Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 13

Community educates SJSU on voting

By Melany Gutierrez STAFF WRITER

The San José State Votes Festival took place on Seventh Street Plaza in celebration of National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday afternoon.

Mary Currin-Percival, political science professor and director of SJSU Votes and of the Institute of Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (IPACE), said both of the student organizations she is a part of were responsible for organizing the festival.

SJSU Votes is a project that facilitates non-partisan voter registration, mobilization and education for the campus community, according to a website from SJSU Votes.

registration at SJSU, we want to celebrate all sorts of civic engagement opportunities,” said Currin-Percival. “We invited 24 partners total including SJSU Votes here

festival, such as League of Women Voters, representatives of Mayor Matt Mahan, County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters, representatives of Councilmember Omar

power.”

Patricio Barajas is a student assistant and is a peer mentor for UndocuSpartan, helping undocumented first year and transfer students.

Oles said one of the main goals for the League of Women Voters as a partner at the festival is to inform students about voting even if they do not want to vote.

I personally believe civic engagement is super important just to make sure that you have a say and use your voice in our democracy.

“Students should definitely come out here and learn what different organizations are and what they have to offer,” Nabizada said. “I think it will help students get involved with the community outside of just attending classes.”

Kadence Walker is an SJSU alum and field representative for Assemblymember Ash Kalra.

Walker said Kalra loves to employ SJSU graduates like him.

Walker said the potential to make career connections is an added incentive to get students to come out and interact with organizations at this festival.

IPACE is an organization created by the learning opportunities,

to encourage students to register to vote, to check their voter registration and to volunteer in local

to in org anizations.”

Torres, representatives of Assemblymember Ash Kalra, UndocuSpartan, Bridge SJSU and many

Brid ge SJSU and ma ny more

Politi ca l Sc ie nc e De partment at SJ SU i n 2012, accordin g to a website from SJSU.

T he or g anization was desi g ned to stud y local politics and polic y in Silicon Valle y, and prompt students to be civicall y en g a g ed throu g h i nternships and other communit y- based l earning opportunities according to the same website.

“The event is not j ust about voter

i nvited various cit y councilmembers , members and votin g or g anizations t o

SJSU Votes invited various city councilmembers, assembly members and voting organizations to the

Heather Cabral is a p olitical science senior and is an intern for IPACE. She has been part of SJSU Votes festivals before a nd said the essential goal of SJSU Votes events is to get students civically en g a g ed and usin g their voice.

Barajas said he hopes having a booth at the festival representing UndocuSpartan will help undocumented students feel like they are not being pushed aside or feel like they’re being left out just because they cannot vote. He said he wants undocumented students to feel like claiming their space in the political atmosphere and getting the recognition they need.

“If you look at history, at one point many people were not able to vote, but that did not stop them from advocating for themselves,” Barajas said. “In reality your voice is very important even if your voice is not a vote, a lot of voices make a lot

Martha Oles, retired high school teacher and a longtime member of the League of Women Voters, represented the organization at its festival booth.

Undocu Sp un do cu m feel like t h a t he y ’re b e b ecause t h s a u ndocu m to feel li k s pace i n atmosph e t he recogn “If you at one p o were no t b ut that t hem from t hemselve In realit v er y imp voi c a v of noise.” Marth a hi g h sch o a lon g ti m t he Le ag Voters, t he or ga b o

“Youngsters are the group that doesn't vote the most, and we are here trying to tell them you don't have to vote on every specific thing on the ballot and to give them information on how they can find out about the propositions and so forth,” Oles said. “We’re here to tell them what we have found out from what we’ve studied, we’re just trying to make a more enlightened population.”

In the 2022 midterm elections, national youth voter turnout was only at 23%, according to a website from Tufts University.

Political science senior

Sabrina Nabizada is the president of Bridge SJSU, a multi-partisan and solution-oriented political organization on campus.

Nabizada believes the importance of the festival has to do with student involvement in their community outside of regular campus life.

“Getting involved early on with civic participation, like being an intern or just attending events like our upcoming Veggie Fest, it’s a way to get involved locally,” said Walker. “It opens so many different doors to you and we always try to make the internship purposeful.”

Currin-Percival said the SJSU Votes festival had many different benefits for students through information, opportunity and initiative to register to vote in preparation for the upcoming March election.

“Definitely stay informed, don’t wait to register to vote on election day,” said Currin-Percival. “In California, you can actually vote long before election day . . . Fill out that ballot as soon as you feel comfortable that you’re ready to vote, but don’t wait until the last minute.”

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MELANY GUTIERREZ | SPARTAN DAILY

Two representatives of the office of Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez host an informational table session on Seventh Street Plaza to promote voter registration.

Heather Cabral political science senior and IPACE intern

Indigenous center opens at SJSU

By Angel Santiago STAFF WRITER

A new student success center for Indigenous students is now available at San José State.

The Native American Indigenous Student Success Center (NAISSC), located on the first floor of Clark Hall, is a space where indigenous students can meet and connect with one another.

As of right now, the space is currently a temporary location for the Indigenous community because the director and student success leaders are fighting for an official space at the Spartan Memorial.

Current and former

students from the Native American Student Organization (NASO) worked together to open the center for many years.

NASO is a student organization where students can come together to share common interests and bond everlasting connections.

Elisa Aquino who is of Zapotec descent and is also the program director of NAISSC said the center acknowledges the ancestors of indigenous students and their success at SJSU.

Aquino said, Native Americans lived on the present-day SJSU campus long before the university existed.

“Before the creation of

San José State, there has always been indigenous people in the area that always saw a need for Indigenous spaces on this campus,” Aquino said.

She also said in recent years, she saw how current and former students came together from the Native American Student Organization.

“Thanks to all the students like the NASO students from the Native American Student Organization who really took the lead in wanting to see a center for future students,” Aquino said.

Students and faculty worked together to have a conversation with university leaders

to open the space that was worked for many years.

Carmina Bosmenier, education senior and student success leader at NAISSC said at a young age she struggled in her early years in school because she had a hard time reading books when her teacher timed her.

She also said sometimes teachers would have hard times teaching students because they don’t often come to these kinds of spaces.

“For me, what was tough was I couldn't read as fast as the other kids. So I often felt like I was always nervous to be one-on-one with the teacher.” Bosmenier said.

Bosmenier said she feels most comfortable when taking guidance from a teacher within her tribe.

Native Americans Indigenous students struggled finding a space where they could feel welcomed and healed from their generational differences.

Oswaldo Martin, civil engineering senior and member of the Maya-Mam tribe, said before coming to SJSU he was in community college and was part of Native American Students Organization.

He said joining the organization helped him to get out of his comfort zone and learn about other tribes other

than his Indigenous tribe. Martin said he joined NASO in the Fall 2022 semester to be more involved with the Native American community and said when he heard about the Indigenous space, he wanted to be part of the movement.

“Being in spaces like this is unique too, because you get to learn other perspectives that have similar experiences to yours, but at the same time different and it's great to meet people that way,” Martin said.

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ANGEL SANTIAGO | SPARTAN DAILY

Elisa Aquino, program director for Native American Indigenous Student Success, leads discussion in the new center in Clark Hall on Tuesday.

Raging Waters theme park dries up

By Dylan Newman STAFF WRITER

The Raging Waters water theme park located in East San José has announced it will not be reopening for its 2024 season in a Sept. 6 Instagram post.

The closure has left San José high and dry without its iconic summer cool-off spot that has splashed its local residents for the past 37 years.

Palace Entertainment, the owner of the park, announced the closure a few days after the end of the 2023 operation season, leaving fans of the park or locals no opportunity to visit one last time.

The 23-acre water park is located right off of the shores of Lake Cunningham, featuring several water slides, a wave pool and lazy river. The closest water park is located 12 miles away at California’s Great America, an amusement park that’s been in the area since 1976 and is marching toward its own closure within the next 10 years, according to a June 2022 SFGATE article.

The owner of the park said the closure was a “business decision,” according to a Sept. 6 article from NBC Bay Area.

Employees of the park arrived to work for the day to find their job no longer existed, according to the same article.

Benny Boveda, a lecturer in San José State’s Department of Marketing and Business Analytics, said this move deprives the locals of a popular spot to beat the Bay Area heat.

“A water theme park tends to be very appealing to families with young children and young adults because it gives a relief from the summer, especially if the community does not have an abundance of public swimming pools,” Boveda said. “I know they have to pay to get in, but it provides a product of relief.”

The City of San José has four public swimming pools available, but only for a few afternoon hours a day during the summer for its residents to recreationally swim, according to the city’s webpage.

Boveda said declining attendance numbers during the coronavirus pandemic shrunk the revenue earned at these popular dayentertainment venues.

He also said despite Raging Water’s closure, there are still fun theme and water parks in the greater Bay Area area for people to enjoy, including California’s Great America, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Gilroy Gardens.

“You also have potentially other options where people

could do that summer escape,” Boveda said. “I know that it requires travel to get to, but there are some other options that people could maybe prefer.”

Junior computer science major Maria Sanchez Rodriguez said Raging Waters wasn’t too expensive to enter and said the park’s location for her was optimal.

“I’m from the East Side of San José, so Raging Waters has always been close and was a part of my childhood,” Sanchez Rodriguez said. “I was planning on going again, but I’m sad to find out I won’t be able to.”

She said Raging Waters was a chill place to cool off during the summer, and that it was affordable compared to Great America’s water park.

“[The] lazy river, wave pool, [and] water slides were all so fun,” Sanchez Rodriguez said.

The lazy river was the source of a memorable story for business administration senior Marianna Arellanes Aldaco.

“While I was in the lazy river, the water bleached my shorts,” Aldaco said.

Boveda also said the closure of Raging Waters will rid the area of a prime spot for high school students to go and work their first job, and that it will likely sit abandoned or fenced up for years to come.

“It was part time, beyond summer jobs — we just closed one more of those choices,” Boveda said. “Where are those youth going to go to trying to find employment?”

Boveda also said the closure would be a misuse of the land to replace an iconic recreational spot with housing and the local community deserves to have at least something in its place.

“The community needs something else other than just housing,” Boveda said. “[San José can] create a park, even if it's just not a theme park, but some other way where families and young adults go outside and enjoy the time.”

Pink salt ponds make waves in SJ

By Aaliyah Roman STAFF WRITER

Pink salt ponds are the new attraction for San José locals and visitors. This rose-colored body of water is found at Alviso Marina County Park.

“There is bacteria that grows in the salt ponds and that bacteria creates a pink hue that you see,” San José State University marine biology assistant professor, Maya deVries, said.

DeVries said the ponds have a higher concentration of salt in the late summer and early fall because of warmer weather conditions.

“It's been really warm here all summer and there's been a lot of evaporation all summer, so now is kind of the height of this pink bacteria and the salt’s warming,” deVries said.

. . . higher temperatures lead to higher evaporation [and] higher temperatures in the water,” Ouverney said. “I don't know if (it) is true that the San Francisco Bay water temperatures (are) going up.”

Ouverney said the pink water is safe to touch, but he would not advise anyone to drink it.

However, deVries said they were not mountains but layers of salt and brine on the water’s surface formed by evaporation on the banks.

Many sightseers took photos at the park capturing the pink water and “mountains of salt rocks.”

pond was pink. Park visitor David Li said he also grew up in the Bay Area. He said he knew about Alviso Marina County Park, but did not know the pond turned pink.

“It's very memorable,” Li said. “You can take a lot of great pictures, enjoy this with friends and family and show to social media that you’ve been to a sight that’s popular.”

Industrial and systems engineering junior Sahil Shah said he first heard about the pink ponds from an Instagram reel.

“(I thought) hey, I’ve been there before, but I didn’t know they turned pink until I saw that video,” Shah said.

Shah said he comes to the park often because it’s not too far from home and participates in many of the activities the park offers.

SJSU microbiology professor Cleber Ouverney said he is not sure whether these pink ponds are a result of climate change.

“It's not necessarily too difficult to make the leap into climate change because

“Animals may fall in there and deteriorate because they cannot survive for one reason or another,” Ouverney said. “That can generate a bunch of other microbes and contamination that you don't want to be exposed to.”

What looked like mountains of salt rocks appeared lining up across the water, resembling smaller versions of the ice glaciers found in the Antarctic.

SJSU studio practices junior Yilin Yu visited the ponds several times and she did not appreciate when people went inside the water.

“Personally, I don’t dare to touch beautiful things because I worry about causing irreversible damage to them,” Yu said. “They are always fragile, especially the natural environment.”

Yu said the pink ponds inspired her to go back and take photos of clients when

she started doing commercial photography.

“When I first saw it, I felt it was new and interesting because I had never seen it before,” Yu said.

Photographer Winston Lai also took photos at the park for his business. He specializes in portrait and lifestyle photography. Lai took photos of his friend, Lauren Outhabong, at the pond on Monday.

“I never heard of this spot prior to this weekend,” Lai said. “I've lived in the Bay Area my whole life and never knew we had salt lakes around us so I figured it would be a cool spot to check out.”

Lai said he decided to have a photoshoot at Alviso after Outhabong mentioned the

Alviso’s park provides the local community with outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and bird-watching according to the Santa Clara County Parks website.

Shah said he bikes a couple times a week and occasionally chooses Alviso park because it’s more convenient.

“After work, if I don't want to go up into the hills to go mountain biking. It's a nice place where it still feels disconnected from things,” Shah said.

AALIYAH ROMAN | SPARTAN DAILY

Winston Lai (right) takes a photo of Lauren Outhabong (left) on Monday evening at Alviso’s salt ponds.

DYLAN NEWMAN | SPARTAN DAILY

San José’s Raging Waters theme park is not scheduled to reopen in 2024 after closing its facilities after the summer 2023 season.

I’ve lived in the Bay Area my whole life and never knew we had salt lakes around us so I figured it would be a cool spot to check out.

Winston Lai Photographer

Ranking the Car Seat Headrest discography to prep for their new record

By Alexia Frederickson A&E EDITOR

Car Seat Headrest has got me through some of the most difficult times of my entire life. Between frontman Will Toledo’s unmistakable voice and songwriting style, to his effortlessly creative and relatable lyrics, I am absolutely obsessed with this band.

In anticipation for their upcoming album, I want to rank each of their studio albums in order of my least favorite, to my favorite.

Car Seat Headrest is an indie-rock band from Leesburg, VA. They have released 12 studio albums and several EPs since its inception in 2010. The band started as a solo project for Toledo when he was 17 years old.

In 2015, Car Seat Headrest became a full-fledged 4-piece band, after getting signed to Matador Records, and has recorded 4 studio albums together under the major label banner, and they’re currently in the studio working on their forthcoming record.

#11 Numbered albums (2010)

The first four albums under the Car Seat Headrest moniker are titled numerically one through four, which makes my job easy because I am going to lump them all together.

“1,” “2,” “3” and “4” were all selfrecorded by Toledo in his bedroom and occasionally the backseat of his parents car, and they certainly sound like it.

Most of the songs on the first two albums often feel like sonic experiments, with songs such as “reversible jacket” and “Cesare the somnambulist” being repetitive loops of Toledo humming occasionally broken up by moaning and ranting about absolute nonsense.

Most of the tracks are not worth listening to. The very best tracks from this era have been re-recorded or repurposed into better songs elsewhere.

“portrait of the artist as a young fag” from “3” is by far the best song of the numbered albums. It lovingly details Toledo browsing a furry fan art site while waiting for his furry artist crush to get home from work, so he can talk to them.

It’s wonderful.

The numbered albums are inconsistent at best, and their experimental nature unfortunately hinders their best ideas.

I would listen to these only if you’re already familiar with the rest of Car Seat

Headrest’s discography.

#10 “Making a Door Less Open” (2020)

The most recent effort by the band is the most disjointed piece of work in their discography. “Making a Door Less Open” is focused on EDM influences, similar to 2014s “How to Leave Town.” The album is a collaboration between Toledo and the band’s drummer Andrew Katz.

This is not a bad concept at all. Some of the project’s best songs are more inspired by dance music than indie. However, despite some great tracks “MADLO” fails to impress, and many of the production choices are head-scratching.

“Hymn (Remix)” is the most annoying song the band has ever made. I despise the vocal pitch shifting and the repetitive dubstep wobbles. Unfortunately, 2 minutes is simply too long for this sorry excuse for a song. “Deadlines (Thoughtful)” has a similarly annoying dubstep bassline which sounds like it was made by a 14-year-old with a cracked copy of FL Studio.

The first three tracks, “Weightlifters,”

“Can’t Cool Me Down,” and especially “Deadlines (Hostile)” are really catchy and endearing tracks, but “Hollywood” absolutely ruins all the momentum with Andrew Katz’s annoying vocals. Sorry Andrew, I love you, but I am not a fan of this one.

The album sadly never picks up after that. The clever and thoughtful lyricism Toledo is most well-known for is never present.

I’d skip this one entirely except for the first three tracks and “Life Worth Missing.”

#9 “Nervous Young Man” (2013)

Composed mainly of previously unreleased material, and clocking in at a staggering two hours, “Nervous Young Man” is the longest album in Car Seat Headrest’s discography.

The highlights of the record are “Boxing Day,” “We Can’t Afford (Your Depression Anymore)” and “Knife in the Coffee,” each being chock-full of catchy hooks and much crisper production than previous albums.

My favorite is “The Gun Song (No Trigger Version),” which serves as the conclusion to the storyline of “Twin Fantasy” and “Monomania,” where his ex-partner hands him a gun to metaphorically kill their relationship.

The lyrics are full of clever references to the original albums, and the final act where Toledo ends the relationship is the best moment of the entire album.

The problem with “Nervous Young Man” is that it feels more like a box set than a serious album, which hinders most of the work.

There’s no point where the album dips in quality, but the length makes it difficult to listen to and appreciate all of the songs. Not a bad record by any means, but it’s not worth a full listen unless you’re already a fan.

#8 “My Back is Killing Me Baby” (2011)

“My Back is Killing Me Baby” is a combination of the “Sunburned Shirts” EP and the unfinished album “5,” and it’s the earliest solid piece of work in the bands’ discography.

The record is less focused on experimentation, and more focused on storytelling and subverting common song structures. This is very much welcomed after the hours of nonsense noise I had to listen to for the numbered albums.

The singing and overall quality of Toledo’s vocals are a massive improvement over the original numbered albums. “something soon” and “the drum” are some of Toledo’s earliest vocal strides, being full of great melodies and clever lyrics.

The last bit of the album is rough though, with the last three tracks not being stellar. I’m not a big fan of the closer “open-mouthed boy” because I did not want to hear a story about Will Toledo having a dream about getting pregnant and having to get an abortion. That should've stayed in the drafts.

“My Back is Killing Me” is the first step in the right direction for Toledo as both a musician and songwriter, but it’s not essential listening by any means.

#7 “Teens of Style” (2015)

“Teens of Style” is the first album released with major label support, and for the first time Car Seat Headrest takes the form of a full band, instead of just Toledo playing every instrument. Katz joined as a permanent member on drums, while Jacob Bloom would make his only appearance with the band on bass guitar. This album is a collection of re-recorded versions of songs from the bands’ catalog to introduce new fans to

their work.

Despite the newfound monetary support from Matador Records, “Teens of Style” doesn’t stray too far from the bands’ DIY roots.

All of the re-recordings sound great, and many get new additions, with “Maud Gone” getting a beautiful saxophone solo, and “Times To Die” getting new lyrics that compare getting a record deal to being invited to a “divine council” of musicians.

“psst, teenagers, take off your clo” and “Oh! Starving” from “3” are welcome additions, being catchy and fun powerpop songs, but some of the other song choices are more questionable.

I’ve never been a fan of “No Passion” or “Sunburned Shirts,” which are pretty repetitive and don’t particularly introduce any interesting concepts. Out of an entire catalog of hundreds of great songs, I have no idea why they singled out these two in particular.

The flow of the album leaves much to be desired, and the only new track “Bad Role Models, Old Idols Exhumed (psst, teenagers, put your clothes back o)” feels awkwardly bitter as a penultimate track.

“Teens of Style'' is a great introduction to the band’s early catalog and I highly recommend it if you’re getting into their work, but it is definitely not their strongest album overall.

#6 “Living While Starving” (2012)

For some reason, this five-track EP has become incredibly popular because of the song “It’s Only Sex” blowing up on TikTok. That’s a great thing because the song, along with the other tracks, are all great too.

“Reuse the Cells” and “I Hate Living” are great tracks that do a great job of blending electronic and indie influences.

Toledo’s self-aware lyrics absolutely shine on this EP, and at 21 minutes it’s very much worth a listen.

#5 “Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror)” (2011)

After experiencing a particularly difficult long-distance queer relationship, Toledo decided for the first time to create a cohesive record, instead of throwing random songs together.

The result is “Twin Fantasy”

(retroactively given the title “Mirror to Mirror”), a sprawling concept album that follows a relationship where Toledo creates a fantasized character of his

partner they could never live up to.

“Beach Life-in-Death” is my favorite song of all time, and beautifully portrays the gut-wrenching pain of being a closeted queer person while letting life slowly walk over you. It is a scream towards the universe to break the laws of nature and humanity just to get a chance to freely be with someone of the same sex.

“Stop Smoking” is a somber plea to Toledo’s partner to end their selfdestructive habits, and in “Sober to Death,” Toledo offers to instead be the recipient of their harm.

The greatest problem with “Mirror to Mirror” is that Toledo’s ambitions surpass his abilities. The production leaves much to be desired, with Toledo’s vocals either buried or covered in so many vocal effects that it’s impossible to discern what he’s talking about.

Unfortunately a lot of the records’ best concepts get buried under layers of out of tune guitars and off-tempo drums that distract from the emotional weight of the subject matter.

This album is much loved by fans, and I understand why many people consider it their favorite, but it personally doesn’t resonate with me as much as “Monomania” or “Face to Face.”

#4 “Monomania” (2012)

“Monomania” is effectively a sister album to “Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror),” which narratively focuses on the grief following the end of Toledo’s relationship.

The album is much darker in tone, with many of the songs taking a more bitter approach to lyrics and songwriting. While it retains the gritty lofi production of “Mirror to Mirror,” it is sonically much more diverse, drawing influences from house and techno while retaining an indie-rock spirit.

While the production is very DIY, it never gets in the way of the songs like it does on its sister album. The vocals are always present in the mix, and assortment of new instruments always keep things moving.

The album’s ambitions never feel like they go too far beyond Toledo’s abilities, and the end result is nine great songs that thematically illustrate the five stages of grief.

“Romantic Theory” and “Misheard Lyrics” begin with denial and anger, “Los Borrachos (I Don’t Have Any Hope Left, But The Weather Is Nice)” and “Sleeping

With Strangers” blend into each other to represent bargaining and depression and “Anchorite (Love You Very Much)” representing a reluctant acceptance. The lyrics of this album are pretty contentious among fans, as Toledo often sounds quite mean, especially on tracks such as “Overexposed (Enjoy).” But to be completely honest, that’s just what a bad breakup sounds like. For me personally, this album sits so high because it helped me process difficult emotions during a really hard time of my life, and I think it’s an incredibly overlooked album in Toledo’s discography.

Above all else, “Monomania” is a worthy successor to “Mirror to Mirror” and surpasses it in its execution.

#3 “How to Leave Town” (2014)

The final full-length release by Car Seat Headrest before the project became a full band with major label support, with “How To Leave Town” being composed mostly of songs that would later be featured on “Teens of Denial.”

However, instead of being the straight rock songs that would later be featured on that album, “How to Leave Town” turns the outtakes into more of an electronic direction, full of drum machines and synth bass that in tandem with some fantastic songwriting, make for the most cohesive sound Toledo had produced thus far.

Every song on “How to Leave Town” is a banger. At no point does it feel like an outtakes compilation, because Toledo organizes all the songs to create a loose narrative about leaving your friends, and moving across the country, which he was doing at the time.

The opening track “The Ending of Dramamine” starts with a five-minute instrumental built off a simple drum machine loop that slowly devolves into madness before the song even begins. The bridge near the end of the song is absolutely chilling and gorgeous. It’s one of the best moments in Toledo’s discography.

“I Want You To Know That I’m Awake” and “America (Never Been)” are fantastic tracks that never overstay their welcome despite their long runtimes. This record has a wonderfully unique sound that pairs excellently with Toledo’s songwriting. It’s much more understated than a lot of the band’s other works, but that is why it’s so endearing to me.

“How to Leave Town” is a criminally underrated album. It is dramatic, slow-

burning and absolutely gorgeous.

#2 “Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)”

(2018)

After the roaring success of “Teens of Denial,” Toledo and crew headed back into the studio for about a year straight, where Toledo reportedly spent hours perfecting every minute of detail, and his obsession pays off exceptionally well. This version of “Twin Fantasy,” dubbed “Face to Face” serves as the definitive version of the record, being meticulously redone with new lyrics and expanded songs to boot.

“Face to Face” is phenomenal. Instead of sticking to the lofi roots the band has always stuck with thus far, the album’s production is jaw-droppingly clean and gorgeous.

“High to Death” and “Bodys,” which were tracks bogged by poor mixing on the original, now absolutely shine.

“Sober to Death” is absolutely the highlight of the record. The reworked version elevates the somber, selfdestructive love song into something truly magical.

The lyrics of “Face to Face” are absolutely immaculate. They can be endlessly analyzed and annotated, and the lyrical motifs that connect the song’s themes are phenomenal.

Sometimes I sit and wonder how Toledo could’ve possibly written so many lines that have the ability to shift meanings entirely depending on how you read them.

The only thing holding “Twin Fantasy” back is that it is an incredibly emotionally taxing experience, especially for people who have been in similarly toxic and destructive relationships.

One could not ask for a better send-off to the original narratives of “Mirror to Mirror” and “Monomania,” which is a huge order. A truly fantastic album.

# 1 “Teens of Denial” (2016)

“Teens of Denial” is the breakthrough album for the band, and garnered massive critical and commercial success upon its release, but it does not waste a single moment throughout its runtime.

Ethan Ives and Seth Dalby joined as the bands’ new permanent members on guitar and bass respectively. Their energetic tendencies are a welcomed addition to the lineup, especially on this album.

Every single song on this record is eloquently crafted, and though it’s not

a concept record, the themes present in the album of struggling to become a functioning adult make every track play seamlessly into the next.

I want “Destroyed by Hippie Powers” to play at my funeral. Toledo’s shrieks on the final pre chorus are absolutely chilling. It is akin to a musical cry for help, from the perspective of someone who despises parties getting absolutely plastered at a house show not wanting to accept his own adulthood.

“Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” and “The Ballad of the Costa Concordia” both use metaphors to describe the pain of selfdestructive behaviors, and how they affect you and others. Toledo’s use of metaphors on this record are absolutely fantastic. The production is immaculate. Unlike the perfectly clean “Twin Fantasy (Face to Face),” “Teens of Denial” hits a perfect sweet spot between DIY energy and a studio sound. The mixing is fantastic, and the often dense instrumentation never outshines Toledo’s rowdy vocals.

More than anything else, “Teens of Denial” contains the best overall songs of any Car Seat Headrest album. It is perfect front to back, and it is essential listening for any fan of indie rock.

Conclusion

It was very hard to rank my favorite albums, and I do have a lot of people that will definitely disagree with my rankings, but this is my article, and not yours, so I don’t care.

If you are curious about getting into this wonderfully sad and sometimes very weird band, start with “Teens of Denial.” From there, “Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)” and “Teens of Style” are great introductions into the rest of the band’s work.

Though I wasn’t a huge fan of their latest album, I am still highly anticipating their next record and I cannot wait to hear what Toledo and the band have to offer.

ILLUSTRATION BY TRACY ESCOBEDO

FOOTBALL

Spartans WR Lockhart out for season

By Nathan Canilao SENIOR STAFF WRITER

San José State’s quest for a Mountain West Conference title will have to go on without star receiver Justin Lockhart.

Head coach Brent Brennan announced Monday that Lockhart is scheduled to have surgery on an undisclosed injury and will miss the remainder of the season. The 6-foot, 3-inch wideout caught 36 passes for 578 yards and a touchdown in 2022.

“Losing a talent like that who’s big, fast and a deep threat is a huge loss,” said quarterback Chevan Cordeiro.

Lockhart has not played in any of the Spartans’ first four games this season and has not been

seen on the practice field since training camp. The Preseason All Mountain West First Team selection was supposed to be a key component in the Spartans’ offense this season as the team’s deep threat.

Lockhart’s injury is one of many that SJSU’s offense has suffered this season. Tight end Dominick Mazotti and running back Kairee Robinson have both missed a game.

Junior tight end Sam Olson, who’s third on the team in receptions, left Saturday’s game against University of Toledo after getting tackled awkwardly in the second quarter.

Junior Nick Nash has taken over Lockhart’s role as the No. 1 receiver and has played well thus far. He

leads the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kevin McGiven said there will be no changes to the offense going forward despite not having Lockhart in the lineup.

“We’ve always had a next man up mentality,” McGiven said. “Justin was a good player, and there were some things that we’d like to feature in our offense with him, but we’re not doing anything different schematically because he’s not with us.”

Spartans need to avoid 1-4 start

By Nathan Canilao

WRITER

San José State’s 21-17 loss to Toledo was both disappointing and frustrating.

The Spartans held a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter, but choked away the lead because of stale offensive play and a fatigued defense that couldn’t stop the run in the fourth quarter.

The team now sits at 1-3 and open conference play against an undefeated Air Force team on a Friday. If the Spartans even have a chance of winning the Mountain West Conference, let alone making a Bowl Game, SJSU needs to win Friday night’s game to keep its season alive.

To be fair, the Spartans have had a tough schedule to start the season. Playing against two Top-20 teams and a reigning conference champion didn’t help getting off to a fast start, but SJSU has just looked bad in each loss.

Against No. 5 USC to open the season, there were encouraging signs on the offensive end but the defense just couldn’t keep up with Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.

In its game against No. 14 Oregon State, SJSU was manhandled on both sides of the ball. The Spartans gave up over 200 rushing yards and the offense had no juice in what was senior quarterback Chevan Cordeiro’s worst statistical performance in

an SJSU uniform.

In Saturday’s game against Toledo, the defense was much better, but the offense faltered. The Spartans had two chances in the fourth quarter to take back the lead, but couldn’t convert as the team lost a game they were in control of.

So what does this all mean?

It’s too early to say this is a bad team, but I think it's safe to say this is not a good one. No one expected SJSU to beat USC or Oregon State, but to lose in the fashion it did is not good no matter how you slice it. The Spartans should have won against a Toledo team that was reeling in the second half, but they didn’t.

The frustrations of the fans and people who watch the team looks to have, in some way or

another, affected the team.

“I think we have a good team here, but we can’t really prove it by our record,” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan. “I think something different that this generation has to deal with that mine didn’t is that they’re gonna remind you on Twitter that you’re 1-3.”

The reality is that if the Spartans are who the fans thought they were in the beginning of the season, they would look much better than they are now.

If they won at Toledo, the conversation of whether or not the Spartans are good enough to make a Mountain West title run would still be valid. With only two losses to a couple of ranked teams, there would almost certainly be more

optimism for this team.

But that didn’t happen.

SJSU is now two games below .500 and the conversation has turned to if the next two games against Air Force and Boise State will decide the rest of the season.

SJSU’s chance to save its season will begin on Friday. A win gets them back on track to what the team originally set out to do before the season started, which is to win a Mountain West Championship. But a defeat will drive the Spartans further back in the loss column and further back in the minds of SJSU fans.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SPEAR

SJSU wide receiver Justin Lockhart smiles in a win against Western Michigan last season.

SENIOR STAFF

DYLAN NEWMAN | SPARTAN DAILY San José State football players huddle after practice ahead of their Week 1 game against Oregon State University at their pract ice field on August 20.

Follow Nathan Canilao on X (formerly Twitter) @nathancanilao

Follow Nathan Canilao on X (formerly Twitter) @nathancanilao

CANILAO'S

Should theme parks be here to stay?

The choice between the red pill and the blue pill always sickened me.

The red pill being the fear of throwing up my lunch and the blue pill being the fear of bracing a ten-story fall.

I’d rather just not be there to choose – the same reason I left my phobia of theme parks in the rear view mirror.

My inherent disgust for clowns, mascots, parades and fireworks coupled with the stale popcorn and the abhorrent background music, made stepping into a theme park quite a nightmare for me.

Yes, I hate theme parks. I hate being in photos with characters I outgrew in fourth grade. I hate the stupid carnival games that award you an oversized stuffed animal that can't fit in your car. I also hate going on unnecessarily dangerous-looking rides.

Vertigo should remain a physical ailment. The Magic Mountain should be for sightseeing only. Top Gun should remain a movie, and Lego should stick to making toys.

Honestly, theme parks are on their way out, and I can’t wait to wave them goodbye. Theme parks should have shut down a long time ago.

Since 1846 when the first theme park in the United States, Lake Compounce in Bristol Conn., was opened, theme parks

Conn., was theme have been hauling in money for big-time businesses

In 2022, Disney accumulated $28.71 billion, solidifying its place as one of the world’s most powerful oligopolies.

However, the bulk of Disney’s revenue is from their overall product, as they are the world’s leading media conglomerate according to the Statista website.

According to Theme Park Architect article, theme parks fail for a plethora of reasons, including lack of innovation, safety incidents, inadequate marketing, economic downturn and high operating costs.

One striking factor that repels me away from theme parks is that they are notoriously bad for the environment. According to the Traversing the Globe One Problem at a Time website, theme parks contribute to air pollution, fossil fuel usage, excessive water usage and excess waste.

Fossil fuel exhaust accumulated by people driving to and from theme parks is yet another negative environmental drawback.

Driving to a national or state park is much more thrilling than the load of garbage that I’m supposed to find “amusing.”

I hate driving all the way to

Discovery Kingdom or Anaheim to have a “magical” experience at Disneyland.

Especially when the “magic” of these parks are full of ill-advised roller coaster drops.

Roller coasters force your heart to work harder to get blood flowing to your brain and cause traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as a type of stroke known as cervicocephalic arterial dissection (CAD), according to Discover Magazine.

If physical health isn’t enough of a reason for you, saving money is another aspect to consider.

The $89.2 billion burned out of Americans’ pockets each year from scarfing down kettle corn, ice cream and cotton candy just to get vertigo and throw it all up again isn’t worth emptying your pockets for.

If I wanted to go on an adventure just to end up feeling sick, I would have found a way to contract COVID-19 when I was supposed to shelter-in-place and have ended up in the hospital.

If you want an adventure, go hiking. If you want the excitement of being in a park, buy tickets to a sporting event.

If you want food with deals half the price of the edible amenities at Disneyland, I’m sure there are plenty of restaurants nearby willing to rip you off.

If you are impatient as I am, forget the lines. Feel free to ditch

the lines. Feel free to ditch the creeps pretending to be your favorite television character.

Let’s keep lunches in our stomach, our bodies trauma-free and our environment greener and less polluted. Let’s leave theme parks in the past.

The artificial and buzzy organ music that plays from California’s Great America’s blown out speakers has been ringing in my head ever since the amusement park gave my baby-faced high school self his first ever job at the ripe age of 15, punching tickets and selling parking spaces at the front of the park.

As my cheap Payless tennis shoes melted onto the searing blacktop that is the Great America parking lot, I looked down to realize I had made my first ever paycheck of $200 after working a week for nine dollars an hour.

To a teenager, this was lifealtering money, and I remember the excitement in my chest I felt of finally being able to buy whatever every 15-year-old boy wants, video games, iTunes credits and cans of Mountain Dew Baja Blast.

This rite of passage of getting my first job there was shared amongst several of my closest friends and peers in my high school’s theater department. About 10 of us were able to apply our technical knowledge of theater to end up working 40-pluus hours a week running shows and building stages for the entertainment department.

It was a dream come true.

This amusement park that I grew up trotting around in since my shoes were the size of credit cards, was now my own playground. I’m whipping around cars and golf carts where I used to walk around with my family, scaling roofs and

with roofs and hanging lights that I used to peer at from the gondolas and operating heavy machinery like forklifts and scissor lifts; making me feel like Joe Cool himself. Funnel cake with ice cream and strawberries for lunch?

Oh yeah. Stomach ache for dinner?

You bet!

entertainment-heavy California.

As of May 2022, California stands as the state that employs the most amusement and recreation attendants nationwide, with 48,510 and is closely followed by Florida with 44,680, according to a United States Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage.

Each amusement park across the Bay Area, from the salty Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to the smelly Gilroy Gardens takes a copious amount of labor to operate efficiently for the thousands of patrons these attractions see during their peak months. Locals around each park end up becoming the employees, fueling and stimulating these places’ economies.

These amusement parks aren’t perfect however, as the price to enter, eat and shop modestly grows higher and higher every year. The price of going to Disneyland has increased 5000% since it opened in 1955, according to a 2019 Orange County Register article.

A 2018 San Francisco Chronicle article states that it used to cost $7 to enter Great America, compared to today’s $40 to $80 price range of admission depending on where you buy your ticket.

But regardless of an obscene price tag for admission, an arm and a leg for some cotton candy or tapping into the 401k for a stuffed Charlie Brown from a carnival game; people will always visit these monuments of labor on the daily.

The experience of making an honest living around coasters and the aroma of overpriced popcorn is a tangible reality for many workers across America, but in

Disney adults will always run

adults will run rampant in the streets of Anaheim — happily hundreds of miles away from me — and people will always visit Great America until it closes. Why? Because we love tradition. Many families including my own have envisioned themselves years in the future bringing the different additions to their family that the future has to offer — whether that be children or the love of your life — to the places that made them happy when they were a child.

I didn’t go to Great America when I was a kid because I loved a good funnel cake or the way a certain roller coaster made me feel, I went because my family brought me; it’s just how things work when you’re a kid.

The memories and experiences I got with my family will live on much longer than the theme park itself; and that to me is incredibly special.

It’s why I’ve come to appreciate places like Great America and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk; the memories will always be worth more than the price tag, as the cost of a great day with your family of the past, present and future, is priceless.

Theme parks are a waste of space, and you should take your time and money elsewhere.

Navin Krishnan STAFF WRITER

The memories we make at amusement parks are worth the cost.

Dylan Newman STAFF WRITER