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Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Volume 162 No. 12 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
MELISSA ALEJANDRES | SPARTAN DAILY
Students from the Black Student Union met at the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center at the Student Union to talk about what blackness means to each person.
SJSU Students explore blackness By Melissa Alejandres STAFF WRITER
community, as well as feel comfortable in a safe co-president was partially Currie said one of the “We don't discriminate, other groups, to embrace community. in charge of moderating the club's main focuses overall anyone is welcome,” Currie said”. Currie said the club helps foster engagement on campus and brings a safe place for students to express their opinions, especially within the community. McCray said he Seyahmi Currie originally wasn't interested Co-president of the and was only doing Black Student Union photography at the
San José State students and the Black Student Union (BSU) had an educational discussion on the topic of identity, “What does your blackness mean to you?” on Tuesday night in the Student Union. Bryan McCray, a political science major and president of the Black Student Union Club, said BSU encourages their culture and identities, Seyahmi Currie, a students from the Black voice their opinions and political science senior and
I feel like it’s a place where people can just be themselves and express themselves freely without fear of being judged for what they might say.
conversation in a Socratic seminar-style.
is to build the community according to Currie.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | Page 2
Janelle James visits and speaks Janelle James from "Abbott Elementary" talks about the entertainment industry. By Julia Chie PRODUCTION EDITOR
On Tuesday evening in the Student Union Theater and on a Zoom live-stream, San José State’s Division of Student Affairs invited Janelle James for its Spartan Speaker Series. According to SJSU Student Involvement’s Feb. 14 Instagram post, James stars as Ava in the currently airing ABC series, “Abbott Elementary”. Her latest stand-up special is featured in Netflix’s "The Stand Ups". Previously, James has served as both a writer and actor for Showtime’s "Black Monday", and Apple’s animated series, "Central Park," according to the post. Department manager of the César E. Chávez Community Action Center, Diana Victa moderated the Q&A portion of the event. “The purpose of it is to bring
speakers of different industries. Students can learn about them, and hopefully find inspiration in the type of work that they do,” Victa said. She said she appreciated James’ emphasis on networking. “I think that networking is so important when it comes to career advancement,” Victa said. She also said that she watched “Abbott Elementary”, and loves how James’ character developed over time. Victa said the speaker series will bring actress Stephanie Hsu in April. Child and adolescent development alum and program coordinator at the Black Leadership and Opportunity C e nte r My Sh au n d r i s s Watkins moderated the entire conversation with Janelle James.
JULIA CHIE | SPARTAN DAILY
James sits with MyShaundriss Watkins, the program coordinator at the BLOC, to talk about networking.
“I had to be the person who actually asked the tough questions and deal with the response, whether it's something that we wanted to hear or not and be able to navigate that in real time,” Watkins said. “which is something that you don't prepare for.” She said she asked James questions about her life and
her career as an actress and comedian. “Hearing her perspective firsthand and being able to articulate that for our students who were here was my role,” Watkins said. Watkins said putting this event together was so much fun but stressful at the same time because this is her first time
dealing with real celebrities and their team. “Making sure everything gets approved,” she said. “You also have to be mindful about questions that could go in a different direction, and SPEAKER | Page 3
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Continued from page 1
MELISSA ALEJANDRES | SPARTAN DAILY
Members of the Black Student Union (BSU) and students engage in a discussion about Black culture and Humanities in the Student Union ballroom on campus Tuesday.
in
entire board is involved events. Events range speakers, cultural show putting together from discussions, guest meetings, and more. “Black culture is just being you,” Currie said. Humanities freshman Dominique Thomas said she recently joined the On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Spartan Daily pubclub after being connected lished a story titled, “Greek Life meets San with it by BLOC “I was José State” in which Shantay Saddi, president given many resources to of the United Sorority and Fraternity Council, connect with more Black and member of Sigma Theta Psi Sorority was clubs on campus,” Thomas said. “I think these misidentified. discussions help me and other people because they give insight to not only The Spartan Daily regrets this error. how we think ourselves, but how other people in our communities think as well,” Thomas said. Thomas said the club
Correction
has grown since more people have joined it. “My favorite part of this club is the discussions because of (the) insight and it is good to learn and connect with other people,” Thomas said Currie said even though each student has a different opinion in the discussion, they still connect as they did in the identity discussion which is an opportunity for students to speak openly of their struggles or thoughts. Thomas said the amount of people who show up to the club’s events is evident
since she joined last year. McCray said the club is always looking for more people to join, help organize events, and help with funding. “We have to figure out the logistics of things and make sure everything is organized,” McCray said. McCray said not only does BSU focus on discussions, but they are trying to move forward politically. The club discusses a variety of topics that might interest students. Currie said the Black Student Union offers a great quantity of diversity
within getting involved in the community, building connections with others, and embracing your Blackness. “Yes we are going to be working towards more political things and creating change, but we also still want to maintain that safe space for Black students on campus,” McCray said.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
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SPEAKER Continued from page 1 different direction, and being able to steer the audience or the interviewee in one way that's beneficial for everyone.” She said she learned from James being real, authentic and honest during the talk. “She (James) mentioned, she's the most honest when she talks to college students,” Watkins said. “I think that resonates with me and the role that I played, because this is my first job where I've been able to show my most authentic self because I serve college students.” She said even though James is not an educator, Watkins relates to James’ character Ava on “Abbott Elementary” who is an educator. “(College students are) at that age where you don't have to sugarcoat things, you don't have to beat around the bush. You can just be direct and say what needs to be said,” Watkins said. Watkins also said she would love to moderate for Issa Rae if she speaks at SJSU. African American studies and psychology senior Aniyah Nichols was the student speaker who introduced James. Nichols was recommended for the role because of her previous work at the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center. “I've done a lot of speaking roles within the past year and a half … I've done a couple of open mics. I'm also in a sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, and I've hosted the Meet the Greeks events,” Nichols said. “I speak so much and people start to realize, ‘Oh, you're always the one speaking’ I guess that just so happened to lead me to this specific event.” Nichols said she really likes James’ character on “Abbott
JULIA CHIE | SPARTAN DAILY
Audience members sit and listen carefully as James shares with Watkins her experience with working in the entertainment industry.
Elementary” because she’s also really into fashion, and she enjoys James’ demeanor and the way she talks. She also said she appreciated how James was very
just like, ‘Oh, you have to work hard,’ but it's really about who you know, not necessarily what you know.” Nichols said she would like
more actors, writers, people who would kind of pick the non-conventional ways that we see ourselves in society,” Nichols said.
You never really know how something (that happens) right now is gonna affect you in the future. I think I’ll take that to heart. Nasrin Indris Biology sophomore
real and honest. “She really emphasized networking, especially with the right people,” Nichols said. “That really spoke to me because a lot of times people are
to see a lot more speaker series events, especially with people who are in different industries and not just on the educational pathway. “I would like to see a lot
She also said that she would like to see her role as a student speaker be opened up to more students because it is a unique and interesting opportunity she has experienced.
Biology sophomore Nasrin Indris said she had a great time at the event. “It was so funny and I learned a lot of really interesting things,” Indris said. Indris said she is interested in the entertainment industry, but more as a viewer and consumer. She also said she liked what James said about going with the flow. “You never really know how something (that happens) right now is gonna affect you in the future. I think I’ll take that to heart,” Indris said.
Follow Julia on Instagram @2u1ia
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
CAMPUS VOICES
Dina Kameda Justice studies senior lecturer
Selina Du Radio television and film junior
“Even though gun laws, or attempts to curb gun violence and such certainly have been attempted, we’re probably higher up on the list of states attempting to do something. . . The bigger problem throughout the country for us, certainly in (the) United States specifically, is gun culture and not so much just the laws. You can pass all the laws you want, but if the culture doesn’ t change, it doesn't really mean a lot.”
Neve Apte Computer science freshman “I don’t think I'm really educated on this topic so I don’t know if I can give a good answer for this, but I think they’re doing more than other states because there are more restrictions compared to a lot of like red states.”
“It’s very intertwined with other issues … I don’t know if we’re doing enough because there’s also not enough being done about the housing crisis which I also feel affects crime rates, people’s livelihoods and that’s what leads to gun violence. You know, it’s all very interconnected together. . . It doesn’t exist in a vacuum. . . I feel like California really isn’t doing enough to solve any of those issues anyway. . .”
ETHAN LI | SPARTAN DAILY
Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1
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What did one wall say to the other wall?
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1. Ruler of Qatar 5. Divan 9. Cousins of the elites 14. Fancy fabric 15. OT book 16. Apple variety? 17. Prominent periods 18. String instrument 19. Bottled spirit 20. Ocean racers 23. Dogged 24. "Now do you believe me?" 25. H, in Greece 27. First appearance 28. Fantastic but vain hope 31. Southdown male 32. Engraved stamp 33. Chic 34. End of a hammerhead 36. State of constant change 37. Stands by for 40. Fixed cost 41. Way or wife beginning 44. Golf scoring format 46. Like an old bagel 48. Works in the Prado 49. "___ the ramparts . . ."
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JOKIN’ AROUND
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SUDOKU PUZZLE
Let's, uh, meet up in the corner.
CLASSIFIEDS
50. Blanche's sister 51. Like a blimp 55. Tropical eel or Scottish county 56. ___ avis 57. Heading on Santa's list 58. Lineage 59. Antiquated oath 60. Mythical fertility goddess 61. Bewilder 62. Feature of St. Peter's 63. Stone paving block DOWN 1. College member who votes for president 2. Islands explored by Magellan in 1521 3. Early 20th century poetry movement 4. Used car deal 5. Hoarded 6. Skip 7. It's played under the table 8. In dreamland 9. When doubled, a Pacific capital 10. Start of an invention
11. Soldier's flask 12. 1997 Spielberg movie 13. NNW's antithesis 21. Soak thoroughly 22. Bailey of the comics 26. Ms. Vanderbilt 28. Word with bobby or clothes 29. R&B's ___ Hill 30. Much-studied T. 32. Totalitarian ruler 34. Photo 35. Ordinal number suffix 36. Whimsical 37. M.D.'s org. 38. Would-be dictator 39. Dressed 40. Motley mix 41. A feeling of discomfort 42. Not permitted 43. Most precious 45. Looked askance 46. B&O stop 47. Court sport 50. What some trees provide 52. Dumbarton denizen 53. Robert Louis Stevenson villain 54. Airport conveyance 55. Corp. exec's degree
SOLUTIONS
Februrary 20
S H A K E T E S T R S V P A E G I S B L A H E P E E G R E E K A I S L E B A N G V I L L A W O U N D S W W I M E L G O R K I H A T B O X L A R G E S S E O R A L S P O R K Y H A L O R L Y S E A R S S A N D P E I F O R T Y C L Y D E I N A F L A S H L A Y E R S N O O N E P I N S A T F A B L E D S O D A S L U R K S W I S S S T A K E U T E S O O Z E T Y L E R B O D Y S E E D A X I N G
6 1 8 5 7 4 2 9 3
3 4 7 5 9 2 1 7 9 6 8 2 5 4 2 5 3 4 1 9 7 6 3 4 2 8 1 9 9 2 5 1 3 8 6 1 8 9 7 6 3 2 5 1 8 6 4 7 3 8 6 2 3 7 4 5 4 7 1 9 5 6 8
8 3 6 7 4 5 9 1 2
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
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SJSU celebrates 60 years of glass blowing 2
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PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE TRAN | SPARTAN DAILY
#1: SJSU Graphic Design Alumni James Vreeland is “popping the bubble” by forcing air down the blowpipe into a hot mass of glass at the 60 Years of Glass Jubilee and Cookoff on Tuesday night. #2: Glass studio faculty head and studio coordinator Cassandra Straubing sits on a maver, a table used to shape glass. #3: Vreeland (right) drops glass to create a puddle of molten glass for aerospace engineering graduate student Svitlana Kuklenko (left) to prepare the pan to cook. #4: 6. Glass Studio students cook a zucchini with a hot glass vessel for the glass blowing demonstration. #5: Glass Studio students prepare apple slices for the glass vessel to heat them, as part of the menu items that can be cooked with hot glass. #6: Vreeland shapes the glass at the end of the blowpipe as part of his demonstration to celebrate 60 years of glass blowing at SJSU in the Industrial Studies Building.
ABOUT
EDITORIAL STAFF
The Spartan Daily prides itself on being the San José State community’s top news source. New issues are published every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the academic year and online content updated daily. The Spartan Daily is written and published by San José State students as an expression of their First Amendment rights. Reader feedback may be submitted as letters to the editor or online comments.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ALINA TA MANAGING EDITOR MELANY GUTIERREZ PRODUCTION EDITOR JULIA CHIE NEWS EDITOR ALEXIA FREDERICKSON A&E EDITOR AALIYAH ROMAN OPINION EDITOR MAYA BENMOKHTAR SPORTS EDITOR NAVIN KRISHNAN
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR MAT BEJARANO OUTREACH EDITOR CHRISTINE TRAN COPY EDITOR JOAQUIN DE LA TORRE PHOTO EDITOR PRATHAM GILL PHOTOGRAPHERS PHU TRAN AIKMAN FANG ILLUSTRATORS CIA CASTRO CAMMY TAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER NIKITA BANKAR
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
COUNTERPOINTS
Rain or shine: what is better?
ILLUSTRATION BY CIA CASTRO CARBAJAL
Rain is depressing and brings me nothing but a bad mood.
Nikita Bankar SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Nothing is more infuriating than being stuck under a shower of sky drool and watching my hair become frizzy. I despise the way rain seeps up into the bottom of my denim jeans and leaves them soaking wet for hours. As a side note, jeans take forever to dry. I despise the way my white Nike Air Force Ones’s squeak obnoxiously in the hallways after I’ve stepped in a massive puddle. I despise the way it ruins my perfectly curled hair. Every time I wake up and glance out my window to see the sky painted a dark shade of gray, I can’t help but feel depressed. If it wasn’t apparent already, I despise the rain. Not only does the weather make me want to pull my hair out, but it totally dampens my mood to the point where I can literally picture a storm cloud over my head. In a 2020 study completed by the Journal of Psychiatric Research, it was determined that people were more likely to report symptoms of depression during cloudy or overcast weather. I can wholeheartedly agree. Seeing rain just makes me want to skip my classes, snuggle into my sheets and sleep the whole day. With the weather being extra stormy lately, you can imagine how unmotivated I’ve been feeling. I can honestly say that when it’s raining, my mind feels cluttered. Thirty-seven million Californians are currently on alert for flooding as an atmospheric river continues to inundate the state with rain, according to an article by ABC News. I am not a fan. Every time I open my weather app and see “flood watch,” I shiver. The rain makes me remember everything going wrong in my life. Just like in movies, it seems like everything goes downhill when the weather turns dark. It’s almost like the droplets falling down from the sky mirror my emotions. I still remember waking up a few days ago, seeing my window painted with wet droplets and groaning as my roommate did the same. That same day, I was late to class, almost got hit by a car running a red light and dropped my papers into a puddle.
Rain is literally the physical representation of bad luck. I am someone who absolutely loves taking long walks outside, which I simply can’t enjoy if I’m getting completely soaked. I’d rather give a lengthy speech in a communications class than get stuck in the rain. Fun fact: I hate speeches. I’m tired of the sun being tucked away as storm clouds clog up the beautiful blue sky. I’m seriously counting down the days until summer, when the only thing I’ll have to worry about is which floral tank top to wear. Something else I am terrified of when it comes to the rain is driving in it. When I was commuting to De Anza College, I had to take the highway, which is already something that makes me anxious. Merging makes me so apprehensive that I feel like vomiting. The one thing that totally spiked my nerves was driving while it was pouring
I’m tired of the sun being tucked away as storm clouds clog up the beautiful blue sky.
outside. Even now, I still feel this way. I usually repeat my dad’s words in my head, ‘keep four car lengths of distance between my car and the car ahead of me’, especially when it is raining. However, reciting that mantra can only do so much to calm my anxiety. Having to keep my windshield wipers on at their highest speed while driving slowly to ensure that I don’t start hydroplaning makes me grip the wheel so tight that my knuckles turn red. Not only this, but the rain intensifies traffic, which is something else I despise. Nothing is more depressing than sitting for hours behind a line of cars miles long. Especially when you need to be somewhere important. I despise the rain. I despise the way it creates mud that seeps into the cracks of my sneakers. I despise the way it collects on my eyelashes and falls into my eyes. I despise the way it flows off the roofs of buildings and onto my sleeves. I swear, I’m not built for this type of climate. I seriously can’t wait to replace my stupid umbrella with sunglasses.
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Rain makes me feel at peace way more than any hot sunny day.
Aaliyah Roman A&E EDITOR
I am sick and tired of all of you Debbie Downers hating on the rain. The month of February has seen more rain than usual and I think I’m the only one that’s happy about it. All I’ve heard people talk about is how much they hate the rain, that it’s canceling all their plans and that they don’t understand how it can be sunny one minute and rainy the next. In my head, I’m just thinking, “OK what else do you wanna complain about?” I’ve always loved the rain. I love the peace it brings me when I listen to it as white noise lying in bed at night, or just watching the raindrops build up on the windows as I sit in my car. The American Heart Association even completed a study that found that listening to the rain can be a form of therapy, according to a blog post by Spectrum Health & Human Services. Additionally, the sound of rain falling helps with concentration, relaxation and falling asleep, according to a BetterHelp article. Rain sounds overall contribute to improved moods.
Rain gives me a sense of peace and tranquility that the hot, glaring sun can’t.
I also loved the rain as a kid. I remember pretending two single raindrops were racing each other down the car window during car rides. Rain gives me a sense of peace and tranquility that the hot, glaring sun can’t. It’s just water. It amuses me to watch people run for dry shelter in fear of getting wet by the rain. They act like the rain is going to hurt them. As I said, it’s just water people! Sometimes I step outside when it’s
raining – no hood or umbrella– and just bask in the moment. It’s kind of fun, you should try it. Can we also talk about how romantic the rain is? I’m sure most of you are familiar with that one scene in “The Notebook” where the two main characters kissed under the pouring rain. If not, well what happened was Noah, played by Ryan Gosling, and Allie, portrayed by Rachel McAdams, kissed under the pouring rain confessing their love for each other after years of no contact. It was beautiful, how they didn’t care about anything else, but simply just being present in the moment and in love. Something I’ve grown to love about the rain is … umbrellas. I used to hate when my mom would force me to wear an ugly, brightcolored raincoat to school and carry around an umbrella. There used to be something so embarrassing about the attire expected to be worn during rainy weather. But now, I get excited any time I get to whip out my trusty ole umbrella. I feel like I’m in one of those hamster balls the way my umbrella shields me. Not that I’m afraid of getting wet by the rain, it’s just a cool feeling. I feel like nothing can touch me. It’s even better when there’s someone I can share my umbrella with – it just feels like a nice and intimate bonding experience – because you’re just holding onto each other and in your own little bubble. It just gives me a reason to romanticize my life, which I already love doing. The recent rain has also helped California with its drought problem. The amount of rain California received this winter has ultimately brought only 1% of the California to Nevada region to remain in drought, according to an NBC San Diego article. Just last year, 100% of that region was in a drought. I feel like it was just yesterday when people were begging for rain to come and get us out of this drought. Now that it’s here, people are taking it for granted. Therefore, my suggestion is simply to appreciate the rain for its beauty. Bask in it. Enjoy it. Romanticize it.
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