By Elizabeth Bravo Rebolloso & Alina Ta STAFF WRITER & SENIOR STAFF WRITER
San José State held its third annual Day of Remembrance at the Diaz Compean Student Union on Monday.
The event emphasized its commitment to highlighting the importance of remembering, resisting justice and acknowledging the ongoing struggles of Japanese Americans.
Day of Remembrance acknowledges the forced incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two thirds of whom were American citizens under former President Franklin D. Roosevelt Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, according to a San José Nihonmachi Outreach Committee webpage.
Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, formerly called Spartan Complex, served as a registration center for 2,487 people of Japanese descent, according to a Feb. 21, 2024 article from The Spartan Daily.
The reception was welcomed with a performance from San José Taiko – a group founded by young Japanese Americans in 1973 to uplift the Asian American community, according to the San José Taiko webpage.
Opening remarks were delivered by Chief Diversity Officer Kristin Nicole Dukes
and a virtual message from SJSU’s President Cynthia Teniente-Matson who could not be physically present.
During the ceremony, Dukes acknowledged the Muwekma Ohlone land and highlighted the importance of acknowledging injustice and working towards restoration and accountability.
“This land acknowledgment statement and the Day of Remembrance program, both demonstrate the importance of acknowledging harm when it is committed to be accountable for restoring individuals and communities that have been hurt intentionally and unintentionally,” Dukes said.
Dukes introduced the video of Teniente-Matson in which she expressed her regret for not being able to attend in person and emphasized the significance of the Day of Remembrance.
“This enduring struggle exemplifies how resistance leads to renewal and how the pursuit of justice continues across generations,” TenienteMatson said. “At SJSU, we recognize that our past informs our present and our future.”
Day of Remembrance was formed around a crossgenerational forum to collectively remember and confront historical injustices.
Teniente-Matson called for further action to prevent injustices from repeating.
“This observance is an opportunity for each of us
Uemura, executive
to reflect on the lessons of history and to consider how we can do our work in a way that ensures injustices like this remain in the past,” Teniente-Matson said. “We honor the courage of those who live through these injustices and ensure that their stories continue to be told.”
Further in the event, Supervisor Duong,the first Vietnamese American to serve on the Board of Supervisors, spoke on the importance of honoring the history and heritage of Asian American Studies in shaping
communities and creating identity.
“We must acknowledge that San José State University was once a site where Japanese Americans were processed under Executive Order 9066 in 1942 a painful chapter, a shameful chapter in U.S. history,” Duong said. “In recognizing this, we also celebrate the enduring activism that ensures that injustices such as this do not happen again.”
Ellenberg spoke about forming alliances, in order to protect marginalized communities who are
threatened by unjust policies such as those who are at risk of being deported by ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Sadly, much of that hate speech, that rhetoric of prejudice and bigotry, has returned today in the form of political discourse and active harmful policy implementation that targets immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, seekers of reproductive health rights, the pursuit of racial equity, and frankly, anyone else the federal administration regards as less than justice,”
Ellenberg said. San José City District 3 Council member
explained the need to build a more just and compassionate society through collective remembrance.
“Never forget and continue to work towards a brighter future for the coming generations,” Rosemary Kamei said.
Race for SJ District 3 continues
By Israel Archie SENIOR STAFF WRITER
As the City of San José gets closer to electing a councilmember for its District 3 seat, candidates Matthew Quevedo and Gabby Chavez-Lopez continue to involve themselves in events throughout the district to pull voters in their direction including the District 3 Forum with the other special election candidates.
As there are only so many spots in District 3, on Feb. 8 both candidates coincidentally hosted an event at Backesto Park at the same time.
Neither candidate thought much of it as ChavezLopez and said that it was something that was bound to happen because of the size of the district.
“This district is very compact and there are only so many big meeting places, so that’s going to happen,” Chavez-Lopez said. “I do run into him sometimes at coffee shops (and) in the district and I think that’s natural and normal as we’re continuing to want to be everywhere, meet with people and be visible.”
While Quevedo has been
having his campaign events at Backesto Park for the past few weeks, he made it clear that he has no issue with sharing the space.
“It’s a public park; (I’m) always happy to share it with others,” Quevedo said. “It just shows how downtown is a special place and there are a lot of special areas in it.”
Although both candidates had a turnout of supporters and voters, Quevedo was joined by District 10 Councilmember George Casey and Pam Foley, District 9 Councilmember and Vice mayor.
Both city officials are endorsing the candidate, according to Quevedo’s campaign webpage.
“Matthew’s a great person, but he’s supremely qualified and that’s important and he’s determined to see D3 (District 3) with a vision,” Casey said. “I don’t know anyone else more qualified than Matthew or who’s going to work as hard as Matthew.”
Vice Mayor Foley also had words to share about why she made the decision to endorse Quevedo over the other candidates running for the District 3 seat.
“He’s going to continue to make efforts to fight homelessness and bring
people indoors, he’s going to work to create economic opportunities for all of us in the city and lift everybody up,” Foley said.
“I look forward to working with someone who has a knowledge and connection so deep in this community.”
San José has the highest number of homeless youth from ages 18 to 24 per capita, according to an article from EdSource.
Chavez-Lopez was joined by Ash Kalra, the California state assemblymember for District 25, who
endorsed her, according to an Instagram post on her campaign page.
“It always makes me super excited when I’m able to see people that are joining us that are change makers and change agents at different levels and different places,” Chavez-Lopez said.
The two events at Backesto Park were followed by the District 3 forum, which occurred on Feb. 12.
The forum took place at the Rotary Summit Center and gave an opportunity
for all of the candidates to answer questions that the community had in terms of the policies and agendas that each candidate plans to enact if they were to win the seat.
All of the candidates were in attendance except for Phil Dolan who was absent for reasons unknown to the public.
The panel of candidates consisted of: Quevedo, Chavez-Lopez, Adam Duran, retired Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, Irene Smith, Santa Clara County judge
pro tempore and Anthony Tordillos, the City of San José Planning Commission chair.
As a former member of the police force, Duran talked about plans to address public safety by means of heightened police staffing in the community and challenged the rhetoric of defunding the police.
“Defund the police” is the idea that the government needs to divest funds from the police because of the amount of brutality and excessive force that some members of the police have used on marginalized groups of people, according to a Movement for Black Lives webpage.
“Enough of the rhetoric that we’ve been hearing for the past few years in this ‘defund the police’,” Duran said. “It’s high time that we start to defend the police because they are the ones who defend us when we need emergency assistance, so with that you need officers that feel supported, valued and respected, then we can get the staffing levels to where we want them to be.”
ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY
Wisa
director of San José Taiko, beats on a taiko drum during her performance on Wednesday.
Rosemary Kamei
PHOTOS BY ISRAEL ARCHIE SPARTAN DAILY
Gabby Chavez-Lopez (left) and Matthew Quevedo (right) campaigning on Feb. 8.
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Quevedo, whose main priorities are the unhoused community and police reform as reported on Feb. 4 by the Spartan Daily, said he is also in favor of increasing the amount of policing in the city.
“We need more officers,” Quevedo said. “When you call 911 for a priority one call, they arrive in eight minutes (which is) two more minutes than the goal we have (as) a city.”
Although Tordillos voiced his support for police reform during the forum, he also proposed an increase in nonpolice response teams.
“We need to first start by filing the 100 sworn officer vacancies that exist in SJPD so we can bring down response times and restore trust with our communities that the police will be there for them when they need them most,” Tordillos said. “At the same time, I’m fully supportive of working with county government to continue investing in nonpolice response programs.”
Like Quevedo, Smith is also an advocate for the unhoused and said during the forum that the local government needs to face the issue head-on rather than picking at the bits and pieces of the issue.
Within the houseless population in San José, 70% of them were unsheltered, according to a 2023 infographic from a local government webpage.
“We are playing ‘Whaca-Mole’ with misery and homelessness and we need to stop going through the edges of the problem and face it head-on,” Smith said.
Chavez-Lopez, who is also passionate about the unhoused according to the aforementioned Spartan Daily article, brought up some unique means of addressing the issue during the forum.
“I like to remind people that our housing population is as diverse as our general population,” ChavezLopez said. “We know that permanent supportive is the long-term solution for folks to be able to stay off our streets and get the services they need, but again I think we need to look at other agencies like the water district who are offering up land to the City of San José to build housing sites.”
The Santa Clara Valley Water District receives properties that are required for future district projects and programs, according to a webpage from the district.
The district then leases these properties at fair market rates, according to the same source.
Following this event, Chavez-Lopez hosted another campaign event at El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina, last Saturday.
Among the people in attendance at ChavezLopez’s event was District 2 Councilmember Pamela Campos who has endorsed the District 3 candidate, according to Chavez-Lopez’s campaign Instagram page.
“Family is at the core of everything I do and the work that drives me every single day and that’s why Gabby has my endorsement because she leads with those values every single day and every single role that she takes in our community,” Campos said.
Quevedo was once again at Backesto Park, but
this time he was with San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who has endorsed him for councilmember, according to Quevedo’s campaign webpage.
“This guy takes seriously your problems, your concerns and your quality of life and safety in your neighborhood,” Mahan said. “He will wake up every day, go out and try to make your life better because he cares and he wants our city to be a great place for everyone.”
Also in attendance was Sam Liccardo, California’s District 16 congressman who also endorsed Quevedo, as seen on his campaign webpage.
“He doesn’t sleep,” Liccardo said. “He just works too hard and he’s going to work that hard for you (the people of San José).”
Liccardo’s endorsement
for Quevedo was further mentioned in a Feb. 15 news release from Quevedo’s campaign manager Faye Garcia.
“Matthew Quevedo is the change agent we need to help tackle San José’s most pressing challenges,” Liccardo said in the release.
Both candidates plan to host events this Saturday as Quevedo plans to be at Backesto Park again at 10 a.m., according to his Instagram campaign page while Chavez-Lopez is scheduled to host a women’s walk at the Raymond Bernal Jr. Memorial Park at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to her Instagram campaign page.
Second Moss Landing Fire
By Charity Spicer PRODUCTION EDITOR
On Tuesday night at 11:00 p.m., the San José State community was notified of “light smoke” and fire at the battery plant near Moss Landing.
Residents in the area were advised to close windows and doors overnight, as reported by the University Police Department.
A fire broke out in the same area for multiple days on Jan. 16 that forced locals to evacuate, as reported in a Feb. 6 article by The Spartan Daily.
As of publication, the fire is contained and there are no reported injuries, according to an article from The Mercury News on Wednesday.
Follow Israel on X (formerly Twitter) @archie45760
City council canidates answered questions from the community on proposed polices (left) Gabby Chavez-Lopez, (center) Adam Duran and (right) Matthew Quevedo Wednesday Feb.12 at the Rotary Summit Center in San José.
Cultured Pearls continue to grow
By Israel Archie SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After not feeling well represented by the choices for Black community clubs offered at San José State, second-year speech therapy student Brooklyn Woodberry decided to start the club Cultured Pearls.
She started this club as a way for African American students to connect with their culture despite the underrepresentation present in the campus community.
“I think a lot of our Blackcentered clubs on campus are very focused on the African experience, which is great, but there wasn’t really space for other people who were Black but didn’t identify as African,” Woodberry said.
The institution of slavery in the United States crippled the ability for many African Americans to trace their roots back to Africa, according to an article written by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
While there aren’t any actual pearls involved in the club, Woodberry said she came up with the name as an allusion to the Black experience in America.
In gemology, cultured pearls are grown in pearl farms and are a result of human intervention while uncultured pearls grow in the wild on their own, according to a web page
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from the Gemological Institute of America.
“I took that idea and applied it to Black people in America and I like the name because I think it kind of encapsulates our identity as people who are a part of the African diaspora,” Woodberry said.
Woodberry, who is also the president of the club, said the club activities are usually centered around different parts of Black culture within the United States.
The club hosted an event last semester during Halloween where they
invited people to paint bottle jars as a way to educate people about the Gullah Geechee people, according to Woodberry.
The Gullah Geechee are a West African tribe that migrated to the southeastern United States, according to a web page from the National Park Service.
The jars were seen as a way to capture evil “haints” or spirits before they could enter the homes of the Gullah Geechee people according to a webpage from the Lowcountry Gullah.
Social Media Coordinator, Alexandria Bovell,
encourages the African American community to come to club events and get to know more about it.
“Surround yourself with people who have had the same experiences as you,” Bovell said. “That was my main goal coming into college and I feel like I’ve been doing good at that and it’s been honestly healing.”
Although the club is centered around African American culture, it is not exclusive to African American people. The executive board equally encourages people who are not African American to
check out the club and come to events.
Trinity Asberry, the club secretary, compared nonBlack students coming to club events to students taking ethnic studies classes on cultures that are not their own.
“People learn about different cultures all the time,” Asberry said. “People go to classes about different cultures all the time, so I don’t see anything wrong with trying to learn about a different culture that you don’t know about.”
The organization took part in the MOSAIC’s
Multicultural Fall Welcome on Oct. 22, 2024, which can be seen on the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center’s Instagram page.
Journey Anderson, treasurer for the heritage club, shares the same stance and equally welcomes people who might look a little different to the club.
“Don’t be nervous,” Anderson said. “I think a lot of times life is a learning lesson (and) every day we’re learning something new about anything, so I think that idea creates open spaces, open minds and really promotes overall happiness (and) inclusivity.
While it is Black History Month, the club does not have any events planned for the month or the semester as they are using the semester as a planning period for the next school year.
“We’re not having anything this semester because of other conflicts,” Woodberry said. “I do want to start planning next year very heavily, so unfortunately we don’t have plans for Black History Month this month. However, we will be ready for next semester and the semester after that.”
Follow Israel on X (formerly Twitter) @archie45760
‘Short n’ Sweet’gets a bit longer
By Nicole DeVries STAFF WRITER
With the release of Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet,” the stage was set for her career to jumpstart into the next tier of musician stardom.
This album marked a change in Carpenter’s style, humor and maturity that has been evolving since we knew her in her iconic role as Maya Hart in Disney Channel’s reboot of “Boy Meets World,” “Girl Meets World.”
Since the album’s release, Carpenter has received many accolades such as six nominations and two wins for “Short n’ Sweet” at the 67th
“Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)”
Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Espresso” according to her Grammy Awards “Artist” page.
The album’s success has been undeniable but with the release of “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe),” it includes five new insatiable tracks and a feature from the legendary Dolly Parton.
“Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)” starts with one of my new favorites from the album, “15 Minutes.”
In typical Sabrina Carpenter fashion, she infuses her songs with comedic innuendos that reflect familiar experiences women face in the dating world with an addictive synth-pop beat.
Throughout the song, Carpenter reflects on her rise to pop star and pokes fun at the idea of “15 minutes of fame” in Hollywood by comparing men’s fleeting interest to the reality of fleeting status in music.
“I can do a lot with fifteen minutes / Only gonna take two to make you finish,” Carpenter says in the chorus.
they finish the song.
She follows this incredible song with a new version of one of the most popular songs on the original “Short n’ Sweet” album, “Please, Please, Please” with special guest Dolly Parton.
“Please, Please, Please” was the second single released leading up to the album and swiftly reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it her first top Hot 100 song in her career, according to a June 24, 2024 Billboard article.
Although “Please, Please, Please” is one of the best from the initial single launches, Dolly Parton’s addition left much to be desired by fans and myself.
The 80-inspired synth-pop song was changed to include more country elements to honor Parton’s voice and roots as a country singer but, in turn, changes the song’s feeling.
Their voices seem to compete with each other for the correct tone and feeling of the song.
The duo followed up the song with a music video that paid homage to Carpenter’s original music video for “Please, Please, Please” which featured her ex-boyfriend, Barry Keoghan.
In this version of the music video, Carpenter and Parton are driving a getaway truck with a man dressed like Barry Keoghan’s character who passed out in the bed of the truck.
This is another example of Sabrina Carpenter’s comedy and vulnerability in
handling her recently ended relationship with a duet with one of the most famous country stars.
The next track shifts the upbeat vibes of the first two songs with a slow melancholy track titled, “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder.”
This ballad represents Carpenter’s strength in failed relationships by reflecting on her own mistakes and doubts that have her anticipating the worst of people.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” acts as a tribute to one of Carpenter’s popular covers of the late Olivia NewtonJohn’s “Hopelessly Devoted To You” from the movie musical classic “Grease.”
Carpenter performed her cover during her time opening for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” and again during her “Short n’ Sweet” tour.
her strength as a woman in pop and her independence in relationships. She doesn’t require men to validate herself or her accomplishments but rather reminds them of their place in her life.
The last song of the deluxe release, “Bad Reviews,” acts as a perfect finisher that blends her contrasting views of love between receiving and doubting it.
Similarly to “Please, Please, Please,” “Bad Reviews” has a similar Western flair to match the melodic storytelling of country singers. With “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe),” Carpenter has continued to establish herself as one of today's queens of pop through her unique style blended with mature hilarity and sensitive subjects.
Not only is this a cheeky line in the suggestive context, but in the total duration of the song this line also lets the listener know that they have two minutes until
Both women have incredible vocals, however, when listening to the song, it feels like something is missing.
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This beautiful track is then followed by an anticipated unreleased song, “Busy Woman,” which was first available for a limited digital download when “Short n’ Sweet” was initially released.
Ever since the song came out, I religiously listened to SoundCloud snippets before the deluxe album was announced and eagerly awaited its release along with the four other new songs.
“Busy Woman” highlights
Carpenter’s career so far as an artist marks the beginning of her future as a dominant force in the pop industry, as she continually pushes boundaries and defines herself through her music. With each new release, she proves she is here to stay and I am genuinely excited to see how she will evolve in her music career.
ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE DEVRIES | SPARTAN DAILY
PHOTO COURTESY OF CULTURED PEARLS
Cultured Pearls members hold Haint Blue jars meant to capture evil spirits, according to Gullah Geechee folklore, at the club's Haint Blue Workshop held on Oct. 25, 2024.
Blockbuster trade brings hope to the Bay
Anfisa Pitchkhadze ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Golden State Warriors made a splash before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6 by acquiring small forward Jimmy Butler III from the Miami Heat.
The Warriors shipped small forwards Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson to Miami along with a top 10 projected 2025 first-round pick in the five-team trade, according to a Feb. 6 ESPN article.
Miami dealing their best player to San Francisco came as a surprise to me since reports came out that Butler had no interest in signing a contract with the Warriors,
translate to the Warriors offense.
makes him a threat to opposing teams facing him in the playoffs and the Warriors can benefit from using a player like him.
As a veteran with playoff and Finals experience like Curry and Green, he can be a factor for Golden State to help the team push a deep playoff run.
The forward played four games with the Warriors so far and since joining, the team has gone 3-1, according to a Wednesday The Athletic article.
He is also averaging 21.3 points per game and 1.3 steals while shooting 44.6% from the field since his arrival, according to the previous ESPN stats web page.
according to a Feb. 5 Yahoo Sports article
As an avid NBA watcher, I would not think of nor imagine Butler being on the Warriors, but anything can happen when it comes to the trade deadline.
Golden State is a heavy three-point shooting team while Bulter does not often attempt threes in games.
Overall, I feel unsure about his fit with the Warriors due to his different style of play from starpointguard
star point guard Stephen Curry and how it will
The Warriors are currently third in the NBA for threepoint attempts with 2,339, according to a Statmuse stat
It was also reported that Butler signed a twoyear contract worth $111 million on the day of the trade and the deal goes until the 2026-27 season, according to the same ESPN article.
Warriors’ most productive player this season, averaging a team-high 23.4 points per game while averaging 4.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, according to an ESPN stats page.
The Warriors have needed to provide Curry a scoring partner and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. believed it was best to trade in for the 35-year-old forward.
the ball on offense and defense with his age.
showing that he can guard against any opponent trying to score on him as he has his eyes locked on the ball to make steals, evidenced by the NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors.
Besides his accolades and honors, Butler has been notably known for his explosive playoff runs, leading the Heat in two NBA Finals appearances in four years in 2020 and 2023.
It is early to say, but Butler seems to be fitting in with the Warriors offense while being a complementary teammate to Curry.
After a 132-111 over the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 8, Curry said that he and Butler have the potential to form an exciting duo with their opposite playing styles, according to a Feb. 9 Sports Illustrated article.
Now with Butler heading to the Bay, he teams up with Curry and power forward Draymond Green to form a trio. Curry has been the
With the acquisition of Butler, Golden State is in a “win-now” mode to take a championship with their old squad of stars.
Age is a concern for the team, with Curry nearly turning 37 while Green is 34 and now adding Butler.
The three do not have much time left in the league, but they still have gas in the tank to compete at a higher
drives well to the rim of the hoop and makes effective passes to his teammates by creating his own shots and having his teammates involved on offense.
Curry can benefit from Butler’s playmaking abilities once Butler starts to click with the Warriors offense.
The new Warriors forward is also an elite defender,
Miami went on a miracle run as the eighth seed in the playoffs in 2023 where Butler averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.8 steals in 22 games, according to his ESPN stats page.
During the 2023 playoffs, he shot 46.8% from field goal range and 35.9% from beyond the arc, according to the same ESPN stats page.
Butler’s explosive scoring
The forward has been driving to the basket, making passes, getting to the freethrow line and making defense plays.
Time will tell how far the Warriors can go with the acquisition of Butler as they try to make a deep playoff run and ultimately win a championship, earning Butler his first ring.
