October 5, 2021

ETHICS CENTER CELEBRATES GANDHI Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper

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Tuesday, October 5, 2021

ID CARDS REQUIRED?

Fresno State may require students to swipe their ID cards to access several buildings on campus.

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Photo Illustration by Marc Anthony Lopez

Plays return to campus

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Sports weekend recap

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

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Fresno State may require ID cards to enter buildings

By Edward Lopez Reporter University President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and Associated Students Inc. President D’Aungillique Jackson discussed the re-implementation of ID access for buildings, contact tracing and employee vaccination during the Sept. 30 student forum.

Jackson addressed COVID-19 contact tracing by elaborating on a recent policy she advocated for at the university level involving the usage of Fresno State ID cards.

In the case that a student tests positive for COVID-19, officials will be able to track which buildings the student entered by swiping IDs. “In order to enter [a] space, you’ll now have to swipe your key card in order to gain access... to help us keep track of students and ensure that our contact tracing is performing at the highest level,” said Jackson.

The current policy proposal is based on a previous university policy in which students had to swipe their IDs and complete the daily COVID-19 screening prior to entering the Hen-

ry Madden Library during the summer.

Jiménez-Sandoval acknowledged that members of the public or subcontractors who wish to use these facilities must be vaccinated for COVID-19 and show proof of that as well.

“If it’s a subcontractor or if it’s someone doing business with the university, they do have to get vaccinated and they do have to show proof as well within that,” said Jiménez-Sandoval.

He noted that the policy change could help ensure students complete their daily or weekly COVID-19 testing.

Should they not, students could expect to lose access to places such as the student recreation center or the library.

“So, if a person has an exception and they’re not testing, they will not be able to access that particular building,” Jiménez-Sandoval said.

Currently, there is no date for implementation of the COVID-19 ID swipe policy. Jackson hopes to expand this policy to every building on campus that has keycard swiping capabilities.

Several students raised concerns about the policy since they have not received their student IDs which would inhibit them from being

able to access buildings on campus should the policy take effect.

Jiménez-Sandoval and Jackson said they were unaware of the issue and would investigate it in due time.

“I was not [aware] but we will certainly... look into this now that this has been brought to our attention,” Jiménez-Sandoval said.

Jackson reminded students that the final day to submit paperwork for self-certification of the COVID-19 vaccine was Sept. 30.

She also confirmed that students will not be dropped from their classes should they not submit their vaccination record in time.

However, students could expect a hold on their student portals for the upcoming semester.

“If they’re unable to certify, there is conversation about [a] hold on students on their portal for next semester... Making it a little bit harder for them to register for classes until they are able to certify, but students will not be dropped from the class,” Jackson said.

After The Collegian reported the discrepancy of vaccination rates between students and

university employees – 86% of students are vaccinated but only 68% of employees – Jackson addressed this at the forum.

She acknowledged that the primary reason behind the lower vaccination rates among Fresno State employees revolves around negotiations between the university and the employee unions on campus.

“I think that a major discrepancy in the numbers really lies in the fact that we did not get to a point of having the union approve the vaccine mandate until just a few weeks ago,” Jackson said.

Jackson said negotiations involved much back-and-forth between union representatives, university officials and the chancellor’s office attempting to come to a middle ground.

These negotiations led to the later start in Fresno State employee self-certification compared with students who began COVID-19 self-certification one month prior to Fresno State employees, excluding auxiliaries.

According to Jackson, employees have until Oct. 27 to submit proof that they have received both doses of the vaccine.

Native American movement aims to change offensive names

By Adam Solis, Jannah Geraldo Reporter, News Editor

The Rename S-Valley virtual panel, hosted by the Fresno State Ethics Center, addressed the issues behind the name of Squaw Valley and the Indigenous women in history who have suffered from the meaning of the term on Friday, Sept. 24.

Roman Rain Tree, coalition chairperson for Rename S-Valley, said the name causes more harm than good as a divisive term among the community in Fresno County.

“One thing is for sure, while some people might agree with it being offensive and some people won’t, it is 100% agreed upon that it is divisive and that’s contrary to community values and that’s contrary to the Fresno County guiding principles,” Rain Tree said.

As a part of the Ethics Center’s Lecture Series, Executive Director Andrew Fiala said the virtual panel comes at an appropriate time as Sept. 24 was Native American Day in California.

Fresno State assistant professor and director of American Indian studies Leece Lee-Oliver said many issues arise from the name of Squaw Valley, perpetuating the suffering of Indigenous women in history from what the word actually means.

“The term ‘squaw’ became a figure and a way to write into law a lesser-valued human, and in

fact a less-than-human person in the context of Native Americans,” Lee-Oliver said.

Lee-Oliver said that terms like “Indian country” and “savage” were used to make Native Americans out to be less than human and to justify expansion.

“When you write people into law in a way that redefines their humanity and lowers the standard of it, you can treat them any kind of way,” she said. “So, for Native Americans, the term ‘squaw’ is rooted in that history and it’s left this long legacy.”

Panelist Theodora Simon, an Indigenous justice advocate from the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, shared some background on how white settlers used the term to demean Indigenous women in the 1800s.

“This really speaks to the image of Indigenous women that was commonly held at the time, which is [that] women are supplies, for labor or lust, to be disposed of,” Simon said.

Simon noted that systemic bias against Indigenous people continues to be present in modern society, and that the role of Indigenous justice work is to provide support and raise awareness of such issues.

“Indigenous voices are just very rarely heard or listened to. And so, for me, it’s our collective responsibility to recognize history,” she said.

Rain Tree said that the process to express concerns with the Fresno County Board of

Supervisors and specifically representative Nathan Magsig over the name change has been an experience all too familiar for Native Americans trying to speak with government officials.

“Mr. Magsig has had no interest whatsoever in even hearing a discussion of what we’re asking for and why we are asking for it. It’s basically shut the door on us and told us that it is what it is and it’s not going to change until he sees that enough people who are his constituents show an interest, then he’ll show an interest,” Rain Tree said.

“It’s what you would expect from a government official and being native,” he said. “ ‘Go home. Go away.’ And that’s kind of where we’re at, so with that, we find that education is probably our best tool.”

An online petition to rename Squaw Valley was created by Rain Tree to gain the attention of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 5 representative Magsig and eight others, including Assemblyman Jim Patterson and U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock. The petition has acquired over 18,000 signatures of the 25,000-signature goal.

Fresno State student Benjamin Cruz is a media, communications and journalism major and was responsible for Friday’s panel.

Cruz developed the panel idea after working alongside Valley Natives for Change as an advocate to change Fresno High’s mascot.

Jannah Geraldo • The Collegian

Benjamin Cruz poses for a portrait in front of the university fountain.

The virtual panel was the first time Rename S-Valley presented at Fresno State, but Cruz noted that the efforts have always been present at the university.

Cruz said he came into contact with Rain Tree and spent time developing ideas to bring more awareness to the effort.

“People need to learn about why we want to rename the town, and why it is offensive to the Indigenous people who live in the area. There are a lot of people who want to continue this ignorance without realizing its impact on the people who it offends,” Cruz said.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS

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Ethics Center commemorates Gandhi’s 152nd birth anniversary

By Adam Solis Reporter The Fresno State Ethics Center, in collaboration with agriculture business department chair and program coordinator Srinivasa Konduru, hosted the 152nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at the Fresno State Peace Garden on Saturday, Oct. 2.

“He was the person that brought out the awareness that human beings are very important on this planet, and that they have to take care of this planet. And now our university also stands for those values,” said Sudarshan Kapoor, professor emeritus and founder of Fresno State’s peace and conflict studies program.

Xuanning Fu, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, spoke on behalf of President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, who was unable to attend the celebration. Fu presented the president’s proclamation on making Oct. 2-9 a week to “Stop the Hate, Stop the Violence: Build a Culture of Peace Commemoration” and how those attending represented diversity.

“Your presence here today demonstrates that areas of diversity truly is our strength,” Fu said.

Kapoor led the discussion on the influence he hopes the Peace Garden has on campus. He said paying tribute to Gandhi pays tribute to humanity.

Fresno State is unique among other universities because the statues of individuals chosen to represent the Peace Garden aren’t represented together on any other campus as they are here, Kapoor said.

“There is no other campus, no other place here where there are statues of Gandhi, Dr. [Martin Luther] King, Ceasar Chavez at work and we wanted to create that kind of feeling here for our student body population and see what they have done,” Kapoor said.

“Our values of the university and the values that Gandhi promoted are the same so that’s why actually I think that having this kind of a message shared with the students and the community and inviting them is important.”

Kapoor also said that he feels that these types of celebrations are important for the community and students at the university because it helps them remember who these people were and what they stood for.

“I feel that these celebrations bring out a message and awareness so that people don’t forget who these people are, or were, and what they did for us. They sacrificed their lives, and they did all the things that they did just for the benefit of our present generation,” Kapoor said.

Kapoor reflected on the influence and in-

Melina Kazanjian • The Collegian

Sudarshan Kapoor spoke to event attendees about the significance of commemorating Gandhi’s birth anniversary at Fresno State. spiration the Peace Garden brings him. He said he hopes to add a statue in honor of the Native American community and wishes to involve the Native American community on the project later in the future.

Monish Gowda Nagaraj, a senior majoring in computer science, said the principle of non-violence is something he hopes everyone takes away from the celebration and thinks that Jiménez-Sandoval’s proclamation is a proper way of spreading the principles of Gandhi across campus.

Sharing his experience as a student from India, Nagaraj said he feels he has found a community on campus.

“It would normally feel like we have been left out from the community here but it is not like that here in Fresno State. They’re quite supportive of us here. I feel like I’ve got my second family here,” Nagaraj said.

Students from the peace and conflict studies program said it is important to continue to celebrate the accomplishments of Gandhi on campus as doing so every year will remind students that people still care.

Nan Adams, a junior majoring in business administration, said celebrating Gandhi shows that the university really does care about Indian culture and is passionate about having the chance to speak about such a historical land-

Melina Kazanjian • The Collegian

The event featured a candlelight vigil, a flower ceremony and classical cultural dances. mark on campus.

“Not only is he a historical landmark, he is also a cultural landmark because he’s not just about human rights in a political sense but also in a cultural sense to the Indian community and the fact that we welcome people of all backgrounds here,” Adams said.

Alex Walker, a senior majoring in political science, said that he hopes that when a student enters the Peace Garden, regardless of their

background or beliefs, that they find someone among the statues there that resonates with them.

“I think that this event brings the Peace Garden to life. Just like the other events when we celebrate Ceasar Chavez or Jane Addams, it shows that the Peace Garden isn’t just here and that it’s a lively event, that it’s a place where we can truly think about peace and reflect on ourselves,” Walker said.

A&E Big Fresno Fair returns in person

By Miranda Adams Reporter Carnivals and concerts, dancing horses and sprinting pigs – the Big Fresno Fair is back and it has it all.

Last year the fair only featured drive-thru style eats, but this year it is back in its full glory.

The dozen days of distractions begin Wednesday, Oct. 6.

Several new events are coming to the fair this year including The Livin’ Local Marketplace, featuring local hand-crafted artisanal goods and locally grown foods.

The Fresno Fair is also welcoming a new comic-con themed attraction. The Pop! Culture Experience will host multiple vendors, a gaming museum and gaming and virtual reality stations. There will also be gaming tournaments that gamers can sign up to compete in.

The midway has always been a fan-favorite, but this year it is revamping its reputation with new rides and new food. Try the new churro ice cream sandwiches from Churro Zone or gorge on buffalo chicken macaroni and cheesestuffed ice cream cones from Chicken Charlies.

Nightly concerts kick off Wednesday at 7 p.m. on the neon-lit stage. Rock, country, hip-hop, Christian and Mexican bands will be performing. A full lineup and ticket prices are available on the fair website.

Live music and other performances are shown daily at The Save Mart Wine & Beer Garden, The O’Reilly Pavilion, The Craft Brew Court, The Blue Moon Yosemite Station and The Mexican Heritage Patio.

Fair fans can enter their pets into the Oct. 17 Derby Dog Dash. Entrants get into the fair for free and winners receive a cash prize.

Another way to receive a reduced fair fee is by donating a pint of blood to the local blood bank. Donors receive a voucher for an extra ticket with the purchase of one ticket.

Donations are critical as the country is currently experiencing a blood shortage. Anyone in good health, who is over 110 pounds and 18 or older, can donate and help save lives.

General admission is $12. Gates are open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Masks are required indoors for both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. Face coverings are recommended but not required outside.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

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Q Clothing Closet offers free clothes to students

By Ashley Flowers A&E Editor The Q Clothing Closet held their first pop-up event of the school year last week in the Cross Cultural and Gender Center (CCGC) located in the Thomas Building, Room 110A. Students attending the event were able to choose up to 10 free items from an array of casual and formal clothing, shoes, makeup and more.

Offices within the CCGC became fitting rooms for students. These rooms were sanitized between uses.

The Q Clothing Closet is a resource intended to provide free clothing to Fresno State students in need. It was created with particular emphasis in providing for transgender, queer or gender-nonconforming individuals who may otherwise feel unsafe or uncomfortable seeking out clothes.

Eli Munton, a second-year student who attended the event, explained that sometimes a closeted individual may not feel comfortable going to a public store yet. The Q Clothing Closet provides a safe and welcoming alternative.

“Even if you can’t go out in public, you can still feel like yourself. And some of these [clothes] are professional, so it can help people who are transitioning to get jobs,” Munton said.

Margarito Campos Gatica, vice president of the Fresno State’s Women’s Alliance, volunteered at the Q Clothing Closet to assist attendees.

“There were so many people, it’s been amazing. Even if they don’t take something, a lot of people said they wanted to donate,” Gatica said.

The Q Clothing Closet is currently in need of donations from students and staff. Individuals who choose to donate should contact LGBTQ+ Programs and Services for a drop-off appointment by emailing ccgclgbtq@mail.fresnostate. edu.

Visitors are encouraged to donate clothes, shoes, unopened makeup, unused underwear and/or accessories.

The Q Clothing Closet was founded in 2018

by Fresno State’s LGBTQ+ Programs and Services of the Cross Cultural and Gender Center in partnership with the Career Development Center. However, it was soon put on pause due to COVID-19.

Despite various attempts to operate throughout the pandemic by Estevan Parra, two-time Fresno State alumni and the Cross Cultural and Gender Center’s current LGBTQ+ Programs and Services Coordinator, the closet was unable to return in-person until recently.

Courtesy of Estevan Parra

Students look at the resources provided during the pop-up event.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community himself, Parra sees the Q Clothing Closet as an essential resource for LGBTQ+ students.

“My favorite part of the Q Clothing Closet is to see students walk in, grab those high heels,

that dress, those pants, that makeup. And one thing I noticed is, they didn’t look back. They were not watching their back. And that’s how you know we’re doing this right,” Parra said.

The Q Clothing Closet is currently only available during scheduled pop-up events due to COVID-19.

The next planned date is Oct. 27. More information will be available through the Cross Cultural and Gender Center social media accounts in coming weeks.

The Cross Cultural and Gender Center is available to all students and offers various programs for African American, American Indian, Asian Pacific Islander, Cross Cultural, Gender, Latino/a, Leadership Development and LGBTQ+ programs.

Other provided services are peer support, resource referrals, prayer/quiet rooms, support/discussion groups, study spaces and social spaces.

The CCGC also hosts a bi-weekly discussion group called “Queer Talks,” which is centered around LGBTQ+ students and allies.

The next meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the TLC Pride Room 109B in the CCGC.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

THE COLLEGIAN • A&E

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Fresno State Theatre back with all-Asian cast in ‘Man of God’

By Ashley Flowers A&E Editor University Theatre is back with its first in-person production of the year, featuring its first entirely Asian-American cast production.

The “feminist thriller” “Man of God,” written by Anna Ouyang Moench and directed by Thomas-Whit Ellis, had its opening day on Oct. 1, 2021.

The play stars Molly Heng, Reese Jade Herron, Madeline Nelson and Isabella O’Keeffe as four underage girls on a mission trip to Thailand, who discover their trusted pastor has hidden a camera in their hotel bathroom.

Andy Soukantouy, in his first live performance, plays the pastor.

“When I found out it was an all-Asian cast, I thought to myself ‘Wait, really? There’s a theater production that is casting people that look like me? Here’s my chance!’ … Since this is the first all-Asian American cast at Fresno State, in which it has been around for 100 years, I knew I had to be part of this historic moment,” Soukantouy said.

When asked what attracted him to “Man of God” among other options, Ellis said the choice came partly due to increased violence against Asian Americans.

Courtesy of Miguel Gastelum

Actresses Isabella O’Keeffe, Molly Heng and Reese Jade Herron acting as Samantha, Jen and Mimi.

“I was looking for a play to bring attention to the recent spate of violence against Asians in America. And secondly, the drama department at [Fresno State] has one of the largest number of Asian students in many years,” Ellis said.

“Man of God” is an approximately 80 minute play with no intermission. This allows the

audience to remain immersed in the evolving drama playing out between the four young girls on their mission trip.

The play marks University Theatre’s in-person return. Actors were seen using hand sanitizer before touching props or each other.

“The university has laid out safety mandates

and requirements that have made the rehearsal and performance process more arduous for all of us, but we have been able to adapt. Clearly, we’re all looking forward to returning to a relatively COVID-free experience hopefully by next year,” Ellis said.

During the past two semesters, several virtual performances were held. Ellis was grateful to return to in-person performances. “Our department should be commended for integrating these [COVID-19] protocols into our production process. Students, staff and faculty have been working tirelessly under very trying conditions in order to bring the theatre experience back to our audiences. Hopefully these efforts will pay off for all involved,” Ellis said.

Performances will take place at University Theatre on Oct. 5 - 9 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Latecomers will not be allowed entrance.

Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for Fresno State staff and $17 for other attendees. The 2021-22 Fresno State University Theatre season continues on Oct. 29 - Nov. 6 with “This Is Our Youth,” and Dec. 3-11 with “Wilderness.”

University Theatre requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test from within 72 hours for admittance. Masks will be required at all times.

OPINION

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

C.A.F.E. supports Teach Central America Week

By Allison Gallardo and Alex Walker C.A.F.E. President and Vice President We, Central Americans for Empowerment (C.A.F.E.) at Fresno State, endorse and support Teach Central America Week which takes place on Monday, October 4th, through Monday, October 11th.

The initiative of Teach Central America Week is to promote Central American (CentAm) excellence and bring awareness to the need for CentAm studies and curriculum in classrooms from elementary to higher education.

Check out https://www.teachingcentralamerica.org to access resources such as: lesson plans, events, books, films, poetry, and history about Central America and the diaspora of Central Americans in the United States.

Central Americans for Empowerment (C.A.F.E.) at Fresno State is recognizing Teach

Central American Week by creating posts about each Central American country, celebrating voices, artists, as well as small businesses and organizations.

Our call to action is for everyone to learn about Central America and enjoy the rich culture and of the Isthmus.

Central Americans for Empowerment (C.A.F.E.) at Fresno State promotes a safe inclusive space for CentAm voices to be heard and bring awareness to social pressing issues in the Central American region and communities, while allying with other communities on pressing issues around the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Central America, want a safe space, or are interested in becoming an ally, please join us for our biweekly Friday meetings 1:30 p.m.-2:30p.m.

Follow our Instagram @fresnostatecafe, and contact fresnostatecafe@gmail.com if you have any questions. ¡Nuestra cultura, el orgullo centroamericano!

Courtesy of Alex Walker

The Central Americans for Empowerment logo.

Changes need to be made to wheels-off zone

By Edward Lopez Reporter In the five and a half years I have studied at Fresno State I can unequivocally say the wheelsoff zones on campus need to be amended.

For those unaware, the wheels-off zone are designed through signage or in paint on the cement floors of the university campus intended to prevent people on wheeled devices from riding through densely populated areas.

This is fine under normal circumstances, however, its liberal application across the university campus has caused it to be outright ignored by the majority of the university population in favor of common sense.

The most commonly ignored wheels-off

The Collegian is a student-run publication that serves the Fresno State community. Views expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or university.

zone on the campus has to be from the testing center all the way to the free speech area. Even during peak rush hour (roughly 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ), you can still expect to see bikes, scooters and even golf carts navigating through the ocean of students.

I’ve seen people disregard the wheels-off zone in front of the traffic wardens and even the university police and even they don’t do anything about it.

The reason? The simple fact is for many it makes little sense to skate, ride or drive around the center of university simply to avoid the waves of students who only appear at the top of every hour.

For university staff, this is even more of an inconvenience as the majority of the campus

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is cordoned off by wheels-off zones effectively limiting golf cart access to the perimeter of the university.

On my paper delivery routes for The Collegian, if I followed the wheels-off zone as designated, I would have to carry bundles of 200 newspapers for the majority of the campus.

This would be a major inconvenience as I would have to go back and forth carrying heavy newspaper bundles from the cart to the delivery spots and repeat.

My solution for the dilemma would be only to enforce the wheels-off the zone during the last 10 minutes of the hour. The enforcement of the rule should be dependent on the influx of student foot traffic on campus.

This would at the very least ensure students

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Edward Lopez • The Collegian

Here is signage designating the start of a wheels-off zone. don’t ride around in heavy traffic while at the same time opening up the university to be more wheel-friendly.

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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 © 2021 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.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU

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Fresno State soccer player leads team in two home wins

By Manuel Hernandez Sports Editor Sophomore Kassandra Ceja put on a show in the last two home victories for Fresno State soccer.

The forward/midfielder recorded three goals and three assists for a total of 6 points in the Bulldogs’ games against Colorado State and Wyoming on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Her performance earned her the Mountain West player of the week award.

The Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Colorado State Rams 3-0 on Friday, Oct. 1, and the Wyoming Cowgirls 5-0 on Sunday, Oct. 2.

“Just amazing, [Ceja’s] dangerous,” head coach Brian Zwaschka said. “Her setup plays is really sharp, and she’s starting to reap the rewards.”

After defeating Wyoming, Ceja remained humble and shined the spotlight on her team for the win.

“It’s a great feeling. I feel like the things that we’ve been working on have really started to

Wyatt Bible • The Collegian

Bulldog foward Kassandra Ceja dribbles the ball against Wyoming on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, at the Fresno State Soccer Stadium. come together,” Ceja said.

The coaching staff and the team said patience is the key to their success, and all they had to do was wait for the right moment to attack. The right moment for the Bulldogs is when it’s in the possession of Ceja.

After Bulldog forward Jordan Brown stole

the ball from a Wyoming defender, she attacked inside the box and kicked it over the goalkeeper. Bouncing off the goalkeeper’s hand, Ceja recovered the ball and shot at the bottom right of the net, scoring Fresno State’s first points against Wyoming.

“It’s a totally a team effort,” Zwaschka said.

After a corner kick, Brown again assisted to another Ceja goal 21:51 into the game. A couple minutes later, Brown scored a goal of her own after Ceja spun around a defender for the assist.

“I love every goal that we score, even if it’s not me,” Brown said. “I want us to be scoring and celebrating together, so it feels good to score, but I’m super glad that we had multiple goals for today. It’s all about the team.”

It was a high-scoring team effort the rest of the game. After another Fresno State goal from Kaelyn Miller, the Bulldogs were up 4-0 into the second half.

Although Wyoming totaled in 10 shot attempts, none of them connected with the net because of Fresno State’s lockdown defense.

In the last five seconds of the game, Bulldogs’ Sam Tristan recovered the ball to score the team’s final goal of the game, winning 5-0 against Wyoming.

The Bulldogs increased their Mountain West conferences record, 2-0-1, with two blowout victories, including a 3-0 win against Colorado State on Friday, Oct. 1.

Fresno State’s Desiree Sukhov scores 17 kills in win vs. Wyoming Manuel Hernandez | Sports Editor a 4-0 run to take a fast lead, 5-1. The Cowgirls fought back in a high scoring, back-and-forth set, but couldn’t break the Bulldog’s 3-point lead.

The freshman Rud was key to starting the Bulldogs offense. She scored six of her 10 total kills in the first set. She got her second double-double of the year, finishing with 10 kills and 10 digs.

But Cowgirls’ Naya Shimé cut the lead from a kill and after a Bulldog attacking error, Fresno State’s lead was 18-17. Winder called a timeout after that play.

“In that [timeout], we were playing well. We just needed to execute and be a little bit more disciplined,” Winder said.

Wyoming got its first lead of the game, 24-23, forcing another timeout from Fresno State. But the ‘Dogs responded with a kill from Rud and a service ace by Julia Handy.

From there, the Bulldogs kept the lead the rest of Wyatt Bible • The Collegian

After leading the majority of the third set, Wyoming looked to avoid a sweep from Fresno State. But with a strong finisher like senior offensive hitter Desiree Sukhov, the ‘Dogs were not going to extend the game to a fourth set.

It was the Cowgirls’ serve and the ‘Dogs needed one more point to win, 24-23. As Fresno State fans cheered to distract the opposing team’s serve, the Bulldogs carried the momentum to recover the ball.

The rally ended in the hands of Bulldogs’ Ella Rud as she assisted the ball to Sukhov.

Sukhov then rose above the net for a finishing blow to seal the win for the final set. That final kill would be Sukhov’s 17th of the night, leading Fresno State in total kills.

Fresno State swept Wyoming in sets 29-27, 25-22 and 25-23 on Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Save Mart Center. “[Sukhov’s] fantastic. She does it all for our team,” head coach Jonathan Winder said.

Sukhov also had a season high in hitting percentage with .500. This is her second highest game in total kills, following 19 kills against UC Riverside.

Fresno State attacked quickly in the first set against Wyoming. Rud gave the ‘Dogs their first kill after the Cowgirls’ first serve of the game.

After a Wyoming kill, Fresno State went on

the set, winning the first set after a Wyoming attack error, 29-27.

The second set was the same story.

The Bulldogs took the lead in the beginning at 8-3. Sukhov started the run with 2 kills, followed by a kill from Savanah Smith, Brooke Cowie and Amaria Kelley.

Winder said their improvement in passing is what’s been winning them sets.

Winder talked about the relationship between Weiss and Sukhov.

“Mikayla and [Sukhov] have a great kind of connection and so they both hit really well,” Winder said. “[Weiss] did a really good job to distribute the ball and make some plays to win.”

Fresno State took the second set, 25-22.

Wyoming was not giving up, and their final efforts led to more lead changes in the third set. An attack error from Fresno State gave Wyoming its first points of the set.

After two kills from Sukhov and Smith, Cowgirls’ Kayla Mazzocca responded with a service ace to tie it at 2-2.

It was a close battle for

multiple serves until Wyoming had 5 kills and two straight serving aces to get a 9-5 lead, forcing a Bulldog timeout.

This was Wyoming’s biggest lead of the night, and Fresno State kept making errors to add to the lead.

“We just weren’t playing with the energy and intensity and urgency to win,” Winder said.

“We kind of like thought ‘We won two sets, so we can cruise to the victory line,’ but Wyoming’s a good team.”

After Winder coached the urgency back into his team, the ‘Dogs had three straight kills, one from Rud and two from Smith.

Then, Rud scored two straight serving aces to tie the game, 9-9.

It became a battle for the lead between both teams the rest of the set.

After two attack errors from Fresno State, Wyoming took the lead in the third set, 18-17.

But Rud assisted Kelley’s kill to tie the game again for Fresno State.

As the cheers of Bulldog fans filled the Save Mart Center, the team rode the momentum and took control of the lead the rest of the game.

A block shot from Fresno State gave them the lead 19-18, and Wyoming had no response, following with two attack errors.Fresno State won the third and final set, 25-23.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

THE COLLEGIAN • SPORTS

PAGE 8

Equestrian team snags two wins to start season

By Adam Solis Reporter The Fresno State equestrian team played half a season last year due to COVID-19. The riders did not expect their first season in the Big 12 conference to end abruptly in March 2020.

By the time the season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was ranked No. 4 in the nation and won meets against Oklahoma State, Southern Methodist Uni-

Fresno State equestrian rider Bailey Alexander.

Adam Solis • The Collegian

versity, Texas A&M, Texas Catholic University (TCU) and Baylor, ending its season 5-6 overall.

With hopes of having a full season this time around, the ‘Dogs have qualified again for the Big 12 with new members on the team. This year’s team added 10 freshmen and has eight returning seniors going into their final season.

“We’re going to rely on a lot of our upperclassmen and their tutelage and their leadership,” head coach Eric Hubbard said.

Leading the team this season are team captains Hannah Buijs for horsemanship, Lexee Padrick for reining and Cecily Hayes for jumping seat.

They all focus on assisting other members with training, feedback and any prep work before a meet. Prior to being shut down, Buijs described her team’s trajectory as positive in an exciting and competitive season.

“It was definitely an exciting time to hear that we were all in the Big 12 and it’s kind of like a step up from where we were,” Buijs said. “We were competing with different schools and like high-ranked schools as well, and it was really exciting to hear

that we were ranked No. 2 going into our postseason of our first year being in the Big 12.”

Buijs, a senior from Lisle, Ontario, said the transition from Canada to California was different than she originally expected.

“We know quite a bit in Canada about the U.S. but California. I mean the only thing in my head was like L.A. and the city. So it was kind of nice to come to an agricultural school,” Buijs said. “It’s definitely been a learning experience, but I feel like I’m better because of it and figuring out how everything’s different here like even management for horses.”

Hayes, a senior from Brentwood, California, earned three Most Outstanding Player Honors (MOP) in her junior year and ended last year with a 6-5 record in the flat.

After having her first visit to campus, she instantly knew the Fresno State equestrian team was for her.

“When I visited, I knew this is where I was going to go to school,” Hayes said. “ I meshed really well with the coaches immediately, and it felt instantly like a welcoming place where we really build a team to thrive and work together to push towards our goal.”

Hubbard said other veterans like Addison

Welman, Kameron Thorn and Madisen Torigiani are silent leaders for the team. He expects them to continue to lead by example, adding points and experience to the group.

The Fresno State equestrian team kicked off the season with back-to-back wins against No. 9 South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 1, and No. 6 TCU on Saturday, Oct. 2.

With the riders ranked No. 7 in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA), their previous conference, and qualifying for the Big 12 last season, Hubbard said they are the “underdogs” as newcomers in the conference. The ‘Dogs beat South Carolina on Friday 10-9. In horsemanship, Kameron Thorn scored a 75.5, and Buijs added with a 76.5.

In fences, Hayes scored an 80, and Grace Mathias scored an 82 – beating South Carolina’s score of 78 and 76.

After Friday’s victory, Fresno State continued its winning streak against No. 6 TCU with another 10-9 victory.

The ‘Dogs led the arena in all disciplines and led 5-4 at the half.

Hayes took home another MOP honor in fences and flat, and Julianne Kelley received an MOP honor in reining.