San Jose City Councilmembers welcome San Jose State students back to downtown with their third annual flag raising at City Hall on Wednesday.
“Congratulations on the start of another academic year,” said San Jose’s Mayor, Matt Mahan. “It is an exciting time [for] you [to] bring a lot of energy back to our downtown when the semester starts.”
By the “Sonic Runway '' at City Hall, District Three Councilmember Omar Torres, shared his pride for the university as an alum.
“San Jose State has been more than just a university to me,” said Torres.
Torres said when he was a student at SJSU he was struggling with his sexuality.
However, he said the SJSU’s PRIDE Center helped him to come out to his family and friends.
SJSU’s PRIDE Center is an organization on campus that aims to support and advocate for students who identify themselves as members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to its website.
Torres also said SJSU is where he learned to stand up for civil rights.
“Like me, and many other students, San Jose State is a place where I learned to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights, our immigrant community and our Black community here in Downtown San Jose,” Torres said.
He also said the university was a stepping stone for him as he ventured into his career in city government.
“This institution is where I gained the knowledge and skills that have enabled me to make a meaningful impact in my professional life,” Torres said.
He also said there are many staff members at City Hall who are also alumni, including San Jose’s Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei.
“It's really an exciting place to study and I remember when I first went there, how great it was,” Kamei said.
Kamei said she returned to school at SJSU when she was a single mother.“I actually went back after many years of not being in school, and they made it so welcoming,” she said.
Kamei said the university was very accommodating for her while she was a student there.
“It was absolutely fabulous as a single mom with two small kids and working part time,” she said.
Torres said SJSU’s campus is nestled in an urban area, establishing itself as a reliable collaborator with the city.
He said the university and the city work closely together to offer students internships and professional experiences to help them develop a path to be employed at City Hall.
“San Jose City Hall is literally SJSU,” Torres said. “Without SJSU, we wouldn’t be Silicon Valley.”
SJSU’s President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said SJSU and the city are the future, and shared her plans for the university.
“I truly believe San Jose State and the city of San Jose are the epicenter of the future,” Teniente-Matson said. “And that's what today symbolizes in our flag raising.”
She announced SJSU will soon have a new engineering Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB) and said it will soon be the tallest structure on campus.
Teniente-Matson also said she was excited about the upcoming 20th anniversary celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library located on the northwestern corner of campus next to San Fernando Street.
Mayor Mahan also shared his vision for the city and the university.
“I just wanted to share that when I think about the future of our city,” Mahan said. “All roads lead to San Jose State.”
Mahan said he has been questioning how the city can make Downtown San Jose more vibrant and active.
He said this includes finding ways to increase foot traffic in the area and decreasing vacancy rates for residential housing.
Mahan said his plan to keep the city lively will involve the university and its students.
“That's going to be San Jose State students, faculty and staff getting out into our downtown and exploring all the city has to offer,” Mahan said.
