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Renegades head for playoffs
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Journalism: a gateway drug – Page 2
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Fremont, California
Vol. XXXVI No. 14
OPINION
Mrs. Clint Eastwood to speak
SPORTS
NEWS
FEATURES
Chalkdust, friends to play Friday
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Civil rights leaders talk as part of Unity Week By Noah Levin Staff writer
Photo by Jack Husting
Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale speaks during Wednesday’s Pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement discussion.
“All power to all people” was the central ideal of Wednesday’s activities, at which six pivotal members of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s were present, including Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale. These social activists of 30 to 40 years ago, many of whom are still active, came together at 11 a.m. in the Smith Center’s Jackson Theater to discuss with the Ohlone community the war for civil liberties and how it is still going on. Sitting on the panel were Joel Garcia, chief executive officer of the Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center of South Alameda County, Dr. Alex Saragoza, teacher of ethnic studies at U.C. Berkeley, Dr. Elizabeth Martinez, a well-known Chicana activist and founder of the Institute for Multiracial Justice, Seale, a co-founder of the legendary Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, Maria Ramirez, a Chicana activist and Ohlone counselor and Dr. Laureen Chew, an Asian-American Activist, author, actress and associate dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. Mediating the panel of speakers was Chicano Studies Instructor Mark Salinas. Salinas had gathered together a series of questions, which he presented to the six panel speakers. However, due to the lengthy and often
far-reaching responses from each panel member, only the first and last questions were formally answered. Before the panel session began in earnest, a representative of the Fremont Postmaster unveiled a new stamp soon to go on sale. The stamp commemorates the influential but often forgotten Mendez vs. Westminster decision of 1947. The case was one of the first victories of the civil rights movement and went on to influence the oft-mentioned Brown vs. Board of Education. The colorful stamp reflects the strong Latino presence associated with the trial. Salinas began by asking the panel members to draw on their own experiences to describe what defined the civil rights movement for them. The first to answer was Chew, who spoke about how in her youth growing up in Chinatown in San Francisco, she had no idea there was racism outside of her community. It wasn’t until she attended an exclusive, mostly white Catholic school that she was exposed to open racism. “All through high school I felt invisible, silent and angry, and I didn’t know why,” she commented. Having overcome her own fears and anxieties in high school, she added, “Being personal is the first step, and being collective and doing something is the final step.” Ramirez grew up in Decoto, now known as Union City. The area she grew up in was heavily Latino, a Continued on Page 5
Student fails to appear in court after arrest By ANNA NEMCHUK Editor-in-chief Farhad Farsi, a 23-year-old male Ohlone student, failed to appear at his arraignment Wednesday morning at the Alameda County Superior Court in Fremont after his arrest on campus Monday, May 7 on two counts of battery and a felony count of vandalism. Judge Keith Fudenna
has issued a bench warrant for his arrest. According to police reports, at approximately 1:30 p.m. MonFarsi day, a student confronted two Ohlone male basketball players, accompanying a female student who attends Cal State East
Bay, near the Building 9 elevator area. Police said he approached the three and made derogatory racial comments, after which a fight ensued between Farsi and one of the male students, resulting in some physical injuries. A faculty member who asked not to be named broke up the altercation and “instructed them to go their
from Kennedy High in Fremont. In addition to Kennedy next fall, James Logan High in Fremont has also expressed interest in sending a cohort to the college in the 2008-’09 school year. The current group of seniors began taking classes at the college in fall of last year. Signing up for the program was not mandatory; interested students signed up of their own volition. For the past seven months, the students have taken high school classes on campus from 8:30 a.m. to noon every day, taught by Newark Memorial teacher Jackie Lucero in Building 14. In the afternoon, they are free to take whatever college classes they want, be it English or History of Rock and Roll. They gain college credit for any classes they take. Still, Lucero’s mornings are not all spent in study. For example, every Friday morning she takes her
students to the weekly Brown Bag Science seminar, a trip that started out as an extra credit assignment and has turned into a “must see” for the students. Lucero has also encouraged her students to participate in other campus events, such as World Forums and Earth Week. Lucero, who has taught for eight years, said that she has noticed a huge difference between the seniors she is teaching this year over the seniors she has taught at high school. “These seniors, overall, are more self-directed learners,” said Lucero, who chose teaching after 20 years as an attorney. “They have better time-management skills, and they’re more serious about their education.” Students’ opinions of the class seemed to reflect this. “I would definitely recommend this program to other seniors who really are “way Continued on Page 7
Seniors look back on year By Eric Dorman Features editor How does it feel to spend your senior year at college? According to a group of 22 students from Newark Memorial High School who spent their year at Ohlone, even better than spending it at high school. “This experience was a wonderful and challenging step to my future,” said student Melinda Saephan. “I enjoyed it very much.” As a result of the overwhelming positive response to the program— or 18 students who responded to a survey, every one said they were glad they had taken part—the college plans to expand this program, called “College Connections,” in the Fall, said Vice President of Instruction Jim Wright. In addition to a group of high school students, called a “cohort,” from Newark Memorial, there will also be a cohort
separate ways,” according to the police report. Farsi continued the verbal abuse, then attempted to grab the backpack the female student was carrying while walking down stairs; she was yanked backward and fell, suffering minor scratches and injuries. According to the faculty member, Farsi threatened to behead him and the male student, adding
that he planned to come back to campus.“I’m going to come back and kill you all!” he said, according to the report. Another faculty member said Farsi broke a window in Room 9305 before heading for his car in Parking Lot O, where Safety Officer Stewart Dawson detained and handcuffed him. Another faculty Continued on Page 3
Student Art Show
Photo by Kevin Protz
Cosmic Vortex, a glass piece of artwork created by student Mary Patrician, hangs in the Louie Meager Art Gallery as part of the Student Art Show. See story, Pages 6 and 7.
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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 Online editor: TBA Staff writers: Sandeep Abraham, Michael Aburas, Emily Burkett, Brian Chu, Kanya Goldman, Krista Imus, Margarita Kitova, Noah Levin, Kevin Protz, 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.
Opinion
Journalism is a gateway drug - I need another hit By ANNA NEMCHUK Editor-in-chief I always find it difficult to defend myself; it feels too much like bragging. But with the recent Ethics in Journalism week, it seems an appropriate note on which to end the semester. A double-headed dragon of this sort of topic tends to raise people’s hackles, and let me assure you, journalists are some of the hackliest folk around. I’ve seen articles defending journalism left and right the past couple of weeks, and most of them tend to focus on the historical context of the trade, precedents for the current less-than-trustworthy state the U.S. media finds itself in, sly references to journalists who’ve
broken the reporting code of honor by plagiarizing, bribery, gross bias, not checking facts and plain bad writing, and glib assurances that THIS paper, the one the columnist happens to work for, doesn’t do any of that, wouldn’t dream of it and soundly condemns any of its colleagues that do.With that in mind, I would just like to state for the record that the Monitor is a responsible, serious and, above all, ethical paper that doesn’t do any of that, wouldn’t dream of it and soundly condemns any of its colleagues that do. (Now go wash your hands, you’ve got slime on them.) I’ll share a secret with you – I hate researching. I generally can’t stand looking up legal pretext, court cases, police or financial records or
previous articles, cross-referencing it all, taking copious notes, tracking down obscure details – I loathe it. By the time I’m done, I feel like the only writing that I’m fit to produce should be on a bathroom wall. But – this being the part where I cover my butt – I do it. I check the facts, I go after witnesses, I scour the net and the AP stylebook, I badger my adviser, I prod my fellow writers and editors into distraction and I still mess up. Contrary to popular belief on deadline night, I am human. (Why did I go into journalism to begin with? I walked into Ohlone a combined lit/bio major.) Journalism is a gateway drug. It straddles the parallel spheres of the housewife’s private obscurity with the transparency of public office and
celebrity. I talk, I write, I report on the news, but I do not make it. I am removed, yet part of the bustle. In a way, I make the bustle. Without the media, there would be no Hollywood, no publishing industry, no public, rigged elections – if nobody knew about them, no one would care. With that power comes, of course, the ability to abuse it. Considering the amount of time the Monitor staff spends discussing the proper way to address a letter to the editor so as to be fair, unbiased and nonjudgmental (And this on the opinion page! The one where you’re supposed to be biased!) and still manages to offend someone somewhere, I can just imagine what lengths you could achieve if you
deliberately tried to skew the news. (A certain FOXy network comes to mind.) And here I am, bragging, as I was so afraid to do and painting MY writers as paragons of virtue while flinging cow poo left and right. Human nature’s a bitch. You don’t like it? If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. You can’t beat us. We need news for a democracy to work. Scratch that – we need news for a human society to work. Until we discover a cute little type of blue men that observe and type all our goings-on in a fair and balanced way (Consider this a job posting, little blue men.) we’re stuck with each other as journalists and readers. Now if you’ll excuse me, the most delightful, bribe-happy senator just walked into my office.
Even if I wanted to forget it, it’s like a spot burrowed in my brain; I can never escape it. This is the life of a college newspaper editor. After 11 years of baseball and a couple years of basketball, football and soccer, it was clear that I had to get involved with sports while in college. But since I threw out my arm when I was 13 and was out of shape, trying out for a team was
out of the question. In high school, teachers would tell me that I was a good writer and had the potential to make a career of it. I didn’t see it. But after wasting time in both the film and theatre departments, I didn’t have time to lose. So I gave it a shot; I enrolled in Journalism 101A. Next thing I know, after only one day in the class, I was getting
handed my first assignment for the Monitor: a men’s basketball game between Ohlone and Canada. I had to learn how to take notes on the fly because of every game’s fast pace. As a journalist, you have to learn to note what is important and what deserves to be written; otherwise, you won’t have much of a story. But I’ve also come to learn that you have to be careful about
what you say. I’ve written some things about people that have stung some hearts while I never thought it would have had that much of an effect. Those mistakes, or “misprints,” have left their burden on me every time I sit down to write another story. In my head, I’d tell myself, “be careful, do not mess this up again,” and then I’d spend three Continued on Page 5
My experience as a college newspaper editor By Nick Zambrano Sports editor Every morning I wake up in a cold sweat. I look around my room and all I see are notes, photos, copies of Sports Illustrated and old issues of the Monitor. I wake up and I’m literally surrounded by my work.
Campus Comment > > > What plans do you have for the summer?
DANNY BRITAN Audio Production “To move.”
Asif ali Biology “Summer classes at Ohlone; chill/relax.”
Alekh jha Physics “I’ll be involved in the Miss Saigon musical production.”
Brian morris
Mary tejeda
psychology
Anthropology
“Maybe a road trip to San Diego.”
“I’ll be taking classes at Ohlone.”
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An international student’s outlook on America By margarita kitova Staff writer As an international student at Ohlone, my first year in the U.S. struck me with many cultural differences. The first that grabbed my attention was the common question “How are you?” If you go shopping, the store employees are supposed to greet the customers to the point where you might even get annoyed when you have to answer the same question over and over, every time you walk into a different place. Not having noticed before, after a while I caught myself asking people how they were doing before they even asked me. The answers were all the same: good, great, fabulous,
well, fantastic, wonderful and all other words associated with positive feelings and good mood. But is it really possible that everyone is that happy, or are they are just trying to be nice and polite? And when I’m being asked about how I feel, do people really care about that? In the beginning I would say that I’m “so-so” and they would consider this “cute” because it was a bit unusual. But when I would try to explain why I was saying that, no one would really pay attention or listen with any interest. Now I just say that I’m doing great and that makes it easier. But nowadays people everywhere are so concerned with themselves that they may even forget about those little things that really matter in
Letters to the Editor
life and make us truly happy. We tend to be more interested in the pimple on our forehead than the myriad of children dying from famine or AIDS in Africa. We buy the overpriced merchandise that is produced in Third World countries where people are being paid cents an hour to produce these goods for us. Do we ever stop to think about that? Relationships are one of the most meaningful things we can establish throughout our lifespan. Instead, people are always in a rush, flying in fast cars, speeding for work or school with a venti cup of Starbucks. Why do we tend to be overwhelmed with our daily activities and not really have time for the things that we enjoy and that make our lives worthwhile? Go-
ing through a tough disease three years ago and having to lie in bed for hours made me realize how the slower pace actually helped me notice and appreciate the things I wasn’t paying much attention to before. Now, being away from my family and friends makes me cherish these relationships even more. The people living a few centuries ago didn’t know anything about “shopping therapy,” all possible kinds of drugs that make you “Prozac-happy,” psychological counseling and etc. They didn’t need Hollywood movies, computer games or TV to spend their free time on. People would live together in small homes unlike us, who strive for bigger houses where you sometimes have to look for the other
family members if you want to be with them. Why are people so aggressive that it’s legal in so many places for everyone to own a gun? That’s a scary thought. The U.S. ranks second in the world in terms of the longest workweek, topped only by South Korea. The hard work is one of the reasons why this country is so prosperous. And. indeed, America is a wonderful country to live in. But work and money are not everything. I just wish that people everywhere in the world would care a little bit more about each other and the good deeds we are all capable of and that define us as “human.” Let’s do something good for somebody and pay it forward. It doesn’t have to be in the movies only.
Taking a glimpse at our native avian friends Hello Ohlone Community: I just had to share a few pictures with you, taken at the Ohlone pond on Wednesday. I saw our friend, the Great Egret, walking along the bank of the pond. I then saw a DoubleCrested Cormorant, sitting next to the turtles, enjoying the afternoon as well. Being the Ohlone wildlife enthusiast I am, I just had to get pictures of them. When the Egret decided to take a stroll just behind where the Cormorant was sitting, I was afforded the opportunity to take a picture that highlights one of nature’s wonderful contrasts. Enjoy and have a great day! Stewart Dawson
Ride to The Wall Dear Ohlone Community: As some of you know, I am riding my motorcycle to the Vietnam War Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, DC for Memorial Day. Afew members of the Ohlone community have asked that I etch a name from the Wall and return it to them as a remembrance. I would be honored to do so on behalf of any other member of the Ohlone community. Please let me know in the next few days prior to my journey. Bennett Oppenheim Ext. 6197
Student arrested Continued from Page 1
member had followed Farsi and confirmed to Officer Ben Peralta that the suspect had broken the window with his backpack. Farsi was taken to Washington Hospital by ambulance. After being checked out, Fremont Police Officer K. Laughery took Farsi to the Fremont Police Department jail and booked him. Farsi was released Monday night on $13,000 bail. Ohlone Police Chief Steve Osawa issued a special information bulletin by email to faculty and staff at 5:35 p.m. Monday to warn of Farsi’s possible return to campus.
Eastwood’s wife to speak at graduation Ohlone alumni Dina Eastwood, wife of the “tough guy” actor known for his directing skills and his cowboy and cop roles, will speak at Ohlone’s graduation ceremonies May 24. Dina Eastwood, a Fremont native, met her husband, winner of four Academy Awards, after she studied at Ohlone’s broadcasting program and while she worked at a TV station in Salinas. Graduation begins at 7 p.m. in the Epler Gymnasium. However, participating graduates must arrive before 6:15 p.m. Attendance is free but the graduate cap and gown set costs $29.95. The set can be bought in the bookstore. Honor cords cost $15.99.
Campus Comment > > > What plans do you have for the summer?
Jose salazar Matt mountford Business Administration Magazine “Work and writing classes.”
“Working and photo shoots with body paint.”
Aoife sands Basketball “Work and work out.”
Inamay rose Undecided “Working, summer classes. Maybe I’ll go to Florida.”
cindy mestre Business Administration “I’m going to Lisbon, Portugal to visit my family.”
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Civil rights activists of the ‘60s debate at Ohlone Continued from Page 1 rural section of land between urban areas set aside for Puerto Rican and Mexican families to live in. All through high school Ramirez was told she would be lucky to graduate. After high school, she defiantly made her way out of Decoto and to Chabot College. To start off his answer, Seale realted an anecdote about how he first became interested in civil rights. Seal grew up learning many skills, including building, woodworking, hunting and fishing. It was a Martin
Lurther King, Jr. rally in Oakland where the charismatic Rev. King captivated the young Seale. Soon afterward, Seale and friend Huey P. Newton wrote up the 10-point charter of the Black Panther Party. Seale stressed that much of the negative propaganda about the Panthers was false and exaggerated, proclaiming that, “We knew the law, and we knew our history!” Martinez told her tales of growing up and going to school on the east coast in Washington D.C. Hers was one of the few Mexican
Students honored By Brian Chu Staff writer
With barely over a week of instruction left, students are getting their rewards from their school. The holder of the Valedictorian position for the graduating / transfer class is Claire Dorman, who had been attending Ohlone since the age of 13. Now, at 17, she has accumulated104 units, all A grades. After graduation, she plans to transfer to U.C. Berkeley as a physics major. She wants to become a college instructor. Aside from being a successful student, Dorman helps create lesson plans for and helps teach a chemistry class. She dances ballet for 12 hours a week, and tutors students in the assistance labs for 14 hours a week. “People always ask me if a class is hard, but I don’t know how to answer. If you push yourself and be hard on yourself, you can succeed” At the May 4 student award ceremony, more students were given
awards in categories from journalism, graphic design, the sciences, language and performing arts. Paul Cheng was the only student to win two awards, one in biology and the other in organic chemistry. He was the first person to win both awards in one year. Students chosen for the award were said to go “above and beyond the call of duty” and share their knowledge with fellow classmates. Ohlone’s Forensics’ team spent eight days in Houston, Texas, for the National Community College Forensic Association debate tournament, in which the team won eight awards. Over 95 teams attended. Sammy Obeid won a gold and is now ranked nationally as first in community college debates for “speaking to entertain,” Athena Bringhurst won a bronze in parliamentary debate, David Taube won a gold in parliamentary team debate with his partner Emily Burkett, who also won a silver for extemporaneous speaking. Their trophies are on display in Building 1.
The other side of the sports page Continued from Page 2 hours figuring out the best possible way to rephrase my words. The pressure is bigger than anything you can believe. With as many interviews that I’ve done over the years, I still get that uneasy stutter. I remember an interview with John Peterson, perhaps one of the easiest people to chat with, and I probably asked him, “how he was doing?” about three times. It doesn’t stop there.Sports writers aren’t from Krypton, we can’t be in all the places everyone wants us to be. I wish like hell I could get every game, match or meet covered but it hard to do when the resources
are so thin and limited. I can only do so much with just one page of space and at most, I’ve only had two writers under me. If I had space like the Mercury, I’d be talking about how I don’t have enough stories. And please don’t think your letters haven’t gotten through to us, they have. Why am I writing about this? Well, after four semesters of beating my brain for writing glory, I’m finally shutting down the shop. Hate me or love me, this is my “thank you” and my “sorry,” and my look into the journalistic spectrum. Don’t worry, I’m not Roger Clemens, I’m done and staying that way.
families residing in the D.C area at the time. Martinez went on to indict the educational system by saying. “We must correct the lack of awareness and education that is part of the oppression we are trying to fight!” Saragoza’s defining moment came when he was with his combat unit, about to receive its orders, when he realized that 37 of the 54man unit were “colored; ” all he had studied about ethnicity came to him. “Those who had the least were asked to do the most for this
country,” he stated. Garcia told of the troubles he faced at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Many people in authority told him he would never succeed at the school, where he was one of the few Latino students in attendance. As more Latinos enrolled at the school, they organized and demanded Chicano studies at UCSB. His parting note on the topic was to, “Demand justice for whatever your cause is!” The members of the panel continued to offer various opinions
of the state of civil rights today, specifically on the local level. Saragoza was particularly vocal about the state of higher education in relation to ethnic minorities. “What happened in the ’50s and the ’60s and into the ’70s was in many ways a war, with casualties on all sides,” he said, then laid into the educational system in California, saying that, “Prison guards make more than community college instructors...We should be paying you [students] to go to school, not the other way around!”
Math team wins in Monterey Caption for stand-
Photo courtesy of Geoff Hirsch
Members of the Ohlone math club relax before a concert in Monterey in April. The group took first place among the three colleges it faced in the Monterey tournament. Ohlone’s team is ranked eighth nationally among community colleges. In back, from left: Katsu Sugano, Hor Ka Fung, Chi Wing Li, Professor Geoffrey Hirsch. In front, from left: Vasishta Jayanti, Alekh Jha and Ian Subasa.
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By Cheyenne Martin Staff writer
Paint, glass, ceramics at Student Art Show
The Annual Student Fine Arts and Design Show Awards took place in the Louie Meager Art Gallery on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. At the ceremony, full-time fine art faculty members headed the awards and picked the recipients . Over $4,000 in prizes have been awarded in past years, Gallery Curator Margaret Stainer said, and possibly more this year. The art appearing in the show—some 230 pieces in all—was picked from about 400 entries by some of the college’s fine art faculty: Cynthia Luckoski of the art department, Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Denise Owen and Art Instructors Paul Mueller and Katie Frank. The pieces picked to be in the show were of great variety, including ceramics, charcoal drawings, bronze sculptures, glass castings, paintings, graphic designs and even interior design client presentations. Frank, an instructor and judge, said the judging focused on “creativity, follow through, craftsmanship, strong composition and a voice” when choosing the pieces to be in the show. As far as the award winners, Frank looked for an artist who “goes for it, not playing it safe; [someone who] goes out of their comfort zone.” “It’s a great show to keep trying [to be in],” said Stainer. “Being in a
Band promises guitars, eggs in concert By Eric Dorman Features editor Those hungry for a unique combination of guitar music, singing, bongo drumming, egg shaking and “hootin’ and hollerin’,” hunger no more. The annual “Chalkdust and Friends” benefit concert promises to bring this and more to the Smith Center’s outdoor amphitheater this Friday, May 11, at 8 p.m. “Chalkdust,” a band made up of Math Instructor Jeff O’Connell and English Instructor Mark Brosamer, teams up with a group or faculty and/or students every year to make up the “Friends” contingent of the “Chalkdust and Friends” concert. This year, those friends are Adjunct Speech Instructor Hans Peeters and students Sara Demelo and Lainey McKinlay. Tickets will be $7 a piece, up from $5 last year. O’Connell explained the price hike the way only a true math instructor could: “Last year’s benefit concert raised -$116,” said O’Connell. “Yes, that’s a negative number.” As a result, O’Connell decided to raise the price in an effort to at least break even. Still, O’Connell and Brosamer are doing their best to keep their prices competitive. For example, the first 237 attendees will receive complementary plastic egg shakers, to be used as percussion to keep time during the show. Because the concert will come on the last day of Unity Week, and because the concert’s name is “Chalkdust and Friends,” a theme during the performance will be friends and unity, said O’Connell.
Photos courtesy of Michelle Govang
The ‘Chalkdust and Friends’ ensemble poses on campus. From left: Adjunct Speech Instructor Hans Peeters, English Instructor Mark Brosamer, students Sara Demelo and Lainey McKinlay and Math Instructor Jeff O’Connell. Below right, Brosamer and O’Connell jam. Throughout the concert, he said, audience participation will be encouraged, and audience members will be urged to create their own percussion via the egg shakers. “Every single person will be part of the band,” said O’Connell. Those wishing to see a list of songs to be performed will have to attend the concert to find out; O’Connell and Brosamer refused to disclose the songs on the night’s bill, preferring to keep it a surprise. Still, Brosamer revealed that some of the night’s featured artists will be Kiss, Sonny and Cher and Tenacious D. They will also perform a song in which they sing in foreign accents. O’Connell and Brosamer have been performing together through
Chalkdust for about eight years—a period they both agree is “too long.” “It may be eight years, but it feels like 20,” reflected Brosamer. “We can’t let go. “It’s like being married, but without the fun parts.” When it comes to playing the guitar, both Brosamer and O’Connell are completely self-taught—“except for the part my teacher taught me,” noted O’Connell. Last year’s “Chalkdust and Friends” concert featured Ohlone’s ukelele-playing staff, the “Renegades,” in its “Friends” contingent. In keeping with the Hawaiian theme, it featured Brosamer’s mother hula dancing. The show sold out of the Smith Center’s small Black Box theater, even turning audience mem-
bers away at the door. This year, O’Connell and Brosamer hope to remedy the lack of space by renting out the larger amphitheater. Proceeds of the concert will go to the college’s music and speech and communication departments. When asked why neither the math nor the English departments would benefit from the concert, O’Connell replied with modesty born of years in the math department: “The English and math departments are well-established; they don’t need the money. We want the proceeds to go to other, less fortunate departments.” Never one to stray from Ohlone’s “green” ambitions, “Chalkdust and Friends” will be an entirely carbon neutral concert, said O’Connell. It will accomplish this, said Brosa-
mer, by using 100 percent recycled songs. In order to garner an even larger audience, “Chalkdust” has even established a presence on the Web with its MySpace page, www.myspace. com/chalkdustband. Initially, they encountered hostility there when a Canadian punk rock group, also named Chalkdust, learned of their presence. The punkers asked O’Connell and Brosamer to change the name of their band, their suggestion being “Two Old Guys.” Needless to say, neither “Chalkdust” changed its name. O’Connell and Brosamer are hoping for a balmy evening for their concert, but just in case, they advise audience members to bring blankets. According to O’Connell, the benefits of attending are great, and the costs of staying home are severe. “If you don’t go,” noted O’Connell, “the next day you’ll be left out of the conversation, because [Chalkdust] will be what everyone’s talking about.”
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Culture Pirate By OMER AHMED News editor
Ohlone’s not so bad
juried show is different for a resume.” Graphic design students Emily McKean and Jennifer Costa agreed with the benefit of doing a juried show. “It’s amazing for my resume,” said McKean, who originally submitted a piece only as an assignment in James Pacheco’s graphic design class, but now sees the potential benefit. Getting the gallery ready was no easy task. It took students in Stainer’s museum and gallery operations classes almost two weeks to install the exhibits. Valerie Severn, assistant to Luckoski, helped in building the exhibits. “We even went over deadline,” said Severn. What took so long? “There were so many pieces chosen,” said Stainer, who spent a majority of the time figuring out where to place each piece. “The way I curate is to consider each wall a piece.” Some pieces were accompanied by a gold sticker, to let viewers know the piece was purchased. The most expensive purchase at press time was “Ballet Shoes,” by Yan Yan Yang, selling for $300. Most pieces were not for sale, but of the ones that were, the prices ranged from $25 to $1,000. As far as a crowd favorite, though, it was a tough decision. There was something for everyone and each person had their own taste. Even Frank, a judge, said she “can’t begin to choose a favorite!” The exhibit runs through May 15.
Photos by Kevin Protz
Several pieces stood out at the Student Art and Design show reception Tuesday. From lower left: ‘Mean Machine,’ a photograph by C.J. Jones; ‘Dancing with Spring,’ oil on canvas by Shu-hsia Ho (selling for $115); ‘Day Dreaming,’ by Wing Lam, made with mixed media; a digital print, ‘Padlock,’ by Lamont Harper and several pieces in one: 5 pieces of bronze called ‘Hey Gordo’ by Faeshid Namei, ‘Indian Tradition,’ a sculpture by Suchi Gupta and ‘Pelican,’ made of stone, by Val Yourchenko.
High schoolers sample college Continued from Page 1 serious about their education,” said student Jessica Leon. “Being in a college environment really gives more of an inspiration to continue to pursue our goals.” “I enjoyed my senior year at Ohlone because it gave me a taste of what college is like and made me feel more confident,” added Marcela Gomez. “I feel like it’s opened a lot of doors to a better future.” Students also listed avoiding the drama of being a high school senior as a plus in the “College Connections” program. “I got to get away from the high school drama and more into an environment of people who actually take school seriously,” said Leon. “It was a lot more relaxing staying out of all the drama going on at NMHS,” added Francia Balderas. But drama or no drama, is passing up one’s only chance to be a high school senior worth it? According to student Laura Muir, the answer is “yes.” “Newark Memorial was fun
Photos by Eric Dorman
A group of high school seniors from Newark Memorial work in their Ohlone classroom. The students take both high school and college classes at Ohlone. Below left, Katrina Kane works at her desk. while it lasted,” said Muir, “but I felt like I needed to move on and go on to more important things.” Lucero noted that while teaching the class was rewarding, it was still “way the heck more work than I ever could have imagined.” Still, she thinks it has been worth it. “I’ve loved it; I’ve been very impressed by morale...I’ve just enjoyed the overall atmosphere,” said Lucero, who plans to continue teaching the program next year. Wright said that because of the program’s success, all that’s keeping it from expanding rapidly is lack of space. Currently, the college simply doesn’t have enough room to house several other high school cohorts, a fact that could be rectified with the construction of the new Student
Services Building, scheduled to be completed in Spring of 2009. Since many faculty offices and services would move from Building 1 to the Student Services Building, this will clear up space for programs like this to grow. “The program has the capacity to grow quite a bit,” said Wright, “it’s all a matter of space.” Of the 22 students in Lucero’s class (over the year, three dropped because of the workload) at least 10 have been accepted to fouryear universities, including U.C. Davis, U.C. Santa Cruz and SJSU. The other half have decided to spend more time at Ohlone before transferring. Despite the program’s success, however, Lucero said that she will
still face an uphill battle getting more students to sign up next year. It’s always difficult, she said, to persuade students to skip their senior year for something they’ve never tried before. “Having kids decide they don’t want to be a senior in high school isn’t easy,” said Lucero. Still, Lucero’s students are helping out by going back to high school on their own time to push for the program. Why? “I would recommend this program because it has helped me get a sense of what college life will be,” said Mayra Llamas. Miriam Saavedra added, “If you want to get away from all that immaturity that high school tends to have, then by all means enroll next year!”
This is my last column, as I am transferring to Berkeley next semester, so this is my last chance to say what I think about Ohlone. When I was a child, my parents sent me to the Ohlone for Kids summer program. I don’t recall much from back then, just vague memories of Lego robots, losing in chess class and the water fountains. The fountains were amazing because they were big, I was small, the water was sparkly and I was easily amused. Despite this favorable first impression, by the time I got to high school I had a rather negative view of the college. As an Asian kid at an intensely academic school (Mission San Jose), my attitude was that if you didn’t go on to a private university or a U.C., you were a failure and, by extension, Ohlone was a school for failures because it took all the leftovers.This attitude persisted despite my own rather pitiful academic performance. From the lofty hight of a 1.8 GPA I continued to regard Ohlone as a last chance school for losers. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have left Mission freshman year to take classes at Ohlone. Unfortunately, I only dropped out in senior year, realizing that I was heading to community college one way or another with that GPA of mine. At first, Ohlone was pretty disappointing. The school’s paint job was bland, the fountains didn’t work and I made the same mistakes in my first semester that I made in high school. That last reason was my fault but it still didn’t make me feel particularly confident in the institution. However, once I noticed that there was no busy work, that I could study topics that actually interested me and that I didn’t need a 4.5 GPA to get into a good school anymore, something clicked. Going to school actually became somewhat pleasurable, particularly on days when I could wake up at noon or later and be on time to my first class. If you listen to school officials talk, they often describe Ohlone as a “learning college.” Silly and redundant, but it makes sense. I didn’t learn much in high school and neither did most of my friends, but, in the open college setting at Ohlone, one can really absorb information. Being able to transfer to a good school after this is also a great bonus for an exMission student like myself. There is no way I can look at Ohlone badly anymore. Any institution that can get a dropout like me into U.C. Berkeley should be considered amazing. Now that the fountains work, the school is damn near perfect in my eyes. All Ohlone needs now are escalators and maybe a transfer agreement with Stanford or CalTech.
May 10, 2007 MONITOR
Features
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Retiring counselor reflects on full career By Michael Aburas Staff writer “I’ve been here for 31 years. So, it’s time,” said Region One representative of the Latina Leadership Network and Ohlone Counselor Nina Genera about her retirement after this semester. “Last fall semester I started thinking about it.” Genera explained that her husband’s parents are in their 90s and she and her husband wanted to spend more time with them. In addition, she will settle down in Sacramento with her husband, both of whom were raised there. Eight years ago, Genera came to the Bay Area to attend U.C. Berkeley. “We thought we were going to get our bachelor’s degree and go back. But, instead we got married.” Genera’s husband was accepted to Boalt Law School at Berkeley. “And I got accepted to the Ph.D. program, in sociology,
at U.C. Berkeley.” According to Genera, she was one of two of the first Chicanas to be accepted into the Ph.D. program for sociology at UC Berkeley. However, up until this point, Genera was not on the path to becoming a counselor. “Halfway through my Ph.D program, I realized I couldn’t do community college counseling with a Ph.D in sociology. I always wanted to do counseling when I was at community college. I liked the idea of becoming a counselor because I had been misguided in high school,” remembered Genera. Genera’s father came to this country as an undocumented laborer and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a pipe fitter. Her mother was a homemaker who worked as a tomato picker during the summers to pay for her school clothes. Genera was the first person in her family to graduate from high school.
Genera first realized she needed a master’s in counseling when she saw a job posting for counseling. So, she dropped out of the Ph.D. program and attended another school for a master’s in counseling, while simultaneously working to complete her master’s in sociology at Berkeley. Genera also pioneered many of the programs that Ohlone has to offer. For example, Genera was the first EOPS director and counselor, and she started the transfer center, helped with the creation of the Puente program and, for the last four years, has served as generalist and electronic counselor. In addition to being a leader on campus, Genera is considered a leader statewide as part of the Latina Leadership Network, whose goals include the promotion of Latinas’ educational opportunities. “It’s made up of California community colleges’ faculty and staff. It’s a
professional development group for Latinas in California community colleges state wide,” explained Genera. “I was one of the first participants, 20 years ago, at the first Latina Leadership Network conference held at Southwestern Community College.” Genera explained that, at the time, six women Latinas, mostly faculty members, felt there was a vacuum for Latinas professional development. “So, they put together the first leadership conference with workshops and speakers providing leadership development information.” According to Genera, the organization over the years has developed leaders amoung Latina faculty and support staff at community colleges. At a recent Latina Leadership conference held at Modesto Junior College, Genera was honored for her service to students, community, contributions to the LLN executive
board and was presented with a silver and crystal trophy. Additionally, Puente program students participated in workshops at this year’s LLN conference. For instance, Puente student, Diana Ruiz attended a workshop about teen pregnancy. “The girl had a baby when she was 16, and her parents kept telling her she was a failure and didn’t think she was going to make it (through school). But now, she’s a counselor with a nice car and a big house,” explained Ruiz. LLN vice president and Ohlone counselor Maria Ramirez said, “She is fiercely for social justice.” Genera reflected, “I’ve gone through six deans and I’ve learned something from all of them, and the one thing they all taught me is to maintain my values and morals. And to fight for my principals even when we didn’t agree. My bottom line has always been to fight for the integrity of student rights.”
Asian caucus. “I had two drinks and listened to all the assembly members thank themselves for putting this thing on,” said Hilke. Hilke also attended the progressive caucus which he said was a nightmare. “Don’t let the name fool you. Progressivism is defined as pragmatic liberals. There’s nothing pragmatic about them,” asserted Hilke. “They wanted single payer, universal health care, which is never going to happen with our current political climate with large insurance companies.” In addition to partying, the 2,000 California delegates caucused to pass 16 of 17 resolutions. The only resolution the delegates were unable to pass was a proposal for an exit strategy from Iraq. “It was the one thing that you’d think we’d all agree upon, but everybody had their own agendas,” said Hilke. “One person wanted to get rid of half the language and, in its place, defund the war. Another person wanted to add language to deau-
thorize the war; in effect, to bring the troops home.” Hilke commented that “Everybody wants to bring the troops home, but nobody can agree upon how to do it.” The best part for Hilke was meeting Art Torres, chair of the Democratic state party. “He controls the fate of anybody who aspires to higher office in the state of California,” stated Hilke, who, indeed, has future political ambitions, including governor of California. Hilke explained that the unresolved exit strategy resolution will
be resolved by the executive board of the party in June, or possibly, July. The executive board is composed of one delegate from each district serving as a board member. “The executive board will vote on the two resolutions: one for deauthorization, the other for defunding,” said Hilke. Hilke explained that on the final day of the convention there was a call for quorum. “Someone called for quorum to stop the first vote because they knew there weren’t enough people. It had the effect of a filibuster.” Out of 2,000 delegates
present at the start of the caucus, there were only 600 on Sunday. “Please remember it was Sunday and everybody was trying to catch a flight back to their homes. So, everybody was sent home,” stated Hilke. When asked about his choice for president, Hilke responded with Barack Obama. “He’s better at connecting with people and more charismatic than [Hillary Clinton] is,” said Hilke. “He’s able to outline a progressive agenda with a rhetoric more palpable to middle America.”
Student back from eventful Democratic caucus By Michael Aburas Staff writer “I saw everybody who is running for president, except for Joe Biden of Delaware [Biden was not present],” said former ASOC senator, California Democratic state delegate and political science major Alex Hilke after returning from the California Democratic state convention in San Diego, held April 27 through 29. As a California Democratic state delegate, Hilke had the chance to attend parties being held by the different caucuses and socialize, one of which was held by none other than California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer. “The Bill Lockyer party was an ice cream social. He was taking pictures with people. He had a photo booth with a red backdrop set up,’ recalled Hilke. Another caucus party Hilke attended was the Tri caucus, which was composed of the Black caucus, the Latino caucus and the
Smith Center plans summer schedule By Margarita Kitova Staff writer The final information concerning the Smith Center’s Summerfest musical, Miss Saigon, has now been released. The production will run July 6 to 7 and 12 to14 at 8:30 p.m. in the outdoor amphitheater. Tickets will run from $20 for adults. $18 for students/staff/seniors and $15 for children under 12. The Smith Center is also offering dinner tickets to go with the show for about $5 extra. Auditioners for Miss Saigon reached unprecedented numbers—about 100 singers and actors tried out, more than any Summerfest production in 15 years, said Tom Blank of the drama department. A pop opera written by the same team that wrote Les Miserables, Miss Saigon retells the Madame Butterfly story set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The lead roles of the production will be played by as follows: Kim- April Labson and Charlene Villareal; Chris- Andrew Surrena and Josh Milbourne; John- Robert Sholty; Ellen- Katy Kaul and Emily Mangone and Engineer- Tony Rodriguez and Lowell Abellon. Because it is a very difficult score to sing, especially outdoors in the Smith Center’s amphitheater, the Smith Center team will help singers not damage their voices by avoiding doing the piece every night.
Contest Winner
May 10, 2007 MONITOR
The Private Concerto By Ivy Moore
T
he day had been hot. Miserable, sticky hot. And the was the call of an ancient siren to me and caught by its call, I was patient I had just visited had the heater on low as blood unable to resist. thinners left her cold most of the time. I left the suffocating The basement opened up before me, claustrophobic and dark heat of her home at the very top of the building and paused with but cool. The walls were rough gray bricks, the ceiling low and relief in the cool darkness of the hallway, waiting for the elevator. the floor, smooth cement. The music echoed off the bricks and the As I stepped into the elevator car, somewhere below me, I could amplification of his emotions almost had me holding my breath. hear the distant strains of a concerto. The piano keys crashed out a A hallway led off to the right where the concerto raged on and for soul stirring rendition and music lifted upwards through the elevator some reason, I paused uncertainly. When I turned the corner, who shaft. The piece being pounded out was passionate, grieving and would I find? I knew it would be some slight dark haired bohemian tortured. And this music immediately had my attention riveted. type with strong, slender fingers. I knew it. I could see him clearly. I forgot how hot the patient’s apartment was and how cool Artistic, young, unfulfilled, passionate and with beautiful dark the hallway felt. I had seen piano concertos on television but haunted eyes. Someone or something would have hurt him and I had never experienced someone play in recently. What else could elicit such a charged person. The flat two dimensional performance performance? What dark despair could rent that I’d heard on television was nondescript when much emotion from someone? Betrayal? News compared to this thunderstorm of passion and of a death? Ivy Moore is the winpower that rose from below me. My curiosity I peered around the corner as the music crashed ner of the sixth annual was piqued and I tried to remember if there was over me and stared. Down the hall in a storeroom Award for Prose, a writa piano in the lobby. I told myself to forget it; stood a piano. Not the glossy concert grand piano ing contest initiated by I was there for work and work only. I looked I had envisioned but an old wooden upright. It Karen Rosenbaum, who down at the floor of the descending elevahad seen better days but then so had the artist taught creative writing, tor and closed my eyes. The music enclosed sitting before it. He was closer to sixty than fifty literature and composime, sweeping up over my skin and swirling and wore a dingy wife beater and faded sweat tion for more than 30 pants. The sleeveless tee shirt revealed burly, down inside my body. Someone was playing years at Ohlone. somewhere with the fervor and passion of the hair-covered arms and a faded tattoo. A cigar was newly betrayed. It whispered to my heart and clamped between his teeth as he bent his balding reminded me of past hurts that I had placed in head over the upright, his significant stomach the bottom drawer of my mind and forgotten. a scant inch from touching the piano. I could smell the scent of the cigar as I was only fifteen feet from him, The elevator arrived at the lobby and the doors opened. No piano anywhere. I stepped into the lobby but held the doors yet he never noticed me. Sweat coated his arms as he demanded open and the sound became fainter. I looked around the empty passion and drama from the keyboard. I could see no trace of lobby then quietly stepped back into the elevator car where the emotion anywhere on his face yet the sounds that emitted from volume rose from somewhere below me. I pushed the basement that keyboard overwhelmed me. Staring in strange fascination, button almost furtively. I was so caught up in his performance that his turbulent feelings What was I doing? I didn’t live in this building and had no busibegan to engulf me and my breathing became constricted. The ness going to the basement. I wasn’t even the adventurous sort. emotions he conveyed welled up in me. I felt small, insignificant I worked all the time and as much as I could. I was a hardcore and definitely uninvited. This was private and he was expressworkaholic. I didn’t go to the theatre or the opera. Those were ing something deep and dark within him that I had no business guilty pleasures I couldn’t let myself take time out to experience. witnessing. I knew that if he had finished and saw me, he might I didn’t even know the name of the piece that was playing in the not appreciate my being there. Yet I couldn’t leave. There was basement. It could have been an original and I would have never something elusive here I wanted to touch but couldn’t, something known. I should have gotten off at the lobby and gone on to the ethereal and beautiful. The contrast between his appearance and next patient’s home. If I got caught, what would I say? My job was the beautiful torment that flowed from his fingers made that molocated on the top floor of this high rise, not the basement. ment in time all the more entrancing to me. I closed myself off from chastising voice within and let the He was beautiful. notes fill me instead and suddenly there was no turning back. I was I turned silently and left. I took that moment with me and have ensnared. This wasn’t just music. It was emotion, raw, stripped kept it safe within me for fourteen years now. And every so often bare and bleeding-emotion I had no idea I was capable of relating I wonder about my beautiful bohemian pianist who unknowingly to. That music, screaming rage and grief with every key struck performed a private concerto just for me.
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Campus Events CLASSIFIEDS Sharks Ice is Hiring -- Sharks Ice in Fremont is looking for energetic and motivated Ohlone students.We are hiring for the following positions: bar tenders, snack bar attendants, skate guards, pro shop and cashiers. Apply online at www.sharksice. com or call (510) 6237200 for more information. Earn Money -Earn $2,500+monthly and more to type simple ads online. www.DataAdEntry.com. 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.
May 10 Multimedia Festival 2007 -- 4 to 9 p.m. in Hyman Hall. Entries selected from previous submissions by students enrolled in multimedia classes will be on display and outstanding pieces will win prizes. 11 EOPS Annual Awards Ceremony -- 3 to 5 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. Evening will include exciting acknowledgment of outstanding students. 12 Super Flea Market -- From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in parking lots E and H.
May 10, 2007 monitor
Admission is free and some of the merchandise sold includes: antiques, collectibles, jewelry, clothes, food, arts, crafts, comics and more. Parking is $2 per car. Flea market is held on the second Saturday of each month. 12 Community Chorale concert -- 5 p.m. at Centerville Presbyterian Church, 4360 Central Ave., Fremont. The program features medleys from Broadway musicals, including: Les Miserables, Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera and more. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. They can be purchased at Ohlone’s box office, or at the door. 12 Ohlone Community Band -- Noon at Central Park, Lake Elizabeth in Fremont. The Ohlone Community Band will showcase live entertainment at Central Park’s new outdoor venue, the Performance Pavilion. 13 Chamber Orchestra -- 5 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. The Chamber Orchestra presents a Mother’s Day concert featuring music by Beethoven and more. For more information or to buy tickets call (510) 659-6031 or visit the box office. 14 Transfer Event: UC Berkeley -- 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment. For information or to make an appointment, call the Transfer Center at (510) 659-6241. 15-16 Auditions for Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing -- 6 to 9 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre on May 15, and 6 to 7 p.m. on May 16. There will be nine performances from Nov. 8-17. Contact Tom Blank at (510) 659-6209. 16 End of Semester Potluck -- By Ohlone’s Psychology Club. It will be from 2:10 to 4 p.m. in Room 5209.
Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor
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11 MONITOR
May 10, 2007
Sports
Renegades walk off into the playoffs By Tomas Ortega Staff writer While the pitching for both teams wasn’t stellar, the offense for Ohlone and Butte College was alive and kickin’. With one out in the bottom half of the ninth, Ohlone’s leadoff man, Matt Langseth, paved the way for the Renegades to Fresno with a walk-off three-run homer and a final score of 8-7. Ohlone Manager Eric Kaholaii said of Langseth after the game, “Matt is a great leadoff hitter. He is just a tough out. All year he’s been able to take pitches and wait for the one he likes.” For a while, Kaholaii was pretty speechless with an immeasurable smirk on his face. Picking up the game in the seventh inning, Ohlone was down 4-2. The bases were loaded for Nick Caravelli, who then proceeded with a groundball to short that should have been a double play. However, Caravelli was able to beat out the back end at first as well as pick up and RBI. Following Caravelli’s infield single, Derek Hallet was hit by a pitch, once again loading the bases in the inning. Mike Vandenbusch laid down a sacrifice bunt to score
the runner from 3rd and tied the game at 4-4. After the mess created by the Renegades, Butte College brought in a reliever to face the hottest hitter in the Ohlone lineup, Matt Langseth. After the sac bunt, Langseth added his third hit of the game along with his second RBI of the day. That brought the score to 5-4 in favor of Ohlone. Butte was able to end the disastrous inning by striking out the next batter. In the top half of the eighth, Butte retaliated and scored on a two-run double by Brent Etchepare and again on a sac fly by their cleanup hitter, Warren Spohn. Those runs lead to a 7-5 lead for Butte College heading into the bottom of the eighth. Ohlone did no damage in the eighth, bringing four batters to the plate and quickly turning around three of them. By the same token though, Ohlone kept Butte at bay in the top of ninth. That then set the stage for a grand ninth inning. After Derek Hallet’s booming fly out to the centerfield warning track, pinch hitter Richard McDowell reached first on a hard line down the third baseline. He then took second on a balk by the pitcher. The pitchers
woes then continued. Jared Berrier stepped to the plate and quickly drew a 3-0 count. Not to be taken lightly, Butte’s Mike Gleason came back with two quick strikes. That’s when the fun really began. Berrier fouled off four straight pitches and eventually worked a walk, to put runners on first and second. “The umpire had a pretty big strike zone all day.” said Berrier. “And with two strikes, I couldn’t take any close pitches.” Langseth then followed with a 3-run home run to end the game, giving him four hits on the day and five RBI’s. According to Langseth, he had only hit 7 home runs in his life, four of them coming in little league. Matt also made reference to talk in the dugout.“This is right where we want to be. We are the most dangerous team, losing by two. We just don’t give up.” Not giving up is going to be something Ohlone will want to hold onto. This weekend the number 16 seed Renegades will travel to Fresno to take on Fresno City College, the second-ranked team in Northern California. The games will be a best of three series played on Friday and Saturday. The times of the games have not yet been announced.
Photo by Jack Husting
Pitcher Wayman Gooch threw seven strong innings and struck out five against Butte College.
Ohlone sweeps Sequoias; goes on to second round By Nick Zambrano Sports editor Isabel Ramos is used to being in crucial situations. Time after time, the sophomore can usually be found coming out on top of sticky situations, on the mound. This time was different, her role was reversed and she held a bat instead of a ball. It was the seventh inning when she stepped up to the plate in a 0-0 game. Her Ohlone comrades were hitting the ball hard, but the pesky Sequioas defense kept playing them to perfection. By no means was Ohlone was getting dished a no-no. Back in the third, Danielle Yee woke up the bats with a beautiful one-handed bunt single that died right between the mound and
home plate. While she was in the on-deck circle, taking her practices cuts, Ramos could be seen muttering something to herself. “I told myself, ‘my pitch only, keep my hands up and see the ball,’” said Ramos. Prior to her seventh inning atbat, Ramos saw Danielle Cameron connect for a two-out triple to leftcenter. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as Ramos dug in to the batter’s box. She battled with the Sequoias pitcher until she got the straightest fastball delivered right down the heart of the plate. All that could be heard was the sound of Ramos’ bat connecting, as the crowd went quiet. She sent a line shot to the center field and scored Cameron with ease, winning
the game 1-0. Game 1 now belonged to the Lady Renegades. It was definitely was one the toughest games Ohlone played this season by far. Ramos received plenty of help from her defense. After giving up a shot to deep left-center in the fifth, Ramos watched as the Sequoias hitter tried to stretch a double into a triple. However, the triple was a fool’s dream. Center fielder Valerie Briones cut the ball off as quick as possible and fired it in to shortstop Jessica Soderholm. Soderholm, in turn, shot a laser to third baseman Raquel Torres to record the final out of the inning and prevented any further damage. “I knew my defense was behind me the whole time,” said Ramos
Lady Renegades finish season; send one swimmer to state By Tomas Ortega Staff writer Last weekend, when the Ohlone faithful were watching their lone state qualifier in swimming competition, they witnessed something special in the Ohlone pool. The weekend featured two state records being broken, the women’s 200 freestyle and 50 freestyle. Before shining the light on a record breaker, it needs to be mentioned that the Ohlone Women’s Swim Team sent Ashley Rogers to the State Championships. To be selected to state, a swimmer needs to be ranked in the top 16 of their event, and Rogers was number 10. She posted a prelim time of 2:23.00 and a finals time of 2:22.43. Those times were good enough to put her into 10th place overall. Rogers, though, has no reason to feel disappointed, she did receive All-American honors for both swimming and water polo.
Rogers said, “Well, you’re kind of putting me on the spot. But, I really worked my ass off for (All-American status). I really enjoyed being a part of the State Championship and seeing all the other great athletes. Especially competing against Anne Scott, seeing her break those records. But I was in it to win it.” Coach Gene Kendall had high praise for his swimmers. “Ashley Rogers, Cody Angeles and danny DeGregorio all worked really hard, swam fast and I was really proud of them.” Both the Ohlone women’s and men’s swimming teams finished the season in sixth place in the league , with identical 2-4 records. Kendall noted that 42 schools attended the state swimming championships, hosted by Ohlone for the third time. Other years that Ohlone hosted the state meet were 1989 and 1995. Now about Anne Scott. She was the star of the state championships setting new records in the women’s 200 freestyle and 50 freestyle. Her times were 1:50.34 and 23.59 respectively.
It was now the top of the seventh, and Ramos saw her defense earn their stripes again. With one out and runners on first and second, Right fielder Danielle Yee played the role of superhero. Yee saved a potential run when she made a spectacular catch and doubled-up the runner at first. In game 2, Ohlone did not fool around. After falling behind in the sixth, 2-0, Yee once again thrived in the clutch moment. She started the comeback with a single down the third base line. Briones followed up Yee with a bunt single. Next, Cassandra Ortega was hit by a pitch and now the bases were loaded. Yee was thrown out on a fielder’s choice by Tiffany Chan, but Briones would score on an attempt to get Chan at first. It was now 2-1. Now
with two on and two out, Raquel Torres hit a blooped single between the shortstop and left fielder. Ortega and Chan would both come around to score and win the game 3-2. In the second round regional match-up Ohlone will face off against rival San Jose City College, in San Jose. The first game is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. The last time these two combatants got together, Ohlone lost 2-0. In other news, star center fielder Valerie Briones just gave verbal intent to play for the University of Hawaii-Hilo. While at Ohlone, Briones has become the school’s all-time stolen base leader. The San Leandro High alum, currenly holds a batting average of .382 and has 52 hits. She also leads Ohlone with 50 runs.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Page 12
Renegade sports: the best of the best Below, Ohlone Head Coach John Peterson works out a play with his team. Peterson led Ohlone all the way to the Elite Eight this season. Right, breaking up is hard to do. The baseball team just broke Butte’s playoff chances. Far right, Cassandra Ortega received Nor Cal Regional Honors for her excellent performance at the plate.
Photos by Jack Husting www.JackHustingPhotography.com
Above, Allan Hester makes an attempt to slam the ball home. Hester averaged 10.5 points a game for Ohlone. Below, Danielle McDowell goes through her strokes. She and the women’s swim team placed sixth in the State Championships. Bottom left, Meredith Ang peeks into the dugout for her next sign. Ang has formed powerful battery combinations with Tiffany Chan and Isabel Ramos. Far left, sophomore outfielder Adam Dexter attempts a leaping catch. The baseball team just beat Butte to place in the regional playoffs. Center, freshman McKensie Goodmanson finally brought diving back to the Ohlone swim team.