Honoring Lost Loved Ones Culturally

1 CONFUSED HALLOWEEN Halloween is not a tradition HAUNTED celebrated by everyone CAMPUS OPINION 2 NEWS 4 SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934 SPARTAN D 1LY VOLUME 121, NUMBER 45 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31,2003 WWW.THESPARTANDAILY.COM EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS Finalists in Honoring lost loved ones culturally Mexican celebration end, senior Araceli Madrid will be "It's definitely gotten much To prepare for the event, Madrid presidential honoring her deceased loved ones on stronger here, especially over the last said her family sets up an altar, observed by El Dia de Los Muertos. 10 years," Gonzalez said. "More which is usually a table decorated staff The cultural event, which in trans- immigrants are coming here with with candles, flowers and the pic- students, lation is known as "The Day of the their traditions." tures of deceased family members. Dead," or "All Saints Day," is cele- Madrid said that she celebrates El Madrid's family also visits the search announced By Veronica Mendoza brated primarily in Mexico on Nov. Dia de Los Muertos every year with grave sites of the deceased family Daily Senior Staff Writer 1 and 2. her family, who are originally from members and takes food to them. By Falguni Bhuta he said. "And all the 111,t,aN The event is also celebrated in the Durango, Mexico. Her family also usually has a picnic school have Daily Projects Editor I have known from high While many college students United States, said Roberto The tradition has been handed at the cemetery, and they talk about been pretty good and reliable." be attending Halloween par- Gonzalez, professor of anthropology down from generation to generation, Cook said one of his biggest com- might at San Jose State University. Madrid said. See M UERTOS, page 4 Five months after the search for the ties and haunted houses this week- new San Jose State University presi- plaints about former President Robert dent started, the officials at the Caret was that he never saw him California State University despite being on campus 12 hours a announced three finalists for the posi- day tion Thursday. The president I'm looking for is the The finalists in the race for the pres- one who is out there with the stu- idential position are Judith A. dents," Cook said. Ramaley, associate director of educa- He said he would rather have some- tion and human resources for the one from the San Jose area because of National Science Foundation; his or her familiarity with the region. Gregory M. St. L. O'Brien, chancellor Each of the three finalists will spend of the University of New Orleans and a day on the campus, meeting faculty, Sheila I. Kaplan, president emeritus of staff, students, alumni and the com- Metropolitan State College in munity. Ramaley will be on campus Denver. on Nov.11, SJSU Provost Marshall Goodman, O'Brien on who was in the race for president, Nov. 12 and incidentally, was not in the list of Kaplan on Nov. finalists. 14, according to Goodman said he would continue to the CSU. be provost of the university despite An open not being selected for the post of the forum is president unless the new president planned each of decided to replace him. these three days "I am very happy here, and I am with the respec- really dedicated to the mission of San tive candidate Jose State," he said. from 10:15 a.m. Goodman said, although he didn't to 11:15 a.m, in O'BRIEN know the finalists' backgrounds, after t h e reading their biographies he thought Engineering they were all extraordinary leaders. building room Peter Haas, a professor in the politi- 189 and an cal science department, said the list of open reception candidates sounded impressive. will be held at 5 "I would prefer somebody with p.m. on the experience in an urban setting like same days in the San Jose State," Haas said. King Library, "Somebody who is accomplished in Suite A. terms of teaching and scholarship and Annette who can speak to the faculty with a Nellen, chair of high degree of credibility." the Academic Photos by Josh Sturgis Dally Staff Haas said he was particularly Senate and member of the RAMALEY David Baker, a junior majoring in art, discussed his group's altar, "Death of Liberty," Thursday at Inca Gardens restaurant at Third and San impressed with Kaplan and O'Brien because they have the experience of an advisory com- Fernando streets in downtown San Jose. urban university. mittee for the O'Brien, a professor of psychology presidential and public affairs, has been chancellor search, said stu- of the University of New Orleans dents and facul- since 1987 and has a doctorate in psy- ty should take Students take twist on Day of the Dead this chance to chology from Boston University. Kaplan, a professor of history, was know the candi- He said the altars represented the dates better. class. president of Metropolitan State Art project true spirit of the College of Denver from 1993 to 2003 She said by He teaches the students that even participating in death he hopes to and holds a doctorate in history from commemorates those though they discuss The Graduate School, City University these forums teach them how to live. the campus groups decid- of New York. Perreira said the class Ramaley was previously the presi- community in afterworld ed the theme for their altar based on could give its KAPLAN what they thought was important to dent of the University of Vermont and Portland State University and has a input about the By Mark Cornejo them. doctorate in anatomy from UCLA candidates to Evanthia Antonokopoulou, a fresh- "There don't apeear to be any the advisory committee, who will then Daily Staff Writer man majoring in biological sciences, forward it to the trustees' committee. used family as a basis minority candidates, Haas said. "But and her group I'm sure the search committee looked Under the CSU Board of Trustees' In honor of the holiday El Dia de los for their altar. presidential selection policy, the chair or, the Day of the Dead, for the most qualified candidates." Muertos The altar was adorned with several Haas said he was surprised that were of the board establishes a five-person some San Jose State University stu- pictures of family members who trustees' committee, one of whom is dents had the opportunity to create well as foods, no finalists from SJSU or the sur- have passed away, as rounding area. designated as committee chair by the altars for those things they held dear wines and pan muertos, "death board chair, according to the CSU. to their hearts. "However a fresh outside perspec- Ashley Finger, an undeclared freshman, took her group's altar bread." tive can be a better in some way, he Board policy requires the chair to Students in Todd Perreira's Death, apart after presenting it to her religious studies class, Death Dying The pan muertos were a part of most appoint an advisory group to the Dying and Religion class had an altars, and they are a traditional said. and Religion, Thursday at Inca Gardens restaurant at Third and of the Bryan Cook, a graduate student in trustees' committee. The advisory opportunity to showcase their altars at piece of an altar. committee is composed of representa- Gardens, a restaurant on the cor- San Fernando streets. said the other history, said he would pick Kaplan Inca Antonokopoulou from the other candidates because of tives of the faculty, staff, students and ner of Third and San Fernando foods and wines were some of their alumni, as well as a member of the death," Perreira said. "This is a form of tit to have his students do a project on favorites. her association with the City streets. deceased relatives University of New York and with his- campus advisory board, all of whom "One of the things we realize in the healing." the holiday. She said her group chose family campus. Perreira said this is the first time he "By doing the altars it gives them the tory. are selected by the class is that the American culture has and I know not addressed way, ,,f dealing with had the opportunity to teach the class chance to remember, but also re, heal "I am from New York in the fall semester, so it was a perfect ourselves," Perreira said See ARTWORK, page 4 the school system there is very good," See SEARCH, page 4 Terkel brings humor, wisdom to campus By Ron Pangrac Berman, director of San Jose State "They arc not enenue,, but kindred," he thing, are beWlidetillg, as they are today, University's Center for Literary Arts. "His said. people sometimes lose hope." Daily Staff Writer evident desire is to create a whole new The event was to be a conversation The opposite of hope is despair, Terkel generation of activists." between Terkel and Berman, with some said. When Studs Terkel was asked what gm The heroes of his book, Terkel said, are questions submitted by audience members. "Despair equals death," he said. "But (de ernment should do for the American peo- people who say "No" when "No" needs to At the outset, however, Terkel explained la Cruz) said there's a saying in Spanish ple, he loudly proclaimed, "We are the be said. to the audience that he is nearly deaf. He that translates 'hope dies last.' Hope is government!" "It's about people down through the said when he watched news coverage of what we are imbued with from the day The author of a number of best-selling years, who have been imbued with hope the war in Iraq, he heard a phrase, which we're born.

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