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Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

Volume 155 No. 15 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY

SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934

BLUE NGUYEN | SPARTAN DAILY

Protesters hold a 5-minute moment of silence for Breonna Taylor around the “Justice 4 Breonna” mural Wednesday night in front of San Jose City Hall after collaborating on it.

Protesters chant ‘say her name’ By Chelsea Nguyen Fleige PRODUCTION EDITOR

Protesters marched through Downtown San Jose Wednesday night chanting, “No justice, no peace,” expressing their anger over the recent development in the investigation of Breonna Taylor’s death. Taylor died on March 13 in Louisville, Kentucky when she was shot at least five times in her apartment by police officers executing a “no-knock” search warrant, according to a Sept. 9 New York Times article. She was a 26-year-old emergency medical technician at the time. The march began at City Hall around 9 p.m. after Nino, a Black Liberation and Collective Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.) Outreach San Jose public relations member, addressed the crowd.

Nino is also a chairman of the board for B.L.A.C.K. Outreach San Jose, a Black activist community collective, and is a part of HERO Tent, a nonprofit that aims to support protesters across the Bay Area with medical supplies. He and other members of the organization have requested not to use their last names out of concern for their safety. “The ruling today in Breonna Taylor’s case is bullshit, right?” he said. The crowd shouted their agreement. The Kentucky attorney general announced early Wednesday that a grand jury indicted one officer involved in the death of Taylor on three counts of “wanton endangerment,” for endangering the lives of Taylor’s neighbors during the raid. Wanton endangerment is classified as a Class D felony

The ruling today in Breonna Taylor’s case is bullshit, right? Nino B.L.A.C.K. Outreach San Jose board chairman and public relations member

wherein a person acts with, “extreme indifference to the value of human life,” and puts others in a deadly situation, according to Kentucky state law. A single charge carries a sentence of three to five years. There were no other charges related to Taylor’s death. Of the three officers directly involved in her death, former detective Brett Hankison has been fired.

“We out here for Breonna, Breonna Taylor’s family, Louisville, all the other cities who are going up, everyone else who passed away from police brutality,” Nino said. The protesters marched east on Santa Clara Street and north on First and West St. James Streets to the Thomas Fallon Statue of the aforementioned on horseback,, located on West Julian and St. James Streets. Some protesters graffitied the statue with “FTP,” “FDT,” “Justice for Breonna Taylor” and “Fuck White Supremacy,” then tied U.S. and Donald Trump flags to the statue, doused it in lighter fluid and set it ablaze. As police helicopters circled above, chants of “Fuck the police,” continued as protesters began to march back to San Jose City Hall. The organizers planned to

continue their demonstration all night but according to a live blog from San Jose Inside, dwindling numbers of protesters prompted them to decamp earlier than initially planned. “We’re gonna occupy City Hall,” said Jason, a B.L.A.C.K. Outreach organizer. The crowd originally gathered on the steps of San Jose City Hall a few hours earlier at 5 p.m. to address the need for police reform in the wake of the Breonna Taylor case. Approximately 40 people of all ages were actively demonstrating on the sidewalk outside City Hall. With signs emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter,” and “People over property,” the protesters chanted, “Say her name, Breonna Taylor,” PROTEST | Page 2

University requests $6 million from A.S. board By Laura Fields STAFF WRITER

The San Jose State Associated Students board of directors was presented with a request to consider granting the school money from the A.S. reserve funds during Wednesday’s Zoom meeting. Executive Director Carole Dowell, who presented the item, said this would help with the university’s $92 million deficit. Dowell said in the meeting the financial gap occurred because of the coronavirus pandemic, citing reasons such as loss of “state funding, spring refunds for housing, meal plans and parking fees.” In the proposal, SJSU requested a $4 million grant from the A.S. reserve fund for the 2020-21 academic year with an additional $1 million each year for two years after that. The grant, totaling $6 million from the A.S. funds, would be given to the university for “student-related purposes.” A.S. funds are generated from student fees accrued from things like the on-campus print shop and used to fund programs and opportunities for all students. A.S. directors took turns asking questions about the proposal to Dowell, Sonja Daniels, associate vice president of campus life and James Westbrook, A.S. finance and accounting manager. “If we give all this $4 million . . . that’s not even half of what we have left,” said Controller Flor Sario. “If you know anything about business, that’s one heck of a loan.” Associated Students currently has

$11 million in reserve funds, with a proposed operating budget of about $6 million for the 2020-21 academic year, according to the 2014-21 A.S. reserve analysis. Anoop Kaur, A.S. academic affairs director, asked if this was the first time the university asked for money from the board, to which Dowell said the request was unprecedented. Westbrook sided with the board saying that, “there wasn’t a good reason given,” for the university to ask for money from Associated Students. However, Westbrook admitted that the university would not be able to pay off a traditional loan with interest given the circumstances, which is why this method was proposed. Daniels provided more context to the board of directors on the budget situation and said that if the funding is not passed, there could be possible cuts to personnel, student affairs or academic advising. She said the university has financially invested in training teachers and technology that used a lot of the year’s budget, but that the university was still in a better position compared to other institutions. “No staff or faculty have gone through layoffs,” Daniels said. She compared the university’s lack of layoffs to San Francisco State, which laid off 131 staff members this semester, according to a Sept. 10 San Francisco Chronicle article. Daniels explained that there aren’t any new funds for new initiatives and the current funds are tightly allocated for certain purposes like for the Interdisciplinary Science Building.

It’s a dangerous precedent if we gift this money to the university, although it is important to support the university during this time. Anoop Kaur Associated Students Academic Aﬀairs director

“Those are kind of dedicated funds that you can’t all of a sudden go, ‘I’m going to stop building this building,’ without some major ramifications there,” Daniels said. Kadence Walker, A.S. legislative affairs director, asked if the $4 million dollars would be more like a gift, to which controller Sario confirmed that it would be. Walker then asked if the amount of money and duration of the grant could be negotiated. “You’re in the driver’s seat on this, you can reject it outright,” Finance Manager Westbrook replied. Kaur said if the grant is approved, the university could potentially use it as leverage to ask for more money in the future. “It’s a dangerous precedent if we gift this money to the university, although it is important to support the university during this time,” Kaur said. Because the proposal was just a discussion item for the Sept. 23 meeting, no decision was made on whether the

IN BRIEF The university proposes a grant of $6 million from the Associated Students reserve fund to help with its $92 million deﬁcit. Political science junior Britney Ortiz is the newest member of the A.S. academic aﬀairs committee. university would go through an official petition to approve the funds request.

Appointment of new finance committee members The meeting’s action items also included the appointment of new members to the A.S. finance committee, academic affairs committee and lobby corps. Britney Ortiz, a political science junior, said she was “super excited” to be elected to the A.S. Academic Affairs Committee and that she will bring her passion for social justice and equity in education to the table, in a phone interview with the Spartan Daily. “I know there have been some microaggressions between professors and students,” Ortiz said. “I want to help with that.” Follow Laura on Twitter @swimgirllaura

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NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020

Protesters demand justice for Breonna PHOTOS BY BLUE NGUYEN

B.L.A.C.K. Outreach San Jose, a Black activist collective, and HERO Tent, a nonprofit organization planned the protest a day prior in anticipation of the ruling in Breonna Taylor’s case.

ABOVE: Charlotte Cardenas, Noella Miranda-Espinosa and Destinyreyna Miranda-Espinosa chant “Black lives matter” in front of San Jose city hall. BELOW: 5-year-old Emily Garcia joins the protest with her mom and her 8-year-old brother Ruben (right) at San Jose City Hall yesterday afternoon.

ABOVE: B.L.A.C.K Outreach San Jose president Lou explains the symbolism

PROTEST Continued from page 1 while cars passing by honked in support. B.L.A.C.K. Outreach member Paris, said he was surprised the officers involved in the Taylor case didn’t lose everything, “just like her family lost everything.” “I’m outraged. I’m pissed off. I’m hurt, I’m sad,” he said. “But we gotta think about her family. Imagine what her family is going through.” In response to the fiscal settlement the city of Louisville is expected to pay Taylor’s family, Paris said, “$12 million for a life? A life is priceless.” The crowd grew to approximately 100 people by 7 p.m., when organizers erected a homemade 10-foot-tall guillotine among the flagpoles outside City Hall. Kiana Simmons, HERO Tent founder and president, said the constructed guillotine was a visual metaphor for defunding the police and taking down those in power. B.L.A.C.K. Outreach President Lou Dimes gathered the crowd together to explain the group’s rationale for building the art installation. “When people ask why a guillotine, it’s a symbol of an uprising . . . this is here as a symbol of us sick of people oppressing us,” Dimes said.

He said he has sent many requests to of the homemade guillotine to the crowd at City Hall Wednesday afternoon. speak to San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo about police reform, but those have been BELOW: Protesters set the Thomas Fallon Statue on fire Wednesday night ignored and the mayor’s office continues after covering it with graffiti. Fallon was San Jose’s 10th mayor in the 1850s. to attempt to address him indirectly through colleagues. Dimes encouraged protesters to camp out all night and continue the demonstration if they wanted to make a statement to City Hall. Around 8 p.m., protesters collaborated on a pavement mural in the dim illumination of City Hall lights. It read “Justice 4 Breonna” in purple paint. Jason, B.L.A.C.K Outreach organizer, called for police reform within the San Jose Police Department to meet the demands of the people. In addition to immediately putting officers involved in civilian-shooting incidents on leave, he said there should be more transparency and civilian oversight in the investigations that follow. “We should be able to decide if these are still gonna be the [ones] policing our communities and coming to our homes,” Jason said.

Follow Chelsea on Twitter @c_nguyenfleige Bryanna Bartlett contributed reporting to this article.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020

Couple builds online foodie influence By Lexie Shezifi STAFF WRITER

If you scroll through your Instagram explore page, it’s likely that it will be riddled with delicious-looking, mouthwatering food porn. One Bay Area couple decided to hone in on the trend and use their Instagram platform to add to the online culinary culture. Jay Singh and Mehak Saini, creators of Bay Area Bitez, are an engaged couple who review food spots around the Bay Area and upload it on their social media. The couple share a passion for food and often recommended local restaurants to friends and family before they created their Instagram page. It was also their friends who initially encouraged the couple to create their food account. “[They] would joke with us that we need to be food bloggers and I guess when COVID-19 hit we decided to share our love for food with others and help out small businesses get their name out there,” Saini said in an email. “It was all [Singh’s] idea and I was just helping him out.” Saini was born and raised in San Jose and is a 2014 San Jose State alumna with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. In 2018, she obtained a master’s degree in transportation management. Singh is a 2014 California State University, East Bay alumnus who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in finance. He currently works as an information technology systems quality assurance analyst, while Saini is a management analyst for Valley Transportation Authority. The couple said they balance full-time jobs and post on Bay Area Bitez in their free time. Their Instagram page consists of reviews of various foods from a plethora of local restaurants. From pizza and sweets to fried chicken and waffles, the couple covers it all.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAY AREA BITEZ

Mehak Saini (left) and Jay Singh (right) taste food and drinks at TOSTADAS restaurant in Downtown San Jose for an Instagram post.

Jeff Jackson, a close friend of Saini and Singh, has seen their Instagram page grow in popularity. “It has really expanded from what it was and the content they have up is really creative,” Jackson said over the phone. “They are people who do things and don’t just think about doing things, which is a testament to them as individuals.” Jackson said he feels inspired by what they’ve accomplished and that the three of them are thinking about starting a business in the future. With Bay Area Bitez gaining traction, the pair has become more comfortable with their roles in upkeeping their Instagram page. At first, Saini would taste the food while Singh would focus on taking pictures and editing for social media posts. Now, Saini said the two are working on evenly splitting up the work. Instead of one person having to buy

the food, photograph and edit, Saini said they team up to bring out the best in each other, which is what they feel makes their account unique. “Most of all, we have really similar goals and ambitions,” Saini said. “So it’s nice to have a vision that you can share with someone.” The couple said they also enjoy moments behind the scenes when things don’t always go as planned and they are able to have fun with photo and video outtakes. “There are times when I procrastinate and [Singh] gets me back on track and vice versa,” Saini said. “He lives and breathes everything Bay Area Bitez [and] sometimes and I have to tell him to take a break and unwind. We balance each other and I think that’s what makes Bay Area Bitez so successful.” The duo said their passion for the account comes from their love for food, multimedia and promoting small businesses.

“Our goal is to increase social media traffic and increase business for local food vendors and small businesses,” Saini said. “We analyze the analytics and have gotten feedback that businesses have seen an increase in orders and/or social media traffic due to our posts. Nothing makes us happier than that.” But for now, Saini and Singh said their Instagram account is a passion project because it doesn’t pay the bills yet. “We’re a couple who wants to share with the world the amazing food around the Bay [Area], and on top of that, helping local food vendors and small businesses,” Saini said. “When we are able to direct traffic and more business to struggling businesses during these tough COVID-19 times, it’s the most rewarding thing that keeps us motivated to keep creating content.” Follow Lexie on Twitter @lexie4real

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OPINION

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020

Gender reveals can be dangerous Lexie Shezifi STAFF WRITER

Gender reveal parties should be harmless fun events, but instead are becoming social media stunts that use dangerous means to get clicks and views. The idea of gender reveal parties was popularized in 2008 after blogger Jenna Karvunidis cut into a cake, revealing pink icing to celebrate finding out she was pregnant with a daughter. However, gender reveal parties have turned into elaborate and sometimes dangerous events that can lead to devastating effects to the environment. In April 2017 Dennis Dickey, a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona, fired a rifle at a target to learn the gender of his child, but ended up sparking a fire that caused more than $8 million in damages, according to an Oct. 1, 2018 New York Times article. Shooting at a target is just flat out not a good idea for a gender reveal party. The fire burning in El Dorado, California was the result of a “smokegenerating pyrotechnic device” that was used at a gender reveal party, according to a Sept. 6 Cal Fire news release.

The fact that these devastating wildfires were caused by parties is concerning and proves that dangerous stunts shouldn’t be happening at gender reveal parties. Recently, Karvunidis used social media to plead with the public not to use such dangerous methods to reveal their baby’s gender. In a Sept. 7 Facebook post, she expressed her disappointment that a gender reveal party caused the fire in El Dorado, which has burned more than 22,000 acres so far. “Stop having these stupid parties,” she said in the post. “For the love of God, stop burning things down to tell everyone about your kid’s penis. No one cares but you. It was 116 degrees in Pasadena yesterday and this tool thought it would be smart to light a fire about his kid’s dick.” The consequences of some careless gender reveal tactics can even be deadly. In 2019, Pamela Kreimeyer was killed by a pipe bomb that was made unintentionally by her family, who built the device as a way to reveal the child’s gender, according to an

ILLUSTRATION BY NICK YBARRA

The consequences of some dangerous gender reveal tactics can even be deadly. Oct. 29, 2019 ABC News article. Another casualty of the consequences of a gender reveal gone wrong is firefighter Charles Morton, who died last week while battling the fire in El Dorado, according to a CNN article published Tuesday. Additionally, 13 others have been

CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE

injured and 3,467 people were evacuated from areas east of San Bernardino, according to a CBS Los Angeles article published Sunday. The article also mentioned the fire damaged two structures, destroyed four others and continues to threaten 17,289 homes. Some evacuation

orders remain in effect for residents of Angelus Oaks up to Onyx Summit in Southern California as of Wednesday, according to Cal Fire’s website. While these gender reveal parties shouldn’t be banned completely, they should definitely be reworked. It’s likely that these parties, which sometimes involve dangerous acts like blowing up a target, are done with social media in mind, as some individuals are looking for a chance to go viral. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a viral video, as long as it’s done in a safe manner. A safe way to gain

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

attention for a gender reveal party is using confetti cannons or maybe even colorful fireworks, as long as safety precautions are taken. Some other safe options, while maybe not show-stopping ones, include cutting a cake with colored icing inside or popping balloons filled with confetti. As gender reveal parties continue to evolve into bigger events, it’s important to keep safety in mind in order to prevent more serious consequences. Follow Lexie on Twitter @lexie4real

JOKIN’ AROUND Why should you never trust a pig with a secret?

Because it’s bound to squeal.

SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. Numbskull 5. Pierces 10. Shade of blue 14. Former lovers 15. Novices 16. Quiet time 17. The coldest season of the year 19. Skittles 20. American Dental Association 21. Rehabilitation 22. Chocolate source 23. Set free 25. By surprise 27. Donkey 28. A deep fissure 31. A fencing sword 34. Adjudicate 35. Foot digit 36. 1 1 1 1 37. Merchandise 38. Secure against leakage 39. At this time 40. In shape 41. Spirited 42. Disputed

44. Brassiere 45. A lot 46. Capable of being molded 50. Fire 52. Chaff 54. L 55. Marsh plant 56. A disorder of memory 58. Nobleman 59. Angry 60. Dour 61. Backside 62. Typewrote 63. Pinup’s legs DOWN 1. Type of vacuum flask 2. Any compound of oxygen 3. Prison-related 4. Eastern Standard Time 5. Pressure 6. Church offering 7. Diva’s solo 8. Barraged 9. South southeast 10. Lama pacos 11. Military march 12. Forearm bone

13. Likewise 18. Delete 22. Grotto 24. Hearing organs 26. Pleads 28. Healed 29. A cleansing agent 30. Evasive 31. A short musical composition 32. Dwarf buffalo 33. Confuses 34. A loyal supporter 37. Blue dye 38. Oceans 40. Russian emperor 41. Shrimp-like decapod 43. Noggin 44. Found fault 46. Chatter 47. Electrical pioneer 48. Site of the Trojan War 49. Burrowing marine mollusk 50. District 51. Back 53. Snare 56. A sizeable hole 57. It comes from a hen

09/23/2020

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2020

Student-athletes cope with mask rule By Stephanie Lam STAFF WRITER

Because of the statewide mandate, face masks are supposed to be worn when out in public. For San Jose State student-athletes, this means during intense workouts as well. Raziya Potter, a guard on the SJSU women’s basketball team, said she constantly has to stop to catch her breath because of her face mask when she lifts weights during team workouts. “Whenever I’m out of breath and inhaling, the [mask] material comes into my nose and it’s super annoying,” Potter said over the phone. Like Potter, all SJSU student-athletes are required to wear a face mask when doing conditioning activities indoors, such as weightlifting and running, according to the SJSU Athletics website. Sports that have resumed, such as football, men’s and women’s basketball, as well as other fall sports, are cleared to begin conditioning according to the NCAA meeting brief from Sept. 16 provided by Joe Waltasti, assistant athletics director for media relations. According to NCAA guidelines, all fall sports teams are required to wear masks on the field and when on the sidelines. Potter said she understands the masks are meant to help limit the spread of the coronavirus, but she also said they are inconvenient for her to wear when working out. According to a June 12 British Journal of Sports Medicine blog post, when people do intense workouts they are likely to breathe harder and cough. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people who play sports wear a mask while exercising, because COVID-19 can be spread through air particles we emit when we breathe. The NCAA and the

BLUE NGUYEN | SPARTAN DAILY

San Jose State football players run defensive drills while wearing face masks on Tuesday on the practice field at South Campus.

That can be the most frustrating thing about wearing a mask. I’m having a conversation with somebody and they keep asking, ‘What did you say?’” Tysyn Parker linebacker

Mountain West Conference are upholding these policies set by the CDC according to an FAQ page on the NCAA website. However, the American Council of Exercise stated that covering your nose and mouth during exercising reduces the flow of oxygen into a person’s lungs, resulting in

increased fatigue during and after workouts. Senior linebacker Tysyn Parker, said he finds it difficult to breathe in masks when he runs, lifts weights or is trying to communicate with his teammates. “That can be the most frustrating thing about wearing a mask,” Parker said over Zoom. “I’m

having a conversation with somebody and they keep asking, ‘What did you say?’ ” When players engage in skill development exercises, they also wear a face shield fastened to the front of their football helmets, said Lawrence Fan, associate athletics director for football communications and special projects, in an email. Senior point guard Danae Marquez, said that face masks might also interfere with communication between players and coaches during games. “Will we be able to hear our teammates as much as it used to be?” Marquez said over the phone. “Will we be able to hear our coaches? I’m really not sure what will happen.”

The NCAA’S Division I Council decided on Sept. 16 that men’s and women’s basketball can start their seasons on Nov. 25, according to the meeting brief provided by Waltasti. The council is made up of athletic directors, administrators and studentathletes from various Division I universities across the country. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have been taking part in strength and conditioning activities, skill instructions and team meetings since the beginning of the semester. Junior guard Kaison Hammonds said, even though he doesn’t like to wear a mask while conditioning, he believes it won’t bother him once the season starts.

Corrections On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Spartan Daily published a story titled, “Student band endures with strong bond” in which Nicholas Johnson was misidentified. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Spartan Daily published a story titled, “Student band endures with strong bond” which should have identified Thomas Narveson as a saxophone player. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Spartan Daily published a story titled, “Student band endures with strong bond” in which Voluntary Hazing was misidentified. The Spartan Daily regrets these errors.

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“Basketball is the thing that I love to do the most,” Hammonds said over the phone. “I think once I get on the court that’s all I’m going to think about. I’m not really going to think about whether I contract the virus.” Like Hammonds, Marquez said that the women’s basketball team might not like wearing face masks but will comply with COVID-19 protocols so that the team can play. “I think we’re all just willing to do whatever,” Marquez said. “If that means we have to wear a mask [during games and practices], so be it.” Follow Stephanie on Twitter @StephCLam

Letters to the Editor may be placed in the letters to the editor box in the Spartan Daily office in Dwight Bentel Hall, Room 209 or emailed to spartandaily@gmail.com to the attention of the Spartan Daily Opinion Editor. Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, year and major. Letters become property of the Spartan Daily and may be edited for clarity, grammar, libel and length. Only letters of 300 words or less will be considered for publication. Published opinions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of the Spartan Daily, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or SJSU. The Spartan Daily is a public forum.

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EL ESPARTANO NOTICIAS

JUEVES, 24 DE SEPTIEMBRE 2020

OPINIÓN

Televisión real falta la diversidad real

Por Edith Urbano Ixta REPORTERA

A través del país, bastante hogares frecuentemente miran series de programas de telerrealidad. Las series más populares que alcanzan la atención de las personas son acerca de los noviazgos. Programas de televisión como la cadena de televisión ABC ‘s “The Bachelor” y “The Bachelorette” y CBS’ s “Love Island USA” están entre los más vistos. Cada programa tiene su propio estilo pero lo que casi todos tienen en común es la falta de diversidad entre los concursantes. “Love Island USA” transmitió su primer episodio de la serie hace un año en julio del 2019. La meta de este programa es buscar amor. Es entonces porque el programa empieza con solteros disponibles en una isla donde luchan para buscar amor que pueda transformarse en un noviazgo que sobreviva dentro y fuera de la isla. La pareja que pueda estar unidos hasta el final del programa tiene la oportunidad de ganar $100,000. Actualmente se está transmitiendo la segunda temporada del programa y la diversidad es muy escasa. La diversidad no solo falta en el aspecto racial sino también en los tipos de cuerpos de los concursantes. “Love Island” anteriormente estaba titulado “Celebrity Love Island” y fue originado en el país de Inglaterra en el

ILLUSTRATION POR BRIANA CONTE

2005 con los concursantes siendo celebridades. Esa versión del programa no duró mucho y luego fue cancelada. En el 2015 el programa fue revivido con concursantes que no eran celebridades. El programa de televisión obtuvo un éxito de audiencia y ha sido transmitido en países como Australia y los Estados Unidos. La versión estadounidense ha mejorado con su elección de concursantes racialmente desde la primera temporada. A pesar de que la versión estadounidense ha hecho mejor trabajo en la diversidad de sus concursantes que la versión de Inglaterra, siempre hay cupo para mejorarlo. El gesto no parece sincero, yo pienso que si la versión estadounidense tuviera la oportunidad de elegir solo a personas blancas, lo harían, pero para evitar reacciones violentas de su audiencia eligieron a personas de

color para cumplir con la parte de la diversidad. Actualmente en su segunda temporada, los concursantes que parecen ser “personas de color” son menos de la mitad que confirma lo minimo que ase el programa para ser mas inclusivo con los personas que eligen. Ademas cuando el programa elige segun a “personas de color” eligen a las personas de piel mas blanca y se siente forzada. Por eso se ve que el programa lo compensa y se centra más en esos concursantes. La concursante Latinx en esta temporada es Cely Vasquez que no parece ser Latinx por su complexión blanca pero la utilizan como una pieza representativa de la comunidad Latinx. Además en su introducción juega con el estereotipo de la “latina picante”. Este estereotipo siempre parece ser una gran parte de las mujeres latinas en los medios y la cultura pop pero

estos estereotipos de mujeres Latinx pueden ser dañinos. No solo dañinos en el aspecto de representación pero se les olvida de que no todos los Latinx tienen piel blanca. Por otra parte, el programa también ha hecho lo más menudo para incluir personas asiáticas. Desde la primera temporada el programa solo ha tenido una persona con rasgos asiáticos, Mike Jenkerson que apareció en la segunda temporada, y no ha tenido casi nada de tiempo en cámara. Esta es otra razón por la que parece que solo incluye “personas de color” para complacer a la audiencia y no considera elegir a nadie más. Por lo tanto, la diversidad racial en este programa y este momento es la más mínima representación. La televisión de la vida real continúan teniendo el mismo tipo de concursantes y la misma reacción violenta por no tenerlos, lo que parece

ridículo lo poco que hacen los programas para hacer algún cambio. También hay ausencia de diferentes tipos de cuerpos representados en la pantalla. Todos los concursantes tienen apariciones físicas delgados y parece que comen, duermen y respiran el gimnasio. Por lo tanto, todos los concursantes se ven prácticamente iguales. Los concursantes pasan todo el día con trajes de baños que por eso se ve porque la meta del programa es tener personas bien delgadas. Además, el programa también proporciona a los concursantes con artículos de gimnasia para ayudar a mantener su figura durante su tiempo en el programa. La falta de concursantes que no tienen este tipo de cuerpo delgado admirado por la sociedad, es obvio. En vez de sobresalir y romper las normas restrictivas de cómo se debe de ver una persona,

programas de televisión como este ponen a las personas delgadas en un pedestal. “Love Island USA” tiene la diversidad racial con los concursantes a lo más mínimo y hay mucho más en lo que hacer para mejorarlo. Para un programa que proviene de un país tan diverso como los estados unidos, la diversidad no debería ser un problema para empezar. La audiencia puede ver dónde están las prioridades de este programa y la diversidad racial claramente no es una de ellas. La diversidad en los tipos de cuerpos también es muy escasa y el programa debe abordar la ausencia de diferentes tipos de cuerpos. Los jóvenes ven estos programas y no verse representados es desalentador.

Sigue Edith en Twitter @Edithurbanoixta

NOTICIAS

Líderes Latinas hablan con estudiantes de SJSU Por Yareli Solis REPORTERA

El panel de las mujeres en liderazgo fue organizado por el Chicanx Latinx Student Success Center. Presentado en el mes del patrimonio hispano de la comunidad. Este es un evento anual que por primera vez fue virtual debido a las restricciones de las regulaciones de la pandemia. El título dado de este año fue “Si se puede,” el cual tiene mucho significado en la comunidad Latinx. Durante la conferencia virtual, cuatro Latinas de pasados distintos compartieron sus experiencias y el poder de usar su liderazgo. Hablaron de problemas de la sociedad y se refirieron al apoyo que recibieron de la comunidad a la misma vez. Estas mujeres están empoderadas en la comunidad Latina por los labores que hacen para mejorar la comunidad Latina. Estas son mujeres que aspiran servir a nuestra comunidad con futuras generaciones. Las panelistas son consideradas como mujeres muy inspiradoras. Explicaron cómo usan sus habilidades de liderazgo para discutir de problemas sociales. Ofrecieron bastantes consejos a la audiencia en cómo poder lograr sus

CAPTURA DE PANTALLA POR RUTH NOEMI AGUILAR

Diapositiva en la conferencia con Sandra de León, consejera de carrera y diversidad e incluso líder de programa.

objetivos personales. Cecilia Chavez, receptora de DACA, se graduó de SJSU y a sido la organizadora comunitaria durante los últimos nueve años. Otra de las panelistas fue Teresa Castellanos que ha dedicado los últimos 30 años a la diversidad de la comunidad de inmigrantes y organizadora laboral por 23 años. Ella trabaja como organizadora laboral y está liderando organizaciones de inmigración. Rosanna Alvarez, una artista multidisciplinaria,

escritora y emprendedora social, también es cofundadora de “East Side magazine.” La última panelista es Yulianna Ortega. Ella es directora de Universidad de California, Santa Cruz del programa STEM. Es dedicada y apoya el desarrollo de futuros científicos y líderes. Esto solo es un vistazo del trabajo que hacen estas maravillosas mujeres. La mayoría de las preguntas tenían enfoque a sus carreras. Empezaron a compartir

sobre retos que tuvieron que enfrentar como estudiantes de primera generación en la universidad. El apoyo dentro de nuestra propia comunidad impacto las experiencias en la mayoría de las panelistas. Teresa Castellano dijo, “en la comunidad sobrevivimos y prosperamos juntos,” expresando la necesidad de ayudar y apoyar uno al otro. Uno de los retos más grandes en sus carreras actual ha sido el síndrome

del impostor que se conoce cuando una persona exitosa es incapaz de asimilar sus logros. Expresan que siendo las únicas Latinas en su trabajo fue muy desafiante para ocupar ese espacio que se merecen. Alvares mencionó, la creencia de sentirse impostor es destinado a nosotros los latinos. “Crean narrativas que nos alimentan a la fuerza sobre quiénes se supone que somos en el mundo.” Alvares dijo. “Y eso me deja con la comprensión

de que no es que pensemos que somos impostores, es que se espera que creamos que somos impostores y una multitud de espacios.” Cuando en verdad tú y tu talento te han traído donde estás hoy. Es un reto pero este ciclo de expectativas no te representa a ti. La mayoría prosperaron por ese reto y lograron serla voz de su comunidad y tomar espacio merecido. Un tema important que se habló durante el evento fue que todos los Latinos tienen potencial de liderazgo, el cual es muy importante de encontrar quería dejar saber que cualquier espectadora de la audiencia viera ese. Tus valores te ayudan a navegar tus propósito y tu voz a través de tus luchas, siendo así que tu cultura te da más poder como dijo Chavez, “Rodéate de tu pueblo,” el cual es tu sistema de apoyo. “Descubrí que lo que me impulsa a superar momentos difíciles, son las señoritas chingonas de mi comunidad. Y al final de el dia se que no estoy sola en este viaje.” concluyó Alvares. Te trae de vuelta a tus raíces recordándote que vas cargando a tu comunidad latina contigo.

Sigue Yareli en Instagram @yayrelli