October 16, 2019

CLUB: CANCEL COLUMBUS DAY Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper

Page 2

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Hygiene help Marilyn Castaneda • The Collegian

Fresno State students lead donation drive to provide essential feminine products Page 3

Tyler the Creator Swim and dive A&E

INSIDE :

Page 4 NEWS

Page 7

HOMECOMING WEEK CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

GOT TIPS? We want to hear them.

COLLEGIAN@CSUFRESNO.EDU

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FRONT PAGE

Club challenges university to cancel holiday

By Seth Casey Editor in Chief

While celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, members of the Fresno State Native American community asked the campus to cut any ties to Columbus Day. Members of the group took turns at the Free Speech Area on Oct. 14 speaking for about an hour, sharing statistics, personal accounts and experiences and discussing the importance of visibility and recognition of Native American people and their culture.

Christian Sorondo, a Fresno State student and member of the student club NEUM Native American Student Association, spoke about how the current narrative in the U.S. focuses on the stories of colonialists while ignoring those who are indigenous to the land.

“The way of thinking, of not acknowledging indigenous ways of life, it is a product of settler colonialism. And I think it affects every single

one of us, everyone here,” Sorondo said. “So for us to not acknowledge those struggles, it’s a disservice to ourselves.”

Columbus Day, Sorondo said, celebrates “the conqueror” in the narrative of American history and overlooks and dismisses the Native Americans whose land was taken and whose people were subjugated and killed.

The president of NEUM, Bryce Herrera, said that Fresno State and much of Fresno is founded on the land of American Indian tribes, specifically the Yokuts and Mono tribes.

Herrera said the aim of the gathering was to motivate university leadership to initiate a change in its recognition of Columbus Day. “We hope to reconvene at a later date and to work on a formal proclamation that will call on the leadership of student body President Omar Hernandez, the Associated Students, Inc., the associated student senate to dissolve all ties between Christopher Columbus and California State University, Fresno,” Herrera said.

Although students, staff and faculty did not

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get a day off on Oct. 14, Fresno State officially recognizes Columbus Day on Dec. 30. The university defers observance of Lincoln’s Birthday, Admissions Day and Columbus Day until the end of the year so that the campus can be closed the last week of December.

Dr. Leece Lee-Oliver, professor in the women’s studies department at Fresno State and advisor of NEUM, spoke about what it meant for her to grow up as a person of Native American descent and see American holidays celebrated that represented devastation to her ancestors.

“I knew exactly who I was as a child. I knew I was a Native American,” Lee-Oliver said. “Any time that you have a holiday that celebrates the conqueror, there are people who are going to be hurt in the process of that.”

Lee-Oliver said that recognizing the contributions of all people is good for the nation and helps to keep Americans mindful and humble of the origins of their country.

Lee-Oliver also noted that among the work being done at Fresno State to recognize native

culture, there are currently 12 native languages being preserved by the linguistics department.

Another issue that was raised and cited as an example of how systematic discrimination still occurs in America was the use of blood quantum in determining who is identified as being of Native American descent.

The movement to no longer recognize Columbus Day and instead celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not unique to Fresno State. Other institutions, including Fresno City College, have formally adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Herrera said he is also part of an inter-campus organization that is currently working to call attention to the movement across all of the California State University systems.

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

Safety prevention classes available

By Marilyn Castaneda News Editor

Not many people may be aware of what to do in the event of an active shooter on campus.

However, the Fresno State Police Department (FSPD) is offering help to students, staff and faculty on campus with a program designed to prepare in case of an emergency.

“Seconds 2 Survive is a program designed to help individuals plan, prepare, practice and perform so that they are empowered to make life-saving decisions in the critical first seconds of an emergency,” said FSPD spokeswoman Amy Luna.

The classes are 60 minutes long and are scheduled monthly. Registration is not required and classes can be scheduled for departments and are made available to off-campus entities.

Customized trainings are also available upon request.

The campus also has different emergency communication methods on campus that students and staff receive, including Bulldog Alerts, outdoor speakers and emails.

Students should also visit social media to stay updated and the emergency hotline 559278-4000 may help as well.

“It is very important for the campus community to be aware of your environment, know what your options are in an emergency and be familiar with how information will be shared,” Luna said.

There is a class available on Oct. 16 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Henry Madden Library Room 2108.

The following class is on Nov. 5 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the same library room.

The last session is on Dec. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in the same room as well.

For more information on safety training and tips visit the Fresno State Police Department website.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

PAGE 3

THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

COVER STORY

Gandhi celebration hosts Donation drive for activists, granddaughter

feminine products on campus

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter

Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian

Ela Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter, speaks about her grandfather’s work at the North Gym on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019.

By Seth Casey Editor in Chief

As part of the celebration for Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday, Fresno State welcomed a number of speakers whose work has honored the legacy of the civil rights activist.

Among those who have cited Gandhi’s work as influential in their own pursuits were the Rev. James Lawson Jr. and activist Dolores Huerta, both of whom spoke on Oct. 10 and 11, respectively.

The commemoration concluded on Oct. 14 with a visit from Ela Gandhi, Gandhi’s granddaughter, who spoke in the North Gym. Huerta was a co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union, along with Cesar Chavez. Huerta spoke about how her and Chavez’s founding tenets of the union were based on Gandhi’s message of nonviolence.

“Before we started the union, Cesar and I sat down and we kind of talked about how we were going to start,” Huerta told the audience in the Peters Business Building Room 191. “And it was based on Gandhi. It had to be based on Gandhi’s principles.”

Huerta’s discussion focused on issues in the Central Valley, such as poverty, incarceration and pollution, and how through compassion, understanding and unity these issues can be overcome, stating: “We are one human race.”

Huerta suggested that messages promoted

by Gandhi, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Lawson Jr. should be implemented in the school system in order to foster a culture of togetherness and nonviolence at an early age in future generations.

Following Huerta’s talk, she was joined

by Lawson Jr., who also spoke the day before

at the Satellite Student Union, as the two discussed the implementation and practicality of Gandhi’s teachings and philosophy.

“Every human being has power, and that every human being learning to use that power in a fashion that ennobles their own living, lifts their own understanding of life,” Lawson Jr. said. “It is a part of the beginning of nonviolence.”

Lawson Jr. is a minister and activist whose work as a tactician and theoretician of nonviolence contributed to the American Civil Liberties Movement.

Ela Gandhi spoke about how her grandfather’s work, not only was significant in its time, but how the principles and precepts he taught still hold relevance in the 21st century. She read quotes from her grandfather’s writing that reflected these teachings and demonstrated the aim in his pursuits.

“His views were prophetic,” Ela Gandhi said. “In 1909, he wrote and I quote, ‘Men will not need the use of their hands and feet. They will press a button and they will have their clothing by their side. They will press another and they will have their newspaper.'”

Ela Gandhi’s discussion examined how her grandfather respected the views and passion of many who sought to right injustice through extreme methods but focused on how his teachings aimed to inspire them to pursue a more peaceful approach through understanding and nonviolence.

Ela Gandhi also spoke about how many young people in the world are seeking to make a difference in the world. She said that her grandfather would embrace the passion of today’s youth but would implore them to pursue change through peace.

“Action is good, but it has to be nonviolent action,” Ela Gandhi said.

Providing information about menstruation and providing menstrual products to individuals in need is Priscilla Stranberry's overall goal.

In her spare time, Stranberry, a Fresno State alumna, focuses on Better Period, an organization that aims to end period poverty and stigmas about menstruation in the Central Valley.

“This is meaningful to me because if we can get people to talk about it and have them be comfortable with it and it be something that is praised and celebrated versus shamed and forced to be hidden, that would be a win and victory for me,” Stranberry said.

As part of a service learning project, Falon Kartch, a professor in the communication department, is sponsoring a donation drive for Better Period in her two classes of Communication 120 - Gender Communication.

The donation drive kicked off on campus on Oct. 1 with decorative donation boxes created by the classes. The boxes were placed around campus and will be visible until Dec. 1.

All products collected will be assembled into a one-month Period Kit for menstruators in need and donated to Better Period and other organizations.

The classes are collecting various types of products related to menstruation, such as pads, tampons, feminine wipes and toiletries.

"It is easy to take things for granted when you have easy access to them. And realizing that's a privilege that some people don't have, when I first realized that, I was horrified," Kartch said. “I first thought of homeless women who can't afford these products or don't eat because they need to buy a box of these products; things like that, to me, is just horrific and should never happen."

A group from Kartch’s classes have promoted the donation drive in all sorts of ways, creating an Instagram account called @best. period_group and partnering with a Starbucks in Sanger on Oct. 23 from 4 to 8 p.m.

Jeanee-Marie Kesterson, a communications major, believes that everyone relates to this issue in some way.

Kesterson comes from a family where she had sisters and faced times when obtaining feminine products was a struggle.

“It’s something that we need in the community because a lot of people don’t realize that there is sometimes the choice between food or feminine hygiene products,” Kesterson said.

According to The Action Network website, a city-wide study focused on period poverty, 46 percent of low-income women had to choose between a meal and their feminine products.

For Giselle Hernandez, a communications major, this issue has opened up a whole new world about feminine hygiene products and understanding that there are women who cannot purchase the hygiene products they need.

“Seeing that firsthand has truly kept me to always have some sort of feminine hygiene product on me to give to somebody else or leave them here in the restrooms at Fresno State,” Hernandez said.

Better Period is an organization that utilizes donation drives and table booths at events.

Stranberry and her team collect all donations and assembles them into Period Kits, which are then distributed to several locations, such as the Marjaree Mason Center and Fresno Rescue Mission: Rescue the Children.

The first Better Period donation drive was held on Dec. 1, 2018 at the Revue in Fresno’s Tower District, collecting over 1,000 products that consisted of various products from toiletries to makeup items to menstrual products.

This organization has given birth to a podcast titled “Not your mom’s period,” letting menstruators talk about their first menstrual cycle experience.

“I really encourage people to think about menstruation and periods in a more meaningful way where they are thinking about the people around them that menstruate and start conversations in a different way, where such as asking, ‘How does your period affect all aspects of your life?’" Stranberry said.

Better Period is holding a Period Kit Donation Drive honoring the world’s first #NationalPeriodDay on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Common Space Fresno located at 1252 Fulton St. Staff, faculty and students can drop off donations in the Department of Communications Office in the Speech Arts Building Room 15.

For more information on how to get involved, contact Priscilla Stranberry at infobetter.period@gmail.com or Falon Kartch @ fkartch@mail.fresnostate.edu.

A&E

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

4

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

REVIEW

Tyler the Creator hypes intense crowd

By Anjanae Freitas Reporter

Just three years ago, fans were lined up outside the Rainbow Ballroom for American rapper Tyler the Creator. On Saturday, Oct. 12. the 28-year-old rapper made his return to Fresno by performing at Selland Arena for his “IGOR” Tour.

As Tyler made his way to the main stage, fans could see that he was dressed in a pastel green bodysuit and blonde bob wig with a shimmery silver curtain backdrop.

The fans were eager to see one of the most entertaining, diverse and talented artists in the rap/pop scene, and voices from all around the arena began chanting “Tyler, Tyler.”

Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian Tyler kicked off the night with his The crowd gathers in unison to sing along with American rapper Tyler the Creator at song “IGOR’S THEME” from his 2019 Selland Arena on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. album “IGOR.” He followed the song with an opening line to joke around ic funk indie tunes while holding a bouquet of crowd remained on its toes to see what Tyler with Fresno fans when he said: “Bunch of meth, flowers during his set and passing out flowers had up his sleeve during each song. two restaurant motherf-----s.” to individual fans.

Midway through the concert, Tyler switched With a witty and unfiltered personality, TyIn 2017, fans had connected the dots from things up during his set list. With a dramatic ler amped up the crowd’s energy all night long.

Tyler’s album “Flower Boy,” where he had transition, he left his upbeat songs to instead The openers were a diverse lineup, which multiple songs that hinted about him being play the “IGOR” album’s single “EARFQUAKE” included opening acts Goldlink and Blood Orvulnerable regarding his sexual fluidity and with a gorgeous piano rendition. ange. queerness.

Tyler allowed the crowd to sing along to Goldlink’s grammy-nominated artist D'AnDuring this tour, Tyler emphasized his sexmost of the songs, with energetic fans yelling thony Carlos started off the night with a quick uality through this alter ego “IGOR” as he was some lyrics louder than Tyler could even sing. but energetic set, which had fans dancing and screaming, jumping and singing on stage about The audience could feel the overpowering getting ready for the main opener of the night. a man who has made him love sick. beats while they jumped and screamed along to Following Goldlink’s set, Blood Orange’s From his quirky dance moves, loud hollers, Tyler’s lyrics from “IGOR.” artist Dev Haynes played his groovy electronfunky beats and color-changing backdrops, the The concert’s atmosphere shifted once again when Tyler played a few hits from his previous Lucas College and Graduate School of Business albums “Goblin” and “Flower Boy.” Crowd members intensified their passion by shifting at every beat, getting more hyped up and shouting older song suggestions they wanted to hear.

Tyler ended up performing a total of 18 If you are interested in a career in tax accounting, a Master of Science in Taxation (MST) is songs, with nearly all of them coming from his a great way to mee the 150-hour requirement to become a CPA new album “IGOR.” After singing the hit song • 30-unit graduate degree program “Tamale” from his album “Wolf,” Tyler said: • Full-time or part-time options available “You all like that old s--- huh? Let’s keep it that way!”

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Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian

American rapper Tyler the Creator sings the song "I THINK" f rom the "IGOR" album during his concert at Selland Arena on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. me perform. I don’t want you to sing or jump, none of you dumb 15-year-olds starting mosh pits for no reason. Just let me sing my song.”

The crowd stayed true to the American rapper’s words during the first minute of his song “WHAT’S GOOD” and didn’t move. However, the energy Tyler exuded as he sang made it impossible for the fans to keep their promise of not jumping up and down to the movable beats.

Tyler closed his show with one of his most highly-proclaimed singles from the “IGOR” album called “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” After finishing this song, Tyler left the crowd shortly after with a bow and threw up some peace signs to end the show.

No encore was necessary for the American rapper to return for fans once more. Fans were satisfied with the way the entirety of the show went that night.



EXCELLENT

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

THE COLLEGIAN • A&E

PAGE 5

'Anon(ymous)' play kicks off campus theater's fall season

Miguel A. Gastelum • University Theatre

Calista, played by Madeline Nelson, is annoyed with her adopted brother Anon, played by Cha Yang, who won't pay attention to her.

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter

The doors opened and click, click went the machine of the ticket person as visitors purchased their last-minute tickets.

The audience took their seats, conversations settled, room lights cut off and spotlights focused on the actors as they made their way to the center of the hall while repeating, “Where I come from.”

“Anon(ymous)” by Naomi Iizuka tells the story of a young refugee named Anon who navigates through the U.S. in this entrancing adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey.” In search of his home, Anon encounters a variety of people, some of whom are kind, dangerous or cruel.

“The main idea that this play is trying to convey is: it is not easy to be from another place, it is not easy to live in a country you are not familiar with,” said Dr. Gina Sandi-Diaz, an assistant professor of theatre and director of “Anon(ymous).”

“The play is also [about] coming of age.

Anon has to grow up because he is put in this very dangerous situation, and he has to find the strength inside of him to fight those obstacles, and it is a metaphor of life,” Sandi-Diaz said.

As the actors transformed from new characters to new costumes to different voices and sound effects in the background, it is representative of the diversity of the Fresno community, which included Armenian music and costume designs that contained Hmong and Mexican-American elements.

“Our Fresno is so diverse, and we have a lot of diverse actors with diverse backgrounds,” Sandi-Diaz said. “This is a great story to highlight them. They come from immigrant fami-

lies or are immigrants themselves. So they see themselves reflected in the story of those characters.”

Cha Yang, a theater arts major with an emphasis in acting, portrayed the lead character, Anon.

Yang said he believes he would not have played Anon if he did not relate to the character’s search for his mother and goals.

“You will face many difficulties in life but so long as you are persistent and have your goals in front of you, you’ll succeed,” Yang said.

Cecilia Cantu, a theater arts major with an emphasis in acting plays three roles in “Anon(ymous)”: Mrs. Laius, Pet Bird and Ensemble.

She said the message that she gets from the play is that no matter what obstacles come your way, you always have a home to go to.

The audience shared laughs and silent moments as the changing scenes affected each individual differently.

“The play was well done,” said Jean Linder, a member of the audience. “The director and actors did a wonderful job performing such a challenging play. I would encourage everyone to come and watch it. This is an important topic and we should understand that people should be seen as a person, not an anonymous being.”

Once the show came to an end, the actors returned to the stage with linked arms and bowed down as they rotated in a circle.

“We do not learn just by reading. We learn by imitation. We learn by watching others do, and that is the beauty of theater. It teaches us how to be better human beings because it puts conflicted human beings on stage and we see them struggle with their life,” Sandi-Diaz said.

“We see them finding solutions to their problems, and we see them fighting their problems so we are empowered to do that with our life.”

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

GOT OPINIONS? We want to hear them.

COLLEGIAN@CSUFRESNO.EDU

6

Is The Big Fresno Fair overrated?

By Anjanae Freitas

It is that time of the year, so I am just going to say it: The Big Fresno Fair is overrated.

First of all, let's talk about the prices. After I spend $12 on my entrance ticket and $20 on parking, I am already $32 in.

That was just the price I spent for myself.

Can you imagine a family of four trying to take their children to the fair? After everyone gets tickets, food and games, you are a few hundred dollars out.

Now let’s please talk about the price of fair food. I mean, the corn dogs are overpriced, and you can, quite frankly, easily make them

perfectly good fresh produce, because it sits in the exhibits for two weeks.

The livestock building is another problematic exhibit where we pet animals and take plenty of photos with them. Little do those people know, the little colorful ribbons above them all categorize each animal by who will be bought to be killed or eaten.

And my god, those concerts. What is up with the line up? During my teenage years, The Big Fresno Fair was an event at which everyone knew at least some of the artists who performed. I even saw a few of my favorite mainstream artists, one being Demi Lovato, for about $30 a ticket.

Now we are paying $150 to see the same exact comedians four years in a row and having a

at home. Everyone is going crazy over the concession stands with fried foods, but have people never heard of flour and oil?

Yet here we are, glorifying these two single weeks out of the year to eat them.

Don’t even get me started on the Wells Fargo Agriculture Building, or as some of you may know, the exhibit area with different homemade crafts that include fruit art. It’s so wasteful to throw away all of these fruits and vegetables,

lineup that audiences have no desire to see, or quite frankly, even know.

Let’s be real. The concerts were really the only thing that used to keep the fair’s crowd coming. But now? I feel that same allure has been going downhill at a rapid speed, year after year.

And then there are the fights. I mean, it’s supposed to be a family attraction for children to enjoy themselves and have the time of their

Reporter

Larry Valenzuela• The Collegian

The big swings are one of many rides at the 136th annual Big Fresno Fair on Oct. 5, 2019. lives.

Can people at least respect that and refrain from fighting at the fairgrounds? If you have a problem with someone, try to deal with it in a healthy way, or at the very least take it outside of the fairgrounds so it’s away from children.

I recently went to the Caruther’s Fair, located in a small Fresno County town. Although a lot of the features are quite similar to Fresno’s,

that fair at least has free entry and parking for everyone. It made the experience much more enjoyable to be able to spend money on food and games rather than spending an arm and a leg just for fair entry and parking.

The Big Fresno Fair used to be a place I looked forward to as a kid, but now as an adult, the fair is sadly just not what it used to be and I do not see that changing anytime soon.

Fresno projects combat housing crisis

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter

According to a report from ABC30, the homeless population in Fresno has steadily increased from 1,279 in 2018 to 1,400 so far in 2019.

There should be more cities in California that take the issue of homelessness seriously.

This city has proven to me that this is not such a bad place to live as some outsiders claim it to be.

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.

The many years that I have lived here, I have seen so much change, and the issue of homelessness is one that is being changed.

According to an ABC30 article, the city of Fresno has opened up a new home complex for families to transition from street life to a roof over their heads.

Of course, the good thing about this is that pets are welcomed as well. The changes that have been made for the people who are struggling is made possible by state funds.

I believe this is a great start to decrease the

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number of those who need motivation to get back on their feet.

Although some would say that people lose everything because of their choices, I would disagree.

People should not be put aside to solve their struggles alone because everyone comes with a different story and everyone deserves to be helped.

There should be a place for them to go whenever they have nowhere else to go. A place where they can get help, shower, get a meal, but

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also stay warm or cool depending on the weather conditions.

The city of Los Angeles, the place where every tourist visits, has the largest population of homelessness, with more than 50,000 people unsheltered.

However, within the years to come Fresno could experience a higher number of homeless population due to rent going up, as well as other reasons contributing to the problem.

Nobody changes overnight. Everything takes time. Patience is key.

Jovanni Cardenas Joy Lyle Daisy Dellinger Alessandra Mazman Jacob Mulick Jeff Vinogradoff Zachary Perkins 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, OCTOBER 16, 2019

THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS

PAGE 7

FRONT PAGE

Third place for Swim and Dive team

By Marc Anthony Lopez

of 21 teams.

In the 1650-yard freestyle, Khisiamova finished in sixth place while Clayson finished in fourth in the 200-yard backstroke with a finishThe Fresno State swimming and diving team ing time of 2:02.85. opened its 2019 swim season by taking third Both Mendolicchio and Harbert had strong place in the Chick-Fil-A Invitational. performances in their events as Mendolicchio The Bulldogs welcomed schools such as Cal, finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke San Diego State University (SDSU), San Jose and Harbert finished fourth in the 200-yard State University (SJSU), University of New butterfly.

Mexico and Washington State University for the Harbert’s performance was highlighted by two-day invitational. This invitational featured head coach Jeanne Fleck following the invita20 events over the span of three sessions. tional.

The first day concluded with Cal finishing “That was a great race for her,” Fleck said. on top with a total of 812.5 points, followed by “She is our number one flyer and we depend SDSU with 537.5 then Fresno State with 126.5. on her ... It’s great to see her stepping up to the Washington State (106), New Mexico (95) and plate as a senior.”

SJSU (83) rounded out the bottom three for day The final event featured the team of Clayson, one.

Johnson, Harbert and Cutler in the 400-yard For event one, the 200-yard medley relay, freestyle relay, who would tie for fifth place to the team of Athena Clayson, Megan Ridenour, wrap up the meet.

Kimberly Harbert and Anna Moers finished in The standings from the end of day one Larry Valenzuela • The Collegian would remain the same with Cal on top with sixth place for the Bulldogs. In the 500 freestyle, Fresno State’s Darina Khisiamova would finish Eydis Osk Kolbeinsdottir competes in the 1650 f ree style race during the 1301 points, SDSU with 813, Fresno State with in ninth and in the 200-yard IM, Manuela Men- Chick-Fil-A Invitational at the Fresno State Aquatics Center on Saturday, Oct. 420.50 points, New Mexico (366), Washington 12, 2019. dolicchio finished in seventh.

State (361.50) and SJSU with 213.

One of the strongest performances from sesyard individual medley with a time of 4:36:10, and with the team The Bulldogs welcomed 14 new faces to the sion one would come in event five, as the Bulldogs took fifth in of Khisiamova, Clayson, Emily Cutler and Marissa Johnson, the swimming and diving team this year. the 200 freestyle relay. Another standout performance for FresBulldogs would take fourth place in the 800-yard freestyle relay.

Fleck was very happy with the young team’s performance as no State was freshman Yuliya Tikhaya finishing in fourth in the Day two of the Chick-Fil-A Invitational hosted the last of the it managed to hold its own against fellow conference teams, as 3-meter diving with a score of 243.20. contest’s 20 events. well as the PAC-12 conference teams.

Fresno State would take part in two events in the second sesThe day kicked off with the 400-yard medley relay. The team “For us to come in here and get third is a step in the right sion of day one. Khisiamova would finish in fifth place in the 400 of Clayson, Mendolicchio, Harbert and Cutler placed seventh out direction,” Fleck said.

Contributor

New season, new challenges for women's basketball

By Jennifer Reyes Reporter

A new season is about to begin for the Fresno State women’s basketball team. With hopes of championship tournament and wins, the team will prepare for the season welcoming six new players after losing half the team from last year and its best player Candice White.

The Bulldogs had gone 15-8 overall, 10-2 at home and 11-7 in the Mountain West conference in the 2018-2019 season. They finished fourth in the regular season and in the conference tournament after defeating the No. 5 seed UNLV but falling to the eventual champions Boise State University.

"We have a lot of kids that can definitely play, so we are just trying to see how they fit in.

Ideally, we would really like to play quite a few kids and run them in and out, and we press, and we defend. It is nice when we have a big team that can contribute,” head coach Jaime White said.

With the loss of their best player, the ‘Dogs are looking to revamp their team and will look to team veterans to be leaders in the upcoming season. Bulldogs, like guard Aly Gamez, forward Maddi Utti and forward Genna Ogier, will have to step up to the task and be leaders for the team.

During the summer, the ladies worked tremendously hard as a team in order to be ready for the start of this season.

They had constantly put in eight hours per week once school started and have officially started practicing 20 hours per week for this season.

The Bulldogs want to win and that is their primary goal for this season, coming together as a unit and focusing on being in the top three before the tournaments.

"My main goal would be to win the Mountain West Championship, and I would like to beat Boise as well," Ogier said.

The last time the Bulldogs won a Mountain West Championship was the 2013-2104 season in the hands of head coach Raegan Pebley. That season, the Bulldogs had a record of 24-9, earning them a trip to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

One of the biggest challenges for the ‘Dogs next season will be Boise State. Last year’s conference and tournament champion will be one of the biggest challenges for the Bulldogs. The Broncos will have the majority of their team from last season returning, making them a very

difficult opponent on the court.

The Bulldogs are confident that with hard practice, studying Boise State with lots of films and preparing for the game with Boise they will be ready.

"Our job right now is to stay focused on the preseason and the games that we have, continue to work with our lineup and figure out who goes where. And at that point, I think it kind of takes care of itself,” White said.

This season, the Bulldogs will host teams, like UC Davis, Brigham Young University and Northern Arizona University for their preseason.

The Bulldogs will have a scrimmage game against Fresno Pacific on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Save Mart Center.

Their first regular season game at home will be on Dec. 7 against Utah State University.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

8

'Dogs sweep Aztecs at home Bulldogs

take an 'L' on off day

By Hector Mendoza Reporter

Fresno State returned home from a twogame road trip to sweep the San Diego State University (SDSU) Aztecs in three sets on Monday at the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State came into this game on a three-game losing streak against UNLV, No. 15 Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming, respectively.

The Aztecs came out strong in the opening set, building a huge lead. The ‘Dogs seemed out of sync, committing three attack errors and one service error, which allowed the Aztecs to take a 16-9 lead.

However, the Bulldogs stormed back with a pivotal 12-6 run. Outside hitters Amaria Kelley and Amilya Thompson provided two kills each during that stretch while the Aztecs’ two errant attacks and a wayward serve put Fresno State within one point, 22-21, after outside hitter Desiree Sukhov’s service ace.

SDSU did not want to give up the lead. The Aztec’s Victoria O'Sullivan would score off a kill and Camryn Machado’s service ace would put the visitors at set point, 24-21.

Fresno State wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The Bulldogs went on to score the final five points of the set, including three service aces by freshman middle blocker Grace Doyle and a combined block by middle blockers Rebecca Rendahl and Montez Uigaese to take set one, 26-24.

To start the second set, the ‘Dogs and the Aztecs went through eight ties and five lead changes. Fresno State would eventually gain momentum after SDSU committed three attacking errors, giving the Bulldogs a four-point lead, 13-9.

Fresno State would continue to lead by four points after a kill by Thompson, making it 2117. SDSU, forced to play catch up, managed to cut the lead by two points on two separate occasions, but Fresno State wouldn't allow the Aztecs to cut the lead any closer.

With her eighth kill of the match, Doyle would seal the second set for the ‘Dogs, 25-22, making it a 2-0 lead for Fresno State.

It was another back and forth for Fresno State in the third set. The ‘Dogs eventually pulled away with a 4-0 run, putting the Bulldogs at a 12-8 lead after a service ace by libero

By Anthony De Leon Managing Editor

Armando Carreno • The Collegian

Fresno State outside hitter Amilya Thompson goes for a kill against the San Diego State University Aztecs. Thompson led the team with 11 kills for the night during the match at the Save Mart Center on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019.

Jocelyn Rodriguez.

Fresno State led for much of the third set, but the Aztecs came close by closing the gap by one, 18-17, but would not be able to gain the lead. Fresno State sealed the win with block assists from Doyle and Kelley, 25-19, for a 3-0 sweep.

The Bulldogs will end the week on the road

at Air Force on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

“Air Force has proven the ability to play well at home, so that will be a tough match, and we have to be ready to battle,” head coach Jonathan Winder said in a news release. “We are just scratching the surface on what this team is capable of, and I am excited for another opportunity to keep battling and playing."

How you gonna get fired on your day off?

The Bulldogs once again lost a seemingly winnable battle in the span of three days. This time they did not lose on the field, but on the recruiting trail Monday evening.

Savior, thy name is Jaden Casey, is what many fans deemed the quarterback out of Calabasas, California. He committed to the Bulldogs in June of 2018 announced via his Twitter that he would be flipping his commitment to Cal with a tweet simply saying, “Berkeley, I’m home.”

Casey, now a senior and four-star in the ESPN ratings, was once the light at the end of the tunnel following what is turning out to be an expectantly dark season so far for both the program and the Red Wave.

Despite holding offers from numerous Power Five schools vying for his quarterbacking services, including Alabama, Arizona State and Arkansas, it seemed as though Fresno State finally won out when it came to battling with upper-tier schools when it came to highly-touted recruits.

“I had to do what was best for me in the long run, and I think Cal offers me the best opportunities, not just with football but with life after,” Casey said in an interview with Greg Biggins of 247sports. “Cal is the No. 1 public university in the country and over the last year, I started to think a lot more about that.”

If academics played a huge factor in his decision to change his commitment to Cal and it was more than just what takes place on the gridiron, then more power to him for thinking decades into the future.

Even with University of Washington Jake Haener and rostered quarterbacks like Ben Woolridge and Steven Comstock waiting in the wings, it still hurts a bit to think what the future may have been with Casey throwing to the talent the Bulldogs will have in the next few years.

And finally, for those fans who turn toward anger when an 18-year-old turns down your school because of so called “fear of competition” or “doesn’t stack up with our talent,” do better at hiding your insecurities and move on.