California State University, Fresno hosted a spirited televised debate between candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown on Saturday, Oct. 2, the first California TV gubernatorial confrontation originating in Spanish.
Over 500 invited students, community residents and guests of the candidates watched the debate live in the Satellite Student Union on the campus. Scores of students were in the live audience or working at the event as volunteers, gaining experience and earning service-learning credit as part of Fresno State’s mission of engagement with the community.
Univision Fresno recorded the event for broadcast at 4 p.m. Saturday by Univision network TV affiliates throughout California. It will be available at 5 p.m. on www.Univisionfresno.com with English captioning. The debate will be broadcast on a delayed basis by Univision radio affiliates.
The debate was covered by 80 media representatives from throughout the state and county.
The debate was hosted by the San Joaquin Valley Gubernatorial Forum, a nonpartisan committee, created in November 2009 to bring attention to the contributions and issues affecting the Central Valley. Committee members include Fresno State, the city of Fresno, Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, The Fresno Bee and Univision Fresno.
Fresno State President John D. Welty welcomed the candidates and audience to campus, saying the university is happy to be a partner in the forum because an educated citizenry is the bedrock of our state and nation.
With banners for the university’s Centennial year celebration adorning the building, Welty noted that since 1911, educating residents of the central San Joaquin Valley has been the university’s mission – first as a normal school preparing teachers and today as a robust, culturally diverse liberal arts university that awards bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.
He recounted the many accomplishments of Fresno State alums and quipped that it’s “only a matter of time until a Fresno State graduate moves into the governor’s office!”
In fact, one Fresno State alumnus, Cruz Bustamante, was lieutenant governor and another, Bill Jones, served as secretary of state.
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