WINNER OF 2023 ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS PACEMAKER AWARD, NEWSPAPER/NEWSMAGAZINE NAMED BEST CAMPUS NEWSPAPER IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022 BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Volume 162 No. 18 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
ETHAN LI | SPARTAN DAILY
SRAC employees, Abby Watkins (middle) and Kylee Wells (right) talk to nutritional science senior Harpreet Phadiala at the campus resource fair at the Seventh Street Plaza.
Students look at different orgs By Ethan Li STAFF WRITER
San José State University’s Associated Student organization hosted a Campus Resource Fair on Tuesday to raise awareness about the resources that are offered on campus. The fair ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and services for San José state students were tabling. According to their website. Computer science sophomore Simi Jhe works for the Campus Life Affairs Committee. She described how the event was similar to a resource fair for students. “We do have a large commuter population and we want to just make sure that everyone on campus feels involved and knows the different resources that we offer here on campus,” Jhe said.
Jhe was working under the Campus Life tent and was helping students get started at the event. Students were given a stamp card to guide them around while each booth was staffed with student workers and faculty members. According to Jhe, each booth gave students a chance to learn about what resources are available on campus and where they can find those resources. Each student got the chance to fill their cards with stamps and receive a slice of pizza and coffee from Nirvana Soul to increase participation at the event, said Jhe. Ky l e e We l l s , membership and guest services supervisor at the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC) and San José resident, said the location of SJSU attracts a high proportion
of commuter students. She said this event was designed to reach commuter students who are often unaware of the full scope of services offered at SJSU. This event took place on the 7th Street Plaza which the Student Union, Student Wellness Center and SRAC can be found on. Wells said the SRAC offers much more than just a place for people to work out. It also helps you find community. Wells said there are activities in which students can build a community through intramural sports, clubs sports, the aquatic center and open recreation programs found in the SRAC. Wells said that among the most popular open gym experiences are the badminton courts and open gym basketball.
She said students should be informed of the badminton courts that are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday and basketball courts that are open most days. Wells said the sports offered at the SRAC are a great way for students to build community and relieve the stress students face day to day. Wells said there are many underutilized programs that deserve more student attention. Wells received her undergraduate degree as a recreation major and she said there are many benefits of having a wellrounded experience at San José State that interpolate physical activity and endurance to training in the classroom. Wells said SJSU students went on adventure trips recently, including outdoor trips.
ETHAN LI | SPARTAN DAILY
SJSU students walk around and look at different clubs tabling on Seventh Street Plaza on Tuesday afternoon.
“This weekend they are going to Sequoia National Park and a couple of weeks ago they went to Big Sur and a couple weeks ago they went to Monterey,” Wells said. They also met up with aquatic denizens and went kayaking with otters. Students are also able to sign up for exercise classes such as yoga, cycling, and body pump boot camps with a trained instructor according to their website. Wells said in addition to building physical strength these outdoor activities also help build mental fortitude. She said it is important to both get outside and get involved. Marketing junior Alexi Maico worked at the Accessible Education Center (AEC). She said SJSU devotes many of its resources to those with disabilities. Students who need it are accommodated with longer periods of test taking, sign language, translations and note taking. The note taking program is an opportunity to help students who can not take notes for themselves. Maico said the school also offers priority registration to students who sign up for the note taking program. She said a common misconception around AEC is that it exists only for physical disabilities but students who have underlying mental issues can also receive help from AEC. Many of the same accommodations are made available to students through the AEC website. Maico said students will need a diagnosis or medical documents for verification. In addition to coming
from a hospital, therapist or attending physician. “Students should be reminded that the Student Wellness Center will also help you verify a need for AEC accommodations,” Maico said. Jhe said a resource that she was looking forward to learning about was Title IX. She said she had heard of it before but was able to learn more about it at the Campus Resource Fair. “I knew that if something happens to you on campus it's anonymous and they give you a service that helps you out with it, but I never knew exactly what it was simply because I never had an experience like that,” said Jhe. And how knowing about Title IX could help not only students, but those close to them. “I think it's still important to know what resources you have available in case you or a friend or someone you know has an experience like that,” Jhe said. Jhe described how it could be scary to find a community at a large commuter school like San José State and it can sometimes make you feel like you don't belong. Jhe said students often feel like they do not belong unless they are part of a big organization or Greek Life. “There are so many other ways you can get connected, you have so many resources and events,” Jhe said. “You just have to take that hard step and push yourself beyond your limits.” Follow the Spartan Daily on X (formerly Twitter) @SpartanDaily