Pacific in the Press | Aug. 7, 2018

Quote of the Week

"I wanted to show that student athletes could have an impact on campus that’s more than being an athlete and doing well." 

- Melissa Ma '19, The Record, Aug. 5, 2018

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

"McGeorge law students bargain their way to top spot in international contest," The Sacramento Bee, Aug. 3, 2018: McGeorge students Leah Parrish '18 and Doug Leach '18 and coach Claudia Wrazel were featured in this story about their victory at the International Negotiation Competition in Wales. "So much of this is knowing how to talk to people, coming across as warm and sincere, making it sound like a natural conversation," Parrish told The Bee.

"A virtual encounter with John Muir," The Record, Aug. 4, 2018: Media X Program Director Kevin Pontuti and University Libraries' Joshua Salyers were interviewed for this commentary about "A Yosemite Welcome," the first virtual reality film by Media X students, faculty and staff, and the first-place winner in the Best VR category at the 12th annual San Francisco Frozen Film Festival in July. "I slipped on the Oculus Go, the virtual reality headset," wrote the columnist. "An augmented reality control panel appeared with a 'play' button. Somebody, not me, hit the play button. The panel faded as the film started. ... Trees and boulders. A brook burbled downslope a short ways, its sound in my left ear. I turned my head to look at it. In a flat-screen movie theater this is where you'd look away from the screen and see theater wall." The column was also shared on news aggregator websites.

"Virtual reality takes you back in time," Fox 40's Studio 40, July 30, 2018: History's Jennifer Helgren and students Kelly Canniff '20, Alicia Stephan '20 and Kyle Sabbatinol '18 were interviewed for this Positively Stockton story about the Digital Delta summer fellowship project to create a virtual reality exhibit and video game to be used in teaching about Little Manila, a Stockton neighborhood essentially torn down in the name of progress.

"Pacific players work to find balance in being student-athletes," The Record, Aug. 5, 2018: Pacific student-athletes Alex Holt '18 and Melissa Ma '19 were featured in this story about their academic achievements and those of their fellow student-athletes. In the 2017-18 academic year, 51 student-athletes earned a 4.0 GPA, including 12 who earned 4.0 in consecutive semesters. Pacific athletic teams earned a cumulative team GPA of 3.14, the highest over the past three years.

"Justice Anthony Kennedy's Final Day On The U.S. Supreme Court," Capital Public Radio's "Insight With Beth Ruyak," July 31, 2018: McGeorge's Larry Levine and John Sims were on this Capital Public Radio program for a segment on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement. They commented on Kennedy's reason for retiring now and the legacy he leaves behind. The segment was broadcast in the 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. hours and is available on the program's website. There were other recent stories that mentioned Kennedy's retirement and his connection to McGeorge:
"Justice Kennedy Retires from Supreme Court," Library of Congress Law Library blog, July 31, 2018
"It's Official: Anthony Kennedy's Retirement Takes Effect," The Daily Caller, July 31, 2018

"$500,000 donation will provide upgrades to Pacific pool," The Record, Aug. 5, 2018: Pacific's Athletic Director Janet Lucas, and coaches James Graham and Peter Richardson were interviewed for this story about a donation by the Bank of Stockton and the Eberhardt family. The money will go to buy one of the largest collegiate aquatics video boards in the country. "Few families have had more of an impact on this athletics program and our campus communities here at Pacific than the Eberhardt family and Bank of Stockton," Lucas told The Record. "From their support of the Pacific Athletic Foundation and our athletic teams to the Eberhardt School of Business and Community Involvement Program, they have had a direct impact on so many students' lives for generations. Their generosity and leadership are extraordinary."