WINNER OF 2023 ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS PACEMAKER AWARD, NEWSPAPER/NEWSMAGAZINE NAMED BEST CAMPUS NEWSPAPER IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022 BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Volume 161 No. 43 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
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Santa Clara hosts World AIDS Day By Alicia Alvarez
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Santa Clara County held events spanning two days to commemorate World AIDS Day on Nov. 28 and Dec. 1. World AIDS Day is an annual event held on Dec. 1 to support individuals living with HIV, their family members and to remember those who have died from AIDS, according to a United Nations webpage. The HIV epidemic began in June 1981 according to a June 7, 2021 Kaiser Family Foundation article. HIV or human immunodeficiency virus is an infection that attacks the immune system transmitted through bodily fluids such as semen and blood, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage. This weakens those living with HIV, making them more vulnerable to infection and illness. HIV can evolve into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the most severe stage of HIV, if left untreated, according to another CDCwebpage. About 40.4 million individuals have died because of HIV related causes since the beginning of the epidemic, according to a webpage from the World Health Organization. The virus disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community with over half of those living with HIV reported to be gay or bisexual men, according to a 2016 fact sheet from the CDC. Gabrielle Antolovich, president of the board of directors for the Billy
DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center, helped organize the display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt during the event. The AIDS Memorial Quilt consists of 1,920 panels of fabric, each displaying a name of someone who died from AIDS, according to a Smithsonian Institution Archives Dec. 17, 2020 article. The quilt was first displayed in 1987 at the National Mall park in Washington and was large enough to cover more than a football field’s length according to the same article. The quilt was available for viewing in the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center on Dec. 1. Antolovich said that during the AIDS epidemic, members of the LGBTQ+ community that were not directly impacted by the virus came together to help those that were. “We were fractionalized, separated and not really working together, but the AIDS crisis brought us together through compassion and the horrible homophobia that was happening at that time,” Antolovich said. She said the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center offers HIV testing and resources such as discussion groups for survivors of the virus. Artist Mary Berry said she has been living with HIV for 28 years and attended the quilt viewing with a personal perspective. “I’ve had many friends who have died from this disease,” Berry said. “The quilt means a lot because it means they’re not forgotten.” Berry said she lost someone every
ANGEL SANTIAGO | SPARTAN DAILY
The AIDS Memorial Quilt of 1,920 name panels is displayed at Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center.
week during the epidemic for a period of time. “When I first got diagnosed there was no medication,” Berry said. “They gave me this medication that killed people and that’s all they had. It was the first one they tried, AZT was the name of it and it was a pretty nasty drug.” Antiretroviral (AZT) was the first drug approved by the U.S. Federal Food and Drug administration to treat HIV and AIDS in March 1987, according to a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases webpage. The drug was originally created to treat cancer, but was later found to be effective in treating HIV. Community member Russ Reiter said he attended the quilt viewing
to remember his previous romantic partner, who he watched die from AIDS. Reiter said the hospital his partner stayed at before his passing allowed them to stay together in the room every day and was receptive to gay parties. He said Remembrance Day makes him think back to that period of time, even though his partner doesn’t have his name on the quilt and is not from San José. “It was sort of final, he knew he was going to pass and each day near the end is getting worse and worse,” Reiter said. “It was very burdensome knowing that there wasn’t going to be another outcome.” HIV and AIDS are still incurable
infections and can be deadly, according to a CDC webpage. Medications can be taken to manage symptoms once the virus is contracted, according to the same webpage. “Nowadays, you guys have hope for a cure or a preventative,” Reiter said. “Continue to be careful and just live in the moment. Do what you can today because tomorrow is not a guarantee for any of us.”
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SJSU Library Celebrates Local Authors
BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY
Attendees at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library get books signed.
By Brandon Nicolas SENIOR STAFF WRITER
San José State librarians hosted an author event at Room 225 on the second floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library to shed light on local authors in the community on Saturday. Librarian Natasha Lowell said LocalLit is an annual author fair and showcase event done in partnership with the San José Public Library and the MLK Library. The 11th annual LocalLit was the first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured book talks from nearly 20 local authors including writing and publishing tips, and three Q&A discussion panels. Interim associate dean Anamkia Megwalu kicked off the showcase by welcoming authors and attendees to refreshments and sharing the history of LocalLit.
“From its inception, LocalLit has been a testament to the power of collaboration and the collective effort to elevate the voices of local authors and writers,” Megwalu said. Megwalu said when she moved to San José eight years ago she discovered the rich history and culture of the city through reading local literature. She said she felt a strong connection to the stories of her neighboring communities when she read Bay Area resident Jane Kuo’s first book, “In the Beautiful Country.” “Writers are more than storytellers,” Megwalu said. “They are preservers of regional cultures, educators, counselors and community builders.” Authors were invited to step to the podium to give a brief introduction about their book and their inspirations behind writing their story.
SJSU alum and local artist Ricardo Cortez shared his latest book titled “The ABC’s of Lowriding,” detailing the history of lowriding customs in San José. “This is not a book about cars,” Cortez said. “It’s about the people, customs and traditions of lowrider culture explained through the simplicity of alphabet learning.” Published as an educational tool for those wanting to learn more about lowriding, Cortez said he also wants to generate dialogue amongst old and new generations of lowriders with his book. In October, Gov. Gavin Newson followed San José’s motion to lift the nearly 40-year-old ban on lowriders and cruising statewide, according to a California Assembly Bill 436. “San José was at the epicenter of lowriding in the early days of the 1970s,” Cortez said. “Now with this book being released, we know San José still remains a pioneer in the lowrider movement.” Self published by Cortez with the help of an illustrator from Chihuahua, Mexico, he said he wrote and designed the layout himself and was proud to produce the book locally. With the birth of his first born, Cortez said he wanted to read to his daughter about the history of lowriding culture but struggled to find a book for children. “When setting out to publish a book, it’s important to have a really good support system,” he said. “There were so many times where I was like, ‘What am I doing, and am I wasting my time?’ You don’t know all these things, but you need people there to continue to push you
forward to get to that finish line.” Authors returned to the head of the room in groups of three to participate in a discussion panel, which featured a Q&A portion about topics such as the best environment for writing, how to brainstorm, how to plan a narrative efficiently and how to get published. Author Sonali Patodia spoke to attendees about her children’s book “You’re Truly One of A Kind,” a story about Hindu deity Krishna and their friendship with Radha. Radha was a milkmaid who became a lover to the god Krishna during his time living among the cowherds of Vrindavan, according to a Britannica article from November. Patodia said her retelling of the story centers around themes of friendship, confidence and diversity. “The book tells a sweet and impactful story of Krishna and Radha, addressing the important themes of discrimination based on one’s outer appearance and the appreciation of diversity,” Patodia said. She said the idea for the book stemmed from the heightened social discrimination that occurred across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patodia said she began working on a narrative to encourage younger generations to celebrate diversity because she experienced a lack of representation during her youth. “When we worship someone who is a God of color, Krishna is a God of color who is depicted with blue and black skin in Hindu mythology,” she said. “So why do we divide people in our society based on their skin color ... this thought stuck with me deeply.”
Patodia also said she was inspired by online articles to start a conversation about diversity early on in her household. In a 2020 study done by the American Psychological Association in 2020, participants believed it is best to talk to their child about race when they are 5-years-old, but research shows children can associate racial groups with positive and negative traits by 3-years-old. “It was important for me to come up with a narrative that was super simple,” Patodia said. “I truly believe that profound lessons or storytelling on deep topics does not have to be very complex.”
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Editor's Note: The Spartan Daily will resume publication on Jan. 24 , 2024. For breaking news, visit sjsunews.com