Issuu

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020

Volume 155 No. 10 SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934

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CSU announces Spring 2021 online By Lexie Shezifi STAFF WRITER

Most Spring 2021 courses will remain online across all 23 California State University campuses, CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White said in a message on Thursday. The announcement comes about three and a half months before Spring semester is scheduled to start, which White said gives university faculty members time to prepare for another online semester. Making this early decision also gives students time to plan for the upcoming semester, and the CSU system is already reporting that enrollment numbers are strong at all its campuses, according to the news release. “We have learned from experience that announcing this decision now will allow faculty and staff to continue or start professional development to be even more effective in the virtual space,” White said in the message. San Jose State President Mary Papazian confirmed in a campuswide email Thursday that San Jose State would be among the system’s universities to remain online for next semester. “We thank Chancellor White for his continued leadership and forward thinking as we adapt accordingly to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presents to higher education,” Papazian, said in a campuswide email Sept. 10. Communications junior Jasmine Chohan said she is prepared for next semester to be online and wasn’t surprised by the news. “We have to ease into things if we want things to be back to normal,” Chohan said in an Instagram message. “We cannot just expect 33,000 students to just walk to classes or have classes with a limited amount of people with the coronavirus restrictions in place.” Moreover, she said that she wouldn’t be shocked if the Fall 2021 semester was also online or in a hybrid format. Chohan also agreed with the sentiment that the lack of a vaccine is the main contributor to classes not being held in-person. Another common feeling among some students is the hope for tuition prices to be reduced because of the new learning environment and the fact that some services being paid for are unable to be used by students, like the Diaz Compean Student Union at SJSU. Psychology senior Katelyn Meyer said she hopes SJSU will lower costs because of what she feels is, “not the same quality of teaching that she would get in person.” Graduation is another thing that she said has been on her mind.

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIANA CONTE

“I feel really sad because I’m going to graduate in Spring 2021, and I want to walk across the stage and have the whole ceremony with my family there to watch me,” Meyer said. As for the date of the Fall graduation commencement, there is no word from the university president on what graduation and commencement will look like for next semester at SJSU, but White mentioned in Thursday’s message that plans will be made in the coming months. “I hope at least an almost regular graduation ceremony can happen,” Meyer said. There are several factors that contributed to the decision to continue online learning, which were mentioned by White in the announcement. The lack of a COVID-19 vaccine and the fact that next semester is set during the flu season are both significant reasons why in-person classes aren’t happening.

Hybrid classes, which feature online and in-person components, will continue in the spring and will be adjusted in cases where it is possible to increase the amount of students on campus, White said. Over the summer, faculty members began learning how to transition to an online environment more effectively to provide a better experience for students. Hazel Kelly, public affairs manager for the CSU Office of the Chancellor, said some of the CSU campuses will support students who may not have been prepared for an online learning experience by providing laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for thousands of students. “In order to help mitigate the digital divide, some campuses may decide to open on-campus computer labs or other indoor settings to support their coursework, following health and social distancing protocols,” Kelly said in an email to the Spartan Daily. The change to online learning from

in-person classes has had an impact on funding for the CSU system. In a July 20 statement, White said the CSU’s budget was cut by about $299 million due to the impacts of the pandemic on the state’s economy. Kelly added that in the final state budget for 2020-21, the CSU will receive more than $3.7 billion from California. This is about half of what it received from the state for the 2019-20 year according to the CSU website on funding. “The CSU will continue to focus on student achievement while working to mitigate the effects of a reduced budget,” Kelly said. “How that will manifest on campuses will be different across the university based on the ability to tap into other sources such as reserves and other campus-specific ways to manage budget cuts.” Follow Lexie on Twitter @lexie4real

Academic Senate passes teaching evaluations changes Connie L. Lurie College of Education, said she opposed the amendment. She said that in any circumstance, students need opportunities to provide faculty members with feedback that will be seen by evaluators. “[Faculty] is saying to students, ‘We’re not going to take that feedback into account,’ ” Lattimer said. “We’re saying that [students] are supposed to navigate this and be held accountable, but we are not going to hold ourselves accountable.’ ” But Laura Sullivan-Green, department chair of the geotechnical engineering By Stephanie Lam graduate program, approved the amendment STAFF WRITER and said that faculty members needed more time to adjust to the current circumstances The San Jose State Academic Senate before they could feel confident about passed an amendment during yesterday’s their performance. meeting allowing professors to exclude this “We need to make sure we put the control year’s teaching effectiveness surveys from in the hands of faculty whose futures are their course evaluations. being decided here,” Sullivan-Green said. “We cannot use ordinary evaluations during these extraordinary times,” said RTP process Sharmin Khan, academic senator and SJSU Despite encouragement from senators language and linguistics professor, who said to assist SJSU President Mary Papazian in determining when to use an alternate she favored the amendment. The amendment passed with a criteria to measure the retention, tenure and promotion process during these unusual 35-12-2 vote. The Student Opinion of Teaching circumstances, the Senate voted against Effectiveness surveys (SOTEs) are the idea. “There have been occasions in the administered electronically to students at the end of every term. The survey asks past where I may have a little less faith in students to evaluate their instructors’ the president declaring an emergency in situations that the faculty may feel that such classroom performance. According to the SJSU School of declaration might be called for,” business Information, SOTEs are one of two ways professor Simon Rodan said. RTP is the process where professors put teaching effectiveness is measured, the other being an evaluation from a full-time together portfolios of their work that is evaluated by committees at several levels to faculty member. Some faculty and student senators determine if they get a promotion or tenure. Kenneth Peter, chair of the professional however, raised concerns at the Zoom meeting that student feedback won’t be standards committee, said in the meeting that the collaboration would not be practical. considered if the amendment is approved. He said that the president is the only Heather Lattimer, dean of the

Senate votes yes on omitting professors’ course evaluations, no to collaboration on tenure criteria

[Faculty] is saying to students, ‘We’re not going to take that feedback into account.’ We’re saying that [students] are supposed to navigate this and be held accountable, but we are not going to hold ourselves accountable. Heather Lattimer dean of the Connie L. Lurie College of Education

person with the authority to suspend and sanction the RTP policy, and said the Senate would not be in a workable situation in an emergency setting to advise the president.

No Faculty Layoffs for 2020-21 Papazian told the Senate that SJSU will be able to get through the school year without any faculty member layoffs. The concern about losing teaching positions came from an announcement from San Francisco State Thursday that it will lay off over 100 staff members because of CSU-wide budget cuts. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to continue to support our faculty and staff in terms of employment stability,” Papazian said. She also said that the biggest cut in SJSU’s budget so far came from the lack of on-campus housing. “We’re looking at some pretty big gaps,” Papazian said.

IN BRIEF Academic Senate passed an amendment allowing professors to exclude 2020 teaching-eﬀectiveness surveys from their course evaluations. A proposal to assist the university president with updating criteria for the retention, tenure and promotion process failed to pass. Academic Senate oﬃcially recognizes the traditional home of the Puichon Ohlone-speaking people.

Land Acknowledgement For the first time in the history of the SJSU Academic Senate, senators read a statement recognizing the land rights of Native Americans in the Bay Area. The land acknowledgment, provided by the Indian Health Center of the Santa Clara Valley, recognizes that the San Francisco Bay region is the, “traditional home of the Puichon Ohlone-speaking people and the present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.” Ravisha Mathur, chair of the Academic Senate, said a senator will volunteer to read the statement at the beginning of every meeting moving forward. “It’s an education, enlisting our speakers and audience to learn about a region of indigenous history,” Mathur said. Follow Stephanie on Twitter @Steph.C.Lam

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2020

PHOTOS BY BLUE NGUYEN | SPARTAN DAILY

Local Color contributing artists Jimmy Paints (left) and Wesley Haack (right) create their nature-inspired murals at the corner of Second Street and Santa Clara Street.

Botanical art blooms downtown By Jovanna Olivares STAFF WRITER

Despite the smoke-filled air and hazy apocalyptic-like skies caused by the recent wildfires, the streets of Downtown San Jose were brought back to life with colorful window art across storefronts. Over the weekend, Local Color, a self-described woman-led nonprofit seeking to provide economic opportunities for South Bay artists, hosted a three-day window painting event called Hella Gardens. The botanical-themed art party incorporated aspects of nature to a completely urbanized downtown area, while beautifying the windows of currently closed businesses and permanently vacant shops. Lou Jimenez, a San Jose State art history junior and Local Color artist, painted a calming organic piece she worked on throughout the weekend. “[I was trying] to go for something a little bit more vintage [and] do something softer,” Jimenez said. “[Like if you] put a couch right in front of the piece, [it] makes you want to smoke a cigarette. Just something mellow.” Many artists saw the event as an opportunity to change the ambiance of downtown and Jimenez attempted to convey a more soothing environment with her art. “This suits me, so I figured it might suit folks that are actually from this block. This is their street, this is our home,” Jimenez said. “I wanted to do that for them.” Local Color started in 2016 as a way to establish a community space for artists to come together and collaborate with each other. Since then, the nonprofit has contracted artists to add liveliness to otherwise bland San Jose buildings. Permanently closed businesses are frequently targeted by Local Color to be transformed into visual art structures. Artists at the event were assigned to abandoned storefronts throughout downtown and were encouraged to incorporate hidden bugs in their pieces for a simultaneous I Spy game available for the public to participate in throughout the event. Using the hashtag “#hellagardens,” members of the community were invited to stroll by the makeshift exhibits to experience

the new ambiance and to find the hidden bugs. Despite the unhealthy air quality, artists were still committed to creating and displaying their murals. Twenty pre-selected South Bay artists were each paid $425 for their work and were provided meals from supporting organizations and establishments. One of those organizations included San Jose Downtown Association, which according to its website, strives to provide Downtown San Jose with a vibrant atmosphere for its residents and businesses through community events. Many of the artists said the distinct nature of the event captivated the art community while enhancing its interactive engagement. “When people see us actually in the act of working, it’s kind of fun,” said Paige Mason, one of the artists at the event. “We have some conversation, it gives me a chance to say ‘check out Local Color. Local art. Local people.’ ” Mason has worked with Local Color for the last two years and has also contributed to several other art pieces. The “100 Block” mural, located on First Street and San Carlos Street, was among those projects. The gigantic mural is known for its vibrant, contrasting patterns all the way down the street. Each 3-by-3 square contains unique art from 100 contributing artists resulting in a massive mural. Community members have regarded it as one of the most recognized pieces in the city and was submitted to Guinness World Records for “largest collaborative mural.” This weekend, Mason continued working with Local Color and created a lively chrysanthemum flower piece on the windows of an empty business. She said her inspiration for the flora and fauna piece was her love for drawing hair. “So for me, I was going more for the texture,” Mason said. “I also love drawing hair. I wanted to do something reminiscent to me, like poofy hair.” With smoke from fires adding to the bleakness of an empty downtown, the green in her piece stood out.

ABOUT The Spartan Daily prides itself on being the San Jose State community’s top news source. New issues are published every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the academic year and online content updated daily. The Spartan Daily is written and published by San Jose State students as an expression of their First Amendment rights. Reader feedback may be submitted as letters to the editor or online comments.

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Many artists also expressed gratitude for the paid opportunity from Local Color. Artist Leila Ziyalan, who worked on a floral piece directly across from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) station on Second Street and Santa Clara Street, was thankful to have a commissioned piece. “They focus on mainly keeping artists employed. I feel like a lot of us don’t find much work so they focus on finding ways to keep us busy [and] give us the work that we can’t find right now,” Ziyalan said. “Most places don’t really want to be spending the money on paying for things like art.” According to San Jose’s Public Art Program, 1% of city capital is used for budgeting commissions, purchasing and artwork installations. Despite the city’s lack of funding, Local Color artists have continued their craft as an escape from reality during these isolated times. “It’s very important for mental health, especially when we’re in stressful times like with COVID, smoke and everything,” said Wesley Haack, an artist and first-time Local Color contributor. “When you’re stuck inside, art is a way to make inside become so much more. The possibilities are endless. I’m appreciative of Local Color and Top: Artist Whitney Pintello paints a large butterfly design on the front what they do.” doors of an empty storefront located at 38 South Second Street.

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Bottom: Artist Leila Ziyalan wears a mask and follows social distancing guidelines while she paints her mural at 72 South Second Street.

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OPINION

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2020

Keep the masks after COVID-19 Lexie Shezifi STAFF WRITER

Face masks should be normalized in the U.S. after the coronavirus pandemic because of the benefits it can provide, like slowing the spread of other diseases. But it won’t be easy convincing people to continue wearing them after the threat of COVID-19 passes. This pandemic has changed people’s everyday routines and made wearing face masks essential when going out. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an order in June, which made face coverings mandatory in public spaces where social distancing is not possible. This has enraged some people who feel that it is an infringement on their civil liberties. This gave rise to the “antimaskers,” people who refuse to wear masks. A probability-based Gallup Panel survey conducted from June 29-July 5 indicated that only 44% of Americans always wear a mask in public, while 28% wear one often and 29% wear a mask sometimes or never. It’s crazy to think how wearing a mask gets so many people upset, despite the research showing how it can actually save lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, a July 14

news release stated that the CDC, “affirms that cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities.” The website also included the current case numbers for the U.S., which has had approximately 6.5 million COVID-19 cases as of publication. Out of the 50 states, California has the highest number of cases in the U.S. at almost 755,000 as of publication. Because of the struggle to manage the amount of COVID-19 cases, masks will likely be mandatory until the numbers decrease. But even when they are no longer mandated, masks should stick around because they provide health benefits that would still apply even after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC, masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings. Using a mask helps to prevent an asymptomatic carrier of the virus from potentially spreading it to others. According to an April 3 Los Angeles Times article, recent studies indicate that “at least

BLUE NGUYEN | SPARTAN DAILY

From left to right: Tyler Cash, a justice studies freshman, Christian Rodriguez, a sociology freshman and Gulabjeet Singh, a business freshman, wear masks on their way to the Dining Commons on Monday.

12% to 20% of people who test positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic and may be spreading the virus without realizing it.” The main way that masks help to protect against illness is by blocking droplets that are emitted from our mouths when we speak. Which means wearing a mask during flu season doesn’t sound like such a bad idea, because the number of people who catch the flu could potentially be cut drastically if everyone wore a mask. The CDC estimates that in recent years, anywhere from 24 million to 45 million people are affected by the

CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE

flu during its peak season, which is typically from December to January. Wearing masks could lower the risk of infection by blocking droplets from individuals who have contracted the illness and prevent them from spreading it to others. A 2018 report from the CDC concluded that 80,000 people in the U.S. died from the flu during the 2017 flu season. If everyone wore masks, that number could have potentially been cut to a fraction of the cases. While the health benefits of masks are the main reason why they should stick

around, they can also be used another way. In countries like Japan and South Korea, masks have become part of the fashion culture and are used to accessorize outfits. Catherine Kim, an editorial intern at Politico, wrote about her experience going to middle school in Seoul in a Aug. 11 article and how face masks are used to define the cool and popular kids, making them seem “trendy and mysterious.” She also touched on the fact that people in countries like South Korea wore masks before the government made it a requirement. Kim talked about how

SUDOKU PUZZLE Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

masks saw increased usage in South Korea in 2008 when a member of a popular boy band at the time, Big Bang, was seen wearing them. Publicizing the fact that celebrities are wearing masks could potentially encourage their fans to adopt wearing them too. Wearing a mask isn’t something that everyone necessarily wants to do, but it’s something that we should strive for because it has the potential to keep saving lives from the flu even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Follow Lexie on Twitter @lexie4real

JOKIN’ AROUND What’s a programmer’s favorite drink?

Java.

SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. Wizardry 6. Boohoos 10. Ailments 14. 3-banded armadillo 15. A city in western Russia 16. Encounter 17. Discourage 18. French for “State” 19. Use a beeper 20. Incense 22. Rectal 23. Type of antelope 24. Name of a book 25. Cuts the lawn 29. Lithesome 31. Upset 33. Wood-eating insect 37. Fail to fulfill a promise 38. Heretofore 39. Large spotted feline 41. Recipient 42. Fussy 44. Throw 45. A type of small mammal 48. Thorny flowers 50. Modify 51. Up to now

56. Fancy 57. Hairdo 58. Compare 59. Tall woody plant 60. Hawaiian feast 61. Made a mistake 62. German for “Mister” 63. L L L L 64. Tradess DOWN 1. Fabricated 2. Pinnacle 3. Nurse shark 4. Angers 5. Quibbles 6. Barren 7. Breakdown 8. Conspicuous 9. Satisfy 10. Disability 11. Inclined 12. Lawful 13. Inscribed pillar 21. Not western 24. Latin name for our planet 25. A crumbling earthy deposit 26. Curved molding

27. Drunkard 28. Mother’s new mate 30. Chevrotain 32. Anew 34. Moving within 35. Foot digits 36. Female sheep (plural) 40. Frightening 41. Vaporish 43. A pen for cattle 45. Profoundness 46. Idolize 47. Cheapskate 49. Anagram of “Doles” 51. Fit 52. Blaze 53. Gumbo 54. Bobbin 55. Concludes

09/10/2020

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2020

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSEPH KHALIFA

Jazmin Mack, SJSU marching band’s co-drum major and a chemistry senior, conducts the Spartan Marching and during a home football game against UNC on Aug. 30, 2019.

Mack confidently leads marching band Senior continues term as first female drum major in over 20 years By Stephanie Lam STAFF WRITER

Standing with both arms raised in the air in front of a crowd of over a hundred band members is where San Jose State chemistry senior and marching band drum major Jazmin Mack feels most alive. But that confidence to lead a group of students did not come easily to Mack at first. When Mack was a freshman in the Trabuco Hills High School marching band in Mission Viejo, California, she needed to collect signatures from people who would endorse her as a drum major. With shaking hands, Mack approached a friend and asked for his signature, and to her horror, he declined and said, “I don’t think you can do this.” “I was like, ‘OK, that’s fine.’ And then I went home and cried,” Mack said. Now at SJSU, Mack became the Spartan Marching Band’s first female drum major in more than 20 years when the band made the announcement on Facebook in September 2019. The drum major is the leader of the marching band during rehearsals and performances who carry out the instructions of the band director and other instructional staff. Additionally, drum majors at SJSU serve a maximum of two years and are selected every spring. However, Mack and fellow drum major and music education senior, AJ Gonzales, were automatically re-appointed last spring due to the pandemic. Mack said she originally developed an interest in playing music after watching her grandfather perform jazz songs in various nursing homes and restaurants. She learned the alto saxophone with the help of her grandfather and has played the instrument throughout her marching band career. The director of her high school’s marching band eventually encouraged Mack to audition for drum major during her freshman year and even helped Mack with her conducting every day after school until the final round of tryouts.

I should’ve just known that if I put in all the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears, and known that at the end of the day I did what I was supposed to do and more, that was all I needed. Jazmin Mack drum major and chemistry senior

Although Mack had few signatures filled out on the form, she said the director still decided to make her drum major. “He never told me why, but to me, I just thought [number of signatures] didn’t matter to him,” Mack said. “He saw the motivation and drive I had to be in that position.” She said the transition from being a band member to a lead position like drum major was hard for her because the upperclassmen didn’t respect her leadership and she said she felt her work was going unacknowledged. “I was in a position where I wanted recognition rather than just doing the job I was chosen to do,” Mack said. “I should’ve just known that if I put in all the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears, and known at the end of the day I did what I was supposed to do and more, that was all I needed.” When she applied to colleges, she looked for schools that had both a marching band and a good music program. Mack said she felt disheartened about applying for drum major for the Spartan Marching Band at SJSU after hearing that a female had not been chosen for the lead position in over 20 years. When current marching band director Craig McKenzie joined last year, Mack said he recognized how established and reliable she was and this

Many of Mack’s bandmates feel that she makes for a good role model for members to follow onto the field.

Mack leads the Spartan Marching Band reherseal for their performance during homecoming on Oct. 19, 2019.

Mack leads the Spartan Marching Band to a tailgate during the Oct. 10, 2019 homecoming football game.

led him to pick her as one of the band’s two drum majors. “[Mack] keeps everyone in the marching band working their hardest, producing the best possible music and cheering on our Spartans loudly and proudly at all times,” McKenzie said in an email with the Spartan Daily. “She does it all with a smile on her face a mile wide.” McKenzie said the marching band members couldn’t ask for better leaders than Mack and Gonzales, leading the band. “I think it’s really cool that I’m the first woman drum major in over 20 years,” Mack said. “Girls who come after me don’t have to be afraid to

doesn’t like her,” Herrera said. “She’s just super nice to everyone and everyone looks up to her.” Marching band photographer and former trumpet player Joseph Khalifa said Mack would calm the new members who were nervous before a game as she led the band onto the field. “Seeing her in uniform and leading the band for the first football game [in Fall 2019], it just really clicked with everyone like, ‘Yup, that’s one of our drum majors,’ ” Khalifa said. Mack said that even though her major in chemistry stems away from music, her love for

try out. If you have potential and you work hard . . . then [the position] is yours.” Jose Perez, political science junior and former drum line member, described Mack as a “great leader,” and said she always makes sure band members are prepared and organized for shows. “All [of Mack’s] best qualities come out when she’s in the marching band,” Perez said. “She just kicks [our energy] up three notches.” Like Perez, Mia Herrera, justice studies junior and trombone player, said Mack is a good role model for the band members. “I don’t know anyone that

the marching band will always stay with her. “Marching band is my outlet, it’s the one place I can go to where I can work hard for something that I love and appreciate,” she said. “I know that all the values and beliefs that I’ve taken from marching band will go into whatever career or aspect of life that I’ll be going into within the next five, 10 and 30-something years.”

Follow Stephanie on Twitter @Steph.C.Lam