Pacific in the Press | March 3, 2020

Quote of the Week

“It was an amazing process in three years of building a team and playing in a community that really got behind it. The stands were packed on game day.”

— Jordan Ferrell, SFGate.com, March 1, 2020

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

“Community engagement helps drive Chase Chevrolet,” The Record, March 1, 2020: John Chase and his community engagement were highlighted in this feature. The story ends with a mention of his $10 million donation to Pacific’s Community Involvement Program and a quote from Pacific’s announcement of the donation was used: “I’ve been very fortunate in my life and have the opportunity to give back to the community. I can’t really put it into words. It’s something that comes from the heart.” The story was also carried by the Daily Republic (Fairfield).

“Unilateral Peace Plan Is ‘Mockery’ of Global Efforts to End Israel-Palestine Conflict, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Tells international Conference,” ReliefWeb.int, Feb. 28, 2020: McGeorge’s Omar Dajani, a former legal adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, was on a panel at this international conference and he was quoted and his comments paraphrased. A portion of the story reads, “Mr. DAJANI said the future envisaged by the Trump plan falls far short of minimum Palestinian expectations because its main elements include Israel’s annexation of about 30 percent of the West Bank, the consolidation of Israel’s rule over Jerusalem, and denying Palestine refugees the right to return to their homes. The core of the plan is not an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians but, instead, one between Israel and the United States, he emphasized.” The story was posted on several websites, including ForeignAffairs.co.nz.

“New Oakland Roots coach breaks pro soccer color barrier,” SFGate.com, March 1 2020: Pacific alumnus and former assistant soccer coach Jordan Ferrell was featured in this story about him breaking the color barrier in being named one of just two African American coaches out of the 82 pro soccer teams in the country this year. The story covers the building years after the men’s soccer program returned to Pacific. “It was an amazing process in three years of building a team and playing in a community that really got behind it,” Ferrell told SFGate.com. “The stands were packed on game day.”

“A highly scientific analysis of pineapple as a pizza topping,” MelMagazine.com, Feb. 28, 2020: History’s Ken Albala weighed in on the age-old question of whether pineapple belongs on a pizza. He told the outlet: “All cooking is a matter of evolution. To say, here is the correct dish and other forms aren’t legitimate, would be to consign the dish to a museum and have people stop eating it. Food, like language, evolves whether people want it to or not. That’s not to say there isn’t bad pizza, but when you start saying one form is legitimate or authentic, it’s essentially meaningless. So yes, I laud pineapple on a pizza. I put it on my own pizza now and then, especially fresh, grilled and cut into little cubes.” His name was hyperlinked to his Pacific profile.

“Changing Faces changing places: Theater company finds permanent home in Lodi,” The Record, March 1, 2020: Alumna Sabrina Willis-Bartram was quoted in this story about a local theater company finding a brick-and-mortar home for the first time in its 18-year history. A portion of the story reads: “‘We have a lot of people who went away to college and studied theater,’ said Willis-Bartram, who studied theater at San Joaquin Delta College and graduated from University of the Pacific with a bachelor of arts degree in theater arts with minors in English and film studies. ‘The theater life is like a nomad’s life. A lot of people get into it and realize they don’t want to move all over the place; they want more stability.’”

“How to cook the perfect pancake,” Yahoo! News (United Kingdom), Feb. 25, 2020: History’s Ken Albala was mentioned in this story about pancakes. “Pancakes are a remarkably versatile foodstuff: French crêpes, Indian dosas, even Ethiopian injera, all fall under the same delightful banner,” reads a portion of the story. “As Ken Albala, author of a gloriously comprehensive ‘global history’ of the things explains, ‘any starchy batter … cooked in a small amount of fat on a flat surface’ counts.” The story was posted on other websites.

“Tigers provide big win for seniors,” The Record, March 1, 2020: The women’s basketball victory on senior night was featured in this story. A ceremony before the game recognized seniors Sofie Tryggedsson, Callie Kaiser and Jessica Blakeslee, who had earlier in the season suffered a season-ending injury. “When we started the game, I just knew that we couldn’t lose,” student-athlete  Brooklyn McDavid said. “We lost our last two senior nights, and I knew Jessica had worked so hard the last four years, and I wasn’t going to lose it for her. For Callie and Sofie, too, but definitely for Jess.”

“Former NBA star Damon Stoudamire leads Pacific turnaround,” CBS 13, Feb. 23, 2020: Men’s basketball head coach Damon Stoudamire and student-athlete Jahlil Tripp were quoted in this story about the team’s winning season.