SJSU hosts banned books week
By Saturn Williams STAFF WRITER
Librarians from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library are encouraging patrons to read books that have been prohibited from shelves all over the country.
Authors, artists and educators gather in San José to host events denouncing censorship for Banned Books Week.
Estella Inda, a research services and social sciences librarian, is one of the coordinators for Banned Books Week at the library.
“As a librarian, it is my job to connect everyone with the resources that provide them with information they seek,” Inda said. “I do this without judgment, without deciding what resources they should have access to based on my own beliefs.”
She said librarians provide the information that allows people to develop their own opinions and conclusions.
Banned Books Week was established in 1982 by librarian and activist Judith Krug alongside the American Library Association, according to the National Council of Teachers of English.
This event has promoted the protection of library materials from censorship annually since its establishment, according to the Banned Books Week website.
“For me specifically, it has inspired me to take action
and educate,” Inda said. “The King Library now has an established banned book collection and I am more driven than ever to ensure that we have a variety of programs planned to make (San José State) and (the) local community aware of the different censorship issues that are occurring nationwide.”
As of August 31, at least 1,128 unique titles have been challenged in 414 cases of attempted censorship of library materials in 2024, according to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
week,” Bradford-Oldham said. “The first thing I would always ask folks is, ‘Have you read the book?’ And you'll be surprised how often they had not.”
A library challenge occurs when a person or group requests a restriction on access to materials based on content objections, which can eventually lead to the removal of the item from a collection, according to the American Library Association.
Approximately 33% of titles that are challenged in school libraries are removed or restricted, with LGBTQ+
We must always feel the freedom to express ourselves in the art that we read and the art that we create, and that is – also – the most beautiful form of resistance.
Aideed Medina
Pushcart Prize nominated poet
The office also notes that these statistics are only a “snapshot” of access restrictions throughout the U.S., as up to 97% may go unreported.
Tiffany BradfordOldham, senior librarian for the San José Public Library, finds these objections to the material are often baseless.
“I started off my career as a children's librarian in Kentucky, and so we would get maybe a challenge a
books being the most likely to be removed, according to a Dec. 23, 2023 article from the Washington Post.
Bradford-Oldham highlighted the importance of keeping diverse stories on the shelves for marginalized children to see they are not alone.
“The first time that I had a true understanding of what it was like to be a black girl was when I was reading books about black
girls,” she said. “Maybe their experiences are not the same as exactly what I was going through, but there is an undercurrent of that shared experience that’s important for forming identity.”
LGBTQ+ stories and stories representing people of color are targeted disproportionately by bans, making up 47% of censorship attempts in 2023, according to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Bradford-Oldham said books about these topics are more often banned because they represent a threat to current hegemonic structures.
“If you are writing a book that challenges what is seen as the cultural norm,” she said. “In which we have to be honest and say the cultural norm is white, Eurocentricfocused, that's something that cannot be allowed.”
Eboni Harris, a TeensReach coordinator for the San José Public Library, said how censorship became an issue of awareness during her conversations with young people on the job.
“When you talk to students or younger people now, like I do work in the teen section, there are things that I was highly aware of,” Harris said. “Like, ‘Oh yeah, they don't want you to read this book because they believe it has negative portrayals of white people.’ ”
Texts such as “The 1619 Project,” which take a critical look at American history as it relates to institutional
racism and discrimination, are often targeted for bans, according to Education Week
“I see it as an erasure of history,” Harris said. “The reason why we study history is so that we don't repeat past mistakes, but if those mistakes were never there for other people to learn from, then history repeats itself.”
During her work at Peninsula Library System, Harris said she received more book challenges than she did while working as a librarian in Texas.
“One thing I want more Californians to be aware of, they think, ‘Oh, California’s so liberal, and we don't have the problems that they have in those southern states,’ ” Harris said. “That is untrue.”
Aideed Medina, a Pushcart Prize nominated poet, led the library’s “ ‘I’m with the Banned’: Poetic Justice with Aideed Medina” event on Sunday and spoke out against the “Parents Matter Act” placing limitations on Fresno County libraries.
“There are some people on the board there who have political aspirations and they know what little soundbite that works for the people that they’re working for to get votes from,” Medina said.
The “Parents Matter Act” requires parental consent for minors to access “AgeInappropriate Content” in Fresno County libraries and establishes a parent and guardian review committee to vet new books available
in children’s libraries, according to a resolution from the County Fresno. Medina said she faced discrimination and suppression of her words at a young age as a Mexican girl writing poetry, which inspired her advocacy for banned books.
“People say, ‘Why do you stand up and talk about book bannings and everything?’” Medina said. “Because I as a seven-yearold did not know the word prejudice, did not know the word racism, did not know the word literature, I did not know any of those things.”
Medina recounted a formative experience with a teacher in second grade who publicly ridiculed her poetry before launching racial epithets at her.
“I didn't know, but I knew that I had somehow made this woman my enemy with my words,” she said.
Banned Books Week events are scheduled to continue at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library until Saturday, featuring a lineup of presenters who are all preserving censored words in their own way.
“We must always feel the freedom to express ourselves in the art that we read and the art that we create, and that is –also– the most beautiful form of resistance,” Medina said.
GRAPHIC BY CIA CASTRO & KAYA HENKES-POWER
SJSU students learn banned books
By Alejandra Gallo STAFF WRITER
San José State hosted a Banned Books Week event, Stamped: Truth Behind Banned Book Pages on Wednesday.
SJSU is celebrating Banned Books Week with weekly events highlighting speakers from different kinds of backgrounds and stories to share, according to a web page from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.
Banned Books Week was started by the American Library Association (ALA) to unite a community of
readers with a passion for reading, sharing stories, and supporting the freedom to read whatever books they want, according to an ALA web page.
A group of students came together at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library to watch the Netflix documentary “Stamped from the Beginning”, based on Ibram X. Kendi’s bestselling banned book “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.”
Aaliyah Stuart an SJSU third year public relations student said she attended
the event to receive extra credit for an AfricanAmerican history course.
“The documentary was interesting and I think it’s really important to learn about the stories of the African American community,” Stuart said.
“Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” was published in 2016 and written to expose racist ideas and how to deal with this systemic issue, according to a National Book Foundation web page from the National Book Foundation.
Previous books written by Kendi have been challenged and banned, such as “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” for not encompassing racism against all people, according to this web page by the American Library Association (ALA).
“Overall, the banning of books is very harmful to communities of color,” Stuart said.
When a book is challenged, there is an attempt to remove a book from libraries and classrooms, according to a web page from the ALA.
However, when a book is banned, the book has been removed from libraries and classrooms, according to the same web page.
“Many banned books have a lot to do with African American history and banning them
takes away from African American history,” Stuart said.
The documentary included several speakers, such as American activist and author Angela Davis, American activist and author professor and author Ruha Benjamin according to the Netflix documentary.
and discrimination that hurts youth, according to this web page from the National Associate for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Out of the 10 most challenged books across the country, three were written by Black authors, according to a Washington Post study.
I think it’s clear that the books that are banned the most are books that share stories of people of color, and I don’t think that should be allowed.
Danille Le
Undeclared second year student
Danille Le a second year undeclared major believes book banning is a suppression of speech.
“I enjoyed coming to this event because we were just chilling watching the documentary and learning about things that are important,” Le said.
The documentary touched on anti-Black racist ideas in the history of the United States and how these are prevailing today.
“I think it’s clear that the books that are banned the most are books that share stories of people of color, and I don’t think that should be allowed,” Le said.
Book bans have given way to anti-Black hate
Carmen Estela Kennedy Saleh a professor at the department of African American Studies and doctoral student spoke at the event.
“As an educator, I don’t believe that books should be banned,” Saleh said.
“It’s just a way to silence our stories and voices.”
Le said the event allowed a group of students to learn about the history of African American repression in a really thought-provoking way
“Banned books hold people’s stories and use it as a tool to silence those stories that have been repeated over and over in American history,” Saleh said.
Out of the 10 most challenged books across the country, 28% had characters of color or storylines that dealt with race, according to the same Washington Post study.
“ ‘Stamped’ opened up a world of information for me and allowed me to look at things differently,” Le said.
Stuart also believes that book banning is a broader issue that extends to verbal stories that are all a collective effort to silence a community.
“Parents have taught us not to talk about race and politics in polite conversation,” Stuart said. “But it’s important for young people to step into their own voice and ideas.”
Banned Books Week will have events until Sept. 28, according to the MLK Library web page.
“I hope students (have) an awakening to become civic participants and (don’t) just sit in the sidelines,” Stuart said. “The fact that we’re still talking about racism and violence in real time means that it’s not good enough to just sit around.”
GRAPHIC BY ALEJANDRA GALLO
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Outdoor movie plays at Tower Lawn
By Hunter Yates STAFF WRITER
Family and friends gathered on Tower Lawn of San José State University to catch a viewing of “Inside Out 2” underneath the stars on Wednesday.
San José State’s Student Involvement, Student Union Inc. and Associated Students collaborate to host “Family Movie Night on the Lawn.”
Jess Prudent, Student Involvement campus programming coordinator, said she helped organize the event as she does every spring and fall semester during the Weeks of Welcome events.
Weeks of welcome occur during the first couple weeks of each semester which include various programs and events to help students get back into the swing of things through support and community of SJSU, according to the student involvement web page.
“Our events can only have our funding go back to the students (so) we make sure this is one of those spaces — we do our best to make sure it goes right back to you,” said Prudent. “Sometimes we have these exceptions, where we know it’s going to be a benefit to our students, to make an exception.”
Prudent is a University of California, Santa Cruz graduate who decided to come to SJSU to pursue an organization that had more Black leadership than her previous institution.
“We do events like these because it is really hard for students their first year on campus… especially being a commuter school as well it gets even harder to connect,” Prudent said.
Prudent said when it came to the movie choice, Student Involvement did a poll and around 98% chose Inside Out 2.
“We plan this event way back in May and once the semester starts we put out the poll on our Instagram,” Prudent said.
Inside Out 2 was released in theaters during summer on June 14, 2024 which received exceptional reviews from critics, according to an Akron Children’s article.
While in theaters it finished at the box office with a total of $1.6 billion, showing that it is a favorite for many families and kids, according to a Screen Rant article.
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the first movie, Inside Out (2015), which focuses on a young girl named Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) who is dealing with the five
(voiced by Liza Lapira).
In the sequel, Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) is now a teenager and all the emotions have to figure out how to
Embarrassment (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser).. At the event, free blankets were handed out to the first 50 guests who checked in to use during
Emma Johnston, a second year aviation student, attended “Family Movie Night on the Lawn” with her friends.
“This is my first time
We do events like these because it is really hard for students for their first year on campus ... especially being a commuter school as well it gets even harder to connect.
Jess Prudent Student Involvement campus programming coordinator
p.m., allowing plenty of time for students and their guests to get situated on chairs and blankets.
Mitansh Gor, a general engineering graduate student, attended the event.
“I heard about this event the first couple days when I first got here because it is my first semester at SJSU,” Gor said. “I directly found out about this event throughout the SJSU application process.”
emotions of Joy( voiced by Amy Poehler), Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), Anger (voiced by Lewis Black) , Fear (voiced by Tony Hale) and Disgust
deal with new emotions including Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) , Envy (voiced by Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos) and
the showing, according to SJSU student involvement Instagram page.
Free Kona shaved ice was also given to event attendees on Tower Lawn.
at an event like this," Johnston said. “I heard about this event through my residential advisor who is a friend of mine.”
The movie began at 7
Follow Hunter on Instagram @hunteryatess
HUNTER YATES | SPARTAN DAILY
Students sit on top of blankets at Tower Lawn while they wait for the movie to play on a projector on Wednesday.
HUNTER YATES | SPARTAN DAILY
Several family and friends of San José State students line up for free shaved ice from the Kona Ice truck parked across the lawn at “ Family Movie Night on the Lawn.”
Future’s album is
By Charity Spicer STAFF WRITER
Future, a trap industry rapper from Atlanta, dropped his first solo project since 2022 on Friday providing fans with a familiar hardcore trap sound and trippy production, taking his audience to another planet.
After a successful past nine months, Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, also known as Future, continues his momentum with “MIXTAPE PLUTO.”
Future writes fun, yet powerful lyrics all throughout the 17 tracks in “MIXTAPE PLUTO” accompanied with unique productions from Taurus, Southside and dozens of other Atlantacentric producers.
The second track “LIL DEMON” features a hard trap bass line starting the album off with an energetic vibe that is typical of Future’s discography.
The lyrics, “Lil’ demon in the cut (Fuck you mean?) / Go raidin’ at the church (Shit I'm seein') / You movin’ wrong, we clutching (That’s gang)” take bold threats at Future’s enemies in the industry.
Future seems to nod to the cover artwork of his
2020 single, “Life Is Good” featuring Drake in his fourth track “READY TO COOK UP.”
He stomps on his rap opponents with shots comparing rappers to golf balls that he hits on a tee at the end of the chorus.
Future’s fifth track
“PLUTOSKI” also plays with mumbling and trap beats similar to “Type Shit,” a track on his and Metro Boomin’s collaborative album “WE DON’T TRUST YOU” featuring Travis Scott and
Playboi Carti.
However, many of the songs on the album fell flat with melodic rapping that was extremely repetitive.
Melodic rapping is defined as rapping with melodic-like singing that is often found in more popular songs and was popularized by Drake, Post Malone and Future, according to TV Tropes.
On Future’s 2022 album “I NEVER LIKED YOU,” melodic rapping and more slow flows come naturally on “WAIT FOR U” featuring Drake and Tems, and on “PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ.”
“MIXTAPE PLUTO” does not meet previous expectations on tracks such as “MJ” and “SOUTH OF FRANCE.”
On a more positive note, “SURFING A TSUNAMI” takes listener into a psychedelic trip of synth sounds and trap beats with
the chorus, “I got way too many vibes, ain't no favorites / I got riders on my side, we gettin' faded / Double cups with all that drivin’, let's get wavy.”
Future references some of his grief on “OCEAN,” with the intro “I got enough tears to fill the ocean for all these losses took in this shit.”
He sings about his own experience as he dedicates “LOST MY DOG” to his close friend who lost his life to a drug overdose on fentanyl.
“LOST MY DOG” embodies many of the emotions that young listeners like myself have felt when losing a friend to drug addiction or accidental overdose.
Nearly 70% of overdose deaths in 2022 involved fentanyl, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Due to the fentanyl crisis, many people turn to drugs to numb the pain of depression or other mental battles, making this song extremely heartfelt and relatable.
Over a melancholy guitar riff and vocals, Future raps “Lost my dog to fentanyl / I go up and I cry for you / Love you so much, I'd die for you / Lost my lil' homie to a gang war / I don't cry, I go slide for you.”
The final track, “AYE SAY GANG,” ends the mixtape in an upbeat mood referencing popping pills, racking up money, girls and pride in his work — a recurring theme throughout the release.
While “MIXTAPE PLUTO” had its exhilarating and mind-tripping moments, it was a weak comeback compared to Future’s previous releases this year.
After listening to the whole mixtape, some songs
that I found myself adding to my gym playlist are “READY TO COOK UP,” “SURFING A TSUNAMI,” “BRAZZIER” and “AYE SAY GANG.” However, other than those songs I will most likely not return to listening to the full tracklist.
Future has kept his powerful prowess in the rap game compared to Drake, and has continued to advance in his discography over the past couple years. Outside of those few hits, “MIXTAPE PLUTO” will mostly be a forgettable release for Atlanta trap listeners, proving that quality over quantity is the game changer.
