Quote of the Week

"It’s a weird moment to be an insider candidate, especially within the Democratic Party. There’s a sense that it’s better to be perceived as an outsider.”

— Keith Smith, Los Angeles Times, Feb. 6, 2020

Examples of how University of the Pacific was represented in the news media in recent days:

“In this L.A. City Council election, Kevin de León is the underdog turned big dog,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 13, 2020: Political science’s Keith Smith was quoted in this story about former California state Senate leader Kevin de León’s bid to replace LA City Councilman Jose Huizar, who is terming out. Smith told the Times that he isn’t surprised other candidates in the race are highlighting their differences with de León and that de León’s perceived advantages may not carry as much weight as they might have another time. “It’s a weird moment to be an insider candidate, especially within the Democratic Party,” Smith told the Times. “There’s a sense that it’s better to be perceived as an outsider.”

“California, select universities launch community-service-based fellowship,” Fox 40 (KTXL, Sacramento), Feb. 15, 2020: Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Edie Sparks was interviewed for this story on the Civic Action Fellowship offered at Pacific and funded by AmeriCorps via California Volunteers. “Really the idea here is to provide financial incentive for students to engage in serious service-learning assignments to really make a difference in their communities,” Sparks told Fox 40. “For many students, it will mean they can take one less loan to be able to complete their degree at Pacific. So we’re really excited about the impact that this will have for them,” she added later in the story. Other outlets covered the new fellowship:
“8 California universities helping students pay for school through public service,” FoxBusiness.com, Feb. 12, 2020: The Fox Business story was shared by several news outlets.
“New California program will give students up to $10k in tuition to do public service,” TheCollegeFix.com, Feb. 11, 2020

“Federal Court Dismisses Charges against Hamid Hayat,” California Globe, Feb. 16, 2020: McGeorge alumna Wazhma Mojaddidi is the former CAIR president in Sacramento and the attorney for Hamid Hayat, the Lodi man convicted in 2006 on terrorism-related charges that are now being dismissed. The story repurposed a quote from a Sacramento Bee story: “I passionately represented Hamid Hayat as a young attorney and worked with a great team of lawyers and investigators in his defense,” Mojaddidi had told the Bee.

“Azerbaijan Election: Stability At The Crossroads Of Europe And Asia – OpEd,” Eurasia Review, Feb. 16, 2020: McGeorge alumnus Mikayil Cabbarov continues to be mentioned in stories about government reforms in Azerbaijan. Part of this Op-Ed piece reads: “A graduate of the McGeorge School of Law, Tax Minister Mikayil Cabbarov was promoted to economy minister last year. This top-down change of guard in the country’s institutions has been effective in speeding up the pace of reforms and in implementing modern systems to end corruption.”

“A Somewhat Wobbly History Of The Jell-O Shot,” MelMagazine.com, Feb. 15, 2020: History’s Ken Albala was quoted in this story about the origin of the Jell-O shot, which was claimed by American mathematician and musical satirist Tom Lehrer. “That sounds like a real Just So Story,” Albala told MelMagazine.com. “Tom Lehrer is a genius, but he didn’t invent the Jell-O shot. There’s stuff that goes back to the beginning of Jell-O that includes wine, so that’s not anyone’s bright idea. … The earliest recipes are medieval.”

“Can New Jersey Really Call Itself the Pizza Capital of the World?,” Tapinto.net, Feb. 11, 2020: History’s Ken Albala was quoted in this story about a “pizza war” between New Jersey and New York. “People often say after WWII soldiers came back wanting pizza, but it was already here in the early 20th century,” Albala told the outlet. “It came with immigrants escaping impoverished Europe. There was economic depression that especially hit unindustrialized Southern Europe and Eastern Europe.” Later in the story he is quoted about neighboring communities having differing pizza styles.

‘“Give Kids a Smile’ Children's Dental Health Fair,” MedicalHealthNews.com, Feb. 12, 2020: Dugoni’s annual “Give Kids a Smile” at the San Francisco Campus was highlighted in this online item. Part of the entry reads, “Free screenings will include a dental exam and cleaning, orthodontic evaluations, sealants, fluoride treatment and an opportunity to have oral health questions answered. More than $150 in free dental services will be provided to each child.
“There will also be educational games with fun prizes, face painting, entertainment, and the Little Explorers Petting Zoo!” The entry was also shared on the website for NBC Bay Area.

“As Compassion Fatigue Takes its Toll, Schools and Public Libraries Take Steps to Support Librarians,” School Library Journal, Feb. 17, 2020: Benerd adjunct professor Jacquelyn Ollison was quoted in this story about the stress, fatigue and burnout experienced by school librarians. “What happens when you want to help?” Ollison told the outlet. “Maybe it’s outside your control. It takes its toll emotionally and physically and mentally. Sometimes people start to self-protect and withdraw. They become irritable and anxious or depressed.”

“RDHAPs: A bridge between the patient and the dentist,” California Dental Association, Feb. 12, 2020: Maria Ladd, a registered dental hygienist, is featured in this story that reads in part, “Ladd had already been working as a registered dental hygienist for 19 years when she decided to pursue the RDHAP license through the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s program. She did so in part because she considers herself an active learner, who’d been in a traditional setting for years and was ready to try something different.”

“Pacific looks strong in opening series with new skipper,” The Record, Feb. 17, 2020: Men’s baseball interim coach Chris Rodriguez was featured in this story about his transition from assistant coach to interim coach. Several student-athletes were quoted, including junior pitcher Hayden Pearce: “When we got the news, we were extremely happy for (Rodriguez). Really, everything has been seamless. It’s nice to have someone that we were already familiar with and that we’ve grown comfortable with. So it’s really nice having him lead us through everything.”

“Arizona Wildcats celebrate a win — and a birthday — after holding off Stanford in Palo Alto,” Tucson.com, Feb. 15, 2020: A portion of this roundup is devoted to Damon Stoudamire and the men’s basketball team: “UOP went 11-22 in Stoudamire’s first season, 14-18 in each of the past two and is now 20-9.
“‘No doubt he’s having a great season,’” UA coach Sean Miller said, noting that former UA graduate manager Jaydee Luster is also on Stoudamire’s staff. ‘We’re really happy for him. They already have 20 wins and he’s built the program when he first went there they had to get through a couple things.’”
“Pacific wins 20th game of regular season for first time since 2010,” The Record, Feb. 14, 2020
“Pacific Tigers trying to eclipse 20-win mark,” KCRA3, Feb. 13, 2020
“Pacific looks to clinch its first 20-win season since 2012-13,” MidMajorMadness.com, Feb. 13, 2020