Issuu

California 2021 recall election

votes counted as of 10 p.m. PST Tuesday 62% reported votes

66.4%

33.6% Yes

No SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021

Volume 157 No. 12 SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934

WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY

EVAN REINHARDT | SPARTAN DAILY

Kinesiology lecturer Angelique Batt leads her cardio-kickboxing class of about 30 students in the Spartan Complex Tuesday. Batt teaches class in person and online.

SJSU faculty talks mask mandate With many San Jose State desks now occupied by students, faculty members are expected to enforce university mask guidelines. Students, faculty and staff are required to wear masks on campus at all times when indoors, except when alone in a private office with closed doors, according to the SJSU Health Advisories webpage. Masks must be worn outside when a six-foot physical distance is difficult to maintain, according to the same webpage. SJSU reinforced its mask mandate after the Santa Clara County Public Health Department announced new public health orders on Aug. 2 in light of the delta variant’s continued emergence. The county’s mask mandate was a reversal of the public health department’s June 21 release that stated fully vaccinated individuals aren’t required to wear masks in public places. The new orders require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, according to the public health order. Political science lecturer Jeremy Abrams said minimal mask enforcement has been needed in his classes. “Once in a while I’ve had to say, ‘Can you

make sure your mask covers your nose,’ and they cover it up,” Abrams said. “Anything that helps reduce the spread of this disease, I’m in favor of. The more that students understand that, the easier it is to make sure everybody’s doing the right thing.” If students are found not wearing a mask in the classroom, instructors should ask them to comply, according to an Aug. 18 campuswide email from Patrick Day, vice president of student affairs. Day said if students refuse to put on a mask, they’ll be asked to leave the space. Further non compliance or disruptive behavior can result in class being cancelled and disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct. Kinesiology lecturer Angelique Batt said while many instructors may be willing to implement the rules, it can add extra obstacles to their teaching roles. Batt said she feels prepared to follow the proper protocol to keep staff and students safe, but believes extra assistance in the classroom could be beneficial. “Someone should be here in the class to support the teacher, so I could focus on teaching and someone else could focus on getting [anti-maskers] out of class,” Batt said. “I’ve been fortunate I haven’t had to deal with it.” Kenneth Mashinchi, senior director of strategic communication and media relations,

AUG16 - SEP22

2021

ILLUSTRATON BY HANZ PACHECO

said faculty and staff have sufficient tools to enforce mask-wearing.

I think the university has done an excellent job in preparing [instructors for in-person class.] But as an educator, my job is to educate, not to police the mask policy. Abraham Wolcott physical chemistry assistant professor

“SJSU has provided instructors with [informational] resources to manage addressing mask non compliance in the classroom,” Mashinchi said. “Instructors and students are encouraged to complete the Incident Reporting Form if they find individuals on campus are not complying with mask and face covering guidelines.” In an Aug. 10 email to faculty and staff, Vincent Del Casino Jr., provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, said additional information will be provided throughout the semester. “Student conduct issues will be managed by Student Affairs,” Del Casino said. “Student Affairs is also identifying processes for managing students that do not adhere to the masking requirement.” Student Affairs aims to assist students in navigating life on campus by providing information and hosting events within the SJSU community, according to its website. Although instructors were sent safety protocols to implement, physical chemistry assistant professor Abraham Wolcott said his job description doesn’t include enforcing the mask mandate. “I think the university has done an excellent

job in preparing [instructors for in-person class],” Wolcott said. “But as an educator, my job is to educate, not to police the mask policy. Thank goodness most students are following the guidelines very well.” Wolcott said the university should create a Canvas page to better update faculty and staff on the mask protocol and to more easily address individual cases of mandate defiance. In the past two weeks, one staff member has contracted the coronavirus and reported their case, according to the university’s COVID-19 Dashboard. No faculty or staff members have reported a case in the same span of time, according to the same dashboard. While many students may be content with the university’s COVID-19 protocol, some agree instructors shouldn’t carry the burden of imposing the mandate. Chemical engineering senior Jacob Rodriguez said faculty and staff shouldn’t have to worry about policing mask-defiant students. “I don’t think it should be up to the teachers. They’re just here to teach, right? That’s their job,” Rodriguez said. “It puts more pressure on them because it shouldn’t be their responsibility to enforce the rules.” Batt said on-call UPD officers would be useful to deal with these students. Batt said while she understands the difficulty of participating in P.E. classes with a mask, she’s confident her students will be fitter for it. Psychology senior Leslee Patiño said it can be frustrating to still see individuals defy campus guidelines. “Everyone should already know that they have to wear a mask. It’s not hard to wear a mask,” Patiño said. “I just drove all the way here, I paid my parking. Now we’re not having class because [someone] doesn’t want to wear a mask? If that was my situation, I would be mad.” Follow Evan on Twitter @ReinhardtEvan

FREE IN-PERSON&VIRTUALEVENTS

#WOWSJSU

STAFF WRITER

bit.ly/WOWSJSU2021

By Evan Reinhardt

sjsunews.com/spartan_daily

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mariachi group honors culture

PHOTOS BY JAIME CABRERA | SPARTAN DAILY

Above: Richard Concepion, San Jose State graduate student (left), Freddy Robles, freshman business and marketing major (middle left), alumnus Angel Ortega (middle right) and Betsabe Lopez play their trumpets Thursday at a Mariachi Oroazul de SJSU member’s house. Bottom right: alumnus Jose Sanchez (left), accounting and finance senior Alfonso Lopez (middle) and psychology senior Miguel Bernabe jam out. Bottom left: senior Jill Hirsh focuses on playing her violin.

By Estevan Lopez STAFF WRITER

Mariachi Oroazul, a San Jose State group composed of students and alumni, have striven to bring the Mexican culture’s sound and music to Spartans. The instruments that generate Mariachi Oroazul’s authentic sound range from violins to trumpets and inject deep passion into their songs and stories. The Mariachi is a version of Spanish theatrical orchestra containing violins, guitars and a harp, according to a New Mexico State Mariachi History report. The ensemble that’s familiar today began to take shape in the 19th century in the Mexican state Jalisco. Betsabe Lopez plays the trumpet and has been a part of the group since 2019. “I want to keep the tradition alive and to keep inspiring people in my community to be connected to their roots,” Lopez said. “The vision I see for Mariachi Oroazul is for it to eventually become more known in the community.” Jose Sanchez, Mariachi Oroazul founder and SJSU alumnus, has sung and played the trumpet for 13 years. Sanchez started Mariachi Oroazul in 2018. ”Ultimately, mariachi music thrives in San Jose from the middle schools to the high schools and throughout the area,” Sanchez said. “But, there’s a big gap between high school and the programs that are available in the area, so I’d like to bridge that gap by providing music education, providing leadership opportunities to our students and [creating] chances to work with the community.” Mariachi Oroazul’s goal is to inspire students to come out and learn about Mexico’s rich culture and tradition of mariachi music. “Oftentimes, we work for loss of words to express emotion, ourselves through the music, lyricism and emotion,” all of our seniors and Sanchez said. “I find that the ability to players really find

I find that all of our seniors and players really find the ability to express themselves, whether it’s through the words that are reenacting a scene or they’re painting a story for you. That empowerment to spread the message has my heart pumping and just thinking about that brings passion to me and to all my colleagues.

Jose Sanchez

Mariachi Oroazul founder SJSU alumnus

express themselves, whether it’s throug through the words that are reenacting a scene or they’re pai painting a story for you. That empowerment to spread the message has my heart pumping and just thinkin thinking about that brings passion to me and to all my colleag colleagues.” The group’s players are mesmeric and iin sync with each of their instruments as they know this is more than just music, he said. Lop business Alfonso Lopez, administration se senior, said he he’s played in a mariachi grou since he group w a s in middle school and wanted to carry on his talent through college. t “Learning the history how of [mariachi evolv music] evolved from European-style music to a Mexican-distinc Mexican-distinctive genre goosebu gives me goosebumps when sa I’m playing,” Lopez said. fr Mariachi originates from Mexico natives in the early 16th century, acco according to the 75-year store West Music. These natives had their own highly developed mastere European musical traditions, but quickly mastered musical practices and adapted other ccultural and

musical blending of indigenous and foreign elements, according to the West Music Mariachi History webpage. Mariachi Oroazul’s strum of guitars and vocal vibrations gives any listener who loves mariachi chills when watching the group live. “It’s a great honor to represent our culture and also being able to represent [SJSU] so obviously we got to try our best,” Lopez said. Everything has a purpose when it comes to mariachi music from the lyrics to the uniforms they wear when performing, which is called “trajes.” Mariachi Oroazul sported their new trajes for the semester, which are true to traditional mariachi outfit designs with Spartans’ blue bow ties and gold-adorned buttoning on their “chaquetillas” or short jackets and their fitted trousers or skirts. Their outfits also consist of embroidered belts and “botines de charro,” which are ankle-high boots. “When we put our trajes on I feel it’s a sign of honor. I read books on history and it was a uniform for soldiers back then for the conquistadors in Mexico,” Lopez said. “Every time I put the traje on and perform [I’m] representing Mexico and Mexicans.” Mariachi Oroazul will perform Thursday at San Jose City Hall in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day.

Follow Estevan on Twitter @9estevan

sjsunews.com/spartan_daily

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2021

Bay Area inspires new Marvel movie By Saumya Monga

ABC is slang for American-Born Chinese,’ ” Veronica Wang, a Chinese American who lives in the Bay Area, said in a Sunday phone call. In “Diamonds + And Pearls,” the lyrics are rife with references to bubble tea or boba, a Bay Area drink staple that originated from Asia. Despite the authenticity of the music, Wong said the film tried to cater to Western audiences a bit too much. “I honestly think they didn’t take enough advantage of the Chinese culture and mythology that was available to them,” Wong said. Despite some cultural plot holes in the film, the music feels as though they are introducing authentic Asian culture to the U.S.

STAFF WRITER

When Sean Miyashiro started his music collective and record label known as 88rising in 2016, he had one goal: create a home for Asian American artists. Five years later, 88rising produced the soundtrack for the first Asian American Marvel film, “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” The film is about Shang Chi, played by Canadian actor Simu Liu, coming to terms with his past and discovering where he belongs in his family’s Ten Rings organization. All the songs are written by artists directly involved with 88rising including Indonesian singer NIKI and Indonesian rapper Rich Brian. Although 88rising has become the go-to record label for Asian Americans in the Bay Area, Miyashiro has never lost sight of where he came from. The collective can be heard chanting their name 88rising during the intro of most songs including “Always Rising” and “Diamonds + And Pearls.” Miyashiro said when the collective first began, no one knew the name 88rising and now he doesn’t want people to forget who they are. Originally from San Jose,

ILLUSTRATION BY DAISHA SHERMAN

Miyashiro said the collective, its artists and him have clearly been influenced by Asian American immigrant culture in the Bay Area, which can be heard on every produced track. “I don’t think that you could save me. The Bay, it raised me,” Guapdad 4000 raps in his song, “Foolish.” Guapdad 400 is an American Filipino and African American

movie review

soundtrack review

“Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

“Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album”

Rating:

Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina Genre: action

Label: Marvel music Released: Sept. 1, 2021 Genre: hip-hop/rap

rapper based in the Bay Area whose album “1176” was released by 88rising in March. Shang Chi contains scenes in San Francisco that pair nicely with 88rising’s roots. One scene in the movie is based in San Francisco’s Chinatown as Red Lanterns sway and Shang Chi walks down windy streets filled with Asian-owned convenience stores and restaurants that sell traditional Chinese dishes called Dim Sum. “There’s always this unspoken camaraderie among the Asian American community up [in the Bay Area],” Mikee Loria, a Filipino American from the Bay Area, said in a Sunday Zoom call. This is definitely depicted in the movie when Shang Chi is immediately treated like family when visiting his best friend’s home. Her family serves him food and he speaks to them with such familiarity, it’s as if they are related by blood. Loria says the Bay Area community is not only robust but also extremely tight knit and the

CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE

movie reflects that in every way. “The small details like [Shang Chi] taking off [his] shoes before he went into the apartment was very true to [the] Asian American experience,” Loria said. Just like in the scenes, those details continue with the soundtrack. Songs such as “Baba” and “Always Rising” make direct references to Asian American immigrant parents. However, instead of the stereotypical strict Asian parent, “Always Rising” talks about all of the culture and love they give their kids. “Momma call my celly, ‘Food gettin’ cold,’ ” Indonesian artist Warren Hue raps in “Always Rising.” The movie and its soundtrack ditch the Asian stereotypes that are frequently used in U.S. media and instead opt for a more authentic depiction of Asian American culture. “The parents speak Chinese and then [the characters] respond in English, and I’m just like that’s definitely something I do a lot. There’s this joke in the middle where [a character] said, ‘I speak ABC and

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

There’s always this unspoken camaraderie among the Asian American community up [in the Bay Area]. Mikee Loria Filipino American from the Bay Area

They’re no longer assimilating but rather asking the rest of the U.S. to understand Asian American culture. “I think the film and the music gave so much opportunity for Asian Americans to be the spearhead of their own projects,” Loria said. “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” wasn’t flawless but it did open doors to more diverse representation of Asian Americans. As for Sean Miyashiro and 88rising, I think they’re cementing themselves as Asian-American household names. Follow Saumya on Twitter @SaumyaMonga

JOKIN’ AROUND “What kind of shoes do ninjas wear?”

“Sneakers!”

SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. Cleans 6. Dogfish 10. Umpires 14. Unreactive 15. Telephoned 16. Angel’s headwear 17. Step 18. French for “Head” 19. Always 20. Similitude 22. Rip 23. Toward sunset 24. Rubbishy 26. Throw 30. Needlefish 31. Atmosphere 32. Decorative case 33. Dwarf buffalo 35. Cheapskate 39. A gathered flounce 41. A counterbalanced structure 43. Not our 44. Not more 46. Boats 47. Excavate 49. Frozen 50. In order to prevent 51. A type of beauty treatment 54. Accomplishes

56. Ends a prayer 57. Dental medicine 63. Western tie 64. Hairless 65. Papal court 66. Humdinger 67. Balm ingredient 68. Archaic form of Gnarl 69. God of love 70. Extend credit 71. French for “Room” DOWN 1. Platter 2. “Do ___ others...” 3. Where two pieces meet 4. Journey 5. Chaff 6. Using traditional skills 7. Musical master 8. Moving within 9. Order of business 10. Bombastic 11. Roof overhangs 12. Wingless bloodsucking insects 13. Apologetic 21. Kingly 25. Edges 26. Significance 27. A D-Day beach

28. Govern 29. Driven by lust 34. Ran off 36. Certain 37. Large North American deer (plural) 38. A musical pause 40. Diva’s solo 42. Heretofore (2 words) 45. An apparition 48. Worldwide 51. A short moral story 52. French for “Love” 53. A stringed instrument 55. Hosiery 58. Broad valley 59. Roman moon goddess 60. By mouth 61. Lass 62. Harvard rival

Sept. 14

PLACE YOUR AD HERE Place your Classified Ads Online at Spartandaily. CampusAve.com

SpartanDailyAdvertising @gmail.com

Our office at DBH 213 is closed because of the pandemic.

sjsunews.com/spartan_daily

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2021

ILLUSTRATION BY DAISHA SHERMAN

It’s time to stand up against toxicity People should be able to leave harmful relationships without question Christine Stevens STAFF WRITER

If someone is narcissistic or dysfunctional and their behavior causes grief and pain to others, they’re without a doubt toxic. Toxic people constantly repeat the same negative behavioral patterns regardless of the destructive effects. If someone in your life exhibits toxic behavior it’s OK, even beneficial, to cut ties with them. They only care about themselves. They gaslight you while being emotionally manipulative and abusive. Gaslighting is a manipulation tactic where the abuser manipulates someone by making them question their own reality, according to a June 2020 Psychology Today article. They exploit someone’s insecurities and vulnerabilities. It shouldn’t matter whether they’re a family member, friend or colleague. They master the art of bringing those around them down and sometimes even play victim when confronted. Blame shifting is similar to gaslighting, but instead of making the person think they’re crazy, the blame shifter will put the blame on the other individual and make them feel like everything is their fault, according to the same Psychology Today article. It’s time to take a deep breath, stand your ground and stop making excuses for their bad behaviors. We struggle to cut out toxic family members mostly because we feel a sense of guilt or family loyalty, according to an Oct. 18, 2019 Psych Central article. Psych Central breaks down the stigma surrounding mental illness by providing articles written by people who’ve dealt with mental health issues. Yes, all families are different and some are more connected than others, but typically it’s taboo to cut family members out of your life because family is supposed to “stick together.” Personally, I broke the taboo practice and cut toxic family members out of my life. Despite feelings of loss and guilt, I can honestly say it’s made me much happier because my mental health is more important than trying to hold on to a relationship that has only caused me pain. My mother has bipolar disorder and while I’ve tried everything to maintain some type of relationship with her, it’s always ended badly. Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that causes someone to have extreme mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. Manic episodes

usually make the person act in ways they normally wouldn’t and sometimes can make them become violent. These mood swings can last anywhere from days to weeks. When she’d have one of her manic episodes, she’d act crazed and call me names, making me feel awful inside. When she wasn’t acting like that, she’d be very nice and show an interest in my life but I’m constantly on edge wondering when she’s going to go back to her manic state. My mom also believes in unhinged conspiracy theories that only contribute to her mania. My final straw was when I told her I got the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine before starting a summer job as a camp counselor and she told me that I would “rot in hell.” Usually, I go back and forth between talking to her and not talking to her because the idea of not really having a mom is very hard. But, I told myself I wouldn’t be able to endure this type of toxic behavior anymore.

Personally, I broke the taboo practice and cut toxic family members out of my life. Despite feelings of loss and guilt, I can honestly say it’s made me much happier because my mental health is more important than trying to hold on to a relationship that has only caused me pain. After cutting multiple family members off, I learned it’s OK to remove toxic people from your life if they seriously hinder your energy, emotions and mental state. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “they make me feel horrible about myself, but I can’t cut them out of my life because they’re family. Blood is blood.” Take it from me, if a family member is harmful to your health and growth then you shouldn’t force

ABOUT

EDITORIAL STAFF

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.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRYANNA BARTLETT

The Spartan Daily is written and published by San Jose State students as an expression of their First Amendment rights.

NEWS EDITOR MADILYNNE MEDINA

COPY EDITORS SAVANNAH NATIVIDAD KAH MUN CHIA ALAN BAEZ REBECCA LEE HAILEY FARGO

A&E EDITOR JOVANNA OLIVARES

SPORTS COPY EDITOR JESUS TELLITUD

Reader feedback may be submitted as letters to the editor or online comments.

MANAGING EDITOR SAMANTHA HERRERA

PHOTO EDITOR SANDRA SANTOS-CRUZ

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS JAMIE BENNETT SARAH DWYER

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS YANN LAPNET JAIME CABRERA TRAVIS WYNN

STAFF WRITERS AMANI HAMED EVAN REINHARDT CHRISTOPHER NGUYEN SAUMYA MONGA DON LE CHRISTINE STEVENS ESTEVAN LOPEZ

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MADISON FAGUNDES NEWS EDITOR CHRISTINA CASILLAS

OPINION EDITOR ROYVI HERNANDEZ SPORTS EDITOR ISALIA GALLO SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SARA WILER

GRAPHICS EDITORS NICK YBARRA HANZ PACHECO LINDSAY VILLAMOR AUDREY TSENG DAISHA SHERMAN AARON CHEUNG

PRODUCTION CHIEF MIKE CORPOS NEWS ADVISER RICHARD CRAIG

yourself to endure their never-ending cycle. This can be harder in a parent-child relationship. The child might want to cut a parent out of their life, but they feel as if they can’t because they brought them into this world. The child then has to live with knowing that, as long as that parent stays in their life, they will always be unhappy and will most likely be coping alone. The abuse can still have a strong hold over the child, even after they have made the step of cutting off their parent. All the demeaning, insensitive things the parent said to them remain in their head and it’s draining and almost suffocating having to battle off those negative thoughts and emotions. While people are capable of change, it’s especially hard for those who battle mental illnesses and aren’t seeking help to change their harmful behaviors. If someone in your family has bipolar disorder or narcissistic personality disorder and is not seeking treatment, it can be extremely hard for them to maintain close interpersonal relationships including with their family members. Narcissists need to be the center of attention and can be perceived as outgoing and talkative, according to an Aug. 11, 2019 Psychology Today article. The difference between a narcissist and someone with narcissistic personality disorder is someone with the disorder will use destructive tactics to exploit relationships, according to the same Psychology Today article. Most of the time, people with narcissistic personality disorder aren’t even aware they’re narcissistic, according to the same article. As the first step to any problem is recognizing there is one, this makes the path to breaking toxic cycles look nonexistent. Narcissists destroy everyone who is pulled into their lies and manipulation. Being raised by a narcissistic parent can lead to many problems with future relationships and damages your self esteem, according to a July 9, 2016 Forbes article. This can be the case with partners as well. After someone leaves their toxic or abusive partner, they may end up returning to them several times because it feels “better” than processing the loss that comes with living life without them. Toxic people, who refuse to notice or even change their hurtful behavior, aren’t worth the damage they cause to you. If you find yourself asking, “Is this person toxic?” then trust your gut: You already know.

ADVERTISING STAFF ADVERTISING DIRECTOR MIA WICKS CREATIVE DIRECTOR KALEB FARNETTI ADVERTISING REPS ABAS ALTUWARISH ASHLEY BARCELON BRANDON VU DONOVAN FRANCIS ENSIYAH SYED ISABELLA VICTORIA HAGGERTY JOHAN ROMANI-CACERES JOSHUA TORRES JUAN TAPIA ZAVALA KENNETH TRIEU LINH LAM LINH THIEU MOISES CARATACHEA SAM LEE SEAN MARTIN

Follow the Spartan Daily on Twitter @SpartanDaily SEVERIANO MENDEZ YULIAN FRANKIV SARA WILER

EMAIL: spartandailyadvertising @gmail.com

ADVERTISING ADVISER TIM HENDRICK

CORRECTIONS POLICY The Spartan Daily corrects all significant errors that are brought to our attention. If you suspect we have made such an error, please send an email to spartandaily@gmail.com.

BUSINESS MANAGER CINDY LUU

ADVERTISING – TELEPHONE: 408-924-3240

EDITORIAL POLICY Columns are the opinion of individual writers and not that of the Spartan Daily. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is made up of student editors.