Spartan Daily Vol. 162 No. 16

Protestors march through campus

By Alexia Frederickson & Jonathan Canos NEWS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

More than 100 students rallied together across campus to protest against the CSU’s tuition hike and San José State investment in Israel-supporting companies on Wednesday afternoon.

The walkout was organized by Students for a Democratic Society, SJSU Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice in Palestine.

The protesters congregated at the Student Union Patio before entering and chanting through the walkways of the Student Union.

While in the building, they chanted “Free, free, free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” while marching through the halls.

Many attendees held signs in protest of Israeli occupation in Gaza. One read, “36,000 murdered by Israel” and another said, “Divest from Genocide.”

The walkout congregated in several different locations around campus, including the housing quad, the Spartan Recreation building, Tower Lawn and in front of the Smith and Carlos statue.

Many students were wearing keffiyehs and holding Palestinian flags as they attended the walkout.

A keffiyeh is a traditional Arab headdress worn by the nomadic communities of historic Palestine, which

has become a symbol of support for Palestine, according to a Dec. 2023 NPR article.

A protester who asked not to be named because of concerns for her safety said she attended the protest because she wants to do more to support the Palestinian cause.

“I feel like it's important to be out here, just giving out support in any way,” she said. “I haven't been able to come to many events until today. So I figured I would just show up and be here.”

The CSU’s administration will increase tuition by 34% throughout the next five years starting in the 20242025 academic year.

Students for Quality Education also took part in and led the walkout. They are a community organization with a focus on getting affordable higher education, according to their Instagram.

“Education is becoming more of a commodity than an unalienable right,” said an SJSU student majoring in psychology.

Just over a month ago, the school was also battling a potential CFA strike when faculty among the CSU’s demanded an increase in pay according to San Jose spotlight.

Charlotte Casey, a San José resident and treasurer of the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, was disappointed and shocked by the tuition percentage increase.

Casey said it was

obvious the school was targeting people of color with the sudden drastic increase in tuition.

“Education should be free like it is in Cuba and other European countries,” Casey said.

“Knowing that money is being put towards something that does not directly affect our students' interests, or faculty interests, or even the community's interest,” a psychology student said. “It's something that deeply bothers me.”

She said she acknowledges how the United States compares to other countries when it comes to education access.

One of the goals the contributing organizations had for the walkout is to call for a reversal of the tuition increase by the CSU board of trustees, as well as cutting ties with apartheid states according to Tarentz Charite, one of leaders of the event.

Tarentz Charite, philosophy sophomore and representative for Students for a Democratic Society, said his organization is calling for SJSU to divest from a number of programs and organizations that support and aid Israel.

“I believe in ending oppression, I believe in preventing preventable death, I believe in freeing all people,” Charite said. “I think it was only reasonable that I come out in protest of my tuition and my taxes being used

towards everything that I'm against.”

In a document sent to the Spartan Daily, Students for a Democratic Society is demanding that SJSU, “sever ties with war machines and defense companies, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, IBM and more, as well as government surveillance entities such as the CIA.”

Protestors gathered at the Smith and Carlos statue in front of the entrance of Clark Hall, which was being guarded by police officers.

Multiple protesters yelled and accused President Cynthia Teniente-Matson of being a supporter and ambassador to Israel.

Protestors chanted, “Cynthia, Cynthia we see you! Shame on you SJSU! You support a genocide too!”

“We need to be so loud that Cynthia will be quick!”, one organizer said to the crowd.

Charite said he wants a number of changes from SJSU, including passing a ceasefire resolution, the freezing of new University Police Department (UPD) hires and an investigation into racial discrimination for UPD.

“There is only so much that individuals can do about the entire country, and about the globe,” he said. “But starting here, from the place that you work, or go to school, or live or all three – If you know that you can make change, then make change now.”

IN BRIEF

More than 100 students gathered inside the Student Union on Wednesday to protest a variety of social justice issues.

Protestors demanded SJSU no longer support comapnies that invest in Israel and to call on CSU to reverse the tuition hike.

Organizers chanted at each stop throughout campus during the walkout.

Protestors called for the firing of SJSU history professor, Jonathan Roth. It was number seven of nine on the list of demands according to the community leaders.

Roth grabbed a student's wrist and twisted it before being removed by SJSU’s University Police Department, according to a Feb. 20 Spartan Daily article.

“They put Roth on paid administrative leave,” Charite said to the crowd.

Charite said there is hypocrisy on SJSU’s part in the handling of the altercation involving Palestinian-American SJSU student, Omar.

Omar was suspended indefinitely for allegedly throwing an empty juice pouch at students tabling for the campus-based club, Students Supporting

Israel and the Jewish Student Union, according to a Nov. 21, 2023 Spartan Daily article.

“It's leading me to think about other ulterior motives and influences and who else might be dictating university policy?” said a psychology major who chose to remain anonymous.

During the protest, Charite led the group to the SRAC where a large banner was hung from the roof, “hands of Yemen”. It was also the same location that campus police arrested Omar in front of his peers, Charite said.

“Freeze University police hiring, improve oversight of SJSU UPD, investigate UPD for racial discrimination,” Charite said.

ALEXIA FREDERICKSON | SPARTAN DAILY Students march through the Student Union on Wednesday afternoon holding signs and protesting tuition hike and SJSU investment in companies that support Israel.

#1: A protester holds a sign that reads, “They're changing the world” with photos of journalists who reported stories from Gaza

#2: Multiple protesters hold various signs and wear various face coverings to protect their identity at the Student Union Patio

#3: Organizers drape a banner over a banister that reads, “Hands off Yemen” in front of protesters at the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center.

#4: A political science freshman who asked to remain anonymous holds a blue and red sign that reads, “Víva Víva Palestína”.

#5: A protester wearing a yellow top holds her middle finger at police officers standing inside Clark Hall while screaming at them.

#6: Four organizers hold a white banner that reads, “Divest from genocide” at the Student Union Patio at the end of the protest

PHOTO

SJ community talks financial literacy

By Kaya Henkes-Power STAFF WRITER

The reasons behind stress in college are vast, but most students can agree that finances are among the highest stressors.

Nearly 70% of college students are stressed about their personal finances, according to a webpage from Scholarship America.

Emily Gonzalez, a communications major at San Jose City College, moved from Texas to San José to attend school.

“I would say the biggest stressor currently (is) having to pay out-of-state tuition,” Gonzales said.

She said when she first came to California, she quickly recognized the costliness of the area.

Financial literacy campaigner and consultant, Mary Le, started her consulting business Partner with Mary Le after being laid off in 2015 and realizing that even though she had her own income, she didn’t know where it was going.

“I will say parents sometimes don’t want to share the financial burden with their kids,” Le said. “Some families don’t talk about budgeting, some parents don’t know budgeting themselves.”

She said when someone doesn’t get a financial education, they’re not going to be able to pass that knowledge on to their kids, which creates a vicious cycle.

“I had to teach myself,” Gonzalez said. “Especially coming from a (first

generation) family, they had to learn how to (manage) their own income.”

Financial literacy is when one has the understanding and ability to use different financial skills such as budgeting, financial management and investing, according to a webpage on Investopedia.

Le said that financial literacy also includes understanding financial foundations, which are fundamental concepts about wealth, managing money and everything about personal finances.

Alicia Nguyen, a senior executive vice chairman for the World Financial Group said she saw the positive effects of being the financially literate person of her family.

Nguyen’s parents came to America from Vietnam as refugees of the Vietnam War, her mother was an accountant and her father was a social worker. Her father joined the World Financial Group 38 years ago.

“It’s because of financial education and financial literacy that me and both of my brothers (went to) school debt free,” Nguyen said.

Financial freedom is when one has control over their finances and life choices, according to a 2021 article by Forbes.

Only 11% of Americans report they are living what they believe to be financial freedom, according to a webpage on PR Newswire.

“I personally believe that financial literacy can solve a lot of America’s issues,” Nguyen said.

Financial stress among college students is correlated with lower GPA’s, increased mental health problems, poor physical health and a reduction in class loads, according to a webpage from iGrad for Schools.

Financial literacy can aid income inequality, according to a 2023 article by the National Education Association.

Le said a study done by the Federal Reserve showed that income gaps have widened each year since 1989.

Income gaps, commonly known as income inequality, are the uneven distribution of income throughout the population, according to a webpage from the International Monetary Fund.

“10% of the total wealth in America belongs to the top 1%,” Le said.

Nguyen said college students hesitate to begin a conversation about finances, because of the amount of money they have.

“When you don’t know how to handle $1,000, you won’t know how to handle $10,000 or $100,000,” Ngyuen said.

Only one in three college students has more than $1,000 saved in their bank account, and 11% have nothing saved, according to a webpage on Deposit Accounts by Lending Tree.

“We have come to idolize people that show off their money,” Nguyen said. “We have learned to also judge people or put them down if they don’t have a lot of money.”

She said the journey into

money management begins with credible education.

“Sometimes if you talk to just one specific company, they might only offer financial products or advice in that field,” Nguyen said. Le said students should look into financial workshops such as the ones her company offers.

“You can find (30 for 30 campaign) in libraries but we also provide it free on Zoom five (days) a week, three times a day,” she said.

Nguyen said college students should also avoid

ambiguous goals and set concrete goals that they can put realistic numbers and dates on.

“Finance is not one of those things where you set a goal and that’s forever,” Nguyen said. “You’re gonna have to review (it).”

Financial education classes are slowly finding their way into schools. Currently, 25 states require high schoolers to take financial education courses according to a 2023 article by Ramsey.

“Money doesn’t equal happiness,” Ngyuen said.

“But having (money) or having financial literacy and education can give you the confidence to control your future.”

Bonded by their shared love of music, three heartfelt party fanatics grew closer through their studentcollaborated record label, Bad Apple Records.

Bad Apple Records is a student-collaborated record label that was formed and founded by two San José State alumni and one student, Victor Lopez, Ethan Sandoval and Rylan Ladion, in September 2021.

The record label was brought to life when its founders wanted to throw their own show at the arcade bar called LvL Uproar in San José, according to the LvL Uproar website.

Lopez said the idea of Bad Apple Records started off as being a cool party where they could throw a show and have their friends come, but it evolved into more.

He said he acknowledged music made him feel whole. However, he said his world was always narrow and small until an idea changed his life — Bad Apple Records.

“(Before Bad Apple Records) I was not happy with how small my world felt,” Lopez said.

Lopez said he is a transfer student from Mission College, but he was born and raised in San José.

Lopez said he felt that he was, “‘always late to everything”’ in terms of following social trends.

“I wasn’t a person that was involved with people at all,” Lopez said. “It felt like it was really lonely.”

He said he was introduced to music at a young age, but

his passion grew from his teenage days in Mexico.

Lopez said in order to pass time he would turn to music to fill a void in social settings.

“I would occasionally listen to this album by Skrillex called ‘Jack Ü’ and that album really shaped the way I view the world right now,” Lopez said. “It’s very much a positive album and it’s a beautiful idiom and a collage of different genres. I attribute a lot to that album. It helped me get more in touch with music.”

Lopez said he wanted to be a better friend to people around him and positively influence everyone. He said he loved music because it made him feel better about himself.

Lopez said his ambition with music is what led him to connect with Ladion and Sandoval.

Lopez said the trio went from being a local band, to throwing parties at local venues, to entertaining audiences at venues in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

“I got to meet so many new people,” Lopez said. “My world got really big, and I got more and more into the idea of becoming more of a leader.”

Before Bad Apple Records, Lopez said he never saw himself as a leader, but that changed after the label’s launch.

Ladion said that his team at Bad Apple Records instantly bonded over their shared love for music.

“I think we all just live and breathe music,” Ladion said. “I think Bad Apple was born just by me putting it together with the best people I know.”

Ladion drew his finesse with music from his time spent with SJSU’s Up & Up Festival.

Up & Up is a similar company to Bad Apple Records, except for the fact that it is a totally-student run organization. Up & Up helped Bad Apple Records shape what they wanted to do, according to the Up & Up Festival website.

Ladion said being a part of SJSU’s Up & Up was probably his first step into contributing to big events when the club was founded in 2017.

“That taught me literally everything – about promotion and about curating a festival,” Ladion said.

Ladion said Up & Up had a huge impact on the creation of Bad Apple Records.

He said the group took into account what they learned from Up & Up when they created the record company.

“We’re basically doing the same thing (as SJSU’s Up & Up SJSU), but with our own twist on it,” Ladion said.

Sandoval said his obsession with music made him unique, but it also drew him closer to Landoin and Lopez.

“(A career in music) is probably one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever heard,” Sandoval said. “It’s literally something you just dream about or don’t take seriously because it seems so far-fetched and out there.”

Sandoval said that since high school, he always had the dream of pursuing a career in music or music management, or to dive into the businessside of music.

He said when the opportunity came to help Lopez and Ladion, Sandoval jumped into it immediately.

Sandoval said when it came to building the dream from the ground up, the story of Bad Apple Records’ birth couldn’t have a more sentimental beginning.

He said their company had grown from an outlet of expression into a tool of connecting music to its audience.

Sandoval said at the same time, the company has been able to be a part of creating lasting memories for everyone around them.

“The long-term goal for Bad Apple Records is to be one of the best labels out there that everybody would love to release on,” Sandoval said. “Just to have that prestige, but also that we want to buy our own club and become a nightlife group.”

Bad Apple Records helped several collaboration partners become headliners for shows, including the Los Angeles-

based electronic dance music producer CHYL, said Lopez.

ALLEYCVT, a rising electronic music producer and DJ, also collaborated with Bad Apple Records in the spring of 2023, according to the StageHoppers website and the Bad Apple Records’ Instagram.

Lopez said some of these collaborations were made before Bad Apple Records blew up on TikTok. He said ALLEYCVT and rommii have grown into having their own tours and CHYL “went into the stratosphere.”

Bad Apple Records is also affiliated with Rommii, a Mexican-American DJ, producer and artist from San Diego, according to the Insomniac website.

The record company has also worked with Josh Pan, an unorthodox creative strategist with a diverse background in marketing, music production,

songwriting, composition, philosophy and visual art, according to his bio on his Still Dedicated website.

Lopez said balancing his life as a San José citizen and music-lover is difficult but rewarding. He said the members of Bad Apple Records are working 9-to5 jobs while chasing their dreams.

“Every show I just tell the boys I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished and what we set out to do and we’re still doing it and we’re still growing,” Ladion said. “Everybody has grown so much and it’s crazy because of where we started. We put in a lot of hard work to be where we’re at right now.”

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

SJSU drops 14th straight vs Wyoming

By Mathew Bejarano SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

The San José State women’s basketball team lost its 14th consecutive game, falling to the University of Wyoming 88-73 on Wednesday night at home.

The Cowgirls (15-12, 10-6 MWC) dominated from the 3-point range shooting for 60% and outrebounding the Spartans (6-22, 1-15 MWC) 31 to 23.

“Those defensive struggles to guard the three were to me just simply a lack of effort if I’m being honest,” SJSU coach April Phillips said. “We weren't sprinting out and trying to find ours and getting there and moving on the flight of the pass.”

Wyoming entered Wednesday night as the worst shooting school in Mountain West Conference play averaging 29.1% behind the 3-point arch.

The loss for the Spartans marked the Cowgirls 13th straight victory over SJSU stemming back to 2016.

The Spartans were led offensively by guards sophomore Sabrina Ma and freshman Sydni Summers. Ma led SJSU with 17 points while Summers came in to score 15 points off the bench.

“We have to start focusing more on dialing in, in the beginning of the game and not wanting to pick it up

MEN'S BASKETBALL

time comes.”

towards the end,” Summers said.

Eleven of Ma’s 17 points came in the fourth quarter when she shot a perfect 3 for 3 from behind the 3-point arch. “I think it’s just confidence,” Ma said. “I've been getting in the gym a lot more before basketball games and so (it’s) just (about) getting that repetition in before games (and) just knowing I can hit the shot when the

The Spartans held a close score with the Cowgirls in the first quarter, out rebounding Wyoming 9-5, but couldn’t contain their opponent’s 3-point shooting as the Cowgirls shot 6 3-pointers in the first quarter giving them a 23-17 lead.

The second quarter was a much different story for the Spartans as the Cowgirls blew the doors open shooting a perfect 6 for 6

from downtown pushing Wyoming’s lead to 51-30.

Wyoming junior guard/ forward Tess Barnes led the Cowgirls offensively in the first half with 14 points and three rebounds while shooting 4 for 5 from the three.

The second half held the same result as the Spartans were down 82-47 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. SJSU then went on an 18-1 run but couldn’t dig itself out of the hole as the

Spartans would ultimately fall 88-73.

SJSU outperformed Wyoming from behind the arch in the second half shooting 8 for 9 compared to the Cowgirl’s 3 for 9.

“For us, I thought our ability to not quit and to continue to stay in the game and to continue to fight and pick up our intensity late obviously is a good sign that this team has not quit and that there is some heart in there,” Phillips said.

The Spartans will next celebrate their senior night as SJSU looks to get its first win since Jan. 6 when they beat Utah State 69-54. SJSU is scheduled to face off against Colorado State University at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.

Spartans fall to Nevada, celebrate seniors

By Aikman Fang PHOTOGRAPHER

The San José State men’s basketball team (919, 2-13 MW) lost 84-63 to the University of Nevada (22-6, 9-5 MW) on Friday night at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.

With the absence of SJSU sophomore center Adrame Diongue, Nevada dominated the interior early, scoring 22 of its 34 first-half points inside the paint and outrebounded SJSU 26-12.

Wolf Pack’s sophomore forward Nick Davidson pulled down 10 of his game-high 15 rebounds in the first half. Davidson also finished with a game-high 23 points on 8 of 9 shooting.

“It’s difficult when you have to commit two to the posts on Davidson because you know he’s going to beat your one on one,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said.

The Spartans kept the game close by forcing the Wolf Pack into nine turnovers in the first period and only trailed 34-29 at halftime.

The score was tied 4242 at 15:27 left in the game before the Wolf Pack went on a 15-0 run after graduate guard Hunter McIntosh hit a 3-pointer with 10:06 left in the game.

McIntosh finished with 18 points and a gamehigh six 3-pointers, four of which came in the second half.

Nevada made 75% of their attempts from behind the 3-point line in the second half after

shooting 33% from behind the 3-point line in the first half.

“I thought our guys did a good job battling to even the game and then our perimeter defense let us down,” head coach Miles said.

Junior guard Myron (MJ) Amey, Jr. led the Spartans with 18 points on 46.7% shooting from the field. Freshman guard Latrell Davis also provided a surge off the bench with 17 points and a team-high six rebounds.

“On the bright side, Latrell Davis did an outstanding job and MJ Amey was really steady,

but we just didn’t have all hands on deck,” Miles said.

Prior to tip-off, SJSU recognized three seniors: forward Tibet Görener, team captain and forward Trey Anderson, and guard Ryen Perry.

“All three of those guys have been with me since I’ve been here,” Amey said. “I’ve been to war with them on and off the court for the past three years … you just build that connection and brotherhood that’s going to last forever.”

With a handful of games left this season, Görener sits as the Spar-

tans’ all time leader in career 3-pointers with a total of 167. Görener struggled from the field, finishing with two points on 1-of-8 shooting against Nevada.

Meanwhile, Anderson has made 123 career 3-pointers as a Spartan, and is tied for eighth with Michael Quinney. Anderson finished the game with nine points, three rebounds and three assists.

The student manager-turned walk-on, Perry, last played for the Spartans back in Nov. 29 in a 81-77 loss to Cal Poly and has been out since with a ruptured achilles.

Following the outing against Nevada, SJSU narrowly lost to No. 20 San Diego State (22-7, 11-5 MW) on Tuesday night inside Viejas Arena. The Spartans came into the game as 21.5-point underdogs, before ultimately losing to the Aztecs 72-68.

SJSU closed the final 10 minutes on a 25-17 run and trailed by four (6662) with 31 seconds left in the game.

Amey recorded the third double-double of his career with teamhighs of 17 points and 10 rebounds against SDSU. Davis provided 13 points

off the bench and that was the third time Davis scored double-digits in the last four games.

SJSU will head to Las Vegas next to face UNLV this upcoming Saturday at 7 pm

NIKITA BANKAR | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU head coach Tim Miles (left) fist bumps Spartan forward Tibet Görener (right) as he makes his way to the bench at home against Nevada.

NIKITA BANKAR | SPARTAN DAILY SJSU sophomore forward Marisa Davis-Jones (11) drives and elevates for an uncontested layup in Wednesday night's game against Wyoming.

Follow Mathew on Instagram @mat.bejarano