NAMED NATIONAL FOUR-YEAR DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR FOR 2020-21 IN THE COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION’S PINNACLE AWARDS
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
Volume 160 No. 7 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
ATM scam devices found at SJSU By Enrique Gutierrez-Sevilla STAFF WRITER
ENRIQUE GUTIERREZ-SEVILLA | SPARTAN DAILY
Kinesiology sophomore Kody Lee uses the reported tampered Bank of America ATM on campus. University Police said the tampered ATM is part of an active investigation.
A video was released Tuesday on Instagram by San Jose State student Andy Gordiano who noticed a black triangular skimmer device at the Bank of America ATM at the SJSU ATM Kiosk. The video, showing the skimmer hidden on the right-hand side of the keypad and camouflaged into the machine, has reached a total of 67.3k views on Instagram. The University Police Department (UPD) released a Community Safety Advisory on the same day warning students and faculty about the security threat to the university community. The Bank of America ATM at the SJSU ATM Kiosk was tampered with two deep insert skimmer devices, according to the UPD Community Safety Advisory. The ATM alerted an error for failing to accept deposits which was not related to the skimmer device, and a technician retrieved the two skimmer devices in the machine. Deep insert skimmer devices are illegally installed on ATMs to steal cardholders information. Skimmers are placed inside the card reader and sometimes placed outside of the ATM machine. Skimming costs financial institutions and consumers ATM | Page 2
Organization connects Black engineers By Matthew Gonzalez STAFF WRITER
The Black Alliance of Scientists and Engineers at San Jose State has helped Black students connect to professionals in the engineering field since 1977. Folarin Erogbogbo, Black Alliance of Scientists and Engineers advisor and biomedical engineering professor, organized an event called Black Engineer Week. The event aimed to exemplify one of the group’s goals: connecting Black engineering students with Black professionals in the field. Erogbogbo said, although the idea was well received by others in the engineering department, he realized it would ultimately be up to him to take initiative in developing the event. “I ran [Black engineer week] by some people and they thought it was a good idea and there was a potential to support, but no support came through,” he said. “So I figured either I don’t do it or I do it on my own.” Erogbogbo said one of the first things he wanted to address was how he could recruit more Black students into the college of engineering. In Fall 2022, the Black students enrollment rate in the college of engineering was 1.96%, according to a SJSU.edu webpage. “So that means if there are 50 students in a class, on average how many Black students would be in a class? One,” Erogbogbo said. The lack of Black students in engineering classes has not gone unnoticed. The organization’s fundraising chair Hailey Smith said having no other Black students in her classes impedes parts of her learning process. “In most of my classes, I’m pretty much the only Black person, if anything, Black female and sometimes only female,” She
said. “Sometimes it’s very hard to connect with my classmates, to set up study sessions.” The organization’s co-president Anaiya Williamson said race and gender-based isolation can impact a student’s thought process. “Especially, as a woman, sometimes I was afraid that I wouldn’t be taken as seriously and people would disregard my ideas,” Williamson said. “They would make me feel less than just because of my gender and my race.” Smith said she notices microaggressions in some of her classes, but being in the Black Alliance of Scientists and Engineers and meeting people who resonate with similar struggles makes being a Black student easier. “There’s a lot of underlying racism that goes on in class, a lot of people might not realize it not being Black,” Smith said. “But being Black you see those microaggressions and it’s nice to be able to come together with people ENRIQUE GUTIERREZ-SEVILLA | SPARTAN DAILY that have like minded spirits.” Photos of Black engineers line the wall during the Black Engineers Week Exhibit at MLK Library. Erogbogbo said he thinks Black students coming into the engineering program already have Erogbogbo said juggling cultural of things,” Erogbogbo said. “I get Smith said the lack of Black the ability to succeed, but cultural differences while being the sole into class and nobody likes to do people in science, technology, that, what that means is I have engineering and mathematics to go build a social life outside of is discernible and makes seeing my class.” successful Black people in the Smith said being an engineering field important. student has presented her with new “There’s not many Black people stereotypes she doesn’t feel apply in the tech field and engineering,” to her. Smith said. “So when I hear a “A lot of people just think fellow Black person [and] they’re engineers are these nerds, and in a very high position at their we just are into computers, Black company, it is very resonating.” people will tell people to have fun,” Hailey Smith Smith said. “We like to party, we do SJSU Black Alliance of Scientists and Engineers all the regular stuff.” fundraising chair Williamson said seeing Black female engineers speak offers a differences add another layer of Black student in classes creates a refreshing perspective on success intangible issues. difficult duality that other students and resonates with her deeply. “But if you now add all these don’t have to deal with. “For me when I see a Black other factors and you don’t “For example, let’s say I come female engineer, I can envision her understand their cultural wealth, from a particular community and struggling in college, just how I am,” you might not know how to cater I like a particular kind of music Williamson said. “I can imagine her Follow Matthew Gonzalez to that difference,” he said. and I like to do particular kinds younger self and I can relate.” on Twitter @MattG2001
There’s not many Black people in the tech field and engineering. So when I hear a fellow Black person [and] they’re in a very high position at their company, it is very resonating.