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Serving San José State University since 1934 Monday, April 19, 2010
www.TheSpartanDaily.com
Volume 134, Issue 39
University to lay off 76 employees
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Melissa Sabile Staff Writer SJSU President Jon Whitmore announced in a news conference Thursday that SJSU will be laying off 76 employees for the 2010-11 fiscal year because of the budget crisis. "As I've been saying since my beginning speech in the fall to everyone, before the year is up, we would have to have layoffs," Whitmore said. He said the reason for layoffs is the university's budget has to be smaller starting with the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. "A notification went out today, 76 employees — 76 important people in our institution — that, come the end of June, their job will be absorbed into the budget cuts and will no longer exist," Whitmore said. "It's a sad day, a step back day, but it's absolutely necessary for the budget to be balanced for the next fis-
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cal year, which will have less money in it." In addition to the 76 layoffs, he said the university will not be replacing positions left vacant when employees have either left their jobs or retired. "We've had retirements and other people leave, and not fulfill all of those jobs," he said. "Some we had to, but we saved a lot of money and that makes the layoffs a much smaller number." Whitmore said the furloughs saved the university $18 million for the 20092010 year, but the university must have that $18 million perJon Whitmore manently out of the SJSU President budget by July 1. He said furloughs will not be implemented next year. "We saved that $18 million by every faculty and staff member essentially taking a 10 percent cut in their salary, so we didn't have to pay that 10 percent and that added up to $18 million,"
Some we had to, but we saved a lot of money and that makes the layoffs a much smaller number.
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See LAYOFFS, Page 4
SJSU implements harassment policy Andrew Martinez Staff Writer SJSU President Jon Whitmore signed the university’s first inappropriate sexual behavior policy into action on April 12. “We operate under the general notion that fairness and equity is part of the hallmark of this university,” Whitmore said. “And sexual harassment or sexual misconduct is a form of aggression, threat or violence that we have never tolerated, we just may not have had a policy.” It was almost a two-year process from when it was discovered that SJSU did not have a policy addressing inappropriate sexual behavior, said Staci Gunner, the student conduct and civility coordinator at the office of student conduct and ethical development. Gunner and a team of faculty, staff and students assembled the policy based on the campus policies of other CSUs, Gunner said. “There’s nothing new that is mandated in this policy that wasn’t already mandated on campus,” said Stacy Gleixner, associate professor of chemical and material engineering. “We were already held by the CSU executive order and by federal and state laws.” Gleixner, the engineering representative to the Academic Senate and chair of the instruction and student affairs committee, said the act of making a policy like this makes a point and said SJSU
Carina Valdes, of the band April Chase performing at the Battle of the Bands held at Morris Dailey Auditorium on Thursday night. April Chase was voted fan favorite and won the competition and will go on to represent SJSU at the finale on April 30 at the Event Center. KEVIN HUME / SPARTAN DAILY
SEE A&E, PAGE 5
Kolodziejak elected as A.S. president Amber Simons Staff Writer The 2010-11 Associated Students executive branch will consist of President Tomasz Kolodziejak, Vice President Jessica Dunham and Controller Ramon Vizcarra, according to the official A.S. Elections results. In the presidential run, Kolodziejak received 655 votes, Paul Yula received 556 votes and Domingo Castellanos received 528 votes, according to the official Associated Stu-
Weather
dents Elections Results. “I am absolutely thrilled and very happy (with the results),” Kolodziejak said. “And I wanted to thank my opponents Domingo Castellanos and Paul Yula. It was my pleasure to be able to compete with them.” Kolodziejak said he can’t wait for the transition to begin and that he’s excited to start working next semester. “I will try to keep all the promises and will represent all the students at San Jose State,” Kolodziejak said.
SJSU President Jon Whitmore said he had not met Kolodziejak yet, but that he is having his administrative associate try to set up a meeting. “I usually meet the outgoing and ingoing at the same time and begin the process of getting to know them,” he said. “And sometimes that takes a while because everybody is so busy.” Whitmore said he looks forward to meeting Kolodziejak. “I know they had elections, and I
See RESULTS, Page 4
THESPARTANDAILY.COM Video: Winning band April Chase to represent SJSU at Battle of the Bands
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encourages students to grow and learn in all aspects. Wiggsy Sivertsen, a professor in counseling services, said the policy addresses the issues of inappropriate sexual behavior specifically dealing with students. The issues include date rape, sexual assault and inappropriate touching, Sivertsen said. “I’m in support of having this implemented at our school,” said Adessa Kiryakos, a junior behavioral science major. “It’s important to know that our school stands behind its students.” Prior to this policy, the people who assembled the SJSU student conduct code included inappropriate sexual behavior in the same context as "conduct that threatens the health or safety of any person," according to the student conduct code. Gunner said there is a difference between throwing someone into a desk and rape. “I don’t believe that these can be shared,” Gunner said. “And if someone’s going to perpetrate to that level, we need to name it here.” Gunner said it is named in the criminal and civil system, and SJSU needs to name it as well. Sivertsen said the policy is important because SJSU is diverse culturally, ethnically and socioeconomically.
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Monday, April 19, 2010
NEWS
Forensic artist sketches professor with students
Karaoke ice cream truck serves up tunes with treats Matthew Santolla Staff Writer An ice cream truck that doubles as a karaoke station has been traveling around downtown San Jose serving ice cream and getting people to sing their favorite songs, said the truck's owner. Treatbot was created in 2010 by Ryan Sebastian and his wife Christine, Sebastian said. "We wanted something that reflects Silicon Valley," Sebastian said. "We were trying to think of something that was related to high tech and something about the future. So the idea of Treatbot is like an ice cream truck from the future."
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We were trying to think of something that was related to high tech and something about the future. So the idea of Treatbot is like an ice cream truck from the future.
(Above) Gil Zamora, University Police Department forensic artist, demonstrates his interview process for composite sketching Thursday with forensic biology and justice studies major, Elesia Small, as a volunteer interviewee. (Below) Gil Zamora’s 20-minute sketch of justice studies Professor Richard Perry, Ph.D., as described to him by Elesia Small in a forensic art role-play demonstration on Thursday. HANNAH KEIRNS / SPARTAN DAILY
SJPD artist impresses students with drawing Hannah Keirns Staff Writer Gil Zamora, a San Jose Police Department forensic artist, shared his expertise and experience as both a detective and artist to three justice studies organizations Thursday in the Student Union. Twenty members were in attendance from the law enforcement fraternity Chi Pi Sigma, the criminal justice honor society of Alpha Phi Sigma and the justice studies department Forensic Science Student Group, all of which work to invite justice studies professionals to speak at SJSU. “We asked Officer Zamora to come out and speak to give another dimension to our varied justice studies lectures,� said Krystal Petty, a senior forensic biology major and member of Chi Pi Sigma. “Zamora and our past speakers can help us make informed decisions in our future careers.� The forensic artist “Forensic artists offer support to the investigative bureau, but they can offer graphic design support for the entire de-
partment,� Zamora said. “Their training in art and skills as a creative person offers an assortment of opportunities and limitless possibilities to create a professional organization.� Zamora said forensic artists must possess two other skills outside of being an excellent artist. “You need to be a person with a lot of empathy and mindful of the emotional state of the witness or victim,� Zamora said. “You also need to be a skilled interviewer to obtain the information necessary to create a sketch.� Zamora said his office at SJPD has particular amenities to set both the witness/victim and the artist up for success — a warm and unique ambience, plants and paintings, soft and comfortable seating and New Age music. “My office is a creative haven at the police headquarters,� Zamora said. “But since I only meet with witnesses/victims of felony crimes like rape, robbery and murder, it can be emotional, exhausting and drains the room from all positive feelings.�
The methodology in action Zamora demonstrated his process in producing a composite image by selecting a volunteer to act as a victim or witness of a crime. Elesia Small, a junior forensic biology and justice studies major, sat facing Zamora with her eyes closed as she described the facial features of a male figure she knew. The interview process began with descriptions of race, age and body build, and moved to more specific information, including face shape, hair, ears, nose, chin, cheeks, neck and upper clothing. “I save the eyes for last because that’s what people remember and connect with most,� Zamora said. After 20 minutes, Zamora showed Small the sketch, and asked her, “Does this remind you of him?� Small, who described her justice studies Professor Richard Perry, said Zamora’s sketch was accurate and many individuals in attendance agreed the sketch was a close likeness. “When I saw the sketch, it was better than I thought it would be,� Small said. “I didn’t think I was giving Zamora enough information to go off of.� Petty said Zamora had the ability to take a description and make the characteristics come to life in the form of a sketch. “Gil is incredible,� said Ken Merrihew, alumni adviser of Chi Pi Sigma and retired Secret Service agent. “He is specialized in forensic art but shares general interviewing techniques that are crucial to any officer or anybody working in the probation department.�
Forensic art and crime Zamora said he is never concerned with drawing an exact likeness because it’s not possible. “What I’m looking for is that my sketch leads to (investigative) leads which leads to the apprehension of the suspect,� Zamora said. Jake Humbert, a senior radio, television and film major, attended the demonstration and said he met with Zamora last October after he was robbed, assaulted and held at gunpoint by three men. “I was tired of talking about what had happened,� Humbert said. “But Zamora made me feel at ease and his sketch looked just like the main guy who had attacked me. It made me feel like I was going to gain due justice and resolution.� Although Zamora said he uses Adobe Photoshop for image editing at least once a week, he has not been impressed enough with software programs to give up his pencil and drawing pad. “Many of these programs offer limited manipulation of the features and do nothing to eliminate the suggestibility of the interview process,� Zamora said. “The witness or victim’s memory is so fragile and can be skewed when recalling events — a fixed catalogue of hundreds of features to find one that they saw is destined for disaster.�
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Ryan Sebastian Treatbot creator Sebastian said Treatbot is in no way related to the karaoke ice cream truck created in 2006 by the SJSU school of art design CADRE Laboratory for new media in affiliation with Nancy Nowacek, Katie Salen and Marina Zurkow. Sebastian said he was aware of the karaoke icecream truck from SJSU, although it did not play into his decision when creating Treatbot. "I did know about it at the time," he said. "I guess the concept is kind of interesting, the karaoke ice cream truck doesn't really exist outside these two different projects, but we want ours to be a real food establishment." Some students on campus have mixed reviews of an ice cream truck that doubles as a karaoke station. "I don't think a karaokeice cream truck sounds like a good idea," said Brigitte Deleon, a junior computer engineering major. "There is no point for it. It is either going to have nobody there or a bunch of stupid people all there." Deleon said if she saw Treatbot around town she would not be interested to check it out. "I like ice cream and I like karaoke, but the idea of them together, maybe not," Deleon
said. Others said it sounded like an interesting idea. "If I saw it I would join and get some ice cream and maybe sing," said Sunny Nguyen, a junior interior design major. "It is both entertainment and something fun to eat." Sebastian said he works a normal nine-to-five job as an urban planner, but he wanted to start a small business to earn extra money. He said he was a disc jockey for 10 years and wanted to create a project that involved music, and his wife always wanted to open a restaurant. Sebastian said he and his wife combined their ideas and felt that the ice cream truck would be the best way to accomplish that goal. "You can imagine opening a yogurt shop cost threequarters of a million dollars," he said. "That's a lot of startup costs. Doing something like this is significantly less expensive." He said he wanted Treatbot to be something that would have people interacting, eating good ice cream and enjoying music. Anthony Cauilan, a senior animation and illustration major, said selling ice cream and having karaoke is an interesting concept. "It sounds cool and I like the idea of watching people sing karaoke," he said. Caulian said the fact that Treatbot sells special homemade ice cream is not a big deal for him. "Personally, I don't care about the ice cream," Caulian said. "I like the regular stuff better." Sebastian said the Treatbot was a major investment but now the investment is paying off. Sebastian said the Treatbot tries to serve the best ice cream and cookies that he can find in the area. "Our ice cream is made for us in Santa Cruz by a family using the highest quality ingredients," Sebastian said. "It is basically the most expensive ice cream we could find." Sebastian said better quality ice cream draws more customers and is effective in getting people engaged. "Once they taste the ice cream, they find it is really good, and they end up sticking around and watching people sing,'' he said.
Monday, April 19, 2010
NEWS
CAMPUSIMAGE
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POLICY From Page 1
Juan Torres (not wearing hat) and Osvaldo Lopez (wearing hat) steam-wash the statue of Tommie Smith (top) and John Carlos on the lawn east of Morris Dailey Auditorium on the SJSU campus in San Jose on Thursday, April 15, 2010. The statue commemorates the 1968 Olympic awards ceremony in which Smith and Carlos raised their fists in a salute of black power. Torres and Lopez work for Flagship Building Maintenance Company of San Jose. PHOTO BY KIM KOMENICH/SPECIAL TO THE SPARTAN DAILY
Even with cultural differences, the policy seeks to define one set of rules for all SJSU students, she said. “It’s up to us to try to help these kids play together in a respectful way,” Sivertsen said. Sivertsen said she gave a workshop to a group of men where they spoke candidly about what is appropriate and inappropriate sexual behavior. One man asked if it was OK to be inappropriate in Mexico, she said. “In reality, a lot of guys think they can play, but they don’t understand that it ceases to be play when the women is not capable of making a decision,” Sivertsen said. “And that always worries me.” Now that there is a policy, Sivertsen said university officials can make a campaign to educate students on how to stay safe. “The goal is to implement this policy,” Gunner said. “We have, in case of fire or earthquake, stickers on the back of every resident hall door. I want there to be stickers or posters up about this issue too.” Gunner said that regardless of gender, she does not want SJSU students to be accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. “To me, one reported is too many,” Gunner said. “I want this to end.”
Honor society recognizes SJSU scholars European airlines test skies, press to end ban Andrew Martinez Staff Writer About 60 students marched into a packed Engineering Room 189 for the 56th annual Phi Kappa Phi honor society initiation ceremony Thursday afternoon. The honor society recognize Superior scholarship across disciplines, said chapter President Gus Lease. Only seniors in the top 10 percent of their class and juniors in the top five percent of their class may be eligible to join Phi Kappa Phi, Lease said. “Your service can be to the academy or to the community,” said Pamela Stacks, associate vice president for the office of graduate studies and research. “Our hope is that you will choose both.” SJSU was 40 years old when Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897, Stacks said. Keysha Doutherd, a senior art design major, said she looks forward to the opportunities for networking and scholarships that being a member brings. “It has a good reputation,” she said. Senior Spanish major Kellie Egan said she thinks the scholarship opportunities are great. “It looks great on a resume,” she said. Stacks was the keynote speaker of the ceremony and said the students are on the verge of many creative opportunities. “I bet at each point along the 150-year period of Phi Kappa Phi, people could talk about the bridge from the past to the future,” she said. “But I have a feeling that it’s a more meaningful situation today than perhaps it was in the past." Phi Kappa Phi means "let the love of learning rule humanity" in Greek, she said. Stacks said there are some fundamental changes in how people build communities and how knowledge is shared, such as with the advent of Wikipedia and Second Life. Second Life is a 3-D virtual world where users can social-
ize, connect and create using free voice and text chat, according to the Second Life website. She said the development of
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I bet at each point along the 150-year period of Phi Kappa Phi, people could talk about the bridge from the past to the future.
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Pamela Stacks Associate vice president for the office of graduate studies and research these communities foreshadows endless opportunities for stu-
dents to translate their traditional knowledge into new venues and communities. Isabelle Daluz, a junior health science major, was awarded the Chapter Scholarship Award of $2,000, Lease said. He said Daluz emigrated to the U.S. in 2001 from the Philippines and witnessed her parents’ hardships. Daluz said she wanted to thank SJSU faculty and students for their continuous support throughout her undergraduate studies. “I’d also like to thank my parents,” she said. “They have been my inspiration.” Students who participated in the ceremony signed the chapter roll and presented themselves to the audience. Kristin Nelson, a senior sociology major, was awarded posthumously. Rod Diridon Sr. was scheduled to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award but was unable to attend because of pneumonia, Lease said.
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Major airlines that sent test flights into European airspace found no damage Sunday from the volcanic ash that has paralyzed aviation over the continent, raising pressure on governments to ease restrictions that have thrown global travel and commerce into chaos. Is it safe to fly yet? Airline officials and some pilots say the passengerless test flights show that it is. Meteorologists warn that the skies over Europe remain unstable from an Icelandic volcano that continues to spew ash capable of knocking out jet engines. European Union officials said air traffic could return to half its normal level on Monday if the dense cloud begins to dissipate. Germany allowed some flights to resume. Eighty percent of European airspace remained closed for a devastating fourth day
on Sunday, with only 4,000 of the normal 20,000-flight schedule in the air, said Brian Flynn, deputy head of operations for Eurocontrol, which supports the air traffic control network across the European Union's 27 states. "Today it has been, I would say, the worst situation so far," Flynn said. The test flights highlighted a lack of consensus on when to reopen the skies. The microscopic but potentially menacing volcanic grit began closing airports from Ireland to Bulgaria on Thursday, stranding countless passengers and leaving cargo rotting in warehouses. "It is clear that this is not sustainable. We cannot just wait until this ash cloud dissipates," EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas told reporters at the European Union capital in Brussels. KLM Royal Dutch airlines,
the national German carrier Lufthansa, Air France and several regional airlines sent up test flights, probing altitudes where the cloud of ash has wafted over Europe since the volcano turned active on Wednesday. British Airways planned an evening flight over the Atlantic from Heathrow, one of Europe's busiest hubs. None of the pilots reported problems, and the aircraft underwent detailed inspections for damage to the engines and frame. "Not the slightest scratch was found" on any of the 10 empty long-haul planes Lufthansa flew Saturday to Frankfurt from Munich, spokesman Wolfgang Weber said. The planes flew at low altitude, between 3,000 and 8,000 meters (9,800 and 26,000 feet), under so-called visual flight rules, in which pilots don't have to rely on their instruments.
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Monday, April 19, 2010
NEWS
RESULTS From Page 1 think we’ve been very fortunate to have two good presidents during the two years I’m here and I would anticipate the next one will be good as well.” Domingo Castellanos, who ran for A.S. president, said he wanted more people to vote in the election. “One of my key points that I wanted to change was student involvement,” Castellanos said. “I wanted more people to vote, and seeing only 6 percent is one of the things I wanted to change, so hopefully we see a better result in future elections.” About 1,777 students voted in the A.S. Elections, out of 27,556 eligible voters, which amounts to 6.4 percent, according to the official 2010 Associated Students Elections Results. Kunal Singh, a masters student in electrical engineering, said he did not vote because of a hectic schedule. “I got some e-mails from the election department, but I didn’t get any time to look into those things because I had a number of assignments, midterms, projects and all and work too,” Singh said. John Wolf, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said he voted because he wanted to vote out everybody who is currently serving in A.S., but said he did not know any of the candidates besides their biographies. Castellanos said it’s hard for students to vote when they don’t know the candidates, and with more student involvement, he thinks students would care about the elections more. “I wanted to run in the election because I felt that I was very qualified and I wanted to bring change to the university,” Castellanos said. “I think Tomasz
is an excellent candidate and I think he will do an amazing job.” According to the official Associated Students Elections Results, most of the positions were uncontested, and only the positions for A.S. president, director of community and environmental affairs and director of student resource affairs had more than one candidate running. “The A.S. elections are a little bit silly,” Wolf said. “Because most positions only have one person to elect, but I understand if people don’t want to get involved.” The race for director of community and environmental affairs was close. Kevin Trieu beat Cathy Bui, 807 to 776, according to the official Associated Students Elections Results. The race for director of student resource affairs was not as close. Eric Armendariz beat John Johnson, 955 to 589, according to the official Associated Students Elections Results. “You pay $73.50 per semester to A.S. to provide programs and services to the student body, and to represent your interests with the university,” according to an e-mail from the election board to students. “The A.S. budget is roughly $7,000,000 for the upcoming year, and is made up of fees paid by students and income from Association business services.” Associated Students represents the student body as its governing council, according to the SJSU website. The SJSU government is divided into two branches, executive and legislative, according to the SJSU website. The executive branch consists of the president, vice president, and controller, while the legislative branch consists of 13 directors. Two positions, director of faculty affairs and director of internal affairs, were not filled due to lack of candidates, according to the SJSU website.
POSITIONS Executive Branch: * President: Tomasz Kolodziejak * Vice President: Jessica Dunham * Controller: Ramon Vizcarra
Search for replacement student affairs VP to begin this summer Amber Simons Staff Writer
Legislative Branch: * Director of Business Affairs: Cesar Delgadillo * Director of Communications: Jamie McDade * Director of Community and Environmental Affairs: Kevin Trieu * Director of External Affairs: Kevin Starks * Director of Extracurricular Affairs: Lakendra Hardwick * Director of Intercultural Affairs: Courtney Byrd * Director of Programming Affairs: Brittany Erickson * Director of Student Fee Affairs: Calvin Worsnup * Director of Student Resource Affairs: Eric Armendariz * Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities: Christina Solorzano * Director of University Advising Affairs: Lori Salazar * Director of Faculty Affairs: vacant position * Director of Internal Affairs: vacant position
*Source: Associated Students Elections Results
Veril Phillips, vice president of student affairs, is retiring sometime in the near future, and a search committee for a replacement that includes two students has been formed, according to SJSU President Jon Whitmore. Phillips was unable to comment on the exact date of his retirement. “He’s scheduled to retire this summer, based on partly the hiring of someone to follow after him and when that person can come,” Whitmore said. An ideal date would be July 1, Whitmore said. "July 1 is the date when this fiscal year ends, but often people are willing to stay on a couple more weeks or another month if the new person can’t arrive till then,” he said. Jose Lopez, a freshman aviation major, said he did not know who the vice president of student affairs is, did not know he is retiring and said people might not know who Phillips is because he's not important enough or they just don't care. Jordan Anderson, a freshman mechanical engineering student, said he also had no idea who the vice president of student affairs is and did not know what the vice president of student affairs does. The vice president of student affairs works toward creating and coordinating activities beyond academics that impact student learning, such as enrollment management, student participation and the delivery of student services, according to the executive search profile produced by R.H. Perry and Associates. Fred Najjar, the vice president for university advancement, said he is chair of the search committee in charge of finding possible replacements for the retiring vice president of student affairs.
LAYOFFS From Page 1 Whitmore said. "Now, we have to have a permanent solution to that issue, because furloughs were negotiated by the union for one year only." Senior anthropology major Joseph Moreno said he doesn't agree with the cutbacks and thinks the layoffs will make things more difficult for stu-
Najjar said this was a national search and that the deadline for applications was April 2. He said the committee must now review all applications recieved, narrow down the list of recommendations for candidates and present those selections to Whitmore. "The president makes the appointment," Najjar said. "We're a recommending body for him." The president will be given a report containing input from each committee member about the selected candidates, he said. After the list of applicants is reduced to a select group of candidates, Najjar said, The list will be available online. The committee has a website located on the SJSU office of the president page, he said. Once the list of candidates is posted, open forums and questions from students will be allowed, Najjar said. “They plan to try to bring people in before everyone gets away this spring,” Whitmore said. “It will be pushing it to get people here, but they plan to do that and the committee is actively working and should be able to do that.” Whitmore said he thinks it is appropriate that the search committee include two students. “The finalists will be invited to campus,” Whitmore said. "And students and other groups will have an opportunity to meet the candidates, provide feedback to the search committee and it’s all moving forward at a rapid pace.” The committee includes two representative from Associated Students, the School of Social Work, the department of psychology, Student Union Inc., the Student Health Center, computer engineering, enrollment services, the department of kinesiology, the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center and students, according to the office of the president’s website.
dents. "Students are already getting the runaround when they are trying to get things done," he said. "It just makes it harder for us." Ricky Crisostomo, a senior digital media arts major, said he doesn't think the layoffs will directly affect him. "I come from a small major where we only have three teachers," Crisostomo said. "It sucks for everyone else, though. I think it will affect a lot of my friends in dif-
ferent departments. 76 is a lot of staff to let go." Olatokunbo Aiyegbusi, a senior industrial engineering major, said the layoffs are going to be rough on everyone at the university. "My major is small, so it's easier to get classes," Aiyegbusi said. "But I have a friend who needed a full load and could only get nine units because classes were too full. When there's not enough staff, people start graduating later, and it's just a mess."
Monday, April 19, 2010
A&E
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Local college bands battle for musical supremacy REVIEW April Chase wins final spot in Battle of the Bands Salman Haqqi Staff Writer In my mind, the concept of a battle of the bands conjures up images of a gladiatorial brawl with musicians hacking away at each other with their instruments in a fight to the death. Fortunately, or unfortunately to some, this wasn’t the case at the first annual Battle of The Bands held by the Bay Area College Activities Network on Thursday. Schools participating in the Bay Area College Activities Network include SJSU, CSU East Bay, San Francisco State University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley and the University of San Francisco. Up for grabs was a spot to represent SJSU in the final being held on April 30 at SJSU’s Event Center. The winning band of the final will have a chance to perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre this summer as an opener for either the Vans Warped Tour, the Mayhem Festival or Dave Matthews Band. The winner will also get its song played on the radio on Channel 92.3, while the first runner-up will perform as a part of the Left Coast Live music festival in June 2010. About 200 people packed into Morris Dailey Auditorium, which was transformed from its usual uber-academic atmosphere to a moshing and head-banging haven. The show opened with Tha Fiends’ mix of rock and hip hop, which sounded like a watered-down version of the early 2000s numetal fad made famous by bands such as Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. The song writing left a lot to be desired, as the female vocals did not contrast well with the rap. In addition, the sound was further mired by its keyboards being too loud, while the guitars were hardly noticeable.
Punk rock outfit Ten Days New followed with a frenetic performance of its brand of Blink-182-inspired pop punk. Bassist Patrick Brewner seemed to channel his inner Energizer Bunny, jumping around the stage as he played. It was an entertaining performance, but the generic songwriting lacked the originality that I usually look for in new bands. JD Romance was, in all respects, the highlight of the evening. From the get-go, the band looked and sounded like a well-oiled machine. The band’s alternative sound consisted of clean, catchy hooks and well-structured compositions that reflected the time put into them. April Chase followed with a seasoned performance of its brand of introspective and melodic emo, a la Paramore. A cohesive unit, April Chase played like a band that has done its fair share of live performances as vocalist Carina Valdes kept the audience engaged throughout the performance. With a boisterous fan following, April Chase had audience members out of their seats, singing along to the music. The final performance of the night had punk rock act, The Gryme, dishing out its in(Above) Ten Days New rocks out your-face punk rock, which consisted of very on stage during the Battle of the little in the way of a melody, and had the dis- Bands event Thursday night. tortion turned up to 15. (Right) Bassist Patrick Brewner The band was unlucky in suffering a few sings back-up vocals for Ten Days technical glitches, but with a large contingent New. KEVIN HUME / SPARTAN DAILY of equally loud and faithful fans, the band rolled with the punches, finishing the set as fans rocked along with them. Where the band suffered most was from a \ BATTLE OF THE BANDS complete lack of melodic variety. The 15-minute set seemed like a single twochord song played straight throughout the set. The eventual winner, April Chase, narrowly When: April 30, 7 p.m. squeaked out by a single point over secondplace winner JD Romance. Where: SJSU Event The event was well-organized and everything seemed to work seamlessly, starting right Center on time and ending ahead of schedule. Even though musically, my impression of the bands was lukewarm at best. It’s unfair to How much: $10 go in with too many expectations. It’s easy to be an armchair critic, but in the More: Ticketmaster.com end you have to give credit to newcomers who are at least trying.
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Monday, April 19, 2010
A&E
Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fills bellies, empties wallets RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Eric Van Susteren Staff Writer Dining at Morocco's Restaurant, located at Market and St. John streets, is an overwhelming experience in nearly every way. The exotic food boasts a complex mix of spices and flavors, which are delicious but at times just a bit too powerful. The atmosphere, from the gaudy music to the colorful decoration, constantly pulls one's attention in every direction. Finally, after the delicious and attractive spectacle of a dinner is concluded, whoever is paying the check can count on being dumbfounded by the exorbitant prices. Before my friends and
I walked in, we could hear moody Middle Eastern melodies floating over the thud of a driving techno beat emanating from the open door of the restaurant. I was warmly greeted by enthusiastic, clean-cut staff. They were uniformly dressed in black silk shirts, white ties and white aprons. Each server was polite and friendly and very attentive to the needs of his or her customers. My water was never empty for longer than a minute and our food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. The bright orange walls were adorned with ornately patterned drapes, brilliantly colored paintings and flashy embossed metal pictures.
Brown and green swaths of cloth hung in billows from the ceiling, giving me the feeling that I was dining inside a tent. The elaborate decorations were toned down by the shadowy lighting, provided by candles lining the walls and two stained-glass lighting fixtures on both sides of the room. Given the cost of the entrees, which ranged from $13 to $17, we opted to split two entrees and sample a lentil salad. The hefty portions and richness of the food made this more than enough for the three of us. The lentil salad, which consisted of nothing more than lentils and sauce, was simple but delicious. Tossed with a judicious amount of vinegar and oil, the salad was crisp and fresh. The salad's only fault was that a liberal application of cumin made it a tad too spicy. Next, we moved to the
chicken kebabs. The chunks of perfectly cooked, tender chicken came with creamy, yet firm, potatoes. Slightly bland rice and juicy grilled zucchini accompanied the main dish. The hearty kebabs seemed somewhat bland The chicken kebab with Himalayan basmati rice and grilled compared to the vegetables from Moroccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. KIRSTEN AGUILAR / SPARTAN DAILY tangy lentil salad, but they were rich Unfortunately, our visit The couscous was topped and delicious. We were already becom- with chickpeas, grilled zuc- wasn't cheap. The two entrees ing full as we began spooning chini, carrots and a mass of came out to almost $30. Morocco's is probably a bit the second entree, beef and shredded beef. Savory grilled onions mixed too expensive for the average vegetable couscous, onto our well with the beef, which was college student. plates. It makes a perfect destinaCouscous, which the menu similar in texture to a welltion, however, for those who dubbed "Moroccan pasta," is cooked pot roast. This dish was fairly straight- want to show off their worldmade of granules of semolina wheat and was similar to rice forward but strongly seasoned ly tastes and deep pockets to their dates. and very tasty. in taste and texture.
Dogshadow Productions pushes limits of film
Matt Santolla Staff Writer
With no experience in filmmaking, senior business major David Sprinkle and some friends decided to participate in a film festival in 2006. Their decision paid off because Sprinkle said he and his friends won second place, a trip to Hollywood and a camera. "We never made a film before," Sprinkle said. "We had two weeks to make the film and it was five minutes long. We won the first round and were sent to Hollywood. We went from never making a movie to winning prizes at a film festival." The sudden plunge into filmmaking inspired Sprinkle and his friends to create Dogshadow Productions, a company that creates films tackling con-
troversial topics such as religion and race relations. "Dogshadow is a way for people to say what they want to say in the media of film without having to worry necessarily of being censored by others," said Andrew Haws, a co-founding member who helps produce Dogshadow movies. "We explore stories others may not deem as comfortable and comedy bits to kind of express ourselves." Mallory Viera, a junior women's studies major, said she thinks movies should not be censored at all. "You need to be careful who your audience is," she said. "Kids should not be allowed to see whatever they want, but I don't think adults should be restricted at all." If a movie topic engages people about a difficult or taboo subject, Viera said it should not be censored.
Haws said Dogshadow employees and associates are encouraged to make their particular voices heard. "That was the design of Dogshadow," he said. "There is not one voice of Dogshadow. There are several different voices with our company." Haws said Dogshadow is currently working on a webshow called "Faithless," which tackles the concept of religion. Aaron Brown, a sophomore creative writing major, said freedom of speech in this country should allow people to make movies about whatever they want. "It is really up to the people whether a movie succeeds or fails," Brown said. "People should not have their movies rejected before they are even made."
Sprinkle said Dogshadow Productions is looking for people who are passionate about filmmaking and welcomes students with an interest in making movies. "We are looking for other people to come in with their own ideas and do their own movies," he said. "We are also looking for people to contribute on projects we are working on." Haws said Dogshadow's films are mainly distributed over the Internet, but hard copies of the company's products are available. He also said all of Dogshadow Productions' operations are self-financed. "I think what Dogshadow is doing is a revolutionary thing they are doing," Viera said. "It is important for filmmakers to realize their dreams. I think it is great that they are allowing their voices to be heard."
Monday, April 19, 2010
OPINION
7
Don’t ask and don’t tell the military
heard laughing during the tarAs a priority, allowing gays and geting and execution of these lesbians to serve openly in the milvictims. itary is the last thing we need to I do not know the backworry about. The greater inequity grounds of those soldiers who perpetuating the “don’t ask, don’t killed the photographer and tell” policy is the low intellectualdriver, but the chuckling and ism that pervades the soldiers. delight heard on the video was Three weeks ago, a video was reminiscent of young patrons at released showing an American a carnival or state fair, shooting helicopter killing a Reuters news ducks off a ledge or hay bale for photographer and his driver in Andrew Martinez prizes. Baghdad. The soldiers had misStaff Writer There may be several reasons taken the photo equipment for why we recruit soldiers as young weaponry. Reuters made a statement that was respectful as 18. One obvious reason might be the physical and somber but prosaic in its explanation that the agility that younger people have, but with today’s deaths were not things that could have been pre- technology, I don’t know how solid that idea is. Another reason, which I shudder to think vented — that they were accidents, end of story. Aside from the assassinations and the loss of might be true, is that these younger persons don’t each victim’s life that will continue to wreak havoc have as much invested in life, and therefore their on their respective families, I find the audio on the deaths can be negotiated, like the Reuters journalvideotape the most troubling. The soldiers were ists’ deaths.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This letter is a response to ‘Student Union extreme makeover’ that appeared on Feb. 11. Happily, I read recently about the Student Union renovations finally going forward. This long overdue upgrade and modernization is precisely what on-campus students need, want and deserve. As a student some years ago, I voted to approve the Martin Luther King library, knowing I would never set foot in it as a student. Likewise, students three years ago realized that as our campus grew, the needs of campus infrastructure would also grow. By recognizing future need and agreeing to pay for it with slight fee increases, San Jose State University students help build their campus, not necessarily for
themselves, but for the next generation of Spartans. Some of America’s greatest building projects were undertaken during times of great economic struggle, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge among them. Unfortunately, some A.S. presidential candidates, such as Paul Yula, blame this renovation for rising tuition, budget cuts and layoffs. What Mr. Yula fails to understand is that the money for the Student Union renovation was voted on and approved by students, for students, years ago by those a bit more visionary than himself. Sincerely, Denise M. Olenak, Alumni
This letter is a response to ‘Tech companies to hire more college graduates’ that appeared on March 3. In the article “Tech companies to hire more grads,” Ahmed Hambaba, associate dean of graduate and extended studies of the College of Engineering, was quoted as saying that high-tech companies are “hiring more students because they don’t like to see them staying at home idle.” This gives the impression that hightech companies are altruistic when in fact they are profit maximizers that have to
answer to their shareholders. Furthermore, as a result of the recession, high-tech companies have the upper hand in negotiating salaries. They are not hiring because they feel obligated to alleviate the pain and frustration of unemployment. Amir Margittai, student, department of economics
This letter is a response to ‘Furlough days: a welcome gift and an unwanted curse’ that appeared on March 16. Furlough days are affecting everyone at our school. Some people like them, some people don’t, but the truth is, having furlough days is not that big of a change. Teachers are not supposed to grade papers or do anything for that matter on furlough days, and students don’t have to study because they do not have to go to class on furlough days. For those trying their best to succeed, however, there are no days off. There is no time to waste, because every second you can be doing something to better yourself. For those who are just looking to get by, and the teachers that would rather not be
at school, it is a day off, yes. The people that are complaining that they are not receiving a quality education because of furlough days need to ask themselves, “Why not?” Is not going to class going to stop you from learning? For someone in the pursuit of excellence, it does not matter if they are in class or not, they will be using their time to better themselves. Furlough days are not bad, and they are not good either. They are simply a part of the system, and a part that we are all going to have to get used to. Jay Myers
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Perhaps the key to recruiting young soldiers is that they are drawn from the most impressionable population. They follow orders. They wouldn’t question authority the way a 45-year-old person would, who knows a bit more about life. Maybe the photographer and driver would have lived if they weren’t part of some target practice game that 45-year-olds probably would not have been playing. What is most problematic are the demographics of the armed services. Impressionable people? Yes. Patriotic people? Absolutely. But is their choice to enlist solely sustained through inherent patriotism or the influence yielded by a lack of financial or educational resources? How can you fault another, based on the racial or socioeconomic predisposition that influences one to join the army? I recognize that I have never been to war and do not understand the psychological games that I
would need to play to endure that unique environment, but I do know that I was offended by the audio on the videotape. While I initially understand the off-limits, or you-can’t-talk-about-our-callousness-becauseyou-weren’t-there argument, when it comes to the quality of people we are sending over there, this is a conversation we need to have. Why should they fight for my freedom, and I not fight for their integrity? Some of these soldiers are from unfortunate backgrounds, and unfortunately they may possess an unyielding perspective on the world. Is this a generalization? You bet, but is it any more egregious than how the military justifies the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy? I’m not making this generalization to put this group of people down — I hate the word “plebeian” — but addressing these discrepancies in their perspectives is key to solving the inequities aimed toward gays and lesbians in the military. One cannot be debunked without the other.
Voices of the Holocaust
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. The holiday Yom Hashoah calls for a candle to be lit at sundown the previous night. The candle is meant to last the entire day until sunset the following night. The idea behind the day and the candle is for Israelis and Jews around the world to “never forget” the terrible happenings of the Holocaust. Six million Jews and two million non-Jews died in “the Shoah,” as it is called in Hebrew. I was taught at a young age that remembering was of utmost importance because if the world forgets about the atrocities of the Holocaust, there is a greater chance its mistakes will be repeated. I have family who died in the Holocaust. My father’s cousin, Eli, was the only survivor of his family. Eli was living in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki when the Nazis began their horrific work. Eli and his family decided it was best to go into hiding, taking refuge in the basement of a non-Jewish countryman. One afternoon, Eli got in a fight with his brother. In an effort to cool down, Eli left the hiding place to pace the streets of Thessaloniki. Upon returning to his family’s refuge, he saw Nazis. The men were pulling his family out of hiding, one by one. The brother with whom Eli had fought appeared from the refuge, restrained by Nazis, and took notice of Eli. “RUN, ELI, RUN!” his brother screamed. Eli, who later in life found himself the owner of a candy store in Oakland, California, never saw his family again. Hearing these stories is what keeps the memory of the Holocaust alive, which is the purpose of Yom Hashoah. Year after year at Hebrew school, a survivor would visit
Daniel Herberholz Staff Writer our classes to tell us about his or her experience. I have heard perhaps half a dozen survivors speak in my life. Each time, I am reminded of the importance of hearing their first-hand experiences — especially when there are fewer survivors around with each year that goes by. I have also met a survivor on a personal basis. In high school, I spent a few months working at a home for the elderly near my house. I bussed tables, I served wine and bread before dinner and I cleaned up after the residents finished eating. There was one woman who made this boring work worth it to me. Edith was a quirky Jewish lady who always made jokes. We became fast friends, and I soon learned Edith was a survivor. When Yom Hashoah came around that year, I approached Edith. I told her I had heard of a regional service in remembrance of the day and wondered if she would like to join me in attending. Without hesitation, she accepted. On the night of the service, I picked Edith up from her apartment at the retirement home. We spent the car ride talking about the importance of enjoying life, of laughing. I asked Edith if she would share with me her history. She told me about how, soon after the Holocaust began, she and her husband escaped
their homeland of Germany to travel across the world to the United States. She told me that while she was able to dodge the death camps and all the horrors associated with them, she could still attest to the effects of the Holocaust. The Europe she saw, she said, was not right. This experience really hit me hard, realizing that I was speaking with someone who could authenticate the actions I read about in textbooks. Last summer, I went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Museum in Jerusalem. This place was haunting. The many rooms of the museum illuminated every detail of how the Holocaust came to be, what happened during and what lead to its end. The most memorable room was one with the names of every known person who died in the Holocaust. Yad Vashem was collecting these names, collecting them for the records to show all the individuals whose lives were ended by the singular monstrosity that was Adolf Hitler. As I walked the halls of the museum, I thought about Eli and Edith. They were just two survivors, the two whom happened to appear in my life. However, they are the faces of the Holocaust in my mind. The museum’s website tells the importance of having a face to the atrocities. “The voice of the survivors is the link that binds the painful and tormented history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust to the future, to hope and to rebirth,” the website states on a page dedicated to Yom Hashoah. These voices to the past may not be around for much longer, but Holocaust Remembrance Day will hold their place, telling the world about one of history’s greatest crimes and one of its greatest mistakes.
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8
Monday, April 19, 2010
SPORTS
Spartans spilt doubleheader with Fresno State Melissa Johnson Staff Writer
this,” Freitas said. “It feels really great stepping up as a freshman.” SJSU head coach Pete Turner said it was great the team was able to get a win in the second game because it has struggled against Fresno State lately. “The toughest part of our
Despite only scoring one run, the SJSU softball team managed to win one of two games during a doubleheader against Fresno State on Saturday. In the first game, sophomore pitcher Amanda Pridmore had five Kelli Fangonilo Hits strikeouts and allowed four hits, Brittany McConnell Home runs but surrendered Alyssa Sulay Runs the only four runs of the game in five Sarah Taylor Average innings of work. Brittany McConnell RBI The loss dropped Pridmore's record Brittany McConnell SLG % to 14-5 this seaAmanda Pridmore ERA son. Amanda Pridmore Wins The Spartans had three hits in Amanda Pridmore Saves the game, none of them producing schedule is now behind us,” any runs. Fresno State jumped com- Turner said. “I think we can get fortably ahead in the bot- out of the season with about tom of the sixth inning when 36 wins, which should put us Michelle Moses hit a three-run in a very good position both at home run to put Fresno State the WAC tournament as well as hopefully the regionals.” up 4-0. Although he was satisfied “I wish I would’ve pitched to that girl different because with the win, he said he feels she’s the one that hit when the team needs to adjust its they had runners on,” Prid- hitting. “I’m pleased with the more said. “They didn’t really pitching and defense,” do anything.” In the second game, Turner said. Jaclyn Imhof, who Cheryl Freitas, SJSU freshman designated hitter, brought pitched the second game of home the only run of the game the doubleheader, said she with a one-out sacrifice fly that feels it was not her best outing. scored Markesha Collins. Imhof allowed eight Collins got the SJSU offense started when she beat hits and surrendered three out a ground ball in the sixth walks while striking out two inning, one of five hits for the in her second shutout of the season. Spartans in the game. “I feel happy that I had Collins was able to advance to third when left fielder Al- really good defense behind me because they saved me a yssa Sulay doubled. “It’s nice getting a win out of lot,” she said.
Imhof said she was a little nervous heading into the game against Fresno State, but said she was able to settle into the game. “After I sank in, during the fourth through seventh innings, I just relaxed, took a deep breath and relied on my defense,” she said. “It was an easier game.” Turner said 49 his confidence with the team 7 is getting bet40 ter week in and week out. .364 “ T h e y ’ r e 41 learning how to win, which is .627 paramount to 2.56 our season,” he 14 said. The Spar4 tans are now in fifth place in the Western Athletic Conference. They are now 29-16 and 5-7 in the WAC. SJSU returns to the field on Wednesday to take on the eighth-ranked Stanford Cardinal at 6 p.m.
SEASON LEADERS
(Above) Sophomore pitcher Amanda Pridmore releases a pitch during the first game of the doubleheader. Pridmore had five strikeouts, but allowed the only four runs in the game. The loss dropped Pridmore’s record to 14-5 this season. (Left) Sophomore catcher Breanna Lopez, who went 1-for-5 on the day, swings at a pitch during SJSU’s doubleheader against Fresno State on Saturday. Photos by KIBIWOT LIMO / SPARTAN DAILY
UPCOMING GAMES DAY
DAT E
OPPONENT
W
April 21
at Stanford
F
April 23
at Utah State
Sa April 24
F
April 30
Sa May 1
at New Mexico State
at Boise State
at Boise State
May 7
New Mexico State
Sa May 8
New Mexico State
F