1994_05 Insight May 1994

              May 4,1994
LIFESTYLE
CALIFORNIA 8TATE UNIVERSrrY, FRESNO
Page 5
INSIGHT
Drummer sees rising music scene
JoeRosatoJr.	
IN5TGRT
When asked if he thinks there is a thriving music scene in
Fresno, John Shafer yanked a phonebook from under his
clock radio. He fingered through the yellow pages. "How's
the music scene in Frei-no?" he asked. "I'll tell you."
Shafer found his page and traced it with his index finger,
and counted to himself. "There's thirty listings for music
instruments in here," he said. "Something's going on here."
Shafer knows the Fresno music scene. He grew up in it.
He's the drummer for the 'On Tonite With Chris Terrance'
show house band, taped weekly on the CSUF campus.
Shafer also has a regular job or "day gig" as it's referred
to by musicians. He's the owner of Whitie's Pet Store in
north Fresno.
His two lives were evident in his Fig Garden home where
parakeet named Chicken.
"Pets are my source of income," he said. "But music has
never let me purchase the quality of instruments I'm used
to." Shaferlaughed to himself, preempting his next thought.
"Pels have put drums in front of me."
Shafer grew up with a love of music and a knowledge of
pets. His parents went into the pet business in 1963 with the
purchase of Whiting's pet store in south Fresno. At the time,
Shafer was nine-ycars-old.
"My dad bought the business from Mr. Whiting, hence
the name," Shafer said refering to the name of the store.
Shafer grew up in the old downtown area of Fresno. I
considered my home to be Ventura and Hazelwood —
where the store was located — even though I didn't live in
that neighborhood, he said.
"There were a lot of alleys around there," he reminisced
Bryan Chan/INSIGHT
See DRUMMER, Page 12  'On Tonight With Chris Terrence' band drummer John Shafer warms up before taping.
CSUF fraternities, sororities
contribute to 'Sober Grad' '94
Jenny Garrett
 INSIGHT
High school seniors in the Valley used to not have much to look
forward to after graduating. A pat
on the back, maybe a new set of
luggage or a long bus trip down to
Disneyland.
However, last year the community as a whole set a precedent for
a graduation celebration, which has
rcjuvinated seniors'excitementfor
graduation.
Sober Grad '94, sponsored and
coordinated by KJEO Channel 47,
is an entirely free party offered to
all high school graduates from
Fresno and Madera counties.
"Sober Grad is what I call a
community sponsored event," said
Tom Peoples, coordinator of Sober
Grad and public relations for KJEO.
"It's the community as a whole that
allows it all to come together."
This non-stop night is completely free with the only requirement being that the graduate attend
hisfter own high school grad night.
Wild Water Adventures hosts
the event, donating all of their facilities along with food and beverage distributers, such as Taco Bell
and Pepsi, passing out food to the
hungry masses.
Many other local businesses and
services have generously donated
to this celebration extrodinare.
"It's a way for the community to
pal them on the back for a job well
done," Peoples said.
This year CSUF's fraternities
and sororities have made a goal to
help raise money for this worthwhile event.
"Panhellenic's main issue this
year is drinking," said Missy
Galego, Panhellenic delegate for
Kappa Kappa Gamma. "Wc have
made this a priority."
PiSigmaEpsilonkickedoffihcir
Sober Grad fundraising on February 9, with the "World's Largest
Rice Crispie Bar" reaching 192 feet
and raising $442 in sales.
"Our organization wants high
school students to realize that there
is no need to have alcohol because
you can have a goocLtimc sober,"
said Pamela Chcong, Pi Sigma
Epsilon's vice president of marketing. "Our fraternity wants to show
that we care about ihc community."
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity also
sponsored a Teeter-Totter-A-Thon
with proccdes going to SobcrGrad.
Panhellenic will be sponsoring
an "All Greek Baseball Game and
Barbcque," on May 15. at which
timccach sorority will donate S100,
grossing more lhan $700.
Since many Valley high school
students choose to attend CSUF.
support from such organizations
transmits a more positive message
than typical stereotypes of beer-
drinking college students.
Sororities and fraternities will
also be volunteering their Friday
night to help chaperonc at Sober
Grad.
"High school kids think that college is about parties and drinking
every weekend," said Peoples.
"This shows that there are alternative ways to have fun and college
kids will give up their Friday nighl
to send that message."
Talk shows sexist, bizarre,
but still captivate audiences
LynnDiddy                    good knowledge about the shows, Justin Vclcz, a human resource
INSIGHT    whether they liked ihem or not. management major, said that Ricki
Courtney McCall, a liberal studies Lake is pathetic and thai she doesn't
The television section of the news-    major, readily confessing to have fa- know how to manipulate theconvcr-
papcr each day tells the viewer much    miliarity with such shows, suggested sation. "She's sexist. She blames the
about day and nighttime talk shows,    the boom is because the industry has guy in most situations," Vclcz said.
•Home-wrecking baby sitters on    seen the need for them. He said his favorite show is Montcl
"People want to sec other people's
problems and to watch them carry on
like idiots," McCall said.
She added that bringing in all of
these talk shows has lowered the standard of them.
Sally Jessy Raphael.
•Man's affair with brother's wife
on Jenny Jones.
•People who bully fat people on
Ricki Lake.
The list goes on and on.
Over the past two
years, there has been a ^m^m^^
boom in talk shows.
Frcsnans can have
their pick of more than
22 of them. It seems
as if today there is a
talk show for just about
everyone.
An informal survey
of CSUFstudcnts finds
them to be avid talk
show enthusiasts as
well.
Many, like the rest ■■■■■»■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■•■■■■■■■■
of the community, are
captivated by them.
The more bizarre and raunchy, the BlissJeppescn.anagnculturalbusi-
bcttcr, some say. ncss major, admitted some familiar-
While many students arc quick to ity with such shows, and suggested
criticize them, their comments indi- they reflect the increased diversity of
catc a good knowledge of many of the    America.
more popular programs. They reflect "There's a different talk show for
the general population's love-hate re- everybody. Ricki Lake is pretty
lationship which continues in America lowlife," Jeppcson said "The guests,
for such shows and their hosts. audience, everybody is out of control.
More to the point, students inter- Today two women started to beat
viewed revealed a fascination for and    each other up."
Td rather watch Bugs Bunny
than her (Ricki Lake) show. I
think these host have major
problems themselves."
— Jamie McConnell
Williams because he controls the
show, his topics arc meaningful in
some way and he's hip with today's
popular culture.
Ricki Lake gets criticized, but she
is obviously getting viewcrsand dial's
the important thing.
^^^tmmm McCall likes to
watch Oprah Winfrey
because she uses her
talents to help others.
"She's a symbol for
women and what they
achieve,"    McCall
v.lkl
Some students arc
fed up with talk shows.
Jamie McConnell, a
physical therapy major, said that in order
for the quality of them
to go up there has to
be less of them. She
says that Donahue and Oprah arc all
wc really need. "When they get out of
control like Ricki Lake they really
piss me off," McConnell said. "I'd
rather watch Bugs Bunny than her
show. I think these hosts have major
problems themselves."
She said that when she docs choose
to watch, she'll watch Vicki
Lawerencc's show because she has a
good sense of humor.
Carnptis
Calendar
Art show
Annual Student Art Show,
through August, starts this
week on Wednesday, May 4
in the Phcbe Conlcy Art
Building Gallery, with reception from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6.
Greek lecture
"Music by Greek Composers: Its Richness and Divcr-
-:-. -v.. »i._.....WVov/Milic
at 7 p.m. in Alice Peters Auditorium of the University
Business Center. Reception
before and after the lecture.
Sponsored by the Hellenic
Students Union.
Welcome Week '94
Welcome Week '94 is
scheduled for September 6-
9, but volunteers are needed
now to plan a variety of activities. Planning meeting will
be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday,
May 5 in USU 309. For more
information call 278-7533.
Cinco de Mayo
Radio Bilingue will air the
followingconccrts:"Mariachi
Los Camperos", mariachi
concert at 12 noon on
Wednesday, May 4.
"Mariachi Vargas de
Tecalitlan" on Thursday, May
5 at 12 noon. "Talks With
Nati Cano & Nicolas Torres"
on Friday, May 6 at 12 noon.
Lecture
"The Value of Black and
White Air Photography in
Historical Geographic Research." by JohnCrosby (Geography Emeritus) at 3 p.m.
in the Alice Peters Auditorium of the University Bus -
ncss Center. Followed by reception. Geography Department Emeritus Lecture Series.
Conference
"Partners in Inclusion:
Making a Difference," from
10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in
Cafeteria 200, sponsored by
the Department of Counse -
ing and Special Education.
For more information ca I
278-0289.
Semana de la Raza
Tardcada on Friday, May
6 located cast of Thomas
Administration Building, featuring Chicano art show and
Mariachi Zapopan at 10:30
a.m., Teatro de la Ticrra at
11:45 a.m., Los Ninos de
Azdan at I p.m. and Charro
Horsemen exhibition at 2 p.m.
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Loving Memory Of
Betty Koh
Ng Bee Vong
From The Singapore Collegiate Society