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Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Volume 158 No. 14
SJSU community members, mall workers protest parking fees
AI BLY | SPARTAN DAILY
Westfield Valley Fair implemented a new parking policy that went into effect Feb. 8 which requires employees to pay $3 per day to park at the garages on site, or $40 per month.
By D’Netrus Chevis-Rose STAFF WRITER
San Jose State students and Westfield Valley Fair mall employees continue to voice concern and discontentment with the mall’s parking fees that went into effect Feb. 8. Customers who park at Valley Fair will not be charged for the first two hours, with the maximum daily rate staying at $10. Employees who work on site are required to pay a discounted daily rate of $3, or $40 a month through passes from the parking office. The “controlled parking plan” formulated by mall officials went into effect to deter commuters who work off site from parking in the parking structures, according to a Westfield Valley Fair statement.
“The controlled parking plan is part of a broader focus on security at Valley Fair,” according to the statement. The parking plan is intended to “limit the parking inconveniences” caused by vehicles left at the garages by individuals who work nearby. Mall officials are aware of concerns from some employees, but hope the controlled parking environment will bring “even more customers to support retailers allowing them to flourish,” according to the statement. SJSU sociology freshman Sergio Gomez was one of the few students who stood outside during his lunch break on Sunday at the Cheesecake Factory to protest the parking fees. Gomez planned to attend a protest that day that was
Video by Evan Reinhardt
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR & ASST. NEWS EDITOR
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canceled because of scheduling conflicts among employees. The protest was the second planned demonstration against the new parking fees, organized
him reconsider his spending barely making right now,” he said. habits because he’s a full-time Several workers also walked student paying for tuition, around the mall Sunday to educate monthly rent for off-campus customers regarding the issue. housing and commuting expenses. Protesters argued that the majority of Valley Fair visitors are affluent South Bay residents who are “unmoved” about paying a dollar-per-hour after the limit’s expiration. An SJSU accounting junior, who chose to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions from the store management, works at Ingrid Tran athletic retail store Lululemon. SJSU alumna They instead of a monthly parking pass, they pay $3 a day to park in the garage. According to Valley Fair’s by the @valleyfairworkerpetition “Whatever I want to do on the website, the monthly parking Instagram page. weekends, now I have to double- pass is part of their controlled The petition more than 1000 think, ‘is that really something parking plan where employers signatures. I should be doing?’ Because of may choose to purchase passes Gomez said the new fee made the amount of money that I’m for their employees, but are not required. The rate for the pass is $40 a month and if not purchased by the employer, individual employees are required to pay. Many stores in the mall are not covering the parking fee for their employees, the source said. SJSU 2019 alumna Ingrid Tran said she believes it’s wrong for employees to be required to pay the mall for a temporary parking space. “I don’t think there should be an additional fee placed upon employees to work, that seems like wage theft to me,” she said. “It just doesn’t seem fair.” Tran said she usually visits the mall three times a month, but doesn’t plan on visiting as frequently because of the fee. “[Visiting the mall] used to be an activity I would do because it wouldn’t cost money, but now that there’s a monetary amount I have to pay to be here, I’m less incentivized to come,” Tran said. “Otherwise I could find other places to go just to be outside that are free.”
I don’t think there should be an additional fee placed upon employees to work that seems like wage theft to me. It just doesn’t seem fair.
San Jose Jazz, a public-benefit organization, hosted its 10th annual “WinterFest” from Feb. 11-27 that included a series of performances by musicians from around The Bay and beyond. Multiple venues hosted shows including the SJZ Break Room, San Jose Jazz’s own performance space located at 310 South First St. “We call it a jazz fest but it’s a wide variety of music,” said Bruce Labadie, San Jose Jazz artistic and festival director. “People love the music . . . they’re paying attention, doing other things.”
Follow D’Netrus on Twitter @dchevisrose
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TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
EVAN REINHARDT | SPARTAN DAILY
Lion dancers ring in the Lunar New Year outside the Student Union building on Seventh Street on Thursday. Lion dancers are thought to bring prosperity and ward off evil.
Lions, tigers, years: a celebration By Joaquin De La Torre STAFF WRITER
More than 150 students welcomed the “year of the tiger” on Thursday at San Jose State’s 7th Street Plaza by enjoying colorful boba drinks and watching cultural performances. The year of the tiger refers to the Chinese zodiac calendar which assigns a new
animal to each year, according to a Feb. 2 CNN travel article. Although the Chinese zodiac assigns the year’s animal, Lunar New Year (sometimes called Chinese New Year) is celebrated by many Asian cultures on different days annually and lasts up to 15 days, according to a Dec. 1, 2021 Britannica article. Christopher Yang, director of the
EVAN REINHARDT | SPARTAN DAILY
The fierce face of a lion dancer costume from the Rising Phoenix Dance Association.
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MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center said Lunar New Year is an important holiday for many Asian cultures. “It symbolizes the passing of the New Year, it symbolizes new birth, the restoration of crops, being able to feed your community, being able to take care of your community,” he said. The SJSU celebration was co-hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Task Force (APID/A) and Associated Students. The SJSU APID/A Task Force is a campus group dedicated to supporting Asian, Pacific Islanders and Desi American students, according to their Instagram biography. Once students walking down 7th Street Plaza noticed the free boba tea, a long line formed as speakers greeted them and informed them of the Lunar New Year celebration that began at 4 p.m. Yang said SJSU APID/A Task Force wanted to receive feedback from the community about student needs through a survey. A survey, which was a QR code posted on the table by the free boba, was used by the APID/A Task Force to gather information about students’ backgrounds and needs so they can host similar events and find an answer to the age-old question “should dragons have legs?” One hope is that with more information about what students want to see, APID/A can make celebrations like the Lunar New Year celebration an annual event and introduce celebrations from other Asian cultures such as the Hindu celebration of Holi or Diwali, Yang said. Yang also said A.S. members wanted to have a lion dance on campus. In Chinese culture, the lion dance is performed at special occasions such as weddings, business openings and festivals, including Lunar New Year because traditionally the dances are said to chase away evil spirits and welcome good fortune, according to a Feb. 1 Al Jazeera article. “The lion dance is always invited during the Lunar New Year celebrations because it’s an auspicious traditional cultural act
performance that helps ward away evil and bring good luck,” Kevin Nguyen, SJSU alumnus and captain of the San Jose Rising Phoenix Dance Association, said. Dancers in these celebrations traditionally wear large red and white lion costumes and jump into the air. They circle around a plate of two small red tiger plush animals that represent luck and tangerines that represent wealth, according to a Jan. 29 New York Times article. The eyes, ears and jaws of the two lions flutter in sync with a beat of a traditional Chinese drum called a tanggu, cymbals and a gong. Although the dancer in the front is holding onto the head of the costume and the dancer in the back is holding onto the hips of their partner, the feet of the lion dancers at the event never broke from the rhythm of the drum. Nguyen said lion dancing requires stamina and technique. He said it can take dancers months or sometimes years to perfect their skills. The lion dance was performed in the middle of a crowd and ended with the dancer in the tail holding up their partner who rolled out a scroll-sign that read “wishing you happiness and prosperity.” Freshman dance major Jasmine Afalla said she saw the performance as she was walking through campus. “My sister and I were actually walking together to go to the Student Union. . . but then we heard the gong and we were like, ‘oh, we know what that is, let’s run over there to watch the show,’ ” she said. Afalla said she loves watching lion dances because as a dance major, she appreciates the artistry. A.S. President Anoop Kaur said her hope is that SJSU continues to celebrate cultural holidays. “My hope would be that San Jose State would foster this multicultural environment such that students are learning inside the classroom and outside the classroom,” Kaur said, “broadening their understanding of other cultures because our society itself is diverse.” Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily
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CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
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TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
SUDOKU PUZZLE Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
JOKIN’ AROUND “Why is the mushroom always invited to the party?”
“Because he’s a fungi!”
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS 1. Confronted 6. Fortuneteller’s card 11. Shade of white 12. Stain black 15. Look around casually 16. Prevaricated 17. Record (abbrev.) 18. Gallivant 20. Delay 21. Nursemaid 23. Delight 24. Fit 25. 20th-century art movement 26. Walk in water 27. Corporate image 28. Kiss 29. An uncle 30. A boneless steak 31. Loose high-necked blouse 34. Winged 36. East southeast 37. Sandwich shop 41. Not aft 42. French for “Head” 43. Ends a prayer 44. Attired 45. Cogitate 46. Eastern discipline 47. Buffoon 48. Seductive looking woman
51. Buff 52. Green gems 54. Narrate 56. Final 57. Hunger for 58. Chip dip 59. Infections of the eye DOWN 1. He fights blazes 2. Popular salad ingredient 3. Bovine 4. At one time (archaic) 5. One who colors cloth 6. A Native American tent 7. Humiliate 8. Thorny flower 9. Half of two 10. Cultivated land 13. Fanatic 14. Border 15. Slender nails 16. Gnus 19. A long-legged S. American bird 22. Gaunt 24. Day off 26. Used to be 27. Cover 30. Run away 32. Consumed food 33. Daisylike bloom
34. Ablaze 35. Low leather step-in shoes 38. Characterized by emotion 39. Emissaries 40. Absurd 42. Treeless Arctic plain 44. College girl 45. Boys or men 48. Letters, etc. 49. Circle fragments 50. Sassy 53. Ribonucleic acid 55. Islet
Feb.24
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SPORTS
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TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
SJSU drops 2 of 3 weekend games By D’Netrus Chevis-Rose STAFF WRITER
San Jose State baseball (5-3 MWC) played a three-game series at Excite Ballpark against the University of Portland (6-1 MWC). Despite the low numbers on the scoreboard during the first two lost games at the start of the weekend, SJSU baseball players reached a few new milestones during the three-game series. SJSU hitter Hunter Dorraugh’s performance was a highlight of Friday’s game as he increased his personal hitting streak from five to six games. “In all of my at-bats, I never go up there and try to hit a home run,” Dorraugh said in an Instagram direct message. “I just try to swing at a good pitch and hit the ball into the gaps.” Spartan outfielder Robert Hamchuk singled to center field during the second inning and singled again through the right field in the fourth inning on Friday, which marked his first multiple runs batted in game and his second multi-hit game of this season. Designated hitter Charles McAdoo extended his hitting streak from five games to six games during Friday’s third inning, though Portland held the lead 7-4. Por t l and r uine d SJSU’s comeback hopes during the Friday
TRAVIS WYNN | SPARTAN DAILY
SJSU pitcher Ethan Ross throws a pitch in Friday’s loss against the Portland Pilots in the start of a three game series at Excite ballpark.
15-6 series opener. In Saturday’s matchup, the Spartans tried to mount a comeback with a Dorraugh home run to left center, sending outfielder Jeriah Lewis and Hamchuk to home plate as they were down 11 points in the eighth inning. The Pilots took the win 11-4 on Saturday. “I think us as a team being able to score late on Saturday helped give us energy… and establish belief in ourselves that we can compete with
anyone,” Dorraugh said. The Spartans started Sunday’s matchup strong with a left center home run by Hamchuk in the first inning. Infielder Nathan Cadena singled to right field, creating a scoring opportunity for Dalton Bowling in the second inning, bringing the score to 2-0. Dorraugh hit a left field home run in the fifth inning, which gave Hamchuk a scoring opportunity, bringing the Spartan’s 4-3.
The last game of the series belonged to the Spartans, with the team solidifying a 4-3 win against the Pilots. “Hunter Dorraugh has come up big for us multiple times this season, but the home run today was huge and put us ahead and ended up being enough for the win,” said SJSU right-handed pitcher Darren Jansen. SJSU O ut f ielder Brady Hill said the Spartans did a great job bringing the energy all
weekend, despite the team’s shortcomings the first couple of games. He said the Spartans reflected on their mistakes and understood it’s still early in the season and they have time to fine-tune their strategies on the field. Jansen said the games on Friday and Saturday were a work in progress, but the team learned from the previous games. “I think our team lacked integrity for some innings and had some non-competitive
moments,” Hill said. “But we learned that we need to keep our energy and keep our positive mindsets to win the series. No score is out of reach for the Spartans.” The SJSU baseball team is scheduled to host a game against the University of San Francisco at 3:05 p.m. today at Excite Ballpark.
Follow D’Netrus on Twitter @dchevisrose
Spartans soar, break records during senior night By Jennifer Schildge STAFF WRITER
The San Jose State gymnastics team beat UC Davis 196.625-196 Sunday at the Provident Union Event Center. The Spartans shattered school records and tied some student records during the Sunday competition, breaking the school record set on Feb. 6 against UC Davis with a score of 196.550. Head coach Joanne Bowers said she didn’t know the team broke the record until the end of the meet. “It was just a fun, fun day. . . It was kind of like one of those [days] that if you could script it and it goes the way you wish,” Bowers said in an interview after the meet. “That’s what happened.” The team also celebrated its senior members as they competed in their last home meet. Five seniors were awarded framed unitards and flowers as their families escorted them to the center of the floor mat. “Our team culture is so strong and so much of that is because of those five. . . our goal was to hit four good events and we did that,” Bowers said. All senior athletes, including those in exhibitions, hit their routine which caused excitement all around the mats. S ome g y m n a st s compete in exhibition
TRAVIS WYNN | SPARTAN DAILY
SJSU gymnastics senior Carli Orcutt competes during her last senior match at Provident Credit Union event Center.
routines, where they are allowed to show their routines to gain experience without affecting the team’s score. Graduate student Mercedez Sanchez competed on bars for the last time in front of an SJSU crowd. The uneven bars are two bars set apart at different heights, one about five and a half feet high and one eight feet high, set about six feet apart. The gymnast moves from bar to bar and routines must include at least one transition from the high bar to the low bar, according to a July 21, 2021 New York Times article. “It was really just so much fun to be out there with my team and
be in the moment and enjoy swinging bars with everyone I’ve gotten to share the last few years with,” Sanchez said after the meet.
perfect but any slip we have we bring it back and have each other’s back to come back stronger,” Sanchez said. “We have a lot of resilience.”
I really want to get a [score of] 9.9. I’ve been trying to bump it up but it’s still really exciting because it’s a big accomplishment for me, especially after last year during the pandemic. Jaudai Lopes
SJSU gymnastics sophomore
Sanchez said the team stays focused on getting better during each practice. “We lean on each other and every week isn’t
After the Spartans took the vault segment with 49.050 of the first rotation, sophomore gymnast Maddy Kirsch said she was proud of
her performance. “I’ve been taking some bigger steps and today I just did a little hop so it was better, I saw my landing pretty good,” Kirsch said after the meet. “I stayed confident and that helped.” The Spartans then moved to the bars, where junior Jada Mazury tied the school record, 9.950. The high score was a personal best for Mazury, who said she didn’t think she scored that high until her teammates came up to her and celebrated. She said while she’d been close to breaking her own record a few times, it felt exciting to finally reach her goal. Mazury tied with SJSU sophomore Jaudai Lopes for second place with
the highest all-around points made in the event. Kyla Kessler from UC Davis took first place. Lopes competed in vault, bars, beam and floor during the meet. She tied her season high of a 9.875 on floor. The floor mat is made of foam and carpeting with springs, and about 40 feet by 40 feet. The mat has diagonal paths along which gymnasts tumble about 56 feet. The exercise lasts about 90 seconds and includes four passes. “I really want to get a [score of ] 9.9. I’ve been trying to bump it up but it’s still really exciting because it’s a big accomplishment for me, especially after last year during the pandemic,” Lopes said after the meet. She said she felt she had a bad season last year but was excited to return this semester and break the team record. Head coach Bowers said at the end of the meet she was “speechless.” “This team is very special in helping us build something special here,” Bowers said. “It’s fun watching them continue to improve.” The Spartans will compete Friday against Air Force at the US Air Force academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Follow Jennifer on Twitter @kyIojen
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