Metropolitan Evolution Fans, Some Say Leaders of SJSU Cultural Groups See Challenges Ahead for Spartan Boosters

SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934 SPARTANSPARTAN DAILYDAILY WWW.THESPARTANDAILY.COM VOLUME 122, NUMBER 54 MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2004 Asians not football Metropolitan evolution fans, some say Leaders of SJSU cultural groups see challenges ahead for Spartan boosters By John Kim Students, the Interfraternity Daily Staff Writer Council, the Panhellenic Council — they all need to get involved.” Mike Ra, a senior majoring in Melanie Cavero of Alpha Kappa electrical engineering, considers Delta Phi, an Asian sorority, agreed himself an avid fan of the NFL. He that the football program wasn’t played football in high school. In getting enough attention. She said his six years at San Jose State Uni- she believed “hype” was necessary versity, however, he never attended to attract Asian interest. a Spartan football game, nor has he “A lot of the Asian population ever paid attention to how the team isn’t culturally adapted to football,” is doing season to season. she said. “Football’s mainly an Ra, who is Korean, said he American sport.” believed the majority of SJSU’s James Mao, president of the Asian students are apathetic to- Chinese Culture Club, said, ward the school’s 110-year football “Cultural differences matter a lot.” program. He said he didn’t believe any of the “A good majority of Asian stu- 120 members of his organization dents go to college, and their focus followed football, and instead were is almost exclusively on academics,” interested in racquet sports, such as he said. tennis and badminton. Founded in 1857, SJSU is not Like Cavero of Alpha Kappa only the oldest institution of higher Delta Phi, Mao doesn’t believe learning on the West Coast, but SJSU should abandon its football also one of the most ethnically di- program. verse. Of the approximately 30,000 “My opinion is that we shouldn’t students enrolled at the school in cut football because of the budget Fall 2002, 32.2 percent were Asian crisis,” he said. “I feel that football and 7.2 percent Filipino. is an important American tradi- Some have argued that because tion.” football is popular only in the Michael Harold, a graduate of United States — unlike, say, SJSU’s MBA program who leads basketball or baseball — football gostate.org, an organization that Daniel Miranda/ Daily Staff cannot thrive on a campus with advocates shifting SJSU’s city-ori- such a large Asian population. ented identity and rebranding the Jamie Soukkaseum, right, a senior computer engineering major, does her homework on the eighth fl oor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint Huy Tran, president of the Viet- school as “California State,” said Library on Thursday night, while Christopher Mendez, a West Valley College sophomore, plays computer games on his laptop. The eighth fl oor of namese Student Association, called football is crucial to maintaining the library provides a view of the city’s skyline. the notion that Asian students the school’s overall reputation. don’t take an interest in the football “One of the reasons football is Growth of San Jose as a metropolitan city contributes to the university’s identity program a “fair generalization.” so important, football and athletics “Look at people who go is the main marketing tool for By Claire Taylor by Bob Caret … but in reality, it is a very clear students come from the community, many of to games, look at people who universities in the United States,” Daily Staff Writer description of what we are,” said Carmen Sigler, the parents of our students are graduates of the participate,” he said. “The crowd he said. “It’s like a form of advertis- dean of the College of Humanities and the Arts. university,” Nance said. at the football games doesn’t refl ect ing for the university. Let’s face When former President Robert Caret assumed “We’re located in a metropolitan area. We serve a With incoming University President Paul Yu the campus population.” it, all the major universities in the the university’s presidency in 1995, he stated that, metropolitan area. We are responsive to the needs taking offi ce on July 15, the debate over the Divi- Tran said it was the responsibil- United States have football, and given its location and service to the region, San Jose of our students who come from that area.” sion I-A status of football still up in the air and the ity of the student organizations to without it, you become kind of like State University is “the metropolitan university of A metropolitan university is one that is in “an economy forcing cuts to all facets of the institution, win over new fans. a second-class university.” Silicon Valley.” At the time, some people didn’t urban setting, (with a) strong regional focus (and) SJSU is on the cusp of potential change. “We’re not publicizing the Harold said he believes football know what a metropolitan university was, and heavy emphasis in partnerships and collaborations “I think that what San Jose State appears to need program the right way,” he said. has less appeal for the Asian com- many still don’t. between the community, the campus and the state,” “It doesn’t hit that broad base, the “I was asked by other people on other occasions Vice Provost William Nance said. broad spectrum of the students. see ASIANS, page 3 whether this is something that really was invented “The community hires our students, our see METRO, page 9 Off to class ... Call football ‘State,’ alum urges By Robert S. Hong is at the epicenter of developing a the return of the term “State” in Daily Senior Staff Writer reputation. reference to SJSU athletics and “Right now, athletics are under public relations. In light of many recent budget siege from several quarters,” he The group cites other schools problems within San Jose State said. “These include student apathy, that have been successful by as- University, an organization NCAA attendance requirements sociating “State” with their name. referring to itself as “Spartans for and anti-Spartan professors who “Look at Florida State or State” has emerged on the scene to want to get rid of football.” Ohio State — those names are appeal to students about the need However, Harold said athletics recognized,” Harold said. “On the for enhancing the prestige of the is not the only factor that needs bigger scope, an SJSU degree just SJSU name. to change before SJSU reaches its doesn’t have the weight needed to “(SJSU graduates) are facing potential. compete in this market.” intense competition against (stu- “We have abandoned that iden- “Spartans for State” bears a dents) from nationally recognized tity of California State University,” similar name to another group on schools,” said Michael Harold, he said. “We gave that name to the campus, Spartans-4-Sanity, which a recent graduate of the MBA whole CSU system, but we were was founded earlier and which program. the fi rst California State normal favors educational priority over As a member of the group, Har- school.” old says a strong athletic program Harold and his group support see STATE, page 3 Library assessing services, hours in survey By Theresa Smith popular concern — library hours. “This is something these Daily Staff Writer Keith Stamps, a graduate professors should look at — instead student studying urban and regional they are trying to get rid of the The Dr. Martin Luther King planning, said while fi lling out his football program,” Stamps said. Jr. Joint Library is one of the survey, the biggest complaint he has “They should focus on trying to newest additions to San Jose State is about the library’s hours. get the library hours back like it was University. Since its doors opened to “The hours this library remains before.” open for the students is a disser- First-time library patron John Stacey Ruesch / Daily Staff SJSU students and the public, there have been many concerns, according vice,” Stamps said. “Why are they Gould, a resident of San Jose, said shortchanging the students?” he was visiting the library to look at Dadise Bruce heads down the stairs in Washington Square Hall, going to her paleopathology class Tuesday to some patrons. In a 20-question survey last Stamps said the old Clark used books for his class. afternoon. In the class, there is a skeleton lab containing only human remains. “I’m going to go fondle some Library stayed open until midnight “I am looking forward to the bones,” she said. Bruce is majoring in molecular biology. week, patrons were asked questions pertaining to safety, computer and students should continue to usage, parking, library interior and a have access to their regular hours. see SURVEY, page 3 SPORTS | pages 6, 8 I N S I D E A&E | page 5 Water polo MOVIE Spartans beat Nevada ends season REVIEW: 10-5 in third game with loss to ‘United States of of series Stanford Leland’ PAGE 2 THE SPARTAN DAILY MONDAY APRIL 26, 2004 • OPINION • FULL FRAME An ethics lesson taught at the scene of a shooting “We have a report of a 34-S on the 2800 block of Broad, But … again have to make the decision whether to photograph. you want, but you’re going to have to be able to live with cross street of St. Bernard,” the police scanner said as it If I was crying outside of my house while it was burning Back to the crying girl. yourself later.” crackled to life. down, I can’t deny that I was crying. Perhaps a photograph I stood there, camera in my hand, frozen in indecision.

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