January 28, 2026 - Walk around Fresno State

 Title: January 28, 2026 - Walk around Fresno State

Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background

Hike Info:

Type: Walk

Trail head: Kreman Building at Fresno State

Trail: Wander around campus

Distance:  0.6  miles

Start Time: 10:07

End Time:   11:12   

Travel Time:  1:05 (0.55 mph)

Moving Time:  0.40  (0.89 mph)

Elevation Rise:  59'

Descent: 39‘

Maximum Elevation: 343'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today’s excursion is an OSHER class walk around Fresno State. Being mostly a visitor to the campus, I am hoping to learn a little bit about the layout, the background and maybe some places which I can walk. The class is led by the grounds manager, Eddie Zenteno.

I left my house in plenty of time to catch the First St bus. But the bus is late, so late that it is the next bus which comes-I am very sure I did not miss the bus which I was aiming for. When I made my transfer to the Shaw bus I found out what happened. The bus I wanted to take was involved with an accident about two miles south of where I would be picked up. I get to the classroom about five minutes late, just in time to see everybody leave.

Submariner's Memorial

The first stop is a little plaque called the Submariner’s Memorial. Not sure why Fresno State felt the need to place it here. I joined mid-discussion. Later I read the flyer which notes that a group of Fresno submariners established it. Also it is the first submariner memorial on a college campus, established in 2002. Not only was there a stone memorial, but tulip trees were planted to memorialize the sailors lost. During the drought, most of the tulip trees were lost. But drought resistant trees are replacing them.

Right across from it are two fiberglass sculptures. These are from the Artes-Americas Museum, being part of their Alebrijes & Nahuales exhibition. They will be cycled out for another exhibit soon. I had not realized this was the case. I assumed these were all from Fresno State art students.

Armenian Genocide Memorial

A short walk up Maple Mall gets us to the Armenian Genocide Memorial. This is in nine sections, each commemorating the historic Armenian provinces. The genocide happened in the early part of the 20th century in what is now known as Turkey. Turkey still does not acknowledge that this happened. The Armenians of the area felt it is important not to let this be forgotten.

Heading west is the Veteran's Memorial This 16-ton memorial used to be at the corner of Shaw and Cedar. Student housing is going up there, so recently it was moved to the location. Zenteno noted that it was a monumental undertaking.

The Veteran’s Memorial is among the Rose Gaden. I think this is Zenteno’s pride and joy as he talks about it. There are 42 different varieties of roses planted here in four different beds. He talked about how to prune them and care for them.

Memorial Court Fountain

The final formal stop on the tour is the Memorial Court Fountain. This fountain was at Fresno State’s previous campus. Originally designed by a Fresno State alumnus, David Musselman. It is at the end of a walkway where the various Fresno State Class Years have established their benches, along with rows of trees framing the fountain. We stopped here for awhile

When it looks like this is it, a lady and I wander over towards the library. By the library is the Peace Garden. There various people like Martin Luther King jr, Ghandi, Jane Adams and Nelson Mandela have statues. As we are finishing up our rounds, we notice the class is moving by us.

Zenteno decided to give a bonus stop, the Hiroshima Peace Garden. There are cherry trees from Japan planted here. Some of the cherry trees have had to be replaced as they got diseased and became a hazard. A comment was made that it will take 50 years before they reach their maturity and create a canopy to cover the walkway. I wondered, how does it feel to plant something which you will never see and which will outlive you? But isn’t that what we hope for with our children?

In one sense I was disappointed by the walk as I did not discover anything which I had not walked by before, in fact I had walked by it while waiting for a class to start. But the items talked about were interesting and well worth the price of the class.

There were a couple of other things which I thought about. First, the observation is that I wondered if any of the students had ever stopped and observed these places, or if they even knew about them? Which gets me wondering, what do I pass by without noticing? Finally, what other places are there at Fresno State which are of interest and what is their background?

Trail Lesson:

Just because I have walked by something since the beginning of time does not mean that I should not stop and reflect upon what I am seeing.

Background

OSHER Event Description: Morning at Fresno State with Eddie Zenteno

Get reacquainted with some of Fresno State’s scenic and meaningful spots on a leisurely stroll on paved walkways through the Academic Campus, designated an arboretum. University Grounds Manager Eddie Zenteno is our guide. On the Maple Mall (originally Maple Avenue), we’ll view tulip trees and small plaques that mark the only university campus U.S. Submarine Veterans Memorial. Next stop is the Armenian Genocide Monument, also the only one on an American college campus. We’ll visit the Veterans Memorial monument; learn rose-pruning at the Rose Garden, and then walk through the bench- and tree-lined Memorial Plaza to the landmark Memorial Fountain. Please dress for the January weather.

Class Handout: OSHER: Morning at Fresno State

More as a point of reference, there is also a 1998 booklet of the various statues at Fresno State.

There are more gardens and collections than mentioned in the walk. They can be found on Fresno State’s web page.