Spring Break
Club explores hip-hop culture
Julia Cooper
Issue date: 9/27/06 Section: News
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"It's more than just shooting guns and wearing baggy pants and having jewelry hanging," said Nick Underwood, events coordinator of the congress. "It's self-expression, a way of life."
Hip Hop Congress, a national organization with nearly 30 chapters across the country, offers hip-hop lovers the chance to get together and discuss music, social issues and politics, organize events and provide community service.
Wes Kuruhara co-founded the SJSU chapter in 2003 with three other SJSU students: Warren Pedronan, Temesgen Atzbaha and Sam Khoubier. The university officially recognized the club in January 2004.
"I wanted to start it because there were a lot of hip-hop heads at San Jose State, but there wasn't an outlet for them," said Kuruhara, the club's former president who graduated last spring with a degree in design.
Kuruhara said that before the creation of the congress, a break dancing club already existed on campus, but he wanted a group that focused on all four hip-hop elements - graffiti art, turntable music, emceeing and break dancing.
David Manson, a junior majoring in sociology, was the congress's first events coordinator and was named president in Spring 2005.
He witnessed the club's evolution from a core group of between five and eight members who got together to discuss hip-hop music to the larger collective it is today.
"The hip-hop culture is actually quite vibrant at San Jose State," Manson said.
The congress, which meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Ohlone room of the Student Union, now claims up to 30 core members. The club also has more than 130 inactive members who attend concerts, workshops and lectures the group sponsors but cannot participate in every meeting.
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