I knew the campus was going to explode Tuesday night. And that’s where I wanted to be. I wanted to see for myself the reaction of such a historical moment in the faces of the young voters that helped make it happen. So when I heard the television announce Obama’s win, I grabbed my keys and jumped into the car, barreling towards the San Jose State campus.

It seems that I had just missed the celebration near the Tommie Smith and John Carlos statue. According to the Spartan Daily, about 150 students spontaneously gathered around the iconic statue screaming their heads off.

I also found this clip from CNN’s iReport (some language NSFW). You can see just how pitch black the area around the statue is. This celebration was impromptu, but people knew exactly where they wanted to stand at this moment, right beside two of SJSU’s own black history icons, that total darkness couldn’t keep them away.

I didn’t arrive on the scene until that larger group splintered into pockets of excitement and migrated towards more well-lit areas of campus. Out in the plaza area in front of the dorms, students were hugging, high-fiving and occasionally breaking out into chants of “O-ba-ma!”

I followed a friend into the dorms where a group of about 75-100 students crammed into a meeting room to watch both McCain’s and Obama’s speeches. (See the Spartan Daily’s video here.) The RAs brought in stacks of pizza and it was gone in 20 minutes. People were excited. People were jumping. People were hugging and screaming and accidentally knocking over soda. Some were gasping, some were silent, and some were obviously disappointed at the election results. But everyone seemed to be in agreement on two things: both speeches hit just the right tones, and there was simply not enough pizza.

I walked out of the building only to find some of the more rambunctious students ride a shopping cart down a sloping walkway, thrashing their vocal chords with screams of “OOOOOOBAAAAAMMAAAA!” all the way down. A group of black students beat-boxed and improvised rap lyrics to mark the occasion. Another group hugged every moving thing that passed their way. I could still hear all the commotion on my way back to my car.

Knowing that SJSU couldn’t have been the only celebratory hotspot in the neighborhood, I drove downtown with my windows down and listened out for any whoops and hollers. Some came from an occasional bar or two, some came from bicycle bells ringing, but not a whole lot of outright festivities. So I drove down a little further, turned the corner, and found exactly what I was looking for: a group of about 30 people marching down the streets, chanting, singing, waving to honking cars and celebrating every little bit of feedback sent their way.

I wanted to jump out of my car and take some pictures, but alas, I forgot my camera AND my phone.

So to those of you who were witness to that crowd — or heck, if you have pictures of ANY Election Day revelries/pity parties around the South Bay — please post them in the comments. I and everyone else would love to see them.

Yasmin Davidds wants your cell phone. The one you don’t use anymore. Because if they still work, thousands of battered women across the country can use them to keep in touch with emergency services while escaping an abusive relationship.

Bring your used (or dead) cell phone, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider to San Jose State on Oct. 21, 6-9 p.m., and hear Yasmin deliver a powerful message to young Latino college students about domestic violence and assault.

Date: October 21, 2008 Time: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: San Jose State University Student Union, Barrett Ballroom

The co-sponsoring Verizon HopeLine program:

• Distributed more than 60,000 phones with more than 180 million minutes of free wireless service to be used by victims of domestic violence
• Properly disposed of more than 1 million no-longer-used wireless phones in an environmentally sound way
• Kept more than 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills

Verizon also offers a little-known service to everyone on their network: If you dial #HOPE (#4673) on a Verizon phone, operators will connect you with counselors in crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states. The call is toll and airtime free.

Go to mobilizingvoices.com for more information.

On October 16, 1968, SJSU students Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a silent gesture on top of the Olympic podium that shook the world and put San Jose on the map. Forty years later, the university will relive that spirit of activism by hosting Legacy Week from Oct. 13-16, according to the Spartan Daily (Read their excellent special section here).

Events include a keynote from activist rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy, public screenings of a documentary, a “Speed City” exhibition at the Cesar Chavez Community Action Center, and information on what SJSU has done — and continues to do — to encourage activism.

Just collecting a few random flyers around downtown and SJSU and passing the info on to you. This stuff ranges from comedy to theater to nightclub events to ballroom dance lessons to talent shows to… well, you’ll see. There’s got to be something here you’re interested in. I’m also splicing in some events I found here on the San Jose Downtowner e-mail newsletter, and a couple of gems I saw on Artsopolis.com. I wish I could do this more often. Alas, school.

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Comedy at the Improv: Komedy Kegger – San Jose Bar and Grill teams up with The Improv to supply top notch laughs and affordable drinks and appetizers.  Tickets are good for buy one get one drink at San Jose Bar and Grill after the show.  8 pm.  62 S. Second St.  $10, 280-7475 or www.symfonee.com/Improv/sanjose/home/index.aspx

Thursday, Oct. 2

Groove Suite — An Open Turnatble Gathering: Every first Thursday of the month. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at SFB Lounge, 420 South First St. All styles and genres welcome. Featuring a heavy monthly line-up of local and international guest DJs, live art, vendors, billiards, arcade/gaming area, food and drink specials all night. All sets are recorded live and will be available free to download at http://www.groovesuite.podomatic.com/. Resident: ThatGirl. Guest list free all night: thatgirlmelanie@yahoo.com. Email for priority open turntable sign-up.

Ma’BOO’Hay Talent Showcase: In celebration of Pilpino History Month, Akbayan presents their 8th annual talent showcase. Pilipino artists from around the Bay Area perform for a night of great music and fun, with proceeeds going to Bantay Bata 163, a charity that serves sick and abused children. Sponsored by the Akbayan Filipino-American Organization of SJSU. Tickets are $8 presale and $12 at the door. Doors open 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m. Email maboohay2008@gmail.com for tickets or more information, or visit http://akbayansjsu.wordpress.com/.

Comedy at the Improv presents Henry Cho: (Thursday-Sunday) Cho is going to star in his own sitcom based on his life as a Korean-American born and raised in Tennessee.  He has also been featured on Comedy Central and several films like “Material Girls,” “Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation” and “Say It Isn’t So.”  8 pm Thurs; 8 pm and 10 pm Fri; 7 pm and 9 pm Sat; 7 pm Sun.  62 S. Second St. $16-$18, 280-7475 or www.symfonee.com/Improv/sanjose/home/index.aspx

City Lights Theatre presents “Noises Off”: A funny story of an English acting ensemble that is touring a production of a farce called “Nothing On.”  Thursday-Saturday through October 19. 8 pm Wed-Sat; 7 pm Oct 5; 2 pm Oct 12 and Oct 19.  529 S.  Second St.  $15-$40, 295.4200 or www.cltc.org

Friday, Oct. 3

South First Fridays: Downtown art venues are free and open to the public late into the evening, every first Friday of the month. You can also ride the new rickshaw service between galleries. See highlights, read about the venues and download a map at http://www.southfirstfridays.com/

Ballroom Dance: Take lessons every Friday from now to Oct. 24. This Friday and Friday Oct. 10 both focus on the Bolero. Oct. 17 and 24 teaches Salsa, Nov. 7 is the Foxtrot and Nov. 14 and 21 are East Coast Swing. No dance experience necessary! Cost is $25 for a semester or $3 for drop-in. Beginning classes are at 7:30 p.m. and intermediate is at 8:30 p.m. Visit the Ballroon Dance Club’s website at http://studentorgs.sjsu.edu/sjsubdc.

SiliCon 2008: Through Oct. 5. The SiliCon 2008 Convention for Fans of Science, Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror features seminars covering hard science, science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. Some of the topics covered include astronomy, robotics, and other scientific areas, as well as writing, painting, costuming, singing, model making, computer graphics, and film studies, along with diabetes education and outreach. SiliCon is a non-profit organization devoted to science education and raising funds and awareness for diabetes education and research. Info: http://www.siliconventions.com/2008/

Death of a Salesman: October 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 at 7 p.m., University Theatre, SJSU. Tickets are $10 students/seniors, $20 general admission. For more info or to order tickets online, go to http://www.tvradiofilmtheatre.com/.

San Pedro Farmers’ Market: Fresh produce, food vendors and live music, takes place each Friday to Dec. 12 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. along San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets. http://www.sjdowntown.com/eve_eve_far.html.

WAIT! There’s 7 more events behind the jump!

(more…)

I heart me some MLK library. Here’s what’s going on there right now:

• The library is celebrating its 5th year anniversary all month. The big kickoff event was on the 6th, and naturally I miss it. Happy birthday to the largest library west of the Mississippi River, and the only library in the nation that is both university- AND city-owned!
• Guest speaker Ralph G. Latza will help explain to parents the steps they need to take to fund their child’s education. Free. Tue, Sept. 16, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM; Room 255, 2nd Floor.
• For the business-minded amongst you, the Entrepreneurial Society will host Tony Calleja and Jayan Ramankutti, both seasoned entrepreneurs who will impart hard-earned wisdom, I’m sure. Mon, Sep 15 6:15 PM - 8:00 PM; 2nd Floor, Rooms 225/229, check http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/svce/events/. As a side note, the Entrepreneurial Society is the student group responsible for putting on the Silicon Valley Neat Ideas Fair, which showcases SJSU student innovations and business ideas. It’s actually very interesting, each and every year.
• As I previously (barely) mentioned, there is a teen digital photography exhibit called “My World, My Community” that is on display until Sept. 30 on the 4th floor. Teens spent 10 weeks in the summer exploring their surroundings and taking pictures. And as you can see from my very digital, very not-quality camera phone, it has a lot of creative energy , and it’s the kind of project that reminds you why people delve into visual arts in the first place. So go see it in person and support the youth of the community. NOW!

Yesterday word got out about San Jose State’s foray into the digital world, of which they’re supposed to be located smack dab in the middle but still find creative ways to be behind.

A bit of that is changing now. I am talking about SJSU’s entry into iTunesU, a section of iTunes that offers podcasts and videocasts from over 100 institutions of higher learning, from Stanford to Yale to Berkeley. Professors can choose whether to publish their podcasts to the knowledge-thirsty public, or distribute their lectures to too-lazy-to-go-to-class students. And although I lovingly chide SJSU about its ironic techno-lag, credit must be given to SJSU for being the first in the California State University system to partner up with iTunesU.

Right now, SJSU doesn’t have many full lectures per se, although a physics teacher has been getting busy with the lecture podcasting. But most downloads available are more like short snippets of audio information, ranging mostly from 3-20 minutes long. Still, much of it is interesting, from the economics professor to the library grad students to counseling, recreation and career center services.

SJSU is also unique in that it is one of two universities on the iTunesU network to be fully accessible by those with disabilities. Namely, PDF transcripts are posted alongside the podcasts if you’re hearing-impaired. (Read more about it here.)

Not only can you read what’s being said, but professors can also post additional material, flyers and handouts in their virtual classrooms.

Exciting stuff. I’ve been a fan of iTunesU even before I was officially a student. I already downloaded several fantastic podcasts from the Stanford iTunes U site, so it’s great to see SJSU joining the bandwagon. Its offerings are a bit meager at first, compared to Stanford’s at least, but no one here is comparing SJSU to Stanford. I’m just excited to see the huge potential for the public who want to learn but don’t have the time or the funds.

Click here to see everything iTunesU has to offer, or click on the button below to see SJSU’s offerings for yourself. (Note: Both links will open your iTunes.)

SJSU President Whitmore -- Image courtesy sjsu.edu

In a bid to find out more about his new job, newly-crowned SJSU President Jon Whitmore says he will be job-shadowing different workers in various departments across the San Jose State campus during his first 100 days — and will be blogging about his experiences here.

Says he:

I’ve decided to work shoulder-to-shoulder for an hour with different staff in various departments and around campus, to experience first-hand how this university functions, and to absorb the collective wisdom I know I’ll find there. I’m thinking of this as a “Day in the Life of SJSU,” and I’ll tell you about my experiences in my blog.

The “blog” (or rather, frequently-updated web page) will run from now until Homecoming on October 12. I put blog in quotes because it doesn’t have an embedded method of feedback, which is part of the point of blogging. Seeing other people’s comments gives readers more scope and provides more context in any campaign of openness.  But you can stil give feedback via email and cross your fingers to see if your comment appears in a future blog.

I for one appreciate the attempts at transparency, and if done well could be a huge benefit for the public to find out exactly how the university works (or doesn’t work). But how much can a president learn within an hour of job shadowing, how much detail can he (or his assistant) have time to type up, and how much criticism would he be allowed in a public forum such as this?

Well, in any case, it’s a step in the right direction, and I will wait until the blog gets going before I get going on the blog.

My newest obsession lately is goofing around in Second Life. I’m still very much a newbie, but I’ve found some pretty spiffy places to kill time in and I’ve made a few random objects.

What I like to do is find any of the corporate-created sites. For example, Scion has some land - Scion City. You can drive around a Grand Theft Auto-Vice City-ish land. Or if you do a quick search, you can find yourself in Comcast’s themepark.

I already knew about San Jose State’s virtual campus (classes are held there, students create work, etc) and I have to admit, being able to sit on the chair that dangles from the Tower - that was kind of cool (in of course, a completely silly way.)

But I found another spot - The Tech!

When you visit The Tech in Second Life you can check out all sorts of exhibits and art. Even the IMAX works. Actually I’m not 100% sure on that one.. it says it’ll play a movie, but I have yet to get it to work. (Remember, still a newbie!)

Oh and for those that are super confused…

Second Life® is a 3-D virtual world created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe.

That’s not nearly enough to explain what Second Life is all about - check out the link to find out more.

Links:
Second Life
The Tech Museum SLurl: (this worked earlier, hopefully it’ll work for you - if it doesn’t, just search for “The Tech”)