Spartan Daily Vol. 164 No. 10

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SJ talks Trump’s trans policies

San José community members gather to discuss whether or not they agree or disagree with President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders on transgender rights.

Within the president’s first month in office, Trump has signed a handful of executive orders attempting to diminish rights for trans youth, according to a Feb. 5 article from Axios.

On Jan. 20, Trump announced that the federal government would only recognize two sexes, male and female, according to the executive order he signed during his first day in office.

The language is kind of what we’ve come to expect, but it represents an escalation of the kind of actions to make it so that trans people are forced out of legal avenues of participation in society.

“Ideologues” are denying the biological reality of sex and are depriving women of their dignity, safety and well-being, according to the same executive order.

On Wednesday afternoon, panelists spoke at San José State’s “2025 Trans Teach In,” to educate students on LGBTQIA+ rights and to discuss Trump’s recent executive orders against the trans

community, according to a Feb. 4 Instagram post from SJSU PRIDE.

The event was held at the Student Union and was hosted by SJSU PRIDE; the university’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program and SJSU’s College of Social Sciences, according to the same source.

Robin McMahon, a sixth-year history student at SJSU who identifies as a nonbinary trans woman, said in an interview the night before the event that she was not surprised to see Trump sign multiple executive orders aimed to take away rights from the trans community.

“This is the kind of weird nonsense that I kind of expected,” McMahon said.

“It’s a huge pain in my ass. It prevented me from getting my passport renewed.”

McMahon said this executive order has made it very difficult for trans community members who have changed their gender marker on their identification files.

The federal government stopped issuing U.S. passports with “X” gender markers and it suspended processing applications from Americans wanting to update their passports with a new gender marker, according to a Jan. 28 article from the 19th News.

“The language is kind of what we've come to expect,” McMahon said “But it represents an escalation of the kind of actions to make it so that trans people are forced out of legal avenues of participation in society.”

The administration also claims that changing language and policy that is more gender neutral is having a “corrosive impact” on women and the validity of the entire “American system,” according to the same executive order.

McMahon said the trans community is an existential threat to those who are afraid to challenge society’s current dependency on gender roles.

“If those categories aren’t rigidly defined and aren’t rigidly enforced, (it) means that we have to reevaluate the morality of forcing those people to do that violence or (to) do that care,” she said. “If trans people are allowed to define where they fall in that spectrum or outside of it, then it is not compulsory for people to have to behave in masculine or feminine ways that make them easy to control.”

Around 1.3 million or 0.5% of adults in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to a 2022 data report from UCLA.

According to the same data report, about 300,000 or 1.4% of youth in the U.S. also identify as transgender. Out of the 1.3 million adults who self-identify as transgender, about 515,200 or 38.5% identify as trans women, about 480,000 or 35.9% identify as trans men and about 341,800 or 25.6% self-reported that they are gender nonconforming, according to the same data report from UCLA.

Felicia Lam, a resident of San José who attended “Stand for the Flag” on Feb. 6, said she agrees with Trump’s recent executive orders that are relevant to the trans community.

“I understand different people have different personal feelings on their bodies,” Lam said. “That is their own business if (they) want to change (their) sex. Biological sex is their personal choice. But as a taxpayer, I really don’t agree that you’ll be using my money to help fund that.”

Turning Point USA hosted the event, “Stand for the Flag,” at the Calvary Christian Fellowship in San José, according to a webpage from the Santa Clara County Republican Party. The purpose of the event was to discuss issues related to women in sports.

The main speaker was Riley Gaines, who was formerly a competitive swimmer at the University of Kentucky, according

to a Feb. 6 article from Sportskeeda.

Gaines became a prominent figure fighting against trans rights after she competed in the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships against Lia Thompson, a trans-athlete, according to the same source.

Gaines said she believes people support Trump on issues related to trans rights because they understand intuitively that men and women are different.

“I believe that people turned out to the polls to reject absurdity, and that is what the Democratic Party has become,” Gaines said. “Whether it is putting men and women's sports, whether it's putting tampons in boys bathrooms, whether it's referring to Latino individuals as Latinx, the Democratic Party has lost the ability to communicate with everyday common sense Americans.”

On Jan. 28, Trump signed an executive order stating that the federal government will not promote or support children who are interested in transitioning from one sex to another, according to the executive order text.

According to the same executive order, the administration will ensure institutions that receive federal funds for research or education grants will end the practice of “chemical and surgical mutilation” on children.

Trump’s executive order’s definition of “chemical and surgical mutilation” includes the use of puberty blockers to delay puberty for individuals who do not identify with the sex they were born with at birth.

These services are widely known as “genderaffirming care” to the public, according to the same executive order.

“Not only is it actively threatening to people who want to transition but can't,

or (threatening) to people who are trying to provide support for a person who wants to transition as their local guardians, (they) could be legally culpable for trying to affirm their gender,” McMahon said.

Gender-affirming health care are social, psychological, behavioral or medical interventions designed to affirm a person’s gender identity, according to a FAQ from the World Health Organization.

Some of these medical services are non-medical interventions including removing facial hair, voice modification, genital tucking or chest binding, according to the same FAQ.

On Jan. 20, Trump signed another executive order announcing that the U.S. will leave the World Health Organization for demanding “unfairly onerous payments” and for mishandling the COVID19 pandemic, according to the executive order.

McMahon said losing access to this healthcare could lead to suicide and irreversible health complications that could lead to death.

Having gender-affirming surgery can improve severe psychological distress and reduce suicidal ideation, according to a 2021 study from the JAMA Network.

The Department of Defense indirectly provides health insurance to nearly 2 million individuals under the age of 18, according to the same executive order.

Through this executive order, the Secretary of Defense is expected to exclude gender-affirming care from the department’s insurance coverage plans.

On Feb. 5, Trump ordered a ban on trans women from participating in women’s sports in order to protect opportunities for women and girls to compete fairly in sports, according to the executive order he signed that day.

From the perspective of his administration, many institutions, including athletic associations, have “allowed men to compete in women’s sports,” according to the same executive order.

Trump’s administration is taking “swift action” to investigate universities that do not follow this executive order, including SJSU, according to a Feb. 6 press release from the Dept. of Education.

SJSU, along with the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, are being investigated under the suspicion of violating Title IX, according to the same source. Title IX is an education amendment and policy that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive funding from the federal government, according to a webpage from the Department of Education.

In a campus-wide email, SJSU’s President Cynthia Teniente-Matson states that the university is ready to fully engage with the investigation, follow already established procedures and remain transparent, according to a campuswide email on Feb. 6. Michelle Smith McDonald, the senior director of Media Relations for SJSU, wrote in an email to the Spartan Daily saying the university is committed to student safety.

“San José State maintains an unwavering commitment to the wellness, safety and privacy of our students, faculty and staff and to fostering a supportive and caring environment for all.”

ISRAEL ARCHIE | SPARTAN DAILY
A transgender pride flag hangs on a tree on campus as part of the Trans Day of Visibility Project from four departments at SJSU celebrating trans joy in the community.
Robin McMahon Sixth-year history student

SJSU reacts to CSU tuition increase

Students and staff at San José State are still trying to make sense of the tuition increase that took effect in the beginning of the academic year, according to a web page from the California State University (CSU) system.

The decision was approved by the CSU Board of Trustees to enact a multiyear increase in September of 2023 according to the same source, saying that the increase plans to benefit current and future students.

Recently reinstated Stan Nosek, SJSU interim vice president and administration and finance CFO, offered a little insight into the increase as to why it might have gotten put in place.

“Any time a tuition increase is looked at, it has to do with costs and services,” Nosek said. “In this case, my recollection is that we have not had a tuition increase for many years.”

According to a web page from the CSU, the last tuition increase occurred 12 years ago in which tuition increased by $270. Nosek mentioned that a possible reason could have

been due to a deficit in the budget of the CSU system.

“The reasons that we have to start increasing tuition (in) my understanding is there’s a lot of discussion and debate about that, but the Board of Trustees ultimately decided that costs were rising while our revenue was not so services had to be degraded and we had to start tuition increases again.”

The undergraduate tuition will increase by $342 per student for this academic school year, according to a webpage from the CSU.

The Spartan Daily reached out to CSU

Despite these challenges, we remain committed to serving our CSU community, but

executive chancellor and CFO Steve Relyea regarding more information about the tuition increase but no response was received in time for publication.

Hazel Kelly, CSU strategic communications and public affairs manager,was able to offer some more information concerning the increase specifically pertaining to students who have financial aid.

“The CSU has committed to increasing student financial aid by $49 million dollars in the 202425 academic year alone to ensure that state university grant recipients will not pay the $342 per year increase in tuition,” Kelly said. “That commitment of allocating one-third of the tuition increase revenue will continue each year’s increase.”

Over 80 percent of students in the CSU system receive financial aid, according to a web page from the CSU.

for instruction primarily–it’s used for financial aid, salaries, faculty and staff, facilities, maintenance of facilities, new capital programs on campus, new buildings that we have or others,” Nosek said.

Nosek also said that there are other forms of revenue that get collected by the CSU system other than tuition fees from state schools.

“It’s not just coming from the state most of the time,” Nosek said. “Now, it’s bond measures that are voted on and then the campus has to pay it back through a debt service like a mortgage.”

According to a CSU webpage, the types of funding include systemwide revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, and state public works board lease revenue bonds.

new funds for student support, employee pay, infrastructure and more.

“With the interest rates and everything, people spend forever paying that off,” Luu said. “Or either cutting off programs that are really important. Like always, the first to go is humanities and sports and

revenues continue to increase as the governor has indicated, we look forward to relief from the budget cut and to having ongoing compact funding restored.”

(The funds are) used for instruction primarily–it’s used for financial aid, salaries, faculty and staff, facilities, maintenance of facilities, new capital programs on campus, new buildings that we have or others.

Mildred García CSU Chancellor

When it comes to what the extra tuition money is going to be used for in terms of education purposes, Nosek couldn’t pinpoint the priorities but explained what standard tuition money funds.

“(The funds are) used

Andy Luu, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at SJSU, voiced some concerns that he has with the increase with a couple of them being student loan debts and program cutting.

According to an article from the LA Times, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a $375 million budget cut for the 2025-26 academic year which wouldn’t allow

stuff like that which are already not very present in our education.”

CSU Chancellor, Mildred García released a statement in response to Newsom’s proposal which can be found in a CSU webpage.

“Despite these challenges, we remain committed to serving our CSU community, but our ability to do so today is more limited than in the past,” García said. “If state

Stan Nosek SJSU interim vice president and administration and finance CFO

René Beltran Hernandez, fourth year computer engineering student at SJSU, also gave his two cents about the increase and what concerns him about it. “They’re increasing more and more every year and really the students have no say,” Hernandez said. “The people who actually are affected by the tuition really have no choice because they’re at the university and have to keep studying for whatever they have to do in life.”

Valentine’s stress is in your head

Every year individuals spend hundreds of dollars on KAY Jewelers or materialistic gifts for Valentine’s Day. What is it about those heartshaped chocolate-covered strawberries and red balloons that have so many lovers buzzing on February 14th?

Valentine’s Day can be considered a beautiful holiday to celebrate with a loved one, romantically or platonically. However, many people have different opinions on the holiday itself and the motive can vary to even a psychological aspect.

Patrick Cravalho, a psychology lecturer at SJSU, says the need to give on Valentine’s Day all starts from childhood and we mirror this behavior from childhood.

“From a young age we are told by others that Valentine’s Day is important,” Cravalho said.

Scientists have discovered a continuous pattern of children copying each other and learning this by adapting the behavior from adults, according to a Jan. 27 article from Psych Central.

This is similar to what Cravalho explains about

how as a child in class your teacher will probably encourage you to do a Valentine’s Day gift exchange and that carries you through adulthood.

“I have three little nieces, and the 6-yearold is already asking me when am I going to get married,” Cravahlo said.

An Ontario school in California banned Valentine's Day because it was affecting families negatively and putting pressure on students who don’t celebrate the holiday, according to a Feb. 4, 2023 article from the National Post.

Carvalho says the holiday does put pressure on others to find a romantic partner to be with but just because you are single doesn’t mean there is anything negative about you.

“It is more of a social norm when you’re young and single (that) people don't care, but if you are middle-aged, people are curious as to why you haven't found someone,” Carvalho said.

Individuals often prioritize romantic relationships above anything else and we often forget the importance of platonic relationships, according to an Feb. 12, 2023 article

from the Tower.

He says that it is the ideal human state to find someone and show you have someone during Valentine’s Day, but there are exceptions for people who are happier by themselves.

“You might not even understand why you feel bad, but you might be single on that day and feel bad,” Carvalho said.

For example, he says, as a child, you will get your test back and get a lower score than your classmate and it’s like dating. You might see your friends have partners and you don't, it’s referred to as social comparison.

In psychology, social comparison theory suggests that people value their social worth and personal well-being by comparing it with others, according to a May 21, 2024 article by Verywell Mind article.

Debbie Pacheco, thirdyear communications student at SJSU, said that Valentine’s Day puts pressure on many couples and she feels that people constantly compare their gifts on social media.

“It’s turning into, ‘if he or she doesn't buy you this then they don’t love you,’ ” Pacheco said.

Social media can

create false illusions of relationships and it can affect your mental health negatively just by viewing it on your screen, according to an Aug. 22, 2023 article from the Hindustan Times.

“I 100% think that the idea of love has changed especially with the rise of social media,” Pacheco said.

Pachecho says you can only catch certain falsified parts of relationships on social media. You mainly see the best parts of people, what they want to show, and rarely the ugly parts.

Social media has an addictive property known as dopamine of continuously going back on applications, according to a June 2, 2022 article by Jefferson Health.

Pacheco says Valentine’s Day can be very important in relationships, especially as a reminder to slow down, spend time with a loved one, and not worry about what to buy.

“I feel like Valentine’s Day has become heavily commercialized with certain commercials or brands targeting a specific audience,” Pacheco said.

Around $24 billion is spent on February 14 by Americans, according to a Hallmark article.

“I don’t think Valentine’s Day is about going big, it’s about setting the time to show your appreciation for your significant other,” Pacheco said.

She said showing appreciation can involve a home-cooked meal, sitting down and recreating your first date, or a quality time that is spent just with you and your partner.

Individuals are interpreting the meaning of valentine's day and using it as a way to compete especially when buying an expensive item, according to an Feb. 13, 2020 Rodola Loves article.

Pacheco said if she could choose anywhere in the world for Valentine’s Day she would choose Japan, especially with a partner it makes the experience more beautiful and exciting.

“Even at a neurological level what happens to you as you grow up and in relationships stay with you,” Cravalho said.

Janessa Gil, thirdyear kinesiology student at SJSU, said Valentine’s Day is important because it allows you to see how your partner loves you and it’s not about what you buy but what comes from the heart.

“You’re constantly thinking I have to buy this

candy or I need to buy something right away and commercial influence this removing the purpose of Valentine’s day” Gil said. Gil said she does not see too much pressure on Valentine’s Day unless your partner over-thinks a lot even if you do it yourself or if you put too much pressure on your partner for gift giving.

“If you have paper at home, you can do something simple and not go all out like the commercials want you to,” Gil said.

Gil said commercials are unrealistic because they pay actors to do the commercials for you and it's not real love there is nothing real about it.

“Give yourself selflove before receiving it romantically,” Gil said.

MELISSA ALEJANDRES | SPARTAN DAILY
A menagarie of red and pink Valentine’s Day merchandise lines an aisle of a grocery store, advertised for customers to buy for their special someone on Feb. 14

Feb. 14 is worth more than price tags

Valentine’s Day is a holiday for lovers, family and friends all over the world. It’s the one day of the year when love, hearts and sweet gifts are celebrated. I am someone who has always loved the concept of Valentine’s Day and what it was created for.

In the eyes of many people, Valentine’s Day has become overcommercialized and lost its novelty that makes the holiday worth celebrating. But Valentine’s Day is more than just a capitalistcentric holiday.

Saint Valentine was executed on Feb. 14, 273 in Rome for marrying people in secret during a time when marriage was outlawed, according to The Riptide.

Along with being a Roman priest, he was also a physician who was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus, according to Britannica.

During my childhood, I always associated Valentine’s Day as being important because it was my parents’s wedding anniversary. They wanted to get married on that day and celebrate it on Feb. 14 every year because of what this holiday truly symbolized.

But as humanity and economics have developed over centuries, particularly in the last

100 years, businesses and other large corporations have taken advantage of our holidays – in this case, Valentine’s Day –and are completely disregarding its magic for the sake of exploiting it for profit.

Feb. 14 marked the beginning of an annual tradition in Rome in which one would celebrate love with a matchmaking festival called Lupercalia. Though nobody knows the exact origin of Lupercalia, it has been traced back as far as the sixth century according to History.com

I had a conversation recently with my

boyfriend on the topic of Valentine’s Day that made me start thinking more deeply about where I stand on this opinion.

My boyfriend said he wants to celebrate with me because it matters to me, but otherwise doesn’t care much for it because it's a commercial holiday.

But I truly believe the truth of this holiday is worth remembering.

So, when did Valentine’s Day start to become a corporate holiday? The Riptide article says that it is not something that happened overnight, but that the first Hallmark card in 1913 was the catalyst to the transformation of

Valentine’s Day as a now capitalistic holiday.

Hallmark and other large corporations feed off of Valentine’s Day by selling chocolates and other gifts to build up multi-billion dollar companies that encourage shallow representations of love.

The entirety of how we celebrate Valentine’s Day has changed because of the power corporations now have over this holiday, and it makes me frustrated and disappointed.

Now, buying a gift on Valentine’s Day is an expectation, not just a way to celebrate love.

I’ve been paying

attention to grocery stores and other department stores that I have visited in the last couple of weeks isles are lined with Valentine’sDay-themed balloons, roses, teddy bears, chocolates, etc.

I thought about how all these gifts and decorations were likely made to be merely visually appealing to customers. Thus, since customers know a holiday is approaching, there is a greater incentive to buy all of these products.

I suppose this thought didn’t surprise me, but it was still disappointing to take a step back and think

about how corporations and companies are not meant to care about these holidays but to profit from them.

An article from Stationary Trends presented a 2017 flash poll conducted by the National Retail Federation and found the most common reasons why consumers choose not to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

A 2017 flash poll conducted by the National Retail Federation found consumers chose not to celebrate Valentine’s Day was that they considered it over-commercialized, didn’t have anyone to celebrate with or weren’t interested anymore.

While that might sound like love is on the decline, this data fails to tell the full story on its own.

I wouldn’t call any holiday capitalistic because no holiday is inherently capitalistic, they have just become that way. They all have meaningful significance and I hope that young people will begin to remember the history and reasoning behind Valentine’s Day and have a more positive reason to celebrate it.

Follow Josie on Instagram @josie.idc

SJ hosts CA convention for women

The 2025 California Conference for Women took place on Wednesday at the San José McEnery Convention Center.

San José hosted the fifth California Conference for Women where the event is focused on growing careers and networking for women and inspiring other women, according to the California Conference for Women web page.

The conference featured keynote speakers such as 11-time Olympic Medalist Simone Biles, six-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner, and two-time Academy Award winning actor Jane Fonda, according to the same web page.

Biles sat down with Laura Britt, a host and reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area during her session to highlight the importance of authenticity, joy, and self-care in sports for women.

“Women are so powerful, and if we can truly take on the jury, we have normal intelligence. It’s big,” Biles said.

she has had to push through tough times by focusing on her love for the game and her personal growth while also stressing the importance of maintaining focus, and staying motivated.

“Sometimes, you have to be a little selfish and take care of yourself first before you can give to others,” Griner said.

A survey conducted in 2020 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) found that 16% of women respondents feel lonely constantly, according to a May 24, 2022 NCAA article. Later in the session, Fonda highlights the power of female friendships and the necessity for women to support each other in leadership roles.

“I had to believe in myself before others did,” Biles said.

“I decided to put myself first. It takes a lot of courage when

Biles is the most decorated gymnast with 30 World Championship medals and her 11 Olympic medals make her the decorated U.S. gymnast, according to a Jul. 23 101 ESPN article.

you're on a global stage.”

Like Biles, Griner herself is a female athlete and calls for recognition of women’s sports.

She feels female players often feel more valued and appreciated overseas compared to the U.S., where women’s basketball still

struggles for equal visibility and support.

The Atlanta Dream said that she feels WNBA players feel the need to go overseas just to make a living and that players are appreciated more in other countries than their own.

“Representation matters

– seeing women succeed in sports inspires young girls to dream bigger,” Griner said. There has been more than a 1,000% decrease in girls involved with sports since Title IX passed, according to a Jan. 31, 2024 American Public University article.

Griner also shared that

“When women come together, we draft off each other’s strength – we lift each other up,” Fonda said.

Fonda spoke about the importance of solidarity among women, highlighting how support and collaboration can create a powerful force for change.

All-Star Weekend comes to the bay

The NBA is hosting its annual All-Star weekend in the Bay Area including places like the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Oakland Arena this weekend.

The yearly event is three days long lasting from Friday to Sunday with competitions that showcase the skills of NBA players, who are usually voted in by fans and ultimately leads up to the NBA All-Star Game.

While the game is known for its East versus West matchups, the NBA is doing a new format this year.

According to a webpage from the NBA, the all-star game will have a mini-tournament with four teams and three separate games. There will be two separate semifinal matchups and a final game between the winners of each matchup. The first team to get to 40 or more points will win the final matchup, according to the same source. Even though the matchup isn’t East versus West this year, the teams are a mix of 12 Eastern Conference players and 12 Western Conference players who were voted from a pool consisting of 50% fans, 25% current NBA players and 25% from a media panel according to an NBA webpage.

The 12 players were divided into five starters and seven reserves, in a Jan. 25 NBA news release webpage, the NBA.

The starters for the Eastern Conference include New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns, Cleveland Cavaliers

shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Because Antetokounmpo is injured with a left calf strain, the NBA announced on Monday saying that Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young will be his replacement, according to the league webpage.

For the Western Conference, the voters decided on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić.

In a Feb. 4 article, the NBA released the reserves for each conference with a few of the players selected

being first-time all-stars.

The first-time all-stars for the Eastern Conference include Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro and Cavs forward Evan Mobley.

The remaining reserves for the East are Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, Cavs point guard Darius Garland, Bucks point guard Damian Lillard and Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam.

In the Western Conference, the firsttime all-stars are Houston Rockets big man Alperen Şengün, OKC forward Jalen Williams, and San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.

Other reserves that were voted in for the West are Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Clippers combo guard

James Harden, Memphis Grizzlies big Jaren Jackson Jr., and the recently traded Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis.

Last Thursday, the players were drafted by former NBA players Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith each will be a manager of an all-star team, according to an NBA article.

The fourth team in the all-star game, which will be managed by former WNBA player Candace Parker, will be the winner of the Castrol Rising Stars game which is a game played by NBA rookies and sophomores, according to the same source.

The players drafted by O’Neal are James, Durant, Curry, Davis, Tatum, Lillard, Harden, and Brown.

Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving will replace

his teammate Davis due to an adductor injury he suffered on Saturday’s game against the Rockets, according to an ESPN article.

Barkley drafted Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Siakam, Şengün, Towns, Mitchell, and Young.

While Smith drafted Edwards, Brunson, Jackson, Williams, Garland, Mobley, Cunningham, and Herro.

Some other events that will be featured throughout the weekend include the KIA Skills Challenge, The Starry 3-Point Contest, and the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.

An NBA article released the teams for the KIA Skills Challenge which include Team Cavs with Mitchell and Mobley, Team Rooks with Hawks swingman Zaccharie Risacher and

Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr, Team Spurs with Wembanyama and point guard Chris Paul, and Team Warriors with forward Draymond Green and swingman Moses Moody.

The league also announced the participants in the 3-Point Contest in another article. Most of the participants are also playing in the AllStar Game including Brunson, Cunningham, Lillard, Garland, and Herro.

The rest of the contestants are Warriors shooting guard Buddy Hield, Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson, and Clippers swingman Norman Powell.

Players that are competing in the Dunk Contest were also announced in an article from the NBA. The players listed are Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. and the defending champ from the Osceola Magic, which is the Orlando Magic G-League affiliate, point guard Mac McClung.

According to an article from the NBA, the weekend will kickoff with the Celebrity All-Star Game this Friday followed by the Castrol Rising Stars challenge on the same night.

COURTESY PHOTO BY MARLA AUFMUTH
Athlete and advocate Simone Biles (left) and two-time Emmy-winning host and reporter Laura Britt (right) speak during 2025 California Conference for Women at San José McEnery Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon.
GRAPHIC BY ISRAEL ARCHIE | SPARTAN DAILY

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