FESTIVAL TO PROMOTE FUN WITHOUT DRUGS, VIOLENCE

Local youth will be given an opportunity to party without violence or the
use of drugs at Universoul, an outdoor music festival.

Associated Students of San Jose State University will host the event on
Sunday at Paseo de San Carlos from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There will be free admission for anyone who would like to attend the
drug-free festival. The motto of the event is, "Love the music not the drugs."

"The event is purposely meant to attract a large crowd, but we want to do
that so that we can try and spread the idea of positivity," A.S. vice
president Lorenzo Deveza said. "This means that this event is not really
just a big party, but it is meant to help both high school and college
students understand that they can have fun and be positive at the same time."

The projected attendance for the event is 3,000 to 4,000 people. The
audience is expected to consist of SJSU students and local high school
students ranging from the ages of 16 to 25 years. However, parents will
also be invited to attend and participate in the event.

A main stage will be set up near the fountain area along San Carlos Street
and another stage will be set up on the opposite side. Performances will
range from rock to hip-hop to choreographed dance acts. There will be an
area displaying various forms of artwork with support from SJSU's art students.

The main act will be KRS-ONE, a hip-hop pioneer and one of its most
positive influences. KRS-ONE is already considered a legend by today's
youth. Student organizations will be invited to perform along with many
prominent local artists, many of which have performed at SJSU in different
events.

"Most people will probably enjoy KRS-ONE's performance because he is a
hip-hop legend and a professional performer. And, actually, pretty much all
of the performances are going to be cool. Most of the local talent that are
coming out are my friends and are contributors to the SJSU community in
some way," Deveza said.

"We want people to be attracted to the event mostly for the talent, the
time of the year and the size of the event," he said.

The purpose of this event is to encourage students to make the right
choices in life. In between every act, a group of volunteer speakers is
slated to discuss what it takes to make good decisions.

Booths will be set up by various university organizations in support of the
event such as Mosaic Cross Cultural Center, the Student Life Center, the
Peer Health Education Program, the Inter-Resident Hall Association,
Students for Justice and A.S.

Other sponsors include the American Lung Association, San Jose's Downtown
Magazine & Clothing Co., River Church Community, and the SOUL Show.

Universoul will be held the day after the 23rd annual Metro Blues Festival.

"A.S. has been participating with this event by getting it approved at
SJSU, taking care of a lot of the logistical work such as contracts, taking
care of the accounts, and sharing costs with the Blues Festival, so that we
can use the same set up, which is why Universoul is the day after the Blues
Festival," Deveza said.

Deveza said he saw many positives in SJSU hosting Universoul.

"A.S. is hosting the event because it is a good event. Also, the main
organizers of the event are from a group called the SOUL Show, which is a
group that I am also a part of," he said. "I have been with the planning of
this event from the beginning, and, as vice president of A.S, I saw it as a
good opportunity for our campus."

Deveza said that the A.S. body believes this event is needed, especially
since SJSU and high school students are feeling the stresses of reality
caused by recent events in the local area and around the world. This event
is part of SJSU's effort to respond to these stresses and provide support
for the students.

"At the time of the event's proposal, many things were going on: some kids
overdosed on drugs at a party in San Francisco in January, there was the
fraternity incident in January, and our country was on the verge of war. I
proposed the event as something needed for the students, which was a place
where they could vent their frustrations," Deveza said.

A.S. feels that SJSU has a moral responsibility to teach the youth about
the effects of drug-use, show them more appropriate ways to resolve
conflict, and demonstrate the value of peace and fairness, he said.

"This event will benefit the community by creating a positive environment,
so many people can cruise on in and have a good time," Deveza said." Also,
since the event is free, it makes it even more community friendly."