NEWS
GRATITUDE
Game Development Club: SJSU’s Game Development Club SJSU raised over $1000 dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network as part of the Extra Life marathon. Starting at 6pm Thursday, October 23 and running through 6pm Friday, October 24, the club streamed a new game every hour to raise money, all of which was donated directly to the Children’s Miracle Network.
Intel and SJSU’s Rapid Prototyping Collaboration: The College of Humanities and the Arts and the College of Engineering are grateful for a new corporate partner. Through generous support from Intel, student teams from art and engineering are designing and building innovative project prototypes using the Intel Galileo microprocessor. The First SJSU Intel Rapid Prototyping Competition was held in October 2014 at SJSU. Ten competing teams designed products for the Internet of Things, Internet-connected devices that solve real world problems. Examples of projects include: the Spartan Anti-Theft System, a bike theft prevention system, and K8, a customizable toy that teaches young girls the basics of programming. Teams work directly with Intel Research Labs, faculty from both art and engineering, and each other to create working prototypes, which will be judged by industry professionals at the end of the semester. By combining the creativity and aesthetics of art with the science of engineering, the SJSU Intel Rapid Prototyping Competition is creating new opportunities for collaboration and innovation across disciplines at SJSU. Art and Art History professor Craig Hobbs is leading the charge along with colleagues from Digital Media Arts and Engineering.
Music and Dance Grateful to Jonathan Clark: In May 2014, musician/singer Jonathan Clark contacted Professor Gwendolyn Mok to ask if the School of Music and Dance would be interested in his 1872 Broadwood Semi Grand Piano manufactured in Germany. Beethoven was known to favor this maker. The Broadwood joins three other historic keyboards in the collection–an 1871 Viennese Streicher Grand, an 1878 Broadwood Grand and an 1861 English Erard Grand–as well as Dr. Mok’s own 1868 French Erard Grand. Tours are offered of these magnificent historic pianos are offered by appointment with Dr. Mok. Thank you to Mr. Clark for this generous gift!
ALUMNI
Humanities Honors: Humanities Honors alumnus and U.S. military veteran Elihu Carranza overcame PTSD and now is a working artist who credits his SJSU educational experience in this program with his success. See his art.
Music and Dance: Music alumnus Tim Wilson was featured on NBC because of his extraordinary generosity on behalf of his students.
TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre: Radio, TV, and Film graduate and freelance journalist in Pakistan Aisha Sarwari was interviewed on NPR about drone attacks. Listen to and read the interview.
STUDENTS
Art and Art History: Cynthia Cao, a BFA student in the Department of Art and Art History, attended the CSU Summer Arts Florence Program. Her watercolor painting was selected by all four participating professors (Andrew Dickson, Eugenio Cecioni, Marsha Steinberg, and Dominic Cretara) for display in the Chancellor’s office. It also will be included in a published catalog.
Art and Art History: Using yoga as the source of fearless inspiration, SJSU undergraduate Sarah Wells is packing up her life into an 80L pack and taking off on a world journey to photograph yoga across all facets of life. Recently featured in The Metro Silicon Valley, Sarah’s BFA show showcased her work. She also is launching a Kickstarter Campaign to help raise funds for the upcoming journey.
College of Humanities and the Arts: Congratulations to all students who participated in the Third Annual H&A Student Showcase. Watch the showcase video and visit our Facebook photo album!
Media Arts Festival Finalists: SJSU students made a strong showing at the 2014 CSU Media Arts Festival. Three SJSU students swept the Feature Screenplay category: Cassia Homann (nominated for “EM”), Chau Nyuyen (nominated for “Porcelain”), and Michael Quintana (nominated for “White Rabbit). In the Animation category, Megan Hart and Megan Lawton were nominated for “End of the Vine.” Learn more.
Music and Dance: The School of Music and Dance hosted “Be a Music Major for a Day” in October, welcoming 100 high school students to campus to learn more about the School’s amazing programs.
Music and Dance: The School of Music and Dance sponsored their annual Real Men Sing event on Friday, October 10, but with a twist. For the first time, Real Women Sing took place simultaneously, each group totaling approximately 450 high school men and 450 high school women. Morris Dailey and the Concert Hall were packed with young musicians for this singing extravaganza. The SJSU choirs, along with the West Valley College choirs, joined the day and performed for our guests from all over the Bay Area. The students also performed a combined informal noontime concert–yet another example of how, powered by their amazing and dedicated students, choral director Jeffrey Benson and vocal director Layna Chianakas are forces to be reckoned with!
Music and Dance: Students and alumni take note! The new SJSU three-summer Master in Music Education is the same accredited degree offered at SJSU during the standard school year but delivered as a hybrid of online and in-residency coursework. Theoretical courses are offered online and can be completed from anywhere in the world, while best-practice classes occur during the two-week residency. Courses are delivered by instructors who are prominent in the field. Coursework is grounded in the Venezuelan-inspired El Sistema system, which emphasizes values of access, youth development, rigorous musicianship, and community development. Through an integration of theory and practice, working educators are empowered with an easily accessible graduate program of the highest quality. With this easily accessible program, the School of Music seeks to invigorate music education and to become a destination for music educators and scholars from across the globe. Learn more.
Philosophy: Janet Giddings helped the Medical Ethics students provide consultation about advance health care directives on campus in October.
Philosophy: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor met with six of Rita Manning’s Philosophy of Law students during her visit to campus for the Campus Reading Program fall celebration.
TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre: The International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts (IFFCA) Los Angeles 2014 has chosen Park Arcadia as their Official Selection. The award letter states, “We would like to let you know that your film deserved special recognition and was among the very best of submissions we received from all over the world.”
World Languages and Literatures: Students in the fall Italian 1A class experienced their first real-life immersion in Italian venues in San Francisco on October 10. Michele Santamaria accompanied them on a rousing trip to the city, where they had fun ordering a meal and authentic pastries along with affogato al caffè (exquisite ice cream), gelato, and baba (rum-stuffed pastry) at an Italian restaurant. Being able to interact with native-born Italians was immensely satisfying. One student, whose birthday was the same day, had the unforgettable experience of being treated to free homemade tiramisu while listening to authentic songs sung by native Italians. The field trip also included a visit to stained glass and sculptured artwork built by Italian Americans more than 100 years ago, while strolling down Corso Columbus Avenue under the Californian sun. Students should keep in mind that the next events include a bocce ball tournament and Italian karaoke in San José, and on November 21 a short movie night at Santa Clara University with Sofia Loren’s son, an international director. Finally, there will be a cooking class to which everyone is invited (please contact Dr. Santamaria for more details).
FACULTY
Art and Art History: Andrew Blanton and University of Texas-Dallas professor Roger Malina presented “Data Dramatization: Art, Science, Design and Data Visualization” on Friday, September 12, 2014, at the Cultural Institute of Google in Paris. The talk was focused on interactions between artists and scientists collaborating to create unique and interesting forms of data representation.
Art and Art History: Donald Feasel had a well-reviewed exhibition titled “Cannery Park Paintings.” Read the reviews on his website.
Art and Art History: On November 19 at 12pm in Martin Luther King, Jr. Library 225, Jo Farb Hernández will speak about her book Singular Spaces.
Art and Art History: Dore Bowen has a new article, “On the Site of Her Own Exclusion: Strategizing Queer Feminist Art History,” in the anthology Sexual Differences and Otherwise: Imagining Queer Feminist Art Histories (eds. Amelia Jones and Erin Silver, Manchester University Press).
Art and Art History: Gale Antokal applies chalk pastel as a painter glazes with oil, achieving light and tonal complexity rarely seen with her medium. Her work is currently on display at the Patricia Sweetow Gallery in San Francisco. EXO, the title of this exhibition, is a return to a focus on still life. Two objects, an “X” and an “O,” are presented in a grid. Explains Antokal, “I draw from ordinary objects to interpret or reinvent them. I’m always intrigued when something small and unexpected presents itself because, in my experience, the most authentic work germinates from a simple notion or impulse, which then can transform into something more extraordinary, ineffable, or abstract. I discover a world of complexity in one visual idea. In the process of working with repetition of form and multiple variations, the meaning of the object begins to expand. As this happens, I examine the relationship between the single image and the shift of meaning within a plural arrangement or grid system. This is how EXO, the playful, chance association of a Tic-Tac-Toe board, originated.”
Design: Alice Carter spoke in the series “What Should the Future of Our University Be?”
English and Comparative Literature: Nick Taylor was honored at the Annual Author Awards for publishing The Setup Man under the nom-de-plume T. T. Monday.
English and Comparative Literature: Ed Sams organized an appropriately terrifying evening of readings and songs in honor of Edgar Allen Poe for the October Poe Fest.
English and Comparative Literature: Katherine Harris is leading the charge to create a digital library of affordable course materials. A statewide effort among community colleges, the CSU, the UC, and the California Open Educational Resource Council is a wonderful project for students everywhere. CA-OER has now peer-reviewed textbooks for five courses that transfer among the UC, CSU, and CCC systems. The next focus will be on peer-reviewing textbooks for the remaining forty-five identified courses. The following phase will work on faculty adoption of these OER materials. Already, they estimate a $100 savings per student on key courses in the California public education system. See COOL4Ed for the courses. Faculty: Take part in the faculty survey and identify yourself as a peer reviewer (compensated with a stipend!).
English and Comparative Literature: Along with Jacqueline Genovese from Stanford Medical Center, Elisabeth McKenna of the Palo Alto VA Health Care system, and Felicia Kelley of the California Council for Humanities, Karen English participated in the panel discussion “Imagine What It’s Like: Using Literature to Foster Empathy for Veterans in Those Who Care for Them” at the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities annual meeting in San Diego on October 19, 2014. Dr. English has been the facilitator for the Lit & Med discussion group at the Palo Alto VA since 2011.
English and Comparative Literature: Katherine Harris’s forthcoming publication, Forget Me Not: The Rise of British Literature Annuals, chronicles the rise of a new form of publication that highlights the sometimes difficult relationship between Germany and England during the height of the Industrial Revolution. This literary history includes the rise of the Gothic short story (before the Americans and Poe made it famous) and the ability of women poets to make a living from their popular publications. The book will be available in spring 2015 from Ohio University Press.
Humanities: Chris Jochim and Emeritus Executive Director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, Rod Diridon, participated in the 9th Annual U.S.-Japan Future Forum in September.
Linguistics and Language Development: Manjari Ohala was honored at the Annual Author Awards for publishing Sound Patterns of Hindi.
Music and Dance: Aaron Lington gave a wonderful talk about the music business for the University Scholar Series in October.
Music and Dance: Brian Belet’s 2011 composition Summer Phantoms: Nocturne (piano and computer processed piano sounds) was performed at the Onassis Cultural Center in Athens, Greece, during the International Computer Music Conference, September 2014. His composition “Sea Lion Mix” (computer-processed sea lion sounds and voices) was performed continuously for one week during the New Horizons Music Festival, University Art Gallery, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, October 20-26, 2014.
Persian Studies: Much of what is heard about Iran and Iranians is based on the headline news, which often is characterized by the tensions between the US and Iran over the last three decades. But how much is known about Iranians in the United States? A new digital storytelling project initiated by Persis Karim tells another story, that of Iranian Americans in Silicon Valley. With the award of a Cal Humanities Community Story Fund grant, Dr. Karim interviewed more than fifteen Iranian Americans in Silicon Valley. The final ten stories in Iranian Americans of Silicon Valley: Evolution of a Community tell another story and can now be viewed on the SJSU Persian Studies website. These Iranian Americans recount how people immigrated, what they left behind, and how they remain connected to their country of origin all while embracing and reinventing themselves as Americans. Based on interviews with Dr. Karim, the stories feature a lawyer, philanthropist, musician, artist, poet, and professor, as well as current SJSU student Sarah Aghazadeh. These stories provide a powerful antidote to the many negative stereotypes and images about Iran and allow Iranian Americans to represent themselves in voice and pictures, and to share their experiences. The result is a portrait of a dynamic and complex community that continues to evolve and contribute to the culture of Silicon Valley.
TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre: Congratulations to TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre designer York Kennedy, who was nominated for a Theatre Bay Area Lighting Design Award, and to Michael Locher, nominated for Outstanding Scenic Design.
Linguistics and Language Development: Rosemary Henze was honored at the Annual Author Awards for publishing How Real is Race? A Sourcebook on Race, Culture and Biology, 2nd Edition.
TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre: Alison McKee was honored at the Annual Author Awards for publishing The Woman’s Film of the 1940s: Gender, Narrative, and History. Dr. McKee also was elected Vice President of the SJSU-CFA local chapter. She observes, “As a member of CFA since 2002, when I first arrived at SJSU as a part-time lecturer, and now as a tenured associate professor, I have always been committed to union advocacy and faculty action. Because I have both lecturer and tenure-line faculty experience at SJSU, I am sensitive to both the shared and sometimes different concerns of both populations and am committed to working for both equally.”
TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre: Scott Sublett was honored at the Annual Author Awards for publishing Screenwriting for Neurotics.
World Languages and Literatures: Anne Fountain was honored at the Annual Author Awards for publishing José Martí, the United States, and Race. Dr. Fountain gave a talk at Stanford’s Bolivar House on the topic of this book. The talk, part of Stanford’s Latin American outreach programming, featured numerous slides about Martí’s fifteen years of residence in the United States.
World Languages and Literatures: On October 2, 2014, Mary Alsheikh of the Portuguese Studies SJSU Advisory Board presented the Department of World Languages and Literatures with a commendation from Mayor Chuck Reed and Councilmember Sam Liccardo of San José. In it, the officials recognized the Portuguese Studies Program at San José State University for “acting as a bridge between the Portuguese-speaking community and the greater community of the City of San José.” Mary also presented chair Damian Bacich and Portuguese Studies coordinator Deolinda AdãoArt and Art History: ut MartÌ_’sre:JSU-CFA local chapter. al experience in this program with his successful completion of his ed with a check for $1,000 to support scholarships for students studying in the Portuguese program at SJSU. The funds were raised through Portuguese Heritage Night with the San José Earthquakes soccer team. Many thanks to the Portuguese Studies Advisory Board who, together with Fecha A Luz Productions, helped organize this amazing event!
World Langauges and Literatures: The Spanish program of the Department of World Languages and Literatures in coordination with the Department of History is sponsoring two visits by Cuban authors for fall 2014. Acclaimed Afro-Cuban poet Nancy Morejón spoke at the King Library on September 13 and was welcomed to campus by H&A Associate Dean, William Street. Teachers of AP Literature and students who read her poems in AP literature classes joined other faculty and students from SJSU as Morejón introduced her latest collection of poetry in a bilingual edition. Morejón also spoke to two of Dr. Anne Fountain’s advanced Spanish classes on September 15. In November, students, faculty, and staff also will benefit from the visit of Cuban short story writer, Nancy Alonso, whose schedule includes talks with campus groups, SJSU Spanish and History classes, and public readings at SJSU, UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, and Stanford. Professor Anne Fountain is coordinating her visit.
