to hold ‘Science Night.’
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Fremont, California
Vol. XXXVI No. 13
Winter in the Quad
Staff photo
pummel Solano, 81 to 62.
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Wrestling: Is it real or is it fake?
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Thursday, November 30, 2006
Proposition would cut tuition to $15 per unit By Emily Burkett Staff writer
Ohlone’s buildings look like they’re wrapped up against the cold, as the new 16-week semester winds down and the holiday season approaches like a winter storm.
Ohlone Renegades
OPINION
wow Ohlone.
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FEATURES
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SPORTS
NASA and Ohlone
Shanghai Theater
Something was missing from the November 2006 ballots on election day. It’s called the Community College Governance Funding Stabilization and Student Fee Reduction Act. It would have lowered community college tuition fees from $20 to $15 and ensured bilateral governance. However, the initiative was pulled from the November ballot due to a shortage of time and funding. The act has been reassigned to the June 2008 ballot, a difference of approximately a year and a half, so most current Ohlone students will not see the benefits of the act’s possible passage, but the act has proposed several changes to the community college system. The Public Policy Institute of California stated that, in the year 2000, California ranked 45th out of the 49 states supporting a community college system in terms of funding granted per student. California community college students receive 23 percent less government funding than the national average. According to the president of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC), Dennis Smith, the act will dramatically change the funding discrepancies in the system. “Proposition 98, a constitutional amendment passed a few years
ago, stated that certain funds be allocated to K-14 education. However, the funding happens based on enrollment growth in K-12 schools. Junior colleges were left out of the picture,” said Smith. The act planned to include community colleges as part of the enrollment growth figures, which would increase the funding given to community colleges by significant amounts without decreasing funds to K-12 schools, explained Smith. The recent history of community college fees has involved an increase in tuition to help bridge the gap between funding and costs. This was done to keep California community colleges on par with the rest of the nation. Students have felt a 63 percent increase in their tuition fees in recent years. In 1993, the cost of tuition was $13 per unit. In 1984, education at a community college was free of charge. Earlier this year, Ohlone and every other California Community College experienced a decrease in tuition cost from $26 to $20 per unit, which alleviated some of the cost and brought the college to the level previously prescribed by the act. This change within Ohlone occurred even without the act’s passage. However, the act was amended after this change to propose that colleges further decrease tuition to $15 per unit. The FACCC said this move was
to make community colleges even more accessible to the population and equip the California economy with individuals who have received higher education. “It’s the goal of the FACCC and other major teacher unions to see the day when community colleges will have no fees at all,” Smith said. The act also proposed a system of bilateral governance so that the voice of all parties involved in community colleges may be heard. Smith further explained, “The act will strengthen the community college governance by putting the governing bodies of local community colleges within the bounds of the system.” Currently, local education boards are included for K-12 levels. The act will expand this to also include K-14. The act needed more than 500,000 signatures to make it to the ballot in November and Smith believed that they have already met this goal. However, due to expenditures made in the November Special Election, supporting organizations like the FACCC moved to push the act back in order to sure appropriate publicity. “We hope for the act to be spotlighted in the November 2008 election,” Smith said. With the signature quota met and awaiting validation, the public can expect to hear more on this act in the future.
Former Ohlone student recalls Peace Corps days By ERIC DORMAN Staff writer Lucy Pasternak has battled malaria and 120-degree heat. She’s seen extreme poverty firsthand. She’s spent two years in a continent torn by war, AIDS and malnutrition. But perhaps most amazing of all, Pasternak, a soft-spoken former Ohlone student, is only 26. “This has been the hardest year of my life,” Pasternak wrote back, one year into her stay. “[It’s been the] hardest, liveliest, most emotional, most up and down, most diverse, most adaptive time, crazy, happy, lonely, yet complete time.” Pasternak returned in September after a two-year stay with the Peace Corps in Africa, in the Mtwara region of Tanzania. There, she volunteered as a community health educator in the village secondary school (or high school), teaching lessons
in Swahili, the native language, on subjects such as HIV/AIDS, nutrition and hygiene. “HIV here is my job,” wrote Pasternak. “Teaching people how to live healthy, to take care of themselves, to get an education, to strive for opportunity, to live with hope [is my job].” AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is a syndrome caused by the HIV virus that greatly weakens the immune system, so that to an infected person even something as innocuous as a cold can prove fatal. It has killed 25 million people worldwide since 1981, and it is estimated that about the same number are living with the disease today. Africa, with its many developing countries, has been hit the hardest by AIDS. In some countries, the infection rate is as high as 25 percent. In Tanzania the infection Continued on Page 4
Photo provided by Lucy Pasternak
Lucy Pasternak dines on flower cakes at a restaurant near the border between Tanzania and Mozambique. Behind her is a fellow Peace Corps volunteer and in front of her is a doctor from the local hospital.
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Opinion
monitor November 30, 2006
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 General Excellence Fall 2004
Editor in chief: Anna Nemchuk News editor: Omer Ahmed Opinion editor: Matthew So Features editor: Morgan Brinlee Sports editor: Jeff Weisinger Photo editor: Christa Meier Online editor: Chen Lin Staff writers: Michael Aburas, Frankie Addiego, Emily Burkett, Eric Dorman, Noah Levin, Brittany Wilson Ad manager: Danelle Meyer Ad staff: Manika Casterline, Janelle Feliciano, Dulce Fernandez 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
The sweat is real, the pain is real, wrestling is real By Michael Aburas Staff writer Undeniably one of the biggest spectacles in the last three decades to rise from underground obscurity and into the mainstream is professional wrestling. Once restricted to side shows at carnivals, and later performed in bingo parlors, pro wrestling has finally suplexed and body slammed its way into sold-out arenas all around the globe. But is professional wrestling fake? Yes, absolutely. The outcomes are predetermined and the characters are an act, usually. But what is fake? The dictionary defines fake as not genuine. But the heart and athleticism put into a wrestler’s character and match are100 percent real. Are the matches predetermined? Yes, however, the viewing audience is not aware of the outcome. Has knowing the outcome of a contest ahead of time stopped anyone from watching the Raiders or 49ers lose a game this season? And, has fixing a contest stopped certain people from running a country? Professional wrestling is theater and wrestlers are real-life super heroes who are larger than life. It’s the over-the-top personalities and egos
that attract us to them. Wrestling is like an old dime store novel where you have the “Baby Face” or “Face” (the good guy, typically pretty and handsome) and the “Heel” (the bad guy and very ugly) battling each other. In case you’re not aware, Heels aren’t afraid to dish out low blows, as was the crotch shot in the above paragraph. It boils down to good versus evil and we all want to see how it will play out. The current state of American society can always be observed in wrestling. Only the Reaganomics of the ‘80s could produce characters such as the tax man, I.R.S. Irwin R. Shyster (Heel), the Repo Man (Heel) and the tag team The Rockers (Face). I concede, however, the I.R.S. character would fit and be hated in any era. Who could forget the greatest Face of all time who emerged as a star in the ‘80s, Hulk Hogan. Hogan was the perfect character for the conservative times that were the ‘80s. Hogan would always tell his fans, more commonly known as Hulkamaniacs, to train, take their vitamins and say their prayers, “Brother.” America’s values are also reflected in Hogan’s theme song, Real American. “I am a real American, Fight for the rights of everyman. . . Well you hurt my friends, then you hurt my pride, I gotta be
a man, I can’t let it slide.” It doesn’t get much more American than that. The idea of sticking up for the little guy, which is what happened during the first Gulf War. The early ‘90s saw the U.S. go into Iraq to help protect Kuwait. The first Gulf War manifested in the ring at Wrestlemania 7, March 24, 1991, when “The Real American” Hulk Hogan fought Sgt. Slaughter for the World Heavy Weight Title. Sgt. Slaughter, at the time, had become under the influence of the Iron Sheik (a personal bodyguard for the Shah of Iran during the ‘70s) and was portrayed as an Iraqi sympathizer. Slaughter even adopted a new finishing maneuver known as the Camel Clutch. Wrestling continues to be a valid measuring stick of the social climate in America to this day. A more contemporary example of this could be observed in the characters John Cena and Mohammad Hassan. Current champ John Cena (Face) represents white middle America. Hard working and obsessed with the hip hop culture. Cena’s early character gimmick was to dis his opponents with a free style rap. During the ‘90s, talk show host Jenny Jones would drag out white kids dressed in hip hop attire and the audience would clown on them and accuse them of trying to be black.
However, the wrestling audience has embraced their champ, who claims to be a champion of the people. Moreover, white America has always been obsessed with black culture, since the Blues and Jazz to the present with R&B and Rap. Mohammad Hassan (Heel) represents America’s intolerance toward the Arabic culture. Hassan’s gimmick was a simple one: come down to the ring, piss off the audience-that’s a Heel’s sole purposeattack lower card wrestlers and go home. On April 3, 2005 at Wrestlemania 21 in Los Angeles, Hassan came down to the ring to express his indignation with the company and audience for being excluded from the biggest event of the year. “Now everyone knows that Hollywood is filled with phonies and fakes and that Los Angeles has a long and profound history of prejudice and bigotry,” said Hassan at Wrestlemania 21 after interrupting another wrestler. Leading up to the biggest event of the year, Hassan would come out to the ring and simply tell the audience that he was tired of being discriminated against because he was Arab-American. The audience reaction was the same at any arena in any state, he was raucously booed. In the words of Dave “The Red Neck” Shultz: “He
was just telling it like it is baby.” Sure Hassan teased the audience a little, but, other than that he just gave his opinion and was booed for it. This is an example of America’s intolerance of views that don’t mesh with their own. In addition to representing the current social state of America, wrestling also represents the cultural diversity of America more accurately than any other sport. Anyone who attends Ohlone knows how culturally diverse the college is. However, most TV shows and professional sports leagues do not reflect this. How many Punjabis do you see in major league baseball? The WWE currently has two: Davari and the Great Kali. How many Mexicans do you see starting in the NBA? Wrestlers consider winning the WWE World Heavy Weight title the equivalent of being awarded the Oscar for best actor. Two Mexicans have held this title within the last three years: Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mesterio Jr. When was the last time a Mexican won the Oscar for best actor? But isn’t it choreographed you say. Yes. No. Sort of. Moves are discussed ahead of time, however, wrestlers do lose their place, or will improvise. Wrestling is sort of like Continued on Page 3
Campus Comment > > > Weirdest Christmas gift ever received?
THOMAS PATRINOS Graphic Design "A Fire Log. For a fireplace I've never used."
KATE FLOWER MARK ARSENAULT GUY FRESHWATER Undecided Aerospace Anthropology "Pet pigeon named 'Pumpkin'."
"A kaleidoscope from my grandma whom I never see."
"A thee month-old Happy Meal; my uncle ate the fries."
MATT LANGSETH Baseball "My grandparents donated money to another country buying a goat under my name."
News/Opinion
November 30, 2006 MONITOR
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Brown Bag seminar explains engineering options By MICHAEL ABURAS Staff writer “In 15 years there will be a shortage of engineers,” said Yvette Niccolls math, science, and technology coordinator, beginning Ohlone’s second to last Brown Bag science seminar of the semester. The purpose of this Nov. 15 Brown Bag was to expose students to career opportunities in engineering. The seminar featured four speakers from four different fields of engineering. The first speaker was Mathematics Instructor Linda Messia who rhetorically asked, “What is Engineering?” She then responded with “engineering is just applying simple scientific principals to make
life better.” She added that there are many fields in engineering such as biotech, naval and aerospace Messia has brought in engineers to speak to her class to demonstrate what engineers are doing in their field. In addition, her class recently took a trip to the NUMMI car plant in Fremont to observe a manufacturing line. The next speaker, Materials Engineer and Instructor Jennifer Harper, stated that “most people don’t know what material engineering is” - which was the area of engineering she was presenting at the seminar. Materials engineering is the understanding of how materials are made and how they work on a molecular scale. When teaching, Harper provides
her students with three identical pieces of steel, then has them heat the steel and subsequently examine how the material changes on a small scale. Engineering Instructor Howard Rathbun also gave a presentation about his field of expertise, statics - a branch of engineering concerned with the forces keeping objects at rest. Rathbun presented an example by explaining how statics can be used to figure out how much tension is being placed on the cable for a ski lift. Another example Rathbun gave was the equilibrium force of gravity on an astronaut. The centrifugal force pushes the astronaut out, while the earth’s gravity pushes him in.
Electrical Engineer Carrie Huang also gave a presentation. Huang’s class electrical engineering class, for example, gives students the basics to design a Intel processor or a Sony Playstation processor. Huang explained that electrical engineers are everywhere, as in “telecommunications: they designed the spark plug, designed the tube for television.” Physics is a requirement before someone can take electrical engineering. Engineering jobs include: test engineer for jet engines, sales patent lawyer and failure analysis. “Engineering is a very stable way to make a living,” said Rathbun. The next Brown Bag will be on Friday Dec. 1 from 1 to 2 p.m. The topic will be Nanotechnology.
Math Instuctor Linda Messia speaks about basic engineering.
The event is free and refreshments will be served. Trent, who received his doctorate from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Biology Oceanography, began work at NASA in 1998. He specializes in nanotechnology in relation to life on other planets, said Math, Science and Technology coordinator Yvette Niccolls. Trent, who also teaches part-time
in the Department of Bimolecular Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, will speak on such subjects as the origin of the universe, how stars and planets are born, and when life began. He will also be focusing on the specific natural disasters that helped change the way life on earth evolved, said Niccolls. One such catastrophe, she said, occurred when a meteor hit the Earth about
65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs and giving mammals a chance to thrive in their stead. Furthermore, Trent will examine global warming as an upcoming catastrophe that could possibly change the course of life on earth, said Niccolls. NASA Science nights began in 2003, when Jim Laub, an Ohlone alumni who had formerly worked at NASA, formed a partnership
between Ohlone and NASA that invited one speaker from NASA to give a talk at the college each fall. The last speaker was Astrophysicist Scott Sandford, who presented a lecture on comets as part of a Science Night which focused on the Stardust mssion to collect samples from the comet Wild 2. For more information on the event, contact Niccolls at (510) 629-7372.
By FRANKIE ADDIEGO Staff writer Next Semester’s Study Abroad trip to India was canceled for the foreseeable future, as only one student turned in an application. The program will, however, host trips to other countries in the future. The trip was canceled “not from a lack of interest,” said Professor Kay Harrison, who heads the program, but because “a lot of people were interested, but not a lot of people followed through with an application.” While in the past the program has had success with trips to countries such as South Korea and Australia (where the current trip is still in progress), this semester, it simply didn’t take off, according to Harrison. “I think safety is an issue,” said Harrison. She said that, while
there were a few more students who expressed interest, it appeared that their parents were wary of allowing them to travel to India. Although the Study Abroad trip has been postponed for this semester (as there was no alternative to India as a destination), there are still plans for future excursions. Currently, there are expectations to return to Sydney in the fall of next year and for a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia at one point. Additionally, the program is hoping to schedule trips in the summer months as well as the regular fall and spring semesters. Despite the failure of this semester’s trip to India, Harrison remains optimistic about the possibility of holding a voyage to that country at some point. “I really think in the future, it will catch on,” she said, “it’s going to be a bigger and bigger trading partner to the U.S.”
in the ring. Wrestlers are trained to kill each other without killing each other, but, the wear and tear add up. Mick Foley retired at 34 because of brain damage from multiple concussions throughout his career. Austin no longer wrestles because of fear of permanent paralysis. Diamond Dallas Page had back issues that ended his career as well. There is no other form of entertainment or sport where the athlete dedicates or gives more of themself to the fan. Yes, things are planned out. A wrestler may step into a match knowing that they will be going to the hospital that evening. That was the case with Mr. Danger, who was placed in a tank of parannas. Does
a football player go play a game knowing that he will be stepping into an ambulance that evening? Wrestelers wrestle 300+ days out of the year. There is no off season. I have witnessed wrestlers set on fire. I have felt the glass of broken light bulbs graze across my legs as a wrestler was scoop-slammed onto them. I have taken home thumb tacks. I have seen wrestlers bleed. If you’ve ever met a veteran wrestler in person, their forehead looks like leather from all the times they have been busted open. If someone has never been to a live wrestling event, they are too ignorant to call it fake. If you still think wrestling is fake, in the words of DX, “I have two words for ya. S*ck It!”
Photo by Christa Meier
NASA and Ohlone to hold ‘Science Night’ By ERIC DORMAN Staff writer NASA bioengineer and microbiologist Jonathan Trent will speak on the origin of the universe and the natural catastrophes that shaped the earth at the sixth annual NASA Science night on Dec. 6. The talk, entitled “the life and times of life of time” will be given from 7 to 8 p.m. at Jackson Theater.
Project Quad outfits Ohlone
Photo by Christa Meier
Student Chad Bischoff sits at one of the 15 benches placed on campus this semester as part of ASOC’s Project Quad. Included in the $15,000 project will be umbrellas and other furnishings.
Study Abroad trip to India canceled
Wrestling just as real as full-contact football Continued from Page 2 jazz. You play in a certain key and improvise here and there. Ella Fitz Gerald once told WWE hall of fame inductee Rowdy Roddy Piper “Give them a good beginning and a great ending, and they’ll forgive you for a lot in the middle.” Not all wrestlers plan their moves out. Mick “Mankind” Foley in his book “Have a Nice Day” stated that when he worked with Abdulah the Butcher, everything was improvised because Abby, as Foley called him, couldn’t remember the moves if they planned them out anyway. Is professional wrestling a sport? According to the “Oxford English Dictionary” sport is an activity involving physical effort and skill in
which a person or team competes against another or others. Wrestling does fall within those parameters, and what are sports? Sports, unless you’re playing them yourself, are just entertainment. If you didn’t care about the entertainment value, you would just wait until the results came out in the paper instead of watching an entire game. If wrestling is fake, why is Mick Foley missing an ear and his teeth? If wrestling is fake, why did Eddie Guerrero dislocate his elbow after a frog splash? If wrestling is fake, why did Roco Rock die in the ring from a heart attack? Wrestling in this regard is just like any other job, there are people you don’t get along with and there’s
people who make mistakes. For example, when “Hardcore” Holly and Brock Lesner met in the ring, Holly felt like it was his duty to teach the green arrogant rookie a lesson. As you know, wrestlers hit each other, however, when these two hooked up they really started to beat each other. As a result from anger, Lesner, when he went for a power bomb, dropped Holly on his head instead of on his back, breaking his neck. Holly was out of action for a year. Another incident occurred when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin fought the late Owen Hart. Hart performed a pile driver on Austin, but gave him the real thing, causing Austin to become temporally paralyzed
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Features Ohlone welcomes holiday shopping
monitor November 30, 2006
Culture Pirate By OMER AHMED News editor
Rooting for the underdog Watching an underdog fight always makes me want to cheer but the fight by those being sued for illegally downloading music has been so unbalanced that it has been hard to get excited about. After all, David didn’t have to pay $10,000 for each stone he threw at Goliath. The current tactics of the Record Industry Association of America are made specifically to intimidate the people they sue and ensure that they cannot fight back. The case of Cassi Hunt is one good example. An MIT undergrad, she was sued by the RIAA for downloading 272 songs off the i2hub peer-to-peer network. Earlier this year, she received a legal notice stating that she was being sold but that the RIAA was willing to settle for a reduced fee of $3,750. Great deal… if you have $3,750 lying about to avoid a costly legal battle. Hunt called the RIAA representative to negotiate her settlement but was told that the RIAA doesn't negotiate. When she tried to explain her situation as college student who was short on funds, the representative on the phone told her, “The RIAA has been known to suggest that students drop out of college or go to community college in order to be able to afford settlements." At this point, she has resorted to collecting donations on-line to help her pay off her settlement. The RIAA has sued many students like Hunt, in addition to a few instructors, single mothers, pre-teens, a dead man and, strangely enough, two people who didn't even own computers. They seem to be waging a legal blitzkrieg with mass lawsuits, indiscriminate targeting and no possibility of negotiation. Recently, the fight has started to become a bit fairer. When you fight so many Davids, chances are you are going run across one with a rocket launcher instead of a slingshot. Marie Lindor, one of the computer-less people sued for an impossible crime, has began to use the defense that the RIAA lawsuits are unconstitutionally damaging and her judge has allowed said defense. The basics of it are that the fee the RIAA wants is not fair but made to harshly punish defendants. They charge $750 per song if those sued to not accept the settlement but the average song cost 99¢ online. More then just a slight discrepancy that is. However, one tiny legal win doesn't fix the situation. The fight is still extremely unbalanced. At the moment, the underdog still has to pay $750 for every $1 of merchandise and the RIAA is just as aggressive as ever but the recent win, along with a few earlier ones, do create hope. This tiny bit hope makes it much easier to root for the underdog.
By Frankie Addiago Staff writer Ohlone College held its annual Holiday Boutique on Wednesday. As usual, the sale took place inside the cafeteria and lasted from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On hand, merchants sold their arts and crafts to the students of Ohlone. Almost all the vendors at the Holiday Boutique were veterans of the monthly Flea Market at Ohlone.
And it was through this program that they heard about the sale. “We sell at the Flea Market [and] we got a flyer,” said Jim Walker, who sold jewelry and a variety of other trinkets. “In addition, we sell a lot of pottery. We didn’t bring it here,” he said. Business at the Flea Market has been fairly solid, although some might say it got off to a slow start. “It’s been okay,” said Michael Yang, whose inventory ranged
from bracelets to baseball cards, “I would expect it to pick up right about lunch time.” The boutique focused largely on jewelry. One of the biggest outfits at the boutique was a home-based company called Cookie Lee. “It’s basically fashion, [and] jewelry,” said representative Carol Jackson. Not only does her company also set up at the Ohlone flea market and other small gatherings, but she displayed a catalogue on her table.
This catalogue can be found on www.cookielee.com One of the more unique booths belonged to Jenifer Kirsch, who specialized in her own line of t-shirts. “I draw and print my own shirts,” she said, “being self-employed rocks.” Kirsch said that she learned how to start her own company from a video she purchased on Craig’s List. For more information or to see Kirsch’s shirt designs, visit www. juror2.net.
Ohlone student tells tales of Africa Continued from Page 1 rate is only upwards of 6 percent - but rising. Still, the threat of AIDS was rarely mentioned in the conservative village culture, said Pasternak. Often, the mounting deaths would be attributed to more acceptable causes, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. The Peace Corps was established in 1961 following then-senator John F. Kennedy’s call to Americans to “serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries.” Today, its 7,810 volunteers provide 71 countries with everything from education to community development to information technology, according to www.peacecorps.gov. Its slogan, “the toughest job you’ll ever love,” was one Pasternak felt was apt. “It was challenging, it was exciting, it was an adventure,” said Pasternak, who became interested in the Peace Corps in high school because she wanted to not only travel to other countries but also “become part of their culture and language.” Pasternak began her Peace Corps training with a homestay family about 70 miles inland in the Uluguru mountain range in Tanzania. In December, she moved to a small, unfurnished one-room house in Nanguruwe, a tiny village in the Mtwara region of Tanzania, without electricity, running water or paved roads. Luckily, she said, the villagers were welcoming, providing furniture, a bed, food and gifts. Still, there was a bit of a culture shock when she first entered the village. “I didn’t expect the poverty, the lack of infrastructure [such as public transit],” said Pasternak. Everywhere, she said, there was chaos - children playing on the street, many people packed into one small place, and plenty of noise. A week after arriving, Pasternak began teaching HIV/AIDS prevention at the high school. “I’m teaching a subject that I’m only recently slightly familiar with, in a foreign African language that I just started learning 3 months ago, to people that I don’t know or understand,” wrote Pasternak. “The Peace Corps really stretches your limits.” Between teaching, Pasternak would take a bus down to the larger city of Mtwara, where she would buy food, send emails back home and generally escape the village. The public transportation always proved to be interesting, never mind chaotic. For example, there was a fairly wide window of time in which the bus might come, so
Photo courtesy of Lucy Pasternak
A young man in Africa works to herd and care for cattle around the land. Pasternak had to head to the bus stop extra early in order to be sure to catch it. Once there the bus - often loaded to three times its intended capacity - would go bouncing over unpaved roads to its destination, a teeth-jarring experience at best, said Pasternak. While en route, the already overloaded bus would repeatedly take on more passengers, cramming it even fuller. “In Africa, there’s always room for 12 more [passengers],” said Pasternak. Sometimes, there would be further delays. In one instance, jobless men at the bus stop demanded that the conductor give them money or they’d put nails under the wheels. The men were finally thrown off, but the nails had already been planted and the bus had a flat, further adding to the length of the journey. To avoid having to take the bus, Pasternak began riding her bike the 25 miles from her village to Mtwara. This lasted until January, when her bike was stolen right in front of her in Mtwara. She was unable to catch the thieves and had to wait until February for a new bike from the Peace Corps. The thieves
were not apprehended until the end of February. But the thing Pasternak found most draining was not the public transportation but the heat. In fact, it was not only hot, said Pasternak, but extremely humid as well - as soon as she stepped outside, she felt like “stepping into an ocean.” Towards the end her stay, Pasternak was sent a thermometer so she could record the temperature accurately for the first time. She recorded 95 degrees Fahrenheit in
the shade; when she moved the thermometer to the sun, the mercury immediately rose as high as the thermometer would go - 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Pasternak put it back in the shade, for fear of breaking it. Scarier even than the heat, though, was the threat of various sicknesses that befell many of Pasternak’s fellow Peace Corps members including tapeworms, diarrhea and, more seriously, malaria. Pasternak caught the latter after stepping in a puddle with a cut foot, and was in bed for three days in hundred-degree heat, suffering aches and extreme nausea. Still, the doctors assured her it was only a mild case. What Pasternak ultimately discovered, though, was that she alone couldn’t fix Africa’s problems; it was going to take a bigger effort by everyone. “So as I tell this story, I try to relate that very little is necessary here,” wrote Pasternak. “I finally know what [the people here] need. Money and clothes is the main thing. I want to come home and ask you guys to ask all of your friends and family and everyone you know at school or work to donate a penny, a nickel, a quarter if you’re feeling happy, and a dollar if you want to. Or more; that would be appreciated. “This truly is the toughest job you’ll ever love, because it takes so much out of you, the emotional drain from seeing those gorgeous little dusty children in ripped clothes, no shoes...you just realize that this is exactly where you have to be right now, giving them a little chance at life, at self confidence, admiration, appreciation...It’s giving them something to care about, like themselves.”
Features
November 30, 2006 monitor
Devil's Advocate
Shanghai dancers wow Ohlone Dancers from the Shanghai Theater Academy in China performed here Nov. 16 and 17. The school is known as one of the prestigious dance colleges in China. Look for more Shanghai dance pictures in an upcoming issue. Photo by Chen Lin
Auditions to be held for spring show By Manika Casterline Staff writer For the first time in Ohlone’s history, auditions for the spring dance production will occur prior
to the end of the fall semester. This is due to the change of going from 18 week semesters to ones that are 16 weeks in their length. The “Elements” production will take place during the weekend of
April 20. Four suites will be segmented into one of the natural elements of fire, water, air, and earth. Dance instructor Janel Tomblin Brown said, “I hope about 50 to 100 people show up to the auditions
hoping to be a part of the show”. Auditions will be held on Saturday at the dance studio at 12:30 p.m for hip-hop. The audition for other types of dance such as ballet and jazz will be at 1:30 p.m.
Foot Notes hopes to dance in China By Noah Levin Staff writer
Dance, song, and music will come together this Friday night in an effort to help the Foot Notes Dance Company raise money for its hopeful trip to Shanghai, China , next semester. Showcasing jazz and tap dance styles from the upcoming Winter Showcase next week, Foot Notes takes center stage amidst live music, a DJ, and singing. Led
by Ohlone teacher Janel Tomblin Brown, Foot Notes can be considered a sister company to Ohlone’s Bliss Dance Company, headed by Cassie Begley. However, Foot Notes possesses some striking differences. Rooted in jazz and tap styles as opposed to contemporary and abstract, Foot Notes is still fairly young, having only begun last semester, in Spring ’06. Originally meant to be a tap only troupe, company leader Brown
found tap had “too narrow a scope,” and soon expanded the repertoire to jazz, with some distinct “contemporary flare.” Company member Morgan Lindstrom finds the work with Brown to be exciting and challenging, “It’s something new for all of us,” remarked Lindstrom. “Janel is really fun to work with…we’re all there for the same reason!” The Foot Notes Dance Company’s versatile styles warranted the
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attentions of Ohlone College President Dr. Douglas Treadway, who has invited the company to travel to Shanghai, China, in a reversal of the visit two weeks ago by the Shanghai dancers. Friday night’s showcase will be a fundraiser to help pay the company’s way to China . The showcase, though focused on the company, will also included a live band, a DJ, solo singers, and a solo dance performed by a former adjunct faculty member.
By Anna Nemchuk Editor-in-chief
Holidays. Oh joy. Ever been attacked by a wild turkey? Whoever came up with the idea of eating the angry little things must have done so out of sheer perversity – such vicious gobbling could not go on unchecked. Why else would eating such an inordinately tasteless and invariably dry bird be pursued yearly with such grim determination other than as a twisted revenge for unprovoked ankle peckings? But that’s nothing compared to Halloween. Distorted from a pagan tradition honoring mysticism, it now regularly sends dentists’ children through college and provides the single most widespread abuse of orange crepe paper in the continental United States. Just for a day, society embraces with open arms all the vampires, devil ladies and giant lima beans it otherwise dismisses as muddled fiction. For some of us, coming out of the broom closet happens only once a year. Next we have that most torturous of days for anyone not owning stock in Hallmark’s: Valentine’s Day. To come up with a more misanthropic holiday would tax the mind. Millions of kids are scarred for life because that unanticipated “I Choo-choo-choose you” from the kid who lunches on crayons prompts a crisis of kindness vs. coolness. Dating sites’ bandwidth bills exceed the annual income of most African countries. Anyone possessing a significant other is disappointed in the quality of chocolates/teddy bears/red roses/nerf guns they dutifully receive and subsequently breaks up the next day due to the lack of imagination and/or cash. Anyone single claims a constitutional right to call out sick, purchase three gallons of cheap red wine and five quarts of low-fat vanilla ice cream, and indulge in 24 hours of nauseating black and white love films if female, bad German porn involving ducks and clarified butter if male. Single bars make the Mohave Desert seem like a great resort locale and hotels alternate between delivering champagne and plastic rose petals to rent-bythe-hour rooms and mopping up yet another suicide too depressed and, apparently, dirty to blow their brains out anywhere but a full bathtub. Then, the day a man who said we should be nice to people was supposedly born. Those pagans just can’t catch a break – it’s not like they’ve been celebrating Saturnalia for a bit longer than the Christians have, is it? But no matter – cries of a savior tend to obliterate such trivial things as history and onward we plunge into plastic sleighs, shameless displays of fake festive plants and a complete void of decent radio music. But at least one decent result’s come out - candy canes. So convenient, so delicious, they almost make thousands of years of religious persecution and war worth it. Almost.
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November 30, 2006
CLASSIFIEDS Sharks Ice is Hiring -- Sharks Ice in Fremont is looking for energetic and motivated Ohlone Students! We are hiring for the following positions: Bartenders, Snack Bar Attendants, Skate Guards, Pro Shop and Cashiers. Apply online at www.sharksice. com or call (510) 6237200 for more information. P rof e ssional Piano LessonS -Private lesson with qualified teachers certified by Royal Music School. Great coordination training with lots of fun! Individual and group rates are both welcome. Wonderful relaxing atmosphere and practical progressions. Try it out and develop your musical sense now!! Interested parties please call Christy @ (510) 6480066. PRESCHOOL T E A C HE R S & AIDES NEEDED - Do you love working with children? CalStaff is looking for substitutes to work in preschools, daycares & after school programs. We have jobs all over the Bay Area. Schedules are flexible. We will work around your availability. You pick your days, hours, region and age group! Travel as far as you like, see new cities or stay close to home. Call CalStaff to schedule your interview @ 650872-7870; 925-522-0102; 866-994-7823 or visit www.californiastaffingservice.com. HIRING MUSIC TEACHERS -- Are you musically talented and looking for a highpaying part-time job? We
Advertisement are looking for a few motivated, musicallygifted teachers to help teach weekly music private/group classes in the Cupertino and Fremont area. Looking for teachers in the following areas: String, woodwind, brass, piano/percussion instruments, also conducting, band, composition and voice. If interested, please contact Carol Liu, Director of Joyful Melodies Inc. at (408) 725-9049 or Mail@joyfulmelodies. com. Hiring Office Help -- An engineering company, located in Fremont, is seeking par t-time or full-time office help. Responsibilities: General office help, assisting with accounts payable/receivable, purchasing, shipping and receiving, matching with purchase orders. Requirements: Strong organizational and communication skills, reliable and multi-tasked, familiar with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and QuickBooks is a plus. Send your resume for consideration to tooltekeng@gmail.com. Hirin g mec h anical drafter -- An engineering company, located in Fremont, is seeking a part-time or full-time mechanical drafter. Responsibilities: Drafting of parts and assemblies, working with Bill Of Material and detailed drawings, supporting design/ engineering department and constructing BOMs. Requirements: Strong organizational and communication skills, reliable and multi-tasked, familiar with AutoCAD, Pro/ENGINEER is a plus. Send your resume to tooltekeng@gmail.com.
Campus Events December 1 Women’s Basketball -6 p.m. vs. Modesto Junior College here at Ohlone. 2 Library Displays -- Visit the library and check out the display cases that feature not only information, but art. Current displays include Complementary Color Project, Ohlone College: Early Years and more. 2 Auditions for Spring Dance Audition -- Come and audition for the Spring dance production ‘Elements’ in the dance studio. 12:30 p.m. is hip hop. 1:30 p.m. is jazz, ballet, modern and tap. This is a placement audition, all skill levels are welcome. For more information contact Janel Tomblin-Brown at (510) 979-7450. 2 Men’s Basketball -- 5 p.m. vs. Hartnell College here at Ohlone. 2-3 The Nutcracker -Performance is at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday in the Jackson
Theatre with the Fremont Symphony and Yoko’s Dance Academy. For more information or to purchase tickets visit the box office or call (510) 659-6031. 3 Men’s Basketball -- 3 p.m. vs. College of the Siskiyous here at Ohlone. 4 Registration Begins -For Spring 2007 semester for both new and former students; all day. 4 APASA Meeting -- 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. in Room 2201. The Asian Pacific American Student Association, a club on campus, meets every Monday. Everyone is welcome. 6 MECHA Meeting -- 2 p.m. in Room 8204. Club meets every Wednesday Refreshments are served, everyone welcome. Come check out the excitement. 7 Gay/Straight Alliance Club -- In the Smith Center Green Room, Room SC-116, from 2 to 3 p.m. A student club for gay/ straight/bi/or curious students who meet to talk, make friends and meet like-minded people.
8 Experimental Visions -An art showcase by Ohlone photographers will be displayed in the Louie Meager Art Gallery through Jan. 18. Different students with unique visions all come together to experiment with both traditional and modern developing techniques from the past and present day.
9 Ohlone College Super Flea Market -- 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in parking lots E and H. Market is the second Saturday of every month and includes hundreds of vendors selling things like tools, jewelry, collectibles, cosmetics, toys, electronics, gift items and more. Parking is $2 and entrance is free.
8 Last Day of Fall Instruction -- Fall 2006 semester instruction ends.
10 Ohlone Chamber Orchestra -- Winter concert, at 2 p.m. in the Smith Center. Performance will feature wind section and orchestra in pieces by Mozart, Copeland and Schubert. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. They can be purchased by visiting the box office or calling (510) 659-6031.
8 Poster Art: New Art Exhibit -- In the art gallery. Various art poster collector pieces, including Robbie Conal and Doug Minkler will be on display. Poster Art will be shown through Jan. 31 and can be seen Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and Wednesday evenings by appointment.
11-15 Fall 2006 Final Exams -- Check online and
November 30, 2006 monitor
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with your teachers for your final exam schedule. 15 Deadline to Request Printed Grades -- This is the last day to request printed full grade report for pick-up. 15 Dukes of Dixieland -- 8 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. The Dukes of Dixieland puts old New Orleans street songs with jazz and blues. They maybe rooted in a tradition, but their fresh take on old-time jazz will make you feel like marching down the avenues of Bourbon Street. Tickets are $15 for students, $25 for adults and can be purchased online or by going to the box office. 22 Women’s Basketball -7 p.m. vs. Chabot College here at Ohlone.
8 Men’s Basketball -- 7 p.m. vs. Merritt College here at Ohlone. 8-10 Winter Dance Showcase -- 8 p.m. in the NUMMI theatre. For more information or to buy tickets visit the box office or call (510) 659-6031.
Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor
The Monitor invites your comments. Letters should be 250 words or less and include your name and relationship to Ohlone. Letters become property of The Monitor and may be edited for spelling and length. Campus Events listings are free for college-related events. To have your event added or to place an ad, contact Danelle Meyer at (510) 659-6075 or e-mail monitorads@ohlone.edu
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Ohlone sinks Solano, 82-61 Renegades ranked second in California
After winning the DVC Invitational tournament last weekend, upsetting second-ranked Diablo Valley College 75-61, then going on to the finals, defeating Butte College 100-49 and Merritt College 92-66 with sophomore guard Renardo Bass earning MVP honors in the tournament, the Men’s Basketball Team is on the right track to win the championship in the state finals coming up in March. However, although it is early in the season, the Men’s Basketball Team looks dominant, especially last night as they played the first of a four-game homestand against Solano College. The Renegades dominated the game from the very beginning as the defense held their own against a fast Solano team that was good passing the ball. Regardless, Ohlone shot out the gates and took the early lead. However, Solano would have a response to Ohlone’s quick and strong start, as they would eliminate the early Renegade lead midway through the first, but Ohlone would strike back and tie the game at 15 with 6:40 left in the first half. Solano’s mistakes toward the end of the half would also give Ohlone a chance to take the lead with a
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Over time By RAHUL BATRA Sports writer
Crunch time for college football
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
Sophomore Center Jermaine Smith bends the rim as he dunks the ball in during the Renegades’ offensive domination in the second half.
First and 10 By JEFF WEISINGER Sports editor
Staff photo
No. 13 Jermaine Smith and No. 20 Korey Hutchison attempt to get the rebound.
little more than six minutes to play and the Renegades would indeed take advantage of their opponent’s miscues as Renardo Bass’ free throw attempt would be good and would give Ohlone the lead. The Renegades would never look back in the first half after taking the lead, as they would go on a 13-0 run late in the first . Despite a small rally by Solano, Ohlone would lead at halftime by a score of 30-27. The second half however would be all about the Renegades. Led by sophomore center Jermaine Smith and freshman guard Korey Hutchison, the Renegades simply dominated over Solano in the second half. The highlight of the second half was Jermaine Smith’s dunk midway through the second half as he got through three Solano defenders. The Renegades would end up leading by as much
as 23 points in the second half. The Renegades led Solano 65-42 with 10:32 left in the game. Solano would try to scratch and claw their way back in this one, however they missed too many opportunities offensively, and all their mistakes defensively would eventually cost them, as they missed numerous key shots and missed passing to the open guy, which eventually gave Ohlone more opportunities to score. And score they did, as the Renegades seemed as if they were scoring at will as they continued to dominate on offense and defense side of the ball. The Renegades would simply run away with this one, defeating Solano by a score of 82-61, improving their record to 8-1. Their consistent play on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball is the reason why this team seems to be the one to beat this year. The Renegades continue their four-game homestand as they take on Hartnell College on Saturday at 5 p.m., Siskiyous on Sunday at 3 p.m. and finish it off next Friday against Merritt College at 7 p.m. “This team is fun to watch,” said Renegades Head Coach John Peterson.
We’re getting to crunch time in college football. Of course, we have the famous Heisman Trophy for the athlete who has dominated the season. The top four players in that category are Troy Smith of Ohio State, Darren McFadden of Arkansas, Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and Colt Brennan of Hawaii. Then, there are the bowl games that will be played from mid-December to Jan. 8. However, the game that everyone is awaiting is the championship matchup Jan. 8 in Glendale, Arizona. Ohio State will be in the National Title game. It’s just a matter of who their opponent will be. Many sports writers on the East Coast want a rematch between OSU and Michigan. I disagree. The only reason many have Michigan ahead of USC in the BCS rankings is because the loss to Oregon State in Corvallis for USC is far more severe than Michigan losing to Ohio State in Columbus. However, that should not be the deciding factor. What should be are the wins against ranked opponents. You have to look at the wins before the losses and see which ones are better overall. This is where style points factor in. USC has defeated four teams in their schedule that were ranked in the top 20: Nebraska, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame. Michigan, on the other hand, has only defeated one, the game where they beat Notre Dame in South Bend by 26 points! This is what really matters when you look at the teams that are fighting for the one and two spots in the BCS standings. USC versus Ohio State should be a fantastic battle between two well-coached teams. After watching both of these squads throughout the season, I can’t wait to see them go at it in the Valley of the Sun! Now, for Bay Area Cal fans, don’t be sad that the Bears are out of contention for the championship game or the Rose Bowl because they lost to my Arizona Wildcats a few weeks ago. Look for them to play in San Diego on Dec. 28 at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against Texas A&M. Despite their two losses, Cal has played phenomenally. Look for Marshawn Lynch and Nate Longshore to play extremely well. Both will have a tremendous game. They both have been the reason for Cal’s explosive offense this season. This is college football at its best, ladies and gentlemen! Make sure you take advantage of all the bowl games, because they only come once a year!