Volleyball team looks for players
Security cameras watching
Smith Center turning 10 with party Sept. 17 – See Calendar, Page 3
– Page 4
– Page 2
MONITOR OHLONE COLLEGE
Vol. XXXXI No. 2
Fremont, California
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Parking Machine 101
After students complained that the new parking permit machines were broken, campus police decided to run a remedial course on vending machine strategy. Step One: press the No. 1 button and wait until it says to put in your money. Step Two: put
in your money. Step Three: take the permit when it comes out. Police say students have tried to put in money before they press No. 1. This won’t work. The machine will spit out your dollar, and you may get a $28 ticket; don’t let this happen to you.
If you’re on campus, you’re on camera By ANNA NEMCHUK News editor
Photo by Devina Deo
Ohlone officer Stewart Dawson monitors images from surveillance cameras.
Environment World Forum set Sept. 20 By ANNIE UTTER Staff writer The Sept. 20 World Forum will be about The Natural Step Approach to Environmental Sustainability in the gym starting at noon. A guest speaker will be announced. An open discussion will commence after the meeting to answer questions. Students, faculty and the community are invited. For more information, contact Sarah Zentner at (510) 659-7369.
More than 30 surveillance cameras now grace the grounds of Ohlone College. They will be recording 24 hours a day, Campus Police Chief Steve Fajardo assured, and will be monitored at certain times by campus security personnel. Due to security issues, some details are unavailable for publication at this time. The cost of the project was in the range of $300,000. The money came from a bond approved four years ago and is part of a general campus security improvement program. In the works are “code blue”
phones to be installed around campus that would instantly connect to campus security, and the police department, in the absence of the former. The camera installation had no connection to the alleged rape last year, Fajardo firmly stated. The keyless locks currently ensconced at “key locations” around campus, however, were in response due to the equipment thefts last year. Despite rumors to the contrary, the Campus Chief was adamant that no cameras have been installed in private areas, which include locker rooms and bathrooms. “People first, people always first,” Fajardo declared.
English Dept. gets its AA degree By ANNA NEMCHUK News editor “You, too, could be an English major,” Alison Kuehner, professor of English, offered with a smile upon hearing that Ohlone’s new English AA degree had been approved by the Chancellor’s office. Kuehner spearheaded the combined efforts of faculty and administrative staff, which took more than two years to come to fruition. The degree is integrated with all the major UCs and CSUs in the area, though students should still check with their prospective schools to pinpoint the best classes for them. The degree is a quick 20 units with English 101A and 101B re-
quired, a choice of three out of five core classes and the student’s pick of another course among 19 which include: English 106 - Censorship and Literature, 117 - Science Fiction and Fantasy and 114 - World Mythology. The exact requirements can be found on Ohlone’s web site at www.ohlone.edu/org/ currguides/current/english.html Some controversy has come up over making two of the five core classes English 105A and 105B, Survey of American Literature and English Literature, respectively, year long courses, improving integration further with some universities. The major concern is whether students would want to have one class extend over two semesters. “I think the question has been
what’s going to work for our students, what can help them,” said Kuehner. Goals for this degree are weeding out liberal arts majors who are actually English majors and giving students specific skills aimed at improving writing and critical thinking. The degree has gone into effect immediately, so anyone having already completed the requirements is eligible. This spring’s course offerings have already been largely determined, but the English department is excited at reintroducing more courses next fall.
Photo by Devina Deo
Alison Kuehner
2
MONITOR Augst 25, 2005
Associated Collegiate Press / National Scholastic Press Association All American 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Regional Pacemaker 1988 Journalism Association of Community Colleges First in General Excellence, Northern California Fall 1994 General Excellence Fall 2000
OPINION Editor in chief: Aman Mehrzai News editor: Anna Nemchuk Opinion editor: Jerome Engelberts Features editor: Krista Martinez Sports editor: Steve Chavez Photo editor: Devina Deo Writers: Steve Cortez. Sara Kwan, Joyce Leung, Jessica Losee, Danelle Meyer, Anne Utter, Nick Zambrano Ad staff: Michelle Northington, Alanette Ford Photographers: Corie Howell, Daniel Kwan Ad manager: Corie Howell Adviser: Bill Parks Printer: F-P Press
Offices are located in Room 5310 on campus, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont 945395884. Call (510) 659-6075. Fax: (510) 659-6076. E-mail: monitor@ohlone.cc.ca.us Opinions expressed in the MONITOR are those of the respective authors and are not necessarily those of the staff, the college or the Associated Students of Ohlone College. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority view of staff members. Advertising material is printed herein for informational purposes and is not to be construed as an expression of endorsement or verification of such commercial ventures by the staff or college. The MONITOR is funded by the district, by the Associated Students of Ohlone College, and through advertising revenue. The MONITOR is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Journalism Association of Community Colleges, Community College Journalism Association, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Media Advisers and Society of Newspaper Design.
OPINION
IS big brother watching? And what is he seeing? By JEROME ENGELBERTS Opinions editor In a society that is more and more under someone’s watchful eye every minute, the arrival of surveillance cameras here on campus will strike some as a non-event, and some as yet another instance of control-from-above. Apart from the campus police’s increase in ability to go after those who take liberties with the law on campus – how will the cameras affect students, if at all? First of all, we should realize that none of us have that many secrets left anyway. The arrival of on-line shopping, email, cell phones
(you’re not calling in your credit card number on one of those, are you?) and the assorted combined databases of banks, insurance companies and credit bureaus, to name a few, have created a wealth of information about our personal life, to be tapped into by many people we know nothing about. Unless you stay completely off the grid (and say bye-bye to your bank account, internet, cell phone except if you use a pay-as-you-go phone), and don’t forget to opt out of each insurance company’s option to sell your information - not to mention realtors, mortgage brokers, magazines you subscribe to, associations you may belong to - the list
is enormous you can expect to rack up an increasingly fat file on much of your behavior, and not just for marketing purposes, either. The FBI really wants to know about you if you combine reading Soldier of Fortune magazine with posting blogs to www.coup-d’etat.com (I made it up) and taking pilot lessons. Ok, so we’ve established that you’re already being looked at a lot. So what’s a few more surveillance cameras? After all, you’re not a delinquent, right? No spray paint in your pocket, no malicious intent while lurking on campus after dark. Why should you care if your blurry countenance is seen on a few monitors? Welllllllll.... You shouldn’t,
really. But maybe you should also develop the common sense that perfectly legal, but non-educationally oriented activities on-campus might be seen by others. How about that half hour kissing session between MATH151 and ANT101? And was that you I saw kicking the soda machine in Building 6? Did you know that so-and-so has a hairpiece that comes off in moderately strong breezes? Is that your boyfriend getting “friendly” with my...boyfriend? Hmmm. Anyone who has spent some time trolling around the Internet (I know, we would never do a thing like
that) knows that “interesting” footage from security cameras has a way of showing up in unexpected places. Does that mean we shouldn’t have surveillance cameras? I, for one, think we should: if only because they might prevent a repeat of last year’s rape. But I also feel that good intentions and common sense notwithstanding, we should be conscious of the fact that somebody is watching, and modify our behavior if we think that’s advisable. And by the way: did you know you were wearing two different socks last Tuesday? It’s on www.un-aware.com or something.
LETTERS
Student government says welcome to Ohlone EDITOR: The Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) welcomes all students to Fall Semester 2005! The ASOC is your student government council. The purpose of ASOC is to serve Ohlone College students and meet their needs. A multitude of campus events, activities, workshops, speakers, community outreach projects and much more are produced, funded or coor-
dinated by the ASOC. The members of ASOC represent the students’ voice on campus, locally and nationally. They strive to address the student's issues and needs. The ASOC is comprised of executive officers, senators and two advisors. The Executive Officers are elected each Spring during a campus-wide election. The senators are inducted each semester upon meeting certain qualifications and submitting a pe-
tition with 50 signatures. To find out what’s happening on campus, the ASOC invites students to drop by the Student Activities Center located next to the information desk in the lobby of Building One. The Student Activities Center is an area for students to get information about upcoming campus events, in addition to promoting club activities, athletic teams, classes and much more. Students will also have
a chance to meet and speak with ASOC representatives. By connecting with ASOC members, getting involved with student government or clubs, or attending ASOC sponsored events and activities, students get the entire college experience. The ASOC is currently accepting applications through Sept. 6 for students interested in becoming a Senator. If you’d like to join ASOC by becoming a senator,
please drop by the Campus Activities window, Room 1140, or by the ASOC office, Room 1130. You can also contact Renee Gonzales, campus activities student services assistant at 659.7311 or rgonzales@ohlone.edu. Upcoming events include Club Days, Sept. 6-7 in the Quad, and the Ohlone Carnival, Oct. 5. RENE GONZALES Campus Activities Assistant
CAMPUS COMMENT > > >
How do you feel about cameras on campus?
NICOLE PRICE Psychology “It's cool, I feel safer.”
JOSH DAUGHERTY History/Political Science “I don't want to live in an Orwellian culture.”
LISA KEYES Undecided “It's a good thing considering what happened last semester.”
SHELLY BAKER Literature “Big brother. That's horrible.”
AOISE SANDS Undecided “I'm not doing anything wrong. It doesn't bother me.”
August 25, 2005 MONITOR
CAMPUS EVENTS form, visit www.ohlone.edu.
SEPTEMBER
12
21st Annual Golf Tournament -- All day. Registration fee of $225 for individuals or $900 for groups of 4 includes green fees, cart, lunch, dinner, and prizes. Tournament will take place at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton. For the registration
14 David Tomb: Paint-
ings -- This exhibit will be open from September 14th to October 15. Reception and Artist Lecture will be held on September 21st from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
17
Smith Center's 10th Anniversary Gala-- 6:30 p.m.
Special guest star Alex Borstein of MADtv hosts an all-out salute to the 10th Anniversary of the Smith Center. Borstein performs her stand-up comic act as part of the evening’s entertainment, which features music, dance and comedy. Tickets are $50 for adults, $40 for seniors, and $25 for youth under 12.
24
The Great Garage
Get INVOLVED! • Learn how to write • Get the story behind the news • Get hands-on media experience
Sign up NOW! It’s not too late to register for Journ. 170-172 to work on the Ohlone College MONITOR staff. Needed: writers, editors, photographers, cartoonists, graphic artists, website editors. Call 659-6074 or drop by Room 5310.
Sale Blast -- 8 a.m. - 2 p.m in Ohlone College Parking Lot "E." The Great Garage Sale Blast is to give those who need to clean out their house the possibility to take advantage of the large crowds. There will be no competition from professional vendors or arts & crafts vendors. Pre-Registration is $25 or same day sign up is $30. For more information contact rettare@ohlone.edu.
JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS Students are Welcome to visit. Transfer & Career Services, Building 1 room 1405A. Open Monday thru Thursday 9 to 12 a.m. & 1 to 3 p.m. Closed Fridays. ASSISTANT - Full Time Entry Level in Fremont, CA. Schedule to be arranged. Qualifications include great organizational skills, and previous office experience is a plus. This job is for sales administration, customer service and office management. #1488582
Read the Monitor online: http:// ohlone.edu /org/monitor/
OFFICE ASSISTANT/SECRETARY - Full Time/Part Time in Fremont, CA. Flexible hours available. Must have high school diploma or some college, some computer skills (Word, Excel) needed, and you must be reliable. No prior office experience required. Willing to train. #1435058 BABYSITTING - Part Time in Fremont, CA. Weekends. You must be a college student seeking extra cash for weekend work. We have an active pre-schooler and need someone to help around the house over the weekend. Five minutes drive from Ohlone College. #1486334
3
MONITO ONITOR S P O R T S OHLONE COLLEGE
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Page 4
New coach hopes to bring success from CSUEB By NICK ZAMBRANO Staff writer A team is nothing without its players, and when the number of players is minimal, the life support is close to being pulled. Ohlone, we have a problem. The women’s volleyball team is inching closer to the plug for the upcoming season. First year Head Coach Jamie Cortez is desperately trying to field a team for this upcoming season and is seeking anyone interested in playing. Cortez comes to us from Cal State East Bay, where she was an assistant coach under legendary coach Jim Spagle for the last two seasons. Prior to those two seasons at CSUEB, Cortez was also involved with the volleyball programs at Castro Valley and Deer Valley High Schools. This year’s squad does have a few returning players, among them, Donnalyn Sanchez. Sanchez is joined by women’s basketball stars Angelica Benjamin and Melanie Inouye. Adding even more to this year’s squad is two-sport star Jessica Soderholm.
Soderholm comes to us from James Logan High where she also played softball and was a teammate of Benjamin’s on the school’s volleyball team. Yes, these girls are highly talented and skilled but the team still needs more girls to fill the squad. For those unfamiliar with the game of volleyball, it takes six people on the court to play a match. Have a fear being laughed off the team? No worries. Cortez welcomes any girl wanting to try out, no experience necessary. All that Cortez asks is that players come ready to have a positive learning experience. So to any girls interested in trying out for the squad this season, please take the following into consideration. Tryouts have been under way since Aug. 15 and are held Monday through Friday, from 12:20 to 3 p.m., in Epler Gymnasium. Tryouts end Sept. 2. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Coach Cortez at (510) 659-6051.
New Ohlone Volleyball Coach Jamie Cortez hopes to build on the potential shown last season. The volleyball team finished the 2004 season at an even 8-8. Last season, Cortez was an assistant coach for the Cal State University East Bay team that finished last season ranked 7th in the country, Division 3. Photo by Devina Deo
Softball coach reaches rare last season milestone By SARA KWAN Staff writer Students from a beginning softball class gathered around the dugout before their second day of class and among all the chattering came a firm voice, “Are you wearing jeans?” A student replies, “I always wear jeans when playing softball.” Donna Runyon said, “Not in this class.” There was not another rebuttal. Other students laughed, but beyond the humor was the demanding and firm yet gentle voice of Coach Runyon, or as she prefers to be called, “Coach.” She would loudly yell out instructions to her students and players but would go back to a
calmer tone when speaking with someone standing next to her. The upbeat and fit Coach achieved a milestone last season that only a few elite softball coaches in California have reached. Runyon didn’t know it was coming. It wasn’t until her players showed up to a game in San Mateo with flowers and cards that she realized she was sitting on 599 career wins. Her team tried too hard that night and Runyon had to wait until the next game, where the team promptly came back to help Runyon reach her privileged acheivement, getting 600 wins. The modest Coach thought nothing of it and stated that the only
important goals for the team are the three goals they set in the beginning of the season. Every season, team members set three goals for themselves, last season they met all three. The three goals were to win their tournament, to win more than 30 games and to get a 3.0 GPA. Runyon demands respect not only as a teacher and coach, but also as a friend. The former catcher of softball Pro League teams said it’s important that players rally around each other and motivate each other to be good. Team chemistry is significant and Runyon said she encourages her players to share personal experiences as a way of
teaching life lessons on and off the field. Runyon created an attitude for her team that is modeled by her idolization of professional baseball players Will Clark and Pete Rose, who brought hustle and the desire to win to every game. Runyon’s team plays dirty and plays hard. She encourages them to never give up and they never did, getting her three consecutive
championship trophies from 20032005. Along the way, they helped her reach 600 wins. Runyon will receive her award for reaching 600 wins at the National Fast Pitch Coach Convention, attended by softball coaches from high schools, other two year colleges and four year universities. Awards will be presented to coaches who achieve wins by the hundreds (100 wins, 200 wins, etc.).
Soccer season to open The Renegade soccer team kicks off the 2005 campaign this weekend in the Allan Hancock Tournament in Santa Maria. The Lady Renegade soccer season opens here on campus Thursday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. on the soccer field.
Tragedy in the Bay Area, folly in Baltimore Welcome back to the Final Score. This has been a fun summer in the world of sports and I plan on filling you in the way only I can. So if you haven’t kept up with the sporting world as a whole or you just tuned in to hear some comedic banter, you should be in for quite a treat. We begin our fun-filled look at sports with a serious story, the late Thomas Herrion. Herrion fell dead following a preseason game that saw his 49ers lose to the Broncos. Herrion was on the field for the game’s final drive, helping lead the way for the 49ers to march down the field to score what ultimately was a meaningless touchdown in the game. The drive was not meaningless to Herrion, however, as he came off the field with a typical jovial Herrion smile, asking former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Guy McIntyre how he did and what he might be able to improve upon. The tragedy of Herrion has been felt throughout the fraternity that is the NFL but its most obvious effects were felt right here in the Bay Area. Now, keep in mind that grown men are often ridiculed and/or looked upon as weak to show fear or soft emotions. It is not “manly” or “courageous” to show anything on the football field but sheer aggression. Herrion’s death transformed 75 men into humble, sorrowful beings, un-
afraid to show their emotions on their sleeves. Pro Bowl center Jeremy Newberry, perhaps, best summed up why he was having trouble holding back the tears as he spoke to the media on Monday. “His whole goal in life was to be in this football team and take care of his family,” Newberry said. “I mean we’re pretty fortunate to be able to do that and to have our health, for the most part. It makes me feel small whining about, you know, a sore knee or an ankle and this and that, when a guy was fighting for his life and lost that battle.” Herrion was not a star, or a standout on the field. At 23, he had yet to even make his first NFL regular season roster. He spent the past two preseasons with the Cowboys and the 49ers with a stint in NFL Europe in between. Herrion was a star off the field. Affectionately known as “Ruben Studdard” to his teammates for his robust size and breathtaking singing voice, Herrion could be counted on to pick up the team with a song or a few jokes. His mother, interviewed following her son’s death on ESPN, said that she was once told by a teacher that if this football thing didn’t work out, he could always look into a career as a comedian.
The Final Score By STEVEN CHAVEZ Sports editor The 49ers will wear a sticker with the number 72 on it for the entire season, honoring their fallen teammate. It’s sad that we’ll never know how good this man could have been on the football field, but in the game of life, Herrion was Pro Bowl caliber. The summer wasn’t only full of undeserved personal tragedy, some of it was self-inflicted. Rafael Palmeiro, for one, has had a crazy summer. He went from a certain trip to the Hall of Fame, joining an elite group of four players to collect both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits in their career (his company in the 3,000/ 500 club: Willie Mays, Eddie Murray and home run king Henry Aaron, all Hall of Fame inductees), to shame and humiliation only the likes of Marion Jones has seen before him. At least that’s what should have happened. The same way that Sammy Sosa squirmed off the hook after the corked bat incident, baseball’s me-
dia giants have allowed fellow Latino Palmeiro to slide away from any guilt, embarrassment or shame by letting the story die. This, my friends, is your example of media bias (and I’m only slightly talking about myself). Allow me to play devil’s advocate for a moment. If this exact same situation came up, and the name on the positive result list was Barry Bonds instead of Rafael Palmeiro, we would still be hearing Bonds’s name, every single day, and how much of a cheater/drug abuser he was. The media excuse for why Bonds was singled out so much in the first days of BALCO was because of the historical implications that came along with what Bonds was accomplishing on the field. He was putting up first-ballot Hall of Fame numbers and had put himself into a class that only two other men had occupied before him in the 700 home run club. Palmeiro’s, however, is every bit as huge and historical as a positive Bonds test. The difference? Bonds ruffles the collective media feathers while Palmeiro denies, denies, denies. Quick note: How convenient is it that the french newspaper L’Equipe has all this damning evidence against seven time Tour de
France champion Lance Armstrong seven years after the original tests were taken in 1999 when Armstrong has no realistic recourse for defending himself? All I really have to say is this: Armstrong has never tested positive in the past and there really isn’t any reason to consider this allegation truth. This is the same paper that has tried to tarnish Armstrong’s name in the past. Smells like these European journalists have the same bug up their collective asses about Armstrong that American journalists have for Bonds. Quick note, part 2: Why would ESPN go to commercial with the lead, “If the knew then what they know now, Barry Bonds would not be a Giant,” when Peter Magowen didn’t say that? He said he wouldn’t have guaranteed the pick-up of his 2006 contract. He added, “I’d like to think if I had all the accomplishments he had, especially late in life like he’s had them, and I asked my organization for an extension, I might feel pretty let down, if not insulted, that they didn’t consider my request.” That is straight up irresponsible journalism and someone should call ESPN on their crap. I’ll just address everyone... Hey, press guys, you suck!