Maxson
and May to be bobble heads
By Monica Levette Clark
On-line Forty-Niner
Soon,
bobble head collectors will be able to add
two new figures to their collection: Cal
State Long Beach President Robert Maxson
and former CSULB volleyball star player
Misty May.
Sponsored by the CSULB athletic department
and in part by the United States Postal
Service, bobble heads are currently in production
and will be given away later this month
and in Jan. 2003.
“Misty was the NCAA player of the year at
CSULB in 1997-1998, and she led the volleyball
team to the 1998 championship with a 36-0
record,” said Steve Janisch, assistant director
of media relations in the department.
This summer May competed in the beach volleyball
tour in South America and China, with her
partner, Kerri Walsh. The two split $15,000
for the silver medal at the Brazilian Open
according to the USA Volleyball Web site.
“We chose Misty May to help promote our
very successful volleyball program, and
because she would be a recognizable figure
that people will respond to,” said Bobby
Jezyk, assistant marketing director of the
athletic department.
Jezyk said the May bobble head will be modeled
after her appearance at a regular volleyball
match.
“She is standing on a stand that looks like
a volleyball court in her uniform, with
her last name and the number five on the
back of her jersey,” Jezyk said. “She will
be holding a ball on her hip, and her hair
will be in pigtails. Everyone will recognize
those famous pigtails.”
The May bobble head promotional give-away
will take place Friday at the women’s volleyball
match against Pacific in The Pyramid. The
athletic department said vouchers will be
passed out to the first 500 fans and the
first 250 students who arrive. The vouchers
can be traded in for the bobble head dolls
Oct. 23 at The Pyramid box office, where
they will be distributed.
Jezyk said that the Maxson bobble head figure
will be given away at the men’s basketball
game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at
The Pyramid on Jan. 29, to the first 1,500
to 2,000 people to arrive.
“When they first came to me and asked my
permission to make me into a figure I thought
they were kidding,” Maxson said. “Who would
want a bobble head of me?” he said.
“I think it is funny and I don’t mind it
at all, even though I get kidded a lot by
other professors on campus,” Maxson said.
For now, samples of the bobble head figures
will be on display in the athletic department
for students and the public to view.
“We may look into having other figures be
made in the future, that will highlight
the achievements of an individual from our
baseball program, which has been successful
as well, depending on the public’s reaction
to this promotion,” Jezyk said.
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