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beat San Jose
Loans cut, but grants up
Bert Whittington (No. 11) leaps toward the basket as Renardo Bass (No. 1) boxes out a Chabot player. The Renegades rolled over the Chabot Gladiators 76-61 Saturday to maintain their number one spot in the Coast Conference standings. The win also served as redemption as Chabot handed Ohlone their only conference loss and ended a 16-game winning streak in early January. See story on Page 8. Photo by Destiny Harrison
Explosion from chemical disposal shocks students By ANNA NEMCHUK Editor-in-chief An explosion of a chemical previously used in artillery shell fillings shook Ohlone, setting off car alarms and unnerving students on Tuesday, Feb 6. About 25 grams of partly crystallized picric acid was detonated by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad between the tennis and soccer fields on the Fremont campus, according to Patrice Birkedahl, college relations director. The substance was found in a classroom cupboard where it had evidently been forgotten by a retired engineering professor. After one of the people cleaning out the cupboards noticed the acid, normally suspended in liquid, had dried out somewhat, possibly rendering it highly explosive, the bottle was taken to the hazardous materials storage shed near Building 10. Decon Environmental, the company that takes care of Ohlone’s hazardous material disposal, recommended the Fremont Fire Department be called. Eventually, the Bomb Squad was contacted and, after some deliberation, notified President Doug Treadway’s office of the intended explosion, which took place at around 6:10 p.m. said Birkedahl.
welcomes new students
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Flying high into first place
By SANDEEP ABRAHAM Staff writer
ASOC president
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Fremont, California
Vol. XXXVII No. 2
In a bittersweet turn of events for students, the House voted to increase the amount of money awarded by the Pell Grant, but at the cost of the Federal Student Loans Program, which is being eliminated in accordance with the Bush administration’s Fiscal Budget for 2008. Both the Pell Grant and the Perkins Loan function as a source of educational funds for more than 5 million students from low and middle-income families. The continuation, if not increase, of both are vital for students facing the growing cost of higher education. To many students of Ohlone and other community colleges, a development like this is pretty momentous. One of the main reasons students choose to attend a community college before transferring to a four-year institution is because it’s cheaper. For many of those who have filed their FAFSA forms and found that they were “too rich” to receive any aid - it’s because the eligible family income range for a Pell Grant is $0-3850. Very few families who file for FAFSA are actually eligible to receive a Pell Grant. Because of this, many students choose to apply for federal loans, the most popular of which come from the Perkins program. However, this is somewhat good news for Ohlone. “Ohlone doesn’t participate in the Perkins Loan Program because those loans go through [independent] lenders,” said Joanne Schultz, financial aid adviser. “But with a student population of roughly 10,000, there are a lot more applications for the Pell Grant. [The lack of student loans] won’t affect Ohlone as much as diminish the access students have to Ohlone.” While those students who do receive Pell Grants would stand to gain a lot more, those dependent on loans from government-subsidized independent lenders would have a harder time raising funds. The Bush administration aims to eliminate the Perkins program and use the money saved from that to supplement the Pell Grant by about $20 billion. With this reallocation of funds, the maximum grant award is expected to rise by $260 to $4,310 in 2007. One of the reasons for this is that the administration wants to decrease subsidies to independent loan agencies to reduce student Continued on Page 6
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“It’s an explosion. I don’t know why we had it on campus, I’m not sure anybody knows,” she added. Picric acid was used extensively in World War I for munitions. It was one of the main causes of the devastating 1917 Halifax Explosion of the ship Mont-Blanc in Nova Scotia, Canada - the largest artificial explosion until the first atomic bomb test - that killed about 2,000 people and injured over 9,000. In the laboratory, it is utilized for staining samples and as a chemical reagent. While wet, the chemical is classified as a flammable solid, however, when containing less than 30 percent water, it is considered a class A high explosive. “This was apparently here for a long enough time - fortunately, it was clearly labeled,” said Birkedahl. She added that the chemical was not part of regular inventory, which Ohlone carefully keeps track of and that the incident and proper ways of handling it will be discussed at the semester’s first Safety Committee meeting led by Campus Police Chief Steve Osawa on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. in Room 5209. This is the second explosion-related occurence at Ohlone in the past two weeks. An incendiary device was discovered in the lower parking lot on Jan. 22. It was not detonated and was disposed of off campus.
Student a Demo delegate By Michael Aburas Staff writer Former two-term Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) senator Alex Hilke will be attending the California Democratic Convention in April. Hilke won 32 out of 49 votes in the 20th California assembly district, which gained him a seat in San Diego. There are 12 seats in the delegation; six reserved for men and six for women. Hilke was asked by his friend Trisha Tahmasbi to run for a delegate. “She thought I should run because she knows my long-term goal is to serve in politics,” said Hilke. Tahmasbi was one of Assemblyman Alberto Torrico’s field representatives and Hilke’s boss during Torrico’s 2006 campaign for the 20th District of California. “I was an intern for the assembly member from November 2005 through July 2006,” said Hilke. During 2006, Hilke became assistant campaign coordinator for the Tri-City area. In addition, Hilke registered online on the Democratic party’s website and attended the meeting at the Golden Peacock in Fremont to give a one minute speech to compete for votes. “I had a speech written, but it was so long I had to go off cuff. I gave a very passionate speech in comparison to the others that were given,” Hilke said. Passion is what Hilke believes won him the seat at the delegation. Hilke’s speech covered his service with the ASOC, United Democratic Campaign (UDC), “and what an honor it would be to go down there (San Diego) and serve.” Hilke’s major is political science and, according to him, “Me being overly idealistic, would like to see the good I can do being president.” However, Hilke feels a more realistic goal is Governor of California. Hilke says his political ambition was inspired by three major things. The first is the inspiration he got from his mother, “My mom has always been active in environmental issues and social issues.” Also, Hilke’s favorite hero growing up was Abraham Lincoln. But the event that made up Hilke’s mind to go into politics was the election of 2000. “The day the election was stolen November 7th 2000,” said Hilke. “It was then and there that I said ‘never again,’ that’s when I went all in.” Continued on Page 4
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Opinion
monitor February 8, 2007
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 General Excellence Fall 1994 General Excellence Fall 2000 General Excellence Fall 2004 General Excellence Fall 2005
Editor-in-chief: Anna Nemchuk News editor: Omer Ahmed Opinion editor: Matthew So Features editor: Eric Dorman Sports editors: Jeff Weisinger, Nick Zambrano Photo editor: Kevin Protz Online editor: TBA Staff writers: Sandeep Abraham, Michael Aburas, Emily Burkett, Kanya Goldman, Destiny Harrison, Jack Husting, Margarita Kitova, Noah Levin, Cheyenne Martin, Tomas Ortega, Kyle Stephens Ad manager: Danelle Meyer Ad staff: TBA 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.
Letter
Message from the new ASOC President Dear Students, Welcome back! The spring semester is already off to a great start with the stellar sight of the freshly painted Building One and other remarkable renovations in progress. As your ASOC student government president, I am looking forward to an exciting semester filled with authentic, rich, interactive opportunities for Ohlone College students. I’m ecstatic to share with you all that our school may be putting Fremont on the map. Ohlone College is the second fastest growing community college in California, as reported in the Signal (Santa Clara Valley News), Dec. 26, 2006. The
Opinion
article states, “In fact, 20 California community colleges made the list of the 34 fastest growing community colleges with enrollments exceeding 10,000, with Ohlone College in Fremont placing second.” How about that? That is definitely something to be proud of. Before you look ahead, I’d like to re-cap on last semester’s ASOC sponsored events and activities. Operating in the absence of any elected ASOC Executive Officers, a group of ASOC senators (most of which were new students) led the way into the new Fall semester taking on tasks of running a Fall election, coordinating Constitution Day and Club Days and following
through with the installation of new outdoor furniture for the campus. Their initiative, sense of urgency and commitment made all the difference in keeping the student government fully functioning. As soon as a team of Executive Officers was elected and appointed, ASOC continued to forge ahead and held other events such as the Thanksgiving feast, a special lunch for renowned dancers and guests from the Shanghai Theater and Arts Academy and a holiday canned food drive. Though all of these events generated good attendance and interest, my hope is to raise the bar for student participation. The ASOC remains focused on
serving the students. It’s our purpose to make sure your community college experience is as fulfilling as possible. Our goals this semester are simple; organize events or activities based on student interests and needs; increase school spirit; and create more community service or charitable giving opportunities. In addition, we pledge to better serve students by developing improved methods of advertising events, helping to promote Ohlone athletics and fine art departments (whom deserve full audiences due to their sublime performances), updating our student body constitution by proposing several amendments and building on the success of events
such as Club Days on Feb. 13 and 14 in Building 1, Lobby and other upcoming events such as Earth Day and Unity Week. ASOC is built on serving the students. If you would like to get involved, ASOC is the place to embark on a journey that will impact your future greatly. As a member of ASOC, you will gain strong leadership; decision-making and communication skills colleges and employers are seeking. ASOC provides a plethora of opportunities for you to experience interactive learning. You can get hands-on experience in event planning, Continued on Page 3
The world is my oyster; my dirty, dirty oyster By ANNA NEMCHUK Editor-in-chief When was the last time you threw an apple core out of your car window? How about a coffee cup? Do you pick up your dog’s daily deposits, clean up after forest picnics and shop local produce stands instead of Safeway or are you
more the type to spout soda cans and candy wrappers as you walk, scoff at anything labeled “vegan” and save your pennies for an SUV? All right, people, let’s make this simple: you. Are. Trapped. The Earth is a big ball of stuff that oozes, barks, walks around and occasionally buys movie tickets. You’re not getting off it anytime soon, as, for all of NASA’s and science fiction lovers’ everywhere
efforts, most people and therefore governments don’t consider space travel a big priority. Most people alive on this planet today will die on it never, much as some would like, having breathed the air of an alien sun or tangled with vicious, slimy aliens in a poisonous jungle somewhere around the moons of Jupiter with requisite scantily-clad 36C warrior queen breathlessly looking on and never mind the ammonia content in the atmosphere.
This air will have to be good enough and Edgar Rice Burroughs a fitting substitute. Having settled that, (though I would love to be proven wrong.) let’s move on: it is a generally accepted idea that excreting where one consumes nourishment is a tad crass i.e. don’t shit where you eat, genius. This earth is our pigpen, pun intended. It is where we eat, if you can refer to the average diet of
cheeseburgers and sugar-free soda as “food” and it is where we have persistently, since having climbed out of the depths of rural England and off the pyramids, gone potty. Actually, we started much earlier than the industrial revolution - the whole Black Plague thing? Might have had something to do with the offal flowing picturesquely down the sides of city streets. I’m just saying. Continued on Page 3
LEXIE NELSON Communications
AMY WERY Nursing
JEREMY PROZ Liberal Arts
Campus Comment > > How would you prevent global warming?
ROBBIE DOCTOR Undecided “Plant a tree!”
TONY MILLAN Psychology “Hitch rides with friends.”
“Stay indoors so my hotness doesn’t heat the world.”
“Plant more trees.”
“Become a hippie mountain man and drive a vegetable-powered school bus.”
News/Opinion
February 8, 2007 MONITOR
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Forensics team wins against larger colleges By NOAH LEVIN Staff writer
Photo by Kyle Stephens
At a debate after the showing of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ on Feb. 1, David Taube argues in favor of a policy to reduce global warming.
Sex ed. and club week coming up By Omer Ahmed News editor Next week, Ohlone students will have the opportunity to check out clubs on campus and learn about sexual heath during the overlapping Club Days and Sexual Responsibility Week 2007. Sponsored by the Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC), Club Days are an opportunity for students to meet with club leaders and members to find out what the various clubs are all about and whether they would like to join. Asian and Pacific American Student Association (APASA), Liberated Individuals For the Environment (LIFE) and many of the other 25 student clubs at Ohlone will have booths in front of Building 1 on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11
a.m. to 1 p.m. ASOC will also have a booth with information on how to become a member of the student senate. Next week is also Sexual Responsibility Week and various events will be hosted by the ASOC and the Student Health Center. On Monday, an event titled Sex in the Quad occur in the quad from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Condom Café will take place on Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m. and from 4 to 5 p.m. in Room 5209. Ending the events, Kiss and Tell will take place on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the quad. Kiss and Tell will present ten questions to ask one’s partner in order to find out how serious a relationship is. Additionally, free HIV testing will be offered on Tuesday in Building 16 from 11 a.m to 2 p.m.
Continued from Page 2 legislative work, networking, social activism, marketing, accounting, managing teams and so much more. Drop by the Campus Activities window (Room 1140) and pick up an application to become the next student senator to make a difference. The deadline to apply is Feb. 12. We are looking for hard working, focused, enthusiastic individuals
who want to leave a legacy of leadership at Ohlone College. Your opinions and concerns matter to me. If you would like to contact me, please email: asocpresident@ohlone.edu. Good luck to everyone this semester and watch for positive changes to come, here at Ohlone College. Candice Kirk, ASOC President
Continued from Page 2 Oil spills, destroyed rain forests and wildlife habitats, the stratospherical upswing of asthma, allergies and cancer in people and animals, frantic produce recalls due to pesticides, more mutations than you can shake a stick at - still we surge courageously forth, valiantly searching for a higher-grade plastic
for our iPods and cars that literally will take up a city block, undeterred as the human race has historically been by such petty obstacles as logic, reason and scientific proof. After all, if god hadn’t wanted us to eat meat and use asbestos he’d have given animals the means to run away and humans fragile lungs. Oh, wait...
President’s letter
Nah, logic’s no fun
Ohlone’s Forensics (Speech & Debate) team made a notable mark at Chabot College this past weekend. Ohlone’s relatively small team of four debaters was the underdog to forensics giants like University of the Pacific’s mammoth team of around 30. Emily Burkett dominated in the impromptu speaking competition and took third place in the Extemporaneous competition. Burkett and David Taube went on to make it as far as the quarterfinals in the parliamentary debate. Taube was also a finalist in extemporaneous speaking and the team took fifth place overall. This is the team’s third competition and the one they felt most prepared for. What do all these events entail? Impromptu competitors are given three quotes and then must pick one. They are then given two minutes
to prepare a speech based around backing or rejecting the quote. With these two minutes of preparation, contestants must be able to make a coherent and logical five-minute speech. And though it may seem intense, Burkett noted that it is “lighter and more free form” than the other events. The extemporaneous event is longer but just as extreme. Students are given three questions, must pick one, and give a definite answer.Contestants are then given a half hour to research the issue and memorize sources. This information is then presented to judges as speeches in a round. The parliamentary debate is the largest event, drawing the most competitors. All the teams are given resolutions that can be run as policy, fact, or value cases. Teams are then given 20 minutes to prepare their case. The Northern California Forensics Association's annual tournament is this weekend.
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Features
monitor February 8, 2007
Culture Pirate By OMER AHMED News editor
Overload can be good thing So I am a hypocrite. It is pretty plain and simple. At the beginning of last semester, I wrote an opinion piece warning students against overloading on courses. It was all based on personal experience, too. Nothing was hypothetical. I had experienced an extreme overload and I knew it was a bad idea. For those of you who don’t know, the usual maximum unit load is 17.5 and your average student takes around 15 units. Taking any more units than the maximum is called an overload and requires the approval of a counselor. I took a 26-unit course load in the Spring 06 semester. Simple put, it was horrible. I was constantly stressed, exhausted, overworked and smelly due to not having any time to bathe. However, it is now Spring 07, my last semester here at Ohlone and I find myself, yet again, with a course load of 26 units despite my notso-fond memories. I repeat, I am a hypocrite. However, I am a hypocrite for a reason. As much as I decried the pains I went through during my Spring 06 overload in my previous article, I came out of that semester with 8.5 extra units, half the requirements for A.A. degrees in Journalism and English finished and a lot of my IGETC Plan C courses completed. If it was not for that ridiculous overload, I most likely would not be able to get my A.A. degrees before transferring. So if you can handle it, why not take a severe overload? The most you're going to lose is your spare time, a little extra cash and possibly some hair and weight due to stress and what you get can really speed up your time until transfer. Add the 8.5 extra units I took to the 9 units that are normally possible in a regular summer semester and you basically have an extra semester of credit. All at the wonderfully cheap community college price of $20 per unit. Additionally, with all the courses I will have finished by this semester’s end, I will be in the perfect position to double major in religious studies and anthropology when I transfer, due to fulfilling the lower division requirements for both majors. I can honestly say overloading is not for everyone. If you need a consistent sleep schedule, your health or a social life, then an extreme overload is most definitely not a good idea. However, if you are willing to give up a large portion of your life and maybe a few permanent brain cells in order to get on with your college career, by all means take an overload, especially if it is your last semester and you can spend the summer recovering. Believe me, you’ll need it.
Ohlone’s first art teacher shows works By Cheyenne Martin Staff writer Former Ohlone Art Professor David McLaughlin’s exhibit “The Artist’s Compass Is In The Eye” is currently open in the Louie Meager Art Gallery at the Smith Center. The exhibit is a retrospective of McLaughlin’s 50 years as an artist. McLaughlin was Ohone’s first Professor of Art, teaching painting, drawing and art history from 1970 until he retired in 2003. Each piece in the exhibit represents a time and style in the McLaughlin’s life. “I wanted to show the most important pieces of my style throughout my career,” said McLaughlin. McLaughlin has been involved with art his whole life. At the age of 5, around 1942, McLaughlin was introduced to art by a cousin who attended San Francisco Art Institute. In high school, McLaughlin started to grow an appreciation for painting and figures, thus deciding to become an artist. McLaughlin attended California College of the Arts, then known as California College of Arts and Crafts. In 1967 McLaughlin decided to go back to school for his Master’s degree, attending San Francisco State University. After complet-
Photo By Destiny Harrison A painting by Dave McLaughlin in the Louie Meager Art Gallery at the Smith Center. In 1999, McLaughlin briefly and an artist talk from 6:30 to 8:30 ing graduate school, McLaughlin retired and then returned to Ohlone p.m. McLaughlin will describe his decided to become a teacher. When teaching, McLaughlin part time to teach watercolors and inspiration and lead an exploration made a point to show his students airbrush. He continued until 2003, through his artwork. all types of techniques and results. when the dangers of airbrush caused The next exibit at the Louie MeaHe said he tried not to push his own him to retire. ger Art Gallery will be the Valentine McLaughlin had another reason Show, which will be up Feb. 9. styles onto his students. “I wanted students to know that personal to retire, as well. “[I wanted to] take opinion would not matter; that’s the last chapter of my life as a soliwhat art should be taught like,” said tary artist,” said McLaughlin. After retiring, McLaughlin conMcLaughlin. tracted emphysema - a disease that is fairly common with those who Continued from Page 1 use airbrushes. After retiring for good, McLaughHilke’s duties will be to caucus lin relocated to Winters, CA with with other democrats across the his wife of 46 years, Penny, to be state, vote for the parties’ regional centrally located with his three chil- directors and to construct next dren: Jed, Holly and Nicole, as well year’s state platform. as his six grandchildren. This year Issues important to Hilke are he celebrates his 70th birthday is poverty in America, piece in the “still painting, I wanted to paint for Middle East and Global Warmmyself, [and] have time to devote ing. “The real humanistic issues,” to exploring my art.” described Hilke. McLaughlin’s exhibit will be The California Democratic Conshown through Feb. 27 in the vention will be held at the San Diego Smith Center. On Wednesday, Convention Center from April 27 Photo by Destiny Harrison Feb. 21 there will be a reception through April 29.
Hilke going to caucus
Freeman writes own textbook By Cheyenne Martin Staff writer Matthew Freeman, part time instructor at Ohlone, has published not one, but two texts for Ohlone and San Francisco State students. Freeman wrote “An Introduction to Political Theory” for Ohlone’s Political Science class, and “Readings in American Politics” for San Francisco State’s Political Theory class. Both books took a combined total of two years to create. The inspiration for his texts came from current issues, documentation, federal papers and presidential speeches, combined with the desire to provoke dialog about politics. Freeman, an Ohlone alumnus himself, teaches American Government at Ohlone and History, California Politics and Political Theory at San Francisco State. Freeman also participates as Advisor of Ohlone’s Alpha Gamma Sigma Club and the Forensics Debate Coach. He is also known for being one of the first instructors to podcast lectures through iTunes, a new program at Ohlone
that has been very successful. Freeman was born and raised in Dublin and currently lives in Castro Valley. Growing up, Freeman was interested in politics and history and believes they go hand in hand. As a student at Ohlone, Freeman met and was inspired by Howard DeWitt, a longtime history teacher at Ohlone who has published some texts of his own. As a teacher, Freeman’s goals are to “re-open the dialog and encourage students to have opinions.”As a teacher, it is important to remain neutral, said Freeman; he claims when an instructor reveals their views it closes the conversation. It is also important to Freeman during his lectures to have both sides in an argument feel safe, and to always give the opposite opinion so students can be exposed and become empathetic to others and their views, said Freeman. Family is very important to Freeman; he has a wife and a young son. “A happy home creates opportunities to find life’s passions,” said Freeman.
Staff photo Political Science instructor Matthew Freeman holds two of his textbooks, which he wrote himself. Teaching comes next. “If I can grounded. Freeman says one of his get a young person interested, I am favorite things is to hear students doing my job right,” said Freeman. taking part in a political discussion “You can’t feed [information] to after a lecture. someone.” Freeman says his inFreeman hopes to become a structional style is based on student full-time instructor at Ohlone in growth. the future. By being a full time Freeman said it is important to instructor, Freeman believes he can remain sensitive to student feelings, contribute more freely and focus and encourages his students to be on his students. Currently, he is respectful of others. Freeman said working on two new texts primarily it is important to him to help his in political science and California students have an opinion and be government.
Features
February 8, 2007 monitor
‘Inconvenient Truth’ shown at Ohlone
Photo by Kyle Stephens Assistant to the President Sarah Zentner introduces ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ at Thursday’s 2:30 showing By KYLE STEPHENS Staff writer The Ohlone Smith Center screened five showings of Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” last week. The movie, which recently earned Gore a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and was nominated for two Oscars, was followed at some showings by a debate and Q&A session. The film plays out with a session of a slideshow by Gore, interspliced with footage of him working on his project, as well as the events that led him to discover the topic and expansions of the material in his slides. The film managed to be better than the real thing in this respect, going where a lecture hall alone could not go. A parliamentary-style debate,
featuring four people and two sides - government and opposition - was held after the Thursday 2:30 p.m. showing, debating courses of action for global warming. Both sides acknowledged the existence of global warming but proposed different approaches. The government side called for the US leading efforts against global warming, that the effect had consequences for human survival, the economy, and the pursuit of alternate energy sources. The opposition stipulated that the effects humans had on global warming was negligible, and that it would also hurt the economy to engage in efforts against global warming. The rights to present the five showings of the film were acquired through the Campus Climate Challenge program. Around 700 schools
in the United States and Canada also showed the film free last week. The showings, which took place at the Smith Center, were accompanied by presentations by Math, Science and Technology Dean Ron Quinta concerning Ohlone’s own environmental programs, and Anthropology professor George Rogers concerning his new position as the college’s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator. The film touched on the basic principle of global warming: how increased levels on carbon dioxide raise global temperatures. These in turn, according to Gore’s sources, cause more turbulent weather patterns and rising oceans (the beach could come to Fremont in 50 years if the film’s predictions prove to be true). The presentation tied in such events as the recent heat waves around the world and hurricane Katrina, which the film both labeled as the fallout of global warming. The film flowed well, and made what amounted to a Power Point presentation an interesting experience. Gore avoided partisanship, pointing a finger at both parties, saying that while good people exist in both, they also both disregard the matter. He defined the issue as not political but “moral.” His quandary was well backed by a wealth of information in clean but not overt graphics and diagrams, as well use of a segment from “Futurama” to explain global warming more animatedly. Shots of audience reactions were kept to
a minimum, leaving the viewer to react on their own accord, implying respect for the individual to find their own conclusion. What was really grand about the whole affair was that Gore didn’t preach. He laid out his data and reiterated the conclusions of scientists, and let the material speak largely for itself. At the same time, Gore didn’t explicitly say what the individual can do to work against the problem until the credits started to roll. Another detracting aspect of the film was Gore’s passive aggressive pokes at an ambiguous opposition, and his slightly bland presentation. Gore now had more freedom to speak his mind, no longer being a presidential hopeful with a constituency that could get offended, but years of politics perhaps have smoothed his delivery. He didn’t really touch on alternate theories either, any more than to prove them wrong in favor of his point - which is what a good debater should do, true, but the asides on opposing thought were always very brief. This seems not born out of weakness of his stance, but more a quiet arrogance its superiority, in his eyes. We also saw too many shots of Gore looking pensive. True, this was Gore’s film, and some key events in his life, his education, the near death of his son and the loss of his older sister were relevant to his drive to get the issue out, but the emphasis seems overtly placed on the man.
Full season ahead for Smith Center By Michael Aburas Staff writer The Smith Center for Performing Arts will have another full schedule this semester, featuring such acts as parody group Forbidden Broadway, performances by Ohlone’s dance program, and improvisational
comedy group Comedy Sportz. For more information on the performances, go to www.http://www2. ohlone.edu/org/smith_ctr/. Tickets for the performances are available at the Smith Center box office. The Forbidden Broadway Special Victims Unit will be the first major act of the semester at the
Jackson Theater. On February 23, Forbidden Broadway will perform for the second time at Ohlone, parodying famous Broadway plays. “They’ll bring back the classics like ‘Annie’,” said Director of Theater Operations Chris Booras. Audiences will see 200 costume changes in about an hour and a half, as a road cast of only six portrays the characters. The Special Victims Unit will feature the witches of “Wicked,” a spoof on “Fiddler on the Roof,” the puppets of “Avenue Q” and others. “If you know musicals it’s even funnier. Even if you don’t know musicals there’s enough physical comedy to capture your attention; there’s a bunch of craziness on stage,” added Booras. Forbidden Broadway is based in New York and is in its 24th year of production. The production has won the Drama Desk Award given by critics of New York newspapers. “Every year we do one really big one (show) and this it for this season,” said Booras. The Ohlone College dancers will put on the largest student production of the semester and feature all of Ohlone’s dance classes. The theme of the production is the elements and will feature earth, air, fire and water interpreted through dance. Based in San Jose, Comedy Sportz will be another returning professional level production at the Smith Center April 27. Comedy Sportz is an improv comedy troupe, which breaks into two teams that compete for laughs. Fan participation is encouraged and fans will have the ability to call foul if they believe a player goes out of
bounds. Jeff Kramer, who teaches improvisational comedy at Ohlone, is the founder and director of the San Jose chapter of Comedy Sportz. In addition, former Ohlone student Patrick “Choch” Hobban will be performing. In September 2005 Alex Borstein performed with the troupe at the Smith Center. Borstein was once an actress on Mad TV who had a recurring role as Ms. Swan and also provides the voice of Lois on The Family Guy. May 10-12 will feature the Student Repertory, a group of students who act, direct and produce one-act plays. “A lot of it is cutting edge contemporary themes,” said Dean of Performing Arts Walt Birkedahl. The Ohlone Wind Orchestra has been chosen to be one of six bands selected nationwide to perform at the American Band Association. The American Band Association is composed of a select group of conductors from major universities and military bands. “They were invited by virtue of their reputation,” said Birkedahl. The Ohlone Wind Orchestra will perform May 20 at the Smith Center. The Louie Meager Art Gallery in the Smith Center will feature the Annual Fine Art & Design Student Show April 20 through May 15. The show features select works of Ohlone students. Works are judged and chosen to be in the gallery. According to Birkedahl, so many talented students turn great art pieces that many are turned away.
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Devil's Advocate By Anna Nemchuk Editor-in-chief
Procrastinate!
Every year I do the same thing. The first days of school are golden, shimmering with possibility and full of enthusiasm on my part as I make grand plans to do everything on time - no, ahead of time - get it done well and successfully carry a huge overload while working full-time, regularly cleaning my cats’ litter-box, maintaining at the least an armed truce with the parental units and having some semblance of a social life. For maybe a couple of weeks it all works. However, slowly but surely...actually, more along the lines of surely and with terrifying speed the entire shebang falls apart over my head like an omelet of soggy cardboard in the Amazon. Refusing to admit it or, heaven forbid, do anything crazy like ask for help, I bravely soldier on, dealing with my rapidly degenerating life in the best possible way - by ignoring it completely and utterly. Deadlines zoom past like stop signs by a 16-year-old with no license and his daddy’s new Jaguar, previously respected teachers are relegated to the ranks of enemy combatants - the goal is to avoid and exterminate, if possible with the aid of lots and lots of explosives - gentle but growingly insistent inquiries into my academic progress, home life and/or sanity are met with sounds usually reserved for lunchtime at the average third grade classroom high on cupcakes, and sleep becomes not so much a thing of the past as a creature of mythical legend, a fantasy perpetuated by the state in order to control us all. In other words, I go quickly and quietly bonkers. Having failed spectacularly at about 95 percent of what I set out to do four months earlier, I take a deep breath, burrow my head still further into that comfy sandbox and peruse next semester’s catalog, as any idiot can see that I’ve quite clearly learned my lesson and would never even think of repeating such a travesty. Professional help comes to mind, as do the names of some very good monasteries in the neighboring Himalayas, preferably the ones with really sharp sticks and an abundance of gruel. Still, surrender is not an option. This semester, I think I’ve solved the problem. A story by Harlan Ellison comes to mind, one in which an addict is wired to a nuclear bomb set to detonate on his death and sent into an alien spaceship with the purpose of taking it over. Like most of Ellison’s antiheroes, he is as royally screwed up as he is screwed over; he comes to hate the fellow humans that value his life so cheaply and takes over the aliens all right, proceeding then to become their leader and conquer the humans, his addiction burned away in the blaze of his hatred. All I need now is some plutonium. And maybe a few aliens.
6 MONITOR
February 8, 2007
News
World Forum set for Feb. 22 By NOAH LEVIN Staff writer The first of this year’s World Forum events is fast approaching. Presented by University of the Pacific Professor of Law John Sims, the forum will use the National Security Agency (NSA) warrantless electronic wiretapping as the basis for his discussion on checks of power. Sims’ presentation, titled “What the NSA’s Warrantless Electronic Surveillance Program Can Teach Us About Separation of Powers,” will focus on the controversy of the NSA/FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) electronic surveillance of U.S. citizens. In 2005,
it came to the attention of the public that the NSA, under the expanded FISA, was tapping the phones and intercepting the e-mails of U.S citizens and foreigners, without their knowledge or warrants to do so. The public’s outrage was palpable when it also became known that the secret surveillance has been in effect since 2001, after becoming allowed by the USA Patriot Act. The constitutionality of these actions is believed to be questionable at best and making many paranoid for the safety of their privacy at worst. Though the powers granted to the NSA are meant to protect the American people from foreign threats, explicitly those from terrorist cells within the U.S., many fear abuse of
these powers and discrimination against U.S. emigrants from the Middle East and Asia. On Jan. 18, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the NSA had worked out an agreement with the FISA courts to give the wiretapping program “the necessary speed and agility” to operate. No details were given about the “innovative court order.” Sims’ presentation will focus on the implications of the wiretapping powers being given to government intelligence groups and also how to regulate the NSA’s electronic surveillance of U.S. citizens. The forum will be held in Epler Gymnasium on Thursday, Feb. 22 from noon until 1 p.m.
dinator include pursuit of efforts for “sustainability” as the title suggests. Sustainability entails several facets: “conserving natural resources and avoiding negative long-term environmental effects, maximizing environmental quality, use of renewable resources, energy efficiency and energy use, facilitating use of alternate forms of transportation, fuels, and systems, designing all major new building and renovation projects to meet nationally recognized standards for environmental design,” according to the Ohlone Newark Center for Health Sciences and Technology’s website. Currently, an environmental taskforce is in the process of being
assembled to address campus issues such as promotion of recycling programs and implementation of green expendable goods. Other efforts include converting the Ohlone vehicle fleet to greener engines. Many of the sustainability efforts to be put into effect will first be seen at the new Ohlone Newark campus. The still-in-construction campus will feature energy conservations efforts by way of solar power (the campus will feature the largest in the Silicon Valley), geothermal heating and cooling, and air filtration and transfer via enthalpy wheels. The campus, as well as future Ohlone renovations, aim to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Brown Bag seminar postponed The Brown Bag Science seminar set for Feb. 9, UC Berkeley Astronomy Professor Alex Filippenko’s “Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe”, has been rescheduled to Mar. 9. The next Brown Bag will now be Dr. Paul K. Park’s “Bioterrorism – Food Defense Challenges in California” on March 2 in Room 3201 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided before the seminar.
Rodgers gets sustainability job By KYLE STEPHENS Staff writer George Rodgers, anthropology professor at Ohlone, was recently appointed the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator by President Doug Treadway. Rodgers, a long-time environmental advocate, who also teaches geology and geography, said he has “a very humble and daunting task” as coordinator. Many ideas and programs are awaiting implementation, though their exact application and execution await consideration by the Environmental and Sustainability Task Force committee. The managerial duties of coor-
Environmental Design) certification, which entails “recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health.” Environmentally oriented classes (which will be offered at the new campus) won’t be the only courses to promote sustainability. An underlying penchant of the sustainability campaign is to extend its principles inside the very classroom, giving the curriculum a “green tint.” In a speech after a showing of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” Rodgers effectively summed up the goals of coordinator, “(Sustainability) not for us, but out future generations - that’s what [it] is all about.”
Funding shuffled Continued from Page 1 dependence on them and the amount of money these agencies collect on defaulted loans. Yet, because of cuts to the Perkins program, most colleges and universities are forced to dip into their own funds to provide loans for students. Much of the money comes from prior borrowers, but as the price of higher education rises, this money is gradually becoming more and more inadequate. By channeling the saved money into the Pell grant, the Bush administration hopes to ensure that students get as much of the federal money set aside for student loans as possible. However, the Perkins program is an important source of money for students because it is self-sufficient, using the money paid back by students to fund the education of even more students. It is also important to note that Perkins loans are available to graduate students while Pell grant awards are not. The flexibility of the Perkins loans makes it a valuable resource. The Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations (COHEAO), a partnership of over 300 educational and commercial members, is encouraged by the plan to increase the Pell grant, but feels that this should not be done at the expense of the Perkins program. COHEAO plans to take its case to Congress and petition for full funding for the Federal Capital Contribution to the Perkins program.
Campus Events forms. You may be eligible for a free Cal-Grant.
February 8 FASFA Workshop -- 2 to 4 p.m. in HH-115. Come and get information and help filling out your FASFA forms. You may be eligible for a free Cal-Grant. 8 New Art Display -- The Artist’s Eye Is His Compass, painting by David McLaughlin. This artist’s pieces are multi-level expressions that draw the observer into a world of altered realism through suggestion, symbolism and metaphor via the subtle use of light, space, color and contrast. The display can be seen in the Louie Meager Art Gallery on Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and during Smith Center events. This display can be seen until Feb. 27. 8 Women’s Basketball -- 5:30 p.m. vs. Cabrillo College here at Ohlone. 9 FASFA Workshop -- 10 a.m. to noon in HH-115. Come and get information and help filling out your FASFA forms. You may be eligible for a free CalGrant. 10 Women’s Softball -- 10 a.m. vs. College of the Sequoias here at Ohlone. 11 Last Day to Drop Without A “W” -- Last day to drop out of classes without receiving a “W,” all day. 11 Last Day to Petition -- Last day to petition to audit a full-term class. 11 Fremont Symphony -- 2 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Smith Center Box Office. 12 LIFE Meeting -- 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 14B. An exciting new club that will be meeting on Mondays. Come join the fun and take part in “Liberated Individuals for the Environment.” 12 FASFA Workshop -- 2 to 4 p.m. in HH-115. Come and get information and help filling out your FASFA
12 Transfer Event: Cal State East Bay -- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come meet with representative Louise Martinez to talk about transferring. To make an appointment or get more information call the Transfer Center at (510) 659-6241. 12 Last Day to Add Classes -- Last day to add semester-length classes. Requires an instructor’s signature, all day. 12 Deadline to Join Student Government -- Applications can be picked up at the Campus Activities Window. This is the last day to apply. For more information call Campus Activities at (510) 6596255. 13 Transfer Event: Cal State East Bay Liberal Arts -- 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Come meet with representative Donna Strobel to talk about transferring. To make an appointment or get more information call the Transfer Center at (510) 659-6241. 13 FASFA Workshop -- 3 to 4:45 p.m. in HH-115. Come and get information and help filling out your FASFA forms. You may be eligible for a free CalGrant. 13 Transfer Event: Golden Date University -- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come meet with representative Ami Readdy to talk about transferring. Table will be set up in the cafeteria. For more information call the Transfer Center at (510) 659-6241. 13-14 Club Days -- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Lobby of Building 1. Get information on campus clubs.
with representative Colette Cowan to talk about transferring. To make an appointment or get more information call the Transfer Center at (510) 659-6241. 15 FASFA Workshop -- 2 to 4 p.m. in HH-115. Come and get information and help filling out your FASFA forms. You may be eligible for a free Cal-Grant. 16 Men and Women’s Swimming -- 2 p.m. vs. West Valley and Chabot College here at Ohlone. 16 Women’s Basketball -- 7 p.m. vs. Monterey Peninsula College here at Ohlone. 16-19 No School -- President’s Weekend, no classes. 20 Women’s Softball -- 3 p.m. vs. College of San Mateo here at Ohlone. 21 Reception and Artist Talk -- 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Art Gallery. Talk will be given by Artist of current display, David McLaughlin. The reception is during the first hour, and the talk is the second hour. The art display can be seen through Feb. 27.
CLASSIFIEDS Sharks Ice is Hiring -- Sharks Ice in Fremont is looking for energetic and motivated Ohlone Students! We are hiring for the following positions: Bartenders, Snack Bar Attendants, Skate Guards, Pro Shop and Cashiers. Apply online at www.sharksice. com or call (510) 6237200 for more information. Hiring Office Help -- An engineering company, located in Fremont, is seeking part-time or full-time office help. Responsibilities: General office help, assisting with accounts payable/receivable, purchasing, shipping and receiving, matching with purchase orders. Requirements: Strong organizational and communication skills, reliable and multi-tasked, familiar with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and QuickBooks is
February 8, 2007 monitor
a plus. Send your resume for consideration to tooltekeng@gmail.com. Hiri n g mec h a n i c a l drafter -- An engineering company, located in Fremont, is seeking a part-time or full-time mechanical drafter. Responsibilities: Drafting of parts and assemblies, working with Bill Of Material and detailed drawings, supporting design/ engineering department and constructing BOMs. Requirements: Strong organizational and communication skills, reliable and multi-tasked, familiar with AutoCAD, Pro/ENGINEER is a plus. Send your resume to tooltekeng@gmail.com. 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.
21 FASFA Workshop -- 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in HH-112. Come and get information and help filling out your FASFA forms. You may be eligible for a free Cal-Grant. 22 World Forum -- Human Rights and Freedom of Speech in the Context of a Global Terrorism Concern. Noon to 2 p.m. in the Epler Gymnasium. 23 Last Day to Petition -- Last day to petition to complete a class on a credit/ no credit basis.
14 Men’s Basketball -- 7 p.m. vs. Skyline College here at Ohlone.
25 Women’s Softball -10 a.m. vs. College of the Redwoods/Modesto Jr. College here at Ohlone.
15 Women’s Softball -- 3 p.m. vs. Chabot College here at Ohlone.
27 Men’s Baseball -- 2 p.m. vs. San Joaquin Delta College here at Ohlone.
15 Transfer Event: San Francisco State -- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come meet
27 Women’s Softball -- 3 p.m. vs. Foothill College here at Ohlone.
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
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Thursday, February 8, 2007
Ohlone clinches first place over Chabot By Tomas Ortega Staff writer Not a whistle was needed to raise the anticipation level in the Epler Gymnasium last Saturday night. Ten minutes until tip-off, the crowd was overwhelmed with excitement as the second ranked Ohlone Renegades (23-2, 7-1 conference), riding a five-game win streak, took on the No. 15 ranked Chabot Gladiators (19-9, 5-3 conference). Chabot handed Ohlone their only conference loss this season back on Jan. 10, which also ended the Renegades’ 16-game win streak. The Renegades needed a victory to maintain first place in conference. Sophomore guard Bert Whittington opened up the scoring for the Renegades with an easy bucket. He would go on to lead the Renegades in scoring with 18 points for the night, including three of four from the foul line. Chabot would put up a good fight early in the first half, trading bucket for bucket with the Renegades. But 15 turnovers in the first half for Chabot wound up putting them down 35-20 at halftime. “We had four to five-hour practices this week. There were a few things we needed to fix from
our last meeting and we did,” commented Coach John Peterson after the game. “Last meeting we didn’t play as many guys. This time around, however, we had both groups playing well and keeping the pressure on the [Gladiators].” There was not a time in the second half where the Renegades did not lead by double digits, making nine of ten free throws, along with sophomore Patrick Collier’s four three-pointers that made up most of his 17 points on the night. Ohlone’s strong play would help them overcome the team that handed them their only conference defeat as they went on to beat Chabot 76-61, improving their conference record to 8-1 on the season and their overall record to 24-2. Following this win, the Renegades are now in great position for the playoffs, leading CCSF by one game in the standings. With three games remaining in the season, including Las Positas this Saturday, Ohlone looks to be near unstoppable going into the playoffs. “With more quality wins like tonight, we have the possibility of being the top seed comes home court advantage which judging by the size of the crowd Saturday night, may create quite an uproar on the Ohlone campus,” said Coach Peterson.
Looking back: Super Bowl XLI
Photo by Destiny Harrison
Forward Jermaine Smith (No. 13) moves in to cut off the Chabot ball-handler’s lane. Ohlone’s next game will be Feb. 10 at Las Positas.
By Nick Zambrano Sports editor
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
Point guard Daneesha Wright led the Ohlone attack over San Jose last week. The sophomore had 26 points in the impressive 59-54 victory. from the outside.” At the end of the first half, Ohlone managed to build a wider margin and led 28-23. As the second half got under way, it was almost as if a new group of ladies suited up for Ohlone. “If we left it to the refs and let it be close, it was not going
First and 10 By JEFF WEISINGER Sports editor
Ladies continue their winning ways Coming into last week’s match up against San Jose City College, the Lady Renegades were, for lack of a better word, hot. Since the DeAnza College Tournament in late December, Head Coach Elizabeth Stanley’s team has been riding an 11-game win streak and looked to add number 12 while facing off against a tough San Jose squad. Within the first five minutes in the first half, both teams combined for a meek total of nine points. However, the game did pick up and with 2:30 left in the half, it was all knotted up at 21-21. Despite the close score, Ohlone had opportunities to widen the margin, but could not capitalize, primarily inside the paint. Defensively, however, it was the constant fouls that troubled the Lady Renegades. Center LaKreeya Hairston got into early foul trouble while trying to defend against San Jose’s inside game. Ohlone’s fouls put San Jose in the bonus early on. On the other side of the ball, the Lady Renegades were not able find the basket while in the paint. San Jose’s strong inside presence forced Ohlone to take more outside shots than they wanted. “We were trying to get the ball inside, but they were really packing it in,” said Coach Stanley. “We really wanted to establish an inside-outside game, go inside first and we don’t do well if we just start shooting
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to be a favorable outcome.” said Stanley. “We needed to establish our presence out there, get going, so that it was in our hands, not the referees’.” And the Lady Renegades did exactly that as they established their presence. Ohlone opened up the game with more passion and
at one point held an 11-point lead, their biggest of the game. There was no looking back for Ohlone as they finished the game out and claimed win number 12 in the streak, 59-54. Leading the Ohlone charge was none other than point guard Daneesha Wright. Wright, the sophomore from Berkeley High, led all scorers with 26 points while also adding two steals. Number three was relentless driving down the court and hitting tough shots from all over and resembled another number three we all know, Allen Iverson. “She’s our leader. She just puts the team on her back when it’s time,” said Stanley about her starting point guard. “That’s what a point guard does; she’s doing her job, we depended on that but we also depended on everyone getting out there and doing their job.” Wright’s opportunities for points were provided by forward Kelly Fisher and center Ceciley Johnson. Both Fisher and Johnson were in solid form as they forced turnovers and collected a combined 17 rebounds on the night. Also adding her own dosage to the victory was Taylor Lyons, who threw in 15 points. Ohlone’s ladies of the hardwood then took their impressive streak to Foothill last Friday. The Lady Renegades put notch number 13 in their belts as they held off Foothill 76-71. The streak could very well reach 14 as Ohlone faced off against Mission last night. Results were unknown as of press time.
It’s been nearly a week since Super Bowl XLI in Miami, in which the Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning won the game’s MVP award. What many don’t realize though, is that there is a lot more to the Colts victory and the Bears loss than we saw on CBS last Sunday. Super Bowl XLI marked the first time in the history of the NFL that an African-American head coach coached in the game (in this case, for both teams), and the first time in the history of the league that an African-American head coach won the Super Bowl. What is weird, at least for today’s world, is that it took this long for it to happen, but I am certainly glad that it did. Now, as for the Chicago Bears, it’s back to the drawing board. Head Coach Lovie Smith’s big challenge going into the 2007 season is to make sure that his team does not fall into that losing record hole that most teams that have lost the Super Bowl the previous year fall into. His second goal is to work on his quarterback, Rex Grossman. He’ll have to improve on Rex’s consistency and get him to stop creating turnovers. The benefit in this is that Grossman is still a young quarterback. So, don’t judge the kid just yet. Remember that a few Hall of Fame quarterbacks were pretty bad their first few years. Just look at the career beginnings of John Elway, Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning. Speaking of Peyton and his Indianapolis Colts, “How ‘bout them...Colts?” They are in a good spot to actually repeat next year. Peyton’s coming back, Marvin Harrison should be back and defensively, the Colts finally stepped up, to where they can pick up where they left off this year heading into the beginning of next year. The one question following Indy will be; Can they beat New England again? But let’s not think too much on the past, but instead take a sneak peek at Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 3, 2008. Considering what I saw this past season, I can’t help but feel like the Cincinnati Bengals are going to surprise everyone, but look out for the defending champion Colts to take the AFC. As for the NFC, Chicago should be able to make another run for the Super Bowl, and since Brett Favre is returning to Green Bay, look out for the Packers in 2007 in the NFC.