• Home
• News
• Features
• Sports
• Opinion
• Multimedia
  • Video
  • Galleries
  • Interactive
• Blog

VIDEO: May 8th, 2007 candlelight vigil

Video by Joseph Hollak
Words by Benjamin Baxter

The same free speech area often privy to raucous argument, comically dour poetry readings and animal rights protest didn’t hear the crowd so much as whisper Wednesday night.
Read more

Welty honored for Educational Excellence

John Welty, president of California State University, Fresno, was awarded the 2007 Harold Haak Award for Educational Excellence.

The award was presented at a Fresno Compact Business Education Awards luncheon in March.

Welty was recognized for building partnerships with education and businesses at local, regional and national levels.

Lot V parking notice

May 14th the north end of Lot V will be closed and the south end of Lot V will be opened for parking until May 21st.

Beginning May 21st Parking Lot V will be totally closed.

The closure of Lot V is necessary in order to complete the renovation of the lot surface and to build a covered parking structure with a solar Photovoltaic roof. This Fresno State partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions will cover 722 parking spaces on 5.5 acres in Parking Lot V.

Lot V will remain closed until further notice. The project is anticipated to be complete in August 2007.

If you have questions or concerns, please call Rod Gleghorn at (559) 278-4360.

Students gather for candlelight vigil

A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night in memory of former Fresno State student Brant Daniels, 19, who was killed in Monday night’s shooting at the University Village apartments.

You can view video of the vigil here.

Student held in shooting death

A 19-year-old Fresno State freshman was arrested late Tuesday morning and is being held on $3 million bail in connection with the deadly shooting of one former student and for wounding two other people at University Village.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said it’s believed the shooting was the result of a confrontation over a video game.

Dyer said, “It’s sad to say that all of this erupted over some type of dispute over a PlayStation.�?

Jonquel Brooks was arrested at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday near Peach and Olive avenues in southeast Fresno. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Dyer said, “He did express remorse for the shooting�? and at times appeared to be calm.

Dyer said officers responded to a 911 call about a shooting at approximately 11:15 p.m. Monday. They arrived at 11:18 p.m. to “mass pandemonium that was occurring�? at University Village, with people running and pointing in different directions.

The deceased victim was identified around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday as former Fresno State student Brant Daniels, 19, of Los Angeles.

Daniels was not enrolled as a student this semester but was enrolled last fall.

Narvin Barring, a sophomore health science major, said he was a friend of Daniels. Barring said he met Daniels at a basketball tournament and then again at the Student Recreation Center, where they often played basketball.

“We weren’t sure if it was him at first,�? Barring said. He said a friend contacted him around 8 a.m. and that he and his brother then called another friend to confirm the news. As of Tuesday morning, Barring said he was trying to contact friends of Daniels’ family.

Barring said Daniels was “just the kind of guy who would make you laugh all the time.�?

Dyer said the shooting was a single, isolated incident where the victims and the shooter knew each other.

Brooks and four other people were in Brooks’ apartment at University Village when the dispute erupted. Brooks took out a handgun and fired repeatedly in his apartment in the direction of the four people; some shooting may have carried over into the hallway.
Dyer added that it appeared Daniels ran into his apartment, collapsed and was later pronounced dead. The two who were wounded also lived in the complex and were found in other apartments.

The two victims who survived are Fresno State student Roderick Boycks, 19, and 22-year-old Drew Pfeiff, who is a pending student. Both sustained moderate, non-life threatening injuries and were released from the hospital Tuesday morning.

At approximately 4 a.m., a call from Brooks’ mother was made to Fresno police and three-way communication was established among Brooks, the police and Brooks’ mother “for the purpose of trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender,�? Dyer said.

Brooks agreed to turn himself in at 9 a.m. after negotiations with law enforcement but failed to do so.

Dyer said Brooks’ father drove from Hayward to Fresno and was in communication with law enforcement and Brooks. As part of the agreement with police, Brooks asked that his father be present at police headquarters when he was supposed to turn himself in.

At Tuesday’s 9:30 a.m. press conference with the Fresno Police Department, Dyer addressed the concern of Brooks’ not turning himself in at the negotiated time. He said if the suspect was listening to the conference, he would say, “I would tell Jonquel that he is in very serious trouble, that he is wanted for murder, as well as assault with a deadly weapon on two other individuals, that we take that very seriously. We know that he is armed and he is a threat to society, and that he needs to surrender as soon as he possibly can, whether that be with or without his attorney.�?

Earlier reports indicated that Brooks is a criminology major. However, according to criminology department chair Dr. Steven Walker, Brooks is an undeclared major who has never taken any criminology courses. Dyer said there was no record that Brooks had a criminal background.

At first, law enforcement had “strong indications�? that the shooter was in University Village and a lengthy search was conducted.

Dyer said the SWAT team investigated every room in the apartment complex, but after four and a half hours, police realized he may have escaped.

Dyer said in an attempt to avoid being recognized by law enforcement, Brooks “altered his appearance significantly�? by shaving his head and changing his clothes.

A voluntary evacuation from the complex occurred early Tuesday morning and not all of the residents were forced to leave.
University Village is a three-story complex consisting of 108 four-room pods.

“I want to thank the Fresno Police Department and the officers involved,�? Fresno State President John Welty said at Tuesday afternoon’s press conference held at Fresno Police headquarters. “I’m very grateful for the police department’s response.�?

Dyer said law enforcement had no indication that Brooks was ever at the university after the shooting and posed no threat to any student on campus.

Welty said he arrived at campus police headquarters around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, and added that the shooting suspect posed “no danger to individuals on campus,�? which was why the university made the decision to keep the campus open.

Barstow Avenue was closed at Cedar Avenue and opened up around 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Another shooting occurred near the same location on the second day of classes in fall 2006 when a suspected bank robber opened fire while driving through the campus on Barstow Avenue. One officer was shot, but no students were injured by the gunfire.

Evacuated students taken to campus Atrium

Students reacted to Monday night’s shootings with sadness, confusion and a feeling of vulnerability.

Many found the tragedy hard to believe, especially as it comes on the heels of the Virginia Tech killings.

Freshman nutrition major Jennifer Smith said some of her sorority friends are residents of University Village and were evacuated to the Atrium. “I text messaged all my friends to see if they were OK,�? Smith said.

A resident of Homan Hall, Smith said she was awakened at 4 a.m. to someone from dorm management coming by her room to drop off a flyer mentioning the incident and warning against going toward the area of Cedar and Barstow avenues.

“I felt safe that they took care of us,�? Smith said.

Johanna Cuadros, a freshman living off campus, said she called her mom this morning and was told the shooter was still holed up at University Village. “So I felt safe to go around campus,�? Cuadros said. She said she was listening to AM 1040 for updates of the incident.

About 10 students were hanging around the Atrium lobby at 9:30 a.m., listening intently to TV news updates. Some of the students, still wrapped up in blankets provided by the university, were among the residents of University Village to be evacuated to the Atrium.

One resident of the complex, freshman Candace Epperson, lives just below the apartment where the shooting took place.

“I was just coming home from the hospital, and then this happened,�? Epperson said. She said she and roommate, sophomore LaVar Taylor, immediately knew what was going on and quickly locked the door.

“I saw flashing lights outside and heard voices, dogs. There was a lot of confusion,�? Epperson said. Epperson also said she didn’t see anything going on when told to leave the complex at 4 a.m. and go to the Atrium.

In spite of her experience, Epperson said she still felt safe on campus, especially when other people are around.

“I got no sleep last night,�? Taylor said. “I can’t wait for this to be over.�?

Sophomore Anisha Jamnidas said she also lives at the University Village, about four apartments away from where the shooting took place. Unlike many residents, Jamnadas didn’t leave during the night.

“They [SWAT team] gave us an option to stay, so we stayed,�? Jamnidas said, also speaking for her roommate, senior Adriana Rivera. Jamnidas said they locked the door and tried to pass the time with homework before leaving in the morning for the school day.

“I have my toothbrush and PJs in my backpack,�? Jamnidas said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen now, or if I can return to the Village.�?

Jamnidas said her sense of security has been shaken, as this is her first year at Fresno State and first semester living at University Village.

“You’d think this is a pretty safe part of town,�? Jamnidas said. “It’s not a slummish area.�?

Jamnidas said she works at Starbucks, sometimes until 12:30 a.m., and has to park on the street and walk into her apartment due to a lack of parking.

“It’s really not safe, being alone and being a woman,�? Jamnidas said. She also said she plans to request not to work so late anymore.

Rivera said the SWAT team checked on them around 5:30 a.m. to see who was there and if they were OK, but she and her roommate decided against leaving when evacuation assistance was offered.

“I live in the comfort of my home,�? Jamnidas said. “When I don’t have that comfort, I cry.�?

Rivera said she and Jamnidas were surprised they were able to leave to go to classes today.

However, senior Song Vang, who had a class that went until 9:30 p.m., said although she always felt safe on campus at night, she may need to rethink her options in light of the shooting.

“I was worried going out here to the USU to study,�? Vang said.

Another student now on heightened alert is sophomore Gaby Mares. “Now you’re asking whether it’s safe to be anywhere,�? Mares said, also pointing to the recent Virginia Tech shootings.

Mares said she would definitely be more aware of her surroundings now. But she also said she wouldn’t change her daily routine or live out of fear.

“Tragic things happen, but we just need to move on,�? Mares said. “It’s better for classes to keep on continuing.�?

But sophomore Samuel Avina, Jr. disagreed.

“My first reaction was why didn’t they close down campus?�? Avina said. “The western part of campus should at least have been closed.

Avina, who commutes from Lemoore, said he decided to come to campus today anyway because of his classes.�?

Avina said he thought Fresno State was a moderately safe place to be, but said he was still suspicious of everyone. “I’m always looking over my shoulder.�?

Shooting receives international attention

The recent school shooting at Virginia Tech has elevated awareness both nationally and internationally.

As a result of Monday night’s incident at the University Village apartment complex at Cedar and Barstow avenues, CNN contacted The Collegian requesting a representative appear on the “Nancy Grace�? television show. However, the plans were cancelled when it was discovered that a satellite truck would not be available.

During the situation and eventual apprehension of Jonquel Brooks, local television and radio stations as well as newspapers covered the event as it unfolded.

Live coverage of a press conference given by Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, with an appearance by University President John Welty, also appeared on CNN.

According to Public Information Specialist Tom Uribes, Fresno State was contacted by a radio station in Buenos Aires, The Nippon News and The Tokyo Times.

Dr. Lucia Hammar, the director of the International Student Services, said it had also received a call of general inquiry about the well-being of international students from Japan.

Hammar said students who live near the shooting and work in the International Student Services offices naturally expressed concern, but said, “We have not been receiving calls about the shooting.�?

Uribes said the Virginia Tech tragedy has spurred “added interest�? in instances of violence on or near school campuses.

Fresno police, officials respond to shooting

Fresno State President John Welty described the shooting incident that took the life of a former Fresno State student and wounded two other people, including a current student, as a “senseless tragedy.�?

As the event unfolded, Fresno State first alerted students through the Fresno State News Web site, which notified them about a police incident near Cedar and Barstow avenues.

An e-mail was sent to students at 4:49 a.m. informing students of “considerable police activity�? near the intersection.

By 10 a.m. Welty had released a statement on Fresno State News in which he said, “The University Police Department is confident that Fresno Police Department has the suspect contained and the situation under control. We are conducting classes even as we are working to help all our students who were there and all other students affected by this sad incident so near our campus.�? The statement was not e-mailed to students.

Though it was later determined that the suspect had not been contained, Welty said in a press conference held after the suspect’s apprehension that there was no indication that the suspect was ever on campus.

Public Information Officer Amy Armstrong of the University Police Department said university police were not involved in the actual police activity. Armstrong said, “Our officers weren’t over there securing the area�? because it was a matter for the city of Fresno.
However, Armstrong said university police officers were patrolling the campus and helping with the diverted traffic.

Welty said Fresno State’s emergency team worked to protect the campus and to provide updates and online alerts.

University Spokeswoman Shirley Armbruster told The Fresno Bee, “There was never an indication there was a threat to the campus.�?

As students may not have been aware of the fact that the campus remained open during the incident, Provost Jeri Echeverria sent an e-mail “To All Faculty,�? which indicated that students may have chosen not to come to campus because of being misinformed or because of concerns for their safety.

In the e-mail, Echeverria also noted that a number of students had been evacuated and were not able to return to their homes before the start of the school day. For these reasons, Echeverria wrote, “Faculty should be understanding and accommodative of students missing classes on Tuesday, May 8 and should carefully consider how to evaluate assignments due on that date.�?

Counseling staff aids evacuees

Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Paul Oliaro said the counseling staff of the Student Health Center was on alert to help any students in need of someone to listen to them in the wake of Monday night’s shooting that left a former Fresno State student dead and two other people wounded.

Dr. Gena Gechter, the coordinator for counseling services at the health center, was working at University Courtyard Tuesday afternoon to help students who had been displaced by the evacuation of University Village.

According to Oliaro, Fresno State’s Health and Psychological Services is also communicating with the manager of University Village to make their services available to residents in need.

Oliaro said it was reasonable to assume there are some students who will need help in dealing with their own reactions to the incident, as well as any friends or family of the victims. Oliaro described the event as “pretty traumatic�? whether or not students were in the immediate vicinity.

Josie Rangel, a counselor for Health and Psychological Services, said students who may be in need of help should be on the lookout for signs such as:

• appetite disturbances

• sleep disturbances

• constant fear or nightmares

•difficulty in concentrating or attending their regular responsibilities

Rangel said students are encouraged to seek out support systems and if necessary, visit the health center to consult with a counselor or physician.

The Collegian announces fall 2007 editorial and business staff

The Collegian is proud to announce an almost entirely new staff for the fall 2007 semester.

Jessica Szalay will be taking over for Kirstie Hettinga as editor in chief for The Collegian. Szalay graduated with her bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in broadcast journalism in 2006. She is working on her master’s in history and has previous print journalism experience as the city reporter for The Selma Enterprise.

Brent VonCannon has been hired for the news editor position. As a senior print journalism major, VonCannon was the beat reporter for the news section this semester and has written for The Collegian for two semesters.

The news section will be supplemented by current news editor Katrina Garcia who has been re-hired by The Collegian, but as the new beat reporter for the news section. Following an internship this summer with The Bakersfield Californian, the print journalism major will be graduating in the fall.

Megan Reilly will be the features editor. The broadcast journalism major has previous experience in print journalism as an intern and reporter with The Kingsburg Recorder.

Opinion editor Mathew Gomes will be returning for the fall semester. Gomes, a senior English and music composition major, will have the help of newly hired columnist Benjamin Baxter. As a past print journalism major and a beginning credential student, Baxter has written for The Collegian in previous semesters.

Joe Hollak, a senior majoring in the digital media option of mass communication and journalism, has accepted the position of webmaster/multimedia editor. Hollak previously served as Collegian photo editor and was this past semester’s assistant multimedia editor/webmaster. He recently won first place for his photos of the fall 2006’s campus shootings, and his multimedia work contributed to The Collegian’s recent first-place awards for its Web site.

Digital media major and current photo editor Juan Villa will also be back for the fall 2007 semester. Joseph Vasquez, the fall 2005 Collegian photo editor, will assist Hollak and Villa.

Grace Guanlao is a junior advertising major and she will continue as the national advertising account representative.

Maira De La O has been selected as the local advertising manager and Michael Foster as the advertising coordinator. Vanessa Rodriguez and James Dominguez have been assigned to special projects. All are seniors majoring in mass communication and journalism in the advertising sequence and served as account representatives during the spring 2007 semester.

Michael Uribes, a sophomore in the graphic design sequence of art and design, has accepted the position of advertising production designer.

Osvaldo “Ozzie�? Gutierrez, a senior majoring in business, will assume the position of accountancy assistant.

Applications are still being accepted for the positions of co-sports editors and distribution manager. The applications are available online at http://collegian.csufresno.edu.

For more information, please contact 278-5735.

Bulldogs ready to make long run

As it stands, the Fresno State softball team is about as big of a shoe-in for the NCAA Tournament as there can be.

In 58 regular season games, the Bulldogs have been able to run off winning streaks of at least five games four times, including a season-best nine-game winning streak March 6-13. When added together, it all adds up to 42 wins and 16 losses for a team that Bulldogs coach Margie Wright says is as talented as any in recent memory.

Still, even with all that work, the season is just starting for Fresno State. For the Bulldogs, the real season starts today with the opening day of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

“Last year, we got knocked out … because we took Nevada for granted,�? Bulldogs senior catcher Nichole Willis said. “This year we’ll come in with that knowledge and take it to everybody.�?

But it’s hard for the Bulldogs to accept the WAC Tournament as something more than a matter of pride.

It’s cracking the list of teams that qualify for the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. that has the Bulldogs anxious for the postseason.

Fresno State remains the lone school in Division I to have qualified for every NCAA postseason softball tournament, yet the Bulldogs have had extreme difficulty even making it to the super regionals of late.

“I think for us, it’s mainly making up our minds that we’re gonna win,�? Bulldogs second baseman Jenna Cervantez said. “It’s almost like every year, when we get to that championship day to make it into super regionals, we fold. We pretty much lay down and die.�?

That is the characteristic that Wright has tried to fix — laying down and dying — unsuccessfully with each Bulldogs team. This team, however, is different, according to Wright.

“I see somebody different step up every day,�? Wright said. “I see them get along with one another. If one person doesn’t have the drive to get it done, someone else steps up and does it, and people follow. And that’s a big plus from last year. That’s what you have to do if you really want to make a long run.�?

Therein lies the difference between the 1998 National Championship Bulldogs team and every team since — a run, and a long run.
With good reason, Wright believes this year’s Bulldogs are capable of making an Oklahoma City run. The proof comes via a 6-1 victory over then No. 2 and current No. 9 Arizona State.

“I think that we know that anybody can beat anybody on any given day, and that’s something we might not have really known in the past,�? Wright said. “This group has proven it to themselves this year.�?

There is, however, still a bit more to prove. Of the 16 Fresno State losses this season, eight have come at the hands of teams currently ranked in the top 25, including two to WAC rival No. 13 Hawaii.

“Throughout my four years here they’ve always been the team to beat just as we’ve been the team to beat for them,�? Willis said. “It’s kind of the rivalry. It’s always fun playing them.

“I’m going into this — and I think the rest of the girls are — taking every game seriously because you never know what team is gonna come up and bite you in the butt.�?

This year, it is the Bulldogs who hope to have the strongest bite, they just hope there’s enough bites for that elusive WCWS bid.
But first things first, there is that little thing called the WAC Tournament to worry about. For the Bulldogs, that will be the gauge that will determine their destiny.

“We’re gonna try and find that momentum and drive through it a little longer,�? Cervantez said. “Not just expect to win, we are gonna win.�?

Bulldogs honored for academic success at annual Kiwanis dinner

At the Kiwanis Torch of Excellence Dinner Monday evening, 250 student athletes were honored for academic honors.

Twelve student-athletes were recognized for their perfect GPAs. In this largest annual awards ceremony hosted by Fresno State’s athletic department, awards were given to Bulldogs for their courage, spirit and athletic success, as well as academic achievement.

Athletes from men’s golf, men’s tennis, equestrian, track and field, football, volleyball, women’s basketball and soccer were recognized as “torchlighters” for their exemplification of what a scholar-athlete should be. These students must letter in two of the past three years, maintain eligibility and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above.

Volleyball player Cheryl Selenak and men’s golf standout Gunnar Avinelis were awarded the George Ilg Memorial Award as graduating seniors for their academic and athletic prowess, as well as their service to the community.

Four students were also recognized as nominees for the Stan Bates award, named after a former WAC Commissioner. The nominees were Jakub Cech, Zinzi Evans, Rochelle Jagdeo and Ryan Moore.

The Bulldog Foundation recognized Bulldogs kicker Clint Stitser as the top student-athlete in the Craig School of Business.

Fellow football player Cole Popovich was awarded the Paul Schecter Courage award for overcoming injuries, such as the ones he
sustained in the game against Washington. Popovich was out for four games.

Students who qualify for the Dean’s list for two consecutive semesters, letter and maintain their eligibility qualify for the Harold Haak scholarship. This year’s recipients were equestrienne Heather Billings and the Diamond Dogs’ Steve Susdorf.

Bulldog Spirit awards were also given to the students of all class levels who are the embodiment of Bulldogs spirit. This year Moore, Jacqueline Haskett, Katey Sellers and Moses Harris were recognized for their Bulldogs pride. The Bulldogs Spirit Awards and Outstanding Professor Awards were new this year and established by the Student Athlete Advisory Council.

Students utilize Fresno Grizzlies intern program

By Edson Barrantes
Collegian Staff Writer

Lindsey Bench thought her days of dancing were behind her. Then she got a job with the only professional baseball team in town.

The Hanford native says she has danced her whole life. A friend asked her about becoming part of the promotions team for the Fresno Grizzlies, and she jumped at the opportunity.

“At the audition I just danced my butt off,�? said Bench, one of 20 members of the Grizzlies’ promotion team, many of whom are students from Fresno State.

The Grizzlies have developed a relationship with Bench and local college students like her in an effort to provide job experience for those interested.

Besides the seasonal job opportunities it provides, the Grizzlies organization also offers six internships for students in the Craig School of Business during the season. In the offseason, the organization offers one or two internships to business students. The Grizzlies also have interns from the mass communication and journalism department, as well as others.

Bench, 21, a senior speech pathology major, sums her job up in one word — fun.

“We just make sure everyone is having fun,�? she said.

Bench dances on dugouts during the seventh inning stretch and she loves it. The dancers don’t have routines, but they make sure the crowd is pumped up.

However, you don’t have to possess the dance moves Bench does to be able to work for the Grizzlies.

Student Joe Torres works in sales. The job doesn’t only consist of working during the season for the Grizzlies, but also for the Fresno Falcons and Fresno Fuego. It is a year-round job.

Torres heard about the gig in an unusual place.

“I found it on craigslist.com,�? Torres said.

Torres loves his job and the opportunity to meet so many people involved in sales. The perks of his job include watching all the games for free, but for Torres it was also meeting professional soccer player Landon Donovan.

Whether looking for a part-time job or an internship, Fresno State students like Torres and Bench are realizing the potential of having a professional baseball team in town.

“They work so well with my school schedule,�? said Bench, who will graduate in December. “They are so flexible, if you have homework and stuff, they understand school is important.�?

Andrew Stuebner, the vice president of tickets for the Grizzlies, said the organization loves the energy provided by its student workers.

“We rely on our interns to become active, productive members of our staff for the time they are with us,�? Stuebner said. “We do everything we can to provide them with the tools to be successful.�?

Going from a ‘Dog to a pro

Nearly all of the members of the Fresno State men’s tennis team pinpoint a career on the ATP tour as the ideal place to be following their Bulldogs career.

Oddly enough, with the help of some college-level seasoning, the dream of reaching the ATP tour is a realistic goal, given the talents each player possesses.

In fact, it has already been done. Former Bulldogs tennis player Peter Luczak — the all-time leader in singles victories at Fresno State — went on to have a pro career that saw him earn a No. 110 ranking on the tour. It’s the Luczaks of the world that give the current athletes hope.

It is up to Fresno State head coach Jay Udwadia to mold his players into the best they can be.

“Our team is filled with highly ranked juniors in the world,�? Udwadia said. “Players that have maybe a professional ranking, some ATP points. These players, if you can develop them, some of them will get through and have a chance to play pro. So what you’re seeing is semi-pro tennis.�?

Fresno State fans can observe this “semi-pro�? tennis for free, giving them a chance to watch talented tennis players from all around the country and world compete while working toward their degree.

And according to Udwadia, it’s up to him and his peers to successfully develop players on the court and in the classroom, to the extent where the degree is taken care of, but the opportunity to play professionally is a possibility as well. For those players who hail from out of the country, it is one of the few alternatives to going pro out of high school and failing, without the possibility of returning to school.

It could be called the play-it-safe route. Fresno State senior Jakub Cech, who finished his career with a No. 81 ranking, is hopeful his tennis career takes off. But if it doesn’t, a degree in international business will come in handy.

“I think it’s probably the number one priority still,�? Cech said of playing pro. “That’s why I wanted to get the education, because I didn’t want to end up as a player who tried to play tennis and never made it, and then not have an education.�?

If Cech should ever need advice on the matter, he wouldn’t have to look any further than his own coaching staff, where former Bulldogs player and current assistant coach Bryan Juinio is.

Like Cech, Juinio decided to attend college instead of make the jump to the professional ranks.

“Actually, I didn’t even think about going pro,�? Juinio said. “In America, we’re pretty isolated, so it’s like the big thing is college. I was a top 20 junior and I knew I was going to come to college, just because I had a sense of how tough it is.�?

Following his career at Fresno State — in which he climbed the singles leaderboard with 105 career wins — Juinio made the jump to pro ranks, where he had a brief but successful stay. For Juinio, it was a matter of guaranteed money — or lack of it — that led him to the decision to get into coaching at the collegiate level. Even then, Juinio still had his psychology degree to fall back on if needed.

That’s why Cech prefers to have that education to fall back on, although many tennis pros don’t. What they have instead, are the intangible characteristics many college players search for, and many times can’t find.

“It’s mostly about the mental stuff, because most of the guys have about the same strokes,�? Cech said. “I’ll practice with a guy who is top 100 [on the ATP tour]; I can play with him. Once you get in that match, he has a different mentality. He’s more confident; he hits better strokes. Physically, there’s not a big difference.�?

Udwadia echoed Cech’s beliefs, but also said pro players generally have additional weapons in their games.

“I think the physical is there,�? Udwadia said. “Mentally you have to be really strong for every match to be the same and be in it every match. Some of that plays a role. Each player has their weapons, but the top players have one huge weapon, like a huge forehand or a huge serve that keeps them in the match. Again they’re making their living playing tennis, so they have to have something special in their game.�?

Still, the odds of a mid-level collegiate player making the jump to the ATP tour remain very improbable, especially when it comes to obtaining an elite status.

Even with years of success under his belt — he is tied for 13th on Fresno State’s all-time singles wins list — Cech tempers his expectations back to a realistic level.

“Honestly, it’s not likely that I’m gonna be the champion, but I believe that I can make a good living playing tennis,�? Cech said. “After one or two years, I would like to be in the top 500. If I made that, then there would be a chance I would get better. Top 200 would maybe be achievable.�?

It’s players in the mold of Cech who have created a long-standing tradition of success, both on the collegiate level and on into the professional ranks.

“Actually Fresno State has great tradition,�? Udwadia said.

That tradition has developed behind the performance of the Fresno State talent of the past, including Luczak, who according to the ATP Web site, turned pro in 2000.

Luczak holds the career singles wins list record of 109 wins. Luczak is currently playing on the ATP Tour now and has a No. 160 ranking to accompany his 2007 singles record of 2-2 and over $44,000 in earnings. For his career, Luczak has made more than $500,000.

In the midst of his third year as coach, Udwadia just wants to do his best to recruit his players, develop them as players, and then maintain relationships with them as they strive for success in the real world, whether it’s in tennis or not.

“You never know when someone is going to bloom and blossom as a player,�? Udwadia said. “It could be after their sophomore year, junior year or maybe after they graduate. So what we try to do is maximize their potential so hopefully they have a chance, if they want to pursue that goal [of playing professionally], while they’re getting an education.�?

As it stands, Cech currently has the best chance of making that improbable leap to the ATP tour. All he wants is a chance.

“I think I really like tennis and I know a bunch of guys playing on tour and they are on that level,�? Cech said. “I believe that if I just put a little more work in it after I’m done with college and play these [professional] tournaments, maybe I can be there as well.�?

Response to shooting near campus inspires

I WOKE UP AT 6:17 a.m. Tuesday when an old friend of mine from high school, who now attends the University of California, San Diego, sent me a message linking me to an article on CNN.

Later that morning, Fresno State student Jonquel Brooks was arrested in connection with a shooting in the University Village apartment complex that left two of his peers injured and one dead after a dispute, reportedly involving a PlayStation console.

Reports of the shooting started filtering on to the Internet early yesterday morning, and by 7 a.m., even our own Web site had posted news of the incident. By nine, most major networks were reporting accounts of the incident, and was the top story on news stations across the Valley.

And at 10:37 a.m., our editor in chief received a call from Andrea Amiel, a senior producer of CNN’s “Nancy Grace” show, about potentially doing an interview Tuesday afternoon. Our editor in chief proceeded to inform the producers that the campus of Fresno State was, more or less, under control — that most students and the Fresno State community were aware that one person had died and two had sustained injuries. We had a handle on the situation and had gone about our regular lives.

An hour later, the “Nancy Grace” producers contacted her again saying they would not be able to get a satellite truck out to the campus. Simultaneously, several miles south of the campus, police detained and arrested Brooks.

Situation resolved.

And from there, the story lost steam and eventually, the national media turned its hungry eyes elsewhere.

In the final lines of his “Musée des Beaux-Arts,” poet W. H. Auden describes a scene from Pieter Breughel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.” The excerpt is as follows:

. . . the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

Auden intends to suggest that the public at large ignores the plight of the disenfranchised, those who exist on the margins of society.
He proposes that we only take time to bothered by those things that directly impact our own personal interests.

After Tuesday, it’s not hard to believe how this might apply to the popular media. When it turned out that Fresno State was not Virginia Tech redux, the national media lost interest. As one of my music professors mentioned to methe day of the shooting, it seems as though, in the eyes of the popular media, there is a quota, a quantitative minimum of casualties, for such a story to escalate from an “incident” to a “tragedy.”

And while that might accurately reflect one realm of the public sphere, does it really reflect the public at large? As individuals, are we really as insensitive as our television stations to the “minor” crises that afflict small communities in major ways?

By some stroke of serendipity, I witnessed two motorcycle accidents in as many weeks. With the first, I saw a car collide with the motorcyclist as I was waiting at an intersection a block north of the accident site. I watched the rider fly off his bike and come crashing down, legs splayed, against the pavement.

Within a matter of moments, part of a crowd that had been watching a soccer game across the street had flooded the intersection, making calls to emergency services, directing traffic and helping the drivers of the two vehicles. By the time I arrived at the intersection, the process was already well-organized, refined and functional.

This, all in a matter of about a minute.

The quickness of the response coupled with the sheer number of people willing to help leads me to believe that this sort of response is intuitive, instinctual and in direct contrast to the media’s response to personal tragedies. I drove away, feeling a lot like Auden’s ship, but with a crowd of good samaritans in my rearview mirror. The fact is, there was no place for my help.

Another situation under control.

In writing this for The Collegian’s last issue of the school year, I am reminded of two things from the beginning of the year. The first, more obvious parallel is with the attempted bank robbery that occurred during the first week of classes. The second is to the first article of a fellow columnist, Timothy Ellison.

Ellison’s article implores students to go out of their way to help people in need. Despite the reaction of the national media to our own community’s current crisis, I am convinced that on a personal level, we often do respond exactly as Ellison would like us to.

Tuesday night, at 11:30 p.m., there was a vigil scheduled for Brant Daniels, the student who died at the shooting.

We are a fundamentally good people, and while Auden is right in identifying the occasional “expensive delicate ship,” as individuals, we do what we can when we identify need, and do not let our neighbors drown.

Next Page »

The Collegian Online is a public forum for student expression. All content is copyright The Collegian.