Spartan Daily Vol. 162 No. 18

Students look at different orgs

By Ethan Li STAFF WRITER

San José State University’s Associated Student organization hosted a Campus Resource Fair on Tuesday to raise awareness about the resources that are offered on campus.

The fair ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and services for San José state students were tabling. According to their website.

Computer science sophomore Simi Jhe works for the Campus Life Affairs Committee. She described how the event was similar to a resource fair for students.

“We do have a large commuter population and we want to just make sure that everyone on campus feels involved and knows the different resources that we offer here on campus,” Jhe said.

Jhe was working under the Campus Life tent and was helping students get started at the event. Students were given a stamp card to guide them around while each booth was staffed with student workers and faculty members.

According to Jhe, each booth gave students a chance to learn about what resources are available on campus and where they can find those resources.

Each student got the chance to fill their cards with stamps and receive a slice of pizza and coffee from Nirvana Soul to increase participation at the event, said Jhe.

Kylee Wells, membership and guest services supervisor at the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC) and San José resident, said the location of SJSU attracts a high proportion

of commuter students.

She said this event was designed to reach commuter students who are often unaware of the full scope of services offered at SJSU.

This event took place on the 7th Street Plaza which the Student Union, Student Wellness Center and SRAC can be found on.

Wells said the SRAC offers much more than just a place for people to work out. It also helps you find community. Wells said there are activities in which students can build a community through intramural sports, clubs sports, the aquatic center and open recreation programs found in the SRAC.

Wells said that among the most popular open gym experiences are the badminton courts and open gym basketball.

She said students should be informed of the badminton courts that are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday and basketball courts that are open most days.

Wells said the sports offered at the SRAC are a great way for students to build community and relieve the stress students face day to day. Wells said there are many underutilized programs that deserve more student attention.

Wells received her undergraduate degree as a recreation major and she said there are many benefits of having a wellrounded experience at San José State that interpolate physical activity and endurance to training in the classroom.

Wells said SJSU students went on adventure trips recently, including outdoor trips.

“This weekend they are going to Sequoia National Park and a couple of weeks ago they went to Big Sur and a couple weeks ago they went to Monterey,” Wells said. They also met up with aquatic denizens and went kayaking with otters.

Students are also able to sign up for exercise classes such as yoga, cycling, and body pump boot camps with a trained instructor according to their website.

Wells said in addition to building physical strength these outdoor activities also help build mental fortitude. She said it is important to both get outside and get involved.

Marketing junior Alexi Maico worked at the Accessible Education Center (AEC). She said SJSU devotes many of its resources to those with disabilities. Students who need it are accommodated with longer periods of test taking, sign language, translations and note taking.

The note taking program is an opportunity to help students who can not take notes for themselves. Maico said the school also offers priority registration to students who sign up for the note taking program.

She said a common misconception around AEC is that it exists only for physical disabilities but students who have underlying mental issues can also receive help from AEC. Many of the same accommodations are made available to students through the AEC website. Maico said students will need a diagnosis or medical documents for verification. In addition to coming

from a hospital, therapist or attending physician.

“Students should be reminded that the Student Wellness Center will also help you verify a need for AEC accommodations,” Maico said.

Jhe said a resource that she was looking forward to learning about was Title IX. She said she had heard of it before but was able to learn more about it at the Campus Resource Fair.

“I knew that if something happens to you on campus it's anonymous and they give you a service that helps you out with it, but I never knew exactly what it was simply because I never had an experience like that,” said Jhe. And how knowing about Title IX could help not only students, but those close to them.

“I think it's still important to know what resources you have available in case you or a friend or someone you know has an experience like that,” Jhe said.

Jhe described how it could be scary to find a community at a large commuter school like San José State and it can sometimes make you feel like you don't belong.

Jhe said students often feel like they do not belong unless they are part of a big organization or Greek Life.

“There are so many other ways you can get connected, you have so many resources and events,” Jhe said. “You just have to take that hard step and push yourself beyond your limits.”

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SRAC employees, Abby Watkins (middle) and Kylee Wells (right) talk to nutritional science senior Harpreet Phadiala at the campus resource fair at the Seventh Street Plaza.

ETHAN LI | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU students walk around and look at different clubs tabling on Seventh Street Plaza on Tuesday afternoon.

ETHAN LI | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU students discuss election

By Melissa Alejandres STAFF WRITER

San José State University’s chapter of BridgeUSA hosted a Jubilee Spectrum Event in the Student Union on Tuesday night. Members of BridgeSJSU had various discussions before the last day of the election.

Sabrina Nabizada, political science senior and president and founder of BridgeSJSU said that one of the ways this club helps students is that it helps to keep them civically involved and socially engaged with what's happening in the world.

Nabizada said Bridge is a nonpartisan organization that welcomes everyone from either side of the political aisle. They host weekly discussions on various political and social issues and welcome all majors to join.

Nabizada said that BridgeUSA was originally founded at UC Berkeley in 2016. In recent years, the Bridge chapter at San José State University has expanded and grown exponentially.

“Specifically young people, it’s important to be involved because we are the next generation of voters in the country who are going to be making big decisions and we should be engaged with the news,” Nabizada said.

Nabizada said “Red White & Taboo” is a fun title that the BridgeSJSU team came up with

to get people’s attention in an easygoing way because they understand that students are stressed with midterms at the same time as election day.

“We want to make sure people are still civically engaged but come to our lighthearted discussion,” Nabizada said.

Many former students who weren’t originally involved in politics have become more active since joining BridgeSJSU and are becoming active voters and participating in the discussions.

Nabizada said that it's such a great experience to see the people in the club learn and grow.

“My favorite part of the club is meeting new students and having a large group of people come out here who are even STEM majors, who you wouldn't think would be part of a political club but they are here and I love it,” Nabizada said.

Nabizada said she loves hearing the different perspectives that people bring to the table.

She said BridgeSJSU is a safe space for students no matter what political views they have.

She said she recommends that if students feel hesitant to join in on the conversation they should jump in headfirst and try to attend an event.

“We do themed events every once in a while but today we tried to encourage students to get out there and vote,” Nabizada said.

Jesus Rios, a non-SJSU student, said he has a friend on the committee who respects and acknowledges his political views, which is why he felt comfortable and encouraged to attend the event.

“He wanted to help push me to get involved in this discussion,” Rios said.

Political science junior and director of events, Gisella CoronaTorrez said she hadn’t realized until her third year on the board that facilitating a safe space is not just necessary for talking about

politics but also for expanding peoples’ knowledge and fostering community.

“If anyone wants to join it’s going to take a little push to get out of your comfort zone but with one event you will have a great time, it’s welcoming,” Corona-Torrez said.

Corona-Torrez said you do not have to speak at every event, you can just focus on listening to the insight and information in the conversation.

Corona-Torrez said this Jubilee event is more of a light and fun

event, but she said BridgeSJSU usually hosts discussions in which students can sit down and talk in a more in-depth sense about different topics.

“Bridge is probably one of the best college experiences for me,” Corona-Torrez said.

“We spend all day at school with people talking at us and here we can talk to each other.”

Students bond at the Native Student Mixer

By Jonathan Canas STAFF WRITER

A large crowd of San José State University students and professors gathered for a native student mixer and networking event that brought Native and Indigenous people together on Tuesday night.

The event was led by the Native American Student Organization (NASO) and Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans (GAIN).

Native American Student Organization is a student organization that creates a space for students to learn about each other's culture and share in-common interests, according to its website.

Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans aims to build community and promote visibility, according to SJSU’s website.

Former President Mahon Walsh, a public health student, said this was one of the first opening events for the Native American Student Organization inside the Spartan Memorial. The Native American Student Organization was granted the space by SJSU’s President Cynthia Teniente-Matson.

“Eventually this will be known as the Native American Indigenous Students Success Center on campus for everybody,” Walsh said.

The Native American Indigenous Students Success Center would mark yet another success center aiming to represent minorities at SJSU and will join the Black Student Union and Chicanx/ Latinx Student Success Center.

“It’s better late than never,” Walsh said.

The staff is made up of peer mentors and program coordinators to help guide Indigenous students and fellow SJSU students, Emily Hyatt, event leader, said.

At the new center’s mixer, the event featured free food, minigames including bingo, a ticket raffle giveaways and displayed Native American posters and artifacts.

Hyatt and other event leaders made sure everyone introduced themselves even if the students attending weren’t a part of NASO or GAIN.

There were also people who had ties to Arizona and Alaskan tribes, and even Indigenous Guatemalans were in attendance sharing their backgrounds.

However, there wasn’t always a designated place for the students and faculty involved with The Native American Indigenous Students Success Center, Walsh said.

“Last semester we were operating out of the lounge in Clark Hall on the first floor, so it was like a little corner in the backspace with not very much room,” Walsh said.

Walsh said the goal is to bring in Native Americans, Alaskan Natives and the general surrounding community in one place with their own designated spot.

He said the event was a good first step and that the student mixer gathering was a huge milestone for the new center.

Remodeling and renovations could be coming to make it usable and safe for students according to Walsh.

He said this was more of a soft

opening because eventually there will be an official grand opening down the line but the crew was happy for this first step.

“Temporarily we’ve been up in Clark (Hall),” said Jodi Warren, the current president of the Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans and a professor of Justice Studies. “But we didn't actually have a site.”

Warren said the current president of NASO is the reason they were in this brand-new building.

“Before that, we were fighting and fighting to get a place,” Warren said.

She said it took about a year to

get into the former chapel because some work was being done inside to fix the place up.

Warren said even though there are a number of minorities being represented at different success centers on campus, there is still importance in having an actual Native American Success Center.

“We are on Native American land,” Warren said. “The students would see the other centers on campus and wonder where our center is at.”

Walsh pointed out the student success centers are to make people feel more comfortable and have a way to stay in touch with their culture while simultaneously

studying and improving their academic careers.

“Hosting events like this the student mixer creates more of an inclusive environment for all Native American and Indigenous students by creating a more nuanced understanding of Indigenous people and their cultures,” said Emily Hyatt, one of the event leaders.

MELISSA

Bridge President Sabrina Nabizada (left) watches students discuss the election on the last day to

Baekjeong delivers beef and banchan

By Julia Chie PRODUCTION EDITOR

Through Baekjeong’s sleek paneled walls lies the salty, savory smell of premium beef and the sound of families and friends chatting around the table. Westfield Valley Fair opened the first Bay Area location of this Korean barbecue restaurant on Aug. 16, 2023. Located at the south side of the mall, the restaurant’s cerulean and charcoal walls rest between King’s Fish House and the South Valet Parking lot.

Baekjeong, meaning “butcher” in Korean, is owned and operated by Kijung Hospitality Group, according to its website. The first U.S. Baekjeong was opened in Los Angeles in Oct. 2012 and quickly expanded to a chain of seven restaurants in California and New York, according to their website.

Claiming to be the No. 1 choice for Korean barbecue in North America, me and some friends decided to check it out. I’d been a fan since visiting the Buena Park and Irvine locations in Orange County and the Santa Clara location was equally as impressive.

Firstly, I recommend you either make a reservation or be faced with long wait times. Thankfully two friends and I were timely seated for our reservation at a table by the window.

The menu listed had combos ranging from $68

to $143 of assorted meats, as well as à la carte beef, pork and beef offal. The rest of the menu included Baekjeong bowls, rice dishes, appetizers, noodles and stews and beverages, according to their menu. The food also costs on

such as the dongchimi martini and M-Cubed (a spicy mango margarita made with gochujang syrup), wine, mocktails and classic cocktails, according to a Sept. 10, 2023 The Silicon Valley Voice article.

Seeing the fat melt off the pork belly as the worker flips it over to reveal a golden brown crust is an experience like no other.

average $50-$100 per person.

The customer favorite combo called Hodong’s Favorite Combo is what we landed on – thinly sliced beef brisket, boneless short rib, pork belly and marinated pork steak. A small portion of the combo is $78 and feeds 2-3 people while a large is $129 and feeds 3-4.

The small size fully satiated all three of us to a T. All combos are served with a choice of soybean or kimchi stew and we chose kimchi.

It was the perfect spicy sour intermission from fatty meat and crisp sides.

The full bar was mainly focused on Korean producers including Dokkaebier, Chamisul and Jinro and Korean-inspired cocktails

Our table indulged in a large Cass fresh lager beer that we shared. The “Cheers to the designated driver!” note at the end of the menu explained that the designated driver of a group is eligible for a free soft drink. Meat-heavy East Asian restaurants tend to be paired with refreshing alcoholic beverages, so I commend the incentive to save a table or two from a buzzed driver.

Gracing our table first were an array of colorful banchan often translated as "side dishes", banchan are eaten as an essential part of any Korean meal, according to Korean chef Maangchi’s website.

They included kimchi (of course), pickled radish, fish cake, rice paper, mung beans, pickled onions, etc. Also accompanying the meal was a salad.

Each table has a ceramic steel grill in the middle, and a fan coming from the ceiling to control the smoke from cooking. The grill is lined with two wells where your corn cheese and fried egg will cook as additional side dishes.

Unlike other Korean BBQ establishments, Baekjeong employees cook your meat for you. The small wait time between the meat being

Thin-sliced brisket is barbecued over a grill at Westfield Valley

on the plate to being on the sizzling grill is almost torturous, especially if you’ve fasted from the day to make room for the delicious food under your nose. Seeing the fat melt off the pork belly as the worker flips it over to reveal a golden brown crust is an experience like no other. Our chef was an artist in this way. Each cut was cooked perfectly and delectable to the taste.

They provided a light teriyaki jalapeno sauce, as well as a dish of salt for dipping. A pro tip, especially for classic cuts like the beef brisket, is to ask for sesame oil in the dish of salt. I always have to wipe the oil off of my chin after a few chomps, but it’s a guilty pleasure I could never refuse.

I would also recommend getting an extra bowl of white rice which you can lay your banchan and cooked meat

on before taking a bite. The flavors soak into the rice, leaving you with a symphony of different textures in your mouth.

My only complaint was that if I knew corn cheese was unlimited, I would’ve had much more.

Follow Julia on Instagram @2u1ia

JULIA CHIE | SPARTAN DAILY

Fair’s Baekjeong.

Media portrays women harmfully

Kaya Henkes-Power STAFF WRITER

I grew up in an era where crass bolded headlines plastered celebrities’ downfalls and the criticism of women generally took up the front page.

As a child, I watched my mom flip through “People” magazine as she browsed the latest celebrity drama.

“Did you hear about the latest drama with Paris Hilton?” she overstated.

For hours we’d talk about the latest plastic surgery, fashion mishap, or relationship blunder happening in these women’s lives.

As if we had any authority to judge or critique these women.

It wasn’t until I was in my teen years that I realized I fed into the patriarchal monster and these harsh words affected how I viewed myself and the women around me.

Don’t get me wrong–shows like “The Girls Next Door,” “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and “The Simple Life” took up most of my brain power as a young girl.

However, the venomous words that headlined the tabloids against these women truly affected a generation of young girls.

I remember walking through the run-down Rite

Aid weaving through the different aisles and seeing the cruelest of titles in bright pink font.

Teeny-bopper Magazines pinned young girls against each other, ranking one higher in quality than the other.

“Oh, he deserves so much better than her,” I would scoff.

It was never the other way around.

Funny how I’d cry, “Oh he deserves so much better than me” in my later years.

I’d gush over the latest fashion trends – noting how even the skinniest women were somehow not thin enough.

Patched together on the J-14 or Bop magazines were artificially proclaimed competitions: “Jessica Simpson said WHAT about Britney” or something of the sort.

I would see “Lindsay Lohan beats out Christina at the award show” all in colorsaturated, glittery bubble letters.

Stained in my memory was Joan Rivers’ “Fashion

the media’s undermining of women was a thing of the past, but it’s all too current.

The media blames women for the actions of men and undermines the successes of women all for a cheap

I wish I could say that the media’s undermining of women was a thing of the past, but it’s all too current.

Police” and the comparisons of different celebrity women.

The consumption of this media always left me questioning, “If these women aren’t good enough, what does that mean about me?”

I wish I could say that

headline to create drama.

A 2019 People magazine headline reads “Chrissy Metz Appears to Call Alison Brie ‘Such a Bitch’ on Live Golden Globes Pre-Show.”

Where is the news? What was the article supposed to

ILLUSTRATION

BY

bring to the table?

Similarly, women are still pitted against one another as if an award podium for the best woman exists.

The infamous Beyoncé and Taylor Swift manufactured feud rings in my head.

Despite the opinions of Kanye West about how Beyoncé deserved the award over Swift.

Somehow this was taken as fact and led into a mediadriven “beef” of two women who hadn’t echoed similar sentiments.

Women in music somehow have had their talents overshadowed by whatever drama the media wants to focus on that week.

I think it’s one thing to hold women accountable –cough cough – Taylor Swift’s carbon footprint or the Kardashians'

cultural appropriation.

It’s another thing to intentionally make someone the butt of a headline.

The media has preyed on young girls from the beginning of time, bringing to light insecurities that many didn’t know existed.

I remember looking at the low-rise jean epidemic and was made aware of my stomach.

The language used against cellulite made me look at my legs with disgust and still to this day leads me to value oversized clothes more than form-fitting apparel.

It seems like new studies come out daily that bring up new statistics about the detriment that media has on young girls.

Nearly 3 in 5 U.S. teen girls consistently felt sad or hopeless largely due to the internet, according to a study found by Psychology Today.

The impact of social media I feel has only gotten worse with the invention of FaceTune and it’s important to hold those celebrities to the same standards as we do with media.

I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that the media has negatively impacted not only how women see themselves but how women see one another.