Spartan Daily Vol. 160 No. 21

Teniente-Matson addresses university

By Dylan Newman STAFF WRITER

Blue and gold colors and bright Spartan logos decorate the Student Union Ballrooms to commemorate President Cynthia Teniente-Matson’s inaugural “State of the University” address on Tuesday.

Teniente-Matson covered a series of topics and issues relating to students and the future of the university.

Associated Students President Nina Chuang opened the event with a land acknowledgement and an anecdote on how San Jose State contributed to the Bay Area’s diverse cultures.

Today, we bring our cultural backgrounds, our heritage and our families to continue the legacy of transformative change impacting our communities, and, really, overall, just impacting the community here with our amazing talents and backgrounds.

Nina Chuang Associated Students President

A land acknowledgement is a verbal recognition to the fact that San Jose State currently sits on the land that belongs to the Mukekma Ohlone tribe, who are the original Native Americans who live here.

Heavy rain and strong winds slam Bay Area

By Rainier de Fort-Menares NEWS EDITOR

Another atmospheric river has struck the Bay Area, resulting in heavy rain and high wind on Tuesday.

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions in the Earth’s atmosphere that transport water vapor – bringing strong wind and rain or snow when it strikes land, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration webpage.

Atmospheric rivers are projected to become more severe and damaging as a result of climate change, according to a Jan. 12 Washington Post article.

This atmospheric river will bring less rain than last week, but the high wind may result in more damage, according to a Tuesday San Francisco Chronicle article.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for most of the Bay Area, cautioning residents of gusts from 55 to 75 mph along the coast.

Some cities, including San Francisco, are under a flood advisory.

The heavy winds have caused downed trees to close roads, highways and damage property.

The wind has also caused power outages across the Bay Area.

Tuesday’s rainfall is anticipated to reach around one to three inches of rain, resulting in low visibility and hydroplaning on heavily affected roads.

Flood

Around 16,000 residents in Monterey County have been ordered to evacuate because of the Pajaro River levee breach, according to an announcement from county officials on Monday.

The storm has caused significant flooding in Monterey County, where both Highway 1 and Highway 152 have been closed as a result. The breach is approximately 400 feet in width, with emergency repair work to stabilize the breach underway, according to a Tuesday announcement from county officials.

Charlie Faas, vice president for administration and finance, wrote in a campus-wide email Sunday, warning the San Jose State community of the potential impacts of the storm.

Campus administration is monitoring the evacuation orders and has warned students and faculty coming to campus from Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties to pay attention to road conditions, according to a SJSU weather advisory webpage.

SJSU’s Moss Landing Marine Labs has been closed for the past two days for students, faculty and staff, according to the SJSU weather advisory webpage.

Wind

Gusts of wind at 39 mph hit San Jose with 93 mph wind in the interior East Bay, 71 mph in

Rogers maps out plans for online learning at SJSU

By Matthew Gonzalez STAFF WRITER

An open forum with Ronald Rogers, a finalist for Academic Innovation & Institutional Effectiveness Vice Provost, was held in the Student Union on Tuesday.

Rogers has been at San Jose State University since 1999, he was the chair of the psychology department from 2011-2016 and taught both graduate and undergraduate courses.

The Q&A-style conversation covered how SJSU can become more accessible to online learners, and how institutional effectiveness can improve the school as a whole.

Rogers said institutional effectiveness is the acknowledgement of whether or not SJSU’s programs are achieving their goals.

“What I’m talking about with institutional effectiveness is, really, how do we know that

our programs are doing what they say they are?” Rogers said.

He said since he’s been at SJSU, a “compliance culture” has been built, and he wants to find ways to lessen the importance of number crunching in favor of finding meaningful ways to draw from data.

“But remember, the most important part of that cycle is not the data collection,” Rogers said. “It’s not the reporting, it’s the reflection about what the data tells you about the health of your class, about the health of your program, about the health of your institution.”

Sarah Schraeder, research associate and program coordinator, said the main focus of his message is to put the betterment of students’ experiences at the forefront of his actions in his new role.

MATTHEW GONZALEZ | SPARTAN DAILY

DYLAN NEWMAN | SPARTAN DAILY

President Teniente-Matson delivers her inaugural “State of the University” address on Tuesday in the Student Union.

Ronald Rogers, a finalist for the Academic Innovation & Institutional Effectiveness Vice Provost, details his plans to change “compliance” culture to SJSU community members Tuesday in the Student Union.

BY

WEATHER

Continued from page 1

the Oakland Hills and 74 mph at San Francisco International Airport.

Friday’s atmospheric river saturated the ground around the Bay Area, making it more likely for trees to fall because of high wind.

Flights from San Francisco International Airport were grounded because of the wind, delaying many flights in the evening, airport officials stated in a tweet.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge reopened Tuesday after a Walmart truck overturned, causing a closure for several hours, according to a Tuesday San Francisco Chronicle article.

UNIVERSITY

Continued from page 1

“[SJSU was] first established here as a teacher’s college, then we were involved in the civil rights and third world liberation movements,” Chuang said. “Today, we bring our cultural backgrounds, our heritage and our families to continue the legacy of transformative change impacting our communities, and really overall, just impacting the community here with our amazing talents and backgrounds.”

Chuang passed the reins onto political science professor Karthika Sasikumar.

Sasikumar read a speech written by San Jose State Academic Senate chair Alison McKee, who was unable to give her remarks because of the severe storm and traffic conditions.

Sasikumar introduced the President and how her figure fits into SJSU’s multifaceted and extremely diverse university.

“How might each one of us interrupt an oppressive cycle, and retell our respected personal and institutional narratives more effectively?” Sasikumar said. “I know the President shares a passion for communicating a resonant and consistent message about SJSU’s mission and shared values and making them a reality.”

Teniente-Matson’s speech encompassed how she was planning on following the university’s Transformation 2030 plan.

Transformation 2030 is a plan developed by the university under former SJSU President Mary Papazian. The plan acts as a blueprint for the school to follow in regards to what it wants to accomplish in the future, according to a

Power

The storm has left nearly 300,000 Pacific Gas & Electric Co., PG&E, customers in the Bay Area without power.

The power outages were more severe in the South Bay and East Bay, with a total of 296,067 affected customers, according to another Tuesday San Francisco Chronicle article.

PG&E had 445 different crews working during Tuesday’s atmospheric river. Crews prior to the storm worked to remove potential hazards by cutting back trees that could fall on power lines, according to the same Tuesday article.

The storm is forecasted to exit Northern California Wednesday.

Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily

SJSU webpage. “We should remind ourselves of what happens in the 408, Silicon Valley changes the world,” Teniente-Matson said.

“As coined in Transformation 2030, SJSU is the original startup.”

She said the coronavirus pandemic caused SJSU to pause its full implementation of Transformation 2030.

With COVID-19 changing the university’s expectations, TenienteMatson said she is planning on holding a strategic recalibration summit on April

OPEN FORUM

Continued from page 1

Schraeder also said communication with constituents, such as department chairs, is crucial in the decision-making process.

“There’s a continuous feedback loop happening with that, so that the way you build campus culture and campus buy-in is by not making decisions in a vacuum,” Schraeder said.

Rogers said his affinity for online learning has inspired him to find ways to broaden virtual initiatives.

He said discovering new methods for students not physically on the SJSU campus to still reap the rewards of on-campus resources is the foundation

Teniente-Matson also gave praise to UPD Chief Michael Carroll, who she said has demonstrated a commitment to listening and learning.

She said she encourages students to attend Carroll’s monthly listening sessions in the Martin Luther King Jr. Library.

These sessions give members of the SJSU community an opportunity to speak with campus officers face-to-face about several issues surrounding the campus.

Teniente-Matson also spoke about

of strengthening the university’s online presence.

Rogers said while he wants to open up opportunities for online learning, he doesn’t want to undermine chances for students to extend their learning beyond the campus.

“The focus of online is it’s one more pathway to an opportunity, but in doing that we also have to maintain all these other successful pathways as well and successful experiences,” Rogers said. “So it’s not a matter of restricting our opportunities down, I think SJSU online is [an] example of broadening the opportunities we have to offer.”

Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily

somebody else,” Teniente-Matson said. “You have my personal commitment that our cabinet will lead with a lens towards rebuilding a culture of trust, without fear of retaliation against those who report concerns.”

She said the university is moving in the right direction, supporting the entire student community.

Teniente-Matson said one example is the work done by SJSU Cares Spartan Food Pantry, which has served almost 87,000 students since its creation four years ago.

Teniente-Matson talked about a series of new buildings coming to SJSU in the future, including the new Interdisciplinary Science Building and a new 164,000 square foot athletic facility.

She said, in her first 10 days of her presidency, she was granted conceptual approval from the CSU Board of Trustees for the Alquist Redevelopment.

The Alquist Redevelopment is a proposed housing project set to be built for mixed-income graduate students and faculty, according to its website.

Teniente-Matson San Jose State University President

24 to look at the Transformation 2030 plan through a new lens.

“[The strategic recalibration summit] will include conversations and consultation about our shared mission, vision and values along with strategic enrollment management positions,” Teniente-Matson said.

She said students have told her that they have safety concerns they would like addressed with the creation of a healthy, emotional and physical environment on campus.

Title IX, which is the rights students have in regards to the prohibition of discrimination and harassment by sex in education.

She said she is committed to maintaining the work of the Title IX and Gender Equity office, by supplementing them with staff.

She also said the university can always do better at preventing discrimination.

“As a mother of two sons, I understand the nervousness parents experience when they entrust their child’s safety to

“There’s much to be done, but our goal is to add new housing inventory right next to Hammer Theatre at or at least 500 units at below market rental rates for our staff, faculty, and graduate students,” Teniente-Matson said. “In response to our student needs, we’re planning to add more than 1,000 residential housing beds to campus, all part of the campus master plan.”

The President said the university will know more about timing on these housing projects later this spring.

Follow Dylan Newman on Twitter @th3dylanproject

MEN’S BASKETBALL ANALYSIS

SJSU draws Southern Indiana in CBI

By Nathan Canilao EXECUTIVE EDITOR

After going 1-1 in the Mountain West Championship tournament over the weekend, the San Jose State men’s basketball team will head to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).

The CBI is a tournament for college teams who did not qualify for the NCAA or NIT tournaments, two of the biggest college basketball tournaments for Division I teams.

Tournament participants must pay $27,500 to participate, according to a Sunday USA Today article.

The last time the Spartans were in the CBI was in 2011, where they lost to Creighton University 85-74.

This season, SJSU was on the cusp of an NIT berth, but a big loss to the University of Arkansas, as well as blown leads to the University of the Pacific and Hofstra University kept it on the outside looking in.

Instead, the Spartans (20-13, 10-8 Mountain West) gained the No. 2 seed in the CBI and will face Southern Indiana University (16-16, 9-9 Ohio Valley).

SJSU has arguably accomplished more in its season than Southern Indiana, but the Screaming Eagles could expose some holes in the Spartans’ game.

SJSU finished 95th in the NCAA net rankings while Southern Indiana ranks 257th.

The NCAA net rankings are rankings based on strength of schedule wins and losses throughout the

season for each Division I team.

Here is a breakdown of the SJSU’s first round matchup:

The Mountain West Conference is above and beyond a better conference than the Ohio Valley Conference, and SJSU has played better competition than their Midwest counterparts.

Four Mountain West teams were able to go to the Big Dance: San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State and the University of Nevada, Reno.

The University of New Mexico made the NIT as a No. 2 seed.

SJSU beat Boise State, Utah State and Nevada in the regular season. Out of the three major tournaments, only one other team is representing the Ohio Valley Conference.

Morehead State University won the Ohio Valley Conference, but only made it as a No. 8 seed in the NIT.

On the floor, the Spartans have arguably the best player on either side of the court in senior guard Omari Moore. Moore is averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game and was named Mountain West Player of the Year.

Throughout the season, SJSU has proved to be one of the best rebounding teams in the nation.

The Spartans have out rebounded opponents by an average of 8 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the nation.

Senior forward Sage Tolbert III has been a catalyst for the Spartans’ rebounding production this season. The 6-foot-8 wing from New Orleans has been a

garbage man on the boards for SJSU, averaging 7.2 rebounds per game this season.

Though the Screaming Eagles have played in a weaker conference this season, they are better than the Spartans in just about every statistical category. They score more points per game, average more assists and shoot a better percentage from beyond the arc.

Southern Indiana has four players who average double digits in scoring while SJSU has just one.

The Screaming Eagles are led by sophomore guard Isaiah Swope who averages 15.6 points per game on 42.1% shooting from the three-point line.

Southern Indiana averages 76.5

points per game as a team and shoots 43.6% from the field.

One of the biggest weaknesses for SJSU this year has been guarding teams that have athletic point guards who can shoot the three-ball.

Some of the biggest losses that the Spartans have suffered this season have been against teams like San Diego State and New Mexico, who are led by shifty point guards who shoot 3-pointers at an efficient rate.

Though the Screaming Eagles have played in a weaker conference, they have proved they could put points on the board on a consistent basis. The Spartans thrive when their defense turns points into offense while they control the glass on both ends.

Even with the offensive firepower that Southern Indiana possesses, SJSU has the ability to win its first round matchup with ease. Thus far, the Spartans have proved they don’t lose to teams they are not supposed to.

SJSU has played elite competition all season, and the Screaming Eagles don’t have a player or a scheme that the Spartans have not seen before. However, this is March.

As basketball fans have seen time and again, anything can happen in a game on a neutral court. If the Spartans are not careful, they could fall victim to a major upset.

GRAPHIC BY NATHAN CANILAO

Follow Nathan Canilao on Twitter @nathancanilao

Spartans go green and tie-dye bags

By Enrique GutierrezSevilla STAFF

Associated Students held a natural tie-dye workshop for students to design tote bags with dye made from natural resources at the Campus Community Garden on Tuesday.

Some natural resources used were coffee, grass and purple cabbage.

Liberal studies senior Megan Yee, who led the discussion behind the event, said her inspiration was to use a cross culture event with tie-dyeing.

“Natural tie dyes are used by the indigenous people for arts

as well as ceremonial practices, and I want to bring that into [the] Western and campus space by using extractions of dyes and applying it to the textiles,” Yee said.

Campus Community Garden coordinator Matthew Spadoni, who helped coordinate the workshop, said it was fun going through with the event’s idea.

“It’s a way to introduce students to going backwards, to an older technology that we can still use and it’s more sustainable than some of the newer technologies,” Spadoni said.

Yee said she researched online to learn the extraction process of making natural dye, and she said she was

challenged by how much trial and error there was.

“It was a sensitive process because it is natural dyes and the pigments are sensitive to the sun and UV,” Yee said.

The attendance of the event, because of the rainy and cloudy weather, was low but the spirits were still high.

“It was a good turnout considering the circumstances with the weather, and I think the people who were able to make it to this event got a good opportunity to learn how to make natural dyes as well as getting to tie-dye a tote bag,” Yee said.

Spadoni said he had never done anything with natural dyes, and the event

was a learning experience.

“You boil water, chop all of whatever you’re trying to get the dye out of to increase the surface area and then you cover it barely with water because you don’t want to have too much water, it’ll dilute the dye,” Spadoni said. “Then let it sit there for 20 minutes, the hot version, and then sift it out and bottle it and keep it in a dark space.”

He also said some of the natural dyes changed their original colors after boiling.

“It was really cool, there’s some really interesting things like avocado skins made pink and purple cabbage made blue,” Spadoni said. “Somehow it took a while for a dragon fruit

to change color, it boiled for 20 minutes and then all of a sudden it just turned pink.”

Environmental studies sophomore Evey Hinojosa, who is part of the garden fellowship, said she was glad to participate because she liked how everything was natural.

“You can really do it at your home and at your own disposal,” Hinojosa said. “It’s really simple to do and it’s probably less costly if you go out.”

Mama Kin offers space to karaoke

By Brandon Nicolas STAFF WRITER

People of all ages sing their hearts out as a disco ball reflects the fluorescent lights from the karaoke stage, where a neon sign says “Mama Kin.”

Mama Kin is a restaurant, bar and venue that allows people of all ages to perform their art during open-mic and karaoke nights.

Andrew Saman, who is the co-founder of Mama Kin, was the general manager of Cafe Stritch and lost his job when the club was closed.

Mama Kin is the successor of Cafe Stritch, a jazz club that shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said he was approached by previous customers of Cafe Stritch who suggested he open a club.

Saman said he did not take their input seriously until months into the pandemic, which led him to purchase a space in June 2022.

“I’ve had a lot of success opening places with other people, so it’s my first time I’m getting my own shot at it and I’m hoping it sticks,” Saman said. “I’m trying to do this the right way.”

He said the perspective of music changes when it’s the act of seeing people on stage with lights performing.

“It’s stuck with me ever since,” Saman said. “We really try to cater to a lot of the locals and give them a chance to get on stage.”

Karaoke is the “act of singing along to a music video,

especially one from which the original vocals have been electronically eliminated,” according to Dictionary.com.

“I started karaoking and participating in early January,” said justice studies senior Ángel Guzman. “I’ve always liked singing because it’s very healing.”

She said before and during the pandemic, she struggled with social anxiety, but has been performing poetry and singing on stage more.

“I feel like this space is very safe and the workers interact with the guests a lot,” Guzman said. “It shows their character and how aware they are of their customers.”

She said the same staff workers who cook and serve food also participate performing on stage.

“There’s a lot of people of color here and I think that is very important,” Guzman said. “It feels really good because being in white-dominated spaces . . . it feels harder to take up space.”

Saman said he was inspired to make the venue available for all ages because of his son.

“I love it when people ask, ‘Can I bring my kids?’ ” Saman said. “I love to say, ‘Yes!’ ”

He said his stepfather would take him to concerts at a young age – an experience he wants to carry on with his family moving forward.

“There’s no limit on who can come, have fun,” said Anais Salazar, a floor and karaoke host at Mama Kin. “It’s a safe place for people of all ages to meet people in a safe environment.”

Salazar said their security guard is always on duty and, combined with trained staff, help keep a look-out for the community.

Saman said he reached out to his chefs about a studentdiscounted meal mid-week.

“Wednesday we could do something where students could come in that don’t have a lot of money and participate and have good food,” Saman said.

Humanities senior Justise

Wattree said he enjoys his Wednesday nights karaoking at Mama Kin and participates at open mic nights on Tuesdays.

Wattree said his visits to Mama Kin helped him recharge his passion for singing.

“I used to do poetry at Nirvana Soul,” Wattree said. “I’ve always been meshed in the karaoke-open mic night culture in San Jose.”

He said it’s nice to have an area to share and express himself without feeling any judgment or pressure to perform.

“When you’re at school, you have to do your best and perform – here, you do what you want to do,” Wattree said.

Saman said he sees people as people and how the

place is open to all genders and ethnicities. He said he makes it his mission to uphold community and respect to all guests at Mama Kin no matter their background or beliefs.

“It’s the end of the day and people want to be themselves,” Wattree said. “Everybody has different talents, voices – students should come to showcase who they are.”

ENRIQUE GUTIERREZ-SEVILLA | SPARTAN DAILY

Campus Community Garden coordinator Matthew Spadoni names the natural tie-dyes inside of water bottles to students on Tuesday m orning.

WRITER

Follow Enrique Gutierrez-Sevilla on Twitter @mtvenrique

BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY

Gigi Phillips sings Panic! At The Disco on Wednesday at Mama Kin, just a half mile from San Jose State.

Orlando Flores’s store Down To Earth has vintage clothing and accessories,

SJSU student opens vintage shop

By Mat Bejarano STAFF WRITER

Editors note: Orlando Flores refused to show his face in photos for security reasons.

Communications senior Orlando Flores’ passion for clothes has always been prominent in his life, from selling at flea markets around California to now running his own thrift store.

Flores opened Down To Earth, a second-hand clothing store located in Eastridge mall, in November 2022.

A second-hand store is one that resells used goods, according to Law Insider.

Flores said he finds time to do his school work throughout the slow times in the day, but being a business owner and full-time student has its difficulties.

“It’s one of the . . . hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” Flores said. “You have no free time, literally, you have to plan your days off like weeks in advance.”

Even on days when Flores isn’t at the shop working, he’s still on the clock going to other flea markets searching for clothes to add to his store. He said he wakes up at 3 a.m. and drives for hours to source for new pieces.

He said his passion for selling clothes originated from helping his mother sell clothes at the Capitol Flea Market when he was younger.

“I feel like with thrifting clothes, you can dress well on a budget,” Flores said. “You could go to the Goodwill and spend like 20 bucks and get something nice.”

Flores said he grew up going to Eastridge and it was important to have his first shop in his home city.

“I wanted to create a very welcoming vibe to the store,” Flores said. “Especially because in San Jose, there’s not a huge vintage thing. For vintage, you go to SF, LA, you go everywhere else but San Jose.”

Flores said the clothes the store

receives comes through a variety of avenues, including 15 different cosigners.

A cosigner is a third party seller who supplies the store with their merchandise and gives the owner a percentage of the sale, according to a June 24, 2022 article by Indeed.

Lodi resident Mateo Isquierdo, who runs the @vintageerathrifts Instagram account, said he met Flores in 2020 at a vintage clothing event in Sacramento.

Isquierdo said he has about a hundred items in Down To Earth and drives twice a month from Lodi to put more inventory up.

“That’s kind of why I choose to stay in the store with him is because I know that it’s getting consistent foot traffic and he knows how to maximize the amount of customers that are in the store on a weekly basis,” Isquierdo said.

Flores said he doesn’t want to charge high prices for his clothes as shirts in his store cost between $35 to $45.

“We don’t want to charge an arm and a leg to buy a shirt, which is one of the biggest stigmas for vintage stores,” Flores said. “That’s probably one of the biggest compliments [that] our store is pretty affordable.”

Flores said the prices at the store have helped attract customers, making people travel from all over the Bay Area to come shop for vintage clothing.

He said he credits his parents for his success and he admires their entrepreneurship.

“The work I put in is nowhere near compare to the work they put in or any other person that immigrated to the U.S. for a better life,” Flores said.

Kevin Gomez, an employee at Down To Earth, said Flores is like an older brother who gives him a lot of guidance through life.

“He’s a very good person, he’s very humble about everything and it’s a blessing to have some type of person like him in my life,” Gomez said.

Gomez said he enjoys working at the store because of the work environment Flores creates

and how he’s not picky like most bosses.

He said Flores often gives him advice on how to run a business because Gomez looks to open his own barber shop one day.

“When I started opening up

about me and my career goals and what I’ve gone through, he was always there for me and he always knew what to say,” Gomez said.

As Down To Earth reaches its four month anniversary, Flores said he’d like to open more stores

in California and already has some locations in the works.

“I tell people, ‘This is just the beginning,’ ” Flores said.

it is located on the second floor of Eastridge mall, approximately 6 miles from San Jose State.