THE COLLEGIAN • NEWS
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2017
‘It’s about showing students that your voice matters’
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EQUALITY
STUDENT GOVERNMENT from Page 1 “I came to love Fresno State. I did not want to come here but now that I’m here, I absolutely love it,” Haider said. “I want everyone else to have that same amount of joy and excitement when they come on campus.” Zante said he admires how connected students become when when they’re part of bigger things at Fresno State. When talking to students he said he sees how much of an impact they are giving back to themselves and those around them. “All kinds of students here are either starting a new legacy as a first-generation college student,” Zante said, “or they’re following [a legacy] that their parents or family were Bulldogs.” Zante said he is also planning a community interfaith event in the spring with different local religious leaders as an opportunity to showcase diverse beliefs among students. By reaching out to many students, Zante said, he hopes differences can be used to unify the students throughout their academic journey. He hopes the diversity of the campus can showcase how each person plays a part. “We have students from so many different cultural groups, so many backgrounds. We have students who have different ideas, ways of thought,” Zante said. “When we bring that together, it’s like a beautiful mosaic.”
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Daniel Avalos • The Collegian
Crowd gathers to rally against racism across the street from the Tower Theater on Aug. 26, 2017. The crowd joined together with chants and picket signs.
Rallying through peace, Fresno State protesters stand against hate By Razmik Cañas @Raz_Canas
As Charlottesville, Virginia recovers from racial violence, Fresno’s Tower District bloomed Saturday morning with unity at a rally against white supremacy. “I wish all the rallies are as well-organized and coordinated as this one,” said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. The event involving more than 200 people ended with the same intentions of both organizers and law enforcement: peacefully. Dyer said he was happy to see the public interacting well with law enforcement. The chief was welcomed by many handshakes, pictures and “thank yous.” “We met with the organizers and found out what they want - and what their expectations are,” Dyer said. “Then we shared
with them what our expectations are and how we can help them have a safe event.” One of the rally organizers, Simone Cranston-Rhodes, took part in planning the rally after seeing the different racial issues occurring across the country. “Our rally was organized in response to the events in Charlottesville and the white supremacist rallies that are happening across the nation,” Cranston-Rhodes said. She preferred the Tower District as the backdrop for an event where individuals came and reflected on their differences. “We wanted to provide something in Fresno where people could come and stand up for love, unity and peace against white supremacy,” Cranston-Rhodes said. Fresno State student Harrison Schmitt, a psychology major, and his two friends came to the event with signs in hand. He said he knew he had to stand up for those individuals who are not having their voices
heard. “I think that the three of us have an immense amount of privilege being white individuals, and I think it’s really important that we show our support and we don’t stay silent,” Schmitt said. Fellow student Micah Olivas, a biochemistry major, said he came to the rally with the intentions of highlighting the racial tension and promoting diversity. “To enjoy freedom, we must be all-inclusive,” Olivas said. “Having this kind of conversation to become more of our national dialogue is really when change starts to take off.” The event included speeches by different cultural leaders from the community and various musical performances. “There are more people who stand up for civil rights and liberties for everybody in the United States than there are people who are white supremacist,” Cranston-Rhodes said.
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HUMANS OF FRESNO STATE from Page 1 ing the new guys the ropes,” Cardoso said. It’s humor and energy that helped Cardoso facilitate the morning ice breakers. This new leadership role has helped him to grow as a person, he said. “Personally, I gained the ability to talk to people. I learned how to talk to people, how to relate to people more and just kind of not to judge people. Everyone is coming from a different place and a different background,” Cardoso said. Maya Castellanos, orientation leader and junior, used her major in deaf education as a subject of interest to connect with her group of freshmen. “There was one girl that didn’t really know a lot about deaf education but decided that she wanted to major in it,” Castellanos said. “That was pretty exciting for me to see somebody that might follow into my career path.” Castellanos also offered advice to incoming students on their first year at Fresno State. Castellanos said that although it sounds
Briana Rose Hernandez Daniel Avalos • The Collegian
cliche, she hopes the the students get involved and find their niche at Fresno State. “It’s such a big campus, but if they can find that one club, that one department that they really click with, then they get involved and make their mark here.” Castellanos said.
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