NAMED NATIONAL FOUR-YEAR DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR FOR 2020-21 IN THE COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION’S PINNACLE AWARDS
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022
Volume 158 No. 3
City approval Councilmembers unanimously approved a revision to their racial equity definition during a remote city council meeting Tuesday.
Redefinition San Jose’s Office of Racial Equity and several community stakeholders were asked by the city nearly three months ago to create a new definition that included action-based language.
San Jose City Council: racial equity INFOGRAPHIC BY BRYANNA BARTLETT; ICONS FROM FLATICON
Rhetoric vs. action The revised definition includes requirements of goal setting, progress tracking and strategy use to lessen disparities.
Racial equity definition revised By Joaquin De La Torre STAFF WRITER
San Jose City Council members unanimously approved the city’s updated definition of racial equity Tuesday. The vote was preceded by discussion about the definition and how it will affect San Jose residents. The approved definition is a revision from a Nov 9, 2021 meeting, where council members directed the Office of Racial Equity to revise the original definition with input from community stakeholders. The original definition of racial equity was “when race no longer predicts life outcome and when outcomes for all groups are improved.” Zulma Maciel, Director of the Office of Racial Equity, revised the definition, including language that was “bold and explicit in acknowledging the historical rical and continued injustices and trauma to communities of color”. According to Maciel’s presentation, a key aspect of the approved definition for racial equity is that it requires goal setting, measures progress and uses strategies targeted to close the gaps. “We can debate semantics and definitions all day. But if the work that we do doesn’t lead to tangible, measurable results, then what are we doing,” said District 7 Councilmember Maya Esparza. “This is what our communities are relying on us for and utely that component is absolutely critical because ourr residents don’t need
rhetoric, they need action.” Community stakeholders including the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet, the National Compadres Network and the Vietnamese American Roundtable were consulted on the new definition, according to the presentation. “It’s a definition that centers race. It’s a definition that acknowledges that racial inequalities are deep and pervasive,” Maciel said. During the meeting, Vice Mayor Charles Jones asked Maciel to highlight specific and measurable examples of how San Jose residents will benefit from the revised definition. “If we, for example, think about an indicator around education and we all get behind this indicator about schools, city organizations and accounting, then there are things within our sphere of influence that we’re going to be able to do to change an indicator around education,” Maciel said. “Whether it’s policymaking, or investments,
or programmatic pieces.” District 10 Councilmember Matt Mahan echoed similar sentiments to Jones, hoping for a more concrete plan for how approving this definition of racial equity would lead to actionable change.
investments, what we’re saying is good public administration will also step back and look at disproportionate impacts of past inequities,” Rios said. “And although we can’t turn back the clock and correct every single inequity, what we can do is recognize those
We can debate semantics and definitions all day. But if the work that we do doesn’t lead to tangible, measurable results then what are we doing? This is what our communities are relying on us for and that component is absolutely critical because our residents don’t need rhetoric, they need action.
“I feel comfortable with the definition, which is inherently fairly high level and dependin on how we imagine abstract, but depending using it, or what po policy changes it would produce, I mig might be really supportive g or not and I guess we’ll see how that M plays out,” Mahan said.. Mahan ask asked if the Office of Racial det Equity has determined specific, more important city services for Brown and Black neighborhoods to see improvem improvements such as funding sc schools rather than g general services like postal services. Angel Rios, Deputy City Manager said council members should look at services that have been historically underinvested in communities. “When you look ILLUSTRATION BY PAULA PIVA| SPARTAN DAILY ARCHIVES at that from today’s
Maya Esparza district 7 councilmember
disproportional inequities from the past and form a bridge around how to prevent them from reoccurring?” Although several council members asked for clarification regarding the definition, District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas said moving forward with it is “the only option.” “It saddens me to hear my colleagues question how we’re going to implement this when we’ve had so many issues come up within our own administration,” she said. “We closed down the 51 community centers we have in the city of San Jose. We only have 11, those decisions were made based on the neighborhood that could actually pay for those services.” Arenas said the city needs to prioritize underserved neighborhoods. “We have to make sure that we’re okay with giving more to those folks who need it and whose neighborhoods need it. That’s part of racial equity,” Arenas said. Follow the Spartan Daily on @SpartanDaily
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2, 2022
OPINION
Underdogs favored to triumph Bengals end 31-year playoff drought, stun the Chiefs en route to Super Bowl LVI
ILLUSTRATION BY DAISHA SHERMAN
Estevan Lopez SPORTS EDITOR
Super Bowl LVI is set as the Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Los Angeles Rams at Sofi stadium in Los Angeles on Feb. 13. The playoffs have been a roller coaster of emotions this season, from heavily favored teams losing to true underdogs such as the Bengals reaching the championship. It’s a season in which anything can truly happen, but the Cincinnati Bengals will most likely be Super Bowl champions. The Bengals started the season with no expectations after a disappointing 2021 season that ended with their rookie quarterback Joe Burrow suffering a season-ending knee injury. Burrow was drafted to the Bengals in 2020 as the number one overall pick, according to a Cincinnati Bengals 2020 webpage statement. He was the player to turn the team from a laughingstock to a championship contender. The hype that surrounded Burrow during the 2020 NFL draft was deserved as the quarterback won a National Collegiate Athletic Association championship and the Heisman trophy in only two years as a starter at Louisiana State University. Burrow played well in his rookie season and showed great potential for his future with Cincinnati but he couldn’t achieve all his success alone. The team acquired star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase during the 2021 NFL draft. Chase also played with Burrow at LSU during their 2019 championship season. Burrow will now be the second Louisiana State University quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, following David Woodly who led the Miami Dolphins to a 27-17 defeat in 1983 against the Washington Redskins. Chase had a breakout year as a rookie wide receiver as he caught 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns, according to Pro Football statistics. Chase was highly criticized during training camp because he struggled with drops, even leading into the preseason. That all changed quickly as Chase went from being criticized to being praised for his rise to stardom. Burrow was quick to defend his receiver
saying, “I thought he was dropping everything,” as he sat down for his post-game media session with reporters after a Sept 12, 27-24 week one overtime win over the Minnesota Vikings, according to an Saturday Down South article. The challenge for the Bengals was not only making it to the playoffs, but also winning a playoff game, a feat the team hadn’t reached since their Jan. 6, 1991 triumph over the Houston Oilers 41-14. The two new Bengal superstars helped the team win the American Football Conference north division title and knocked off the previous
as the home team. The previous team to host and win the Super Bowl were the 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rams, who acquired Matthew Stafford in a trade with the Detroit Lions, went all in, giving up two first round picks from their 2022 season and 2023 season. The Rams pulled the trigger to acquire Stafford because of his style of play and how he elevates the Rams offense compared to the previous season under former quarterback Jared Goff. The 2021 season was a do or die year for the Rams, because if they didn’t make it to
The playoffs have been a roller coaster of emotions this season, from heavily favored teams losing to true underdogs such as the Bengals reaching the championship. It’s a season in which anything can truly happen, but the Cincinnati Bengals will most likely be Super Bowl champions.
division champions and heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game. The Bengals’ halftime score was the same 21-10 score as the last time the Bengals faced the Chiefs in week 17 on Jan. 2 which resulted in a thrilling 34-31 Bengals win. After Bengal kicker Evan McPherson squeezed out a 3 point win 34-31, the team punched its ticket into the playoffs. Cincinnati had two quarters during the AFC title game to pull off a comeback against an opponent that seemed unstoppable, but with head coach Zac Taylor and Burrow’s leadership, the team pulled off an upset and won against the Chiefs on Sunday, 27-24. The Bengals will face off against the Rams, who will be the second team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl
the Super Bowl, many would say the team was a bust. Led by head coach Sean McVay, the Rams had an up-and-down season but still found a way to piece it together throughout the playoffs with amazing performances by star receiver Cooper Kupp, catching 145 passes for 16 touchdowns and a record 1,965 yards from scrimmage breaking the NFL’s all-time record. The toughest challenge the Rams endured was finding a way to beat the San Francisco 49ers, who they’d lost to twice in the regular season. Although the Rams hosted the championship game in Los Angeles and made team trades to acquire star players, many fans hoped for a 49ers triumph. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a 6-0 record against the Rams heading
into the NFC Championship. The Rams held their own, storming back in the second half down 17-7 on Sunday. Off-season trades by the Rams sealed the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter, bringing the team up 20-17 which gave the Rams their second Super Bowl appearance in the past four years. Garoppolo faced plenty of scrutiny throughout the season with his playing style labeled as a “game manager.” This led to the 49ers drafting quarterback Trey Lance from South Dakota State in the first round with the number 3 overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Garoppolo may have played his final down as a 49er saying in a Tuesday press conference, “Emotions are high after a game win or loss, and it’s one of those things you’ve got to be glad it happened, smile from it, and think about the good things. We’ll see what happens in these next couple days.” This is a season in which anything can happen. The Bengals are once again underdogs riding into the Super Bowl with only the Rams in their way to complete a historic run. My prediction is that the Cincinnati Bengals will pull off the upset 31-27 over the Los Angeles Rams to be Super Bowl LVI Champions. The Rams may have better talent and the advantage of a home crowd, but the Cincinnati Bengals pose a threat with their style and persistence.
Follow Estevan on Twitter @9estevan
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2, 2022
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Online classes are necessary despite drawbacks Joaquin De La Torre STAFF WRITER
San Jose State University administration’s decision to temporarily transition back to remote learning until Feb. 14 was the right call, even if it isn’t the decision most students wanted. It’s no secret we’re collectively exhausted with the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we can willfully ignore the dangers of the COVID-19 virus. Following the holidays, California’s coronavirus cases spiked so high it broke records for the most positive cases recorded in one day, according to a Jan. 4 Mercury News article. On Jan. 12, the day SJSU interim president Steve Perez announced the move to remote instruction, the daily average of positive COVID-19 cases in Santa Clara County was 4,861 and hospitalizations rates were up 98%, according to the New York Times COVID-19 tracker. The spike was equal parts distressing and terrifying. It was a wake up call, reminding us we are still in a pandemic. Those numbers also begged the question: is sitting in a classroom worth adding to
those numbers? It’s not. Am I tired of Zoom? Yes. Do I feel like I’m losing out on some of the college experience? Sure. Do I wish school officials would have made their announcement before I bought my $192 parking permit? Of course. But right now it’s more important to stifle COVID-19’s spread to protect our community. Besides, there are numerous benefits to remote learning. An advantage of remote learning is that we can learn from anywhere with access to Wi-Fi.
It’s no secret we’re collectively exhausted with the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we can willfully ignore the dangers of the COVID-19 virus. As Valentine’s Day approaches, many might want to go on a romantic getaway with their partners. Thanks to
ILLUSTRATION BY DAISHA SHERMAN
online instruction, this will be an option for students. Or maybe you’ll be a little tight on cash the week before Valentine’s Day because of a jumbo teddy bear you’ve bought your special someone. Remote learning is the best way to make sure you always eat at home, making both your wallet and your mom proud. The average commercially-produced meal costs $13 while the average meal prepared at home costs only $4, according to a July 22, 2021 Money Under 30 article. Started by David Weliver back in 2006, Money Under 30 is a personal finance site that aims to help young adults make informed decisions with their money, according to the Money
Under 30’s webpage. One of the biggest obstacles preventing people from eating at home is time, according to a March 14, 2017 Science Daily article. Science Daily reports on the latest scientific discoveries in health, technology and the environment, according to its webpage. On my drive home after a long day of school and work, the last thing I look forward to is cooking myself a healthy meal. I want something quick, filling, and if it happens to be nutritious, that’s just gravy. But when I’m already home, I’m more encouraged to get creative in the kitchen. I look forward to seeing how many vegetables of different colors I can prepare in one dish because
I’m cutting back on my commute time. Saving money is a big part of what makes remote learning so advantageous for broke college students. We’re saving money not only on food but also gas and parking passes (unless, like me, you already bought one). Realistically, remote learning isn’t the best and after about two years, I know I’m desperate to begin learning again without having to see my own reflection s taring back at me in a small square. But we’ve made it this far, what’s two more weeks of online classes?
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2, 2022
ILLUSTRATION BY BIANCA RADER
Folk music legend’s ultimatum leads to action By Eva Martin STAFF WRITER
Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young gave Spotify an ultimatum in an open Jan. 24 letter posted on his personal website: either the company removes The Joe Rogan Experience podcast hosted by the comedian Joe Rogan for coronavirus misinformation, or Young removes his repertoire. Two days later, Young’s entire solo discography including “Harvest Moon” and “Heart of Gold” disappeared from the music platform. Young is not the only one questioning the potential danger caused by The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. On Jan. 10, more than 200 doctors, scientists, and healthcare professionals signed an open letter to report “false and societally harmful assertions” from the episode released on Dec. 31 in which Rogan interviewed Dr. Robert Malone. “JRE [The Joe Rogan Experience] #1757 is not the only transgression to occur on the Spotify platform, but a relevant example of the platform’s failure to mitigate the damage it is causing,” stated healthcare professionals in the open letter. Dr. Malone is a virologist who’s defended disputed claims saying vaccines put people previously infected with the COVID19 virus at higher risks of adverse side effects. The virologist said world leaders “hypnotized” the public into supporting vaccines. With a non proven theory called “mass formation psychosis”, he compared the rise of the Nazi Party
in 1930s Germany with the pandemic regulations. “They had a highly intelligent, highly educated population, and they went barking mad,” said Dr. Malone to describe mass formation psychosis. “And this is what’s happened here,” he said referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitter banned Dr. Malone for misinformation on Dec. 29, and four days later Youtube removed the podcast episode. Doctors and scientists who signed the open letter asked Spotify officials to react to Rogan’s COVID-19 episodes by improving their rules regarding misinformation and creating an easier way to flag baseless claims. It’s concerning that Spotify didn’t think it was necessary to react to this open letter before Young posted his ultimatum. This is not the first time Rogan and his guests have been accused of spreading false information about the COVID-19 virus. Rogan said “young and healthy people don’t need COVID-19 vaccines” and has promoted ineffective and dangerous treatments such as ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug used for livestock. “But if you’re like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I’ll go ‘no,’” Rogan said in an April 28 episode of the podcast. “If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time, and you’re young, and you’re eating well, like, I don’t think you need to worry about this.” According to data released by Washington State Department of Health on Jan. 26, unvaccinated 12-34 years old are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with the
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COVID-19 virus than those who are fully vaccinated. A company reaction is unlikely because Spotify reportedly paid $100 million in May 2020 for rights to The Joe Rogan Experience podcast according to an
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people their lives,” Mitchell stated on Friday. After controversies erupted regarding the spread of COVID-19 misinformation on platforms including Twitter and Youtube, the spotlight is
INFOGRAPHIC BY SAUMYA MONGA; INFORMATION FROM SPOTIFY NEWSROOM
estimation made by The Wall Street Journal in a May 19, 2020 article. It’s the platform’s top podcast with around 200 million downloads a month according to Rogan. On Jan. 26, Spotify stated that the company has removed 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. “We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners
EDITORIAL STAFF EXECUTIVE EDITOR MADILYNNE MEDINA
and freedom for creators,” the company stated. Young wrote in a Jan. 26 letter posted on his personal website that 60% of his music streams come from Spotify but his beliefs surpassed any of his monetary gain from
SPORTS EDITOR ESTEVAN LOPEZ SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SAMANTHA HERRERA PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR TRAVIS WYNN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS AI BLY SANDRA SANTOS-CRUZ COPY EDITORS REBECCA LEE CHRISTINE STEVENS ALAN BAEZ BRIANA CONTE SAVANNAH NATIVIDAD ISA GALLO GRAPHICS EDITORS NICK YBARRA LINDSAY VILLAMOR AUDREY TSENG DAISHA SHERMAN AARON CHEUNG BIANCA RADER
the music platform. “Losing 60% of worldwide streaming income by leaving Spotify is a very big deal,” Young said. “[It was] a costly move, but worth it for our integrity and our beliefs. Misinformation about [COVID-19] is over the line.” Canadian singersongwriter Joni Mitchell said on her personal website that she will follow Young’s suit and pull her music from Spotify. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing
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now on podcasts. However, compared to written or visual posts it’s harder to track falsehood in audio format. The host’s voice is in listeners’ ears and information is received as soon as it’s delivered, with no time to provide a disclaimer to the audience. The Joe Rogan controversy is more than just a debate about free speech; it reveals the influence artists still have on streaming services. Yes, Spotify didn’t follow Young and Mitchell’s ultimatum, but their choices pushed the
company to take some steps to prevent dangerous claims from spreading on its audio streaming service. Spotify’s chief executive Daniel Ek said in a Sunday news release that Spotify will issue a “content advisory” for any podcast episode that includes a discussion about the COVID-19 virus. It will direct listeners to a “COVID19 hub” with links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and trusted news sources. For the first time, Spotify published all of its longstanding platform rules on Sunday, including its commitment to ban content that promotes “dangerous and false information.” Currently Rogan’s episode with Dr. Malone remains available on Spotify. Rogan responded to the controversy during his podcast in a video published on his Instagram Sunday evening. He said that he was not spreading misinformation and that there is “a distorted perception” of what he does on his show. “I do not know [if guests] are right,” Rogan said. “I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person who sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them.”
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