Spartan Daily Vol. 162 No. 2 by Spartan Daily

WINNER OF 2023 ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS PACEMAKER AWARD, NEWSPAPER/NEWSMAGAZINE NAMED BEST CAMPUS NEWSPAPER IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022 BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Volume 162 No. 2 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934

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MELANY GUTIERREZ | SPARTAN DAILY

A group of protestors greets Vice President Kamala Harris in downtown San José’s Mexican Heritage Plaza holding signs and banners on Monday morning.

SJ protests against VP’s arrival By Melany Gutierrez MANAGING EDITOR

Demonstrators rallied around the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San José on Monday morning to protest the arrival of United States Vice President Kamala Harris, who was holding her Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour discussion inside the plaza. Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Bay Area nonprofit organization, said it is unacceptable, hypocritical and frankly criminal for Harris to come to San José and talk about women’s health without acknowledging the crisis that women, children and men are facing in Palestine involving reproductive health and essential needs. CAIR California is a civil rights advocacy group with the goal to protect civil rights, promote justice and empower MuslimAmericans, according to its website. “Calling for a ceasefire is reproductive justice,” Billoo said. "We cannot have a double standard for women's health in California versus in Palestine. So (as) long as Vice President Harris is complicit in the murder of Palestinian women, we will not listen to her speak about our home.” The Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour started with its first stop in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, on the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, according to a statement by the White House. According to the same article, the tour is a discussion on fighting back against extreme attacks on women’s reproductive rights in the U.S. by highlighting the harm of laws on women’s bodies such as anti-abortion laws

and sharing meaningful stories to connect women together. Bridget Rochios, a midwife, nurse practitioner and abortion provider, said that the events occurring in Palestine are a massive human rights violation and public health issue. Rochios said Vice President Harris has leveraged her campaign on the restoration of reproductive rights that have been lost during the administration such as healthcare and abortion rights She said Vice President Harris, however, failed to recognize the need for the same support and voices to stand up for reproductive rights in Palestine. “As long as this administration is not calling for a ceasefire, they’re actively suppressing the healthcare rights (and) the reproductive rights of the people in Palestine and that’s not fair," Rochios said. “That’s not equity.” Rochios also created an art piece at the protest as a demonstration. The piece presented a black circle on the floor with red paper crafted into poppies around it and white letters that read, “each poppy represents 20 Palestinian lives – 30,000 killed in Palestine.” Rochios said the art piece is in remembrance of all the lives lost and an emphasis on the mothers, children and healthcare professionals struggling to help others and themselves during this troubling time in Palestine. Charlotte Casey, a protestor, said President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris need to grow a spine, acknowledge the tragedy happening in Palestine and speak out to stop the genocide. “It’s heartbreaking to see

what’s happening to the families (and) to everybody in Gaza as their homes are being destroyed and their people are being killed,” Casey said. “It is just unspeakable.” María Bracamontes, a midwife and mother, brought her children to the protest because she said she wants her children to be exposed to the truth and know about injustices such as this one. “Seeing the children and women in Palestine suffer makes me feel devastated

not a secret. He said social media users post about children dying every day which is why he can’t understand how public officials like Vice President Harris can turn their head and pretend it’s not happening. “If (change) does not happen through you it will happen through someone else,” Albalrki said. “I have no doubt of that. You (Vice President Harris) have a chance to speak up, but if your comfort is more beloved to you than the

You (Vice President Harris) have a chance to speak up, but if your comfort is more beloved to you than the lives of millions of people then I hope that you do not see mercy when mercy is given. Malik Albalrki

Protest speaker

and heartbroken,” Bracamontes said. “My children witness that sadness every single day.” Bracamontes said she will continue to educate her children about injustices and systemic genocide to teach them the responsibility of speaking up for humanity. She said some people struggle to acknowledge the injustice in Palestine because it’s not happening near them. “People feel so disconnected, but I think the more we raise awareness, we are doing what we can to make a change for our future generations,” Bracamontes said. Malik Albalrki, a speaker at the protest, said even though the genocide is not happening in front of people’s eyes here in the United States, the tragedy is

lives of millions of people then I hope that you do not see mercy when mercy is given.” Andy Schaefer, protestor and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said protesting is important because it is one of the only ways people can have their voice heard in a political atmosphere. Freedom Road Socialist Organization is a political program and advocacy group analyzing and fighting against the oppression of minority groups, according to its website. “If we tried to just keep voting with our dollar or voting by the ballot we won’t get what we need as we see right now with the ongoing war and the ongoing genocide,” Schaefer said. “The way things have been going is not working. The planet is dying, people

are dying and things have to change.” Schaefer said he’s never had complete faith in the Biden-Harris administration and the fact that this war and genocide is going on under their watch proves their power is not being put to positive or proactive use. Bridget Rochios said she initially had confidence in Vice President Harris being in office because of her identity and believes her voice in this movement could still make an impact if she put in the effort. “VP Harris is the first female Vice President (and) first Vice President of color,” Rochios said. “She’s in an exceptional position and it's an exceptional time. It is time for her now to be brave and to call for a ceasefire.” Another protestor, Asghar Mahesri, said he also feels greatly let down by the administration. “I’m a lifetime Democrat and I always voted along party lines, but this time I’m very disappointed in the administration and some of our representatives,” Mahesri said. Noorah Amir, a protestor who did not want to use her real name due to potential safety issues, said she feels it’s her duty as a human being to show support and speak out against the injustice, genocide and human rights violations happening in Palestine. She said it is very disheartening to see the crowd of people lining up to attend Vice President Harris’s discussion conference. Amir said most people only want to attend because she's the Vice President and her life and opinion may be deemed more valuable than those of the Palestinians suffering. “I pray that on the inside they (tour attendees) at least

feel something, that they’re even a little bit human, but to me, them acting like that shows a lack of humanity,” Amir said. “It shows robots, it shows hypocrisy.” Amir said the poker face that Harris and her supporters are putting on is performative activism. Performative activism is activism that is only done to increase one’s social status or appearance rather than out of true devotion for a cause, according to a website by Boston Medical Center. Amir said that during this genocide many people have shown their true colors by only caring about activism and rights when it aligns with their paycheck and comfort. “When you’re at that point where the murder of thousands of innocent people and the displacement of millions of innocent people doesn’t make you shed a single tear or say a single word then you really need to reassess your humanity and who you are as a person,” Amir said. Amir said that ultimately seeing the passion of the people at the protest made her feel hopeful and she felt honored to be a part of it. María Bracamontes said she knows that protesting is not the only way to spread awareness or educate others but it is effective in uniting people. “It feels really good to express that anger out together and to grieve together and show solidarity,” Bracamontes said.

Follow Melany on Instagram @mel_beannnns

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NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

Experts praise high speed rail By Alina Ta EXECUTIVE EDITOR

GRAPHIC BY ALINA TA

of travel. Eidlin said high-speed rails are great for medium distance travel, or travel that is between 100 and 500 miles. “So trips that are a little bit too far to effectively accomplish by car . . . but they're not quite long enough that it makes more sense to hop into a plane,” he said. He said high-speed rail travel also includes travel best suited for central city to central city travel. Eidlin said for example, a plane trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles is quite short, but passengers have to spend extra time getting to and from airports, and through airport security. Eidlin said his work mainly involves thinking about how cities can bring

people, goods and services closer together. “With that in mind, train stations can really help cities do what they do best,” he said. “If you design these facilities, with the specific advantages of rail and highspeed rail in mind, you can do this kind of thing right where the rail infrastructure sits harmoniously within the urban fabric.” Eidlin said Lyon PartDieu Station, the most important station in France outside of Paris, had 45 million people pass through the station on a daily basis in 2020. Lyon Part-Dieu Station opened in 1983 and is the leading interchange rail station in Europe, according to its website. An interchange is where passengers change trains that arrive and depart from

the same station, according to a webpage from Rail Passenger. Eidlin said this is why train stations are really compatible with dense city areas. He also said people should not be just seen as rail passengers who go to a station. Ramses Madou, a lecturer in regional and urban planning, said he and other experts are thinking about how high-speed rail riders are a very different kind of customer in comparison to other kinds of commuters when considering the design of Diridon Station in San José. “You're really building a new type of customer, for at least the Western United States,” Madou said. “You're really looking at a different type of passenger and their

CLASSIFIEDS

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

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1

1. Arp's art 5. Talked wildly 10. Trade 14. Fateful day for Caesar 15. Nicholas Gage book 16. Berlin mister 17. "Just Shoot Me" actor 19. Dog tormented by Garfield 20. In need of being paid 21. Allow 22. Dutch cheese 23. Nepali neighbor 27. Preordain 29. Fruity drink 30. Lummox 32. Mended, as socks 33. Donald Rumsfeld's gp. 34. "The Great" king of Judea 36. MBA or BBA 37. High-five sound 39. Stunned 41. Online auction site 44. Actor Beatty 46. Struck out of the text 48. Physician's org. 49. Laid down new grass 52. God, to Gaston 53. Neither here __ there 54. Circled the earth

ACROSS

Why did the tomato blush?

JOKIN’ AROUND

Follow Alina on X (formerly Twitter) @mniatailmp

concerns could include topics such as how travel to and from rail stations can impact land use, economic developments and other issues. He said that there are certain needs for commuters traveling across the state. “We're really bringing in institutional needs across that and . . . making sure that those state level folks are involved in helping us think it through,” Madou said.

13 14

relationship to the overall environment and what they're trying to do with that trip is very different.” Madou said bus or rail commuters usually focus on a smaller area around a station, while high-speed rail customers are focused on a larger area around a station. He said he and other experts are trying to make sure that they are meeting the customer’s needs when they are thinking about where these commuters need to go. “We're really thinking about that immediate area around the station and how its development is going to impact everything from land use to transportation needs to economic development to parks needs, all that kind of stuff,” Madou said. Madou said these

Because it saw the salad dressing.

Transportation experts in a free virtual webinar led a discussion on how train stations from other parts of the world can inspire new transportation solutions for Diridon Station in San José on Friday afternoon. Karen Philbrick, the executive director for the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University, said the company’s mission is to increase mobility by improving safety, efficiency, accessibility and convenience. “We need to know how to best plan, design and develop mixed use station areas and multimodal passenger facilities so we can achieve that vision of a seamless and integrated travel experience,” Philbrick said. Mixed-use zones or developments are places that offer people the ability to live, work, play and connect in one area or neighborhood, according to a webpage from VTA. M u l t i m o d a l transportation centers are where all modes of transportation such as cars, bicycles and public transit connect at one location allowing commuters to access multiple forms of travel, according to a webpage from Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Eric Eidlin, station planning manager for the city of San José, said high-speed rail has specific advantages over other forms

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18. Amsterdam natives 23. Youngsters 24. Worshiped celeb 25. Living quarters/meals combo 26. U.S.-Canada mil. acronym 28. Unhappy 31. Caught 40 winks 35. Screenwriter Ephron 38. Dog's ancestral line 40. Lacking a property title 42. Mine, in Paris 43. Fisherman's tale 45. LAPD investigator 47. Dressed (up), slangily 49. In order that 50. Trying experience 51. Rid of parasites, as a pooch 55. Two-element electron tube 57. Murphy or Money 60. Police assault 64. One of 42 in this puzzle, in honor of today 65. "__ be my pleasure!" 66. Contemptible sort 67. Bridge expert Culbertson

SOLUTIONS

JANUARY 24

P H A S E

A V E D A S T A B N O T A I T I C H I V E O B I R R A S R A C E R R O E O U T H F O R K M A T E D N S P O S E S U C H C A B S S I D E W A Y S H E E N N E G A T I V E L O A N S P A I N O N E S I N S T R U C T I N D R I T E T R A D S D O N E C A T S L E A D A S I V I O L A W E S T W O R L D I L K T R E V I E L S I E L I E A B L E R L E O N A E A R T I T L E L O N G S

7 5 3 1 6 2 4 8 9

2 4 8 6 3 8 6 2 9 1 1 9 4 7 5 5 7 9 3 8 4 3 1 5 2 9 8 7 4 6 7 2 3 8 9 3 5 6 1 4 6 1 5 2 7

1 5 9 3 4 7 8 2 6 2 6 4 7 9 8 5 3 1 6 1 5 9 7 2 4 8 3

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

San José Makers take over Backesto Park

PHOTOS BY ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY

#1: Any Ka, the owner of Anykas Crystals wraps copper wire around a green stone to make more jewelry. #2: Jamie Vasser, the owner of blended design studio knits while waiting for customers to approach her table. #3: Pottery is being displayed on a table from the Talavera Puebla Collection from Laura Ponce, the owner of Vira by Laura. #4: Elena Milagro, from Pupuseria Maranatha, kneads dough before her daughter cooks it for customers. #5: Vasser purl stitches with circular knitting needles to knit a sock. #6: Ka, continues to make a new jewelry piece while sitting behind her display.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

PHOTO COURTESY OF SJSU ATHLETICS

SJSU Sophomore guard Sabrina Ma fires up the Spartans with her infectious energy during pre-game warmups at the Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose.

SJSU’s Ma paves way for team chemistry By Julia Chie PRODUCTION EDITOR

Two-time Mountain West Freshman of the Week, SJSU sophomore guard Sabrina Ma is in the midst of her second season at San José State University. She said she started playing basketball in an Asian league in elementary school, and Athlete’s Unlimited Pro Basketball from middle school to high school. Ma was recruited to SJSU by the last coaching staff, and she said she ended up really liking the team and coaches. As a San Francisco local, she likes how close San José is to home, and that her family can come to watch her games. She said the team gets along really well, but she thinks they need more chemistry on the court.

“I think that’ll come as we play more games with each other,” she said. Ma said sometimes it’s tiring to find a good balance between doing homework, working out and sleeping, of which she tries to get a decent amount. She said her family, friends and everyone who believes in her make being a basketball player more fun. “The Asian community. There’s a lot of people back home that look up to me that I didn't even know about. My parents were telling me, like younger kids,” she said. Her grandfather and father are alumni of SJSU, but she is the first in the family to play a collegiate sport. Ma said that makes her experience as an athlete new and more special. She said SJSU womens’ basketball head coach April

Phillips is super kind, genuine, and wants the best for the players not only on the court, but off the court. “We do a lot of developmental things that’ll help us later on in life, like connecting with professionals and talking about different career paths,” Ma said. Phillips said she met Ma for the first time in person at a press conference. She also said Ma is bubbly, communicates a lot, and has a really light sense of humor. “She’s somewhat of a chameleon, in the sense that she can mix and mingle and get along with everybody, which I think is really cool and really good for our culture as well,” she said. Phillips said she motivates Ma by giving her challenges to meet, which she often rises to. “At every huddle, she

grabs my arm and she won't let it go so I always know who’s there. And she likes to knock over my coffee pre-games,” Phillips said. Ma said she loves her teammates, and she feels like they’re sisters, older and younger. “I do have a little sister, but they’re also kind of like little sisters to me,” Ma said. Sophomore guard and pre-nursing major Alyssa Malla said she and Ma have gotten really close since the summer. Malla said they have very similar funny and bubbly personalities. “When I look at our team and I see we need to pick up our energy, I look to Sab,” Malla said. “If she’s not here, she’ll come back later to get shots up. And if she makes a mistake in the game, she’ll come back and work on it herself. I think she’s very driven and ambi-

tious with her goals.” She said she wants to see Ma be more confident in her shot for the remainder of the season. “I know this year hasn’t gone the best, but I know she has it in her. Yeah, I just want to see her be more consistent,” Malla said. Junior forward-center and psychology major Amhyia Moreland is Ma’s roommate. She said she would describe Ma with a lot of energy, hustle, and hard work. “She's gonna give you everything she has, for sure. Off the court, just a sweetheart. Like, she’s always so happy, so giddy, like joyful,” Moreland said. She said when she sees Ma giving her all, she wants to do the same. Like Malla, Moreland said she also wants to see more confidence from Ma.

“I feel like she gets in her head a little bit too much. But we need her just like we need everyone else,” Moreland said. Ma said off the court, she likes listening to music, doing art and singing, but not publicly. Before a game, she takes a pregame nap, and listens to R&B in the car, escalating to trap when she’s in the locker room. This season, she said her goal is to be the best she can. “Trying to help the team, doing what it takes to win, and just being a team player. Just sticking to what I know,” Ma said.

Follow Julia on Instagram @2u1ia

MEN'S BASKETBALL

SJSU men’s basketball can’t stop UNLV’s stampede By Navin Krishnan SPORTS EDITOR

The San José State University men’s basketball team hosted the fiery University of Nevada, Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels team Saturday night at the Provident Credit Union Event Center in San José and got trampled 77-65. San José State honored Claude Gilbert, a coach for SJSU football from 1973 to 1980, who died on Jan. 6. In order for San José State (8-12, 1-6 MW) to battle with the Runnin’ Rebels (10-9, 3-4 MW), they had to shut down UNLV’s five focal points of its offense. SJSU junior guard Myron Amey, Jr. led the way for the Spartans with 18 points on 50% shooting. “I’m a passionate person about the game,” Amey said. SPARTANS

65 RUNNIN' REBELS

“I have kind of learned over the years just how to compose myself and stay mentally locked in. I know how much the team needs me.” UNLV senior forward Kalib Boone, senior guard Luis Rodriguez, freshman guard Dedan Thomas, Jr., senior forward Keylan Boone and senior forward Jalen Hill all averaged double digits in scoring coming into Saturday night’s game. Matching SJSU’s Amey was UNLV’s Keylan Boone with 18 points. The big five offense players for the Runnin’ Rebels combined for 26 points in the second half to solidify UNLV’s ferocious comeback. SJSU head coach Tim Miles said the whole second half was sort of a grind. “They went super small and we really couldn’t make them pay. They could change their lineup, go small, switch on us and we couldn’t really get by anybody (exposed),” Miles said. “Good adjustment by them.” Although the Runnin’ Rebels added seven new players to their roster this season, the depth of their roster showed and outscored the Spartans 19-5 off the bench.

SJSU junior guard Alvaro Cardenas stepped up for his team after the game, both taking credit for the loss as well as commending his bench players. “Those young guys, we definitely need them to step up a little bit and give us a little more help,” Cardenas said. By the 14:19 mark of the first half, UNLV’s defense was late on closeouts and didn’t get back fast enough in transition and SJSU capitalized by not missing a shot at that point, literally. SJSU went on an early 9-3 run and forced UNLV’s first timeout at the 17:42 mark of the first half, setting the tone early in the game. The Spartans held their own defensively, which in turn led to fast break points and an addition to the Spartan surge until the final five minutes of the first half. SJSU held UNLV to 28.6% on 3-pointers and UNLV aided them by shooting 28.6% on free throws. UNLV turned the burners on in the final three minutes of the half, slowing SJSU’s landslide of a half to bring the game to 39-32. The SJSU offense went

MAYA BENMOKHTAR | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU Senior forward Trey Anderson (15) drives to the basket in the second half against UNLV at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.

ice cold in the second half, as UNLV held the blue-andgold to 20% on 3-pointers and 2-10 on the field. They then allowed UNLV to surge back into the game, giving up back-to-back 3-pointers on defense. “Sometimes the offense is playing better than the defense,” Tim Miles said. “It’s readiness, it’s aggression, it’s things like that. It’s that physicality and m(UNLV) was really on the attack. We didn’t handle that well and we ended up fouling. You saw that one player we fouled on a 3-pointer.” Within minutes, UNLV stormed back to take the lead at the 10:06 mark of the

second half. By the 3:49 mark, UNLV had SJSU locked down, slowing down the Spartans’ running game and when SJSU did penetrate the defense, UNLV’s shot blocking was able to stop SJSU. The Runnin’ Rebels were able to extend the lead to double digits with one minute remaining in the game. However, according to Cardenas, the achilles’ heel for the Spartans was their lack of tenacity on defense. “Obviously, it’s frustrating because we’re losing so many games,” Cardenas said. “We’re just not playing defense. If we’re just not playing defense, we’re not going to win games.

I think our efforts are just not there. We’ve got to do something about it.” SJSU will face off today, Tuesday Jan. 30 at Utah State University at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah and at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. to square off against Nevada.

Follow Navin on X (formerly Twitter) @Navinkthespear