Native American Artist Mixes Humor and Film
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Thursday, Volume 153 Nov. 7, 2019 No. 33 SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY Editorial A&E Sports An open letter to ISO Beers Graduate students the U.S. Olympic satisfi es with its balance football Committee large selection and academics Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Department chair plans to leave SJSU By John Bricker the department has increased and STAFF WRITER that students are really interested in knowing more,” Berry said. After serving as chair of the Berry has worked at seven African-American studies institutions across the U.S. since department at San Jose State since 2000 and said it is no longer the August 2018 and establishing a norm for those who work in Black Women’s Studies minor, academia to stay in one place for Theodorea Berry is planning to their entire career. part ways with SJSU on Jan. 1. When Berry announced to her During her time at SJSU, Berry class a few weeks ago that she expanded the university’s offerings would leave SJSU at the end of the of African-American studies year, Unique Williams, African- classes, started American studies junior, said the a lecture series class did not believe Berry was and held weekly serious and that when she insisted, office hours “the whole room just got quiet.” in the African Although she said she is happy American/Black for Berry, Williams said African- Student Success BERRY American studies students Center to help will miss her, no matter who BRENDAN CROSS | SPARTAN DAILY students succeed. replaces her. Native American artist and filmmaker Steven Paul Judd talks to a nearly full room of students “It’s bittersweet, because I will “Obviously, there’s no other Dr. about his work during the Spartan Speaker Series at the Student Union Theater Wednesday. miss being here,” Berry said. “I Berry,” Williams said. will miss working with the Tiara Allen, criminology senior students here, but I know that Native American artist this is a tremendously wonderful opportunity.” After Berry’s last scheduled day on SJSU’s payroll, she plans to I will miss working mixes humor and fi lm serve as vice provost for teaching and learning at the University of with the students Central Florida and said she is here, but I know that By Brendan Cross Interior design senior excited to serve its students. STAFF WRITER Chanell Ortillo said that she “I am really excited about the this is a tremendously had never seen anything like opportunity to take all those things wonderful opportunity. From stickers to action Seeing different Judd’s art before. that I have learned throughout my figures, Steven Paul Judd is a “Seeing different professional career and to plug Theodorea Berry multimedia artist who injects a perspectives of perspectives of putting culture them into who students are first,” African-American studies humorous twist into his Native putting culture into into your art is pretty dope,” she said. department chair American art. Ortillo said. In an email, social science Also a filmmaker and your art is pretty dope. After showing some of his Dean Walt Jacobs said he is not and volunteer coordinator for screenwriter, Judd is of Kiowa pieces, Judd played five short sure who will replace Berry, but African-American studies, said she Chanelle Ortillo and Choctaw descent. films that he directed over that Carlos Garcia, sociology and also got very close to Berry over interior design senior Judd shared some of his art the years. interdisciplinary social science time, and that she calls Berry to and short films to a nearly Dr. Seuss books and popular One of the films, “The professor, would be a great choice talk even more often than she calls packed Student Union Theater movie franchises like Star Wars Indian and the Tourist,” takes for interim chair during the Spring her own mother. Wednesday night during in order to get his art across. place in a field with a Native 2020 semester. “She started off as just a teacher, Native American Heritage One of his pieces is a faux American man playing a guitar. The department plans to find an but ended off as a mentor,” Month. cover of Dr. Seuss’ famous A white man walks by and asks external candidate who can start in Allen said. Before sharing pictures of “Green Eggs and Ham” that to take a picture of the Native the summer of 2020, Jacobs said, Allen said she wants to follow some of his work, Judd told the now reads “Fry Bread and American man. and Berry is helping to prepare Berry’s example by studying for a crowd that it was okay to laugh Spam,” two popular foods in Before taking the picture, a transition plan to help this doctorate in criminology at SJSU at some of his pieces. Native American culture, by he thinks something is wrong, interim chair. after graduating with her bachelor’s “If you find something Dr. Sioux. and finds stereotypical regalia After starting work as degree this December. funny, then go ahead and On a trip he took to France, to dress the Native American department chair, Berry increased “In anything I do, let me try to laugh, that’s kind of why Judd stopped traffic in order to man with before taking the African-American studies’ class be like Dr. Berry,” Allen said. I made a lot of this stuff,” snap a picture of him pretending snapshot. The Native American offerings from four to 16 classes Judd said. to place an overimposed Native man, clearly peeved, gets a semester and added four Heavily influenced by American Lego head and torso rid of all of the clothing and part-time lecturers. pop art, Judd often plays on on top of the Arc de Triomphe, “I’m really pleased that the Follow John on Twitter copyrighted properties such as which acts as its legs. ART | Page 2 academic, intellectual endeavor in @JohnMichaelBr15 Speed City athletes revisit early ’60s activism By Erica Lizarrago and while [Smith and Carlos] STAFF WRITER got the spotlight, we got the highlights.” Tommie Smith and John The two fastest Both Poynter and Carlos are known around men in the world Alexander made history the world for their civil rights with their successes as activism in the heat of the should’ve gotten student athletes in the early Black Power movement of the great recognition, ’60s, garnering nationwide late ’60s, but little is known attention. about the Black San Jose State but they Alexander, along with athletes that preceded them got exploited. other Black athletes at just years before. the time, came to SJSU on Bob Poynter, SJSU alumnus I remember that scholarships in 1955, but were and former track and field we were able to offered limited resources as athlete, and Chuck Alexander, students of color. SJSU alumnus and former benefi t from great With no stipend and no football athlete, spoke to an athletes and while place to stay, Alexander and audience at San Jose Museum other student athletes came of Art Wednesday afternoon [Smith and Carlos] together to form a house of about their experiences got the spotlight, Black athletes known as the coming to SJSU. “Good Brother’s.” “The two fastest men in we got the To pay rent, Alexander the world should’ve gotten highlights. said the athletes took the great recognition, but they got opportunity to work together ERICA LIZARRAGO | SPARTAN DAILY exploited,” Alexander said. “I Chuck Alexander by doubling up on morning SJSU alumni Bob Poynter (left) and Chuck Alexander (right) speak to an audience remember that we were able SJSU alumnus and Wednesday at the San Jose Museum of Art during a Lunchtime Lecture. to benefit from great athletes former football athlete HISTORY | Page 2 sjsunews.com/spartan_daily 2 THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 NEWS ART Native American man and asks Armstrong, “Does Continued from page 1 this mean we need to I don’t speak for move again?” Armstrong headdress and chases the then utters the famous white man with a guitar all Indian people, line, “Houston, we have as the credits roll. [but] I don’t like a problem.” It’s comedic in Cheyenne Rooker, nature, but it sends a caricatures. I don’t public health junior and strong message. like the Cleveland president of the Native “That’s based off a true American Student story about this blues Indians because Organization, said she player in the 1900s,” Judd it’s a caricature. loved Judd’s presentation said. “He was Choctaw and was thrilled that [and] there’s no photos The regalia means he came to show his art of him because no one something, you and films. wanted to take a picture “As a Native student, of an Indian dude with a have to earn those I think it’s so awesome guitar in the 1900s. They feathers. that we get to have a very wanted regalia.” influential artist and After showing his short Steven Paul Judd speaker come here and films, Judd took questions multimedia artist share his work with us and from the audience one see how we can finally be of whom asked him earn those feathers.” represented in the media his thoughts on Native Judd closed his and art.” Rooker said. imagery in sports. presentation with one “We’re really so lucky to “I don’t speak for all last short film, “Neil have him here.” Indian people, [but] I Discovers the Moon.” don’t like caricatures,” The film depicts Neil Judd said. “I don’t like Armstrong’s moon the Cleveland Indians landing and American because it’s a caricature.