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Graduation does not guarantee occupational success

GRADUATION IS FOR QUITTERS.

Fresno State quitters are probably horrified about graduating. I know I am.

After a good 15 years in the public education system, I only know how to do one thing well — I know classes, for all my whining.

What I don’t know boils down to merely everything else, anything about the outside world, including what it’s like to have a full-time job without a nametag.

I doubt a typical Fresno State student knows any of those.

At best, college classes don’t teach real-life skills, but a clinical understanding about the outside world. All the wider college experience has to offer involves ping-pong balls and plastic cups.

Typical McAverage is an average Fresno State student, and he knows it as best as anyone.

Graduating after five long years, McAverage spent the last four years cleaning up after that mess of a freshman year in the dorms.
His expertise at grade substitution is unparalleled. Joyal knows him by name.

McAverage didn’t get here on much of a scholarship if anything at all. His fifth-generation Anglo-Irish heritage didn’t lend itself well to scholarships.

McAverage is stuck with student loans, because he came straight out of high school.

His high school held him back a few years and charged for books — community college. He scraped by with an almost-B grade point average.

The average worked through college as food service engineer and Starbucks team member/drone #435023B.

He’s never had a real job, but that’s why he went to college to begin with.

Like most Fresno State students, you don’t have an internship and never applied.

McAverage doesn’t have a clue about how to succeed in life. He’s not prepared to do well, even if he has any confidence in the abilities he lacks.

The college experience does not and will not prepare you for life outside college. Your successes and failures at college will not transfer.

Do well in college, or poorly, and it doesn’t matter. Your driving and criminal records will follow you, but McAverage doesn’t have anything to really worry about from either.

His friend, Perl, already found a job, and with just a C+(+) average. She may be an information technologies major, but her success
isn’t just because there will always be a future in computer maintenance.

Perl succeeded because she took the initiative. She bothered finding an internship, and learning early on the skills in the job world.

She doesn’t need to pad her résumé with phenomenal personal greatnesses humbly veiled as weaknesses. She doesn’t need to exaggerate her job experience. That she has any job experience at all is a leg up on the McAverages who graduate in her field.

As much as Fresno State should prepare its students for the outside world, it doesn’t.

You do.

All Fresno State departments should require internships. Not having an internship in college is setting yourself up for failure.

But Fresno State doesn’t require internships, in part because there aren’t enough to go around.

Then again, maybe internships aren’t required because that’s the sort of initiative students need to find on their own.

Even though students aren’t taught initiative in today’s schools, not having any still hurts them.

After all, McAverage will go back to waiting tables. Perl will do something she likes, and will get paid a lot more.

When that inevitable graduation date comes, which will you be?

Are you a quitter with or without initiative?

Wisdom gleaned from college years

THE CLOSING OF the spring semester signals the end of many college careers. But not for me.

I’ll be back for one last hurrah in the fall, with some knowledge as to how the world works. I know not to miss so many classes in a row that my psychology professor thinks I’ve dropped the class. I know to never try to buy lunch in the USU between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

I also know I still have a lot to learn.

I suppose I’ve picked up a few vital pieces of knowledge along the way — things you should know (never, ever have a party where posting flyers is involved), things you’ll learn eventually (avoid ordering any drink that is blue) and things not even worth explaining because you’re bound to do them time and time again (this thing usually varies from person to person).

I don’t want to feign being some wise-beyond-my-years college student. I still have one more semester to go before I graduate, so I suppose any words of wisdom are just a work in progress.

But I have learned to listen closely in class for things you won’t be tested on midterms and finals.

I’ve learned to keep my ears open for those rare gems of information you can’t find in textbooks — the moments when professors step outside of their PowerPoints and share parts of their lives, the moments when class time truly deserves to be called a lecture.

Although some professors have sounded like my parents at times, they were right about a few things.

Which I suppose by default means that my parents were right, too.

Naaah.

A journalism professor who’s been around a long time — but by no means is “old�? — once told me, “You will find that things will fall into place.�?

(If, by “fall into place,�? you mean “keep you awake every night wondering if you made the right decision,�? then yes, you’re absolutely right, Professor Tucker.)

But some things you can never learn in a classroom or from profs. Like knowing when to walk away from someone you love.

I learned not to stay with someone who has bigger dreams for himself than for anything else. After all, it’s tough getting anywhere meaningful with someone on the back of a motorcycle.

I knew when he asked me why I was breaking up to say, “If you love someone, set them free.�?

And I’ve learned not to let him put a GPS tracking system on me as I walked out the door — a.k.a. add him as a friend on MySpace.

All the while, I’ve learned to be respectful of former significant others. And because of this, I know that it’s best not to write a column titled, “Everything I Learned Not to Do in Life I Learned from My Ex-Boyfriend.�? That’s just mean-spirited and screams bad karma.

In any case, it’s not entirely accurate to say that. I already knew not to engage in silly antics.

I don’t know what next week, month or semester has in store for me. No one ever knows.

The only sure-fire thing I know is that, well, there’s still more to know.

And I hope that things really will fall into place.

Helpful advice from an “academic addict”

I AM AN ADDICT. I discovered that this weekend when I found myself in desperate need of a fix.

I was camping with family and friends and wasn’t sure if it was going to be possible. But like any good addict, I had planned ahead.
Stashed in my gear were a laptop and a manila folder of documents.

In an effort to prepare myself for an impending summer without classes, I have decided to join AA: Academics Anonymous.

The first step to recovery is to admit that you are an addict and that your life has become unmanageable. So here, I freely admit the world at large and to myself that I am addicted to school. I am addicted to academics. And it has made my life unmanageable.

I find myself spending what used to be free time reading, highlighting and note taking. I spend too much time alone and I ignore friends when in the thrall of study.

In step two, we must believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. Here I call on the greatest power of all — television.

And I pray that months of summer boredom will lull me into remembering calmer, carefree days.

In step three addicts must make a decision to turn their will and lives over to God. Admittedly this process will be difficult for a less than religious person such as myself, however knowing that the delicious rush of finals will soon be behind me, I acquiesce.

As a part of the fourth step, addicts must make a searching and moral inventory of themselves. Here I will admit to making flashcards when they weren’t necessary in a prideful effort to seem like I am more of a devoted student than others. I will also disclose that I gluttonously look up big words in the dictionary to seem smarter when I play hangman.

In step five, addicts must admit to God, themselves and others the exact nature of their wrongs. I admit here and now, before God, myself and readers that I procrastinate on papers until the night before they are due for the sprint of trying to make it to class on time.

In step six, addicts must be ready for God to remove “defects of character.�?

God, I am ready for a solid eight hours of sleep, so yes, I am ready for this defect to be removed.

Step seven is an extension of six, in which we humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings. “God, I humbly ask you to remove my need to study all night long, my need to destroy forests for rough drafts and lined 3×5 cards and my need to get up early to polish projects.�?

As a part of step eight, we must make a list of those we have harmed and be willing to make amends to them. I have harmed: my friends for not spending time with them; my family for rejecting them in favor of Internet research; and my professors for producing papers that reach the upper echelons of their page limits.

Step nine order that we make direct amends whenever possible. So I hereby swear that my next paper will use 1-inch margins to make it appear shorter rather than using the 1.25-inch margins that are set as the default in Microsoft Word.

In step 10 we must continue to take inventory of ourselves and admit when we are wrong. When I am wrong I will let you know.

Step 11 gets increasingly difficult as it requires us to improve our conscious contact with God. However it says that contact can be fostered through prayer and mediation. I am hoping yoga class is close enough.

And in the final step, we are to have spiritual awakening in which we carry the messages we have learned to others.

This is why, I am warning you all, that now, right before the onset of months without school, is the time to heal.

The time to give up all self-imposed stress and worry.

The Dean’s list is almost as good as the President’s list and no one looks at your transcripts anyway.

Admit to your weaknesses, sell back your books and give up the clandestine life of an over achiever.

If I can do it, anyone can.

Head Rush rocks, with horns

“How can we rock your face today?�? the headline on Fresno band Head Rush’s MySpace profile asks its fans and Web page viewers.

Although the band promises to rock faces, exactly what type of rock that will be has been up in the air ever since Head Rush completely reinvented itself a year ago when it added three more members and a horn section to its band.

“What we sound like has been really hard to pigeon-hole ourselves into but we’ve been using ‘rock-ska,’�? Adam Elmore, the 20-year-old lead singer and acoustic guitarist of Head Rush said.

Jeff LaRose, 21, who plays trumpet in the band, adds that, “We’re more rock than ska. It’s like rock with horns. Well, we’re not really ska and we’re not really rock. There’s a stigma attached to a ska band of an immature sound,�? LaRose said.

The band initially was composed of Elmore, David Heckman, 22, on guitar, Mike Bonner, 21, on drums and Mike Baltazar, 22, on bass.

Head Rush has now added Brian Nunes, 20, on the saxophone, DJ Clovis, 22, on trombone and LaRose on trumpet.

“I wanted to add more to it so we added horns. It was really empty when we first started [as a four-piece band]. The music wasn’t big enough. The horns added a whole new energy,�? Elmore said.

Heckman said the addition of the horn section has helped in writing new melodies and the band has incorporated the horns into the older songs.

“It helped us define and shape our songs in big ways,�? Heckman said.

The addition of the horn section and new members to the band was a smooth transition because all of the band members are Fresno State students who met in the university’s marching band. Six out of the seven members are earning degrees in music education, music performance or music composition while Baltazar is a mass communication and journalism major.

“We’re all really good friends, which is a definite plus. It’s a lot easier to have a band with someone you don’t hate,�? Heckman said.

All of the band members have been involved in music from a very young age and most started playing an instrument in elementary school.

LaRose said their band has been compared to a young Blood, Sweat and Tears and Tower of Power. He personally compares the band to “Ben Folds with horns or Third Eye Blind with horns.�?

Elmore writes all of the lyrics but a few of the other band members are involved in writing the material for the songs. Heckman writes the guitar parts while Nunes, a composition major, writes the horn parts.

“I like to write the core material for the songs and let the musicians do what they do best,�? Elmore said.

Elmore said that not too many of the band’s songs are dark and deep but that they are not “all cheesy pop.�?

“We have some maturity to our songs — both lyrically and musically. But we also like to cut loose and play a fun song,�? Elmore said.

Head Rush is trying to practice as much as it can and play as many shows as possible, but that can become tricky with seven members and their busy class schedules and outside job requirements.

Also, many of the members are involved in other Fresno State bands that include the jazz band B, the jazz band A, the wind orchestra, the downtown Bulldog Beat, marching band, the trombone choir and the percussion ensemble. Heckman and Elmore also play in the non-school bands the Moonlight Jazz Orchestra and Elmore plays bass in Los Hooligans.

Currently, the band tries to practice about once a week and plays one to two shows per month but hopes to practice four days a week and play at least two shows per month during the summer. The band plans to play some local shows as well as some gigs throughout California. The band’s MySpace Web page at http://www.myspace.com/myheadrush lists upcoming tours.

“Summer is going to be a development time for us — in terms of writing tunes, rehearsing and creating our image as far as merchandise, our own webpage and our new CD is concerned,�? Elmore said.

In the year the band has been together, Head Rush has played at least 15 shows from the Babylon in Fresno to a lawyer’s conference at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Head Rush also participated in Vintage Day’s Battle of the Bands and placed third.

The band currently has a six-song self-titled demo CD and plans on recording a full-length CD that Head Rush hopes will be available in time for the fall semester. The demo is available for $5 and can be purchased at one of their shows or ordered by sending a message to the band’s MySpace page Heckman encourages people to check out Head Rush because, “It’s a fresh new sound that could appeal to many people.�?

Nabbing a first job

The sound of the real world beckons, calling from the horizon.

With graduation two weeks away, now is the time many college seniors begin pondering about just where they want to go in life and what steps they need to take to get there.

“I think students underestimate how long it takes to get the position they really want,�? Rita Bocchinfuso-Cohen, director of career services, said. “Many students think they will get job offers immediately, but the typical job search means sending out about 20 résumés a week and at least a month of searching.�?

When surveyed around campus, however, many students said that they weren’t concerned about graduating with a job and that some even planned on taking a break before sending out applications.

“When I went to Fresno State, I was a special case,�? alumnus David Martinez said. “I wasn’t planning on using my major after I finished, so I didn’t put a lot of effort into finding internships and applying to places.

“However, the job market is very difficult to go into if you take that route.�?

Bocchinfuso-Cohen said many students undergo culture shock after graduating, since many don’t give themselves enough time to move through the application process before student debts start “knocking at the door.�?

“The expectations [in the job market] are very different,�? Bocchinfuso-Cohen said. “You need to be timely with your work, honor commitments, meet deadlines, learn the daily pace at your place of employment and do plenty of research before you even start your position so you can be ready to hit the ground running.

“It is a lot to think about and many students don’t.�?

For the student or recent graduate that hasn’t found a job yet, Fresno State Career Services has begun a new web-based program called Optimal Resume.

This service, which debuted this semester, can help students and graduates construct a résumé by providing tips, examples and even reviews by career counselors.

“We also offer a mock interview service for students,�? Bocchinfuso-Cohen said. “You can schedule a time with a counselor and get the experience of really being interviewed.

Lucia Vega, a 19-year-old undergraduate, said if students can get this far along in their college career, they should be responsible enough to get a job once they have graduated.

“Hunting for jobs is very difficult, especially when you don’t know what you want to do,�? Martinez said. “You need to be prepared and have an idea about what you want to do, because you may find yourself at a disadvantage compared to other job applicants just out of college.�?

Recent career fairs at Fresno State have shown a sharp increase in the number of employers recruiting, according to the Career Services Department, meaning the job market may be expanding in the future.

“Honestly, this is the best time for a student or graduate to consider applying for a job, especially one that allows you to relocate,�? Bocchinfuso-Cohen said. “There has been a recent trend amongst job recruiters to look for people willing to change locations.

Dance classes swing to a social beat

Any student standing in the hallway of the South Gym is bound to hear all different kinds of music emanating from behind closed doors.

From swing, to classical, to Kermit the Frog singing “Rainbow Connection,�? there is always some sort of music resonating from room 133.

The reason for this music is the many dance classes offered to Fresno State students.

Fresno State offers club dancing, country western, elementary social dance and swing dance. These classes, with the exception of country western, are offered every semester.

Freddy Martin is taking elementary social dancing this semester. He has previously taken swing dance and said he decided to take social dance to learn more.

“It is nice to go to a dance or a wedding and not be refused on the dance floor,�? Martin said.

Lindsay Nolen, a student taking the same class as Martin, said she got into the class because of Martin.

“I have always wanted to learn ballroom dancing,�? Nolen said. “And this is a great way to meet new people.�?

Nolen also explained that the students rotate partners during the class so that the same people are not dancing together all the time.
There is no room for shy people in this class.

The students in the class exude fun, smiling and laughing while they waltz.

Elementary social dance is an introduction to a variety of dances, including the cha-cha, waltz, fox trot, swing, tango and the rumba.
“With the popularity of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ the classes are becoming more and more popular,�? said dance instructor Kim Morand.

Morand, who has been teaching ballroom dancing for 25 years, said the goal and objective of the class is to learn the basics as well as learn to distinguish any kind of music, rhythm, tempo and the characteristic of the style of music and dance.

Morand can often be seen dancing along with the class, she doesn’t just stand by the CD player.

Morand wishes Fresno State had the ability to offer more classes.

“The more we can do the merrier,�? Morand said.

Martin said there are only two things he does not like about the class. His first complaint is the cha-cha. “I just can’t do it,�? he said laughing. The other thing about the class that Martin wishes he could change is the number of classes offered. “I wish our school offered more classes, like advanced swing.�?

Marc Gonzalez is another student taking elementary social dance this semester. He said that he decided to take this class because he loves music and he is involved in musical theatre.

“I love this class,�? Gonzalez said. “I just wish that we had more time. The classes seem like they are too short, I just wish my class was longer than 45 minutes.�?

Gonzalez said that he hopes these classes will help him in his future musical theater endeavors and is planning on taking more dance classes in the future.

Next semester, only the partners club, elementary social, and swing classes are being offered.

For course schedule information consult the online or print version of the fall 2007 course schedule.

VIDEO: Shooting Reaction

The Collegian Online reports on student reactions to the recent violent shootings near and on campus. Videography by Joseph Vasquez.
Read more

UPDATE: Shooting suspect in custody

UPDATED: 12:32 p.m.

The suspect in a shooting near the Fresno State campus that left one dead and wounded two others has been apprehended.

Fresno State criminology major Jonquel Brooks was arrested at approximately 11:30 a.m., Police Chief Jerry Dyer said in a press conference held at the Fresno Police Department. Brooks was found in the vicinity of Peach and Olive avenues.

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

The shooting occurred between Brooks and four others in Brooks’ apartment, Dyer said. Each of the victims was found in a different apartment in the complex.

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. He added that he arrived at the crime scene at about 1:30 a.m.

The search for the handgun used in the shooting continues; police have six search warrants locations to find the weapon.

UPDATE: Fatal shooting victim identified

UPDATED: 11:45 a.m.

Brant Daniels, 19, a former Fresno State student who loved basketball was killed at the University Village apartment complex when a confrontation over a video game ended in gunfire.

Narvin Barring, a sophomore health science major said he was a friend of the victim. Barring said the two had met at a basketball tournament and then again at the Student Recreation Center where they frequently played basketball. Barring also said they went to parties together.

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

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

Police were still searching for the suspect late Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: Fatal shooting near campus

UPDATED: 9:51 a.m.

The search for the suspect in the fatal shooting at University Village continues, and students who live in the complex are returning to the residence where three people were shot, one fatally.

The suspect, Jonquel Brooks, is a Fresno State student majoring in criminology. The victims were all male, and the deceased person was a former Fresno State student. One of the victims is a current student and the other is a pending student. Both faced moderate, non-life threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital.

The suspect failed to turn himself in at 9 a.m. as was negotiated with law enforcement.

Dyer said if the suspect is listening, he would say the following:
“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.”

Dyer said Jonquel’s father, who lives in Hayward, is in communication with law enforcement and the suspect. As part of the agreement with law enforcement, the suspect asked that his father be present at police headquarters when he was supposed to turn himself in.

As recently as this past hour, law enforcement has been in communication with the suspect, who said that he was now going to contact his attorney first before turning himself in to police.

“He’s still very nervous,” Dyer said of the suspect.

Residents of University Village were evacuated early this morning to the campus Residence Dining Hall and The Atrium, where they received blankets and food.

Police have not located the firearm at this point, and the suspect is still considered to be armed and dangerous, Dyer said.

“We’ve not located the firearm, and even if we had, this is an individual that has committed a murder and shot two other people, and we consider to him to be very serious and very much a threat.”

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

The police chief said, “It’s sad to say that all of this erupted over some type of dispute over a PlayStation.”

BREAKING NEWS: Student suspected in shooting

Juan Villa / The Collegian

6:52 a.m. According to local news station ABC 30 a Fresno State student is the suspect in a shooting that killed one person and wounded two others.

Jonquel Brooks, a 19-year-old, is believed to be contained in the University Village
apartment complex where the incident occurred.

The shooting occurred late Monday evening, and the individual who was killed is believed to be a former Fresno State student.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the police were in contact with the suspect.

Currently Barstow Avenue is closed between Cedar Avenue and 9th Street.

Fresno State’s emergency hotline was updated as of 5:45 a.m. and said that classes are open and on schedule. Students who live in the University Village were evacuated and taken to the Residence Dining Hall.

For more information contact the Fresno State emergency hotline at 278-4000. The Collegian will continue to update itself throughout the day.

Time to sell your books

The Kennel Bookstore is buying your used textbooks (and the ones you never opened all semester) starting Tuesday May 8.

May 8 - May 11 used book buyback hours are 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

VIDEO: University Dance Theatre’s “Terpsichore”

A Collegian Online exclusive video featuring the University Dance Theater’s “Terpsichore.”
Read more

VIDEO: CSU Summer Arts Program

A Collegian Online exclusive video about the CSU Summer Arts program.
Read more

A shelter from the storm

By Patricia Moratto
Collegian Staff Writer

College-aged women face high risk of becoming victims of domestic violence

Some students hear the term “domestic violence�? and immediately think of older women with children who are trapped in a lifelong cycle of abuse.

But one may be surprised to know that according to the U.S. Department of Justice, women ages 16-24 are the most at risk of becoming victims of domestic violence. College-aged women are commonly the victims of dating violence, which consists of verbal, psychological and physical abuse.

According to the California Department of Health Services, 80 percent of women continue to date their abusers even after they have been victimized. One socioeconomic theory as to why this happens speculates a combination of transferred family abuse in addition to a lack of education. This cyclical pattern of family abuse builds what is called “relationship programming,�? into a person, and they start to perceive the chaos as normal.

“Victims tend to deny and minimize what their partners inflict upon them,�? said Bob Meade, clinical supervisor at the Marjaree Mason Center. The center is a community service center that provides shelter and services for victims of domestic violence.

“There are two times that abusers often first exhibit violence towards their partners: the day a woman announces pregnancy, and shortly after the couple marries,�? Meade said.

These two events frequently happen while women are in college. The average age of undergraduate students at Fresno State is 22, according to the California State University data recording Web site, “csumentor.edu.�? The average age for the campus, which has many commuters and return students, is older than the average age for many other universities. This leads to older students, and many more students who are married or have children.

“Too many violent incidents go unreported and it’s important that we educate ourselves by being aware of the sexual assault, intimate partner violence and stalking indicators in order to advocate and assist the survivor in their time of need, said Mica Vargas of Fresno State’s Violence Prevention Program, which is located in the Women’s Resource Center on campus.

Fresno State offers the Women’s Resource Center where services, literature and programs are provided for victims of relationship violence. The Women’s Resource Center works hand in hand with the Student Health Center to provide Fresno State students any confidential resources needed to prevent or recover from a damaging relationship.

Two major reasons as to why younger women may hesitate to report abuse are reported by the California Department of Health. First, college-aged women may feel a group peer pressure to appear in a normal, healthy relationship. They fear a lack of confidentiality may spill their problem into the public. At that point, they will be exposed and embarrassed. The second reason younger victims don’t always report is that they are unsure about laws. Abusers use this ignorance to their advantage.

All services provided at Fresno State are strictly confidential.

With advancing technology, social networking sites are leading way to a new breed of problems in the world of domestic violence. Web sites like MySpace and Facebook are the cause of conflict and enable stalkers.

“We see men track down their victims, who have restraining orders against them, by reading comments left on the victims MySpace page,�? said Jenny Whyte, a volunteer coordinator of the Marjaree Mason Center.

“These batterers establish where the victim will be at what time and go there,�? Whyte said. “Comparable problems have been a result of text messaging and e-mail,�? Whyte said. Although the causes of violence are much deeper than these issues, stalking victims in these ways is a means abusers exercise control.

According to the Marjaree Mason Center, 61 percent of the victims who utilized the center’s services were under the age of 34, indicating the reality that domestic violence affects many college-aged people.

For students in need of help or advice, the Women’s Resource Center, located in the University Business Center, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center’s number is 278-4435.

The Marjaree Mason Center is located at 1600 M Street in Fresno. Its emergency hotline is
1-800-640-0333.

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