Fresno State Associate Students Inc. (ASI) are allowing students to trade in their other campus university shirts for ASI Fresno State shirts. The shirts are part of a program to boost Fresno State pride on campus.
Those wishing to trade in their old shirts may take them to the ASI office room 317, which is located on the third floor of the University Student Union.
Tara Powers-Mead, director of university affairs for ASI, has described the exchange as an “upgrade.” She said students were dissatisfied over how often they saw other students wearing rival college’s clothing on campus. It is through this program that they hope to turn all of that around.
“They’re pretty cool,” Powers-Mead said.
She said that most of the shirts were given away last year. They hope to find ways to start giving out more. Originally, the shirts sported the ASI logo on the front. Since then, they have started giving out a new updated shirt to students.
“There is only one shirt available which reads “I Am a Fresno State Bulldog” across the front and has a paw print located on the lower back side,” ASI President Jessica Sweeten said.
Sweeten said they have given out about 50 shirts since the program started in Fall 2008.
While other programs are being cut because of budget issues, they do not see this one being cut anytime soon. “The program is dependent on annual budgets. As for now we expect the program to continue into the next year,” Sweeten said.
Sweeten said that students have been receptive to the idea of the program. “Those who participate, like the program. It allows students to ‘upgrade’ old T-shirts and help promote student pride. The returned shirts are then donated to the Bulldog Pantry,” Sweeten said.
The Bulldog Pantry is a program started in 2007 ran by Fresno State volunteers. They provide groceries and other necessities to students and families around campus. So far, the program has reached 5,206 families.
History major Stephen Bohegian believes there is immense bulldog spirit on campus.
“It seems that everyone has a deep pride for the school and its teams,” Bohegian said. “It’s impossible to go a day, even if you have one class, without seeing a sweatshirt or some kind of school pride.”
While Bohegian can sense there will be some sports fans that will be unwilling to trade in their shirts.
“There’s always going to be resistance from the people who are, for some reason, like die hard USC fans,” Bohegian said. “But honestly, they really aren’t Bulldog fans if they go around sporting their Chico State sweatshirts all the time. I think for some people, it’ll definitely help, other people will be resistant.”
