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Criticism of Oprah’s “dream” project unfounded

OPRAH IS A woman people either love to love or love to hate. Especially when it comes to a controversy. From James Frey and his not so true nonfiction book, “A Million Little Pieces,�? to her claim that she wouldn’t eat another hamburger and the effect she had on the cattle industry — her actions definitely stir up some buzz.

The most recent controversy with Oprah’s name stamped on it appears on the surface not to have two sides to it. Oprah spent $40 million to open The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, a boarding school for girls in South Africa. The school is opening with spots for 152 girls, grades seven through 12.

The TV-host has called this her dream, something she has worked towards for five years.

To me, it seems like the only way to react to that would be to commend Oprah for sharing her wealth with children who truly need her help. This is her way to provide a once in a life time opportunity to young girls, to give them an education, hope and a safe place to live and learn.

But everyone doesn’t see it that way and Oprah’s critics have come out to voice their opinions.

Newsweek writer Allison Samuels criticized Oprah for the lavish design of the school that is set on 22 acres and divided into 28 buildings. Samuels listed the school’s perks such as a yoga studio, a beauty salon, indoor and outdoor theatres and oversized rooms with scorn, referring to the school as extravagant.

Other critics believed that the school was elitist, that such a beautiful establishment was too much for such an impoverished nation.

Bloggers across the Internet disapproved that Oprah chose to build her dream school in South Africa, rather than in the United States.

More complaints included that Oprah was building the school just for girls and that she should have used the money to buy more schools instead of just one over-the-top school. Others called her school just another publicity stunt.

First of all, Oprah can spend her money anyway she darn well feels like it — it’s her own money for Pete’s sake.

And Oprah is choosing to spend a nice chunk of her $1.4 billion fortune on others — what’s to criticize about that?

For those who condemn Oprah for not building the school in the United States — our country already has a school system where children are guaranteed a free education. Plus, as Oprah pointed out, American children can often be a bunch of spoiled brats. In America, most kids want the latest gadgets while in South Africa, kids just want to learn and have uniforms to wear to school.

Oprah says that this school is her dream but South Africa is the country that really needs a dream. This is a country where the life expectancy is 42.73 years. AIDS is affecting 21.5 percent of the adults in the country, or 5.3 million people. Half of the population is living below the poverty line with 25.5 percent of South Africans unemployed.

On Monday night, ABC featured “Building a Dream, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.�? The hour-long program followed Oprah’s journey as she developed her dream school, sifted through thousands of applicants and personally interviewed the finalists who would become the students at her school.

Oprah was looking for girls who had the “it�? factor, girls who were leaders, who had good grades, who loved to learn and who would become the face of South Africa.

These are girls who are scared to walk home, but keep on going with a smile on their faces. They sleep with their families in one-room huts but stay up at night doing their homework by candlelight.

These are girls who desperately want to live a safe and fulfilling life and are excited to learn everything they can. This is not just another controversy or topic of the day to blog about — these are the lives of real girls who just want a chance. And for 152 girls, they have been given that chance.

Now that’s a dream come true.

Reconsidering the “sorority girl” stereotype

A FUNNY THING happened last week: I found myself inside the meeting room of one our campus’s sororities.

It was surreal insofar as my experience was remarkably enlightening, and I came to the startling conclusion that my perceptions of what it means to be a sorority sister were completely incorrect.

As a member of the MTV generation, my entire consciousness of sororities and fraternities has been unfavorable.

Mostly, I just pictured meat-head jocks crushing beer cans against one another’s skulls, and tragic ex-cheerleaders in Juicy sweats talking about their mutual love of Dawson’s Creek.

Alas, not so much. And as painful as it is for me to ever admit being wrong, it was kind of refreshing to note that stereotypical constructs of what college life is supposed to be like have been ridiculously overblown.

Maybe not so ridiculously.

I think one of the six girls I met was wearing pink velour. Four of us had blonde in our hair, though to be fair, I contributed to this number.

And collectively, we frowned on carbohydrates.

If this experience taught me anything, it’s that lives we generally consider to be unlike are own are actually pretty normal. Perhaps we have to acknowledge the folly of cultural pedestals, meant to distinguish some groups from others.

As I rejected the notion of collegiate popularity contests in favor of actually getting to know these people, I realized I was living in an intellectual bubble popular amongst liberal arts educated poseurs who feel the need to pocket themselves into delusional sub-cliques.

Not being in a sorority does not automatically make a person smarter than those who are in them. Here’s the thing: stupid people are everywhere.

You read that right. There are dumb-dumbs all over, even within my major, though I’d never say it to anyone’s face.

Sorority girls are targeted because they are easy to identify — they all live in one big house and have archaic Greek characters on their stationery.

In reality though, you will find Debbie-Desperates, beezies, loadies, bone-heads, and the criminally unattractive in all walks of life. And they won’t be so easy to point out.

Some sorority sisters will fall into these categories. I know you’ve met some of ‘em, and it ain’t pretty.

But you’ve also met columnists, custodians, athletes, professors and the like who are just as unpleasant, if not unintelligent.

Identifying features used to peg people into this-or-that tend to fall flat once you actually get to know your classmates.

I ask you, reader, to be a little more open-minded the next time you’re about to buy into one of these stereotypes.

Choosing not to means you consider yourself more intelligent and more informed than you probably are.

Get over yourself; you are just as crazy, self-conscious and overwhelmed as the rest of us. Take a number and get in line.

Acting jaded and enlightened makes you look like a complete rat.

Don’t assume that counterfeit Coach purses and acrylic nails automatically make a person completely unintelligible.

Stop pretending you hate the idea of living with 40 other girls. One of them is bound to be able to help you with your homework.

Plus, think of all of the clothes you could borrow. Jackpot.

Shamelessly, I’m going to thank (and plug) the uber-kind Delta Gammas who made my visit so nice.

You make non-Greeks want to become Gamma girls, and are an example for everyone.

The rest of you might benefit from following their lead.

No, don’t run out and get a new weave to fit in.

Simply be a better person by giving other people a chance to be better than your expectations would ordinarily allow.

Scrumming to play at World Cup

California may be one of the hotspots of American rugby, but few are even aware that Fresno State has its own rugby club.

Yet, many students would probably make good rugby players, according to Fresno Rugby Football Club member Collin Cook.

“If you like hitting people and going out drinking together afterward, then rugby is something to get into,�? Cook, a senior Ag Business major, said. “It’s fun, intense and you play with a good bunch of guys. It’s the ultimate team sport.�?

Many are also confused about what rugby is, according to Jason Geurts, a senior finance major and teammate of Cook.

“Rugby is a cross between soccer and American football, in that it is non-stop like soccer and full-contact like football but without the pads,�? Geurts said. “People in America see rugby the same way as people overseas see American football, and that misconception is that it is ‘brutal and savage.’�?

Geurts is proud of his sport and would like to get the word out to others about rugby. “There are lots of good athletes in the Valley and they think that if they stopped playing football in high school and didn’t get a college scholarship, then they can’t play full-contact sports,�? Geurts said. “But the best rugby players are former football and soccer players and wrestlers. We like players with chips on their shoulders.�?

Geurts said no one should be intimidated to join. “You don’t need to be a big, huge guy to play,�? he said. “There is a position for everyone, of every size and shape. It’s all in the head because you have to be aggressive and not afraid of contact.�?

Geurts has had a lot of success with rugby. Earlier this month, he spent a week in San Diego training with the U.S. Men’s National Rugby team, also known as the U.S. Eagles. Geurts is among the 50 athletes vying to be one of the 30 players who will represent the United States in the Rugby World Cup this September in France.

Geurts, 26, has been playing rugby since he was a freshman in high school and played for the Marine Rugby Team before joining the Fresno Rugby Football Club. Upon graduation, he plans to move to San Diego to play for the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club as a rugby player. He may also get a professional contract from overseas if he makes the cut for the Rugby World Cup, which is the world’s third most-watched sporting event.

Dave Standifer is the owner of Athletic Performance Training in Fresno and has been Geurts’ strength coach for two years. Geurts credited Standifer’s training for carrying him to the next level.

“Our big thing is to keep his strength up,�? Standifer said. “At first we had to work on his speed and there is a heavy-lifting focus during the off-season. But he is a hard worker and is willing to spend the time to get better. He’s really dedicated.�?

Standifer said Geurts has a lot of tenacity. “We punish guys in my training facility and he is really good when it comes to that,�? he said.

The Fresno Rugby Football Club was founded in 1971 and operates with the Fresno State Rugby Football club. The members come from a variety of athletic backgrounds and ages, which currently range from 20 to 45. They play against other clubs from throughout northern California. Those interested in joining Geurts and Cook on the field should go to fresnorugby.com for more information.

Campus mysteries, part 3

Part three: The Collegian braves the Science building’s “dungeon”

Toward the back of the old Science building, just beyond the main lobby’s study area is an unmarked, unlocked door. The door leads down three sets of winding stairs to another unmarked, unlocked door.

Welcome to the basement of the Science building, a place not many students will ever find themselves.

The occasional flickering light and the various doors labeled “Caution: Radio Active Material” adds to the cold, creepy atmosphere of the basement.

“I doubt the average student would know about the basement,” said biology professor Alice Wright. “Or about the The Dungeon.”

Wright spent eight years working in the basement, but came above ground this semester. The words: “The Dungeon” appear outside the room that once served as her office and laboratory.

“A couple of my students decided to call it that,” Wright said. “I guess the name is rather intimidating, and it doesn’t help that [the room] is hard to find.”

It is no longer there, but inscribed on the door was the phrase: “Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” The line is from Dante’s epic poem, “Inferno.” More specifically these are the words that appear on the entrance to hell.

“The students were just having fun,” Wright adds. “We aren’t trying to scare anyone.”

Those students have since graduated Wright said. Two have earned master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University.

Their time in The Dungeon was spent studying microbiology and bioremediation, and conducting varying research — hardly the hobbies of your average mad scientist.

“We like to have our jokes,” said Alejandro Calderon, an associate professor of developmental biology.

Calderon is The Dungeon’s new tenant.

“The biology department has limited space and our new microscopy equipment has forced me into the basement,” Calderon said.

Calderon has taught at Fresno State for nine years. He is considering changing his new laboratory’s title.

“It may be dark and cold down here, but it’s just not an attractive name,” Calderon said. “For now we’re just calling it the basement, but we’ll try to make the new name funnier.”

Students who work in The Dungeon now study plant developmental genetics. Graduate student Natalie Powers enjoys the space.

“It’s not really like a dungeon at all,” Powers, said. “It’s just called that because we’re in the basement.”

Powers, 23, a biology student from Lancaster, is working in The Dungeon this semester.

Besides the name, there’s nothing weird about The Dungeon’s laboratory space or the basement Powers said. “Although, there is a rumor that aliens are living in the audio/visual room a couple doors down.”

Do you know of a campus mystery? Share it with The Collegian’s Multimedia Editor Bryan Harley.

Top ‘Dogs on the links

Juan Villa / The Collegian
Fresno State freshman golfer Maria Pia Escandon hits a chip shot on the 11th hole during the Kitahara Fresno State Invitational. Pia Escandon shot a two-day score of 150, earning her a tie for ninth place individually. The Bulldogs also won the overall tournament title, shooting a 20-over score 596, winning by two strokes over UC Irvine. Jennifer Shipley led the charge for the Bulldogs, finishing third overall after a par 72, Tuesday at the Copper River Country Club.

Welcome to our World

Tennis has become a worldwide sport in the past few decades. Nowhere is this as evident as it is on the Fresno State tennis teams.

They have been recruited from around the globe from countries such as the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Brazil, Russia, Ivory Coast and India.

These international students have the talent that Simon Thibodeau, head coach of the women’s tennis team, said can only benefit the programs.

The tennis teams have the highest number of foreign athletes of all Fresno State sports.

Many of the teams that Fresno State plays consist nearly entirely of foreign athletes, making this a trend nationally as well. Both the men’s tennis head coach Jay Udwadia and Thibodeau recruit internationally, but also aim to attract as many American students, and Californians in particular, as possible.

“Because the reputation of Fresno State is getting much better, we have been able to attract more Americans than before,�? Thibodeau, now in his fourth year as the women’s head coach, said.

“I want to recruit the best Americans and the best talent from around the world to improve our team. I look for people who have good team spirit, that want to improve their game rather than just sit on a scholarship.�?

Thibodeau is a native of Quebec, Canada, and was a national coach with the Canadian Tennis Federation, which took him around the world. His coaching experience has given him many contacts internationally. Since coming to Fresno State, Thibodeau has worked with recruiting agencies in Russia, South America and France to find the best players for the team.

Many teenage tennis players around the world are anxious for the opportunity to receive a tennis scholarship from an American university, and most universities are eager to accommodate them, Thibodeau said. The experience of intercollegiate tennis is an experience that is not often available outside of the United States.

“You either play sports or you go to college in other countries,�? Thibodeau said. “Early on, you must make a decision to both quit school and devote yourself to a sport, or you quit the sport altogether to go to school. It’s very tough to do both.�?

Still, it is equally tough to move to a new country, thousands of miles away from everyone you know, and to also be faced with a different language. For many foreign students, tennis is one of the few things that remains familiar.

There was also comfort in the camaraderie that develops among the players.

“It was important to me to realize that I was not the only one that has to deal with this situation, like the language and the homesickness,�? Vanessa Heroux, a Montreal, Canada native who is on the women’s tennis team, said. The fact that there are so many others on the team, including her coach and fellow French Canadian Thibodeau, in her situation helped a lot in her transition.

Heroux’s teammate Bruna Baes, who is from Brazil, agreed that the changes initially can be tough. “It is really hard to adjust,�? she said. “You have different coaches, you are living alone, the food is different, you’re homesick, and then there’s the language barrier.�?

Other members of the team had similar experiences.

“Everything is different, the language and not knowing anyone here,�? Renata Kucerkova, a 20-year-old from the Czech Republic said.

Another tennis player from the Czech Republic is Jakub Cech, a senior on the men’s team. Before coming to Fresno, he had already been to approximately 15 countries because of his tennis background, but even he got homesick when he first moved to California.

He has sometimes been a mentor to the other Czech players, such as Kucerkova and two others on the men’s team, when they started their first semesters, he said.

A lot of things are different about America, things that perhaps many wouldn’t think about, Cech said. “Everything is big here,�? he said. “The meals are big, everything is extra-large. People are also more talkative. Talking to strangers doesn’t happen as much in Europe.�?

Even with the adjustments, the athletes said they were excited to play for Fresno State while earning their degrees.

Heroux agreed that it was an opportunity that couldn’t be ignored. “The tennis team was really good,�? she said. “Plus, it was in California, and they have the physical therapy program that I wanted. I like it here a lot.�?

While all of the athletes said the tradition of Fresno State tennis was a significant factor in choosing to come here, the weather played a role too. “I was always looking for good tennis programs,�? Cech said. “But I also wanted to go somewhere where I could play tennis outdoors all year.�?

Others, like Kucerkova, said that the heat took some getting used to. “But I wanted to study abroad, I wanted to come to California,�? Kucerkova said. “This was a good opportunity.�?

Heroux also said the international athletes contribute a lot to the reputation of the Fresno State tennis team. “It is good that there are foreigners on the team,�? she said. “Around the world there are different styles of tennis, so having those styles on our team creates depth.�?

Thibodeau said this diversity is important. “I want to recruit the best Americans and the best talent from around the world to improve our team,�? Thibodeau said.

It is important to Thibodeau that his athletes excel off the tennis court as well.

“The tennis teams have an average grade point average of 3.61, which is the strongest out of all athletic teams on campus,�? he said.

“The students need to succeed in school and at tennis. That takes discipline. There is not a lot of time for socializing, it’s not non-existent, but it’s not like being a regular student. They need to sacrifice.�?

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