SPARTANDAILY.COM Volume 142 | Issue 22 Serving San José State University since 1934 Wednesday, March 19, 2014 EDUCATION Students take learning to a new classroom By Yasmine Mahmoud in the program, lives in the Washing- Washington Elementary, sees the stu- colar program assistant, has been in dren on the field, read to them or just @yasminehmahmoud ton neighborhood close to Washing- dents interact with the mentors often. the program for four years and men- sit and talk with them. ton Elementary School. His little sis- The school sometimes goes into tored for three years. “When I saw how Sebastian looked, Walking through Washington ter is a fifth grader at the school. “code blue” Kies and Cervantes said. “I’ve really seen the students grow especially with Ramsez, I didn’t want Elementary School on a Friday af- “I know the kids in the program,” Code blue, or “shelter in place,” is a in terms of reading and having the to bring the class in,” Kies said of a ternoon, you can see a sea of college Cervantes said. “They’re her class- low-intensity lockdown because of a confidence to read,” she said. mentee and his mentor. “He really students — clad in purple — shooting mates, so I want to see them succeed.” neighborhood situation that requires There are 35 SJSU students in the needs that one-on-one attention.” hoops with grade-schoolers, sitting Washington Elementary School everyone to get inside. Classes can program, mentoring third, fourth The students form bonds with with them at lunch tables and reading is in the Washington neighborhood remain in session, but staff and stu- and fifth graders, Faller said. their mentors, Baez said. aloud in tiny chairs at the library. of San Jose, which is known to have dents must remain indoors, accord- Many of the students are lower in- “It’s becoming closer, like a big This sea of purple is run by the San issues with gang activity Cervantes ing to Silver Oak Elementary School’s come, English language learners and brother and little brother relation- Jose State Cesar Chavez Community said. webpage, which is in the same district struggle with reading comprehension ship,” he said. Action Center’s Fuerza Escolar Ele- “I’ve heard that things get real as Washington Elementary. and pronunciation, Faller said. Mentors also help students with mentary School Mentoring Program. tough down there,” he said. “What made me join the program Students are chosen by their test reading comprehension quizzes. Students in the program go to an “We want them to succeed,” Cer- is wanting to help the community,” scores for reading, she said. “It’s nice having volunteers com- elementary school and help children vantes said. “We want them to be the said Ramsez Baez, a sophomore so- “A lot of these students, even if ing to the school who can give these with reading comprehension, offer best they can be at reading, so they are ciology major and volunteer. “I was they are third or fourth grade, a lot of kids guidance and the attention that support and partners to play with. not pushed out of the school system.” given the same help when I was in el- their levels are probably like a second they crave,” Kies said. Luis Cervantes, a sophomore envi- Shannon Kies, a substitute teach- ementary school.” or third grade level,” Faller said. Yasmine Mahmoutd is a Spartan ronmental studies major and mentor er who works several days a week at Bernadette Faller, the Fuerza Es- The volunteers play with the chil- Daily staff writer. CLUB SPORT Dancing with the Spartans Raphael Kluzniok | Contributing Photographer (Left) Left to right: Devin Davis, senior nutrition major, and Risha Rose, senior RTVF major, practice at the Spartan Complex in front of a small crowd Monday night. (Right) Risha Rose tightens her heels as she gets ready for practice Monday night inside Spartan Complex. SEE SPORTS ON PAGE 2 COMPETITION Students encouraged to get creative Interested? Submit your design for the new Spartan By Brandon Chew “Home-run Hoopla,” located at the ones. She also said that they are going to Squad t-shirt! @bchewphoto Campus Village quad, Blower said. set up booths around campus over the Shirts have also been handed out at next few weeks to get more applicants for Contest guidelines: A sea of boxes filled with yellow other events or given away as prizes, she the contest. T-Shirts cover the floor of Associated said. Blower says that they want all types of Students events coordinator Bradyn “We’ve also done a trade-in a few students submitting ideas and designs. Must be current SJSU student Blower’s office. times, where students trade in unwant- “We made a pretty big point, especial- If you have been to a sports event, ed clothing for a Spartan Squad shirt,” ly on the Facebook event, that you do not Redesign front of shirt attended an A.S. event or just walked Blower said. need to be a designer to submit a design,” around campus you have probably seen Spencer Wong, a senior nursing ma- Blower said. Spartan squad logo not required the bright yellow T-Shirts that read jor, attended “Home-run Hoopla” and The original design was done by Dang “Spartan Squad” across the front. said he wore the Spartan Squad T-Shirt Nguyen, an A.S. graphic designer, Blower The shirt will remain gold These T-Shirts are being redesigned to set an example and hopefully get oth- said. Blower worked with Nguyen after Use only blue and white in design through a contest that any student can ers to show pride in SJSU as well. the shirt was designed and she found out enter. The deadline for entries is March A.S. had a booth at the event where that the idea for “Spartan Squad” was just 28. students could enter the contest. a fun playful idea at first. Blower said the “Where the redesign idea came from Blower said 47 designs were submit- idea has now transformed into a creative was that they did some student forums,” ted at the event. interaction students can be involved Blower said. Blower said that shirts with the orig- with. Deadline: Conversations in the forum led to inal design will be given out at sporting Blower said she hopes that the stu- the idea that a contest involving stu- events until there aren’t any left. dents will be enthusiastic and there can Friday, March 28 dents would be a great way to get stu- “Even if we have a new design I’m be a new T-Shirt every year. She also said dents to interact with the trending T- sure people would like to get a free Spar- that the winner’s name will be printed Submit to: Shirts, Blower said. tan shirt either way,” Blower said. on the back. [email protected] The most recent event where the Blower said the old T-Shirts will be Brandon Chew is a Spartan Daily staff shirts were being handed out was used to advertise the contest for the new writer. INSIDE TODAY Sunny p. 2 Sports: Dancesport gets its groove on p 4 A&E: Let Buddhism show you the way 78°F P. 5 Opinion: Obama turns presidency into a meme 51°F P. 8 News: Change is coming to AS government Printed on recycled paper 2 | Spartan Daily SPORTS Wednesday, March 19, 2014 CLUB SPORT Raphael Kluzniok | Contributing photographer San Jose State alumna Lillian Luu and senior Christopher Li perform a tango routine during a showcase performance in Spartan Complex Monday night. Dancesport couples are competitors and characters By Jessica Schlegelmilch sport until 2009. Ayers is currently the ball- Devin Davis, a senior nutrition major, and to be more serious about competing they have @jessieschleg room coach and Stacey Chuang is in charge of Rose are a couple on the dancesport team who to pursue the private coaching route. Davis the Latin dance group. specialize in Latin ballroom dancing. Davis said that working out and being physically fit Dancesport is San Jose State’s competitive “A lot of people don’t really realize that said that in the Latin ballroom dancing tradi- is also important to being any kind of athlete, ballroom dancing team that competes each (dance) is not only an art but it’s a sport as tion there are five different dances: cha cha, including a dancer. year in four collegiate dance competitions in well,” said Risha Rose, a senior theater ma- rumba, samba, jive and paso doble. Every member on the dancesport team the Bay Area and San Luis Obispo. jor and dancer on the team. “If you really Davis and Rose have been dancing together competes. The team’s president, Richard Tsai, Bud Ayers, SJSU professor and adviser for want to be a competitive dancer, you need to for a year. They have a personal coach indepen- a senior business major, said that because the team, founded dancesport in 2008, but realize that you’re going to end up being a dent from the dancesport team, Frank Flores. the team wasn’t officially recognized as a club competitive athlete.” Davis said that for any dancer that wants SEE DANCE ON PAGE 3 Wednesday, March 19, 2014 SPORTS Spartan Daily | 3 Dance: Friendly competition From Page 2 dancesport is a collegiate team they focus on colle- about competitive dance. giate competitions, but there are internationally Other misconceptions are the amount of “be- ranked competitions that are open to the public. hind-the-scenes,” efforts that go into competitive Tsai said that dancers assume characters dancing.