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Renegades head south for winter.
OPINION
Faculty Senate explores paperlessness.
SPORTS
NEWS
FEATURES
Nutcracker graces Ohlone stage.
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Fremont, California
Vol. XXXVIII No. 13
Be happy, despite bad economy.
December 4, 2008
Security not an absolute
’Tis the season
By Kyle Stephens News editor
Photo by Japneet Kaur
Music Professor Tim Roberts plucks up some holiday spirit at the Newark Campus Tuesday behind a decorated eco-friendly Christmas tree.
Campuses trim for the holidays By Anna Biaritz Roldan Staff writer Faculty and staff put up a sustainable Christmas tree at the Newark Center Tuesday, while Music Professor Tim Roberts accompanied the trimmers on his guitar. The reclaimed artificial tree was donated by Dean of Language Arts and Social Sciences Mikelyn Stacey. It has been saved from landfill and now is decorated with all sustainable ornaments and hardware to hold everything together. Roberts, who has a new album out on iTunes, played different pieces of his own at the tree-trimming. He also performed soothing holiday melodies, which set the mood for the tree’s setup
and decorating. Not to be outdone, the ASOC furnished the Fremont Campus with its own tree, erected Wednesday in the lobby of Building 1. Next Tuesday Dec. 9 there will be another event going on. Biology Professor Jeff Watanabe will teach a beginners’ class on swing dancing along with his friend Heather Seifer. According to Librarian Barbara Duggal, this should be a “de-stresser” for students as the final exams come closer. Watanabe started dancing 10 years ago and has been dancing ever since. He said that he learned from some of the best swing dancers like Erik, Sylvia and Frankie Manning. Watanabe has traveled all over the country participating in dance com-
petitions. Among the places he visited were St. Louis, New York, Hawaii, Oregon, Boston and Florida, where he won a local competition. He said that he used to dance with a partner, but his partner stayed in Florida and he heard that she’s been winning competitions since. Currently, Watanabe still dances occasionally—less than he used to, but still at least twice a week. Watanabe mentioned how fortunate we are to be in the Bay Area, a region known to be a center of swing dancing. “It’s a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of new people,” added Watanabe. The Dec. 9 event is open to students, faculty and staff. In this event no partner will be needed and a lot of Lindy Hop will be taught.
Recently, an Ohlone student, after returning to his vehicle late at night, found his tires slashed, the second time inside of two weeks. Upon calling for police assistance, he was referred to campus security, only to discover that at that hour of the night, the only campus security was a janitor. The campus security services do their best to protect and serve, but situations like these illustrate gaps in the availability of campus security. Due to budget limitations, no campus security officers are on duty for six hours of the night. A network of security camera covers most of the campus. Feeds from the cameras, which number more than 40 and run 24 hours a day, are viewable live, though to save tape space, the cameras are designed to be motion activated; they still record, albeit slowly in absence of motion, and pick up pace when something catches their attention. Oftentimes in reported crimes, there is discrepancy between what is truly against the law, and what an individual may simply not like. And with the former, there are instances where enforcement may be more or less substantial. A repeat offense on someone’s behalf, for example, would not be liable to be dismissed, such as repeated parking violations, one of the most frequent infractions on campus. Osawa said it is often overlooked that parking permits do not apply to lots M, N, O and P. Osawa described Ohlone College as a community of sorts, a microcosm of a larger town proper complete with its share of inevitable problems. The effective on-campus student population is about 5,000. Many potential issues are avoided by no one spending the night on campus, or there being alcohol available. One of the most common crimes, theft, occurs when items are set down and not paid attention to, Osawa said. The perpetrators are far more often merely opportunistic than malicious, so as such this is avoidable simply by keeping belongings locked up or within eyesight. There has been no vandalism of note at the Fremont Campus as of late, though Newark recently has had its share. Teachers there have also complained of students smoking in non-designated areas. Safety during nighttime hours can be of concern to students who leave campus late. Campus security is not available during six of the nighttime hours, though the Fremont police can respond to emergencies on campus via a 911 call. Nonetheless, Osawa said “Ohlone is extremely safe.”
ASOC sets sights on room furnishings, foosball By Anna Biaritz Roldan Staff writer The Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) discussed money requests and continued their pursuit of furnishings for the Newark Campus ASOC room at their meetings on Tuesday Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. As one of their immediate concerns, ASOC hopes that the ASOC room at the Ohlone Newark Center will be furnished and ready by the first day of the spring semester. ASOC Vice President Kevin Feliciano said that it is do-able but will require a lot of effort by members of the ASOC executives and senators. He encouraged everyone to help out this winter break to see to it that all will be done by the beginning of the next semester. Feliciano and Legislative Representative
Dan Zhou said that they have already found a sustainable foosball table for the room and added that it will be somewhat costly and will be coming from out of the state. Feliciano said that a pool table had not been found yet. They are in the process of looking to find a used table, to reuse it and live up to the sustainability mission of the campus. It has been quoted that $7,200 will be used to pay for 12 chairs and two tables and a microwave for the room. Also as part of the meeting, a representative from the Muslim Student Association (MSA) submitted a money request for funding for new books and other resources such as CD’s and DVD’s for and about the Islam religion. The group, as stated by their representative, disapproves of the content of books we have at the library. They mentioned
that the books we have now on the subject of God and worship show ignorance. The appeal was considered by the ASOC but no action was taken because according to Feliciano, the Inter-Club Council (ICC) must take care of the matter before ASOC can vote on the money request for it. In addition, Director of Campus Activities & EOPS and ASOC adviser Debbie Trigg talked about the 2009 Cal Leadership Symposium, which will be held Jan. 21. This is an interschool event that will cater to many. According to Trigg, last year around 500 students attended the 28-workshop symposium, to which the ASOC has been invited. ASOC President Jackie McCulley said that the registration fee would amount to $20, and the event will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the first Saturday after the next semester
begins. Participants of this event will have to get to the location on their own, but Ohlone will shoulder all expenses from registration fee to gas for transportation, which will be reimbursed. McCulley mentioned the need to appoint an Election Commissioner next semester, and encouraged the senators to try it out for experience. She said that she personally was once an elections commissioner. Feliciano updated the ASOC of the ICC’s latest accomplishment this week of putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it. Student Member, Board of Trustees Lauren Baca announced the bins for the food drive have be located and placed. They are currently placed on the balcony in front of the cafeteria and will be available for the next two weeks.
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Opinion
monitor December 4, 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. 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
Read a book, be around family; better yet, laugh By AnNA BIARITZ ROLDAN Staff writer “The economy is at a very low point right now.” That’s what’s hammered into our heads day after day. Every time we listen to the radio and watch television it’s a thought that you just can’t miss, and true enough, it is threatening. People are losing their jobs and many are struggling right now. The United States, which is such an affluent country, is now in a state of recession. Is there a need to panic? Will this fear and panicky reaction to this situation bring any sort of relief to the nation? I would have to say that it will not. Like the famous quote by French Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte, “He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.” I say, instead of being frantic about the economic status of the country, unclog your thoughts of bills. Instead, find ways to divert your attention from what stresses you out. One option is to read a book. By stimulating your mind with information or allowing your imagination to take you places, you are entertaining yourself and doing yourself good. Another suggestion is to read books on how to think positively. This is more often than not effective. This, with appropriate music, should relax you. If that does not work for you
then you might want to try hanging out with friends and family, simply having fun without spending money. There are tons of ways! A potluck is always a good thing to do. Gathering as one and catching up with one another is always good. Having a movie night is also another good idea. If you’re not into having people around, a good way to relax is by taking a walk in the park. Sounds cliché but it’s scientifically proven that walking, a very good way to exercise, is a good way to relieve oneself of stress. It has got do with being healthy and not just through exercise; it has also been proven that eating healthy keeps one happy. Chocolate - dark chocolate to be
precise - is very good for you and it’s one comfort food that’s both healthy and makes one happy when taken in moderation - meaning overeating is not an option. If you’re not an exercise junkie, there are other ways to keep healthy. Dancing is one option. You don’t have to go out clubbing to dance. Try an open dance party; they have those once in a while in several places here in the Bay Area. If you can’t seem to find any, why not host one with your friends or even alone. If you’ve got a dog, why not walk him or her once in a while, they need the exercise too you know. Many may not agree on any of my suggestions but please, take my last one into consideration. Laugh!
Coming from a third world country, the Philippines, I know this for sure that laughter is very reliable. The mass population of the Philippines is nowhere near affluent. In fact, if you compare the average home of a person considered poor here in the United States to that of a Filipino, you will be surprised and you will realize just how lucky you are. I’ve been to outreach projects and have seen how they live there. A lot of them live in shacks and barely have anything to eat but they are able to deal with it. Their solution is laughter. Filipinos know how to have fun and how to shrug off the pains of life. They may struggle but they know how to deal. I guess that is the disadvantage of living such a comfortable life: once you are put in an uncomfortable situation you think that there is no way out. But know this and try it, know how to laugh it off. Whatever may be stressing you out can be thought of in a calm manner. Always think before you act and know that stressing won’t do you any good. It’s good to be responsible and it’s natural to worry, but don’t fret too much because that will only bring you down. So the bottom-line is, don’t let fear and worry take over your life. As former president of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Learn to have a positive outlook in life and
you will see the positive effects in your life. Remember that by stressing out you may have the tendency to take out what you feel on another person and you may end up ruining someone’s day. The result - that person will take it out on someone else and the chain effect will take place. However, if we all just keep our cool and know how to deal with stress, we’ll make the world or at least the communities in which we live, a better place to be in. Another thing is that people should learn to detach themselves of material stuff. There is no need to spend to be happy. In this day and age everyone is taken over by consumerism. When a person’s depressed he/she goes shopping or eats and drinks. Many of us have lost the sense of family and camaraderie. Why don’t we all think back to the olden days when living in satisfaction was not so hard to acquire? Perhaps if we go back to basics we might have peace of mind. This might just be the best thing for all of us. There is always a way to deal. Something we must all keep in mind. The circle of life works that way; you go through rough times but soon enough you will get through and that is why in this time of recession, as a nation we must all help each other out and pushing to have a positive outlook by first beginning with ourselves.
Campus Comment > > > Is your driving like your personality, how?
Maneet Dham
MUSIC
Rocio Arevalo
Corrie Stam
Adrianne Edmonson
NURSING
PRE-NURSING
ENGLISH
ART
“I drive calmly and that’s how I usually am.”
“I am a relaxed person, but I drive fast.”
“I never had a...ticket. I’m mellow, stay two car-lengths away.”
“I sing a lot in my car [and in] daily life.”
“I’m mellow, [but] I drive fast.”
Jack Chiao
News Shoes for a cause Shoes stand in a line on the Quad as part of Ohlone’s efforts to recognize World AIDS Day Monday. The shoes were donated by students and will go toward the AIDS cause. The event was organized by the GSA. Photo by Japneet Kaur
December 4, 2008 monitor
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Senate to bestow ‘Faculty of Month’ By Ankita Chhabra Staff writer The Faculty Senate examined the criteria for the “Faculty of the Month” award, which will be presented to several faculty members next spring. The members who are chosen to receive this honor receive plaques at the Pre-Graduation Dinner and will be nominated by their peers and ASOC. The Senate discussed the possibility of having online textbooks for students because of the rising costs of textbooks. This will allow them to have an open access to the material at hand and will be easier for students to work off of. Lastly, a report was given by the Sustainability Committee concerning changes in the way the college
handles its paper resources. The committee suggested that printouts be made double-sided instead of one-sided, thereby saving paper and money. The Senate agreed with the committee’s suggestion, but brought up the fact that it would be difficult to fully implement because the college only has one two-sided printer. Until the college is able to purchase more two-sided printers, faculty are encouraged to make efforts toward conserving paper with the current equipment available. Another suggestion was to post homework assignments as well as course syllabuses online so students can have continuous easy access to the materials. A counter-argument was made about how some students might not have access to the Internet all the time, causing accessibility problems.
‘Paperless moon’ for ukulele-wielding librarians By Kyle Stephens News editor Set to the tune of “Paper Moon,” librarians and ukelele players Kathy Sparling and Kathy “KG” Greenstein opened last Tuesday’s College Hour at the Newark campus with a reinterpretation of the classic song, befitting the Learning Resources Center Services theme of the hour. An excerpt from the lyrics, “It’s a wikiwiki-pedia world -- But if you cite that your teacher will fuss/We’re real in the virtual
library/You can believe in us.” Belief need not enter the equation – Ohlone’s virtual reference resources are very real, and very accessible to Ohlone students, staff and faculty. The seminar featured information on source selection, search embedding (for faculty web pages), e-book how to’s, database search tips more. Various e-resources, in step with the Newark Campus’ green initiatives, are paperless repositories of information (though many of the entries in these catalogs do exist in
print somewhere in some form or another). Unlike print media, electronic resources are electronically searchable and occupy no physical space. These features were cited as reasons for having standardized, widely available (even free) textbooks for students, evading the issues of size and cost often associated with such tomes. On the Ohlone library e-book page (http:// www2.ohlone.edu/org/library/ebooks.html), features the search engine HANS - “Have a Nice Search.” HANS can help you though the expensive catalog of materials, over
10,000 titles in all. Ohlone also holds site licenses for NetLibrary catalog, Greenwood eBooks and the Gale Virtual Reference Library. Access on campus is possible without any password prompting, as the online licensing recognizes school computers via their IP address. Access outside of the school will be prompted by a password and ID request. Greenstein and Sparling’s instrument of choice, the ukelele, is a Hawaiian version of small, four string guitars brought by Portuguese immigrants in the 1880s.
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Features
monitor December 4, 2008
The view from here By Andrew Le Features editor
Zeig heil hospital The system is broken. I had a friend who was going pretty well for himself. The rest of us, we were always talking about what we were going to do, all the great things we were going to become and how we were going to change the world. But my friends talk a lot it’s what happens when you smoke a lot of herb. Not ragging on my friends of course, they are good people and they will probably do some amazing things in the future, but right now, we are still in transit. I had a friend though, who was not in transit, he had already made it. After graduating high school, he had a full scholarship to Stanford. He had a luxury apartment across the street from SJSU, was engaged and living with the girl he had been madly in love with for the last seven years and working at a Catholic charity to burn some time before finishing law school. He actually would have graduated earlier if he had not gotten a real estate license halfway through college and sold some houses “for kicks.” That was the kind of guy Richard was, he was accomplished at everything but never lost his predisposition for the random fun. He went to the hospital on Friday because of chest pains, but they refused to do a sonigram. His fiancée submitted a complaint form by Saturday but by Tuesday he was dead. He was on his balcony smoking a cigarette when it happened, studying for his BAR exam; I think he was supposed to take it this year. I know for a fact he would have passed. That is the kind of guy he was, he never did anything half-assed and he always succeeded at everything he tried to do. I saw him two days before he died, he was talking about how he was going to surprise his fiancee with a wedding date soon. But that never happened, he never finished law school, he never got married, he never got what he deserved to get. He could have lived, his family and fiancée know that much. The autopsy found a congenital heart condition; I think it was a hole. If they had just performed that sonigram they would have seen it and been able to save him. But the hospital did not want to spend the extra .00001 percent of their expected revenue on performing a test on a 28-year-old man. To the hospital, Richard was just a statistic. If this many people die out of this many people because we do not perform the tests, we still save X amount of dollars if we only get sued by X victims’ families. But Richard was not a statistic, he was the best of us and now he is dead. It could have been prevented but it was not, and there is nothing left to say.
Photo by Kyle Stephens
Yoko’s Dance and Performing Arts Academy will be presenting ‘The Nutcracker’ this weekend.
Smith Center unveils holiday lineup By Japneet Kaur Staff writer The Smith Center is kicking off the holiday season with a flourish, hosting Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and the Winter Dance Showcase over this weekend and next. Yoko’s Dance and Performing Arts Academy and the Fremont Symphony Orchestra will be com-
ing together to perform the ballet, choreographed by Yoko Young. It will be performed this weekend, Dec. 5-7, in the Jackson Theatre. Shows will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $48 for adult section A; $43 for adult section B; $20 for full-time students with ID and youths under 12; and $6 for the Sugar Plum Party.
Children are invited to attend the Sugar Plum Party – after matinees only - for special holiday treats and to have their pictures taken with the costumed dancers. The Sugar Plum Party is presented by the Fremont Symphony Guild. The Winter Dance showcase is presented by Ohlone College’s Dance Department, and includes
performances by more than 80 dance students who will be showcasing the work they’ve done over the semester. The showcase started last night, and will continue through Saturday, Dec. 6, with 8 p.m. performances at the NUMMI Theatre. Tickets are $10. Visit the Smith Center Box Office to buy tickets, call (510) 659-6031, or e-mail boxoffice@ohlone.edu.
Chops Big Band features swing, jazz By Anna Biaritz Roldan Staff writer The audience was serenaded with classic pieces- some re-arranged, some not - like Shining star, Blue Moon, Beethhoven’s Fur Elise, Shake Your Bones and intro
of Count Bubba’s Revenge by the Chops Big Band last Friday. Led by band director and lead alto sax player Ken Crowell, the performance was a blast and breathtakingly relaxing at the same time. The crowd of about 30 tapped its feet and was swept by the music when
the band played up-tempo tunes. On the other hand, we all watched and listened in silence when they played heartwarming mellow melodies with a slow dance feel. As the music played, a couple danced affectionally on the sidelines, which gave the evening a more elegant, yet
personal, feel to it. The band has a wide degree of specializations and plays everything from 60’s and 70’s rock hits, dance tunes from the 30’s and 40’s, music from the swing and jump genres and the works of artists such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
Features Chamber Orchestra entertains By Nicole Johnson Opinion editor The Ohlone Chamber Orchestra performed a variety of classical pieces before an appreciative crowd Sunday, Nov. 23 in the Smith Center. The Jackson Theatre was just over half-full and the audience appeared to thoroughly enjoy the concert. The Orchestra kicked off the night with a performance of Carnival Overture, Op. 92, an original piece by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. Their next song was Concerto a Cinque, Op. 7 for Oboes and Strings, played in three parts: Allegro, Adagio and Allegro composed by Tomaso Albinoni, a Venetian Baroque composer. Following that, they played Symphony No. 104 in D major (“London” Symphony), played in four parts: Adagio/Allegro, Andante, Minuet, and concluded with their finale
December 4, 2008
Allegro spiritoso by Franz Joseph Hayden, an Austrian composer. The Carnival Overture, Op. 92 is the second overture of the cycle “Nature, Life and Love,” entitled “Carnival.” According to the program, Carnival Overture was “filled with the elevated feeling of solitude, man finds himself, all at once, caught up in the gay whirligig of life - and is happy! Willing he yields to the carnival mood of merriment and, throwing reserve to the winds, he enters into the spirit of youthful revelry with care-free abandon, grateful for all its joys and beauties.” Haydn “was probably one of the most prolific composers who has ever lived and certainly one of the greatest.” Many of his works were lost, destroyed by a fire, or simply mislaid, but there are still 104 symphonies, 83 string quartets, 52 piano sonatas, concertos for many different instruments, a vast number of songs, opera, choral, chamber
music, four oratorios, 14 masses, and many other works. While the music incorporated sounds of violins, viola, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, percussion, timpani, it also included oboes. The oboes were played by Althea Raman and Rich Goodman. Raman recently earned her degree in music with an emphasis on oboe performance from California State University East Bay, where she delivered a solo performance last May. This is Raman’s third year as an oboist with the Ohlone Chamber Orchestra. Raman was a soloist for the Orchestra’s Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in December 2006, and she is currently working on a music teaching credential. Goodman first picked up the oboe three months ago, and he’s been playing it nonstop since then. The Ohlone College Orchestra concert was his only first public perfor-
mance, as well as the first time he has played on stage anywhere. The concert, which started at 2 p.m. and lasted just over an hour, was conducted by Larry Osborne, who has conducted the orchestra since the Fall of 2003. Osborne has multiple degrees in music performance and music education. He taught music at all levels from elementary school through college. He plays French horn with the Opera San Jose, and was a member of the San Jose Ballet and Symphony, American Wind Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and the San Francisco Theatre Orchestra. Osborne is currently teaching instrumental and string music in the Hayward Unified School District. The Smith Center’s next music event will be the Jazz/Rock Combo fall concert on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, staff and seniors and $8 for students under 12, and may be purchased at the box office.
$1,162 for quad lodging (four to a room), $1,329 for triple (three to a room), $1,663 for double (two to a room), $2,664 for single (one to a room). The amount covers air fare, transportation to and from NYC
airport to the hotel and cost of lodging. The group might take some walking tours and could have to purchase fast passes for about $65, and the show tickets will cost approximately $375. There will be an informational
meeting for those interested in going on the trip on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Smith Center Lobby. To sign up for the trip or for more information, contact Mark Nelson at ( 510) 659-6298 or e-mail at mnelson@ohlone.edu.
Ohlone to tour Broadway in NYC trip By Suchi Gupta Staff writer As part of a versatile educational experience, Theater Arts Professor Mark Nelson is organizing a 10-day trip to New York City next May. The trip, which Nelson has led several times in the past, is part of the spring’s three-unit Theater Appreciation class. The trip leaves from SFO on the night of May 21 and arrives at one of the most vibrant cities of United States, New York, on May 22. New York offers unique experiences for tourists in general, and for theater enthusiasts in particular: the Big Apple is home to the country’s most infamous performing arts center, Broadway. When talking about his past trips traveling with students to the city, Nelson emphasized the experience as being one-of-a-kind. “The students are exposed to big city life which is so lively and exciting, a total change from the suburban life,” said Nelson. “The students have the luxury of going around the city on their own, finding fun and cheap eating places, going to places like President Clinton’s office at Harlem. This will give them an insight on the true New York life.” As part of the trip, the group will attend four Broadway shows and two other shows. Apart from these opportunities, students can gain first-hand experience of living in a big city all by themselves. The group will take trips to the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, The Museum of Modern Arts and many other historical and theatrical places. Nelson also added that this trip will provide students with a thoroughly personal insight into the life of broadway actors. Students will actually go to the shows, get a chance to meet the actors afterwards and even get autographs. One of the hidden beauties of New York City is that the place is loaded with famous television, movie and Broadway stars and one can be caught by surprise as to who one might find around every corner. The total cost of the trip is around
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Weighing Anchor By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief
Tied with a ribbon It’s that time of year again. Time for us to put aside our petty disagreements, our inconsequential differences, our personal agendas and our selfish instincts and come together to pursue one greater, far more noble goal that will truly separate the caring from the stone-hearted, the enlightened from the unholy. I’m talking about shopping, of course. It’s a national pastime that puts football to shame year-round, but it’s during the holiday season that Americans show what they can do with a vision and a credit card. And ripe as the juxtaposition of a value-based holiday dominated by consumerism may be for condemnation, I can’t find it in myself to take up the familiar position and decry America for its petty material fixation. Because despite our apparent disregard for the True Meaning of Christmas in boxes and dollars and cents, I think that we in our American, consumerist fashion, aren’t as far off the mark as it seems. Sure, there seemed to be little support for this position on Black Friday, as we saw a Wal-Mart employee trampled to death beneath a pre-dawn crowd of shoppers with a bloodlust for bargains. It was hard to see it as two rival gangs took the opportunity to settle their differences in a Toys “R” Us, leaving two dead. But if you look past this extremism, there’s evidence that consumerism and Christmas can co-exist. Christmas, at its heart, is a holiday about giving. As a holiday, it commemorates the giving of a gift, and as such, it requires us to make some changes in the way we think. It’s about getting outside ourselves long enough to think about others. It’s about making a dedicated effort to make those around us a little happier. As consumers, we’ve taken this simple message and we’ve complicated it. We narrowed the message, choosing to obtain gifts for others in specific ways in specific places. But regardless of what they are or how we got them, our gift-giving represents an awareness of those around us, a moment of thought about who they are and a genuine effort toward increasing their happiness. The Grinch was partly right when he mused that “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store./ Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” The True Meaning of Christmas doesn’t start or end with what’s under the tree. It’s a story written in good intentions, mindfulness of others and, for better or for worse, department store shelves and credit cards and receipts. As long as we go through this holiday season in the spirit of true giving, no one can accuse the shopping mall or the boxed gift as being in opposition to what Christmas is really about.
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December 4, 2008
Advertising
Campus Events CLASSIFIEDS
JOBS
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/
6 Women’s Volleyball State playoffs. Time TBA.
9 Women’s Basketball - vs Las Positas College (Home)
7 Women’s Soccer - State Final Four
10 Men’s Basketball Gavilan College (home)
7 Men’s Basketball - At Grossmont College (San Diego) Tournament
11 Women’s Basketball - at Santa Rosa College Tournament
December 4, 2008 monitor
12 Women’s Basketball - at Santa Rosa College Tournament 13 Women’s Basketball - at Santa Rosa College Tournament 13 Men’s Basketball Santa Rosa Jr. College.
December 4-6 Winter Dance Showcase - 8 p.m. in the Smith Center’s NUMMI Theater. 5 Men’s Soccer - State Final Four. Time and location TBA. 5 Women’s Soccer - State Final Four. Time and location TBA. 5-7 The Nutcracker Ballet - 7 p.m. in Jackson Theater. 5 Women’s Volleyball - State Playoffs. Time and location TBA 5 Men’s Basketball - Grossmont College Tournament. Time and location TBA. 5 LIFE Club - Meeting at noon at the Palm Bosque. 6 Reception – David Tomb, “The Plumed Serpent,” Art Gallery, 6 p.m.
Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor
The Monitor invites your comments. Letters should be 250 words or less and include your name and relationship to Ohlone. Letters become property of The Monitor and may be edited for spelling and length. Campus Events listings are free for college-related events. To have your event added or to place an ad, contact Jacque Orvis at (510) 659-6075 or e-mail monitorads@ohlone.edu
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Thursday, December 4, 2008
Page 8
Rocky Renegades headed south Loss to West Valley won’t affect Ohlone’s chances in San Diego By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer Everyone has their good days and then they have their bad ones. The Ohlone Men’s Basketball team seem to be on a roller coaster ride this season. Their performance this season has come and gone, as their excitement has. Even though they had a blowout victory over De Anza College on Wednesday night, their game Saturday against West Valley College did not even come close to reflecting the image of their capability. “We are not playing fundamentally right and that’s why we are looking sloppy on the court,” said Renegades Head Coach John Peterson after both games. Ohlone played strong in both games, but they let little mistakes slip through, causing them to give away free points to their opponents. Their victory over De Anza came with some struggle during the second half, where sloppy passes and foul trouble led to free throw points to the Dons. With the contribution of points from point guard A.J Flournoy and forward James Hancock, Ohlone staked in the victory at home,
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
Renegade’s Leon Hart lays it up over the DeAnza player in Ohlone’s 80-54 win. 80-54. “I just want to put shots in and practice my game”, said Hancock who had 18 points in the win. Hancock, like the rest of his teammates, looks to improve on
his mistakes in practice. “The boys just need to start playing fundamentally,” said Peterson, who is hoping to decrease the amount of turnovers in the games as well as work on a better man on
man defense for their upcoming games. Wednesday night’s effort did not seem to carry through to their game against West Valley on Saturday as they lost to the Vikings in a tight shootout 68-62. The opening shot was put in by the Vikings, until Frank Monge gave way to opening Ohlone’s scoring streak, leading up to a 32-31 Renegade lead. However, their mistakes and sloppiness came back to haunt Ohlone as they were outscored 37-30 in the second half by the Vikings. “We just need to work on our mistakes,” said Kevan West and overall they do. Alpha N’Diaye sat out the second half of the game due to a technical foul and was held out for the rest of the game. Though the scoreboard stayed close, Ohlone’s loss led to a realization that they need to work on reducing their turnovers. Overall they’re looking confident as they head down south to San Diego this weekend for the Grossmont College Tournament. Despite their 6-3 record, they are still one of the best teams walking into this tournament. The team has it’s eye on the state championship, despite the early struggles nine games in, the dream does not seem to be too far away. Still a ways to go for the young Renegade squad.
New class on campus: Sports Broadcasting By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer If sports is something that tickles your brain and you are interested in learning how your information about the game comes to you, then there is something for you to look out for. Ohlone College is introducing a new class this spring semester known as Sports Broadcasting. Officially labeled as BRDC-213, the lecture and lab class is worth about three units.
Its mainly focused on the lab portion as students will get a handson experience with the equipment and learn the field work of sports broadcasting. The class will be taught by two instructors, Paul Hammons and Laura Elliot. Hammons worked for several major broadcasting companies, producing the sports and news broadcasts for ABC and NBC mainly for almost 30 years and taught at both Columbia University and Fordham University.
“The goal of the class is to sasify each student’s intellectual curiousity towards sports productions,” said Hammons. Students will gain knowledge in things like play-by-play reporting, setting up cameras and working with equipment Even though ONTV, Ohloneʼs News Channel covers sports, this class will mainly focus only on Ohlone Sports, particularly basketball for the spring and will move onto volleyball and water polo in the fall semester.
Hammons also plans to begin to stream Ohlone sports events as a project of the class. Students will be given a chance at all the aspects of broadcasting, and will be graded on their quality. The class is for anyone that is interested in sports with Hammons and Elliot looking forward to students who can bring forth their own experience to the class. The class will be two hours lecture on tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon with about five hours of lab time.
The Renegades’ very own ‘Field of Dreams’ By Tomás Ortega Sports writer Athletes from all different sports take serious pride in their work. Whether it be hitting extra reps after practice or watching extra film, athletes are some of the most prideful people about their craft. Baseball players, especially at the collegiate level, take pride in maintaining their baseball field. Throughout the fall, the Ohlone Baseball team has not only prepared for their upcoming season, but have also been cleaning up the baseball field which has never exactly been eye candy around the Ohlone campus. For the last 20 years, the baseball field has seen minor to no improvements to the infield dirt. The outfield grass is a big problem. Starting about 15 yards into the outfield, the ground slopes downhill, causing outfielders to throw uphill and force them to cover more ground on a fly ball. However, head baseball coach Jordan Twohig has, with support from Athletic Director Chris Warden and Buildings and Grounds director Mohammed Gil, used his manpower to fix the field. Last month, the outfield fence was taken down and replaced within a week and is a much better look than a chain link fence with a green tarp. Twohig also hopes to replace the fence along the left field line with the same material as the outfield fence.
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
The Men’s baseball team has been working hard all fall to upgrade the field. Another new addition is the walk up paths from the on deck circle to home plate. Before Thanksgiving weekend, the area around home plate was all grass. But on Sunday, Twohig and his players extracted the grass and filled the walk ups with dirt. “I want to give these guys a Division One experience,” said Twohig. “The only way to do that is to give them a better field.”
Third and Five By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor
A foolish Giant A few sins of being high-profiled in public are: carrying a gun, let alone loaded with the safety off and unregistered, having a weapon at a club or any public venue, and being drunk in public. New York Giants wide reciever Plaxico Burress not only broke all of these sins, he did it all in a span of a few hours. After shooting himself in the leg Friday night, Plax took another hit Monday morning after he was charged with two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, a felony of which (in the State of New York) is punishable by a mandatory three and a half year sentence for each count. (Meaning he’d have to do seven years if found guilty.) By the way, the club Burress was at, known as the Latin Quarter, is a block away from the NFL offices... for those who might've been wondering. On Tuesday, Burress was suspended for four games and placed on the non-football injury list, ending his season regardless of suspension. Lets recap for thse who don’t know. Plax went to a nightclub in New York City Friday night with a loaded handgun, got a little bit drunk, had his own gun accidentally go off and shoot himself in the leg, and now faces seven years in prison. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to see those seven years done. “I don’t think anyone should be exempt... And I think it would be an outrage if we didn’t prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law,” said Bloomberg, referring back to the P. Diddy trial that saw Diddy get aquitted of two counts of murder. The Giants have stated that “Plax needs the Giants more than the Giants need him.” That is pretty true, actually. Amani Toomer leads the team in receptions, Kevin Boss leads in touchdown catches, Domenik Hixon leads in average yards per catch. Oh, and Big Blue is 11-1 by the way, with little or no help from Burress. Burress joins a long list of pro athletes that have “made it and messed up,” a list of which is led by the infamous Adam “Pacman” Jones. Long story short, Plax became another sad statistic. A talent gone to waste. The sad part is that he could go to jail for shooting himself. Most writers are sick of writing about this kind of thing. This one is one of them.