T H E   B U L L D O G   B Y T E

JULY 2004

Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
August 13-29; Athens, Greece.
Fresno State is proud to have two former Bulldogs on the US Olympic Teams: Laura Berg [1998] and Stephen Abas [2004]. Show your Bulldog Pride and support our alumni athletes in Athens!

Softball: Laura Berg
August 14-23; Olympic Softball Stadium; Athens. Former Fresno State softball standout Laura Berg [1998], a two-time Olympic gold medalist [Atlanta, 1996; Sydney, 2000] makes her third trip to the Olympics. Berg, a four-time All-American, is also a three-time Pan American Games gold medalist and a three-time ISF World Champion. She was named Outstanding Alumna for Athletics by the Fresno State Alumni Association at the Top Dog Alumni Awards Gala in 2003.

PLAY LAURA BERG TRIBUTE VIDEO

RECENT UPDATE from LAURA BERG [#44] at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA: "For the last leg of our Aiming for Athens Softball Tour, we hit northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia and Kansas. We went to a San Diego Padre game. There, we were introduced before the game and sang “Take me out to the Ball Game.” Let’s just say none of will make “American Idol,” but we had fun.  So far we have won all our games and are 40-0.  We have one road trip left before leaving for Greece. 

Until next time, take care and God Bless. And, Go Bulldogs!"

Wrestling: Stephen Abas
August 22-29; Ano Liossia Olympic Hall; Athens. Former Fresno State grappler Stephen Abas [2004], a three-time NCAA Champion [1999, 2001, 2002], a four-time All-American [1998, 1999, 2001, 2002] and a Pan-American gold medalist [2003] makes his first trip to the Olympics.  He is also a World Cup Champion [2002] and winner of the Titan Games [2003]. Abas was named Fresno State's Male Athlete of the Year in both 1999 and 2001.

PLAY STEPHEN ABAS TRIBUTE VIDEO

RECENT UPDATE from STEPHEN ABAS at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO: "After the Olympic Trials I took a 10-day break to rest and recoup. Now I’m working out with the coaches and doing drills every morning and afternoon. I begin camp [Official Olympic Training Camp] on July 11. There, the entire team and I will be hitting it hard, preparing for Athens.

Thanks for the support. Go Dogs!"

SEND NOTES OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT:
Please send to LAURA BERG and/or STEPHEN ABAS: FRESNO STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | Smittcamp Alumni House | 2526 E. Keats Ave. | SH124 | Fresno | CA | 93740-8000.
 

 FSAA Upcoming Events

Bulldog Family Camp
August 15-21; Wonder Valley Ranch, Sanger. Fabulous fun for the entire family! Take the most memorable vacation you’ll ever experience. Details online. Special discounts for FSAA Members! Call toll-free: [800] 821-2801.

FSAA Annual Meeting!
Wednesday, August 25 at 6:00 PM; Smittcamp Alumni House at Fresno State. Reception immediately following meeting. Come and learn more about how to get involved: chapters, volunteer opportunities, committees and events. Please RSVP by August 24 to [559] 278-4577.

“Remember the Good Times!”: Bulldog Wall Clocks
The Fresno State Alumni Association recently placed special clocks in the Save Mart Center at Fresno State. The red-and-white face clocks with blue accents are battery-operated and atomically-set. The face of each clock reads: "Remember the Good Times! GO DOGS!" [ Pictured right: Fred Valentino, Robin Schneider, Mark Olson and Christopher Healy | Pictured left: Travis Huff]. A total of 72 clocks were hung with the assistance from student volunteers. Souvenir clocks are also available for $45 each, including shipping and handling. Call [559] 278-ALUM to order your clock today!

SAVE THE DATES:
FSAA Chapter-Sponsored Events
Saturday, September 18: EOP Chapter Scholarship Luncheon | September 24: Chicano Alumni Chapter Havana Nights | September 26: Music Alumni Chapter Concert | October 7: Business Chapter Wine Tasting | October 14: Education Chapter Wine & Cheese Tasting. Details and tickets will be online, soon. [559] 278-ALUM.

SAVE THE DATE:
Top Dog Alumni Awards Gala
Thursday, October 28, Location to be determined. Join the Fresno State Alumni Association, Bulldogs, friends and 70 student scholarship recipients for an evening honoring this year's Top Dogs of Fresno State! Additional information will be announced in September.

TOP DOG sponsorship opportunities available!
Please contact LETICIA REYNA CANO at [559] 278-ALUM.

SAVE THE DATE: Homecoming 2004
Saturday, October 30, Fresno State vs. SMU, Bulldog Stadium. Join Fresno State Bulldogs for a tailgate, appearances from Time Out, the Fresno State Cheerleaders and the Fresno State Marching Band. More details will be announced in September.

HOMECOMING sponsorship opportunities available!
Please contact LETICIA REYNA CANO at [559] 278-ALUM.

Pave Your Way! Buy a Brick!
Make a lasting impression with a personalize brick for the Commemorative Brick Courtyard of the Smittcamp Alumni House. Priced at $100 and $250 each, all orders include a special  brick paperweight, shown right! Order a brick online today! Details: [559] 278-2761.

Fresno State Alumni Merchandise: Available at the Bulldog Shop, the Kennel Bookstore and the Save Mart Center
Show your Bulldog Loyalty and wear your Bulldog Pride. FSAA members can save 10% on "Red Wave" clothing, too! Online at Bulldog Shop and Kennel Bookstore.

Keep Practicing the
Alma Mater and Fight Song!
Join all Fresno State Bulldogs in singing the Alma Mater and Fight Song! [Download the sheet music to the Alma Mater and Fight Song!] “Thy sons and daughters hail thee great, Our Alma Mater Fresno State!”

[PLAY] Alma Mater   |   [PLAY] Fight Song
 

Beat the heat at Gateway Ice Center!
Special “2-for-1” admission rate for all FSAA members. Meet Snowball [right], the official mascot of Gateway Ice Center. When it’s 100 degrees outside, it’s only 55 degrees inside! [Valid FSAA membership card required for "2-for-1" discount!] For details, call [559] 277-2233.

Marsh Affinity Groups
Let your FSAA Membership work for you! Auto, dental, health, home and vision insurance policies at special, reduced rates. Call [888] 560-ALUM for information. Powered HealthInsurance.com.

University Theatre:
2004-05 Season
Includes “Hayfever,” “Extremities,” “Rhinoceros,” “Rumors,” the Portable Dance Troupe, and “Henry VI, Part I.” Season tickets are $60. Save $10 with a FSAA membership. Call 559 278-2216.
 

Did you know?
The Fresno State Alumni Association [FSAA] allocates 10% of annual membership fees to a Student Scholarship Endowment Fund! For 2004-05, the FSAA will award 70 scholarships totaling $80,000 to students based on academic achievement and financial need. The FSAA leads all of the alumni associations of the 23 campuses of the CSU system with student scholarship giving!

Support students and Fresno State!
Join the Fresno State Alumni Association today!

Brooke Tinnin is a third generation Fresno State Bulldog! Her parents, Lee and Debby Tinnin, and her grandmother, Florine Tinnin, all graduated from Fresno State. A junior majoring in liberal studies, Brooke has been accepted into the Early Childhood Education Credential Program. “My FSAA scholarship helps me pay for books and tuition” she said. “Thank you for helping me complete my education.” She is also a member of Alpha Delta Chi.

Christopher Rusca comes from a Fresno State Bulldog family! Chris’ father, Rodney Rusca, Sr.; and sister, Tracy, graduated from Fresno State. His brother, Rodney Rusca, Jr., is also a senior attending Fresno State. Chris, a junior majoring in accounting, is a Craig Scholar, a member of Sigma Chi and was elected as a senator-at-large with the Associated Students. “The FSAA is helping pay for my books this semester,” he said. “Thank you for selecting me for this scholarship.”

Support students and Fresno State!
Join the Fresno State Alumni Association today!
 

19^th Annual Summer Arts Program
Through July 24, Fresno State. The program features two-week workshops in theatre, dance, music, visual arts, creative writing, new media and arts education. For details and information, please call: [559] 241-6090.

Excellence by Design!
The third edition of “Fresno State”– a handsome, full-color, 32-page magazine of news and feature stories about people and programs at the university– has been published and distributed. Issues are distributed to FSAA members!

The Lipizzaner Stallions
Saturday, July 31. Call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS for tickets.

Incubus
Wednesday, August 11. For tickets, call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS.

Alan Jackson with Martina McBride
Thursday, August 12. Call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS for tickets.

Van Halen
Saturday, August 14. For tickets, call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS.

Hilary Duff with Haylie Duff
Wednesday, September 1. Call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS for tickets.

American Idol: Season 3
Friday, September 25. For tickets, call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS.

NBA Exhibition:
LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings.
Tuesday, October 19. Call [559] 347-3400 or [559] 485-TIXS for tickets.

PLEASE NOTE: All Dates/Times/Events subject to change.
Log on to SAVEMARTCENTER.COM for details.
 

fresnostatenews.com

President Welty Honored
by Yerevan State University
President John D. Welty and Fresno State were commended for the university’s academic relationship with Yerevan State University in Armenia last month. Welty was presented with the Yerevan State’s Gold Medal, the institution’s highest award. Fresno State and Yerevan State conduct a faculty development program.

Juan Felipe Herrera: “Coralito’s Bay”
Nationally recognized author and Chair of the Chicano Latino Studies Department at Fresno State, Juan Felipe Herrera, has released his new Spanish-bilingual children’s book, “Coralito’s Bay.” It’s the story of a young boy’s underwater adventures through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Jesse Arreguin:
New Director of Development
Jesse Arreguin, the former Executive Director of the Fresno Regional Foundation, has been named the Director of Development for the College of Social Sciences and the College of Arts and Humanities.

2004 Female Athlete of the Year: Jelena Pandzic
Freshmen Jelena Pandzic [Tennis] has been selected as Fresno State’s Female Athlete of the Year. With a 29-2 record, Pandzic reached the national championship match of the NCAA Singles Tournement, farther that any other Bulldog in history.

2004 Male Athlete of the Year: Richie Robnett
Sophomore Richie Robnett [Baseball] was selected as Fresno State’s Male Athlete of the Year. He was recently the 26^th overall pick by the Oakland A’s in the first round of Major League Baseball’s Amateur Draft. Was also named a “Louisville Slugger” second-team All-American.

Bulldog Foundation Launches New Website
The Bulldog Foundation has a new look and a new web address. View bulldogfoundation.org.  The BDF promotes education through student-athlete scholarships and supports a comprehensive athletic program.

Former Bulldog: Amanda Scott
Amanda Scott, a former Fresno State softball All-America pitcher/utility was selected to the inaugural National Pro Fastpitch East All-Star Team. She is a member of the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut.

Fresno State Signs with Nike
Fresno State Athletics Director Scott Johnson has announced that Bulldog student-athletes will begin wearing Nike apparel and shoes with the 2004-05 academic year. The multi-sport arrangement is the first of its kind for Fresno State.

The Bulldog Report: KMPH 107.5 FM
Saturdays, from 11 AM to 12 Noon. An all-new talk radio program features all Fresno State sports. Hosted by Dana Greene and Lee Lockhart.

Log on to GOBULLDOGS.COM for tickets and additional information on Bulldog Athletics!

Amanda Holder [1999] has accepted a position of Sales Marketing Manager for WBBM, a CBS affiliate, in Chicago, IL. She is a Life Member in the FSAA.

Brandon Molale [1996] appears as Blazer in the feature film, "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." Molale, who played football at Fresno State, has also appeared several times on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Carol [Robertson] Chandler [1971] has been appointed as a new member of the California State University Board of Trustees by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger [R-Calif.]. Chandler, a Life Member in the FSAA, is a partner in Chandler Farms and has been involved with California Women in Agriculture for more than 25 years.

Caty Massey, an FSAA Member, has been named the 2004 Women of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is currently a graduate student in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at Fresno State.

Earl Smittcamp [1939] and his son, William [1975], of Wawona Frozen Foods, have been given the 2004 Central California Excellence in Business Award for Agriculture. The "Smittcamp Alumni House," home to the Fresno State Alumni Association and the "Smittcamp Family Honors College" at Fresno State were named for the Smittcamp Family. Both Earl and Bill are Life Members in the FSAA.

Enoch Gamoian [1987] has been named the new Web Manager for Fresno State. For the past five years, Gamoian was the West Coast Web Manager for Granite Broadcasting which operates KSEE 24, an NBC affiliate. In 1999 and 2000, Granite won the Associated Press Award for Best Television Web Site.

Gina [Hill] Meyers [1994] has written "The Magic of Bewitched: Trivia and More." Meyers also serves as President of The Magic of Bewitched Fan Club.

Les [Leslie Marderosian] Marsden [1978] is the Founding Music Director and Conductor of the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra.

Monte Francis [2004] has won an Emmy Award for Best Serious News Feature Series for “Surviving the Unthinkable.” He is a reporter for KSEE 24, the Fresno-based NBC affiliate.

Norval Pohl [1965, 1967], serves as the President of the University of North Texas. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Fresno State.

Sarah Ellen Joynt [1995] has joined the Actors Equity Association as an actor/stage manager and is stage managing for the Hothouse series at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.

Scott Johnson [2000], Athletics Director of Fresno State, was honored by the Fresno Convention and Visitor's Bureau for attracting amateur athletic events to Fresno.

Steven Schmidt [1977] has been named Deputy Director of the Dryden Flight Research Center. He has been employed by NASA since 1994 and also serves on the President's Commission on the Moon, Mars and Beyond.

Susan Yates [1974], Athletics Director for Fresno City College, was honored by the Fresno Convention and Visitor's Bureau for attracting amateur athletic events to Fresno.

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