Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Volume 154 No. 20 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
CLASSES SUSPENDED SJSU aims to deter spread of new coronavirus by moving to online course structure
GIA PHAM | SPARTAN DAILY
Linguistics junior Sharon Lai (left) and nursing senior Kirin Lam (right) walk through the Student Union to get to their classes Monday. “People think we
By Christian Trujano NEWS EDITOR
San Jose State suspended all in-person classes on Monday from today to Friday because of concerns surrounding the new coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, according to a campuswide email. “This decision is meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community, reduce the potential of people being infected, and protect those who are most vulnerable to severe illness,” SJSU President Mary Papazian stated in the email. All classes will move to distributed or fully online instruction March 16-27, Papazian said. Administration will then determine whether or not to resume in-person classes after spring break. SJSU does not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 as of Monday, Papazian said in a separate email sent Sunday. City Council member Raul Peralez told the Spartan Daily that San Jose’s Pandemic Response
It’s a concern anywhere in a dense area, right, where you can’t avoid it here in downtown and can’t avoid being around people. Raul Peralez San Jose City council member
team is in Stage 4 of their alert level. Stage 4 indicates a high risk to the local population and an imminent outbreak, according to the team. Peralez said his district in Downtown San Jose, which includes SJSU, is a higher risk area for transmission. “It’s a concern anywhere in a dense area, right, where you can’t avoid it here in downtown and can’t avoid being around people,” Peralez said. “So it’s tough if, you know, it starts to spread more rapidly, [it’s] certainly
are wearing masks due to a panic attack but . . . it is a way to protect myself and actually, this is also a way to protect the people around,” Lam said.
gonna happen in an area that’s more dense.” The Santa Clara County Public Health Department confirmed 43 cases of COVID-19 and one death as of Monday. The fatality was an adult woman in her 60s. She was the third case of COVID-19 reported by the County Public Health Department on Feb. 28 and was hospitalized for several weeks after testing positive, according to the department website. Business management junior Dalton Dequit said the university should have canceled classes sooner and was also worried about residents on campus. “I think that the residential housing community should address it,” Dequit said. “They should do something.” Kenneth Mashinchi, senior director of media relations, said that the Strategic Communications and Marketing Department, had no information at the time of publication about on-campus residency. He said the campus, including the dorms, will remain open until further notice.
Upcoming SJSU schedule March 10 -13
classes suspended
March 16 - 27
distributed or fully online classes
March 30 April 3
spring break
After April 6
to be determined
SOURCE: CAMPUSWIDE EMAIL SENT BY SJSU PRESIDENT MARY PAPAZIAN; INFOGRAPHIC BY CHRISTIAN TRUJANO
Biology freshman Mary Keithley said she fears the possibility of an outbreak in the dorms. “[The dorms remaining open is] pretty bad because last semester, like, my entire building got super sick,” Keithley said. “In college, it gets really fast and contagious.” The virus is thought to spread from person to person
either through direct contact or through coughing and sneezing, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Papazian’s email also stated that the campus will remain “open for normal business.” For the rest of this week, Academic Affairs personnel will provide training and VIRUS | Page 2
CAMPUS VOICES
How do you feel about the university suspending on-campus classes?
“Overall I think it’s an overreaction, but for personal reasons I’m glad because it does give me a chance to catch up on classes.” Gage Phillips radio, television, video and film junior
“I now have time to catch up on classes but I feel horrible that a virus is spreading around now.” Isela De Leon radio, television, video and film sophomore
“It’s pretty crazy since I joked about it last week that classes will be closed but now that it happened it’s like, ‘Damn, this is actually real now.’ ” Micheal Montijo communications studies sophomore
“Honestly I’m bummed that classes are moved to online since I prefer in-person, as I feel I study and do my classes better that way.” Vicky Chung communications studies junior REPORTING BY DAN NGUYEN
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NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020
VIRUS Continued from page 1 support for faculty members and professors to transition their in-person classes to “remote teaching,” according to the email. “ This provides maximum flexibility to each instructor within the confines of this very challenging public health care environment,” Papazian stated. “Remote teaching” includes online formats such as Canvas, live lectures via Zoom, which is a video conferencing service, and distributed material that is returned to the instructor. “I guess that’s for the best,” geology lecturer
Bradley Buerer said. “I know there’s a lot of anxiety among students about what’s going on and how things are going.” He added that while he was expecting the university to eventually cancel classes, it does change some of the in-class assignments he had planned. For now, faculty members must obtain permission to continue an in-person format such as smaller lab courses, field schools and art studios. “So this is also an opportunity, I guess, for us to just really take a look at what’s the other teaching tools we have already available,” said Binh Danh, an art and art history professor. Danh said that even though his color
gatherings and events will be individually evaluated for possible cancellation, according to a Sunday As of Monday, Cases Deaths email from Papazian. Santa 7 a.m. Clara County officials said they are now banning all Worldwide large gatherings of 1,000 people or more for three weeks starting Wednesday. SJSU Athletics events are California scheduled to continue as planned, Joseph Waltasti, Santa assistant athletics director for media relations, Clara County stated in an email to SOURCES: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, CALIFORNIA the Spartan Daily. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, SANTA CLARA COUNTY PUBLIC “At this time, the HEALTH DEPARTMENT; INFOGRAPHIC BY CHRISTIAN TRUJANO university remains and athletics photography and ask for clarification open alternative photography about how the course events will continue as scheduled,” classes won’t get the same design can be modified previously in-person critiques, the to reduce transmission Waltasti stated. According Papazian’s classes will focus on digital risk,” Papazian stated Sunday email, SJSU has photography. in the email. “In each case of Remaining spring suspended all international “non-essential” approval, the dean may semester meetings, and
COVID-19 status
109,577
3,809
133
1
43
1
domestic travel, including summer and fall 2020 trips, tied to the university and its auxiliary organizations. This includes all study abroad trips and conference travel approved prior to Sunday. Students are recommended to get more information regarding reauthorization and reimbursement through their SJSU email or other public health websites.
Follow Christian on Twitter @ChristianTruja2 Mauricio La Plante, Gia Pham and Austin Turner contributed to this article.
New exhibit honors Jewish vets By Chris Padilla STAFF WRITER
“Uncommon Valor: Jewish-American Medal of Honor Heroes,” an exhibit displaying the military accolades of Jewish American soldiers, opened in Tower Hall Sunday. “You shouldn’t have to do this stuff, it shouldn’t be unique,” said Charlie Faas, vice president of administration and finance. “Anyone who serves in our military is a hero, but these people clearly did not get recognized during their time.” History professor Jonathan Roth orchestrated the exhibit which will be open until March 31. The stations were a mix of genuine articles and reproductions of artifacts from past U.S. conflicts, from the Civil War to the Korean War. Items on display included soldiers’ medals, uniforms, cavalry sabers, mess kits and gas masks. Exhibit organizer Robert Katz gave introductory remarks. He said that if other groups wanted to put together their own exhibits for their Medal of Honor recipients, he would be happy to help them in that endeavor. Katz followed the statement by pointing out what distinction truly matters. “We are not ‘hyphenated Americans.’ We are just Americans, with the power and glory that brings,” Katz said. Retired judge Quentin Kopp who also served the California State Senate from 1986 to 1998, gave a lecture on the history of Jewish Americans in the armed forces. Kopp is a veteran of the Korean War and said the exhibit was important for the historical context it provides. “The Jews have had a turbulent
CHRIS PADILLA | SPARTAN DAILY
Audience members look at the exhibit, which honors Jewish American Medal of Honor recipients, Sunday at Tower Hall.
history in the United States of America,” Kopp said. Kopp cited the stewardship of the land that would become New York City by Peter Stuyvesant, the last Dutch director-general of the territory until it was ceded to the English in 1664, as an example. According to Kopp, Stuyvesant reluctantly allowed Jews to work as guards for the settlement, an inauspicious beginning to Jewish military service in America. “It’s important to demonstrate how
Jews have progressed militarily in the United States,” Kopp said. Kopp is also the president and chairman of the Korean War Memorial Foundation. Master Sergeant Kevin Bornkamp, a member of the California State Guard, said that exhibits such as “Uncommon Valor” are important for the remembrance of those who served. “You know the old term, ‘Lost, but not forgotten.’ That’s what we do, we always bring back history and we never forget, always remember,” Bornkamp said.
Faas said he was moved by the exhibit, lauding Professor Roth’s work in particular in putting it together. “Everyone’s eyes get opened at different times, in different ways and if this opens up another person’s eye or two, then it’s really done its job,” Faas said.
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Crime Blotter Bench warrant issued if no court appearance March 1, 2:06 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library Adult arrest Disorderly conduct: invasion of privacy with camera in bathroom March 2, 5:29 p.m. at Joe West Hall Adult arrest
Petty theft less than $950 March 3, 12:52 p.m. at Spartan Complex Building Information only Grand Theft: money/ labor/real property over $950 March 3, 1:25 p.m. at Science Building No disposition
Loud/unreasonable noise at university/etc. March 3, 8:55 p.m. at Spartan Recreation and Aquatics Center Information only Offensive words: public place March 4, 2:48 p.m.at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library Information only
Carry a loaded firearm, possession/etc of loaded firearm at university/etc, possession of controlled substance while armed, let minor drink liquor, minor possession of alcohol March 4, 5:01 p.m. at West Garage Adult arrest
Rape of drugged victim/ rape: victim unconscious of act March 6, 4:12 p.m. at Joe West Hall No disposition
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OPINION
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020
3
If you suck at a game, don’t review it Paul Hang SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Video game journalism needs to be reshaped if writers want to be trusted among gamers. Their lack of credibility hurts them more than they think. Video game journalists are not just people who write about games for money, but they should also be passsionate gamers. Video game journalists need to emphaize not only good writing, but also playing video games well. Imagine that you’re buying car parts and the salesperson you talk to has no background working on cars; that would destroy the salesperson’s credibility. This can be applied to professional reviewer Dean Takahashi from VentureBeat, a website that covers tech news and events. There’s a YouTube video of Takahashi struggling to play “Cuphead’s” early levels, even including its tutorial. For any experienced gamer, it’s painful to watch and makes Takahashi look like he’s never played a video game in his life. “Cuphead,” a run and gun platformer, is
PAUL HANG | SPARTAN DAILY
2016’s “Doom” received an 8.5 review score by Polygon, a video game publication, on all platforms. known for its difficulty, but Takahashi played the tutorial and the first level terribly, ruining his credibility as a video game journalist.
Takahashi also wrote a “Mass Effect” review where he thought the game was unplayable, but he failed to understand its role-
Video game journalists need to emphazize not only good writing, but also playing video games well.
The early stages in a video game are generally very easy and help you learn how to play the game at a basic level.
playing mechanics, which affected his playing experience. Poor exposure tarnishes video
CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
game journalists and stereotypes them as poor gamers and reviewers. Video game journalism website Polygon featured footage of 2016’s “Doom” and its early levels, catching the gaming worlds attention. The gameplay was lackluster because of poor aiming, reaction time and sense of awareness shown in the video by Polygon reviewers. The awful skills shown not only make the video difficult to watch, but it doesn’t make viewers want to purchase the game either. Video game journalists shouldn’t be required to win national championships or have
a professional gaming background, but for God’s sake, can they at least understand how to play properly? Gameplay can convince customers to buy a game if a player is gaming well because it makes the game look exciting. Not only should video game journalists, as a whole, focus more on improving their skill level, but also the content they write for their articles. A good example of this is G.B. Burford’s retrospective piece for gaming website Kotaku about one of the original “Halo” single-player levels, “The Silent Cartographer.” Burford uses great
SUDOKU PUZZLE Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
detail to show why the level was well-designed, comparing the original “Halo” with present-day shooter games. Burdford’s piece stands out as the correct way to write a feature about video games. If more video game journalists don’t address these issues, readers won’t take video game journalism seriously. Video game journalists should prove to gamers that just because they review games, that doesn’t make them any less of a gamer.
Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily
JOKIN’ AROUND How do flowers whistle?
Using their tu-lips!
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS 1. Throw with effort 6. Daughter of Zeus and Demeter 10. Hens make them 14. Surpass 15. Relating to urine 16. Attraction 17. A rotary duplicator 19. Reclined 20. Treeless plain 21. Foot digit 22. Hotels 23. Community spirit 25. Any animal with no feet 26. Knife 30. A creative person 32. Vacationist 35. One who lures 39. A type of mental disorder 40. Harvest fly 41. Adulteress 43. Protective wall 44. Smooth, in music 46. Focusing glass 47. Bounds 50. Naked models
53. South American weapon 54. Needlefish 55. Suppository 60. Distinctive flair 61. Tumbling 63. Nonclerical 64. Coral barrier 65. Loses color 66. Sea eagle 67. Insulation 68. Tint DOWN 1. Skirt lines 2. Way out 3. Highest point 4. Vice President 5. Run away to wed 6. Mongrel 7. Public speaker 8. Rejoinder 9. Pang 10. Oval 11. Bird poop 12. Drudgery 13. Feel
18. Obtain 24. Cap 25. Active 26. Immediately 27. See the sights 28. Car 29. Genius 31. Ancient Peruvian 33. A small island 34. Dirty air 36. Superhero accessory 37. Biblical garden 38. Rodents 42. Remedy 43. Detachable container 45. Gun enclosure 47. Poplar tree 48. Back tooth 49. An inflammation 51. Diminish 52. Cleansing agents 54. Dress 56. Salt Lake state 57. Arizona river 58. Frozen 59. Anagram of “Sees” 62. Frequently, in poetry
03/05/2020
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SPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020
Spartans scorched by Sun Devils By Kellen Concentine
SUN DEVILS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
No. 13 San Jose State dropped its fourth straight game in a 14-7 home defeat against No. 6 Arizona State University Saturday afternoon. The loss marked the second time the Spartans (5-12, 0-3 MPSF) have lost to the Sun Devils (12-4, 1-0 MPSF) this season, after losing 8-6 on Feb. 21. Ju n i or d ive r Lili Urvari’s performance was a silver lining in SJSU’s disappointing loss. Urvari ended the game as the Spartans’ top scorer with 3 goals, along with 3 steals on the defensive side of the ball. “We really wanted to beat ASU,” Urvari said. “We played against them earlier this season and we only lost by 2, so that was bad. I scored 3 goals, but it doesn’t really matter when we lose.” The Sun Devils opened the game by scoring the first 4 goals and did not give up the lead for the remainder of the game. SJSU utility sophomore Clarissa Wandinger responded, scoring a power play goal at the end of the quarter, making the score 4-1. ASU freshman goalkeeper Itzahiana Baca kept SJSU out of the net in the second quarter, blocking 5 corner shots as ASU added 3 goals to their lead.
14 SPARTANS
7
KELLEN CONCENTINE | SPARTAN DAILY
Junior driver Lili Urvari scores one of her 3 goals against Arizona State University in the team’s loss Saturday.
SJSU cut the deficit throughout the quarter but ended the half trailing 7-4.
team to see the score this week,” two-meter senior Jacqui Maisey said. “We know that we trained hard and hopefully we will see Utility junior Riley them again at the MPSF Agerbeek and utility conference and we’ll be able sophomore Olga Descalzi to have a better score.” Portell both scored early in SJSU could not defend the second quarter. Urvari scored off Lili Urvari ASU utility junior Amira junior driver Van Buren as she scored an assist from junior 6 goals on 7 shots to lead two-meter defender Isabella Schmidt. SJSU in the game being the but it wasn’t enough for the the Sun Devils. Head coach Beth ASU extended its lead to only players to score in the Spartans to get past the Sun Devils. Harberts wants the team to 11-5 with 4 goals in the third quarter. “I think it was a bit of fix its mistakes from this third quarter. Urvari added one more Urvari and Schmidt kept goal in the final quarter [a] disappointment for the four-game skid going into
We played against them earlier this season and we only lost by 2, so that was bad. I scored 3 goals, but it doesn’t really matter when we lose.
– send a letter to the editor – Letters to the Editor may be placed in the letters to the editor box in the Spartan Daily office in Dwight Bentel Hall, Room 209 or emailed to spartandaily@gmail.com to the attention of the Spartan Daily Opinion Editor. Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, year and major. Letters become property of the Spartan Daily and may be edited for clarity, grammar, libel and length. Only letters of 300 words or less will be considered for publication. Published opinions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of the Spartan Daily, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or SJSU. The Spartan Daily is a public forum.
the Loyola Marymount University Invitational on March 20. “I think we have a lot of speed over these other programs,” Harberts said. “LMU is obviously going to be the highest competitor in that tournament and that’s someone we want to go after.” Harberts said after SJSU’s loss to No. 1 University of Southern California on March 1 that these losses against higher-ranked teams are learning experiences for the team. However, the Spartans have now lost four games in a row against higher-ranked schools and are currently in last place in the conference. The LMU Invitational begins on March 20 where SJSU plays Princeton University at 11 a.m. Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily
UPCOMING HOME GAME Stanford vs. SJSU April 18 @ noon
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020
5
Lecture discusses ‘Kitty’ culture By Gia Pham
selves and kitties,” Yano said. “So that even when Hello Kitty’s popularity “Hello Kitty is not a in Japan waxes and cat” stretched across a wanes, as it will, it’s the Student Union Theater popularity outside of screen in wide letters on Japan that can become Thursday. a rebounded kind of The Kazuki Fukudamirror upon how great Abe endowed lecture we are, upon ‘kawaii.’ ” welcomed Christine “Kawaii” is Japanese Reiko Yano, a professor for cute and is often used of anthropology at the in context to describe University of Hawaii, and aesthetics that are her lecture on “Kawaii adorable and lovable. Diplomacy: Hello Kitty, Yano was curating an Innocence, & Politics of exhibit called “Japan’s Scale.” Empire of Cool” at the In her presentation, Japanese American National Museum when Sanrio explained that Hello Kitty is more than a cat. Yano explained how she gained insight into Hello Kitty’s true identity after corresponding with Sanrio, the Japanese company that created the character, and focused on producing kawaii stationery, gifts and accessories. “Sanrio came back and said, ‘You know we’d rather not emphasize that and we rather people think of Hello Kitty [as] not necessarily a cat, but more like a best friend or little girl or something like that,’” Yano said. In addition, Hello Kitty is a perpetual thirdgrader who is three and a half apples tall and grew up with an all-white family in London, Yano said. GIA PHAM | SPARTAN DAILY “If you have, like, Hello Christine Reiko Yano lectures to an audience of Kitty as, like, a Japanese approximately 150 people Thursday. figure, but in reality, her STAFF WRITER
Yano demystified the misconceptions about Hello Kitty and deconstructed the character’s diplomatic power as a Japanese icon of cuteness. A fan in the crowd waved a pink, compact Hello Kitty mirror as Yano analyzed how the character evokes more human qualities than feline ones. “Looking at that mirror, you see both reflections of yourself and Kitty, and maybe the interconnections between
t. She’s identity is not. like, basically, ndon, from London, which is pretty i n t e r e s t i n g ,” senior English naldo Brix Aguinaldo said. Despite H e l l o K i t t y ’s fictional heritage, s h e remains a cultural icon to Japan, placed laced in the center tics to of politics secure a more unified, rance diplomatic appearance. Hello Kitty is the official tourism ambassador of Japan to China and Hong Kong since 2008 and cultural ambassador since 2017, Yano said.
PUBLIC DOMAIN PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
was different treatment because people knew Japanese pride for that because I liked themselves,” said Yano. Hello Kitty, because Students in the crowd I was really girly, not reflected on their own to hurt my feelings,” experiences being a liberal studies junior Hello Kitty fan and how Gillann Mae Buena said. Yano further emphasized Hello Kitty’s marketing is a way to encourage empathy, giving her a socially universal power. “In all of our cynicism, in this day and age, of a kind of dearth of empathy, in which we might find it difficult to connect with each other,” Christine Reiko Yano Yano said. “Maybe by way University of Hawaii anthropology professor of cuteness is not a bad resource.”
This kind of soft power around innocence, around Hello Kitty is effective even within Japan, because . . . She becomes a source of Japanese pride for themselves.
“This kind of soft power around innocence, around Hello Kitty is effective even within Japan, because . . . She becomes a source of
Hello Kitty’s symbolic innocence affected their social interactions. “They always held a different type of, I don’t know . . . There
Follow Gia on Instagram @phamtasticxx
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020
BRICKER’S BOPS
‘Eternal Atake’ made my ears ache By John Bricker EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Lil Uzi Vert’s long-awaited album “Eternal Atake” proves every mumble-rap hater right, ruining plenty of wellproduced beats with mindnumbingly repetitive flows and stupid lyrics. Uzi’s past albums are inconsistent at best, often padding out tracklists with low-effort trap songs that pale in comparison to his best singles like the synth-heavy “Money Longer” or the emorap anthem “XO Tour Llif3.” After a feud with Atlantic Records in 2019 and complaining that the label wouldn’t let him release new music, Uzi hinted toward taking an exciting new direction by independently releasing the track “Free Uzi.” On it, he sounded more energetic than ever before, delivering non-stop punchlines over a hard-hitting beat. Unfortunately, the highlights across “Eternal Atake’s” 18 songs and 62 minutes are not where Uzi complements inventive beats with energetic performances. Rather, his verses and hooks are not quite offensive enough to distract from the production. Over the bright synthlines, airy background vocals and grimy 808 bass of
album review “Eternal Atake” Rating:
“Celebration Station,,” Uzi’s melodic flows aree just forgettable enough to melt into the music and make the song tolerable. None of his repetitive rhythms orr basic tones stand out, letting ing the d layers subtle atmosphere and arry the of vocal harmonies carry track. The beat steals thee show again on “Chrome Heart ramatic Tags,” which features dramatic hs and choirs, flutes, synths eating a snappy trap drums creating larger-than-life instrumental umental that overpowers Uzi’s simple flows. His basic melodies match the music well enough to make his dumb lyrics ics easy enough to ignore. Although it is sad enough that “Eternal Atake’s” s” best tracks are the ones where Uzi has the least presence, ence, it is even more shameful ul when his gross lyrics and annoying nnoying flows make it impossible possible to just turn your brain rain off and enjoy. “You Better Move” features an incredible beat, with a gritty blend of sci-
Artist: Lil Uzi Vert Release Date: March 6 Genre: Rap
fi sound effects, distorted bass and crisp trap drums. Unfortunately, Uzi ruins the creative production with his verses and hooks, which range from insultingly repetitive to laughably off key, straining his voice by jumping up an octave at the end of every line. Uzi reaches his lyrical low point on “Venetia,” which features a serviceable blend of off-kilter synths, bright keys and busy percussion. Reaching past his usual materialism and misogyny, Uzi brags that he can “make a gay girl turn to a straight” on the second verse. This line along with all the other cringe-worthy flexes on “Venetia” turn what could have been a fun track into a disgusting dud.
To emphasize exactly how creatively bankrupt “Eternal Atake” is, Uzi ends the album with “P2,” a half-hearted rehash of his biggest hit, “XO Tour Llif3.” Instead of taking the song in a new direction or developing the original’s dark aesthetic, “P2” just makes everything about “XO Tour Llif3” worse, replacing the off-kilter synths with bland electric guitars and Uzi’s sticky hook with a more grating performance of the same melody. Confusingly, Uzi slaps “Eternal Atake’s” best songs onto the end as bonus tracks, with the hyperactive-synthlines and confident flows of “Futsal Shufflee 2020” and his tongueShuffl in-cheek interpretation of Backstreet Boys’ ’90s hit “That Way” providing much more replay value than anything on the album proper. Despite all the
details that make “Eternal Atake” a chore, its length may be its most heinous crime. No one should have to sit through more than an hour of Uzi’s brain-dead bars and snotty delivery. If you’re looking for an album to open your mind to the escapist pleasure of mumble rap, just go listen
to some Playboi Carti. “Eternal Atake” is exactly what mumble-rap haters expect and despise for good reason. Follow John on Twitter @JohnMichaelBr15 Bricker’s Bops appears every Tuesday.
IL LU S T RATIO N B Y J O
BR HN
ICK
ER
CORE ON THE COB
Chicken broth just makes me scoff By Chris Core OPINION EDITOR
For how lazy my cooking tendencies are, you’d reasonably believe that ramen would be something I’d consume almost every day. To be honest, I have never had Top Ramen in my life and Cup Noodles only once. When it comes down to noodle endeavours, I enjoy mine covered in a nice marinara sauce and that’s about it. Spaghetti is basically ramen’s Italian cousin. I genuinely feel disrespectful that I never gave it the same chance considering all you need for both meals is hot water. To make up for years spent not eating ramen, I decided to go one step further than just heating up packaged Top Ramen. Instead, I chose to try the gourmet equivalent, which is still just called ramen. It seems basic to try warm water with noodles, but if it has taken you three of my food articles to find out that basic is exactly what I am, then I don’t know what to tell you. My noodle quest began at JINYA Ramen Bar in the Westfield Oakridge mall in San Jose.
And as everyone knows, the best food is made in malls: Red Robin, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Hot Dog on a Stick. You just can’t beat a lineup like that. Needless to say, I had high hopes. JINYA in itself was impressive. Black glimmering tiles plated the eatery, making me feel as if I had entered the Batcave. As soon as I opened the door, vines perfectly cut into a rectangle greeted me. The contrast was edgy and made me feel at home. When it came down to ordering, I was a bit overwhelmed. Not in a The Cheesecake Factory type of way, but in a “I don’t know what any of this food is” type of way. Despite my lack of knowledge of the menu, I ordered the JINYA Chicken Ramen, Sprouting Up Ramen and takoyaki. If you are like me, you might not know what takoyaki is. It’s simply slaughtered octopus condensed into a battered ball fried, served with egg and onions, giving it the appearance of a tropical caterpillar. A confession is in order, I have in fact tried octopus. I know – shocking.
palate points “JINYA Ramen Bar” Rating:
Cuisine: Japanese Location: 925 Blossom Hill Rd Price: $$
However, I’ve never had it in a spherical manner and I can’t say that I would ever again. I really don’t know exactly what it was – the chewiness of the meat, the stench of the egg or maybe the fact that my mouth is too small to eat it all in one bite – but whatever it was, I hated it. It was a really good mouth workout, considering it took a solid minute for me to chew the octoball enough to swallow. The takoyaki might have discouraged me, but that wasn’t why I came to JINYA. I came for the ramen. When the two soups finally arrived at the table, I felt in my element.
CHRIS CORE | SPARTAN DAILY
Small dishes like takoyaki are offered among other traditional Japanese appetizers.
CHRIS CORE | SPARTAN DAILY
JINYA Ramen Bar offers 13 ramen bowls that also cater to vegetarian and vegan customers.
Not only because two bowls of soup are the only way one person should ever eat soup, but because the appearance of the ramen looked like anything I could make, thrown haphazardly into a bowl as if in a rush. The bowl of chicken ramen was the first to be slurped up by my face. The dish was a basic bowl of ramen that only contained chicken broth, chicken chashu, spinach, green onion and thin noodles. The first struggle I had was even picking up the noodles in the first place, considering I also lacked the knowledge to use chopsticks. However, once I got my unorthodox technique down, noodle consumption was a breeze. The broth was excellent, it filled my mouth with a savory flavor, but the noodles lacked any sort of flavor or pop that I craved.
My favorite part of the dish was when all the noodles were gone and all I was left with was a bowl of heat that resembled miso soup. I was hoping that the second dish would tantalize me more, but it just didn’t get me going. The Sprouting Up Ramen contains pork and chicken broth, pork chashu, kikurage, spicy bean sprouts, green onions, seasoned egg, crispy brussel sprouts, black pepper and thick noodles. This bowl was packing some heat and I wasn’t ready for the disappointment that followed. Again the broth was great, but the noodles were also bland and the pork was as chewy as the balls I had in my mouth two dishes prior. The best part of the meal was the egg and the broth which made me wish that I had just gotten a bowl of egg soup.
Now you may be wondering, “If this guy hated ramen, why are there three of his faces in the box above?” Truthfully, I am just as shocked as you, but a day later, my mouth craved that bland chicken ramen. I’d get hungry and I’d conjure the image of a black bowl filled with broth and chicken while my hands struggle to scoop it with wooden sticks. I really don’t know what it was about the ramen, but I want it again even though in the heat of the moment I was excited to leave. Maybe it’s because the food truly was good. Or maybe I was impressed with how much could be done with hot water and a bowl. Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisCore24 Core on the Cob appears every other Tuesday.