USU hires Vintage Days 2004 coordinators

By Eisa Al-Nashmi

University Student Union officials have announced the new student coordinators for Vintage Days 2004, an annual festival at Fresno State serving the students and the community.

Amy Armstrong, a Fresno State student, liked what she saw when she volunteered to help out with Kids Day during the previous Vintage Days. Armstrong along with her friend Molly Fagundes are now the new Kids Day coordinators for Vintage Days 2004.

“ When I heard that I was chosen to be a coordinator, I got excited because I really wanted to be part of it," Armstrong said.

Armstrong is very motivated and said she is ready to start planning her event.

“ I will try my best to hold the articulate standards of the past Vintage Days,” she said.

During the past two weeks, Frankie Moore, student leadership and activities adviser, held two sets of interviews with 22 students. Fourteen students were chosen as coordinators and were divided up into eight committees.

Moore said the purpose of the interviews was to get general information about the students, see if they have new ideas about how to get more students involved in Vintage Days and what they can do to improve the annual event.

“ The 14 new coordinators were the ones that stood out the most,” Moore said. “We thought they could do the job they applied for.”

The coordinators will begin their work on Oct. 10 to 12 when they attend a retreat. The retreat is an educational process for the coordinators.

Moore said every coordinator will be matched with a professional staff or faculty member.

“ The professionals will serve as mentors to help them organize and plan the event and to develop their budget,” she said.

During the retreat, the coordinators will also come up with the theme and colors for Vintage Days 2004.

Even though the coordinators are volunteers, Moore said she is expecting positive results from this group.

“ I want them to come up with creativity, excitement and lots of ideas,” she said. “I also want them to come up with an eagerness to do their job.”

Roberto Gomez, Vintage Days director, said he expects the coordinators to be full of enthusiasm to get things done.

Gomez has been involved with Vintage Days for the past three years. He was a committee member for a year and a coordinator for two years.

“ I am going to look out for them,” Gomez said. “I want them to feel comfortable with each other and to accomplish their goals,” he said.

The coordinators are Amanda Gettman and Christine Tacotaco for the Boomtown Carnival, Jasmine Franklin for Crafts Faire, Gina Irvin and Saloni Parekh for Casino Night, Molly Fagundes and Amy Armstrong for Kids Day, Priscilla Villalobos and Bernique Fondern for special events, Richelle Yanes and Rodolfo Cardenas for the concerts, Chris Gouveia and Inga Lukaviciute will be in charge of Development and Constance Leung for publicity.

Moore said they are now taking applications for students who want to work with the coordinators as sub-committee members. Students can submit their application any time during this semester.

Vintage Days 2004 will be held April 15 to 18.

“ We want everyone to join and be part of it,” Moore said.