New art installation in Quad – Page 12
Vol. XXXVI No. 16
THIS IS the last issue of the Monitor for this semester. Join us on staff next semester as a writer, photographer or digital artist!
Sports end of the year wrap-up – Pages 10-11
Fremont, California
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Artist’s rendition of new building This is a drawing of the building that will replace the current Building 7. Scheduling as of now will see the building encapsulated for asbestos removal in January of 2007 and demolished no earlier than spring break. There is as of now no date announced for the start of construction on the future building. All the related plans and sketches for the novel structure are now available in the library for public viewing.
Graduation time for valedictorian
200-piece art show
By IRA LAZO Staff writer
“Daydreaming” by Anastasia Kaverina is one of many student art works of varying media displayed in the Louie Meager Art Gallery located in the Smith Center. Story on Page 12. Photo by Joyce Leung.
Don’t forget the new schedules By DANELLE MEYER Staff writer
With the end of the spring semester looming on a very close horizon, it’s time to register for Summer and Fall 2006 classes. Whether you want to finish your programs faster or just want something to keep you busy, most summer classes start on June 19 and end July 27. In half the time of a regular semester, you can complete a couple of courses - since there is only six weeks of summer instruction. Be sure to find the summer courses you want to sign up for early and double check the start dates, since some classes start sooner. Fall classes, which are now a 16-week program, begin Aug. 28 and end on Dec. 15. All classes are $26 per unit. Parking during the summer is $2 for daily passes or $16 for parking permits, which you can pick up at the bookstore. Fall parking permits are $26. Courses fill up fast, so don’t wait. You can register for classes online at WebAdvisor; Telereg is no longer in use.
The year is almost over, just a couple of more weeks and the lazy boys and girls of summer can come out to play. The word “graduation” is on the tip of everybody’s tongue, especially this year’s honored valedictorian, Ayesha Mogul. “At first I didn’t want to leave, but now I’m pretty confident that I can handle Berkeley,” she said proudly. “Everybody is so competitive there.” But Mogul is no stranger to competition; in fact, there have been few who could compete against her academically. She was shy to mention the fact that she was one of the class valedictorian for Mis-
sion San Jose High School in 2003, or that Ohlone honored her for her outstanding work as a general and organic chemistry student. Being valedictorian was the last thing on Ayesha’s mind until, coincidentally, her P.E. teacher happened to mention that she was in competition with four other people for the title. It was not until two weeks ago, April 28 to be exact, that she received a phone call letting her know that she’d won. That was priceless. She won the title of valedictorian, because among all the contenders she had the most units completed - a whopping 77. She was also asked by her chemistry professor to co-write a textbook about the mechanisms for organic Continued on Page 4
College journalists’ freedom of speech soon to be decided By JESSICA LOSEE Staff writer Although it is a rare incident, the occasional censorship of junior college newspapers is nothing to be taken lightly. A recent proposal put forth by San Francisco Assemblyman Leland Yee and approved by the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, aims to prohibit the intervention of college administrators who wish to restrict student newspapers and other publications. According to a Contra Costa Times article, Yee’s proposal was created in mind of the court ruling last year that permitted an Illinois university to stop the publication of the student newspaper. The newspaper had published a number of articles in criticism of the school’s officials as well as the newspaper’s adviser. The appeals court of Chicago decided that in the case of Hosty vs. Carter, student editors might need to submit articles for review prior to publishing.
Although the ruling does not directly affect California schools, it may possibly put them at risk of censorship by officials. The legislation, AB 2581 is the first of its kind designed “to protect the freedom of speech and press for college and university newspapers.” The bill aims to protect not only state universities and colleges but also junior colleges from possible censorship by school administration. So far, no opposition to the bill has been filed to Yee’s office. “Having true freedom of the press is essential on college campuses and it is a fundamental part of a young journalist’s training for real-world reporting,” said Yee in a press release from April 18. “Allowing a school administration to censor is contrary to the democratic process and the ability of a student newspaper to serve as the watchdog and bring sunshine to the actions of school administrators.” The California Newspaper Publishers Association Continued on Page 4
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Opinion
monitor May 11, 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 2005 2000 2004
Editor in chief: Jerome Engelberts Anna Nemchuk News editor: Opinion editor: Omer Ahmed Features editor: Joyce Leung Sports editor: Nick Zambrano Photo editor: Mojhgan Mohtashimi Investigative Reporter: Sean G. Crawford Staff writers: Frankie Addiego, Naomi Balagot, Rahul Batra, Morgan Brinlee, Thomas Hsu, Ira Lazo, Chris Marshall, Danelle Meyer, Gabriel Vila Ad Staff: Frankie Addiego Photographers: Wayne Chow, Jerome Engelberts, Rostislav Tsvetanov Graphic Staff: Wayne Chow, Jason Montalvo, Chirag Patel, Ying Yam Ad manager: Danelle Meyer 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 superhero movie: Hollywood’s latest muse By Nick Zambrano Sports editor It was approximately 11:30 p.m. when I pulled into the parking lot of Union Landing. For two years I had been anticipating this day, June 29, 2004. I was counting down the minutes until Century 25 opened its doors for the midnight screening of Spider-Man 2. My name is Nick Zambrano and I am a fan boy. Back when I was a lad, I dreamt of my favorite comic book heroes being brought to life on the silver screen; to see Batman drive the Batmobile in the streets of Gotham City, Spider-Man web-swing through the New York skyline and Superman battle Lex Luthor. Oh man, I was
drooling just at the thought of the live action superhero goodness. Eventually, Hollywood would grant my wish in one big package. Spider-Man, The Hulk, Daredevil, Batman Begins and X-Men, all within a period of five years. As excited as I was to see my favorite comic books get adapted into movies, the geek in me was still disappointed. In typical fashion, Hollywood has twisted the mythology behind the characters to make a bigger profit. Spider-Man had organic web shooters, the Hulk was a softy and Daredevil was not as lame as Ben Affleck portrayed him to be. Every fan boy would agree with me that these moves were utterly repulsive. What happened to
staying true to the source material? Oops, they had done it again. Hollywood exploited and dried up yet another genre. They have done this with the likes of novels (Friday Night Lights, The Da Vinci Code) pointless sequels, (The Sandlot 2, Big Momma’s House 2) and remake after remake after remake. Now comic book adaptations are the new muse of Hollywood, which means we might possibly see a movie for every comic book made including spin-offs. Ready or not my fellow fan boys, our beloved movies will eventually go the way of Jean Claude Van Damme and Old Yeller. Marvel Comics has already signed production contracts with
many different studios to produce a number of films. By 2012, we could have another Captain America movie, along with Iron Man, Thor, a Hulk sequel, Hawkeye, The Black Panther, Nick Fury, Wolverine, Magneto and Ant-Man, yes, I said it, Ant-Man is getting a movie. DC Comics is also busting out the big guns; a Wonder Woman project is in the works along with a possible Aquaman feature. We should have come to expect this from Hollywood. They will milk this new muse for all its worth, until they find another muse to suck dry. The comic book industry will also be hurt in the process, the money they pump into these make-or-break projects could be
lost forever because of poor performances at the box office. Everyone is at a risk here. Between now and the end of June we have two more adaptations hitting the movie houses, X-Men 3: The Last Stand and Superman Returns. Both of these films have high expectations and a strong history; it should be pretty impossible to mess them up. But after this, Hollywood do us all a big favor; try to come up with something original and something that isn’t borrowed. How hard is it to come up with something new and fresh that no one is ever seen before. It’s the job of a writer to come up with something inventive and, if it takes time, it takes time. Just do it.
what's it called nowadays? War? Conflict? Unrest? Unfortunate misunderstanding about whose oil it really is? Opinions on whether or not these people should be allowed on campus, let alone be allowed to actively recruit, are widely divergent. Disallowing their presence on campus can affect our federal funding. In other words: in a time where educational budgets are already
under fire (pun intended) from the powers that be, we are also being subjected to military recruitment under threat of having our funding cut. Whether or not Ohlone as an educational entity would prefer to decline is apparently not really a matter of choice or principal. Good thing we’re out there in the Middle East fighting those people who “just don’t like our freedom ”. Personally, I feel pretty strongly
about keeping the military recruiters (or any recruiters, for that matter) off campus and in the free speech area in front of the stairs, if only to point out that Ohlone College doesn't necessarily endorse their activities. The Supreme Court does not agree, however: Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, said that the campus visits are an effective military recruiting tool. “A
military recruiter’s mere presence on campus does not violate a law school’s right to associate, regardless of how repugnant the law school considers the recruiter’s message,” he wrote. In addition, justices said that Congress could directly demand military access on campus, even without the threat of losing federal money. Continued on Page 3
Campus military recruitment: Fall back, soldiers! By Jerome Engelberts Editor-in-cheif As anybody who comes to campus more than sporadically will have noticed: military recruiters are walking around and talking to people about joining the great uniformed masses and potentially going to Iraq to help with the eh...
Campus Comment > > >
Your thoughts about on-campus recruiters?
Kasia Zarzycki English “Who cares if they’re on campus; it’s not like you have to join.”
Lawrence Kohler Jr. Liberal Arts “I think it gives us pressure between classes.”
Marina Moura Health Sciences “It’s okay… well, in a college setting.”
Bobby CarsweLl Mass Communication “I don’t mind it as long as they don’t keep on pressuring me.”
Nick Springer Undeclared “It’s okay to advertise on campus cause it’s your choice ultimately.”
May 11, 2006 MONITOR
Opinion
3
Recruitment on campus: I repeat, do not deploy Continued from Page 2 A recent study has shown that military recruitment is most successful in very large schools with mediocre graduation rates and tight campus security. Less so in schools that have a more prestigious record.
“The military is not recruiting the bottom of the barrel by any means. They are targeting the working class,” said Charles Morose, sociologist and military expert at Northwestern University. Of course, that conveniently leaves out the part about how the
upper-echelon private schools are in a position to refuse access to military recruiters, since they are not nearly as dependent on federal funding. Apparently, many of the students who enlist do so because of reasons that have less to do with wanting to
join the military as being concerned about their educational future. “I don’t know if my parents can even afford college” is a commonly heard reason for choosing a career in soldiering. No matter where one stands on how the military reinforces the
ranks (and according to them they are in great need to do so) - it does point toward the fact that once again it’s the less wealthy being targeted to fight the war that will most likily benefit the more wealthy, with loss of federal funding serving as the stick, and... wait. No carrot?
By Gabriel Vila Staff writer
organization; an anachronism from the times of high school, which should be reformed and rebuilt to better suit the needs of the general populace of Ohlone College. The vast majority of students on campus don’t know anything about the ASOC, nor do they particularly care, and I feel that it is this apathy that cripples the ASOC more than anything else. In my time here at Ohlone before this current ASOC administration, the council was nothing more than an occasional source of breakfast. I never attended any Unity Week gatherings; I never went to any brown bag seminars. Even now, outside of reporting on the ASOC, the council has very little effect on my day-to-day life as an Ohlone student. So what does the ASOC actually do? From my observations, the ASOC provides funding to all the clubs on campus with the go-ahead of ICC, as well as provides funding to a number of other special projects and presentations at the behest of staff. The ASOC also organizes
events for the school. The ASOC somehow whittled down nearly $30,000 over the course of this last semester; funding speakers, clubs, special projects and events. Outside of my work at the Monitor, I never heard a peep about any of it. And why is that? The answer can only be that the campus just doesn’t care about the ASOC. Despite the senators dedication and effort, no one cares. And why is it that no one cares? Because this is Ohlone College. There’s an old adage around here; you go to Ohlone to get out of Ohlone. This is a community college in the Fremont hills, not high school. We don’t have school spirit here; we only care about getting in and getting out with a fresh start on college. We care about saving money and getting in to the schools of our choice. We care about our jobs; we care about our families. We don’t care about the ASOC because the ASOC doesn’t address those concerns. I didn’t go to Ohlone College to impress anyone. I went to get my general education done so that I
could transfer out to the UC school system. I’ve been part of the sports program here, and it’s fun to be sure but that aside, I know that I’m not going to play sports professionally. I’ve taken this opportunity at Ohlone to dabble in classes and learn things that I was interested in pursuing, not to hang out with a familiar cadre of friends at school functions. The ASOC puts money into things that only a small fraction of Ohlone students bother with. The planned delegation to China will affect only a few students, Unity Week had a terrible turnout and the ASOC has run out of funds to give to clubs. Project Quad is a brilliant idea and a necessary one at that. Outdoor furniture on campus makes all the sense in the world and I couldn’t be happier that the ASOC has gone ahead with funding it. But apart from this $13,000 investment, what does the ASOC really have to show for this year as a mark for all the years to come here at Ohlone? If I had the opportunity to be a senator, I would push for projects
to help out our student population as a whole, not simply organizing events and hoping for people to turn up. With ASOC funding, we could have faster and better computers on campus, or start funding on solar panels for buildings. Ideas like Project Quad, campus improvement and beautification, it’s ideas like that which will bring student appreciation to the ASOC. Forcing clubs to fundraise on campus by cutting ASOC grants couldn’t hurt either, creating a much more engaging atmosphere. It also couldn’t hurt to get the ASOC name printed and posted all over campus either; that kind of bright and bold propaganda has been proven time and time again to work. In the end, I’m only one voice. However, the ASOC has seen fit on its own to change its image on campus. Earlier this semester, they created the ASOC Awareness Task Force, headed up by Erik Sanchez. Hopefully, this Task Force will be able to guide the ASOC through future administrations and better suit the needs of the average student here at Ohlone College.
hundred years ago, even 50 years, hell, in many parts of the world still, education was a privilege, not a right. The rich and lucky went to school; the poor schmucks who raked the fields and drudged in the factories only dreamed of it. In 2006 in California, it seems the struggle to push students through school is met with resistance at every point: from the kids themselves to their lackadaisical parents to clueless legislators, exhausted teachers and indifferent administrators. The latest insult is Valenzuela vs. California, filed Feb. 8 by
lawyers on behalf of seniors who had failed the high school exit exam but were asking to graduate anyway. Their main argument was that the substandard schools they attended, their financial difficulties and, for many, international origins, made the exam unwieldy, unfair and ultimately impassable. Oakland Judge Robert Freeman has delayed his decision until Friday because of a technicality brought up by the state’s lawyers, but has already stated his sympathy with the beleaguered seniors’ plight. You know, I think I’ll move to
France next year and demand I be acceded a PhD in nuclear engineering and French existential literature - if the request is not granted, I’ll sue the French government for discrimination; after all, not knowing French or, for that matter, anything about nuclear engineering, is a completely bigoted reason for my inadequacy in the appropriate exams. “There is a cultural bias on the exam,” said James Shelby with the Sacramento Urban League in an interview for CBS Broadcasting. No. Shit. Sherlock. We live in America, a country’s
whose primary language is English, NOT Chinese, Urdu, French, or, in the words of our great president, Mexican. It would seem painfully apparent that to receive a certificate stating the bearer posseses a minimal knowledge of that dialect one would have to, in fact, have it. The test does not specifically discriminate against other cultures; it discriminates against anyone not harboring the education it tests for. That is what a test does! So the next time you fail a test, remember, kids, just sue the teacher for racial discrimination!
ASOC: There’s always room for improvement Don’t get me wrong. The people in the ASOC (Associated Students of Ohlone College) are some of the greatest, hardest working people you could ever meet. Their dedication and willingness to set everything aside for the betterment of their cause has shown through time and time again this semester, bringing us such excellent opportunities and investments as the China trip and Project Quad, and events like Unity Week. Thrust into an awkward position at the onset of this season, the executive staff and senators of the ASOC have done their absolute best for their school and we should thank them. They’re great people, and I feel honored to have met them, known them and, at times, butted heads with them over the course of the last few months. I have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone in that council and I honestly wish I had the chance to join them as a senator next year. That said, the ASOC is a removed
Can’t pass the test? Don’t bother trying again By ANNA NEMCHUK News editor Would you want the doctor slicing your chest open to have “passed” his classes? Or would you want a “summa cum laude” certificate hanging on her or his wall? What’s the point of education, anyway? Doesn’t all that booklarnin’ tend to go to kids’ heads - dub them proud, raise their goals, make them want more from life than just getting along in it? Well, yes. That, inconsequential as it may be, is the objective. A
Letters
State Senate elections: Why you should care Editor's Note: Usually the Monitor wouldn’t carry a piece from anyone related to any political candidate’s campaign. However, the following letter, written by community college students who are a part of John Dutra’s campaign and submitted by an Ohlone student, does not endorse any politician and expresses an opinion that’s valid and relevant to Ohlone students. Thus, we are printing the letter but feel the need to remind readers of the piece’s original source and that the Monitor in no way supports any specific candidate. Election Day is coming up on June 6 and one of California’s most competitive legislative races is taking place here in the Bay Area. The 10th State Senate District stretches
from San Leandro to San Jose and out to Pleasanton, and includes Fremont and Hayward, the fourth and fifth largest cities in the Bay Area respectively. The open seat for this area is contested by three qualified candidates, all of whom have legislative experience in the State Assembly: Ellen Corbett, John Dutra, and Johan Klehs. In the State Senate, where decisions are made regarding the budget, funding for public schools and tuition at community colleges, the successful candidate in this race will have a significant impact on the future of the state. Sometimes as college students we forget, or don’t even know, how these elections affect the future of California, but the fact is that choosing who represents us in the State Senate will impact our generation
in many ways. The growing budget deficit, for example, which now exceeds $50 billion, will prove to be a burden for young, college-age students. Addressing this issue is difficult for many politicians; most cannot provide coherent solutions and usually avoid the issue. Unfortunately, avoiding this problem contributes to a growing deficit and continuing budget cuts that will cause further harm to our generation. One striking example of this is what has happened over the past few years at the state’s higher education institutions. Deficit spending by the State Legislature has led to significant fee hikes at community colleges and in the CSU and UC systems. Since 2002, community college tuition has increased 136 percent with the cost of a single unit ris-
ing from $11 to $26. The UC and CSU systems have also struggled with a 14 percent fee increase in the past three years, a result of cuts to higher education programs by the Legislature and Governor. In addition to slashing programs and growing class sizes, the tuition increases have left recent college graduates with significant burdens: the average student graduating from a four-year university now leaves with nearly $20,000 in debt. It is our generation that will struggle to resolve this debt, both the state’s $50 billion and our own personal debt accumulated to achieve a higher education. Often we think that state legislative races do not affect us because they do not always involve student fees or textbook prices, but it must be remembered that management of the state’s fi-
nances will affect the state’s future financial health. We should look at the options we have for this State Senate race and take advantage of the power we have as voters. We must vote for the candidate that can best address - and solve - the state’s pressing challenges. We must find a candidate with the knowledge and experience to balance a budget. We must vote on Tuesday, June 6, 2006. We must care, our future depends on it. More information on the different campaigns for District 10’s seat in the State Senate can be found on the various candidates' websites, or on www.SmartVoter.org, an excellent resource for all local, state, and federal elections. - Ohlone Student Melissa Esquipulas
4 MONITOR
May 11, 2006
News
Brown Bag speaks of biomaterials employment By OMER AHMED Opinion editor Following closely after Ohlone’s recent Biotechnology Fair and bringing this academic year’s Brown Bag seminar series to a close was Friday’s Dr. Cheng Li speaking on “Biomaterials and Cell Interaction.” Li is currently vice president of research and development at Menlo Park based In•Cube, Inc, a medical device incubator company. He focused his presentation on medical implants and the materials used in making them. Ohlone’s Math Science Coordinator Yvette Niccolls introduced him saying, “He’s devoted his career to biomaterials and medical devices.” Li first gave an explanation of what a biomaterial is, describing it as “any material made to interact with human bodies and not be rejected.” This includes well-known materials such as silicon for breast implants and other less known materials such as calcium hydroxyapatite
used for artificial hips. He then began to describe the challenges of working with biomaterials. He said, “The ultimate goal is for the implant to become part of the tissue system.” However, Li
Dr. Cheng Li speaks on the benefits of biomaterial research. Photo by Mojghan Mohtashimi.
explained that this goal of creating a substance that the body will accept is hindered by certain conditions having to be met. The surface of a biomaterial has to have properties that allow the attachment of cells and be suitable for growth and health. Ironically, the tissue integration of helpful biomaterials is also hindered by the human immune system. Finally, when a suitable biomaterial is developed, it must be sturdy enough to function for an extended period of time. Despite the difficulties in creation, biomaterials have come a long way according to Li. He described biomaterials as being developed to their third generation. He said that the first generation were “inert materials” that were not rejected by the body but didn’t interact with it such as gold fillings for teeth. “Engineered materials” were the next generation and had been formulated to be compatible with the human body. Second generation materials included specially made titanium for joint replacement. The
Computer department splits By CHRIS MARSHALL Staff writer Just in time for the summer session of classes, Ohlone’s Computer Studies department is being split into two separate departments: Computer Science and Computers, Networks and Emerging Technologies (CNET). This move is an attempt to simplify the coordination of all the classes currently in the Computer Studies department, said Richard Grotegut, instructor of Computer Studies. “During the dot com boom in the ‘90s, our department grew to be one of the largest on campus, just slightly smaller than the English department,” said Grotegut. Ohlone’s Computer Studies department originated in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when it was conceived by the late Larry Weiner. Grotegut said calling the department “Computer Studies” was quite different from what community colleges traditionally called their computer-related departments. “Most schools had Computer Science departments, but Computer Studies put Ohlone’s department under a much broader umbrella.”
“The Computer Studies department really started to grow in the ‘90s; we became one of the big guys,” said Grotegut. All of the multimedia classes were originally part of the Computer Studies department, until a new Multimedia program was spun-off in 1999. After, that, Ohlone also grew a separate Networking program, said Grotegut. Beginning this summer, the Computer Studies department will be no more. In its stead will be the Computer Science Department, consisting of all of the current computer programming courses and the CNET department, which will encompass the rest of the courses, as well as offer new courses. This summer, Ohlone will offer new classes under the CNET department. One of the classes, called “How Technology Works,” is designed to be a “physics class for non-physics majors,” said Grotegut. The other new class this summer, “Robotics and Automation,” will teach students about how robotics and automation will make everyday life easier. “Splitting Computer Studies will also help with the hiring of
Guest speaker an Ohlone alumnus Continued from Page 1 chemistry; a textbook for future Ohlone College students. But, for now, her sights are set on May 25, the scheduled day for graduation, to be held at the gym, starting at 7 p.m. The honored alumnus guest speaker is freelance sports photojournalist Brad Mangin, who graduated from Ohlone in 1986. His photographs are regularly featured in Sports Illustrated, and he has worked for the Fremont Argus, San Ramon Valley Times, and Contra Costa Times. Mangin has covered the World Series for Major League Baseball
from 2000 to 2005, and his photograph of Oakland Raiders wide receiver Randy Moss has graced the front cover of the May 16, 2005 issue of Sports Illustrated. As for Ayesha, she’s thankful for Ohlone because it has broadened her spectrum of interests and helped her make numerous friends, but confessed, “I’m ready to move on.” In fact, after spending a lot of time with deaf students, she has set a new goal for herself: to learn ASL. And being valedictorian does have its perks - her parents will receive special VIP, front-row seats to the ceremony. For a possible future Nobel prize winner, why not?
teachers,” said Grotegut. “In order to teach Computer Science, a person needs at least a Master’s in Computer Science, but with CNET, the minimum qualifications are different, so teachers could be easier to find.” Grotegut said the split would make things less confusing for students. “The Computer Studies section of the class schedule was huge, making it hard for students to sort through the classes. This [split] should make things a bit easier for them.” “Most of our current students already have degrees,” said Grotegut. “Most of them are interested in retraining for a new career. We have a fledgling transfer program, but we also offer vocational and certification training. The number one interest in certification at Ohlone is with Redhat Linux.” Computer Studies Instructor George Wong said, “People really over-reacted to the dot com burst. Recent studies show that in four years there will be a shortage of workers in computer-related jobs. The dot com industry, all of that didn’t go away. We have to start thinking ahead four years, when the shortage is supposed to happen.”
Free speech in danger Continued from Page 1 is also backing the bill, who aim to push the subject before the Supreme Court. “AB 2581 is essential in order for student newspapers in California to have the free speech protections they deserve,” said Legal Counselor of the Association, Jim Ewert, in Yee’s press release. The bill was completely approved May 9 by the Assembly judiciary Committee on a bipartisan vote of 8-0 and will go before the full Assembly as early as next week.
latest generation, “bioengineered materials,” are specifically made to work with tissues and organs. These materials include artificially created tissues, like blood vessels harvested from lab-grown muscles. Imparting his knowledge of the industry, Li closed his seminar with a discussion of the future of biomaterials and the job opportunities in
the industry. He said that biomaterials constitute a $77 billion industry in the U.S. alone and constantly need new talent in form of both scientist and managers. Ohlone’s Brown Bag Science Seminar series is sponsored by the Math and Science Division, given funding by the ASOC and is open to the public.
Scholarships and ice cream at social By THOMAS HSU Correspondent Wednesday marked the Ohlone College Foundation’s first annual Scholarship BBQ and Ice Cream Social. Flocks of students, staff and faculty stopped at the Palm Bosque, lured by the smells of barbequed hot dogs and the wiles of ice cream under the shade of palm trees. The festivities came as a celebration for the Foundation’s 2006 scholarship recipients, who were welcomed onstage and presented with scholarships. That puts the amount of scholarships distributed by the Foundation this year at over $25,000. Ohlone’s President Dr. Douglas Treadway and Vice Presidents Deanna Walston and Jim Wright personally served ice cream, to show their appreciation everyone who makes this college happen. Other “Celebrity Cooks” that came to serve the students included Dean of Fine Arts, Business and Broadcasting Walt Birkedahl, and Associate Vice President of Student Services Ron Travenick. Many faculty and staff also took the chance to pledge their support to the Ohlone College Foundation, because, as EOPS Sandy Bennett
put it, “The more we give, the more we can give away.” “It was a wonderful way for all the employees here at Ohlone College to show our commitment to our students,” said Ohlone College Foundation Director Dr. Josephine Hawkins. Community members such as Mission Coffee’s Gael Stewart also helped coordinate and serve during the Ice Cream Social. In all, about 300 people came to spend their lunch hour socializing, cheering on scholarship winners, and enjoying food together to the beat of Ohlone College’s radio station, KOHL. The event concluded with a raffle for those Ohlone employees that pledged their support. Four lucky winners walked away with either picnic sets or Oakland A’s tickets, gifts generously donated by community members. The students who received scholarships at the event are (not including those who did not make it to the ceremony): Mona Aflatooni, Meredith Ang, Alena Barlow, Chad Mischoff, Alla Bottler, Heta Desai, Hartej Dhami, Dericka Hayes, Randeep Kaur, Nuwanee Kirihennedige, Jacob Park, Monique Skinner, Roun Tamaki, Lijia Weng and Xeuxin Zhang.
Features No winners in format war State of Illusion By Chris marshall
I would like to give my two cents about what people are calling the “new media format war” between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. I consider myself a geek, or a nerd, or a technophile, or whatever buzzword you wish to apply. I am definitely an early-adopter of new technologies. So I don’t say this lightly; I predict both will fail as media formats. While I believe they will fail as media formats, I do believe they will eventually succeed as new storage formats. The reason I believe both will fail as media formats is simple: consumers do not need a new media format. I believe higher resolution televisions are just a fad designed to bleed more money out of the consumer. I say this because the number of new high-res television technologies released in the past 10 years have been astounding--debuting in the high thousands of dollars--and average consumers cannot afford them. However, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will succeed as storage formats because consumers are in desperate need of something bigger and more reliable. HD-DVD will initially offer up to 30 gigabytes of storage, with a 45 GB, triple-layer disc in devel-
opment. Blu-ray will offer 50 GB of storage on the dual-layer discs, with a 100 GB quad-layer disc in development. The capacity of these formats dwarf the current 9 GB or so maximum that dual-layer DVDs offer. I only hope that when burners for the new formats are made available to the public, the quality of the writable discs are much improved compared to that of current CD and DVD writable media. The dye used on them is terrible and the current estimated shelf-life of a burned CD or DVD is only three years--unacceptable for a storage medium. HDTV is a nigh useless technology. Human perception is very limited, our five senses can only process so much information. Super high-resolution televisions and media are becoming excessive: soon the human eye won’t be able to tell the difference. I think DVDs on my normal, cathode ray tube television look fantastic and normal broadcast television channels look just fine. Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats are relying so much on the fad of HDTV, they will most likely fail. However, if for some reason one format succeeds, the victor will have been helped greatly by one oft-overlooked business: pornography. There are three businesses that will play a role in the format war: the movie industry, video games and pornography. Movie studios and video game companies have already chosen their side, but only now are people starting to discuss the role porn will play in this war. This all
harks back to the VHS-Betamax format battle in which the porn industry played an important role. The porn industry, in choosing the VHS format for movies, helped put Betamax in an early grave. People often underestimate the pornography industry. Moral arguments aside, porn is a huge money-maker. It’s difficult to find accurate numbers on how big the porn business is. All the anti-pornography groups--who I assume wish to strike fear into people concerning pornography--cite numbers showing porn as a $14 billion a year business in the United States. However, I’ve also read other numbers, printed in Forbes, saying the porn industry generates as little as $2.6 billion a year. The truth, as Aristotle would say, lies somewhere in the middle. Adult Video News, the Hollywood Reporter of porn, estimated that the whole adult industry generated $12.6 billion in 2005--$4 billion of which came from movie rentals and sales. Even taken with a grain of salt, this $4 billion business will definitely play a large role in deciding which format succeeds, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. A lot of the big porn studios are leaning toward Blu-Ray as the preferred format. But in an industry where anyone with a hand-held video camera full of shaky sex footage can make money, it’s anyone’s guess as to which format porn moviemakers will choose.
May 11, 2006 monitor
Encore! Encore!
This weekend included musical performances by the Ohlone Community Band, the Ohlone Chamber Orchestra and the Ohlone Wind Orchestra at the Smith Center. Photo by Ross Tsvetanov Future Music Department performances include: Ohlone Community Chorale and Charisma Friday, May 12 at 8 p.m. Chops Big Band featuring Soloist Greg Abate Thursday, May 18 at 8 p.m. Ohlone Chamber Singers Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. For tickets or more information, contact the Smith Center Box Office at: 510-659-6031 or visit: www.smithcenterpresents.com
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monitor May 11, 2006
Spring 2006 semester through
Monitor staff, Spring 2006 semester: Front row, from left: Chris Marshall, Jerome Engelberts, Anna Nemchuk, Danelle Meyer, Gabriel Vila, Mojhgan Mohtashimi. Middle row: Ross Tsvetanov, Joyce Leung, Ira Lazo, Nick Zambrano, Omer Ahmed, Sean G. Crawford. Back row: Naomi Balagot, Adviser Bill Parks, Jason Montalvo. Not pictured: Frankie Addiego, Rahul Batra, Morgan Brinlee, Thomas Hsu, Chirag Patel, Ying Yam.
Clockwise from top left: Campus at dusk (RT); Palm trees: Ohlone trademark (CP); A little sunshine amidst April showers (RT); A moment of abstraction (RT) Photos by: Mojhgan Mohtashimi (MM) Ross Tsvetanov (RT) Nick Zambrano (NZ) Chirag B . Patel (CP)
Page 7, clockwise from top left: Bliss Co. dancer attitudinizing “Women in Love” (MM); David Fanshawe presents African Sanctus (MM); Josh Hollister stops to smell the roses (MM); Crystal Smith & Kiana Zamora let loose during unity week (MM); Lady Renegades: (from left) Raquel Torres, Angelina Piccolotti, Jessica Soderholm, Ashley Gibbs & Tiffany Chan have a little fun in the sun (NZ), Kelly Welmeth and President Doug Treadway tidying up the campus on Earth day (RT). Center: Ustadh Yahya Rodus on “Love,” according to Islam. (MM)
the eyes of Monitor photo staff
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Campus Events
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the box office and are $15 for adults and $10 for students.
May 11-16 Annual Fine Art and Design Show -- The art gallery is open to view the student art from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The show displays some of the best work from art students. 11-13 Student Repertory Company: Bill 2 -- 8 p.m. in the NUMMI Theatre all three nights. An evening of short plays by the departments best. Tickets are available at the box office and are $10 for students and $12 for adults. 13 Ohlone College Super Flea Market -- 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in parking lots E and H. Flea market includes hundreds of vendors selling all kinds of things from crafts to collectibles. There is a $2 parking fee. 17 Campus Tour -- 4 p.m. in the lobby of Building 1. The Ohlone College Student Ambassadors conduct campus tours every month. Wear comfortable shoes. This event is free. 18 Ohlone Chops Big Band -- 8 p.m., in the NUMMI Theatre. This is one of area’s most soughtafter 18-piece Big Bands. Tickets are available at
18-25 Book Buyback -- all day in the bookstore. Sell your books back for some extra cash. 19-25 Final Exams -check the final exam schedule to see when your classes are taking their test. 20 Ohlone Chamber Singers -- 8 p.m. in the Smith Center. Performance will feature “lighter faire.” Tickets are available at the box office and are $15 for adults and $10 for students. 25 Deadline for Printed Grades -- all day. This is the last day for students to request a printed full grade report for pick-up. 25 Graduation Ceremony -- 7 p.m., in the Epler Gymnasium. There will be a reception in Palm Bosque immediately following. This is a time to celebrate, there is no rehearsal. Check the Ohlone web site for more info.
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door heated pool open 7 days a week. Pays $9/$12/hr DOE. We have Part Time Availability, a Fun Environment, and Friendly People. Flexible and Steady schedule. We work Happy Fish Swim well with school schedules. School To apply, print an application We are seeking smart, friendly by visiting www.SwimHapswim instructors to work with pyFish.com both children and adults. In-
FREE Satellite TV System FREE installation. Get up to 4 receivers that come with remotes for up to 4 TVs. There are over 300 channels that are available. For more information, please call 800784-7694. Please mention the special promotion code: A33496003
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
Features
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The Fool’s Journey By SUSAN MOUNTAIN Day after day, alone on the hill The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still. But nobody wants to know him, They can see that he's just a fool And he never gives an answer. But the fool on the hill Sees the sun going down And the eyes in his head See the world spinning round. * It’s cloudy today, and I keep thinking about Detroit 1970. Recalling when I first arrived and had no money or place to stay. I should have been scared, but wasn’t. The phantom of that Detroit blind faith returns when needed. The shadow of youthful hope, cloaked in Fool’s wisdom tips his plumaged hat and holds my hand. He tells me “Everything’s gonna be alright.” And I believe him. I rode from New Mexico to Detroit, Michigan, in the back seat of a 1967 navy-blue Mustang. I don’t remember the baby balanced across my knees ever complaining, just her smiles. While I was hungry all the time, she got plenty of mother’s milk. Being thin as a pretzel was a good thing, because I was flanked by two commune Mothers holding their babies. The riots of 1968 had all but demolished Detroit’s inner city. Towering old brick houses that had once belonged to the rich were in varying states of decomposition. Scavengers were robbing the finely carved woodwork from their insides, leaving only rats and ghosts behind. The faces in the windows of these crumbling old houses were dark skinned and brooding. My white face became a neon sign that flashed “You don’t belong here.” Somebody in our commune knew an old guy who was “cool” and living in one of the rundown
brick mansions. He let us “crash” at his pad until we found a house to rent. I remember his balding head, and how he tried to put the free-love-make on every woman in our group. While I don’t recall his name, I do remember that he left nursing mothers alone. Well on his way, his head in a cloud The man of a thousand voices, talking perfectly loud.* Within a couple of weeks we rented a house from an obese trickster named “Bobo.” It was next door to “Andre the Pimp” who was helping high school girls earn money after school. The mattresses on his floor were framed with red velvet drapes, and foot traffic to his front door was unending. Andre had a huge Afro and drove a lime green Cadillac with a leopard skin landau roof. It took us months to figure out that we were renting an abandoned building. Bobo didn’t give refunds. Having no money for food, we became experts at sorting through trash bins for edibles at the A&P Grocery store. The wilted veggies accompanied stale bread from Mother Walker’s Cupboard and satisfied our hunger. Toasted raisin bread was the favorite, and occasionally there was peanut butter to divvy up. It was imperative that we used both hunting and gathering skills to survive. This Detroit saga sounds horrible, but it didn’t seem like it at the time. Our commune had big plans, and just needed time to get them started. We pooled our energies and started to connect with everyone in our community. Some of us got jobs while others became involved in local politics. A local politician connected us with inner city programs, and hired us for roofing jobs. We were known as the people from “Tacos, New Mexico.” No one had ever heard of Taos.
I got a job working in the camera department of Hudson’s department store in downtown Detroit. I would go to the company cafeteria for lunch, eat my bread, and fantasize that it was lemon meringue pie. I squirted my mother’s milk in the black marble toilets during my breaks. Our inadequate collective paychecks helped us survive that first winter in Detroit. Christmas came and went that year, only the department stores celebrated. Their lights and tinsel magnified our poverty. The “hawk” attacked me with his coldness outdoors, and raped our old house. It was impossible to stay warm, so we huddled together wearing coats and hats inside the drafty house. Our hot water radiator heating system never got beyond lukewarm.
deep-fried Hiziki seaweed rolls. Our biggest battles were waged with the hungry cockroaches and Peter, Detroit’s Poet Laureate, who wanted to eat for free. We thought we were invincible, and maybe we were. The only things I still possess from Detroit are the gray shadows of memories that haunt me on cloudy days. If I reunite with a person that shares these Detroit memories, our shadows merge and are made tangible again. We remember that anything is possible if you keep the faith, and are willing to take risks, much like the Tarot Card Fool stepping off the edge of a cliff into the unknown. It’s much scarier now that I’m older. Time isn’t always gentle with faith. The hawk is on the prowl again.
It is going to be a cold winter. This Fool is ready for magic. And the eyes in his head, See the world spinning around. *
*The Fool On The Hill 1967 from the album Magical Mystery Tour (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) Graphics by Jason Montalvo
The children caught chicken pox that winter in the Motor City. Just when the disease had seemed to run its course I came down with it. The sores covered every place on my body, including the inside of my mouth and the soles of my feet. The itching drove me temporarily insane, and I couldn’t bear to look in a mirror at my scab encrusted teenage face. I was ready to give up all hope in Detroit, but suddenly the weather changed. Gray skies became spring blue, green shoots popped up in the cracks in our front sidewalk, and my sores began to fade. The babies learned to walk, and Andre hired us to re-roof his house. The toothless, wig-wearing woman next door started sending over corn bread and greens. In return, we became Camille’s handymen. I had an affair with a smooth talking neighbor, announced that I was searching for absolute truth, and then questioned whether it existed. The commune opened a health food restaurant in an old mansion. We made banana milk, fried rice and
Susan Mountain is the winner of the fifth annual Award for Prose, a writing contest initiated by Karen Rosenbaum, who taught creative writing, literature and composition for more than 30 years at Ohlone.
Pages 10 and 11 are missing at this time.
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Features New eye candy at Louie Meager Art Gallery monitor May 11, 2006
By Joyce Leung Features editor While navigating the Louie Meager Art Gallery for its annual Fine Art and Design Student Show, you tend to get easily distracted. The eye flutters about, scanning the walls of traditional and contemporary art, and before you can fix your gaze on one piece, something much more attractive gleams from the corner. So while fitting more than 200 pieces of student work into a space of about 800 square feet is undoubtedly a daunting task, seeing it all can also be a challenge for the viewer. The annual show not only offers budding artists a chance to display and possibly sell their work, it also provides them with the opportunity to showcase their vision of the world, as they re-imagine scenes with oil and canvas, manipulate paper and ink with digital graphics, mold Earth’s materials into glassware and ceramics, reconfigure rooms using interior design, capture fleeting memories with photography and reinterpret for themselves the larger matters in life. The piece that greets gallery patrons at the door is Michael Fields’s Heaven on Earth. The painted chair, split in black and white, features an ominous yet enticing black hand sprouting from the arm of the left
side. Without the assistance of the artist, you can already assume that the piece represents life’s eternal struggle between good and evil. But why include a black hand, but not a white one? As Fields explains it, “the black hand is supposed to symbolize how easy it is to grasp onto our evil ways. If you sit in that seat, you want to grab onto that.” The right path, as Fields sees it, is largely unguided, whereas the dark side will always reach out for you. But, not every piece in the show tackles such serious themes or is as well thought-out. One of the most whimsical pieces in the show, for example, was the result of a happy accident. Jon Degallier’s Bathtub came about when the sculptor miscalculated the size of his head. “We had an assignment to create a puppet and the environment in which it would live. I decided the puppet was going to be me and the tub was going to be the puppet’s home,” said Degallier. “Unfortunately, as I started copying my head in the mirror, I completely misjudged the size in relation to the tub. Eventually, I could only complete the head, placed it in the tub...so there it stays!” Degallier may be forgiving of his mistake, but some artists, like Brian Luk, are less merciful when it comes
to critiquing their own work. Luk’s sketchbook is a detailed study and exploration of the gestures, poses, angles and anatomy of the human body. Interspersed throughout are musings on technique as well as “notes for improvement”: “Shade is off-face is off-not a good job. It’s really off.” Maybe Luk shouldn’t be so hard on himself, since his larger pencil drawing, Mage, was already sold for $75. Most pieces are priced from $5 to $500, with the latter end of the spectrum reserved for larger oil paintings, sculptures and prints. One of the more ambitiously priced pieces is Maria Grazia Romeo’s Moral Decay of Lady MacBeth, set at $2,000. Cast in bronze, the figure depicts the disintegration of the tragic queen as she is eaten away by her own guilt. Some pieces, it seems, are priceless, like Mary Patrician’s deliciously colored glass plates, which are unfortunately, not for sale. The Annual Fine Art and Design Juried Student Show will be on display until May 16. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and during Smith Center events. For more information on the Louie Meager Art Gallery, visit: www. ohlone.edu/org/artgallery From top right: Cindy Hong inspects a model home behind Ian Subasa’s Inner Demon sculpture, Michael Fields’s exploration of light and dark with Heaven on Earth and a head peeks out from Jon Degallier’s whimsical yet unnerving Bathtub. The Annual Fine Art and Design Juried Student Show will be on display in the Louie Meager Art Gallery in the Smith Center until May 16. Photos by Mojhgan Mohtashimi.
Art installation spreads fear around campus By Danelle Meyer Staff writer In only two weeks, more than 300 wire sculptures were created to look like the outlines of human bodies to be hung throughout the Quad for a final project for Katie Frank’s 3D Design class. The project steamed off an idea from Ohlone art student Michael Fields. Fields originally wanted to have the figures wrapped in body bags to show life and death and how both themes have fears surrounding them. In the end, Fields tossed the body bag idea and left the class with an underlying theme of fear. “The project is about fears that weigh us down and how everyone searches and strives for a real true fearless life, which is not practical. Life with fear is life itself...death and life both have fears that could either end our lives of doubt and mistrust, or set us free from the bondage of a normal life on Earth,” said Fields, who was the student leader of the installation. Each student involved in the project worked hard to create the necessary quantity of sculptures,
Phantom outlines of human figures blow delicately in the wind with notes of private fears attached. The installation by Art Instructor Katie Frank’s 3D installation class will be on display until May 16. Students are welcome to take a piece of the installation with them. Photo by Ross Tsvetanov making between 20 and 60 wire figures each. The project pieces will be hung on trees throughout the campus with fishing line. Attached to each wire body will be a note card with a fear, or a blank card to leave room for onlookers to think about their own
fears.“The reason we chose not to have fears on all of them [the wire figures] was because...it creates an open forum for [students] to think about what they worry about or are scared of,” explained Joyce Tom who also participated in the creation of the installation.
The fears picked were not those of the students involved, but those of more than 300 students from around campus. The idea was that it would help to connect the project to the campus and viewers. With note cards in hand, students from the class traveled around to
areas on campus that were heavy hangout destinations, like Hyman Hall and the cafeteria, and asked students to write down their fears on the cards. Some of the most common answers included a fear of clowns and of being alone. “It was exciting getting fears from each person that was walking by around campus. It really makes the installation a part of the campus and interacts with each student knowing that every one of the sculptures were made possible by their input,” said Fields. Haunting red and black posters will also be hung around campus to let students know what the project is about. The poster explains: “Fear hurts the mind by keeping one away from a real true life, a true life is one with no fears, that doesn’t weight one down. We are weighed down by fears since they attach to ourselves. Fears attached to ourselves create fears that never die.” The installation will be on display throughout the Quad until May 16. If you find a piece that you are attracted to, everyone is welcome to take a sculpture home at no cost on May 16.