On Oct. 2, San José State’s César E. Chávez Community Action Center kicked off day two of the school’s annual Legacy Month with building time capsules.
The month commemorates the student activism of alumni, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, according to the SJSU webpage.
Eesha Patel, an SJSU second-year management information systems student, assisted with coordinating the Time Through Legacy event.
“In that line (of honoring Smith and Carlos), (it’s about) celebrating their legacy but also kind of having students reflect on what their legacy is, what they can contribute to the community like how (Smith and Carlos) did,” Patel said.
After Smith won a gold medal and Carlos won a bronze medal, both took a stand on the 1968 olympic podium to raise their fists to represent Black Power, according to an Oct. 15, 2023 BBC article.
At this event, students wrote notes about what legacy means to them and what they want to contribute to their community.
“Legacy is a little more reflective in this event at least, so it is a bit more open ended,” Patel said. “In general, in terms of the (the action centers) vision, it’s more activism and helping out the community.”
The Black Power salute first gestured by Smith and Carlos was a symbol of the outgrowth of the political climate after Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated in 1968 and Vietnam War protests were spreading nationally, according to a May 25, 2021 History article.
Alina Tu, a first-year biological science student, embraces every opportunity to connect and grow.
“It definitely encourages me to keep going to all these events,” Tu said. “You could meet new people or get a closer bond with people you bring.”
Student activists who participate in collective action develop a stronger connection to their communities, according to an Oct. 2024 study from Acta Psychologica.
Event prompts were displayed on a projector to help attendees construct a letter to their future selves.
“Hopefully I’m recognized as a studious person and a good person in general,” Tu said. “(And) I don’t build a bad reputation for myself.”
While some students took a more sentimental approach to their letter, others took a creative route.
Karen Pribula, a fourth-year kinesiology student, approached the activity by decorating her time capsule using her name.
“(I showed up because) I like arts and crafts and I saw the poster downstairs (in the Student Union),” Pribula said.
Individuals with a sense of community have reduced levels of depression and stress, according to a Family Medicine and Community Health study published on June 30, 2023.
“I like how generous the school is when it comes to hosting events like this,” Tu said.
Students were provided ice cream and toppings while they worked on crafting their time capsules.
The next event is Oct. 9 with keynote speaker Franchesca Ramsey at the Student Union Theatre.
“I hope (attendees) can reflect more about not only Tommie Smith and John Carlos, but also what they can do for the community,” Patel said. ”Like your actions have power, just like how Smith and Carlos showed.”
