Have you joined the #WeAreFresnoState wave? Many others have amid recent backlash
Mad at Fresno State?
Ashamed to be going there or to have graduated from the university?
Some have expressed such sentiment at the school in the aftermath of English professor Randa Jarrar publicly reveling in the death of former first lady Barbara Bush.
But amid the backlash and the bashing of Fresno State, a social media movement has taken off with many showcasing their school spirit and Bulldog pride:
The hashtag has been used before.
But it got re-circulated on multiple social media platforms Thursday evening, with several students, alumni and faculty members joining to express their fondness for the university.
“DO NOT COME FOR US!” alumnus Leonard Serrato wrote in his Twitter post that included the Bulldogs logo. “WE ARE STRONG. WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE BOLD. WE ARE FRESNO STATE!”
Shady Nicolas Misaghi, a Fresno State senior and an international student who is from Spain, was one of the first people to tweet using #WeAreFresnoState.
She initially went with #IloveFresnoState while thanking university president Joseph Castro and Fresno State’s communications department “for handling this crisis with dignity and respect.”
Upon seeing #WeAreFresnoState was a more common hashtag used in the past, the public relations major Nicolas Misaghi went with the more trendy hashtag while describing the publicity firestorm surrounding Fresno State.
“Never doubt that there is nothing stronger than the power of love!” Nicolas Misaghi wrote. “Yesterday I tweeted a drop of love to block a wave of hatred, and guess what? A drop can create a ripple effect #WeAreFresnoState”
Nicolas Misaghi, in a phone interview, said the backlash against Fresno State is unfair and that the comments of one person associated with the university should not be a representation of the entire school and the city of Fresno.
“It makes my heart so happy for people to share love and talking about the beautiful things about this place,” said Nicolas Misaghi, who has lived in Fresno since 2014, considers Fresno State her new home and the people she’s met on campus as her family.
“We should all as a community and society put our energies toward positive thoughts and action.”
Several others got aboard the #WeAreFresnoState wave, prompting a thank you response from Fresno State’s official Twitter account.
As part of one student’s Tweet, Morgan McGuire wrote: “Through ups and downs I love this university and I am a proud Bulldog #WeAreFresnoState”
Check out some other #WeAreFresnoState posts:
This story was originally published April 20, 2018 at 12:50 AM with the headline "Have you joined the #WeAreFresnoState wave? Many others have amid recent backlash."