Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Volume 156 No. 27 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
INFOGRAPHIC BY PAULA PIVA; SOURCE: SANTA CLARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT; DATA AS OF MONDAY
County may move to yellow tier By Bryanna Bartlett NEWS EDITOR
Santa Clara County could qualify for transition into the yellow tier according to California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, but there are vaccine distribution disparities among residents, health officials said in a Tuesday board of supervisors meeting livestreamed on Facebook. Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s health officer and public health director, presented flattening coronavirus case and transmission rates, showing the county is in a better position. “When we look at the case rate by county section, we can see that the case rates are declining everywhere,” Cody said during the meeting. A transition to yellow tier requires the county’s infection rate to fall below 1% per every 100,000 residents. She added that Gilroy, south Santa Clara County and East San Jose have the highest case rates. There are currently
7,444 reported COVID-19 cases in Gilroy as of March 31. Cases totaled 115,266 in Santa Clara County as of Tuesday, with 102 new confirmed cases within the “past few days,” according to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Distribution disparities Despite flattened rates, Cody said the county still faces many challenges moving forward, including disparities in COVID-19 case rates by race and ethnicity. “The disparities [by race and ethnicity] are closing, rates in all groups have been decreasing, but still the Hispanic/Latino population case rates do remain elevated among other groups as they have throughout the pandemic,” Cody said. In Cody’s presentation, she said there were about 170 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Hispanic/Latinx residents in early January. She also said case rates per
doses were allocated by the U.S. government to California this week and 71,900 of those doses were allocated to Santa Clara County, said Dr. Martin Fenstersheib, the county’s COVID-19 testing officer, during his presentation on vaccine allocation. Fenstersheib said of the 71,900 doses, 35,100 were Pfizer, 17,200 were Moderna and 19,600 were Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Sara Cody The number of Pfizer and county health officer and Moderna vaccine doses only slightly public health director increased compared to last week, but 100,000 residents for all racial the amount of Johnson & Johnson groups are lower than 10 as of single-shot vaccine doses increased by 16,500 doses this week, according March 29. Cody said other challenges to Fenstersheib’s presentation. Otto Lee, Santa Clara County’s include low vaccine supply, a decrease in COVID-19 testing rates District 3 supervisor, said while there’s more to be done to reach herd and an ongoing vaccine hesitancy. “The state has told us that as of immunity and curb the pandemic, April 15, we will expand to include it’s “good to be able to see the data all adults 16 years of age and older and track along with it.” to be eligible for [the] vaccine,” Cody said. “And again, we hope that there Variant threats will be sufficient supplies.” Cody said although A total of 2,390,530 vaccine decreasing rates are encouraging,
When we look at the case rate by county section, we can see that the case rates are declining everywhere.
COVID-19 variants pose another threat. “We’re really on the lookout for variants that cause habits in one way or another, either they spread more easily or they cause people to be more sick or somehow they escape the therapies or vaccines that have been designed for them,” Cody said. Dr. Ahmad Kamal, the county’s director of health care systems, said during the meeting the variants’ “job really is to adapt and change” continuously. Kamal said COVID-19 variants might begin attacking younger age groups, which appears to be possible with the variant first identified in the United Kingdom because it’s transmitted easier. However, he said it’s currently unclear how the variants are changing given the total number of hospitalizations aren’t increasing, but that could easily be the impact of older residents getting vaccinated. Follow Bryanna on Twitter @brybartlett
Council tackles minority vaccination By Jovanna Olivares SENIOR STAFF WRITER
San Jose City Councilmembers received updates on coronavirus vaccine outreach programs and discussed the lack of vaccine distribution among Hispanic communities during a Tuesday meeting. Lee Wilcox, deputy city manager, presented Santa Clara County’s vaccination status and said the likelihood of returning to pre-pandemic life is highly dependent on the speed and scale of vaccination distribution. “We’re working hard to advocate for our community to receive equity-based allocation from the state,” Wilcox said during his presentation. He said in addition to mass vaccination sites, mobile vaccine units are underway to reach homebound residents such as the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The mobile units consist of the city’s fire department and EMT agencies delivering vaccines to homebound residents, according to a March 29 ABC7 article. “As of [Monday], 150 of our EMTs, paramedics and San Jose Fire Department have been training for the Induction Training Program to build capacity to support the county,” Wilcox said. Bloom Energy, a San Jose green energy company, donated another mobile vaccine unit, in hopes of further assisting those who can’t leave their homes,
according to a March 29 NBC Bay Area article. Dr. Martin Fenstersheib, the county’s COVID-19 testing officer, said during a Monday news conference about 30% of residents who are vaccine eligible and over 16 have been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 20% have completed the vaccine series.
Latinos continue to be the lowest in terms of vaccination [and] the highest in terms of infection rate. Sylvia Arenas District 8 councilmember
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a Tuesday news conference the state will reopen by June 15 if there is sufficient vaccine supply for Californians over 16. He also said hospitalization rates are stable and low. “May we confidently say by June 15 that we can start to open up as business as usual, subject to ongoing mask wearing and ongoing vigilance,” Newsom said during the conference. “So this is a big day.” District 7 Councilmember Maya Esparza said she’s concerned about the limited
vaccine supply and low appointment availability in East San Jose. “I was both happy, but also disappointed to hear the governor’s announcements because I know how badly we need vaccines,” Esparza said during the meeting. “The Eastridge site is a max of I think about 1400 folks a day. [The] Vietnamese American Cultural Center [has] a max of about 400 folks a day.” There are currently 23 vaccination sites across the county, according to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which provides free transit to the sites. Latinx residents make up 55% of COVID-19 cases, 47% of deaths and 40% of the state’s total population, yet only 22% of the Latinx population have been vaccinated, according to Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit focused on national health issues. “Latinos continue to be the lowest in terms of vaccination [and] the highest in terms of infection rate,” District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas said during the meeting. “I don’t know that we can move anywhere until we have a certain baseline for some of these [underserved] groups.” Arenas said vaccination sites should continue being implemented in Hispanic/Latinx communities because of its effectiveness. “When I looked at the map to see in terms of the vaccination rate, everywhere around Eastridge seemed to have a really
ILLUSTRATION BY PAULA PIVA
great vaccination rate,” Arenas said. “Which means our outreach is working and the place-based strategy is also working.” Based on councilmembers’ discussion, place-based approaches allocate vaccination sites in accessible areas for underserved communities. A mass vaccination place-based clinic opened March 5 at the Aloha Roller Rink in East San Jose to provide vaccines to areas disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according to a March 5 county health department update. “I’m seeing that Latinos [are] some of those vulnerable communities,” Arenas said. “[That] ensures that there’s a lot of other subgroups I’m not putting a magnifying glass under that we should take a look at.”
VIRTUAL A.S. ELECTIONS 2021
CANDIDATE DEBATES 4/12, Monday, 5-7pm // Zoom: bit.ly/virtualcandidatedebates Online voting will begin at 7pm at sjsu.edu/as/vote For more information, visit sjsu.edu/as/vote
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021
An atypical take on quick noodles By Chris Padilla
At around $2.50, you could do worse for a quick lunch.
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Rating:
Contrary to popular belief, options for instant noodles don’t end with beef, pork or chicken soup. There are plenty of tasty choices, even forgoing the broth for something a little more quick and easy to eat, all at an economic price ideal for college students. Here are a few uncommon options, tried, tested and tasted by yours truly.
Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Fried Noodles
Lucky Me Pancit Canton Original Flavor Lucky Me Pancit Canton, instant noodles modeled after the Filipino take on chow mein for as little as 59 cents per package, is a cheap and tasty way to deal with hunger pangs. The two-ounce package includes a packet of seasoning powder along with two liquid seasonings: oil and soy sauce. The flavor of the Pancit Canton is a savory, slightly salty soy sauce with the barest hint of garlic and onion. There’s a pleasant greasiness and nice texture to the noodles, which have a starchy-oily coating. While a tasty snack on its own, the small size packaging combined with the one-note flavor means this brand isn’t sufficient as a meal without added toppings like steamed veggies or slices of chicken, beef or tofu. Doubling up and eating two packages at once would be a rookie mistake, as the greasiness from the noodles can turn unpleasant afterward. Full disclosure, this brand and flavor has a special place in my heart, since I grew up on it in the Philippines. That being said, it’s a pretty middle-ground flavor good enough for a snack, even if it doesn’t make you nostalgic. Rating:
A-Sha Mandarin Noodle When it comes to the noodles themselves, this is by far the best instant noodle product. Upon opening the package, instead of a tightly wound noodle block, they’re wavy and flat inside. Once cooked, the noodles are a revelation. Slurpable without being greasy,
ILLUSTRATION BY BIANCA RADER
firm and chewy, they’re a cut above the normal instant fare. The noodles are almost luxurious and given A-Sha Mandarin Noodles cost about $7 for a package of five, they’re priced like a minor luxury too. Unfortunately, the actual flavoring fails to live up to the noodles themselves. Unlike other soupless noodles, the flavoring comes in a single liquid-filled packet. It’s a mix of soy sauce and white sesame oil and while it sounds like it might be a tasty combo, it’s actually very bland. The flavor packet is overly salty with a sharp tang that is not wholly welcome and the sesame flavor barely comes through at all despite being a main ingredient. While it doesn’t ruin the experience, the noodles deserve better. The three-ounce package is like a small, bland meal but some toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions could transform it into something a little more classy. Rating:
Myojo Ippei-Chan Yakisoba Japanese Style Noodles Myojo Yakisoba is styled after the Japanese street fair of the same name, that goes hand-in-hand with Japanese festival culture. Unlike most instant noodles,
CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
you don’t need a stove to make these. Preparation is more akin to cup noodles with it being done inside the package. Each package is almost five ounces and comes with four packets of sauce, spice, veggie and a mayo-mustard combo. Boiling water goes into the package and after three minutes it’s drained and mixed with the liquid sauce. The whole thing is topped with the spices and mayo-mustard condiment. Like most festival foods, these are quick and filling, but you get what you pay for like most instant foods unfortunately. While it might be good enough to eat in a rush, it’s nothing to write home about otherwise the sauce is a savory-sweet affair that pairs nicely with the mayo-mustard, though the latter has an off-putting chemical aftertaste. The noodles are an average Nissin Cup Noodle in texture, ironically brittle to the bite but overly soft at the same time. The veggie packet, mostly dried cabbage, reconstitutes to a vegetable mush that hardly complements the dish or spices. A pleasant-tasting blend of seaweed and sesame seeds are mainly for decoration as their subtle flavors are underwhelming.
These are hands down the best fried instant noodle product on the market, with a $10 flavor but for 55 cents. Each of these packages contain a noodle block with two flavor packets. One consists of three separate liquid sauce components, seasoned oil, liquid chili and sweet soy sauce. The other includes a powder seasoning and fried onion topping, all totaling a three-ounce package. The preparation is simple: mix the liquids on a plate with the seasoning powder, which turns it into a paste while the noodles boil, strain the noodles and combine them with the paste, top with the crunchy onion and BAM, instant nirvana. Just from the smell alone, the noodles are something special. It’s aromatic and pungent without being overpowering, has an almost unnoticeable tanginess and a scent more complex than the average instant ramen. The first bite is heavy and sweet, almost like molasses with a savory undertone and a pleasant warm note. The second bite blooms into a spicy but not painful sting. The noodles alone get the job done, they’re chewy without being either soft or brittle and are slightly slick without being overly oily. It’s a solid delivery vehicle for the real star of the show: the seasoning. The fried onions provide a nice textured contrast but sadly the package doesn’t provide enough. One of the few flaws Indomie Mi Goreng has other than not having more crunchies, is that three ounces is simply not enough and these noodles will leave you craving more. Rating:
For those on a budget, these instant noodles can make for a higher quality inexpensive meal.
SUDOKU PUZZLE Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
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JOKIN’ AROUND What do you call a dog magician?
A labracadabrador.
SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS
ACROSS 1. Peddle 5. Unit of electrical energy 10. Steals 14. Dwarf buffalo 15. Units of land 16. Competent 17. Encouraging 19. Annoying insect 20. Fury 21. Goodwill 22. Untidy people 23. Snuggled 25. Unwind 27. Scarlet 28. Heathenism 31. Great fear 34. Hazy 35. Half of a pair 36. Breezy 37. Jimmies 38. A set of garments 39. Actress Lupino 40. Long times 41. Garbage 42. Alluvial deposit 44. Small portable bed 45. Awkward
46. A small fireproof dish 50. Gash 52. A kind of macaw 54. Citrus drink 55. A Maori club 56. Self-centered 58. Always 59. Dishes out 60. Out of control 61. Walk in water 62. Utilizers 63. Handguns DOWN 1. Indian antelope 2. Habituate 3. Runs 4. One time around 5. Bumped around 6. Group of eight 7. Relating to urine 8. Invests with borrowed money 9. East southeast 10. Type of sleeve 11. Offensive 12. Tell all 13. Collections
18. Leered 22. Kill 24. Found in a cafeteria 26. Hens make them 28. Dot 29. Hissy fit 30. Distribute 31. Speaker’s platform 32. Go on horsebackv 33. Shot out light rays 34. Lands abutting streets 37. Chick’s sound 38. Satisfy 40. Nursemaid 41. Adult female 43. Underwrite 44. Gentle stroke 46. Formula 1 driver 47. Fate 48. Fool 49. They hold up heads 50. Gush 51. Magma 53. Learning method 56. Large flightless bird 57. Children’s game
4/6/2021
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021
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Disney’s censorship is strangely selective
Sarah Dwyer STAFF WRITER
Disney’s “Peter Pan” is in the can after executives from its streaming service Disney+ decided the classic film will no longer be available on kids profiles, alongside a string of other films deemed “inappropriate” for today’s younger generation. If you thought cancel culture was reserved for the human incarnations of scuzziness, including Harvey Weinstein and R Kelly, think again. Peter Pan and his Lost Boys were recently called inappropriate for children because of “insensitive imagery,” according to a March 22 article from entertainment news website Distractify.com. “Peter Pan” faced online outrage because its characters are depicted dancing with feather headdresses and referring to Native Americans in a derogatory manner. Disney’s philosophical pursuit to only provide programs it thinks would be appropriate for children in today’s social climate, partly shaped by the company itself, is contradictory at best. If Disney is hell-bent on depriving children of hallmark films such as “Peter Pan” which is timelessly captured in a physical Disneyland attraction, there will soon be a scarce selection available for kids. Disney’s newfound philosophy is extremely conflicting given the hoards of ill-suited contexts and dialogue other films have that Disney is leaving alone, for now. Another Disney classic, “The Lion King” includes a sequence in which the character Scar watches an army of hyenas march modeled after “The Triumph of the Will,” a 1935 Nazi propaganda film, according to a July 1, 2014 BusinessInsider.com article. From cat-calling in “A Bug’s Life” to the character Anna’s suggestive joke about Hans’ foot size in “Frozen,” appropriate content seems to be far from Disney’s concerns. The ’90s Halloween hit “Hocus Pocus” includes a joke about insemination when three witches tell a bus driver they desire children and he replies, “Hey, it may take
ILLUSTRATION BY DAISHA SHERMAN
This “cleansing” of content is a calculated effort to appease specific racial and cultural subjects and kill the hashtags on Twitter as soon as possible. me a couple of tries but I don’t think that’d be a problem.” Where is the cancel culture outrage when it comes to the ages of Disney princesses? To name a few, Ariel and Aurora are both 16 and Snow White is 14, but their charming suitors are over 18, as confirmed in an Aug. 17, 2018 HuffPost article. Somehow, Peter Pan’s gang wearing feathers on their heads and dancing in mock Native American dances outweighs the inappropriate nature of underage
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effort to appease specific racial and cultural subjects and kill the hashtags on Twitter as soon as possible. Peter Pan and his disgraced animated colleagues don’t deserve the axe. While many of these films are still on adult profiles, they should remain available for kids because there is no logical need to deprive children of films that don’t align with one generation’s new standards. Like other efforts within cancel culture, such as the recent figurative burning of Dr. Seuss books, parents must be the one to decide what is appropriate for their child to watch or read. What is suitable for one child may not be for another. A blanket approach to redefine what is appropriate, woven with blurry and contradictory threads, is foolish.
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relationships and numerous sexual innuendos between Disney characters. This includes Mr. Potato Head when he said “Hey! Nobody takes my wife’s lips, but me,” among other suggestive content. If you thought Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head’s marriage was a little rocky, don’t be surprised when you hear they’ve dropped their marital titles. Hasbro executives, the company that owns the toys, decided to drop the honorific titles and rename the cartoon veggies to the gender-neutral “Potato Head,” according to a Feb. 26 CNN Business article. The outrage and canceling is not evenly spread. It doesn’t seem as though even and fair is the intention. The fact that “Peter Pan,” “Pepe Le Pew,” “Dumbo” and “The Aristocats” are taking more heat for “negative cultural depictions” than the sexually-motivated content hidden in plain sight is a problem. It proves this new wave of cancel culture among animation is not a Don Quixote endeavor to alleviate children’s exposure to inappropriate content, much like Quixote’s mission to revive a culture of chivalry. This “cleansing” of content is a calculated
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021
Spartans on four-game win streak By Jacqueline Vela STAFF WRITER
The San Jose State men’s soccer team continues its strong season with a 1-0 victory against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Monday at the Spartan Soccer Complex. The Spartans (5-1-2 WAC) faced the Rebels (4-3-2 WAC) during a crucial game in their journey to clinch the Western Athletic C onference (WAC) regular-season title. The game started slow and although both teams played tough they didn’t have much luck scoring. With only 3 overall shots and 1 shot on goal, it was clear both teams played with strong defense. Neither team could successfully score despite continuous back-and-forth action. After halftime, the teams returned to the field and began to find their grooves. The Spartans successfully pulled off a shot on goal with assistance from m i d f i e l d e rs Wi l ly Miranda and Carlos Gomez-Zavala. It wasn’t until Minute 68 that the Spartans set themselves apart. Gomez-Zavala and Miranda assisted forward Rudi Castro, setting off a string of plays that were just what the game needed. Castro snuck in the center field and kicked the ball directly past the Rebels’ goalie. The goal
PHOTO COURTESY OF SJSU ATHLETICS
Forward Rudi Castro was recently named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
left both teams surprised because of how fast the play happened. Mo n d ay ’s goal wasn’t Castro’s only accomplishment. The SJSU forward was also named WAC’s Offensive Player of the Week. Castro proved just how qualified he was to receive the title because his goal shifted the tone of the game from that point forward. The Spartans boosted
Today, the key was to play more players than we normally do and it just shows the strength of our squad and the quality. We are quite deep this year. We got good players.
Simon Tobin
head coach
their morale after the goal and played with more pep in their steps. The goal and energy boost were enough to carry the team to victory. SJSU played until Minute 90 and kept the 1-0 lead. This is the Spartans’ fourth consecutive win of the season. Head coach Simon Tobin expressed his excitement for this season’s team.
“Today, the key was to play more players than we normally do and it just shows the strength of our squad and the quality,” Tobin said during a post-game inter view posted to the SJSU men’s soccer Twitter. “We are quite deep this year. We got good players.” He attributed SJSU’s win to rotating its players more than usual this week. “The key, especially tonight, was having a lot of depth and every player to play came out today and gave us some quality moments,” Tobin said. The team shared its excitement over the win, especially after returning from spring break. “All smiles for our fourth straight dub,” a post read on the men’s soccer Twitter account. The Spartans win at the Spartan Soccer Complex takes the team one step closer to a season title. SJSU is scheduled to play one more home game during its regular season Friday at 7 p.m. against Seattle University. The game will also be the team’s senior night.
UPCOMING GAME SJSU vs Seattle University April 9, 7 p.m.
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Lifestyle challenges emerge in pandemic By Madison Fagundes STAFF WRITER
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted everyone differently, especially when it comes to health and fitness. While quarantine has given some San Jose State students encouragement to work out, others have lost motivation through a more sedentary lifestyle. Paige Waid, a communications junior, took advantage of quarantine by changing her diet and adopting a healthier lifestyle. “My main motivation was doing it for myself because I wanted to be healthy and to feel better about myself,” Waid said in a Zoom interview. She also said being away from campus and receiving encouragement from her dad, whom she lived with from March to August, were big factors in her pursuit for a healthy lifestyle. “It was just me at home with my parents, so I would eat what my dad ate or just make food for myself,” Waid said. While Waid’s fitness journey took off during quarantine, kinesiology junior Artie McNeal said his healthy living ground to a halt. McNeal, a former professional boxer and Army veteran, said taking online classes contributed to a loss of incentive to exercise. “I didn’t really have the motivation to work out anymore because I couldn’t go to class,” McNeal said
in a Zoom call. “I was just sitting in front of this computer and my diet started suffering because I was just munching on all kinds of crap.” He also said he exercised two to three hours every day prior to the pandemic and the interruption to his routine has been hard on his mental health. “I get stressed out and I have to do deep breathing to relax,” McNeal said. There are many personal and environmental factors that play into how people react to the lack of activity brought on by the pandemic. Kinesiology and sports psychology lecturer Karin Jeffery said when people are confronted with obstacles they usually fall into two categories: avoiders and approachers. Where people fall within these categories depends on a combination of personality traits, experiences and their environments. “Avoiders may tend to look for things that are distracting and fun to take their mind off of how they’re feeling, whereas people with approachtype personalities might look for ways to face the situation head-on,” Jeffery said in a Zoom interview. She also said people with approach-type personalities are more likely to try something new in order to change their situation, which is why so many people began working out during the pandemic. However, it isn’t a personal or moral failure
INFOGRAPHIC BY PAULA PIVA. SOURCE: KINESIOLOGY AND SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY LECTURER KARIN JEFFERY
to break that cycle once it starts. “When you start to get depressed, it gets harder to embrace a new challenge,” she said. “Even if you know in your head that it’s good for you, sometimes you just don’t have the energy to do it.” While long-term health effects of quarantine are unknown, Waid and Artie McNeal kinesiology junior McNeal are both optimistic about their fitness journeys in post-pandemic It’s easy to fall into life. sedentary habits and McNeal said after the become depressed under pandemic he hopes to quarantine conditions, return to the level of fitness Jeffery said, but it’s hard he was at before and to
I didn’t really have the motivation to work out anymore because I couldn’t go to class. I was just sitting in front of this computer and my diet started suffering because I was just munching on all kinds of crap.
to fall out of shape during a global public health crisis, especially when many factors are out of people’s control.
start his own workout class at the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center. Waid said she plans to continue eating clean and staying healthy, even when obstacles from pre-quarantine life return. “Not every day is going to be perfect but as long as you keep working toward your goal, let yourself try the next day and make a conscious effort, you’ll eventually get to where you’re going,” Waid said.
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