Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 6

Faculty union responds to CSU

CFA rep. says comments show ‘not much respect’

By Nikita Bankar STAFF WRITER

After a video was released by California State University Chancellor Jolene Koester regarding a salary raise for faculty, California Faculty Association members quickly voiced their opinions.

The California State University (CSU) is made up of 23 campuses across California, according to its site.

According to its bio, the California Faculty Association (CFA) is a union of 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches working to transform higher education into a more inclusive environment.

Koester, who has been the CSU interim chancellor for the past 16 months, posted a video addressing faculty and staff requests from the CFA on Aug. 26.

The CFA demanded a 12% salary increase, according to the CFA Sunshine Letter to Commerce Re-opener Bargaining.

In her message, Koester said if each of the 23 universities within the CSU system stretch their budget further, each school will be forced to make difficult and painful decisions.

“They’re going to have to reallocate their already limited financial resources to meet their increased costs of operation,” Koester said.

She also said that the CSU is committed to fairly compensating the faculty and staff.

“The CSU has brought that commitment to the bargaining table,” Koester said. “We have made offers of significant multi-year compensation increases to both faculty and staff bargaining units, and we’ve done this at a time when the state is facing a revenue shortfall.”

Between 2020 and 2021, the CSU budget was $7.8 billion. According to CSU, the budget has increased to 8.1 billion between 2022 and 2023.

Christopher J. Cox, a sociology lecturer, said that Koester’s words did not at all reflect the reality of the CSU’s treatment toward faculty and staff.

“You can say words like ‘We respect you’ and ‘We’re thankful for you,’ but if it’s not reflected in your behavior, that’s a problem,” Cox said. “You’re going to say all those pretty words, which are not going to take any action that moves [us] closer to getting what we need.”

Even after numerous bargaining meetings with the CSU

management team, the CFA was banned from economic negotiation leaving both associations at an impasse, according to the CFA website.

The bargaining was suspended in order to move to the statutory process, according to the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA).

Between 2022 and 2023, the CSU has accumulated an $8.5 billion reserve. The reserve was a result of the CSU Consolidated Investment Pool and cash in the state treasury, according to CSU Opengov.

“Millions of dollars were given to the CSU, and we still don’t know where that money was spent,” said Ray Buyco, Chapter President of the CFA and senior history lecturer. Cox said Koester’s video was contradictory in response to CFA demands.

“The video framed things as if it is a struggle, and that they’re working really hard to try and scramble and find every dollar they can,” Cox said. “I think if that were true, they would find a whole lot more dollars than they are talking about.”

Buyco said the most insulting part of Koester’s video was her lack of respect.

“Many of us work for under $80,000 a year, and many of us work for under $60,000 a year,” he said. “This forces them to get second jobs, third jobs, and in some cases, forces faculty to live out of their cars. That’s not much respect.”

Ellen Tara James-Penney, a writing instructor, was forced to sleep in her Volvo sedan near SJSU, according to a 2017 article by neaToday. Her salary was $28,700, despite her teaching four college courses and obtaining a master’s degree.

The salary for junior administrators working in the CSU system is an average of $100,000. For senior managers it is an average of $200,000 and for presidents, $300,000-$500,000, according to Transparent California.

As Chancellor Koester receives a regular pay of $362,196, an additional payment of $75,082 for ‘other pay,’ and benefits payments of $117,453.49. Her total pay, including benefits, is $554,732, according to Transparent California.

Cox said within the last year, the CSU has argued the salary increases for campus presidents that are absolutely vital.

“To me, that’s a big contradiction

that they need it to live, but that faculty and staff who are severely underpaid don’t,” he said. Cox also said the CSU is making it seem as though faculty and staff are being unreasonable with their demands.

“The reality is we are not anywhere near as unreasonable as they think we are trying to keep up with inflation,” Cox said. “Many faculty throughout the CSU barely make it month to month to be able to afford our living. It is very difficult when you teach in a place that you cannot afford to live, let alone to live decently.”

According to The California Association of Realtors, the median home pricing for the Bay Area was $1,255,000.

Sabrina Pinnell, CFA chapter secretary and senior political science lecturer, said it is upsetting the CSU system is rejecting a costof-living adjustment for faculty.

“This whole message of coming together and then being ready to sacrifice, I’ve heard it before, and I’m tired of it,” Pinnell said.

Uber raises minimum age for drivers

By Maya Benmokhtar STAFF WRITER

Any college student looking for a flexible part-time job will soon have one less option as Uber has changed its minimum age requirement for new drivers from 21-years-old to 25-years-old, according to an ABC News article.

According to the driver requirement section of Uber’s website, the requirement will go

into effect on Aug. 23.

Those under 25 who signed up to drive for Uber prior to Aug. 23 can continue to drive for the company, according to the same website.

Chicano studies senior Leonela Zavalza said this new age requirement restricts opportunities for young adults.

“I highly believe it restricts young adults [from] stepping into the real world, trying to navigate through financial barriers

and other limited opportunities due to their age,” Zavalza said. “This incoming generation of adults is already living paycheck to paycheck, suffering an unjust economy that makes it extremely difficult to get housing or achieve financial stability.”

Insurance laws in California are the reason for the change in age requirement, said a spokesperson for Uber in an email.

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“California’s insurance coverage requirements for rideshare are baselessly higher than nearly every other car on the road: up to 10 times that of taxis and 30 times that of personal vehicles,” a spokesperson for Uber said in the email. “As a result of these lopsided requirements, personalinjury attorneys have created a cottage industry specializing in suing rideshare platforms like ours, pushing Uber’s California statemandated commercial insurance costs to rise by more than 65% in just two years.”

In the same email, the spokesperson for Uber said increasing the age requirement is meant to mitigate the growth of costs of insurance.

Zavalza said she believes the new-age requirement will affect many college students.

According to a National Center for Education Statistics study, 71% of 18-19 year olds and 40% of 20-24 year olds are enrolled in college.

“It is already very difficult juggling school and work, but for those that have no choice but to work, Uber allows one to create their own schedule and accommodate their school schedule,” Zavalza said.

Zavalza said she would prefer to have Uber drivers closer to her age.

“As a 22 year old, I’d rather be surrounded with my age group as I’d be able to relate more and feel heard,” Zavalza said. “I also believe

older groups of people are more prone to being racist, stubborn and close minded, creating uncomfortable environments.”

An individual who identified themself as Larry Dumetz and currently works for Uber Eats said they started working for Uber Eats during the pandemic and the pay rate was great, but started looking into driving for Uber after the pay for Uber Eats declined.

“Since the pay rate dropped, I was starting to look and lean towards driving for Uber, but now that it’s unavailable, I’m really not left with that many options,” Dumetz said.

They said balancing school and work life is usually pretty hectic. However, since Uber allows them to pick his own schedule, they are able to make money whenever they want.

Dumetz said the changing of the age requirement is unfair for young adults.

“Maybe there should be certain safeties, extra safeties, for drivers that are under 25,” Dumetz said. “People who are under 25 are more likely to get in car accidents and have incidents with vehicles. But I think to cut that off as a whole, I think is unfair.”

The company stated in an email from a spokesperson for Uber, it hopes to work with lawmakers, policy leaders and industry experts to discuss legislative and regulatory changes that will improve the experience for all California drivers.

Follow Maya on X (formerly Twitter) @mayaben10

It is already very difficult juggling school and work, but for those that have no choice but to work, Uber allows one to create their own schedule and accommodate their school schedule.

Leonela Zavalza Chicano studies senior

Students partake in ‘Speed Friending’

By Aaliyah Roman STAFF WRITER

San Jose State students gathered in the Campus Village Housing Quad for a “Speed Friending” event on Wednesday.

The Student Involvement Office and International Students College Services invited students to come meet new people, have dinner and play games.

“Making friends is good for your sanity,” engineering technology sophomore Michael Rodriguez said.

Interim director of SJSU International House Matthew McCormick said the event intends to help students feel more safe and connected to one another.

“Finding your people is something really important to everybody because they’re a support system,” McCormick said. “They’re the people there for our best moments and for our worst moments.”

McCormick attempted to lighten the mood for nervous students by cracking jokes and calling passersby over to join the event.

“Talking to people makes you feel more comfortable in this new experience,” said data science freshman Matthew Wong.

SJSU has numerous clubs and organizations looking for new members.

Rodriguez joined Baja SAE last year and was able to meet a friend through

the club and become roommates this semester.

Baja SAE is a studentrun engineering club that designs and tests cars for off-roading through planning that involves computer simulation.

McCormick said that not everyone enjoys

putting themselves out there, leading him to facilitate events like “Speed Friending” for students.

“I want to lend that voice to other departments who need that little bit of energy,” McCormick said.

The first hour of the

event, students registered and then played an icebreaker game at the tables while others played Connect Four, Jenga and cornhole at the nearby lawn. “Students who want to be around and maybe connect more one on

one and less of a group environment are able to find that space,” McCormick said.

The icebreaker game consisted of McCormick asking students what their favorite music genres and sports were and assigning different answers to those questions to tables.

Students would then go to the table that resonates with their answer and meet like-minded people. Most students were found at the tables getting to know each other and discuss similar interests.

Advertising sophomore Nathaniel DeAnda said he finds it easy to make friends, but some students struggle.

“When you’re new to campus, you’re not around your family or your old friends anymore,” Rodriguez said. “It can be a little intimidating.”

SRAC hosts anime-friendly fitness event

By Tracy Escobedo STAFF WRITER

RecFest took place in the Spartan Recreation and Aquatics Center (SRAC) on Wednesday night. RecFest is an event for students interested in fitness classes and clubs on campus. It was promoted to be cosplay and anime-friendly.

San Jose State hosts Weeks of Welcome at the beginning of every semester to provide support for new and returning students, according to their website.

There were a variety of activities that students were able to participate in including pickleball and tie-dyeing.

Club sports like rugby, volleyball and badminton lined the entrance of the SRAC to recruit new members onto their teams.

Attendees stood by tables that hosted buckets of dye for the tie-dye event. One attendee dressed as Yumeko Jabami from Kakegurui drenched a t-shirt in red dye.

Four other attendees appeared

in clothing that resembled cosplay. “I just picked up some horns because it was the easiest to do,” English senior Alex Wester said. They did not cosplay anyone in particular, instead donning horns for fun.

“I lost my sword,” mechanical engineering master student

Chandrahas Paidi said when asked why he did not cosplay at the event.

“I think the main obstacle was that people are just shy to cosplay,” industrial design junior Mona Dai said. “I cosplayed because I am here to represent e-sports,” Dai was

A line to enter the Multipurpose Activity Court (MAC) formed inside the SRAC for a pickleball event.

Pickleball is an indoor and outdoor game that is played on a level court with short-handled paddles and a perforated plastic ball volleyed over a low net by two players or pairs of players according to Merriam-Webster.

Korean corn dogs were offered at the event as well as tote bags and pop sockets.“The Korean corn dogs were pretty unique,” communications senior Kevin Li said. “I’ve never seen any school ever have that before.”

Attendees could choose between a cheese-only corn dog or regular corn dog.

The event ended an hour early because of a lack of sufficient attendance.

dressed up as Kiriko from the game Overwatch.The SJSU Esports team was huddled by the rock climbing wall and played a series of competitive games that attendees could join in on. Loud roars came from the area once a game concluded.

Spartans look to avoid 0-2 start

By Nathan Canilao SENIOR STAFF WRITER

San Jose State will head into its second game in a row as double-digit underdogs when it faces No. 18 Oregon State on Sunday in a nationally televised game on CBS.

The Spartans (0-1) are coming off a 56-28 loss to No. 6 USC last weekend and will have another uphill battle against Oregon State (0-0) team who had one of the best defenses in the nation last season.

“The difficulty is that you’re just playing two really good teams right off the bat and you don’t know who you are as a football team yet,” SJSU head coach Brent Brennan said. “I also think it’s an awesome opportunity . . . This group that’s coming in here this coming weekend is excellent in all three phases. So this is another big challenge for us. ”

Even in the loss to USC, the Spartans showed that the offense could still be one of the strengths of this team.

Former quarterback turned wide receiver junior Nick Nash caught six passes for 89 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Trojans earning him Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.

SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro threw 198 yards and made plays with his feet, rushing for 52 yards on 10 attempts.

The running game was more efficient with junior Utah Tech

transfer Quali Conley rushing for 108 yards on 6 attempts.

The Spartans will look to replicate that production on Sunday, but a big key will be if the offensive line can create running lanes and protect Cordeiro from a talented Oregon State front.

“From an offensive line standpoint, we need to focus on how clean we want to play,” said SJSU left tackle Jaime Navarro.

“It’s gonna be about how much attention to detail we’re gonna have when looking at [Oregon State’s] alignment and trusting our technique.”

Oregon State was a top 50 team when it came to average rushing yards allowed and held opponents to just 20 points per game last season. The Beavers were also No. 1 in red zone defense last season.

A majority of the Beavers’

2022 all-conference players were drafted or entered the transfer portal, but they retained

defensive back Ryan Cooper Jr.

Cooper, a local South Bay product of Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, was an AllPac-12 Honorable Mention selection last season and will be one of Oregon State’s impact players Sunday.

“Oregon State plays great team defense,” said SJSU offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven.

“They’re very disciplined. They know exactly what they’re doing, so it’s really hard to manufacture some things against a defense that plays with that type of discipline and that type of effort.”

The Spartans will have their hands full against another highly-touted quarterback, DJ Uiagalelei at Oregon State. Uiagalelei played two seasons at Clemson University and was the heir apparent to national championship-winning quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State last season

after leading Clemson to a 10-3 season.

“DJ is such a big man and he can make every throw,” Brennan said. “He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen.

So that’s sort of an incredible challenge for us because we’re preparing for a player that we haven’t seen play in this scheme.”

The Beavers return most of the offensive line from last season who were ranked No. 3 in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.

This game will also be a homecoming for Brennan, McGiven and many of the SJSU staff. Out of the 15 members of the Spartans’ coaching staff, six coached or played at Oregon State.

“[Oregon State is] a team that I have a lot of history with because I was there for a while,” Brennan said. “I Had a great experience there with my family, my kids, the players we coached, the coaches we worked with and

the university. It was great.” All-Mountain West Preseason receiver Justin Lockhart did not play in SJSU’s season opener against USC and has not practiced since the early weeks of training camp. Look for receivers junior Charles Ross and junior Malikhi Miller to remain the Spartans’ starting receivers until Lockhart returns. SJSU’s game against Oregon State will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at CEFCU Stadium.

San Jose State offensive tackle Jaime Navarro prepares to face last year’s No.1 red zone defensive team on Wednesday morning.

DYLAN NEWMAN | SPARTAN DAILY

Concerts cost more than my college tuition

I miss the days of being able to buy concert tickets on a whim. Now I have to plan a year’s worth of financials to make sure I can still afford instant ramen after my bank account takes such a hit.

the price of these tickets. I don’t know if fans selling plasma just to go to a silly little concert strokes these artists’ egos, but it needs to stop.

apps present to consumers. Either way, transportation to and from venues will leave cobwebs in your wallet.

overspending on cute outfits but tossing $300 at an outfit that I would likely never wear again is out of my tax bracket.

I’m forced to rummage through my closet.

Alicia Alvarez PRODUCTION EDITOR

Music artists these days price their tickets like we have the same balance as them in our bank account. They are sorely mistaken.

As a college student I barely have enough money for fresh groceries, let alone a ticket in the pit. If venues and artists don’t come back down from their money-hungry high soon, they’ll destroy the music industry’s relationship with the college-aged crowd.

According to an April 20 article from the Wall Street Journal, the average price for a concert ticket this year is $252. I haven’t seen a single ticket below $300 in my search for potential shows to attend.

The base price of tickets are often out of an average college student’s budget range. Dynamic pricing has made this already luxury-priced experience even more unattainable for me.

According to Harvard Business Review, dynamic pricing is a financial strategy used by various companies, such as Ticketmaster, that adjusts the price of tickets based on demand.

Hotels and airlines use this pricing strategy to account for seasonal demand. Apparently seeing my favorite artist is now more complicated than planning a week-long vacation.

The music industry seems to get off by charging the equivalent of a year’s worth of tuition for a single night-long experience. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour conveys the epitome of this issue.

Swift’s tickets reached up to $14,000 on resale sites for a July concert in Kansas City according to Prestige Magazine. No sane person can justify spending that much for a three-hour long fever dream of an artist prancing around on stage and halfsinging their album that we’ve already heard on streaming platforms.

Concert expenses don’t end with purchasing the ticket though. Transportation adds to the dreaded bill too.

Event parking will eat into your merch budget just as quickly as the ticket price will. On-site parking at the SAP Center costs $25-35 depending on the event according to its website.

As a Californian, I’m no stranger to sketchy overpriced parking garages, but it definitely puts a damper on the night.

Having to decide on parking within a 10 mile radius of the venue for the sake of my feet and buying commemorative merch

It’s becoming more apparent that my dream to see Hozier in concert is more of a fantastical ideation than a possible reality.

Now that my credit card debt has risen exponentially by just thinking about purchasing tickets and prepaying for a poorly lit parking spot next to a dumpster, it’s time to plan my outfit. The social media frenzy surrounding current tours is pushing concert goers to create extravagant looks to stand out.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour have been at the forefront of my Instagram and TikTok feed.

I’ve followed along as

I understand the desire to have a stunning outfit for the perfect Instagram post to commemorate seeing your favorite artist. What I don’t understand is the logic behind spending so much money on clothes when the tickets are already overpriced.

Even if I find the perfect outfit for a reasonable price, the artist might demand an aesthetic that prompts me to scrap it completely.

Beyoncé recently announced that she wants her fans to wear silver in honor of her birthday and Virgo season in an Instagram story post according to an Aug. 23 article from Vanity Fair. I love themes but I

The only silver item I have is a homecoming dress from my freshman year of high school. It looks like I’ll be disappointing Queen Bey.

Concerts are a cornerstone experience for many college students. It used to be a space of freedom, respect, and fun.

Now I feel like concerts are a mixture of a Shein runway and miles-long merch lines.

Concerts have lost their magic for me.

I was lucky enough to see artists like Selena Gomez, Bon Jovi, and Melanie Martinez throughout my childhood, but now I feel as though I’ll never step foot in a concert venue again.

These outrageous prices and expectations placed upon fans are alienating college students who do not have the privilege of financial surplus.

Venues and artists seem to be forgetting that the fan base is what finances their lifestyles and paychecks.

Creating an idealistic experience that is only attainable by maxing out credit cards or redirecting your college fund is disgusting.

I respect Swifties. Fear may be the better word actually. Nonetheless, I think all Taylor Swift fans should have a chance to see her in concert without declaring bankruptcy.

I understand that artists do not have control over the added fees and resale prices of their concert tickets, but they aren’t innocent in this crime either.

I haven’t seen many artists publicly criticize

isn’t a decision I should have to make.

Want to avoid the parking fees by ordering a ride? Too bad! Prepare to spend the same amount, if not more to get dropped off at the venue.

Uber and Lyft rides will help you avoid speeding around a parking lot for hours in search of a spot, but offer their own lists of hurdles.

Surge charges, pricing, wait times and tipping are all obstacles that these

fans spend weeks creating their perfect outfit through accumulating various pieces or burning their fingers gluing on sequins. The dedication and creativity of these fans is astonishing, but pricey.

According to an Aug. 17 article from the American Songwriter, some Eras Tour attendees spent nearly $300 on new clothing to wear at the performance.

I’m no stranger to

don’t love when they’re imposed by millionaires expecting their fans to toss more money into their experiences.

Every aspect of concerts is unreasonably expensive.

My meager college student budget can’t support my caffeine addiction and purchasing multiple outfits for a concert I’ll probably be too drunk to fully remember.

I refuse to give up my daily iced coffee, so

No fan should feel left out or shamed for not being rich.

I’m waiting for the day that ticket prices are below four figures again. Until then, the only concerts I’ll be attending are my jam sessions in the shower.

I haven’t seen many artists publicly criticize the price of these tickets. I don’t know if fans selling plasma just to go to a silly little concert strokes these artists’ egos, but it needs to stop.

Follow Alicia Alvarez on X (formerly Twitter) @alicialvarez02