San Jose State students visit local schools to share their heritage through folklorico dance. Watch a video about the founding of the cultural dance troupe at San Jose State in 2004 and learn more about how the students create a college-going culture in the community.
Category Archives: Student stories
Support the Student Hunger Committee efforts
A volunteer stocks a Student Food Shelve at SJSU, where students with food insecurity can pick up canned and dry goods.
Photo by Muhamed Causevic
Food insecurity is a real issue at San Jose State. SJSU Associated Student President LooLoo Amante shared her story this summer about struggling when she first arrived on campus.
According to Tovah Feldmanstern, who works in Counseling and Psychological Services at SJSU, 1 in 3 SJSU students say that it is often or sometimes true that they were hungry but didn’t eat because there wasn’t enough money for food and 1 in 3 SJSU students also say that it is often or sometimes true that they had to choose between food and living expenses such as rent, transportation or utilities.
To support students, the Academic Affairs Division Staff Appreciation Breakfast theme this year is “Full-Circling Giving.” Faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to make a donation to the SJSU Food for Students Fund.
To learn more about free and low-cost food sources on and off campus, visit sjsu.edu/food.
Faculty, staff and administrators can also volunteer to help with a variety of programs including food shelves, the breakfast club, the community garden or the Student Hunger Committee. They can also help by sharing information about the resources with students.
Food shelves
Food shelves are self-service and no registration is required of students. They are asked to complete an anonymous survey every time they use the pantry.
Where are they located?
ACCESS Center (Clark 240)
VITAL Student Veterans (Clark 240)
Associated Students (1st Floor Fireside Room)
Business Success Center (BBC 008)
Career Center (Check-in area)
Child Development Center (460 S. 8th St.)
College of Science Advising (Duncan 213)
Counseling and Psychological Services CAPS (Wellness Center)
International Gateways (IS 227)
School of Social Work (WSQ Room 215)
Student Housing (Inquire with your RA)
Are you interested in having a food resource location in your department? Questions? Contact Elizabeth Agramont-Justiniano, Food Pantry Program Assistant, at elizabeth.agramont-justiniano@sjsu.edu or call (408)924-4125.
The Breakfast Club
Breakfast is available in the form of bagels and pastries provided at Peer Connections in the Student Services Center, room 600 at the 9th St. Parking Garage Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Community Garden
Students can access fresh fruits and vegetables at the A.S. Community Garden located at 372 E. San Salvador, across from Joe West. Sign-up online at govoluntr.com/events/2049
Contact Mark Batcheler at mark.batcheler@sjsu.edu.
Brought to you by the Student Hunger Committee
Mission Statement:
To address food insecurity within our campus community, in efforts to empower SJSU students to succeed academically.
The committee is comprised of members from Associated Students, Counseling Services, current SJSU students, University Chapel, Financial Aid, Housing, Spartan Shops, Student Affairs, Student Health Center, and University Advancement.
Interested in joining? Contact Tova Feldmanstern at tova.feldmanstern@sjsu.edu
Alumni: Recent grads published in astrophysical journal
Richard Vo, a recent graduate of SJSU, had a discovery he made as an undergraduate published in a journal of astrophysics in Summer 2015.
Recent San Jose State graduates Michael Sandoval and Richard Vo, with Assistant Professor Aaron Romanowsky, had their discovery of a “hypercompact cluster,” or a dense galaxy, published over the summer in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The two students are graduates of the College of Science physics department.
As undergraduate students, Sandoval and Vo were working with Romanowsky to search for new galaxies by poring through public data sets obtained from a number of major observatories including the Hubble Space Telescope. During this study, Vo discovered one galaxy, named M59-UCD3, that turned out to be the densest ever discovered. Shortly thereafter, Sandoval discovered an even denser object, which was so unusual that it was put in a class of its own, a “hypercompact cluster.” The students also went to Hawaii to participate in follow-up of their discoveries using the world’s largest telescope, Keck.
Both have now gone on to graduate school to study astrophysics. Vo was also featured in an SJSU Today story in May 2014.
Graduate and international students become Spartans
Nearly 1,700 students participated in graduate orientation on Aug. 14, including 650 international students. This year’s graduate student orientation was enhanced to foster more interaction between local and
New engineering graduate students line up outside the student union on Aug. 14 for orientation. More than 1,700 students attended.
international students, with financial support from Academic Affairs through its Educational Excellence and Student Experience priority.
Xilu Wang, who is from Shanghai, said SJSU is well-known among her friends in her native country.
“(SJSU) is located in Silicon Valley,” she said, of her reason for choosing the Lucas Graduate School of Business. “(Silicon Valley) is a great location. Its reputation is good and it is growing very fast. My friends all want to study business and computer science here.”
The orientation included presentations from departments on campus that interact with graduate students, with sessions on Visa and health information for F-1 students, and financial aid and scholarships for local students. Students also chose from supplementary sessions such as library tours, a career center workshop and even a foodie/grocery tour, among other options.
Chance Payne, a Human-Factors Ergonomics major in the Davidson College of Engineering, said he also chose SJSU because of its proximity to Silicon Valley.
“I want to get an internship,” he said, while browsing the Resource Fair.
Engineering student receives CSU trustee honor
Melissa Ortiz, ’17, received the 2015 CSU Trustee’s Award for Outstanding Achievement.
San Jose State computer engineering student Melissa Ortiz, ’17, will be heading to Long Beach this week to receive the 2015 CSU Trustee’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. The award is given to 23 students – one at each campus – who overcome adversity and demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial needs.