Monitor 2006-11-9 by Ohlone Monitor

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Fremont, California

Vol. XXXVI No. 11

Basketball season is coming up

OPINION

Ethics key to election results

SPORTS

NEWS

FEATURES

Mencher show in Santa Fe

Music taste, or is it snobbery? – Page 2

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Dancers get down Bliss dancer Madeleine Hoang elegantly twisting. Her choreography will be featured in Bliss Dance Company’s “My Water Broke!” at Ohlone’s Craig Jackson Theatre on Nov. 10 and 11. Story on Page 5 Photo courtesy of Bliss

Watters and Weed win board election By Eric Dorman Staff writer

Richard Watters and John Weed were elected to the College Board of Trustees during Wednesday’s election. Incumbent Weed won by a margin of 10 percent and Watters by a margin of almost 50 percent. This is the first time Watters will serve on the board; the incumbent Weed has been on the board since 1977. Watters, running for the Newark region of the Board, received 23, 808 votes (73.05 percent) while his opponent, Olga Borjon, received 8, 579 votes. Weed received 18,361

votes (54.89 percent) to Jan Giovannini-Hill’s 14, 845 votes. The two winning candidates mentioned different priorities for the upcoming term. Watters said he would focus on science and technology at the college, according to an interview by the Tri City Voice. He also said he would work to minimize strife within the Board of Trustees. “I will stand up for what I believe,” said Watters. “I believe that at times the board is micromanaging and sometimes not enough management. The board should focus on the big picture.” “I think there are many positive

things that are happening at Ohlone right now,” Watters added. “And I think we need to focus more on those things.” Weed mentioned bonds as one of his main concerns. He talked about one bond in particular, the $150 million bond approved in 2002 that is being used to build the Newark campus. He said that money might be used to build more parking lots, as well as a brand new baseball field. The Board of Trustees votes on almost anything that effects the college, from budget expenditures to college employment, said Patrice Birkedahl, director of Col-

lege Relations. It also ratifies any appointment made by the college president. The Board has seven members, five from Fremont and two from Newark. This year, two Fremont seats and two Newark seats were up for reelection. In 2008, the remainder of the Fremont seats will be up. The seat Watters ran for was a Newark seat vacated by longtime trustee Ruthie Foster when she announced she would step down in September. Weed was running for re-election. The remainder of board members up for re-election this year, Board Vice President Bill McMillin and

Garrett Yee, ran unopposed. Watters will begin his term on the board on Nov. 30. Watters was criticized by some early on in his campaign for moving from Fremont to Newark in order to run for the seat. His opponent, Borjon, on the other hand, had lived in Newark for about 30 years. Watters also spent far more money on his campaign than Borjon, about $10,000 to only $5,000. “My inclusion on the Ohlone board is a natural fit,” Watters said to the Tri City Voice. “I have no greater joy than working in a college atmosphere and with the students.”

Paul Freedman, an award-winning independent filmmaker. The forum will take place in two sessions, one at noon and one at 7 p.m. Freedman is a Peabody awardwinning independent filmmaker and Bay Area native. He has been studying and examining the conflict in the Darfur region for more than two and a half years making his newest film, a recently completed

documentary. Segments from the film will be shown during the forum. According to the Human Rights Watch organization, the Sudanese government arms and supports Arab “Jangaweit” militias which have committed numerous attacks on the civilian population of the African Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups. In addition, the U.S.

Department of State website states the death toll since the start of the conflict in 2003 is between 98,000 and 181,000, although various sources have conflicting numbers. Freedman’s film career was redefined when he was sent to cover the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The Ohlone web site says that in Rwanda’s killing fields, Freedman found the focus of his career: the

documentary as a tool for social change. In addition, the Ohlone website states, “It since has become Paul’s impassioned goal and commitment to tell the immediate story of the ‘next Rwanda’ - Darfur, Sudan - before it, too, becomes the tragic subject of yet another historical documentary.” Monday’s World Fourm will be the last of the semester.

named Legend, according to Journalism Instructor Bill Parks. English professor Cynthia Katona advised the magazine for 20 years, and although there were two part-time advisers after that, “Katona just stopped doing it, and we didn’t find anyone to take it over permanently,” said Parks. The magazine was started by pioneering journalism instructor

Florence Reynolds and the original title was “i.e.” Katona took over the magazine in the 1970’s and the name was changed to “The Legend.” “It was a very difficult but satisfying, job,” said Katona. She is currently in Australia, leading a group of students in a study-abroad program. “I thought a younger faculty member would take it over, but that

never happened. It is an unusual position, since the person has to have skills in writing, photography and design. The magazine had literary submissions, non-fiction articles, artwork, photography, sometimes even musical scores and maps,” added Katona. A year ago, Ceative Writting Instructor Carmen Madden attempted to revive the magazine, but ran into

hindrances. She was not a journalism instructor, and the magazine class falls under the journalism department. “We wanted to do it for a long time, but we needed someone from journalism to do it,” said Madden. Another obstacle was funding. “Questions always came up for money,” added Madden. This semester student Mathew A. Continued on Page 3

Peabody-winning director to speak at forum By Michael Aburas Staff writer and by Noah Levin Staff writer Ohlone College will host its next World Forum on Monday, Nov. 13 at the Jackson Theater in the Smith Center. The forum will focus on the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The speaker will be

Ohlone’s magazine to return as ‘Tomahawk’ By Michael Aburas Staff writer About six years ago a creative flame was extinguished at Ohlone. Next semester the hiatus will end as Ohlone will see the return of a once-a-semester magazine tentatively titled “Tomahawk.” The last time the school had a magazine was in the late ‘90s,

Opinion

monitor November 9, 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

The battle of the bands

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.

Letter

Clarification of Gallaudet protest article Dear Editor: I just read the article, “Gallaudet Protesters Win Point” in the recent Monitor and realized that there are many misunderstandings about what the protest at Gallaudet was all about. Please allow me to clarify the situation so that you understand why many people associated with the deaf community throughout the world were and continue to be passionate about the issue. In addition, all deaf faculty members at Ohlone College except for one are alumni of Gallaudet. Furthermore, three faculty members have children who are currently students at Gallaudet University, all of whom were arrested on October 13th. Finally, a good number of former Ohlone

Opinion

students are now enrolled at Gallaudet. This is the reason why I’m writing this letter so that you can better understand what it has been like for us these past four weeks. Although some individuals feel that Fernandes does not have the prerequisite experiences as a deaf person to fill the job, the protest was not about that. The current president, Dr. Jordan, became deaf at the age of 22 and he was much loved and highly regarded by the deaf community. At least 75% of students at Gallaudet come from a public school environment. Many Gallaudet students wear hearing aids, some are hard of hearing, some wear cochlear implants and the list goes on and on. In addition, many deaf faculty at Gallaudet learned

sign language late in their lives. So, in reality, it was unfortunate that the Gallaudet administration chose to play the deaf card which was picked up by the media including the Monitor. There was no riot at Gallaudet. The protest was not student-run but rather coordinated by a group of students, faculty, staff and alumni (FSSA). The protest was peaceful and civil from day one. There was no act of violence or destruction of any sort on campus. What students did was to shut down the campus after trying for two weeks to establish dialogue with the Board of Trustees (BOT). To this day, the BOT has not formally met with FSSA to discuss its concerns about the flawed process leading to the selection of 9th

president. Interestingly, the board’s decision to terminate Dr. Fernandes’ contract was made without stepping a foot on campus. “What’s wrong with Dr. Jane Fernandes?”, you might ask. Prior to the announcement of Jane Fernandes as the 9th president of Gallaudet, she had received two votes of no confidence over the past six years by the faculty in her role as provost. Likewise, she was declared “unacceptable” as the next president by the Student Body Government and by the school newspaper for her inability to work effectively with student groups. The national alumni association endorsed the FSSA’s position. What is puzzling is how and why the Board chose not to listen to the stakeholders that Dr.

Fernandes was not the right person for the job. This led to this unfortunate protest against the Board of Trustees’ ill-fated decision to disregard the public opinion and select such an unpopular and ineffective leader to the top position of the university and a public figurehead of the deaf community. Today, students are scrambling to catch up on their studies. Many of them will be punished for their involvement but they have accepted the consequences because they believed in their cause. The faculty and staff are trying to re-organize after being distracted by the protest. The alumni worldwide are celebrating but also continuing to keep an eye on the process. -Thomas A. Holcomb, Professor of Deaf Studies

Music elitists are pretentious snobs By Matthew So Opinion editor Music elitists. They are your typical snobs; bigoted critics who feel they and they alone are entitled to have any opinion regarding music. They have single-handedly taken

ownership of the social aspect of musical society, free to exploit its far-reaching influence of humanity because they believe they have better taste, better sense and exclusive say as to what is superior, musically. You meet them all the time. These are people who will pass

first judgment on a person based on the music they listen to. It is their principal one-upmanship over other people, their professed extensive knowledge of music. If there is one consolation for the music elitist, no matter how many trials they are going through or issues they have, it is the extent to how

obscure, specific, and progressive their preferred genre of music is. Should you meet one for the first time, chances are that your first conversation will involve queries as to your musical preferences; this can then lead to either prolonged, patronizing, condescending, fauxpolite conversation regarding your

lackluster taste, or a full-blown, drawn-out discussion of music and your common musical interests. What should be done about these egomaniacal fiends? Systematically shun and alienate them from society, until they realize their judgment and snubbing is not welcome. You can start with me.

Campus Comment > > >

How would you improve the campus?

AMANDA McCALL English

KATHRYN CASEY American Sign Language

“I would add more money to the budget.”

“The girls’ locker room is really disgusting.”

TORI BENNET Photography

CHRIS MARTINEZ Undeclared

ERIC FRANKS Undeclared

“All the construction is annoying because of the detours.”

“I’d improve the elevators, because when they stop, they stick.”

“Get rid of the dean, I guess.”

November 9, 2006 MONITOR

News Ohlone magazine Continued from Page 1 Mountford approached Parks with an organized plan, and Parks felt it was a good idea to reactivate the magazine class. Students and Parks met with Mikelyn Stacey, dean of language arts, social sciences and library sciences, to get things started. Mountford will also be the editor in chief of the magazine. Estimated printing costs are $2,200 per 1,000 copies for a 24page issue. A number of fundraising ideas are being discussed. The magazine class is in the catalog, but not in the schedule of classes. It will be updated by the curriculum committee by the end of this semster. After the meeting, Dean Stacey said, “I think we have a lot of talented people at Ohlone and it will be good to draw on them again.” Students may sign up for one, two or three units for the magazine class, Journ. 173, 174 or 175. The class will be an hour and a half long, beginning at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The class was not reactivated in time to be printed in the catalog. However, the class will appear on WebAdvisor in Spring. To more information or to apply for staff positions, go to http://www.mountcmos.com/tomahawk. Mountford plans on interviewing prospective staff in an effort to assure that the magaine will maintain a high level of quality.

Ethics seen as election message By Eric Dorman Staff writer After the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives as well as several key states Tuesday night and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigned, Political Science Professor Alan Kirshner expressed optimism in the country’s future. “Good morning America; goodnight, George Bush,” said Kirshner. “It’s nice to wake up to the future and speculate on change.” The Tuesday elections shifted the balance of power in the House to 229 Democrats and 196 Republicans, from a formerly Republican majority of 222 Republicans to 203 Democrats, according to MercuryNews.com. Furthermore, Democrats gained key victories in states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York to pull off what President George Bush called “a thumpin’”. As far as Rumsfeld’s resignation Wednesday morning, Kirshner said he believed Rumsfeld to be a “sacrificial lamb” that Bush used to attempt to reassign blame and start anew with the Democrats. He said he believed Bush would be able to work with the Democrats success-

fully, and that he did so in Texas (when he governed under a largely Democratic legislature) and that he could probably do it again. Bush has already nominated Robert Gates, a former CIA director, as new Secretary of Defense. Most of California’s propositions – though not its bonds – were defeated, such as Proposition 88, which would have increased funding for schools (including Ohlone), and Proposition 86, which would have increased the cigarette tax. “Generally, anything that taxpayers feel will hurt their pocketbooks will go down in defeat,” said Kirshner. But despite an overall victory by Democrats nationwide, California decided to stick with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who soundly defeated Democrat Phil Angelides. Kirshner noted that it was interesting that in the exit polls, when voters who voted Democratic were asked why they didn’t vote Republican, the top reason given was not the war in Iraq, but rather corruption. “I think the demand for honesty has to be filled in the future,” said Kirshner. “The American public has shown that it won’t put up with dishonesty.”

Renown pianist performs By Frankie Addiego Staff writer Internationally recognized pianist Jon Nakamatsu played a fundraising concert Sunday in the Gary Soren Smith Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Nakamatsu, who won the Gold Medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas, played a number of classical pieces to an enthusiastic crowd in the Jackson Theater. Nakamatsu was born in San José in 1968 and has been playing piano since the age of 6. He served as a German teacher at Mountain View’s Saint Francis High School from 1991 to 1997. It was that year that he won the top prize at the Van Cliburn competition. Since then, he has released several albums on the Harmonia Mundi label. The event began with at 4 p.m. with Four Sonatas composed by Domenico Scarlatti. According to Walter Birkedahl, Ohlone’s Dean

of Fine and Performing Arts, “It’s all music that requires a virtuoso.” Nakamatsu played unaccompanied through the event, though he spoke to the audience. “Another thing that was fun about it,” said Birkedahl, “he had a little lapel [microphone] and he talked to the audience.” Birkedahl also praised the technical aspects of the show saying, “[the] sound and lights were really good.” Other pieces Nakamatsu performed included Two Impromptus from Franz Schubert; Felix Mendelssohn’s “Rondo capriccioso,” Op. 14; and “Widmung” by Robert Schumann, as arranged by Franz Liszt. Nakamatsu closed with various works composed by Frédéric Chopin. Lighting operator Matt Arnold, said that the lights were dimmed to prevent glare from the keys of the piano. Arnold spoke highly of Nakamatsu, saying, he’s “actually a really nice guy,” and that he was “very down to Earth.”

Walston is retiring By Emily Burkett Staff writer College vice-president Deanna Walston’s retirement was made official at last night’s Board of Trustees meeting. The Board reluctantly accepted the dedicated administrator’s retirement and recognized several of the achievements she made in the Ohlone budget. She will leave in June. The Board also discussed the conflict with the residents of Witherly Lane. With the impending lease of the frontage property, a possible street name change came under fire. Neighboring property owners disagreed with any name change and the Board meeting culminated with the decision to leave Witherly Lane as Witherly Lane. New Student Trustee Sahar Yousef mentioned the Thanksgiving feast put on by Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) which will occur next Thursday and is free to all.

Ohlone College Foundation employee Thomas Hsu, who also attended the performance, echoed this sentiment, saying that Nakamatsu is, “really personable.” According to Hsu, Nakamatsu gave long-stemmed roses to the women who attended the VIP party after the performance. Ohlone will also be founding a scholarship in Nakamatsu’s name. The fund will be for students wishing to study the fine arts. According to Josephine Ong-McBride, the executive director of the Ohlone College foundation, a number of people have already donated to the scholarship. Ong-McBride is a personal friend of Nakamatsu, and arranged the whole thing. “Jon Nakamatsu is the most sought after musician of his generation,” she said, “therefore, his professional fee is very high.” However, because it was a fundraiser, and because Nakamatsu knew Ong-McBride very well, he reduced his fee.

‘Smoke Out’ at Ohlone By Noah Levin Staff writer For smokers interested in kicking the habit, the Great American Smoke Out is coming on Nov. 16. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Smoke Out is a national anti-smoking campaign, encouraging current smokers to try and quit “cold turkey” and inform non-smokers of the dangers of picking up the habit. Joining with millions of others around the country, smokers are asked to go “cold turkey for 24,” a step toward eventually quitting altogether. The Smoke Out idea started in the mid-’70s, and became recognized nationwide in 1977 under the sponsorship of the American Cancer Society. According to the Great American Smoke Out’s website, as many as “one-third of the nation’s 46 million smokers will be taking the day off from smoking.” Ohlone’s own Health Center will be promoting the event by setting up a table in the Quad Nov. 16. Muffins and juice will be offered at the table, as well as a raffle for those who want to commit to not smoking for 24 hours. Raffle contestants stand to win a whole “cold turkey,” literally. “It’s our way of being supportive of those who to quit,” said Sally Bratton, head of the Student Health Center here at Ohlone. Bratton also offers counseling as well as motivational materials and prescriptions for those seeking to quit smoking. Ohlone has been a smoke-free campus since June 2004. Ohlone’s offical smoking policy states “Smoking is prohibited in all college vehicles, buildings, indoor and outdoor facilities, handicapped parking and all open areas except for general use parking lots.” The Smoke Out takes place on the third Thursday of November, one week before Thanksgiving.

Features

monitor November 9, 2006

Ohlone says its final farewell to Romeo and Juliet By Noah Levin Staff writer Ohlone’s production of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” opened in the Jackson Theater on Thursday, Nov. 2, and ran till Saturday, Nov. 4. Directed by Tom Blank, this rendition of the classic play featured the same group of actors cast differently each night, so there was a different couple playing the titular roles, giving a new take on the play each time. For those not familiar, “Romeo and Juliet” is the tale of two lovers from rival households in Renaissance-era Verona, whose love for one another is forbidden, and eventually leads to fatalities on both sides. Ohlone’s production of the play is set in a modern, urban setting where two gangs are embroiled in a heated rivalry. Blank’s directorial style was based around a “hands off” approach, allowing of the three casts to evolve and grow in their own ways. His skill shone through with the touching and heart-felt classic “Balcony Scene,” and the climatic fights between Tybalt and Mercutio, then Tybalt and Romeo, are not only well choreographed, but also intense and vicious. The stage was almost barren at times, employing limited set pieces to accommodate the upcoming tour of the play. However, Blank’s direction made good and versatile use of the piece employed, though different staging levels could have been used more throughout all of the production.

One particular thing that marked this production as unusual was Blank’s “hands off” approach to the play. This was opposed to his usually close and involved work with his actors, as well as the other aspects of production. However, with same group of actors recast three times, Blank felt he should try a different approach. “When you are dealing with a play about sexual passion, each couple had to find their own kiss. You simply can’t dictate a kiss,” said Blank. “I had to let them [the actors] experience problem solving on their own,” stated Blank, hoping that these problem solving skills would “trickle down to the rest of the actors.” Opening night on Thursday began with a “false start,” where a stage manager walked on stage, and called out for the cast and crew to begin setting up the sparse set pieces and curtain, as well as a digital movie projector. Once the stage was set, the projector started to show a short movie featuring the couple cast as Romeo and Juliet for the evening. The film drew the audience into the setting of the play: Fair Verona, albeit ridden with gang warfare and urban decay. Shane McCaffery and Erika Andracchio made a cute Romeo and Juliet, and brought a true feeling of young love and innocence lost to their respective roles, as well as a youthful vitality. McCaffery delivered lines with energy and sharpness, but displayed a versatile ability to act both drama and humor. Andracchio was sweet and tender, able to

melt hearts with her portrayal. Tom Shively played Mercutio, a captain of Romeo’s gang, who has a furious fight to the death with his Capulet nemesis Tybalt, played Christopher deMelo. Jessica Stanley was raunchy and hilarious as Juliet’s loveable nurse, and Marianna Ford Serrao was a notable Friar, mothering over McCaffery’s young Romeo. Shortcomings in the Thursday premier were few. The already mentioned “false start” felt too reminiscent of the now-defunct Disney Channel show “Kids, Incorporated,” or the currently popular “High School Musical.” Which isn’t to say the opening bit of the play wasn’t effective in catching the viewer’s attention and drawing them into the show; it just simply oozed too much cheesiness. The scene where the two starcrossed lovers first meet is also slightly marred by a choreographed dance that is supposed to take place in a night club. Though the dance may be a fine piece of technical dance work, many of the cast members were not trained dancers, some displaying a garish lack of rhythm and timing. In addition, the dance itself felt out of place in relation to the setting of the play. All in all, however, Thursday night’s opening performance proved not only enjoyable, but had me excited for the following nights to see how the other casts made the play their own. The second showing, on Friday, presented the classic play from many different angles in contrast to the previous evening. Bobby August assumed the role of Romeo, oppo-

Mencher to open exhibit in Santa Fe Ohlone art professor Kenney Mencher’s newest paintings will be on exhibit in Santa Fe at the Kaudia Marr Gallery from Nov. 10 to Dec. 4. For students interested in traveling to Mencher’s show can find the Kaudia Marr Gallery at 668 Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

site Salem Barner as Juliet. August performed his role with gusto, imbuing Romeo with a goofy, springy nature that suited August’s own long figure, showing his portrayal of Romeo to be somewhat more innocently in love. This is fit neatly with the seductive maturity Barner brought to her Juliet, who seemed a more sure-footed girl than she was naïve. August and Barner’s “Balcony Scene” was gushingly tender, with passionate, believable kisses, and August’s fluid and flexible style brought unexpected comedy to the already famous scene. Marianne Ford Serrao stood out again, but the time cast as Juliet’s sassy nurse, bringing a motherly, but trashy, twist to the already humorous role. Sean Stader made Mercutio his own by playing the character with a party animal, goof ball style, recalling the late John Belushi if he were to do Shakespeare. Down notes for this night, as with the night before, were few but significant. Due to a delayed sound technician, the “false start” opening bit was not only late in starting, but lacked the energy and excitement of Thursday night, which made it painfully long. The dance number still seemed out of place, but this also lacked energy. This on top of some very sloppy scene changes, which did occasionally illicit laughs from the audience, made this performance on par with the previous one, but in different respects. The third and final showing was the following night on Saturday. This time, A.J. Hamilton took up

MECHA hosts a moment of silence for victims of violence By Morgan Brinlee Features editor

Photo courtesy of Kenney Mencher

Low Rent Gigolos by K. Mencher

the helm of the cast as Romeo, with Stacy Lynn Bell portraying Juliet opposite. Hamilton brought a more macho, self-assured take to the role. Emanating a sort of “Joe Cool,” slick vibe, Hamilton’s portrayal painted Romeo to be poetic, suave, witty, and hip. A pair of wrap-around sunglasses sat atop Hamilton’s head or on his face throughout much of the play, distracting from the scene and often times obscuring his eyes, one of the most important indicative features of the human face, and crucial to acting. Bell also attacked her role with a similar vigor, but more attention seems to have been paid to aesthetic appeal than the acting sometimes. Bell was hip, young, but not naïve or innocent, which certainly brought an interesting and new look feel to the role, countering well with Hamilton ’s stylish, cool Romeo. Jessica Stanley and Marianne Ford Serrao reprised their roles from opening night, and did so with vigor and energy, as well as adding different twists to their interpretation of their characters. Jackie Tebow really stepped up as a female Benvolio, who is a good friend of Romeo’s, and whom Tebow gives a hint of affection toward Romeo. Drew Raboy also stood out as Lord Capulet, bring intense weight to his brief appearance. The “false start” for Saturday also lacked energy, but the dance number this night around was excellent, seemingly over flowing with energy. This final and closing night came out with some distinct strong points.

MECHA will host a moment of silence for victims of violence on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The moment of silence will happen in the Building 1 lobby from noon to 1 p.m. A poetry and spoken word open mic will also take place. Students, staff and faculty are invited to come and speak. MECHA encourages participants to wear a headscarf, turban, or hat in support of those who wear hijabs, turbans, or dress differently. The moment of silence here at Ohlone was originally meant to coincide with one at Lake Elizabeth

in Fremont. However, the event was moved to Tuesday so as not to coincide with the world forum. The idea for this event sprang out of the recent murder of a Fremont woman, Alia Ansari. The murder of Ansari has beencalled an act of violence as well as an act of hate by some community members, although the police have not yet spoken on the matter. MECHA planned this event hoping to fight ignorance through education. MECHA’s pledge is to “replace the culture of fear, hate, andger, and division from our community with the culture of peace, acceptance, mutual respect and harmony where we all feel safe and welcome.”

Features

November 9, 2006 monitor

Bliss Dance Company explores female pregnancy through art By Noah Levin Staff writer

Photo courtesy of Bliss

Jennifer Scaringe, a member of the Bliss Dance Company, leaps into the air.

The trials, tribulations and wonders of pregnancy are to be explored in the Bliss Dance Company’s new performance piece, “My Water Broke.” The company is part of a women’s dance class here at Ohlone and holds auditions open to any women with dance experience. Bliss’ mission statement says it “strives to support women’s issues through the art of performance dance.” Performance dance utilizes varied styles ranging from modern, jazz, and other contemporary styles to Chinese and African forms. There are currently six skilled women in the troupe. The company’s current piece, “My Water Broke,” is the brain child of Art Director Cassie Begley. “So many women around me were pregnant,” said Begley. Inspiration for the piece then coincided with her

own pregnancy. Begley brought her experiences with her own pregnancy to the choreography of the piece. Initially, her pregnancy did not interfere with her choreography and directing of the company. “I was in my second trimester and I could show them [the company] the moves,” said Begley, “But now I’m eight months pregnant, and due any day now, so I’m unable to show them the moves.” This proves not to be a problem however, as Begley was able to aptly explain the moves and actions required to her company, and they are able to understand thanks to the training they already have and bring to the company. The piece will consist of four sections, consisting of mainly modern and ballet dance styles. The first section focuses on actually getting pregnant and begining to show, “The anticipation [of] wanting to get pregnant, the emotions between

the two people and their relationships,” said Begley. The second section deals with the first and second trimesters. “There is a dance in the first trimester about odors and what gives pregnant women morning sickness,” explained Begley. The second section also focuses on the fetus and pregnancy glow that many women gain. The next section is about the third trimester. It takes a look at “tummy bumps,” physical issues (i.e. weight gains, hot flashes, cravings), and the fears that stem from the pending birth. The fourth and final portion talks about “everything after the water breaks.” Focusing on themes of labor and pushing, Begley said, “We play with water on stage at one point.” Running at about an hour and 15 minutes long, the piece will be performed at the Craig Jackson Theater from Nov. 10 – 11.

‘Good thoughts, good words, good deeds’ By Omer Ahmed Staff writer To showcase the diversity of Ohlone students, the Monitor will be presenting interviews with students of different faiths over the coming weeks. For this first installment, we interviewed Zoroastrian student Anahita Dadnam. She came to the U.S. in 2002 and has been at Ohlone for three years. She hopes to transfer to San Jose State. According to the “The Encyclopedia of American Religions,” Zoroastrianism is the religion/philosophy based on the teachings the prophet Zoroaster and his writings in the Avesta. The faith is believed by many scholars to be the oldest monotheistic faith and the oldest surviving copy of the religion’s main text is dated to 1288 c.e. Iranian scholar Mary Boyce said the religion, “is the oldest of the revealed credal religions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind, directly or indirectly, than any other single faith... some of its leading doctrines were adopted by Judaism, Christianity and Islam.” “The Encyclopedia of American Religions” estimates that there are “at most 200,000” Zoroastrians world-wide. Monitor: In your own words, could you describe your faith? Dadnam: I’ll try my best. Zoroastrianism is the first monotheistic religion and, even though we pray to one god, we believe in dualism. Hell and heaven, good and bad. We pray to Ahura Mazda, the knowledged one, and we don’t believe that our prophet was sent by god, we believe that he was a philosopher in search of a way of life that would let people be human instead of adhering to some pseudoscience. So Zoroaster, our prophet, he started writing the philosophy of Zoroastrianism, the Gathas. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds and all of that. He says before trying to make the world,

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Zarathushtrian Assembly

The sacred fire at the Dar-e-Meher Fire Temple in San Jose. The flame is kept burning around the clock. Around the world, a number of sacred fires have stayed lit for centuries. make yourself first. And so a perfect Zoroastrian is one who follows the idea of doing good thoughts, good words, good deeds. Monitor: It almost sounds like a more basic version of the other western faiths like Christianity and

Islam. Dadnam: Yeah, you can say that some of the rules and morals of the three Abrahamic faiths derive from Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism came first and then the other faiths came after. It is part of it being the

first monotheistic religion. Monitor: In both the United States and India, Zoroastrians are a minority. Did that affect you growing up? Dadnam: In India, Zoroastrians are respected even though they are a minority; even though they are sometimes thought to be crazy people who like old things. Some of the richest people in India are Zoroastrian and they are a part of the country but here people don’t even know what Zoroastrianism is. They don’t even know. Monitor: The few people I have met who have heard of Zoroastrianism thought it was fire worship. Dadnam: Yeah and it is not. We don’t call Christians fire worshipers even though they like candles. It is just this small thing. We don’t worship fire, we just see fire as a way to reach god. And you know, light brings the day and ends the night. We believe in dualism like other religions and fire is just another way of symbolizing these things. Monitor: So what do people say when you tell them that you are Zoroastrian? Dadnam: Huh, what? Zorro? What religion is that? They just say that. Monitor: There is so much diversity in the U.S. and here at Ohlone but, at the same time, people don’t know much about different religions. So how do you feel this and the lack of public knowledge of your religion? Dadnam: It is basically kind of sad but, at the same time, I’m one of the few Zoroastrian people here and it makes me feel special. Monitor: Does your faith separate you at all? Dadnam: No, not at all. I am comfortable here and most differences don’t really seem to matter at all. People are the all same. Monitor: Are different types of Zoroastrians? Dadnam: Definitely or, at least they say so. There are Parsis, they’re

called that because they come from Persia and went to India, and there are Zoroastrians who stayed in and come from Iran. They don’t follow quite as much of the traditions. It is like how Catholics and other Christians are different and have different traditions. I’m kind of an agnostic Zoroastrian because I don’t really believe in all of that tradition and the differences. Why do you have to do all that when your heart is clean and you are clean and you follow the three rules? Monitor: The temple were you go, is it open to non-Zoroastrians? Dadnam: In India it isn’t, but here it is. A year ago an American wanted to become a Zoroastrian. So we had a ceremony in there and I was amazed to see that and I was so happy. I thought, wow, if this was to happen in India then this person wouldn’t be allowed in. It is so nice, people being able to do what they want and it adds to diversity. It is one of the things I like about the U.S. Monitor: So would you say you fit in better here in the U.S. since people are not so strict about those details? Dadnam: Yes, I really fit in here better. People feel the same way I do. I don't know why but I feel more comfortable here then I did in India. In India, if I wanted to just say god exists and that’s great, people would say “but you have to do this and this and this” and I can’t believe in most of that. I just say be good and be yourself and god is with you. A lot of people there don’t believe in that. They say you don’t believe in god and you’ll go to hell. Parsis in India, they believe that Zoroaster was sent by god and that god talked directly to him so they are really strict. Here in the U.S., when I go to parties with Zoroastrians, I see them arguing this stuff. The liberals say he was a philosopher and the others say he talked to god but it’s nothing like in India. Still, I still love India and I am proud to be an Indian.”

6 MONITOR

November 9, 2006

Campus Events November 9 Women’s Volleyball -6:30 p.m. vs. Cañada College here at Ohlone. 9 Transfer Event: San Francisco State University -- Meet with representative Collete Cowan between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information and to set up an appointment visit the counseling window in Building 1 or call (510) 659-6110. 10 Veterans Day -- Holiday break. No classes. 10 Women’s Soccer -- 3 p.m. vs. Foothill College here at Ohlone. 10-11 My Water Broke! -- Dance performance by the Bliss Dance Company. It will be in the Jackson Theatre at 8 p.m. both nights. Tickets are $10 in advanced and $12 at the door. They can be purchased by visiting the box office or calling (510) 659-6031. 10-12 Jonathan Wallace Memorial Tournament: Men’s Basketball -- All day in the gym here at Ohlone. Some of the other participants include: College of Alameda, Contra Costa, Diablo Valley, Feather River, Hartnell, Ohlone, Sacramento City and Shasta. 13 Transfer Event: UC Irvine -- Meet with representative Norma Peniche between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information and to set up an appointment visit the counseling window in Building 1 or call (510) 659-6110. 13 World Forum -- A Global Perspective on the Darfur Region of Sudan. Guest speaker Paul Freedman, an award-winning independent filmmaker and Bay Area native, explores the warfare and genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan through his newest documentary. The first session will be at noon, and the second session will be at 7 p.m. Both of these will meet in the Jackson Theatre and any overflowing audience will go in TV Studio A to view the event. 13 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. 14 Wear a Hijab/Turban

Day -- Noon to 1 p.m. in the Lobby of Building 1. MECHA hosts a moment of silence for victums of violence. Event will feature poetry, spoken work and open mic. Wear a headscarf, turban or come as you are. Learn how to tie a turban. Fight ignorance through education. 15 Thanksgiving Feast - Presented by the ASOC, come to the lobby of Building 1 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and celebrate the holiday. This event is free and complete with free food for the taking. 15 MECHA Meeting -- 2 p.m. in Room 8204. Club meets every Wednesday. Refreshments are served, everyone welcome. Come check out the excitement. 16 UC Application Workshop -- Noon to 12:45 p.m. in Room 7204. Come receive help with your UC applications. 1 6 G re a t A m e r i c a n Smoke-out Event -- 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Quad. Be smoke-free for a day, week or lifetime! Come out a grab a free ‘quit kit’ for yourself or friends. Enter a drawing for a free cold turkey by telling them that the Ohlone Smoking policy is: smoke-free. Event is free. 16-17 Shanghai Dancers - 8 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. Direct from Shanghai, this gifted professional dance troupe comes from the highly selective Shanghai Theatre Academy, the “Julliard” of dance in China. Tickets are $15 for students, $25 for adults and can be purchased by visiting the box office or calling (510) 659-6031.

dren at home due to the graphic nature of this film. Also, there will be raffle tickets on sale for a silent auction fundraiser, as well as refreshments. Free. 20 Campus Sustainability Information Day -- 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Quad. Come be informed about progress being made to move toward more sustainable practices. Event is put on by the Human Ecology class who is working on a recycling program, food sustainable practices, gardening with native species and more.

CLASSIFIEDS V ol u n t eers and donations needed -- This holiday season there are many opportunities to help the community. Donations of hams, turkeys, pies etc. are needed for Thanksgiving.You can also volunteer to cook, carve, decorate, serve and deliver meals. For more information or to volunteer visit www.lov.org to find times and oppurtunities. Then call Harold at LOV (510) 793-5683. PRESCHOOL TEACHERS & 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 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 part-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 commu-

November 9, 2006 monitor

nication 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. PIANO AND THEORY LESSONS -Musical friends. Serious inquires only. For more information please contact Brenda Paddon at (510) 794-7660 or email at brendapaddon@tmail. com. Hiring mechanical drafter -- An engineering company, located in Fremont, is seeking a part-time or full-time mechanical drafter. Responsibilities: Drafting of par ts and assemblies, working with Bill Of Material and detailed drawings, suppor ting design/engineering depar tment 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. Seeking piano instructor -Looking for a person to take piano lessons from. Must be affordable and in the Fremont area. Must already teach lessons to others. Please call (510) 304-2538.

17 Book Club Discussion -- 3 to 5 p.m. in Room 1307. English Professor Mark Brosamer will lead the Book Club’s Fall 2006 discussion of Fast Food Nation, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser. Copies of the book are on sale in the Library. 17 MECHA Movie Night -- In Room 2133, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The film will be “Voces Inocentes” “Innocent Voices,” which depicts the horrors of warfare in El Salvador. We hope the movie will touch everyone and make everyone think. There will also be a cash prize for the best essay response to the movie, which will be awarded at a later date. It’s recommended that you leave young chil-

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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 9, 2004

It’s showtime for Men’s Basketball By Jeff Weisinger Sports Editor After two scrimmages and numerous days of practice, the Men’s Basketball Team is more than ready for the upcoming 2006-’07 season. Last season showcased Ohlone’s tough defense and high-powered offense with young talent. But this year’s squad could possibly be even better than last year’s team. The advantage that this squad has that last year’s didn’t is the amount of experience on this team. With 11 returning players from last year’s squad, led by last year’s All-Coast Conference Team selections Renardo Bass and Bert Whittington, the Renegades look to get past Northern California’s Sweet 16 and take home the State Championship. The season will begin this weekend at Ohlone as the Renegades will participate in the Third Annual Jonathan Wallace Memorial Tournament beginning Friday, and ending Sunday. The tournament will

consist of eighth-ranked Ohlone College, fifth-ranked Diablo Valley College, Hartnell College, Alameda, Shasta College, Contra Costa, Feather River, and Sacramento City College. The Renegades will play on Friday and Saturday, and need to only win one of the two games to continue to the finals on Sunday. For those who don’t know, the tournament is in memory of Jonathan Wallace, who was a student here who played on the basketball team from 2002-04. After graduating in 2004 receiving his A.A. with honors, Wallace was going to be on his way to Adams State College on a full scholarship until he was tragically killed in a car accident in Placer County on Aug. 8, 2004. It was two weeks before he was going to leave for Adams State. After his death, his parents, the Rev. Michael and Velma set up a scholarship fund in his name. There is a $5 admission to the game and all proceeds go to the Jonathan Wallace Memorial Fund.

Over time By RAHUL BATRA Sports writer

Cal having a great season

New season brings team higher goals freshmen, they are more than ready to start their chase for the playoffs with a hopeful first win against a After a more than successful tough Las Positas team tonight. Last season was one of the team’s season in their 2005-06 campaign, the Women’s Basketball Team looks most successful seasons, as they to continue their winning ways from placed first in the Sierra Summit last year tonight as they open their Tournament, they were ranked season against Las Positas College second in the Coast Conference, and 14th in North State. "Last year's in Livermore. However, the question is, are team set the bar for us." says Coach Stanley. they ready? Although they lost a lot of talHead Coach Elizabeth Stanley is confident that even though her team ent in their sophomore players this is considered to be “new,” since year, the Lady Renegades do have a they have six sophomores and seven good balance of talent and experience.The key however will be for this team to stay healthy along with playing well. Led by All-Conference sophomore shooting guard Jenna Nicholson, who was also named team’s rookie of the year last season, and transfers Danesha Wright and Ceciley Johnson, Ohlone looks to dominate over the competition this time around, and continue their winning trend from last year. They will have their first home game on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 2 Jenna Nicholson is ready to get p.m. against Taft College. her team to the playoffs.

Page 8

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor

Photo courtesy of Don Jedlovec

Renegades guard/forward Renardo Bass looks to continue his dominance in the conference.

Renegade sophomore guard Giovanni Vernon is ready to get Ohlone back to the playoffs.

The Cal Bears have climbed to eighth in the AP Poll and look to add to their eight-game winning streak when they face the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson Saturday. Eighth is the highest rank the Bears have achieved all season. They have looked dominant after coming off of their bye week, beating UCLA 38-24 last Saturday in Berkeley. Starting quarterback Nate Longshore is leading a potent offense that continues to rack up points each and every game. Against UCLA, the Bears got outstanding offensive performances from three of its stars. Marshawn Lynch had a 24-yard receiving touchdown as well as a 4-yard rushing touchdown. DeSean Jackson scored on a 72-yard punt return which ended up being a school and Pac-10 record. And finally, Nate Longshore threw for 266 yards with three touchdowns. Cal now has five eight-game winning streaks against collegiate opponents in their history. Their 6-0 record against conference play thus far marks the first time they have achieved that since 1949. However, one of their three remaining games may cost this team a BCS berth and their perfect conference record, if they cannot come out with a victory. In two weeks, they travel down to Southern California to face a good USC football team. A loss to them will give Cal two for the season and essentially knock them out of contention from any BCS bowl game. Longshore and company need continue their potent offense and not judge the talent of the Trojans based upon their performance at Oregon State. Every college team has their share of terrible games. Pete Carroll will use the home field to his advantage and get his offense going. Cal’s defense needs to step up big and find ways to keep John David Booty and company out of the end zone. Nevertheless, no team should ever look ahead of their schedule. The Wildcats may be singing upset for this Saturday, much like how they upset undefeated and top 10 AP ranked UCLA exactly one year ago.