draw glitch madden qb

The
Collegian
Features
Multimedia
Interactive map
of campus
construction,
Online
Fresno State | Serving the campus since 1922
The band
returns from
Beijing,
Page 5
collegian.csufresno.edu
Sports
Meet the new
women’s volleyball
coach, Page 12
August 27, 2008 | Wednesday
Campus transformation
North
Gym
kicks off
move
By Jessica Szalay
The Collegian
In just a few weeks Associate
Athletics Director John Kriebs
will have his office all packed up
and ready to move.
Kriebs is just one of the 275
university employees that will
be moving or shifting offices
within the next year. His office,
along with other athletic department offices in the North Gym,
is the start of what the Facilities
Management office has named
the Year of the Move.
“We’re just a small cog in the
whole process,” Kriebs said.
In addition to the North
Gym, some shifting will
also take place in the Henry
Madden Library, the Thomas
Administration Building, the
Joyal Administration Building,
McKee Fisk and the University
Center.
Along with the seven athletics offices, such as the Athletics
Business office, Athletic Media
Relations and the Athletics
Ticket office, 15 other academic
offices will have to pack their
office and move within the year.
This will include the Institutional
Re s e a r c h , A s s e s s m e n t a n d
Planning office, the Office of
the President and University
Communications,
According to the Year of the
Move Web site, the moves will
take place in phases, the first
phase will occur from September
to November, phase two from
December to February 2009 and
phase three from March to May.
“A lot of people and programs
are being affected, so we’re hoping
one will follow the other and roll
right along,” said Wendy Moritz,
an administrative analyst within
the Facilities Management office.
“We’ll be in full move mode.”
That mode begins with the
seven offices in the North Gym.
In September, the current offices
and layout will receive minor renovations and retrofitting, which
will allow for a shift in personnel. Following the renovations,
the athletics offices, kinesiology
See UC, Page 2
Bryan Cole / The Collegian
Wade Kimberly, 45, works on the finishing touches on the widening of the right hand turn lane on south-bound Cedar Ave over the summer.
Construction
updates
continue
across campus
By Ben Keller
The Collegian
This school year holds significance for Fresno
State as some of the major developments it has
set down in its Master Plan are well underway.
The Master Plan includes all the building projects, walkways and renovations that will transform the university into a more effective and
convenient environment for learning and for
community. Some of these projects have been
proposed in order to modernize facilities when
older structures have become obsolete. Several
projects are designed to beautify the campus
and make it easier and safer for students to
navigate the grounds. Although a long-term
goal of 20 years has been suggested as adequate
to complete the improvements, many are contingent upon funds and necessity in the future.
However, some very important developments
such as the library are already wrapping up
while some are well under way this semester.
Students may notice visible progress on the
following projects:
Henry Madden Library
Cedar and Barstow
Campus Pointe
• Construction is expected to be complete on January 1 aside from some
minor landscaping.
• The additional turnout/U-turn lane
that was north of the intersection has
been replaced by a longer turn lane
at the intersection. The turn lane can
now handle twice the capacity.
• 160,000 square feet of retail space
• The elliptical glass entrance will also
be an event room on the second floor.
Groups on or off campus may reserve
it. It will be ideal for meetings, concerts,
literature readings and so on. It is in an
ideal location next to the café.
• The South Wing is undergoing some
major renovation and that is where most
of the focus is right now.
• Students may expect a lot of landscaping in the next couple of months, especially in the Peace Garden.
• The old turn lane was roughly 400
feet north of the light heading towards
Shaw.
• The project started around the 7th
and was completed on the 19th. It will
be in full use when school begins.
• This was done through funds from
the city of Fresno under the coordination of Administrator of Plant
Operations Bob Boyd.
See CONSTRUCTION, Page 3
• 160,000 square feet of office space
• Hyatt Place Hotel with 197 rooms
and additional meeting chambers
• 540 apartments including 180 units
for senior housing
• 14-screen movie theater that seats
27,000
• There will be a total of 2,815 parking spots for the complex.
Page 2
The Collegian • News
News Editor, Kelly Lucus • [email protected]
Peace garden gets face-lift
By Ben Keller
The Collegian
While the Henry Madden
Library is being expanded
and renovated inside, tireless
work is being down to make
sure it looks appealing on the
outside. “W
e wanted to
revitalize it and
make it an area people
really enjoy coming to.”
— Lori Pardi,
Assistant Planner
The Peace Garden, which
can be seen just outside the
north wing windows, has been
getting a makeover of its own.
Ground-breaking began on
June 20 for the improvements
that were designed to enhance
the beauty of the area and
make it more inviting to visitors. According to Lori Pardi,
assistant planner for the university’s Office of Facilities
Planning, the project is expected to complement the look and
feel of the new library.
“We wanted to revitalize it
and make it an area people
really enjoy coming to,” Pardi
said. “We really see this as
necessary in helping bring
[the Peace Garden] back to the
community’s awareness.”
Among the improvements
are wider walkways throughout the garden, several grassy
mounds for texture and a
bicycle lane running along the
Psychology/Human Services
See GARDEN, Page 3
Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
Renovations have begun in the Peace Garden, moving the statues and adding
more walkways and grass hills for people to enjoy.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
UC: Offices to move
CONTINUED from page 1
offices and ROTC offices will
be consolidated into certain
areas of the building.
“The idea is to get the
North Gym where it’s more
user friendly and easier to
find people,” Kriebs said.
“It’s really going to help the
athletics department run
better.”
While those in the North
Gym will be experiencing
more of a shift in personnel,
the employees in the Thomas
Administration building
will begin their move to the
Harold Haak Administration
Center in the brand new
Henry Madden Library. Beginning in January 2009,
University President John
D. Welty, Provost Jeronima
E c h e v e r r i a a n d Vi c e
President for Administration
Cynthia Teniente-Matson,
along with their staff, will
be in their new offices on the
fourth floor of the library.
According to Associate
Vice President for Facilities
Management Robert Boyd,
the emptying of the Thomas
Administration building will
be unique in that it is the first
time in school history that
there will be a completely
empty building on campus.
“The Thomas building will
be renovated to help us add
much-needed office space
for programs that will benefit from being in the center
of campus and allow us to
improve services for students,” Welty said last week
in his 2008 faculty assembly
speech.
Four to six months of
renovations will open
the doors of the Thomas
Administration building
for the College Assistance
Migrant Program (CAMP),
the Academic Senate, the
Jan and Bud Richter Center
for Community Engagement
and Service-Lear ning,
the McNair Program, the
Women’s Resource Center
and Career Services.
Due to the moves of numerous academic offices and student services there will not
be a printed campus directory. Students attempting to
locate offices will have to use
the online directory, which is
available on Fresno State’s
main Web site. According to
Moritz, phone numbers will
remain the same throughout
the moves and once a phone
is hooked up in a new office,
l o c at i o n i n fo r m at i o n i s
immediately translated into
the electronic directory.
“On the very first day of
school, you can look them up
and find them,” she said.
However, students such as
freshman Marcus Martinez,
are still a bit skeptical.
“I think it will affect the
students,” he said. “I really
hope not, but I think it might
cause problems.”
Moritz, however, assures
students, faculty and staff
that there will be at least
two weeks advance notice of
all moves as the Facilities
Management office attempts
t o m ove 2 7 5 u n ive r s i t y
employees in a single year.
“This is a giant puzzle, and
that’s our challenge,” Boyd
said. “We want to provide
better space and make the
move as seamless as we can.”
MORE INFO: For a time line and a full list
of departments and offices affected visit
http://csufresno.edu/yearofthemove
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Collegian • News
News Editor, Kelly Lucus • [email protected]
Page 3
Construction: Campus updates
Garden:
A place
for change
CONTINUED from page 1
Henry Madden Library
• The Peace Garden is expected to be finished at the same
time as the library.
CONTINUED from page 2
• A smaller children’s garden will be put in front of the
current South Wing entrance,
which will no longer be there
upon completion of project.
There will only be the north
entrance.
• The lower level of the North
Wing and as well the first floor
will contain books, government documents, and maps at
the west end. All of the material is presently in place and
available upon check out.
• Students may check information out at Room UC123.
The material usually arrives
the same day or sometimes
within hours.
• The second floor of the
North Wing will be a study
space. At the east end will be
the café and Starbucks. At
the west end is what’s called
Studio 2.
• Studio 2 will be at the west
end as an interactive learning
lab where students can learn
about Technology. There are
two classrooms as well that
will be available upon request.
• Sunlight is meant to shine
through the glass at the north
end of the North Wing to light
Bryan Cole / The Collegian
A fresh walkway is placed between the Peace Garden and the Family Food and Science and the Psychology/Human
Services building. This is a part of the University Master Plan that will be completed over the next 20 years.
the study area on the second and third floors. A space
between the glass and the floor
will allow daylight to shine
directly through the first, second and third floors, saving on
lighting costs and heating.
• A copper weaving will be
)5(612 67$7( 678'(176
($51 +5
‡ :RUN RQ FDPSXV
‡ (DUQ JUHDW PRQH\
‡ &DOO HYHQLQJV DQG ZHHNHQGV
‡ +DYH D IOH[LEOH VFKHGXOH
‡ %XLOG \RXU UpVXPp
‡ 'HWDLOV RQOLQH # LDPIUHVQRVWDWHFRP
‡ &RQWDFW (ULF +D\HV # 6WDUWV # +5 SOXV +5 PRQWKO\ DWWHQGDQFH ERQXV
added to the front elliptical
entrance by completion.
students will be in the South
Wing.
• At the west end of the North
Wing on the third floor will
be an elder’s room made possible by the Table Mountain
Casino. This will be a general
event room where people may
conduct craft sessions or hold
meetings. It is the biggest
room in the entire library.
• Also available in the South
Wing will be a curriculum and
juvenile area on the third floor.
There will also be additional
study space.
• All of the plumbing, heating and electrical have been
installed and are said to be
working properly. A later
inspection will be done to confirm this.
• The elevators, while functioning, are only available
to Swinerton, the contractor
responsible for the development. In the next few months,
it will be open to permitted
staff members making access
to books quicker and more
convenient.
• Assistance to disabled
• On the second floor, west
end, there will be a production
lab offering access to high end
equipment such as photo software.
Cedar and Barstow
• A c c o rd i n g t o D evo n
Fullner, Director of Facilities
Management with Plant
Preparations, this was done
because the north side of the
intersection was so congested
from so many vehicles using
the old turn lane.
• There has also been talk
about extending the green
light duration to allow more
cars to go through at a time.
building and the Family Food
and Science building. As
well, the existing statues in
the area will be arranged in
such a way that they will be
closer to the viewing public.
At the time it opened in
1 9 9 0 , t h e Pe a c e G a r d e n
housed a 1,500 pound bronze
bust of Gandhi. Eventually,
additional statues were put
in place to honor great proponents of peace like Cesar
Chavez, Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. and Jane Addams.
As new statues and foliage
were added to the garden,
a definite plan as to how to
configure the area has been
delayed until now. Aside
from visual layout, Facilities
Management hopes that it
will be an ideal place for
group experiences and quiet
meditation.
While students may be
unaware of what exactly is
going in front of the library,
they do have some basic
expectations.
“Before, it was just a lawn
with statues in it,” said sophomore RJ Pallari. “I hope it’ll
have more of a garden-y feel
to it.”
Sophomore Ge Xiong was
pleased to hear about the
new trees and all the shade it
would provide in the warmer
months.
As part of the entire library
d eve l o p m e n t , t h e Pe a c e
Garden was financed in
part by a $10 million donation by the Table Mountain
Rancheria. In lieu of the gift,
a triangular area at the east
end of the Peace Garden will
showcase plants and activities that acknowledge Native
American traditions. This
was also the concept behind
the woven basket-like lattice that will wrap around
the library’s entrance and
cut-granite benches that will
display plant names in native
languages.
In the next few months,
work will continue on basic
utilities such as lighting for
some newly installed street
lamps and an ir rig ation
system. After which, more
attention can be focused on
landscaping. Upon completion, visitors should expect to
see freshly planted grass and
park benches surrounding
the garden.
Ryan McCaughey, manager
of grounds at Fresno State,
said that in addition to some
new plants in the garden, 10
to 14 Canary Island Pines will
be put in alongside the existing trees, further distinguishing the campus as a certified
arboretum.
“Our goal is to give those
mounds as much shade
as possible,” McCaughey
said. He explained that the
Hydroseed lawns should take
only seven to 10 days to grow
and the trees should go in
fairly quickly as well.
T he Peace Garden will
remain inaccessible to the
public until it is opened on
January 1 to coincide with
the completion of the library.
C
COMMENT: The Collegian is a
forum for student expression.
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
Opinion
The
Collegian
The
“T
raffic is already a mess even before thousands of students head for classes... It seems
all this could have been avoided by scheduling the
Cedar and Shaw construction a few weeks earlier.”
—Jim Boren, Fresnobeehive.com
C
Best Six Years
of my Life
onstruction and
detours everywhere.
Impossible parking.
Parking tickets. Stressing
over grades. Campus administration red tape. Hitting
every red light on Shaw when
you’re late to class. Annoying
classmates. Annoying professors. Professors who mumble.
Professors who mumble in gibberish. Increasing tuition and
fees to pay for professors who
mumble in gibberish.
I could have graduated last
May and left this all behind.
But I didn’t. Sometimes I ask
myself why, a feeling that I’m
sure will only become exacerbated by the time midterms roll
around.
Yet I hear, “I wish I’d stayed
longer,” astoundingly often
from my graduated friends. It
leads me to wonder why students are so eager to get out of
college within a set time frame.
Learning in college goes
beyond irrelevant general education classes and boring seminars attended only for the extra
credit points. It goes beyond the
social aspect. Ideally, it should
develop your skills and intellectual capacity more intensely
than any other period in life.
Why should there be a predetermined time period in which
to accomplish that?
I understand some students
need to graduate as soon as
possible due to financial constraints. But many seem to
rush out for different reasons.
I knew a Smittcamp Honors
student who graduated in three
years. She left unused one full
year of tuition and housing
scholarship.
I don’t think graduating
soon is necessarily bad. Some
courge
&
Minister
Mathew Gomes
The Chick Boy Scout
Heather Billings
students, like my Smitty friend,
come into college knowing what
they want to do. But for most of
us, finding that passion takes a
little more time.
A hero of mine, Pat Parelli,
once said of horse training,
“Take the time it takes so it
takes less time.” It’s an incredibly useful phrase that can be
applied to darn near anything –
such as education.
Once you do find your passion, you should take the time
to learn it thoroughly in college.
Otherwise, you may end up
unprepared for what lies after
graduation, frantically trying to
play catch-up with your skills.
During my recent search
for suitable grad schools, I’ve
noticed that a lot of them don’t
factor grades earned during the
first two years of college into
applicants’s GPAs. The schools
are only interested in how you
did in studies relevant to their
program. According to a traditional undergraduate model,
these schools are only looking
at approximately two years of
work.
So if your freshman and
sophomore years are wasted
trying to “find yourself,” you
only have two years left in the
traditional college timeline to
develop your skills to a marketable level.
O
Joe, it was always you.
CNN, myself, the rest of America
and even Obama himself all proclaimed confusion for a while — but you must
have known all along, keeping it quiet and
secret. A shining, precious ring of a thing,
tied up safe and small, a Christmas gift.
There were several other names with foreign policy experience, but you are damn near
an expert, they say.
General Wesley Clark? Nah, not popular
enough. Senator Jack Reed? Jack who?
And whenever the argument of “experience versus change” comes up, well there
you’ll be with the experience, and there he’ll
be with the change.
Your experience highlights his change;
your age, his youth; your approval, then disapproval, of Iraq, his claim that he knew it
was a bad idea from the beginning.
Collegian
The Collegian is a student-run
publication that serves the
Fresno State community on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Views expressed in The Collegian
do not necessarily reflect
the views of the staff or university.
Let’s face it: Most of us don’t
succeed in doing that.
When I entered Fresno State
as a freshman, I was a graphic
design major. I changed my
major to English, then to print
journalism, to business and
then to digital media. I think I
may have briefly been a music
major at one point, also.
By the time I finally figured
out what I wanted to study, I was
entering my junior year. I finished my digital media degree
in another year and a half, but
I didn’t feel proficient in anything. After much thought (not
to mention ribbing from my
friends), I decided to throw tradition out the window and make
the system work for me, no matter how long it took.
I picked up one of my former
majors, deciding to finish my
print journalism option. Even
though it won’t be listed on my
diploma, those writing skills
are important for me to learn. I
won’t be able to learn them anywhere else. Employers expect a
certain level of proficiency and
many don’t want to deal with
on-the-job training.
Taking the extra time to
hone my abilities here at school
means I finally feel like I can
sell myself. Suddenly I am
qualified for jobs and graduate
programs I know I couldn’t have
applied for last year.
Isn’t that what college is for?
Heather Billings is a senior at
Fresno State majoring in mass
communication and journalism
with emphases in digital media
and print journalism.
C
CampusSpeak
Where were you when Fresno State won the
College World Series? Did you watch the games?
“I was actually back home in Salinas
spending time with my family. I’m
not really a baseball fan. I guess I’m
neutral about it — I’m glad they won
— but I’m not really a baseball fan.”
Cynthia Bernal
Junior
Business
“I was sitting at home listening to the
radio online — on KMJ. I got goosebumps. It was pretty exciting. I don’t
usually like baseball.”
Andrew Toews
Junior
Civil Engineering
“I work at a pizza place that is also a
sports bar — in Tulare — and I was
actually pouring a mug of beer. I saw
that last play and everyone started
screaming and ended up spilling beer
all over the counter and getting slightly yelled at. But it was amazing.”
Jamie Mathias
Junior
Liberal Studies: Science concentration
“I was actually at Dog House Grill. It
was crazy. Everybody was in shock —
it was awesome.”
Ricky Barone
Junior
Criminology
COMMENT: The Collegian is a
forum for student expression.
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
“I was working out in the gym. I was
not really into it because I’m not really into baseball, but I was working
out with my boyfriend and he was all
excited. I guess it’s cool, and I’m glad
I came to Fresno State, but I was not
that excited.”
Biden the VP choice for Obama
we should have known all along
h
THE
On the roadwork at Cedar and Shaw
Opinion Editor, Mathew Gomes • [email protected] • Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Page 4
S
That’s What the People Are Saying
The Collegian
California State University, Fresno
5201 N. Maple Ave., M/S SA42
Fresno, CA 93740-8027
News Line: (559) 278-2486
Business Line: (559) 278-5735
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
It’s a well-known culinary rule: a little salt
draws out the flavors of a dish, a function that
also allows it to act as a preservative.
You, Joe, are the salt of this campaign. You
highlight its strengths and you keep it from
spoiling.
Sure, there were the naysayers. Ralph
Nader said it would be “dumb” to choose you
over Hillary Clinton, because she would get
more votes.
Well we think it’s dumb for Ralph Nader to
talk about strategies for winning an election.
But I think you knew better, and ultimately,
so did Barack.
Joe — oh Joe, how could we not know? —
it had to be you, only you and was always,
always, always you, right from the very start.
C
Ariseli Gomez
Junior
Graphic Design
“I was at a bar when Fresno State
won. I was there with a lot of my
friends and their families. I’d been
reading up and watching them last
season. I had really high hopes at the
beginning of their season, and then
it was like ‘aw, they’re not doing very
good.’ But then they ended killer — I
don’t know if you could end a better
way.”
Jessie Martinez
Junior
Philosophy
COMMENT: The Collegian is a forum for student expression.
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
Letters to the Editor ([email protected])
All letters submitted to The Collegian must not exceed 250 words in length,
must be type-written, and must be accompanied by a full name and
phone number to verify content. The Collegian reserves the right to edit
all material for length, content, spelling and grammar, as well as
the right to refuse publication of any material submitted.
All material submitted to The Collegian becomes property of The Collegian.
Each member of the campus community is permitted one copy of The Collegian.
Subscriptions are available for $25, on a semester basis.
Staff positions at The Collegian are open to students of all majors.
Contact the Editor in Chief for more details.
All content Copyright © 2008 The Collegian.
Editor in Chief
News Editor
Senior Writer
Features Editor
Sports Editors
Opinion Editor
Photo Editor
Webmaster/Multimedia Editor
Assistant Webmaster
Multimedia Reporter
Brandon Santiago
Kelly Lucus
Ben Keller
Paige Ricks
Jimmy Graben
Logan Hopkins
Mathew Gomes
Ryan Tubongbanua
Heather Billings
Christa Williams
Joel M. Ede
Local Advertising Manager
Advertising Coordinator
National Advertising Manager
Special Projects
Art Director
Assistant Art Director
Distribution Manager
Accountancy Assistant
Stacia Sturman
Thomas Rouse
Aimee Caneva
Toua Vang
Michael Uribes
Brandon Ocegueda
Savannah West
Pasindu Samarasekera
Business Manager/Online Adviser
Faculty Adviser
Advertising Instructor
Virginia Sellars-Erxleben
Jefferson Beavers
Jan Edwards
Features
The
Collegian
Page 5 • Features Editor, Paige Ricks • [email protected] • Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Word of the Day
kizzle
To be kissing but with your cheeks
touching, lips crossing, Eskimo kissing,
lips locking.
Photo courtesy of Gary P. Gilroy
The United States group performed at the Great Wall in Beijing in pre-Olympic ceremonies along with thousands of other students from other countries.
To the
GreatandWall
back
Fresno State Band experiences Chinese culture
while performing at Olympics in Beijing
By Paige Ricks
The Collegian
With football season around
the corner, the Fresno State
Marching Band is preparing for the first home game
on September 13 against
Wisconsin.
The thrill of standing on the
field playing Fresno State’s
fight song as fireworks fly in
the air, while the football players run onto the football field
is an amazing experience.
But some of the band members are still recovering from
an even more remarkable
experience.
Gary Gilroy, Director of
Bands, along with 25 past and
current students embarked
on a trip to Beijing, China to
participate in a 2,008-member
ensemble with other young
people around the world at the
Summer Olympics.
The Bulldo g band members were part of the Beijing
2008 Olympic Orchestra and
performed in China at various pre-Olympics ceremonial
events.
World Projects International
Music Productions, which is a
company that organizes international performance tours,
selected Gilroy for the orchestra’s artistic team.
With the assistance of professional Chinese advisors,
Gilroy be gan writing and
arranging the music for the
pre-Olympic perfor mances
last summer for three groups
of 600 to 800 students.
“The trip was special,
memorable and a lot of hard
work,” Gilroy said. “And more
Chinese food than I would ever
want.”
The performances took place
in Tiananmen Square and the
Great Wall.
“It was indescribable,” said
bass trombone player, Jeff
Detlefson. He said the experience still has not sunk in.
“When I came home and
watched the Olympics it was
unreal because I had been on
those streets and been to those
places,” Detlefson said.
During their two week stay
in Beijing, the Fresno State
“T
he trip was special,
memorable and a
lot of hard work...And
more Chinese food than I
would ever want.”
— Gary Gilroy,
Director of Bands
band was also able to enjoy
watching three Olympic
events- all men and women’s
soccer games.
“It’s something I will
never forget, that’s for sure,”
Detlefson said.
Another student Daniel
Tubbs, who plays trumpet,
said he gained a similar experience as Detlefson, but added
that the trip opened his eyes to
the Chinese culture.
“You see those places on T.V.
all the time,” Tubbs said. “But
to see them in person was completely different, just incredible.”
Gilroy agreed that the experience opened his eyes to the
Chinese culture.
“You could tell by looking at
a person that they held such
pride in hosting the Olympic
games,” he said.
Aside from their performances, Gilroy and the Fresno
State Band were able to enjoy
music from many other groups
from the United States, as well
as other countries such as
Australia and China.
Now back at Fresno State the
Fresno State Band sees that
perfor ming at the Olympic
games made them well prepared for the lights, camera
and action on the football
field.
Photo courtesy of Angela Olinger
(Above) Three band
members were the
official uniform of
the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Orchestra.
Members of different orchestra groups
wore either green,
yellow, or red.
(Left) Angela
Olinger, playing the
clarinet, is wearing
the red practice
attire before performing with over
2,000 other band
members.
Photo courtesy of Angela Olinger
Page 6
The Collegian • Features
Features Editor, Paige Ricks • [email protected]
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
VIDEO GAME REVIEW
Madden and NCAA of ’09 — ‘Oh no!’
By Victor Godinez
McClatchy Tribune
“B
McClatchy Tribune
Many gamers believe NFL Madden ’09 was doomed for failure because Brett Farve,New York Jets quaterback, is on
the cover. In March 2008, Farve announced his retirement from football, but quickly returned in July 2008.
most sports games, for that
matter) traditionally include
menus where you can adjust
the skill level of computercontrolled players. These settings are known as “sliders,”
since you slide a button back
and forth to raise or lower the
skill.
B u t , t h e d eve l o p e r s o f
Madden apparently forgot or
didn’t bother to include sliders
for the computer characters in
the new version, according to
one reviewer who got an early
copy of the game. On a discussion forum at OperationSports.
com, a “Madden” a designer
jumped into the discussion
and admitted that EA really
messed up.
“There are in fact no CPU
sliders,” the Madden designer
said. “I discovered this myself
about two weeks ago as well,
and was kind of wondering
when I should break the news.
I wish I had an explanation,
<RXUFDPSXVQHZV
LQWZRIRUPV
but I don’t. There’s not all that
much more I can say about it.
There’s one other bit of bad
news that I discovered at the
same time, and that is there is
no custom controller configuration anymore. Again, I don’t
really have an explanation.”
It would be one thing if EA
left out these features for a
reason and presented some
kind of argument that the
game is better without them.
But it sounds as though they
+RPH&RPIRUWV
DQGEHGURRPVVWDUWLQJDW
‡6LQJOHOHYHOKRPHV
‡:DVKHUGU\HUKRRNXSV
‡)LUHSODFHV
‡3DWLR%DOFRQ\
‡*DUDJHV$YDLODEOH
just forgot.
Criticism of EA for slapdash
design and hurried development has been mounting over
the last few years, and the
executives have recently been
saying all the right things
about a renewed focus on quality.
But these seemingly inexplicable fumbles on the company’s most important franchises are making EA look both
incompetent and dishonest.
Of course, it’s hard to argue
with success. Three of the
top 10 best-selling games of
all time in the U.S. are three
consecutive releases of the
“Madden” franchise, dating
back to 2005.
But there can be long-term
downsides to taking your customers for granted. Just ask
Ford and General Motors.
C
VIDEO: See one of the glitches
of the NFL Madden ’09 game.
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
6DWLVIDFWLRQ*8$5$17(('
3URSHUW\3OHDVXUHV
‡5HVRUWVW\OHSRROVSD
‡&RYHUHGSDUNLQJ‡%%4$UHD
‡3HW)ULHQGO\
‡$OOQHZILWQHVVFHQWHU
‡2QVLWHODXQGU\FHQWHUV
‡9ROOH\EDOODQGEDVNHWEDOOFRXUW
‡&ORYLV8QLILHG6FKRRO'LVWULFW
5HDG
7KH&ROOHJLDQ
2QOLQHDQGFRPPHQWRQ
\RXUIDYRULWHVWRULHV
2IILFH+RXUV0RQ)ULDPSP
6DWDPSP
DQG6XQDPSP
5DWHVVXEMHFWWRFKDQJHXWLOLWLHVH[FOXGHG
,QVHOHFWKRPHV
6KHSKHUG
7HDJXH
&HGDU
“NCAA Football ’09” and
“Madden ’09” were guaranteed
blockbusters to sell millions
of copies.
But the reputations of
Electronic Arts (EA) flagship
sports titles are clearly flagging among the most devoted
gridiron gamers.
First, “NCAA.” The game
has been soundly trashed on
gaming blogs and Web sites
for the stupid, blundering play
style of computer-controlled
characters.
For example, in one profane
and hilarious video posted
online, a gamer narrates a
replay showing his computer-controlled offensive lineman wandering away from an
oncoming defender during a
blitz on third down.
Worse, the lineman strolls
directly into the path of the
ball that gamer-controlled
quaterback has just launched
at an open receiver. The balls
dinks the addled lineman in
the back of his helmet and
falls to the grass.
Fourth down.
“Madden” looked no better.
It’s probably a bad sign, first
of all, that EA opted for Brett
Favre in a Packers uniform as
its cover boy.
But the real problems with
“Madden” are much more than
superficial. “Madden” (and
ut the real problems with ‘Madden’ are much more than
superficial. ... The developers forgot or didn’t
bother to include sliders
for the computer characters in the new version.”
&DOO7ROO)UHH
1
1RUWK&UHHN
1 &HGDU $YH )UHVQR &$
1&HGDU$YH)UHVQR&$
9LVLWRXUZHEVLWHDWZZZ1RUWK&UHHN$SWVFRP
$QRWKHU0DQFR$EERWW,QF&RPPXQLW\
DQGUHDGWKH
SULQWHGLWLRQRI
7KH&ROOHJLDQHYHU\
0RQGD\:HGQHVGD\
DQG)ULGD\
+RPH&RPIRUWV
DQGEHGURRPVVWDUWLQJDW
‡:DVKHUGU\HUDYDLODEOH
‡:DONLQFORVHWV
‡)LUHSODFH
‡3DWLR%DOFRQ\
‡3DQWU\
3URSHUW\3OHDVXUHV
&ROOHJLDQ
&DOLIRUQLD6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\)UHVQR
KWWSFROOHJLDQFVXIUHVQRHGX
:1HHV$YH)UHVQR&$
9LVLWRXUZHEVLWHDWZZZZLQGVFDSHDSWVFRP
:1HHV
1
%ODFNVWRQH
:LQGVFDSH
7KH
2IILFH+RXUV0RQ)ULDPSP
DQG6DW6XQDPSP
5DWHVVXEMHFWWRFKDQJHXWLOLWLHVH[FOXGHG
,QVHOHFWKRPHV
3DOP
1HDU
5LYHU
3DUN
‡/LPLWHGDFFHVVHQWU\
‡*DUDJHV$YDLODEOH
‡)LWQHVVFHQWHU
‡2QVLWHODXQGU\FHQWHUV
‡&ORYLV8QLILHG6FKRRO'LVWULFW
‡3HW)ULHQGO\
&DOO7ROO)UHH
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Collegian • Features
Features Editor, Paige Ricks • [email protected]
X
Page 7
Photos by Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
King Xiong (right), junior, Crimonology major and Ken Xiong (left), sophomore Crimonology major take a break from the hot weather and play NFL Madden’09.
marks the spot
Fresno State welcomes first ever gaming station on campus.
By Lia Bigano
The Collegian
During long breaks in between classes, students now have another choice
on how to spend their time-they can
play X-box in the University Student
Union Recreation Center.
The new Station X video gaming center opened near the bowling alley on
Monday, August 25, offering four 42”
plasma screen televisions and just as
many gaming stations.
Although students are just starting
to find out about this new amenity on
campus, interest seems to be picking
up very quickly.
“There was a steady flow of traffic
all day,” said Patricia Thomason, USU
Recreation Center Manager, referring
to Station X’s grand opening.
The idea for this new gaming station was generated when a group of
students and staff members of the USU
Recreation Center attended a conference; where the topic of gaming stations inside college campuses was
explored.
Because of the success on other college campuses, Fresno State decided to
attempt the same.
Receiving the licensing to open this
The University Student Union only allows students to use two controllers per console and only
games issued by Station X can be played at the center.
station was not easy, however. The
school had to go through great measures in order to be allowed to open the
video gaming station.
Help in this process came from other
schools in the CSU system. One was
California State University, Fullerton,
who already had a similar gaming station that quickly became very popular
among their students.
Now that Station X is open, students
have the choice between twelve games,
including NCAA Football ‘09, Madden
‘09 and the brand new Tiger Woods
PGA tour ’09. More options will be
added to the list in the future.
“I want [students] to come in and
tell me [what games they want],”says
Thomason.
Because the USU Recreation Center
is open to individuals under eighteen
years of age, the selection is limited to
only games rated “Teen” to be played
“If they had more games I would
always be here,” said junior Biology
major Keng Xiong, while watching his
friends play the video game Madden
‘09.
Some of the students present seemed
to agree on the need for a wider selection of games, but they all seemed very
happy with the environment and the
comfortable seating.
“Air conditioning and a comfy couch,
that pretty much does it for me,”
says Maruir Lee, a senior Industrial
techonology major.
Fresno State students can also rent
two wireless controllers and a game for
only $3.50 per hour. The cost for alumni and faculty is $5 and $6.50 for the
general public.
Xbox Live goes digital and beyond
2QHPRQWKXQOLPLWHGWDQQLQJ
2))
Any monthly or V.I.P. tanning package
A
e
(New Members Only)
([LVWLQJPHPEHUVUHFHLYHRIIZLWK
WKLVFRXSRQDQG\RXU)UHVQR6WDWHVWXGHQW,'
6WDWHVW
V XGHQW,
10% Off All Lotions
(Excluding samples and body shots)
Offer ends 9/30/08
Not valid with any other offer
(559) 298-2771
4IBX"WFt0QFOEBZTBXFFL
By Benjamin J. Romano
McClatchy Tribune
Microsoft is co-producing
a series of digital short films
for distribution over the Xbox
Live.
Another sign that online
gaming networks are becoming more like all-in-one digitalcontent distribution channels.
Meanwhile, Sony is eyeing
its own exclusive video offerings for distribution over the
PlayStation Network.
In July, Microsoft mentioned
that they were working with
Safran Digital Group’s, Peter
Safran, producer of such
movies as “Scary Movie” and
“Meet the Spartans,” to produce exclusive comedic shorts
for free distribution to Xbox
Live’s 12 million members
beginning this fall.
It’s the first time Microsoft
is getting a producer credit on
original content, a company
representative said.
T he shor t comedies are
actually pilot episodes all in
high definition and less than
10 minutes in length so that
Microsoft could pick up the
episodes as an online series.
“What’s great about it is it
stays Xbox branded,” Scott
Nocas, group product manager at Xbox Live said.
“We get to be a part of it
throughout the entire life cycle
of the (intellectual property),”
Nocas said.
Microsoft has a substantial
lead both in audience and the
scope of its content library,
which will be further broadened by a partnership with
Netflix, who has been distributing digital video over Xbox
Live since fall 2006.
Fun & Games
The
Collegian
Page 8 • Features Editor, Paige Ricks • [email protected] • Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The daily crossword
C
Complete the grid so that every row, column and
3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu
Quote of the Day
“In this bright future you can’t forget
your past.”
— Bob Marley,
musician
ACROSS
1 __ Paulo
4 With 64A, Wild Sioux
9 Golden-touch king
14 Wedding vow
15 Actress Anouk
16 Ill-chosen
17 Screwball pitcher
19 Crime group
20 Bigfoot’s shoe size
21 Pic blowup
22 Gabfest
23 Ground-nesting Old
World bird
25 Amble
26 Ques. response
27 Of armorial bearings
30 Came up
33 Noah of “E.R.”
34 Cosmonaut Gagarin
35 Shown the way
36 Peculiar parodist
39 Hip dude
40 Family men
42 Balin and Claire
43 Hoosegow
45 Conventional
47 Elec. switch in a car
48 Rabbits’ kin
49 Hidden away
53 Cigar fan
55 Gumshoe
56 Continental cash
57 Actress Veronica
58 Millinery fruitcake
60 Bradley and Epps
Edited by Wayne Robert Williams
Tribune Media Services, Inc. • Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved
61 Clean with a bill
62 Fifth of MV
63 No longer in
64 See 4A
65 Elevs.
DOWN
1 Back of a tape
2 So long, mon ami
3 Seeps
4 Small, low islet
5 Passengers
6 Improve
7 Fervor
8 Desire
9 Champagne cocktail
10 Without sense
11 Touched toon
12 Samoa’s capital
13 Wild guess
18 Greek letters
22 Chick of jazz
24 Over again
25 Card displays
27 Little well-furred rotund
mammal
28 “Dies __” (day of wrath)
29 Charlotte or Gary, e.g.
30 Ray of “Battle Cry”
31 Backdoor
32 Kook of Koontz
33 Sots
37 Downy duck
38 Org. of Gulbis and
Creamer
41 Movers’ partners
Puzzle by Willy A. Wiseman, New York, N.Y.
C
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS: http://collegian.csufresno.edu
44 Beginning
46 End of a threat
47 Restless desires
49 Passover meal
50 Rabbit residence
51 Standing tall
52 Lessing or Day
53 Seek bargains
54 Baby’s call
55 Cocoyam
58 Speed stat
59 Dijon donkey
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Collegian • Sports
Sports Editors, Jimmy Graben and Logan Hopkins • [email protected] and [email protected]
Page 9
OFFENSE:
Nussmeier
a perfect fit
with ‘Dogs
CONTINUED from page 11
Hill said. “I think Doug has
those intangibles.”
And those intangibles are
the only clues anyone can
gather before that Labor Day
matchup against Rutgers.
Since his first day at spring
camp, Nussmeier has displayed those people skills
while adjusting to his new job.
He seems to have the uncanny ability to make the people
around him comfortable.
“He’s embraced all the quarterbacks and made us comfortable with what he is teaching,”
Brandstater said.
And at practice, he is nothing but energy and looks like
if he could, he would throw on
a helmet and start warming
up his arm.
If Brandstater and crew
can remain comfortable and
borrow some of Nussmeier’s
energy, than everything else
should take care of itself and
the team will have the chance
to live up to the lofty preseason
expectations.
But those expectations,
which include a top 25 ranking and hopes of a Bowl
Championship Series game,
do not effect Nussmeier’s personal expectations.
No matter how many clues
anyone examines, it may come
down to just that.
If his of fense does play
Bulldog football, then
Nussmeier will look like the
perfect hire at the end of what
could be an electric season.
But hopefully, the program
won’t be looking for its fifth
offensive coordinator in five
years.
C
PODCAST: The Collegian sports
staff previews Rutgers this week
on the REDWAVE podcast at
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
Classifieds
Are you waiting for each print
edition to read the newest
classifieds? Check them out
24/7 online at:
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
Click on classifieds.
The Collegian is not responsible
for nor does it assume any liability
for its advertisers. We caution our
readers to check out the legitimacy of all advertisers before doing
business with any of them.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Michael Eagle’s The Rich
Successful Wonderful Christian
Republican Leader. In God
We Trust. God Bless America.
America Loves President McCain.
HELP WANTED
BULLDOGSNEEDJOBS.COM
Paid Survey Takers Needed In
Fresno. 100% Free To Join!
Click On Surveys.
Page 10
The Collegian • Sports
Sports Editors, Jimmy Graben and Logan Hopkins • [email protected] and [email protected]
The Collegian’s
Preseason Top 10
By Collegian Sports Staff
No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
2007 Record: 11-2, 6-2 in
SEC
Bowl Game: Beat Hawaii,
41-10, in the Sugar Bowl
Week One Opponent: Georgia State
Tidbit: Sophomore Knowshon Moreno
is one of the nation’s most explosive
running backs and could be a Heisman
candidate. Add Matt Stafford at quarterback and this team is unstoppable.
No. 6 Missouri Tigers
2007 Record: 12-2, 7-1
in Big 12
Bowl Game: Beat
Arkansas, 38-7, in Cotton Bowl
Week One Opponent: Illinois
Tidbit: Chase Daniel should lead
the nation in passing stats this
season and will receive some votes
for Heisman. Tigers will challenge
Oklahoma in Big 12.
No. 2 USC Trojans
2007 Record: 11-2, 7-2 in
Pac-10
Bowl Game: Beat Illinois,
49-17, in Rose Bowl
Week One Opponent: at Virginia
Tidbit: Trojans’ hopes lie with the
health of quarterback Mark Sanchez’
knee. If he is ready for week one, the
Trojans should roll. If Sanchez goes
down, tailback Joe McKnight will be
vital.
No. 7 West Virginia
Mountaineers
2007 Record: 11-2, 5-2 in
Big East
Bowl Game: Beat
Oklahoma 48-28 in Fiesta Bowl
Week One Opponent: Villanova
Tidbit: Losing Coach Rich
Rodriguez to Michigan shouldn’t
slow the Mountaineers down too
much. Senior quarterback Pat
White will continue to keep opposing
coaches awake at night.
No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
2007 Record: 11-2. 7-1 in Big
Ten
Bowl Game: Lost to
LSU, 38-24, in National
Championship Game
Week One Opponent: Youngstown
State
Tidbit: The Buckeyes are always the
cream of the crop in the Big Ten and
with almost the entire offense back
from last season things shouldn’t
change. Chris “Beanie” Wells will be
the anchor for that offense.
No. 8 LSU Tigers
2007 Record: 12-2. 6-2 in
SEC
Bowl Game: Beat Ohio
State, 38-24, in National
Championship Game
Week One Opponent: Appalachian
State
Tidbit: Tigers’ Coach Les Miles is a
recruiting guru and he will have talents waiting. Even though they lost
most of their offensive threats, LSU
should be able to reload.
No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners
2007 Record: 11-3, 6-2 in Big
12
Bowl Game: Lost to West
Virginia, 48-28, in Fiesta Bowl
Week One Opponent:
Chattanooga
Tidbit: Quarterback Sam Bradford
threw for over 3,000 yards and totaled
36 touchdowns last season as a freshman. Look for him to light up the Big
12 in ’08.
No. 9 Clemson Tigers
2007 Record: 9-4, 5-3 in ACC
Bowl Game: Lost to
Auburn, 23-20, in Peach
Bowl
Week One Opponent: Alabama
Tidbit: Clemson is the strongest
team in the ACC and may be undefeated late in the season. Tigers
could be competing to national title
come January.
No. 5 Florida Gators
2007 Record: 9-4, in 5-3
in SEC
Bowl Game: Lost to
Michigan, 41-35, in
Florida Citrus Bowl
Week One Opponent: Hawaii
Tidbit: Quarterback Tim Tebow won
the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and has
a legitimate chance to win it in 2008.
Florida will challenge Georgia.
No. 10 Auburn Tigers
2007 Record: 9-4, 5-3 in
SEC
Bowl Game: Beat Auburn,
23-20, in Peach Bowl
Week One Opponent: LouisianaMonroe
Tidbit: Tigers have talent on both
sides of the ball, but will be hardpressed to get out of SEC unbeaten.
Games against Georgia and LSU will
be too much for Auburn.
PLAYOFF: No change ahead
CONTINUED from page 12
These “BCS Schools” just need to
win their conference and they’re automatically in a big bowl game.
The Bulldog baseball team proved
they could beat the big boys – the football team can’t even get an opportunity, well, unless we agree to play them
twice at their place and once at ours.
Logan:
Its unfortunate, but college football
has become a big business and hasn’t
left any room for the little guys to
make a buck.
Fresno State just can’t draw the BCS
schools to play at Bulldog Stadium
because the athletic department
doesn’t have the money to bring them
here.
A trip to Fresno will make a BCS
school about half of what they would
make if they played a home game, so
the Bulldogs have no chance of getting
them here.
That uneven business has also carried over to bowl selections.
The WAC has been represented in
BCS bowls in the past two seasons
because both Hawaii and Boise State
finished undefeated in the regular
season.
But even though those teams did
all they could in the regular season,
they still were never considered for the
National Title Game.
Jim:
And it doesn’t look like things will
be changing anytime soon.
University presidents recently
decided to use the BCS format through
2012. That means no playoff, no bracket, no underdog.
As long as we’re a “mid-major,” we
will be on the outside looking in.
Logan:
But even though our Bulldogs may
not be able to play for the title, there is
still plenty left to play for.
If Pat Hill’s team does everything
right this season, we should be OK.
Jim:
But in the meantime, don’t worry
REDWAVE. You’re still a national
champion!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
GERA: Junior looking
to become a young leader
CONTINUED from page 12
Having a team that’s been together for
a couple of years for the most part and
not having senior leadership.”
As a junior, Lacey Gera is considered
one of the veterans on the team.
“She’s asked me to be more of a leader,” said the 2006 WAC Freshman of the
Year.
Rasmussen believes that a team-first
mindset will lead to success on the
court for the Bulldogs.
“As much as I want to improve
myself more, I have to look at the whole
team because this is a team sport,”
Rasmussen said. “I’m not going to win
myself, I’m going to win with five girls
behind me.”
The goal for the team is to win, but
Nertherby-Sewell is also teaching the
team something else.
“I’m teaching them to just enjoy the
journey and take one step at a time,”
she said. “They have dealt with a lot
of adversity together. They just don’t
want to lose anymore.”
C
COMMENT: The Collegian is a
forum for student expression.
http://collegian.csufresno.edu
'R\RXQHHGHQHUJ\"
'RQ·WZDQWWKH´-LWWHUVµ"
:DQWWRORVHVRPHLQFKHV"
&XUE\RXUDSSHWLWH"
7KHQWU\
RQD=F=)&)
K
L
F
A=
<
=
J
?
F
A
D
9
J
M
L
)((F9
&RQWDFW
0DU\KHOHQDWRU
ZZZKHDOWKZHDOWKFRPKDOIPRRQOLWH$VVRFLDWH
GD\JXDUDQWHHIRUSKRQHSXUFKDVH‡GD\JXDUDQWHHIRUZHEVLWHSXUFKDVH
6WXGHQWV
DQGSDUHQWV
2:1
)25/(66
7+$15(17
:K\UHQWDQGZLQGXSZLWK=(52ZKHQ\RX
FDQRZQDQGKDYH&$6+VWLPXOXV
WD[FUHGLWILUVWKRPH=(52'2:1DQG
SD\PHQWVDVORZDVUHQW
1)UXLW$YH)UHVQR&$
0RGHORSHQDPSPGDLO\
)RUGHWDLOVFDOO7XVFDQ\9LOODV
9LVLWXVDWZZZWXVFDQ\YLOODVFRQGRVFRP
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Collegian • Sports
Sports Editors, Jimmy Graben and Logan Hopkins • [email protected] and [email protected]
Page 11
Fourth time’s a charm
By Logan Hopkins
The Collegian
Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier (left) and quarterback Tom Brandstater
have developed a strong relationship in the short time they’ve been together.
Fresno State’s offense has
had few questions to answer
leading up to the 2008 season.
The only real unknown on
the offense this season will
not be a player or position, but
rather the coach in charge of
making the whole thing work.
The program lost for mer
of fensive coordinator Jim
McElwain to the draw of the
Alabama Crimson Tide, the
fourth offensive coordinator
to leave for a ‘Big Time’ college football program in as
many years.
The unit returns 10 starters from 2007 and will be able
to rely on Tom Brandstater, a
three-year starter at quarterback.
Sharing the spotlight with
Bulldog Football
Brandstater will be a trio of
tailbacks, all of whom are talented enough to start at most
universities.
The offensive line, receivers
and tight ends return almost
all of their key parts and have
not yet been bitten by the injury bug.
So the Bulldogs have an
experienced quarterback, an
arsenal of weapons to throw to
and a strong offensive line to
protect the ball.
During the offseason, Fresno
State was forced to find a new
coach capable of using that
talent.
McElwain’s move to the college football power came in
February, relatively late in the
offseason and almost too late
to find a quality replacement.
A promotion from within
the program seemed to be the
best way to keep continuity, an
important element considering the success the offense had
under McElwain in 2007.
But instead, the program
went out searching for the next
coach to direct the offense.
“There were a lot of candidates for that [offensive coordinator] job,” Coach Pat Hill
said. “A lot of people call here
when we have openings.”
The search ended not with
a promotion, but rather the
hiring of Doug Nussmeier,
the former quarterback coach
for the St. Louis Rams of the
National Football League.
Nussmeier, who has spent
time in the NFL as a quarterback and coach, instantly
became the major story of the
offseason and has remained a
popular guy at press conferences.
The questions re garding
Nussmeier have been whether or not he has the ability to
effectively use the weapons
the offense boasts and keep
Brandstater on track to prepare him for a stellar senior
season.
No one will have the answers
to those questions until
September 1.
No matter how many hours
anyone watches practice or
how many ways reporters can
reword questions searching
for clues, no one will know
how the offense will react with
Nussmeier calling the signals.
And that is exactly where the
intrigue lies.
Nussmeier has been forced
to quickly adjust to the coaching rules and regulations in
college sports that he did not
deal with in the NFL.
Although he has coached in
college football before, he has
never been a coordinator.
Being a coordinator puts him
in charge of roughly half the
team and he must combat the
academic issues of all those
young men – players are not
always known for making that
fight easy on their coaches.
“We’ve got academics to deal
with every day,” Nussmeier
said. “We’re constantly making sure we have players in the
right position academically to
graduate and graduate early.
We take great pride here in the
academic progress and academic success of our players.”
Not only are his players
required to be students before
athletes, but, unlike the NFL,
practice time is strictly regulated in college sports.
“That’s one of the most difficult things about this job,”
Nussmeier said. “With the
way the rules are, we are not
allowed to spend time with our
guys [during the summer].”
Even though Nussmeier has
been trying to adjust to a new
city and a new coaching job,
he still appears ready to lead
the offense the best way he
knows how.
That’s not with fancy X’s and
O’s or the trickiest plays he
can draw up, but rather with
his personality.
“Being a good coordinator
has to do with people skills
and your ability to get your
players to play at a high level,”
See OFFENSE, Page 9
Sports
The
Page 12
Collegian
This day in sports history
August 27, 1921
J.E. Clair of Green Bay’s Acme Packing
Company was granted an NFL franchise
and I think we’ve heard enough of them
and their former quarterback this summer!
Sports Editors, Jimmy Graben and Logan Hopkins • [email protected] and [email protected] • Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Fresno State Volleyball
New coach, new attitude
After poor
showing in
2007, Bulldogs
look to turn it
around under
first-year coach
Jimmy Graben
Logan Hopkins
There’s
no BCS
in baseball
“It’s a little intimidating as
a freshman coming into a program like this, but I’m willing
to step up,” Clarke said. “My
individual goals this year are
to work really hard and learn
the new footwork they have
here.”
Netherby-Sewell said there’s
a significant reason why everyone needs to be a leader on the
team this season.
“Not having seniors on the
team is probably our biggest
challenge,” Netherby-Sewell
said. “It’s a struggle for us.
Jim:
My school is a national
champion.
Think about that for a
second and then realize you
can wake up every morning and say that to yourself.
This summer, I found
myself in a state of awe
and amazement watching
the Fresno State baseball
team.
I was there for the
season opener when the
Bulldogs lost to UC Davis
in the rain and cold last
February and I have seen
how much this program
overcame.
Not only did their victory in Omaha rejuvenate
the school, but it united
this entire community.
The Fresno State athletic
community has been given
a huge boost, and even if
you’re a casual sports fan,
you should be excited about
this fall.
Logan:
Seeing the fan excitement over the summer was
astounding.
I was in town during the
College World Series and it
was nothing but fun cheering the Diamond ‘Dogs on
to the university’s first
national title in a men’s
sport.
Bulldog fans really came
together over the summer and should be able to
get back together for fall
sports.
The football team has
already caught most fans’
attention and has been
getting attention in the
national media. They
could be this year’s Bowl
Championship Series
(BCS) buster.
Jim:
But, the sad part about
college football’s current
playoff system is that
there are no such things as
“Cinderella runs.”
The Fresno State football team has no chance
to repeat what its baseball
counterparts did because
the coalition schools dominate every aspect of college
football.
For the Bulldogs to even
have a chance, they have to
stack their schedule with
tough opponents and must
finish the season ranked in
the top 12.
See GERA, Page 10
See PLAYOFF, Page 10
By Lorenzo Reyna
The Collegian
There’s a new focus that’s
sweeping across the North
Gym, and it’s because of
Lauren Netherby-Sewell.
The first-year coach has
installed a new mindset into
the Fresno State volleyball
squad, as they seek to improve
on a dismal last season and
ch a n g e t h e l a n d s c ap e o f
Bulldog volleyball for years to
come.
Coming from Hofstra
U n ive r s i t y i n N ew Yo rk ,
Nertherby-Sewell compiled
a 43-19 record with the Pride,
which included a 26-6 record
in the Colonial Athletic
Association.
She has installed a competitive atmosphere for the volleyball team, where players are
going full speed during 2-on-2
drills and shouting words of
encouragement towards each
other.
“The Main goal is to get
b e t t e r eve r y s i n g l e d ay, ”
Netherby-Sewell said. “They
have a goal of giving a 100 percent effort daily.”
Netherby-Sewell has already
noticed how quickly the girls
have adapted to her.
“It’s been very positive.
The team has been terrific.
Their learning curve has been
quick,” Netherby-Sewell said.
“They’re just responding to
everything we give them. It’s
been a fun thing to have.”
The Bulldogs managed just
five victories last season, a
letdown which inspired them
to shoot for loftier goals this
season.
“More wins and a better
team,” junior Lacey Gera said.
“Chemistry is different. We
were a little off last year, but
this year we are close.”
Gera’s teammate, Tairyn
Rasmussen, has also noticed
the changing atmosphere
inside the North Gym.
“I feel like the girls are giving more energy and effort,”
said the returning sophomore
and all-conference freshman
selection. “With a year like
last year, everybody wants to
turn around.”
Gera and Rasmussen have
already noticed the change in
philosophy for their squad.
“We knew we were going to
be a different team,” Gera said.
“We were a little nervous, but
we adapted to her quickly.”
Catch a RED wave
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Sophomore outside hitter Tairyn Rasmussen (left) was one of the few bright spots on the team in 2007. She was
named to the Western Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team, totaling 153 kills last season.
“When you have a coach like
Lauren, she expects the best,
but at the same time, tells it
how it is,” Rasmussen said.
“She doesn’t sugarcoat anything and tells us how good
we are but where we need to
improve.”
The two volleyball stars
aren’t the only ones getting
used to the change of scenery
in the North Gym.
Two former Buchanan High
standouts have also grasped
along in helping to rebuild a
program.
Freshman Brianna Clarke
tur ned down of fers from
Florida State and conference
rivals Nevada and New Mexico
State to play for the Bulldogs.
“It’s a little more shocking,”
Clarke said. “Buchanan is a
big campus but this is bigger.
Plus this is college.”
Her for mer high school
teammate, and new Bulldog
teammate, Baylee Platt, is also
adjusting to playing at the college level.
“Yes, it’s way different,” Platt
said. “It’s a whole new game.”
The two young Bulldogs have
already been asked by their
new coach to make an immediate impact.