Letters to the editor discuss the Brain Drain piece of Apil 9.

Journalist and alumna ‘dumbfounded’ at story

I am not a student, but a Fresno State alum, and a current lecturer in the department of mass communication and journalism.

I am also a journalist writing in anger and disappointment after reading Kyle Lazarus’ article titled “Brain Drain.â€Â Quite frankly, the article was offensive.

The article blames the diversification and multiculturalism of Fresno State for its “plummetingâ€Â image and inability to attract desirable students.

Are you serious?

I am dumbfounded that you would publish this piece as “newsâ€Â on the front page. It belonged in the opinion section instead.

I got my Master’s degree at Fresno State. I was a 4.0 student and graduated at the top of my class. Oh, I happen to be a “doubleâ€Â minority — an Asian-American woman.

I hardly think I dragged down Fresno State̢۪s collective image.

Did you consider there might be other things deterring top prospective students? How about the fact that Fresno State̢۪s priority has long been to invest in athletics over academics?

That̢۪s still evident in the proposed $70 fee increase per semester, $50 of which would go to athletics.

Or how about the fact that Fresno State has had one embarrassing gender discrimination lawsuit after another? That could tarnish one̢۪s image pretty badly.

Oh, and by the way, the UC system’s minority population is as high as 61 percent at places like UC Berkeley and UCLA. How do they manage to continue to attract quality students, whereas Fresno State is “suffering?â€Â

A hint: it̢۪s not about black and white.

Christine Park
Lecturer
Mass Communication and Journalism

‘Brain Drain’ in want of objectivity, clarification

The April 9 “Brain Drainâ€Â piece was offensive and unfounded.

The piece gave the impression that because there has been an increase in diversification, there has also been a decline in academic performance with lines such as, “Unfortunately for the university, a side effect of mass acceptance emerged.â€Â

Writing something that implies that a diversified Fresno State became dumber is not a valid comparison. It is something that you simply cannot prove. The decline can be attributed to so many other factors.

The quotes used seem neutral and harmless but the sentences that preceded or followed were merely opinion.

“Students left the Fresno area for other institutions, without even considering Fresno State.â€Â

Says who?

I want to know where and how you know that they are not even considering it. Perhaps they got into Harvard — maybe they did consider Fresno State but never submitted the application.

How do you know that once in the university they will maintain their good academic standing? How do you know they had it in the first place?

Are they not going to Fresno State because of minorities? The quotes used do not tell me that it happened because of minorities.

I am a minority and I refuse to accept that I have something to do with the academic decline and that race has anything to do with intellect.

I am certain that this does not reflect The Collegian̢۪s points of view, but I wanted to point out that it came off as offensive.

Sandra Sedano
Student
Mass Communication and Journalism

With discussion, story did what ‘was intended’

I was one of those white kids (if Armenian is indeed white) who chose Fresno State over a UC school in the late 1970s, when the campus was overwhelmingly white and suburban and, might I add, a little boring.

I am also the lecturer who assigned and edited the “Brain Drainâ€Â story, which has been criticized in some quarters as racially insensitive.

The story was one of three in a series examining the changing ethnic face of Fresno State, a profound demographic, socio-economic and cultural shift over the past 25 years.

The series highlighted Asian and Latino students who have overcome great odds to become some of the best and brightest on campus.

But it also delved into some of the challenges presented by diversity, such as more and more students who were not strong performers in high school and are still struggling to grasp basic English.

The notion that too many average students are gaining acceptance to Fresno State is now part of public perception.

This helps explain why so many top high school students in the Valley — white, Asian, Latino and black — no longer give the school a second look.

This is what the series attempted to dig out.

Its execution was not perfect, but only a tortured reading would conclude that it was racially insensitive.

Ultimately, the series did what it was intended to do: provoke discussion on an important change that all of us can see so plainly, but so few of us dare to talk about.

Mark Arax
Lecturer
Mass Communication and Journalism