NAMED BEST CAMPUS NEWSPAPER IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022 BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Volume 161 No. 21 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
INFOGRAPHIC BY ALICIA A ALVAREZ SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
Israel declares war on Hamas By Navin Krishnan STAFF WRITER
On Sunday, Israel formally declared war on militant and political organization Hamas, after it was attacked by the group on Saturday which has de facto governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, according to a Monday Al Jazeera article. This is the latest in a nearly century-long conflict. The conflict began when the British government committed the establishment of the Mandate of Palestine as land for a Jewish state in 1947, according to a Monday article by Al Jazeera detailing the
history of the conflict. The conflict escalated further after the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, according to the same article. In response to the attack from Hamas, the Israeli military bombed the Gaza Strip area, killing 500 Palestinians. More casualties have been reported, with 900 Israelis and 704 Palestinians being killed, including 4,000 Palestinians and 2,000 Israelis injured in the latest escalation, according to live updates from Al Jazeera. Israelis proceeded to mobilize troops ordering a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, signaling a major ground
invasion of the area, according to a Monday New York Times article. The newly announced siege on Gaza cuts off food, electricity and water supplies, according to a Monday NBC News article. Arthur Zárate, SJSU Assistant Professor of Global Humanities, said the blockade has been going on for years. “Gaza has been under blockade by the Israeli government for a decade and a half. Human Rights Watch describes Gaza as an ‘open-air prison,’ ” Zárate said. SJSU alumnus Qais Hamadi said he acknowledged that while the conflict has lasted
almost a century, the blockade was installed 16 years ago. “I am very saddened that innocent civilians are going to be casualties in a war between the two countries. The result of the tension has resulted in the attack on Hamas,” Hamadi said. Zárate said decisions the United States government makes deeply affect the lives of many citizens in the Middle East, and Palestinians and Israelis are no exception. “Palestinians need to be able to live with peace and dignity and have sovereignty over their lives,” he said. Zárate said most of his students are U.S. citizens and it
behooves them to learn about a region that the government has played such an important role in. “Israelis deserve to live in a viable, functioning state and to live in peace, and security, and so do Palestinians,” Zárate said.
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Spartans talk engineering and diversity By Angel Santiago STAFF WRITER
The 9th Annual Conference for Engineering and Diversity was hosted at San José State University in the Student Union ballroom on Saturday morning. Mechanical engineering junior Anna Vartan said when she heard about the event she reached out to Steven Stowe, the director of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement and Student Programs (MESA), and asked if she could be the co-chair for the conference, thus making her one events’ organizers. MESA is the college of career preparation which propels student diversity, achievement and opportunity for STEM students to develop team-bonding and communication skills according to its website. "And I [told] him, ‘I want to do more than just volunteer, what can I do?’ ” Vartan said. “And he's like, ‘You know, if you want to co-chair the event ... We're always excited to have new people.’ " Vartan said her dad's engineering background in Iran motivated
her to follow in his footsteps. Vartan said she was fortunate to have women participate in the conference, as it predominantly draws attendance from men. Ashraf Habibullah, the president and CEO of Computers and Structures Inc. said the economic structure cannot grow because without it the economy comes to a halt. Habibullah said he was on campus a few months ago and it was a women's conference that brought him back to speak to engineering students. “I was here earlier. A few months ago, I was here. I think it was the Women's Conference I attended.” Habibullah said “You are the reason there is even an economic infrastructure,” Habibullah said. “If you stopped working, the whole economy would come to a screeching halt. It's a profession that represents happiness.” Habibullah also said when he began working with computers, he started from the ground and through time, he began to work his way up the engineering ladder. “I basically got an opportunity
ANGEL SANTIAGO | SPARTAN DAILY
Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean of the College of Engineering, speaks at a conference on Saturday.
to learn some sort of starting at the ground floor, and that was extremely exciting,” he said. “I just kept with that and it was something that I just enjoyed.” Computer engineering senior Eugene Chan said he found the event through a Canvas announcement from his engineering professor. Chan said he wanted to study mechanical engineering because he enjoys building and worked in
construction with his dad. “I do construction with my dad, so I like building, I actually built a house with my dad,” Chan said. “It was really cool.” Chan said he advises anyone to show their identity, their love and passion about engineering and to celebrate diversity. “Celebrating everyone's authentic self, your true personality, spirit and character; wanting to build a supportive community
(for) your peers and ally is critical for success,” Chan said. “It actually focuses on the engineering side of engineering major students.” Chan said he would like to work with everyone who has the engineering principle in their mind, who loves to learn, and improving their skills. Follow the Spartan Daily on X (formerly Twitter) @SpartanDaily