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
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Volume 163 No. 2 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
SJSU student dead in student housing By Kaya Henkes-Power EXECUTIVE EDITOR
On Monday morning, a campus-wide email was sent regarding the death of a San José State student in the new student housing building Spartan Village on the Paseo. Police arrived at the student's residence Sunday afternoon following a wellnesscheck report, ac-
cording to a Monday article from NBC Bay Area. Vice President of Student Affairs, Mari Fuentes-Martin, wrote that the cause of death is currently unknown and is considered an isolated incident. Fuentes-Martin added that there is no known threat to the Spartan Village on the Paseo or the SJSU community. “We are in contact
with the resident’s family and roommates,” Fuentes-Martin wrote. “We grieve for the student, their family, friends and members of the Spartan family who are affected.” The email says that individuals affected by this death are encouraged to go to the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) located in the Student Wellness Cen-
ter. Spartan Village on the Paseo is SJSU’s new off-campus student housing that houses nearly 700 students, according to the SJSU website. Formerly the Signia by Hilton, SJSU partnered with investment group Throckmorton Partners to lease the building, according to a 2023 article from SJSU NewsCenter. Renovations to the
building took around nine months with students moving in the first week of school, according to a 2023 article from the San Francisco Chronicle. Throckmorton Partners purchased the building for $73.1 million in 2023 and began the $40 million dollar renovations in April 2023, according to the same article.
SJSU President talks critical info By Alina Ta COPY EDITOR
On Aug. 19 The Spartan Daily interviewed San José State President Cynthia Teniente-Matson discussed topics affecting the student body. Teniente-Matson is entering her second year serving the campus and student body. This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Q & A series. Part 1 of this interview discusses how the new Time, Place and Manner Policy applies to protests on campus. Part 2 will cover affordable housing for students and financial aid and will be released in Wednesday’s edition.
DYLAN NEWMAN | SPARTAN DAILY ARCHIVE Q: Could you share why it's been important for the administration to San José State President Cynthia Teniente-Matson presents her first State of the University speech in Spring 2023. make sure that students are aware of The Time, Place and Manner Policy? has the opportunity to have their protest approved by to students who will now be too restricted? an outstanding experience the university, including be concerned if they A: The new system wide here to live, to learn, to when they have times have the right to counter A: Well, I think what Time, Place and Manner work free of harassment. when they want to criticize protest? we’re saying is there’s a policy overrides our policy, Our intent is to ensure the university. This could Time, Place,and Manner so our campus policy every student receives be a huge issue in terms of A: Well, if it’s in a policy that allows you has now been updated to the policy and that they the right to advocacy and public space, there are to express yourself and comply and be in alignment understand that there is a the right to protest. (What new guidelines now for freedom of expression, with the system wide policy. new policy. We sent out an is your response to these spontaneous protests. My without creating an unsafe We want to make sure email to all of our students. concerns?) response to that is, as long environment for others students are aware that the We’ve created a course as the counter protests and without harassing following active advocacy in Canva for students to A: The policy is content- are done consistent with others. When amplified and activism has always complete, to ensure that neutral, and what that policy, it's all permissible, sound is used in spaces been in our (university’s) they understand the policy. means is you don't have and those would be (for) that are not approved, it DNA. We support free Now we all as human to come in and indicate outdoor public spaces same may be disruptive to other speech, we support free beings make choices every exactly what you’re going as before. (You) can't block students and other faculty expression. We support day about what we’re going to be saying or doing. But fire lanes, (you) can't block and staff and community peaceful gatherings for to do, but we want to make if the space is occupied by business activity, (you) members who are engaged demonstrations. That is the sure everyone understands someone else, you cannot can't block sidewalks and in instruction, who may be foundation of our country. the guidelines around ask that other group to public access space. engaged in other activities We want to ensure that advocacy and ctivism vacate for the purposes of in those spaces which are students understand the and to understand those your event and activity, Q: Protests, historically, reserved ahead of time and changes (in the policy), consequences for breaking when it occurs. With part of their purpose is to available for use. I think which are primarily policy. spontaneity, (it) may also be peacefully disruptive. there is space for both, and around designation of disrupt other groups who That can also sometimes that's what the policy is spaces and a reservation Q: There’s a very big have already had spaces mean blocking sidewalks, trying to delineate. That process system. Now there concern about the idea reserved, sometimes roadways, sometimes there (are) opportunities for are three categories (for) of having to reserve long in advance for their being very loud (like) both without causing other public spaces, public access space to do protest when, events and activities. The having microphones. students to feel fearful of space, limited access space, historically, it's been reservation system is The policy does speak on reprisal or retribution from and private space. There typically (held) in public attempting not to regulate those issues, but ask and other students if they don't are reservation systems in spaces speech or activity, but to require students to not be share those same values. place now around the public — quite spontaneous — ensure that groups have disruptive. Do you think We're also trying to ensure spaces where advocacy and and the reservation access to the space. there's a concern that that you can broadcast that activism can occur. The process could imply that students may feel that there's a protest going on intent is to ensure everyone students have to have Q:What's your response their ability to protest will over here … Because this
happens now … There are some groups who come to advocate for pro life, and sometimes they bring displays of fetuses or the like that are triggering for other students. We don’t restrict those activities, even though we don’t want to see it, but we can alert students. There’s a protest about pro-life over here, or (a) demonstration, a display, or whatever the event might be categorized as, so that students (or) anybody in the community, for that matter, can make a choice to avoid that area. Q: What are the conse quences for students who either possibly accidentally (or) intentionally break policy? A: The policy has always had consequences, just like anything else within the code of conduct. It is also our intent to try to talk to people. The first step is to (ask), “Are you aware of the policy? Are you willing to move your (protest) if it’s in a place that's not permitted? Are you (or) can you move your protest or your activity here?” Those types of things. To talk to students, to respect their right to free speech and free expression within the policy . . . So the intent is to inform students and to work with students, but yes, there will be consequences, just as there are with any other activity that occurs in our society if we knowingly don't follow university policy, state policy, traffic laws, traffic restrictions, etc.
Follow Alina on X (formerly Twitter) @HiJustCurious