Monitor 2008-12-11

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Back-to-back basketball domination.

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Any way you slice it, Prop. 8 is unfair.

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Fremont, California

Vol. XXXVII No. 14

OPINION

Student’s 6,000 mile ride.

SPORTS

FEATURES

Semester draws to close; Monitor will be back in January.

December 11, 2008

Board swears in members

Dances of all kinds

By Zuhal Bahaduri Staff writer

Photo by Japneet Kaur

Students performed a variety of dances - from tango to hip-hop-themed - at the Winter Dance Showcase performances last weekend. See story, Page 6.

New Board Members Teresa Cox and Greg Bonaccorsi were sworn in at Wednesday’s College Board of Trustees meeting. Incumbent Nick Nardillilo, who ran unopposed, was also sworn in.

After the new members were sworn in, each had time to say a few words. “If we work together, anything is possible,” declared Bonaccorsi, stressing his commitment to the college’s mission and values.

Cox, up next, thanked everyone for their support, and said, “Dynamic citizens voted for voice of change. Change became present even at the local level this election by [the election of the Board’s] first African American.”

Lastly, Nardillilo said, “It will be my 12th year on the Board and an amazing 12 years.

[I’m] blessed and honored to do another four years. It’s the first time I haven’t been challenged, so thank you for the thousands of people who didn’t challenge me.” He ended his speech stating that, “the backbone of Continued on Page 4

College goals: keep out water, let in fire trucks

By Nicole Johnson Opinion editor Ohlone’s measures to improve fire department access to campus, as well as its efforts to curtail water seepage under the college, will mean more construction on campus over the coming months.

Construction on the projects, both state funded, should begin within a month or two, said Build-

ings and Grounds Director Lucky Lofton. Ohlone has from July 1, 2009 until June 30, 2011 to complete these projects. The state of California is giving Ohlone $9.6 million toward the renovations.

In order to support 75,000-pound fire trucks driving onto the plaza by the pond, the water-damaged plaza will be removed. The stairwell and the plaza have sunk in relation to the building by a couple of inches.

Newark green, but not green enough

By Jacque Orvis Staff writer Almost a decade after Ohlone College hand-picked the former Sun Microsystems land to be the future satellite campus, the Newark Center has risen and achieved LEED Platinum status, making it the greenest learning center in the state.

But it’s not quite green enough.

The campus “currently lacks much vegetation and organisms,” said Jeff Watanabe, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Ohlone College’s Newark Center. Under Watanabe’s instruction, Ohlone’s Environmental Biology students spent their fall semester planting or-

ganisms native to the region around their LEED certified campus.

The goal is to help the campus become more diverse, flowing with native plants and wildlife. Inspiration comes from the restoration of the Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon, an area near the Fremont Bart station.

The Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon, managed by Math Science Nucleus and owned by Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, harbor native and non-native trees, shrubs, bushes, herbaceous plants, aquatic plants and wetland grasses. The ponds are also home to vertebrates and invertebrate life as well as micro Continued on Page 4

The stairway by the pond has sunk and tipped because of water damage below the ground.

The damaged slab will be removed and fixed. The benches and tables will remain unaffected. There is no contract for the renovation yet, but contracts should be awarded by the end of June.

Lofton and contractors are looking into other sustainable solutions that are environmentally respon-

sible, and making sure they know how to work around the trees in an environmentally safe way.

Lofton said “student disruption may occur, but [this project] has been reviewed by the Fremont Fire Dept. to ensure safety provisions made for all access to areas affected.”

Ohlone has had a water intrusion problem since the campus was first built. Because Ohlone is

on a hill, water runs down from the hills above the campus, causing damage to buildings as well as the ground.

The planning and design for the water intrusion is 90 percent done, said Lofton.

A total of three extraction wells will be installed on the upper campus, at the height of the pond area, but not much broader. The Continued on Page 4

Photo courtesy of Jeff Watanabe

Environmental biology students aim to increase the biodiversity of the land surrounding the Newark Campus by planting native plants.

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Opinion

monitor December 11, 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: Nicole Johnson Features editor: Andrew Le Sports editor: Jeff Weisinger Photo editor: Japneet Kaur Graphics staff: Amanda Sheppard Staff writers: Jacque Orvis, Ankita Chhabra, Suchi Gupta, Nicole Johnson, Tomás Ortega, Anna Biaritz Roldan, 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.

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Opinions

We are still playing hide-n-seek with the truth

By Ankita Chhabra Staff writer Living in the 21st Century and learning new things every day with the ever-changing generation, it has occurred to me that the mobilization of today’s society seems to be heading right back into history - to time periods in which we fought wars for the rights of individuals.

Church and State have been separated for so long, yet with the passing of Proposition 8 there has been a complete uproar across the nation.

In March of 2005 the Supreme Court of California concluded “there was no rational connection between forbidding same-sex mar-

riage and any legitimate state interest and the opposite-sex requirements impermissibly discriminated based on gender.” Now, after the 2008 elections, Prop. 8 is in the constitution and a lot of people don’t know exactly how to go about doing anything about it.

If you look at the bigger picture, we humans are basically reverting back to the past and taking away rights of people; the right that is theirs to love whomever they choose to. God created us all equally and yet we find ourselves treating certain groups as inferior to us. We completely segregate them because we cannot justify their morals with ours. Just the other day I went to San Francisco to go visit a friend of mine

who has been really upset after Prop.

8 had been passed and there was no way I could understand the anger and rage she had built up inside of her, until she showed me a letter her mom had sent her just earlier this year expressing her thoughts about her daughter’s decision.

“It is not who you love, or who you have become. It is the fact that you ‘were’ my baby girl that I hoped to wed off at the alter, but it seems as if though that will just remain a dream.”

In that one moment I finally came to understand that today’s society has become oblivious and afraid to face the truth and the fact that love comes in many forms. We have chosen to overlook the happiness

of many homosexuals to satisfy the complaints of a few.

I’m not being one-sided about this situation or saying that if you are against homosexuality that you are wrong. What I am saying is that even though this right may have been lost to the careless votes of the thousands, we need to learn to accept and be willing to understand the needs of everyone.

Prop. 8 will be argued unquestionably in the courts for the years to come because of how many people it will be affecting.

It is only my hope that people can put aside their differences and understand the separation of church and state and that we have come too far since the Civil Rights Movement

to be falling back again to the same situation.

How many times do we hear that a homosexual person has disrupted with the enormity of society or been a havoc to look down upon?

Yes, we may not be able to relate to their lives, but who are we to judge one’s lifestyle from another?

We too have our mistakes and our morals and our ethics, and they too are human and have their ethics. Not everyone is the same, but we all beat with the same heartbeat.

Earnest Gaines, a well-known African American author, once said, “Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?”

Time to bid farewell to a roller-coaster year

By ERIC DORMAN Editor-in-chief Ah, 2008, we barely knew ye.

It was a year of extremes: record ups and downs, booms and busts, winners and losers. And just as we’re finally getting used to this bucking bronco of a year, it’s almost over. So before you crack open the next textbook and try to put the semester behind you, take

a moment to remember the people and stories who made headlines this year, both those you’d like to remember, and those you wouldn’t mind forgetting.

Ever the optimist, I’ll start with the year’s good stories. It was a good year for: • Buyers. Whether it was stocks, a house or a Cadillac Escalade you were eying, this year was the year to buy as stock prices, real estate prices and auto values dropped

through the floor.

• Democrats. It was their election to lose and despite Billary and Biden’s best efforts to accomplish that end, the Democrats prevailed in the White House and Congress.

You did a heckuva job, W. • Movies. The summer was looking bleak for moviegoers with dismal offerings like “Hamlet II” and “Death Race.” But that was before the Joker put a smile on our face.

• The Olympics. We saw them

go higher, swifter and stronger than ever before—and I’m not just talking about NBC’s ratings. I’ll believe those Chinese gymnasts were 16 when I see their birth certificates, though.

• Pirates. With over 30 hijackings and some multi-million dollar ransoms under their belts, Somali pirates are living the good life. The days for these scourges of the sea could be numbered, though, as James Norring—ahem!— British

Admiral Philip Jones moves the British Navy in to sink the threat.

• Free cash. The government couldn’t give away enough of it as our corporations lined up for handouts. Brother, can you spare a hundred billion?

But the year was sour for: • Sellers. Whatever you’re looking to unload, it’s worth less now than it was on Jan 1. At least Continued on Page 3

Campus Comment > > >

What won’t you be doing over Christmas break?

Hyder Gowher

Ruth Fonseca

Morgan Nelson

Sinuo Zheng

“I’m not getting any sleep because I’m taking classes.”

“I won’t be going to Mexico like last year.”

“Anything, because I will be working too much.”

“Travel around, just going to be staying home and go nowhere.”

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COMMUNICATIONS

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Quynh Pham BIOLOGY/ADVERTISING

“Clubbing, dancing, drinking or be with my friends...Wink wink.”

Opinion

December 11, 2008 monitor

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A word of advice to the ‘Santas’ of the world

By NICOLE JOHNSON Opinion editor You know how Santa has a “naughty and nice” list for all the children of the world (adults, too)? Well, I think it’s bogus – not Santa; his list.

Now I’m mostly talking for children here, since a lot of adults should know better by now. Who is Santa, a jolly bearded man who is supposed to bring joy, to judge who is naughty and nice, right and wrong? Giving a child a lump of coal – equivalent to nothing - for Christmas is the same as crushing their little dreams of running down the stairs and practically trampling their parents just to see what Santa brought them. How could Santa be so cruel just because he thinks the child has not been good all year?

Who gave Santa the right to judge people and decide who does or does not get what for this one special evening based on their actions year-round?

Now, I’m going to stand up for all the kids

and say that Santa is wrong! Santa is bribing little kids. If kids are good, they get presents, and if kids are bad, they get coal. (Shame on you, Santa!)

Children believe so much in Santa that they write him letters, leave out milk and freshly baked cookies. To a child, Santa is as real as our failing economy – which a child could care less about. Children don’t need real life events to believe in; they need something better than that; they need something magical that can lift their spirits and make them strive to do something better with themselves. That is exactly what Santa does.

Santa gives children the hope that they will receive their hearts’ desire on Christmas day so long as they were almost squeaky-clean all year. Children think that Santa is somehow watching them, and that they must do everything in their power to please him and get on his “nice” list. Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick isn’t so good anymore. He fills children with guilt.

The thing children look forward to most is opening their presents Christmas morning and

seeing what Santa brought them, and when they don’t get what they asked for in the letter they took the time to write and send to the North Pole, they think “did I do something wrong?” Those poor children think they did something bad and somehow ended up on Santa’s naughty list. The result – the child thinks they are a bad person, and their whole perspective of right and wrong, naughty and nice, is blurred.

Because Santa is so strongly engraved in children’s minds, they have to please him.

It is the children’s job to do right by Santa.

They have been taught to become dependent and not find their own way and reasoning to do things for themselves. They are not going to better themselves because they want to be good people – although we know that children are generally good – they will do it because they want Santa to know how good they’ve been.

(Again I say, shame on you, Santa!)

Santa has become a corrupt web of lies, bribery, and manipulation for children

all across the world. Santa has no right to judge a child, because all children are good. Some are just misguided, have the wrong type of upbringing, or are just not given the chance to prove themselves because people are constantly belittling them. Santa gave them hope, and just as Santa did, so can their parents, and the people around them.

Santa doesn’t need a naughty and nice list to see that all children are good. Santa surely doesn’t need to be watching them or checking up on them, and keeping tabs, either.

Santa, you should be ashamed of yourself!

That’s right Santa, I’m talking to you. By Santa, of course, I mean all the parents, guardians, aunts, and uncles who ever deprived a kid of one moment of happiness. Not all kids are bad apples, just like they believe in Santa with all their little hearts, they need something else to believe in that will give them that little push to do better (and I’m not talking about a bribe, either).

Christmas songs: best of best, worst of worst

By KYLE STEPHENS News editor I hear an unhealthy amount of Christmas music this time of year at my job. To endure the hours, I came up with this list of the top and bottom 10 Christmas songs, in no particular order.

I came to my conclusions based on overall pertinence to the season, though more frankly, shear listenability. The bottom 10 are the opposite of this.

First, the top: 1. “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch,” from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” The voice of Tony the Tiger, Thurl Ravenscroft did this slinky number. Another Christmas song that while associated with Christmas, avoids standard holiday spirit fare. Not a palette refresher, but a savory, salty snack.

2. “Rockin’Around The Christmas Tree” Rocking and Christmas – things can go wrong with that mix, though the original rockin’ Christmas song passes with flying colors.

the past 40 years.

3. “Silent Night” I speak some German, so I tend to favor the original German text of this song, “Stille Nacht.” Even in English, the simple melody (one of the few I remember from childhood piano lessons) carries the tune softly and gently. I think one can be indifferent to this song, but it’s hard to hate it.

5. The album “White Christmas,” Bing Crosby I’m kinda cheating here, cramming an entire album into one slot. Let me say any of Crosby’s croonings are gold. Said croonings consist of classics and some more diverse titles such as “Mele Kalikimaka” (the “wise way to say Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian) and “Christmas in Killarney.” The radio cannot capture Crosby’s smooth baritone – the way I grew up with it (and I ain’t even that old), vinyl, is the only real way.

4. “Merry Christmas Darling” Carpenters on the whole have a warm and well-orchestrated catalog of songs. “Merry Christmas Darling” falls under that umbrella, and I give it points for being a sincere contemporary hit. There are classics on my list, though not many from

6. “Sleigh Ride” The various recordings of this song are fun, though my best memories of this are in the form of energetic choirs, in formation, pantomiming sleigh rides and warm seasonal feelings. Bouncing along may as well be obligatory.

rails, economy in the pits, approval ratings in the tank. The worst part?

Nobody cares anymore. Yes, W., history will be the judge—but expect more commentary by Simon than Paula concerning this eightyear audition.

• California. After finally passing a budget a mere 85 days behind schedule, our elected officials discover…that the state’s as broke as a college student living on PB&J

and Raman. The solution? Cut state funding for college students living on PB&J and Raman. Can states get bailouts, too?

• Vista. Service Pack 1 came and went, but failed to address the underlying problem: that’s it’s a crappy OS. On the plus side, it opened our eyes to another technology with a somewhat limited user interface and compatibility issues, but greatly improved speed

7. “Last Christmas” An interesting seasonal song by the British Group Wham!, only related to Christmas inasmuch as it’s in the chorus: “last Christmas/I gave you my heart/but the very next day/you gave it away.” The use of Christmas as opposed to any other holiday heightens the mood, but otherwise it’s a refreshing contrast to all the cheer bordering on, if not falling deep into, sappy territory. As the Eurythmics’ prelude to Sleigh Bells ring goes, “Love can blossom any old time,” and so can heartbreak. This is Christmas though, so a happy end ensues. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for 80’s drum machines doing what they do best.

8. Childhood Parodies “Joy to the world/Barney’s dead/we barbecued his head!”

“Jungle bells/Batman smells/Robbin laid an egg/Batmobile lost a

wheel/and Joker took ballet!” Need I say more?

9. “Santa Baby” The Eartha Kitt version, not the Madonna one (which I’d fit on the bottom 10 if I had room). Kitt, one of three ladies to play Catwoman on the 60’s Batman series, smoothly and sultrily reads off her Christmas list, with requests like a yacht (“and that’s not a lot”), and the deed to a platinum mine. With lines like “one more thing: a ring/and I don’t mean on the phone,” we know Eartha will get what she wants.

10. “What Child Is This” Played to the tune of the traditional English tune “Greensleeves,” “What Child Is This.”

Now the bottom: 1. “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Continued on Page 4

2008 - The year of many trials and tribulations Continued from Page 2 the Dow still has 70 percent of its value.

• Republicans. No toe-tapping or male page incidents this year, but Ted Stevens kept the GOP looking red in the face as he got nailed with corruption charges. But on the plus side: the free remodel has his place looking much nicer.

• Bush. Iraq skittering off the

and stability. I’m talking about the abacus, of course.

• Mavericks. Turns out Americans just weren’t in a mavericky mood in ’08. Better luck in 2012.

• Yahoo. It was an insultingly low sum when Microsoft offered it in April, but now, with the company valued at $14 billion and slipping, that $44 billion Microsoft offer doesn’t seem so bad.

• GM. Turns out that in today’s

scrappy world of business, making money requires manufacturing products people actually want. Say, how much for those private jets?

• Music. As long as TI’s offering me whatever I like, is some quality music too much to ask?

It was a year of extremes, but there were highs along with the lows. And just wait ‘til next year...

Campus Comment > >

What won’t you be doing over Christmas break?

Najia Qadir

Rebecca Allen

Marcus Silva

Kevin Rievera

“I will not be getting a job or doing anything productive.”

“Hopefully not sitting on my butt, because I’ll probably be working.”

“I won’t be at home a lot because I’ll be working or having fun.”

“I will not be walking up 90 million flights of stairs.”

ENGLISH

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

MUSICAL THEATRE

MARINE BIOLOGY

Michael Kwek NURSING

“I won’t be driving around and wasting my gas.”

4 monitor

News

December 11, 2008

Newark greener Continued from Page 1 organisms.

Watanabe plans for the Newark Center land to be rid of weeds and full of life, more like the Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon. “My hope is that in 20 years the area will be lush and full of native species (like Tyson Lagoon) and the students will be able to look at the area with pride knowing they planted the first few tules that started it all,” said Watanabe.

Tules are a grass-like sedge native to North American marshes, like the ones found in areas surrounding the Bay. In fact, biology students found some tules growing toward the back of the Newark Campus as they traversed the area planting new ones, which were transplanted to the bioswale nearby. In total, they planted 28 plants. “[The tules] be dormant over winter but hopefully begin to grow in the spring,” said Watanabe.

However, the reputation of a natural, native setting for the New-

ark Campus is not the only purpose of the tules - they are serving an instructional one, as well. “This is just one way we are trying to give students in the environmental programs at Ohlone hands-on learning,” said Watanabe.

“The students dug up the plants, measured, labeled, transported, and planted them. They gained experience with restoration, science, outdoor education, and field experience.”

The current site for the Newark Campus has significiantly different environs than the original proposed location. The original preferred site for the Newark campus was land from Cargill Salt Co., until the College Board of Trustees switched preference to Sun Microsystems’ 81.3 acres on Cherry Street. The decision was based on a number of issues surrounding the Cargill site, concerning contamination and access, as well being in a flood plain, requiring that buildings be raised 10 feet above the ground level.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Watanabe

Biology students cultivate plants in the land by the Newark Campus.

Christmas songs that make angels cry Continued from Page 3 1. ‘‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’’ An American tale. Ostracism for abnormality, only to be met with acclaim for its eventual application.

The song speaks not to Rudolph’s reaction, but I’d be pissed. Where was Santa the whole time? And how the hell can a reindeer, even if albeit a flying one, have a glowing nose (sufficient to illuminate through dense fog)? Tell me I read into things too much, and I’ll tell you I hear this ditty played often enough that I don’t even need to think about it – the madness just presents itself.

2. “Little Drummer Boy’’ I’ve tweaked some drum loops in my day as an amateur musician, and I’ve never gotten “pa rum pa pum pum pum.” The ad nauseum repetition gets to me too.

3. “Anything” by Manheim Steamroller An artifact. One of the original complaints leveled against synthesizers was that they were taking over the role of traditional instruments, cheapening them somehow. These days, a $50 Casio can produce more realistic instruments right out of the box than a Moog or Korg etc. could back in the day, and with the advance of sampling technology a more expressive keyboard can emulate with nigh perfect accuracy any number of instruments – to me, this means a synth ought go the direction of sounds altogether new. As such, Steamroller’s perky pseudo-brass and horn synthesis has come to be the cheap imitation originally detested. Um. 4. “Baby It’s Cold Outside’’ The player’s Christmas song.

There a little something extra in

that there eggnog? A sly, and not in a rascally way, counterpart to “Let It Snow.”

5. “Do You Hear What I Hear’’ Yes I hear it, many times over in the song. Like Drummer Boy, the repetition gets to me.

6. “Do They Know It’s Christmastime?’’

Let’s presume “Well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you” was said in irony, though more to the point, “Do they know it’s Christmastime at all?” Why should they? The whole Band-Aid concept, formed to “raise awareness” (i.e.: maybe make you feel bad enough to maybe do something) has never sat well with me. Paying to enjoy yourself to help those experiencing anything but that doesn’t seem in step with the Christmas spirit.

7. “Kidnap the Sandy Claws,” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” By no means a traditional Christmas song, in by no means a traditional movie, “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” (yes, that’s the official name) is too crass for my taste, and a children’s movie moreover.

“Kidnap the Sandy Claws/Throw him in a box/Bury him for ninety years/Then see if he talks” – as sung by characters who later turn out to be not so evil, as opposed to the main antagonist Oogie Boogie the boogie man, the words seem out of character in their sadistic glee. I’m otherwise a fan of the other tracks in the film; don’t get me wrong - but this song just doesn’t cut it.

8. ‘‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa” I don’t even know what to make of this strange little song.

Board chooses new Chair Continued from Page 1 what makes this college work is administration, faculty and labor workers.”

After swearing in the new members, the Board moved on to nominate the next Board Chair, Vice President and Secretary. Though the Board Chair has always been decided on a rotating basis, Board Member Rich Watters commented that the policy indicates that the Board nominates and elects the new chair; the position is not decided by rotation.

As a result, it was decided that Member Bill McMillin would fill the position of Board Chair next. For Vice President, McMillin nominated Member John Weed.

Next, during the public comment section, Political Science Professor Alan Kirshner asked the Board to justify their recent decision to give themselves a 5 percent pay raise.

“New Board members spoke of budget crisis and economic crisis in state and in the nation and some of the Board members may well be aware there is a large amount of concern because of the 5 percent raise members gave themselves at the last meeting,” said

Kirshner, pointing out that the decision’s impact on the Board members themselves is minimal—their current salary is around $200 a month—but the move causes significant damage to the Board’s image.

“I recognize the fact that members are underpaid, [but] the issue is imaging; we don’t understand why you did it at this point. Reality is we have two new members and they were willing to run under that regular stipend.” He ended his comment asking the Board to revisit that issue.

Next in public comments came a written resolution from the Dutras. This resolution was in response to statements and articles during the campaign trail.

The resolution, written on August 25, 2008, wanted for it to be stated for the record that the Dutra Enterprises, “has no interest in participating in development of the Ohlone College Frontage Property.”

Vice President, Student Development Ron Travenick gave a second report of the K-12 Admissions and Enrollment proposal. Board Member Garrett Yee said that the Board is undergoing the process of looking over Board policies

for the next several months.

Don Eichelberger, Measure A Bond Program Manager, stated the total bond budget is nearly $163 million and that as of today, they have committed—issued contracts for—under $154 million of that. That leaves a remaining $9 million, with a 95 percent committed bond budget. A few of the projects on the list of the uncommitted budget included Erosion Control costing $107,312, Push to Talk phones at $120,000 and Fremont Main Campus Electric nearing $116,337.

Following that, College President Gari Browning provided an update on the college’s accredidation report, stating they had received just yesterday a written draft of report and with that report they are given five days to review it for corrections, error, and facts. The exit report for the first submitted report in October was a positive one.

The Board meeting ended with Chairman Yee wishing McMillin the best as he rotates in next month and thanked Browning for her support these past months. Nardililo acknowledged Yee’s work as Board President and said, “he was always accessible, and has done a tremendous job as Board Chair.”

9. “Christmas at Ground Zero’’ I make a bold move here, bad talking Weird Al when both my best friends are fans of “Weird” Al Yankovic, but “Kidnap,” is too crass, and without merit. “What a crazy fluke/we’re gonna get nuked/ On this jolly holiday.” Pray tell why Mr. Yankovic?

10. “Wonderful Christmastime’’ Oh Paul, Sir Paul McCartney, I am a fan I assure you, just not of this slapdash constricted lump of coal. A synth with a floppy dose of delay chimes along, not entirely in sync, with lines such as “The choir of children sing their song/They practiced all year long/Ding dong, ding dong/Ding dong, ding dong/ Ding dong, ding dong.” The other lyrics aren’t much different. Ding dong. ding dong, so wrong.

Water seepage; fire access Continued from Page 1 extraction wells will be near the bus stops at the top of the campus and one will be above Building 5.

An injection site, where water-diverting pipes will be routed underground, will be across campus at the level of the softball field. The site will be between parking lots C and D. In addition to these renovations, the fountain between Building 1 and the Quad will be removed so all the concrete can be torn out.

The underground water seepage has showed itself in other campus damage, as well. The stairs from the Quad to the pond, for example, are sinking and tilting slightly because of the water damage, said Lofton.

The stairs that will be repaired are by the fountain, leading to Building 1.

The stairs are two layers: a structure slab and a top slab. From one stair, across to the other stairs, the topping slab will come out and be replaced with a waterproofing membrane, and then the slab will be reinstalled.

Lofton said of the work, “this will be a good project for the campus. It desperately needs repairs.

I look forward to getting it done.”

News

December 11, 2008 MONITOR

Monitor staff, Fall 2008. From left, top: Sports Editor Jeff Weisinger, Editor-in-Chief Eric Dorman, Adviser Bill Parks. Middle: Features Editor Andrew Le, Staff Writer Anna Biaritz, Staff Writer Suchi Gupta, Ads Manager Jacque Orvis. Bottom: Staff Writer Ankita Chhabra, News Editor Kyle Stephens, Opinions Editor Nicole Johnson.

Not pictured: Staff Writer Tomรกs Ortega, Staff Writer Farnoosh Vahedi, Cartoonist Amanda Sheppard, Photo Editor Japneet Kaur.

The Monitor wants YOU! Interested in a career in journalism? Photography? Writing? The Ohlone Monitor can help you, if you help us! Join the award-winning, student-run publication next semester! JOUR-170, JOUR-171 and JOUR-172. CSU transferable units!

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Features

8 MONITOR December 11, 2008

The view from here

Stars in the making

By Andrew Le Features editor

A life less ordinary They made this girl wear a sign that read Daddy’s Whore because her dad molested her, part of our therapy involved us telling her that she liked it. We were supposed to help her get better by helping her come to terms with that she wanted it to happen. It was a program run by Mormons from Utah. I spent 15 months there. It did not matter where we were from, or what we had done, by the time we left, everyone was more or less the same.

Two guys came into my room at 1 a.m. They told me I was leaving and that I could do it the easy way or the hard way. They said they had leather handcuffs so I told them that I would go easy.

Why would you get into a car at 1 a.m. because two big white guys told you to? What were they even doing in your room? You were 14, you were not a child, you should have known better.

You should have ran, you should have fought, you had a knife in your nightstand drawer. You probably could have stabbed both of them and walked away with a sentence lighter than the 15 months you wound up spending in Mexico. But instead you let them grab you by the arms and walk you out.

I do not know why, I do not think I will ever know.

I woke up in Enseneda, Mexico. They started by cutting our hair, we all had buzz cuts. We also all had the same uniform.

It helped us conform. I was not allowed to talk to anyone for the first two weeks except for the upper level that was assigned to me.

A few weeks later I reached level two and was allowed to speak to people if there was a third person present that was level 3. Snitching and brutality was how you gained levels. It proved that you were cooperating.

When I came in, the program did terrible things to me; by the time I left, I was doing terrible things to others as an upper level that worked with the program.

I thought I had values and morals, I never thought I would wind up doing what I did. But it happened to everyone around me.

There were a few that did not break at first. There was a guy who spent 20 months in room restriction. He had to assume the position, laying face down on the floor with his nose holding a sheet of paper against the wall with his legs elevated slightly above the ground. People like him got it the worst, not from the staff, but from people like me.

We saw that he did not break, we saw that he was better than us, so we beat him relentlessly for it. He eventually started cooperating.

Even though Casa by the Sea was shut down by the Mexican government for abuse in 2004, I will never forget, what people were capable of becoming.

Photo Japneet Kaur

Dance students show off their moves at the Winter Dance Showcase Friday. The show played last Thursday through Saturday in the NUMMI Theater.

Showcase features variety of dances

By Japneet Kaur Staff writer Over 80 dance students displayed the results of a semester of hard work at Ohlone’s 4th annual Winter Dance Showcase last weekend.

Ranging from tap to tango to break dance, students of many different ages came together to showcase their growing talents.

The NUMMI Theater was packed with the families and friends of the dancers, leaving no elbow room. The show was sold out, and a few people who hadn’t realized how popular the show would be had to be turned away. Despite the size of the audience, silence descended almost immediately every time the lights dimmed between performances, and the spectators waited with an air of anticipation, some for their children or friends to appear onstage.

The set was simple, with a small number of large retro-style flowers

adorning the curtains, the effect of which was not to distract anyone from, or clash with, any of the performances. Some of the dances were form-based, such as the tango in which several couples performed; the two tap dance performances; and the hip-hop style/break dance performances. Other dances were metaphorical, and some were stories, which unfolded before the audience as the pieces progressed.

Many of the dances were accompanied by well-known music, or numbers by popular artists. Some of these artists were Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, Good Charlotte, Maroon 5, Cirque Du Soleil, Mandy Moore, and Imogen Heap. One of the pieces was performed to two numbers from the Across the Universe soundtrack.

The great amount of effort that went into the dances was quite apparent. Throughout the performances, it could be seen from the expressions on the dancers’ faces how

much effort it was taking to hold a certain position for an extended period of time. Though sometimes shaking or wobbling a little, the dancers exhibited their strength and no one ever fell or even so much as stumbled. The pieces were all performed with much enthusiasm, and most dancers’ faces wore wide grins as they moved across the stage.

In some emotive pieces, the dancers were consistent in expressing seriousness or sorrow, all while performing complicated steps.

Some of the more memorable performers are as follows. In the larger tap number entitled “Too Hard to Handle,” an extremely young dancer tapped along with much older students and kept up beautifully. Thunderous applause sounded as the piece ended with the young girl, who must have been around 10, and another student did the splits.

In the piece called “Suite Girl,” Kevin Calderon-Lopez let out an

extremely dramatic and emotional cry, and was drenched in sweat and panting by the end of his performance, which had consisted of several leaps and bounds and much moving back and forth across the whole stage.

In the “Accapella Tap,” Guill Munoz danced with such force and zest that he lost a tap (the small metal plate on the bottom of the shoe that makes the tapping sound) from one of his shoes halfway through his performance.

The evening ended with all of the performers making their way onstage and bowing to the audience – which filled up the entire stage.

Director of Dance Janel TomblinBrown, thanked everyone and expressed her pride in the students.

The audience was invited to step out onto the floor and ballroom dance, though this time was mostly taken advantage of by loved ones of the dancers rushing out to congratulate and praise them.

Student bikes through South America

By Andrew Le Features editor It started with a map.

In October of 2007, Ohlone student Kevin Kuei was feeling the burnout from a series of dead-end jobs and two underwhelming years at Ohlone. While looking at a map with kindred spirit in restlessness and former Ohlone student Mattan Shragger, they decided that they should take their motorcycles on a road trip.

The original idea began as a cross-country excursion from the west to east coast. But then they got a bigger map. Alaska transmuted into Mexico and Mexico expanded to Central America. But why stop at Central America? Shragger brought up that “there’s an impassable 300mile jungle separating Central and South America.” Kevin responded, “We could take a boat.”

Three months later Kuei and Shrager left the United States Continued on Page 8

Photo courtesy of Kevin Kuei

Over seven months and almost 8,000 miles, Ohlone student Kevin Kuei traveled from the Bay Area to Chile on his motorcycle.

Features

December 11, 2008 MONITOR

Instructor wins Telly TV award

By Suchi Gupta Staff writer Adjunct Television Production Instructor Mauricio Quijano won the prestigious Telly Award in the TV broadcasting category for his filming of a roundtable conference on “Courting Disaster: The Fight for Oil, Water and a Healthy Planet” made last year.

For the past 29 years, the Telly Awards have honored the very best cable television commercials and programs, finest video, film productions and work created for the web.

It is one of the most prestigious awards in advertising, video and film production.

The prominence of this award can be judged from the fact that Quijano’s entry was one of 14,000 submitted for the TV broadcasting category—entries from 50 states and five continents.

The second annual Roundtable at Stanford University, which took place on Oct. 13, 2007, included Stanford President John Hennessy, Journalist Carlos Watson and a panel of leading figures in international affairs, energy development, media, government and an audience of around 5,500.

The discussion covered issues such as America’s global role, the Iraq War, unrest in Middle East, terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

Quijano said of the event, “It was a live multi-camera production show produced in today’s highest standard: HDTV (High Definition Television). The show aired on the Web/iTunes as well as on PBS stations (Public Broadcasting System) at a later date.

“The most important challenge for me was to develop a vision of how the show would look and how to execute it seamlessly,” Quijano said of directing the live event. “I was working with the very best in the industry and their work was reflected in every single shot I called as a director.” He added that directing a show at this scale was like directing an orchestra, where you are creating a scene with live images and sounds. There is no room for mistake as “every shot, call and transition must be perfect.”

Quijano passionately described his vision for the project: how he strove to “find the perfect timing, that magical moment where live images and sounds I paint with tell a unique story….Many times I have a chance to tell a story, but when I am able to tell it right, it’s bliss.”

Quijano believes that “it really does not matter if you work with a small or big idea, on a low budget or a high end production. What matters is that you have always an opportunity to transcend the barriers of communication and, most importantly, you can always make it better.”

Quijano enjoyed a distinguished career in television before coming to teach at Ohlone. After beginning his career as a producer at KPIX TV, he moved on to produce specials for PBS and the CBS Morning News.

He currently directs a number of live events broadcast on the Fox Sports Network, including basketball, Pac 10 football and MLS (Major League Soccer). He is also the principal television director for Stanford.

Adjunct Television Production Instructor Mauricio Quijano won TV’s Telly Award for his work directing the live broadcast of a Stanford rountable conference (left) last year.

Photo courtesy Stanford

7

Weighing Anchor

By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief

Bail out education We didn’t need Merriam-Webster to tell us that “bailout” was the word of the year. Through the $8.5 trillion in federal dollars (and counting) allocated to the rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, AIG, the financial sector and most recently the Big Three automakers, we’ve accepted massive financial government intervention into the private sector as a routine occurrence, fodder for talking heads and late-night comics but little else. Which is too bad, because in its haste to dole out cash our government has missed one institution desperately in need of rescue: our nation’s higher education institutions.

Sure, our educational system is an unlikely recipient of a cash infusion, but that isn’t because of lack of need. With the state facing an $28 billion revenue shortfall over the next 18 months, our universities are already seeing deep cuts across the board. These cuts are already translating into huge numbers of students being forced to look at other options; the current predictions suggest that around 10,000 students will be turned away from the CSU system.

Where will these extra students go? Here’s a hint: they’ll have to walk uphill to get there. Turned away from UCs and CSUs, more students than ever are enrolling in community colleges—institutions that, like ours, are already buckling under the strain of spikes in enrollment (because of the economic downturn) and simultaneous cuts in state funding.

Here at Ohlone, we added very few classes this semester despite record enrollment because of the scarcity of state dollars. The college has already announced plans to cut back on summer class offerings, and you can bet the tuition won’t stay at $20 for long.

It is not the current state of higher education, however grim, that underscores the need for swift and drastic action, though—it’s a look at what could happen if we should further falter.

As a nation, we’ve rationalized every bailout so far—and rightly so—with the argument that our country could not survive the said institution’s collapse. Well, I ask this question: could we survive the collapse of our nation’s education system?

Could our nation continue to lead the world in innovation when higher education is being denied to so many? Can we hope to remain an educated nation when our education system is fraught with inherent financial uncertainties?

For a real investment in America’s future, look beyond homes and cars. Or rather, look in the mirror. If you’re not willing to bail that out, you need to take a long look at where your private jet is headed.

Features Ohlone music department hosts events

8 MONITOR December 11, 2008

By Ankita Chhabra Staff writer What better way to welcome Christmas than to sit back and enjoy some old rock tunes with a mix of new ones. The Music Department at Ohlone will be putting up three events in the upcoming weeks that are sure to get your feet tapping in the Christmas spirit. Ohlone’s

Jazz/Rock Combo Class taught

by Tim Roberts is putting together an end-of-the-semester concert through an amalgamation of rock classics with some contemporary picks by students.

The result is a testament to their hard work and advanced ability in the music field. The event will be held this Friday at 7 p.m. in the Jackson Theater. Tickets will be

selling at the door with prices at: $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, staff and student and $8 for youth.

There is also the Christmas Extravaganza, which will feature the Ohlone Community Band, Ohlone Wind Orchestra and Ohlone Tuba Ensemble, who will play more classic Christmas tunes. Some featured songs include the “Silver Bells,” “Greensleeves” and “Sleigh Ride.”

This will be held on Saturday in the Jackson Theater at 3 p.m. and the tickets will be sold at $10 for everyone at the door.

The Old Mission is hosting the Ohlone Chamber Singers’ 23rd Annual Christmas at the Mission Concert. The Ohlone group of singers will be joined by Bell Choir from the Livermore church. The Chamber Singers are a talented

group of individuals who are an auditioned group that put on this show every year. The featured work for this concert is Conrad Susa’s “Carols and Lullabies, Christmas in the Southwest.” The concert will be held this Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 4 p.m. and tickets are priced at $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, staff and students and $8 for youth.

South America, a different kind of life Continued on Page 6 through the southern tip of Arizona at the border crossing of Nogales.

They raced across the Pacific Coast before sweeping inland to Celaya, covering roughly 1,000 miles in three days. At Celaya they met with a mutual friend, Pablo, whose family raises cattle and breeds bulls for fighting.

During their three-week stay, they got intimate with the Spanish language by conversing with the locals and socializing with Pablo’s friends. They had also set up a bar on the third floor of an apartment Pablo’s family had set them up with.

After three weeks of shooting pool, bull fighting, sightseeing and soccer, Shragger’s bike got stolen while he was in an Internet café, so the pair parted ways. Shragger headed back up to the U.S. to re-allocate funds and Kuei south toward the Pacific Coast and went to Acapulco, which was “infested with tourists and time share apartments.

It was just a string of hotels and lots of gringos.” Kuei went to Puerto Escondido, which had beautiful beaches and was a “rejuvenating experience…I had never actually witnessed a sunset, where I could watch the sun be enveloped by the ocean. It was like a red marble and the sound of the waves breasting and breaking was like the sound of the oceans extinguishing that red marble.”

A week after Puerto Escondido, Kuei reached the Yucatan Peninsula where he visited the ruins of Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Palenque.

The Mayan ruins “were humbling… just thinking about the past civilizations that have lived there, what life and the surrounding area must have been like back then…but the thousands of tourists kind of killed it for me.”

In Pecaya, Guatemala, Kuei met a girl from New Zealand and hiked up a volcano with her. “When I got to the top, I threw some rocks into the volcano, counted how long it took for the rocks to hit the bottom and called it a day.”

Kuei then went to the area between Colon and Puerto Lindo to look for a sea captain to transport him across the Darien Gap. On the first two days, “the boat was bearable, but after seeing so many desert islands that looked like desktop backgrounds, I started going crazy.”

Kevin described the boat experience as “like being confined to a prison cell not much more than 5 ft by 5 ft.” with the “unrelenting sun and salty breezes” giving him “an unquenchable thirst.” This compounded with “having nothing to do but lay on the deck and be baked in the sun.

Reading the same book over and over… just watching your bike rust

Photos courtesy of Kevin Kuei

Student Kevin Kuei fraternized with locals, immersed himself in a foreign culture and experienced things not possible in the United States. Above, Kuei’s motorcyle Betsy getting a tan on the beach; below, Kuei bikes through South American urban roads. in the salty breeze, my mind became concave.” The only reprieves to his mounting feeling of insanity were nights “when we would pull into a mangrove cove and swim ashore to watch lightning storms erupt over the Darien [Gap].” That and “knowing that at the end of the voyage I would be on an entirely new continent. I couldn’t wait to reconnect with a road.”

When Kuei arrived at Cartagena, Colombia, he concluded that “tourist areas were something to avoid.”

The colonial fort that Kuei saw was “artificial and done-up—like Disneyland.” Kevin did not want to “go where everyone else has gone before, and to have the same memories.”

After Cartagena Kuei “wanted to experience the real South America.”

To reach Medillin, Kuei decided to only take back roads and thus wound up in Sante Fe Realto. “It was a really small town that didn’t seem to have anything peculiar about it at first.” When Kuei purchased a Cola, “the town gathered around us as if we were interesting or something.”

After an investigation by the military chief stationed at the village, Kuei was invited by the locals to eat with them.

Kuei befriended an ex-paramilitary man named Luis, who invited Kuei to have dinner with his family.

The people in the town had a past history with a paramilitary movement and the day after Kuei arrived “a lady from CNN was bothered that I was there; she thought I was a reporter.” The day the CNN reporter arrived was also the day of the festival for the re-integra-

tion of former paramilitaries. Kuei was shown “videos of their glory days when they were still an active paramilitary. It was weird because earlier that day the same people you had met as villagers, just really normal simple people, were in the videos in berets and army fatigues.”

Kuei said that “three or four years ago, before [Alvaro] Uribe was elected president, when the paramilitary was active, there was probably a fifty-fifty chance that they would have invited you for a drink or killed you on the spot.”

The night before the festivities “there were like 30 villagers gutting animals by candle light.”

In the village all the children run around au naturale and there were like entire parrot families living in their thatch huts.”

Every day at 6 p.m., there was a TV program that all the locals would watch at their respective houses. “One day we were invited to his house for the designated TV hour but the power went out. There was no electricity in the entire town so everyone just lounged outside watching fireflies, eating mangos and listening to crickets chirp in each other’s company. What else was there to do?”

As much as Kuei liked Sante Fe Realto, “I always had a compulsion to keep traveling.” When Kuei arrived at Saltar de Bordones, the third highest waterfall in South America.

“I stayed three nights with the villagers there and hiked down to the bottom of the waterfall. The kids were really helpful, they got me firewood and there was this one particular kid Jennifer, who I played

soccer with and danced to Andean music with one night when it was raining too heavily to get back to my tent.”

In Moccoa Kuei met a shaman who offered to “guide us through the use of yaje and offered us a place to stay.” Yaje is a mixture of South American plants that produces a hallucigenic effect coupled with nausea. “I became extremely ill, sickly, feverish at first. I had strange visions of cellular clockwork and unity. At one point I lost my depth perception and everything seemed to meld into a single pallet of shadows. The only thing that was definite was sound. The sound of the river below us, the sound of the trees moving. The shaman told us the yaje was talking to us…when morning came, I vomited heavily, and it felt as if a long festering cancer was being expelled from within. I was out for a week after that.”

In Ecuador “the smile was less accessible. People didn’t smile;

their faces seemed to always be in a perpetual frown or scowl. I didn’t like it.”

In Peru, “riding was like driving over the surface of Mars.”

In Bolivia, Kuei got a cactus in El Alto and had an old lady boil it down into a mucousy concentrate.

“We brought it with us to the Salar de Uyuni and rode out to the middle of the salt flat before ingesting it. At a certain point, I felt compelled to walk into the distance and eventually I stumbled upon this whirlpool of crystals. These clumped 3-inch high little Chichten Itzas…Raced across the Uyiuni, it’s like one giant salt block, these little hexagonal crystals, these uniform molecules, the reflection of your soul, out here anything in the distance stands out on its placid surface, out here, I am an island.”

After Bolivia, Kuei felt that “whatever I had to see or do had been done and that it was time to go home.”

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December 11, 2008 monitor

9

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

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

December

Brown for details.

11 Women’s Basketball - at Santa Rosa College Tournament

13 A Christmas Spectacular - Community Band, Ohlone Wind Orchestra and Tuba Ensemble perform in the Jackson Theatre at 3 p.m.

12 Women’s Basketball - at Santa Rosa College Tournament 12 Academics - Fall Semester instruction ends.

12 Jazz/Rock Combos – 7 p..m. Jackson Theater.

Admission $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, staff and students; and $8 for youth under 12. For information, contact the ticket box office at (510) 659-6031.

12 Swing Dancing – During College Hour in main lobby of Newark Center, noon to 1 p.m.

Workshop on swing dancing will be led by Dr. Jeff Watanabe.

13 Women’s Basketball - At Santa Rosa College Tournament 13 Men’s Basketball - Home vs. Santa Rosa Junior College at 5 p.m.

13-14 Ohlone Chamber Singers -­ Join the 23rd Annual Christmas at the Mission in Mission San Jose at 8 p.m. Featured will be Conrad Susa’s Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest. Admission $15 for adults; $10 for

seniors, staff and students; and $8 for youths under 12. For tickets, contact the box office at (510) 6596031. Tickets will also be available at the door.

15-19 Fall 2008 Final exams.

15 Acting & Directing Final exams at 7 p.m.

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

16 Students Reading Their Work – Members of Ohlone’s creative writing class will read their works to mark the end of the semester at Barnes and Noble bookstore, 3900 Mowry Ave., Fremont. The reading/reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. For many, this will be their first time reading their creative works out loud.

December 11, 2008 monitor

West Valley Tournament 24 Winter Break – College closed through Thursday, Jan. 1.

26-30 Women’s Basketball DeAnza Tournament.

10

theater. NUMMI Theater, 2 p.m.

28 Auditions – Student Rep theater. 2 p.m., NUMMI Theater.

January

30 Last day – to add a full- term class without the instructor’s signature.

3 – Women’s Basketball Chabot Tournament.

30 Last day – students are added into classes from the waitlist.

5 – New Art Gallery Exhibit. Figure show through Feb. 21. LouieMeager Art Gallery, Smith Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

7 Women’s Basketball – At City College of San Francisco, 5:30 p.m.

10 Men’s Basketball – City College of San Francisco, at home, 5 p.m.

16 TechComm - Meeting in Room 1407 at 2 p.m.

19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Ohlone College closed.

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

26 Spring Semester – Instruction begins.

19-21 Men’s Basketball -

26 Auditions – Student Rep

February 3 Last day – to be drop a class and be eligible for a refund.

3 Women’s Softball – Sierra College, noon, at home.

4 Faculty Senate Meeting – 3:30 to 5 p.m.

7 Art Gallery Reception – Figure Show. 7 p.m., LouieMeager Art Gallery, Smith Center.

7 Fremont Symphony Winter Concert – Composers Young and Old. Jackson Theater, Smith Center.

13 Ohlone College Super Flea Market - The regular Flea Market is held the 2nd Saturday of each month throughout the year in Lots E & H. Parking is $2.

13 Auditions - Spring Dance Concert Auditions.

Contact Janel Tomblin-

Monitor will return on Jan. 26

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

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Page 11

Has the ‘50-yard Runyon joins 700-win club indoor war’ ended?

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor

How many games did I decide to sit down and watch in its 21 years of being around?

Zero.

I didn’t even know it was around for 21 years.

Regardless, the Arena Football League is going under after 21 years of existence.

Well, not exactly going under.

The league will be going on a hiatus for the 2009 season and possibly return in 2010.

This economy must be much worse than I thought it was.

We’re talking about multimillion dollar franchises, some of them anyway, being sent into hibernation.

As a Sicilian friend of mine would say, inconceivable!

The San Jose Sabercats, while not the highest profile team in the Bay Area, drew much interest by a multitude of fans around the nine counties, including some non-NFL fans.

They were one of the best-run organizations in all of sports with a run of 12 playoff appearances in 14 seasons in the AFL. Those playoff runs included three championship seasons in 2002, 2004, and 2007. It was for that reason that they did have a following. They were a winning franchise.

Triples Alley

By Tomás Ortega Sports writer Unfortunately, the AFL is also composed of down teams which makeup most of the league and were likely the cause of the league’s downfall in this down economy.

In a press release out of ArenaFootball.com, the league said that “Despite rumors and reports to the contrary, all AFL teams are continuing to work towards Arena Bowl XXIII.” But I, along with the rest of those like me who never saw a game and lived the experience of Arena Football may have missed the ship on this sport.

I say that because of this question brought up to me.

“If they do decide to suspend the 2009 Arena Football season, what’s the likelihood that they will start it back up again?”

Regardless, it is definitely a sport that deserved to be watched by a guy who considers himself a multi-sport fan.

Just not hockey.

As if leading her team to a perfect 24-0 conference record, let alone a second career 40-win season last year wasn’t enough, Ohlone Softball Head Coach Donna Runyon added yet another milestone to her record.

Earlier this month, Runyon was awarded with a 700th win Victory Milestone Award by Easton Sports at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Convention in Marco

Island, Florida.

The convention honors every college and high-school softball coach that has achieved milestones in their coaching careers.

She gained her 700th career win early last April when her starting pitcher Kelly Colker pitched a 10-strikeout, no-hitter in the Lady Renegades’ 7-0 win over DeAnza It was also only three years ago that Runyon earned her 600th career victory.

Runyon has been Head Coach of the Ohlone softball team for 21

years, leading the Lady Renegades to postseason play in 17 of the last 20 seasons.

Her Lady Renegades have also won the Coast Conference title 10 times, including the last six years, and she has been named Coast Conference Coach of the Year seven times, most recently in 2007 and has won at least 30 games a season since 2002.

The Ohlone softball team begins their season with a six-game homestand starting on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. vs. Diablo Valley.

The mess that’s the BCS For the past few years, the BCS has been everything but perfect.

It’s created bowl matches that had most sportswriters, myself included, scratching our heads wondering why one team over another.

However, it’s given us matches that were eventually entertaning to watch.

(I’m not including Hawaii’s Sugar Bowl destruction of last year.)

So, why should it be a surprise that once again the BCS created a National Championship game that’d be entertaining, yet wrong.

Florida should definitely be in it.

Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and that strong Gators defense has shown up week in and week out.

Third and Five

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor The questionable team in this mess would be Oklahoma.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Sam Bradford and company, but I don’t think that they belong in it this year.

Plus, the last time they were in it was in 2004, when they were demolished by Matt Leinart and the USC Trojans.

Oklahoma hasn’t won a BCS bowl game since.

Most memorable loss was

against Boise State in 2006 where the Sooners lost in overtime on a “Statue of Liberty” play.

The team that should’ve made it is Texas.

Besides the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma in the regular season, the Longhorns are, technically, the better team despite having the same conference record.

Long story short, even though the BCS, once again, didn’t get the National Championship game right, it made it entertaining.

We now get to see Tebow run over a suspect Sooner defense, and Sam Bradford throw over a suspect Gators secondary.

Safe to say, there will be scoring.

So, how about that playoff...

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Page 12

Renegades fly high in win over Gavilan College Ohlone wins by 24 at home; placed fourth in San Diego tournament By ankita chhabra Sports writer Work hard and play harder.

The Ohlone Men’s Basketball team could not be described in any other way. From players stepping up to the plate and giving everything they got, to turning around in their rebounding statistics to the bench.

After a homecoming welcome in San Diego for A.J. Flournoy and James Hancock, the men walked into the 37th Annual Grossmont Tournament headstrong and walked out learning that it’s all or nothing.

Flournoy, who was selected to the Grossmont Invitational All Tournament Team, while other players like Matt Wittbrodt bought the first victory for the Renegades against Grossmont College with a 10-point victory in overtime.

Wittbrodt offered the scoreboard with 17 points, while Flournoy put up 20 points for the Renegades.

“We stuck together and had fun in a crazy game,” said Quaran Johnson.

Even though the men played a tough two games, they still lost to both opponents by a slight margin.

They placed fourth overall in the tournament.

James Hancock, like Flournoy,

was very happy to play on his home turf in front of his family and friends who, like a lot of the players are unable to come attend the games.

Renegades Head Coach John Peterson is more than pleased with his team and their performance in San Diego.

“These were some of the best games we have played so far,” Peterson said.

Overall the team is very strong defensively as their 2-3 zone looks rock solid.

What gives away their opponents points are there careless passes and turnovers.

“We keep winning, but we need to start blowing teams out,” said Ohlone’s Leon Hart as he walked away from San Diego and returned home to face Gavilan College last night and put up 16 points on the scoreboard.

“I still need to pick up my game and do what I have to win,” he said who, just like most of the players on the team, does not seem to stop coming back to the court without improvements and new goals.

If there is one thing that any player knows how to do best is self evaluate themselves.

Ronnie Sawyer was the man of the night against Gavilan College as he also scored 16 points on the night and played across the court as the player to be.

Peterson explained how he has played after a long time and has been spending extra time working

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

Ohlone was flying all over the place against Gavilan College Wednesday. on his shooting.

Alpha N’Diaye also came through with 16 points and made his trademark dunks three times.

“I think we did good and we’re getting better everyday and it is slowly showing,” said N’Diaye who, along with his teammates is slowly becoming a new family as the sophomores welcome the new freshmen to the game.

They won against Gavilan 7753 with the closing shot put in by

Jamaal Blalock.

They now improve their record to 8-5 on the young season as they head into their next game against Santa Rosa Jr. College who they lost to last year.

“All we need to work on is being a better rebounding team,” said Peterson after the Gavilan win.

Peterson is also hoping to keep moving up from here.

The Renegades will be hosting Santa Rosa Jr. College on Saturday

in the Epler Gymnasium at 5 p.m.

They might be mentally exhausted and physically tired, but these boys show no sign of giving up anytime soon.

The Renegades will be busy even through the winter break.

Just before the Christmas holiday, they’ll participate in the West Valley tournament the weekend of Dec. 19-21, then come back on Dec. 30 to host Merritt College before leaving again for New Years.

Miller steals show as Ohlone dominates After 0-2 start to season, Lady Renegades win fourth straight

By jeff weisinger Sports editor What seemed to be a slow start for Head Coach Elizabeth Stanley’s Women’s Basketball team Tuesday night eventually became a night of Ohlone dominance as the Lady Renegades beat Las Positas 83-45 at the Epler Gymnasium.

“We cruised more than we should have tonight,” said Stanley after the game as her team took advantage of almost every Las Positas turnover.

However, the Lady Renegades did not look all too strong at times too.

Ohlone only shot a mere 46 percent on the night.

Las Positas took an early lead to start the game as they took advantage of every Ohlone turnover, missed pass, and rebounded the missed shot by the Lady Renegades.

Yet the Lady Renegades fought back, and fought back strong, as freshman forward Whitne’ Blackburn scored the first points for Ohlone. She finished the night with five points.

Shortly after Blackburn’s points, sophomore guard Bradleigh Miller put Ohlone in the lead en route to a 22-point night.

Miller wasn’t done there, as,

along with Ohlone, she took advantage of every Las Positas miscue in the first half.

She racked up a total of eight steals and seven rebounds, along with shooting 10 for 13 total Tuesday night.

The Lady Renegades would finish their first half dominance on a 32-9 run.

“I was impressed with the girls attacking the glass,” as Coach Stanley was even amazed at how her team came through despite early troubles.

The second half was very simliar to the first half that saw both teams lack control of the ball which led to points for the opponent.

Las Positas came out a bit stronger in the first half as Ohlone seemed to let up a bit, making simple turnovers to Las Positas who scored off each turnover.

However, the spark by Las Positas was short lived as the Lady Renegades took over, building as much as a 40-point lead in the second half, ending in a 83-45 win for the Lady Renegades.

The 38-point win is the second time in as many games that Ohlone defeated their opponent by 30 or more points.

The Women’s Basketball team goes on a month-long road trip starting this weekend at the Santa Rosa tournament. They’ll also play in the DeAnza College tournament in Cupertino shortly after the Christmas holiday.

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

Sophomore guard (22) Bradleigh Miller stole the show Tuesday night as she scored 22 points with eight steals and seven rebounds.