Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Volume 156 No. 18 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
UPD explains campus burglaries By Christian Trujano SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Ever since schools and universities, including San Jose State, began looking like ghost towns after the coronavirus pandemic started, campuses became open season for burglaries. “These are crimes of opportunity,” University Police Department Capt. Frank Belcastro said in a Zoom call. “Our buildings are basically empty . . . so we have more people prowling around and they know they can get in with nobody really around.” According to a Nov. 17, 2020 San Jose Police Department presentation to City Council, school burglaries increased 135% in 2020 compared to 2019. At the beginning of the pandemic, there were 45 school burglaries citywide. “Over the past year, with a limited population on campus, we have experienced a rise in burglaries in some of our unattended buildings,” said Charlie Faas, SJSU vice president for administration and finance in an email. “It’s typical in any location that is not heavily populated with people or activities, that crimes of opportunity go up.” Belcastro said there’s been 40 reported burglaries in SJSU buildings from March 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021, according to UPD data. He said three individuals were responsible for many of those break-ins. Those individuals were arrested multiple times by UPD, Belcastro said, but continued burglarizing. “Unfortunately, the court
JESUS TELLITUD | SPARTAN DAILY ARCHIVES
San Jose Police cars block the area of a crime scene near San Jose State on East Fernando Street on Nov. 22, 2020.
system, the [District Attorney] is a revolving door,” he said. “I think there was one individual who I think we arrested him about a dozen times.” UPD Chief of Police Gina Di Napoli said the main issue UPD faces isn’t getting the offenders arrested, but rather having to justify charging them. She said when offenders are charged “they go into the courts and the courts basically just let them go.” Belcastro spoke about Proposition 57, Proposition 47 and the criminal justice system actively keeping people out of jail, especially with jails at lower capacities because of COVID-19 safety protocols. Proposition 57 was approved in 2016 and allows parole consideration for nonviolent felons and juvenile court judges to decide whether juveniles
We’re doing everything on our end and now it’s going to be up to the courts to do something on their end and so far, that’s been an issue. will be prosecuted as adults. Proposition 47 recategorized some nonviolent offenses as misdemeanors, rather than felonies. Di Napoli and Belcastro emphasized the connection between drugs and victimless crimes, including campus burglaries, and that this connection needs to be addressed by the criminal justice system. Belcastro said more than 90% of the suspects
Gina Di Napoli
UPD chief of police
UPD officers arrest are carrying some kind of drug or drug paraphernalia. “The criminal justice system needs to take that into account,” Belcastro said, adding that judges need to reconsider releasing offenders who’ve committed victimless crimes to finance their addictions. “We can’t fix the courts, unfortunately, but I can tell you if there is no consequence to anything it’s going to occur again because what is going to
deter them?” Di Napoli said. “We’re doing everything on our end and now it’s going to be up to the courts to do something on their end and so far, that’s been an issue.” Di Napoli said UPD has established a burglary suppression team that will work weekends to combat the problem. She and Belcastro said they’ve had more officers monitor campus buildings, and detectives have reached out to staff in buildings previously compromised to do security walk-throughs with them. The UPD and Faas said almost every other crime statistic is down or significantly down at SJSU. Di Napoli said she analyzed crimes including: vandalism, burglaries, disturbances, suspicious people, trespassing and other similar crimes, and found crime dropped 50% in
those categories last year compared to 2019. However, she said UPD expected a higher crime drop because of the reduced campus population and said it was largely because people who aren’t affiliated with SJSU were committing these crimes. Faas also stated in his email SJSU facilities will continue to be locked and require everyone to use their Tower ID card to open building doors, a change that began last spring. He said other improvements include: additional cameras, community policing, lighting, bollards to prevent cars on campus, ADA access, outdoor broadcast systems and classroom upgrades. Faas also spoke about the S-2 door locking system, an electronic locking system that allows SJSU to monitor doors. He said these locks are compatible with the new cameras and campus officials have already seen attempted door break-ins. Both the Facilities Development and Operations and UPD have provided solutions to prevent future issues. “With the future repopulation of our campus, we fully expect to return to significantly lower burglary rates,” Faas stated in his email. “Each of us needs to be vigilant, watch for any issues, report them immediately to UPD and ensure that doors and access to buildings remain closed and secure.” Follow Christian on Twitter @ChristianTruja2
Students discuss pandemic traveling By Giorgina Laurel STAFF WRITER
Traveling outside Santa Clara County during the coronavirus pandemic poses public health risks, but can also help alleviate mental health and isolation concerns, said some San Jose State students. County health officials issued a travel directive in November that required people traveling more than 150 miles outside the county to quarantine for 14 days. The directive was lifted when the county moved to the red tier on March 3. Chemistry sophomore Janine Bugayong traveled to Hawaii with her boyfriend and his immediate family in November and said she didn’t mind traveling while adhering to safety guidelines. “I would say that traveling was worth it, as long as you follow the precautions required for COVID,” Bugayong said in a phone call. “I believe that people should be able to enjoy their lives amidst a pandemic, while staying safe of course.” Bugayong said people should be able to have a break from being at home. “It was nice to have a change in environment, as it can be difficult to have to shelter in place for so long,” Bugayong said. “I would definitely recommend other people to take a break if they can as long as they are being smart, respectful and safe.” Like Bugayong, psychology junior Lucas Domingo said people need time to rest and take a break but he
Total Awards
$87,500
doesn’t like the idea of traveling outside the county because it could increase the spread of the virus. “Within the time of COVID-19, I do feel like the idea of travel is extremely risky,” Domingo said. “We don’t want to be a carrier of the virus, passing it on to many others, leading many of us choosing to stay at home.” Domingo said he understands it’s important to take a mental health break, but also feels there are different ways to relax and recharge.
There are so many other ways to gain the needed rest and general break from it all, while still abiding by health precautions. Lucas Domingo
psychology junior
“There are so many other ways to gain the needed rest and general break from it all, while still abiding by health precautions,” Domingo said. “Take a nice drive, FaceTime friends when you can and if you do go on a hike or small leisurely break, please make sure to have a mask on at all times and keep your distance.” Marcelle Dougan, a health science
YUE XIN | SPARTAN DAILY
assistant professor and director of the Valley Medical Center Foundation in San Jose, said traveling during a pandemic can be risky because of new COVID-19 variants. “We’re seeing new variants that are, not necessarily, more virulent and more transmissible,” Dougan said in a Zoom call. “We don’t know a lot about the virus [and] we’re still learning.” Two cases of the COVID-19 variant discovered in South Africa were identified in Santa Clara and Alameda counties last month. The carriers of the variant experienced symptoms after returning from international travel, according to a Feb. 10 Santa Clara County
Public Health Department news release. Dougan said traveling can be a good escape from the stresses of life as long as people respect social distancing guidelines and practice COVID-19 safety protocols. “We look at whether the risks outweigh the benefits and at a time when we’re having a disease,” Dougan said. “[Before people travel] I recommend to assess the risk and look at how you’re going to get there . . . it’s all about risk minimization.”
Follow Giorgina on Twitter @ItsGiorgina
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021
Promising cast fails to save film Three storylines prove predictable in attempt to highlight opioid epidemic. By Sarah Dwyer STAFF WRITER
“Crisis” promised a high-stakes tale of intertwining stories following characters touched by the escalating opioid epidemic and was inspired by true events. However, the film falls short on what’s promised. “Crisis” follows three drastically different storylines. Armie Hammer plays Jake Kelly, an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent looking to bring down a major drug trafficking operation, while also tending to his sister Emmie’s addiction. Evangeline Lilly plays a grieving mother and recovering addict, Claire, who looks for answers after her teenage son
movie review “Crisis” Rating:
Directed by: Nicholas Jarecki Starring: Evangeline Lilly. Gary Oldman Genre: Crime/Romance
ILLUSTRATION BY BIANCA RADER
dies from an apparent yet mysterious overdose. An independent plotline from the others shadows Dr. Tyrone Brower, a university professor played by Gary Oldman, who seeks to blow the whistle about a high-profile Big Pharma drug his department is being paid to test. It’s not an understatement to say the film has a predictable plot. However, the ensemble cast of veteran actor Greg Kinnear and up-and-coming actress Lily-Rose Depp should’ve saved the movie from mediocrity, at least that was the hope. Neither the cast nor the big production budget was enough to salvage the ho-hum feeling that was harder
to shake than Emmie’s addiction. The film starts at a fast pace but is stunted by writer and director Nicholas Jarecki’s choppy scene cuts. As each plotline is introduced, the viewer is left with unanswered questions. Jake and a grieving Claire don’t cross paths until what seems like two shakes before the credits roll. Dr. Brower’s storyline, on the other hand, is set far apart from the others and spared from intertwining with Jake and Claire. His fight to expose the dangerous cover-up of a prescription drug carries the film and almost makes up for the weak spots in Jake and Claire’s journey. For a story that was supposed
CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
to tell three intertwined plotlines, the connection was faint. An argument can be made that Oldman’s acting carried the film. The rest of the cast, while talented in other works, seemed to be going through the motions. Much of the dialogue felt forced. Unnecessary profanity and insulting punchlines, mostly by Jake and cookie-cutter cartel goons, were a disappointing distraction from the real issues they were trying to tackle. Another questionable aspect of the film was its cast. Ensemble casts usually guarantee success or popularity like in “The Departed” or “Ocean’s Eleven.” However it doesn’t make much sense to see several major names
SUDOKU PUZZLE Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
appear in roles that are barely seen or heard in the story at all. “Crisis” ran like a forced hodgepodge of what many multiplot films try to be. Perhaps Jarecki spread the film too thin by trying to check off all the boxes he thought would ensure a foreseeable yet entertaining exposé. In a slow two hours, the film was extremely predictable. After approaching a questionable and gentle climax with minutes left, the film’s resolution slid down a bunny slope into a soft ending. If to stream or skip is the question, skip is more than likely the right answer. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahDweezy
JOKIN’ AROUND What do you call an old snowman?
Water.
SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS
ACROSS 1. A flat mass of ice 5. Chopin composition 10. Pimples 14. City in Peru 15. Type of mushroom 16. Plunder 17. Colored part of an eye 18. Deadly nightshade 20. Shreds 22. First 23. Direction 24. Pedal 25. Adverse 32. Wavelike design 33. Homeric epic 34. A sizeable hole 37. Fowl 38. Beside 39. Novice 40. Mineral rock 41. Go on a buying spree 42. Cars 43. Walkers 45. Anaglyph 49. Eastern Standard Time 50. Obese 53. A four-sided spinning top
57. Massive 59. Killer whale 60. Goad 61. Unsophisticated 62. Standard 63. Arid 64. Pilfer 65. Disgorge DOWN 1. Flutter 2. Former Italian currency 3. Leave out 4. Eastbound 5. Fertilized egg 6. Foot digits 7. Website address 8. Sandwich shop 9. Dash 10. Polish monetary unit 11. Classical Greek 12. Anagram of “Talon” 13. Not fresh 19. Cut into cubes 21. Overhang 25. Part of an ear 26. French for “Black” 27. Blaze
28. Angered 29. Without company 30. Ties 31. Delay 34. Falafel bread 35. Press 36. Throw 38. Mock 39. Instruction fees 41. Thread holder 42. Backside 44. Male hawk 45. Temporary lodgings 46. Love intensely 47. Of lesser importance 48. Lyric poem 51. Transgressions 52. French for “State” 53. Opera star 54. Let go 55. Beige 56. Disabled 58. Hasten
3/9/2021
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021
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Immoral dairy industry ruins cheese Ruth Noemi Aguilar SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Though it can be a healthy snack, cheese should be consumed in limited quantities because the dairy industry is problematic. Cheese and other dairy products are seen as unhealthy foods by the public because of the vilification of its high fat content that started in the ‘80s and continued into the early 2000’s. A 2006 study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that was not focused on cheese but high-fat dairy as a whole, perpetuated the narrative that cheese is unhealthy. However, a Sept. 13, 2019 study in the American Society of Nutrition found cheese isn’t as bad as it’s been portrayed and can even be healthy. The 2006 study focused on dairy’s calorie and fat content but didn’t focus on what other nutrients it has. Cheese was also seen as unhealthy when paired
with less nutritious foods such as processed meat and potatoes, however when paired with more nutritious foods including fruit and nuts, it can actually lead to healthy weight loss
according to a June 23, 2011 article by The New England Journal of Medicine.
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detrimental animals on Earth to raise for food. Cows need to eat large amounts of grass, meaning vast woodland areas are cleared out to
solely for the cows to graze. A large percentage of cows used for the meat and dairy industry are fed corn. Unfortunately, cows can can’tt process corn in their bodies, causing tthem th em to release methane gas as a byproduct. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases
ILLUSTRATION BY PAULA PIVA
Cheese is a good source of energy for the body, but the means of producing dairy products are unethical.
ABOUT
Some diets such as the ketogenic diet, a low-carb and high-fat diet according to Healthline, include cheese as a staple in recipes. Believing cheese is a healthy choice makes consumers
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more inclined to buy it, but health isn’t the only factor that should be considered when grocery shopping. Cheese is still a dairy product from an industry that has many negative environmental and ethical practices. Most dairy products come from cows, which are some of the most environmentally
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grow grass in order to sustain cows’ voracious appetites according to a Sept. 20, 2019 article by Sentient Media, a nonprofit journalism organization focused on the relationship between animals in human life. But because most cows aren’t just fed grass, large areas of land are cleared
contributing to climate change. It’s 28 times more powerful than the same amount of carbon dioxide, according to a Jan. 23, 2019 National Geographic article. The environmental harm from raising cows to produce cheese doesn’t take away from its nutritious value. Cheese has essential nutrients for the body including calcium, protein, vitamin A
and vitamin K2, according to an Oct. 25, 2019 article on Nutrition Advance, a blog on evidence-based nutrition. Cheese is a good source of energy for the body, but the means of producing dairy products are unethical. Cows must give birth in order to produce milk for cheese. Dairy cows are forcibly impregnated and have their offspring taken away. This is because calves will drink the milk intended for profit, according to Compassion in World Farming, a campaign advocating for the end of factory farming. The separation of mother and calf is traumatic and clearly wrong. The health aspects of cheese make it more enticing, but the negatives outweigh the positives. While completely avoiding cheese may be hard, lowering your consumption is still helpful. Next time you go shopping, try seeing how much cheese you can cut out of your life.
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