CD REVIEW Baseball Preview Underground hip hop group breaks through SJSU to rely on young arms See Page 5 See Page 8 Serving San José State University since 1934 Wednesday, February 17, 2010 www.TheSpartanDaily.com Volume 134, Issue 10 Students lend a hand Mailroom problems at local grade school frustrate students Melissa Johnson something wrong with them,” she said. “I’ve heard Staff Writer similar stories from all sorts of people having prob- lems.” Students living on campus have been having prob- Having also been a resident assistant in Campus lems receiving mail through the Joe West Hall mail- Village, Leary said she understands that dealing with room. thousands of students can be frustrating. Since the Jasmine Leary, a senior business management mailroom handles a large volume of mail for all the major and current resident of Campus Village Build- housing residences on campus, she said they need to ing B, said she feels that better communication have more organization. among mailroom staff members may help re- Alessandra Imazio Jones, a junior interior design solve problems, or hiring more staff to facilitate major and CVB resident, said she experienced a de- the duties. lay in receiving packages during her fi rst semester at Leary said she has attended SJSU since 2006 and SJSU. has had mailroom problems since 2007. She said Jones said she expected to receive a pack- she’s been frustrated with the mailroom while age from a company and said she received living on campus. confi rmation from the company that “Of the 20 or so packages I’ve the package was delivered, but Eric Van Susteren / Spartan Daily had sent to me, about 70 Jessica Yano, a senior health science major, helps second-grader Alandra percent have had See MAIL, Page 2 Perez count apple seeds for a science project at McKinley elementary science fair. Eric Van Susteren Health Promotion class, which focuses on Staff Writer community organization. “Every kid gets a one-on-one college Students from the health science de- student ambassador to help them,” she partment helped 184 McKinley Elementa- said. ry School children complete experiments Prentice Townsend, a senior health sci- at the school’s science fair Saturday. ence major, said that the fair was a great “We bring the resources of the uni- opportunity for children from an area that versity for a hands-on workshop to help doesn’t have the funding for a traditional families conduct experiments and make science fair to discover new project ideas. posters,” said Professor Kathleen Roe, the “This lifts the ceiling for them to ex- event’s organizer. plore new things in science,” he said. Roe said the student organizers and participants came from her Community See SCIENCE, Page 3 SJSU to add fall classes with funds Bikers compete in new game Michael Yuen, a senior computer spike in fees is hindering students $3.1 million to be used science major, said he agrees with from graduating, especially those the direction SJSU is moving in al- switching majors. to advance graduation, locating the extra funds. Becerra said another possible rise Whitmore says “If money is going into schools for in fees could make times even hard- students to take more classes, then I er fi nancially than they are now. Eric Bennett think it’s a great idea,” he said. “It’s going to make things tough- Staff Writer Natalia Becerra, a junior ac- er if it happens,” she said. “I’m hav- counting information systems ma- ing trouble with the fee increases we In an initiative to bolster stu- jor, said she has recently turned to have already had.” dents’ opportunities to graduate on junior colleges to get courses SJSU SJSU is contemplating refi ning time, SJSU President Jon Whitmore fi lls or doesn’t have. the methodology the school uses said additional sections will be of- “If I can fi nally get the business to admit new students, Whitmore fered in the upcoming fall semester. classes I need, then it’s a good idea,” said. Federal funds will provide the Becerra said. “I have had to take “Up until 18 months ago, essen- Eric Van Susteren / Spartan Daily necessary fi nancial support for the classes at San Jose City College be- tially all students from California Al Soriano and JP Flores, a senior graphic design major, play bike polo increase in classes, as SJSU will re- cause they aren’t offered here.” who met the basic CSU require- in front of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Arch on Wednesday. ceive $3.1 million from the $50 mil- An infl ux in courses comes during ments and applied to SJSU were ac- lion distributed to all 23 California a time when campuses are experi- cepted,” he said. “Because we are an Eric Van Susteren ing major. “It’s good because I’m not good State University campuses, Whit- encing fee hikes, an issue Whitmore impacted campus now, we have to Staff Writer at skating, but I am at bike-riding.” more said Feb. 9 in a news confer- said SJSU is currently combating. develop mechanisms for who gets in Bike polo is played with two teams ence. “Within the governor’s proposed and who doesn’t.” Cheers echoed off the sides of Cesar of four or fi ve bikers, each player tries to “Last year, one of the initiatives budget is a possible 10 percent in- Any changes to the current ad- Chavez Memorial Arch Wednesday night knock a small plastic ball into the other for the federal government was sup- crease in student fees for next fall,” mittance system could deter the as speeding bicyclists wielding polo mal- team’s goal using a bike polo mallet, orga- porting state government in ways he said. “But, as we have raised fees, chances of students from outside of lets crafted from ski poles and plastic pip- nizer Tree Miller said. that would help turn the economy a good portion of that goes into our Santa Clara County, but Whitmore ing wove between each other, chasing a Shakeeb Arianta, a sophomore mechan- around,” Whitmore said. “Our fi rst scholarship funds.” said the school plans to remain true small plastic ball. ical engineering major and one of the play- priority is to help students graduate Vincent Loi, a sophomore me- “Bike polo is like hockey on bikes,” said from this university.” chanical engineering major, said the See FUNDS, Page 4 Matthew Divita, a senior business market- See POLO, Page 3 Weather THESPARTANDAILY.COM TWITTER Online: DANCE Vide: SJSU jazz dance instructor talks about her experience as a Follow us at performer in New York @spartandaily Michelle Gachet for headlines Hi: 70° straight to your phone. Lo: 49° SPARTAN DAILY BLOGS Multimedia: Campus Voices- Students are asked, “What do you think about the shootings by the professor at the University / of Alabama-Huntsville?” FACEBOOK Spartan Daily www.SpartanDailyphoto.com Become a fan and TH F get the latest SJSU news on your Hi: 68° Hi: 61° Facebook facebook.com/ Lo: 49° Lo: 49° spartandaily See www.TheSpartanDaily.com 2 NEWS Wednesday, February 17, 2010 University hires Broadway veteran to train dance hopefuls Andrew Martinez Auland grew up in Nova- form should not exclude the Staff Writer to, Calif. and was strictly bal- other because they are all in- let trained when she gradu- terconnected and interwoven, The dance department has ated high school at 15 years old which inspires her to con- hired a Broadway veteran as and moved to New York City tinue dance from a teaching the Jazz Dance IV guest lec- on a dance scholarship, she perspective. turer for the Spring 2010 se- said. “Doing other styles of dance mester, Professor Janie Scott Auland said she found the is only going to strengthen your said. teaching position on Craigslist. primary dance form,” Auland Gina Auland said her per- “That’s one of the fi rst things said. “I told them from the very formance background includes I do when I get to a new city,” she fi rst class that if you have a good numerous dance companies, said. “I haven’t been back here foundation, you can do any style Broadway shows and even the very long, and I always go on of dance, and I believe that.” Radio City Rockettes. Craigslist. It can tell a lot about There is a recent trend in the “It’s exciting, because the the city that you’re in and what ballet world of contemporary Michelle Gachet / Spartan Daily things she has done are the jobs there are.” choreographers working with Gina Auland observes her students as they dance across the room at Washington Square things that I want to do,” junior Auland knew about SJSU be- ballet companies, Auland said. Hall on Friday. dance major Heather Klobu- cause her uncle attended school “Ballet technique is becoming kowski said. here, but she didn’t know that more valued in the commercial they had a versatile dance de- world,” she said, “and the energy partment and dancers, she said. and versatility of the commercial “They have a real willing- world is becoming more valued ness to apply themselves,” she in the classical world.” said. “And to say, ‘Maybe I’m There’s a difference between not doing it the best way, but let commercial jazz and pop jazz, me fi gure out how I can be bet- theater jazz and broadway jazz, ter.’ That’s a real valued quality and contemporary jazz and lyri- that they have, and that’s rare to cal jazz, she said. fi nd.” “Versality is an asset — a huge Auland said she plans asset, but you can’t get to Z un- on re-emphasizing the tech- til you lay down ABC,” Auland nique and understanding said.