Students debate 100 days of Trump
By Alina Ta SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Students from three vastly different campus organizations came together to have a conversation about policies and actions enacted during President Donald J. Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Margot Catrini, a thirdyear mathematics student, said BridgeSJSU, Turning Point USA and SJSU PreLaw Society collaborated to host a discussion at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on Tuesday.
BridgeSJSU is the university’s branch for BridgeUSA, a national nonprofit organization that supports empowering young people to engage in constructive political discussions and disagreements, according to its webpage.
Catrini, who is also the president of BridgeSJSU, said reached out to Turning Point USA to ensure the discussion would include a diverse range of views.
“(We were) kind of just making sure that we are hearing both sides of the story,” she said.
TurningPoint USA, is a conservative grassroots nonprofit and activist network that has multiple branches throughout 3,500 high school and college campuses in the U.S., according to its webpage.
Jordan Robinson, a third-year aerospace engineering student and the event coordinator for SJSU’s TurningPoint USA chapter, said his group and BridgeSJSU have been working together to have
She said together, the groups discussed multiple issues around the healthcare system, the economy, constitutional rights and immigration.
Lawson Douglas Taylor Howard, a fourth-year
their parents’ immigration status, according to one of his executive orders.
The order originally applied to children born 30 days after the executive order was signed, according to the same source.
“I think that immigration is a beautiful thing and I welcome immigrants. I think that a lot of people (are) concerned with illegal immigration (because) we don't know who is coming into our country,” Robinson
Having conversations like this is really important to set an example for the rest of the college campus, to kind of symbolize that even with people who don’t necessarily have the same values that we can actually be humane and civil in our conversations.
Tadeo and Silva Law.
Catrini said the discussion between the three groups went well, but she wished the group had time to discuss one more topic, DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
“We were not able to get through our questions on DEI, but we chose those (topics) just because they've been affecting a lot of students on campus, or we thought that they kind of offered a broad range of things to talk about,” Catrini, the president of BridgeSJSU, said.
On Jan. 20, Trump also signed an executive order to terminate programs that include mandates, policies, programs, preferences or activities that support DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility) values, according to his executive order.
healthier conversations around politics.
“Having conversations like this is really important to set an example for the rest of the college campus, to kind of symbolize that even with people who don’t necessarily have the same values that we can actually be humane and civil in our conversations,” Robinson said.
Catrini said each of the student panelists gathered questions from their club members and selected one to two topics that were most important to their student organizations.
aviation student, said he has personal experience with immigration.
“I come from a family of immigrants. My parents were both born in Canada,” Howard said.
The BridgeSJSU member said he paid attention to when the Trump’s administration attempted to remove the right to birthright citizenship.
On Jan. 20, Trump’s first day back in office, the president signed an executive order stating that some U.S.-born children do not have birthright citizenship on the basis of
“If you’re under jurisdiction of America, (then) you're under the protections of the U.S. Constitution,” Howard said. Rights for all citizens and non-citizens are protected by the Constitution within the borders of the U.S. under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18, according to a webpage from Congress.
Robinson said he thinks he surprised some people at the meeting by sharing that he is in favor of immigration rights, even though he is a member of TurningPoint USA.
said during the discussion.
“By all means, I think that we need to fix our immigration system and allow more green cards and speed up that process a little bit. It takes way too long.”
A green card, or what is officially known as a “permanent resident card” allows immigrants to live and work permanently in the U.S., according to a webpage from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
It can take up to 10 months to two years or more to obtain a green card, according to a webpage from
Robinson said it’s important to sit down and have these discussions and to focus on the topics themselves instead of focusing on the person or messenger.
“If you can just sit down and address an issue and be open to what is actually being discussed, then progress can actually be made,” he said. “But it really requires having that kind of openness to and willing to hear the other side out.”
ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY
President of BridgeSJSU Margot Catrini (left) sits on a panel with three other students while asking questions and sharing her thoughts on the current presidential administration.
Jordan Robinson
Third-year aerospace engineering student and event coordinator for SJSU’s TurningPoint USA chapter
VTA and local union 265 still at odds
By Israel Archie SENIOR STAFF WRITER
With the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses and light rails back in service after a 17-day union strike, there are various perspectives about the current state of the VTA.
The strike was orchestrated by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 (ATU), who wanted an 18% pay increase over three years, according to a webpage from the San José Peace and Justice Center. At first, the union wanted a 24% pay increase, according to the same source.
Stacey Hendler Ross, a VTA public information officer, said that the agency couldn’t fiscally meet the demands of the union.
“The union has not moved from its demand of a level of wage increase that is not doable for the agency because we’re already going into a $40 million debt next fiscal year,” Ross said. “So we’re already in the hole.”
The VTA tried to come to a compromise and offered a 9.3% increase across three years, but the ATU refused, according to a March 10 article from ABC 7 News.
Ross said more unions have been negotiating for pay raises with the VTA.
“We have three other unions as well that we’ve been negotiating with for pay increases as well,” Ross said. “So it’s not just ATU (265), even though ATU is the biggest.”
The other unions include the American
IN BRIEF
March,10, 2025: Thousands of ATU local 265 union sought to strike, wanting a pay increase.
March 27, 2025: The VTA filed a legal complaint against the union in which the judge ruled that the union breached its contract.
March 28, 2025 VTA service was restored following the judge’s ruling for the strike to stop immediately.
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1101 AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union Local 521 and Transportation Authority Engineers and Architects Association Local 21, according to a webpage from the VTA.
The Amalgamated Transit Union has over 200,000 members, according to a webpage from the union.
The strike officially ended when a judge ordered VTA employees to go back to work because the workers were violating the “no strike” clause, according to a March 27 article from CBS News Bay Area.
Following the ruling, the ATU filed a petition challenging the ruling in an appellate court, where the judge decided to uphold the verdict, according to an April 11 court document uploaded to the VTA website.
Despite the sudden end to the strike, ATU Local 265 president Raj Singh made it clear that the union is not discouraged by the defeat.
“We have close to about 1600 members, and during the two and a half week strike, every single one of our people stayed standing in solidarity,” Singh said. “Whether it was raining, sunshine and even in the cold, they were out there and they did not go to work and they were willing to sacrifice
to fight for a fair and just contract.”
The VTA filed a legal complaint against the union in which the judge ruled that the union breached its contract, sending the members back to work after two weeks of striking, according to a webpage from the agency.
“So what happened was the union decided to go on strike a few days after
“I had a friend (who) from time to time was able to give me (a) ride to campus,” Mann said.
“Other than that I think, I booked a lot of Ubers.”
The VTA was offering $5 vouchers for Uber rides, according to a March 26 article from San José Spotlight. Although John Dwyer, a fourth-year applied math student, lives near
the strike, SJSU students were able to request services from SJSU Cares according to the same San José Spotlight article.
SJSU Cares is a division of Student Affairs that helps students in cases of emergencies with resources centered around housing, food and case management. according to an SJSU webpage.
While Layla Sanchez, a fourth-year political science student, was inconvenienced by the strike, she was sympathetic to the union’s efforts and wished things had worked out for them.
Whether it was raining, sunshine and even in the cold, they were out there and they did not go to work and they were willing to sacrifice to fight for a fair and just contract.
Raj Singh
ATU Local 265 president
the end of the term of their contract, but the contract was not expired technically,” Ross said.
A demographic that was affected by the strike were students at San José State.
Kishen Mann, a fourthyear political science student, uses the VTA bus service to commute to class and work. When the strike happened, he had to make adjustments to transportation.
campus, the strike made it harder for him to buy groceries.
“Other than the stuff (that is) immediately downtown, groceries were hard to get. Also, social events or what have you, if they were not in the immediate vicinity of downtown, it would be harder,” Dwyer said.
“I have a bike (and) that helps somewhat, but you can only go so far.”
During the duration of
“I’m kind of disappointed that they didn’t really reach an actual agreement and they were just forced back into work,” Sanchez said. “It sucks to see that their demands weren’t really met. It sucks to be able to take my bus rides to school knowing that they didn’t really get their needs met.”
Regarding an agreeable consensus in which both parties are happy Singh does not see that happening in the near future.
“I don’t see a deal being reached anytime soon because from the agency’s point, there is really no need,” Singh said. “We’ve lost time in our negotiations before and the company is perfectly
INFOGRAPHIC BY ANAHI HERRERA VILLANUEVA, PHOTO FROM FLICKR
‘Sex and the City’ nostalgia returns
By Kaya Henkes-Power
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The trailer for season three of “And Just Like That…”, the spinoff to the iconic 2000s show “Sex and the City,” was released on Tuesday.
Like many early 2000s babies who grew up with a single mother, my mom and I definitely had the “Sex and the City” box set somewhere hidden in the CD collection growing up.
The original series focused on the character Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and the group dynamic of her and her best friends entering their 30s.
Having recently bingewatched both of these series over spring break, it brought back a sense of nostalgia, but also of finally being in on a pop-culture secret.
sessions as her writing career seemingly takes a turn towards fiction writing, a step that I feel is only natural for her character.
Several comments on Max’s YouTube release of the trailer also noticed these subtle nuances.
“Actually good feeling from watching the trailer. There is something in the air from the original series,” user @tales575 wrote.
After my bed-rotting binge-fest, season two of the show ended on a high note, re-introducing one of the group’s core members, Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall.
The original series is still seeing popularity in viewership, with its resurgence in 2024 garnering 2.5 million individual views on Netflix alone, according to an April 9, 2024, ScreenRant article.
“And
For many who watched the original series in its heyday, the “And Just Like That…” show can be jarring and off-putting.
Having just overeaten on all things “Sex and the City,” it was easy for me to digest that transition of age. I would imagine having that nearly two-decade gap, it could be quite odd to see the girls be the same yet different.
watching a two-minute video, the approach to certain topics seemed to lack the intricacy needed.
to their relationship, it seems that they pick up from where they left off as if no time had passed in the new trailer.
which makes it harder to be invested in their storyline.
However, Cattrall said she would not be returning for season three, according to a May 4, 2022, Variety article.
Many who last saw the “And Just Like That…” series were left with the girls at different points in life. Each character seemingly was coming off of big life events, a major one being the end of Bradshaw’s relationship with ex-fiancé Aidan Shaw, played by John Corbett.
Whether that is intentional or not, the dynamic between Shaw and Bradshaw needs to mature to be sustainable through another season.
I think the Diaz and Hobbes relationship arc is quite an interesting and complex one that needs more in-depth exploration than what a 30-minute episode can offer.
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However, I found the new story to be quite enjoyable overall. The spin-off invited a new chapter to a series that focused on the brutally honest changes of adulthood.
With that being said, I fear my anticipation for the upcoming season far exceeded the reality that was shown to me with the new trailer.
While an audience member can never get the full experience just from
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Shaw and Bradshaw’s relationship dynamic is incredibly convoluted and brings back the pair’s relationship from the original series. Their relationship in “And Just Like That…” ended because Shaw’s son was in a DUI accident, resulting in him leaving Bradshaw and requesting time apart. Despite the abrupt ending
Another character, Miranda Hobbes, played by Cynthia Nixon, was navigating life coming out as a lesbian in her later years and the complexities of being a mother last we saw her.
and the complexities of Hobbes fell in love with nonbinary comedian, Che Diaz, played by Sara Ramirez in season two, but they seemingly do not make their way back on
the show.
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There were tiny things in the trailer that brought back the feeling of the original show, which were not seen in the first two seasons of the spin-off.
Bradshaw’s iconic narration has seemingly returned after nearly two decades since the original show’s release.
“I haven’t deserted anybody. Can you imagine going back to a job you did 25 years ago?” Cattrall told Variety. “Everything has to grow, or it dies. I felt that when the series ended, I thought that’s wouldn’t be returning most definitely changed my eagerness for the upcoming Samantha played a core part in the group, it will always feel like a piece of the puzzle is missing.
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While certain aspects of the original show are back, I think if the directors and writers don’t lean into that nostalgia factor, the show will be short-lived.
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PHOTO BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN MAX
Trinket wars: Smiski vs. Sonny
While the Japanesecreated Sonny Angel typically gets the majority of America’s attention for its cute collectible figurines, Smiski deserves more of the spotlight.
I started becoming interested in collecting Smiskis around a year ago and quickly became obsessed with their adorable poses and cute green color.
These tiny green creatures are characterized by a series of different activities and settings, such as the “museum” series or “working” series and when they have been exposed to sunlight, their soft glow illuminates darkness.
They are the underdog of the Dreams Inc. universe, and I truly don’t understand the hype around the Sonny Angel instead.
Sonny Angel products have taken Japan and the United States by storm and restocks of these cherubs sell out online in minutes, according to a July 29, 2024, BNN Bloomberg article.
Smiski still ends up in the conversation of Dreams Inc. products but does not have the same extreme popularity on social media as the Sonny Angel.
Dreams Inc. also creates other charming products like space and planet-themed goods, as well as the Fancy Pets series, according to the Dreams Inc. website product lineup.
Instead of just a variation of hats that the Sonny Angel hippers and packs have, every
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
No, Toru Soeya, I do not want a Sonny Angel to be my ‘pocket boyfriend,’ Smiski are my trinket for life.
series of Smiski features a different way of life that these creatures live.
Similar to humans, Smiski have arms and legs and work, move, use the toilet, cheer and take baths.
But the one difference between Sonny Angel’s cherub humanistic figure and the Smiski figures is that one is mimicking a baby with genitalia and the other is just a make-believe creature without defined anatomy.
“Sonny Angel is a little angel boy who likes wearing all sorts of headgear. He is always by your side to make you smile,” reads the Sonny Angel official website's “About” webpage.
I initially never thought that Sonny Angels were meant to have defined body characteristics until I looked closer, and it feels like not only sexualizing a childlike figure, it’s plain creepy to look at with its unsettling side eyes staring at you.
Not only do these little angels invoke an eerie feeling, but they are also boring.
Sonny Angel fanatics complain that Smiski lacks character, but the only difference between series of the angel’s hippers and figurines is headgear, whereas Smiski comes in all kinds of forms.
On Sonny Angel’s “About” section of its webpage, it features the first version of a Sonny Angel, which is a 7” doll with creepy eyes and very visible frontal.
Meanwhile, Smiski’s website features cutesy figurines performing innocent movements and charming little statements.
Additionally, Smiski has a plethora of different
items, such as bath bombs, keychains, toothbrush stands and touch lights that Sonny Angel does not carry.
Gatekeeping is a significant aspect to the Smiski community and I may be privileged in the fact that I can actually purchase and find new Smiski at Japanese shops at a reasonable price.
However, I want to emphasize that you should pay attention to Smiski instead of naked cherubs.
Another weird aspect to the creation of Sonny Angel that just doesn’t exist for Smiski is the strange concept behind them.
Sonny Angel was supposed to serve as a “pocket boyfriend” for single women around the age of 25 years old from the creator of Dreams Inc, according to a May 10, 2024, article from The Science Survey.
Jackie Bonheim, the director of marketing at Dreams US Sonny Angel Distributor, said that the term “pocket boyfriend” was lost in translation and was supposed to be like a baby you don’t have to care for, according to a July 8, 2024, Vox article.
My question is, why did he even use the term “boyfriend” to begin with?
Smiski are cute androgynous little collectibles that don’t give you the creeps at night and provide a sense of warmth and comfort we all desire in our lives as adults.
With Sonny Angel grabbing the attention of so many, it can be easy to compare him to his not-sodistant relative, Smiski.
Sonny Angel and Smiski are both a series of collectible figurines originating from Japan and owned by Dreams Inc., according to the company’s webpage.
However, the characteristics of Sonny Angel make a more memorable figurine in all aspects – design, emotional appeal, collectibility and overall vibe.
Described as a toy that “may bring you happiness,” Sonny Angel is a little cherub who comes with different designs that can always be with you, according to the Sonny Angel webpage.
Let’s state the obvious: yes, Sonny Angels don’t wear pants and that alone turns off a lot of people from giving Sonny Angels a chance.
However, cupids don’t wear clothes either and people still find them cute. Additionally, Smiski are typically not seen with clothes and if they are it is usually just one item as well.
Both Sonny Angel and Smiski have a variety of series in which the figurines follow different themes, such as fruits or exercising, according to the companies’ websites.
However, the big difference between the series that Sonny Angel has versus Smiski is the design concept between the two collectibles.
Each figure has the same base body but wears a different headgear depending on the series, giving collectors
Our reps must stand
This week, our congressional Representative, Zoe Lofgren, CA-18, did not directly respond to questions about whether she supports impeaching Trump from office.
This is upsetting and I am unhappy seeing this lack of foresight and leadership from
my district's representative. As a concerned citizen and voter from San José, it’s obvious that Trump is leading the country into authoritarianism. His threats not to leave at the end of this term are highly credible. Hyperbole about the danger of his administration, from immigration to the economy,
has become reality. He and his cabinet are lawless, unaccountable to our justice system, and have committed a multitude of crimes. If we don’t impeach him now, American democracy may not survive his path of destruction. I'm not willing to risk that. I am encouraging
Congresswoman Lofgren to publicly commit to upholding her most fundamental democratic role - removing tyrants from office. Commitment to these basic facts – that Trump is a tyrant, and Congress needs to act now to get him out of the White House – will be a major litmus test for any 2026 candidate.
Sonny Angel products are a cheerful and cute collection to choose from while Smiski lack variation.
an incredible range of expressions and colors.
The best part is not knowing which you are getting until you open them from the blind box packaging. You might get a banana baby, a frog-capped cherub, or even a birthday cake-topped angel, adding a sense of adrenaline when opening them.
Smiski, while also in blind boxes, don't share the same variety of color use, sticking to a more uniform aesthetic. Their ghostly green glowin-the-dark figures come in subtle pose variations such as sitting, reading and stretching to name a few.
While minimalist fans may love Smiski’s quiet charm, they don’t provide the same opportunity for playful selfexpression and customization that Sonny Angel dolls do.
Beyond the aesthetic differences that are obvious between Sonny Angel and Smiski is the emotional connection Sonny Angel has with consumers.
Toru Soeya, the creator of Sonny Angel, made the collection of dolls to help lessen the stress of young women in Japan during the country’s recession in 2004, according to a July 8, 2024, Vox article.
In addition, their childlike faces and tiny angel wings tap into a nostalgic sense of innocence and childhood.
Consumers, time and time again, have responded in a positive way to items that have baby-like features, according to the same Vox article.
People display them on their desks, bookshelves and dashboards not just because they’re cute but because they radiate comfort and joy.
There’s something soothing
about their quiet smiles and the way they seem to be “watching over” you like a pocket guardian angel.
Smiski, while amusing, leans more into a quirky vibe.
Smiski are shy; they hide in corners or peek from behind objects, and while that’s cute, it doesn’t spark the same warm, fuzzy feelings. They’re more novelty than nostalgia.
Smiski are often meant to be hidden, tucked into bookshelves or peeking from the side of a drawer.
Part of owning a highdemand collectable item is showing off said novelty item and with Sonny Angel hippers, it makes it easier to do.
Hippers are figurines that can be attached to phones, computers or bookshelves, according to the Sonny Angel store.
So many TikTok videos have content creators showing off their Sonny Angel, which, like many other things online content creators promote, led to a high demand.
With people now lining up in stores to have a chance to get a Sonny Angel, Dreams Inc. is struggling to keep up and has caused a global shortage, according to a July 26, 2024, New York Post article.
Smiski are adorable in their own right, but Sonny Angel is the full package: expressive, collectible, nostalgic and joyful, so much so that just writing about it has made me add another Sonny Angel to my collection.
I hope we get a good response from her on this critical issue soon.
Charity Spicer PRODUCTION EDITOR
Anahi Herrera Villanueva CONTRIBUTOR
Follow Anahi on Instagram @a.nahi.h
Follow Charity on Instagram @charity.spicer