FRESNO STATE
COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU
New law protects transgender students By Crystal Deniz The Collegian California made transgender rights history on Aug. 12 when Gov. Jerry Brown signed into state law AB1266, a bill aimed to protect certain rights for transgender students from kindergarten to 12th grade. The bill allows transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms of the gender with which they identify, as well as playing on either boys’ or girls’ sports teams. There are some things that need to be understood about the bill, said Dr. Jenelle Gilbert, graduate program coordinator for the kinesiology department at Fresno State. “Transgendered individuals are born one gender, but identify with another,” said Gilbert, who also teaches a graduate course on the sociology of sports. Psychology professor Jennifer Isom, whose background is in neuropsychology and biological psychology, added to Gilbert’s definition. “Research strongly supports the idea that one’s gender identity is not always the same as one’s genetic sex,” Isom said. “This is largely determined before birth by exposure to prenatal testosterone and estrogen during a critical period of development.” This means that transsexuals are not, in fact, choosing to identify with the opposite gender, she said. Those individuals whose gender identity, referring to male or female, differs from their genetic sex, which refers to the XX or XY chromosomes, feel discomfort and inner turmoil – sometimes to an extreme – when they are forced to conform to standards set by society. Gilbert referenced sports sociologist Dr. Jay Coakley, who has discussed a two-category classification model that identifies sex and defines gender in modern culture. The model presents the idea that heterosexual males who are masculine and heterosexual women who are feminine are considered the norm. It means that homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals are considered out of those normative bounds. Coakley said that this type of thinking causes a distorted view of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals as something to fear. Gilbert said society’s use of the two-category classification model poses an issue for most transgendered individuals because they feel forced to identify with their initial gender and downplay what they feel is their true identity. See TRANSGENDER, Page 6
SERVING CAMPUS SINCE 1922
FRIDAY ISSUE | SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
Lindo offers leadership to students By Christopher Livingston The Collegian Actor Delroy Lindo, whose films include “Gone in Sixty Seconds,” “The Cider House Rules” and “Malcolm X,” came to Fresno State on Wednesday to speak at the inaugural Black Popular Culture Lecture Series. Fresno State President Joseph Castro, his wife, Mary, students and members of the community filled North Gym 118 to see the actor discuss his upbringing and his passion for acting. Dr. T. Hasan Johnson, an Africana Studies professor, created the event to accompany his Hip-Hop Research and Interview Project held every spring. The series was sponsored by a grant from the College of Social Sciences and fundraising efforts. “I decided to have an event where students are able to meet successful people and learn what it takes for them to reach that level,” he said. “We have the hiphop event in the spring and this in the fall. “When I proposed the idea to President Castro, it took him no longer than five minutes before he said yes.” Johnson said he chose Lindo as the speaker because of the quality of his work and his passion for perfection. Lindo was born to Jamaican
Khlarissa Agee / The Collegian
Actor Delroy Lindo shared advice from his career with students at the inaugural Black Popular Culture Lecture Series.
parents in London, then moved to Toronto and San Francisco. His dream of acting began at 5 years old, when he participated in a school play. It wasn’t until Easter
1973 when he saw the black-produced “The River Niger,” that he considered a full-time job in acting. He attended the American
Conservatory Theater (ACT), where he studied Shakespeare to enhance his knowledge of acting. “At ACT, we came out of a phiSee LINDO, Page 3
Public transportation equals convenience By Hailey Mayo The Collegian Many Fresno State students choose to purchase semester or year permits to park on campus,
but some students choose to use public transportation or to carpool. Students living in some apartment complexes near Fresno State can take advantage of shut-
tles instead of finding parking on campus. Leasing manager Leslie Garretson at Campus Park Apartments on Barstow Avenue and First Street said the shuttle
Roe Borunda / The Collegian
Public transportation, like this shuttle, helps students get to campus without dealing with the hassle of traffic and parking.
Bulldogs Marching Band a place of camaraderie [Page 4]
Volleyball team opens conference play with win [Page 8]
is a new amenity for people living in the apartments. She said many students are taking advantage of the transportation option. “This is the first school year that Campus Park has been operating the shuttle,” Garretson said. “Many students use the shuttle and you’ll always see them waiting for it outside of the building.” Garretson said the shuttle is free for all residents at Campus Park and was funded by management. “It runs every 30 minutes starting at 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. from Campus Park to Fresno State and has three stops throughout campus,” she said. The stops include the roundabout by the South Gym, a spot near the Science II Building and the roundabout near University High School. Fresno State student and Campus Park resident Jackie Aguilar said she has a car but chooses to take the shuttle. “I choose to take the shuttle because of how bad parking is at school,” Aguilar said. “It’s really convenient because it stops on opposite sides of campus so no matter what side you’re on, there will be a stop nearby.” Diana Manzo, another Campus Park resident, said she had issues See PUBLIC, Page 6