it that way. “I don’t look at it as big shoes,” Alamar said. “I look at it as just an opportunity as the next place to go coach these guys and have some fun with it. Alamar will look to build on the foundation that Baxter has set for him. “It’s my job that we continue that tradition and understand that our job is to go out and play well in the kicking game,” Alamar said. With Alamar’s experience as a player, an offensive coordinator and a head coach, he will hope to add a new men-
tality to special teams unit. “Our thing is to out hit, out hustle and out execute,” Alamar said.
Q&A What do you enjoy about coaching? The players. Working with the players and having an opportunity to not only help these guys on the field to become as good as they possibly could be, but off the field too. To take a guy, take a team and watch him grow and graduate and see how he just grows and matures as a football player, as a student and as a person. You know, that’s a cool thing. Are you bringing any new philosophies to the team? I’m replacing a guy who comes from the same branch of the family tree. We have a lot of really similar philosophies, as far as the kicking game goes. As far as whole big giant, wholesale changes, no. I think that everybody adds their own personality to the deal. There’ll be a little tweaks here, a little tweaks there. You know as far as how we do this or do that. What’s your favorite thing about football? The best thing about this game is that it’s the ultimate team sport; there is no team sport like it. It’s the only sport [where] you got 11 guys on every play [that’s] got to work in unison together to find success. That’s what makes this game great.
How do you like Fresno so far? We love it. It’s great. I try to tell people that there’s absolutely everything in this town that you could want. If you need to buy it you can find it. If you want to go eat it, it’s around. So far it’s been awesome, and the people have been great. Everybody’s been awesome, everyone we meet they’ve been very welcoming. It’s been great. We look forward to it. What’s your most memorable moment as a coach? There’s a ton of great memories. I don’t want to shortchange anybody on it. One of the greatest memory is a nonfootball memory was a player, [after] I moved on to another school, [who] three years later called to tell me that he was graduating the next day and just wanted to say thanks. There have been a lot of great memories. Are you excited for your upcoming season as a Bulldog? Absolutely. I think we got a great opportunity for us. We have a lot of guys coming back with experience. I just watch the way they work and go about their business. I think they’re going to work hard this summer. You know, we look forward to the fall. It’s a great non-conference schedule; it’s a challenging non-conference schedule. It’s going to be exciting. I’m excited for it. I wish we were getting ready to go play. We could drop the summer and get to the fall and go do it. I’d be happy with that.