Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 10

SJ talks budget and road closure

By Alina Ta ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

San José City Councilmembers, city staff and the community discussed temporarily closing State Route 87 and cutting funding from Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood services to increase funding for city worker compensation and benefits.

State Route 87

San José City Councilmembers, city staff and the community discussed temporarily closing State Route 87 and cutting funding from Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood services to increase funding for city-worker compensation and benefits.

Caltrans workers announced a project to close State Route 87 to repave the entire highway.

Workers from Caltrans will repave the highway from the exit at Blossom Hill Road to the undercrossing at Julian Street, according to their presentation.

The project on State Route 87 started in July and will be complete around March 2025 and is estimated to cost $69,630,000, according to the same presentation.

The project will also enhance 28 curb ramps at six intersections and resurface a 2.9 mile long bike line that is projected to run parallel along the highway, according to the presentation.

Caltrans construction manager, Scott McCrank, shared details on when the highway will be closed and what detours will be available for commuters.

“It’s important to note that one direction of 87 will be closed for each particular weekend,” McCrank said.

He said the northbound side of State Route 87 will be closed on Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. to Sept. 25 at 5 a.m., and the southside of the highway will be closed between Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. to Oct. 23. at 5 a.m..

McCrank said the highway will be closed to traffic for a total of 56 hours as a result.

He also said closing State Route 87 will improve safety for both Caltrans workers and public commuters.

“It’s safer for the public too,”

McCrank said. “You’re not dealing with a lot of lane closures. Trucks coming in and out of work zones.”

McCrank said closing the highway will help Caltrans workers complete construction on the highway three months faster.

During the weekends State Route 87 will be closed and commuters will be able to choose between four different highways to use as detours.

These four highways are State Route 17, Interstate 280, U.S. Route 101 and State Route 85.

City Worker Benefits v.s.

Resident Services

San José City Councilmembers voted 9-2 to move forward with a motion to cut funding from Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood

maximum total of 320 hours paid time leave, a 6% raise in pensions for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and eight hours of personal leave to celebrate holidays not observed by the city.

“There’s a lot more contained in the memo,” Schembri said, referring to a memorandum signed by Councilmembers Pam Foley, David Cohen and Sergio Jimenez.

Laura Stuchinsky, a lead for the Emerging Mobility Program in San José for the Department of Transportation, said she urges city councilmembers to vote in support of moving forward with moving the funding listed in the agreements towards employee benefits, compensation and other demands.

Stuchinsky said staff turnover

million from the general fund to add to city worker financial benefits and compensations for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Shannon said to support these demands, the city will have to make adjustments to their budget to make sure that all ongoing costs are replaced by a supportive amount of ongoing revenue.

“Reducing the budget is never an easy process,” Shannon said. “It’s always, you know, difficult conversations and something we take very, very seriously.”

Shannon said funding for a few residential services provided by San José Park, Recreation and Neighborhood services will be affected, including funding Viva CalleSJ.

Viva CalleSJ is a free recreation program run by the city that closes

you know, we’re trying to cut programming that enriches the lives of residents here in San José.”

Cindy Harlan, the union president for Municipal Employees’ Federation (MEF) Local 101 said although she appreciates the city for being willing to negotiate to the labor unions to avoid a strike, she also feels disheartened from the discussion.

She said San José mayor Matt Mahan should feel shameful for not supporting the proposal and missed an opportunity to mend fences and build a rapport with the labor unions.

“Instead you chose to pit city workers against citizens of San José,” Harlan said. “This agreement is a step in ensuring that essential services like public safety, parks, libraries, public works are adequately staffed to meet the needs of San José residents.”

Harlan said the labor unions will now focus on the upcoming mayoral election and support a mayor who appreciates and invests in city workers.

Mahan said he recognizes that the cost of living in San José is incredibly high.

Jeremy Corrales grant analyst for San José Park and Recreation

He also said he agrees that the city should offer generous raises.

“There is no intention of demonizing workers or labor unions,” Mahan said.

services to move more funding into compensation and benefits for city workers.

On Tuesday afternoon, Jennifer Schembri, director of Employee Relations and Human Resources, announced a proposal to increase funding for city-worker benefits by cutting funding from other services provided by the city.

City workers representing employees from the fire department, the police department, and more were represented by six different labor unions, according to a presentation from employees in Employee Relations and Human Resources.

Schembri said the city and the six labor unions reached an impasse on June 19 until where both sides reached tentative agreements on Aug. 15.

She said these agreements included discussions on having a

is still very high for city workers and there continues to be a lot of vacancies.

She said she recently watched one of her colleagues struggle to temporarily leave work after becoming a first time dad.

“There's no one to back him up when he's out of the office,” Stuchinsky said. “He felt [it] would require fewer hours away from his family if he returned to [work] quickly.”

She said her coworker is very responsible and hard working, but he shouldn’t have to do his job at the expense of his family.

“It’s a false dichotomy to say that paying city employees more will undermine essential services such as libraries, community centers, and streets.”

Jim Shannon, the budget director for San José, said the union is asking the city to use $2.8

off streets to host community events to encourage community members to explore San José, according to its website.

Shannon said the city will also have to cancel around 25 events hosted by Viva CalleSJ to adjust for the loss of money in the budget.

Jeremy Corrales, a grant analyst for San José Park and Recreation, said he is opposed to cutting funding from the program.

Corrales said he has been a resident of San José for his entire life and an employee for the city for almost a decade, but sees the support for the proposal as “discouraging.”

“It’s really disheartening having to fight so hard to make a livable wage and to be able to live here in the city that I call my home,” Corrales said. “It’s even more discouraging knowing that,

However, Mahan also said his concern is that the city has a finite budget and will have to make significant trade-offs.

Councilmember Foley, who signed a memorandum along with councilmembers Cohen and Jimenez to support cutting funding from other parts of the city’s budget in order to meet the labor union demands without cutting funding from Viva CalleSJ, said cuts are going to have to be made to the budget regardless of the council’s decisions.

“Wherever they come [from], I don't know,” Foley said. “Hopefully we can keep them as far away from residents’ services as possible.”

ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY

Marc Spears (right) awards Matt Mahan (left) a "Basketball Hall of Fame" pin at beginning of a City Hall meeting during ceremonial agenda items on Tuesday afternoon.

It’s really disheartening having to fight so hard to make a livable wage and to be able to live here in the city that I call my home. It’s even more discouraging knowing that, you know, we're trying to cut programming that enriches the lives of residents here in San José.

Vendors from the Berryessa Flea Market sell fresh produce

Flea market comes to City Hall

By Brandon Nicolas SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Vendors from the Berryessa Flea Market sold colorful fruits, snacks and clothing to people outside of City Hall at noon on Tuesday.

The Berryessa Flea Market Vendors Association is a union of small business owners and employees formed to represent the needs of merchants while recognizing flea markets as an economic and cultural resource, according to its website.

Roberto Gonzalez, president of the Berryessa Flea Market Vendors Association, said he contacted vendors and

members of the association to set up shop at City Hall.

“It’s kind of a 360 moment,” he said. “Almost

three years ago now, we were here protesting against the displacement of vendors at the Berryessa Flea Market.”

A 2021 San Jose City Council vote allowed market operators to move forward in developing the

Berryessa BART Urban Village on flea market land, causing many vendors to find work elsewhere.

“We are able to work, luckily, through the Office of Economic Development who the vendors have created a good relationship with,” Roberto Gonzalez said. “They put up some money through the budget process to host these small events.”

He said Councilmembers Dev Davis and Omar Torres helped organize permits and event services.

The market is set to take place every Tuesday in front of City Hall from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. until Nov. 14.

Roberto Gonzalez said he is working toward extending vendor hours until 6 p.m.

“Every vendor you see

CA passes bill to outlaw caste discrimination

By Navin Krishnan STAFF WRITER

California lawmakers passed a bill protecting individuals against caste discrimination on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

The bill makes California the first state in the country to ban discrimination based on caste, a way to categorize people by their bloodline.

The original caste system was derived from the Hindu religion, although it was subsequently influenced by Buddhist intervention, British rule and the ancient Aryans.

military and political functions, economic functions and menial jobs that require physical labor over intellect according to COVE.

Today, the history of the caste system continues to affect the Indian-American community.

SJSU undeclared junior Atharv More said the bill’s efficacy is legitimate and any hint of the caste system should be banned, leaving it in the past.

According to College Factual’s website, There are around 2,041 Indian students on the San Jose State campus.

“I think the caste system should be banned,” More said. “I am of Indian descent. The caste system itself is a problem, but people’s mindsets are a bigger problem when they implement it over here.”

Hindu American Foundation member Murali Balaji said casteism is not merely based on colorism.

“The term caste and idea of an ancient and contemporary caste system was developed as a theory by Europeans,” Balaji said. “Colorism is a real fixation among some folks in the South Asian community, but in no way has connection to any religious background or tradition.”

Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria Hindu American Foundation member

The Aryans are Indian immigrants whose roots are found in Southern Europe and Northern Asia. Their fairer skin distinguished them from Indigenous Indians according to the Collaborative Organization for Virtual Education (COVE).

The Aryans discriminated based on four aspects: religious functions,

De Anza College sophomore Sarthak Dassarma reflected on how his family influenced him in terms of keeping his culture and heritage rooted.

Dassarma said in comparison to other cultures, India takes most of the blame for casteism.

“There’s a huge misunderstanding of what caste is, or let’s say like a stigma,” Dassarma said.

He also said caste discrimination isn’t extinct, but has a prevalence in the Indian-American community.

BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY

to shoppers in front of City Hall on Tuesday afternoon during a weekly event that will extend until November.

“Let’s dismantle casteism,” Sekhsaria said. “Let’s dismantle caste supremacy, as we dismantle white supremacy in the United States.”

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

Community reflects on COVID vaccine

announced that students would be required to have documentation verifying they've taken the coronavirus vaccine.

Kinesiology senior Emma Tyler said she doesn’t regret taking the vaccine.

By Angel Santiago STAFF WRITER

The coronavirus pandemic has affected students in San José and many people across the world. Almost everyone got fully vaccinated after four years since the outbreak, however some people may regret taking the vaccine.

Shortly before the majority of students were allowed to live on campus during the Fall 2021 semester, San José State University

“I feel like it has done its job of preventing me from ever getting sick again,” Tyler said.

“So I feel like it has done its job so far.”

In an article from the CDC, the COVID-19 vaccine was able to subdue the intensity of the virus by building immunity within its recipients.

Sociology senior Charlene Cordero took the vaccine before coming to campus because her family was diagnosed with COVID-19 but she tested negative.

“My entire family that I live with got Covid except for me after I got it after I got the vaccine,” Cordero said. “So I think that really did help. And I was able to take care of my family during that time.”

An Aug. 2021 U.S. News article also found that both colleges in the California State University system and other colleges requested that students get vaccinated before stepping on campus. Liberal studies sophomore Kayla Hamilton said that her parents told her to take the COVID-19

vaccine to reduce the spread of the virus.

“I honestly just did what they told me, but I didn't feel bad,” Hamilton said.

According to USA Facts, about 230 million people across the world have been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

In the state of California, more than 75% of people have two doses of the vaccine according to USA Facts.

Three years into the COVID19 pandemic, the virus has still not been eradicated, and is still prevalent in the Bay Area.

According to a graph by the SFist, Santa Clara County has the highest COVID-19 case of 471,195 cases followed by Alameda County with 376,175 cases.

As of Monday, the Food and Drug Administrations announced that they approved a new COVID19 vaccine for people to take. The FDA took 12 months to approve the vaccine, and are now encouraging people to get another booster vaccine.

GRAPHICS BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

DISCRIMINATION

Continued from page 2

Dassarma said many still aren’t fully aware of the long-standing effects of caste discrimination.

“Some of my friends don’t realize there’s definitely a difference of what caste means today than what it was before,” Dassarma said. “What we learned in history class is, you can only marry within your caste and for people below your caste, they

asking someone to grapple and confront their privilege.

Sekhsaria also said the idea that casteism in ancient India hasn’t changed or blamed Hindu philosophies or fundamentals is wrong.

“I have, nonetheless, the right and responsibility to say that the increasing number of calls insisting that caste is fundamental to my religion, and the solution to caste discrimination is to dismantle my religion is wrong, bigoted and Hinduphobic,” Sekhsaria said.

Sekhsaria said that the reality of Hinduism

I am of Indian descent. The caste system itself is a problem, but people’s mindsets are a bigger problem when they implement it over here.

automatically look down on you. People still attribute those things to how modernday Indians treat each other, which I think is very far from the truth.”

Hindu American Foundation member Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria, said the discrimination she felt in India was different from that in America.

“I come from a very traditional Marwari Hindu family,” Sekhsaria said. “I recognize the pull to be defensive because for all the historic privilege I may have had within Indian or South Asian spaces. I’ve still been bullied here in America for being brown and Hindu.”

She said Hindu pride and its scope of devotion is the more fundamental approach to understanding Indian society rather than

has historically been to inspire social reform and upliftment, not based on self-hatred rooted in ignorance.

“Like it was gonna help them not get it or like, reduce the amount of like how hard the sickness, it's fine with that.”

FLEA MARKET

Continued from page 2

“Let’s dismantle casteism,” Sekhsaria said. “Let’s dismantle caste supremacy, as we dismantle white supremacy in the United States.” here today has been part of the Vendor Association since then, and all of them are vendors at the Berryessa Flea Market,” he said.

Roberto Gonzalez said the opportunity of using the City Hall Plaza as a selling space helps vendors reach new customers.

SJSU alum Diego Martinez is a community relations director for Torres.

Crime Blotter

“It’s good energy and everyone is positive right now,” he said. “There haven't been any issues with customers or city officials either.”

Follow the Spartan Daily on X (formerly Twitter) @SpartanDaily

Martinez said he noticed vendors in front of the building last week and made time during his break to visit the tents.

Martinez said he appreciates the vendors accepting payments through apps such as Zelle, Venmo and Cash App because he does not carry cash on a daily basis.

Berryessa Flea Market vendor Ulises Sedano runs a table with his father, selling crystallized minerals to promote mental health and spiritual practices.

Jaykenneth Veth undeclared freshman

Undeclared freshman Jaykenneth Veth said he drove by City Hall, noticed colorful tents and pulled over out of curiosity.

“The atmosphere is unique and it gives City Hall a more friendlier tone to it,” he said. “You can come, grab fruits, hang out with people . . . it’s more of a community vibe.”

Antonio Gonzalez, a street vendor who has sold at the Berryessa Flea Market for nearly 30 years, sold whole fruits and vegetables next to the City Hall front entrance.

“This is our chance to come to the city and do it right here,” he said. “It’s also a good chance to make extra money.”

Antonio Gonzalez said his produce sells faster tabling in front of City Hall than at a flea market.

“I never expected them to let us sell over here in front of City Hall, but we are going to take this opportunity and do it,” Antonio Gonzalez said. “When it’s done, it’s done.”

BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY

I think the caste system should be banned.

I feel like it has done its job of preventing me from ever getting sick again. So I feel like it has done its job so far.

Emma Tyler kinesiology senior

'GUTS' is for teenage girls in their 20s

By Tracy Escobedo ILLUSTRATOR

My most highly anticipated album of 2023, “GUTS” by Olivia Rodrigo, is the sourest album for any selfdestructive teenage girl in their 20s.

The pressure was on for Rodrigo after the immense success that came after the release of her debut album, “SOUR,” which was released back in 2021. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and won Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards in 2022.

Two years after that release, she is back with the release of “GUTS.”

“A lot of this album is about the confusion that comes with becoming a young adult and figuring out your place in this world,” Rodrigo told Zane Lowe during an interview for New Music Daily on Apple Music 1. “Figuring out who you want to be and who you want to hang out with and all of that stuff."

The opening track, “all-american bitch” brought me back to 2007. Cherry lip gloss, artificial strawberry scent and Hannah Montana posters plastered on the walls.

The similarities between Miley Cyrus’ “Start All Over” and this song are clear enough to hear after the first listen, which made me love this track even more.

The song starts with a mellow feel, finger picking through a couple strings, followed by Rodrigo’s angelic voice. “I’ve got sun in my motherfucking pocket, best believe / yeah, you know me,” the song builds up, letting the sound of drums and electric guitar chords take over the chorus.

The melodies switching up in between verses reminded me so much of the popular K-pop group NMIXX, and the song “Mary Jane” by Fergie so the song instantly became one of my favorites from the album.

The bridge is engulfed with bloodymurder screams, intense drumming and screeching guitars.

Rodrigo then catches her breath, and the song goes back to its calm and ethereal feel it started with. A knock at the door is heard from a distance,

make it seem like a valid visit.

The thing I love about “GUTS” is the fact that Rodrigo is able to make these songs sound so conversational. It’s not that she’s rapping, but she’s talking to her audience throughout the song, following with longer notes at the end of her sentences.

Piano can be heard for the first time in the album on “vampire,” which was also the first single. “Went for me and not her / cuz girls your age know better,” the ballad is about a manipulative partner who took advantage of her because of how young she is.

I nearly fell to my knees with my jaw on the floor when I first listened to this song. It is painful. It is the realest song she has ever written and I nearly cried at

album review

“GUTS”

Rating:

which seamlessly transitions into the next track, “bad idea right?”

The song opens with a guitar squeal which gives an effect of a door opening and a sighed gentle “hey” from Rodrigo. The track is contemplating about seeing an ex which only results in a late-night hook up and using every excuse in the book to

Artist: Olivia Rodrigo Release Date: Sep. 8, 2023

Genre: pop / rock

the end of each line she sings, because of how heartbreaking the lyrics are.

The fourth track of the album is “lacy.” This one stands out to me because it is unlike the other tracks on the album. If you are a fan of Conan Gray and Harry Styles, this song is for you.

It is a gorgeous ballad with long sustained notes

about a toxic sapphic friendship. “Yeah, I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you.” Although I can see how many people can relate to this, it is personally not one of my favorites.

The term sapphic relates back to an ancient Greek poet, Sappho, the word itself refers to women being attracted to other women according to the Richmond Public Library.

vocals and just the overall volume of this track.

Rodrigo turned 20 back in February, so when I heard her sing about “getting drunk at a club” in “making the bed,” I was extremely confused. Who is taking this girl to the bar?

In the song, Rodrigo describes the feeling of not being able to handle something one can’t control, like fame.

We go back to these gut-wrenching, soul-

she is getting revenge on him for treating her badly.

If I did a ranking of each track of the album, then this one would probably be at the very bottom of the pyramid. It’s not bad but definitely not for me. I do say that “but I am my father’s daughter, so maybe I could fix him” is the winning line of the entire song because it is hilarious knowing that Rodrigo’s father is a

It’s a song about the frustration behind having to look and act a certain way in order to fit into unrealistic beauty standards.

The vibe of the song sounds like something you would hear in a coming-of-age film so I honestly found it boring, but I like the message.

The majority of the tracks on “GUTS” are gloomy ballads. The final song is titled “teenage dream,” and it is another slow-paced piano track that follows the same storyline as “making the bed.”

We get to hear a more mature side from Rodrigo with “GUTS,” but she still keeps the same sound as her last album. This time with more f-bombs and a raw feeling present throughout.

After wiping away my tears from listening to “vampire” and “lacy” back-toback, I immediately felt my energy surge with excitement hearing “ballad of a homeschooled girl.” This song was made for silly freshmen college girls.

It made me realize how much I crave to scream my guts out to every lyric of these songs. These tour dates better come out soon!

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh after hearing the lyric “every guy I like is gay.” The song is a degrading yet rebellious track about not being able to conform into society because socializing is dreading.

The song isn’t for everyone, but it definitely is for me. I love the punky-ness, the raspy

crushing ballads when “logical” comes on. The song continues the narrative set in “vampire.”

You can feel every emotion at the end of each line and it’s numbing. Her voice breaks as she sings “Oh, why do I do this? I look so stupid, thinking” and I felt a knot form in my throat.

If I weren’t a fan of hers, I probably wouldn’t listen to this song on a casual Wednesday, only because it is so raw and depressing. It’s a very stripped-down song, so if you love Mitski, then you should give it a listen.

Rodrigo released her new music video on Tuesday for “get him back!” in collaboration with Apple in order to promote the new iPhone 15. This track is about an ex, but the twist is that

therapist.

“love is embarrassing” is a forgetful track. It's also the song I will most likely hear blast through the speakers at my retail job for the next three months.

My favorite song from the previous album “SOUR” is “favorite crime,” so my thoughts after listening to “the grudge” for the first time was, “This is the one.”

It is another strippeddown track about the same person as “vampire” and “logical,” but the lyrics express pure heartbreak. “It takes strength to forgive, but I don’t feel strong” is my favorite lyric.

If the “Barbie” movie came after this album release, I’m positive that “pretty isn’t pretty” would have made it onto the official soundtrack.

With this album, Rodrigo brings back the nostalgic sound I loved as a kid with tracks like “all-american bitch” and “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” so I am obsessed. This is Gen Z’s pop princess, and I fully support it.

The lyrics are so easy to connect with, and it makes me sad seeing people continue to undermine her success. She wrote this entire album at the age of 19 … she’s the “it” girl for me!

ILLUSTRATION BY TRACY ESCOBEDO

The thing I love about 'GUTS' is the fact that Rodrigo is able to make these songs sound so conversational.

Master's students showcase photos

By Tracy Escobedo ILLUSTRATOR

Students from the Masters of Fine Arts program put together an exhibition and showcased their work on Tuesday in the Industrial Studies building.

The Masters of Fine Arts graduate program is a 60 unit degree and students typically complete it in 5-6 semesters according to the SJSU website.

Nine students from the program planned the event and put together their work in under a week.

A quick turn around was decided after the students heard that there would be no showing at the Herbert Sanders Gallery that week.

There was no theme for the exhibition, rather the artists pieced together variations of their work inside the gallery.

Two medium sized framed images of a baby doll s head were displayed in front of each other, the one in front was slightly distorted. This artwork created by masters student Samantha Saldana was titled “Retrospective Baby Picture1990.”

“I thought it would be interesting to do a retrospective baby picture and kind of play with this concept of distortion and then just kind of apply that to myself as a baby,” Saldana said. She said the trauma she’s been through in her life inspired the piece.

Saldana had also mentioned that she was collaborating with

Shea Windberg on projects. He had his work displayed right next to her.

“ This was done over the summer,” Windberg said as he described his piece titled “particle cloud.” He said “I usually use really bad processing strategies to a high temperature and you can end up with a lot of weird anomalies like a body being completely blown out into a cloud.”

Many of the works displayed were personal to the artists as they described what they had created.

Another piece showed a series of photos on a three by three grid with different parts of someone’s body, revealing to be masters student Andi Palma’s husband.

in the room. “There’s a lot of variety in the photography.”

on my side.”

Others stood out in the hallway and talked with each other about their work and future plans working with each other in the masters program.

“

It’s about finding the intimacy of your skin,” Palma said while describing her work. “Counting yourself and being okay with it.”

Other students from the masters program visited the exhibition as well.

“I’m liking this in the show,” masters student Mark P. Fisher said, glancing over at the work

Many family members and friends of the artists arrived in support of their work. Snacks and drinks were offered outside of the gallery room for any guests visiting it.

There were concerns at the event about the temperature of the room. “Is there no AC in this building?” one guest questioned.

“It’s so hot in here, [my art] just keeps falling,” Saldana said while trying to put her work back together. “Gravity is not

“It’s just the amount of work that’s intimidating,”Palma said. “I feel like I’m not supposed to be here but I also feel like I’m right where I'm supposed to be.”

TRACY ESCOBEDO | SPARTAN DAILY

TRACY ESCOBEDO | SPARTAN DAILY

ESCOBEDO | SPARTAN DAILY

On Tuesday afternoon, attendees view the various art pieces displayed at the Herbert Sanders Gallery, a photography exhibition created by Masters of Fine Arts students.

Multiple art pieces centered around photography were presented at the Herbert Sanders Gallery at the Industrial Studies building on campus.

Photography exhibit attendee views

student's work posted at the Herbert Sanders Gallery.

Social media ruined my confi dence

repeat what they see and find appealing and entertaining on TikTok. There are no issues with older creators creating these ‘Get Ready with Me’ videos in the first place.

The main issue is why are these young children able to have a TikTok account to begin with? TikTok’s age restriction is supposed to be 13 years and older, but there is no second step verification to make sure that’s your real age.

Vanessa Real STAFF WRITER

I’m scrolling through TikTok to find two girls around the ages of 8 through 10 filming a ‘Get Ready with Me’ style video. Throughout the segment you watch both of these girls apply multiple makeup products and curl their hair.

A ‘Get Ready with Me’ is a video in which a creator shows the steps they take while preparing for an event or just for fun. Watching young girls not only put on inordinate amounts of makeup for school, but seeing that they’re filming and posting it, reminds me of the way social media impacted my sense of beauty and self-worth at a young age.

I was shocked to see such young kids posting that kind of content on TikTok. I have seen children on TikTok before, but it would be a random account where there’s only 4 likes and the kid would just be using a silly filter.

I was shocked to see the two friends’ interactions and language towards each other. One of them pulled out a makeup bag showing expensive brands such as Tarte’s concealer, bronzing drops, and Rare Beauty blush. The other showed off the curls she just styled in her hair. The girl who recorded the video had highlights in her hair as well as fake nails.

I do not blame these young girls, they’ll just

I was either 10 or 11 years old when I secretly downloaded Instagram and Snapchat because I knew my mom would be furious if she found out I had these apps on my phone.

As I became familiar with these platforms, I started noticing a lot of the same kinds of ads that would come up every so often.

“LOSE 10 POUNDS IN 3 DAYS!”, “GREEN TEA SECRET PILL TO LOSE WEIGHT!”, “ERASE INCHES OFF YOUR WAIST,” read ads that would appear on my Instagram.

When I was 11 I remember standing in the checkout line at a grocery store with my mom, I looked over to the magazine stand to see multiple magazine covers being centered around women’s bodies.

The front page read just like any other 2014 celebrity gossip tabloid.

Headlines like “so-and-so celebrity lost her pregnancy fat,” were plastered in front of a line presumably hundreds of people walk through each day. Another magazine showed a before and after of a celebrity’s face with cosmetic surgery and face-fat removal.

Walking around the mall and seeing posters of girls with big thigh gaps, clear skin and tiny waists showed me all qualities that I had wished I had at 11 years old.

With all these advertisements of what women’s bodies are supposed to look like, I became very insecure at a very young age because this media was drowning me with ways to hate my appearance.

The precedent was set in my 11-year-old

brain that if my thighs touched, or if I had stomach rolls when I sat down, I was not up to par with the beauty standards of a “conventionally” attractive woman, which I already wanted to be at that age. What hurts the most is that these standards glamorize femininity, and this skewed sense of what is considered beautiful is ingrained into young girl’s minds so early.

Even though I have grown up and out of the mindset that my insecurities define me, that doesn’t mean current tweenagers aren’t going to have the same insecurities I used to have.

Don't trust social media for advice on relationships

seeing a half-naked girl with a Brazilian butt lift and my boyfriend's social media handle in the likes haunts me. I mean, I’m a pretty confident person but when I see things like this it’s hard not to compare myself to these bodies with cosmetic surgery.

wife Cahterine Mcbroom are a popular influencer couple that publicly post their relationship on a daily basis. While the influencers post things like fancy dinner dates, pictures of their three children all in matching pajamas or

Austin was accused of having sexual encounters with multiple women.

Social media is a platform that allows users to post what they want their audience to see, and oftentimes, a rather fake lifestyle.

things started to change, social media became more popular. Platforms like Instagram became addicting and highly influential.

would say.

Before even rolling out of bed in the morning, I check my phone and spend about 30 minutes scrolling through social media apps like Instagram, X and TikTok. As embarrassing as that is to say, it’s the reality.

Like any other 21-yearold, social media is a big part of my life, whether I like to admit it or not.

After I do my daily catching up on socials I text my boyfriend. If we happen to be waking up next to each other, though, the itch to go through that man’s phone kills me.

Honestly, the reason why I have this urge to check what he’s doing is mainly due to social media. Accounts like @justinlaboy posting memes about cheating and the comment section being filled with over 100 comments of men and women saying “if only they knew,” is part of the reason I have trust issues.

The idea of scrolling through Instagram and

I try to tell myself “Oh it’s just a picture,” but as soon as I open up TikTok the first video that pops up is someone saying “If he likes another girls picture, he’s acknowledging that he likes what he sees and that’s not your man, that’s our man.” Other times, it’s a video saying to repost with this sound or your relationship will fail. I mean, what is up with that algorithm, how do you know what the hell is going on in my head?

Oftentimes, when scrolling through my timeline, whether it be TikTok, Instagram or X, influencer couples post a lot of content with their partner and paint a picture of “the perfect couple.”

Austin Mcbroom and his

Austin buying Catherine a custom pink wrapped Tesla, their relation is not “couple goals” or “the perfect couple.” The couple underwent a cheating scandal in 2021 where

Growing up, my mother would always emphasize how natural beauty is the key. For a while I agreed and even hardly ever wore makeup.

High school is when

There’s so many things that social media triggers when in a relationship. For instance, I post a selfie on my story, soon after my phone is buzzing back to back with likes and comments and the first thing my boyfriend will say is “Are those your hoes texting you?” Can I blame him?

It makes me think that maybe he is self projecting and that's what's going on when and if he posts a picture.

I'd like to assume others will agree with me on some of these points, but if not, then I guess the rest of us will remain toxic and slightly “delulu.” Delulu is a newly popular term meaning “delusional” and often used to describe a toxic individual, as Generation Z

My point is, our attachment to social media makes for a toxic relationship. If someone enters a relationship in 2023, they should be prepared to face all types of arguments related to social media and compromise with your partner.

Compromising with your partner can look like many things. For instance, if an individual expresses to their partner that liking half-naked pics of either men or women makes them feel a certain way and they’re clearly uncomfortable, compromise by no longer liking those types of pictures.

I suggest having an open ended conversation at the start of the relationship where both individuals establish what boundaries should be set when it comes to our endless scrolls on social media.

GRAPHIC BY JOANNA CHAVEZ

Maya Benmokhtar STAFF WRITER

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ & MAYA BENMOKHTAR

CANILAO'S COMMENTARY

Spartans look to win second in a row

By Nathan Canilao

Though it’s early in the season, San José State’s game against the University of Toledo on Saturday is going to be an important flash point for a Spartan team who is at a season crossroad.

SJSU (1-2) opened its season with consecutive losses to No. 6 USC and No. 16 Oregon State, and is facing a Toledo team that is the reigning MidAmerican Conference champions. More recently, the Rockets beat the brakes off Texas Southern University last Saturday in a 71-3 blowout win.

“The whirlwind of the season has come, and

we’re well in the middle of it here,” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan in a Tuesday press conference.

The Spartans are coming off a 59-3 blowout win against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo going into Saturday’s matchup with Toledo. But let’s be honest, the Spartans were supposed to beat the Mustangs.

Cal Poly, an FCS program, just didn’t have the athletes or the coaching experience that SJSU has. Had the Mustangs beaten the Spartans, we would be having a much different conversation about where SJSU is at this point of the season and where we expect the team to be.

Saturday’s game against

Toledo is consequential.

If the Spartans beat the Rockets on their home field the whole dynamic of this season changed.

SJSU would be 2-2 with a gigantic win under its belt against a team that has had the type of success that is desired at mid-major schools.

Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro would undoubtedly get his biggest road win as SJSU’s quarterback. A win against Toledo would show that a Brennan-led team can win a big game against a quality team on the road and would give the Spartans some extra juice going into conference play. But if the Spartans lose, the whole direction of the season can go an entirely

different direction.

A loss would mean the Spartans drop to 1-3 heading into their Mountain West opener against Air Force on Sept. 22 at home. A defeat at the hands of Toledo could be a blow to the confidence of the team coming off a muchneeded victory against Cal Poly.

Losing for prolonged periods of time at this level can snowball, making it hard for teams to recover. The last thing the Spartans need is to not have confidence going into conference play where the pressure of winning starts to get bigger.

“Playing well against Cal Poly in a home game

was great, but this is a much different thing,” Brennan said. “We’re traveling three time zones, we’re playing a seven o’clock kick out there. So it’s just a much different experience altogether. This is gonna be an incredible challenge for us and we're excited to play.”

Saturday’s game against Toledo also allows the Spartans to show a level of consistency that they haven’t been able to build on yet this season.

The offense has been sporadic, showing great flashes in spurts against USC while looking downright bad against Oregon State. The defense was the driving force of the team against Cal Poly, but was run over in the

first two games of the season where they gave up 98 points combined.

If the Spartans can show consistency in all three phases on Saturday, it can certainly help a team who has struggled to find its identity early in the season.

“A win no matter who you play in college football is hard,” said Cordeiro after SJSU’s win over Cal Poly. “But we know that it’s just one game and it’s onto the next. We gotta focus on Toledo.”

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Follow Nathan Canilao on X (formerly Twitter) @nathancanilao

BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY

San José State junior tight end Sam Olson (88) jogs off the field during the team's first win of the season against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday.