theSpartanDaily.com
Volume 131, Issue 44
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2008
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER
NEWS
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Scuba class makes waves SPORTS
Serving San Jose State University Since 1934
Center pushes for use of more ‘slutty paper’ DANIELLE TORRALBA Staff Writer
When it comes to recycled paper, SJSU’s Environmental Resource Center would rather have a slut over a virgin. Anna Le, the assistant director of the Environmental Resource Center, is the leader of the “I Heart Slutty Paper” campaign, which started in 2007 and promotes the use of recycled paper on campus. Le said it is designed to educate students on the importance of using paper products that contain recycled content, not virgin pulp paper, which is paper directly from a tree. The campaign stresses that school administrators should adopt a policy
that eliminates buying virgin paper, having all printers set to print double sided, use both sides of paper as well as having professors encourage their students turn in homework assignments on the backs of scratch paper. “Schools are one of the top institutions that consume paper,” she said. “As society is growing for a greener trend, it would be a great image for SJSU to move forward in this issue.” Le is following in the footsteps of Hannah Riches, who created and launched this project at her university, The New School in New York City, a few years ago. Riches said the campaign evolved from a class project.
“I was in a sustainability class,” she said. “It was our class project to create a proposal to submit to the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program, we weren’t required to actually submit it, but I decided that if I was going to put that much effort into the project, I may as well submit it. I didn’t want to do anything predictable. I wanted to do something that would catch people’s attention but that wasn’t too complicated.” Riches said the project did not take long to get up and running at her university. After she received the funds from the National Wildlife Federation,
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GET A TASTE OF FILIPINO FLAVOR INTERNATIONAL WEEK COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH THE PHILIPPINES ON PAGE 8
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The skinny on ‘slutty paper’ BIANCA deCASTRO Staff Writer
The “I Heart Slutty Paper” campaign was created to raise awareness. Hannah Riches, who created the campaign at The New School in New York City, said she wanted people to think about their impact on the world and to be aware of the simple changes they can make in their everyday life to limit that impact. SJSU’s Environmental Resource Center made informational brochures with some of these “Slutty Statistics.” The A.S. Print Shop uses 40 percent post-consumer paper. Post-consumer material is a product that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and would otherwise have been disposed of as a solid waste. Spartan Shops’ “blue books” are “going green,” meaning they will be made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Last year, 80 percent of SJSU’s trash was recycled or reused. In a typical year, the U.S. used 8 million tons of office paper, which is equivalent to 178 million trees.
Football team prepares for Fresno State OPINION
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Old-growth trees in California have been reduced to 3 percent. The U.S. uses enough office paper each year to build a 10-foot-high wall, 6,815 miles long. It takes three tons of wood to produce one ton of copy paper. (Left to right) Eddie Hermano, treasurer, Jannel Rossellon, member, STEFAN ARMIJO / Contributing Photographer Marissa Ferrer, KAAMP coordinator, Kevin Irabagon, social chair and Beverly Mationg, member, table outside the student union and promote upcoming events for Akbayan, the Filipino American Organization on Tuesday.
Faculty members focus on diversity plan, advancement of SJSU’s commitment to it ALLIE FIGURES Staff Writer
Morals and medicine don’t mix
In conjunction with International Week, six SJSU faculty and staff members met to discuss the Campus Diversity Master Plan Tuesday afternoon. Beginning in 2007 under former SJSU president Don Kassing, the plan, headed by Rona Halualani, director of institutional planning and inclusive excellence, is a nationwide effort at higher institutions to attract and utilize diversity on college campus. According to the U.S. News and World Report, SJSU is ranked as the 12th most diverse campus on the
West Coast, up two places from 14th in 2007. “There is a presumption that the presence of diversity is enough,” Halualani said. “Western universities do not invest in diversity because it is already there.” A committee has been made up of SJSU members, faculty and staff. Divided into three smaller groups, the committee is trying to tackle the diversity needs on campus, including engagement in diversity, campus climate and diversifying faculty. “I think we are already doing a great job at being a diverse campus,” said Myloe Esquivel, a sophomore
Everything from napkins to hot dogs utilized in ‘not your typical art show’ JOEY AKELEY Staff Writer
Twenty-five pieces of art encompassed Gallery 3 in the Art Building for the Alternative Processes Gallery Show on Tuesday, which continues this week. A variety of art, ranging from photography booklets to a dress made out of napkins, are featured at the show. Jorge Barragan, a senior design studies major, made a booklet of pictures that illustrated graffiti. “It’s a form of expression because a lot of people think of graffiti as something bad, but in reality it is still considered art,” he said. “Even if they are
doing it illegally, it is still considered art. So, a lot of people discredit it, look down on it, but I think it’s fabulous.” Barragan said he was inspired by graffiti as a child, which has led him into his art skills. “It came from one day walking on the tracks when I was young and being able to see all these other people doing graffiti, which inspired me to go home and draw and basically start doing my own graffiti,” he said. “And from there, I did drawings and paintings, and now, I am in graphic design.”
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hospitality, recreation and tourism management major. Halualani said Kassing made a commitment to diversity because the request came from within the campus. “Students, faculty and campus members want to see something more happen here with all of the resources we have,” she said. “This entire process is emergent from the actual campus community.” The definition of diversity, as established by the committee, is more than just the presence of different cultures, socioeconomic levels and sexualities.
The production of one ton of copy paper produces 5,690 pounds of greenhouse gases, which is equivalent to six months of car exhaust. 15 percent of San Jose’s landfill is post-consumer paper. According to greenascension.com, the average U.S. office worker prints 10,000 total pages per year. The average cost of a wasted page is 6 cents. An average employee wastes six pages per day, adding up to 1,410 wasted pages per year. Production of one ton of copy paper produces 2,278 pounds of solid waste. Sources: The Environmental Resource Center; greenascension.com
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Lecture talks about teaching globalization RICHARD STERN Staff Writer
When students graduate, they are going to have to have a better grasp of international and diversity issues to function in a global society. This was the theme of the second annual Dr. Peter C. Lee Memorial Lecture, given in front of 40 attendees by Yolanda T. Moses in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library on Tuesday as part of International Week. “It is an educational excellence issue,” said Moses, a professor of anthropology and associate vice chancellor for diversity, equity and excellence as well as executive director of conflict resolution at UC Riverside.
“If you want to have a degree that means anything in the 21st century you have to have been exposed to issues of globalization as well as issues of diversity.” Moses said diversity and globalization education should begin at freshman orientation. “The first class that a student gets when he or she walks into a university would have them see what diversity means, what internationalism means, what globalization means and how they will be exposed to it as they go through the next four or five years of their lives,” she said. “That is where I would start.
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BREATHING UNDERWATER
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2008
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER
Class teaches students and others how to brave the depths of the sea
A diver hovers weightlessly while scuba diving at Spartan Complex. ADAM MURPHY Staff Writer
For $20, students were able to be transported to another world for 90 minutes during an introduction to scuba diving in Spartan Complex last night. Alumnus Frank Barry taught eight students in an informal scuba diving class with help from several students who scuba dive in their free time. “I just wanted to get more involved in campus, and I kind of like doing random events like this,” said Sonia Witherow, a sophomore occupation therapy major. Barry said he took the class in 1970 and has been teaching scuba diving since late 1971. Barry, who owns a retail diving store and teaches outside of school for a living. He also has a Wednesday and Thursday night scuba class at Spartan Complex. “(Scuba diving) is the only class on campus that takes you
to another world,” said alumnus Tom Meisenholder, who helped teach the students how to dive. “Every other class will take you to another civilization or a different culture. This is a new world. It is one of the few things I can totally be on vacation in, in under an hour.” Students were first lectured on proper use of goggles and a breathing tube. Barry said that breathing from an oxygen tank under water is actually easier than snorkeling. “I actually prefer the classes here over the ones at the store,” Barry said. “We have people that are still used to learning. They are young, active.” Barry, whose official title is scuba specialist, then dressed the students in scuba gear and foot fins for the plunge into the pool. Barry told the students to breathe using their jaw and
SPARTAGUIDE SPARTAGUID 19 TODAY
Midweek Mix-up Campus Cookout
Meet your A.S. board of directors. 12 p.m. in the A.S. barbecue pit Contact 924-6269 or events@ as.sjsu.edu
SJspirit Meeting Learn about this progressive and fully inclusive Christian organization on campus. 5 p.m. at St. Paul’s church on the corner of 10th and San Salvador. Contact Kelsey Mac at kelsey@sjspirit.org
Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll Muse classes Rock ‘n’ roll heroes, all are welcome. 6 p.m. in Science Building, room 164 Contact Dona Nichols at 210-6679.
Free LDS Religion Class for Everyone
Come join us at the San Jose Institute of Religion, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 7 to 8 p.m. at 66 S. 7th St., adjacent to SJSU Contact Brother Bohn at sanjoseca@ldsces.org, 286-3313 or www.ldsces.org/sanjose
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THURSDAY
Student Showcase Hour 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. in the Music Building Concert Hall. Contact Professor Joan Stubbe 924-4649.
Courtesy of Bruce Fischer
all of their lung power. “It’s a matter of mind over matter,” he said. After each student grasped how to breathe under water using the oxygen tank, they swam in a circle while breathing out of the oxygen tanks in the shallow end of the pool. “The toughest thing about scuba diving is learning buoyancy control,” Barry said. The class then moved into the deep end of the pool as submerged bubbles of air climbed to the surface of the water before popping. “It sounded fun,” said Sam Baird, a senior television, radio, film and theatre major. “I have always wanted to scuba dive.” “I have always been a swimmer and snorkeled a lot, so it seemed like the natural step.” The kinesiology department offers an introductory scuba diving class and next semester will
Students get in the pool for a one-time-only scuba lesson CARLOS A. MORENO / Spartan Daily from scuba specialist Frank Barry at Spartan Complex on Tuesday night. offer an advanced diving class. Once students have completed the two classes, they must pass a physical before they can receive certification, Barry said. Once certified, students can dive internationally and never have to renew certification. “This clinic is a great opportunity for the students to get to know what its like to experience the scuba diving if they were to go on and get a certification,” said Kristine Kirkendall, the assistant director of fitness and wellness for Associated Students Campus Recreation. After the dive, the shivering students emerged from the water and shed their oxygen tanks and dried off. “Every dive is different,” said Malia Goodman, a hospitality graduate student. “You can’t hear anything, you can’t say anything. It’s very peaceful, very calming.”
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EVENTS CALENDAR
The Rock Are you a musician struggling in the midst of this businessesque atmosphere? Come to the Rock where you can find musicians, play music and be heard. 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Student Union, Montalvo Room. Contact Jeremy Mallard at Maljeremy@gmail.com
Bible Study Acts 2 Christian Fellowship has weekly Bible studies on Thursdays. 7 p.m. in the Student Union, Guadalupe Room. Contact Justin Foon at jfoon1@yahoo.com or (415) 786-9873.
Sparta Guide is provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff members. The deadline for entries is noon, three working days before the desired publication date. Space restrictions may require editing of submission. Entries are printed in the order in which they are received. Submit entries online at thespartandaily.com or in writing at DBH 209.
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Sam Baird, a senior television, CARLOS A. MORENO / Spartan Daily radio, film and theatre major, get his goggles ready for scuba training at Spartan Complex on Tuesday night.
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WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER
DIVERSITY Plan included
ART
‘It’s not just pictures on the wall; it has a lot of variety’
280 campus members and 30 focus groups for research “True diversity lies in the intersecting of all of the groups,” she said. “I feel like our campus is a melting pot for all people from different backgrounds,” said Chelsea Gill, a junior public relations major. The plan for diversity is set to extend into the classroom and the curriculum. General education and specialized leadership courses are being proposed by the committee in an attempt to entice students to get involved, said associate professor Gonzaga da Gama. “It is an educational resource every instructor should use in their classrooms,” said Halualani, who mentioned a study that concluded that students are more successful postgraduation after being exposed to diverse communication in the classroom. As research for the project, 280 campus members participated in 30 focus groups in 2007. Feedback from these groups expressed fears that the plan would never be fully implemented and that it would
eventually cause division and contention on campus. Jaime Torres, a junior civil engineering major from Hollister, said he feels the campus is fine as is. “Compared to where I come from, the diversity is so strong here,” he said. In an effort to engage in the diversity on campus, Torres said he plans on attending “Boulevard of Languages,” today at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library. “If they felt they needed to do anything more, they should have publicized the events going on this week better,” Esquivel said. Other universities, including Texas A&M University and the University of WisconsinMadison, have already implemented diversity plans that Halualani said are the best in the country. “We don’t have the typical cookie cutter campus,” Gill said. “I see something different everywhere I look and I learn something new from the people around me.”
Courtesy of Tim Fogarty
Teresa Liu, a senior photography major, and Yutaka Blizman, an SJSU alumnus, look at the exhibit “Untitled,” ten 12inch cyanotype prints on cotton created by Photography 113 student Michelle Bubziak. Hedwig Heerschop lectures for Photography 113, a class on alternative photo media that produced all the art in the gallery. Although she is currently still working on her master’s in fine arts, she said she was honored to be able to step in for instructor Brian Taylor, who went on a sabbatical leave for this semester. She said that she was proud of her students work. “I think it looks great,” Heerschop said. “It’s beautiful show. It’s very inventive. It has a little bit of everything. They did a great job.” Heerschop said each project uses one of three disciplines that were used in the 1800s and early
1900s: cyanotype, VanDyke and gum bichromate prints. She said cyanotype prints are blueprints that are often used for architecture, VanDyke prints are brown prints and the gum bichromate prints are colored prints. Senior photography majors Alex Alvarado and Vicky Carmichael said the gallery is not your typical art show. “It is not just pictures on the wall. It has a lot of variety,” said Alvarado, whose work was also featured in the show. “They put their work on fabric, they put their work on glass, water-colored paper holds it really well, and my friend used a napkin as cloth.” “It has a little bit of every-
thing,” Carmichael said. “I really like the glass art. I am surprised they got it to stick because usually glass doesn’t want to.” Jennifer Ang, a senior marketing major, said she is not planning on being an artist, but the skills she has learned in the class apply to her job. “I know that a big part of marketing is getting your product out so people see it, so it helps with the advertising, it helps with the creativity, it helps with the visual,” Ang said. “It’s not just selling things to people. You also have to make things attractive.” Students were venturing through the halls to look at other art shows in the Art Building.
The projects of fine arts seniors Crystal Stader and Lydia Richardson and photography graduate student Dina Ropele were all featured in different rooms. Ropele videotaped herself eating hot dogs on four different occasions and presented the four different videos on four different televisions. “In the piece, I stage a hot dogeating contest with myself for eight minutes to see how many hot dogs I can eat,” Ropele said. “So, it is kind of referencing a lot of different things: the American consumer culture, food obsession, over consumption and sexual desire because a hot dog is a phallic symbol.”
Assistance program one of four nonprofits statewide who aid victims of crime KELLY ENOS Staff Writer
Silicon Valley Faces, a local nonprofit that incorporates the Victims Witness Assistance Program, has a 44-year history in Silicon Valley. It was originally part of a national organization called the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The organization was founded in the early 1920s, said Pat Mitchell, executive director of Silicon Valley Faces. “We are a human relations agency committed to ending bias, bigotry and racism in Silicon Valley,” Mitchell said, “and we do that through educational programs that begin in elementary school and go all the way through college, as well as through our victims witness assistance program.” The purpose of the federally mandated program is to provide assistance to victims of crime. Partial funding for this program flows from the federal government to each state that in turn adds state funding to federal funding and mandates that counties provide these services. Of the 58 counties in the state of California, only four of the counties contract with a nonprofit provider. Silicon Valley Faces is one of them, said David Tran, supervisor for the Victim Advocacy Unit. The agency serves different types of victims, such as survivors of homicide, robbery and sexual assault to name a few. The typical procedure of this service is contacting the Victims Witness Assistance Center in the county for assistance with applying for victim compensation. Victims and witnesses may also submit their applications directly to the state. The Silicon Valley Faces Victim Witness Assistance Center will attempt to reach out to victims as much as it can. Some of its advocates are even placed in various agencies within Santa Clara County for outreach, Tran said. The agencies include the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office, the San Jose Police Department and the Department of Family and Children’s services. The advocates within the Victims Witness Program often visit organizations and campuses weekly and work with the police depart-
ments in Santa Clara County. Once a person submits an application for the Victim Compensation Program, the application is forwarded to the Victim Compensation unit. The application is then assigned to a compensation analyst at random. The compensation analyst then determines whether the application is eligible for the program. It also determines whether the person is eligible to receive the benefits he or she requested, said Saher Stefan, supervisor for the Victim Compensation Unit. Some of the following services may receive medical and medical-related expenses for the victim including, outpatient mental health treatment or counseling, funeral and burial expenses, wage or income loss, medically necessary renovating or retrofitting of a home or vehicle for a person permanently disabled as a result of a crime and many other services. “The compensation analysts will do their best to ensure that every victim receives his or her benefits as soon as possible,” Stefan said. “Depending on the uniqueness of the claim and whether or not the proper documentation is received, benefits may take up to 90 days to be distributed.” On top of providing victims with assistance and compensation, the agency wants to get the
word out about the program before people become victims. A program called Camp Every Town is a four-day camping trip that sends local students who are in traditional leader roles such as student body presidents and nontraditional leader roles such as leaders of gangs. “These kids go away together for these four days and in that time their own prejudices are revealed and sometimes to their own surprise they were not even aware of the prejudices they had,” Pat Mitchell said. “These prejudices are hopefully deconstructed over those four days and a more positive feeling is reconstructed so that when these young people go back to their campuses, they can help build communities of inclusion rather than exclusion.” The agency wants to get the word out as soon as possible, starting with the program being introduced as early as elementary school and working its way through colleges. However, the agency is facing a major challenge now because Dolores Carr, the county’s district attorney, wants to take over these services in her office beginning July 1. “We don’t know how the district attorney would staff these positions and there is no way it could be run out of a county office as cost effectively as it can be
done out of a community-based organization,” Mitchell said. “It just costs more to do things out of a structure like that.” It is very important to the current staff within the agency to keep the agency in a nonprofit location because going into an office of law enforcement can be intimidating to people and the people who are already victims and witnesses of crime are already in a vulnerable position, Mitchell said. “The California Penal Code points out the fact that sometimes these victims are actually victimized a second time by the very agency that is supposed to be helping them,” Mitchell said.
The Victims Witness Assistance program serves different types of victims such as survivors of homicide, robbery and sexual assault to name a few. molestation, assault, child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, domestic violence, stalking, elder abuse, DUI/DWI, hit and run, criminal threats, carjacking, fraud, harassment, property damage, child neglect, arson and vandalism. Address: 777 N. First Street Suite 220 San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 295-2656 Web site: http://www.svccj.org/
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PAPER
Idea came from school in NYC; one professor takes away points if students don’t use back side of scratch paper in class she began working on a logo design and spoke to manufacturers for bumper stickers and buttons. She said she also met with staff at her school’s computer labs and arranged to have them create their own logo in support of the campaign and post information around the labs. “I would see students with the stickers on their notebooks and buttons on their bags,” Riches said. She said she saw the staff had posted them on the doors of their offices. “I think that they liked that it was humorous, simple, and also it played on the famous ‘I Heart NY’ slogan that is all over NYC.” According to a study done at Penn State University in 2001, by reducing margins, font sizes and spaces on paper, Penn State was able to reduce its annual paper consumption by 67 percent, send 80 percent less paper to landfills, cut paper-related carbon emissions by 77 percent and reduce its impact on forests
by 90 percent, all the while saving money. “Preventing deforestation is the fastest and cheapest way of slowing down the man-made climate change,” Le said. “If we stop deforestation all together in 50 years, we would reduce 25 percent of all the carbon emissions, as well carbon storage.” Along with the Environmental Resource Center working toward making SJSU more ecofriendly, faculty are trying to make a difference as well. “Jessie Denver, a professor in the Environmental department, takes points away from her students if they do not use the back of scratch papers while in class, or print assignments doublesided,” Le said. “We are hoping that professors and staff will make pledges to have scrap paper trays inside their classrooms.” Megan Abadie, a secondyear master’s student in civil and environmental engineering, said that the resource center is trying to find out how it
can help faculty and staff use less paper. “We have submitted a survey for faculty about office paper use to SJSU’s Committee on Institutional Research, which will decide whether to approve our survey for distribution, electronically, of course,” she said. “It is important to get staff and faculty to reduce their own virgin paper use.” Le said she doesn’t think any other campuses in the CSU system are participating in this particular campaign. She said she liked this project because it is trying to use light-hearted humor and at same time make a serious issue more known. When Riches heard that SJSU was going to promote the campaign, she said she was excited and happy that another school was doing it. “I think it’s a really easy and useful campaign for any university to implement,” she said. “I hope that it is as successful there as it was at my school.”
(From left to right) Andrew Vu, an exercise physiology graduate CARLOS A. MORENO / Spartan Daily student, Bre Brewton, an athletic training graduate student, Annemarie Hennes, a kinesiology graduate student, Nicole Heffington, an athletic training graduate student, Anita Lee, a sport management graduate student, and Ezekiel Staples, sports management graduate student, walk through a hallway at Spartan Complex for a blindfolded exercise dealing with “Trust in the Workplace” for a sports management class on Tuesday night.
MOSES Americans are losing jobs overseas to
people who understand diversity, more languages
TIAN LIEW
SEAN STANTON
“Yes. If I print something out and I end up not using that, I try to use the other side for scratch paper. My family is really big on recycling.”
“I do. Usually not printing out things, by looking at e-mails. Just printing out necessary things. If someone is offering something, I only take it if I really need it.”
KOROS VALA
ROWENA DAYANGHIRANG
Will you be our friends?
paper or any other type of waste? sophomore, graphic design
senior, business finance
Feature and photos by ADAM MURPHY Staff Writer
junior, graphic design
junior, political science
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“I do. I recycle scrap paper to print my notes on. I print double-sided.”
HARRY BELLENIE senior, psychology
“To be 100 percent honest, no, I don’t really think about it, but I don’t feel like I use that much anyway.”
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“I just try to use the amount I need. I try not to use excessive amounts of things.”
JESSICA HERNANDEZ senior, commnuication studies
“I’ll admit I am not environmentally friendly. I know friends who are and I want to get into the habit to recycle.
2008
CAMPUSIMAGES IMAGES
“And then, what ever their major was, they would have a series of courses that would build on that. So, if they majored in economics, then they would have classes that would look at the topic through a diversity and global lens.” Moses added that people in other countries are taking jobs that Americans think they should have. Two of the reasons she gave for this were that they speak more than one language and that they have worked in environments where there has been diversity, such as Europe. Mark Novak, associate vice president at SJSU’s School of International and Extended Studies, said his department is working on these issues. “This kind of a lecture is what we bring to the campus,” he said. “We say come, here is a great speaker, listen to her, learn something about these issues and help transform our campus.”
CAMPUSVOICES: Do you recycle
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“Maybe someone will leave the lecture with a new idea, perhaps a dean or administrator. The key is we are trying to change people’s way of thinking. That is what education is about,” he added. Novak said he also saw the lecture as a way to increase students’ awareness about international issues and becoming global citizens. “Students walking out into the workplace today bring a lot more with them to a prospective employer,” he said. “They are so exposed to the Internet and entities like CNN. They hear so much about what is going on in the world. If they don’t have some context for interpreting it, they are really at the mercy of these different sources. What we hope to do is give them critical awareness to how theses issues affect them.” Sarah Galoardo, an applied anthropology graduate student, has seen Moses speak before and was very interested in hear-
ing her speak on diversity and globalization. “Diversity and globalization are critical in understanding agriculture and its place, not only in California, but the nation as well as the world,” she said. “I think that understanding different kinds of agriculture and the diversity of the people engaged in it, the commodities systems, economics, feeding people and food systems is all relevant today.” Moses said the mission statement of SJSU and virtually all the other universities that she has seen, essentially say, “What it means to be educated is our students can live, work and thrive in an increasingly global, international and diverse society.” “Regardless of who the students are or what fields of study they are pursuing, diversity and internationalism should be brought together so that students experience it as a whole,” she said. “That is how we are going to compete in the future.”
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WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER
Bowl bid possibly on the line in rivalry game SJSU moves on from Nevada game, looks to Friday night against Fresno State MATTHEW KIMEL Staff Writer
The SJSU football team will play what head coach Dick Tomey deemed the “biggest game” game of his tenure when it hosts Fresno State on Friday night in a nationally televised game. With a winning record and bowl game hopes on the line for the Spartans (6-5, 4-3 Western Athletic Conference), Tomey said, laughing, the “biggest thing is just to beat Fresno.” “Take all the rest of it, if we are playing them in a parking lot and nobody is going to be there, it’s a huge game,” he said. “And so you add all the rest of the stuff and it’s a double-huge game.” The Bulldogs (6-4, 3-3 WAC) were the “odds-on favorite” to win the conference in the preseason, Tomey said, yet now face a similar must-win situation as the Spartans. Having won 13 of the last 14 against the Spartans, the Bulldogs lead the all-time series 36-34-3 that begun in 1921. Bulldog head coach Pat Hill, who was an offensive coordinator and line coach for Tomey at the University of Arizona, has won 10 of 11 contests against the Spartans. “This is a team that goes back the longest in history with Fresno State,” Hill said in a teleconference on Monday. “This year’s game, there is a lot on the line.” Since 1991, the only SJSU victory over Fresno State was a 24-14 win at Spartan Stadium in 2006. The home team has won the last three times the two teams have met.
SJSU’s Travis Jones (No. 14) and Mohamed Marah (No. 26) pursue University of Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the Spartans’ 41-17 loss on Saturday in Reno, Nev. Junior quarterback Kyle Reed was knocked out of last week’s game against Nevada with a groin injury. Tomey said the Spartan quarterback situation was going to be evaluated throughout the week. A gametime decision will determine the starter, he said. Reed completed 15 of 27
attempts for 215 yards as the Spartans fell 41-17 to the Wolf Pack. Backup Sean Flynn threw for 86 yards on 5-of-14 passing, and the offense recorded a total of minus-23 rushing yards. “Nevada’s got the second best run defense in the country,” Tomey said. “Nobody has run the ball against them. People
SPARTAN SPORTS — Staff Report —
MEN’S BASKETBALL On Sunday, the Spartans (1-1) traveled to the University of Nebraska. The Cornhuskers held SJSU to 36 percent shooting and beat the Spartans 63-46. Chris Oakes had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Tim Pierce also posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. The Spartans surrendered 25 turnovers and played without junior forward C.J. Webster, who was listed as day-to-day with an injured ankle. The team started off its season in South Dakota on Friday. The Spartans never fell behind in the game and defeated the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 70-62. Pierce led all scorers with 23 points, the most he has put up as a Spartan. Oakes added 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Spartans open up their home schedule tonight against Cal Maritime.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The SJSU women’s basketball team was defeated by the University of Northern Colorado
101-63 last night in Greeley, Colo. The Spartans opened their season on Saturday when they hosted the University of Oregon. The game was close to the end and the Ducks prevailed over the Spartans 69-68. SJSU senior guard Natalie White had a gameand career-high 27 points. SJSU had a one-point lead with 22 seconds left when the team called for a timeout when the Spartans were trying to inbound the ball. The team was out of timeouts and was called for a technical foul, which gave the Ducks two free throws and possession. Oregon guard Micaela Cocks, who led the Ducks with 22 points, was fouled with seven seconds left and she sank her second free throw to put the Ducks up for good at 69-68.
VOLLEYBALL The Spartans will play against Utah State on Thursday in the first round of the WAC tournament in Hawaii. SJSU (12-16, 7-9 WAC) finished its season af-
ter a 25-20, 25-25, 25-18 sweep at the hands of New Mexico State last Saturday in Las Cruces, N.M. Senior Nikki Clement lead the team with 10 kills. Junior Kristal Tsukano finished the regular season with 999 career digs. SJSU, the tournament’s No. 5-seeded team, will play No. 4 Utah State Aggies tomorrow afternoon.
MEN’S SOCCER The SJSU men’s soccer season ended last Saturday with a 4-1 win over Sacramento State. Ricky Dorrego had two goals and an assist for the Spartans. SJSU (9-5-4, 5-4-1 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) finished the season with four straight wins.
HOCKEY The Spartan hockey team (9-7) defeated the University of Oregon 3-2 in SJSU’s final home game of the semester. From Nov. 20 through Dec. 6, the Spartans will play six straight games on the road: at Weber State, BYU, Utah State, Loyola-Marymount and two games at Long Beach State.
have thrown the ball against them with regularity.” At both home and away games, numerous SJSU fans have been critiquing the Spartan offense in the crowds. “I think people want to glorify the defense and bash the offense,” Tomey said. “That’s the public mentality.”
WILLIAM COOLEY / Spartan Daily
The defense has consistently been ranked in the top-25 in several statistical categories throughout the season (13thranked in pass defense efficiency, 12th-ranked in quarterback sacks, 11th-ranked in intercepted passes). The SJSU offense has been on the complete opposite side of
the spectrum (104th–ranked in scoring offense, 110th-ranked in rushing offense, 108th-ranked in total offense). “I know that defensively they are an outstanding football team,” Hill said. “It will be a great challenge for us, especially on the offensive side of the ball.” Tomey said senior defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert, the national leader in tackles for loss with 21.5, has been one of the most influential leaders for the team this season. Gilbert leads all active WAC players with 41.5 career tackles for loss and has recorded 14.5 tackles for loss in the last five games. “Jarron and his teammates, they need to lead the way with a passion that hasn’t been seen before in this stadium,” Tomey said. “We need to let it all hang out and be smart and do things right.” He said he wants his players to play like they’re on fire. “Imagine that your hair’s on fire,” said Tomey, pointing to a member of the media at his weekly Monday afternoon conference. “It’s starting to hit, starting to sink in,” Gilbert said, realizing this could be the last college football game he ever plays. “All I can do is try and come out here and play my heart out this game.” Tomey said the team that wants it the most and makes the fewest mistakes will prevail. “This could be the most gratifying win any of us have ever been a part of at San Jose State,” he said.
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2008
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bad wireless does not reflect well on SJSU I cannot believe that a university in the heart of the Silicon Valley would have such a subpar wireless Internet system. I am constantly getting booted offline when studying in the library or working on something in class. More often than not, I am booted offline while navigating through pages, requiring me to sign in again. This is a major hassle because it never takes less than a minute for the login page to pop up. Then, because they require a password that is more encrypted than my Swiss bank account number, another four minutes pass before I can finally
get back to the page that I was looking at 15 minutes ago. I don’t know the solution to this problem. I can only hope that someone does because I know that I am not the only one experiencing these issues. I got booted off when I was sending this, forcing me to rewrite the entire thing. -Nicky Greene
Proposition 8 is not the 'change' we need About a week has passed since Election Day, and now the reality of it
has finally sunk in: I can now celebrate the victory of Barack Obama, the African-American man who has proven that the United States of America is a country where dreams come true and everything is possible. Perhaps I should rephrase the last part of that first paragraph — where I said everything is possible — because I get the feeling that it only applies to “real” humans. No, you didn’t misread that; this is how I feel. Even though we, as a nation, have come far since the Civil Rights era and now seem to be moving in the right direction, we are still caught up in past ways of thinking. We still categorize others who are “different” and then use these labels as reasons not to treat them with equality.
What bothered me about this election is that I saw the majority of Californian voters discriminate against gay people. By voting yes on Proposition 8, we stripped them of one major human right, a right the straight population of California takes for granted. I felt disappointed because I thought we were more open-minded than this. I also felt foolish for believing people would set aside their own egocentrism and vote to protect every Californian’s right to marry. It is not right for any group of people to deem another group’s members subhuman. We were all born equal in terms of value. We just happen to look, think, feel, act and talk differently.
Classifieds
HOUSING
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EMPLOYMENT ALMADEN VALLEY ATHLETIC CLUB seeking professional, selfmotivated and energetic individuals who demonstrate excellence in customer service for the following positions: member services desk, cafe service, personal trainer, swim teacher, child care provider, tennis instructor. Please forward your resume to Stephanie at smudgett@ avac.us.
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AFTER SCHOOL TEACHERS
K-8th private school seeks responsible individuals for extended daycare, P/ T in the afternoon (2:306pm M-F). No ECE units required. Previous experience with children a must. Please call 248-2464. (408)244-1968 (408)244-1968
SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED: Make $5-$25 per survey. Do it in your spare time. www. GetPaidToThink.com RECREATIONAL GYMNASTICS COACH Airborne Gymnastics in Santa Clara is looking for male recreational teachers to coach young boys gymnastics classes, tumbling and trampoline classes, and adult gymnastics classes. We are looking for energetic, innovative, and positive individuals who want to work with kids! Karate, Martial Arts, and Acro experience a plus. We train on site. Salary is commensurate with experience. Email resume to fun@ airborne-gymnastics.com or call 408-986-8226 FOOTBALL LEAGUE SEEKS INTERNS interns needed for game day operations. All majors can apply. send resume to rbuchan86@ yahoo.com FREELANCER NEEDED for promotions. Must be computer savvy. Looking for internet advertising to help promote personal business endeavors. For more information please call Norman at (408) 3293910. DRIVERS WANTED Drivers wanted to transport and operate cleaning equipment. Flexible hrs. Spanish req. $11/ hr+ DOE. Please call (408) 330-9350.
Need a Roommate? Need a Job? Need a Roommate with a Job?
FOR RENT HOME FOR RENT IN WILLOW GLEN Beautiful home, 2 bedroom 1 bath with big back yard and fruit trees. For more information please call (408) 515-0009.
SERVICES FIXLAPTOP.COM BUY SELL REPAIR Laptop & Parts Repair PC Data Recovery Remove Virus Rental Trade Laptop & Parts (408)469-5999
LOST & FOUND CAMPUS KEY FOUND Between the Engineering and Administration buildings. When you call please describe the key chain. Contact MIke at 408 509-7979.
VOLUNTEERS YWCA-SV Volunteer For Project Inspire After School Program. -Be a tutor or a mentor! -Make a difference at James Lick, Yerba Buena, Overfelt, or Andrew Hill High School. Interested candidates please contact: Carolina Avalos, Volunteer Coordinator, at (408) 510-4281 or cavalos@ywca-sv.org DISCLAIMER The Spartan Daily makes no claim for products or services advertised below nor is there any guarantee implied. The classified columns of the Spartan Daily consist of
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I truly believed Californians were headed in the right direction, but I was wrong. What became obvious on Election Day was that, in terms of our way of thinking, we are still stuck in the past, somewhere in the middle of the Civil Rights era. Once more, the majority has chosen who are more human and, thus, more entitled to human rights than others. I’m sorry to say this — I honestly thought I’d never have to — but I’m disappointed in so many of the California voters. Yes, I am disappointed in all of you who voted yes on 8, who voted yes on more hate. -Anna-Maria Kostovska journalism major
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2008
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER
When reason Morals should never be beats cleverness a government mandate ADAM MURPHY
DAVID ZUGNONI
RECYCLED TOILET PAPER Here goes a story, the tale of a town and the freight train of thought that brought it straight down. Its people never thought their beloved train could crash, that the work of their sages would succumb in a flash. The teachers were devout and the students were eager. Education was pushed by the town’s powerful leader. Knowledge was valued, innovations were aplenty, but promises that they would turn out right turned out to be empty. The leader adopted a self-sustainability idea after years of trading food gave him chronic diarrhea. He spread propaganda that made the people disgusted, and the neighboring towns were strongly distrusted. Residents hated outsiders, the leader was trusted blindly, and those neighboring towns did not take that too kindly. The propaganda began the town’s eventual doom. The mess that followed needed much more than a broom. The men gathered food, women made the clothes, the forest bred wood for homes, and the leader’s power rose. Cars were no longer used because fuel was imported, and the town, for a time, indeed seemed self-supported. The tradition went on in the town with no allies, surviving on the ways of living its people could devise, But one day, those people had to wonder if it was all a mistake, when the town’s buildings were destroyed by a massive earthquake. The town’s leader called for help, but nobody came. He who once was proud was shrouded in shame. The bad got worse when the town was pounded with rain, deeming wet and worthless what managed to remain.
The Bush administration, quiet for so long, is at it again, trying to sneak something by the American public at a time when Barack Obama and the economy dominate the headlines. According to a Washington Post article, the current administration is trying to pass a plan that empowers federal health officials to pull funding from more than 584,000 hospitals, clinics, health plans, doctors’ offices and other health-related entities if any employee is forced to perform a medical function that violates his or her morals. This plan is aimed at curtailing abortion, contraception and any information regarding the two. It is a roundabout way for the pro-life crowd to claim a small victory against the pro-choice. If passed, it would allow doctors to deny birth control to patients on moral grounds. Pushing morals while being totally bereft of them and a lack of foresight have characterized this administration from day one.
“Recycled Toilet Paper” appears every Wednesday. David Zugnoni is the Spartan Daily executive editor.
☑
theSpartanDaily.com POLL Should SJSU raise its admission standards?
Yes
No
COLLEEN WATSON
CHRONICLING MEDIOCRITY Do you have the pesky problem of sending out random e-mail messages when you’ve had a few too many beverages? Do you dread checking your inbox on Sunday in fear of angry e-mails responding to the previous nights’ message about your friend throwing up at the club and having to be carried out by the bouncer as her boyfriend danced with that tattooed sailor on the bar. Who knew someone’s grandparents could get so vulgar? After four sour apple martinis, did you send an e-mail to your best friend telling her that not only was that hair cut a bad choice, but that, yes, those jeans did make her ass look a little fat? Or does remorse cripple you when thinking of that 3 a.m. e-mail to your boss after two bottles of wine telling him that his managerial skills aren’t even on par with those of George Bush? Yep, I don’t either. But if you are one of the few who has bad e-mailing self-control issues while drinking, then Google has the tool for you.
Well, if you’re bad at math, that is. Google has come up with Mail Goggles, which can be set to come on at a certain time any day of the week so that you don’t send random, drunken e-mails to random people. Before the e-mail is sent, a window pops up and asks, “Are you sure you want to send this?” It then gives you 60 seconds to do five math problems. If you don’t make the time limit or answer the question wrong, it will helpfully suggest, “Water and bed for you. Or try again.”
But if you are one of the few who has bad e-mailing self-control issues while drinking, then Google has the tool for you. For those who are better at math, there are five levels of difficulty, with subtraction, addition, and some pretty easy multiplication and division. There are no questions that start out with “A train leaves Chicago at 5 p.m. going east at a speed of 55 miles per hour …”
Spartan Daily Dwight Bentel Hall, Room 209 One Washington Square San Jose, CA 95192-0149 News: 408-924-3281 Advertising: 408-924-3270 Fax: 408-924-3282 News e-mail: spartandaily@casa.sjsu.edu Ad e-mail: spartandailyads@casa.sjsu.edu DAVID ZUGNONI, Executive Editor JOHN HORNBERG, Managing Editor COLLEEN WATSON, Opinion Editor MARK POWELL, Sports Editor TOMMY WRIGHT, Sports Editor ANGELO LANHAM, Student Culture Editor KIMBERLY TSAO, Student Culture Editor DINA BASLAN, Features Editor CARLOS A. MORENO, Photo Editor WILLIAM COOLEY, Online Editor JESSE KIMBREL, Assistant Editor MEGAN HAMILTON, Production Editor MATTHEW MOUNTFORD, Production Editor CHRIS BAUSINGER, Copy Editor SARAH KYO, Copy Editor RAMON HERNANDEZ, Advertising Director MEGAN ROCKO, Assistant Advertising Director DERRICK CHEW, Creative Director KRISTI RIGGS, Assistant Creative Director EMILY JAMES, Creative Assistant
long in a professional setting or in the government. The fundamentals of Western Society (literacy, democracy, voting) can never be comprised and should be the only laws that rule us. Separation of church and state is one of them. Governments are supposed to be amoral. They are supposed to operate like machines, without emotion. But they aren’t machines. They are people, driven by morals. I do not want my life or others’ lives to be positively or negatively affected by an administration’s morals.
It is a roundabout way for the pro-life crowd to claim a small victory against the pro-choice. Ignore red and blue America’s morals, and your own, whatever they may be, and think about a world where doctors can refuse care based on their individual morals. That is a world where medical care is dependent on culture and circumstance, not health. That is no world for me. Adam Murphy is a Spartan Daily staff writer.
Google is here to save you from dumb e-mails
A meeting was held, but the meeting was short. It offered an effort before falling on a last resort. They called Mother Earth, but she didn’t pick up the phone. The town and all its problems were simply left alone. So as people often do, they did what they could. They resorted to ways they never thought that they would. The town became a stinky hell and people breathed canned vapor, for all the new buildings were built from recycled toilet paper.
Would a patient with AIDS not receive treatment from a doctor because it violated the physician’s morals? Will a mother who is giving birth be refused an epidural because the doctor is a newly converted Scientologist who believes that using an anesthetic during birth is wrong? There is far too much ambiguity when it comes to moral issues and where to draw the line. Catering to the morals of a select minority is nonsensical. Health care is a right, and patients have a right to know from the mouth of a trained professional what is going on. Denying basic medical information on morality could lead to a situation in which doctors are able to pick and choose their patients. Doctors understand when they take their Hippocratic Oath that they have to do some things they don’t want to. It comes with the territory. Can I morally object to paying taxes? Can I morally object to lifting that heavy box at work? I can, but I would find myself jobless pretty quickly, but at least my morals would not be compromised. Doctors, by law, have to treat patients, no matter what, and they have to give that patient the best medical information they can. Morals are largely dependent on culture and circumstance. They do not be-
Sadly, my math skills aren’t what they used to be, so level five gives me a headache even when sober. Who comes back from the bar on Friday night, boots up their laptops and sends out poorly thought out e-mail anyways? I think the worst thing that would usually come from that is some really poor grammar. A computer is not like a phone, which you carry around and can use to conveniently embarrass yourself when that last brain cell that would have blocked the impulse to call someone you shouldn’t is killed off in the mass brain cell genocide that you call Patron. I have to admit I don’t actually have a problem sending out drunken e-mails. But I could benefit from a drunk text blocker … you would think I would learn that I just need to remove a certain someone’s phone number from my contact list. But hey, then what would I regret the next day? So, I would say that Mail Goggles from Google are more funny than useful.
“Chronicling Mediocrity” appears every Wednessday. Colleen Watson is the Spartan Daily opinion editor.
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OOPINION PAGE POLICY Letters to the editor may be placed in the letters to the editor box in the Spartan Daily office in Dwight Bentel Hall, Room 209, sent by fax to (408) 924-3282, e-mailed to spartandaily@casa.sjsu.edu or mailed to the Spartan Daily Opinion Editor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95112-0149. Letters to the editor must contain the author’s name, address, phone number, signature and major. Letters become property of the Spartan Daily and may be edited for clarity, grammar, libel and length. Only letters of 300 words or less will be considered for publication. Published opinions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of the Spartan Daily, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications or SJSU. The Spartan Daily is a public forum.
“Their board rooms in my view have been devoid of vision. They have promoted and often driven the demand of inefficient, gas guzzling vehicles, and dismissed the threat of global warming.” CHRISTOPHER DODD The Connecticut senator said Tuesday regarding possible government assistance to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler LLC.
Student Culture
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2008
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theSpartanDaily.com
Discovering the Philippine Islands: ‘Fusion cuisine,’ folk dances and more ALLIE FIGURES Staff Writer
In the western Pacific Ocean nestled between Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan, are more than 7,000 islands that make up the Republic of the Philippines. Influenced by more than 100 ethnic groups including Hispanic, Asian and American cultures, it is understandable that the Philippines are rich in acceptance and diversity. “I love the friendly character that many Filipinos possess and how welcoming they usually are,” said Ingrid Mapanao, an undeclared freshmen who is a Filipino-American. “When I walk into a Filipino family’s house, I feel right at home,” she said.
According to the country’s official Web site, “a spirit of kinship and camaraderie is what Filipinos are famous for.” Steven Dominguez, a junior biological science major, said the Philippines has several different “micro-cultures” because of historical ties to other countries. “The Philippines enjoys a rich variety of people, who have produced very different and unique styles of food, languages and arts,” he said. Dominguez said his favorite aspect about his culture is the food. “I would be lying if I tried to come up with something more profound,” he said. “The food always gets me back to thinking
about my family and Filipino culture.” Gabby Agcaoili, the administrative officer from the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, said Pilipino food is best described as “fusion cuisine,” influenced by colonizing countries such as China, Spain and the United States. Adobo is a traditional Filipino stew made with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and either pork or chicken. Rice is served with this dish, as well as with every other Pilipino meal. Lumpia, a fried eggroll, is one of the most popular Filipino dishes found in American restaurants such as the Cheesecake Factory. “I think the biggest misconception about Filipinos is that we
eat dog,” said sophomore Jeremy Manuel. According to Yelp.com, the closest place to get authentic Filipino food to campus is at Seafood City Market on McKee Road. The two official languages of the Philippines are English and Pilipino, making it the third largest English-speaking nation, Agcaoili said. “English is the medium of education,” he said. Within the Pilipino language are eight different dialects that vary from island to island and have remained the same throughout the country’s existence. “There is no difference between the Filipino language
and the American-Pilipino language,” Agcaoili said.
“I think the biggest misconception about Filipinos is that we eat dog.” JEREMY MANUEL sophomore
Sammy Hernandez, a junior history major, said his Filipino friends are mostly “Americanized,” but hold on to their roots by speaking their native language. “They have even taught me some of the common words,” he said.
“Aside from food … I represent myself as Filipino because of the dances,” said Danreb Victorio, a sophomore advertising major. One type of dance is Tinikling, a Filipino folk dance with two bamboo sticks that is danced to celebrate the harvest, Agcaoili said. Although hip-hop dancing is common among FilipinoAmerican students on campus, Victorio stressed the importance of learning traditional dances. “Dance and music is the universal language,” he said, “and expressing ourselves through these methods adds more of a mysterious, exotic and fun representation of the many faces there are on the islands.”
5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
A line of female dancers from the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company.
Courtesy of the National Library of Australia
Akbayan hopes to make Filipino cultural connections ALLIE FIGURES Staff Writer
This is Ingrid Mapanao’s first semester at SJSU and her first time being exposed to Filipino culture, and she said she finally feels at home. Since joining Akbayan Pilipino club, the undeclared freshman said she is having fun meeting other people of Filipino decent and learning about her background. “Before joining this club, I knew nothing about my own culture,” she said. Akbayan, meaning “embracing in friendship,” began in 1976 as a social group on campus and has developed into an organization centered on community, cultural and political ideals, said the organization’s community affairs coordinator Danreb Victorio. As stated in a pamphlet, the goal of the organization is to “increase knowledge of the Filipino and Filipino-American culture and share the beauty of the heritage.” Inspired by other on-campus cultural clubs, Akbayan strives to incorporate Filipino culture into everyday life, according to its Web site. “It is easy to see that we are all about spreading diversity and teaching everyone, regardless of their background, about our culture and customs,” said Akbayan’s vice president Stephen Dominguez. Each semester, Akbayan organizes several events designed to celebrate its heritage. Earlier this month, Akbayan hosted an event called “Raising Awareness Amongst Filipinos,” an event that focused on teaching 220 high school students the different aspects of Filipino culture with the theme of “Save your culture, save your world.” “(Raising Awareness Amongst Filipinos) was very successful this year because the local high schools do not have strong Filipino clubs,” Victorio said. Dominguez, a junior biological science major, said the organization plans to become more politically oriented and more involved in the community next semester. “Filipino Culture Night” is an esteemed event where members orchestrate and perform traditional songs, dances and plays, Victorio said.
Jeremy Manuel, a new member to Akbayan, said learning about the authentic dances was both humbling and enriching.
“Akbayan is just a taste of what the Filipino culture has to offer.” DANREB VICTORIO
Akbayan community affairs coordinator
“I know I still have so much to learn,” said the undeclared sophomore, who admitted he would have never known so much about his culture if not for Akbayan. “My parents emigrated from the Philippines, but they haven’t really passed down anything,” he said. New members Manuel and Mapanao said they have siblings who do not identify with the Filipino culture. “I know that if my younger sister joined this club that would all change,” Mapanao said. Victorio, a sophomore advertising major, said he is sure Akbayan can reach out to Filipinos who do not identify with their culture.
“I think that they’re really missing out,” he said. “Akbayan is just a taste of what the Filipino culture has to offer.” Dominguez said the phrase, “No history, no self. Know history, know self,” sums up an individual’s responsibility to tap into his or her “roots” to make our society more cultured. “If a Filipino person is not in touch with their culture … they come off as a person apathetic about their ethnicity,” he said. In order to maintain its presence on campus and constantly recruit new members, Victorio said the organization sets up a table outside the Student Union every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. “At the beginning of the semester we would get about 20 to 30 interested people each day and still we get about two to three people stop by,” he said. Victorio stressed that students of any culture or race can join the club at the cost of $10, which goes to fund events throughout the semester. “I just wish more people expressed interest for our club because organizations only get bigger when more people get involved,” he said.
1. The Philippines currently has a female president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 2. June 12 is the Philippines’ Independence Day. July 4 on its calendar is Filipino-American Friendship Day. 3. Actor Rob Schneider is Filipino. 4. The exchange rate is approximately $1 to 50 pesos. 5. “How are you?” in Tagalog is “Kumusta ka na?”