Spartan Daily Vol. 160 No. 8

CSU holds Chancellor open forum

By Jennifer Yin STAFF WRITER

The Implementation Committee for the Selection of the Chancellor, a diverse group of California State University stakeholders, held an open forum at San Francisco State on Thursday.

During the meeting, CSU community members shared their demands about what they are seeking for the next elected chancellor.

The Implementation and Assessment Committee, is currently conducting a confidential nationwide search for candidates to elect the next chancellor. The new chancellor will oversee the CSU’s 23 campuses, which

includes 477,000 students and 56,000 faculty and staff, according to the CSU website.

Michael Uhlenkamp,

senior

director of public affairs

for

“The role of the assessment and the implementation committee [is] they are going to take that feedback and distill it in various buckets to generate

candidates about what is going to be required over the next year.”

Jolene Koester, current CSU Interim Chancellor, will

qualified person to serve as the chancellor.

“The current salary of a chancellor is estimated at $625,000 a year without negotiations,” Uhlenkamp said.

He said the committee will review resumes and will start narrowing down the candidates.

“The finalist will then be interviewed by the full Board of Trustees. Typically these [elections] fall around board meetings,” Uhlenkamp said.

the Office of the Chancellor, said the committee plans to distill the common themes of the open forum and consider it towards the chancellor’s leadership profile.

the key characteristics for the leadership profile,” Uhlenkamp said. “We can’t list everything because everyone has different opinions but there should be a narrative to inform the

remain appointed until the next election. Uhlenkamp said the election results are planned to occur in summer 2023.

Koester said the committee is seeking the most uniquely

During the event, members of the CSU community focused their attention on various topics ranging from concerns with the budget, housing insecurities and Title IX training.

Dagoberto Argueta, vice CHANCELLOR | Page 2

Black professionals discuss their careers

By Dominique Huber STAFF WRITER

SJSU’s Department of African American Studies hosted “A Journey through Black Excellence” on the first floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on Thursday.

The panel of speakers included Jeronica Macey, Kenneth West and Tiffany Bradford-Oldham, Black professionals who were recognized for breaking barriers to succeed in their careers.

“Today’s panel is about Black excellence through the lens of resistance and that’s the theme for Black History Month this year, is Black resistance,” said Department of African American Studies chair and Director of Ethnic Studies Collaborative Travis D. Boyce.

Boyce asked a series of questions, bringing up topics ranging from Black representation in the panelists’ respective fields to advice the panelists had for SJSU graduating students.

Bradford-Oldham is a senior librarian for three branches of the San Jose Public Library. She said she noticed an immense lack of diversity when she began working in her field.

“When I entered my library school program, there was three of us,”

NETWORKING | Page 2

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRYANNA BARTLETT SOURCE: SPARTAN DAILY ARCHIVES AND WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

DOMINIQUE HUBER | SPARTAN DAILY

Jeronica Macey (left), Kenneth West (middle) and Tiffany Bradford-Oldham (right) spoke at the MLK Library on Thursday for “A Journey through Black Excellence: A Panel of Black Professionals,” where they discussed their personal journeys in the workforce.

The finalist will then be interviewed by the full Board of Trustees. Typically these [elections] fall around board meetings.

Michael Uhlenkamp senior director of public affairs Office of the Chancellor

Macey is a co-owner and CEO of Nirvana Soul, a coffee shop she and her sister opened in 2020.

Bradford-Oldham said. “Just three Black people in the entire program of 400 people. That was it.”

Black people made up 4.3% of librarians in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Each panelist said they had similar experiences and spoke on the difficulties they faced being marginalized in the business world.

“In most things I’ve been the only or the few my entire life . . . it’s difficult to be what you can’t see,” said Kenneth West, the President and CEO of Regional Medical Center.

After speaking of these hardships, West, BradfordOldham and Macey each said the lack of representation resulted in the need for them to create representation themselves.

CHANCELLOR

Continued from page 1

“Being the first definitely has its challenges,” Macey said. “I do feel a huge responsibility to

“I like that uniqueness of what I bring to the table, particularly in spaces where you traditionally don’t see people who look like myself,” West said. “It gives a voice to others that may not oftentimes be created.”

where you will have to make tweaks to who you are in order to get your foot in the door,” Bradford-Oldham said. “Being authentically who you are is where you are going to see that growth in your career path.”

West said. “There is a certain level of competency that you will need to have, but ultimately your relationships will be more important than that competency.”

Macey said professional success mostly comes down to hard work.

“You’re not going to just wake up and it just happens,” Macey said. “A part of the success in doing something great is those roadblocks, is those challenging moments. That’s where you become tougher and stronger, just more resilient.”

work harder and push forward for them, for the people that are coming behind us.”

West said he agreed with Macey that being Black has helped him shape and use his identity as a tool in the business world.

president of Academic Professionals of California, said it is important for the next chancellor to change the paradigm and legislation in which funding for CSU will no longer be based on the number of students that are enrolled or have graduated.

“My colleagues for instance in San Francisco State University, California State University, Chico, Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal Maritime, California State University, East Bay and Sonoma State University were dismayed a couple weeks ago to learn that if we do not meet enrollment goals, we may face funding reductions in the future,” Argueta said.

In May 2022, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that undergraduate student enrollment in the United States has declined by 1.4 million since the Coronavirus pandemic, according to an agenda posted by CalState.

The CSU enrollment summary states how improved graduation rates and shorter timelines towards a degree completion have meant that enrollment must be “replaced” quickly. The report projected a two-year decline in systemwide enrollment may be greater than any time in the university’s history.

The CSU system projects that by spring 2023, there will be more than 25,000 full-time equivalent students which marks a 7% decrease towards its funded 2022-2023 resident target. This

Bradford-Oldham said if people want to succeed in their careers, they must stay true to who they are and not conform to the preferences or comfort zones of others.

“There are going to be a lot of places that you will go

decline occurred during the state’s five-year budget stating new funding to increase resident undergraduate enrollment by 1% through 2026-2027, according to the same CalState agenda.

Cal Poly Humboldt is facing ramifications of increased overenrollment to stay within the state’s resident target, causing housing insecurities for returning students.

On February 4, Cal Poly Humboldt failed to notify its students regarding an updated housing policy which states that on-campus housing is only reserved for new freshmen or transfer students starting fall 2023. While returning students will be placed in temporary, off-campus housing according to The Lumberjack, a student-run newspaper of Cal Poly Humboldt.

Kristin Tran CIS Cal Poly Humboldt database management junior, said continuing students are being evicted and placed in local motels which are unsafe.

“We are scared and many of us are trying to transfer to other universities to escape these conditions,” Tran said. “The students of Cal Poly Humboldt want a cap on enrollment until sufficient housing is available for all students.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a 5% base fund increase for UC and CSU university systems if they upholds graduation rates and increases enrollment of California residents, according to an article published by EdSource, a nonprofit newspaper covering equity in education.

The 5% increase would equate to $215.5 million in ongoing funding for UC and $227.3 million for CSU, according to the same article.

Tiffany Bradford-Oldham senior librarian San Jose Public Library

West said based on his experience, it is essential for students to realize the importance of relational skills in their careers.

Continued from page 1 Follow

“We have to be honest with our students and with ourselves that life is not a meritocracy,”

“We need a chancellor, who can see the impact that these changes have on the existing students and meeting enrollment goals at Cal Poly Humboldt is simply unsustainable,” Tran said.

The next elected chancellor would be the fifth appointed chancellor to the CSU system since 2021.

The last fully-elected chancellor was Joseph Castro, who stepped down from his position after allegations of mishandling sexual misconduct while he was president of Fresno State.

On Feb. 3, 2022, USA Today published a story stating Frank Lamas, former vice president for student affairs, had been accused of sexual harassment and was handed a “golden handshake” deal from Castro. This deal included a $260,000 payout, retirement benefits and a letter of recommendation from Castro, according to a report made by the Academic Senate of the CSU system.

The Office of the Chancellor has

currently employed Cozen O’Connor, a full-service law firm, to conduct a systemwide assessment of its Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation programs.

This assessment is designed to strengthen the CSU institution by assessing current practices at the Chancellor’s Office.

“The safety and the comfort level of every individual at any of the CSU campuses is obviously very important to the campus community and leadership,” Uhlenkamp said. “One of the important things for the next chancellor is that the role of the chancellor differs from what Joseph Castro was stepping into.”

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Crime Blotter

Vandalism: deface property

Feb. 8, 4:58 p.m. at S 5TH St/E Santa Clara St Cleared by Arrest

Possession of Controlled Substance

Feb. 9, 7:56 p.m. at Joe West Hall Cleared by Arrest

Burglary: from Motor Vehicle

Feb. 10, 2:45 p.m. at Corporation Yard A Inactive

Threaten crime with intent to terrorize

Feb. 10, 8:59 a.m. at Tower Hall Lawn Cleared by Arrest

What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?

CAMPUS VOICES

“It’s just love. You don’t need to have a significant other, it’s also about family.”

Lillybelle Skeie undecided sophmore

“Valentine’s day is a good holiday for people who are single and in relationships. It’s not only for people in relationships, you can spend it with your girl friends, guy friends, it’s just a day to appreciate people you love in your life.”

Alicia Tran graphic design junior

“Valentine’s Day is appreciating the person you love the most, trying to make time for them.”

Kieran Mccormick electrical engineering freshman

“You can walk around campus and sense people that don’t have enough love in their life, so go up to them and see how their day is.”

Elias

Guzman Pacheco history sophmore

There are going to be a lot of places that you will go where you will have to make tweaks to who you are in order to get your foot in the door. Being authentically who you are is where you are going to see that growth in your career path.

Macpherson has career day vs. Air Force

By Dominique Huber STAFF WRITER

The San Jose State gymnastics team defeated Air Force 195.800-193.275 on Friday night at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.

The Spartans defeated the Falcons for the second time this season. They last played on January 16, defeating Air Force 195.250-194.150.

The Event Center filled with roars of applause as the Spartans won each event.

Junior Lauren Macpherson had a careernight as she tied for first in the bar, won the all-around event and tied SJSU beam record with a score of 9.925.

Macpherson said it feels good to have such achievements and she is grateful for her team.

“I just love this team,” Macpherson said. “They make it so easy to just do my thing and they have my back if I mess up and I have their back if they have anything too.”

The Spartans started out with a strong lead in the vault which they held onto throughout the meet.

Juniors Jaudai Lopes and Madison Kirsch tied for first place in the vault with scores of 9.850.

In the bar event, three Spartans took first place with seniors Alexa Solomon, Emma Milne and Macpherson recording a firstplace score of 9.900.

SJSU head coach Joanne Bowers said the gymnasts carried themselves wonderfully to a well-deserved victory.

“Truthfully I thought we had some absolutely wonderful performances, great routines, some great scores,” Bowers said. “It was a very good meet for us.”

Macpherson, who was named gymnast of the week on Feb. 7 by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, was the lone SJSU gymnast on the all-around score board.

The Feb. 10 gymnastics meet was the first in the history of SJSU and NBC Sports Bay Area to be broadcast on live TV.

Senior Jada Mazury said she was excited for what the broadcast could mean for the team going forward.

“That’s just so great for exposure for

recruiting, for women and for our sport specifically,” Mazury said. “It was just awesome and we’re so lucky to have that opportunity.”

The meet was dedicated to SJSU faculty and staff recognition. Each of the athletes chose a faculty or staff member to escort them into the arena.

Mazury chose Heidi Eisips, an adjunct faculty member of SJSU’s College of Business, to accompany her to the meet.

“It was sort of just a fun way for us to bond with them more,” Mazury said.

Mazury said she loved Eisip’s energetic nature in the classroom. She said it is important to recognize the work of faculty and staff.

“For us it just means appreciating them and showing them that we do care about what

they do for us and all the effort they put in for us every day,” Mazury said.

Mazury helped the Spartans achieve a clean sweep with her winning floor routine, for which she received a score of 9.925, resulting in first place.

Katherine Weyhmiller and Mazury fell while performing their routines on the bars. Both of them remained uninjured and went on to perform for the rest of the meet.

Bowers said this was very uncharacteristic for the team and not something that she is concerned about becoming a pattern.

After falling, each of the young women got up immediately and performed the remainder of their routines.

Bowers said the gymnasts’ actions after their falls are just as important as the falls themselves.

“Everything’s not gonna be perfect all the time, so how are you gonna respond?” Bowers said. “If we need you for the next event, you gotta be able to shake that off. Can you?”

Bowers said the two athletes recovered very skillfully.

“The way they bounce back to the next event, the way they finish, their energy and what they do, I’m so proud of this team,” Bowers said.

The Spartans are scheduled to face Sacramento State at 7 p.m. at Colberg Court in Sacramento, on Friday.

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PHOTOS BY MATTHEW GONZALEZ | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU gymnast Lauren Macpherson finishes her routine during the floor event during Saturday’s meet against Air Force.

Activism takes action through art

Political science senior Luis Aquino said the event’s atmosphere was relaxing and gave him the opportunity to draw, something he doesn’t normally do.

San Jose State students were taught ways to bring their art to life in an arts and craftivism event held in the Student Union.

The Cesar Chavez Community Action Center at SJSU, in collaboration with the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center, held the first Activism in Action Series, an event that highlighted how art can double as a means for change.

Guest speaker and illustrator Paige Mason said showcasing her art publicly is one of the ways she can playfully display Black faces.

“The piece I showed specifically –or a couple of the pieces – is also just bringing more faces into the world,” Mason said. “Black faces to be more specific.”

Mason showed numerous drawings in which she manipulated lines in an attempt to create different hairstyles on her characters.

She also presented drawings with characters who fluctuated in body type.

Mason said evoking a child-like mindset in those that view her work is one of the ways art can bolster acceptance rather than judgment.

“Being a kid you just make friends, it doesn’t really matter what they look like,” Mason said. “Naturally [people] will gravitate to who looks most like them, but it’s just that innocent curiosity and wonderment, what can I learn from this person without any judgment beforehand?”

“It was really fun,” Aquino said. “I mean, I’m not an art major, so I don’t take time to draw, so it was just a really fun way to unwind.”

Aquino said he felt a sense of community and was intrigued by Mason’s artistic journey.

“Being in this space and community with others and learning from the presenter’s experience and background

She drew in the provided booklet alongside her friends, as Mason circled the room helping students decipher which shapes would best suit their drawings.

Guerrero said “centering joy” serves as a gentle reminder of the importance of self care and finding happiness through dark events in society.

“So many things are so draining,” she said. “I can’t speak for other communities, but I think always being able to ground yourself again is really important.”

trauma to make my message clear if that makes sense,” Mason said. “It’s just not where my art roots from, but I’m still going to make this point of view, you know, just stop hurting us, see us for who we are.”

She said one of the biggest fears she had was people not resonating with her art.

“Obviously I’m proud to be the color that I am,” Mason said. “But when it came to the general public, my thought was like they’re automatically going to see this character and they’re Black. They’re not going to be able to associate them with [anything].”

Mason said becoming more secure in herself as an artist helped her overcome this fear.

She said while she has been an artist for a long time, she still continues to learn about new ways to express her work and that being aware of the message she is sending is paramount.

was definitely really inspiring,” he said.

Sociology senior Kimberly Guerrero said tapping into her inner child is important because dreams are rooted in childhood.

“I think connecting [to] your childhood is really difficult,” Guerrero said. “But it’s essential because I feel like all of our dreams live as children.”

Guerrero said keeping a positive demeanor in a world that is oftentimes exhausting is key to protecting her happiness.

Luis Aquino political science senior

Illustrator Paige Mason said she struggled to connect salience with her fun-loving style of art because she didn’t want to undermine important issues during a crucial time for Black people in the United States.

One way she stayed true to her artistic style was by illustrating her children holding posters with messages such as “Black girl magic” and “Black boy joy.”

She said by doing this she was able to protest in a meaningful way without having to exploit any trauma.

“I don’t think I need to like show the

“Obviously I don’t want to sugarcoat things or try to filter like ‘Oh there’s terrible things happening, but look at my cute drawing,’ ” Mason said. “So I knew I had to find some kind of bridge for that.”

Matthew Gonzalez STAFF WRITER

Follow Matthew Gonzalez on Twitter @MattG2001

Illustrator and guest speaker Paige Mason discusses activism and art with attendees for the first Activism in Action series on Thursday in room 2 of the Student Union.

ENRIQUE GUTIERREZ-SEVILLA SPARTAN DAILY

Being in this space and community with others and learning from the presenter’s experience and background was definitely really inspiring.

SJSU presents ‘Kaleidoscope!’ concert

Jesús Álvarez del Castillo in 1917.

performance of great gravity performed by a trombone choir and directed by Brass Area coordinator Thomas Hornig who joined the SJSU faculty in 2003.

By Brandon Nicolas STAFF WRITER

A melting pot of classical, samba, jazz and gospel music resounded in the Hammer Theater Center, on Saturday.

About 350 San Jose State students and faculty were featured in the School of Music and Dance “Kaleidoscope!” program at the Hammer Theatre Center on Saturday.

A worship song by the Zulu culture and written in isiZulu, the celestial piece “Mangisondele Nkosi Yam,” which translates to “Let Me Be Nearer My Lord,” was performed by SJSU artists.

Choraliers, who surrounded the center audience by surprise, delivered waves of harmonies led by soloists Kaelyn Howard and Ivan Vielma.

Music education sophomore Ivan Vielma said he suffered an accident during rehearsal the day prior, causing him to rely on crutches during the performance.

“We made it work,” he said. “I made a

“We put it together at the very last minute,” Furuta said. “We met for the first time yesterday to put that piece together.”

Sasha is a student at Cupertino High School and, along with other students in the area, was invited by Furuta through Orange Music Studios in Cupertino.

“It was a little stressful at first, but as we ran through it a couple times,” Sasha said. “It got a lot looser and it was really fun.”

Furuta said the goal of the program as a whole was to bring students from different institutions to perform together.

“The most rewarding feeling was being able to play with college level musicians,” Sasha said. “I’m still in high school so it was a really good experience.”

Accompanied by a fellow flute soloist, Furuta and his partner conversed with melodies that resembled feelings of a first love, frustration and rejoicement.

“I think that music in general has an effect of bringing people

together,” Vielma said. “Whether we have different beliefs or mindsets, I want people to be moved.”

An ensemble of brass, woodwind and percussion set the scene for these two flutes to dance.

“I was thrilled because it was accomplished,” Furuta said. “We were able to do it and have fun.”

He said the School of Music and Dance gave an open invitation to the SJSU faculty involving student performances. Furuta said although the program had no clear path of which pieces went where, the purpose of “Kaleidoscope!” was to showcase the talents of students.

“It was really a showcase of the breath and broadness that our students do and study and perform here at the School of Music and Dance,” Furuta said.

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The program, sponsored by the 20222023 Artistic Excellence Programing Grants, is a non-stop artistic freight train that pushes music and dance for all students, faculty and staff.

With 13 consecutive programs, “Kaleidoscope!” gave the audience no time to applaud after each performance.

Instead, theater lights are cast towards another corner of the stage, bringing the audience’s eyes and ears to a new harmonic story while other performers prepare for their coming act in the shadows.

Among the others, the show included a saxophone ensemble titled “Diversions in Denim,” where four men playfully fought for the attention of the crowd with solos and runs, all while supporting the other.

“Drop, Drop Slow Tears” was a brass

Ray Furuta SJSU flute professor

different entrance and I wanted to make sure to be here.”

Vielma said he has performed in churches and on campus, but Saturday night was his debut at the Hammer Theatre.

“It’s very lively,” he said. “The participation – I can feel the energy from the crowd.”

While the crowd’s energy was feeding the performers, Ray Furuta, SJSU flute professor, led an artistic passion of bringing students and people together to one of the program’s most exciting performances,“Tutti Flutti.”

Furuta was named “The Rockstar of the Flute,” by the El Informador de Guadalajara in Mexico.

El Informador is a newspaper published and headquartered in Guadalajara and founded by

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San Jose State students and faculty perform in the School of Music and Dance Kaleidoscope! program at the Hammer Theatre Center on Saturday evening.

It was really a showcase of the breath and broadness that our students do and study and perform here at the School of Music and Dance.

Over 350 students and staff from the School of Music and Dance took part in the musical extravaganza.