Date: March 5, 2011

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: Camera 12 Cinema, 201 S. Second St., San Jose

Summary: This screening of “Dreaming Nicaragua,” a Cinequest film festival event, will be followed by a panel discussion at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, 33 E. San Fernando St., San Jose. Congressman Mike Honda will both introduce the film and participate in the panel. The discussion will focus on current issues of literacy and poverty in Nicaragua. The film exposes not only the extreme poverty experienced by many children, but also the hopes and dreams art can inspire in them.  Many of the children in this film attend educational programs run by the non-profit Fabretto Children’s Foundation.  SJSU is connected to the children in this documentary through a unique project called Puerta San Jose, launched in 2008 by Honda. SJSU faculty and graduate students are partnering with Fabretto and Nicaraguan universities to support the education of rural and low-income children. Cinequest will also screen the film on March 8 and 12.

Date: March 5, 2011

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: Camera 12 Cinema, 201 S. Second St., San Jose

Summary: This screening of “Dreaming Nicaragua,” a Cinequest film festival event, will be followed by a panel discussion at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, 33 E. San Fernando St., San Jose. Congressman Mike Honda will both introduce the film and participate in the panel. The discussion will focus on current issues of literacy and poverty in Nicaragua. The film exposes not only the extreme poverty experienced by many children, but also the hopes and dreams art can inspire in them.  Many of the children in this film attend educational programs run by the non-profit Fabretto Children’s Foundation.  SJSU is connected to the children in this documentary through a unique project called Puerta San Jose, launched in 2008 by Honda. SJSU faculty and graduate students are partnering with Fabretto and Nicaraguan universities to support the education of rural and low-income children. Cinequest will also screen the film on March 8 and 12.

Recent graduate Andy Tran (right) discusses his startup with a local business leader.

By Pat Lopes Harris
Media Relations Director

Young entrepreneurs feast on exposure and advice. So when a professor invited recent graduate and budding businessman Andy Tran to set up a booth outside a Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network conference, he accepted immediately.

“It was an excellent opportunity to get meaningful feedback from community leaders and business owners,” Tran said. “Also, the conference speakers were highly passionate about the status of the valley and it further inspired us to continue our pursuit in building the restaurant community with Yumsprout.”

Tran and his Yumsprout team took second place at the Silicon Valley Neat Ideas Fair last December. The Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship within the College of Business holds the event annually, with the goal of helping SJSU students generate and highlight new business ideas.

“Yumsprout is an online social project that helps build the local restaurant community through free food tasting campaigns,” Tran explained. “Our mission is to raise awareness for local restaurants and to cross promote important social causes with food events and campaigns.”

More than 1,100 corporate and community leaders attended the Joint Venture conference, which featured “the latest economic data, thought leaders’ powerful ideas, provocative rhetoric and substantive views on the state of our region’s economic health and challenges,” organizers said.

For Tran and other Neat Ideas Fair participants, an invite to the event was an opportunity they would have scored nowhere else. SJSU was the only university with student booths at the conference.

Tran also feels quite lucky to have connected with Professor Anuradha Basu, director of the Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship.

“Professor Basu has been especially helpful with my entrepreneurial endeavors,” Tran said. “I’m really lucky to have had her as a professor.”#

Professor Guerrazzi (third from the right) meets with colleagues at Herat University.

By Pat Lopes Harris
Media Relations Director

Keep up with Diane Guerrazzi, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, as she works in one of the world’s most war-torn nations to help establish college programs in her field.

Though she has had a few harrowing experiences (management at her hotel felt the need to post a “no weapons allowed” sign in the lobby), she also expresses delight in early successes.

She and her colleagues at Herat University have already agreed on requirements for bachelor’s degrees in journalism and public relations.

Read more on the Herat Journalism Project blog, and view photos that will take you to the heart of Afghanistan today.

You’ll see entries from Guerrazzi and SJSU journalism lecturer Peter Young, who have teamed together on this endeavor, funded by a $1.2 million U.S. State Department grant.#

Originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Feb. 27, 2011

By Steve Lopez

I grew up in an apartment house owned by my grandfather in downtown Pittsburg, Calif. No, there’s no “h” at the end of Pittsburg. We did it our way up there in Contra Costa County, an hour east of San Francisco.

Neither of my parents went to college, but we always did just fine because my dad had union jobs that paid a living wage. He drove trucks for milk and bread companies, and later worked as a candy and tobacco salesman.

When I was 7, my parents moved my brother and sister and me out of the apartment because they’d saved enough for a down payment on the house my mom and dad still live in. I always had part-time jobs growing up, but when I went to San Jose State, my parents paid my tuition and the bulk of my room and board.

For a couple of reasons, I’ve been thinking lately about the union job that paid for my college degree. First, because attacking unions has become a national sport. And second, because I’ve been notified by San Jose State that the school wants to give me an honorary doctorate degree.

Don’t laugh, even though my wife, children, colleagues and acquaintances all did when they heard the news. Tempting as it was to be able to make dinner reservations as Dr. Lopez and to tell the motley crew of scribes who sit near me that I wanted to be referred to as Dr. Lopez from here on out, I wasn’t sure I would accept the honor. I wasn’t a particularly good student in my day, and I haven’t done anything particularly deserving of the recognition.

If I were to look back though the several thousand columns I’ve written, I’d probably find one in which I made fun of the very idea of an honorary doctorate degree. I Googled “honorary doctorate” and here’s what Wikipedia had to say:

“Some universities and colleges have been accused of granting honorary degrees in exchange for large donations.”

I assure you, cross my heart, that I did not pay a bribe, and if I were in a position to make a large donation, it would probably be to my daughter’s college fund.

Wikipedia went on to say that some recipients “have been criticized if they insist on being called ‘doctor.’” Jeez, it’s not like I’d try to perform surgery or anything.

When San Jose State President Don Kassing called to chat, I told him I feared that if I were to accept, honorary doctorates would be forever diminished for future recipients.

He told me to think about it.

When I left San Jose State in 1975, I worked for three small California newspapers that paid the going rate — next to nothing. Then I got a job at the Oakland Tribune, a union paper, and my salary nearly doubled.

I’ve had union and nonunion jobs since then (this one is nonunion), and I’ve seen and written about both the great benefits and the many excesses of organized labor.

This week, I got an e-mail from a reader who recalled a column I wrote about the looming cost of unfunded mandates for teachers and other public employees. She asked if I was happy about being on the same team as the governor of Wisconsin, who wants to take away collective bargaining rights, and the billionaire Koch brothers, who have spent millions trying to destroy civil service unions.

Sure, I’ve hammered away at the UTLA leadership on occasion. But still, I was insulted.

“I think teachers are underpaid,” I wrote back. But I added that California’s average retirement ages of 54 for cops and firefighters and 59 for everyone else are outrageous and unsustainable, and so are the pension-spiking tricks that have led to 20,000 retirees collecting six-figure salaries.

I think we need to bring public employee unions and pensions into line with economic reality, as I’ve written many times. But we don’t have to make them extinct. Shouldn’t there be one last place to make a middle-class living with decent benefits and none of the risks posed by 401(k)s that are tied to shaky markets?

As my colleague George Skelton brilliantly pointed out last week (he’s a San Jose State alum, naturally), inflation-adjusted incomes for the top 10% of Californians have gone up 43% in the last 20 years and 81% for the wealthiest 1%.

Income for the lower 60%, meanwhile, dropped by 12%.

Unions aren’t responsible for that consolidation of wealth. If anything, the fact that the rich are getting richer is an argument to organize against the disparity. And to quit dismantling institutions like the state university system that has balanced the playing field for low-income and middle-class students by the millions over the decades.

Wikipedia also said that honorary doctorate recipients are expected to make a speech.

I think I’m going to accept.

And in my speech, I’m going to say that I grew up at a time when upward mobility was a realistic objective in California rather than a wild dream.

With no college education of their own, my parents were able, through hard work — and fair pay for that work — to take me to the doctor when I was sick, to enroll me in public schools that were adequately funded instead of at the bottom of the national rankings, and to send me to a proud state university system that has prepared great battalions of students for what was once a thriving economy.

They can boo if they want, cheer if they must.

Either way, no need to call me Dr. Lopez. Unless you feel a need to.

steve.lopez@latimes.com

MESA Day 2010

By Christina Ramos and Pat Lopes Harris, Director of Media Relations

The San Jose State University Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Schools Program will host its annual MESA Day Preliminary Competitions from from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 5 at SJSU.  Students from nearby school districts will participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions designed to help them apply their academic skills to hands-on and real world experiences.

“MESA Day is a time to see how students can have fun while still being challenged in math and science,” says Christina Ramos, MESA Schools program director.  “To see how much hard work and dedication the students put into their projects and the excitement they have when they are competing is encouraging to all who participate, from volunteers, to teachers and staff.”

This year, more than 700 educationally disadvantaged fifth through 12th grade students will participate in competitions such as designing and building bridges, airplane gliders and mousetrap cars, biological models and egg drops as well as participating in the Windmill National Design Competition. Most of the MESA Day competitions will be led by volunteer scientists and engineers from local leading companies.

The event begins with a welcome ceremony in the Student Union Barret Ballroom followed by various competitions and activities throughout the Student Union and Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering building.

“MESA DAY is an exciting opportunity for students to explore the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in a unique and exciting environment,” state Maria Lopez, MESA alum and AERO Institute/NASA Ames Research Center Higher Education Specialist. “One of the best components of MESA Day is junior high and high school students being at a university and interacting with professors, scientists, engineers and a community that supports the students’ STEM education and leadership growth.”

MESA Day partners and supporters include: EMC², Cisco Systems, Google, Wells Fargo, General Electric, IBM, Intel, AMD, NASA, Pacific Bay Capitol Group, The Tech Museum, Santa Clara Valley Water District, the Society of Mexican American Engineers & Scientists (MAES), Context Training Solutions, San Jose State University, SJSU College of Science, SJSU MESA Engineering Program, SJSU campus organizations and community partners.

The SJSU MESA Schools Program is designed to prepare and motivate educationally disadvantaged students to successfully pursue college-preparatory coursework and promote careers in math and science, while developing their pre-professional and leadership skills.#

Christina Ramos is the SJSU MESA Schools Program Director. To learn more, contact Ramos at (408) 924-3837 or christina.ramos@sjsu.edu.

SJSU students outside UCLA's Royce Hall, venue for the 38th Annual Annie Awards.

By Alice Carter

Professors David Chai, Alice Carter and Courtney Granner, alumni David Yee and Gia Luc, and a group of enthusiastic animation/illustration students gathered Feb. 5 at UCLA’s Royce Hall for the 38th Annual Annie Awards. The Annie is Hollywood’s top award for animation.

For the second time in four years, a film directed by SJSU Professor David Chai and produced by SJSU Animation/Illustration students was in contention for Best Short Film. The other four nominees were by PIXAR, Warner Bros., Plymptoon Studios, and Jason Carpenter of Carpenter Bros. Animation.

Professor Chai and his students conceived, animated, and produced “Enrique Wrecks the World” on the campus with no budget. Although several students received internship credit for their participation, most worked for the experience. Fueled by the snacks that Professor Chai provided every day, the film was finished in just twelve weeks.

Although PIXAR won the category, neither the honor of the nomination, nor the opportunity to attend the Annie Awards ceremony was wasted on the SJSU students. Students were able to meet and talk with Matt Groening (creator of “The Simpsons”), David Silverman (producer of “The Simpsons”), Bonnie Arnold (director of “How to Train Your Dragon”), actor James Hong, and Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob).#

Professor Alice Carter heads SJSU’s Animation/Illustration program.

Carmen Sigler

By Pat Lopes Harris
Media Relations Director 

She was so well regarded that the occasion called for not one but two plaques, and attracted so many well wishers that they spilled out of the room.  

“Every role she has had, she handled so well,” Interim President Don W. Kassing said. “She’s just outstanding.” 

Such was the scene Feb. 24 when the World Languages and Literatures Media Center was officially named for retired Provost Carmen Sigler. 

Sigler arrived at SJSU in 1987 to serve as coordinator for the Single Subject Teaching Credential Program in the Foreign Languages Department.  She became department chair in 1992, and subsequently served as dean of the College of Humanities and the Arts, interim vice president for University Advancement, and provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. 

The Carmen Sigler Media Center in Clark 208 is a multi-room suite brimming with materials and technology that teach students far more than the mechanics of new languages. They also study culture and literature there, producing graduates who are “citizens of the world,” in the words of department Chair Dominique van Hooff. 

The media center opened several years ago, funded in part by a U.S. Education Department grant to improve global studies at SJSU. The project was one of many improvements Sigler fostered during her years on campus. 

“I have wealth beyond comparison because I have the treasure of so many good friends and good colleagues,” Sigler said. “I look back at my career and I consider myself so fortunate and so special to have been part of SJSU.” 

Sigler continues to give back to SJSU. She has returned to work as an instructor for the department that first brought her to campus to the delight of her students, who presented her with a floral arrangement at the media center dedication. 

“She was at the heart of this department for so long,” van Hooff said. “And she will continue to be at the heart of this department forever.”#

"Sowing the Seeds of Justice: The Story of Cruz Reynoso."

Date: March 17, 2011

Time: 6 p.m.

Location: Morris Dailey Auditorium

Summary: This special screening of the movie will feature a guest appearance by filmmaker Abby Ginzberg. Sponsors include Cesar E. Chavez Community Action Center. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 general admission, and are available from Ticketmaster.

During his extraordinary life, Cruz Reynoso has been one of those rare individuals who are not only shaped by history-they make history.  Sowing the Seeds of Justice paints a portrait of Cruz Reynoso, a man who felt the sting of injustice as a child and later, as a lawyer, judge and teacher, fought for over five decades to eradicate discrimination and inequality for all.

“Sowing the Seeds of Justice” begins with Cruz Reynoso’s childhood, when he was born into a Spanish-speaking farm worker family of 11 children. The film shows his struggle to be educated, leading to his graduation from Pomona College in 1953 and from UC Berkeley Law School in 1958. He then became the first Latino director of California Rural Legal Assistance and later one of the first Latino law professors in the country, beginning his academic career at the University of New Mexico Law School. His ascent to the California Supreme Court was a singular achievement. He was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown as the first Latino justice on that bench. Then, in a heated recall campaign whose central issue was the death penalty, Reynoso and two other justices lost their seats.  As vice chair on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, he provided leadership in the only investigation of voting rights abuses in the 2000 election in Florida. He received the country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his lifelong devotion to public service and today at 78, he continues to teach law at UC Davis Law School and to actively participate in community organizations throughout the state of California.

"Sowing the Seeds of Justice: The Story of Cruz Reynoso."

Date: March 17, 2011

Time: 6 p.m.

Location: Morris Dailey Auditorium

Summary: This special screening of the movie will feature a guest appearance by filmmaker Abby Ginzberg. Sponsors include Cesar E. Chavez Community Action Center. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 general admission, and are available from Ticketmaster.

During his extraordinary life, Cruz Reynoso has been one of those rare individuals who are not only shaped by history-they make history.  Sowing the Seeds of Justice paints a portrait of Cruz Reynoso, a man who felt the sting of injustice as a child and later, as a lawyer, judge and teacher, fought for over five decades to eradicate discrimination and inequality for all.

“Sowing the Seeds of Justice” begins with Cruz Reynoso’s childhood, when he was born into a Spanish-speaking farm worker family of 11 children. The film shows his struggle to be educated, leading to his graduation from Pomona College in 1953 and from UC Berkeley Law School in 1958. He then became the first Latino director of California Rural Legal Assistance and later one of the first Latino law professors in the country, beginning his academic career at the University of New Mexico Law School. His ascent to the California Supreme Court was a singular achievement. He was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown as the first Latino justice on that bench. Then, in a heated recall campaign whose central issue was the death penalty, Reynoso and two other justices lost their seats.  As vice chair on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, he provided leadership in the only investigation of voting rights abuses in the 2000 election in Florida. He received the country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his lifelong devotion to public service and today at 78, he continues to teach law at UC Davis Law School and to actively participate in community organizations throughout the state of California.