So I was perusing the FresnoStatenews.com Web site some time back to see just what we as a campus are doing to “power the new California.” Turns out, there actually is a lot of news that is pretty cool and interesting that we wouldn’t otherwise know without logging on to the site.

As I̢۪m scrolling down, I notice the gray sidebar filled with little featurettes, such as a photo gallery of the campus, a FresnoState magazine ad and info about the library. I̢۪ll get back to my main point about the sidebar in a sec, but for now, it̢۪s go off on a short tangent time. Sorry, it̢۪s one of my patented moves.

Halfway down the gray bar my eyes see a national championship trophy under an “Enjoy A Memento Of Bulldog History!â€Â sign. To make a short story shorter, I download this replica version of the trophy, expecting it to be a paper version of the real deal, size and all. Needless to say, a minimal amount of ink later and I’m cutting out and folding up this version that is maybe 1/30th the size of the real thing. Think Costco-sample sized.

It reminded me of when I went to an MLB game sometime back on free baseball glove day. Good thing I didn̢۪t go to the game for the promotion, because a plastic five-inch glove is just insulting.

So sure, the trophy was a letdown, but I wanted my national championship trophy, regardless of how many “insert tabs into slits; then foldsâ€Â I had to do. I realize most people would probably have crumbled and tossed it in the trash in disgust, but I am not most people. In typical me fashion, I worked diligently to promptly finish my well-deserved trophy, so I could hold it above my head and run a lap around the office in victory.

OK, back to Main Street. Also on the gray bar was the theme of the next set of blogs I’ll be doing for the foreseeable future, with the possibility of other topics getting face time as well in between—the top 10 things that make Fresno State unique. Whether or not they are actually the top 10 things doesn’t matter. I’m going to address them and expand on their uniqueness.

First up to bat is topic number 10: Richness in culture, creativity and diversity. As a teaser (or perhaps torture for some) to the full and extended version later to come, it mentions that the residents of our Valley speak more than 120 languages. More than?! More than five would have been enough to warrant an exclamation point from me. Take that Rosetta Stone and your measly 31 languages. You better get back to work and create some new software.

Nevertheless, I found this to be interesting stuff. I figure now that after only slightly exposing you to what topic 10 has to offer, I̢۪m sure you̢۪ll need a few days to recover. Next time we meet, it̢۪ll be game on with topic 10.

If you̢۪ve got nothing to do until then, perhaps you can learn one of the 120 languages. Apparently, you don̢۪t have to go far to find them.