Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 32 by Spartan Daily

NAMED BEST CAMPUS NEWSPAPER IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022 BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Volume 161 No. 32 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934

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INFOGRAPHIC BY IRENE ADELINE MILANEZ SOURCE: CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION WEBSITE (CALFAC.ORG)

CFA authorizes potential strike

By Alina Ta

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The California Faculty Association (CFA authorized and confirmed that they are willing to strike if leaders from the California State University (CSU) system do not meet their demands to increase their pay and to provide better working conditions. The California Faculty Association union members across 23 campuses voted in majority to authorize a strike on Sunday, according to their website. The union has multiple demands including a 12% pay increase for faculty, having the CSU hire more mental health counselors for students, accessible lactation rooms and gender-inclusive restrooms, according to the same source. Ray Buyco, senior history lecturer at San José State and the university’s California Faculty Association chapter president, said the union is asking for a 12% raise in pay for all faculty members

to adjust for inflation and high living costs in the state. “We are not paid largely enough to support ourselves in the Bay Area,” Buyco said. Christopher Cox, sociology senior lecturer and SJSU’s associate vice president for racial and social justice North, said many faculty members are having a difficult time being able to meet their basic needs. “A huge chunk of quality of life has to do with your income and your pay,” Cox said. He said this is more difficult for faculty members who are not tenured, including lecturers, coaches, counselors and librarians. “Oftentimes (they) have to figure out ways to make up for income (by) trying to teach more classes in more places just to be able to make ends meet,” Cox said. “All of that, it definitely affects the quality of life.” Karin Jeffery, sociology and psychology senior lecturer and vice president and

co-chair of the membership and organizing committee for SJSU’s chapter in the California Faculty Association, said the union has voted to authorize a strike, which means they have confirmed that the majority of its union members are willing to go on strike if the union is prepared. Jeffery said the process to decide whether or not to strike starts with the CSU and the California Faculty Association negotiating any disagreements they have on any contracts. She said if the two parties can’t come to any agreements, an independent third party mediator will attempt to moderate the discussion. Jeffery said if both parties are still unable to reach any agreements after a mediator is involved, another independent third-party representative will start the process of fact-finding. She said fact-finding is the process of examining the claims from both parties to see if the facts and arguments

from both groups are accurate. Jeffery said the third-party representative finished going through the process of fact-finding on Sunday. “Nothing will happen before that report is released,” she said. Sabrina Pinnell, political science senior lecturer and the secretary for SJSU’s chapter in the California Faculty Association, said the union is estimating that the report will be finished within the next two to three weeks. Pinnell said once the report is published, there is a 10 day cool-off or blackout period where both sides are not allowed to make public comments, but will continue negotiations behind closed doors. “They can (make a) last ditch attempt to negotiate at that point,” Pinnell said. Jeffery said if that offer doesn’t meet the union’s demands, the California Faculty

Association may decide to strike. She said however, the union could not legally go on strike until a majority vote from union members was confirmed. “All that has happened is (a) vote to authorize a strike has taken place,” Jeffery said. “(This) absolutely does not mean that a strike will happen or that it’s inevitable.” Jeffery said most faculty members should not “jump the gun” and should continue teaching their classes as usual until the union asks them to go on strike. Pinnell said the California Faculty Association appears to be closer to going on strike than before in comparison to previous negotiations. “It feels like they’re talking over us,” Pinnell said. “They’ve already determined what the next 20 years are going to look like. I’d like to be optimistic here, but one of the reasons I’m thinking a strike might actually happen

is because they don’t want to talk about this.” Cox said the CSU still has an opportunity to come back to negotiate and to make a plan to meet their demands, but have not shown interest taking their demands seriously. He also said although faculty members do not want to go on strike, they are also not going to avoid a strike if the CSU does not meet their demands. “What’s not going to happen is we’re not going to just turn around and say, ‘O.K., well, we’ll just go home then because you don’t want to actually engage with us to pay us properly and treat (us) with the respect we deserve,’ ” Cox said. “If that’s the case, and no, we’re not going to avoid a strike.”

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Panel addresses women’s rights issues By Melany Guiterrez STAFF WRITER

San José State University’s Campus Reading Program hosted an online discussion panel about the status, history and resistance efforts on women’s rights and autonomy in Afghanistan and Iran on Wednesday morning. This included discussions on women’s reproductive and bodily rights. The Campus Reading Program was launched by the SJSU Academic Senate in 2005 and is dedicated to fostering a reading-positive culture at

SJSU, according to its website. Every academic year a volunteer group of faculty and staff select a book the campus is encouraged to read and discuss, according to the same website. This year’s book, “Darius The Great Is Not Okay,” by Adib Khorram, is a coming-of-age story detailing the experiences of Darius, according to Adib Khorram’s website. Darius is a half-Persian boy who visits Iran for the first time and encounters Persian customs, traditions and foods, according to the same website. The announcement that

“Darius The Great Is Not Okay” was the Campus Reading Program’s book of the year prompted the program to create a series of panels that share similar topics, including the Global Assault on Women’s Rights. Persis Karim, chair of Iranian Diaspora studies and professor at San Francisco State University, said the discussion panel was inspired by some of the topics the book touches on including discrimination against certain women and other minority groups in Iran. “The panel is about the huge assault on women’s rights laws

globally,” Karim said. “But we are going to be highlighting the particular egregious conditions of women in Iran and Afghanistan.” Karim said the panel was also inspired by the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests in Iran. The Women, Life, Freedom movement and protests started in Sept. 2022 after a young woman, Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being arrested by the Iranian morality police, according to a Sept. 20, 2022 New York Times article. Amini was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s

hijab law, according to the same article. Her death catalyzed the eruption of the movement when young women started protesting in many cities and college campuses in Tehran, the capital of Iran, according to the same source. Halima Kazem-Stojanovic, journalist, historian, project manager at Stanford University and former justice studies lecturer at SJSU, said most people have little understanding and knowledge about women’s roles in Iranian and Afghanistan history. “Afghan women have

shaped the politics of their time and interacted with Afghan regimes and foreign empires,” Kazem-Stojanovic said. She said there have been many distinct emancipation periods and feminist movements about appropriate modern femininity, from 1919 to 2021 in Afghanistan. Kazem-Stojanovic said studying Afghanistan history reveals that women used tactics to include themselves in negotiations, important affairs were played out on gendered ground. WOMEN’S RIGHTS | Page 2

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NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023

County talks issues with Taser usage By Nikita Bankar STAFF WRITER

Trigger Warning: domestic violence Representatives from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors held a Zoom meeting to discuss the consequences of using Tasers on mentally ill patients or inmates on Wednesday. Maelin Aquino, community organizer at Asian Law Alliance, said Tasers are considered a type of military equipment as defined by California Assembly Bill 481. “This (bill) requires the Board of Supervisors’ approval for the sheriff’s office to acquire Tasers, and have the right to buy and utilize them,” Aquino said. Aquino also said this proposal will allow the county sheriff ’s office to have Tasers, comparing the position of sheriffs and other police in the community to a pyramid.

It’s a weapon, but for people who represent law enforcement, it’s seen as a toy. We can’t let sheriﬀs have them.

Raymond Goins

representative of Silicon Valley De-Bug and Coalition for Justice and Accountability

“At the bottom, the base of the pyramid, we have our city police departments, individual municipalities, and then a step above those individual cities and their police departments we have the sheriff ’s office,” Aquino said. “They serve and protect people of the county and supervise other cities that may not be large enough to have their own police department.”

WOMEN’S RIGHTS Continued from page 1 “Elite women within the monarchy and other educated women maneuvered to obtain power and high positions for themselves,” Kazem-Stojanovic said. Kazem-Stojanovic said before the fall of the Islamic Republic, the United States funded and sponsored women’s rights and gender equality across a range of sectors including politics and business, education and maternal health. The fall of the Islamic Republic happened in August of 2021 when President Ashraf Ghani fled the capital city by helicopter to the neighboring country of Uzbekistan, leaving Afghanistan in the hands of

The county’s vendor for Tasers would be Axon, which already supplies the sheriff’s office with body-worn cameras, according to KTVU. The $15 billion corporation branded with the purpose of “saving lives” fostered a toxic culture where employees are stunned and tattooed with Tasers or company branding to show their loyalty, according to the same site. There have been at least 1,081 deaths following use of Tasers in the United States, which came after the weapon began coming into widespread use in the early 2000s, according to Reuters. Raymond Goins, representative of Silicon Valley De-Bug and Coalition for Justice and Accountability, said his experience in a correctional facility was unacceptable because of the staff and their abuse of power. “I suffer from mental illness, like depression and ADHD,” Goins said. “If I was in my cell in a depressive state, I needed mental health help and support. Instead, I was met with police disagreeing with my state and instead using their Tasers because they’re not equipped to deal with the topic.” Goins also said he suffered from physical injuries from Tasers because of the lack of protection in the cell from the impact of the Tasers. “Everything in that cell will kill you if you fall,” Goins said. “We shouldn’t be allowing sherriffs to use Tasers on people like me and other people like me in my community, because it is just giving us a death sentence we don’t know we have yet.” Santa Clara County Sheriff Sean Allen said using the term “tool” to describe a Taser is simply to soften the reality of what the weapon actually does. “It is the most lethal device out of all the use of force weapons available to law enforcement officers with the exception of the firearm,” Allen said. “Law enforcement officers testifying about their use of force with a Taser in the question should be asked, ‘did your training tell you that this weapon could

the Taliban, according to an article by Journal of Democracy. The Taliban is an Islamic-fundamentalist group who were previously in power from 1996 to 2001 and fell after a U.S.-led invasion, according to a website by the Director of National Intelligence. The group imposes a harsh interpretation of Islamic law and are oppressors of Afghan women and other religious and ethnic minority groups, according to an article by the Council on Foreign Relations. Kazem-Stojanovic said in 2020 the U.S. led so-called peace talks with the Taliban, which resulted in the U.S. withdrawal, the fall of the Islamic Republic on August 15, 2021 and the start to a new world of turmoil for young Afghan women. “So on Aug. 15, 2021, everything changed for women and girls in Afghanistan, with the

SCREENSHOT BY NIKITA BANKAR

A screenshot of the event held on Zoom describes the issues with using Tasers.

GRAPH IC BY A LICIA A

to sleep, according to Columbus Navigator. Five days later, she had a miscarriage. Aquino shared video footage from the event, providing a trigger warning for attendees who may have been uncomfortable viewing nudity and violence. Axon Enterprise Inc. warns police that some people are at higher risk of death or serious injury from the weapons, including pregnant women, young children, the frail or elderly, those with heart conditions and individuals on drugs or alcohol, according to The Crime Report. “It’s a weapon, but for people who represent law enforcement, it’s seen as a toy,” Goins said. “We can’t let sheriffs have them.”

world they knew from the last 20 years was no longer,” Kazem-Stojanovic said. Kazem-Stojanovic said the Taliban enforced a complete ban on women working outside of their home, enforcement of a strict dress code, a ban on being in public without a close male relative and a ban on women attending universities. She also said women became reproductive hostages in their own homes, basically overnight. Kazem-Stojanovic said similar to the eruption of the Women, Life Life, Freedom protests in Iran, Afghanistan wom women took to the streets in December 2021 to resist the 20 oppression of the Taliban an and called for Food, Work and Freedom. “Since then, hundreds of women have been arrested, tortured and many man are still held in custody,” Kazem-Stojanovic said. English professor at SFSU Persis M. Karim said the topic of o women’s rights and autonomy of their own body is important to discuss discu because it’s one of the major issues of our time. Karim said it can resonate with some of the stru struggles women are facing in the U.S. “It’s not as bad as a what’s happening in Iran and Afghanistan, but it is a Afgha religious attack on women’ s autonomy,” w Karim said. “It’s based bas on people who believe that women should not have the right to make decision decisions about their own reproductive rights.” Ahoura Zandiatashbar, assistant professor of Urban & Regional Planning Plan at SJSU, said discrimination in these cou countries comes in the form of stripping people, primarily pr women, of the basic human right of choosing ch the clothes they want to wear. “Women have always been the group that have been discrim discriminated against,” “Th discriminatory Zandiatashbar said. “This

behavior is unfortunately rooted in the propaganda and the ideological agendas of those in power.” Zandiatashbar said sports are another host of discrimination against women. “When you see biking on the streets in Iran it’s usually men biking, on public streets rather than women,” Zandiatashbar said. “Because women biking is questionable.” He said with other sports like swimming, women have to deal with discrimination and pressure to be fully covered versus men who don’t have to worry about that at all. Zandiatashbar said even though women endure a lot of discrimination because of social norms and government codes, he does not believe they are sitting back and allowing discrimination, violence, oppression and inequality to happen. “Females are going straight towards what they want, and fighting to get it,” Zandiatashbar said. Tanya Saroj Bakhru, a professor in women, gender and sexuality studies, said women need both the power and resources to make decisions about their own bodies and need wellness of their whole self to participate in society. “Bodily integrity is the right to security and control over one’s body, it means that one’s body is part of the whole self and wellness of the whole self is necessary for full participation in society,” Bakhru said. “To have bodily integrity means to be free from coercion or violence, it means being able to enjoy one’s body in terms of health, procreation and sexuality.”

Z LVARE

kill people?’ The answer should be yes.” Robert Jonsen, 29th Sheriff of Santa Clara County, plans to present options for arming deputies on the street and in county jail facilities with Tasers to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, according to San José Spotlight. Since 2000, there have been 104 deaths involving Tasers behind bars, with the Taser being listed as a cause or contributing factor in more than a quarter of 84 inmate deaths in U.S. prisons or jails, according to Reuters. Some of the in-custody deaths were deemed “multi-factorial,” with no distinct cause, and some were attributed to pre-existing health problems, according to the same site. In 2009, 20-year-old Martini Smith had been detained on charges of stabbing a boyfriend she’d accused of beating her, according to Global News. Smith was unable to remove the silver stud from her tongue after being requested to, after being cuffed for six hours, according to the same site. Smith, who was pregnant and stripped naked, was tased, crying that she simply wanted

Crime Blotter Hit & Run: property damage Oct. 30, 3:51 p.m. at S 7TH St/Martha St, San Jose Cleared by Exception

Vehicle Theft Oct. 29, 4:31 a.m. at 100 Block of Block of S 11th St. Inactive

Battery Oct. 29, 5:13 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library Cleared by Arrest

Reckless Driving Oct. 28, 9:56 p.m. at South Garage Adult Arrest

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Correction On Tuesday, Oct. 31, the Spartan Daily published a story titled, “Students mourn Palestinian lives lost” in which the date of the vigil was misrepresented. The correct date is Oct. 25. On Wednesday, Nov. 1, the Spartan Daily published a story titled, “Drafting women can help gender equality” in which the date of the year that women were allowed to serve in the military was misrepresented. An act of Congress officially allowed women to serve in the armed forces in 1948. The Spartan Daily regrets these errors.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023

MLK Library celebrates Dia de los Muertos 1

MELANY GUTIERREZ | SPARTAN DAILY

#1. A traditional Mexican ofrenda holds a catrina and a basket of fruits in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library on Tuesday. #2. A mural of a Mariachi and a Jalisco-style Folklorico dancer surrounded by cempasuchil is hung on the wall. #3. An ofrenda with pan de muerte and a calavera are used as an oﬀering for loved ones who have died. #4. Candles and sunﬂowers surround a collection of photos of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

CLASSIFIEDS

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 2

1. Hurried off 5. "Told ya!" 8. Maintained 14. Visiting Kenya, maybe 16. Stick (to) 17. "The Winner Within" coach/author 18. Sharp pain 19. Toronto-to-Ottawa dir. 20. Viper's weapon 22. Born earlier 23. Most profound 25. ___ about (lawyer's phrase) 27. Dexterous 28. "Don't tell me ..." 32. Picture book 35. Ballroom maneuver 36. Chaotic situations 37. Potato salad ingredient, maybe 38. Spin docs, and puzzle theme 39. Distance runner Budd 40. Tree spray 41. Aberdeen toppers 42. Mill product? 43. Cabinetry wood 45. Pin cushion?

ACROSS

5 8 2 9 6

Never trust an atom...

46. Fruit bowl selection 47. "Don't hold back!" 51. Euripides tragedy 54. ___ living (bring home the bacon) 56. City in Kyrgyzstan 57. Big record label 59. 1963 NL Rookie of the Year 61. Used a birchbark craft 62. Direct routes 63. Some are precious 64. NBC show once hosted by Al Gore 65. Ration (out) DOWN 1. Had faith 2. Devoid of intelligence 3. Lauder of cosmetics 4. Patriotic women's org. 5. In the best shape 6. Ain't correct? 7. Lone Ranger cry 8. Krazy critter 9. 1994 Martin Landau film 10. "The Scooter," to baseball fans 11. Be inclined 12. Impulse

JOKIN’ AROUND

5 9 2 8 6

1 8 5 9 2 8 1 2 3 3 4 4 6 2

They make up everything!

SUDOKU PUZZLE

13. Jury box member 15. Happy hour 21. Dudley and Roger 24. Star of "Emperor Jones" 26. Former senator Sam of Georgia 28. "Delicious!" 29. Gloom's partner 30. ___ contendere 31. Romanov ruler 32. Sistine Chapel figure 33. Philanthropist Wallace 34. Yawn-inducing 35. Hypnotic state 38. School orgs. 42. Palmeiro at first 44. Pointed beard 45. First name in talk TV 47. Light color? 48. TV exec Arledge 49. "The stage ___" 50. "We hold ___ truths ..." 51. Inedible Apples 52. QED's middle 53. Animated Fred's pet 55. NYPD alerts 58. Personal items? 60. Crater's edge

SOLUTIONS

NOVEMBER 1

C O MMA M A Y S S L OW A R I A L O M A N N O V A C R A C K A J O K E A B E T H I T A V O N E X P E R T E N A B L E G I Z M O R I N D R E A U M U R G A ME G E E K S T A R E E L I A E M A I L O L G A T A N K S A R N O F L E D S I X T E E N G O B I H A N D S K I T B A G A S C E N D A L A S A G E M A L I S P L I T H A I R S E R I C U R S A O G L E S N A P E P E A R P A S E O

7 8 4 6 9 5 3 2 1 8 4 6 2 1 9 5 3 7 1 7 8 9 6 3 4 5 2

6 9 3 8 2 1 5 7 4 7 3 9 4 8 5 1 6 2 3 4 6 2 5 7 9 1 8

1 2 7 3 9 8 2 5 3 6 8 4 5 9 4 1 6 7

5 4 6 1 7 9 2 8 3

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MAYA BENMOKHTAR | SPARTAN DAILY

San José State freshman guard Sydni Summers attempts a layup in the Spartans’ exhibition game against California State University, Monterey Bay on Wednesday.

Women’s basketball gears up for new season By Navin Krishnan STAFF WRITER

The San José State women’s basketball team looks to bounce back after coming off of a 6-25 record, which included placing second to last in the Mountain West Conference with a 3-11 home record last season. With the departure of guard Jada Holland, who led SJSU in points, assists and steals last season, the Spartans will have to mix up their formula from a perimeter-oriented to an inside-out game. “(Jada Holland) definitely helped us out with scoring last season, but I feel like we do have some newcomers,” senior guard Jasmine Singleton said. “We have multiple people that can put the ball in the basket, so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem for us.”

The Spartans recruited five new freshmen players including guard Sydni Summers, who was a three-time First Team All-League at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif. “Our greatest strength is definitely our inside presence,” senior forward Alani Fluker said. “We have a lot of size, a lot of upside to us. This year we have some transfers that came in and we’re just ready to dominate the paint this year.” April Phillips will lead the Spartans in her second year as head coach for the squad. “I love April. She’s not only a great coach, she’s an even better person,” said senior forward/ center Finau Tonga. “Not only does she teach us about lessons on the court, but better lessons off the court. As a person as a logo and student-athlete, she represents it well.”

Tonga, a transfer student from Saint Mary’s College of California, said there are multiple elements that set apart this San José State team from her previous team. “I would say talent-wise is the difference,” Tonga said. “Talentwise, we’re there one hundred percent. Coach (Phillips) really dialed in on details and I think that’s one thing that sets us apart from other programs is getting us down to the nitty and gritty stuff.” The competition in the MWC is bedded with a thicket of formidable foes, including rivals Cal State Fullerton, the University of Hawai‘i and Cal State Northridge. “I think (the goal is) we just want to get better,” Phillips said. “We’re a better team, a better program overall than last season and we (want) to be a better

team and program come March than we are in November.” MWC rivals University of Nevada, Las Vegas went 31-3 and maintained a perfect 18-0 at home and both the University of Wyoming and San Diego State University both finished 23-11 overall. “Ultimately, (we want to) turn this program around, get more wins under our belt and be one of the top teams in the Mountain West,” Fluker said. Phillips said she emphasizes accountability and leadership regardless of her players’ roles on the team.

UPCOMING GAME Santa Clara vs. SJSU Nov. 6 @ 7 p.m. TV: MWC Network

“I think we have an impact group that is charged with leadership,” Phillips said. “But we have a group that is actually really invested in the process. So when you get in a game, it can be anyone on this roster that has a voice and is able to speak to the rest of their teammates. We always talk about how obviously, there’s no hierarchy.” Tonga said this season is about winning games and putting San José on the map. The Spartans are scheduled to open their regular season up at home against Santa Clara University at 7 p.m. Monday at Provident Credit Union Event Center.

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FOOTBALL

SJSU set to host Stanford in 2024 By Nathan Canilao SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The historic Bill Walsh Legacy Game between San José State and Stanford will return in 2024, SJSU athletic director Jeff Konya announced Wednesday. The two teams have not played each other since 2013, but Wednesday’s announcement could respark the rivalry between the two south bay schools. The first game is scheduled for Nov. 30, 2024 at CEFCU Stadium. “When I first arrived at SJSU’s campus, I listened to a lot of our fans, donors and the SJSU community about enhancing the future football schedules and bringing highquality opponents to CEFCU Stadium,” Konya said in a Wednesday email. “Stanford certainly provides that for our fan base and we are excited about revitalizing the Bill Walsh Legacy series.” Bill Walsh, the former three-time Super Bowl champion coach of the San Francisco 49ers, has ties to both schools. He started his coaching career at SJSU under then head coach Bob Bronzan as a

graduate assistant. When Walsh stepped away from coaching the 49ers, he coached at Stanford for four seasons, winning a then PAC-10 championship and leading the Cardinal to a bowl game win over Penn State in 1992. The game used to be a staple between the two programs, but the tradition ended 10 years ago over disputes of where the game would take place. According to a 2014 San José Mercury News article, then SJSU athletic director Gene Bleymaier argued SJSU should get at least six home games or more money upfront for playing Stanford. The two schools could not come to an agreement and stopped scheduling games altogether. But in 2022, both SJSU and Stanford picked talks back up to possibly resume the once storied rivalry. The two schools tentatively agreed to have the first game return in 2025, but Wednesday’s announcement means the schools will see each other a year earlier than expected. With Stanford’s move to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024, it’s possible that the school wanted to schedule more

ABOUT

EDITORIAL STAFF

The Spartan Daily prides itself on being the San José State community’s top news source. New issues are published every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the academic year and online content updated daily. The Spartan Daily is written and published by San José State students as an expression of their First Amendment rights. Reader feedback may be submitted as letters to the editor or online comments.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR MATTHEW GONZALEZ MANAGING EDITOR JILLIAN DARNELL PRODUCTION EDITOR ALICIA ALVAREZ NEWS EDITOR IRENE ADELINE MILANEZ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR ALINA TA A&E EDITOR ALEXIA FREDERICKSON SPORTS EDITOR MAT BEJARANO

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR BOJANA CVIJIC OUTREACH EDITOR CHRISTINE TRAN PHOTO EDITOR ALEXIA FREDERICKSON COPY EDITOR GILLIAN BROWN SENIOR STAFF WRITERS BRANDON NICOLAS NATHAN CANILAO STAFF WRITERS DYLAN NEWMAN NAVIN KRISHNAN NIKITA BANKAR MELANY GUTIERREZ JULIA CHIE ANGEL SANTIAGO VANESSA REAL

GAVIN MCCHESNEY | SPARTAN DAILY ARCHIVES

Yonus Davis catches a pass during the Spartans' last win against Stanford in 2006.

geographically friendly games to mitigate travel costs and the flying toll on its athletes. The Spartans canceled their scheduled game against Jacksonville State in order to schedule their matchup against the Cardinal. Next season’s game comes at an interesting time of the season. It will likely be both team’s last game of the season with bowl game implications on the line.

AALIYAH ROMAN FERNANDO CARMONA JACOB CHAVEZ MAYA BENMOKHTAR LAMAR MOODY ILLUSTRATORS JOANNA CHAVEZ TRACY ESCOBEDO PRODUCTION CHIEF MIKE CORPOS NEWS ADVISER RICHARD CRAIG

ADVERTISING STAFF ADVERTISING DIRECTOR MIA WICKS

CONTACT US EDITORIAL – MAIN TELEPHONE: (408) 924-3821 EMAIL: spartandaily@gmail.com ADVERTISING – TELEPHONE: 408-924-3240

“This will be the first time we host seven home games in a season since 2006 and playing the Cardinal on Thanksgiving weekend is a great way to close out the regular season,” Konya said. Follow Nathan on X (formerly Twitter) @nathancanilao

EMAIL: spartandailyadvertising@gmail.com CORRECTIONS POLICY The Spartan Daily corrects all significant errors that are brought to our attention. If you suspect we have made such an error, please send an email to spartandaily@gmail.com. EDITORIAL POLICY Columns are the opinion of individual writers and not that of the Spartan Daily. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is made up of student editors.

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OPINION

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Día de los Muertos is personal for me Melany Gutierrez STAFF WRITER

If I could wrap myself in cempasuchil (orange marigold flowers) as though it could attract and lead my abuelita’s spirit into my arms so she could give me a hug I would. I’d pay millions of dollars for another one of her hugs and I’d still be rich in life to have her here again and feel her love. But my alternative to that is to create a path of these flowers on my floor leading into my home in hopes that when she arrives, she’ll bring the comfort that brings out my childish smile and laughter. Día de los Muertos is one of the most important holidays in Mexico and Mexican-American culture. Its origins can be traced back thousands of years and during that time it has evolved into a blend of Catholic traditions and Mexican mysticism, according to a 2023 New York Times article. The holiday recognizes death as an integral part of existence and life, the celebration is a way to remember and honor loved ones who have died, according to the same article. Día de los Muertos is often misunderstood because it has several different facets that make it much more complex than any other holiday I’ve ever known. Día de los Muertos has a comedic side, with large Catrinas dressed up in feathers and brightly colored sugar skulls. La Calavera Catrina is a well-known character who symbolizes Día de los Muertos, she is a tall female skeleton always dressed colorful who is believed to have originated from the Aztecs who worshiped a “Goddess of death,” and she is an essential part of the Mexican tradition, according to a webpage from the Day of the Dead holiday website. It has an artistic side with altars displaying so many different colors as though they were blooming flowers in spring. Día de los Muertos also has its rather sad and nostalgic side, paying tribute to your loved ones who have died. This can be as tender as salt in a wound or as smooth as a remedy like vaporub. The holiday is supposed to evoke different feelings for every person and it involves different variations of celebration methods and traditions. No one celebrates it the same, but each celebration matters. Death is one of the hardest things every person has to deal with in life and eventually we all must encounter it. Wouldn’t you want a guarantee that you’d be remembered and celebrated for the person you were? The first time I personally felt loss, my heart plummeted six feet underground. I froze, became numb, I felt a tear fall from my eye down to my cheek so simple and smooth I thought it was sweat. I wanted to run, not

ILLUSTRATION BY JOANNA CHAVEZ

cry, not fall apart, but run. When Día de los Muertos would come around in the following years after my abuelita died, I kept thinking why would I celebrate and try to remember such a devastating point in my life. A point when I felt like I lost everything including myself. Why would I want to relive that cold numb feeling? But more importantly why would I want to try remembering my abuelita when right before she died she wasn't even herself anymore.

already felt like I lost her before she passed, and it was a terrible feeling, but her death was the final knife to the gut. Yet I was supposed to think that sugar skulls, flowers and pan de muerto is gonna fix that? My family became disconnected, we weren’t always close to begin with, but even more so now with my grandmother gone. It’s the kind of disconnection and loss that a functional family should want to talk about to feel relief.

own ways of honoring the dead too that are not just restricted to a single day. We have never actually celebrated Día de los Muertos as a family. We never made altars or put out food, the most we did would be going to the cemetery and putting new flowers on my grandparents headstones. Celebrating just never seemed essential or necessary, especially when my grandma’s death was still an open wound. In the three years that I’ve been away from home, I’ve made some

It’s like I still have my abuelita here to tell me to slow down, buy some flowers, take time to breathe and remember that I’m loved and I’m strong. I lost my abuelita to Alzheimer’s when I was 10 years old. She was my role model, the person who loved and took care of me. Since she died, I’ve done a lot of things that have helped me heal, including trying to support the cause of Alzheimer’s awareness. But it was hard to want to acknowledge Día de los Muertos again. She was this strong, independent, self-sufficient and very religious woman. Somehow, in the end, all of those things about her were reduced down to a woman who couldn’t even remember her own name. She couldn’t recall the names of her grandchildren or remember how to eat, talk, walk or breathe. In some ways it had

But instead, we were the classic Latino family denying that anything was bad or wrong. We denied that mental health and emotions exist even though they do. My mother put such effort into finding ways to cry in secret. But honestly I don’t judge her for it, seeing as I have no idea what it must be like to lose a parent, and I naively hope I never will have to know. My mother had already been through this once before but it still must have hurt like hell to go through it again, especially when you hold it all in. I know it made such a long lasting impact on her life even if she didn’t show it. I always worry for my mother but she has her

attempts to celebrate. Now, I wholeheartedly want to celebrate Día de los Muertos in every way I possibly can. The older I get the more I reflect on my life and all my relationships with my family members, I think about how I can mend relationships or make peace with them. I think about how every relationship has impacted my life or how they still impact me now. Some of the relationships I reflect on are one’s I didn’t get to have. My grandfather died when I was 3 years old, I can't remember the sound of his voice or the way he smelled, even his face is sometimes a blurry image to me. I had my grandmother but sometimes I fear I am

also starting to forget her voice and the feelings and sensations of having her around. But she’s been this grand person in my life who I’ve always put on a pedestal. She still holds so much importance in my life. She’s a source of comfort and security, especially at times when I feel most alone, insecure or when I feel like I lack unconditional love in my life. I try really hard to remember how much she loved me unconditionally, it’s difficult because that love feels gone but I know it’s there. I see her everywhere, I specifically associate her to butterflies. There’s a reason why but that memory is only for me. I feel like when I’m going through a hardship in my life and I’m so restless I can't sit still and I walk around outside or go to a park and I see a butterfly, I think to myself “It’s her, trying to remind me everything will be okay.” I fall apart every time that happens, instead of wanting to run I let myself sit still and reflect. I don't want death to be this sad thing for me years after my loved one has died, I don't think anyone should want that. Yes, sometimes butterflies make me cry but it’s because I know that no matter where I am physically or mentally in life, my abuelita is here for me. When I have kids I want to teach them about Día de los Muertos as soon as they can understand its complexities, not just because it’s part of their culture. I want to tell them all about our relatives’ lives so they know what strong,

humble and amazing people they come from. I don’t know anything about my grandfather’s and grandmother’s lives when they were young. I wish I did. I wish I knew what they were like in their 20s and maybe I’d feel a little better about going through the tempestuous times of this age. That’s what Día de los Muertos means to me, it's a celebration of one’s life even after they’ve died. Why wouldn’t that be beautiful? Most importantly, I think Día de los Muertos helps remind me to slow down. I get so busy and stressed and I lack clarity in my life sometimes. The holiday is a reminder of my roots, a reset on my priorities and an aspect of my motivation for all my goals. It’s like I still have my abuelita here to tell me to slow down, buy some flowers, take time to breathe and remember that I’m loved and I’m strong. This celebration reminds me that I come from humble people who did everything to give me a better life. I’m here to tell their story and keep them living even after death. I am the product of love and of life and that’s worth a celebration and lots of cempasuchil and chocolate waiting on an altar for my grandparents.

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OPINION

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Día de los Muertos deserves better Alicia Alvarez

PRODUCTION EDITOR

The representation of Día de los Muertos in the media is abysmal. Día de los Muertos is an incredibly significant, annual holiday in Mexican culture, featuring ofrendas, cempasuchil and food to honor the dead and welcome them back to the realm of the living according to an Oct. 22, 2022 New York Times article. Cempasuchil, or marigolds, are flowers that are traditionally used to guide the spirit of a loved one back from the cemetery into the home during this holiday. Ofrendas are altars made by each family featuring cempasuchil and offerings for dead loved ones. Yet all I see representing this gorgeous tradition is cheap decorations next to the Halloween aisle in my local Target. There’s only frumpy costumes and a whopping two animated movies from big-name production companies. I’m so damn tired of hearing “Oh! You mean like Coco?” every time I talk about the holiday. Yes, the movie is great. No, it doesn’t encompass the entire story. The phrase “my culture isn’t your costume” has

been featured annually on my Instagram story every time Halloween rolls around. I’ve seen too many uneducated idiots dress up as Catrinas with poorly-made Día de los Muertos-themed costumes. It makes my blood boil. La Catrina is an icon of Día de los Muertos, a female skeleton with a painted skull that is meant to mimic the highsociety women of when it was created, 1910, according to an Oct. 18, 2019 article from National Geographic. I’m a loyal patron of Spirit Halloween and I know there’s aisles and aisles of other shitty costumes to choose from. Dress up as a slutty princess and call it a day, at least then I’ll have respect for you, but leave my culture out of it. I’m a college-aged woman, I’m no stranger to using Halloween as an excuse to walk around in lingerie, but at least I have the wherewithal to not slap a culturallyappropriated piece of fabric on my body. Appropriation is the act of taking something and making it your own without the right or proper authority according to the MerriamWebster Dictionary. In this context, appropriation of a culture would be taking something from a given heritage and mocking it or using it without the right to do so. I know nothing about

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

Japanese Geishas, so I would never prance around in makeup mimicking their culture and art form for an Instagram post. Día de los Muertos should be a time for me to reflect upon the lives of my ancestors and celebrate the legacy they left behind. Instead, I spend it angrily scrolling through social media as I see post after post of ignorant people making a mockery of the holiday. My Instagram photo of my ofrenda should not be followed by another post of a girl drunkenly trying to speak Spanish with poorly-done Calavera makeup look from Halloween. To make this already distressing situation worse, some people

don’t even realize that Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are two completely separate holidays. I’ve had wellintentioned friends outside of Latin culture approach me asking what I’ll be dressing up as for “Halloween part two.” Imagine my horror when I realize they’re asking me if I plan on visiting my abuela’s grave in a skimpy costume. I never got to meet my abuela, and I don’t intend to greet her soul while wearing a skintight bodysuit. It doesn’t help that big conglomerates have lumped the two holidays together by combining their decorations, costumes and movies. People only ever seem to watch “Coco” and

“Book of Life” when October rolls around. News flash people, those movies are better suited for November. I understand that unless people are surrounded by Latin culture or take a Spanish class in high school, it’s unlikely that someone will know the history behind Día de los Muertos. This doesn’t excuse ignorance and disrespect though. Companies like Disney should not be the sole representation of this holiday. Until it becomes as well understood and respected as celebrations like Christmas and the god-forsaken Americanized version of Cinco de Mayo, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves. I would love to see Día

de los Muertos recognized and celebrated by all of my friends, regardless of ethnicity. I would love to educate them on how to create beautiful ofrendas and cempasuchil flowers made out of paper instead of ripping a costume out of their hands while we’re out shopping. I’d be happy to teach them the history of each ritualistic aspect instead of feigning a smile while they tell me how much Miguel’s story from “Coco” resonated with them. Until then, I’ll grumble into my pan de muerto and continue to repeat the same mantra. My culture is not your costume. Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialvarez02

Barbie is more than a doll, it's a lifestyle Maya Benmokhtar STAFF WRITER

Sometimes I don’t remember what I ate for lunch the day before, but I can surely remember receiving my first Barbie doll at the age of four. Barbie dolls can be a canvas for creativity and imagination. Between all the different outfits and accessories, having a Barbie doll allowed me to create my own unique stories and scenarios. She (Barbie) is not just a doll, she has been a fashion icon for decades. Her e ver-e volv ing wardrobe reflects different fashion trends throughout the years, making her a source of inspiration for someone like me with a passion for fashion. Her robot closet in the episode “Closet Princess 2.0” of “Barbie Life In The Dreamhouse,” is one of many dream-like Barbie feats. I’ve always loved Barbie’s story. She has been designed in various careers and roles, from a doctor and astronaut to a chef and teacher. This diversity inspired me to pursue my dreams and aspirations. For me, Barbie holds sentimental value. I have

so many fond memories of playing with Barbie dolls during my childhood. Barbie is more than just a doll, she is a cultural icon and a brand that has had a significant impact on culture, fashion, and the toy industry. The stereotype of the “long blonde hair and thin body” of Barbie has changed over the years. I applaud Mattel, the creator of Barbie, as the company has made efforts to diversify by introducing dolls of various ethnicities, and body types, making her more inclusive and representative of different people, such as myself.

is pink. Barbie pillows on the couch, sequins and glitter everywhere, I even have assorted sets of Barbie mugs, glasses and plates for special guests. For me, Barbie brings me comfort and joy. According to an article by Adobe, pastel pinks inspire feelings of kindness and compassion. Pink is a nurturing, playful and nostalgic color that takes people back to their childhoods, or at least it does for me. After the release of the “Barbie” movie, I’ve been crying tears of glitter watching Barbie make an insane comeback.

Pink is a nurturing, playful and nostalgic color that takes people back to their childhoods, or at least it does for me.

Although I am too old to play with the dolls, I am not too old to be a fullon pink Barbie-glam girl. The Barbie brand extends beyond the doll itself and includes products from clothing to accessories, video games and even house decor. If you walk into my apartment, everything

I am living for all the pink advertisements and collaborations from some of my personal favorite brands. I even have a French Barbie pin-up doll tattoo on my upper right arm and I am proud to show it off any chance I get. While Barbie is indeed a doll, her significance

MAYA BENMOKHTAR | SPARTAN DAILY

goes beyond being just a toy. She has had an extreme influence on how people perceive beauty, careers and even gender roles as seen in The “Barbie” movie, making her a symbol of cultural and social change.

Barbie has inspired me doesn’t mind having a to chase my dreams and pink velvet couch with proved my point that yes, Barbie accent pillows. everything is in fact better in pink. Barbie will continue to be a part of my life for Follow Maya on Twitter many years to come, I just @NoeMaganaR hope my future spouse