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Printed on recycled paper EVENT Former White House staff member to motivate SJSU By Jeff Gonzalez crafting my legislative agenda “I think it’s rare that students “I’m not exactly sure what his somebody with this level of experi- @JeffVGonzalez in the Senate, then leading my get the opportunity to get to lis- entire speech will consist of, but ence,” Lee said. “So this is (a) great presidential transition, and most ten, first hand, to the experi- I know some of the stuff he men- opportunity.” Chris Lu, the former Cabinet recently, managing my relations ences of someone who has had tioned he will try to stress is the Peck said she asked Lu to come Secretary of the U.S. and assistant to with the Cabinet,” Obama stat- such great success and has given importance of public service and speak at SJSU. President Obama, will give a moti- ed on the official White House back to his community so much,” growing as a leader and a person,” One of the goals of Peer Con- vational speech at SJSU Morris Dai- website. Lee said. “It’s definitely a great Lee said. nections is to encourage indepen- ley Auditorium today at 3:30 p.m. As Cabinet secretary, Lu was the opportunity.” Lu will give a 20-minute speech dence and leadership among the Lu was the leader of an advisory mediator of the representatives of Lee was asked by Deanna Peck, segment and will follow it with student body at SJSU, according to committee, assistant and cabinet the different Cabinet offices, ac- director of Peer Academic Success a 40-minute question-and-answer Peck. secretary for the Obama Adminis- cording to an article by Peter Baker Services, to emcee the event and session with students, according to To accomplish that goal, Peck tration from 2009 to 2013, accord- in The New York Times. mediate the questions during the Lee. said she thought bringing a speak- ing to a statement released by Pres- He was in charge of bringing discussion portion of the event, ac- “A lot of times students have er to campus to motivate student ident Obama in January 2013 when the cabinet members together and cording to Lee. questions about politics, about ca- leaders would be an effective meth- Lu left the White House staff. mediating agendas or decisions on Lee said he spoke with Lu via reer advice, about really anything od to reach the student population. “Chris Lu is one of my longest- legislation between them, accord- webcam to prepare for today’s that often are hard to ask because serving and closest advisers, first ing to Baker. speech. the opportunity isn’t given to ask SEE SPEECH ON PAGE 2 CAMPUS More construction, fewer walking paths By Allison Williams campus, but around down- @all3ybobally town San Jose as well. On his morning walk Construction on Yo- from the train station, shihiro Uchida Hall has Gomez said he encounters not only displaced the a lot of construction that kinesiology department, forces him to take different as reported on Sept. 30, routes or detours. but it has also blocked off Amru Eliwat, a senior the walking path between software engineering ma- Uchida Hall and Washing- jor, said the construction ton Square Hall and the hasn’t gotten in the way of pathway between the Spar- his morning cup of coffee tan Memorial chapel and from Philz. Uchida Hall. “I’m in MacQuar- The blocked paths mean rie Hall,” Eliwat said, “so that students are siphoned from the bus I go to Philz into one walking path and ... Sometimes I would go have to walk to either end straight through campus of the campus to reach just because the entrance Fourth Street. For some was there.” students, it’s just one more He said he sympathizes walking path gone. with the students whose “Campus is small al- daily routines are affected ready,” said William Lai, a by the blocked pathway. junior electrical engineer- “I think it’s pretty an- ing major, “so, yeah, it’s a noying,” Eliwat said. “I big (issue).” wouldn’t like to deal with According to the Plan- that on my way home.” ning, Design and Con- He said that all of the struction Projects website, construction on campus is Uchida Hall was built in inconvenient and he hopes 1931, the Uchida Annex that it will be worth it. was constructed in 1955 “I had a professor who and the Spartan Complex said she’s been at San Jose Central and East buildings Raphael Kluzniok | Spartan Daily State as a student (and) as a were constructed in 1961 A construction worker sweeps debris at the Yoshihiro Uchida Hall construction site Tuesday. professor for 20 years and and 1927, respectively. The they’ve always been con- Uchida Annex is the addi- grades on the structure, The feasibility study, gency lighting and improve hassle the construction has structing something,” Eli- tion that was added to the accessibility and systems available on the Planning, restroom accessibility. caused will be worth it. wat said. original building. as well as seismic modifica- Design and Construction Anthony Rivera, a junior “I’m pretty sure we won’t He said he hopes that According to the web- tions. Projects website, shows justice studies major, said get to see it though,” Lai after the current con- site, Uchida Hall is the first A feasibility study con- that the other renovations the construction doesn’t said. struction is done, there part of a construction plan ducted on the project lists planned are to address the really affect his daily Gabe Gomez, a fresh- will be a break from other that also includes Uchida the seismic modifications current and future needs routine. man engineering major, projects. Annex, Spartan Complex and includes strength- of the department, mod- “I just go back and forth said that construction is “Just give us two or Central and Spartan Com- ening wall and roof con- ernize data and electrical from the library,” Rivera the norm for him since he three years, at least.” Eliwat plex East. nections, adding addi- systems, upgrade the stairs said. started at SJSU this fall. said. The website shows that tional roof beams and new and accessibility to the In the long run, Lai said He said he’s noticed that Allison Williams is a construction includes up- columns. second floor, install emer- the inconvenience and construction is not only on Spartan Daily staff writer. ACADEMICS Anthony DiQuattro, a senior aerospace Hsu said a possible disadvantage of the engineering major, said he hasn’t noticed any split is more limited collaboration between Aerospace and mechanical effects of the split. the two departments. “Right now, (the split) isn’t much of an is- Mourtos said the split will offer new possi- sue since it’s an administrative change, but bilities to aerospace engineering faculty. engineering department split I think that it will be good for the aerospace “The split is expected to benefit all aero- department since the number of students in space engineering faculty members, as they By Kristi Myllenbeck Nikos Mourtos Ph.D., professor and direc- the major has been growing over the past few can now assume unhindered a leadership role @ricekristi tor of aerospace engineering, said aerospace years,” he said. in various aspects of their program, some- engineering faculty sought the split from Hsu said the split will likely not affect me- thing which is not always possible when a This semester, the aerospace and mechani- mechanical engineering to help the program chanical engineering students, but that the small program must coexist with a larger one cal engineering departments have split up. grow into its own department. split is favored on both sides. in the same department,” he said. According to Andrew Hsu Ph.D., the dean Hsu said the split has been a long time com- Mourtos said the department split “was sup- Although enrollment in the aerospace en- of engineering, mechanical engineering will ing. ported by an almost unanimous vote by all me- gineering program has been kept “artificially become its own department and aerospace en- “It’s been a discussion that has lasted 10 chanical and aerospace engineering faculty.” low” in recent years, Hsu said he hopes the gineering will work toward becoming an inde- years, or more,” he said. “It came to the fore- As far as benefits, the split could mean in- split will increase interest. pendent department in the near future. front because I am a new dean here.” creased growth and interest in the program as “The program is a hidden gem,” he said. The departments have split to allow room Hsu took the position as dean of engineer- well as a sense of independence, according to “Our highest priority at the college is student for each of them to grow, especially aerospace ing in February 2013. Hsu. success.” engineering, Hsu said. The split is expected to have minimal “I think there was some feeling that by hav- Mourtos said increasing visibility of the “Our goal is to grow the aerospace engineer- effect on students for now, according to ing the two programs combined, the aerospace aerospace engineering program is vital.