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Spartan Daily Multimedia: Serving San José State University since 1934 Feathers of Fury Volume 138 / Issue 8 spartandaily.com/?p=64937 t Twitter: @spartandaily 59˚˚ f facebook.com/spartandaily 39˚ 77 years... and counting Spartans split thrilling Monday SPARTAN DAILY View exclusive stories and multimedia at February 13, 2012 weekend see p. 4 Volume 138, Issue 8 SpartanDaily.com spartandaily.com Envisioning a dream Mayor Reed predicts optimistic, hopeful year for San Jose by Julie Tran structure ranging from the con- Staff Writer vention center fi nancing team to the grants management working San Jose mayor Chuck Reed group. and several elected offi cials were Matt hew Mahood, president present in the San Jose Civic and CEO of San Jose Silicon Val- Auditorium on Friday Feb. 9 to ley Chamber of Commerce, gave discuss the 2012 State of the City an introduction for Reed as well Address. as speaking about his experienc- Some of the topics mentioned es working in the city. ranged from homelessness to “Like all things in America, academic performance and gang San Jose is a place of the people, violence. by the people and for the peo- Th e event was emceed by ple,” Mahood said in his presen- Jennifer Loving, executive direc- tation. tor of Destination: Home, and In a round of applause, Reed Jenny Niklaus, chief executive appeared in front of the audi- offi cer of EHC LifeBuilders. ence and gave his greetings. Th e beginning of the program “Th e year of 2012 will be the started off with the Pledge of Al- year of hope, optimism and re- legiance, which was led by 20 covery in San Jose,” Reed said. students who were named semi- Among the topics discussed fi nalists in the 2012 Intel Science in the address, Reed talked Talent Search competition. about the problems of chronic Th e students represent the homelessness in the city but Luis Valdez signs autographs for students, Vanessa Guittron, Latino/a Achievement and Success Conference Saturday at the brightest young scientists in the he acknowledged the eff orts of 16, Evergreen High School, and Daisy Guitron, 16, Mt. Pleasant Event Center. Valdez wrote and directed the films, “La Bamba” nation, Loving said. Niklaus, Loving and others for High School. Valdez was the Keynote Speaker at the Advancing and “Zoot Suit.” Photo by Raphael Kluzniok / Spartan Daily In addition, “Th e Star-Span- their eff orts working with the gled Banner” was sung by Vic- homeless through Destination: Conference pushes thought Th e middle and high school Valdez is still in touch with his for- toria Veles from San Jose High Home. students in att endance were split into mer English teacher, something he said School. According to Reed, 950 for- of higher education to young, two groups. he cherishes. Veles is also a part of the high merly homeless people were “Th ere’s the B average group and His time at SJSU was a fundamental school’s mariachi band, who provided long-term homes promising Latino students the borderline students that need a bit change in his life, he said. Valdez said he was also accompanied by the through the program. of a push — the conference can be an was initially a math and physics major San Jose Danzantes for music Reed also mentioned the by Rebecca Duran inspiration to them,” Karp said. before deciding to pursue writing. and entertainment. SJ 20/20 Initiative, which was Staff Writer Th e conference took seven months of Aft er the fi rst speakers, students Despite the opening fanfare, launched two years ago to elimi- preparation and organizers reached out were dismissed to go to two consecutive there was a small group of pro- nate the achievement gap in the A mixture of Silicon Valley students and to every school district in Santa Clara workshops. testers from the American Fed- San Jose public school system. their families made up the 3500 att endees County, Karp said. Mae Valentino, a teacher at O.B. eration of State, County and Mu- Th e San Jose mayor said of the 3rd biannual Advancing Latino/a SJSU President Mohammad Qayoumi Whaley Elementary School in San Jose, nicipal Employees who rallied about 40 percent of the students Achievement and Success Conference at and the National Hispanic University taught the workshop “How Do I Imag- and held signs up in the air. in the school system were not SJSU on Saturday. president David Lopez welcomed the ine Whom I May Become When I Have “I’m here because I’m an em- performing at grade level, es- Th e goal of the conference is to con- crowd in Spanish. No Clue?” ployee of the city of San Jose pecially within the Latino and tinually create a college-going culture Luis Valdez, an SJSU alumnus, Valentino wrote how she could and also a member of AFSCME African-American student pop- with Latinos, said Fernanda Karp of writer, director, playwright and actor, contribute when organizers sent out a Local 101,” SJSU alumna Karen ulation. SJSU student aff airs. also spoke, and urged students and their notice to the Evergreen School District McDonough said. In spite of the high percent- Th e conference was a collaboration families to think about higher educa- for workshop leaders “We’re very much concerned ages, Reed said the charter between SJSU, the National Hispanic tion. “We have our own talents, and I want about information that the may- schools and traditional public University and the Santa Clara County “We were migrant farmers,” Valdez you to discover what that is,” she told or has been giving out to the schools are addressing specifi c Superintendents Association. said. “When I came to San Jose State in students in the workshop. “Some people public about the budget and the challenges to help student im- Th ere were 65 workshops, according 1958, it fascinated me.” fi gure it out as they go.” fi scal emergency,” she said. provement. to the conference schedule. Th e organizers of the conference Pickett shared her experiences of Loving and Niklaus proceed- Gang violence was another Careers in science teaching, how to contacted Valdez to ask him to speak. fi tt ing in with white people because ed in the event by presenting the subject brought up in the ad- apply for college and fi nancial planning “I can’t think of anything more im- of her light skin, and how people will Pride of San Jose Awards, which dress, with Reed mentioning the were among the 65 workshops at the portant,” Valdez said. “We all need en- honored several organizations conference, according to Karp. couragement.” SEE LATINO PAGE 6 that improved the city’s infra- SEE ADDRESS PAGE 6 Escort program to expand its boundaries of transportation by Samantha Clark ley said he helped the escort expansion “I think the pro- Staff Writer come to fruition. gram is a good idea, “I started feeling unsafe,” Bradley especially for students Th e University Police Department said about the September att acks. “I was concerned about their expanded its Evening Guide Escort walking to the bus on 11th and Santa safety,” Khan said. Program to include a new shutt le Clara — I knew the escort service didn’t Scott Buckovic program that off ers a safe alternative to go that far, and I was freaking out the and Manuel Chaidez, alone nightt ime walking. entire time I was walking there.” both cadets and stu- According to Sgt. John Laws of UPD She said she then asked, “Why don’t dent escorts, said they decided to expand the walking escort they expand the radius for three or four hope more students program because students asked and blocks?” will take advantage of Cadet Scott Buckovic, fourth year, sits in the department shuttle. This service runs Monday expressed concern. Th e SJSU Evening Shutt le Program the shutt le and walk- passengers seat while training the driver Cadet through Friday 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Manuel Chaidez for the SJSU campus police Photo by Sierra Duren / Spartan Daily Senior sociology major Natasha provides rides for students, faculty and ing escort program. Bradley said she started a group on staff within the specifi ed and newly Th ey said they usually wait outside service perimeters, and I’d feel safer permitt ed — passengers must call UPD campus with other students called Stu- expanded perimeters of East Julian the library because many students who taking the shutt le rather than walking for a ride. dents for Campus Safety in response to a Street, First Street, Interstate 280 and utilize the service call for rides aft er alone.” Only two direct rides are allowed string of three unrelated sexual assaults 16th Street. late-night studying. According to the university police each evening per individual or group of within a week this past September. Raafay Khan, an electrical engineer- “I study at the library until late at website, escort operation hours are three or fewer and unlike the Evening Th e group came up with solutions to ing graduate student, used the shutt le night and will defi nitely take advantage Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to Guide Escort Program, all passengers increase campus safety and thought the program for the fi rst time Friday night of the shutt le program,” said Schehrbano 1 a.m., excluding holidays. who wish to use the service must best way to meet their goals was to talk and rode along Julian Street to 10th Khan, a junior molecular biology major. Th e website also states that advanced to UPD Chief Peter Decena, and Brad- Street.

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