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opinion:
editor-in-chief
After five years
this is all I have left
I arrived at Cal State
Long Beach in the fall of 1996. Why? I have no idea. I used
to ask that question when I got here.
What I did know
was that while growing up I always wanted to be a 49er. I
was from Northern California -- the better half of the state
-- and the only "49er" I knew of was the San Francisco
49ers.
I wanted to be
a wide receiver for San Francisco. But by the final year of
high school I was only 5-foot-10 and weighed 160 pounds. I
only caught five passes for 71 yards, but was voted in for
an honorable mention in my league.
It was also in
my senior year that I decided to come to CSULB. The reasons
for this are still cloudy to me. The two possible majors that
I knew I wanted to pursue were physical therapy and journalism.
The rationale was that if I could not play for the 49ers,
at least I could either help in the healing of athletes or
write about the team.
After doing some
research I felt CSULB would be the choice for me. Now I wonder
if I looked this up right since the physical therapy program
was not offered as a major after my first year here.
I graduated from
Merrill F. West High School in the wonderful city of Tracy,
about 45 minutes east of the Bay Area, in 1996. I was in the
first graduating class in the high school.
When I arrived
here in the fall of 1996, the Macarena was in, and my favorite
baseball team, the San Francisco Giants, was behind the Los
Angeles Dodgers in the standings.
Five years later,
the Macarena is dead and the Giants have won two division
titles and one playoff win, while the Dodgers have won neither.
After five years
at CSULB I have learned that the individual is a remarkable
being. I ran the 1997 Los Angeles Marathon my freshman year
because my brother-in-law said he would pay my way. Being
young and overconfident in my athletic skills, I took him
up on the offer. After 6 hours and 24 minutes I completed
the marathon and picked up my medal. I also lost the seven
pounds I had gained that year, too bad it was mostly water.
From this experience
I learned two things: 1. 26.2 miles is FAR, and, 2. A person
can accomplish anything if given the chance.
This is what college
life was for me.
I was given the
chance to provide the CSULB community with information about
campus.
However everyday
was not perfect. There were days I would come into the newsroom
and small problems would pop up that would require my attention.
There is nothing like coming in thinking you had everything
under control, only to see you had no control whatsoever.
Yet no matter how
many problems did come up, I had my fellow editors. Through
it all, these people were the greatest group of friends I
could ask for.
So I decided to
dedicate the last page of my last issue as editor in chief
to give thanks to those who, on this journey, made some impact
on my life these last five years.
To the greatest
group of friends a student could make in their first year
of school, the "Los Cerritos Boys." Justin, Ray,
Big Steve, Baby Steve, Jason, Dino, Eric, Dave, Ralph and
Anthony -- we were all there for each other, and it is so
hard to imagine that was five years ago that we all came together.
Thanks for all the good times and the memories that will last
a lifetime.
To the greatest
boss a student could have, Charles Blunt, you gave me a chance
to prove myself as an employee, which without that chance,
I may not have got as far as I am today. I could never repay
you for that. I should have left when you did.
To the journalism
department for giving me the tools I need to step out of CSULB
and into the professional world. Dr. Brown, Dr. Mulligan,
Professors Charles, Kelly, Laboy, Milligan and Reis, thank
you for helping me and sometimes giving me someone to talk
to when I needed it. Dr. Brown thanks for helping me get going
in the right direction. Now that you retiring, my advice to
you is, if you don't know where you going, any road can take
you.
To S. Derek Sullivan,
the journalism department ASC, you were probably the greatest
person to speak to. You were a great listener and advice-giver.
Thanks for helping through the painstaking process of the
daily problems at the paper and for the laughs you would give
when the editorial staff needed it like, "Listen here
old man!"
To Wes Woods II,
you got me into being an editor and look what happened. Without
you and your tricking me into being sports editor last spring
I would not have had the experiences I had and would not be
editor in chief. I have you to thank, and you to blame.
To the Spring 2001
On-line Forty-Niner staff, our education brought us together,
but our camaraderie made us friends. Alex, Don, Lindsey, Phil,
Christina, Marty and Chris -- thanks for your hard work and
for making this semester outstanding.
To the Kerbs family:
Joe, Caroline and Christy, you have invited me in and welcomed
me into your families. I have been honored to share in the
blessed events of the birth of Christy's three children Grant,
Karina and Kurt. Thanks for the moments and the food.
To my sister Rosa
and her husband Michael and my brother Jesse and his wife
Marissa, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your wedding.
It meant a lot to me to be a part of your special day.
To my sisters Mary,
Carmen, Deanna, Georgia and Clemencia -- and their husbands
Joseph, Dave, Rich, Andy and Jeff respectively -- thanks for
giving me six reasons to stay young. Marissa, Dominic, Serena,
Maya, Adam and Antonia will forever be your payback to me
when I was a child and you had to take me around.
To my parents,
you gave the world eight children and I was the last one.
Your sacrifices have helped me grow into the person I am today
and the best way for me to ever pay back the love you gave
me is to raise my children, when I have them, as well as you
raised me.
Finally, thank
you to my girlfriend Valerie Kerbs. I could take up the 12
pages it took to put this issue out to tell you how much you
have meant to me, but that would be bad for advertising. But
I want you to know that during all the times I wanted to give
up you were there to put a smile on my face, which is no easy
task when I am bitter, ask anyone. When we met five years
ago in the dorms, I would never have thought I would have
met someone as wonderful as you. But as always, you proved
me wrong. I love you.
Andres Cardenas
is the editor in chief for the final time of the On-line Forty-Niner
and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in print journalism
from Cal State Long Beach.
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