Spartan Daily Vol. 162 No. 28

Forum discusses resolutions

By Jonathan Canas STAFF WRITER

Associated Students held an open forum in the Student Union for multiple resolutions to be discussed on Wednesday afternoon.

Two of the resolutions covered boycotting certain companies that financially support SJSU and Israel, and call for a total ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Over 40 students came to the meeting, with a great number of them waiting to hear and speak for the boycott resolution.

The forum was led by Vice President Chair Ariana Lacson, a biomedical engineering junior. She is also a member of Students for Quality Education (SQE).

Students for Quality Education is an organization that aims to fight for free and affordable education, according to its Instagram biography.

“We did see the social media posts from SQE, so we were expecting a much higher turnout than our usual board meetings today,” Lacson said.

This was the first hearing that SQE presented to Associated Students following the San Jośe divestment protest, according to its Instagram.

The divestment protest was held on Feb. 29, in which the SJSU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led a march and sent a letter to the Spartan Daily calling for SJSU to “sever ties with war machines and defense companies.”

Divestment is the act of selling off a business or businesses, or of no longer investing money in something according to Cambridge Dictionary.

Lacson said they will not be voting on these resolutions

yet and that this was just a discussion.

“If there’s any amendments, comments or questions, people will be able to ask and we’ll be able to add our suggested amendments,” Lacson said. “We want as much student input as possible.”

Ariana Shah, the Associated Students director of intercultural affairs, read out multiple pages of the resolutions regarding Israel and Palestine.

Shah said Associated Students purchased products from companies and organizations that directly correlate with human rights violations in Palestine.

“Whereas in 2015 the Associated Students of San José State was the first Cal State to pass a divestment resolution targeting the Tower Foundation investment in companies that contribute to the human rights violations of Palestinians,” Shah said.

Lacson said Dell was highlighted as one of the companies that SJSU has associated itself with in the past.

The company HP Inc. split from the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company and is another company that is associated with Israel, according to Nasdaq.

“However as a legal successor of the Hewlett Packard company, HP Inc. has an obligation to remedy the harms created by its predecessor,” Shah said.

HP Inc. has held a contract with Israel’s Ministry of Defense under which it has developed and maintained computer hardware, according to the BDS movement.

“A lot of companies are entangled with what's going on,

but I think the right thing to do is at least tackle companies that deliberately participate in violations,” Lacson said. “HP and Dell are the biggest ones.”

Associated Students Director of Legislative Affairs Estevan Guzman, a political science sophomore, said he is continuously reviewing the changing situation that many of the companies are in regarding the boycott resolution.

Guzman said this resolution could potentially be upheld via the budget policy.

“These companies change all the time,” Guzman said. “They acquire companies, they merge, they fail and we need a way to constantly keep them accountable.”

Lacson said divesting from HP at the very least can be a basis to boycott other items that the school sells.

Shah said SJSU has a long standing tradition of inclusion

and diversity with it being federally recognized as being a minority-serving campus.

“The CSSA (California Charter School Association) and Associated Students of SJSU call for an immediate ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages and unduly imprisoned civilians from Palestine and Israel,” Shah said.

The CSSA advances the charter school movement through state and local advocacy according to its website.

Shah said the CSSA and Associated Students of SJSU call for all 23 campuses to provide protection and support to students who participate in the organizing of humanitarian rights through emotional support resources and accommodations.

Lacson said this was the first meeting of the ceasefire resolution adopted by the Cal States.

The Israel-Hamas conflict was

only two of the resolutions being discussed.

Political science sophomore and Director of Internal Affairs Katelyn Gambarin said she was expecting a big turnout today due to the reach SQE and Students for Justice in Palestine have.

Gambarin said usually they get three to five people who attend these meetings and they don't get a whole lot of visitors other than their advisors.

“I think it's really important to hear the student voice since we only have 13 people on the board of directors and we have a 36,000 student population,” Gambarin said. “It’s really important for us to better represent and understand the needs and concerns of our students.”

Panel navigates women in leadership

By Ethan Li STAFF WRITER

Student Involvement and the Gender Equity Center hosted a panel discussion exploring how women navigate leadership positions this Wednesday at the Student Union.

Jessica Short, program coordinator for the Gender Equity Center, said this event was part of a whole month of programming for Women’s History Month.

Short said that the Gender Equity Center wanted to create room for a discussion on women in leadership because there are unique challenges that women face in leadership roles.

“I wanted to make sure it was an event that considered intersectionality within that experience,” Short said. “So I'm having folks from a variety of different places, backgrounds and even a variety of different fields.”

She said one participant was working in nonprofit organizations, one in sports journalism, one in higher education and another pursuing her Ph.D.

Short said these variety of experiences added to the conversation and allowed women from different backgrounds to uplift each other.

Anaiya Williamson, industrial engineering junior and programming coordinator intern for the Gender Equity Center, said she enjoyed moderating the discussion.

Williamson said she provided a forum for leaders at the event to talk about their paths to success and experiences being women in those roles.

She said while she already knew some of the speakers, she learned new things about them that she had never heard before

Alexis Graesser, leadership development coordinator for Student Involvement, said she helps make these events possible.

“We tried to reach out to different identity-based centers and campus partners that we rely on to have a greater reach to students and also bring in different areas of expertise,” Graesser said.

Graesser said after thinking

about Women's History Month, it seemed like a natural partnership between Student Involvement and the Gender Equity Center.

She said this space empowered women and allowed them to ask questions towards people who are in leadership roles — roles to which many students aspire.

l“Students were able to see themselves in the panelists today which I think is really cool,” Graesser said.

Short said the Women in Leadership panel took place towards the end of Women’s History Month.

She said the whole month had great events that aimed to liberate and teach people about women’s rights and equity, which included an open mic night and poetry workshop.

Short said the Lunch & Learn on reproductive justice and racial justice was impactful.

“(This event) really explored the intersections between reproductive rights and how that ties into racial justice and the experiences of people of color and people of lower socio-economic status,”

Short said. She said one misconception people have around Women’s History Month is that it is solely about one thing.

Short said the history of women is central to Women’s History Month, however, many other things that also impact the community of women are circulated during this month.

“(Women’s History Month

is) also about educating people on things like the patriarchy and reproductive justice and that includes people who identify as any gender, any background and experience,” Short said. Short said she started her job just last July. She said her help was much needed covering for the previous program coordinator who had to cover both the Pride

and Gender Equity Centers.

“We just want more people to come through,” Williamson said. “There's a growing community and people should stop by. It's welcoming and for everyone, so a really great space to come hang out.”

JONATHAN CANAS | SPARTAN DAILY

Audience listens to a speaker wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf at the Student Union on Wednesday.

ETHAN LI | SPARTAN DAILY

Two panel members (left) and a moderator with Student Involvement and the Gender

Equity Center discuss how women navigate leadership in the Student Union.

Scarred boy carries live action ‘Avatar’

By Christine Tran OUTREACH EDITOR

The last half of Netflix’s first season of the live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)” reboot moves through each episode like a soft breeze – steady but slow during certain moments.

Episode five, “Spirited Away”, was particularly dull as Aang, played by Gordon Cormier, Katara, played by Kiawentiio Tarbell, and Sokka, played by Ian Ousley, travel to the spirit world and encounter the entity Koh, also known as “The Face Stealer,” Koh’s performance fell flat compared to how previous characters were introduced like the Mechanist or Avatar Kyoshi.

Koh was intimidating with striking face makeup at first but he was actually pretty reasonable and released all of his hostages in the end, including Katara and Sokka.

Aang never even needed to airbend because all it took to “defeat” Koh was to return a stolen totem. I admit Koh’s storyline in the original animated series didn’t garner my attention either, but watching the trio relive their most painful memories in the second half of the live-action series again was underwhelming and slightly repetitive.

Another element of episode five was the talking fox that Sokka sees in the spirit world which was later revealed as Princess Yue who is played by Amber Midthunder. It threw me for a loop and unfortunately made Princess Yue unremarkable for me when she was introduced in episode seven even though I adored her character’s sacrifice in the original series.

In the 2009 original animated series, Princess Yue becomes the moon spirit which granted water benders their powers back while

fighting the Fire Nation. This storyline was central to the final two episodes in Netflix’s new series.

For me, the only scene that saved episode five from being deemed forgettable was Monk Gyatso, played by Liu Kay Siu, and Aang’s reunion in the spirit world.

Viewers last saw Siu in the first episode of the series where he attempted to protect a group of young airbenders but unfortunately succumbed to the Fire Nation’s attack.

It was heartwarming to see Siu back on my screen after his painful death and display a strong familial bond as his character Gyatso helps Aang figure out how to defeat Koh.

Although Aang has much to learn and rightfully turns to past Avatars for guidance, it frustrated me how often he had his eyes closed in the Avatar state amid the most action-packed scenes.

In episode eight titled “Legends,” the Fire Nation mercilessly killed Northern waterbenders when they lost their powers.

When Aang finally wakes up from his beauty sleep and rejoins the conflict after what feels like years, the damage has been done and characters in the North, including Hahn played by Joel Oulette, are already dead.

Aang, Katara and Sokka head to the North so Aang can train with waterbending masters, but he doesn’t even learn a drop of waterbending when he leaves.

The 2024 reboot’s main character may be Aang – and Cormier exudes his virtuous and boyish charm well – but it is Zuko who drives the show’s plot deeper.

When I watched the animated series as a kid, I was annoyed every time Zuko thwarted Aang, Katara and Sokka’s missions.

He just always appeared at the

worst times and I didn’t care for his brooding manner, specifically when it was targeted at his Uncle Iroh.

But Netflix’s new series portrays Zuko as a character who deserves my sympathy through details I may have brushed over.

After watching many episodes in the original series, it was easy to dismiss why Zuko was so determined to capture Aang and it clouded over his heroic backstory.

I really liked how Netflix focused on how Zuko saved the crew of soldiers who run his ship from being sacrificed in Fire Lord Ozai’s war plan.

Dallas James Liu portrayed Zuko in the new series and although Liu is just as brooding as the animated character, he portrays Zuko with newfound strength and loyalty.

My favorite moment from Zuko this season was when he left the North with an injured Iroh, played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, in the final episode instead of taking the opportunity to pursue Aang.

That’s just one example of Zuko’s small but impactful glimpses of humanity and it made me root for him when he captured Aang even if it delayed Katara and Sokka from returning from the spirit world.

I can’t wait to see how Netflix handles Zuko’s redemption storyline later on, especially because he is my new favorite character.

Other remarkable characters that blazed throughout the series were strictly from the Fire Nation.

General Zhao, played by Ken Leung, was entertaining to watch as the main villain even when he stabbed the fish that represented the Moon Spirit and really showed viewers the lengths of his quest for power in episode eight.

This just set the stage for the final episode’s closing scene where Princess Azula, played by Elizabeth

Yu, took control of the Earth Kingdom while the Northern Water Tribe was distracted.

Viewers previously saw Azula harness blue fire which represents her cruelty and mastery of her powers, according to an article by Comic Book Resources.

Yu is sinisterly convincing as Zuko’s sister whose flames are clearly attributed to her sadistic personality.

I can’t say the same for Katara who despite being deemed a waterbending master, barely makes a splash in the final four episodes.

I know this means that the second season will feature her teaching Aang how to waterbend but overall, Tarbell’s performance is lukewarm in the first season as Katara.

Tarbell lacks the desperation I recall Katara had in the original animated series to be taken seriously by those around her.

When visiting the Northern Water Tribe, the actress for Netflix’s series is expressionless even when acting out what viewers see as highly impressive water bending skills.

GRAPHIC BY SOFIA HILL

For entertainment purposes, squeezing all of the characters’ development into eight episodes is an impossible task but Katara advanced her powers too quickly and almost unbelievable even in a fictional universe.

The last half of Netflix’s liveaction series treads slowly starting from episode five but the season’s final episode is a gust of wind with key moments from only Zuko, Zhao and Azula that offered a passionate and fiery layer to the show.

The main cast consisting of Aang, Sokka, and Katara have yet to evoke my interest beyond satisfactory but mediocre performances.

Needless to say, I am hoping for more Fire Nation moments and I can’t wait to watch Azula’s reign over the Earth Kingdom in season two.

The San José State baseball team squared off with the University of San Francisco at Excite Ballpark and suffered a tight loss of 5-2.

SJSU (8-17, 4-8 MW) came in at fifth place in the Mountain West Conference while USF (15-10, 0-0 WCC) entered the game in seventh place in the West Coast Conference.

The Spartans had solid pitching in the game, led by sophomore right-handed pitcher Cade Cushing and Corey Sanchez, redshirt senior and left-handed pitcher.

Cushing led as starting pitcher and struck out two batters in three innings. Sanchez played relief pitcher and struck out a pair of batters in two innings.

An SJSU error in the third inning gave momentum to USF. Cushing in addition to a double by freshman

infielder Charles-Étienne Pelletier that put the Dons up 2-0.

Junior right-handed pitcher Nolan George added to SJSU’s pitching woes when he gave up a double to USF in the fourth inning, putting SJSU at a 3-0 deficit.

The Dons sealed SJSU’s fate when USF junior infielder Matty Fung singled into right field advancing to second, picking up two RBIs allowing graduate student outfielder Logan Leax and senior catcher Michael Campagna.

SJSU head coach Brad Sanfilippo said there is room for improvement for the team.

figured (that) out up to this point.”

Senior catcher Matt Spear batted in the ninth inning but was unable to answer the surge by USF.

“From a defensive standpoint, you know, just hanging as many zeros as possible would be the main goal,” Spear said. “Zeros are big especially when our bats are coming alive at the end of the game.”

Fung had five at bats, three hits and two RBIs to lead the visiting team.

I thought we did a good job on the bullpen to keep the game close for sure,” Sanfilippo said. “Obviously, the ninth inning got away from us which is disappointing.”

“It was a close game, the more stuff you give away, the more opportunity you have to have those things come back to bite you,” Sanfilippo said. “(There was) some decent fight. We got the tying run on first base in the ninth inning, but we gotta figure out a out how to win that game.”

A combination of hits from redshirt senior and outfielder Robert Hamchuk and sophomore outfielder Neil Jansen gave hope for a SJSU comeback in the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Hamchuk doubled down and scored the first point while Hardy grounded the ball to second base.

Meanwhile, senior shortstop Theo Hardy grounding out to second base in the sixth inning.

Jansen scored the final point of the night for Hamchuck that led to the last and his only RBI of the game.

“I just think it’s experience,” Sanfilippo said. “As coaches we continue to search for answers and try to figure out the right combination of players. We’ve not

SJSU is scheduled to play UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, Mar. 28 at 4:05 p.m. in Santa Barbara, Calif.