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Women’s water polo beats Cabrillo.
Fremont, California
Vol. XXXVI No. 7
Graffiti artist: poet or vandal? – Page 2
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OPINION
African official.
Speaker talks on molecular photography.
SPORTS
becomes
NEWS
FEATURES
Ex-student
October 11, 2007
KOHL battles hawk ‘attack,’ weather By Kyle Stephens Staff writer The Ohlone Radio Station, 89.3 FM KOHL, went offline Wednesday from about 2 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to Radio Station Technician Matthew Graf. The cause was found to be normal weathering of the antenna, exacerbated by hawk excrement. This is the longest KOHL has been off the air in more than 20 years. Though there were plans to replace the antenna anyway, Graf and Director of Radio Operations Bob Dochterman were forced to take action when a ceramic insulator between the antenna proper and the tower cable
Photo by Eric Dorman
wired to a modified smoke alarm. finally was irrevocably damaged The station being offline “afby weather Wednesday morning. A fects everything,” said Graf, from new, sturdier antenna was installed students doing on air labs, to paid by Dochterman and Graf several underwritten public serhours later. Though was the storm ‘This is what vice announcements, to that proved to be the makes this job the listeners themselves. antenna’s final demise, Ohlone broadcasting interesting.’ most of the weakening students hone their skills was caused by a different in on-air settings for --Matthew Graf KOHL. In absence of a agent: hawk excrement. The ceramic insulator means to transmit, being on the antenna, a popular perch on the air is moot. for red-tailed-hawks, was finally The station gets supplemental eroded away by the substance. funding via paid public service In addition to the new equipannouncements; as a public radio ment, a special tined bird repellent station, they are not allowed to device was attached to deter future run commercial advertising as per damages by the hawks. The appliFCC regulations. And many regular KOHL listeners have nothing but ance is made of plastic, as not to interfere with the radio signal. static to listen to while the antenna Technician Graf discovered the is being replaced. loss of transmission Wednesday The antenna is a custom-built via a system he has in his home, piece of hardware, something too
Director of Radio operations Bob Dochterman prepares to install a new antenna for Ohlone’s radio station. The old antenna’s demise was partly due to a hawk.
expensive to “just have one lying around the shop,” said Docherman. The exact parameters need to be calibrated to give the signal a defined range, as not to interfere with other radio stations and other communication signals. KOHL is especially boxed in due to other local stations sharing the 89.3 frequency like Pioneer High School’s KMTG, and other college radio stations such as San Jose State’s KSJS and Foothill College’s KFJC. The transmission facility is located remotely atop one of the hills surrounding the Ohlone campus. The weather as of late, including rain the morning of the failure, was cause for difficulties in reaching the site. Graf and Dochterman were only able to get halfway by truck, and went the final leg on foot. “This is what makes this job interesting,” said Graf.
Station one of first to test-drive ‘Personal People Meters’ --Page 6
College sees increase in Chinese class enrollment By Margarita Kitova Staff writer “Chinese—not English—is the most widely spoken language of the world,” according to The Chinese Program at The Pennsylvania State University. It turns out it is also the most popular foreign language class at Ohlone. A total of 199 Ohlone students are currently enrolled in 101A, 101B, 102A and 102B Mandarin Chinese classes this semester, the
largest enrollment total to date, said Dean of Humanities, Social Sciences and Mathematics Mikelyn Stacey. This total is up from 163 last semester. When 50 students signed up for a single section of Elementary Mandarin, it became necessary for two sections of Chinese 101A and one of 101B to be added on the weekend, said Stacey. The college offers a total of 16 Mandarin classes. Ohlone also has nine more classes offered between Mission San Jose and Irvington
high schools. Altogether, the 25 Mandarin Chinese classes show the increasing demand for international language studies by the local Bay Area communities. Stacey also noted that a company based in San Francisco was interested in training its employees through Ohlone’s Chinese Program, but their offer was turned down by Ohlone as this was the area of the San Francisco City College. All of the college’s Mandarin classes are taught by native speakers, and most of the
Speaker to discuss India, Silicon Valley relations By Lila Salinas Staff writer The relationship between India and Silicon Valley will be explored this Tuesday, Oct. 16, in the first World Forum of the semester, entitled “The Changing Global Profile of India and Dynamics of USA-India Relationships.” It will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Epler Gymnasium. Guest speaker B.S. Prakash is the Consul General of India (San Francisco) and head of the United Nations division in the ministry of the external affairs of the government of India. Since 1975, Prakash has led
Indian delegations in discussions and conferences on a number of political issues. In his presentation Tuesday, Prakrash will cover the current dynamics between India and the United States, with emphasis on Silicon Valley. The topic is timely, as this year marks the 60th anniversary of India’s independence. The Ohlone College World Forum was first introduced in spring 2005. The World Forums are designed to deliver information about important global issues that concern and affect our community. The next World Forum will be entitled “Deaf Culture: An International Perspective,” and will be held Nov. 14.
students who attend them speak Mandarin at home and rely on school for the development of their reading and writing skills. Another explanation for the high demand is the strategic role of China in the global community. The Chinese-speaking world is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world today. Ohlone’s Chinese classes also educate about the economic, social, cultural and political system in China. According to Ohlone’s Chinese Program, classes are Continued on Page 3
Math Club pulls off battle of numbers By Jerome Nepacena Staff writer
Photo courtesty http://cgisf.org
B.S. Prakash, India consul general
“It was a very exciting event; I could tell people really had a good time.” These were the words of math club adviser and Ohlone math teacher Geoffrey Hirsch after a very competitive day of Sudoku last Friday. According to Hirsch, Novy Tjokro was able to take an early lead, but made a few mistakes and ended up placing fourth overall in the competition. The winner of first place and the $50 grand prize ended up being Algebra 2 student Jesse Caravalho, while trigonometry student Danielle Yee placed second
and Tony Wu came in third. “Sudoku isn’t just a game for math geniuses; it’s a game anyone can be good at,” explained Hirsch, who also adivises the Math Club. The structure for Friday’s competition was an hour and fifteen minutes of working on the Sudoku test, with pizza and soda afterward, before the winners of the competition were announced. The entry fee for the event was $3. Sudokus have recently seen a rise in popularity. A sort of crossword puzzle with numbers, the object of the nine-by-nine square puzzle is to fill in all 81 squares while ensuring numbers in the rows and columns add up to nine.
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monitor October 11, 2007
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Opinion Editor in chief: Anna Nemchuk News editor: Eric Dorman Opinion editor: Michael Aburas Features editor: Emily Burkett Sports editor: Tomas Ortega Photo editor: Dan Yuan Online editor: Matthew So Staff writers: Sandeep Abraham,Vanessa Baumann, Inez Black, Andrew Cavette, Brian Chu, Barry Kearns, Richard Killeen, Margarita Kitova, Elise Leon, Danielle McDowell, Kaiser Meer, Jerome Nepacena, Lila Salinas, Kathy Sung. Graphics staff: Nick Bakovic Photo staff: Jack Husting Ad manager: Danelle Meyer Adviser: Bill Parks Printer: F-P Press Please recycle the Monitor
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
Meteorites should be news to our society By MATTHEW SO Online editor Today’s society has an abundance of information. But, what is news and what is garbage? Some incidents are interpreted as minutae; it’s as though they never happened. This is a popular attitude in today’s society. And therein lies the problem. There are so many sources of information on current events and happenings in our society; i.e. the newspaper, news on television, news on radio, news on the internet,
and, if you are a hero, a newsworthy event you might happen to see or bear witness to. As participants in a democratic society with so many freedoms, few restrictions on information, we are not as well informed as we should be. Many of us don’t know or care, until something affects us in a personal way. But it is deserved, because we let it happen to us, be it a bill that passed due to a low voter turnout, or being stuck in traffic because we weren’t aware of some big road project causing a five-mile
backup, but was on the traffic news 15 minutes ago, or that they were giving away free donuts at the class president voting booths before you found out a week too late. It sucks not being in the know, doesn’t it? Now, I am not a prime example of the informed individual, although I idealize it. Hypocrisy? Maybe. I’m not clueless, but imagine my surprise when I heard from a friend that a meteor had hit Peru, killing hundreds. Later, after telling friends and anyone else who would listen to this, and after a bit of research, I
realized the hundreds of fatalities were actually a few nauseated Peruvians, and the meteor was actually a meteorite with an impact crater 19 feet deep and 98 feet wide. A respectable size, but nothing to wet yourself over. I’ll admit to a guilty interest in violent upheavals of earth and nature, not quite apocalyptic doomsday events, but loud and destructive enough to warrant my interest. So you can imagine I was disappointed, thinking a chunk of the moon had fallen out of the sky, when it was only a fairly large rock.
When scientists went to investigate 30 cases of headache and nausea among witnesses, they could not find the cause. Later, scientists discovered that the meteorite had become superhot from friction with the atmosphere, then landed in arsenic-tainted water, vaporized the water, causing arsenic fumes which made bystanders ill. Everything was explained away, but I didn’t feel disappointed. I knew something I didn’t know before, and though this may be a geeky obsession for knowledge, it made me feel better.
Strange case of Banksy: artist, vandal, pop icon By Barry Kearns Staff writer You might not know who Banksy is; aside from a disputed photograph of him taken in Brazil, he remains anonymous. You should, however, know about him. Banksy is a world-famous graffiti artist. Seriously, he does tours. Banksy has painted in his iconic stencil style in a number of places, from his home in England to the United States; his work has even been found on a barrier wall
in Israel. His work contains subversive messages and social commentary on his surroundings. Banksy has also achieved a fame that surpases his notoriety. One of the first instances of this occurred when Banksy snuck in a painting he modified and hung it on the wall of a museum in England. Upon detecting the smuggled piece, the museum decided to keep it as part of their permanent collection. Banksy’s work has been featured in books and magazines. His spray-painted views on the world
have been placed side-by-side with Warhol, and yes, in case you were wondering, there’s a Banksy guide book where you can see the graffiti first-hand in England. Recently there have been some interesting developments. One of Banksy’s works has itself been vandalized; an image of two policemen kissing was marked with homophobic comments. In response to this, an effort was made to restore the graffiti to its original condition and a layer of plexiglass was placed over it to protect it from further graffiti.
Irony aside, this changed the nature of Banksy’s work – it’s no longer considered vandalism, but instead, a form of public art that people have deemed worth protecting. Banksy now finds himself in an awkward position as his rebellion seems to be co-opted by the institution he appears to fight. Banksy now has a merchandise line created in his name, if not by him and there already seems to be the seeds of a public backlash against him. I’ve loved Banksy’s work, but
I’ve also loved the spirit of rebellion he’s embodied in his work. Now that seems to be gone, as the government has ingratiated itself into his efforts. I would be furious in this matter and would be tempted to lash out in the public forum of the streets. This was where Banksy started and has never gained from his work on the streets so I believe that he would have that much less to lose. An act of defiance must remain that, or it will lose all purpose.
Campus Comment > > > What powers would you gain from a meteorite?
ruth kraynick Art “I’d fly.”
john bess Radiology “I saw the F.F. movie; having those would be cool.”
karen chan Business “Invisibility.”
susana bumb
kelly rose
Physical Theoropy
Photography
“I would teleport.”
“I would shoot spaghetti out of my fingers.”
October 11, 2007 MONITOR
News
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No simple route for wheelchair-bound By ANDREW CAVETTE Staff writer The Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) will begin working this week to better illustrate wheelchair accessible routes through campus. The DSPS currently has a map that indicates where all of the campus elevators are located (and how to reach them), but a map showing efficient ways to use them does not exist. The routes through campus are not intuitive and often involve multiple buildings. Wheelchair-bound Alternate Media Specialist Kevin Kirk, who works in Building 4, explained, “I have to go through four elevators to get to the bus area. I’m not necessarily complaining - it is accessible - but I don’t think a lot of people realize it’s like a rat that has to go through a little maze. “I’ve been working here for about six years and I think I finally know all the routes . . . If the person is new here, they wouldn’t know.” Kirk and DSPS Director Ann Burdett toured the campus this week to collect information for a new map. They are working on this new map for students and staff with disabilities, but also for the facilites staff to use when they are doing maintenance. When any of the normal routes are blocked off, they would be able to use the maps to indicate alternate routes. “They do tell us when the elevators are out,” said Kirk, adding that alternate wheelchair routes are not listed. When a student with disabilities first comes to Ohlone, the DSPS provides them with mobility orientation that includes a personalized tour of the campus. According to Burdett, people vary about how much of the campus they want to know. Some only want to know the location of their classrooms, while others also want to know where important buildings like Building 1 are located. Still others want to see every part of
The best way to get between Hyman Hall and Building 5 (which houses both the DSPS office and the Monitor) is to use the paved incline on the east side of Hyman Hall and take the ramp along the north side of the Gym (Building 9). Take the elevator to the top floor and make your way to the ground floor elevator in Building 8. Get off on floor 2R in Building 8 and travel east through it to the second floor entrance of Building 1. Follow the posted sign left to the second floor elevators. Go up to the third floor and then through to the Quad area. From there, Building 5 has an elevator to the right of the Bookstore. This distance can also be covered by alternate routes through Building 2 or through the Smith Center. Ohlone. Burdett explained, “We physically walk them though [campus] and show them whatever it is they want to see. If they want to see the whole campus... Great!” Some parts of campus are inaccessible by wheelchair. For example, the two entryways to Room 6203 are cut off by a flight of stairs and an unpaved gradient, respectively. Pro-
fessional Development Coordinator Janice Fonteno, who works in Room 6203, said if anyone needed to meet with her, she would make accommodations in another office. Burdett was not immediately aware of any specific issues regarding Room 6203, but said that the accommodations Fonteno described are standard practice.
She added, “because of how the campus was built so long ago and with the various constructions going on... people are more accommodating in that way.” Burdett said that more ramps will be built for the Student Services Building, and possibly other places. Kirk noted that the paved path leading to Hyman Hall on the grass near the front palms can be difficult to use. “Right where you get on that path there is a cut in the sidewalk. If you don’t take it at a good angle, it can tip you,” said Kirk. “They need to take out the sidewalk there and smooth it out.” He also noted that no curb-cut has been made on the sidewalk at the end of the ramp on the north side of the gym. “You have to go all the way around the front of the pool in order to get off the sidewalk,” said Kirk. He believes that the cost of additional ramps and other ADA modifications would be minimal. “I’ve asked the bond people about this and it’s not necessarily on their list right now,” said Kirk. In response, Director of Business Services Joanne Schultz wrote, “It is recognized that there are more ADA [modifications] need than we can fund, although there has been progress. The bond has been used to fund several large ADA projects. The ramps outside Buildings 4 and 6 and the new wheelchair access doors that are in most buildings are examples.” Vice President of Administrative Services Mike Calegari added, “Every project that we submit to the state for funding goes through an ADA component that considers what impacts the project has on accessibility and mobility to make sure no adverse impacts occur.” Calegari also noted Ohlone “will soon be embarking on a project of preventing underground water intrusion into some of our buildings. As sidewalks and walkways are excavated for prevention measure installation, obstacles and barriers to mobility [will be] remedied when the new sidewalks and walkways are poured.”
Graffiti on campus up greatly from last year By Barry Kearns Staff writer Graffiti complaints have risen substantially this semester over past years, said Ohlone Police Chief Steve Osawa. However, the reports of vandalism have tapered off slightly this week. Since the start of the Fall semester, there have been 75 incidences of graffiti on the campus, which has cost the college $7,500, according to Ohlone Police Chief Steven Osawa. The graffiti has been reported by custodians, staff and students in various locations around the cam-
pus. The size of the graffiti pieces have ranged from two feet by two feet to some much smaller appearing in the grout of the tiles. The cost to the school for every piece of graffiti is roughly $100, which includes a police report, an investigation and a notice to the Buildings and Grounds department. The Buildings and Grounds department must then sand, prepare and then paint over the area. The money to pay for the restoration comes from the Buildings and Grounds department. The Ohlone Police have spoken to some people regarding the mat-
ter but there still appears to be an expansion of the tags. The graffiti appears in various areas including the men’s and women’s restrooms as well as the elevators and benches; the vandals have used ink markers, pens and pencils to leave their mark on the various places. It is believed by the police department that the vandalism started with one person and has since spread to several repeat offenders. Often times the graffiti appears with both the same initials and the same script indicating the same person is responsible. The nature of the graffiti is not picture or sentence
based but instead a “tag” of the person defacing the property. The custodian who primarily cleans up and repaints the vandalized areas was not available for comment. Osawa views the vandals as “little dogs” and said that “they are just marking their territory until a bigger dog comes along, at which point they hide.” Osawa has been conducting an investigation into the graffiti and is asking for the help of students and faculty, in identifying the culprits. Anyone who wishes to report an incident can do so anonymously by calling (510) 979-7997.
Photo by Andrew Cavette
A tag in the stairwell near Building 6.
Chinese language classes gaining popularity Continued from Page 1 guided by the “five C’s” principles of the National Standards for Foreign Language Education: Communication, Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities. The modern Chinese language curriculum aims for a quality program that emphasizes the achievement of language competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing while gaining cultural knowledge through a holistic approach that begins from basic, concrete, and functional communication and progresses through abstract, topic-oriented academic exchanges that are closely integrated with real societies. There are two main dialects in China: Mandarin and Cantonese.
The Chinese term for Mandarin, “Putonghua,” literally means “the common language.” Mandarin is the official language in Mainland China and Taiwan and is used by most of the Chinese schools, colleges and universities and in most of the TV programs, movies, and radio stations all over the country. Mandarin is also one of the five official languages in the United Nations. Cantonese, on the other hand, is mainly spoken in Guangdong (where Guangzhou/Canton is the capital) and Guangxi provinces and most of the overseas Chinese communities in Autralia, Europe, North America and other parts of the world. However, the number of Mandarin-speaking overseas
Chinese people is increasing rapidly in recent years as more Taiwanese and people from Northern China emigrated and have been playing a more active role in the world economy and culture exchange. For those interested in putting their Chinese language skills to use, Ohlone has planned a cultural
exchange program for 11 days to China in June 2008. The program fee is $3,589 per person and
includes air tickets, meals and a private tour if a group of more than 15 participants is formed.
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monitor October 11, 2007
Political Challenge
Features Former student displays his art By Emily Burkett Features editor
By Emily Burkett Features editor
Former Ohlone student Jerome Engelberts began indulging his interest in painting last year and has since been consumed by his art. His 40-odd works place an emphasis on shape, line, texture and a limited palette, a style derived
Uncritical thinking Any student looking to transfer to a four-year school has reviewed the IGETC standards. Advanced Placement classes taken in high school can opt you out of almost any requirement if you have a high enough score in that area. Except one: ENG 101C, Critical Thinking. Colleges are clearly placing a huge emphasis on developing students’ ability to think critically, but the current system isn’t allowing for critical thinking to be rewarded. Instead, simplicity has become the way to an A. Schools across the country attempt to encourage critical thinking, but the actual practice is falling short of standards, as students are increasingly taught to limit themselves. The value of factual information can’t be denied; however, a simple memorization of facts ignores insights into the intrinsic nature of events and lacks the understanding that is crucial to true education. Standardized tests are a product of this information-trumps-insight attitude. I’m not against standardized exams as a legitimate form of evaluation, but again, one of the basic assessments given to students doesn’t measure understanding or analysis. Of course, the usual answer to the question of standardized tests is the essay. Again, this form of assessment fails due mostly to user error; students are rewarded for boxing themselves into the simplistic, five-paragraph structure based in deductive reasoning. The harm of the structure lies in coaching individuals to limit their thinking process and consider only three aspects of any issue. Worse, the five-paragraph essay also comes with the added baggage of the thesis-first mentality. I understand the purpose of giving a clear road map and controlling idea for the reader to grasp, but it has its drawbacks. The thesisfirst strategy ingrains biased and unjustified thought processes as opposed to an inductive, judicious approach which looks first to examples and circumstance and then reaches conclusions based on the given evidence rather than manipulating the evidence to fit a predetermined assumption. Thesis-first writing also undervalues the intelligence of the reader, assuming that without a cut-anddry, idiot-proof statement, the reader won’t grasp key concepts and thus damages the reader’s development. Factual retention should be qualified, but it should no longer be the primary determinant of intelligence. The solution I propose is to propagate multiple forms of reasoning and structure, to reward creativity and to give the standard, five-paragraph essay what it deserves: a C.
Photos courtesy of Jerome Engelberts
in part from the abstract works of Vassily Kandinsky. Engelberts studied art at the Amsterdam Grafische School in Holland and has had success in several other artistic areas such as illustrations and photography. Engelberts currently has an exhibit of 14 of his paintings on display at the Beanery café in Alameda.
Former Ohlone student Jerome Engelberts’s paintings are currently featured in a coffeehouse art gallery in Alameda.
Jo Rainie Rodgers plans trip to Sydney By Barry Kearns Staff writer
and paleoanthropology. Rodgers, along with her husband George, also plans trips with stuWhen asked about some of dents every spring around the world; the more exciting things she has so far they’ve gone to China, Egypt, observed, Jo Rainie Rodgers men- Peru, Costa Rica, Scandinavia, tioned the Stockman’s department Russia, Italy and all over Europe. store in Helsinki, Finland. About Rodgers met her husband on an ar20 years ago, when Rodgers went chaeological dig in the Mission San to the store, she noticed that there Jose to find the original foundation were closed spiral staircases found of the mission, which was destroyed in the far corners of the store where in the earthquake of 1868. one couldn’t see if a person was Together they went on to run ascending or descending the stairs. an archeology firm for eight years After watching people emerge or where she focused her efforts in the enter various physical anstaircases, she thropology assaw that withpect of cultural out any signs resource manor markings agement. The people just firm provided knew which consulting for of these stairthe governcases was for ment and for going up or developers in going down. the form of This observapossible cultion is the basis tural resources of cultural anand the impact thropology. of building in Rodgers Northern Caliknew from the fornia. age of 8 that Rodgers has Staff photo been teachshe wanted to pursue a career Jo Rainie Rodgers moved ing at Ohlone in the field of College since to a part-time position anthropology 1984, when so as to better this fall. she started “know the stowith some ry of people and humankind.” This weekend and night courses. In her interest was fueled, as her father cultural anthropology class, she is purchased books for her in the fields discussing the cultural landscape of archeology and human evolution with topics ranging from tattoos during book drives. She went on to University of California, Berkeley for her degree in anthropology and then to California State University, Hayward to get her Master’s degree in the same subject. She also holds an M.B.A. in International Business. Learning is a lifelong passion for Rodgers, who is currently enrolled in the Alliant doctoral program. Rodgers is also a fellow with the Leaky Foundation, a group founded to support human evolution research
and piercings to social taboos like cousin marriage. Her favorite part about teaching comes from the stimulating conversations that arise in the classroom where values and cultural viewpoints are expressed. Rodgers looks for what she calls the epiphanic “a-ha!” moments when she comes to understand why other cultures act in a certain way. Rodgers recalls a particular lesson she teaches to simulate culture shock - the class would be split into two groups and learned about a culture for about three hours. After becoming comfortable with that culture, some students would go into the other classroom to observe the other culture and then report back to their own group. Rodgers explained, “The thing about people is, you tend to look at your own culture and think it’s human nature.” Cultural anthropology is the
study of cultures and, in the classroom, Rodgers strives to instill a “cultural sensitivity” in her students. In teaching, she hopes to take away a cold clinical approach to the discipline and to allow students to use what she has taught and view how it impacts their lives or beliefs when one views the distinction of human nature vs. culture. In many cases, it is easy to fall into an “us vs. them” perspective when it comes to other cultures, but with the perspective that cultural anthropology provides, one can better understand a different culture, even if they don’t agree with it, Rodgers said. Rodgers currently teaches an online cultural anthropology course and a course on the survey of North American Indians. Next fall, both she and her husband will be going to Sydney, Australia where she will continue to teach her online cultural anthropology course.
Features Former student in parliament By Andrew Cavette Staff writer Peter Alroy Charles Hendrickse, a member of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, visited Ohlone’s Fremont campus on Monday. Hendrickse attended Ohlone in 1978 and 1979 before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley. He currently belongs to the African National Congress political party and is the regional representative of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. While attending Ohlone in 1979, he won the presidency of the ASOC, making him the first foreign student to head a student body. Hendrickse will be visiting friends near Sacramento this week and decided to stop by the campus to see some of his old professors. He also visited the president’s office. Assistant to the President Sarah Zentner met with Hendrickse. “I was really impressed that a man from so far away, who had risen so high [in his own government] would have such fond memories of Ohlone. It was a wonderful day,” she said. During a phone conversation Monday, Hendrickse said his favorite class was the political science course taught by Alan Kirshner. “I enjoyed it tremendously [because of Kirshner’s] off-the-wall stories, which made the class very interesting,” Hendrickse recalled. Kirshner said Hendrickse was “a very good student...and was ac-
Photo courtesy of http://book.co.za
Former Ohlone student Peter Hendrickse now serves in the Rebublic of South Africa’s parliament. tively involved in the Democratic Party here.” Hendrickse was a founding member and president of the Ohlone International Club. At least once a month, its members would get together, have a party and get to know each other. They would also discuss their experiences. “There were students from different counties; some were communist, some
were socialist, some were capitalist, some Muslim, some Christian,” Hendrickse explained, “But we all loved music, we all loved food.” He also said that sometimes people would be from countries that were at war with each other. “We were supposed to hate each other, but this was not the case,” Hendrickse said. “I learned more [about America]
the Franz Listz Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary. In addition, Birkedahl chose Walters as she enjoys speaking to audiences-- from the musically sophisticated to the first-time attendee. She offers insightful and entertaining keynote comments to more fully share her music in college, community, and lecture settings, says Birkedahl. “Smith Center Presents is a professional artists’ series that serves both students and the general public,” said Birkedahl. It was initially started to augment music appreciation classes at Ohlone, he stated, “to expose students to great art, but they have to listen with an open mind!” Although Walters tours the world performing, she and her minister
husband, call Manhattan, New York home. She earned her doctorate at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, and studied in Europe at the Paris Conservatoire. She has served as an Artist in Residence in locations such as Lima, Peru, and teaches master classes. Having performed in Eastern Europe before and after the decline of Communism, Water’s comments and travelogues are cited as entertaining and can be found on the Smith Center home page. She often shares comments on Franz Liszt pianos, as well as on the pianos she has used on tour. For tickets, visit www.smithcenterpresents.com or call the Smith Center Box Office at (510) 659-6031.
Famed pianist to perform By Inez Black Staff writer Concert pianist Teresa Walters will perform a Franz Liszt program Saturday, Oct. 13, as part of the Smith Center Presents series. Walt Birkedahl, Dean of Business and Fine and Performing Arts, said, “Teresa Walters specializes in Franz Liszt – one of the most important romantic period composers for the piano. She’s acclaimed internationally. She is performing a repertoire that I don’t believe has been heard in piano recitals at Ohlone.” Walters was the first American pianist to be invited by Hungary to present the prestigious Anniversary Concert in honor of the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt birthday at
Ohlone Chamber Orchestra to play The Ohlone Chamber Orchestra will open its fifth season with a performance on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. in the Smith Center’s Jackson Theater. The annual fall concert will be under the direction of Larry Osbourne and will feature pieces like Brahms’s “Academic Festival Overture,” compositions by Purcell and Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.” The pieces by Brahms and Elgar use classical music in an unorthodox manner, Brahms to transform drinking songs, Elgar to give descriptions of his friends. General admission to the performance is $15, seniors and students may attend for $10 and admission for children is $8. Tickets can be purchased by calling (510) 659-6031.
outside the classroom than inside the classroom,” Hendrickse said. Coming to the United States from a small town in South Africa, where his father was a well-known activist and politician took some getting adjustment. “Everybody knew my Dad, or me as the son of my father and then to come to the United States with 300 million people [where] not one person knew me... it was quite an adjustment,” Hendrickse explained. Kirshner has meet Hendrickse’s father, Rev. Allan Hendrickse and described him as “sort of a Martin Luther King of his era.” In 1987, Allan Hendrickse was a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Pieter Willem Botha, who was a member of the right-wing National party. In a time of apartheid, A. Hendrickse became famous for swimming at a “Whites Only” beach to protest against the Separate Amenities Act. His son, Peter, came to Ohlone during a time of political turmoil in South Africa; a time when his family was not welcome at home. Kirshner said Peter Hendrickse was well known around campus “with very little ever being said about his father.” Hendrickse’s father died of a heart attack two years ago at the age of 77. Kirshner thought Hendrickse would be an excellent candidate for the outstanding alumni award this year. “It’s not too often Ohlone can say they have [a former student as] a member of parliament in any country,” Kirshner explained.
Concert pianist Teresa Walters will perform at the Smith Center on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m.
India trip planned By Margarita Kitova Staff writer Another semester program abroad is planned for June 1- July 31, 2008 to Bangalore, India with Professor Kay Harrison. The price of the program is to be determined. Students will spend their first week in New Delhi, Agra, the location of the Taj Mahal , and Jaipur. Then they will move to the International Center for Management and India Studies (ICMIS) in Bangalore. Bangalore is India’s comparative reference to the Silicon Valley as a
hub for most information technology companies. The program includes excursions to Coorg, famous for its coffee plantations and tropical forests, Belur and Halebird with their exquisite temples and Jain shrines. There is another optional weekend in Mysore, famous for its palaces and gardens. The courses that are offered at ICMIS are from the fields of anthropology, business, English, and philosophy. Students require individual visas. For more information go to: www. ohlone.edu/org/studyabroad.
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Devil’s Advocate By Anna Nemchuk Editor-in-chief
Truth is relative The other day at work, a particularly smelly customer asked me what truth was. She said her mother found it in Ann Rule. I told her to read Plato. Recently, our district hosted the annual big-wig get-together. In preparation, we did spring cleaning in September. The entire store was turned inside out, polished, dusted, scrubbed, pooper-scooped, primped and waxed. We disturbed dust bunnies the size of small Labradors. We assigned greeters and welcomers, handshakers and quakers. We fed the beta. The visit was a success. Our manager lost the panicked look he’d been sporting for the past month and the district manager quit sporadically hanging up pictures on all available surfaces. Through it all, I felt a bit hypocritic. I’ve always been proud of our store, but the last few weeks left me feeling like I was on the inside of a giant poodle. Powdered, lacquered and primped to within an inch of life, the result as closely resembled the day-to-day reality as a Calvin Klein ad. So which is the truth? Most people will say there’s nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward. However, increasingly popular of late is the cult of takeme-as-I-am. Seemingly born of a mix of exasperation, desperation, laziness and bad Margaritas, the prevalent philosophy maintains that to hide one’s true nature from either date or mailman is to stifle any chance at true intimacy and to set the stage for a lifetime of lies. Armpit hair comes to mind. Three witnesses to the same accident will see three different things. Is truth relative? The three main religions say no. Many philosophers say yes. Plato said no. I say yes. Beauty, so often said to be in the eye of the beholder, is just another kind of truth. So is the truth found in a cleaner bookstore any less valid than that in a messier, dustier one? Does it make that store’s employees better? Does it prove its own existence in a way pure sale numbers cannot? Is the truth occurring in the middle of a forest with no one around any more valid than one proudly on display in front of a crowd? And just because your angle affords you a view of a tumbling leaf turned pumpkin-gold by the sun, does it make that leaf any less green to the man three feet to the left? Or is it simply that each one of us holds at any given point only a tiny piece of truth, a bite-size morsel meant to be assembled into a greater salad, not eaten alone? Truth. Great with red wine.
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October 11, 2007
Speaker discusses photographs of molecular splitting at talk By Kaiser Meer Staff writer Mother nature still leads the way when it comes to energy, but one piece of the puzzle is beginning to take on new meaning. Dr. Jose Cabrera showed much enthusiasm as he explained Molecular Flash Photography at the Brown Bag Science Seminar Friday. This technology utilizes a high power laser directed on a molecule, allowing scientist to see how it changes. Room 2133 was approximately three-quarters full for the seminar. Many were taking notes while others were glued to overhead images of Cabrera’s experiment. In his seminar he showed the sequence of events - taking two chemicals’ structures, such as bromine and argon, combining them - using a laser, shooting the molecules and checking the results. “The closer the two chemicals are,” he stated, “ in resonant frequency, the better chance a combination can be useful in testing”. Cabrera explained that the whole process helps people understand the rate of change molecules go through in this controlled environment.
The process is complex. Initially, a laser is directed on the molecule, exciting it, causing the molecule to begin to resonate and glow a certain color, the same color that molecule would appear in a rainbow. The second laser “zaps” the molecule, which causes glowing light to travel through a tube - similar looking to a small television tube - where special plates help convert the light to electrical energy, which can then be processed digitally via computer programs for an analysis. The molecular flash photographs show the molecular changes taking place at an extremely high speed not visible to the naked eye. Finding out the point at which a molecule is converted from vapor form to liquid is yet to be discovered. Cabrera teaches chemistry at Ohlone, and did his doctorate work in physical chemistry at UC Irvine. While the high power lasers are more efficient than before, the lasers being used today have been in development since the ’60s. Moreover, the technology dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century, before lasers and computers were available. Chemistry Professor Emeritus Jim Klent will host the next Brown Bag, featuring a chemistry demonstration. It will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 2133.
Photo by Jack Husting
Dr. Jose Cabrera spoke on splitting molecules at the Brown Bag Friday.
College Council examines stabilizing budget By Vanessa Baumann Staff writer The College Council discussed stabilizing Ohlone’s budget at their monthly meeting last Monday, The subject of their discussion was mainly Ohlone’s fourth quarter budget, which ended with $908,000 in salary savings, $400,408 in adjump cost, $200,074 in benefit savings and $300,000 in utilities from their fourth quarter budget. Because this wasn’t planned, a brief discussion took place about stabilizing this year’s budget. The adjunct cost was far over the budget, and the faculty
cost considerably under. The whole budgeting procees is very dynamic, said Dean of Business Services, Joanne Schultz. The starting budget needs to be adjusted before every quarter, whether it needs to move up or down when the money comes along. The water heating budget was Ohlone’s biggest expense last year, and the biggest carry-over was the Gateway Computers. The carried budget was over $337,000, resulting in $1.2 million left on the table. The packets that Schultz passed out to every member contained a
quiz on the 50 percent law. The 50 percent law requires that 50 cents of every dollar spent is to be spent on classroom instruction. This quiz was assigned to test the knowledge of the members on how much they knew about the 50 percent law. The quiz’s questions were based on the numerator and denominator of the 50 percent law. Some of the things that belong in the numerator are the instructional supplies and software. Things that belong in the denominator are the equipment, utilities and training. The meeting contained the discussion of the fact that they want
to try and stay at last year’s level, which is just not spending to spend, because rollover budgets have no value. President Doug Treadway also stated the fact that the budget has some security money, like an insurance policy. The second topic that was discussed during the meeting was about the board meeting topics. They talked a little bit about exploring the next steps to the presidential search. Also, Treadway wanted to hear some feedback about the frontage property. Some brief news was reported that the new Newark
Ohlone campus has already posted up some listings for jobs in the biotech departement, the lab, and security. More jobs will be posted up soon. The council meeting’s purpose is used to gather the representatives from each constichuent groups to share about what’s been going on in their programs. These specific meetings are held twice a month before every Board meeting. The next council meeting will be held Oct. 18 in Room 4202. Anybody is allowed to attend the meetings, either to participate or listen.
Station to implement pager-like ratings tracker By Kyle Stephens Staff writer Ohlone will play host to a new technology for monitoring radio listenership this winter. Taking the form of a small, pager-like box, the Personal People Meter, or PPM can tell what radio stations you are passing by (not necessarily actively listening to), for the purpose of marketing data for radio stations and their paying advertisers. Listenership data has long held much sway over a radio station’s decisions. “People have gotten and lost jobs over the numbers,” said Director of Radio Operations Bob Dochterman. This data has long since been the only way radio station know who is listening. While non-commercial radio
stations are not required to have their listenership ratings logged, the Ohlone radio broadcasting department was eager to get on board with the new technology, the veritable wave of the future. The PPM is a product of Arbitron Inc,, “an international media and marketing research firm serving the media—radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home” according to their website Arbitron. com. Radio stations have long used Arbitron ratings books as a show of who and how many people are listening to their programming, allowing them to tailor their advertising and content to their given listening market. The PPM can sense what media wearers are in range of by means of a technique called psychoacoustic
masking. An inaudible signal is mixed in with the listenable audio of a given medium, and the PPM is able to discern and take note of this for its logging purposes. Arbitron.com explains the PPM as “…a portable, cell-phone-sized device that electronically tracks exposure to radio, broadcast television and cable media as consumers
wear it throughout the day.” At the end of the day, the PPM is placed in a recharging docking station, which also uploads the data it has been gathering throughout the day to Arbitron. Participants receive $3 a day from Arbitron for their efforts. Previously, this data has been gathered via pencil and paper dia-
ries; randomly recipients receive a request to participate in the sample survey, and all household members over 12 years of age receive a diary, or log book, of what radio stations they have been hearing in the week, This method has a slew of problems associated with mail-in surveys, something the PPM system hopes to overcome.
Campus Events CLASSIFIEDS Tutor Wanted -- For second grade students. For more information please contact Ria at: pgupta8@yahoo.com or call (408) 234-0300. Avon, Buy or Sell $10 to Start -- No quotas, or inventory. For more information on this exciting opportunity please call (510) 6978867 or send an email to: avonrep@theavonshop. net. Earn up to 50%. NOW HIRING $11$18 -- Do you love working with children? Become a substitute.We need teachers, aides & directors for preschools, daycares and after school programs all over the Bay Area. Schedules are flexible. You pick your days, hours, region and age group. We will work around your availability. Pls call (866) 994-7823, e-mail at calstaff@sbcglobal.net or visit our website: www.CaliforniaStaffingService.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.
October 11 LIFE Meeting -- 2:40 to 3:40 p.m. in the Palm Bosque if the weather is good or Room 14A if the weather is bad. LIFE is an exciting club that meets on Thursdays. Come join the fun and take part in “Liberated Individuals for the Environment.” Everyone is welcome. 11 New Art Gallery Exhibit -- will be available to view from now until Oct. 26 in the Louie Meager Art Gallery. This exhibit is “Beneath the Surface,” by Karen Luk. Karen Luk is an illustrator who paints with chalk, pastels and watercolors. Her diverse work encompasses subjects ranging from Adam and Eve to social commentary to comics. She is a graduate of the Califor-
nia College of Art and an Ohlone College alumna. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from noon to 3 p.m. 12 Women’s Soccer -- 2 p.m. vs. Skyline College here at Ohlone. 12 Men’s Soccer -- 4 p.m. vs. Evergreen Valley College here at Ohlone. 13 Super Flea Market -- 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in parking lots E and H. Vendors sell a variety of things like jewelry, food, tools, gift items, toys, household supplies and collectibles. Flea markets are held on the second Saturday of each month. Parking is $2 per vehicle and admission is free. All proceeds support Ohlone College programs. 13 Teresa Walters, Concert Pianist -- Performance in the Smith Center at 8 p.m. For more information on this event, or to buy tickets, please visit the Box Office. 13 Third Annual Early Childhood Conference -- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ohlone Kidango center. Topics include: InfantToddler, Working with Children with Challenging Behaviors, Curriculum, Taking Care of the Personal and Professional Self, Family Child Care, Child Health, and much more. Register early. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration fee is $20 and includes breakfast and lunch. To register, visit the Kidango center or call Janice at (510) 979-7496 for more information. 14 Ohlone Chamber Orchestra: Fall Concert -- Performance in the Smith Center at 2 p.m. For more information on this event, or to buy tickets, please visit the Box Office. 16 Men’s Soccer -- 4 p.m. vs. Mission College here at Ohlone.
17 Ohlone Community Band -- Performance at 8 p.m. in the Smith Center. For more information or to buy tickets, please visit the Box Office. 18 Campus Tour -- 4 p.m. in the lobby of Building 1. The Ohlone Student Ambassadors conduct campus tours the first and third Thursday of every month. Tours will begin promptly at 4 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. Please make sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you will be doing quite a bit of walking.
a golf cart, barbeque lunch and benefit dinner. Registration is $225 for each individual, or $900 for a golf foursome. There will also be awards and prizes. For information, contact Donna Runyon at (510) 659-6053. For registration, contact Connie Teshara at (510) 659-6220 or fax (510) 659-7339.
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23 Women’s Soccer -- 4 p.m. vs. Foothill College here at Ohlone. 26 New Art Gallery Exhibit -- Up until Nov.9 in the Art Gallery. This exhibit is “Dias De Los Muertos,” in honor of the Mexican celebration of their ancestors. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from noon to 3 p.m.
18 LIFE Meeting -- 2:40 to 3:40 p.m. in the Palm Bosque if the weather is good or Room 14A if the weather is bad. LIFE is an exciting club that meets on Thursdays. Come join the fun and take part in “Liberated Individuals for the Environment.” Everyone is welcome. 19 Brown Bag Seminar -Chemistry Demonstrations by Jim Klent, Chemistry Professor Emeritus, from 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 2133. Jim Klent is renowned for his entertaining teaching style. He will perform chemistry demonstrations to inform and delight the audience. Free refreshments are available prior to event and the event is free. Check the Ohlone web page for more information on upcoming Brown Bag seminars. 19 Men and Women’s Water Polo -- 3 p.m. vs. West Valley College here at Ohlone. 19 Men’s Soccer -- 4 p.m. vs. Cañada College here at Ohlone. 22 Annual Golf Tournament -- 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Castlewood Country Club. This club is located at 707 Country Club Circle, Pleasanton. Funds benefit Ohlone College Student Athletics. Includes 18 holes of golf,
16 World Forum -- India: contributor and rival to Silicon Valley, noon to 2 p.m. in the gym. Speaker: B.S. Prakash, the Counsel General of India, will speak on the current dynamics between India and the U.S., especially the Silicon Valley. This event is free and includes and question and answer period.
Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor
The Monitor invites your comments. Letters should be 250 words or less and include your name and relationship to Ohlone. Letters become property of The Monitor and may be edited for spelling and length. Campus Events listings are free for college-related events. To have your event added or to place an ad, contact Danelle Meyer at (510) 659-6075 or e-mail monitorads@ohlone.edu
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Lady Water Polo edges out victory By Jerome Napacena Staff writer In a game where neither team was able to establish a big lead, the Ohlone Women’s Water Polo team showed true grit as they were able to eke out a victory over Cabrillo College. The game was played at a frenetic pace from beginning to end as both teams were able to run their offense but unable to capitalize on a lot of opportunities. The two teams traded shots early, with Cabrillo taking an early 2-1 lead. Cabrillo did this while also playing good defense, anchored by their goalie, who was able to deflect many of Ohlone’s shots early. Eventually The Renegades were able to crack Cabrillo’s defense as Katie O’dea scored to tie the game 2-2. Though a lot of their shots were taken from long distance, it was their work on the inside that got them the goal. Cabrillo came back with an energetic second quarter, opening with a shot from long range to make it 3-2. Ohlone and Cabrillo continued to battle all through the second quarter. But with the pace visibly slowing, it appeared as if one of the teams
was ready to fall apart. Both teams’ defenses were effective and many blocks and saves were made on both sides that helped keep the score close. The Renegades seemed a bit sluggish toward the end of the half as they began to fall short on many of their shots, mostly due to the great goalie work by Cabrillo. Both teams played with intensity, but had to settle for a close 5-4 score going into halftime. The second half is when the real magic happened, as the Renegade's defense seemed rejuvenated were able to get many steals keeping the pressure on Cabrillo to get back on defense. In the end, it was that defense that helped Ohlone to a close 9-8 victory. According to Coach Gene Kendall, a defensive adjustment made by him and the coaching staff was the key to victory, putting in goalie Lisa Nichols in the last 20 seconds of the game for some defensive presense. “Lisa Nichols was huge today,” said Coach Kendall, “When we put her in for the last few minutes, she made a lot of steals and just played a great game.” Indeed, it was key in keeping Cabrillo from scoring again after the last goal had been scored.
Soccer loses Friday By Vanessa Baumann Staff writer Friday was a pretty windy day, which sometimes isn’t the best kind of weather to play a competive game of soccer. But like all good athletes, the Ohlone Men’s Team still played their game and tried to beat Hartnell. The first period’s time of possession didn’t favor either side. Both tems had their chances, but Hartnell had the threat earlier in the game. The lone goal ended up coming from Hartnell’s offense in the 33rd minute. Ohlone didn’t get very many shots off in the first half, but they didn’t let Hartnell take advantage of that, either. Though the final score was in Hartnell’s favor 1-0,
Ohlone still had their chances. During the first half, Ohlone sent down the right line for the wings to carry the ball to the goal line. They then would send in a cross through the 18-yard box. This was one of their common plays. The only difficulty with this was that the wind would carry the passes further than intended, which led to several throw-ins for Hartnell. Ohlone also had many good chances for having odd man rushes, and even possible breakaways, but as every attacking team hates, the players were called for offsides. The goal Hartnell scored in the first half was a well-earned goal. It came on a 2-on-3 break. The Hartnell attacker carried the ball down the far right wing, and crossed the ball, which then deflected off a
Triples alley By Tomás Ortega Sports editor
NLCS preview
Photo by Tomás Ortega
Allie Glogovac scares off her opponent with an intense look before unleashing a fireball. player and went back to the same attacker. The attacker again crossed the ball into the center of the box, where a second Hartnell attacker vollyed the ball into the mid-right section of the goal. Although Ohlone was down 1-0, you could tell by their performance in the second half that their spirits weren’t down. The second half had a lot more excitement going on. Hartnell hit the cross bar and the post in attempt to score. Hartnell also nearly had a clear breakaway, but a good Ohlone defensive play prevented that. In the last 20 minutes, Ohlone had several scoring opportunities. One particular play looked very
nice. Hartnell had a corner kick which ended up being controlled by Ohlone’s defense. The defender, Kevin Chow, carried the ball to midfield after weaving through several opposing players, and drawing them to him. He then laid it back to another defender who then sent a long ball down the right wing to Abel Leon, who had a nice shot from 18 yards out that barely went over the crossbar. Ohlone’s goalkeeper also made a numerous amount of saves. Including sliding out and eliminationg shot angles. Ohlone faces off at home against Evergreen College tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Volleyball tops SJ City College By Lila Salinas Staff writer The Ohlone Women’s Volleyball team came back for another kill. Wednesday’s game against San Jose City showed how much the team has grown in all aspects. San Jose City overcame the first period with 26–30 Ohlone didn’t give back. Demi Wilson proceeded with dominating combos that shut down San Jose City. Ohlone would end up splitting the next two periods. With one period left, the teams had to battle it off. Whichever team scored 15 first took home the game. Tension filled the gym, though Ohlone stood confident with a positive approach and a smile on their face. At the end then Lady Renegades defeated the opposition, 3 sets to 2.
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Photo by Jack Husting
The Lady Renegades celebrate after a victory Wednesday night over San Jose City College.
As a baseball fan, watching the playoffs, (as much as I have time to watch, anyway) has really got me excited. Other than the Dodgers, there is no team that makes me happier when they lose more than the Yankees. Maybe it has a lot to do with the Boss. Regardless, I don’t want to talk about how glad I am that the Yankees are no longer in the playoffs. I do, though, want to bring to light the greatness of a series between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks that begins later tonight. It won’t be a good game ratings-wise because of the fact that they are two teams that play on the West Coast, three hours later than the major media market that is the East Coast. But don’t let the lack of exposure get to you. This is shaping up to be a great series. Both squads have their very own rookie of the year candidate. Arizona has the multi-talented center fielder Chris Young, while Colorado has Santa Clara native, Troy Tulowitzki at short. The Rockies also have MVP candidate Matt Holliday, who has yet to touch home plate in Colorado. And Arizona has everybody’s favorite, Eric Byrnes. You can also add the fact that the two teams met 19 other times during the regular season and once more in a one-game playoff. And oh by the way, it’s the frickin Rockies in the playoffs. This is only their second postseason appearance in forever, and right now they are riding a tremendous hot streak through the playoffs. Since Sept. 16, the Rockies have won 17 of 18 games, including the one game against San Diego and the sweep of Philadelphia. So watching them play, and watching folks jump on that bandwagon, has been one of the more exciting stories in baseball. Then you have the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have the reigning Cy Young winner Brandon Webb. He will be a big key for Arizona for the simple reason that he has that hard sinker that will keep the ball in the ballpark. Which will be vital, seeing that they play in two of the National League’s better hitters parks. This is seriously the series to watch. The teams are very evenly matched and both have similar ballparks. So I wouldn’t doubt seeing this series heading to a game 7. My pick, though, will have to be the folks I chose from the beginning; the Diamondbacks will win game 7 at home.