Teddy the Toro has been high-stepping across campus for over two decades, spreading Toro spirit and encouragement at just about every event that takes place at CSUDH. A typical day for the “#1 Mascot in California” starts off with a quick check of their Instagram messages, followed by “meeting with campus squirrels for the latest updates.” The rest of their day is spent walking around campus, “checking in with my Toros,” according to Teddy. For Teddy, the best part of the job is “bringing laughter, joy, hope, and spirit to everyone.” The self-proclaimed “most likable figure on campus,” Teddy’s proudest moments have been representing CSUDH at national mascot competitions in 2019 and ... Read More
Staff
Gerth Archives Obtains L.A. Free Press Collection
The CSUDH Gerth Archives and Special Collections just got a lot “freakier” with the acquisition of the archives of the L.A. Free Press, one of the first and most important underground newspapers of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The collection had belonged to Art Kunkin, the publisher and editor of the Free Press from its inception in 1964 until 1972. When Kunkin passed away in 2019 at the age of 91, his daughter began looking for an archive to house the large collection. She chose the Gerth Archives due to their dedication to archiving alternative voices from the local community. “The L.A. Free Press was really one of the first newspapers for the community during the 1960s,” says ... Read More
President Parham Addresses CSUDH’s Present and Future at Fall Convocation
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham welcomed the Toro Nation back to campus for the fall semester with a stirring, wide-ranging speech at the 2021 Fall Convocation on Sept. 8. The event was held at the University Theatre, and was livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Provost Michael Spagna opened the proceedings with some light-hearted remarks about reassimilating onto campus after 18 months in COVID-19 seclusion, joking that he never wanted to use the words “unprecedented” or “pivot” again. Spagna introduced CSUDH Senate Executive Team member Terri Ares, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. Ares noted that this year marks 30 years since she stepped ... Read More
CSUDH Names Dena Freeman-Patton Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics
(Carson, Ca.) Today, California State University, Dominguez Hills Vice President for Student Affairs William Franklin announced that Dena Freeman-Patton has been named Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics. She will assume her new role April 12. Freeman-Patton comes to the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toro Athletics program from the University of New Orleans, where she served as the Privateers’ deputy athletic director and chief operating officer for the last two years. Freeman-Patton is also no stranger to the California State University system, as she spent six years as CSU Bakersfield’s deputy athletics director before joining the Privateers. “I am more than enthusiastic to ... Read More
New Latinx Center Up and Running—Virtually
Responding to calls from students, California State University, Dominguez Hills officially opened the Latinx Cultural Resource Center (LCRC) in January, joining other campus affinity centers such as the Rose Black Resource Center and the Queer Culture & Resource Center. “We’re here to build community, hear the needs of our students, and connect with them,” says the center’s interim director, Rony Castellanos Raymundo. Chicano/a Studies major Janneth Najera was the driving force behind the push to establish a Latinx Center on campus. Janneth worked with faculty, staff, and community members to make sure the center came to life,” according to Castellanos Raymundo. “It’s thanks to her ... Read More
