Fresno offers a friendly, small town atmosphere

By Travis Ball
The Collegian

As a simple-minded kid from a tiny desert town in California, Fresno State has been the speed bump on the long and weary road of my life as a student.

My very first day as a Bulldog was unique to say the least. The day went fine, but the night played out like a demolition derby that I didn’t remember entering.

In the second of the two left-hand turning lanes, my roommate and I waited on our way to Gold’s Gym. It was a dark, chilly night in late January. As the light turned green our red F-150 crew-cab hesitated as the Suburban next to us made a u-turn.

In a blink of an eye I was in the middle of the intersection staring at the lane I just remembered leaving.

The horn wouldn’t stop blaring, and the deflated airbag on my lap was hot and stinky.

Memories, isn’t the college experience all about the memories? Well, that night left me with some pretty amazing ones. A permanent crease in the ID I held in my hand, the 14 stitches in my roommate’s head, a fear of yellow lights, an annoyance of car horns and thanks for the safety of a Ford pickup.

“Anybody hungry?” said the man who had just come speeding through the intersection of Shaw and Blackstone. “I got Arby’s.”

Having just finished my first semester of college at San Diego State I decided to transfer to Fresno but I wondered, “Is this the right place?”

Not only do non-military weirdoes in Army fatigues and combat boots like to run red lights, but they also offer fast food to others at the oddest moments.

And it didn’t help that I was staying on the living room floor of a one-bedroom apartment, a wildly different lifestyle from the high-rise dorms and city living life as an Aztec.

But different isn’t always bad, and in my case it was great.

Culture shock may be an exaggeration. After graduating with 25 other seniors in a one-high-school-town of about 2,000, attending San Diego State as a freshman was like giving a cat a bone and telling it to bark.

Coming to Fresno State was a big step towards coming home.

Although both the city and the university are taking big strides in growth, the small-town atmosphere stands strong.

Now as a senior graduating this December, I realize Fresno was the right place. Sure, life hasn’t been perfect in my nearly four years here, but it’s been pretty close.

What would life be like if I stayed in San Diego? Would I have gotten over my homesickness and need to be closer to friends and family?

Maybe I would have adjusted to life in a big city and spent my time on the beach rather than in the classroom.

Some students come across boredom too easy in Fresno. Well, boredom has helped me become the first in my family to graduate from college.

In my time in Fresno and at Fresno State big things have happened.

Arenas and recreation centers have gone up, River Park seems like it’s doubled and we finally got a Hooters.

But for the sake of other small-town kids I hope Fresno State remains friendly.

Have you heard the expression, “you’ve got to crawl before you can walk?”

Well, this baby decided to run after high school, but with the help of Fresno State my pace has slowed and the finish line is in sight.

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