Judge allows SJSU to compete in MWC
By Kaya
On Monday, a federal judge ruled against Mountain West Conference players and coaches who sought to block San José State’s women’s volleyball team from competing in an upcoming championship tournament.
The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 13 in Colorado by 12 individuals against the conference, its commissioner, the current SJSU women’s volleyball head coach and the California State University (CSU).
The Mountain West Conference is a college athletic league that competes at the Division I level for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, according to the Mountain West Conference website.
Among these 12 plaintiffs are the current women’s volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser, current assistant coach Melissa BatieSmoose and two former SJSU women’s volleyball players, Elle Patterson and Alyssa Sugai.
The lawsuit sought an emergency motion for preliminary relief before the 2024 Mountain West Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament scheduled on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
However, this motion was denied by U.S. District Court Judge Shane Kato Crews.
An emergency motion typically requests some form of action to occur within 21 days or less, according to a web page from Law Insider.
Preliminary relief is there to prevent any harm or irreparable actions from happening during the duration of the lawsuit and to preserve the status quo, according to a JD Porter Law web page.
“Having only two weeks to address consequential injunctive relief certainly begets an emergency,” Kato Crews stated in the ruling.
Javan Hedlund, the Mountain West Conference senior associate commissioner, wrote in an email statement how the conference is responding to the judge’s ruling.
“The Mountain West Conference is satisfied with the denial of the preliminary injunction and will continue to uphold the policies put in place by our Board of Directors, which directly align with
the (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and USA Volleyball,” Hedlund wrote.
Hedlund said the conference is excited to celebrate and spotlight the student-athlete’s hard work during the tournament.
Four teams forfeited against the SJSU women’s volleyball team including Boise State University, Utah State University, University of Wyoming and University of Nevada, Reno since the beginning of the season.
Slusser, along with Utah State University player Kaylie Ray and Boise State University players, Katelyn Van Kirk and Kiersten Van Kirk, requested an emergency appeal of the ruling.
The Spartan Daily reached out for comment from Slusser, Ray and the Van Kirk sisters, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
In court documents obtained by The Spartan Daily, the plaintiffs sought the Mountain West Conference to do four things before the tournament, which starts on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
“(1) rescind the (Transgender Participation Policy); (2) flip the wins granted SJSU and the losses accorded forfeiting teams; (3) recalculate the teams’ standings; and (4) enjoin SJSU from continuing to roster its alleged
It plays into that narrative that assumes that trans people are inherently dangerous, just by nature of being trans.
Robin McMahon SJSU fifth-year history student
trans teammate and prohibit her from playing in the upcoming tournament,” court documents stated.
The Spartan Daily is not identifying the individual mentioned above because she has not publicly identified herself.
The 2024-25 Mountain West
Conference Handbook includes a Transgender Participation Policy that outlines procedures and provisions for transgender studentathletes.
The policy was established in 2011 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and was later updated in 2022, according to a
protest,” Kato Crews stated in the ruling.
The 2024-25 Mountain West Conference Handbook outlines the repercussions if a team refuses to compete in an intraconference contest against an institution that has a transgender athlete.
The forfeiting team will
The CSU does not tolerate discrimination of any kind, on or off the court. We applaud the Court’s decision and will be cheering on the San José State University volleyball team as they continue to compete for a championship in the Mountain West Conference tournament.
Jason Maymon
CSU’s senior director of media relations and public affairs
“... there is no authority to impose a forfeit or assign a win or loss when a concern over studentathlete safety causes a contest not to be played or completed,” the lawsuit stated.
Robin McMahon, a SJSU fifthyear history student, who openly identifies as a transgender woman talked about the dangers of these assumptions.
“It plays into that narrative that assumes that trans people are inherently dangerous, just by nature of being trans,” McMahon said.
She said that no rule requires straight people to have to continually announce themselves or continually assure people of that fact to be accepted.
Jason Maymon, the CSU’s senior director of media relations and public affairs, relayed support of the court's ruling.
Nov. 19 CalMatters article.
The lawsuit alleges that the policy infringes on the student athletes’ First Amendment rights by penalizing teams and individuals who boycott “intraconference contests” along with limiting inquiries of schools that have transgender students, according to court documents.
Similarly, the lawsuit alleges that the Transgender Participation Policy was not included in the Mountain West Conference until the day that Boise State University announced it was not going to play against SJSU on Sept. 28.
“The new (Mountain West Conference) policy was clearly intended to chill and suppress the free speech rights of women in the (Mountain West Conference),” the lawsuit alleged.
However, in the motion, Kato Crews rules that while the argument is persuasive it loses value based on evidence that the Transgender Participation Policy became valid in 2022 and has not changed within the past two years.
“It is also notable that the (Mountain West Conference) member institutions who forfeited their matches against SJSU during the 2024 season acknowledged their understanding of the application of the (Transgender Participation Policy) to their forfeits, without
be charged with a loss and the opposing team credited with a win, according to the handbook.
“In now seeking to rescind the (Transgender Participation Policy) rescind its application to the earlier forfeits, recalculate team standings and de-roster SJSU’s team member, the proposed injunction would disrupt (rather than preserve) the status quo,” Kato Crews reports.
Status quo in a preliminary injunction refers to the present state of between the two parties involved in the lawsuit, according to a July 9 article from Rest The Case.
Kato Crews states that the forfeited institutions publicly acknowledged their acceptance and understanding of the resulting wins and losses.
Robin McElhatton, SJSU’s assistant director of media relations, said the university is pleased with the ruling made by Kato Crews.
“All San José State University student-athletes are eligible to participate in their sports under NCAA and Mountain West Conference rules,” McElhatton said. “We are gratified that the court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules.”
Throughout the Nov. 13 lawsuit, several of the plaintiffs expressed safety concerns over the studentathlete in question.
“The CSU does not tolerate discrimination of any kind, on or off the court,” Maymon said. “We applaud the Court’s decision and will be cheering on the San José State University volleyball team as they continue to compete for a championship in the Mountain West Conference tournament.”
Though the plaintiff expressed safety concerns, Kato Crews questioned the basis of the lawsuit considering the student-athlete in question has been with the team since 2022.
“It was not until the spring of 2024, at the earliest, that questions arose from plaintiffs regarding her gender identity,” Kato Crews stated.
The Spartan Daily reached out to Batie-Smoose, the assistant head coach of the women’s volleyball team, but did not receive a response.
Todd Kress, the head coach of SJSU’s women’s volleyball team, expressed enthusiasm for the team's participation in the scheduled tournament.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to represent San José State University and the 19 young women who have so valiantly helped us get to this point,” Kress said.
Copy Editor Alina Ta contributed to this report.
SATURN WILLIAMS | SPARTAN DAILY
Brooke Slusser, a co-captain for SJSU women’s volleyball team, is one of the 12 plaintiffs involved in a lawsuit against SJSU, CSU and the Mountain West Conference.
Henkes-Power
EDITOR
Follow Kaya on Instagram @kayuh.h
Friendsgiving celebrated by students
By Jackson Lindstrom STAFF WRITER
San José State students who may not celebrate Thanksgiving had the opportunity to experience different festivities Monday at the Diaz Compean Student Union for Global Connections’s “Friendsgiving.”
SJSU Global Connections serves students who want to learn more about the world through weekly meetings linking them with information about cultures and people from around the world, according to its web page.
Global Connections hosted the event to give international students an opportunity to celebrate friendship, community and tradition, according to its event web page.
The term “Friendsgiving,” is used to describe a gathering of friends to eat a large meal on or near Thanksgiving and was coined in 2007 through a Twitter post, according to MerriamWebster.
The harvest is celebrated around the world, including holidays like the Rice Harvest Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Yam Festival, Sukkoth, and Pongal, according to a Britannica web page.
The same web page also says these holidays are commonly held in countries far from the US, including Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Israel, Nigeria, Vietnam and many other countries.
Sanya Mandhyan, a second-year data science student from India, said she celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time last year.
“I got some good Thanksgiving food, which (was) interesting because I've never had proper Thanksgiving food,” Mandhyan said. “It was sort of new, I did not know how things worked, but it was pretty fun.”
Although the Friendsgiving event was made to primarily serve students from different cultures, including those who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in their home country, it is not uncommon for the holiday to be celebrated by immigrants, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
The survey found that 74% of immigrants who had been in the U.S. for a decade or less said they celebrated Thanksgiving in comparison to the 93% of Americans born in the U.S. who said they celebrate the holiday.
“Who doesn’t like a holiday? ... I have felt very
(included) and (people) have treated me very well,” Mandhyan said. “I am a part of this club in SJSU ... and they’ve invited me over for Thanksgiving this Thursday, so I’m gonna go there and experience actual Thanksgiving again. I’m pretty excited about that.”
Dimple Mulchandani, a biomedical engineering graduate student also from India, said holidays in the U.S. are diverse.
“(In) the U.S., there are people from different cultures and regions. So you'll always find somebody of a similar
culture,” Mulchandani said. “It’s okay to celebrate other festivals because then (you) get to celebrate a festival ... In fact, you get more culturally aware about Thanksgiving and other festivals.”
Keri Toma Loehrer, international programs manager at SJSU International Student and Scholar Services, said Global Connections is a great opportunity for international students to build connections.
“For Friendsgiving specifically, we wanted to do something to bring the community together, but
also share a little bit of American traditions with our international students, but also other cultural traditions,” Loehrer said.
“A lot of cultures celebrate the harvest. So gathering together around the idea of harvest and community gatherings is why we did Friendsgiving.” Thanksgiving is also not an exclusively American holiday. It is also known to be celebrated in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Liberia, Saint Lucia, the Philippines and more, according to the World Population Review. Loehrer said she does
celebrate Thanksgiving and uses the holiday as a way to cherish the people in her life.
“If I’m home, it's being with family (and) taking a moment to appreciate things,” Loehrer said. “Sometimes we don’t do that often enough. Since I've been living away from home for many years now, it's more about your chosen family and friends who are like family, so that's what it is for me now.”
Sustainability an anomaly at SJSU
By Charity Spicer & Saturn Williams STAFF WRITER
San José State University, a college campus that ranks in the top tiers of universities all over the world in sustainability practices, utilizes a “singlestream” waste management system. Does it meet the expectations for students?
We dug deeper.
You’ve got a single-use plastic water bottle you purchased from the Student Union that needs to be recycled. Where do you go?
Receptacles stating “SINGLE STREAM – RECYCLING, COMPOST & TRASH” surround every corner of campus. But where does that water bottle end up going?
The Problem
The single stream collection process that SJSU uses is a system that has been adopted by many other cities and takes all materials then combines them into one singular stream that eventually gets sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
Environmentalists and institutes such as the Container Recycling Institute have concluded that single-stream recycling isn’t the most efficient way of managing waste.
The overall cost of this method because of contamination is much higher than the typical three-bin waste system that divides materials into landfill, compost and recycling, according to the same source.
SJSU sends all of their waste from the single stream collection to GreenWaste—a California-based material recovery facility and energy digestion system—which
also serves the City of San José as a whole.
San José has the highest rate of contamination in single-family recycling carts at a whopping 57%, according to a city survey in 2022 reported by the Mercury News.
Surrounding cities in the Bay Area including Oakland, San Francisco and Milpitas have much lower rates of contamination, according to the same article.
High school and college students nationwide are concerned about sustainability practices and the effects of climate change, noting “climate anxiety” as one of the most common experiences, according to a survey of 2,000 students from UC Irvine School of Education in April 2024.
What is SJSU doing to combat “the problem”?
SJSU is placed in the top 6% of all universities internationally for their exceptional sustainability practices, receiving the “GOLD” rating (second highest rating) from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
It is also ranked in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges in 2022, according to its “Points of Pride” section of SJSU’s website.
Aaron Klemm, senior director of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability at SJSU, has been with the university for two years and is responsible for managing electricity, water, sewer, wastewater/stormwater and fire alarms on campus.
Klemm was unable to state the exact location of the sites that sort SJSU’s waste from the single stream collection process but said that GreenWaste is responsible
for reporting where all waste ends up through the audit process from CalRecycle.
“San José State is an incredibly dense (California State University) campus,” Klemm said.
“On our main campus, we have 88 acres, which is somewhere between 20 percent and 50 percent of the next nearest sized campus for 35,000 people student headcount.”
The single stream bin solution addresses the need for minimizing the infrastructure and logistics of a three-bin system, according to Klemm.
Single-stream sorting is touted for its convenience and increases in recyclable material captured, but it can also increase the percentage of material lost because of contamination up to 25%, according to a Jan. 10, 2019 FiveThirtyEight article.
With SJSU’s single-stream management, the amount of material recycled and composted decreased to 4,147 tons and 305 tons respectively compared to 2013, when 5,475 tons of material was recycled and 566 tons was composted, according to a Jan. 14 Sustainability Tracking,
Assessment & Rating System report.
Contamination rates were not reported in the STARS assessment.
Klemm said SJSU will be hiring to fill the sustainability lead position this year and implementing a district energy master plan as well as campus managing expansion operations.
“Not everyone’s a recycling expert … this approach is actually as successful as a three-stream approach with less burden placed on our students to be worried about recycling,” Klemm said.
In 2022, SJSU prevented almost 70% of its waste from going into landfills or incinerators, though the total amount of material ending up in those places increased to 1,943 tons compared to the campus’s baseline year in 2013, according to the 2024 STARS report.
Additionally, the amount of waste generated per person on campus has also increased since 2013, according to the same report.
Food Waste at SJSU
In addition to the food scraps that are thrown away in receptacles around campus and carted off to
GreenWaste, food purveyors such as Spartan Eats Food Service and the Spartan Food Pantry regularly donate their bulk food waste to SJSU’s Campus Community Garden to be composted on-site under garden coordinator Ruby Howard’s supervision.
In 2022, the garden composted over 1,400 pounds of campus food waste, according to a Nov. 28, 2022 CommUniverCity article.
“We put in 50% nitrogen, so that’s the food scraps, vegetables, fruit waste, yard waste, coffee grounds (or) anything organic that's fruit or vegetable based,” Howard said. “Then we do 50% carbon, that's like leaves, cardboard, straw, newspaper, that kind of thing.”
Aerobic composting is the specific method that the SJSU Campus Community Garden utilizes, which has aerobic microorganisms break down organic matter and produce carbon dioxide, ammonia, water, heat and humus through a complex scientific process, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
“We have a separate bin in
the Student Union that those businesses put their compost directly into, so it doesn't enter the single stream system at all, but we have an agreement with them and they put it aside for us, which we’re really grateful for, because it helps us make dirt,” Howard said.
Howard said she hopes that SJSU will incorporate regenerative agriculture into its practices.
“It’s a good wheelbarrowfull every week, at least, from the Student Union and then the food pantry too … the Student Union, they would probably give us even more, but right now, we can’t accommodate even more because of staffing and just space limitations,” Howard said.
SJSU’s Environmental Resource Center
SJSU’s Environmental Resource Center is a student activist wing of the Environmental Studies Department, according to its website.
Malvika Malhotra, a fourth-year environmental studies student and one of the directors of the ERC, said that the reason she got into environmentalism is because of her passion for politics. She has been a director at the Environmental Resource Center since fall 2023.
“I think it’s really hard for people to understand what goes where when it comes to waste management or how littering affects your local community. Even from the small things to like the large things of air pollution,” Malhotra said.
JACKSON LINDSTROM | SPARTAN DAILY
SJSU students celebrate Friendsgiving on campus at the Diaz Compean Student Union on Monday afternoon.
SATURN WILLIAMS | SPARTAN DAILY
A single-stream recepticle is featured on campus located on 7th Street Plaza.
FOOD REVIEW
I like Stan’s Donut Shop a hole lot
By Anahi Herrera Villanueva STAFF WRITER
Stan’s Donut Shop is nothing out of this world, but the flavor and texture of their donuts make them stand out for me.
Established in 1959 by Stanford Whittmayer along with his wife and nine children, Stan’s Donut Shop has become a Santa Clara classic for six decades, according to the store’s homepage.
“We accept cash and check only,” were the first words on their online menu. For a shop located in Silicon Valley, I couldn’t wrap my head around Stan’s Donut Shop to not progress with time despite how long the shop has been around, according to their online menu.
This also created a vision of what the store would look like even before walking in. It took me back to waking up early with my parents on a weekend morning to get some fresh, warm donuts.
It is important to note that my trip to Stan’s Donut Shop was later in the day, nearing their closing hours but I was sure there would still be a
large assortment of donuts. Stan’s Donut shop is open from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., according to the same online menu.
Walking into Stan’s Donut Shop was almost like traveling back in time. The decorations that adorned the wall contained memorabilia along with several awards including “2013’s Best of the Valley,” according to Metro Silicon Valley.
A large sign of a vintagelooking menu also hung above the donut display case that was nearly empty by this point. However, best of all was the smell - a sweet vanilla aroma that just screamed donuts.
Whether it was perfect timing or pure luck, I was still able to grab some donuts, especially the last one for the featured donut of the day – the buttermilk maple donut.
After taking my first bite, I was surprised by the softness it had – not too soft where the dough crumbled at every bite. The maple icing stood out to me because previous maple donuts I have consumed had been entirely too sweet and made it difficult to finish.
With Stan’s buttermilk
album review
Stan’s Donut Shop
Rating:
MOVIE REVIEW
Foods sold: coffee beverages and donuts
Location: 2628 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara
maple donuts, I had no issue finishing the donut because of its balance of flavor.
Along with the maple donut, I was able to get a plain glazed donut and a vanilla donut frosted with peanut toppings, the only remaining flavors of the day.
More often than not, plain glazed donuts are overlooked because of the different variety of flavors donut shops offer but plain glazed donuts are my absolute favorite and this made me more excited to try this one out.
First, bite in and I was hooked. Again, I am not a huge sweet tooth girl so I'm always looking for treats that do not have
that overpowering taste of sweetness. The star quality of this donut was that its glaze did not break and fall off creating a mess.
Another of the donuts I tried was a vanilla glazed donut with peanut toppings. I wasn’t a huge fan of this donut due to the mess it created after the very first bite, but the taste made it an exception.
The sweetness of the vanilla, compared to the previous donuts, was not overwhelming but the contrasting nutty flavor from the peanuts left a pleasant taste.
To my surprise, the store provided classic flavors such
as glazed donuts, similar to what I would see at any other donut shop.
Although it remains as a daily family-run business, the family recipe and their specific donut-making style have been passed down to Jesus Lopez, who is now the head baker of the establishment, according to the same website.
The mom-and-pop shop vibe of Stan’s Donut Shop is something that I believe brings their customers in, but the flavors offered are what hook them into staying and maintaining their loyalty.
This helped them survive the COVID-19 pandemic
amid false reporting of their business being closed, according to Santa Clara News.
Stan’s Donut Shop truly showed me why they won “Best of the Valley” when I tasted these donuts.
Although I wasn’t able to taste a lot of flavors due to its high demand, the ones I did have were very pleasant.
I had a great experience talking to the staff working at Stan’s and the entire atmosphere recreated that nostalgic feel of my childhood.
‘Wicked’ whisks audiences away
By Saturn Williams STAFF WRITER
Over 85 years after Judy Garland stepped into technicolor for the first time as Dorothy Gale arrived in Oz, the classic villain from “The Wizard of Oz” is finally having her story told on the big screen in “Wicked.”
“Wicked” (2024) is a movie musical adaptation of the Broadway musical production of the same name, based on the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.”
The story by Gregory Maguire is in turn based on the 1939 movie musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” according to a Friday BBC article.
“Wicked” details the life of Elphaba Thropp, soon to be known as the Wicked Witch of the
West, transitioning into adulthood by attending the magical Shiz University in Oz.
Her story in the “Wicked” film is based on the Broadway production with part one of the planned two-part film series ending where act one ends in the original play, on “Defying Gravity.”
Although it isn’t the most satisfying conclusion – and it doesn’t seem like it's trying to be – the film builds up to the moment enough for it to pay off.
For yet another retelling of a 124 year-old story, the movie “Wicked” manages to bring Oz to life in a new and intriguing way, even if it falls into overwrought Hollywood trappings from time to time.
For two hours and forty minutes, the film presents a smörgåsbord of fantastical visuals that solidify its unique Ozian identity. Grandiose set pieces and elaborate musical numbers fill the screen, but not to the point of drowning its main characters.
“Wicked” showcases Director Jon M. Chu’s attention to detail in crafting the various living environments of Oz.
From the cozy and quirky architecture of Munchkinland to the steampunk aesthetics of the Emerald City, the extensive use of practical sets in the film is appreciated.
Rather than stripping the musical’s theatricality and shoehorning it into a blockbuster format as
seen with adaptations such as Disney’s “Into The Woods,” “Wicked” feels like an expanded theater production.
The movie achieves this by utilizing its larger than life musical numbers, additional scenic locations and dramatic cinematography that the film medium allows while balancing its Broadway charm.
This is immediately felt in the gripping opening number “No One Mourns The Wicked,” where dozens of residents in Munchkinland gather to celebrate the death of the “Wicked Witch” at the hands of Dorothy.
Glinda, the aspiring sorceress portrayed by Ariana Grande, reluctantly announces the death of Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, and joins in the chorus with operatic vocals as the Munchkinlanders move in and out of the frame performing the stage choreography.
Glinda reflects on her relationship with Elphaba as everyone around her rejoices in her death, and the rest of the story follows the way their paths intertwined at Shiz University, growing from bitter adversaries to best friends.
Elphaba was born with green skin, which she is ostracized for throughout the story since birth, informing her character as the anti-hero protagonist in “Wicked.” Glinda, in contrast, is a popular and
vain socialite looking to climb her way up the ranks at Shiz.
Erivo delivers a decent and believable Elphaba performance, capturing her youthful nonchalance and biting cynicism, though at times feeling a bit restrained.
Whereas Erivo embodies the character of Elphaba well, Grande never fully disappears into her role, but that does not necessarily detract from this portrayal of the “Good Witch.”
If any role is going to be slated for the star-studded casting of a popular celebrity, Glinda, the central popular celebrity figure in the story, feels like an appropriate choice. Grande leans into the typecast as well as the cheeky stage humor of “Wicked,” making her performance overall enjoyable.
The two leads also have
incredible chemistry in their banter, first blooming in the song, “What Is This Feeling?” where Elphaba and Glinda articulate their feelings of “unadulterated loathing” for each other.
Erivo and Grande also make great vocal leads for the cast, with Erivo’s chilleliciting performance of “Defying Gravity,” capping off the movie’s finale.
In some numbers, such as “The Wizard and I,” stellar vocal performances were flattened by an iffy direction, but in others such as “One Short Day,” the musical elements shined.
Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible provide mediocre vocal chops, but Goldblum’s eccentricity and Yeoh’s regality capture their characters well enough.
Jonathan Bailey is a charismatic Fiyero, Ethan
Slater crafts a loveable Boq, and Marissa Bode delivers a refreshingly independent Nessarose, culminating in a cohesive and entertaining cast performance, down to the film’s idiosyncratic “Ozmapolitan” grammar. The film stretches past the Broadway runtime despite only depicting the first act, which might be an issue for some. However, the extended cut does allow the characters and their moments to breathe, adding context and depth surprisingly without ruining the pacing. The Broadway show has a rushing problem, and Chu’s adaptation seems to want to remedy that.
ANAHI HERRERA VILLANUEVA | SPARTAN DAILY
with peanut toppings and a maple donut is displayed on a table at Stan’s Donut Shop.
PHOTO FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
“Wicked” Rating:
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
Commercialization of holidays sucks
Navin Krishnan PRODUCTION EDITOR
There are three times that swing around every year that piss me off – freezing my ass off in the winter, sweating my ass off in the summertime, and watching big-time restaurant chains try to merchandise Thanksgiving in November.
The way McDonald’s celebrates Thanksgiving is to be open to serve Big Macs for those who can’t roast a turkey, according to the digital food publication Delish.
Thanksgiving isn’t a time to find a quick bite to eat or just to ingest a turkey’s ass – it’s a time for family to come together, mingle and celebrate what we are thankful for every year.
Today, it seems as if bigtime fast food chains are coming together to celebrate their revenue and rake in money.
If the dead turkeys can’t take a stand on this, then perhaps it should be us students speaking out on
how supersizing meals for cheap to those socially or fiscally unable, is as big a falsehood as high school teen drama shows.
The people we spend Thanksgiving with should be loved, not bought out. People celebrating Thanksgiving should be able to grow their hearts, not their asses.
Not only is eating McDonald’s rumored to be an unhealthy habit, it has been proven through experimentation.
‘Super Size Me’ was a documentary released in 2004 in which Morgan Spurlock, American producer and writer, immersed himself in an experiment, according to an IMDb web page.
In the documentary, Spurlock navigated the complicated world of fast food health consequences such as consuming only McDonald’s for one month straight, according to the same source.
Spurlock died on May 23, 2024 of complications involving cancer at the age of 53, according to the Variety publication web page.
I recall when I was a youth, we would talk about how Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for what we have. We would celebrate
coming together as a family, make turkey projects with our hands at school and look forward to deals on Black Friday.
McDonald’s was originally started by Maurice and Richard McDonald in 1940 before being bought out by Ray Kroc, a business partner who bought the franchise in 1955, according to a Britannica web page.
Apparently, not only is McDonald’s unhealthy, it reported a recent E. coli breakout on Nov. 13 of onions being past their shelf life stored in undisclosed locations.
After ingesting the quarter pounder, McDonald’s famed burger, there were a total of 104 cases, 34 hospitalizations, and one death, according to the same CDC report.
If karma is a bitch, then perhaps all the souls of morbid people cheated by McDonald’s have come back to haunt the current day in the form of Ronald McDonald.
Last time I checked, McDonald’s food is the same when ingested as when it comes out of your rear end.
Kroc, who was obsessed with uplifting the standards of McDonald’s, created ‘exacting standards’ for how each McDonald’s
restaurant should be kept, from the spectrum of food preparation to keeping his restaurants clean, according to the same Britannica web page.
What a Kroc of garbage.
I’d say Kroc’s ghost is still alive and kicking, and his ‘exacting standards’ are just another way of saying the entire franchise is still stuck in the past, emphasizing the same shitty standards and trying to wreck the American ideology of Thanksgiving.
Hell, if the CDC can blow the whistle about the E. coli breakout, we as students
should be able to reject ‘food’ that has a shelf life older than Kroc himself.
I don’t know much about nostalgia, but I’d rather stuff my hand up a dead bird’s ass than kiss Ronald McDonald’s pathetic, bony and insecure butt.
If McDonald’s is willing to spend money branding the food for a super-sized corporation, don’t let them put their stamp on a day all Americans can celebrate.
Thanksgiving’s purpose is to get together to celebrate what America has gratitude for, not for raking in money. Though the actual history
of Thanksgiving involves the genocide of Indigenous Americans, the holiday has been accepted as an American tradition and the idea that McDonald’s is an option for those who misunderstand the holiday is clouded is a ponzi scheme bigger than the Big Mac. Let us celebrate the holidays by coming together, holding hands, and standing up for what really makes us American – pride. Let’s break the chains of fast food.
GRAPHIC BY CIA CASTRO
CAMPUS VOICES
SOFIA
SJSU edges KSU, CSUN back to back
By Israel Archie & Hunter Yates STAFF WRITERS
The San José State women’s basketball team managed to defend home court over the weekend, sweeping visitors Kennesaw State 68-64 Thursday and California State University, Northridge 62-44 on Sunday.
The Spartans are now 4-2 on the season while KSU and CSUN both fell to 2-3.
SJSU managed to hang on because of strong offensive play from guard Sydni Summers and forward Djessira Diawara. Summer was the team’s leading scorer with 13 points, shooting 4-7 from deep and splitting her two free throw attempts at the line.
SJSU head coach April Phillips attributes the win to her players’ defensive effort.
“We were able to keep their leading scorers well under their averages,” Phillips said. “We just stuck with the game plan.”
Everything seemed to be going KSU’s way in the first quarter as the game fell into its favor from the free throw line shooting 7-7. They also managed to outshoot the Spartans from the field and from three in the same quarter
Kennesaw State shot 50% from both the 3-point line and from the field.
SHARKS HOCKEY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Comparatively, SJSU shot 33% from the field and 43% from behind the arc.
The Spartans also had eight turnovers, giving Owl extra possessions.
Diawara struggled early, committing two turnovers in the first half. Diawara’s sluggish start didn’t affect her game, as she bounced back and finished the game with 12 points on 6-9 shooting along with 7 rebounds, making her a crucial factor to the team’s victory against KSU.
“I show up at the moment of opportunity,” Diawara said. “I continue to go out there and (do) what my team needs to get the win.”
Senior big Hennie van Schaik contributed to the Spartan’s surge by scoring 10 points, including two 3-pointers.
The two 3-pointers she drained in the game were the first long-range bombs she has made all season after going 0-6 before this game.
“The whole team, coaches and everybody gave me the confidence to keep shooting,” van Schaik said. “So it was just a good moment to finally hit some.”
The game between San José State women’s basketball team and California State University, Northridge was evenly matched on Sunday in the first quarter until CSUN guard Erika Aspajo took
a substantial hit with 2:07 remaining in the quarter.
Forward Hennie van Schaik was the leading scorer and managed to hit a season high with 15 points, including 12 rebounds.
Aspajo came into the game leading her team in scoring and assists, averaging 12.7 points per game and 5.3 assists per game.
The Spartans’ defense showed out during the second quarter, which held the Matadors to just 5 points on 2-for-18 shooting from the field and 0-for-8 behind the arc.
Before halftime, SJSU had its longest run of the game going 12-0 during the second quarter, ending the first half leading 36-20.
“Usually we have three people rebounding,” van Schaik said. “They’re a big transition team (and) we only had two people rebounding so it's funny how that works.”
The Spartans’ momentum continued during the second half of the game with them owning the boards, by grabbing 56 rebounds versus the Matadors’ 36.
SJSU snowballed into the
biggest lead of 24 points with 4:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“I think defense, rebounding, those things kind of go hand in hand, It’s a toughness factor,” Phillips said. “We talk about being able to out tough teams, and I think that rebounding plays a really big part in that.”
Overall, SJSU locked down defensively, causing CSUN to shoot 27.6% from the field (16-for-58) and 21.4% behind the arc (6-for28).
Guard Sydni Summers scored 9 points made all
behind the arc, including 3 rebounds.
“These past few weeks we have been emphasizing defense in practice,” Summers said. “Coach has been emphasizing straight line drives, so it's been getting stuck in our heads.”
The Spartans will gear up as they are scheduled to travel to Puerto Rico this week to play the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Thursday.
Sharks retire Thornton’s jersey No. 19
By Charity Spicer STAFF WRITER
Joe Thornton, a San José Sharks legend, was honored by the City of San José in a ceremony at the City Hall Rotunda for his contribution to the team and his community on Thursday.
Thornton started his career in Canada at Sault Ste. Marie began in the Ontario Hockey League and was recruited by the Boston Bruins where he played for eight seasons.
In November 2005, Thornton was traded to the San José Sharks and began his illustrious career as a center for the team racking up national awards and helping Canada win a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, according to his player bio on the National Hockey League website.
“I never thought I’d live in California. It was just, honestly, it was a dream growing up. I loved the Beach Boys too,” Thornton said. “I was shocked about, you know, California dreaming. I think at a young age, I was just in love with California, and here I am right now.” Thornton talked about various topics, including what it is like to be in the rafters with Patrick Marleau, the importance of his family and friends, and why San José is home to him.
“I persuaded the family to come back because I love it so much, I always had a good idea we could come back,” Thornton said. “But I don't know if I'd ask my wife or my kids
that. I think I always knew I was going to come back. I love the people, I love the area so much.”
Thornton is the second player to have his number retired in the Sharks’ franchise, 19 years later, according to the Mercury News.
“(If) you asked my dad my first year, I didn't think I was going to survive my first year, (or) even my second year,” Thornton said when asked about retiring at the age of 30. “I had that plan, you know, as long as I did I hope. With the support of the love of family, that’s what got me through it.”
Lacey Imes, a long-time fan of Joe Thornton and the San José Sharks since 2008, said that Thornton sparked their interest in
hockey as a sport and talked about how they view the future of the San José Sharks.
“I didn't know anything about hockey and I just started learning as it was a very fun sport. I got my whole family involved in hockey and they all have favorite players,” said Imes. “I think when I was looking for somebody to cheer for, I think Joe’s performance really stood out to me as just dynamic and exciting.”
In the 2005-06 season he was an immediate success, and received the Art Ross Trophy—an award in honor of Arthur Howey Ross, former manager-coach of the Boston Bruins—when he had 125 points (29 goals, 96 assists), the first player
to win the award after being traded during the season, according to an NHL web page.
“I’m looking forward to seeing where the team goes from here and how it defines itself. With so many of the icons of this last decade or so moving on into other ventures and it's just exciting to see who's gonna stand out as the new icon,” said Imes
Thornton was the 100th player to play in 1,200 NHL games against the Winnipeg Jets on March 27 2014, and the 46th player to earn 1,200 points against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 18, 2014, according to the same NHL web page.
San José Mayor Matt Mahan detailed Thornton’s contributions
to the community through his philanthropic efforts through the Sharks Foundation and coaching youth hockey in the Shooter Sharks Youth program.
“Great cities deserve great sports teams. And great sports teams have iconic leaders like Jumbo Joe Thornton, who inspire communities to come together and inspire the next generation to love the game,” Mahan said.
Jonathan Becher, president of the San José Sharks, said that he has “never met anyone that loved the game of hockey more,” and Thornton’s energy was infectious on and off the ice.
After the San José City Council, city council elect members and Mayor Matt
Mahan took photos with Joe Thornton, Charanbir Mahal from INDTVUSA introduced a portrait of Joe Thornton.
The piece was illustrated by Komal Bijor, who is a local fine artist from the Indian community and a graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Bijor said she graduated last year and has been still trying to find her footing but Mahal discovered her work and presented her with the opportunity to paint a portrait of Thornton.
“I have never painted a sports player before, but you know what? Being an artist is all about challenging your boundaries. If you're comfortable, that means you're not really doing something right,” said Bijor.
Nov. 23 is declared as “Joe Thornton Day” by the City of San José which will serve as a celebration of Thornton’s legacy in the city and beyond.
“The Joe Thorton flag will be flying here at City Hall, and all of San Jose is lighting up in your honor. San Jose Civic Auditorium, Winchester Mystery House, San Jose Mineta International Airport, Adobe's Global HQ, San Pedro Square, The Tech Interactive, and the list goes on,” said Mahan.
CHARITY SPICER | SPARTAN DAILY
SJSU redshirt junior Finau Tonga shoots a free throw in a blowout win against Kennesaw State University.
CHARITY SPICER | SPARTAN DAILY
Joe Thornton (middle) stands adjacent to Mayor Matt Mahan (right) celebrate Thornton’s Sharks jersey on Thursday.