November 28, 2018

HELP FOR STUDENT PARENTS Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper Wednesday, November 28, 2018

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REDEMPTION After 10th season win, ‘Dogs head again to Boise

Page 8 Jose Romo • The Collegian

Defensive lineman Ricky McCoy hoists The Valley Trophy after beating San Jose 31-13 on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, at Bulldog Stadium. After their 10th win this season, the ‘Dogs will face Boise State for the second straight year for the Mountain West Championship. Last year the Broncos beat the ‘Dogs in that match.

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Q&A with Green Party’s Jill Stein

By Cresencio RodriguezDelgado

ONLINE: For the full Q/A, visit: collegian.csufresno.edu

Editor in Chief

Are you confident in the direction that the country is going in right now?

Given all the issues that we see.

“I’m very happy that the stranglehold of Trump has been broken, particularly in the House and several important governorships and in several state houses. But when you think about where did this right-wing extremism come from – it came from the fact that working people have really been thrown under the bus, as well as immigrants for that matter and hardworking farmworkers … This has gone on very much under Barack Obama, under Bill Clinton, under George Bush – it’s really been a bipartisan crisis.

“That has brought us to very difficult circumstances for working people that have led some into this very destructive mindset which is where this extremism, this worsening of racism and xenophobia, it comes from this kind of sickness that is going on right now that is not uncommon. These are the conditions that produce fascism – when people feel really threatened and have a very hard time surviving, so we don’t want to go back to more of that.

“We’re seeing a lot of that right now in the Central Valley. We’re seeing a surge of progressivism and that’s really great. It’s really important, I think, that we keep the heat on and that we liberate the power of our vote. There is a key voting reform … with Rank Choice Voting, if your first choice loses, your vote is automatically assigned to your second choice, so it’s never a so-called wasted vote, it’s never a split vote and you can be sure that whoever gets elected has majority support.

“Right now, when people get into the lesser evil thing, they try to silence other points of view as if that’s a bad thing. Democracy depends on political opposition and vigorous debate and if you have more voices you’re going to have better choices. In the last presidential election, the two main candidates were the most disliked and untrusted in our history. It was a very screwed up election, no wonder it had such a screwed up result.

What are your thoughts on the president, who attacks the free press?

Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado • The Collegian

Jill Stein spoke to students at Fresno State on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. She spoke one on one with The Collegian.

This is intolerable, but it’s part of his attacks on our basic rights and civil liberties. An attack on our press is an attack on our democracy. We need more diversity in our press, we need more than CNN and MSNBC and FOX. We have a very deep crisis within our press to start with and Trump is certainly adding to that crisis. I think we need to break up the big media monopolies. I think we need to provide public funding and support for small media, independent and community media. We used to have lots of community newspapers, we don’t have them anymore.

We should not be allowing the consolidation of the press that’s taken place. The right of the press has been attacked in many other ways by democratic administrations too … The press is very much under attack … our other first amendment rights are also under attack. That is our rights to be free of censorship. Also our rights to demonstrate and to seek redress of grievances through public protest – that too is very much under threat.”

What are your thoughts on the Mueller investigation and then also the apparent attacks by the president?

“The Mueller investigation needs to go forward. It would be outrageous if Trump tries to interfere with it and it will be dangerous if that happens and it will probably force a constitutional crisis if he does that. It’s clear that he’s going off the charts right now because Mueller

and Congress are talking about looking at his tax returns. This is where the very clear cut corruption lies. It’s not clear that there’s any collusion with Russia (between Trump and Russia), there certainly isn’t any hard evidence, but is there evidence of other violations of law on the part of Trump – corruption, money laundering and so on. These are not so easy to prove but they may come up. There are questions about-was that the scope of the commission-- but if you look at the original letter creating the commission it was wrongdoing and illegal acts, including Russian collusion but not strictly limited to that, at least that’s my reading of it. I think Trump has a lot to hide and he should not be allowed to single handedly interfere with a duly-constituted commission. The commission has to go forward. I’m not confident they’re going to find collusion but a president should not be allowed to interfere with a congressional inquiry.”

There’s a migrant caravan that’s reached Tijuana right now and there’s hysteria that’s being caused by people who are thinking this is an invasion. Do you consider this an invasion?

“Absolutely not. These are refugees who are created by U.S. policies – whether they are economic policies that devastated these economies like NAFTA put a million farmers out of business in Mexico … and then we just have a whole history of coups, death squads, just harassment of democracies as well south of the borders,

plus our drug wars and our exporting of weapons and violence … If people don’t like this immigration crisis, how about we stop causing it in the first place? That’s what we need to do.

In the meantime, we have a responsibility to support the refugees. This is what international law is about and we need to welcome refugees and help restore them to wholeness here. We not only have to stop causing this crisis but we really need a Marshall Plan to help restore central and south America to its rightful security after centuries of colonialism, as well as corporate invasion and coups … This is the fruit of our own planting, these are seeds we have sown and we need to turn this around and create conditions of health and justice and sustainability.”

“Clearly, this migrant caravan is largely refugees coming largely from Honduras as I understand. But these are clearly refugees and the notion that his is something to be afraid of is shameful. This is nothing but blatant, the lowest form of electioneering and immigrant bashing on the part of Trump in order to rile up his base. The surge we have seen in racism and xenophobia and anti-semitism and violence clearly falls on his hands, that’s blood on his hands.”

Do you plan to run anytime in the future, 2020 possibly?

“Well, I’m going to run for something, I’m not sure yet what makes more sense for me to run for. [I am] talking about it and seeing where’s the need and how can I best serve at this point?

“I will be in the thick of it one way or another. Whether I run for Congress or possibly state rep. or something, or president, I don’t know yet. Those discussions are just beginning. We were totally focused on the midterms. I’ve just been trying to help other candidates move up.

That was another one of the myths out there.

That, ‘Oh, the Green party shows up every four years and they try to run for president as a tool of Russia or whatever.’ Actually, that’s a very ignorant thing to say because we’re all about grassroots stuff and running for local office and we were really shut out in this election. Many of our candidates are getting more and more votes.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

ASI resolution aims to aid student parents

By Marilyn Castaneda Reporter

Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) is recognizing student parents and students with dependents on campus in a resolution aimed at providing inclusivity and diversity at Fresno State, according to Primavera Leal Martinez, ASI vice president of external affairs.

The resolution supports pregnant students, student parents and students with dependents and will offer resources, such as food security, clothing drives and a diaper bank through ASI

funding.

Approximately one in four students at Fresno State is either a parent or has dependents of some kind, according to Alexandra Chavez, senator for Kremen School of Education.

“We really wanted the university to formally recognize student parents on campus and students with dependents,” said Dr. Larissa M. Mercado-López, associate professor of women’s studies, who helped create the resolution.

“We wanted ASI to formally recognize them as a student population and fitting themselves to serving them and being more inclusive of them and their student success.”

Through this resolution, Mercado-López

said they aim to acknowledge campus resources that serve student parents while recognizing the needs to create a more family-friendly climate for the student parents.

A student resource fair is in the plans for the spring semester.

“We want to provide the opportunity for students to have access to receiving information about resources that are available on campus that would support them and their children,” she said. “We are inviting on-campus offices ,such as student life programming and also want to bring off-campus organizations.”

Wright Theatre undergoes renovations

By Marilyn Castaneda Reporter

The John Wright Theatre at Fresno State has made safety upgrades that were completed in a five-month period and resulted in a $150,000 cost.

From May to September, contractors worked to complete the renovations in two phases. Most of the work was done over the summer in order to lessen the impact of renovations during the regular academic year, according to Tinnah Medina, associate vice president for facilities management.

“There’s student safety that’s being taught as part of the theater productions through the College of Arts and Humanities,” said Medina.

“So these are all safety mechanisms to properly teach students in the world of theater, and this is an extension of a classroom laboratory.”

The Wright Theatre safety upgrade proved to be a difficult project to work on due to its technicality and specialization, according to Medina.

Most theaters and buildings on campus are about 50 to 60 years old, which can be challenging, she said.

“There are other areas we’re looking at, and part of it is assessing, scoping and finding the

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THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

Contributed

Theater rigging: All line sets were rebuilt and metal components (bolts, cables, etc.) were replaced with structural grade properly rated.

funds,” said Medina. “For the Wright Theatre, we’re in pretty good shape.”

There were three elements in the safety upgrades: the rigging, the fly loft and an acoustical fire curtain.

The rigging The rigging is the back of the house where all the lights, curtains and props are hung. The main objective was to replace all the bolts and rebuild the rigging. The rigging has 38 lines and is a pulley system that’s about 50 feet high. The

cable lines had to be taken apart and replaced with new metals, including bolts and cables.

The light bridge was removed and an electric line was added in order to drop the lighting line down. The light bridge before required students to climb up and go across dangerously in order to hang things. This now prevents students from having to climb.

The fly loft Above the audience, certified and trained students go above the fly loft on a production night and are required to navigate across beams in order to manipulate the lights. New safety restraints were put in so it would create a safe environment for the students that go above. Thirty planks were added and are laid on a designated pathway, as well as cable guides.

The fire curtain The 60-year-old curtain had to be taken down and fabricated from the East Coast. It had to be replaced in case of a fire on either side, the stage or the audience. Three safety mechanisms were added. An electric motor winch was added in order to lower the curtain.

The Heatrise sensors were installed that put the curtain down when they detect a certain heat temperature. The third element is the safety pull, an emergency manual release that can be used in case of a smoke incident.

Fresno State’s business school ranked as one of best The Craig School of Business graduate program at Fresno State has been ranked as one of the best business schools in the nation by The Princeton Review.

The 2019 Best Business Schools is based off a combination of institutional and student survey data.

“We are pleased to have our MBA program ranked as one of 252 outstanding on-campus MBA programs The Princeton Review selected this year,” said Harry Xia, MBA Director, in a news release. “Our inclusion is strong evidence that we are focusing on the right things, particularly our MBA students’ satisfaction in the key rating categories of academic experience, admissions selectivity, career, professors’ effectiveness and accessibility.”

Business school students are surveyed over nearly four years and are asked questions about their business school’s academics, campus life, student body and career plans. The 2019 list is based off data collections from 2017-18 and does not name one best business school overall.

-- Marilyn Castaneda

Fall CSU application extended The priority application deadline for fall 2019 to any California State University has been extended to Dec. 15, according to a CSU news release.

Due to the fires that have affected thousands across the state, the university system has announced an extension of the entire priority application process for fall admission to make sure that applicants still have the opportunity to apply.

The deadly fires in Northern and Southern California have been declared 100 percent contained. The Camp Fire in Northern California destroyed 13,972 structures and killed 85 people. The Woolsey Fire in Southern California destroyed 96,949 acres, leaving three dead.

As people begin to return to some normality, students seeking entrance into a CSU and who saw themselves affected are getting a bit of relief from the CSU. The deadline for fall semester applications was originally Nov. 30.

For more information for applicants affected by the wildfires visit the CSU website.

-- Marilyn Castaneda

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THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

CHANGING MINDS

Master student’s thesis challenges views on sex offender laws

By Cresencio RodriguezDelgado Jorge Rodriguez • The Collegian

Editor in Chief

A

California law that will go into effect in 2021 is set to bring about sweeping changes ever to sex offender laws in the state.

Senate Bill 384 will allow most sex offenders to petition to be removed from the public registries in 10 to 20 years after they are released from prison, as long as they have not committed another serious or violent felony.

The new law will work in a way that assesses a sex offender’s risk of re-offending. The new law will work as a tier system, with the first tier allowing people convicted of crimes like misdemeanor sexual battery, misdemeanor possession of child pornography and indecent exposure to petition to be removed from the registry after 10 years. The second tier would require sex offenders to register for a minimum of 20 years. And the third tier, for more violent offenders, would still be a lifetime registry.

California is one of four states in the country with a lifetime registration law and it’s estimated that 100,000 people are on the list.

With major changes coming to the law, it’s evident that attitudes toward sex offenders may be shifting. Lawmakers and experts alike appear to agree that pushing for more balanced punishment could make the justice system fairer and make better use of state resources.

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the bill, and the state will soon see the effects of the new law.

Meantime, different public attitudes on the controversial issue remain – whether some view the current punishment as already fair or if the incoming law will address what some view as disproportionate retribution.

Those very questions were at the center of

WATCH: See this story online to watch the video used by Galeana. a study done for a graduate thesis by a Fresno State student. Eric Galeana surveyed more than 400 students on campus in spring 2018 to test whether their attitude on sex offender laws could be changed by providing expert information on current law and what experts view as better solutions than the lifetime registry, such as prevention and rehabilitation.

“It was three different things that we tried to hit on,” Galeana said. “The first was to establish how [survey respondents] felt about sex offenders … the second was gathering some information on current California legislation … and the third point that we wanted to see was to incorporate the educational video produced by one of the boards that works with sex offenders.”

Galeana said the survey was designed in a way to try to find whether there was any significant difference in students’ views before and after they were shown an educational video on sex offenders and after respondents answered a set of survey questions twice.

Overall, Galeana found, students were more open to the incoming law that breaks

down punishment rather than the current lifetime registry that brings with it little chance for a convicted sex offender to ever erase that label.

Galeana’s survey also found that testimonies from experts in the criminal justice and advocacy field helped students form more lenient views toward sex offenders.

When Galeana wrote the survey, he hadn’t been aware that the law was about to change in the state Capital, but he said he had a general idea that such a law had been introduced. He said it was a surprise to him when the law was signed, mostly because his study had found the young undergraduate students who were surveyed were in favor of much of what the new law will bring.

“What we saw was that a lot of them were harsh on sex offenders. A lot of them still had this mentality that sex offenders are bad, they need to be locked away,” Galeana said. “After the video, we provided the survey again, and they started to change their answers. That’s where we saw that they were being not as harsh to sex offenders and that they were more for providing rehabilitation.”

Galeana’s takeaway from his study is what some may see as the obvious – providing factual information with a neutral delivery can actually educate the public on policies. His survey

also tested students’ consumption of media in order to determine the level of influence those habits may have on their views on sex offenders and laws.

The students who were surveyed all came from the criminology department with permission from professors in 14 classes. Galeana’s questions were all approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board, he said. Galeana’s project was the first work from Fresno State’s new Forensic Behavioral Sciences (BFS) Lab. Dr. Allen Azizian, a leading researcher at Fresno State on treatment and assessment of sexual offenders, was as surprised as Galeana when the survey responses were reviewed.

“If you present information factually in a neutral way, you can get people to think differently about these beliefs that they’ve held for a long time,” said Azizian, who supervised the study.

Azizian has researched sex offender rehabilitation and laws for about 11 years. This was his second year supervising student theses. He said Galeana’s thesis is one of the first that looked at public attitudes on a topic that is intensely debated. With a topic as polarizing as sex offender laws, Azizian said the recipe for civil discourse around the topic was simple.

“You have to take people’s sensitivity toward political topics into consideration when you want to get them to think of the alternative point of view,” Azizian said.

The video at the center of Galeana’s study includes criminal justice prosecutors and victim advocates who, according to Azizian, “pretty much agree on the basics.” Those basics include that the lifetime registry may no longer be an adequate choice for punishment when the chance of sex offenders re-offending is between 7 to 15 percent, Azizian said. He added that changing the law will help prosecutors and the justice system focus their resources more efficiently.

Galeana’s study has gotten recognition beyond Fresno State, and it’s one Azizian concluded can set the example for how other theses can be done. Even more, Azizian said Galeana’s thesis can set the pace for more evidence-based policy. The state board behind the video that Galeana used in his study has shown interest in having Galeana’s study published in a public policy journal, according to Azizian.

“Eric’s study, I think, speaks volumes that on a very hot topic, a fair number of people, on a significant level, changed their points of view about lifetime registration,” Azizian said.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

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THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

Political reporter Robert Costa discusses Trump’s White House

By Seth Casey | Managing Editor

Fresno State welcomed reporter and political analyst Robert Costa for the sixth installment of the President’s Lecture Series to speak about his experience in covering the White House and his views on the current climate of national politics on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the Save Mart Center.

The lecture, which was conducted in a conversational manner between Costa and Jim Boren, founder of the Institute for Media and Public Trust, drew a crowd of more than 640 community members and Fresno State students, faculty and staff.

Costa works as a political reporter for The Washington Post, a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and moderates “Washington Week” on PBS. The first topic Costa discussed was his experiences interacting with President Donald Trump, including Costa’s thoughts on Trump’s personality, public persona and political future.

“Part of him is going to want to get something done on infrastructure,” Costa said, addressing Trump’s strategy for the 2020 election. “Or does the president want to have a government shutdown . . . maybe he decides the Democrats in the House, they’re going to be my foil.”

Costa then addressed the possible strategies of Democrats seeking a presidential bid in 2020. He stated that California is in a unique position since the state’s presidential primaries were moved up to March of 2020, three months earlier than they were previously held.

Costa speculated that campaigning that far ahead of the election, particularly with the high cost of advertising in California, will require extensive spending and could limit the pool of candidates willing to run.

In analyzing possible bias of the media, Costa posited that media outlets, while not necessarily always having a political bias, tend to favor, or pay closer attention to, establishment politicians. The downside to this, he said, was the media’s failure to address unconventional thinking.

Prior to the evening’s lecture, the university hosted a luncheon with Costa, University President Dr. Joseph I. Castro and several students

and faculty from the media, communication and journalism and political science departments.

During the lunch, Costa stated that he takes great pride in his objectivity, noting that when he accepted his first job, reporting for the conservative magazine National Review, he did so under the understanding that he would not produce opinionated or editorialized content.

Costa shared insight on his time as a reporter, but also on his college experience and the path that led him to his current position.

He offered advice to students in attendance to always keep their options open, suggesting that although some might not hold a passion for particular aspects of their major, other opportunities will present themselves if they remain persistent and keep an open mind.

Costa has interviewed and built connections with politicians from both sides of the aisle.

He cites his objective coverage as the secret to earning the trust of those he covers, many of whom, he says, will approach him with exclusive “scoops,” knowing he will report such stories without an attached personal agenda.

During a press conference in advance of the lecture, Costa responded to questions regarding Trump’s possible decisions regarding immigration, the future of both the Republican and Democratic parties and Trump’s proposal of a state-run media outlet.

“It’s the responsibility of the reporters to try to do our best job to try to get the story to the reader, to the listener, to the viewer, so they have the best information and to not become obsessed with debating our own value,” Costa said. “I think our value comes from the work we do.”

Costa echoed this sentiment with a quote from Marty Baron, his editor at the Washington Post, “We’re at work, we’re not at war.”

Costa, responding to a question regarding the Institute of Media and Public Trust, discussed the significance of a media literate public. He also noted that the “institutional erosion of trust” and discrediting of news media is not unique to a single party, with terms like “corporate media” and “fake news” being used by members across the aisle.

Seth Casey • The Collegian

Robert Costa, Washington Post reporter, speaks at Fresno State on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.

Some of the prominent political figures Costa has interviewed and reported on include Sen. Bernie Sanders, Central Valley congressman Jim Costa and, on multiple occasions, Trump.

This is the second time the university has

hosted Costa for the President’s Lecture Series.

The series, which began three years ago, brings speakers from across the nation to Fresno State campus to share insight on current events that could impact the Valley community.

EST. 2017

Joy on 7th Created with Love

Joy_on_7th

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

GOT OPINIONS? We want to hear them.

COLLEGIAN@CSUFRESNO.EDU

6

HEALTHY BULLDOGS

A Thanksgiving recovery you’ll need

By Stephanie Annett SHCC registered dietitian

Did you know that the average American consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day? While health experts generally recommend 2,000 calories per day, it does not mean your fitness and nutrition goals are doomed for the rest of the year.

Keep in mind that how you eat on one day does not determine your overall health. What you consume on the other 364 days of the year does.

To help you get back on track, here are some post-Thanksgiving recovery tips.

Make sure that your home is well-stocked with healthy foods after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Keep a big bowl of fresh fruit in your kitchen for a quick snack, as well as fresh vegetables.

These will help you use leftovers in a healthy way. For example, top a salad with slices of skinless turkey breast.

While you may feel like eating lighter after

Cary Edmondson • University Photographer

eating so much over the holiday, especially if you overindulged, try not to skip meals to compensate.

Doing this can result in low energy and excessive hunger.

Instead, start your day with a healthy break-

fast and then opt for a small meal or snack every few hours.

Make water your beverage of choice.

Not only will it help you stay hydrated and energized, it will also help you avoid the sugar and empty calories found in many holiday

drinks.

You can make water more interesting by adding fruit slices or fresh mint.

If you need a warm drink that is rich in antioxidants, try a cup of green tea. As a bonus, it is also lower in caffeine than coffee.

Get moving.

If you don’t feel like hitting the gym, don’t worry. A brisk walk is the perfect post-Thanksgiving workout.

Aim for 30 minutes per day or clip on a pedometer and work toward 10,000 steps.

Black Friday shopping, while hard on the budget, can be a great way to get those steps in.

Still looking for a little more guidance? You can access free individual nutrition counseling at the Student Health and Counseling Center.

Our registered dietitian can help you review your current eating habits, set goals and discuss any chronic conditions or concerns you may have.

Healthy Bulldogs is a weekly column written by experts in the Student Health and Counseling Center at Fresno State.

ASI AT A GLANCE

Learn about fundraising at pizza social

By Yesenia Candelaria | ASI communications coordinator

Join us from 3 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 28, on the University Student Union balcony for a pizza social!

Learn about fundraising opportunities; meet your Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) senator of clubs and organizations, Sarid Morales; and enjoy FREE PIZZA! If you have any questions or concerns, please email saridmorales@gmail.com.

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.

Tribune News Service

ASI is hiring a communications assistant and graphic designer!

The Collegian California State University, Fresno 5201 N. Maple Ave., M/S SA42 Fresno, CA 93740-8027 News Line: (559) 278-5732 Business Line: (559) 278-5735 Advertising Line: (559) 278-8179

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Arts & Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Digital Editor Opinion Editor Photographer Staff Reporter Staff Reporter

Do you have unmatched skills in writing, social media, connecting with others and an overall love for all things Fresno State?

Then the communications assistant position is right for you!

You can apply by emailing a resume, cover letter and a few writing samples to ASI’s communications coordinator, Yesenia Candelaria, at yeseniac456@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Are you great at designing and producing graphic art?

Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado Seth Casey Olivia Hayes Michael Ford Samantha Domingo Christina Tran Jose Romo Jorge Rodriguez Marilyn Castaneda

General Sales Manager National Sales Manager Special Projects Manager Art Director Assistant Art Director Distributor General Manager Financial Manager Advertising Faculty Adviser Editorial Faculty Adviser MCJ Department Chair

Do you excel at understanding and analyzing marketing and design concepts?

Apply for the paid graphic designer position!

You can apply by emailing a resume, cover letter and a portfolio of original work to Candelaria at yeseniac456@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Bailey Margosian Kassandra Lopez Ugne Mazutaityte Casey Supple Jeff Vinogradoff Crystal Reyes Richard Marshall Kevin Fries Jan Edwards Bradley Hart Betsy Hays

ASI At a Glance is a weekly column written and provided by the office of the Associated Students, Inc. president.

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, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS

PAGE 7

Volleyball team ready for playoff run

By Michael Ford Sports Editor

The Fresno State volleyball team took a huge step forward this season and is returning to postseason play for the first time since 2002.

The ‘Dogs will take on UC Santa Barbara on Thursday in the first game of a four team regional tournament at the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“It means so much to me, the team and the coaches. We have made history and have come so far as a team,” junior setter Madelyn Halteman said about the Bulldogs’ return to postseason play.

This marks the fourth time that Fresno State will play in the NIVC. It earned an automatic bid after finishing second in the Mountain West Conference during regular season play.

UC Santa Barbara finished fourth in the Big West Conference with a 17-11 record.

“It’s a good challenge,” Bulldogs first-year head coach Jonathan Winder said. “They have one player that is pretty exceptional, and she has carried a big load for them throughout the season and that will be a big part of the game is to stop and hold back one player and do a good job on everybody else.”

The player who Winder referenced is freshman outside hitter Gigi Ruddins.

According to Winders, Ruddins accounts for about 60 percent of the Gaucho’s offense and that will be very important to slow her down to have the best chance at advancing to the next round, where the winning team will play the winner of the match between UNLV and UC Irvine.

The winner of the four-team regional will face the winner of the Wyoming regional in the third round of the tournament.

Should Fresno State beat Santa Barbara, it does have some familiarity with UC Irvine and UNLV as the ‘Dogs played both teams during the regular season.

The ‘Dogs lost to UC Irvine on the road on Sept. 14 by a score of 3-0 and swept UNLV in both matches they played.

Alexander Wiens (center) playing soccer with the Wayfinders Program.

Photo courtesy of Angela Wiens

Sports gives student with autism a brighter future

By Janet Vasquez Contributor

From a young age, Alexander Wiens didn’t show an interest in sports.

In fact, as his mother recalls, he didn’t like participating in sports at all.

When Wiens, now 20, was in kindergarten, his parents signed him up to play in a soccer group. His mother distinctly remembers him not enjoying it.

“He hated it,” Angela Wiens said.

Playing team sports was difficult for Alex because he was born with autism. His mother said his difficulty with communication, social interaction and sensory issues made it too hard to handle. There was just too much going on and too many kids running around.

Recreation is important and can help people with autism improve their quality of life, according to experts. Most find it difficult to participate in team sports because dealing with social interaction can cause stress, which they are not able to cope with easily. That is why some opt for individual sporting activities,

such as track and cycling.

It wasn’t until his involvement in the Wayfinders Program at Fresno State that Alex was willing to give team sports another shot.

Wayfinders, a two-year program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helps people like Alex transition into living a more independent life. The program provides participants the opportunity to experience college life by attending classes, living in the Palazzo at Campus Pointe apartments, participating in recreational activities and much more.

Alex’s mother first found out about the program when her son was attending Tenaya Middle School. She saw an article in The Fresno Bee about a program for intellectually challenged young adults at Fresno State. His parents talked to him about Wayfinders, and from that point on his mother said her son was adamant about joining the program.

Despite their concerns at first of letting their only child leave home to live on his own, ultimately they knew it was right for him. The parents liked the support that the program

offered, and they appreciated that it would allow their son to live independently and be challenged with different activities.

“You can’t ask for any other program that does something similar,” Angela said.

She said her son’s autism has affected his ability to communicate his needs and socialize with others. It also limited what he could do physically, especially when he was younger.

Alex needed to work with an occupational therapist to get better.

“His muscles were rather weak and [had] tremors in his hands,” she said.

But those limitations haven’t fully stopped him.

His parents were initially shocked last year when their son informed them that he wanted to participate in Special Olympics activities through Wayfinders. He wanted to play basketball and soccer. They didn’t know what to expect. This was the first time he was going to play team sports since kindergarten.

This story was produced for the MCJ 102W class. To read the full story, visit collegian. csufresno.edu

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

8

‘Dogs look to avenge last year’s title game loss at Boise State

By Jorge Rodriguez Reporter

T

he Fresno State Bulldogs will have a chance to crown themselves as Mountain West Conference champions this Saturday, but first they will have to face the only team to defeat the ‘Dogs in conference play this year, the Boise State Broncos.

Fresno State will visit the Broncos’ signature blue turf this Saturday in a rematch of its Nov. 9 game that resulted in a 24-17 win by Boise State. The game will start at 4:45 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN’s flagship channel.

This is also the second consecutive year the Bulldogs and the Broncos will play each other in the MW title game. The Broncos took the trophy last season with a 17-14 win. The Bulldogs will be looking to beat the Broncos for the first time since last year’s regular season finale when the ‘Dogs won 28-17 at home.

Both teams are 10-2 overall and 7-1 in conference and are currently ranked in the top 25 teams in the nation in both the AP and Coaches polls. For the Bulldogs, 2018 marks the first time they have had a 10-win season in consecutive years since the 1988 and 1989 seasons.

Fresno State’s only two losses came early and late in the season. Its first loss came against the University of Minnesota and its second was against the Broncos. The Broncos’ first loss of the season came against Oklahoma State University and their second came halfway into the season against San Diego State University.

The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the championship game a few weeks earlier than the Broncos by defeating San Diego State on Nov. 17 in the second-to-last game of the regular season, 23-14, giving the ‘Dogs with the West division title.

Boise State got into the championship last weekend when it defeated the No. 14 team in the nation, the Utah State Aggies at home, giving the Broncos the Mountain division title.

The Aggies had an undefeated conference record and had only lost once in the entire season before their game against the Broncos.

Some believed that the Aggies had the best

Jose Romo • The Collegian

Fresno State defensive tackle Patrick Belony sacks San Diego State quarterback Ryan Agnew during the Bulldogs’ 23-14 victory on Nov. 17, 2018. The ‘Dogs will look to exact revenge for the team’s MW title game loss last season. chance of winning the conference, but after their defeat at the hands of the Broncos, they were left with the same record, and the headto-head match up went to Boise State.

The last two games that the Bulldogs and

the Broncos have played against each other were thrilling to say the least. Each game ended with a difference of seven or fewer points, with the Broncos taking the win in each of those games.

In order for the Bulldogs to get their muchdesired revenge on the Broncos, they will have to convert more third downs than last time. In the last encounter, the ‘Dogs only managed to convert 2 out of 10 third downs and had about 10 fewer minutes of possession than Boise State.

They must use their big weapons on offense, like wide receiver KeeSean Johnson and tight end Jared Rice early to get and keep the momentum and dictate the flow of the game.

On defense, the Bulldogs must find a way to stop the Broncos rushing attack that put up an average of 4.1 yards per rush.

During the press conference after the ‘Dogs’ game Saturday against San Jose State and before finding out their championship opponent, linebacker George Helmuth said that the team was ready to face the Broncos again.

During a Monday press conference, head coach Jeff Tedford said that the team already knows what it is like to go onto the blue turf and into a hostile environment, according to the Mountain West’s official website, themw. com. Tedford also said that Boise State is a really good team with a lot of talent and a very good coach.

“If we take care of the little things, typically the big things take care of themselves, so we really have to focus on one play at a time,” Tedford said. “This is going to be a tough, very physical game, so we are going to prepare our best . . . and make sure we play smart and we play disciplined.”

Broncos head coach Bryan Harsin said during a press conference that they know how talented the Bulldogs are. Harsin talked about the history between the two programs and how they have played four games in the span of a year.

“We have to take care of Fresno, but we also have to take care of us, and that’s why we have a week to do that and go out there and play our very best,” Harsin said. “Fresno has our attention, and if anyone on our team is thinking of other teams, that will show up on game day.”

The game will be an exciting one with both teams going all out to bring the championship trophy home. In the end, the Bulldogs might have a better shot at winning just because they had a less-demanding game last weekend, but it should still be a close game worth watching.