Trump leads presidential election
By Saturn Williams & Hunter Yates STAFF WRITER
Former President Donald Trump held the lead and is the projected presidential elect over Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election as of Tuesday night at 11 p.m.
Trump has 260 of the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the race, according to an Associated Press election web page.
Multiple states are still counting ballots and the declared president elect is still subject to change, according to the same page.
Raymond Bottomley, a third-year San José State kinesiology student, compared the presidential candidates for the 2024 presidential election.
“I would rather have someone else other than Kamala Harris or Donald Trump,” Bottomley said. “When people say the president didn’t do a good job, I feel like it’s closed minded.”
Bottomley said he prefers Harris over Trump because age is important to him.
The Electoral College is the process in which the United States votes for the president and the vice president, according to a National Archives web page.
This election there are seven important swing states that will have an impact on the outcome this year including states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, according to a Tuesday National Public Ratio article.
Logan Lei-Chong, a first year computer engineering student, talked about the current state of the presidential election Tuesday night.
“I have seen that Trump is winning in most of the swing states,” Chong said. “I have a feeling he has a pretty good chance at winning, and I am pretty moderate. Trump has some good points as well as having flaws.” A swing state is when a state
feeling of love in this room with unbelievable people standing by my side.”
While on stage, Trump was joined by impactful people in his political and personal life including his family, according to the Associated Press.
Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania placed him just three electoral votes shy of going back to the White House, according to the same web page.
“I will not rest until we have delivered a strong, safe and prosperous America,” said Trump “Our children deserve and you deserve.”
Proposition 32
There are 5.6 million lowwage workers in California, according to a July 14 UC Berkeley Labor Center article.
Many of these workers would receive a pay increase as a result of Proposition 32 passing, which raises the minimum wage to $17 immediately, according to the California General Election Voter Information Guide.
For businesses with 25 or more employees, the minimum wage will increase to $18 by Jan. 1, 2025, according to the same guide.
The number of electors is the same as the number of congressional seats and varies based on population, according to the same National Archives web page.
There are parallels to the 2016 presidential election including Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris not speaking the night of the election and trailing Trump, according to the same Associated Press web page.
Ryan Trinh, a fifth-year engineering technology student, shared what he thinks about Former President Trump.
“The last time (Trump) was in office I don’t recall anything that actually happened that he didn't affect me directly,” Trinh said. “He doesn’t give off that great of a social media appearance, so I’m pretty drained and I can’t say I’m very optimistic.”
Harris won California, Washington and Oregon around 8:20 p.m., Pacific standard time (PST), 20 minutes after the polls were officially closed, according to the same Associated Press web page.
has the ability to tilt either way in a close race election and has an impact on a national level, according to the same NPR article.
At 11:30 p.m. Pacific standard time (PST), Trump got on stage at The Mara-Lago Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump expressed his gratitude for winning in numerous battleground states including North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to a CBS News article.
“We are going to make you very proud of your vote,” Trump said. “We have a great
Propositions:
Californians have decided to repeal an archaic samesex marriage ban, increase penalties for theft and drugs and keep local rent control restrictions in place, according to Associated Press projections.
Many high-profile state propositions are still on the table as Tuesday night wound to a close, including Propositions 32, 2 and 33, but approximately 45% had already been counted by Tuesday at 11 p.m.
wage jobs in the past, said raising wages is something he wants to see on state and federal levels.
“House pricing, groceries, everything's raising and I feel like this minimum wage, if it got lifted a little, then I feel like many Americans could afford more,” Lei-Chong added.
“No” votes lead early as of 8:43 p.m., but the race remained tight at the end of Tuesday night, according to NBC Los Angeles live election updates.
Approximately 4,163,455 or 51% of voters chose “No” and 4,002,979 or 49% voters chose “Yes.”
text.
General tax revenue is expected to repay the bond with interest for 35 years at $500 million per year, also according to the text.
Supporters of the proposition include the California Teachers Association and proponents argue that the infusion will improve students’ quality of education, according to the voter information guide. Opponents, such as Assemblymember Bill Essayli, said the proposition will shoulder California taxpayers with the burden of financing the state’s education department, though the legislation does not increase current tax rates for Californians
“I think (it’s) kind of an okay topic, but then, of course, Californians would have to pay it back so most likely move our taxes up somewhere,” Bottomley said.
The live results for Proposition 2 sat at 56.8% with 4,541,354 ballots voting “Yes” and 43.2% with 3,459,959 voting “No” at the end of Tuesday night.
Proposition 33
Proposition 33 would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act which prohibits sweeping local rental rate limits, according to the California General Election Voter Information Guide.
Ryan Trinh said curbing housing prices is a highpriority issue for him.
“By the grace of God, you could bring the pricing of housing down here in San José, or all of California,” Trinh added.
A “Yes” on Proposition 33 means the state will not be able to limit city and county rent control for new and existing units, again according to the state guide.
The minimum wage would continue to increase every year proportionally with inflation, according to the proposition text.
For some, the increase will make California’s rising cost of living more attainable, while others argue the wage increase will force businesses to drive up prices, according to the state guide.
In 2023, five million California families earned less than $39,900, which is the California Poverty Measure poverty line, according to a Public Policy Institute of California fact sheet.
Lei-Chong, who has worked below minimum
Proposition 2
Proposition 2 would ensure California’s public K-12 schools, community colleges and career technical education programs will receive $10 billion from the state, according to the California General Election Voter Information Guide.
The money will be used to improve infrastructure and facilities where 50 million students are enrolled, according to the guide.
The bond would fund repairs, new security systems and modernized learning technology for campuses throughout the state, according to the proposition’s
A “No” on 33 keeps the Costa-Hawkins intact, leaving certain unit rates untouchable from local ordinances and allowing landlords to adjust rates in the event of vacancies, according to the “What is CostaHawkins” page.
The original act was passed in 1995 in service of landlords who were frustrated with strict local rent control policies, according to the previous Costa-Hawkins information web page.
A number of races in California, Santa Clara County and San José have yet to be called, according to Spotlight’s live election results blog.
Students anticipate election results
By Charity Spicer STAFF WRITER
The 2024 United States presidential election is highly anticipated, featuring former president Donald Trump as the Republican party nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic party nominee.
BridgeSJSU hosted an election night watch party on Tuesday at Dudley Moorhead Hall where students could participate in conversations about politics and the election while partaking in free food and news coverage.
BridgeSJSU is a multipartisan student organization that fosters dialogue about politics and issues that face students, according to its national website.
The population of students who showed interest in the election at the event consisted of a variety of different backgrounds and held vastly different opinions.
Kevin Lee, a fourth-year management information systems student, said he felt
fairly confident in the election results although he didn’t get a chance to vote.
“I didn’t hear much about the resources about voting at San José State,” Lee said. “The
administration have provided some information about voter registration, ballot drop off locations and polling stations online.
Lee said some of his
in-person election he has ever witnessed as an international student.
“Because the U.S. is the oldest democracy, it has its own democratic culture and
there should be a better understanding of Islam from the American perspective.
Islamophobia has reached a spike in hate incidents in the United States since the
they believe the next president will have a great effect on what the job market will look like once they graduate and that the election is relevant to them as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
As an international student, I’m paying out-of-state tuition so there’s that extra financial pressure on me. So it would be nice to have cheaper groceries and generally the cost of living go down.
Umer Ghaffar First-year biomedical engineering student
only time I learned about the fact that you're able to vote on campus was looking at the line outside of the convention center.”
SJSU Votes and the SJSU
concerns as a student include the Southern border crisis, the economy and American culture as a whole.
“I think both of the candidates show a level of economic ignorance, but I think Harris’s views are more damaging than what Trump thinks,” Lee said.
I want to see that in action,” Ghaffar said.
beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to an Oct. 31 article from NBC News.
For the Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 academic year, SJSU’s estimated cost of attendance is $46,073 for undergraduate students, according to its admissions website.
The only time I learned about the fact that you’re able to vote on campus was looking at the line outside of the convention center.
Kevin Lee Fourth-year management information
systems student
Many Trump supporters believe that elections are more likely to be “rigged” or stolen, according to a Sunday article from USA Today.
Lee, however, said that Trump’s claims are unrealistic and if Vice President Harris was to win the election, he would respect it as legitimate.
Umer Ghaffar, a firstyear biomedical engineering student, said this is the first
Ghaffar said one of the most pressing issues to him as an international student is the economy and the cost of living.
“As an international student, I'm paying outof-state tuition so there’s that extra financial pressure on me,” Ghaffar said. “So it would be nice to have cheaper groceries and generally the cost of living go down.”
Ghaffar also said as a Muslim, he thinks
“Because I’ve seen the word ‘jihad’ being thrown around a lot, I doubt any of the people I've seen online know what it means because they're implying that it's some sort of bad thing, some like terrorist activity. Whereas from an Islamic perspective, jihad is the struggle, it means to struggle,” said Ghaffar.
The Arabic term “jihad” has many nuances and different understandings from Muslims and is even more complex for non-believers to understand, according to a web page from Harvard Divinity School.
Jason Ross, a fourth-year political science student, said
Trump has promised to rescind federal policies surrounding discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in addition to further threats to the LGBTQIA+ community, according to a June 13 article from the ACLU.
“Mentally, it’s been a rough week, just like the anxiety of what's gonna happen. Especially within this past 24 hours, and especially now watching the election, it's wild to see how this is possible,” Ross said. “I didn't think it was going to end up looking like this so far, but results have yet to be locked in.” Ross said the fact that Vice President Harris was thrown into the race in less than six months made things more complex.
“I definitely hope for the next election that we see ourselves in a better place. And not, you know, one that looks like this,” Ross said.
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Students gather at Dudley Moorhead Hall on the SJSU campus to watch the 2024 presidential election in anticipation of the election results.
SJSU Votes bring students to the polls
By Alejandra Gallo STAFF WRITER
San José State students geared up for Election Day at 7th Street on Tuesday.
Every four years, U.S. citizens exercise their right to vote for a presidential and vice presidential candidate as well as local officials, according to a Oct. 2, USA Gov web page.
Michelle Ronolo, fourthyear political science student, participated with SJSU Votes and handed out informational flyers to give students information about how to cast their ballot.
SJSU Votes is a nonpartisan campus organization that aims to educate students on voting and provide them voting resources, such as access to information about candidates or helping them register, according to the SJSU Votes web page.
“I’ve seen so many mixed emotions, a lot of them are passionate, a lot of them are excited and scared,” Ronolo said.
Citizens across the United States are feeling stressed about the election results and the possible violence that might break out regardless of which candidate wins, according to an Oct. 29, American Psychological Association article.
“It’s a mix,” Ronolo said. “I don’t know how the turnout is going to be and how people are going to react.”
Alicia White, a politicalscience third year, was engaging with students and encouraging them to vote.
“I’ve been having a lot of people come to ask questions,” White said. “A lot of people are kind of standoffish but a lot of people are very excited about the election.”
Mary Currin-Percival, an associate political science professor at SJSU, was tabling with SJSU Votes.
CAMPUS VOICES
“Some students are a little apprehensive about the election and they have some concern about the rhetoric,” Currin-Percival said. “For most of them, it’s the first time they’re participating in a presidential election, so they’re really excited to participate.”
Roughly 41 million of the Generation Z population will be eligible to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election, according to an Oct. 18, Tufts University article.
“It’s been a semester-long process, encouraging people to vote, the importance of getting people registered early,” Currin-Percival said.
The total voter registration in California increased by about 2% from 2020 for the 2024 General Election, according to the CA gov report.
“People have a lot of questions about how to vote, when’s the last day,” Ronolo said. “We’re able to give them
information about where to register, which days are more important, information on websites, where to go, ballot places near where they live and also on campus.”
White voted in the 2020 presidential election but is unsure how this election will look like.
like that,” White said.
Professor Currin-Percival is excited to exercise her right to vote and see the election results.
“I’m a little apprehensive about people’s reactions to the results, especially if it’s a close election,” CurrinPercival said. “I’m optimistic
what happens.” Election results are expected to come down to seven swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada, according to a Tuesday BBC article.
Swing states are states
Some students are a little apprehensive about the election and they have some concern about the rhetoric. For most of them, it’s the first time they’re participating in a presidential election, so they’re really excited to participate.
Mary Currin-Percival
associate political science professor
main two parties, according to a Nov. 5, NPR article.
“There are a lot of issues that are really important to (students), especially the economy,” Currin-Percival said. “So they’re really excited to have their say, especially in the presidential election.”
The presidential election will allow roughly 8.8 million Generation Z Latinos, 5.7 million African Americans, 1.7 million Asian Americans and 1.8 multiracial youth to vote, according to the same Oct. 18, Tufts University article.
Ronolo is anxious to see the election results.
“This is going to be a close race and I’m nervous but at the same time excited to be able to participate,” Ronolo said.
“They’ve always said it’s like make or break for democracy but I don’t know if this election is going to be
and I have a lot of faith in the American people, so I’ll be watching it tonight with friends and family and see
where the race between candidates is very close, meaning it can be swayed one way or the other between the
Follow Alejandra on Instagram @ale.jandragallo
SOFIA HILL | SPARTAN DAILY
Large crowds of students line up outside of San José State’s Provident Credit Union Event Center to cast their votes in person on Tuesday.
SJSU celebrates Veterans Day early
The event began with a ceremony at the
By Jackson Lindstrom STAFF WRITER
Students crowded around 7th Street Plaza Tuesday to observe SJSU clubs and local organizations in coordination with San José State’s annual Veterans Day Celebration.
This year is the 70th anniversary of Veterans Day, which was made a federal holiday in 1954 on Nov. 11, according to the US Department of Veteran Affairs.
The event featured various tables representing militaryrelated organizations and SJSU clubs.
The event was held in conjunction with SJSU’s Spartan Automotive Enthusiasts Club, according to a Nov. 2 SJSU Veterans Resource Center Instagram post.
Radman Shahbazkhan, a second-year data science student and head media coordinator of the Spartan Automotive Enthusiasts Club, said the collaboration between the
celebration of Veterans Day and his club gave a platform for veterans to show their cars.
“The (Veterans Resource Center) reached out to us ... and they wanted us to come and collaborate with them (and bring) veterans, people who have veteran family or relatives (who are) veterans, and bring their cars out to tell a story,” Shahbazkhan said.
“Bringing their car out there and representing themselves is a sign of community.”
The SJSU Veterans Resource Center was created to support veteran students for education benefits, campus resources for veterans, certification and shifting from the military to college and later a career, according to an SJSU website.
Shahbazkhan said roughly half of the cars belonged to veterans, and the rest of the cars were from members of the club.
Alejandro Rivas, Officer Selection Officer for the Marines in the South Bay
area, said it’s important to recognize Veterans Day.
“It’s essential to recognize all the work and all the effort that previous veterans have put in towards this country,” Rivas said. “When you think about the military, a lot of people don't realize that a lot of what we do is peacekeeping operations, community engagements (and) overall worldwide protection and humanitarian assistance.”
SJSU has been ranked third of best colleges for veterans on the West Coast of the U.S., according to a US News ranking.
Another organization at the Annual Veterans Day Celebration was Operation Freedom Paws.
It is a non-profit organization that serves disabled veterans, first responders and children by building the clients’ relationship with therapy dogs at no cost, according to the Operation Freedom Paws website.
Mary Cortani, founder and executive director of Operation Freedom Paws,
talked about how the foundation originated.
“I opened up a dog training business when I got a call from a marine, and if you've ever spoken to someone who’s suicidal, you can even hear it on the phone,” Cortani said. “He
Student Union.
looking for a dog trainer to just help him find a dog and train it. And we talked, and that was the inspiration.”
Cortani said Operation Freedom Paws has served over 500 people in need, approximately 70% of
It’s essential to recognize all the work and all the effort that previous veterans have put in towards this country. When you think about the military, a lot of people don’t realize that a lot of what we do is peacekeeping operations, community engagements (and) overall worldwide protection and humanitarian assistance.
had been on the National Model service dogs list for several years and he was losing hope, and he was
which have been veterans.
Malia Creech, a fourthyear electrical engineering student and Work-Study
at the Veterans Resource Center, said that the Veterans Resource Center organized the event.
“Kimberly Thornberg ... set this entire thing up,” Creech said. “By reserving this entire area, she combined the best of San José State with our veterans, and also (that they) need to vote as well to bring that awareness to all these things happening in the next couple weeks.”
Creech, who is a veteran, said that the Veterans Resource Center has been immensely helpful in learning about what kinds of benefits veterans get at SJSU.
“I wasn’t too knowledgeable about my benefits,” Creech said. “But just being there ... I came to learn all the tips and tricks, and then to also be able to give that back to our other student veterans (and) military connected students.”
ALEJANDRA GALLO | SPARTAN DAILY
Cars and tabling booths lined up along 7th Street Plaza for San José State’s annual Veterans Day Celebration for SJSU students and community members on Tuesday.
Alejandro Rivas
Latinos for Trump demolish culture
On Oct. 27, former president Donald Trump took the stage alongside other notable supporters including Tucker Carlson, Hulk Hogan and Tony Hinchcliffe rallying for support at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Amidst tense emotions, standup comedian Hinchcliffe took to the podium to express his feelings about opponents and specific marginalized communities.
In his speech, he took shots at voters of Latin descent, specifically calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
“And these Latinos, they love making babies too, just know that…there’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” Hinchcliffe said.
Audience members sounded applause throughout the venue.
While the Latino population in the United States has leaned Democratic in the past few decades, its varied in recent years, according to a July 19, Pew Research Center article.
About 45% of Latino voters have confidence in Trump and 52% of Latino voters are confident that he will make good decisions on economic policy, according to the same article.
However, after the incident at the Madison Square Garden
Trump rally, dozens of Latin celebrities like Bad Bunny and Nicky Jam denounced Trump’s campaign and then made a statement against the hosting of racist remarks by Hinchcliffe, according to an Oct. 28, PBS article.
In response to the rally and Hinchcliffe’s statements, President Biden released a video of him suggesting that Trump supporters are “garbage” for supporting him, according to an Oct. 30, AP News.
While J.D. Vance, Ohio Senator and Trump’s running mate, and other Republicans including Trump himself have shamed these sentiments, I think that Latinos for
Trump might just be as trashy as their favored politicians call them. As the daughter of a Mexican-American parent and being biracial, I have seen the duality that many Americans find themselves battling.
I grew up in an extremely religious household, was homeschooled until college and my family essentially identified with QAnon beliefs
before it was called QAnon. I viewed former president Donald Trump as my hero –despite my heritage.
The 2016 election felt like an internal war that I needed to fight at just 12 years old by praying and spreading my propaganda among my likeminded friends.
Little did I know that just a few years later, Trump would soon be my enemy.
My Mexican family would often look at our views as completely wack and offensive – even though we thought they just didn’t understand the truth that Trump upheld.
Four years later my family and I left our church, then quarantined in our home to avoid getting sick with COVID-19.
That year, in particular, was formative for me as an individual.
I knew that I didn’t necessarily agree with all of the Democratic policies but I also disengaged myself in the so-called conservative values I grew up on.
The months following up to the election were the paradigm shift I needed to wake up to the reality I was facing: I was and still am a low-income, Chicana and queer woman who does not benefit at all from Trump’s rhetoric.
I’ve heard friends and some distant family members rant to me about how Trump is their only option for voting in this election cycle.
I was all ears and felt obligated to feel empathetic to their opinions.
However, after some of the statements Trump has continued to spur just days before this pivotal election, the Latino population needs to wake up—and being “woke” or calling propaganda garbage shouldn’t be criticized.
