Monitor 2007-4-26

with hybrid cars.

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Tatyana Hamady is elected new ASOC president Tatyana Hamady was declared ASOC president Wednesday night.

The offical candidates were Tatyana Hamady for president, Yao-li Yuan for tresurer, Sahar Yousef for student trustee, Daniel Calloway for representative at large and Ken Steadman for legislative representative.

A total of 302 student cast ballots.

The results were as follows, according to the official ASOC count: Tatyana Hamady received a total of 265 “yes” votes and 9 “no” votes.

Yao-Li Yuan received a total of 279 “yes”and 13 “no” votes.

Sahar Yousef recieved a total of 267 “yes” and 21 “no” votes.

Daniel Calloway received a total of 255 “yes” votes and 27 “no” votes.

Ken Steadman received a total of 265 “yes” votes and 23 “no” votes.”

Tauheed Safi dropped out of the presidential race on account

celebrates sophomores.

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Fremont, California

Vol. XXXVI No. 12

By Kyle Stephens Staff writer

Softball

of having too many engagements next semester, according to ASOC adviser Renee Wong Gonzales.

On the ballots, Safi’s name was crossed out.

Election co-commissioners Jackie McCulley and Alexa Corrales shared several of their thoughts on this year’s election. McCulley said, “Turnout was disappointing.

Free food at the election booth didn’t give us the turnout we were expecting. We thought we were offering a pretty attractive incentive.” McCulley continued, “People considered their votes more. They stopped and read the statements.

Normally, most people just vote for who looks good.”

Alexa Corrales said, “Hopefully everyone will want to vote without getting something for free, that they would care enough. I think we will still give out free stuff next year, though. We’re thankful for those that voted.”

The elections were held Tuesday and Wednesday in the Quad, as required by the ASOC constitution.

The new officers will serve for two semesters, beginning next fall.

OPINION

invade campus.

sustainability

SPORTS

theater students

Ohlone seeks

NEWS

FEATURES

High school

Film trilogies becoming overdone?

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Kangaroo pitches trip

Photo by Jack Husting

In the Quad on Tuesday, Ohlone student James Gallagher dressed as a kangaroo to promote the fall ’07 semester abroad in Australia. He explained the trip’s goals and gave out volleyballs. The Sydney semester will last from Sept. 5 to Dec. 3 and cost $7,199.

If 12 more students sign up, the price will drop to $6,599. Business Professor Christine Bolt will oversee the trip.

Tahmasbi sworn in as new board member

By Sandeep Abraham Staff writer

Photo by Brian Chu

New Trustee Trisha Tahmasbi stands between Board Vice President Garrett Yee, left, and Trustee Bob Brunton.

Trisha Tahmasbi was sworn in as the new Board of Trustee memeber last night during the biweekly meeting. She was elected as a replacement for former representative Dan Archer at a special board meeting on April 18. Although there was initially contention over the voting process, with much of the dissention coming from board member John Weed, a look at the Robert’s Rules of Order parliamentary guidelines convinced him to change his stance in favor of a consensus.

One of the younger people to run for the board, Tahmasbi beat out candidates like Cal State East Bay administrator Jan Giovanni-Hill, who also ran for Weed’s seat in the last election, and former Fremont and Newark teacher George Mathiesen, both of whom have far more years of field experience than Tahmasbi. Her own experience, however, includes her time as a field representative for Newark

Assemblyman Albert Torrico and her help with the campaign to elect Bob Wieckowski to the Fremont City Council.

She received a 2004 bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal-State East Bay after transferring from the University of Oklahoma.

Having such recent experience as a student in the California college system has encouraged her to work toward lowering tuition fees and increasing community participation in college affairs. This is compounded by the fact that she worked while in college. Due to her youth and dedication to student affairs and involvement, President Doug Treadway said he feels she will bridge the generational gap between students and faculty.

Her personal history is littered with stories of triumph and achievement. Her father, an Iranian immigrant, came to the United States in 1979 and studied computer science and chemical engineering. Her mother, a native of Arkansas, was a nurse and died 10 years ago. She

also has a younger sister, Farrah, who lives in Ventura and works as a software engineer.

As a trustee, Tahmasbi plans to tackle various issues concerning the growth and improvement of Ohlone. She said she would like to see a collaboration with private companies, specifically nanotechnology and biotech firms, that would help Ohlone’s new health science-based Newark campus conform better to current work place standards. She also intends to work on making Ohlone less of a commuter school by finding ways to improve resources around the campus such as the building of new apartments, restaurants and cafes.

After a grueling three-hour interview and the fact that out of all the other candidates, the votes favored her, Tahmasbi seems to have gained the trust of the board.

She will continue Archer’s term, which will end in November 2008.

Wednesday’s meeting was her first serving as a trustee.

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Opinion

monitor April 26, 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: Jack Husting Staff writers: Sandeep Abraham, Michael Aburas, Manika Casterline, Brian Chu, Kanya Goldman, Krista Imus, Margarita Kitova, Noah Levin, Cheyenne Martin, Tomas Ortega, Kevin Protz, Kyle Stephens Ad manager: Danelle Meyer Adviser: Bill Parks Printer: F-P Press

Offices are located in Room 5310 on campus, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont 945395884. Call (510) 659-6075. Fax: (510) 659-6076. E-mail: monitor@ohlone.cc.ca.us Opinions expressed in the Monitor are those of the respective authors and are not necessarily those of the staff, the college or the Associated Students of Ohlone College.

Unsigned editorials reflect the majority view of staff members. Advertising material is printed herein for informational purposes and is not to be construed as an expression of endorsement or verification of such commercial ventures by the staff or college.

The Monitor is funded by the district, by the Associated Students of Ohlone College, and through advertising revenue.

The Monitor is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Journalism Association of Community Colleges, Community College Journalism Association, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Media Advisers and Society of Newspaper Design.

Opinion

Hollywood’s recent tradition of trilogies

By Noah Levin Staff writer Hollywood loves a trilogy. The heroes, the grandeur, the special effects, the millions to be made from the film and the subsequent mercantilism; all of it.

The trilogy is an epic, all-powerful, story-telling force: a series of three (sometimes even more), often times self-contained narratives that also fit into a larger, over-arching plot. Prime examples of this are the Lord of the Rings films, Back to the

Future, Indiana Jones and the Mad Max trilogy.

But trilogies don’t always start out as trilogies. Here we see movies like Shrek, followed by Shrek 2, and now Shrek the 3rd! And that, right there, is the problem with trilogies and sequels in general.

Now, the casual movie goer may ask, “How many sequels is enough?” The Land Before Time franchise has something around nine additional sequels to the Don Bluth classic. And though these sequels are straight-to-video films,

they nonetheless can cheapen the initial experience of the first film.

Hollywood sells trilogies these days. The plots and characters are not even connected – other than by a theme, location, or homicidal maniac – and yet audiences flock to these films by the hundreds.

Because of the marketability of the sequel, and subsequently the trilogy, Hollywood has whored out the once potentially epic concept of the trilogy, cheapening it and decreasing its possible story-telling power. One has only to look

at Hollywood’s preference these days to produce shallow remakes rather than making new stuff up to back up my claim. The Nutty Professor was not only re-made, but it also spawned a poor sequel, and a tendency for Eddie Murphy to dress like morbidly obese black people!

And what about trilogies that get a fourth film, or even a new trilogy added to it, long after the initial release of the first films?

This is what happened to the onceexciting and fun Star Wars trilogy,

now a cheap, computer-generated spectacle. Indiana Jones is also threatened by a new sequel, some 20 years after the last film of the series was released.

Is there truly such a huge vacuum of creativity in the movie-making industry that Hollywood must be forced to put out poor, irrelevant imitations of movies-turned prequels that already adequately speak for themselves? If so, one truly wonders how many Land Before Times there will be, come next century.

The ‘90s is where it’s at . . . wait, I mean was

By Sandeep Abraham Staff writer I feel old. I realize how incredulous this sounds coming out of an 18-year-old’s mouth, but it’s true.

My friends and I often find ourselves mulling about the past and nostalgically recounting the fads and phenomena of the ‘90s. Honestly, with the possible exception of the ‘60s, the ‘90s really were the best years of the last century.

There was a time when Nick-

elodeon actually had some funny shows and endearing cartoons. How many of us grew up watching the antics of Kenan and Kel, both on their show and on the original All That? The jokes were stupid, but hilarious, and all were “welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger.”

Then, there were the nicktoons, Hey Arnold, Rocco’s Modern Life, and, of course, the Rugrats, the shows that remind us of the children we used to be and the bliss and simplicity of those days. On other channels, the Animaniacs taught us

our presidents, states and capitals, Brain was always so much closer to taking over the world, and no one knew where in the world Carmen San Diego was.

Those were the days before the iPod and its thousands of accessories, when a simple CD player or boombox would have sufficed.

Movies like Beethoven, The Mask and Speed came on VHS for VCRs; DVDs were unheard of. Super Mario and Duck Hunt were a gamer’s delight and blowing the dust out of a game cartridge was a frequent annoyance.

Text messaging didn’t exist and people still trusted AOL 2.0 to bring them the untapped wonders of the Internet. Google and Yahoo were beginning their rivalry, sides were taken and boundaries were drawn.

This was back when Tupac and Biggie were still alive and back before the Hyphy movement when rap songs still had lyrics. We all loved it when you called us big poppa and we threw our hands in the air because we were true players.

We knew the lyrics to the theme

song of The Fresh Prince of BelAir and secretly felt a little bad for Carlton.

I could go on and on about the ‘90s, but there are just too many good memories. Life was simpler before 9/11, before the Prozac craze, and, basically, innocence wasn’t just something people longingly talked about.

I realize how clichéd this nostalgia is, but they say you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from. So consider this a friendly reminder.

Campus Comment > > > How would you exterminate the squirrels?

Anna lee Liberal Arts “I wouldn’t; I like them. I like watching them run around.”

Glen rabang Undecided “Deadly squirrel traps.”

Alton Do Michael Greenhut Fine Arts Psychology

Derek wilson

“Build a giant trap with nuts and pheromones, then sell ‘em.”

“I’d invite squirrel-eating raccoons on campus: tons of ’em.”

“Cyanide-coated cookies.”

Broadcasting

News/Features Students defend leper colony Continued from Page 4 successful in keeping the constructioncompanies at bay, but for how much longer no one can tell.

Daily, students are willingly standing up and protesting, while being arrested by the police, in hopes that their sacrifices will raise concerns for the lepers.

More than 70 percent of the colony has already been bulldozed and houses that were built by the medical staff on site to assist the lepers in their own needs have been collapsing as construction companies mine and level the entire area around the houses.

The Taiwanese government is throwing out cleverly disguised statistical statements claiming to consider saving “90 percent of what remains” of the concentration camp for historical use.

But even that is just a vague public relations announcement, according to Liu. Liu came across this alarming human rights violation during his spring break when he was surfing

the Internet. “I was looking for something I could do to help others,” he said.

In a post-modern era of subjectivity of morals, where students often do not believe they can make a difference at the moment, Liu urges others to seek out ways for young scholars to protest injustice all over the world.

“One may ask, what is my one voice? It will never make a difference. But the voices of many ones can come together to be the voice of many and it will be heard.”

College students have always been the ones to move public thought forward, from the civil rights eras of Martin Luther King to the Tiananmen Square massacre, young, socially aware and justiceminded people have been the ones to make history.

“Students such as [Virginia Tech killer] Seung Hui Cho who have noticed social injustices such as this could have had other ways to vent their energy.

People with such passion have

always been the ones changing the world; it is important that they understand that they can do so in a way that benefits society, such as Dr. King. Students should be made aware that they can do something about social injustices, that they can be heard and that they can do this in a right way.”

It is the responsibility of the fair-minded to look after the few and the weak when the majority and the strong attempt to overrun them and violate their basic human rights for selfish benefits.

We are responsible and our voices can be heard, Liu insisted.

Concerned students can contact the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco (the Taiwanese embassy) by writing to 555 Montgomery Street, Suite 501, San Francisco, CA, 94111, emailing hlwang@mofa.gov.tw or calling (415) 364 – 5610.

The website for students’ and the signs they have held up in protest is www.pcschool.idv.tw/ savelosheng

Instructor’s band to play Tuesday The Tim Roberts Band will play modern fusion and pop tunes next Tuesday, May 1, at 8 p.m. in the Jackson Theater.

The band is made up of Ohlone instructors and working professionals. Despite the fact that Tuesday is a school night and late in the semester at that, “you’re hereby entitled to take a break and

enjoy yourself by hearing songs performed by some of the best players in the Bay Area,” Roberts said.

Appearing with Roberts will be Grant Pierce, Kent Reed, Cathy Snider and Eric Wilson.

Admission is $5. If you’d like to sample some of the music, visit www.phretz.com and check out the recordings and video clips.

Clean cars for cops

By Margarita KitovA Staff writer Ohlone may soon be stepping further toward environmental sustainability by replacing the current Ohlone security cars with hybrids.

The switch is one of many proposals being mulled over by Ohlone’s sustainability committee and George Rodgers, anthropology professor and sustainability coordinator. The committee’s members are also considering opening new parking slots

for students using hybrid cars that will be closer to campus than the current lower levels. There might also be discounted parking permits for all drivers of hybrid vehicles.

Apart from hybrids, the committee is thinking ahead to the new campus in Newark. To reduce the impact created by mass commuter traffic, a shuttle from Ohlone’s Newark campus to the main Fremont campus and a shuttle from Fremont BART to Ohlone are being considered.

April 26, 2007 MONITOR

Transfer help planned

By Brian Chu Staff writer Trustees on Wednesday discussed streamlining the path from high school to Ohlone to a four-year university.

One of the highlights of the plan is a website that would promote enrollment at Ohlone and help students track their progress toward transfer.

The board also noted that the new Newark campus is closer to four of the five high schools in Fremont than the Fremont campus, so it will play a pivotal role in convincing local residents to become students. They also discussed how Ohlone’s dual enrollment programs with C.S.U. East Bay and U.C. Berkeley could benefit high school students. The board also said the college should advertise how easy it is to transfer credits.

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Features

monitor April 26, 2007

Culture Pirate

By OMER AHMED News editor

When Web classes flex I know I bring up Texas far too often, but the few good ideas it has are sometimes worth mentioning. Strangely enough, most of these good ideas involve education.

Texas, in addition to having a hybrid state university/community college, has developed a way to make online courses more accessible to all its students.

If you are enrolled at any Texas community college, you can take any online course at any other Texas community college without having to apply to that school. All the online classes are provided by the same system, which any student from any school can log into.

The system also recognizes prerequisites across the system. This allows students access to a greater number and, more importantly, a greater variety of courses.

The situation is quite different here in California. Before this semester began, I decided I needed more classes in my major, religious studies, to show transfer schools that I was committed to the discipline. Unfortunately, I had already taken three out of the four courses offered here at Ohlone. So, after a quick web search, I found Introduction to Comparative Religion offered online at San Bernardino College.

Seemed perfect. With the quick turn-around that online admissions provided, I was registered in under 24 hours. Unfortunately, to register for the course I needed to meet the prerequisite of San Bernardino’s English Writing 1A or equal on their placement test.

I have met these requirements with English 101A at Ohlone, but there is no way for San Bernardino to know this. To register in the class, I would have had to get my transcript or a statement from an Ohlone counselor, and then take those to the admissions and records in San Bernardino, about 6.5 hours away, to get it verified. If I had the time, or the gas money, to go to San Bernardino, I wouldn’t be taking an online class. It is too much hassle.

The entire point of online classes is to make education accessible to all students. If the California community college system adopted a system similar to the Texas system, students would have easier access to the entire range of courses offered in the system. Ohlone not being big on religious studies would not be an issue because I could have taken Advanced Issues in Islam from De Anza. Similarly, Ohlone’s Survey of North American Indian Cultures would rectify De Anza’s lack of Native American studies.

With all the offerings from the College of the Redwoods in Eureka to Mesa College in San Diego available to students, everyone’s needs could be met no matter what they want to study.

Not your average RC car Photo by Jack Husting

How Technology Works student Valerie Parker adjusts a remote-controlled fuel cell car she and her classmates built. The car works by splitting water, then harvesting the electrons.

New course reveals how things work

By Kyle Stephens Staff writer An Ohlone course, How Technology Works CNET-114/ENGI-114, will qualify for CSU lab science credit for the first time this fall. How Technology Works is a course focusing on practical understanding and application of science concepts.

A penchant of the course is the use of contemporary technology to

explain scientific concepts. How computers, iPods, robots, solar panels, GPS and other devices function are subject to discussion in the breadth of the course.

In an example of hands-on science experience, aspiring engineer and CNET-114 student Valerie Parker described a class project, a remote-control car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The cell works by splitting water into hydrogen

and oxygen molecules through electrolysis and then harvesting the electrons on a platinum sheet as the two come together.

Combining the merits of both a physically present and online course, How Technology Works exists as a “hybrid” class. On the online side, course materials, tests and resources are given, and in person, labs and further learning are carried out by the instructor and students.

Another in-person component is the course’s numerous field trips, to the Tech Museum of Innovation, the Intel Museum and NASA Ames Research Center Two sections will be available this fall, taught by Computer Studies Instructor Richard Grotegut and Stanford graduate Lily Swift.

In summary, Parker described the class as “awesome, a really great experience.”

Student joins fight for leper rights

By Brian Chu Staff writer Lepers in Taiwan are being evicted and their homes bulldozed down. Ohlone student and activist Steve Liu is doing something about it.

Since 60 years ago, lepers in Taiwan have been arrested and moved into concentration camps.

Their families have disowned them, often saying that their relatives had “died.” These victims were then collected, herded and deposited into a small plot of land slightly smaller than the Ohlone campus, the concentration camp Lo Sheng.

They have been there their whole lives, under government rules and regulations, following the laws and sacrificing their own well-being to contribute to what Taiwan has called its “civic well-being.” Now they are being betrayed once again by the same people who had shut them inside their concentration camp in the first place. And they are being removed for the sole reason of expanding the Taiwan mass transit system.

Liu has joined thousands of college students all over the world in protesting this violation of human rights. Years ago, a leper concentration camp in Hawaii was to be bulldozed to create a vacation resort, but strong global response convinced the government to turn it into a museum and symbol of human suffering. Liu and students around the globe are trying to do

the same. A website has been set up in which activists from six different continents have taken pictures of themselves holding signs (see right) and uploading them to the internet.

Last week, Liu, along with a dozen other protestors marched to the Taiwanese embassy in San Francisco and handed over a document with requests to save the concentration camp in Lo Sheng. They did this in parallel with the march that took place in Taiwan several days earlier, when over 7,000 students and professors marched into the capital protesting the destruction of the colony. Over 1,500 protestors participated in the “prostration” march, in which for every step they took they kneeled and bowed down with their foreheads touching the ground, all in humble request of the government to heed their cries.

There is no lack of underhanded bureaucratic activity in the whole affair. The government has claimed that the land is no longer in their possession and that they have sold it off to private construction companies. Coincidentally, these companies are owned by senators and other officials within the government system.

Not only will these politicians benefit out of convenience in the expansion of their mass transit system through the Lo Sheng area, but there are many valuable construction materials within the hills and mountains of the region as well.

Taiwan is an island with relatively

Photo by Jack Husting

Student Steve Liu, left, and classmate Brian Chu hold up signs as part of a worldwide effort to promote leprosy awareness. small amounts of natural resources, and due to the current political climate with China, it is unable to import cheaper building materials from the latter. In summary, it is the greed of the few and powerful that is overriding the needs of victims and under-privileged.

The United Nations believes that this is a clear violation of hu-

man rights. At this time, foreigners protesting in Taiwan and protestors standing outside the Premier of Taiwan’s house have been arrested.

Human rights groups, consisting mostly of social-minded Taiwanese college students, have formed a patrol system around what remains of the camp. So far, they have proven Continued on Page 3

Features

April 26, 2007 monitor

All Ohlone is a stage for 800 high schoolers

By Kyle Stephens Staff writer Over 20 schools, 800 students, 450 entries and 100 judges from all over California participated in 37 different events that made up this year’s Ohlone College High School Theater Festival.

The festival, in its thirteenth and largest year yet, is a competition of theater skills. It allows aspiring actors and technicians to compete and interact with fellow theater students from across the state, as well as to experience Ohlone’s facilities.

“It’s a friendly competition, about having lots of fun,” said Ohlone student and event staffer James Deveareaux.

There were two main categories of events showcased: theater and design/tech. In the “theater” category, events included one-act plays, both humorous and dramatic, musical theater, dramatic and humorous contemporary monologue and theater games. In the “design/tech” category, events included scene design, costume design, graphic design, tech Olympics and video/

music.

Festival Coordinator Michelle Hartmungurber described the event as an opportunity for participants to perform in one of the best theaters in the area, and to survey the Ohlone campus - “[a chance to] experience the Ohlone College theater program.” The festival also allows for Ohlone’s staff to be on the lookout to recruit prospective students for their program.

Students receive judgment for their performances in both an empirical score, and in feedback on their performances. This scoring comes from a wide variety of judges, from all manner of theater fields.

Tom Blank of the drama department said that many of the participants have “so much need for attention and feedback.”

Joanne Schultz, Ohlone dean of business services and judge at this year’s event and in years past, called this year “the biggest year we ever had. It’s a fun event to do – I’ve been doing it for years.”

Furthermore, Schultz pointed out that the festival lets theater students see each other in action. Unlike

Devil’s Advocate

By Anna Nemchuk Editor-in-chief

Why fret about it?

Photo by Kyle Stephens

Michelle Foletta, an Irvington student and participant in the Maxi Musical Theater event, waits in full costume at the High School Theater Festival. sports teams, which by their very nature face up against each other, those in theater don’t have much reason (as they are occupied with their own shows) to observe each

other in their element, to learn from or just to enjoy.

Joe Nichols, a second year staffer added, “Every year we get something different.”

Concert puts dancers in their element

By Cheyenne Martin Staff writer The Ohlone College Spring Dance Concert opened in the Jackson Theatre on Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m. The theme of the concert was “Elements”: earth, air, water and fire. The concert included four suites, each dedicated to an element.

“Elements” was “a collaboration of many creative hearts,” said Artistic Director Janel Tomblin-Brown.

The inspiration for the show was “the need to have a more cohesive dance production, accompanied by the growth of our dance population and program needs.”

Most dance numbers were choreographed by students enrolled in Brown’s choreography class and were chosen through strict requirements; each choreographer must have performed in the previous year’s spring dance production before interviewing with Brown for the opportunity to choreograph. For the select few that were chosen, practice started during the winter break and continued through the

spring semester. Brown worked closely with each choreographer to put the production together.

The concert opened with a large volcano rising from the stage as a woman danced from within the peak. Set designers Fred Alim and Stephen Wathen went above and beyond throughout the entire production, keeping in theme while wowing the audience with their attention to detail and their ability to make each part of the scenery fit its corresponding dance.

The first number, “Shan Mow Mountain,” was a lyrical piece choreographed by Cassie Begley featuring dancers dressed as jungle animals. While the choreography was unique and entertaining, it might have been too challenging for the dancers, as most of them broke character and looked exhausted by the end.

The first obviously enjoyable number from the audience’s perspective was “Pagdiriwang,” choreographed by Onel Higginbotham.

Another lyrical piece with an African theme, Higginbotham’s piece had a lot going on, but despite

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this, every section’s dancers were extremely in sync with each other.

The high energy of the song, set and performers was contagious.

The most visually appealing number was “Respire (Hallelujah).”

Choreographed by Kyle Meirs, the scene opened with the performer’s silhouettes. Though the dancers could be heard breathing, this only enhanced the personal, emotional feel of the a capella version of “Hallelujah.” The “barely there” costumes and free flowing hair of the performers, as well as the theatrical elements, created a feeling of souls trying to connect. This breathtaking performance appeared to be a favorite of all.

“Allegory” was another beautifully done performance. The ensemble was extremely tight in their beautifully performed routine.

The male soloist, Higginbotham impressed the audience with his precision and technique. The ensemble was extremely tight in their beautifully performed routine. Each performer blended together almost as one movement. The end, however, was the most touching, as a screen

dropped in front of the dancers, blocking the audience’s vision, only to have light beam down dramatically at the last second to reveal two separate emotional poses between the duet and the ensemble.

“Calm Before the Storm’s” choreographers, Denise Loustau and members of the Chaotic Strain Dance Company, knew how to demand the audience’s attention.

This hip-hop number was upbeat and full of energy. Dressed like rebel school kids, the performers rocked the theater and impressed the audience with their enthusiasm.

“Internal Inferno,” choreographed by Carolyn Quindoy, was the most intense, high-spirited number of the show. This fast-paced hip-hop routine, highlighted by a red and black theme, was not only interesting to watch but also showed off the talents of each dancer, no matter the skill level.

The show concluded with a finale featuring the complete cast, a reflection upon the entire show.

Next year, the dance program will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary. The feature for that production will be “Then and Now” with a mixture of alumni dancers along with current dancers at Ohlone College. The dance program is continually growing, a trend that Brown hopes to continue.

“I welcome every dancer into my dance [program] that has the desire to perform,” said Brown.

In the dance program’s near future, Brown will be taking a group of dancers to China next week. The group, which she refers to as a “core group of dancers,” will represent the Ohlone College Dance Program in China.

Next for the Smith Center is “Comedy Sportz” this Friday.

Due to my recently occurred birthday, I’ve been contemplating, well, age. (Okay, I’ve mostly just fixated on the presents.)

It doesn’t seem like the concept of age has grown or lessened in significance, though its parameters constantly shift. A century ago, it was normal to die in your fifties, marry before 20, drink as soon as you could hold up a bottle and have 13 kids by 30. These days, baby boomers are sucking down Botox like mother’s milk, getting hitched before 25 earns you looks of consternation, there’s a three-year gap between when you can imbibe alcohol (21) and die for your country (18) and household pets are outnumbering progeny (at least Fluffy doesn’t demand an allowance). And that’s just America.

A couple just walked into my bookstore – he lightly pimpled, fuzzy-haired, barely shaving, of the squeaky voice, she blond, wide-hipped but narrow-shouldered, simpering, both no older April 27. than 16 – holding hands and asking for Wiesel’s “Night.” My first thought: “How cute.” Second: “Aren’t they too young to be dating?” Third: “You hypocritical wretch. How many notches were on YOUR belt by 16?” Fourth: “Point. I’ll shut up now.”

I don’t look like a child anymore, but I still feel like one.

Driving by high schools throws me; the kids seem so little, though I remember feeling gigantic at that age, all five feet and threequarters of an inch of me. On the other hand, I’m still startled when my 40-year-old colleagues address me as an equal, though I grew up more around my parents’ friends, middle-class Russian intelligentsia. This has resulted in, among other things, giving me an abject terror of anything humanlooking under the age of 12.

When I hear my parents moan about how old they are, I scoff.

With the human lifespan being close to a century, worries about age seem a bit ludicrous, especially because though flaming goats falling from the heavens are in short supply these days, you never know, you might be the lucky one to be blessed with a close encounter and an unexpected trip to the coroner for reassembly.

As R.A. Heinlein, speaking through Lazarus Long, once said, “There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it.

Soon enough you will know. So why fret about it?”

I think death and taxes ARE subjective and the only certainty is life. Age is just a reminder to get on and enjoy it, as we haven’t got forever. Kind of like the worm in the bottom of the Tequila bottle – you wouldn’t appreciate drinking it half as much if there wasn’t an end in sight.

6 MONITOR

April 26, 2007

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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, email 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.

April 26 New Art Display -- Annual Fine Art and Design Student Show. In the Louie Meager Art Gallery. Can be seen through May 15. More than 200 pieces of student excellent artworks are chosen to be in the gallery.

Over $2,500 in prizes and scholarships are donated by local venues and benefactors which are awarded to the outstanding students in each category. Gallery is open Monday through Friday, noon to 3 p.m.

College can be expensive and confusing. Transitioning can be overwhelming.

To help with this transition, Ohlone is hosting Raza Day. Will present information about the admission process, financial aid options, and more.

To get more information or reserve space contact Stephanie Ramos at (510) 659-6493 or Sramos@ ohlone.edu.

the Book Club web site at: http://www.ohlone. edu/org/bookclub/

27 Book Club Meeting -- 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 1-307. Will discuss Temple Grandin’s book, Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism. For more information please go to

28 Men’s Baseball -- Noon vs. Gavilan College here at Ohlone.

27-28 Men and Women’s Swimming -- 10 a.m. here at Ohlone for the Coast Conference Championships.

27-28 Bookstore Closed -- Bookstore will be closed on these days for inventory purposes.

29 Rummage Sale -- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tamle Beth Torah, 42000 Paseo

April 26, 2007 monitor

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Padre Parkway, Fremont. If you love shopping for used stuff and collectables, this is the perfect chance to do it. Parking and admission is free.

30 Construction Forum -- 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. These two forums will be presented by Dr. Treadway in order to provide updates to the Ohlone campus community, and to invite questions or comments.

Things that are planned for discussion include: budget and staffing, enrollment, Fremont and Newark construction projects, parking transitions and more.

27 Last Day to Drop With a “W” -- Spring 2007 last day to drop from semester-length courses with a W grade. All day via web advisor or on campus.

27 Comedy Sportz -- 8 p.m. in the Smith Center. Spontaneous comedy erupts onstage as the audience participates in creating the show. Always new, never boring. Tickets are $15 for students and $25 for adults. They can be purchased by visiting the box office or calling (510) 659-6031.

27 Raza Recruitment Day -- 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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, April 26, 2007

Page 8

Sophomores go out with a bang

By Nick Zambrano Sports editor When the Lady Renegades dominated Foothill College, 16-1, on Tuesday, a sixth straight conference title was in the crosshairs. Pending a loss to San Jose City College on Wednesday, Ohlone would have full bragging rights. The win against Foothill also improved their record to 34-8 overall and 20-3 in the Coast Conference.

The final home game of the year also happened to be “Sophomore Day,” where the seven sophomores on the team were celebrated. “It’s (the sophomores) the most I’ve had,” said Runyon. “And I’m certainly scrambling right now to try to get somebody to fill their shoes.

This group is awesome.”

All seven girls also happened to be pivotal in Ohlone’s success.

Pitcher Kristina Gonsalez was 6-0 on the hill while fellow hurler Isabel Ramos was the 2006 Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year and was the obvious workhorse for Runyon.

Catching that duo was Meredith Ang, who Runyon described as the team’s quarterback making her pitchers’ jobs easier.

Then there’s the always versatile Tiffany Chan. Whether she was at first, second, in the outfield or on the mound, Chan was a threat wherever Runyon put her. She led the team with 46 hits and had a .441 batting average. All this while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. Moving on, we look to Valerie Briones. “P-Nut,” as she likes to be called, was the jump-start to every Ohlone offensive surge.

Not only did she lead the league (25) and state (41) in stolen bases, she now holds the school record for stolen bases all-time.

Coming to Ohlone together from James Logan High was the infield duo of Jessica Soderholm and

Triples alley

By Tomas Ortega Staff writer

So who’s better now?

Photos by Jack Husting

The sophomores with their parents from left: Kristina Gonsalez, Jessica Soderholm, Tiffany Chan, Raquel Torres, Meredith Ang, Isabel Ramos and Valerie Briones. Below, Soderholm reacts to Coach Runyon’s big speech.

Raquel Torres. Soderholm was superb with the glove, sacrificing her body to get her job done. However, like Runyon said, “don’t let the dirt on her uniform fool you, she’s a walking fashion statement off the field.” If there were ever a word to describe her fellow infielder Torres, that word would have to be clutch.

In a match-up with rival Chabot, it was Torres’ two-run homer that won Ohlone the game. However, when she was out of play, she was an avid cheerleader. “Her intensity, passion and excitement motivates us all,” said Runyon. “When she smiles, she lights up a room.”

With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the second, Ohlone showed its run-producing power.

With Danielle Yee on third and Torres on second, Ramos doubled a shot to the left-center to make it a 3-1 game. In that same inning and with only one, the Lady Renegades

tagged Foothill for three more runs via Ramos, Kristina Gonsalez and Valerie Briones coming across the plate. At the end of the three, Ohlone was up 6-1.

Moving forward to the third, the Lady Renegades kept adding salt to the 5-run wound. After a wild throw to home scored Danielle Sommer and Meredith Ang to make it an 8-1 game, Foothill became extremely rattled. Before they could record an out in the inning, Ohlone tossed them around more and made it a 10-1 ballgame. Before the inning was finished, Ohlone added three more runs to make it 13-1.

Before the eight-run mercy rule

could go into effect, Foothill had to finish their half of the fifth inning, but by that time Ohlone had added another three runs and it was now 16-1.

Cassandra Ortega contributed as she kept swinging the hot bat and was 3-4 with two triples and three RBI’s. Tiffany Chan threw a spectacular game and gave up one run on no hits, while recording five strike outs.

Up next for Ohlone was San Jose City College on Wednesday. A loss for Ohlone would mean a split championship between the two teams who would both have four losses. Unfortunately, Ohlone did lose 2-0 and are now co-champs with San Jose.

Swim season closes out for Ohlone

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor What has been an injury-plagued season for the swimming team comes close to its season’s end.

Their most recent meet two weeks ago saw the Renegades lose to Sierra College at home.

Yet the Sierra meet is not on the minds of the team right now.

The main thing that the swimming team is looking toward are the Conference and State Championships coming up this weekend, and next weekend respectively.

This weekend bring the Conference Championships, which Ohlone will host.

For the guys, look-out for both Danny DeGregorio and Cody Angeles. Along with Kevin Lutz, the men’s side for Ohlone looks to dominate in the championships.

As for the girls, Ashley Rogers and the speedster Dolly Walters, both of whom may also possibly qualify for the State Championships, will look to dominate on the women’s side in this weekend’s tournament.

The Conference Championships will be held at Ohlone beginning today at 10 a.m., and conclude on Saturday.

The State Championships will be held at Ohlone beginning next Thursday, May 3 at 10 a.m. and concludes on Saturday, May 5.

If I told you at the beginning of the year that the Warriors would own the team that just missed winning last year’s finals, would you smile and agree or slap me over the head?

Honestly, if someone gave me this same guff I’d have to go with the latter. It wouldn’t faze me that Golden State had just hired Nelly (Don Nelson for those keeping score at home) who was the last one to lead these Warriors into the playoffs.

Then again, I wasn’t an avid basketball guy in November. I didn’t watch much until midJanuary, when the Warriors made that blockbuster trade (in my mind, anyway) for Steven Jackson, Al Harrington and change.

Watching Baron Davis run Nelly’s run-n-gun offense was actually one of the things that drew me in. Granted, they weren’t a “great” team then. However, fast forward to the end of April when the Warriors capped off a 16-5 record since March 5, tops in the league since then, to finish off the regular season and jump into the playoffs for the first time since ’94. This is no longer the team that was playing from November through February.

That team didn’t have a healthy Jason Richardson to compliment a healthy (I think) Baron Davis. The team that beat Dallas in the first round of the playoffs, that team DOES have J-Rich and Baron playing healthy together.

Back to my point now.

This team owns and will continue to own Dallas throughout this round one playoff. Golden State doesn’t even need to win the series to show that they are the better team. When the Warriors decide that they want to pick up the pace, Dallas will be forced to play along with the looks that Baron and Co. gives them. I don’t care that the Mav’s didn’t play their big men in game one. When Dallas decides to play their style of game that gave them the best record in the league, they will still not be able to handle the quicker team that is your Golden State Warriors.

I’m sure Dirk Nowitzki is going to try that same spin move once he is posted up. And when he does, Nelly will counter by sending his squad to double team Dirk and cause him to turn over the rock time after time.

My prediction for this round one installment: Warriors in 6.

That’s right, clinch round two berth at The Oracle.