Spring/Summer 2009 - California State University, East Bay

president’ s messageThe University ofImaginationlooking aheadArts and culture are the soul and truest expression of a society, no matter howtechnologically advanced. Thus, in addition to our central role in the economic life ofour region, Cal State East Bay continues building upon its remarkable legacy as a culturalcontributor. The spring issue of Cal State East Bay Magazine celebrates this essential role andthe achievements of some of our distinguished alumni, faculty, and students in the arts.In reading about their lifework, what emerges is a compelling story of creativity,innovation, and multicultural expression — hallmarks of the Cal State East Bayexperience — contributing immeasurably to the quality of life in the Bay Areaand far beyond. Our cover story about alumnus Gene Yang, who created thefirst graphic novel selected as a National Book Award finalist and a serializedNew York Times magazine comic strip — all while teaching at an East Bayhigh school — illustrates the richness and complexity of this theme.You’ll also read about the work of actor Hope Tuck-Goblirsh in theAcademy Award-nominated film “Milk,” gifted musician Ayn Inserto’sinnovative jazz big band compositions, Aaron Florez’s cutting edgeanimation at DreamWorks, and the inspirational story of Betty Gadling,music director at Oakland’s Allen Temple Baptist Church, who earnedher CSUEB degree in her 60s. And reading about the University’sproduction of “Tongues” — a one-of-a-kind blend of theater, dance,and music selected for this year’s prestigious Kennedy Center AmericanCollege Theater Festival — reminds us that our students’ work in the artshas national impact.Finally, I hope you’ll appreciate as much as I the second installment in ourseries about the University’s “Beats, Physics and the Mind” freshmanlearning community. Among other possibilities, this diverse group ofstudents includes several aspiring musicians who may one day go on to beCSUEB’s next generation of cultural contributors.Today, Cal State East Bay is reshaping itself as a center of science,technology, engineering, and math education in response to dramaticallychanging societal needs and economic challenges. At the same time,however, the arts are not only thriving here, but are also an essential elementof our vision for the future. What’s the connection? The answer is simple:Achieving our vision for the future requires that the Cal State East Bay of thenext 50 years be a center of creativity and innovation — a university ofimagination — as much, if not more, than in its first half century.PHOTO SAM WILLARDLOOKING AHEADNew, green fitness center on trackto become student life focal pointBy fall 2010, a new and green focalpoint for student life, the CSUEBRecreation and Wellness Center,will debut on the Hayward campus.Featuring an indoor track, basketballcourts, and plenty of space forhealth education activities, the Recreationand Wellness Center will go upnear the intersection of South Loop andHarder roads, across the street from thePioneer Heights student apartments.The building design incorporates manyeco-friendly materials and systems.Work at the site is slated tostart in late spring with demolitionof the vacant Student ServicesHub. Construction of the new centerwill commence during the summer.The 56,000-square-foot Recreationand Wellness Center will house amulti-court gymnasium; elevated joggingtrack; fitness center; multipurposefitness and activity rooms for aerobics,martial arts and dancing; locker rooms;juice bar; and administrative offices. Thecenter also will host intramural sportssuch as basketball, volleyball, and badminton,and fitness programs such asweight training.Construction is scheduled to begin during thesummer on the 56,000-square-foot Recreation andWellness Center on the Hayward Campus.“It’s going to be an exciting andlively place for students,” says BobWilliams, executive director of AssociatedStudents Inc. “Students willcome to the center to work out, hangout, relax, and socialize in a buildingthat is friendly to the environment.”The center will be a significant componentof CSUEB President Mo Qayoumi’splan for creating a more vibrant universityvillage, a key University objective.“The Recreation and WellnessCenter will contribute greatlyto campus life, as it will encourageinteraction between studentsof all backgrounds,” Qayoumi says.An important component of theRecreation and Wellness Center willbe a partnership with the University’sStudent Health Center, which willprovide ongoing health and wellnesseducation programs, body mass testing,massage therapy and other programs.An outdoor adventure center will offerinformation about activities such askayaking, hiking, and camping. Outdoorequipment also will be available.“We want to be a one-stop shopto give a holistic, well-rounded experiencethat allows students to seethe connection between a healthybody and academics,” CSUEB healtheducator Jennifer Miranda says.The Recreation and Wellness Centerwill be notable not only for whatit will house but how it will be built.“(Construction will) embrace CalState East Bay’s mission for creating amodel sustainable campus,” says project supervisorUniversity Planner Jim Zavagno.Sustainable design features includea green roof and cool roof systems, waterefficient landscaping using reclaimed water,and an orientation that takes advantageof natural lighting. A specially designedwall that absorbs heat, combinedwith natural ventilation features, willhelp keep the building cool during theday and help heat the facility at night.Construction of the $32 millionfacility will be financed through studentfees established in consultation withASI and other student groups in 2007.“The center will be an outstandinginvestment for Cal State East Bay,”Williams says. “It will be enjoyed by ourstudents and will be a source of pride foranyone who is environmentally-aware.” nMohammad “Mo” QayoumiBY BARRY ZEPELPresident4 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 5

university newsUNIVERSITY NEWSNASA $1.4 M grant funds CSUEB,county effort to lift high school science educationScience professorJeffery Seitz says he’slong believed that theUnited States shouldproduce the world’sbrightest top scientists,as was once the case.With fewer studentsin the state and nationpursuing degrees and Jeffery Seitzcareers in the sciences, however, the U.S. ranksnear the bottom of the pack.A two-year, $1.4 million grant from NASAwill help Seitz, chair of Cal State East Bay’sDepartment of Earth and Environmental Science,and his colleagues improve science education athigh schools in Alameda County as they work toturn the tide.The NASA LIFTOFF grant, awarded to theAlameda County Office of Education March 31, isdesigned to transform science teaching at a dozenhigh schools. Seitz and three Cal State East Baycolleagues — chemistry professor Danika LeDuc,physics professor Jason Singley, and biologyprofessor Caron Inouye — will collaborate withACOE on the project. The acronym LIFTOFFstands for Learning Inspires FundamentalTransformation by Opening up Future Frontiers.The CSUEB educators will use NASAmission data and research, aided by participationfrom the space agency’s top scientists, to trainapproximately 25 Alameda County schoolsscience teachers about “how to make science morerelevant and fun to high school age students,”Seitz said.“My hope is that we can capture theimagination of more students who would thenconsider science as a career option,” Seitz said.PHOTO BARRY ZEPEL“Future jobs in California will depend on apopulation that is trained in science, engineering,and mathematics. Projected career opportunitiesare going to be in the areas of biotechnology,environmental science, and green technology.”The project’s mission calls for creation of highschool classrooms where teachers and studentsactively engage in NASA mission research withNASA scientists and specially trained high schoolscience faculty. For the past 10 years, the East BayScience Project, led by Seitz, has helped promoteteaching of the sciences at area K-12 schools.“This innovative project is at the veryfrontiers of science and technology,” said CalState East Bay President Mo Qayoumi, whohas committed the University to becomingone of the CSU’s pre-eminent campuses in theteaching of science, technology, engineering, andmathematics. “(The LIFTOFF grant) builds uponour successful partnerships with NASA and theAlameda County Office of Education to advanceteaching and learning of science in our secondaryschools.” n BZHosseini, 44, a native of Afghanistan, began writing“The Kite Runner” — his first novel — while practicingmedicine in Northern California in 2001. It waspublished two years later to international acclaim, sellingapproximately 10 million copies in 48 countries. Thestory, assigned reading for all CSUEB freshmen in 2006,was adapted into a major motion picture in 2007. Alsoin 2007, Hosseini’s second novel, “A Thousand SplendidSuns,” met with international success in 25 countries.“As a writer, Khaled Hosseini has a special insightand talent for humanizing the people and events thathave taken place in Afghanistan,” says Cal State EastBay President Mo Qayoumi, who also is a native ofAfghanistan. “Mr. Hosseini is highly accomplished in avariety of areas and is an inspiration to all he encounters.”The 51-year-old Kriens, who earned a BA in economicsfrom Cal State East Bay, served as chief executiveofficer of Sunnyvale-based Juniper Networks from thecompany’s inception in 1996 until September. As CEO,Kriens grew Juniper into a multi-billion dollar corporahonorarydoctorates forrenowned novelist, Internet pioneer, and regional philanthropistThree distinguished community members — abest-selling author, an Internet pioneer, and an educationadvocate — will receive honorary doctorates fromCSUEB and the California State University system atcommencement ceremonies June 13 and 14.The following individuals will be recognized:• Dr. Khaled Hosseini, author of the best-selling novel“The Kite Runner,” will be awarded an honorarydoctor of fine arts degree during commencementceremonies for the College of Letters, Arts, andSocial Sciences.• Scott Kriens ’79, chairman of the board fornetworking leader Juniper Networks, will receive anhonorary doctorate degree of humane letters atceremonies for the College of Business and Economics.• Leo Fontana, longtime Contra Costa Countybusinessman and philanthropist, will be presented anhonorary doctorate of humane letters at thecommencement ceremonies at the CSUEBConcord Campus.Khaled HosseiniScott KriensLeo Fontanation conducting business in about 100 countries andemploying approximately 7,000 people.“Not only has he been a great innovator and visionary,Mr. Kriens has been a great supporter — financially andotherwise — of Cal State East Bay and higher education,”Qayoumi says.Fontana, 85, has been a force in the communitygrowth of Antioch and surrounding Eastern ContraCosta County for some 60 years, and was instrumentalin transforming the city with development of the CountyEast Mall, East County Bank, Delta Memorial Hospital,and the Antioch Senior Center. As a philanthropist,Fontana has helped hundreds of young Antioch residentswith his guidance, mentoring, and financial support.“As a native of Antioch, I, among many others, wouldnever have been able to attend college if not for theencouragement, employment, and mentoring providedby Leo Fontana,” said Bob Linscheid, a trustee of the CSUsystem who also is president and CEO of The LinscheidCompany Inc. of Chico. n BZPHOTO JOHN DOLANuniversity news6 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 7

featuresfeatureda bornstorytellerTHE ABCs OF GRAPHIC NOVELIST ANDNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST GENE YANG ’03As Gene Luen Yang ’03 scans the shelves at a big chain bookstore near his Fremont homesearching for the graphic novels aisle, he doesn’t look much older than some of the kidsand young adults who clamor for his award-winning comic books. Author-illustratorYang keeps his straight black hair trimmed short, wears contemporary rimless glasses anda zip-up brown sweater over canvas pants. Sneakers, backpack, and a smile that comes easilycomplete his look.It’s an endearingly boyish style that doesn’t tip off fellow bookstore patrons that a literary light browses amongthem. His youthful enthusiasm for the genre that has won him national acclaim is no giveaway either.“They have ‘Dragonball Z,’” says Yang, 35, snatching a bound comic book off the shelf as colorful pages flutteropen. “This character actually is based on the Monkey King. They’re making a live action film of this.”Yang knows the Monkey King character well. A central figure in Chinese literatureand culture, Yang features a cartoonish version of the mischievous primate in his awardwinningbook, “American Born Chinese.”Nearby he spots the marigold yellow cover of “American Born Chinese” — or ABCas Yang and his fans call it — the landmark tale he wrote and illustrated that became thefirst graphic novel selected as a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006. CallingABC a “masterful graphic novel,” the young adult division of the American LibraryAssociation in 2007 gave Yang the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in youngadult literature, making the comic the first graphic novel so honored. The prize alsoensured ABC a slot on library shelves nationwide.Gene Luen Yang ’03, left, grew up on Chinese bedtime stories, including tales of the mischievous Monkey King. Yang’sgraphic novel “American Born Chinese” features the Monkey King and experiences drawn from his middle school years in Saratoga.COURTESY FIRST SECOND BOOKSPHOTO JESSE CANTLEY10 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 11

features“Sometimes it feels like you’re almostchanneling something, when thingsare flowing out of you that arealmost surprising to you.the (era), it opens things up for them,”Chester says.Despite the accessible style andliberal use of humor in his cartooning,Yang says he mulls over an idea a longtime before committing it to the page.“I usually start with something thatintrigues me or bothers me,” he says. “Idon’t think I start off with a message. ButI know my stories come off as moralistic.”Maybe it’s the educator in him thatcompels him to tuck life lessons intohis comics.After teaching for several years,Yang enrolled in the master’s in onlineeducation program at Cal State EastBay. The program itself was taught entirelyonline — one of the few Web-onlygraduate programs available at the time— and used online tools such as Blackboardfor communicating assignmentsand facilitating student discussions.“It was really about how to effectivelyteach in a virtual environment,” Yangsays. “Immediately after I finished myprogram, I made my classes hybridclasses at the high school. I includedonline assignments. I used Blackboardfor assignments. Now, every teacher oncampus is required to use Blackboard.”The online teaching tools he pickedup through the CSUEB graduateprogram shared something in commonwith his preferred literary medium.“One of the benefits of onlineeducation is you can get to kids whoaren’t necessarily served in a traditionalenvironment,” he says.Online teaching, he says, allows himto reach students who are too shy to talkin class but who may freely share theirthoughts with classmates through anInternet discussion board. Despite Yang’suse of technology in the classroom andhis high profile in the comics world, somethings about teaching high school havenot changed.It’s about respect“It’s really hard to impress your ownstudents,” he says. “Because they see youeveryday. It doesn’t get you any morerespect to be a cartoonist.”Fortunately, he’s earned plenty ofrespect from publishers, who recentlyreleased several new titles by Yang. Moreinventive — and no doubt moralistic —projects also are on the way.His short story “Blue Scorpion andChung” appears in “Secret Identities: TheAsian American Superhero Anthology,”published in April. In the piece, he spoofsthe “weird dynamic” between the GreenHornet character and his Asian driver,Kato. Yang’s tale highlights the racisminherent in the relationship between thesuperhero who gets all the glory and hisKorean American chauffeur who doesall the work. Yang’s younger brother’sexperiences in medical school inspired hisforthcoming title “Four Angels,” abouta video-game-playing slacker visitedby angels who press him to become adoctor. And for the project he’s currentlydrafting, “Boxers and Saints,” he’ll delveinto a period of Chinese history hedoesn’t know well.“It’s all about the Boxer Rebellion,”he says. “It’s an historical fiction piece.The Europeans were setting up all thesecommunities in China and having a lotof influence on the dynasty.”A resentful Chinese public respondedviolently, setting the scene forYang’s novel.No date has been set for the releaseof “Boxers and Saints.” Yang says he findsthe writing process grueling and oftenprocrastinates when it’s time to pen hisstories. Other times, his artistic impulsesflow freely.“There are times when a scene ofdialog comes to you, and you write itdown complete,” he says. “But thatdoesn’t happen very often.“Sometimes it feels like you’realmost channeling something, whenthings are flowing out of you that arealmost surprising to you,” he says. “Andthere’s gratification that you’re contributingto a larger cultural conversation.Actually, having a larger audience thanjust my friends and my mom is alsogratifying.” nGene Luen Yang develops a character”for his current project, “Boxers andBY MONIQUE BEELERSaints,” about the Boxer Rebellionin China around the turn of the 20thGene Luen Yang ’03century. Scouring photos from theCARTOONIST1890s inspires Yang as he createsimagery, above and right, that reflects16 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009the period.Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 200917PHOTO JESSE CANTLEYCOURTESY GENE YANG

featuresCONTRIBU TORSBravo to alumni whose distinctive voicesand visions make lasting impressionsFor Cal State East Bay alumni who have broken into competitive creative fields, it’snot enough to simply earn a living. Making a mark in their chosen professions meanscontributing a unique vision and voice to the culture at large.In her role in the Academy Award-nominated film, “Milk,” Hope Tuck-Goblirsch ’96 relished theopportunity to explore — and perhaps further — the ongoing quest for equal rights for all citizens. Nationallyacclaimed musician Ayn Inserto ’99 leads the vanguard of contemporary big band jazz with her latest CD. AndAaron Florez ’99, who has had a hand in major animated feature films, brings a dose of reality to fantastic,imaginary worlds that entice audiences of every age.Learn more about their accomplishments, as well as those of three up-and-coming talents, in thefollowing profiles.18 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 19

featuresA choice role in ‘Milk’ forHope Tuck-Goblirsch ’96Actor Hope Tuck-Goblirsch’s ’96 career got off to a faststart at age 8 when she landed a role in “Showboat” at theOrpheum Theatre. And two years after graduating fromCal State East Bay, she earned a small speaking part in the1998 comedy “Dead Man on Campus.”But family ties in the Bay Area kept her from pursuingacting full-throttle in Hollywood. She settled down withhusband Anthony Goblirsch ’98 to raise their family in SanMateo, accepting work in TV commercials and other projects.Then through the kind of luck that seems to characterizeher charmed life, Hollywood came to her. When castingagents for the 2008 film “Milk” held auditions in SanFrancisco, Tuck-Goblirsch tried out and won the role ofMary Ann White, wife of murderer Dan White.The film earned eight Oscar nominations, including a bestpicture nod, and two wins — for Sean Penn as best actor andfor Dustin Lance Black for best original screenplay.“If I’m going to pick one movie to be in, I picked theright one,” says Tuck-Goblirsh, 35, seated on a dark leathercouch in her sun-lit San Mateo living room overlookinga lagoon. “How freaking cool was that? It was a Gus VanSant (film) and with Sean Penn.”Most of Tuck-Goblirsh’s scenes in the movie recountingcharismatic gay rights activist Harvey Milk’s rise to politicalprominence in San Francisco were filmed with Josh Brolin.Brolin earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal ofWhite, who fatally shot Mayor George Moscone and Milkat their city hall offices in 1978.despite Brolin’s brush with anAcademy Award, it was Tuck-Goblirsch who oftenfound herself next doorpreparing for work in thelarger on-set trailer. Shehad something her celebrityneighbor didn’t: A childworking in the film. WhenPHOTO SCOTT CHERNISHope Tuck-Goblirsch ’96 relaxes at home inSan Mateo with son Anthony and daughterFaith. Anthony portrays the Whites’ infant son inthe movie.Donning 1970s clothes and allowing stylists to give her choppy bangs helpedHope Tuck-Goblirsch, left, get in character for her first onscreen scene with JoshBrolin, who plays Dan White in the Oscar-nominated film “Milk.”filmmakers realized Tuck-Goblirsch had a 7-month-oldinfant, Anthony, who could fill the role of the Whites’young son, they quickly cast him to portray the baby.During a baptism scene, Tuck-Goblirsch’s colleagues onset expressed amazement at how well the child actor behavedin her arms.“I must say he looked better than me in his glow-ybaptismal gown,” says a pregnant Tuck-Goblirsh, whoboasts a rich brunette mane and a radiant complexion asshe awaits the birth of her third child. “A lot of people onthe film didn’t know he was my son. They kept calling methe baby whisperer.”Although she was a toddler herself during the perioddepicted in the movie, “Milk’s” cultural significance doesnot escape her.She credits the film for educating younger generationsabout the political history of the gay rights movement andthose who carried out the struggle then — and continuesimilar work today such as supporting same-sex marriage,which California voters banned in November with thepassage of Proposition 8.“It humanizes all people — gay and lesbian — and makespeople more empathetic,” Tuck-Goblirsch says about “Milk.”“If the movie came out before the Prop 8 vote, would that havechanged people’s minds? It was a pretty impactful movie.”Although she’s been acting since childhood, when itcame to picking a college major, she didn’t study theaterat CSUEB.PHOTO PHIL BRAYPHOTO SCOTT CHERNIS“If I’m going to pickone movie to be in,I picked the right one.Hope Tuck-Goblirsch’96 ALUMNUSActor Hope Tuck-Goblirsch’s physical resemblanceto Mary Ann White prompted heragent to send her to audition for the role ofpolitician Dan White’s wife in “Milk.””“I thought, ‘I like to talk, I’ll take masscommunications,’” Tuck-Goblirsch says.She quickly discovered her major involvedhoning her writing skills more than her verbalability. “Writing can help with any career,” shesays. “Your writing tells a lot about a person …College in general prepares you for everything;you know you can get through something(challenging).”Tuck-Goblirsch expresses satisfaction with howshe rose to the challenge of performing in “Milk.”After the film premiered in late October, shenervously awaited a review from a family friendknown for not mincing words. He applauded herportrayal of the disgraced politician’s wife,saying: “I really felt for Mary Ann White.I really wanted to know more abouther and where she went and whathappened to her.”“I must have done somethingright,” Tuck-Goblirschsays. “Because people really feltfor her.”BY MONIQUE BEELER20 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 21

featuresAaron Florez ’99Making green ogresand a magicalMadagascar realPHOTO KO PHOTOGRAPHYIn addition to his work in film, alumnus AaronFlorez’s talents can be found in video games;Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II feature songs byhis band, Drist.When Aaron Florez ’99 enrolled in hisfirst Photoshop class at Cal State East Bay,he’d barely ever turned on a computer before.He had always been interested in drawing,although his first interest, and his first major,was music. But he saw a better career path inart, he says, “or maybe that part of me justwon out.”And now, as creative supervisor for thesurfacing department at PDI/DreamWorks inRedwood City, the computer is his medium ashe brings color and life to films like “Shrek theThird” and “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.”After graduation and a few years offreelance design work, Florez got a job at avisual effects firm, working primarily on liveactionfilms. Six years ago, he landed a spot atDreamWorks, working in digital painting oftextures and surfaces.As Florez explains, character models areloaded into specialized software as shapes, looking something like unpainted modelcar kit parts. His team is responsible for adding colors, skin and clothes on people, thevarnish on a table, or the reflection on a soda bottle. They create palettes of texturesand tones called “maps,” which Florez reviews with designers and directors until a mapstrikes the right balance of stylization and photorealism to match the tone of the film.In addition to characters and objects — called “assets” — they also paint the backgrounds,or “environments,” so the team’s work is evident in literally every finishedframe. The process demands a keen eye for detail and continuity.For each job, they examine real-world reference points, such as animals, models, fabrics,and vegetation. To prepare for the African environments in “Madagascar,” theywent to local parks to get a sense of grass and flat open spaces.Even with elements that have no real-world counterpart, he says, “everything is rootedin some type of reality. You find something that it relates to, and study that. If youdon’t, things look weird.” Sometimes this comes from surprising sources; when creatingmaps for machines in one of “The Matrix” films, Florez says, the directors pointedthe painters to coral reefs for inspiration.The grounding in recognizableroots pays off in the big picture.“The audience sees a fantasticalcreature on screen, but it’sstill believable,” he says.As supervisor, Florez workswith leads from lighting, motion,and other teams on technicaland artistic challenges,keeping in mind how their workhelps the story. “This industry isalways evolving, and the driveris the storytelling aspects. Toolschange and develop based onasking ‘how can we tell a betterstory?’” he says.Even on a sequel like “Shrek” or “Madagascar,” the teams mayrefer to previously established maps, but they redo much of thecreative work, making improvements and changes as demanded bythe story.Florez is still a musician, playing guitar in a San Francisco band,Drist. He also paints and explores his own creative side — includinga personal animated project he’s writing and designing — and saysit’s the single most valuable thing an artist can do.“Whatever creative thing you do, that’s what you bring to thetable,” he explains. Aspiring artists, he says, need a good grasp offine art and art history as well as an understanding of the tools ofcreation, whether paintbrushes, pencils, or programs. It’s a blend ofpractice and theory that he was able to find at Cal State East Bay.“It’s not enough to learn one method or program,” he says.“Anybody can learn how to use a computer program, but it’s thatlittle piece of you that makes your work stand out.”For “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” Aaron Florez ’99 and the PDI/DreamWorks surfacing department were responsible for creating,among other things, zebra stripes, giraffe spots, grass and dirt onthe ground, and royal headwear for the king of the lemurs.“It’s not enough to learnone method or program.Anybody can learn howto use a computer program,but it’s that little piece ofyou that makes your workstand out.Aaron Florez’99 ALUMNUSCOURTESY PDI/Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures”BY SARAH STANEK22 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 23

featuresAyn Inserto ’99:A modern jazz “Muse”PHOTO TIM LYNCHAyn Inserto ’99 released her second modern jazz album, “Muse”, in February. The CD’s contemporary big bandofferings include a composition in honor of CSUEB Professor Emeritus Dave Eshelman.Ayn Inserto’s ’99 dream gigwould be to play the legendaryVillage Vanguard in New York, puttingher orchestra in the company ofjazz greats like Sonny Rollins andJohn Coltrane.Inserto’s second modern jazzalbum, “Muse,” released in February,puts the 33-year-old composer andher 17-piece Ayn Inserto JazzOrchestra one step closer to that goal.“Muse” is an exploration ofInserto’s many inspirations, withtracks written for the friends, family,band mates, and teachers who havetouched her life. “The album coveris of my family,” Inserto notes. “Iam grateful for everything, and this(album) is about love and family.”“Muse” pays homage to jazzgreats including Michael Brecker,Frank Foster, and Steve Lacy. Inthe album’s liner notes, Inserto’sband member George Garzone,a saxophonist, says Inserto’sgenius is that “while her music isharmonically sophisticated, there isa sweet, flowing energy that makesit accessible and enjoyable for anypalette.” An allmusic.com review of“Muse” describes her as “impressiveas a writer of modern jazz,” calling“Muse” grand and sophisticated.Inserto won a worldwide search sponsored by the International Association ofJazz Education for young jazz composers under age 30, a “tremendously significantdistinction,” CSUEB emeritus professor Dave Eshelman says.“Ayn takes her ideas and spins them, juggles them, and turns them inside outin order to create a vibrant patois of contemporary big band jazz,” Eshelman says.“The result is music that reflects her joy and energy for life itself.”Inserto, who now lives in Boston and is an assistant professor at Berklee Collegeof Music, was born in Singapore, surrounded by aunts and uncles who played pianoand guitar. After taking music classes in kindergarten, she began writing music at 7,“small little ditties,” she says. A pianist, she also played organ in the church choir.The family, including Inserto’s two sisters, moved to the U.S. in 1989. Insertostarted writing ensemble pieces and arranging music in high school in Concord.As an undergrad, she studied music at Cal State East Bay with Professor EllenWasserman and others. She spent her undergraduate years composing, going to seeEshelman play jazz with his big band in San Francisco clubs, practicing into the weehours, and performing in ensembles. “It was considered one of the better schoolsfor music,” she says. “It was kind of like a big family. Everyone knew each other.”After graduation, she studied at the New England Conservatory under mentor BobBrookmeyer, who plays on “Muse” and remains her jazz composition teacher.Composing, Inserto says, is the simplest way to express herself on many instruments.“I can picture sounds in my head and take time to develop them,” she says.She counts Maria Schneider, Gil Evans, and pop music, which she listened tountil she discovered jazz in college, among her influences. (Michael Jackson, ToriAmos, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, and Sting are her iPod staples.)Inserto recorded “Muse,” the follow-up to her 2006 debut “Clairvoyance,” inJanuary, writing eight big band pieces over the course of the last three or four yearsthat ended up on the album. “A good number of them were commissioned,” shesays, noting that work includes pieces for the Harvard Jazz Band; the AmericanSociety of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); and Cal State East Bay,in honor of Eshelman’s retirement as director of jazz studies at CSUEB in 2007.Inserto’s talents have brought her big band to Dizzy’s jazz club at New York’sLincoln Center and her music has been played at various worldwide festivals.Could the Vanguard be next?BY KIM GIRARD“Ayn takes her ideasand spins them,juggles them, andturns them insideout in order tocreate a vibrant patoisof contemporarybig band jazz.Dave Eshelmanprofessor emeritus”24 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 25

Up-and-coming talentsStudent Philip Long’s leather mosaic “Ascension of John Long” pays tribute to his late father, who died while attempting to sail solofrom California to his native Ireland in February 2008. Long pieced together approximately 3,500 photos to create a video showing himbuilding his leather mosaic. The video is available on You Tube (www.youtube.com); search for “Ascension of John Long.”Artist transforms leather intonarrative mosaicsScribbling has turned into a beautifulpassion for Philip Long. A Cal StateEast Bay junior majoring in art, Longbegan his painting career in the 1990sby free drawing on the backs of envelopes,making stacks of abstract portraitsand images he’d use as inspirationfor larger paintings.Recently, he began combining hisexperience working in the fashion industrywith painting by creating leathermosaics, sewn pieces of fabric that detaila person or “paint” a narrative tale.Long’s innovative art was featured inthe Oakland Museum of California’s“Evolution of a Sacred Space: Dìas delos Muertos 2008,” which ran Oct. 8through Dec. 7.The idea of combining painting andimages with leather was natural to Long.For 20 years, he saved scraps of leatherfrom projects he worked on personalizingand adorning clothing and bags, includingleather jackets sporting imagesof the Cat in the Hat or the TasmanianDevil. “It just hit me,” Long says. “I’mgonna do leather mosaics.”Long’s work was featured for yearsin East Bay Arts Collective’s Day ofthe Dead mobile exhibits, but his 2008piece “Ascension of John Long” was hisfirst piece personally created to honor alost loved one. The impressive 9-by-16feet mosaic was a tribute to his late father,John Long. “I had a reason to do analtar,” says Long.Long created 20 to 30 drawingsthat served as a sketch for the mosaicand dedicated roughly 474 hours of laborworking directly with the cuttingand sewing of the leather, includingworking 27 straight hours to finish thepiece. “I’ve never been more focused ordriven,” he says. Long wanted to documentthe project, chronicling the mosaic’sconstruction. He set up a camera inhis studio to capture photographs of hiswork-in-progress, which has since beenturned into a YouTube video documentingthe mosaic’s construction.“The leather mosaic is verydistinct,” he says. “It surprised people.”Unlike abstracts, Long says thenarrative quality of the piece speaks toa variety of people, from children tosecurity guards. With this in mind, heenvisions his work moving in a morenarrative direction. But Long’s happyto just get a reaction.“If they hate my work, it’s betterthan not giving a damn about it,” he says.Long hopes “Ascension of JohnLong,” will be exhibited at more BayArea museums before going on permanentdisplay in a museum in his father’shomeland of Cork, Ireland.But for now, Long is more focused oncreating his work instead of promoting it.“I don’t do a lot to get my stuff out,” hesays. “I (just) love doing the work.”BY NICOLE LUTTONPHOTOS JESSE CANTLEYComic creator’sseries meshes religionand adventureThe work of comic book creatorOmar Morales ’98 boasts a provocativeblend of new world skills and old worldimagination. A product of a Catholiceducation when he enrolled at Cal StateEast Bay, Morales’ artful imaginationsprung from a foundation built onreligion and a taste for sci-fi, adventure,and intrigue.The result has been an awardwinningcomic book series created andproduced by Morales about a monk-likecharacter, Antonio De La Cruz. De LaCruz holds special status within theVatican as its holy hit man, known inhis fictional world as “The CruZader.”Morales describes the character as “partexorcist, part Jedi, part 007, and partVan Helsing.”In the real world, the cartooncharacter and comic book have earnedthe artist-writer recognition among hisSongstress aimsfor epic styleSimone Taylor’s debut full-lengthalbum, tentatively titled “Under theKnife,” is a nod to the post-collegiateyears Taylor ’03 spent living in plasticsurgery-obsessed Los Angeles.“You go there as one person andcome back another,” says Taylor, 25, anOakland native who drove after collegeto L.A., where she acted in televisionshows and wrote music. “I think itchanged me, though I haven’t gone underthe knife or anything, and hopefullyI won’t have to.”Taylor is a classically trained musicianand flute player who at age 4 waspicking out the instruments on theBach, Marvin Gaye, and Duke EllingtonPHOTO BARRY ZEPELPHOTO JONATHAN HAY PUBLICITYOmar Morales ’98, left. Good battles evil within Omar Morales’s flawed comic bookhero, “The CruZader.”peers, placing Morales in the Top 50 inthe 2008 Comic Book Challenge, aninternational competition sponsoredby entertainment company PlatinumStudios, which helped bring “Men inBlack” to the big screen. Additionally,“The CruZader” won first place in theBay Area Comic Book Hero Contestsponsored by the region’s CW TV stationin 2008. It brought the Pleasantonresident, who works as a broker by day inthe corporate marketing department ofSafeway Stores Inc., the encouragement heneeded to extend the life of the characterbeyond one issue. “The CruZader” is nowevolving into a series of six comic bookadventures bound into a single volume,transforming it into a graphic novel.Winning the contest, says Morales,who majored in mass communication atCSUEB, validated his dreams of workingfull-time in the comic book profession.The Oakland native grew up in Haywardin a Spanish-speaking household, wherecomic books shaped his childhoodand helped him learn English ashe watched Ultraman, CaptainAmerica, and Spider-man cartoonsgrowing up. Even as a kid, he says,“I would fold a thin stack of binderpaper in half, staple the spine, and drawand write my own comics.”Now he’s looking to partnerwith a comic book publisher tobring “The CruZader” graphic novelto market. In the meantime, hepromotes his creative work online atwww.theforceproductions.com, whilehe continues plotting the CruZader’snext forays into the crucible of culture,imagination, and conflict.BY BARRY ZEPELSimone Taylor ’03, left. Cover image for Simone Taylor’s MP3 single, “I Belong to You.”records her dad played. At 16, sheentered the music program at CSUEB,transferring within two quarters to thetheater department.“I didn’t want to know why music wasthe way it was,” she says, explaining whyshe switched. “I just wanted to play music.”An actor and model since she was 5,Taylor found a home in the theater department,sewing buttons in wardrobebefore moving on to roles in differentproductions. “My college experience wasthe best experience of my life,” she says.“I came into my own.”In Hollywood, Taylor had a guestrole on “The Game,” a CW sitcomcentered on the wives and girlfriends ofpro-football players, playing a voluptuouswoman tempting one of the show’s stars.Now back in Oakland, she’s playing withmembers of the Jazz Mafia, a 60-personSan Francisco Bay Area jazz group. Hernew album, a mix of jazz and R&B,will come out on Arigo Recordings,the label she and her husband,David Poole ’01, founded. (She andPoole met at CSUEB.)“It’s an epic album,” Taylor says,noting the first single will be releasedduring the spring. “It’s a throwback witha contemporary feel to it.” Appropriatefor someone whose career and music hasnever fit nicely in one box.BY KIM GIRARDCOURTESY THE FORCE PRODUCTIONS26 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 27

facultyS P E A K I N G I NTriumphant production mulls overmortality throughdance, song, and spoken wordShortly before the last scene in “Tongues” — the Cal StateEast Bay Theatre and Dance Department production thatearned top honors at a prestigious national theaterfestival in February — student actor Bradford “Bee-Jay”Barnes smashes barriers between dance genres even ashe brings the show’s reflection on life and death to aquiet close.In the sequence, Barnes mashes up hip-hop street performance,modern dance, and high-minded theater. His moonwalk-like footwork,“popping and locking” gestures, and staccato, mechanical breathing evokebreakdancing. But Barnes, a 20-year-old junior majoring in ethnic studiesand theater at California State University, East Bay, emphasizes breath andposture over any beat, tapping the tradition of modern dance luminariesMartha Graham and Merce Cunningham. And as he gradually retreats toa chair and takes hold of a staff, the movement stops, concluding the show’smeditation on mortality.MaryAnn Mackey ’69 performs with CSUEB junior Bradford “Bee-Jay” Barnesin a scene from “Tongues” in which text is projected onto the stage.28 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 200929PHOTO BEN AILES

facultyone. But he wanted another dancer in a wheelchair to fit hisvision for the choreography. So Kupers, 37, strapped himselfin and took lessons from Kay.Kupers’ wheelchair adventure is in keeping with hisexploratory approach to making theater. “I tend to work ina very step-by-step way,” he says. “I’m just sort of helping itunfold. But it has a life of its own.”Much of that “life” comes from cast members andtheir suggestions. “A lot of rehearsal was like, ‘Check it out.Bee-Jay’s really good at this style of dance,’” Kay says.Such an unstructured method, with a varied cast, carriesrisks. It can lead to incoherent, rambling results as well asinternal conflicts.There were moments when the cast had little idea whereKupers was headed with the production. “We would haveour side conversations like, ‘What is he doing?’” Barnes says.But Barnes says he has come to trust Kupers in thecourse of classes and productions over three years. And groupwarm-ups helped create solidarity. Kupers would ask the castto talk about what it meant to do the show, have them sharefeelings in pairs, and get them to stretch their voices andbodies. “Warm-ups bring the cast together as one and helpedprepare us for shows and rehearsals,” Barnes adds.mortality makes a markThe disparate voices of the show unify around thecharacter played by Barnes. As the focus returns to himrepeatedly, he is seen wrestling with and eventuallyaccepting death.Such heavy themes had a weighty impact on Barnes,who performs on the darkened stage clad in a whitepolo shirt, white pants, and white sneakers. As someonewho prior to the production hated attending funeralsand avoided thinking about death, the show helped theOakland resident see life and death as a kind of beautiful“continuous cycle.” Performing in “Tongues” — with itsattention to the preciousness of life — also reinforced hispassion to become a college professor in history or ethnicstudies. “It helped me stay even more focused,” he says.“Tongues” also left a mark on Cal State East Bayjunior Dannia Ciolo, who plays one of the “girls” playingpattycake. Ciolo’s mother died from kidney failurein summer 2008. Ciolo, a 20-year-old theater major,initially signed on to “Tongues” thinking the productionwould help take her mind off the loss. Instead, it forcedthe Hayward resident to face issues of death and itsaftermath even more. But that proved to be a blessing.PHOTO BEN AILESKennedy Center crowdgives “Tongues” astanding ovationBY ED FRAUENHEIMCal State East Bay’s “Tongues” production roseto the top of the American college theater scene in2009, bringing the house down at the legendaryJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.The production by California State University,East Bay’s Department of Theatre and Dance wasone of just four shows selected to perform inWashington, D.C. at the culminating event of theKennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.“Tongues,” which uses dance and theater toexplore existential themes and features a cast ofpeople of different ages, races, body types, andphysical abilities, received standing ovations at April16 and 17 performances at Washington, D.C.’smarquee venue. Applause continued even after thehouse lights went up.The festival aims to “encourage, recognize, andcelebrate the finest and most diverse work producedin university and college theater programs.” TheD.C. event itself does not crown a winner, butearning a place there required “Tongues” and threeother finalists to stand out among a total of 56college productions that performed in eight regionalfestivals around the country. And it is difficult to snaga spot in the regional event for schools in California,Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. The 2009regional festival, held at Cal State Fullerton, sawmore than 80 productions vying for an invitation. Only10 were selected.Despite stiff competition through the years,CSUEB frequently has captured the spotlight. A CalState East Bay production also earned an invitationto the D.C. festival event in 1982, says Tom Hird,chair of the University’s Department of Theatre andDance. And Cal State East Bay has been invited tothe regional festival at least 10 times in the past30 years.“Even though our program in theatre artsis (limited to) four years — bachelor’s degreeonly — CSUEB students and shows still do verywell when compared to schools with graduateprograms,” Hird says.Assistant Professor Eric Kupers directed the30-person “Tongues” show. Some dancers in theproduction had minimal previous performanceexperience. Kupers jokes that appearing on thestage of the famed Kennedy Center will be a hardact to follow, saying, “I’m worried that everythingafter this is going to seem anti-climactic.”Devin Holbert steps toward center stage, while Bradford Barnes, standing onchair, and members of the “Tongues” company clap out an accompaniment.Throughout the performance, the mood on stage skips between reflective andlively, mirroring multiple phases of life.32 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 33

Mickey Kay, seated, Kate Pinedo and Dana DeGuzmanperform a scene, top left, from “Tongues.”Taking an exploratory approach to choreography, centerleft, yielded unexpected movements and positions forcast members.Mickey Kay holds arms outstretched, bottom left, whileJustin Sharlman lifts Kate Pinedo above the stage.facultyPHOTOS BEN AILES“It really helped me to heal,” she says. “It helped me find some memories of thepast comforting.”Ciolo was one of about 20 Cal State East Bay students involved in “Tongues,”which had a total cast and crew of roughly 30 people. Community members madeup the rest of the group, including performers who have worked with Kupers in hisperformance troupe Dandelion Dancetheater.One of the striking performers in the ensemble is MaryAnn Mackey ’69, a theaterdepartment alumna who occasionally takes classes as part of the over-60 educationprogram. Mackey wears a long white wedding outfit in the show. She comes acrossas a kind of Lady Death, resembling the Mexican Day of the Dead symbol of a femaleskeleton in a wedding dress. At one point she and Barnes dance in a slow, waltz-like way,while she sings “From This Moment On.” The classic Cole Porter tune takes on a new,melancholic meaning.To Barnes, though, Mackey’s character is not grim so much as she isa guardian angel — getting him ready to pass on. Her touch to his foreheadnear the show’s conclusion helps him regard his end with serenity. “It’s all like asmooth transition,” he says.Mackey’s touch also begins the finale. A once-cacophonous stage goes silent, andthe entire cast watches Barnes along with the audience. His seamless blend of danceand theater styles is breathtaking to watch. And that is what Barnes intended, perfectingthe scene over hours spent creating and rehearsing the solo. “He’s dying,” he says about hischaracter’s fading moments on stage. “See, the last breath is leaving my body.”The last image conjures up impressions of resignation and dignity: Barnestakes a seat in the chair, staff in hand, and the stage goes dark. In the final, powerfulmoments of the scene, Barnes impels the audience to take a fresh look at the grit,grace, and finiteness of human life.diverse and universalOn the surface, the success of “Tongues” may seem surprising. Small compared with the programsat some Bay Area universities, the CSUEB Theatre and Dance Department does not have anendowment or offer scholarships. It’s not a conservatory-type program where people audition to getin to the school. Often, Kupers says, students arrive with little education in the arts.But the school’s diversity serves as a kind of muse, pushing Cal State East Bay’s performancecommunity toward risk-taking and new approaches.“Everyone,” Kupers says, “is forced from the get-go to have a sort of openness.”Barnes says the show took him out of his own skin. Gearing up for the last scene in particularallowed him to channel something universal.“At the end, it’s not me out there,” he says. “It’s like a spirit moving. I feel like I’ve got a piece ofeverything — every little piece of life, I’m putting on that stage.” n“The thing that is really vitalabout our department and ourschool is that we practicediversity every day. We areforced to expand beyondour comfort zone.”Eric Kupersassistant professorDepartment of Theatre and DanceBY ED FRAUENHEIMThe “Tongues” cast includes members representing divergent ages,backgrounds, and physical abilities. Flo Nakamura, center, leads agroup scene featuring, from left, Deborah McKaigg-Trudell, VictoriaFadenipo, Denise Hampel, and Wakana Hirose.34 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 3534 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009PHOTO BEN AILES

studentsOn the upbeatstudentsUsing music-making softwareprogram, Ableton Live 7, studentYifan “Caroline” Wu and her“Beats, Physics and the Mind”learning community classmatesstarted composing originalsongs during the first weeks ofwinter quarter.Learning community participants grow academically,personally in second quarter of freshman yearEditor’s note: This is the second report in a yearlongproject in which Cal State East Bay Magazine followsfirst-time freshmen in CSUEB’s Learning CommunityClusters program.Pulling open the glass door to the circular,brick-faced Music Building, freshman ElizabethFualaau heads toward Music 1085: Introductionto Audio Production, the secondclass she’s taken in the “Beats, Physics and theMind” learning community cluster.During fall quarter, Elizabeth and her “Beats,Physics and the Mind” classmates took Physics 1200:Behind the Music, a demanding course that exposedthem to concepts from frequency to the Doppler effect.Elizabeth says she earned a B in physics, a higher gradethan she expected.“That’s just because I always expect the least, so Idon’t get disappointed,” says Elizabeth, one of the first inher large family to attend college. “But that’s just me.”All freshmen at Cal State East Bay participate in theLearning Community Clusters program, considered asuccessful model nationwide for producing students withstronger writing and critical thinking skills than their peerswho don’t participate in a learning community. CSUEBstudents choose from among 21 clusters — focused onthemes from pre-nursing to ancient history — and, as agroup, take three interdisciplinary classes related to thetheme over the course of the school year.The physics principles that “Beats, Physics and theMind” students learned in the fall are expected to deepentheir understanding as they take cluster courses in musicand philosophy during winter and spring quarters.Elizabeth steps into the MB 2525 computer lab asAssistant Professor Rafael Hernandez is demonstratingfeatures of Ableton Live 7, a music-making softwareprogram commonly used by professional disc jockeys andremixers. Cal State East Bay is one of the first universitiesin the nation to use the program in class, Hernandez says.Long white worktables topped by 25 Macintoshcomputer stations run through the center of therectangular room, with another row lining the back andside walls. Seated at a desk near the door, Hernandezglides his computer mouse over a small plus-sign iconPHOTOS JESSE CANTLEYFrom left: Lecturer CraigDerksen guides philosophystudents in analyzing the lyricsto popular songs. AssistantProfessor Rafael Hernandezhelps troubleshoot studentrecordings during a session ofMusic 1085: Introduction toAudio Production. In composingoriginal songs, freshmen in thecluster sampled free onlinemusic sources, played theirown instruments, and recordedvocals in the studio.36 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 37

studentsThe strong bond between freshmen enrolledin “Beats, Physics and the Mind” helps deepenin-class discussion, says Jamel Jackson, 18, ofStockton. “It feels like a family,” he says. “We canhave more conversations than we did before.”studentsthe 2007 study “Pathways to StudentSuccess: The Impact of LearningCommunities on the Successof Academically Under-preparedCollege Students.”In summarizing results of a threeyearstudy of learning communityprograms at 19 institutions nationwide,along with more focused examinations offive programs – including Cal State EastBay’s – the Syracuse scholars concludedthat “curricular linkages matter.”Deeper learningIn other words, when studentsparticipated in linked, integratedcourses, they gained deeper learningexperiences. Students also displayedincreased levels of interest andengagement, and the program wasperceived to be more efficient and easierto navigate than stand-alone classes,Engstrom and Tinto reported.The sense of community thathad sprouted between “Beats, Physicsand the Mind” participants by theend of fall quarter also contributes topositive student outcomes by fosteringa “safe, stimulating, supportive learningenvironment” that provides “a solidfoundation for future academic success,”according to the study.Community spirit between clustermembers has continued blossoming,with many students in the groupscheduling classes together outside oftheir required cluster courses, says SaharHaghighat, who teaches the generalstudies sections for freshmen in “Beats,Physics and the Mind.” She notes thatwhen they leave her classroom, abouthalf of the group walks together to theirnext shared class, English.“As a group, the `Beats, Physics andthe Mind’ (students), the communitythey’ve developed is excellent,” she says.“At this point, they’ve become a family.”Derksen adds he’s never seen a classshow as “much internal connection asthis group.”Freshman Frank Martinez observesthat his friends at universities thatdon’t offer learning communities arestruggling more academically andsocially. By contrast, he says: “I feellucky, because I seem to have an easiertime adapting to college than they do.”“It gives you the opportunity tonetwork with other people, so you don’tfeel lonely in your freshman experience,”says Barrington. “It’s helpful.”As winter quarter moves on,Haghighat reports continued growth inher students’ academic progress, too.“From the first week of this quarter,I would say their study skills reallyimproved,” she says. “I give a (weeklyonline) Blackboard quiz straight fromthe reading. They earned straight As allthe way down.”Hands-on experience takes the stage,however, in Hernandez’s Introductionto Audio Production music lab, whereover the course of the quarter studentshave worked in small groups to createoriginal songs from the humorous to theserious. The emphasis on a collaborativeprocess in learning community programsleads to “higher levels of academic andsocial engagement, greater rates ofcourse completion,” and higher ratesof continued college enrollment, theSyracuse study concluded.For one group project, Elizabethworks with Frank, Larry Camello andMartian Tampubolon, on a catchy tuneabout an irreverent subject: flip-flops.The collaboration allows the strengthsof each student to emerge.Frank, who got an A in physicsand quickly mastered the Abletonprogram, handles the computersoftware. An informal team leader,Larry guides the process and is joinedby Martian on the vocals.“We decided to do somethinglike rap,” Elizabeth explains. “Larrysuggested I write the lyrics. He tooksome of what I wrote, and he addedsome of his stuff to it.“I mainly thought about myislands,” she says, referring to thePacific islands from which her familyemigrated. “Because we mainly wearflip-flops or no shoes at all.”In the studioDown the hall in the recordingstudio, another foursome struggles tomerge conflicting styles into a unifiedsound. Two members of the groupprefer a rock sound, while the otherpair prefers hip-hop.“It’s changed quite a few times,” saysTony Sanchez, who eyes the controlsoperated by partner Alisha Hazelton.“We’ve gone through so many differentphases, (because) we’re both rock andthey’re hip-hop.”The hip-hop fans she’s referringto are classmates Caroline Wu andAngel Abduh-Salam. At the moment,Caroline is inside the sound recordingbooth. Through a window in the boothdoor, she watches for Angel to giveher the signal to start crooning thewords to a love song with an infectious,repetitive rhythm into the microphone.“Let me know when you’re ready,”Alisha says. “We’re going to giveyou two bars.”Synchronizing the go-ahead signal,the music, and Caroline’s singingproves a challenge and takes a few tries.Afterward, an energized Caroline saysshe can’t wait to record again.“I was so excited,” says Caroline, atheatre major who wears violet contactlenses, a lavender knit hat, and largesilver hoop earrings. “I sing a lot, but I’venever had the experience of recordingmy own song or album.”The music genre a person prefersreveals a lot about an individual,Hernandez observes. But it’s not anobjective of “Beats, Physics and theMind” to necessarily bridge musicculture divides. Rather, he takesadvantage of differences in students’aesthetic tastes and musical preferencesto improve their ability to detectdistinctive features of each genre andpossibly incorporate the sounds andeffects into their own compositionsA creative force“It’s more to build their ear, so theycan appreciate sound as a creative force,”he says. “How do you use your ear toreinforce the message of the song?“What sound would make it moreexplicit? If the song is about love lost,how do you use sound to reinforcethat? By the end of the cluster, studentshave an understanding of how music iscreated with layers.”By finals week, Derksen says he’snoticed a huge growth spurt in “Beats,Physics and the Mind” students’ abilityto support their claims and organizetheir essays.“They’re not just following a formI give them,” he says. “In my opinion,this is an indication they’re takingmore personal responsibility … They’rehaving reasons for why they’re doingwhat they’re doing.”“They have to change from beingchildren to taking personal responsibilityfor their work and their world,” he adds.“They’re no longer just listening tomusic. They’re people making music,and they’re working toward (goals).”During spring quarter “Beats,Physics and the Mind” students inHernandez and Derksen’s classes willswap subjects and classrooms, no doubtbuilding on the musical and academicfoundation started in the first twoquarters of their freshman year. Willthe final quarter of their first year incollege yield harmonious results? nBY MONIQUE BEELERBefore taking audio production, Frank Martinez, 18, of Hayward says he didn’t pay much attention to song lyrics. The class, he says, has taught him thefundamentals needed to compose a song: a chorus, an introduction, and one or two verses.40 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 41

friendsIntercontinental ScholarEndows Library Book FundDarril Hudson, professoremeritus, made his gift to theUniversity Library to supportnew acquisitions in all formats.Although he has gotten used tocomputers, he says, “I wouldn’twant to support a library withoutbooks at all.”PHOTO SCOTT CHERNISEmeritus Professor Darril Hudson is a manof the world. San Francisco has been his homebase for many years, beginning while he wasteaching in Cal State East Bay’s political sciencedepartment and continuing through hisretirement. But his international attractionbegan in childhood.“I’ve always been interested in foreign places andfascinated by maps,” he says. “In my bedroom as a child Ihad a map that filled the whole wall.”Not surprising, then, that following his undergraduateyears at the University of California, Berkeley, Hudsonheaded overseas. He earned a master’s degree and doctoratein international relations at the London School of Economics,where he met his life partner, Peter Boesch ’70.Born in communist East Germany, Boesch escaped atage 14 after being apprenticed to a stonemason. “Who everwants to be a stonemason I don’t know, but certainly notPeter,” Hudson says. Boesch was a hotelier by trade, equallyinterested in travel and eager to see the world with Hudson.Their relationship, which spanned 33 years, seven seas,and destinations near and far, has been commemoratedthrough the Darril Hudson and Peter Boesch BookEndowment Fund, established with a $20,000 donationHudson recently made to the University.university Librarian Linda Dobb says specificendowments, like Hudson’s, “encourage serendipity” bycreating collections with depth and range, allowing thelibrary to acquire materials beyond the basics.“I go with students all the time into the stacks, and theyfind things that pique their interest,” she says. “Students starttheir research thinking about one thing, then they find abook that takes it in a new direction.”After teaching U.S. troops in England and Germany inthe 1960s, Hudson returned to the United States to workas a professor, joining the CSUEB faculty in 1968. For thenext 25 years, he taught introductory courses in politicalscience as well as more advanced courses in internationalrelations and American foreign policy.Because of his knowledge of international cultureand politics — and his fluency in German and French —Hudson had several connections with the modern languagedepartment. Yolanda Patterson, a professor emerita of thedepartment, says she was pleased to be a member of thestatewide council that appointed Hudson resident directorof the CSU international program in Germany in the1990-91 academic year. During their own travels, she andher husband were frequent guests of Hudson and Boesch,and still meet Hudson regularly at his residence in Paris.Though he enjoyed teaching, Hudson is morefond of recalling his travels with Boesch. Europe was afrequent destination — for several years, they owned amill in France that served as a foreign home base — butthey traveled across the globe, visiting five continents andcountries Hudson cannot enumerate: “Peter kept track ofthose numbers, not me.”Boesch died in 1995, and since then, Hudson hasdistributed their money to causes dear to them, includinga scholarship fund for CSUEB students majoring inforeign languages and the newly created endowmeant tothe library.“I lived in libraries,” he says, referring to schools andcities he visited all over the world. The fund in his andBoesch’s names will support acquisitions, in all formats, inthree fields that together represent them particularly well:German culture and politics; gender studies, particularly inthe field of homosexuality; and European government.In fact, Hudson recently finished a manuscript abouthis and Boesch’s life, together and apart. If published, itwould be a fitting acquisition to honor both men.By Sarah StanekHudson and his late partner, alumnus Peter Boesch ’70, met in Europeand spent many years traveling internationally. This photo of Boeschwas taken during a trip to Greece in the late 1960s.42 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 43

alumniCLASS NOTES1960sThomas Lorentzen, BA, political science(’68), retired as regional director for theU.S. Department of Health and HumanServices. Lorentzen has overseen programssuch as Medicare, public health,and emergency preparedness in California,Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and thePacific Islands. He also worked with state,local, and tribal government organizationsand health agencies while overseeing600 agency employees.1970sSteven Grubb, BA, music (’72), receivedan Excellence in Arts Award from theStanislaus Arts Council in March. Grubbhas been music director for Grace LutheranChurch in Modesto since 1971and has served on the music faculty atModesto Junior College since 1976. Heteaches elementary piano, music appreciation,and a course about the musicaldevelopment of The Beatles. His studiesabroad have included advanced masterclasses with the late Klaas Bolt of St. BavoChurch in Haarlem, Holland, and HaroldVogel, director of organ studies at theNorth German Organ Academy.Frederick Arn Hansson, BA, geography(’74), was appointed to the San MateoCity Council. He served on the PublicWorks Commission from 1997 to 2000and on the Planning Commission from2000 to 2009. The nonprofit CaliforniaParks and Recreation Society honoredhim with the “Champion of the Community”award for his work as a scoutmaster,which included recognizing his troop’scontributions to improving San Mateo’sLaurelwood Park and Sugarloaf MountainOpen Space.Robert Lewis Horton, BA, English (’77),wrote the novel “The Writing Class,”published in February by Aberdeen BayBooks. His play “Diorama” was publishedby New Issues Press, Western MichiganUniversity, in the anthology “The Art ofthe One-Act.” Horton’s stories have appearedin publications in five countries.Michael P. Jensen, BA, English (’75), is afreelance writer and independent Shakespearescholar. His most recent scholarlywork, “Lend Me Your Ears: Sampling BBCRadio Shakespeare,” appeared in theCambridge University Press anthology“Shakespeare Survey 61: ShakespeareSound and Screen.”Michael J. Johnson, BS, business administration(’78), was named CommunityDevelopment Resource Agency Directorfor Placer County. He held planningpositions in Folsom from 1997 to 2005,and also served in the cities of Fremontand Merced.Kathleen Landis, BA, English (’70), isan award-winning freelance writer, coveringtravel, small business, and topicsthat captivate youngsters, from her Sacramentoarea home base. Her work appearsregularly in “Boys’ Life” magazine.Annan Paterson, MS, counseling (’79),is celebrating her 30th year in publiceducation. She was recently named vicepresident of the College of Marin Board ofTrustees. In 2003, she received the MartinLuther King Humanitarian Award for hersocial justice work in Marin County.Nancy Perry, MS, counseling (’79), hasbeen the clinical director of the Centerfor Adaptive Learning in Concord for thepast 12 years. Her work led her to penher recently published book “Adults onthe Autism Spectrum Leave the Nest:Achieving Supported Independence.”Nancie (McGann) Ryan, BA, politicalscience (’70), retired as assistant generalcounsel from East Bay Municipal UtilityDistrict after 24 years of service. Shecompleted the Alameda County MasterGardener Program and currently sits onthe advisory board of the organization.William M. Saleebey, MS, counseling(’73), completed his third book “Connecting:Beyond the Name Tag.” Hespeaks nationally to attorneys, financialplanners, and alumni associations. Hecurrently serves as regional managerfor Corporate Relocations for AmericanRelocation and Logistics in Los Angeleswhere he is responsible for business development.He also has written “StudySkills for Success” and “Sell Yourself” andhas taught at the college level since1973.1980sJeff DeBalko, BS, business administration(’86), was named president of theBusiness Media Division at Reed BusinessInformation, the leading U.S. provider ofbusiness-to-business information.Joanne Gouveia, BA, mass communication(’85), was named Fremont UnifiedSchool District Teacher of the Year 2008-2009. She began working in FremontUnified in 1999. She was one of five toreceive the district’s Most PromisingTeacher Award in 2000.William Keller, BA, psychology (’85),started working for Community Bank ofthe Bay to expand lending capacity inthe East Bay. Previously, Keller was executivevice president and chief operatingofficer for Diablo Valley Bank until its acquisitionby Heritage Bank of Commerce.He also has served as a board memberfor Oakland’s Children’s Hospital and ResearchCenter Foundation.Christine Larson, BA, black studies (’82),recently was named vice president andchief financial officer at PDL BioPharmaInc. Previously, Larson served as a seniormanager and director at Grant Thornton,LLP in the Mergers and AcquisitionsAdvisory group. She also is a certifiedpublic accountant.Charles Nice, BS, criminal justice (’81),former Alameda County Sheriff’s Commander;Nice took over as the city ofDublin’s police chief in February. He hasbeen with the Sheriff’s Office for nearly30 years and has been a member of theCalifornia State Bar for nearly 20 years.Nice has served as the captain at SantaRita Jail and as an Internal Affairs captain.He has also worked as a detective in thecourts and jails.1990sRebecca Carroll, MBA (’92), is the newdirector of social media at Brickfish, thesocial media-advertising network. Carrollwill lead social media marketing, includingaudience engagement, social mediaoutreach, and thought leadership. Shespent 14 years at Hewlett Packard, mostrecently as the director of marketing forthe United Kingdom and Ireland.Kevin Cato, BA, music (’99), has becomedirector of Mt. Eden High School’s bandprogram. He bought instruments, a personalinvestment of about $25,000, andbegan an intensive course of study toturn the program around.Caleb Cheung, single subject teachingcredential (’98), will serve as the 2009Commission Chair for the Commissionon Teaching Credentialing. Cheung wasnamed Marcus Foster Educational InstituteDistinguished Educator of theYear in 2002 and received the CaliforniaSpace Authority Presidential Award forExcellence in Math and Science Teachingfor California in 2005. He is currentlya science program manager for the OaklandUnified School District.Elizabeth Koepke, BA, environmentalscience (’91), was appointed vice presidentof National Load Auditors’ auditdivision and lead general council. Herprevious experience was in family law,estate planning, and probate.Rami Muth, MS, educational leadership(’99), was named superintendent of theMartinez School District. Muth has beendirector of curriculum and instructionfor the district since 2006. Previously, sheworked in the Fairfield-Suisun UnifiedSchool District where she was an elementaryschool principal and led a trainingproject for new teachers. Muth alsotaught elementary and middle school inBenicia for 22 years.Damien Sandoval, MPA (’94), has beennamed director of the Napa Valley CollegeCriminal Justice Training Center. Hepreviously worked for 28 years for theWalnut Creek Police Department wherehe started as a rookie officer and retiredafter becoming lieutenant.Peter Val Sellars, BS, criminal justice(’96), became the head of the Grand Encampmentof California, a branch of theIndependent Order of Odd Fellows. In2008, he published two books, “The Historyof the Independent Order of OddFellows in the City of San Francisco” and“Calling Out from the Past.” He currentlymanages the historic Odd Fellows Buildingin San Francisco.2000sShayiq Ahmadzia, BS, biological scienceand history (’02), graduated from RossUniversity School of Medicine in 2008.Suliman Atai, BS, biological science(’01), graduated from Ross UniversitySchool of Medicine in 2008.Lisbeth Cervantes, BA, mass communications(’08), worked at worldwidepublicity firm Edelman and has startedher own publicity firm, Elle C. Communications(www.elle-cc.com). The firmspecializes in publicizing companies inthe consumer, corporate, and lifestyleindustries.H. Frank Cervone, MS, education (’02),has been appointed vice chancellor forInformation Systems at Purdue UniversityCalumet. He previously served asDirector of Library, Information, and MediaStudies at Chicago State University.Cervone’s background includes 15 yearsof experience in leadership developingsystems to help advance student servicesassessment and learning outcomes.Robert Litton, MA, music (’03), wrotethe musical piece “Frontier Suite” thatwas performed by Tim Smith and theContra Costa Chamber Orchestra in February.“Frontier Suite” was the first piecehe wrote at CSUEB in 2001; it was performedat his master's concert in 2003.Sonja Wallace, BA, biological science(’00), was recently named associate directorin the Department of ResearchCompliance at Stanford University. Shehas past experience as a manager in theDepartment of Quality Assurance andRegulatory Compliance at Roche PaloAlto. Previously, she was a supervisor inthe Department of Comparative Medicineand a research associate in the departmentsof Cardiovascular and SafetyPharmacology at Syntex Research andRoche Bioscience.Submit Class NotesShare news about your career, accomplishments, and changes in yourlife with fellow alumni. Include your address, phone numbers, degreeearned, major, and graduation year. Mail to: Cal State East Bay Magazine,Attention: Editor, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., WA 908, Hayward, CA 94542.Or e-mail to: monique.beeler@csueastbay.edu.46Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 47

CALENDARTHEATRE AND DANCEPerformance FusionMay 29, 30, June 5, and 6 at 8 p.m. and June 7 at2 p.m. in Studio Theatre. Fusion showcases originalworks directed and choreographed by advancedstudents. $10 general admission; $7 youth, senior,and alumni; $5 with CSUEB ID.PHOTO BEN AILES PHOTO BEN AILES PHOTO BEN AILES PHOTO JESSE CANTLEYPHOTO BEN AILESMUSICOpera Workshop: Scenes and AriasJune 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Music Building room 1055.Allen Shearer and Pamela Hicks, directors. Free.MUSICCSUEB Symphony OrchestraJune 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Music Building room 1055.Buddy James, conductor. $7 general admission;$5 senior and youth; free with CSUEB ID.ARTAnnual Student Juried ExhibitionOn view through June 4 in the University Art Gallery.Free.LECTURE SERIESLincoln at 200: Fact or FictionJune 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.in the Concord Campus library, room 149. Coursedelves into the life of Lincoln. Was he truly a greatemancipator, orator, and family man? $40 for OLLImembers; $55 for non-members.COMMENCEMENThayward campusconcord campusMUSICCSUEB Symphonic Band ConcertJune 2 at 7:30 p.m. in University Theatre. Wesley J.Broadnax, conductor. $7 general admission; $5 seniorand youth; free with CSUEB ID.CSUEB Symphony OrchestraJune 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Music and Business room 1055.Buddy James, conductor. $7 general admission;$5 senior and youth; free with CSUEB ID.Student Composers RecitalJune 7 at 8 p.m. in Music Building room 1055. Free.ARTForgotten Contributions of theBay Area ChineseThrough June 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday throughFriday in The C. E. Smith Museum of Anthropology. Free.COMMENCEMENTCollege of ScienceJune 12 at 6 p.m. in the University Stadium.College of Education and Allied StudiesJune 13 at 2 p.m. in the University Stadium.College of Business and EconomicsJune 14 at 10 a.m. in the University Stadium.College of Letters, Arts, andSocial SciencesJune 14 at 3 p.m. in the University Stadium.LECTURE SERIESSummer’s MuseMay 19, 26 and June 2, 16, and 23 from 10:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m. in the Concord Campus library, room 149.Find your own poetic voice through prose and poetry.No prior knowledge or writing experience required.$40 for OLLI members; $55 for non-members.Revising the Bible:Re-Freshing Old TextsMay 21, 28, June 4, and 11 from 10:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m. in the Concord Campus library, room 149.$40 for OLLI members; $55 for non-members.Mongolia Through Mongolian Eyes —Discussion and Trip to MongoliaJune 1, 8, and 15 (special session Aug. 20) from 2 to4 p.m. in the Concord Campus library, room 149.Explore traditional and ancient Mongolian culture bysurveying economic, political, and social conditions inthe landlocked republic. Classroom journey is enhancedwith an opportunity to visit Mongolia. $40 for OLLImembers; $55 for non-members.‘Go South’June 17 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Oak Room at theConcord Campus. Documentary film based on ablack family in the Tuskegee area during the 1960s;H. Reiders, documentary filmmaker. Free for OLLImembers; $5 for non-members.Faith and Social Activism: A DialogueJuly 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Oak Room at theConcord Campus. Free for OLLI members; $5 fornon-members.Persian Poetry: Rumi to EtesamiJuly 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.in the Concord Campus library, room 149. $40 for OLLImembers; $55 for non-members.Eastern Europe: Jews in MigrationJuly 23, 30, and Aug. 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 10:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. in the Concord Campus library, room 149.$40 for OLLI members; $55 for non-members.COMMENCEMENTJune 13 at 9 a.m. in the Boatwright Sports Complex on theConcord Campus.48 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 49

alumniSurvey says: Alumni wantto strengthen ties to CSUEBThe Alumni Association recently completedan online survey to assess satisfaction with theCal State East Bay alumni experience. Thesurvey was sent by e-mail to 8,000 randomlyselected alumni, and 740 responded.“We were heartened by the comments ofthose who felt a strong connection with theiralma mater and learned from the constructivecomments of those who wanted significantimprovement,” Director of Alumni RelationsKate Shaheed says.“In general, we found that graduates from thelast decade wanted better online communication,career networking opportunities, andmore opportunities to help students” she says.“Alumni from the 1960s through the 1980swanted more opportunities to make a differencein the student experience. We were encouragedthat many wanted a higher level of engagementwith the University, despite their busy lives.”Based on survey participant feedback, theAlumni Association plans to focus on thefollowing areas:• Online services and communications• Opportunities for alumni to get involved inprograms that benefit students• Professional network developmentShaheed says the association will communicategoals for the areas of focus in future issues ofCal State East Bay Magazine and through anewly revamped Alumni Association Website and e-newsletter. In the meantime, here aresome easy ways that all alumni can get involved:• E-mail alumni@csueastbay.edu to sign up forperiodic e-mail communications.• Become a “Career Contact” for students andalumni who want to learn about your jobor industry.• Subscribe to an RSS feed and receiveUniversity news that appeals to you.• Join CSU East Bay alumni groups onLinkedIn and Facebook.Inaugural ImpressionsTwo CSUEB Alumni Association leaders share their impressions and experiencesof attending the inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama.Cindi Newbold, left, and her sister, Tracy Simmons,attend an inauguration ball in January.Cindi Newbold ’01PresidentCSUEB Alumni Association2002-presentWhat part of participating in thishistorical event is most meaningfulto you?Probably the day before and the dayof the inauguration — the day before,being Martin Luther King Jr. Dayand a day of service, and being therein D.C. We went to the AfricanAmerican Civil War Memorial, andthere was a celebration honoring theformer slaves that fought in the war.That memorial listed three names ofancestors of mine.If you could pass your experience onto future generations, what wouldyou want them to gain from it?That everybody is relevant. There isnothing insignificant about how wethink, what we do, and how we treateach other. The biggest thing is: Weare all American. That’s the thing weall have in common and to have morefocus on that. It’s something to beproud of that we don’t all look alike,behave alike, and think alike.Ambrus Reese III, right, and his wife and daughterawait the start of the inauguration ceremony nearthe U.S. Capitol.Ambrus Reese III ’00CSUEB Alumni Association and CSUEBEducational Foundation Board of Trustees2007-presentWhat was the atmosphere like atthe inauguration?Very friendly and social, like everybodyknew each other. It was easyto talk to people, and we were reallyamazed to find so many people fromthe Bay Area. We also met peoplefrom other parts of the world likeHawaii, Europe, and Africa.Which part of your inaugurationexperience would you want to passon to future generations?Obama accomplished one of hisbiggest personal goals and somethingthat was considered to be impossible.He believed in himself, he workedreally hard, and he ultimately was ableto achieve his dream. No matter howhard or impossible it seems to achieveour dreams, we can achieve our goalsif we believe in ourselves.What did you hear in PresidentObama’s speech that will alwaysstay with you?When he mentioned that we are allpart of the solution and that we hadto work together as Americans to findour way.“The Last Word:What cultural offerings at Cal StateEast Bay do you find most enriching?The San Francisco Bay Area is known for the richness of its cultural activities and the diversity of its population,qualities reflected on the campuses of Cal State East Bay. Members of the University community, representinga spectrum of ethnic and social backgrounds, contribute a range of values, traditions, and beliefs to the creativespirit evident at Cal State East Bay. Students, faculty, and staff shared the following thoughts about the culturalopportunities they value most.The BSU (Black StudentUnion) puts on a poetryslam and a Kwanzaadinner. It is enriching,because you get to experienceanother culture,but it’s on a fun andsocial level.Lexy RhodesJuniorPsychologyThe Saudi Arabia eventin September shared ourculture. We brought culturalbooks and foods toshare with students.“Being a CSU East Bay studentin itself is a culturaloffering. If you make theeffort of arousing yourcuriosity to appreciatecultural diversity, theentire university is an informalcourse in culturaldiversity. We are blessedto have students of manycultural backgrounds.Abubakr AsadullaCSUEB physicianM.S. Chemistry ’92I enjoy the Women’s Herstory event,because I am able to learn about thelives of successful women and thestruggles they’ve encountered alongtheir path that led them to wherethey are today. As a woman, it inspiresme to do what I want to doand not to let others or society holdme down in achieving my dreams.Natasha JohnsonSeniorCriminal Justice and SociologyI liked the Disabled ComedyShow, because itbrought people from alldifferent cultures togetherand educated peopleon stereotypes.Shae RedwineSophomorePsychology””I love to see the collaborationbetween thetheatre and dancedepartments in creatinghybrid pieces that findnew ways to tell stories.Marc JacobsAssistant ProfessorTheatre and DanceDepartmentMohannad AlmussallamWhat was the most touching commentyou overheard in the crowd?Computer scienceFreshmanA little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old,couldn’t see the president from whereFor details, visit the University home pageshe was, but she was looking at theat www.csueastbay.edu, and click onJumbotron. When he came out sheAlumni & Friends. was holding the flag and said, “Theren MBhe is, there’s my president.” … Otherpeoples’ faces looked like they werethinking the same thing, but she just50 Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 verbalized it.Cal State East Bay Magazine | SPRING / SUMMER 2009 51

Non Profit OrgUS PostagePAIDCalifornia State University, East BayHayward, CAUniversity Advancement, WA 908Permit No. 38725800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward, CA 94542 Change Service RequestedThere are limitless ways to expresswhat a Cal State East Bay educationcan do for students…But there is just a single word for the supportof thousands of alumni, parents, and friendswhose gifts make this possible each year:Essential!Every gift makes a meaningful difference—including yours. Your support helps ensure thatCal State East Bay can continue to enhance scholarship opportunities and offer a superioreducational experience that is uniquely personal, professional, and achievable for every student.Annual FundMake your gift to the Cal State East Bay Annual Fund today at http://support.csueastbay.eduor by completing and returning the postage-paid envelope provided in this issue.Let us know the word you think best describes what a Cal State East Bay education can do bysending an e-mail to giving@csueastbay.edu.