Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020
Volume 155 No. 35 SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
PHOTO COURTESY OF SJSU ATHLETICS
Offensive lineman Jaime Navarro (54) celebrates with receiver Bailey Gaither (84) after Gaither scored a touchdown in the third quarter Friday night in Carson, California.
Spartans top Aztecs, stay unbeaten By Jesus Tellitud & Lexie Shezifi EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & STAFF WRITER
San Jose State remains undefeated after overcoming two second-half deficits to beat San Diego State 28-17 Friday night at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The Spartans (3-0, 3-0 MWC) are off to their best start of the season since 1982 after defeating the Aztecs (2-1, 2-1 MWC) to record their third consecutive win. The victory marks the first time they
beat the Aztecs since 2012 and is the first time they are 3-0 since joining the Mountain West Conference in 2013. “We had all kinds of reasons for that game to go south, ” SJSU head coach Brent Brennan said after the game. “But the players kept fighting for each other. I think there’s something real special about this group.” The game began with SJSU’s starting quarterback, Nick Starkel, getting injured during the first drive in the first quarter. But backup quarterback Nick Nash
stepped up and threw for 169 yards with two touchdown passes to shock the Aztecs, who came into the game as favorites to win. “I had a little bit of nerves too. I just had to get used to it, but my whole team had my back,” Nash said in the post-game conference. “They were telling me that they believed in me, so I had to come out and do it for them.” Nash, however, didn’t start the game that well as his first four drives all resulted in three-and-outs. However, the momentum swung in the
Spartans’ favor at the end of the first half after Nash began to settle into the offense. “Once I got that first down, that’s when we started rolling,” Nash said. “That’s all she really wrote.” Nash found tight end Derrick Deese, Jr. in the endzone to make the game 7-10. Deese ended the game with five receptions for 76 yards, one touchdown and several vital first downs that helped the Spartans move down the field. VICTORY | Page 4
Proctoring programs pose privacy problems By Lexie Shezifi STAFF WRITER
Some San Jose State students raised privacy concerns when professors mandated proctoring software, which are custom browsers that lockdown the testing environment and use a student’s webcam and microphone during tests. Psychology junior Kristin Yerkes said over the SAMMY app that she has also had bad experiences with using LockDown Browser. “It’s incredibly inconvenient to those of us with children,” Yerkes said. “I’ve got a 6 year old and a newborn and I can’t make either be quiet and not interrupt during the test.” She said any sound from her children would mean she could potentially be flagged by the ProctorU and Proctorio browsers for cheating during the exam. Respondus LockDown Browser is the primary proctoring software used by SJSU professors, according to the SJSU eCampus website. Professors who don’t use Respondus LockDown Browser can use other proctoring software like Proctorio or ProctorU. In efforts to prevent cheating during online exams, LockDown Browser states that it prevents students from accessing other applications such as messaging or screensharing and other website tabs until the exam is submitted, according to
ILLUSTRATION BY NICK YBARRA
the LockDown Browser website. Functions such as copy, paste, print, minimize screen and keyboard shortcuts are also disabled. While these limitations can be instituted in ProctorU and Proctorio as well, the two proctoring softwares are the only browsers that require the use of webcams according to the eCampus website. The browsers monitor exams by recording the webcam feed and the screen during the exam and sharing that information with the professor. Some SJSU students said they felt uncomfortable with Proctorio and ProctorU, saying the microphone and webcam requirement has impacted their ability to take exams. Business administration
It’s very stressful because you have to make sure no noise happens or the program picks it up and flags that there might have been cheating. Alexandra Sordello business administration junior
junior Alexandra Sordello said over the SAMMY app that the browsers are an invasion of privacy, specifically in students’ homes. Sordello said her professors told her to cover or remove any posters that might be considered offensive and to adjust her position in the room, so they monitor her through the camera.
One of her professors requires students to dress professionally to take exams with their cameras on, which she feels is stressful and unnecessary. She also said the proctoring software can be sensitive and inaccurate when flagging students’ audio for cheating. “It’s very stressful because you have to make sure no noise happens or
the program picks it up and flags that there might have been cheating,” Sordello said. “It’s very hard to do that when working from home if you live with people and someone closes a door or drops something.” Sordello said she would normally read the exam questions quietly to herself in person, but now with remote learning, Proctorio or ProctorU would pick up the sound of her reading the questions aloud and flag the exam for cheating. “That’s just how test-taking works for me and for me not being allowed to do that makes me be on a question a little longer than I need to be, especially when it’s timed,” Sordello said. “Then I have to try to rush through the last questions not really
understanding it because I’m trying to answer everything on time.” According to the SJSU eCampus website, professors can choose whether students have to take exams with their webcams turned on, but no audio or vice versa. Jennifer Redd, senior director of SJSU’s eCampus, said in an email that all proctoring software SJSU uses underwent a thorough review to ensure the software adheres to university privacy practices, which are outlined on the eCampus website. If students are concerned about what proctoring software will be required for a class, they can consult the course syllabus at the beginning of the semester. “Additional information may also appear in their Canvas courses providing details about the software that will be used,” Redd said. “If a student does not feel comfortable using these tools, the information shared at the beginning of the class would provide plenty of time for a discussion with the faculty member regarding student’s questions and concerns.” Redd said the benefit of using these browsers is that it allows for a secure testing environment and a similar testing experience for all students.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 2020
Open mic night builds community By Felix Oliveros STAFF WRITER
Stories for Solidarity, a local grassroots organization focused on art, education and equity for people of color, hosted the ’90s-themed open mic night behind the San Jose Peace and Justice Center one block north of campus on Saturday, featuring various artists and vendors. The organization was founded by Mikomi Yoshikawa-Baker, a sociology and African American studies senior who is also minoring in human rights at San Jose State. Yoshikawa-Baker established the organization on June 1 and hosts open mic nights the first Saturday of each month to empower artists and create a space for entrepreneurs to promote their businesses. “My goal [for this event is] to have more networking and more good vibes,” Yoshikawa-Baker said. “Open mics are a bit more personal than some of our bigger events, which is really cool because you touch a lot of hearts.” She said her goal is to use this event to help friends with different business endeavours, who aren’t trained in entrepreneurship or marketing, by providing an opportunity for them to sell and promote products. “We’re all about equity, empowerment, arts education and entrepreneurship. This is part of that,” Yoshikawa-Baker said. “The reality is, unfortunately, a lot of Black and brown folks don’t get that professional work experience.” Vendors at the event set up tables in front of fences painted with colorful murals that
BLUE NGUYEN | SPARTAN DAILY
Docter Ques sets up his art for sale at the San Jose Peace and Justice Center during an open mic night hosted by Stories for Solidarity on Nov. 7.
had phrases like “solidarity” and “grow.” They sold paintings, crystals, jewelry, handmade candles and smoothies made from sea moss. “Sea moss is a health supplement that boosts your immune system and is an easy fuel source for your body [that digests] easily,” said Toan Nguyen, a Vallejo native and sea moss entrepreneur. “You get the high level of zinc and potassium which is amazing for mental clarity and brain health.” Maria Morales, a local crystal vendor, also came out in the cold weather to set up her table. She uses gems to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings. “I started selling these crystals because they caught my eye and they all have different properties,” Morales said. “If you want love, friendship, good luck, each stone has a meaning.”
While merchants connected with each other and new customers in the dim back parking lot of the justice and peace center, performers lit by blue and teal lights took to the stage. Vocal performers rapped and sang original songs or original poetry that had a variety of meanings and expressions. Some of the topics the performers touched on ranged from having fun to hardships and social injustice against minorities. Kyle Francis, a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People San Jose youth chapter president, community organizer, DJ and spoken word poet, was among a number of Mikomi Yoshikawa-Baker artists who performed. “The spoken word piece I Stories for Solidarity founder created is called ‘Liberation,’ ” Francis said. “I wrote it because this past year, everything from
We’re all about equity, empowerment, arts education and entrepreneurship. This is part of that. The reality is, unfortunately, a lot of Black and brown folks don’t get that professional work experience.
CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
SUDOKU PUZZLE Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
Black Lives Matter to the kids in cages, to Trump being xenophobic towards Asians, I just needed to express all those emotions with all those issues.” The smell of sage made its way around the outdoor space while people performed spoken word poetry, freestyle rap and celebrated the positive energy of the night. Founder Yoshikawa-Baker said she connected with everyone in attendance. She said she always maintained the same goal for her events before the stages, tables or lights were even set up. “It’s important to me that Black and brown folks know that wherever they go they are loved and represented,” Yoshikawa-Baker said.
Follow Felix on Twitter @f3lixthe3rd
JOKIN’ AROUND Why did the scientist take out their doorbell?
They wanted to win the nobell prize.
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS 1. Briefly shut the eyes 6. Move furtively 11. A radioactive gaseous element 12. Discover 15. Benni 16. Fable 17. Cap 18. Be uncomfortably hot 20. Take in slowly 21. Analogous 23. French for “State” 24. Vitality 25. Gambling game 26. Small songbird 27. Jail (British) 28. Therefore 29. Atmosphere 30. 1000 kilograms 31. A person of no influence 34. Gulleys 36. Biblical boat 37. Austrian peaks 41. By mouth 42. Anagram of “Ties” 43. Anger 44. Prying
45. Leave out 46. One who accomplishes 47. Lyric poem 48. Chauffeurs 51. Henpeck 52. Revere 54. Cut 56. Quicken 57. A type of bandage 58. Blocks 59. Velocity DOWN 1. Surf 2. Enduring 3. Actress Lupino 4. French for “Names” 5. Was cognizant 6. Ruler 7. Arm of the sea 8. Doe 9. Delay 10. Ablation 13. Triviality 14. Hoopla 15. Vibrate 16. Choice 19. Creepy
22. Midday 24. A cord worn around the neck 26. Sickens 27. Snagged 30. Kid 32. Petroleum 33. Hackneyed 34. Stiff 35. Insecticide 38. Exalt 39. Delighted 40. Twilled fabric 42. Hits 44. Exploded star 45. Give a speech 48. Blah 49. Trailer trucks 50. Break 53. Large Australian flightless bird 55. Prompt
11/05/2020
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OPINION
TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 2020
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Politicians reach new voters online Lexie Shezifi STAFF REPORTER
Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez streaming the popular online game Among Us was a creative and effective method of encouraging people to vote, which could be huge for the future of getting young people more involved in politics. By now, you’ve probably heard of the game Among Us, a popular game on PC and mobile devices where you and your friends play as little astronauts that try to kill each other without getting caught. On Oct. 20, OcasioCortez, the Democratic representative for New York’s 14th Congressional District, livestreamed herself playing Among Us on Twitch while encouraging people to vote. The stream featured the unusual theme of government representatives interacting with Twitch streamers rather than gamers interacting with other gamers. Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Democratic representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, collaborated with popular gamers such as Myth and Pokimane and asked them how they voted. The stream peaked at 435,000 concurrent viewers, according to an Oct. 21 CNN article, which ranked it in
the top 20 highest streams in Twitch history. Ocasio-Cortez’s method of encouraging people to vote shows she had clear intentions of reaching a younger demographic. According to calculations based on votes counted by Monday, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a nonpartisan research organization, found that turnout for voters ages 18-29 went up 6-10% between the 2016 and the 2020 presidential elections. The average age of Twitch viewers is 21 and a plurality of traffic on the gaming platform comes from the U.S., making this stream perfect for targeting young people according to an Oct. 29 NBC article. While some enjoyed seeing a politician interact with Twitch viewers, others took to Twitter to express their discontent with Ocasio-Cortez spending her time playing games and rather than focusing on what they consider more important work. “Isn’t she supposed to be . . . like doing political stuff ? God sake we are in the middle of a pandemic,” @apocalypseOne2 tweeted. Other users shared similar thoughts on the matter.
ILLUSTRATION BY HANZ PACHECO
“Politicians need to stay IN POLITICS. Like what are you doing? . . . This is not okay. on any [level],” @itsKDOE tweeted. While it’s understandable that people want their representatives to be productive and focus on politics, there’s no reason to be upset with Ocasio-Cortez. It’s not as if she was taking time out of her workday to play video games and lounge around doing nothing. It’s arguable that this was actually part of her job, just in a different context than working for Congress. It might not be the most traditional way to get political work done, but using a different platform to inspire
young voters is something that Ocasio-Cortez should be praised for, not criticized. Playing Among Us seemed more effective in getting younger people to vote than other forms of political outreach like commercials or rallies. Ocasio-Cortez kept reminding viewers to vote and emphasized her endorsement for now President-elect Joe Biden. She also directed viewers to websites with voting information, which was extremely helpful, considering some viewers could be first-time voters. In an Oct. 25 interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, she confirmed that
her stream was the highest driver of traffic to IWillVote.com, a Democratic party-backed website with information on ways to register and vote. “That’s really what tonight’s all about, and of course we are here to vote blue,” Ocasio-Cortez said during the Oct. 20 livestream. Ocasio-Cortez not only reached young voters, but she played the game in her own free time, which she is completely allowed to do. Her efforts to reach out and encourage voters via Twitch is something that is incredibly smart and probably had an impact on the election, even if it only
garnered a small amount of votes. Compared to OcasioCortez, other politicians tend to stick to the more traditional ways of encouraging constituents to vote. For example, Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign was centered around television commercials, rallies and debates. It’s good that politicians are branching out to reach voters because for young people it can be more effective than some of the more traditional methods for future elections.
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ABOUT The Spartan Daily serves as San Jose State’s top news source and was named the best student newspaper in the state. New issues are published Tuesday through Thursday during the academic year with the website 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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SPORTS
TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 2020
VICTORY Continued from page 1 “When Starkel went down, it was a tough blow for us,” Deese said. “But we knew Nick Nash could come in and get the job done.” The second half was filled with turnovers that shifted momentum for both teams. The Spartans forced the Aztecs to give up the ball on downs early in the third quarter after stopping them at their own 20-yard line. Nash threw an interception two minutes later, but the Aztecs couldn’t capitalize on the mistake. The Spartans took the lead later in the third quarter after a touchdown from receiver Bailey Gaither, but it was short-lived as the Aztecs scored a touchdown to begin the fourth quarter, giving SDSU a 17-14 lead. Later in the fourth quarter, SJSU flipped the game on its head by forcing and recovering a fumble from SDSU quarterback Carson Baker. Two plays later, running back Tyler Nevens ran it in for a touchdown to give the Spartans a 21-17 lead. The SJSU defense, like in its last two games, stepped up when the team needed a stop. Safety Tre Jenkins picked off one of Baker’s passes in the endzone to give SJSU
the ball back with less than six minutes remaining. “Honestly it happened so fast, but I knew what I had to do,” Jenkins said. “I just did my part and was there at the right time. [Brennan] made a good call and put me in the right spot.” SJSU then forced another turnover three minutes later, this time during a punt return. SDSU running back Jordan Byrd didn’t call a fair
has confidence in Nash’s abilities. “What an incredible job he did,” Brennan said. “As well as Nick Starkel is playing . . . if you’re Nick Nash you’re probably thinking ‘Wow it’s going to be hard for me to get in the games this year.’ ” Brennan credited Nash’s resiliance after he was called upon to perform against the No. 12 rushing defense in the nation.
We had all kinds of reasons for that game to go south. But the players kept fighting for each other. I think there’s something real special about this group. Brent Brennan head coach
catch and was tackled by SJSU wide receiver Tre Walker. It was game, set and match after when Nash iced the game by running the ball into the endzone himself to put the game out of reach for the Aztecs. “It was great to come out here and get a win against San Diego,” Deese said. “We all came together. It’s starting to click with us.” It’s unclear the extent of Starkel’s injury or when he will return, but Brennan said he
“He just kept playing [and] he didn’t get discouraged,” Brennan said. “He made some throws. Then he threw a pick [but he] didn’t get discouraged. He kept playing.” SJSU will put its undefeated record on the line when it plays the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Saturday at CEFCU Stadium.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF SJSU ATHLETICS
Backup quarterback Nick Nash replaced starting quarterback Nick Starkel after he was injured in the first quater at the Dignity Health Sports Park Friday night.
VR team takes on virtual world
By Stephanie Lam STAFF WRITER
Since shelter-in-place orders were enacted in spring, people have seen sports competitions postponed and canceled. But for three Spartan Esports club members, their virtual reality gaming sessions continue. The Virtual Reality team, which is a part of Spartan Esports, is composed of journalism junior Rainier de Fort-Menares, computer science sophomore Ethan Soo and business finance freshman Dunncha Howard. The team has been competing in VR games since Spring semester. Many campus organizations haven’t been able to hold meetings because of the coronavirus pandemic, so being on the VR team makes SJSU gamers feel like they are still a part of the SJSU community. “As a freshman, I haven’t been able to meet anyone because of [shelter-in-place], but I feel like I found a home for myself on the VR team,” Howard said. “I’m really thankful for that.” Although there are only three members on the team, any SJSU student with VR equipment who is interested in playing can join. “We’re pretty lax in terms of who we let [on the team],” de Fort-Menares said. “All I care about is that you have a VR headset and that you’re interested in playing.” According to the technology company Lenovo, virtual reality gaming requires
players to wear VR headsets, gloves and hand controllers in order to interact and play video games. De Fort-Menares said that unlike video games such as League of Legends and Valorant, where players sit in front of a monitor, VR players need to move around in order to play a game. “[When playing VR games] you’re still standing, turning around or throwing [things] like how you would throw any ball in real life,” de Fort-Menares said. “You don’t see other [Esports members] sweating their ass off [like that] while playing.” The VR team represents the Spartan Esports team in Collegiate Virtual Reality Esports, a virtual reality gaming community where college students compete with one another in Beat Saber and Echo Arena. Beat Saber, a VR game released in 2018, involves slashing block-shaped music beats with a lightsaber. According to the Beat Saber webpage, gamers either pair up or play individually to quickly and accurately hit the beats in rhythm with a song. Unlike Beat Saber, Echo Arena was released in 2017 and requires three to four players to form a team. According to Echo Arena’s webpage, teams compete against one another in a zero-gravity environment to throw a virtual discus into an opposing goal. De Fort-Menares, Soo and Howard compete as a team in Echo Arena, while de Fort-Menares and Soo
PHOTO COURTESY OF DUNNCHA HOWARD
Business finance freshman Dunncha Howard prepares to play the virtual reality game Echo Arena at his home.
[When playing VR games] you’re still standing, turning around or throwing [things] like how you would throw any ball in real life. You don’t see other [Esports members] sweating their ass off [like that] while playing. Rainier de Fort-Menares journalism junior
compete individually in Beat Saber. Andrew Millers, an SJSU alumnus and avid Echo Arena player,
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volunteers as a coach for the VR team and helps them practice their passing skills and game strategies.
Although the VR team only started playing Echo Arena in September, they said they are ready to play at a highly competitive level. “I’m pretty proud of the guys,” Millers said. “They only picked up [Echo Arena] a few months ago . . . now they’re getting to the point where they are all at my level, if not better.” If it wasn’t for the pandemic, the team would be holding in-person practices together in a VR room at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in addition to their virtual ones. The King Library Experiential Virtual
Reality Lab is a room in the library where SJSU students and faculty can schedule appointments to use the VR gaming computers. However, the team is still able to maintain a sense of teamwork and bonding while playing from their respective homes. “It’s pretty cool that [in VR] we can practice at home and give each other tips virtually,” Soo said. “[It shows that] VR gaming can persist through the pandemic.” Follow Stephanie on Twitter @StephCLam
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