Spartan Daily Vol. 160 No. 6

Biden discusses future plans for U.S.

By Alina Ta STAFF WRITER

President Joe Biden held his second State of the Union Address in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

The president discussed his accomplishments during his first two years of his presidency and his goals for his last year in office.

Coronavirus:

One of the first accomplishments Biden talked about in his Address was his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden reminded Americans what it was like at the beginning of his administration’s response.

The number of weekly cases when Biden took over in January of 2021 was at 1,381,646 cases. As of Feb. 1, the number of weekly cases had dropped to 280,911 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden said the death rate for COVID-19 has decreased by 90%.

He said schools and businesses were shut down, but wanted Americans to “recognize how far we came in the fight against the pandemic.”

Biden said because of these achievements, the country was able to reopen and end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many early COVID-19 policies such as masking and caps on large gatherings have mostly gone away in the past year. In California, masks are only required in healthcare settings and senior adult care facilities according to the State of California COVID-19 website.

However, he also reminded Americans to stay wary of the pandemic.

Healthcare:

Biden addressed some of the accomplishments and goals to make healthcare better and more financially accessible.

The U.S. health system ranks last

among 11 high-income countries with many Americans struggling to afford care as income inequality widens, according to a study by The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation which aims to create an equitable healthcare system.

Throughout Biden’s speech he said he would veto any policies that would cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“Big Pharma is unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars, $400 to $500 a month, making record profits,” he said during the Address.

However, Biden said this will not be an issue anymore.

Biden said many of his policies, which took effect on Jan. 1, gave Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices which will help

bring down the price of prescription drugs.

In a July 9, 2021 article by the American Presidency Project run by UC Santa Barbara, Biden signed an executive order demanding to make the “information technology sector” more fair, open and competitive.

To fulfill this executive order, on Nov. 21, 2021, Biden announced his Prescription Drug Pricing Plan. This plan would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices for high-cost prescription drugs.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included several provisions aimed at lowering drug prices according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Inflation Reduction Act, is a

10-year plan changing a wide range of policies including paying down the deficit to fight inflation, according to the Democrats Senate summary document.

He also said that his administration capped the cost of insulin to only $35 a month for Medicare Part D enrollees.

Medicare Part D helps those enrolled pay for prescription drugs according to a Dec. 7, 2020 article by the National Council on Aging, a charity which aims to help older people age with dignity.

He also made a plea to some of his colleagues in the audience to continue these efforts after 2025, the expiration date for many of these policies.

“Let’s finish the job and make the

Tech layoffs rock Bay Area workers

By Dylan Newman STAFF WRITER

The past couple of months have left tens of thousands of employees from Silicon Valley’s tech industry workforce without jobs, after many companies performed round after round of layoffs.

Ahmed Banafa, engineering professor at San Jose State said these job cuts are a product of mass hiring and inflation that took place over the course of the pandemic.

Banafa said big tech corporations, including names like Google, Meta and Salesforce, brought on more staff in order to accommodate an influx of people using their services.

He also said the tech industry used to add 100,000 new employees every year.

“In 2022 they added 260,000; this shows you how the hiring went crazy,” Banafa said.

Computer science freshman Siddarth Thati said he understands that companies experiment its workforce size to

THE WHITE HOUSE, PUBLIC DOMAIN, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

INFOGRAPHIC BY BRYANNA BARTLETT. SOURCE: SF STANDARD, EDD WARN REPORT, SEC, COMPANY PRESS RELEASES

BIDEN

Continued from page 1

savings permanent, expand coverage for Medicare,” Biden said.

Economy:

During his speech, Biden remarked on the economic accomplishments achieved during his term, highlighting on the decline of unemployment rate and the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Biden said he considered the Inflation Reduction Act, “the most significant investment ever.”

The bill aims to reduce costs for small businesses by maintaining lower health care costs, supporting energy-saving investments, and bolstering supply chain resiliency, according to the White House Inflation Reduction Act webpage.

“The unemployment rate is at 3.4%, a 50-year low, near-record unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers,”

LAYOFFS

Continued from page 1

maximize efficiency.

“If the smaller workforce can achieve the same targets, this would really help them understand how the company works internally for their next hiring season,” Thati said. “COVID has changed the game.”

Banafa said he ended up losing his job in the tech industry in the market crash of 2000. He said it caused him to employ a mindset of investing in skills and himself first, as future success is not reliant solely on the company he is serving.

“I tell my students very clear: ‘marry your job, don’t marry your company, ’ because you can take your job and do it at

Biden said. “We’ve already created, with your help, 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.

The economic goals also focus attention on clean energy technologies and on improving infrastructure in the U.S..

Biden said he aims to have 500,000 electric vehicle-charging stations installed across the country.

He also said he promised that families will be able to save more than $1,000 a year with a tax credit to purchase electric vehicles and energy efficient appliances.

“The climate crisis doesn’t care if you’re in a red or blue state,” Biden said.

However, he also said the country still needs to depend on oil and gas for energy and fuel.

Infrastructure & Job Opportunities:

By passing the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden aims to make America the number one leading country in the tech

another company,” Banafa said. Tech company layoffs have become common over the past two decades, as commentators are looking to observe the circumstances of the economic crash of 2000 as insight for tackling this year’s layoff

industry.

“

‘America can’t lead the world in manufacturing’ I don’t know where that’s written,” he said.

Biden said the U.S. has been exporting jobs for too long.

The president reminded Americans that the U.S. used to lead the world in manufacturing computer chips and automobiles.

He also admitted that the U.S. has fallen behind.

Biden reminded Americans that the U.S. used to produce 40% of the world’s computer chips, but now only produces 10% of the world’s computer chip supply.

“Last several decades, we’ve lost our edge,” he said.

Now the president said he is aiming to bring those jobs back by focusing on American made products.

“I know I’ve been criticized for saying this, but I’m not changing my view,” Biden said. “We’re gonna make sure the supply chain for America begins in America.”

Biden said his administration had already created 100,000 new

witnessed in 2000 and 2008. Banafa said students should know that, despite the amount of jobs being lost in the industry, there are still plenty of jobs out there that can each have its own unique avenue to a consistent and fulfilling career.

manufacturing jobs without any new policies.

With more upcoming policies, the president claims that his administration will be able to help create hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the country, not just on the coast.

To fund these efforts, Biden said the money will come from companies who will spend $300 billion in investing in American manufacturing.

The Biden administration passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will provide $350 billion in highway programs to rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, according to a Federal Highway Administration webpage.

The president claims that many of these new jobs will not require a college degree.

“Now thanks for what you’ve all done, we’re exporting American products and creating American jobs,” Biden said.

into the door and then after that I can just work with a big company,” Banafa said.

Economics department chair Matthew Holian said a common lesson taught from SJSU’s educators is making sure you are using all of the resources available to you in order to succeed.

engagement at SJSU, said she encourages students to continue using the resources available to them in order to secure a job.

problem, according to a Jan. 23 article by The Berkshire Eagle.

Banafa said this is especially so in moments of economic recession including the ones

“There are still jobs available for people . . . it might take an effort from your side to open your mind and broaden your horizon . . . just to get my foot

“[Students] need to create a LinkedIn account, they need to apply for jobs, they need to have a resume, they need to network, they need to apply for internships and get their foot in the door,” Holian said. “Just because the economy and the tech industry in particular is facing some shake up or a down period, doesn’t mean that there are necessarily totally different strategies students need to follow.”

Lisa Trikofski, assistant director of employer

“Don’t get discouraged about what’s going on out there in the economic climate,” Trikofski said. “There’s tons of opportunities in Handshake for students to look at and we have hundreds of positions that are posted each and every day.”

She said she recommends students to participate in SJSU’s careers fairs, which offer jobs and internships to students looking to find part-time opportunities.

SJSU expert talks transit issues

By Enrique Gutierrez-Sevilla STAFF WRITER

The Mineta Transportation Institute hosted the first of a four-part webinar series on Tuesday which examined how the coronavirus impacted the way older adults use public transportation.

The institute, named after former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and former San Jose mayor Norman Mineta, focuses on training and research surrounding the country’s transportation system, according to its website.

Egbe-Etu Etu, research associate for the Mineta Transportation Institute and assistant professor of business analytics at San Jose State, was the keynote presenter at the webinar.

Etu presented his research which surveyed 260 adults who are 55 years old or older and living in metropolitan cities.

The research found that adults 65 and older that rely on public transportation faced challenges accessing it during the pandemic.

He said mobility is an essential component to older adults when it comes to travel within their community.

“Public transportation is kind of taking the leading role in facilitating mobility needs not only for older adults, but for other age groups,” Etu said. “For older adults, it helps them to connect with their friends, families and essential services within their community.”

During the pandemic, many public transportation routes were removed or closed.

“76.7% of the respondents reported that their travel patterns changed as a result of the pandemic,” Etu said.

He said during the early stages of the pandemic, older adults were stressed and worried about contracting COVID-19 from physical contact while on public transportation systems including buses and trains.

Etu said 52% of respondents were apprehensive about contracting the virus if they sat next to a passenger who is sneezing or coughing.

Older adults had to rely on safer alternatives to get their way around their community during the pandemic.

The Mineta Transportation Institute asked participants in its survey to reflect on their smartphone usage over the past two years while using public transportation.

The majority of respondents believed that public transportation apps helped them get accurate and quicker transit information.

During the pandemic, the top three purposes found for public transportation in older adults were for medical appointments, visiting family or friends and work.

Etu said transportation technology should be well designed and all-inclusive for every age group.

The survey reported 75% of respondents believed that any mobile transit apps would enable them to quickly obtain transit information.

Etu said some factors that may lead mobile users to be reluctant to adopt mobile transportation technology are poor design, transaction complexity and lack of security. These factors can highly impact how older adults interact with public transportation.

“The most important takeaway would be how to incorporate or create more awareness with technology and how older adults can utilize technology to make the aspect of mobility in their lives pretty easy and efficient,” he said.

Older adults who have smartphones or access to smartphones were able to utilize technology to get public transport information. This helped reduce some challenges faced by older adults during the pandemic.

The research done by the Mineta Transportation Institute may provide guidance for public transportation and mobile technology designers to develop effective strategies to improve transportation service.

“We did look at the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center to see how we could develop some recommendations to help older adults right during this period, and one of them would be assisted transportation,” said Etu.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Spartan Daily published a story “SpartUp empowers innovation and ideas” in which we misidentified Michael Ashley and Alora Frederick.

The Spartan Daily regrets this error.

SCREENSHOT BY ENRIQUE GUTIERREZ-SEVILLA Egbe-Etu Etu, research associate for the Mineta Transportation Institute and assistant professor of business analytics at San Jose State and Hilary Nixon, the Deputy Executive Director, speak during the institute’s webinar on Tuesday.

Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily

Follow Dylan Newman on Twitter @th3dylanproject

Follow Enrique Gutierrez-Sevilla on Twitter @mtvenrique

I tell my students very clear: ‘marry your job, don’t marry your company, ’ because you can take your job and do it at another company.

Ahmed Banafa engineering professor

Spartans look to build on last season

By Oscar Frias-Rivera SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After a solid 2022 campaign under head coach Brad Sanfilippo, the San Jose State baseball team heads into the 2023 season with a solid outlook.

Last year, the Spartans ended their season with an 30-29 record, their best season since 2011 when they finished with a 35-26 record. SJSU lost in the 2022 Mountain West Championship game to Air Force 8-3.

“It’s always a little bit of a disappointment when you end and you kind of look at where your shortcomings were, and then you gotta get to work . . . I felt like we matched up with the Air Force pretty well,” said Sanfilippo during Baseball Media Day on Tuesday.

Though they fell short, the Spartans are looking ahead for a better outcome this season.

SJSU will start the 2023 season with a three-game series with Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, but it will play its next 15 games at home.

One of the key matchups during that stretch will be against rival Fresno State.

“We start conference in week three, we’ll have Fresno here in the third week of the season . . . we’ll get nine games real quick so that we can kind of figure out who we are before we kick off against a really quality Fresno team,” Sanfilippo said.

The Spartans went up against the Fresno Bulldogs three times last season and pulled out two of the three wins in that series.

This season, SJSU and Fresno State will face each other for a total of six times with three

games in San Jose and three in Fresno.

Sanfilippo said the Bulldogs have good depth in their roster and will be a competitive opponent in the Mountain West.

With many players returning from last season, sophomore Charles McAdoo will play a key role in the Spartans’ lineup.

McAdoo led the team with 23 doubles, had the second best batting average on the team with .345 and hit a career-high 12 home runs last season.

“I have something to prove, but this entire team has

something to prove just based on where we ended up last year,” McAdoo said. “And I know we could go further than we did last year.”

He was recently named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason All-American First Team and to the Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American First Team.

Junior left-handed pitcher

Ethan Ross is also returning for the Spartans. Ross led the team in strikeouts in 2022 with 63 and started 15 games.

Despite making it to the

Mountain West Championship last season, the Spartans have yet to hold the Mountain West title since joining the conference in 2013.

The last time the Spartans made it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association World Series was in 2000.

“San Jose State hasn’t won so that certainly is a goal, but playing in a regional is the goal . . . There were certainly some progress and I was proud of our effort last year but not happy with not finishing them off [Air Force,]” Ross said.

The Spartans’ season is scheduled to begin on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., at Page Stadium in Los Angeles against Loyola Marymount. SJSU will have its home opener against California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo on Feb. 20 at 1:05 p.m. at Excite Ballpark, in San Jose.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SJSU ATHLETICS

Junior utility player Charles McAdoo hits a ball during a game against New Mexico last season. McAdoo led the team in doubles.

Follow Oscar Frias-Rivera on Twitter @oscar_frias408

TikTok is ruining artists’ authenticity

By Mat Bejarano STAFF WRITER

Some of the most popular songs are starting to be accompanied with trendy dances or sped up remixes, thanks to TikTok.

The app has changed the way musicians are making and releasing music.

Popular Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s latest single “Just Wanna Rock” is one of the trendiest songs in the country as the initial video of the rapper dancing has 3.64 million views on TikTok.

The song is about two minutes long while only containing one verse.

Despite the length of the song, it has become a favorite among users on TikTok as there are currently 843,000 different videos using the song.

Canadian rapper Drake also began to release songs with accompanying dances including back in 2020 with “Toosie Slide.” While the video wasn’t initially posted on TikTok, it was one of the app’s trendiest songs as 532,000 dance videos have been posted using the song.

This song ultimately scored Drake

his seventh total No. 1 song on Billboard Hot 100.

Musicians have been creating dances to their songs since the beginning of time.

Music should speak for itself, not with the intention of scoring big numbers on some chart.

Another trend on TikTok are “sped up” versions of songs where the tempos are increased to speed up the track.

Originally, the trend started with music listeners increasing the tempo and uploading it themselves. However, record labels are starting to cash in by releasing official sped up versions.

Grammy award winners Steve Lacy and SZA both released songs with “sped up” versions which ended up gathering millions of streams on Spotify.

The sped up version of a song matters as it ultimately contributes to the amount of streams the original gets, helping the song go higher on the charts.

Three out of the top 10 songs on the Billboard chart have an official sped up version release and it’ll only increase from there.

For supporters who have been fans since “day one,” it is frustrating to watch musicians prioritize numbers over creativity.

Singer Miguel re-released his single “Sure Thing” with an official sped up remix which helped it re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart 11 years after its initial release.

Thundercat’s 2017 song “Them Changes” was re-released last year as a sped up version, reaching Billboard’s Hot R&B chart, which was his first time charting as a solo artist.

I don’t blame musicians for doing this. It’s important to capitalize on trends, especially with how musicians are often screwed over by record labels.

But all these sped up versions and short songs make it feel as though the market is being over-saturated.

Canadian indie singer Mac DeMarco spoke about not turning to these trends in a January 20 interview with Variety magazine.

“A lot of my songs actually do quite well on TikTok, but I never had to think about, ‘Well this should sound

pretty good sped up,’ ” DeMarco said in the interview. Artists should follow Demarco’s footsteps because he hasn’t steered away from his originality.

He recognizes fans are producing sped up versions of his songs, but he doesn’t fall into the trap by putting them on streaming services.

I understand musicians wanting to follow trends to make music that audiences want to hear.

Ultimately, it feels insincere and cheap when artists do this because it’s quite clear they want their songs to be higher on charts.

Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily

What did you think about the Grammys?

On Sunday, The Grammys hosted its 65th annual event in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena, formerly know as the Staples center. This was the first indoor Grammys event since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020. Some major winners include singer Lizzo winning record of the year for “About That Time,” Bonnie Raitt winning Song of the Year for “Just Like That” and Harry Styles winning Album of the year for “Harry’s House.” Beyoncé also set a new record for most Grammy wins in history, including 88 nominations and 32 victories, the most of any artist. What did San Jose State students think?

CAMPUS VOICES

“I just think that it’s good to support people from different cultural backgrounds, different genres. The world is getting more diverse.”

Tan Le psychology junior

“I think the artists who received the awards really stood out to me, based on all the work and effort they put into it.”

Hemmessy Ortiz psychology freshman

“Best melodic rap was Future, I think that song is really good and I listened to it all the time.”

Mick Vaughn

biomedical engineering senior

“The Grammys is always an interesting time, given the constant shifting of music tastes. I was shocked that Beyoncé didn’t win album of the year award.”

Christopher Padua community leadership and education

freshman

ILLUSTRATION BY MYENN RAHNOMA

Jeremy’s GameStop: affordable games

By Jeremy Martin SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With the high cost of rent and other expenses, people are always looking for a bargain.

Gamers are no exception.

One might wonder: ‘what are some video games that’ll give me the most bang for my buck? What games are fun, but are still affordable?’

For most people, this might seem like an impossible question to answer.

If you like to game and want to expand your collection on a budget, here are my favorite video games that are $30 or less.

with a whole new atmosphere.

This video game can be found physically pre-owned at Gamestop on the PS4 for $14.99, the Xbox one for $12.99 and Nintendo switch for $20.99.

When most gamers think about Borderlands, PlayStation and Xbox come to mind as the choice to play the classic video games.

Did you know that there’s actually a collection for the Nintendo Switch as well? For anyone who owns a Nintendo Switch, you can pick up and play the Borderlands Legendary Collection.

2000s remember that series the most.

Unfortunately for the bird man, none of the modern video games in that franchise are good enough for this list, especially when compared to how expansive and realistic my choice is.

That’s right, I’m talking about Skate 3.

This outstandingly cheap video game has kept most fans of skateboarding from rioting in the absence of both good and realistic skateboarding titles.

Especially since its sequel Skate 4 was officially announced by Electronic Arts in 2020, according to a Sept. 5, 2022 article by Turtle Beach, a popular gaming headset brand.

Skate 3 can be purchased pre-owned physically through Gamestop’s website for $9.99 on the Xbox 360. A brand new physical copy can be bought on Amazon for $16.00 plus shipping for the variant that is compatible with most modern Xbox consoles.

Calling all PlayStation Fans! For the second entry in this list, we have a classic from Sony.

It’s another Mario Kart clone and a good one at that.

This video game will put you in the driver seat of a go-kart and have you choose from a variety of Nickelodeon characters like Tommy Pickles from “Rugrats,” Spongebob Squarepants and Arnold from “Hey Arnold!”

It even includes newcomers to the Nickelodeon roster like the Ninja Turtles.

With extremely fast-paced gameplay, a variety of powerups and relatively realistic driving mechanics, this video game is sure to bring any old-school Nickelodeon fan those desired feelings of nostalgia.

My one complaint with it is that instead of voice acting, the characters talk in comic bubbles at the bottom of the screen. Aside from the occasional sound effect, the main sounds are music tracks that play while you race.

Put aside these complaints, and you have an amazing cart racer for anyone on a budget who wants a blast of nostalgia and a fun racing video game,

This three-game collection comes with Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands The Pre-Sequel and all additional downloadable content with the exception of Borderlands 2: Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary.

The Borderlands series are some of the most expansive and outstandingly fun first-person shooters to play.

All three video games are filled with unique characters and “Mad Max” style environments, keeping players engaged with massive exploration and endless amounts of loot to collect everywhere they turn.

The Borderlands Legendary Collection for the Nintendo Switch can be found physically pre-owned at Gamestop on the Nintendo Switch for just $19.99.

When coming up with this list, I really wanted to include a Tony Hawk game because most people who watched action sports in the late ‘90’s and early

Yes, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 released to critical acclaim, with the original having slightly more realistic physics for a video game in that franchise. But when compared to Skate 3, there is no contest.

Skate 3 is the best modern skateboarding video game there is and get this, it isn’t even modern.

Skate 3 is an Xbox 360 game. However with Microsoft’s backwards compatibility, anyone can play this game physically on Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Microsoft even re-released a physical variant of the game, placed in an Xbox One style case with both Xbox One and Xbox 360 written on the case itself, indicating that it can be used across most modern Xbox consoles.

Skate 3 takes the player on a journey to skating stardom as they create their own skater, skate brand and according to developer Electronic Arts, reclaim the city of Port Carverton. Players are tasked with shredding through challenges against other teams and exploring an entire open world full of unique skate spots.

In 2016, Insomniac Games developed a remake of the original Ratchet and Clank. The video game included new enhancements and additions to the franchise’s first venture released in 2002, according to the Insomniac Games website.

Why so many changes? By this point, the franchise was so popular that a children’s movie with the same name was developed to accompany it. According to IGN, the video game itself revamped elements of the first entry with added scenes that made it so the main content also reflected the movie accompanying it.

Ratchet and Clank (2016) takes players on an epic adventure, with every PlayStation fan’s favorite Lombax and robot duo, through revamped scenes both in the movie and the original entry released on the PS2.

Ratchet and Clank (2016) can be purchased physically and pre-owned for $9.99 through Gamestop’s website. However, anyone who pays for PlayStation Plus and doesn’t care about owning the video game in its physical form, can download it digitally for free with their PlayStation Plus subscription on PS5 until May 9.

For players who don’t have PlayStation Plus, you can still play this PS4 game physically on

your PS5 console via backwards compatibility, as nearly every PS4 game is fully backwards compatible on PS5, with few exceptions, according to Sony’s Playstation website.

Personally, this bundle covers some of my favorite video games in one big collection. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is just that, a collection of Halo video games.

In the Microsoft store , Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes six different video games. The collection now ultimately includes Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST Campaign, and Halo 4.

Players are put right in the middle of an ongoing war as Master Chief, a Spartan fighting alongside the United Nations Space Command Marines to defend against the Covenant, an invading alien army. Players fight to defend ancient artifacts called the Halo Rings and Earth throughout the series.

With this collection, players are getting six video games for the price of one, which is why the price tag of this title is totally worth it. The Halo franchise will take players on a collision course of adventures. You can purchase Halo: The Master Chief Collection both digitally and physically from Gamestop for $29.99.

EMAIL: spartandailyadvertising@gmail.com

CORRECTIONS