Author Archives: Bob Lim

César E. Chávez National Holiday Tomorrow 3/31/23

Colleagues,

César E. Chávez National Holiday is a US federal commemorative holiday celebrated on César Chávez’s birthday, March 31st. This marked the first time that a labor leader or Latino has been honored with a public legal holiday.

César Chávez was working full time at an orchard when he first began organizing labor professionally. He helped thousands of workers register to vote and fought for the rights of Latino workers. He quickly became a full-time community organizer.

César Chávez was the face and heart of the push to allow farm workers the right to unionize. He and the farm workers faced violent union-busting tactics from the grape growers during this process. Some workers were even arrested or shot.

César Chávez fasted to bring attention to his cause. Taking inspiration from the nonviolent heroes who inspired him, Chávez used long fasts to protest violence against farm workers who were trying to unionize and to bring attention to the dangerous work conditions workers faced from pesticides and long hours in the sun. His most well-known fast was a 36-day Fast For Life, which focused on the dangers of pesticides to workers, their children, and consumers.

The Grape Strike was the largest strike in the history of US labor. It lasted five years and ended in major growers signing union contracts.

Today, César Chávez Day brings together hundreds of thousands who engage in celebrations, service and learning projects, and other actions that further the many causes which Cesar Chavez worked for.

Learn more at: https://chavezfoundation.org/about-cesar-chavez/

Read about President Biden’s Cesar Chavez Day Proclamation: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/30/a-proclamation-on-cesar-chavez-day-2022/

Best Regards,
The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Norma Brown

Ryan Campbell

Tino Cruz

Kara Li

Bob Lim

Matthew Loo

Maggie Panahi

Willie Simon

SJSU IT Tips – LinkedIn Learning for Faculty and Staff

Campus Community,

If you’re looking for something new to try next week during Spring Break, you might want to give LinkedIn Learning a look. Thanks to our partnership with LinkedIn, the entire SJSU community has no-cost access to LinkedIn Learning, a collection of expert-led online courses. This is an excellent resource for professional development with many current videos available for skill building, such as:

  • Gamification for Interactive Learning
  • One-Minute Habits for Hybrid Working Success
  • Evaluate Your Course’s Syllabus, Milestones and Activities
  • Supporting Allyship and Anti-Racism at Work
  • Project Management Foundations

Try LinkedIn Learning

Videos range from 5 minutes to a couple hours, depending on what you need and how deep you want to dive in.

Thanks Leon Nguyen, one of our IT Program Managers, for maintaining LinkedIn Learning for our university and providing these tips. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San Jose State University

Nowruz 2023

The word Nowruz (Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz) means “new day” and the Nowruz celebration marks the first day of spring on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on or around March 21. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, and other regions.

Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a cultural tradition observed by numerous people, Nowruz is an ancestral festivity marking the renewal of nature. It promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighborliness, contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities. Its traditions and rituals reflect the cultural and ancient customs of the civilizations of the East and West, which influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values.

Learn more: https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-nowruz-day

Celebrating Nowruz means the affirmation of life in harmony with nature, awareness of the inseparable link between constructive labor and natural cycles of renewal, and a solicitous and respectful attitude towards natural sources of life.

Best Regards,
The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Norma Brown

Ryan Campbell

Tino Cruz

Kara Li

Bob Lim

Matthew Loo

Maggie Panahi

Willie Simon

SJSU IT Tips – LinkedIn Learning for Students

Spartans,

Here’s a tip if you’re in need of a quick refresher on those older prerequisites, picking up a new hobby, or upping your skills. Thanks to our partnership with LinkedIn, SJSU students have no-cost access to LinkedIn Learning, a collection of expert-led online courses. Videos range from 5 minutes to a couple hours, depending on what you need and how deep you want to dive in.

Try LinkedIn Learning.

Thanks Leon Nguyen, one of our IT Program Managers, for maintaining LinkedIn Learning for our university and providing these tips. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San Jose State University

Holi 2023

Holi, an ancient Hindu festival to express the pure joy of the triumph of good over evil, is being celebrated today, March 8th, this year. Holi represents the arrival of spring, forgiving others for past wrongdoings, and promoting unity and brotherhood. This is a particularly special holiday in India because although it began as a Hindu celebration, today it is celebrated by most Indians regardless of religion.

The name Holi comes from the legend behind the holiday in which the demoness Holika was sent by King Hiranyakashipu to kill his son Prahlada, an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. Holika tried to trick Prahlada into burning to death on a pyre, but because her intentions were evil, she was the one who was burned and killed, while Prahlada was protected by Lord Krishna.

Holi’s “color fight” actually comes from the legend of Lord Krishna, a Hindu god who is also worshiped on Holi. According to the stories, Krishna was well-known for playing pranks and being mischievous. One prank he played on the village girls involved dousing them in colors and water.

Over time, putting colors on others came to represent a way to express joy and the story of Krishna transformed into the tradition of the joyous color fight we see today.

Learn more at https://www.holifestival.org/significance-of-holi.html

Best Regards,

The SJSU IT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Norma Brown

Ryan Campbell

Tino Cruz

Kara Li

Bob Lim

Matthew Loo

Maggie Panahi

Willie Simon