Technology meets art at open house
By Jackson Lindstrom STAFF WRITER
The Digital Humanities Center’s open house on the San José State campus flaunted the prowess of art and technology of students, artists, and researchers on Tuesday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library.
Christina Mune, associate dean of innovation and resource management at the MLK library, has been coordinating library affairs for five years.
“The idea of the Digital Humanities Center is it connects people with tools or approaches to taking their scholarship, or their research or teaching style and infusing it with a technology that expands its reach or impact,” Mune said.
The open house showcased the work of students, professors, and other faculty members.
Nick Szydlowski, a scholarly communications and digital scholarship librarian at the MLK library, was one of the participants showing off their academic work.
Szydlowski’s exhibit showed off his color organ, a keyboard that controls colors and shapes, made using JavaScript programming.
JavaScript is a coding language that is primarily used to create complex features for web pages, according to a javascript. info web page.
“This is an idea that’s been around a long time,” Szydlowski said. “(For)
hundreds of years, people have imagined what (you could) do, would it be fun to just play a keyboard and instead of hearing it, you see it?”
The program corresponded specific keys to shapes and colors, and made those corresponding colors
theory, technology and composition, was another artist at the exhibit who showed off a program that created music in real time.
Luna-Mega’s exhibition involved an algorithmic program.
While operating this program, one could use a small soundboard to
Luna-Mega.
Luna-Mega explained this can be a faster alternative to composing music through improvisation.
“The process from (improvising) to writing it down (is) a huge turnoff a lot of the time,” LunaMega said. “So I can
have your score ready to give to the performer, but at least you can sit down and make music with an ensemble as we're doing it.”
Another exhibit at the open house was a showcase for Adobe Firefly, which is a software application by Adobe that creates
The idea of the Digital Humanities center is it connects people with tools or approaches to taking their scholarship, or teaching style and infusing it with a technology that expands its reach or impact.
Christina Mune Associate dean of innovation and
resource management at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
and shapes bounce to the top of the screen when pressed.
Aditi Rajesh Shah, a research assistant at the SJSU Research Foundation, helped Szydlowski create improvements for the project in JavaScript.
“There are people who often visit us, (and) they ask us ... ‘What is the Digital Humanities Center doing?’ ” Shah said. “So we explain (it to) them and what this project does.”
Christopher LunaMega, SJSU assistant professor of music
adjust melodic patterns, such as pitch or reverb, of a constant sound being played into a pair of headphones.
“It allows the user to change specific parameters ... It allows for the user to be shifting these parameters as the software is doing its thing,” Luna-Mega said.
“It also allows the user to get a real time notation of whatever the user is (doing).”
The program initiates the sounds to be played instantaneously and transcribed into musical notation, according to
generate sound for ten minutes, and maybe I can even come up with a piece that's just on one go.”
Luna-Mega said the software’s developers also allowed for other uses from people who are not musicians or composers,
“(For) a lot of students who don't have a music theory background or an instrumental music performance background, (the program) already allows them to (make) music,” Luna-Mega said.
“Of course, it needs a little tweaking, it's not (just going) from A to B and you're done (and) you
generative artificial intelligence images.
One student typed in “depressed John Wick eating ice cream,” which Firefly shortly created an image in a matter of seconds.
Raymond Lam, Adobe trainer and instructional designer at the MLK library spoke about the tools SJSU students have access to as a way to create art.
“I know a lot of people have heard about image model generators, but they might not have had an opportunity to try it out,” Lam said. “Here at
the Digital Humanity Center, my table here is to help people see it for the first time and experience it.”
Lam said that some students are unaware that SJSU provides all its students with the full Adobe Suite, from Photoshop to Premiere Pro.
The Digital Humanities Center is one of many places where community members and students can find art.
Mune said that the first floor of the MLK library is the space for digital exhibits, but the library also contains other art exhibits on the second and fifth floor.
“Right now we’re just starting (and) we have our rolling screens,” Mune said. “In the future, we'll have screens all over the walls, (a) big video wall with sound, so we can do more.”
Mune said because San José has a rich cultural history, these art exhibits bring opportunities for community members to show their art and increase research impact.
“We hope that within the next year, (we can) really open it up for people to propose different exhibits and to bring people in from all over the community,” Mune said.
Melissa Chu (left), the Assistant to Library Associate Deans at the Dr. Martin Luther King Library and Sharon Thompson (right), a Student Technology Training Coordinator participate in a weaving activity during the Digital Humanities Center’s open house on Tuesday.
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JACKSON LINDSTROM| SPARTAN DAILY
ALBUM REVIEW
Sunday (1994) dives into vulnerability
By Charity Spicer STAFF WRITER
Sunday (1994), a newly formed British-American indie band, released the deluxe version of their debut selftitled EP on Sept. 20, evoking melancholic themes throughout the lyrics accompanied by a cinematic sound.
The dream pop alternative trio, consisting of Paige Turner, Lee Newell and X (an undisclosed drummer), debuted on the internet just nine months ago in February, via their Instagram.
Since then, they have been performing at a couple of spots in the U.S. and London.
Sunday (1994) has attracted a stable following since they were announced as a supporting act in girl in red’s midwest tour segment from Dec. 4-12, according to a Sep. 25 Instagram post.
Girl in red is a queer indie artist who is known for her songs “we fell in love in october” and “i wanna be your girlfriend.”
While the two differ in aesthetic and general sound, it is not surprising that fans of girl in red would fall in love with Sunday (1994).
The EP consists of nine tracks and begins with “Tired Boy,”
While people may criticize someone for staying within a relationship like the one described, Turner is referring to some of the exact reasons why many people stick around longer than hoped.
In spite of the sorrowful words, the general sonics of the track is along the lines of something I would play on a summer road trip with the windows rolled down.
The second track “Stained Glass Window” is a heartwrenching song that talks about forbidden love due to religious doctrine.
This sound is reminiscent of The Cure, a rock band from the 1980s known for their song “Just Like Heaven.”
Sunday (1994)’s general aesthetic is black and white cinematic visuals contrasted with a dusty mauve color, religious themes and romanticizing heartbreak.
The lyrics, “I took some pictures / Of me and you and I supеrglued / Them over scriptures / So, I can worship something true” illustrates the type of pain felt in this secret relationship that surpasses religious boundaries.
The bridge in the track is bold and meaningful for those who grew up in Christian backgrounds told to “leave
hits close to home.
“Mascara” and “Our Troubles” continue with the dark, melancholy ballads and indie rock sound.
The sixth track “The Loneliness Of The Long Flight Home” discusses the painful emotions and regrets tied to leaving a toxic partner and the “longing” to return to them.
Turner sings in the second pre-chorus, “If the plane goes down / Before I come back for you / At least I died in a noble way / At least I died for you.”
One of the band’s signature lines, “My head is in the oven” from the bridge, is written on posters at their recent shows and is from the EP’s seventh track “TV Car Chase.”
battling depression and mental illness by inhaling gas from an oven which ended her life at age 30, according to The Poetry Foundation.
Perhaps the most famous work of Sylvia Plath is her book “The Bell Jar,” whose cover features some of the same elements found in Sunday (1994)’s visuals, not to mention the poetry.
The first song I listened to a few months ago by Sunday (1994) is the penultimate track on the EP, “Softly” which paints a picture of being figuratively slain by heartbreak and unrequited love.
Sunday (1994)’s first single back in February which details a toxic relationship with a rock band member who is addicted to drugs.
Despite actions that end up hurting them, the partner subjects themself to the relationship, continuing to stay up all night and making risky decisions just for love.
Turner laments in the chorus, “I’m a little bit tired, boy / Get a little bit higher, boy / ‘Cause you don't give a shit / And it works so perfect for you/I wish I was more like you.”
These vulnerable lines evoke a sense of relatability for the listener to some experiences with unhealthy relationships.
room for Jesus” regarding romantic relationships.
Turner lulls, “Separated by a stained glass window / My tears are coloured rainbow / Nothing can come between us
(1994)
to physically morph into the girl who her unrequited love interest is involved with.
As someone who had a toxic ex-boyfriend who begged me to dye my hair blonde, this song
This is a direct reference to the cause of the famous poet Sylvia Plath’s death on Feb. 11, 1963.
Plath committed suicide after
In the chorus, Turner explicitly sings this imagery, “I’ve died a thousand times / Watching you leave / It's like my neck to the knife, softly.”
“Blossom” ends the release on a more depressing note with the subject turning to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain of this agony.
While Sunday (1994) may not be everyone’s cup of tea, they are undeniably talented and on the come up in the indie scene and will sooner or later be a chart-topping band.
ILLUSTRATION BY CHAIRTY SPICER
/ Not even Jesus.”
In “Blonde,” Turner seeks
SJSU makes art for Legacy Month
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5 4 1 2
#1: A painting example is displayed for students to follow in honor of Legacy Month.
#2: San José State students gather at the Spartan Rose Garden to paint and sip on boba to celebrate Legacy Month, commemorating SJSU alumni Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
#3: Emilio Cortez, SJSU alumnus and local artist, guides students on how to recreate the Black power symbol painting next to him.
#4: Sama Elbaramawi, a first-year sociology student (left) and Tola Awujoola, a third-year business administration and management student (right) paint on their canvases.
#5: A student’s completed painting is paired with a nice drink of boba tea from Breaktime Tea.
PHOTOS BY ALEJANDRA GALLO
There is more to golf than meets the eye
By Hunter Yates STAFF WRITER
While people think that golf is boring, arguably I think it’s a hole-in-one.
On the course, it is just you and your skills as a golfer. There is no defense like there is in many sports, because it all comes down to the design of the specific course that challenges you.
Some who call it boring or uneventful have never given golf a whole-hearted chance.
Over the past decade, 60% of young adults who play golf classify it as ‘cool’, according to an Aug. 24 2023 National Golf Foundation article.
During the pandemic, everyone was trying to find a new hobby to occupy their time, and for me I chose golf.
I decided to play golf during COVID-19 because my best friend introduced me to golf and he invited me to the range.
I fell in love instantly because I knew I wasn’t good to begin with and I had an incentive to get better to compete on the course with my friend.
At first, I thought that golf would be easy after watching some of the pros teeing off, but in reality, it was extremely difficult.
The beginning progress felt very child-like trying to learn something new that I have never done before, perfecting a swing in golf takes a lot of
practice and I felt like a true beginner.
The process of hitting a golf ball is like taking a baseball, shrinking it and having a full body beginning to end diagonal fluid swing.
Having practiced at the range for hours and hours during the pandemic, I realized that this may be why your average golfer enjoys the game so much.
It gives you a certain sense of self-affirmation when realizing how difficult the sport of golf is on a professional level.
One of my favorite professional golfers is Tiger Woods because he is one of the best golfers when it comes to PGA tour wins.
Seeing a professional golfer get a hole-in-one makes you think of how good the pros are at the sport and how it takes a lot of practice.
It makes you think that trying something like golf isn’t for everyone.
However, when you go to the range with someone who genuinely wants to help you understand the game it turns into something special.
Golf reaches its epitome of enjoyment when it’s shared with a close friend or family member on the course.
A highlight in my week was always going to the range with my friends.
Whenever we planned for it, the golf range
would give you a bucket of golf balls from $10 to $15, then you lined up next to each other and just hit golf balls until you ran out.
When golfing, a big part of it is played outdoors, giving a mood booster to individuals dealing with anxiety and depression, according to a Forbes Health article.
All of my friends were more experienced at golf than me so they would give me pointers on how to better my swing and other things I was doing wrong.
The the first step to enjoying golf is being aware of how awful you are but the important part is to not get discouraged.
On a golf course, one can see people from all walks of life, from a couple enjoying a nice day on the course, to a group of extreme competitors playing a tight match or even beginners trying their first attempt at the sport.
No matter how good you are at golf, you can play at the same courses in which the professionals play which is pretty rare in the world of sports.
On the course, you talk about all types of things, current events, problems at work, sports and the occasional timeless joke. It's almost therapeutic to take a break for a couple of hours a week from the stressors of everyday life
with golf. On the flip side, the other concept of the enjoyment of golf is watching it. When I was a kid, some of my family members would watch golf and I always thought it was boring. It wasn’t until I started playing golf myself that I broke out of my doubt. I can’t just play a casual pick-up basketball game in the Chase Center or play catch with my dad at Yankee Stadium.
Golf could take a lifetime to master but it’s a game you can enjoy as
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