Sarah Jane Martinez

I could feel everyone's eyes watching my every move, I became hyper aware that what I was about to bare my soul to everyone. Standing in front of my peers, allowing myself to be judged was the scariest experience of my life — and the most freeing. I never once thought I would have the confidence to run for an elected position, but exactly one week ago I was standing at the podium ready to fight for the position of secretary. After a night of drinking some liquid courage I impulsively declared my candidacy to be Akbayan's next years secretary. Fast-forward two weeks and I was a nervous wreck constantly questioning if I was good enough and if I deserve the position. Everyone was telling me they believed in me, but I couldn't bring myself to believe in me. After talking with some friends and mentors, I finally sat down and began writing out my thoughts. The more I wrote, the more I realized how badly I wanted to give back and improve the organization that gave me...

Like clockwork he tells the same story over and over again and eventually I start to tune him out. I check my phone 10 times a minute praying time would pass by faster.  Right when the clock turns to 10:15AM I bolt out of class.  I came in excited to learn about mass communication and how to effectively communicate with an audience, but I absolutely learned nothing in MCOM 72: Mass Communication and Society. I honestly cannot remember a single concept I learned.  For a class that is all about mass communication, I felt the communication was definitely lacking.  With only a few classes left, our professor disappeared and was replaced with guest speaker Rigo Chacon with no absolutely no reason provided. On the other hand, I have been blessed to have amazing classes like MCOM 100W: Writing Workshop: Mass Communications. I prefer classes that challenge me and teach relevant skills I need for my future career.  An easy A sound...

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is set to speak at SJSU's 2018 Commencement Ceremony on May 23 at the Event Center. "The hyphy movement is one of my favorites, so I'm excited to spend time in the bay" said Obama. Obama's recent visit to Oakland's Oracle Arena for a moderated conversational event inspired her to become more involved in Silicon Valley's youth and future generations. "I am so honored to be chosen to speak," said Obama, "I want every single graduate to walk out feeling empowered like they can take over the world." This will Obama's first time coming to SJSU's campus. Chloe Manalac serves as Associated Student's Director of Communications and plans on acting as a tour guide for Obama. "I am completely obsessed with the Obamas. I keep up with everything they do, so being able to show her around and then watch and see her speak is a dream come true," said Manalac. Manalac plans on bringing...

Creativity, travel and flexibility are all attributes I want in a career.  My dream job is to be a content producer for the travel guide company Lonely Planet. I want to dabble in a variety of mediums and content producing allows me to exactly that. Content producing happens on multiple platforms: social media, traditional print media and web. Content producers are in charge of keeping consumers engaged, so I always have to be on the look out for newest trends to hook people in and find the most effective way to engage with them. Key skills for content creators are strategy and creativity. A good execution is just as important as having creative content. Culture fit is also a huge factor in deciding where to work. People do not leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers. I want to be excited to go to my place of work and collaborate with my team. My desire to travel and open mindedness would hopefully match the culture at Lonely Planet. ...

1. Identify the trend in each story? The trend in the first story is about the recent change to mobile ticketing. The other story is about emotional support animals. 2. Which story appealed to you more and why? While I am a huge dog lover, I found the first story about mobile ticketing more appealing because I am a frequent event and concert goer. As mentioned by Walker, people like to have souvenirs and keepsakes and physical tickets are proof you went to that event. I usually prefer physical tickets, but if I have to pay for shipping I just go mobile. I found this story interesting because I learned about the back end and reasoning for going mobile even if I do not completely support it. 3. What is your favorite quote from each story? My favorite quote from the mobile ticket story is “While it’s easier to use a mobile ticket, there’s no beauty in it.” I completely agree with this quote. There is no beauty in technology, just convenience. I think this quote really sums...

Tucked away in downtown San Jose on top of a granite dais, stands a bronze two-sided mural depicting the hardships and prejudice towards thousands of men, women and children. The Japanese Internment Memorial created by Ruth Asawa depicts a dark period in American history of the Japanese internment. Bronze men, women and children step off a boat with determination in their faces to make a successful life, but their faces soon turn into anguish as the realization of their caged reality sets in. A single strip of barbed wire stretches along both sides of the mural fencing in these bronze figures. Scenes of people rushing to pack and sell their belongings as officials stand guard vacating them and forcing them into buses. Signs border buildings revealing evacuation sales, suitcases litter the ground and long lines of families stand hand-in-hand awaiting their fate.  A single farmer kneeling on the ground is surrounded by a pair of men in suits gripping his shou...