Monitor 2008-10-23

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Women’s water polo wins.

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Fremont, California

Vol. XXXVIII No. 8

OPINION

ASOC makes step toward freer speech.

SPORTS

NEWS

FEATURES

Ohlone teacher gets historical.

Harvey Milk doesn't deserve day.

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October 23, 2008

Ohlone so far weathering credit crunch

Bump in the night

By Nicole Johnson Staff writer

Photo by Japneet Kaur

This spooky fellow has a role in ‘Halloween Trilogy,’ which consists of three stories designed to frighten and entertain. The show runs Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Jackson Theater, with more performances on Halloween, Friday and Saturday at 8 and 11 p.m. Tickets are $8-$13 and are available at the Box Office. See story, Page 4.

did say that there is a $1.3 million salary savings built into the budget, which is being realized through a Ohlone College is safe so far from hiring freeze - no new employees the declining economy, even though will be hired at the school. Vacant other colleges have lost money, faculty positions are remaining that according to Dean of Business Ser- way and no new classes were added vices Joanne Schultz. for the Fall term. Schultz “Ohlone is financially ‘ Ohlone is also said that “there are well positioned with financially well no plans from the state to adequate reserves,” raise enrollment fees, but it positioned said Schultz. is still a likely outcome for Ohlone did have with adequate next year.” funds in rescued insu- reserves. ’ As for college funding ance giant AIG, but —Joanne and the effect the recent cashed out before the Schultz financial crisis has had on downturn, so the colit, Schultz said “our budgets lege didn’t lose any are dependent primarily money. The college monitors its on property tax and income tax investments and cash flow very revenues. Both of these are falling closely. “Our current investments below the projections.” are primarily in bonds that have Property taxes are down due to a steady income stream,” said the housing market collapse, resultSchultz. ing in reassessed housing values.

Recently, San Mateo County, Income tax revenues have two comwhich had invested as much as $155 ponents, personal and business. On million in the global investment the personal side, the stock market bank Lehman Bros., experienced losses will translate into capital a massive budget shortfall with the losses and as unemployment rises, collapse of Lehman, who declared taxable income declines. bankrupcy Sept. 15. Various instituBusiness are unable to get credit tions will be impacted by this void as a result of the financial tightening in the budget. so production is down, profits are Currently, the state of California down and more jobs are at risk. That is experiencing a $3 billion short- all spirals down even farther as the fall in predicted income, affecting consumers hold onto cash rather previous budget plans. Schultz does than spend it. All of that impacts not yet know how this will affect the state’s ability to fund the budget Ohlone. “The legislature will likely they passed. not meet again until January. At this Schultz added that even though time it is possible that there will be Ohlone is safe for now, that could midyear budget cuts.” change overnight depending on how There are, however, no current much the factors above impact state plans to cut staff at Ohlone. Schultz revenue stream.

Board considers revisions of CEO handbook

By Ankita Chhabra Staff writer The College Board of Trustees’ chief focus at their meeting Wednesday was on the revision of the new handbook for the CEO relations and responsibly that was bought up during the last session.

Concerns were raised by Trustee John Weed about some of the clarifications of some sentences that might need revision again, but the Board concluded that the handbook was ready and had been approved by most.

It will be used by current and prospective board members.

Additionally, the board went over the time limits that can hold back members from saying or completely expressing themselves. So a motion was proposed and passed to have some additional time for members to speak

and thank those who made presentations.

The Board was provided with a report from the ACCT (Association of Community College Trustees), which is the commission that helps the Board of Trustees with reports and statistics about campus information, whether it be regarding the percentage of enrollment or any classroom statistics.

ACCT is “a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States,” according to their website, http://www.acct. org/about/.

The group's goals include “Enhance[ing] the image and foster greater public appreciation of community colleges and their governing boards, support[ing] community college boards in their efforts to govern and develop

policies that focus on meeting community needs, help build community college board leadership and advocacy capacity through education and training programs, [and] assist community college boards in the recruitment, selection and retention of chief executive officers of the highest caliber.”

The three new improvements that were identified were the Assessment of Self, Organization of the Institution and the construction of the recommendations. The Board was asked to look out for more aid for students and teachers to make getting information quicker and more efficient, along with accessibility for all.

Lastly, the board talked about the policy level of the exercises used by the board. They concluded that they too, like most other policies, were to be kept high, and it was to be added and discussed more in the next meet-

ing, as it needed consideration and revision to what is and what is not in the bounds of the board.

They touched upon the timeline for any upcoming events, such as The Halloween Trilogy, which will open tonight.

The Board also discussed the admissions issues raised last meeting by the faculty senate and how the possibility of rejecting special students would really work, though that seems to not be the case as they are still in the process of trying to find a solution for this problem.

Aside from the ASOC informing them of their campus activities, and there being no new updates as far college news goes, they closed the meeting by discussing their weekend outreaches to the community.

The next meeting will be Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Child Development Center.

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Opinion

monitor October 23, 2008

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: Eric Dorman News editor: Kyle Stephens Opinion editor: Brian Chu Features editor: Andrew Le Sports editor: Jeff Weisinger Photo editor: Japneet Kaur Graphics staff: Amanda Sheppard Staff writers: Inez Black, Jacque Orvis, Benjamin Chang, Ankita Chhabra, Suchi Gupta, Nicole Johnson, William Martin, Tomás Ortega, Ryan Richmond, Anna Biaritz Roldan, Kathy Sung, Farnoosh Vahedi Photographers: TBA Ad manager: Jacque Orvis 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

All students have it tough Dear Editor: In reply to the opinion piece “International students face challenges at Ohlone” in the Oct. 16 edition of the Monitor: I think there are more similarities than differences between local and international students.

I am a 33-year-old student balancing work, school, and finances.

I commute between 3 and 5 times a week from Richmond to Fremont; sometimes I have to get up very early in order to catch public transportation. (If we are familiar with AC Transit in the Bay Area, some bus lines are a bit flaky…and some operators aren’t the nicest of people.)

As an adult, no matter where you come from, one has to figure

out how to make ends meet. Fortunately, I have had friends at Ohlone (students and staff) whom have helped me along.

Should we lower tuition for international students? Well, for out-of-state students who live in the U.S., the tuition isn’t exactly low.

For example, if I—a California native—wanted to attend Florida State University or New York University, I would have to pay far more than the local student. The same would probably be true if I were to study outside the U.S. Should special transportation be set aside for international students?

Well, you’ll have non-international students who want to be acknowledged too.

Should cheap housing be set aside for international students?

Well, we’re in the Bay Area; and a lot of people are having trouble finding homes or rooms to rent.

It’s not only a matter of price, but finding the right type of people to settle in with.

What about language barriers?

Again, we’re in the Bay Area where there are many people from various parts of the world. We should all try to understand and appreciate different cultures and languages; unfortunately in the real world, not everyone does that.

I would say this: have individuals (staff and/or students) available, so if local or international students have language, housing, or transportation issues, some help can be administered.

—Joel Kirk Student

No day for Milk Dear Editor, In response to the Gay/Straight Alliance’s comments in the Oct. 16 issue of the Monitor, I would like to say that I highly commend Gov. Schwarzenegger for vetoing the creation of Harvey Milk Day. Milk was an activist for a specific group of people, and as such does not warrant the same level of honor given to national heroes such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who are almost universally revered.

Furthermore, even if he is considered a hero by some, a great portion of Californians would not agree. Even Equality California admits that only “thousands...regard Milk as a national hero,” while California has a population of more than 36.5 million.

Forcing teachers and students who may not agree with Milk and his agenda to teach and be taught about him in public schools is inappropriate. Expecting people to be tolerant, yes. Forcing people to honor him, no.

—Aaron Hsu Student

To be green, look beyond supermarket shelves

By Suchi Gupta Staff writer “Go Green” seems to be the tagline for today’s advertising, marketing, technology and even presidential campaigns. With a lot of emphasis on global warming and trying to find alternatives to using natural resources, a significant question is how much we have truly allowed ourselves to believe that we are experiencing global warming

and are taking concrete steps for it.

Are we being caught in a loop by these advertising agencies who are using “green” as a publicity stunt, or are we making constructive efforts in conserving energy and correcting human activity that is causing a decline of natural resources?

The facts are out. There is no doubt that human activity over the past century has expedited global warming. The world population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Increase in population means increased use of natural resources,

further resulting in continued practices that will cause emissions of greenhouse gases. In an article in the New York Times, Andrew C. Revkin writes, “Carbon dioxide levels are 25 percent higher now than they were in 1860, and the atmosphere’s burden of greenhouse gases is expected to keep growing.

By the middle of the next century the resulting warming could boost global mean temperatures from three to nine degrees Fahrenheit.”

Over the past few years there seems to be more awareness in using

“green” products. If we walk down the aisle of a supermarket store, we seem to be walking through a sea of green: we can buy everything from organic food items to recycled products to organic linens to even green paper and its products.

This wide array of products can be misleading in what is the true purpose of going green. Using organic and recycled products is one of the steps toward going green, but not the entire process. We need to take steps at the root level to make a difference in using natural resources.

Statistics show a single aluminum recycled can provides enough energy to light a bulb for four hours, while conserving a ton of recycled paper can save 7,000 gallons of water. These changes done at the basic level will dramatically help to reduce global warming.

The imperative question is, can we live with the fact that our posterity may live in a less healthy world? If the answer is no, then we need to make “go green” more than a tagline and take steps to truly “go green” in our daily lives.

Nova Syfu

Shamir Ejaz

Jason Barnes

Alexander Rhone

DENTAL HYGIENE

MULTIMEDIA GRAPHICS

SOCIAL SCIENCE

ECONOMICS

Campus Comment > > Could machines ever take over the world?

Sarah Googe

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

“They could, but it would take people to program them first.”

“It’s happening now; my uncle got laid off because a machine replaced him.”

“Probably not; they’re made by people.”

“No, I don’t. They’re incapable of higher thought process.”

“No, because humans are the supremely intelligent species.”

News

October 23, 2008 monitor

3

Vegas comes to Ohlone, if only for a day

By Eric Dorman Editor-in-chief Don’t quit your day jobs, folks.

It may not have been the conclusion students were looking for at Friday’s Brown Bag Science Seminar, but it was the advice Math Instructor Jeff O’Connell gave to those hoping to “beat the system,” Las Vegas-style, through card counting.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t count cards...[but] I don’t think it will work out as well as you think it will,” O’Connell told the packed house at the seminar, entitled “21—The Math Behind The Movie.” In the talk, O’Connell examined how likely it is for one to consistently make money at blackjack and other card games through card counting (answer: not very) and whether the claims of the card counting-based movie “21” were exaggerated (probably).

“21,” a film released in March, chronicles the story of how 6 MIT students made millions in casinos through card counting—the process of keeping track of the cards already played from a deck and modifying one’s bet based on the odds of a particular card appearing.

“21” is based on a true story, but O’Connell suggested, through math and card-playing demonstrations, that the claims might have been exaggerated.

O’Connell began the talk with a simple premise: “If you want to try to beat the system, you have to understand the system.” Understanding the system, O’Connell explained, has to start with understanding “expected value”—the average loss or gain a player can expect to see in a given game. A game in which the odds are in your favor will have a positive expected value, while one in which the odds are against you will have a negative one.

But in general, there’s no need to calculate the expected value in a casino game. Why? “Every single game played in a casino has a negative expected value,” said O’Connell.

“Negative expected value is the system.”

This isn’t to say it’s not possible to win money in a game at a casino, said O’Connell.

In fact, a quick poll revealed that many of the

Photo by Eric Dorman

Math Instructor Jeff O’Connell gambles with students at Friday's Brown Bag Science Seminar. audience had. If you only play a given game a small number of times, the probability of winning, while low, is still significant. However, if you play many games, the probability of coming out ahead decreases drastically—a rule known as the “law of large numbers.”

Thus, while some bettors playing roulette, for example, may walk away from the table with more money than they started with, the vast majority will lose money. It is the law of large numbers that the casinos are betting on, and it’s because of this that they are able to pull in a steady cash flow (for example, a roulette player can expect to lose, on average, 5 cents per $1 bet).

So if the expected value is always negative, how can one consistently make money at a casino game? While it is statistically impossible to consistently make money at a game of chance like roulette, said O’Connell, games of strategy—like blackjack—are a different story. In roulette, every spin of the marble is independent (in other words, it is not influenced by prior spins), but in black-

jack, cards already played do influence later hands (because the already-played cards are no longer in the deck).

This fact is vital for the success of card counting, O’Connell explained. In blackjack, higher cards tend to form better hands than low ones, so a common card-counting scheme (called the “high/low strategy”) calls for the bettor to assign each card played from the deck either a “+1” if the card is low or “-1” if it’s high. This way, a player who keeps track of the “count” of the deck can maintain a rough idea of the odds of a particular card coming up. For example, a deck with a low count still has many low cards in it, while a deck with a high count is stocked with valuable face cards (suggesting that it’s a good time to bet).

With a little more math, the player can obtain a more accurate assessment of the deck’s content by calculating the “true count”—the basic count divided by the number of decks left.

All this math pays dividends, said

O’Connell, when the true count climbs above “+2”—at this point, the player has a one percent advantage over the house. It is with high counts like these that the characters in “21” made their millions, and it was with these kinds of counts that other educated gamblers could presumably make their fortunes, too.

To test how well this really worked, O’Connell staged an experiment with six students and six decks of cards, pre-loaded with high counts. Even with the favorable decks, the house (whose duties were performed by O’Connell) still came out ahead.

Even assuming card counting provided that one percent advantage, though, said O’Connell, the financial rewards were slim and somewhat risky. Betting $100 per hand, one could expect to make an average of about $50 per hour using the strategy, he said—but the margin of error for that figure was a whopping $2,800 per hour. So, on any given hour of playing, a card counter can expect to win anything from $2,750 to a loss of $2,750.

After examining the math behind card counting, O’Connell told the audience why he has never counted cards and has no intention of ever doing so: the tremendous amount of work that goes into it isn’t justified by the modest (and questionable) rewards. “I think the movie exaggerated things greatly,” said O’Connell. “I think it made [card counting] seem like the silver bullet.” In his own experiments, said O’Connell, the success of the method has not been clear.

The clincher, though, came with a segment from “21” O’Connell showed at the talk’s conclusion. The short clip showed one of the MIT gamblers facing the wrath of a casino hit man. In the clip, the hit man (played by Laurence Fishburne) accosts the student and teaches him a violent lesson about the consequences of attempting to outsmart a casino.

“Think you can beat the system?” Fishburne intones to the cowering and bloody student.

“This is the system—beating you back.”

“Stop counting.”

The next Brown Bag will be held Friday, Nov. 7 from 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 3201. The speaker will by Adjunct Anthropology Instructor Mark Dobbs, who will deliver a talk called “Forensic Anthropology.”

ASOC takes tentative step toward free speech

By Anna Biaritz Roldan Staff writer The Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) took another step toward possibly making the entire campus a “free speech area” at the meeting Tuesday.

After student Zuhal Bahaduri, who is spearheading the effort, argued in favor of abolishing the current free speech area (at the bottom of the Building 1 stairs by the Palm Bosque) in favor of making the entire campus a free speech area, the ASOC decided that further deliberations on the necessity of the project were needed. It opted to vote on forming a committee on the project at next week’s meeting.

Should the ASOC approve the formation of the committee, one of the committee’s first tasks will be to send out a survey to the student body regarding the free speech area.

Though a survey concerning this area has already gathered several hundred signatures, the ASOC plans to draft its own and circulate that.

ASOC President Jackie McCulley said of the proposed project, “this is an important change that will [be in] effect for the rest of the school’s existence so we should keep in mind that this will take a while. This may even carry over to the next semester.”

Also mentioned during the meeting was the 140th anniversary of the last major earthquake along

the Hayward Fault on Tuesday.

The fault’s activities are especially pertinent to the college, since it runs close to Ohlone. Chief of Police Steve Osawa talked about preparing for the earthquake at a recent safety meeting. Osawa mentioned that everyone should keep about two days’ worth of clothes, as well as handy flashlights.

In addition, families should also be sure to set a meeting place, and they should know that in case of emergency, text messages are more likely to get to the intended recipient than phone calls.

The ASOC also announced that the new Hyman Hall furnishings will be ready at the beginning of next year. According to ASOC

Vice President Kevin Feliciano, the furnishing updates will include new upholstery and fresh paint.

The ASOC also discussed several money requests. These include money requests for Ezups tents, the ASOC meet and greet program, and the speech department. Ezups tents are primarily for ASOC use, but may also be borrowed by other organizations/ clubs on campus once purchased. The tents are designed to be easier to set up and take down than the ones currently in use by the ASOC. The money request for the meet and greet program is for the food given away and other supplies used for the program for students on campus.

Representative from the forensics team Carissa Hatchet was present at the meeting to present what their money request is for, which is for the hiring of a speaker who will talk about student success.

Finally, the ASOC discussed the inaugural Coffee Cart Concert, which kicked off Tuesday at the coffee cart. The general consensus was that the event went well, but that the music was too loud. It was suggested that the volume might be made significantly softer to suit the idea of a “Coffee Cart Concert.”

Coffee Cart Concerts feature a variety of artists from around campus who perform at the coffee cart from noon to1 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month.

Chance for mathletes to flex their synapses

By Kyle Stephens News editor Friday, Oct. 24, Ohlone will be hosting a national Student Math League pre-calculus competition from 5-6 p.m. in HH-218.

The top five scorers will receive $50, and two second-tier scorers will be chosen via a dice roll.

The prize money comes from individual donations from the

math department faculty and the ASOC. “Not every good math student is still taking math, or math related classes,” said Geoffrey Hirsch, math instructor and club advisor. The cash prizes encourage a greater turn out, and with it stronger talent. Prior to the cash prize, Ohlone ranked 86th in the nation. After it, Ohlone went to 8th, then 4th, then back to 8th – an 80 place jump at the least.

In 2007, Ohlone was ranked 7th in the nation among community colleges, with Terence Lee tied for 9th in the nation.

Test questions come from (and are given on the eponymously named test) an organization called AMATYC - American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, which is “the only organization exclusively devoted to providing a national forum for

the improvement of mathematics instruction in the first two years of college,” according to their website, http://www.amatyc.org/.

Questions on the AMATYC are applied pre-calculus problems, going beyond what one finds in a standard textbook. Hirsch called them “Brilliant.”

The AMATYC has a unique scoring system as well: correct answers net 2 points, and incorrect answers

deduct 0.5 point. Answers left blank earn no points. This system is meant to discourage guessing.

The Ohlone Math Club, µαθ (“Muu Alpha Theta”) meets on Fridays at 3:45 p.m. in HH-218.

Those interested in preparing for the test may look at previous SML tests, 10 of which are available at the Ohlone Math Club website, www.ohlone.edu/org/mathclub/ Amatyctest.htm.

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Features

monitor October 23, 2008

The view from here

By Andrew Le Features editor

Catholic vote John McCain is losing the next election by a landslide and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. Things that I’ve believed all my life are no longer what the people believe in anymore and that’s just the way things are now.

I am yesterday’s newspaper, no longer relevant. My girlfriend is part of Planned Parenthood, all my roommates are pro-gay marriage, and everyone I know wants out of the Iraq War. When I was 18 years old, my priest told me that it was my moral imperative to vote. He didn’t tell me who to vote for, but told me to pray and to do what I felt was “right.” He also handed me a Catholic voter’s guide in case God wasn’t being very clear to me when I prayed. I’ve been conservative ever since - before then I was a bleeding heart, but ever since the Catholic voter’s guide, I figured that it wasn’t about what made sense as much as what was “right.”

It didn’t matter to me that the Iraq war seemed un-winnable, that it cost us $600 billion, or that we had nothing to gain from the occupation. What did matter to me was the fact that we broke Iraq and that it was our job to fix it. If we leave now there’d be millions dead from the civil war, if we stay, there is no end in sight.

I grew up hearing stories about martyrs, who would rather be ravaged by lions than renounce their faith. In the world I grew up in, it was better to die for what was right, than to live for the wrong, and in the end, there’d be an eternal reward.

The priest that handed me the voter’s guide taught me a lot, and I didn’t even know his name. He was just like every other priest at St. John’s, a good man who helped me realize that there was more to life than the Cash Rules Everything Around Me (CREAM) ideology, that there was a fundamental right and a wrong and that I would be able to feel the difference.

But the church I grew up in doesn’t exist anymore. We hid the pedophiles and moved them around while still condemning the use of condoms for AIDS dense countries in Africa. The same people who told me using a condom would result in eternal damnation were the same people protecting child molesters. All my life I had my faith in a system that didn’t even care about its parishioners.

I don’t live in an age of right and wrong anymore, everything is just “different.” Things are just changing so fast and I can’t keep up; I never was able to keep up.

I’m even beginning to wonder if what I’m trying to preserve even really existed in the first place.

Or if it’s all been one big lie the entire time.

Makeup and cat motions make for a terrifying experience, above.

Photo by Japneet Kaur

Halloween Trilogy frightens

By Rebecca Soltau and Suchi gupta Staff writers Ohlone’s Theater Department will continue to amaze audiences this year with high-tech staging and a horde of heart-stopping thrills from the end of October to the beginning of November.

The show, aptly named “Halloween Trilogy,” consists of three spine-tingling tales of horrible monsters, nerve-racking ghouls, and blood-curdling revenge. Based on the chilling works of Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost,” Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Rudyard Kipling’s “Mark of the Beast,” the trilogy is an interlocked blend of horror, hilarity and suspense.

“We’ve all worked very hard on carefully crafting the show to bring [the audience] the full experience of Halloween with amazing stage illusions and performances that will take [the audience’s] breath away,” said Professor Mark Nelson, director of Halloween Trilogy.

Accompanying the show is a showcase called “Dr. Mayhem's House of Madness and Professor Fredrick’s Collections of Oddities and Curios from around the World.”

The show is set up in the Louie Meager Art Gallery and the Smith Center lobby from now until Nov, 1.

According to Nelson, “This show, slightly tongue in cheek, is a

Photos by Japneet Kaur

Actors and actresses rehearse for the Halloween Trilogy, above. A knight in shining amror, below. collection of a variety of things that go bump in the night. The exhibit includes replicas of outer space visitors, the true story of Frankenstein, and a depiction of Brice Kates, the mad dog man of Niles Canyon who is living in solitary confinement after committing brutal crimes against humanity.

The show also exhibits the artwork collection of set designer for the Halloween Trilogy, Stephen

Wathen. There are drawings, renderings and models from his work for Dracula, performed at Ohlone in 2003 as well as film work and other shows he has designed.

Talking about the experience that the viewers can get out of the show, Nelson said,” an homage to Nickolas Cage in ‘The Ghost-Rider’, a replica of the Apes professional baseball team and a 17-pound spider, the display is sure to thrill and

chill all of those who dare visit.”

The gallery and lobby displays, including the infamous “BOO BAR,” where you can have a preshow drink, are open every night prior to the performances of Halloween Trilogy.

Show dates are tonight through Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tickets range from $8 to $13, available at the Box Office.

Features Womens’ study class at Ohlone

By Kathy sung Staff writer For the first time in five years, Professor Cynthia Katona, the same professor who brought Ohlone the Censorship and Literature class, will be teaching her Women in the Western World class in the coming spring semester.

The class will be offered every Monday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Room HH-208.

This class is considered an interdisciplinary class and students can register for it as IS-120 or WS-120. It meets the diversity requirement in the curriculum and studies women from historical times to the present.

According to Katona, “[The class] basically answers the question ‘What were women doing while men were writing history?” The class will be composed of reading books, interesting discussions and several movies, too. Since the class is composed of a little bit of everything, there are many different disciplines pulled into the class offering a little bit of interest of everyone.

Together, the class will talk about feminism and try to answer Freud’s question “What do woman want?”

As a “founding delegate to the National Woman State Association,” Professor Katona will be taking the class through the Aristophanes plays, women in the Roman Age, the Middle Ages and women in Shakespeare.

As the first professor to ever

Pianist performs

By Nicole Johnson Staff writer Richard Glazier, one of today’s most prolific interpretive pianists, performed in the Smith Center on Saturday. That night was a combination of stories and multimedia that dealt with the life and works of George and Ira Gershwin. As a tribute to the brothers, he told the story of their lives. Glazier began with “The Man I Love.”

Ever since he was 9 years old, Glazier knew he wanted to play piano. “Girl Crazy” was the name of the movie he saw when he first heard Gershwin’s music. That was the moment that piqued his interest in the Gershwins. When Glazier discovered “Rhapsody in Blue,” that sealed his interest. Glazier played 10 songs that night, including “An American in Paris in Miniature” and “Our Love is Here to Stay.”

Glazier met Ira Gershwin on April 2, 1975 and had the chance to play on his piano. The Gershwins were a huge musical and theater success. Ira wrote the lyrics and George wrote the music. Together, they had made over 950 songs for Broadway and film. Unfortunately, at the age of 38, George Gershwin died of a brain tumor. Ira Gershwin died peacefully in his home at the age of 86.

Glazier is here now to honor them and their music by giving the audience an interesting history lesson followed by the Gershwin’s unforgettable music.

teach a woman’s studies class at Cal State East Bay in 1973, Katona states that, “feminism is just wanting equal rights for women.”

The class will be reading Marge Piercy’s novel, Woman on the Edge of Time. Other books that will be read include Jane Eyre, Lysistrata, History of Ideas on Woman and Who Cooked the Last Supper. In addition to these books as a class students will be watching Thelma and Louise, Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues and Still Killing Us Softly. Also part of the course would be the three short films of Dreamworlds II, My Feminism and Beyond Beijing.

As part of the class, students will explore women’s roles within the Bible - what they did throughout the Old and New Testament. Only one paper will be required throughout the entire class, a three-page critical analysis on one book read during the course or a book of a student’s choice.

According to the class flyer, Women in the Western World “examines the traditional role of women in Western society as seen in selected readings from history, myth, philosophy, anthropology, psychology, sociology, literature, and art, in order to appreciate women’s contributions to Western culture.”

Women in the Western World is a class where students get an upclose view of what is happening to the women in history and how their roles evolved over time.

Although Professor Katona ad-

October 23, 2008

monitor

5

Weighing Anchor

By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief

More equal than thou

Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Katona

Katona will be offering a women’s study class. mits that most people who attend the class are women, she says that it’s a class for “guys who want to have some insight into what women

are thinking.”

The class begins in the Spring Semester and will be held every Monday night from 6:30 to 9:30.

“Gosh, I never thought applying for

scholarships could be so easy...”

$16,500 in scholarships for Ohlone College students are available now! Check them out at:

http://scholarships.ohlone.edu

Just what does it mean to be equal?

It’s an abstract question, but elections have a way of taking abstract questions and throwing them down smack into the concreteness of everyday life. The state election is no exception, as voters are being forced to define their beliefs on equality when casting their votes on Proposition 8, California’s attempt at a ban on gay marriage.

It isn’t Prop. 8 itself (which I do not support) or even the debate on the definition of marriage that I’d like to focus on today, though—it’s the debate on the definition of equality.

Those who oppose the bill say they are doing so because they believe in equality for all. Proponents of the legislation argue that the bill will maintain equality between gays and straights; marriage is simply an institution that belongs only to the latter group.

At face value, this statement on equality seems like an oxymoronic mix of Jim Crow and Orwellian notions. But take another look at the rules that govern your life, and it isn’t hard to see where this kind of an idea comes from. Inequality is burned into the way our society functions; the Declaration of Independence may declare that “all men are created equal,” but in reality, the rules that shape our lives are formed based on a careful categorization of every one of us. I may be created equal with the next American, but by virtue of his date of birth, his vote may count while mine doesn’t. Once 18 and able to vote, have I stepped onto the level playing field at last? When I file my first tax return, it quickly becomes clear that this is not the case; I am once again categorized, this time by how much money I make.

Suppose I try to apply for scholarships—I am categorized by my race and my chances at the money are correspondingly altered. At every turn, more inequalities are added to the equation.

But at the root of these bits of inequality isn’t a deliberate attempt to rob us of our right to equality—just the opposite.

Instead, these rules attempt to level a playing field already pockmarked with inequalities—differences in everything from intelligence to family background.

The fact remains that in many ways, Jefferson was wrong: we’re not all created equal. And there’s nothing the government, or any institution, can do to change that.

There are some things the government can do in light of that fact, however. It can continue to seek ways to make the country a fairer place for the varied assortment of people living in it. And perhaps more importantly, it can refrain from implementing these artificial inequalities when none are needed.

6 MONITOR

October 23, 2008

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Campus Events CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS

- Away vs. Modesto Jr. College at 4 p.m.

PIANO FOR SALE -- Upright, rosewood Chappell piano in excellent condition. Made in England. $1,200. Call 510-790-1139 or email souzafive@comcast.net.

For information on Jobs an Career Resources, visit the Student Success Center in Room 1403 or go online at www.ohlone.edu/org/ssc/

30 Speaker Event- Annual Careers in Communications Panel at 1 p.m. in Room 3102 on the Fremont Campus.

October

28-29 Bone Marrow -­Screening in the lobby of Building 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by Asian Pacific American Student Association.

23 College for a day Program for Newark Junior High students at the Newark Campus from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

23 Art Gallery - “Dark Designs” Theater Show in Louie-Meager Art Gallery until Nov. 1.

23-25 Halloween Trilogy Week 1 in Jackson Theatre at 8 p.m.

23 Men’s Baseball - Home vs. San Mateo College at 2 p.m.

29 Women’s Volleyball - Away vs. Gavilan College at 6:30 p.m.

29 Flu Shots - Get your flu shot at the Newark Center from 9 until noon in Room NC1214.

29 Men’s Water Polo - Away vs. Modesto Jr. College at 3 p.m.

29 Women’s Water Polo

October 23, 2008 monitor

31 Women’s Soccer - Home vs. West Valley College at 12:30 p.m.

31 Men’s Soccer - Home vs. Las Positas College at 3 p.m.

November 1 Women’s Basketball All day scrimmage away in San Mateo 1 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. West Valley College “Scout Day” at 10 a.m.

2 Women’s Softball - Away vs. San Jose City College at 10 a.m.

23 Speaker Event - Being a Democratic Delegate for Barack Obama by Matt Freeman at 2:15 p.m. in Room 3101 on the Fremont Campus.

24 Women’s Water Polo Home vs. Foothill College at 3:30 p.m.

24 Men’s Soccer - Away vs. Mission College at 4 p.m.

24 Women’s Soccer - Away vs. Foothill College at 4 p.m.

24 Women’s Volleyball Away vs. SJCC at 6:30 p.m.

25 “Dark Designs” Theatre Show Reception at 7 p.m. in Art Gallery.

25 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. San Jose State College at noon.

25 Women’s Softball Away vs. Merced College at 1:30 p.m.

25 Women’s Softball Away vs. California State University in Stanislaus at 3:15 p.m.

28 Women’s Soccer Home vs. Cabrillo College at 1:30 p.m.

28 ASOC - Meeting in Room 6105 at 4 p.m.

28 Men’s Soccer - Home vs. Monterey Peninsula College at 4 p.m.

28 Gay Straight Alliance - GSA Meeting at 2 p.m. in Room SC-116

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 Jacque Orvis at (510) 659-6075 or e-mail monitorads@ohlone.edu

7

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Triples Alley

By Tomás Ortega Sports writer

Only one October Don’t you guys want to watch the World Series? Everyone should be crazy at this time.

The sporting event that gets my blood pumping more than the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals (somewhat hard to believe but seriously), the Series pits two teams against each other that have labored and clawed through the 162-game grind.

Now let’s see who’s in the series. The Boston Re—nope. The Los Angeles Do—not them either (hahaha). The series the American sports media would have drooled over is not happening, thanks to the Philadelphia Phillies, who are not just representing the Philly fans but all of Philadelphia sports.

A Philadelphia team has not won a major sports championship since 1983, when the Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Finals.

The Phillies haven’t been associated with a World Series win since 1980.

Then there’s those Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Sorry for the typo.

The Tampa Bay Rays. Since changing their name to the Rays, they’ve gotten into two benchclearing brawls with two A.L. East teams and won more than 70 games for the first time in the history of their franchise, dating back to 1998.

Two teams that shouldn’t be battling for the title are doing just that.

The Phillies are not only a franchise that hasn’t won anything since the tail end of the Reagan administration, but they also are loaded on young talent.

Just look at their pitching staff (not you, Captain of the senior division Jamie Moyer). Headed by the good young lefty Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation and backed up by the big fella Joe Blanton, they also were second in the MLB with a 3.19 bullpen E.R.A. But it’s their offensive potential that makes them so exciting to watch. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley alone combine for a great 1-2 punch in the middle of the order. Plus, Jimmy Rollins at the top of the order makes them a threat to score every time they lead off.

However, it’s the Rays making the excitement in this series.

The fact that they went from worst to first alone is enough to force you to watch. If that doesn’t inspire you to tune in, then Evan Longoria alone should. This 22-year old was signed to a longterm contract a week into his major league career!

The marketers are right, there’s only one World Series. There’s only one OCTOBER!

Page 8

Women’s water polo wins battle of unbeatens; Men’s team blown out

By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer When you are put in a pool with a few of the best water polo players recruited from England and are told that they are the conference champs, some fear and anxiety seems to build up before the game.

And that’s exactly what happened Wednesday afternoon as the Ohlone Men’s water polo team was blown out by West Valley College, 21-3.

“They just played harder,” said Ohlone Head Coach Gene Kendall, who was anticipating the game, knowing what he and his team were up against.

There was a small sign of good news though, despite the blowout.

Two of the three goals for Ohlone were made by Joey Declera and the last one was a shot by Scott Harvey, which prevented the probable shutout.

The Renegades put up a good fight against the Vikings and held up well, until one of the Vikings players would receive a long pass from their goalie to the other side and it would be a one-on-one shot.

Though their defensive strategies did not stick around long enough to help them win the game, they did manage to get a couple attempts here and there.

The crowd, though, still cheered on for the team as they struggled through the last period of the game.

Kendall, who was content with his team and their spirit, smiled proudly and said to watch out for them in their upcoming game.

The men’s water polo team will be facing Modesto College, another tough competitor, on Wednesday in Modesto.

For the women, however, it was a completely different story as they pulled through West Valley College 9-7 and remain undefeated.

The game was tight throughout,

Photos by Jeff Weisinger

Ohlone goalie Dannie Zboyovsky, above, made every clutch save; Amy Lovilen, below, played well in Ohlone’s 9-7 win over West Valley. until the last period as Ohlone broke through and took control.

West Valley’s goalie showed some amazing skills in the way she handled Ohlone’s attempts.

“The sun does play a role, I mean it blocks your eyes so sometimes it gets hard,” said the goalie for West Valley, who faced the sun during the time when Ohlone peaked at their score points.

The victory not only keeps the Lady Renegades undefeated, but also gets them a step closer toward the state championships.

“We played a good team today, because just like us they too are 4-0 in conference games,” said Lady Renegades Head Coach, Don French, who said that his girls played hard and came through.

Lucy Bergey was the player who scored the game-ending goal.

Amy Lovilen helped her team with many key assists as well as goals for Ohlone.

The Lady Renegades look to put their undefeated conference record on the line as they will host Foothill College Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Victory continues to elude Men’s soccer; Women’s team riding high

By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer The California sun does not seem to be shinning bright for the Ohlone Renegades Men’s soccer team as they dropped another game on Friday, this time losing 4-1 to the DeAnza Dons.

The boys brought back some of their old players who were previously hurt on the field and changed up their line ups.

Goalkeeper Iman Aghel showed signs of improvement in this game, blocking 10 attempts by the Dons.

Ohlone defenders Sean Powers, Patrick Lee and Wayne Jin showed much improvement, taking off the pressure off Aghel throughout the game.

Mark Landefeld, head coach for the DeAnza Dons admitted to the rough year both teams were having

and that the Renegades put a good game against them.

The game began with neither side dominating the ball, until the Dons made their first goal.

However, the Renegades answered back with their first goal of the game, as Patrick Lee passed the ball to Daniel Zermino, who scored to prevent the shutout.

The second half showed Ohlone’s weakness as they let the Dons dominate the field and put in another three goals.

“It’s a gradual improvement,” said Renegades Head Coach Don Williams, who said he was proud of his team’s play.

Against Cabrillo College on Tuesday, not too much changed for the Renegades, who lost 4-0 and dropped their record to 0-15 on the season.

Darwin Eng, who had just re-

turned from a knee injury, walked off the field yet again with another knee injury.

The season is not looking all too bright for the men as they travel to Santa Clara to take on Mission College on Friday, once again in search of their first win.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Ohlone Women’s Soccer team bagged another victory, winning 2-1 against Skyline College.

Goalkeeper Danielle Anderson returned to the field and worked her magic hands to block the other team’s attempts.

Lady Renegades Head Coach Larry Heslin said he is proud of the progress of this team and their rate of improvement.

Fanny Koloko-Green, continued her scoring streak, scoring both goals in the match.

Ohlone dominated most of the

game, until the Trojans managed to slip in a goal late, as Arleen Winkelbauer got a shot past Ohlone’s Danielle Anderson to prevent the shutout.

The Lady Renegades struggled in the second half of the game defensively; however, they turned it around to pull out the win.

The team’s goal to go to the state championships this year is still in reach, as long as they continue to play as consistent as they have been throughout the season.

“We work hard as a team and it shows when we play,” said Captain Lorie Machuca.

With their record at 9-5-1, the Lady Renegades look poised to reach the state playoffs this year.

The ladies will travel to Los Altos Hills on Friday to play against Foothill College, a team they defeated earlier in the season 3-0.