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Women’s tennis wins first game.
OPINION
Treadway to travel to India.
SPORTS
NEWS
FEATURES
Theater kicks off ‘One Acts in a Box.’
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Fremont, California
Vol. XXXVII No. 8
Non-smokers profit from smoking.
March 20, 2008
Students, rappers CSEA reaches share the Hill resolution at concert By Brian Chu Staff writer
Photo by Japneet Kaur Johar
By Andrew Le Staff writer “S***, I can take on anybody here, I can take on any of these learners.” With these lines, members of the rap group L.O.C. Ness—the “Monsta Gang” from “The Bay to LA”—mingled with Ohlone students during last Thursday’s hip-hop-centric Rock the Hill concert. The first act was Kalizay, starring 20year-old full-time Ohlone student, single mother, worker of two part-time jobs, and aspiring musician Lila Salinas. With house, bossa nova, and Spanish music influences, Kalizay’s lyrical dexterity made the crowd exponentially increase in size, from half a dozen to 37 at the peak of the performance. Though this was the first time she’s performed in front of a live audience, Kalizay is already expected to garner radio play on 94.9 next month when her new single drops. The second act was a collaboration between rappers 5-10 and Deuce Uno with producer Rich Kidd that proudly represented the Bay by incorporating elements of hip-hop and hyphy. As frequently heard in the genre, the act sang freely about explicit content and filled in the intermittent periods between songs with lines such as “We all f***ed up right now.” The audience got into the performance, dancing in sync with the beat, some members even throwing up Mac Dre-style “thizz” signs. Continued on Page 3
Lila Salinas of the band Kalizay sings at the ASOC Rock the Hill concert Thursday.
The Ohlone California School Employees Association (CSEA) and college administration reached an agreement last Thursday on the pay increase in the contract for CSEA members. They will receive a 5.57 percent pay increase, as per the original contract agreement. The original contract states that the administration would give a pay increase to the CSEA equal to that of the highest pay increase to any other bargaining unit, in this case the United Faculty of Ohlone. The CSEA, which represents more than 100 secretaries, instructional assistants and lab assistants, agreed to change the wording in their original proposal from the word “growth” to “equity” in order to clear up misconceptions and confusing wordage. “It was my understanding that the word growth could have been used in the future to set a precedent that the administration did not want. It was not the CSEA’s intention to set a precedent and so we changed the language of the contract to focus on equity, and that was more agreeable,” said CSEA President Linda Evers. The pay increase will be retroactive and CSEA members will receive compensation from back to July 2007. The CSEA is planning to put together their new contract next week and then send it in as a proposal. When agreed upon, it will take effect July 30. “Ultimately, I believe that confidence between the CSEA and district was repaired,” said Evers. Assistant Director of Human Resources Lyle Engeldinger could not be reached for comment. Attempts to reach Vice President Jim Wright were redirected to Engeldinger.
ASOC examines constitution, free speech By Barry Kearns Staff writer The Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) continued its series of workshops outlining Student Member Board of Trustees Ken Steadman’s sweeping changes to the constitution Tuesday. These modifications include a new way of handling finances, new responsibilities for senators and executives, new positions and a system of removing elected executives from their positions. The constitution would also pay senators as much as $3,000 per person for regular attendance and extra effort. During the workshop, Steadman asked the ASOC to refrain from offering small changes and comments during the workshop and to have these concerns addressed at the legislative meeting on Friday mornings. The workshop opened on Article III of the constitution, which described the various roles of the potentially new ASOC. Some of the biggest changes included making the president of the ASOC also serve as the student member on the Board of Trustees, and forbidding executive officers to chair certain committees.
The constitution also gave additional responsibilities to the rest of the ASOC executives. The secretary would also be keeping archives and acting as a historian for the ASOC. The vice president and legislative representative would be required to attend all Ohlone Board of Trustees meetings. If the constitution passes, the ASOC treasurer would have to develop and execute one fundraiser per month. One of the most noteworthy changes Steadman made to the constitution is the new provision to remove executive members of the ASOC. Some of the ways an executive can be removed from office include a twothirds majority vote of the ASOC in a special election and the executive being found guilty of something before a judicial review. Steadman also discussed the procedure for adding amendments to the proposed constitution which would require, if passed, a two-thirds majority vote from within the ASOC or a process that would require the signatures of 500 students, followed by an ASOC meeting and then a decision by the Board of Trustees. Along with all of these new responsibilities came some new rewards. Steadman proposed
a series of scholarships for members of the ASOC who met certain criteria; among them are the perfect attendance award and the extra mile award. A senator could potentially make up to $3,000 by achieving all of the scholarship awards, which surpass the executives’ salaries. Steadman believes that the senators can and should serve for two consecutive semesters. The minimum requirement for a student to become a senator would be a 2.0 GPA and enrollment in at least five units, these minimum requirements were decided by the state to best represent all students. Some of the other changes Steadman proposed affect the money requests the ASOC receives over the summer. Steadman has put in provisions in the new constitution that would place a cap on money requests and would also need the sponsorship of a student and a senator. There are also measures in the new constitution that would curb the number of committees being formed by the ASOC and would require a set attendance for the committee to continue existing. Today, Zuhal Bahaduri, ASOC representative at large, will hold a meeting in the ASOC
room in Building 1 in the main campus at 3 p.m. to go to the Newark Ohlone Campus and look for a free speech area on that campus. Bahaduri encouraged students who value the freedom of speech to join her in looking for a free speech area. While the area selected may only prove to be temporary, Bahaduri vows to make the selection of the students the permanent free speech area on the NOC. The ASOC also announced the Rock the Hill concert this Thursday between 1 and 4 p.m. ASOC adviser Debbie Trigg added that the committee to search for the next president of Ohlone College has narrowed its search. An Earth Week request for $325 was presented by Kevin Feliciano to offset the costs of Earth Week. There will be a vote on the money request next week. Maria Javier asked for the elections committee money request to change from $500 to $550 to factor in sales tax. The money request made by the Chinese Student Association for the sum of $450 was approved for the Chinese singing competition. An identical request made by the International Student Coalition will be decided on next week.
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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
Opinion Editor in chief: Anna Nemchuk News editor: Eric Dorman Features editors: Sandeep Abraham, Barry Kearns Sports editor: Tomás Ortega Opinion editor: Andrew Cavette Photo editor: TBA Online editor: TBA Staff writers: Inez Black, Brian Chu, Tseten Dolkar, Rachel Funk, Andrew Le, Elise Leon, Jerome Nepacena, Joe Nichols, Jacque Orvis, Ryan Richmond, Kyle Stephens, Max Stephens, Kathy Sung Photographers: Pei Ju Chen, Japneet Kaur Johar, Danielle Rivers Ad manager: Jacque Orvis Adviser: Bill Parks Printer: F-P Press
The Thinker
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.
The Decider
The Learner
Education gets a bad Rap.
Opinion
Ohlone’s ties with China questioned over Tibet By Tseten dolkar Staff writer As images surface of China’s violent crackdown on protesters in Tibet, one wonders what we in the Free World can do. Martin Luther King Jr. has said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The cultural genocide and the oppression of my people in Tibet are frighteningly similar to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Beginning March 10, the day the protests in Tibet began to take a violent turn, China did its best to blind the world from the ugly truth of its harsh rule over Tibet. China ordered tourists out of Tibet, banned journalists from entering the country and blocked YouTube, BBC and CNN in main-
land China – in addition to China’s already strict Internet and news censorship. If China doesn’t want its own people to see what’s happening in Tibet, I can only imagine what it’s hiding from the rest of the world. The People’s Republic of China’s official Press Agency, Xinhua, an organization that Reporters Without Borders has called “the world’s biggest propaganda agency” is the only news agency with an abundance of information on the current situation in Tibet. On March 17 alone, it listed 17 different state-run articles on the riots and protests in Tibet. What I do not see listed on the site is the factual death toll of 80 that the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is confirming.
What I do not see are images of my people fighting with sticks and stones, outnumbered by everincreasing and fully armed Chinese police. What I do not see are images of Tibetan protesters being tear-gassed and jailed, merely for chanting “Free Tibet!” Blurry and amateur footage captured on cell phones are the only hint of the harsh oppression Tibetans face daily. Tibetans, Free Tibet supporters and human rights campaigners worldwide are calling on the global community and the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to boycott the Beijing Olympics. China, in its desire to rise and be seen as a prominent world power, has made unfulfilled promises to improve human rights practices in Tibet and mainland China. How-
ever, with the violent crackdown on the protests in Tibet in the past week, China has contradicted itself. As reports from inside Tibet reach the TCHRD, we learn that on March 17, students in various universities and schools across Tibet have staged protests in opposition of Chinese Rule. People in Tibet know from experience that when they step outside their homes to protest, there are only two endings: detention or death. After 50 years of being oppressed in their own country, the normally patient, nonviolent and peaceful Tibetans have received little attention. It is unfortunate that only when violence is involved, does the rest of world pay attention. The justice owed to them is past due. As a student at Ohlone College,
the district’s eagerness to join hands with China does not rest easily with me. I find it somewhat distasteful that my own college is working closely with the suppressive Chinese government, not only courting students to enroll here (which in-and-of-itself is fine), but also actively seeking to establish a sister college within China. With their established ties already in place, even a tiny gesture from Ohlone would be received by the Chinese government as a sign that the world is watching. It is a gesture I think the college should make. It would show that we will not allow China’s economic status to compromise our pledge as citizens of a free country to defend the freedoms of all individuals.
a virgin teaching a class on sexual education. They might be able to quote from the book and spout off figures, but they have no real understanding of the act. Next, all of you should become keenly aware of the face that you make when you see someone smoking. This is going to require a little participation, so tape this article to the bathroom wall, right next to the mirror. Good, now stand in front of the mirror, and close your
eyes (after you read this paragraph of course). I want you to imagine a birthday party where the birthday boy is crying because the clown has defecated on the cake. It’s very specific, I know, but necessary. Picture it. Make that face, hold it and open your eyes. That… right there in the mirror, is the look we smokers get when we are caught. When I tell people that I have quit smoking, especially when I tell
non-smokers, they smile, tell me I’m doing great things and often give me something to autograph (and I do). They ask me why I quit smoking and I give the correct answers – it’s for my health. That’s not the real reason though. The real reason is that I’m tired of playing this game. The fact is we have a huge percent of the population addicted to a government regulated drug whose addictive qualities have been compared to heroin. To
combat this fierce, mind-altering addiction we make ad campaigns. These anti-smoking websites like thetruth.com cost millions of dollars, but honestly, they only make me want to smoke more (and stub my cigarettes out on their faces). Whether we smokers will admit it, we are addicted and I think we would benefit from some real assistance getting off cigarettes. Instead we get a patch… and that only Continued on Page 3
Barry is really hacked off about not smoking By BARRY KEARNS Staff writer It has now been 28 days since I’ve had a cigarette. I quit and this time it’s for real. I would like to get a few things off my chest to the members of this non-smokers club to which I now belong. Non-smokers should never talk to smokers about smoking. It’s like
Campus Comment > > > What would make you hang out on campus more often?
Adán Ortega
Ahmad Meher
Jennifer Worth
Ajmal Karimi
Tesa Wroblewski
BIOLOGY / CHEMISTRY
UNDECLARED
“Host more activities in the cafeteria.”
“Music...Something jumpin’.”
“A peace festival.”
“An open forum for tutoring on all subjects.”
“I’m already here too much for theater tech.”
FILM / MUSIC
BUSINESS
KINESIOLOGY
News College 12 trees greener
March 20, 2008 monitor
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Treadway to visit India, set up sister college connection By Joe Nichols Staff writer President Doug Treadway leaves today for India, heading a group with two other campus officials to lay the groundwork for a sister college. He will be accompanied by International Services Director Eddie West and Chemistry Instructor Anu Ganguly. Treadway will be in India for five days; while there, he will lay the groundwork for students to come from India to Ohlone College to take math, science and technology classes. Treadway said that as college president, he has to be the person to lay the groundwork with the U.S. Embassy and the Indian government to allow students to come here and study. He added that there are currently plans for a sister college in the City of Jaipur,
put in place by Electronics Instructor Gary Mishra, but those plans have been placed on hold until the city can send a delegation to Jaipur this fall. Treadway’s trip, which takes place over spring break, will include stops in the cities of Mysore, Delhi and Bangalore, the sites of this summer’s semester abroad trip. The reasons for stopping in these particular cities include the fact that they are the technology centers of India. Students will also have the chance to visit Bangalore this summer, from June 1 to July 31. Stops will include Bangalore, Jain temples and shrines in the villages of Belur and Halebidu and the historical cities of Cochin and Alleppey. Students interested in attending this trip may go to Room 1131 and pick up an application.
Students perform, learn
Photo by Eric Hui
ASOC Vice President Jackie McCulley guides volunteers’ shovels Tuesday during a LIFE club-led tree planting event by the main stairway. The clubs planted 12 trees during the gardening session.
Continued from Page 1 Producer Rich Kidd has a compilation out available for purchase at www.myspace. com/bigrichrecords, featuring illustrious names such as Mistah Fab, a local legend among the Bay scene. The third act was L.O.C. Ness, a hip-hop crew with an official roster of 20 members. A unique act, some members on stage didn’t even provide vocals, but rather danced with brooms and played with water bottles. With songs containing graphic lyrics, L.O.C. Ness put forth a primal performance that got members of the audience to dance and bob their heads in approval. Also primarily influenced by the “getting dumb” hyphy movement, they played bangers as well as an R&B-tinged song. To further enhance the hyphy feel of the event, the smell of grape swisher, a type of marijuana, wafted up from the lower parking lots. The band’s shining moment, however, was when the music was cut and members started to flow. The final band scheduled to perform, Weslester, never arrived. The next Rock the Hill will be this Thursday and will feature Val and the Evil Monkeys, starring Ohlone’s own Math Instructor Jeff O’Connell, along with band Blood and Water and the rapper Young Fats.
Team to examine college’s bottled water impact By Rachael Funk Staff writer Are Ohlone students drinking enough water? Are we being sufficiently “green” with the empty water bottles that are left over? A team of environmentalists are going to meet at Ohlone with Ohlone’s Sustainability Coordinator George Rodgers next week to look into ways of protecting the environment
while still encouraging students to get plenty of water. According to the August 13, 2007 article “Water, Water Everywhere, but Guilt by the Bottleful” from the New York Times, “It takes 1.5 million barrels [of oil] a year just to make the plastic water bottles Americans use, according to the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, plus countless barrels to transport it from as far as Fiji and refrigerate it.” “8 out of 10 water bottles used in the United States become garbage or end up in a landfill,” quotes www.refillnotlandfill.
org. The site also states that 190,000 homes could be powered by the wasted energy from bottling water. Refilling a water bottle with tap water and reusing the same bottle more than once can help reduce plastic waste. Next week’s meeting should encourage Ohlone to find more ways to keep the campuses environmentally friendly and contribute ideas to minimize the garbage that could be recycled.
Instructor speaks on effects of drug advertising By Joe Nichols Staff writer Christine Carroll, an Ohlone alumnus and adjunct speech instructor, gave a presentation on drug ads and their perceived effect on college students at the Brown Bag Science Seminar Friday. Carroll spoke concerning the process she had to follow in developing her hypothesis and then
getting approval from the Master’s board and Cal State East Bay Board of Regents. Carroll and her team then conducted a survey of 192 college students in English, communication and math classes at Cal State East Bay. Of those who were surveyed, the majority claimed that drug ads had more of an effect on others than themselves. Her research showed that many of the people who were
surveyed said that they learned about the risks and benefits of a drug from its advertisement, and many of them said that it made their relationships with their doctors better. A few of those surveyed - less than one percent - said that information they got from the ads caused conflict between themselves and their doctors. After the presentation, Carroll took some questions. The first
concerned her reasons for choosing this topic. She replied that her motivation included the fact that first of all, she had an interest in the topic, and secondly, there had never been a study done on this demographic. In response to another query, Carroll then discussed the directions in which she’d chosen to take her research. The next step, according to her, will be to send out the same survey to people who work
Smoking: I did it for the kids Continued from Page 2 covers part of the problem. But why? Even with this state-funded, anti-smoking ad blitz, why do smokers get very little substance in the way of help? It’s because cigarettes are one big pacifier, for all of us, smoking and non-smoking alike. Unlike scarier, boogie-monster drugs, cigarette addiction doesn’t interfere with one’s ability to spend money, so it is generally tolerated. In fact, smokers provide a steady income to California. According to records from the Board of Equalization, California took in $1,026,497,000 in tax revenue from cigarettes
in the 2005-’06 fiscal year. From that, 57 percent (50 cents out of the 87-cent tax on every pack) goes to the First 5 California program, which improves the quality of life for children from pre-birth to kindergarten. They say this is to make up for the burden of increased medical bills that our evil lifestyle inflicts upon the healthy, but recent studies suggest that smokers may actually be saving the country money by dying faster. No need to shove old folks into the Arctic Circle on some floating patch of ice - not if they’ll croak at the age of 50. We smoke, we grumble, we pay and you let us.
overnight shifts. Carroll holds a master’s degree in Mass Communications from CSU State East Bay and teaches communication classes at Ohlone. The Next Brown Bag Seminar will be Friday, March 21 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Room 3201. Director of Science Policy at UC San Francisco Dr. Dina Halme will speak on Stem Cell Research in California.
Correction The story “ASOC discusses salary for members” in the March 13 edition of Monitor included the sentence, “Compensation is currently set at $200, with bonuses.” The point was that under the current draft of the proposed ASOC consitution, executive ASOC officers would receive $200 a month, not that they are currently paid that amount. The Monitor regrets the lack of clarity.
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Weighing Anchor By Eric dorman News editor
War hits your wallet “It’s the economy, stupid.” It was Bill Clinton’s promise to address the economy in 1992, and four elections later, it’s worth bringing up again in relation to the Iraq War. As this year’s candidates go about making promises and announcing plans, they have consistently devoted more time to the economy than to the war. And why not? Polls have repeatedly indicated that Americans think a tanking market deserves more attention than a far-off desert struggle. It might be time to think again. The economy and the war aren’t as far removed from each other as they might seem, according to a recent Washington Post editorial by Columbia Economist Joseph Stiglitz, who calculated that the Iraq War will end up costing the U.S. $3 trillion. $3 trillion. It’s a respectable number, one that has the power to serve as a reality check to those who believe the war has no effect on their lives. It’s a dollar amount that begs another look at the reasons behind our presence in Iraq and the human, as well as financial, cost of that presence. Whether or not our Iraq presence is justified is a murky issue, but the figures involved paint a picture that could hardly be more clear. Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, and Stiglitz calculates that every month in those five years costs the U.S. $12 billion ($16 billion if you include Afganistan) in upfront costs. When you add hidden defense budget costs, benefits for future veterans, equipment upkeep costs and the societal costs that accompany loss of life, the figure climbs steeply. As a student, it’s easy to think that by the time you start your career, the tax burden of financing the war will have already been shouldered. Again, it’s time to think twice. Bush’s slashed taxes and increased expenditures have resulted in the war being financed largely by borrowed dollars. That money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is your pocket. Think about what those trillions of dollars could be doing for our country, and the world, if they weren’t flowing into the Middle Eastern sands. We could have achieved universal health care for all Americans, at an annual price tag considerably less than the amount we spend in Iraq every year. We could have even cut taxes in a meaningful, sustainable manner. Sometimes it takes a dollar amount to bring home the incredible human costs of a war. If nothing else can, let’s hope this number drives home the fact that whoever and wherever we are, the war is our problem.
Features Forensics: Ohlone vs. California By Chen Lin Staff writer The Ohlone Forensics team took second place at the California Community College Forensics Association state championships last
weekend, making it their best performance this semester and earning five competitors the right to compete at Nationals. Altogether, the team won two gold medals, five silver medals and three bronze medals. The most successful competitor
was Emily Burkett, who earned a gold in Extemporaneous Speaking and broke into finals for four other events. Her debate partner, David Taube, won a gold in Lincoln Douglas and shared silver with Emily in Parlia-
New glass art in Treadway’s office
Photo by Japneet Kaur
President Treadway’s office now features Carol Lawton’s Glass Art and Design class’s latest pieces of crystalline sculpture.
mentary Debate. The other prize-winners were Sammy Obeid, who won silver in Speech-to-Entertain, Athena Bringhurst, who won bronze in Parli, and Mike Sagun, who won bronze in Programmed Oral Interpretation. Their performance last week was one of the best in the team’s history. “This is better than we’ve ever done,” said Kay Harrison, a forensics coach and speech instructor at Ohlone. The tournament, which began Wednesday and lasted until Sunday, featured 16 community colleges from across California and was held in Concord, at the Crown Plaza Hotel. The prize-winners from this tournament are qualified to compete in the Phi Rho Pi national tournament, which will be held April in St. Charles, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. About 80 two-year schools regularly attend that tournament. Last year, Ohlone took 6th in the sweepstakes for their division and first place in both Parliamentary Debate and After Dinner Speaking. To help fund the trip, the Forensics team is sponsoring a Comedy Night on April 11. One of the performers will be Sammy Obeid, a professional comedian and second place finisher in Speech-to-Entertain at last weekend’s tournament. More information will be available on the Ohlone website.
Fresh blood in nursing program By Tseten Dolkar Staff writer When asked about her job, Sharon Briggs said she is living her “life-long dream to teach.” Briggs, a Geriatric Content Expert certified by the California Board of Nursing, is an instructor for the second year nursing program. Having been raised in Berney Falls, in the foothills of Yosemite, Briggs describes herself as a “mountain girl” who enjoyes the outdoors and the wide variety of activities it provided. Among other things, she fly-fishes, kayaks and, in 1989, placed 15th in Women’s Amateur Windsurfing in the nation. After graduating from Highland Hospital School with a diploma, Briggs went onto Mills College
Nurse Sharon Briggs for a nursing certificate. Following her nursing license from the State, Briggs worked for 10 years as a nurse in pediatrics, surgical and critical care. She then began inservice education in the emergency
rooms, and so marked the beginning of her career as a teacher. In 1975, Briggs started the Health Occupation program at Lassen Community College in Susanville. It was after seven years that her husband was transferred to Redding, she began teaching at Shasta College and became a LVN Specialist. Briggs then enrolled at Chico State to pursue a master’s degree, but she became sick last year with different illnesses and was bed-ridden. Only after consulting with a specialist was her condition identified as Lyme disease. Determined to make up for lost time, she finished her master’s and graduated in 2005. Briggs’ students Laura Salinaro, Jill Ingraham and Kathryn Miranda
all described Briggs as a teacher with “no ego, and someone who cares about her students.” Briggs said she is “destined to help people in whatever way [she] could.” Briggs is passionate about what she does, which, in healthcare, she said requires “a calling.” With 43 years of experience behind her, she could be earning more at hospitals, but chooses instead to prepare future nurses at Ohlone. As she toured the Newark Center’s nursing labs, she enthusiastically spoke in-depth about Ohlone’s new Simulation Center, one of only a handful in the Bay Area. Briggs is a mother of three and has three grandchildren. Briggs’ webpage, which was the thesis project for her master’s, can be reached at: mycoplasmasupport.org.
the site and focus on empowering women, and not to give up when [she] ran into the many forks in the road.” In addition to her academic qualifications, and her esthetician license, she hopes to effectively use her experiences as a make-up artist, a former model and a former employee for Johnson and Johnson to contribute to the content. Ferguson hired a web design team for the building of the actual website. The site, which was seven months in the making, received 1,200+ hits pre-launch. Part of dual sites, a separate Little Miss Chatty Cathie website is designated for girls ages 8 – 12. Users can read both in Spanish.
Ferguson sees the website growing globally into a venue where peer mentorship can be created, and awareness of events concerning women regarding self-esteem and violence against women can be raised and educated on. She eventually hopes to start a non-profit with her sister for battered women and under-privileged children. She sees a major feminine movement happen through Chatty Cathie and alone fills the multiple positions of writer, editor and photographer but is looking to hire a full staff of volunteers to add on to the current help from family and close friends. Those who are interested in modeling, writing, and photography may contact her through the website.
Student website empowers girls By Tseten Dolkar Staff writer Former Ohlone College student Tanesha Ferguson launched ChattyCathie.com on March 6. The website covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from fashion to health to world issues. Ferguson said that girls “need a place to share ideas, voice opinions, thrive and inspire and be inspired by female peers – free of judgment, sexism, ridicule and competition.” The website’s goal is to “provide a dynamically thriving and safe community for girls of all ages, to exchange thoughts and ideas on all things relevant to being female, and most importantly, replace female
exploitation with self-respect and empowerment.” Ferguson grew up the oldest of six children. Consequently, she said she feels responsible for helping and setting a positive example as a strong, independent woman to students faced with similar life pressures. She was the first in her family to graduate high school on time and go on to college. Ferguson graduated from Ohlone in 2004, and went on to UC Berkeley to acquire a BA in English. Upon graduation, her idea of forming a magazine-like website took shape after much encouragement from her father. She credits him “as the one who really encouraged [her] to pursue
March 20, 2008
Features
monitor
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Devil’s Advocate By Anna Nemchuk Editor-in-chief
Leaving home Photos by Japneet Kaur
“Midnight at the End of the World,” left, with Jessica Stanley, Wes Walters, Jonny Scott and Drew Raboy; “Crime and Punishment,” right, with Drew Raboy and Jonny Scott.
One: put your one-acts in a box, two... By Kathy Sung Staff writer Opening night for the Student Repertory Theatre brought comedy and entertainment to Ohlone on Tuesday, March 18, at 8 p.m. with the most acts ever in one show. The Theatre and Dance department came together with 14 of the most entertaining acts picked by various students. “One Acts in a Box,” the combination of 14 acts in one show was delighted the crowd. The night started off with humor presented by Hannah Thrasher, Emily Stoner and Stacey Lynn Bell in “Ladies Alone”. An entertaining play about three ladies making a pact
on spending a ladies’ night together, the play is filled with great lines like “Not the Bible, it’s kind of too frivolous for that” when the ladies are swearing to spend one Saturday night together every month. The lights and backdrops were fitting to the scene, allowing the audience to laugh along as the cars outside honked and dresses with holes showed up. The night continued with acts like “Conversation 2045” showing how according to the program “a time when courtship is completely computerized and a get-acquainted chat is more like a formal interview”. The act starred Sora Baek, Melanie Kay O’Connor and Jeremy Laurenco.
“Crime and Punishment” came on with an amusing scene of a headmaster trying to punish a student. The dialogue between the actors was well-performed, bringing about shrieks of laughter from the audience. Other acts included “Midnight at the World’s End,” “End of the World,” “Check Please,” “Faith” and “It’s not YOU!!!.” Cyrus Soliman, an actor in “Faith” and “Check Please,” said “there’s so many things happening” during the plays. He’s spent over ten hours this week at the theater. Some actors will change the words of the writers, but Soliman said, “I don’t agree with that. I like to respect the writer’s work.” He believes
writers write the lines that are in a screenplay for a reason. There is a directing class offered in the Fall for students so that they can create this show. Interested students get a chance to direct a short play, and the show is completely student produced. These students pass the vision to the set designers who work together to produce the show. Joe Nichols, an actor in “Check Please” and the assistant set designer for all the plays, believes that people should take these classes because “It’s really fun [and] it’s a lot of work.” Interested students should begin by taking classes like Tom Blank’s Acting Styles-Classical class, TD-112.
in DSPS, stated that blind students have to be high-functioning with excellent memories to attend college. The blind have hidden skills, according to Stephen Kuusisto, an op-ed contributor for the New York Times, who was born prematurely and had his retinas damaged during incubation. He now teaches creative non-fiction at the University of Iowa. Kuusisto was interviewed on National Public Radio regarding Gov. Paterson and issues regarding blindness and the visually impaired. He said, “I think that blind people who tend to be successful and professional…tend to be able to carry large amounts of information and compartmentalize it, and call upon it with remarkable dexterity” and indicated that Gov. Paterson demonstrated these skills and was inspiring. Being main-streamed in grade school, middle school or high school
had its disadvantages for Barnes and the Vasquez sisters. Barnes, who transferred in high school, stated, “Everything was old-fashioned when I was in public school. They had the BrailleWriter, a typewriter where a student would have to laboriously load paper and type everything by hand. “With the BrailleNote, students don’t have to roll in a bunch of paper. You set up document files and type.” Class notes can be printed out in Braille on a BrailleWriter. Students can also read their files in Braille on the 32-key BrailleNote display. The Vasquez sisters were merely provided with tape recorders and someone to read to them as much as needed before transferring to the School for the Blind. They had to learn Braille when they transferred from their local school district in the ninth grade. The BrailleNote computer enables students to take class notes,
including those for math classes. Assignments are typed in Braille; then, using Bluetooth technology, the assignment is easily sent to certain printers using MSWord to print out for sighted instructors. Isabel Vasquez stated that the earlier blind students are transferred to the School for the Blind, the more likely they are to be at proper grade level by age 18. Students can transfer to the School as early as age five, but the primary issue would be that the students live at the School in Fremont in small dormitory style. On a typical day, each student easily navigates the Ohlone Campus. Following mathematics class in Hyman Hall, Angela Vasquez, who was immaculately, stylishly groomed and wearing heals, easily navigated with her cane through the building up the winding, uneven paths to board a regular AC Transit bus.
classic Super Smash Brothers: Melee and Halo 3. If console games are not your flavor, Star Craft, Counter Strike: Source, as well as Half Life 2: Death Match will be there as well. At the last event, the tournament winner received a $15 gift card for GameStop; this time, the prize should be bigger, said club officers. In addition there will be a raffle for thumb drives, games and wireless routers. The GDC is advertising for the event in front of Hyman Hall, where they are also showing off Super
Smash Brothers: Brawl on a Wii with four controllers and taking registrations for the tournaments. The Gaming Development Club has been around for about a year and is running events like “Brawl” to raise awareness of the club and raise money for the club. More money means the club can compete with other, more established clubs. The money raised for the club will be used to put on more events and to buy software for game development. Currently, the club has two projects in the works: action adventure
games with titles “Elder Orb” and “Tooth and Claw.” These games are being developed by the club because they were unable to do so in the video game design class. The club is backed by the Multimedia Department and supported by the Video Game Certificate; it is looking for programmers, artists, the musically talented and aspiring developers. Outsourcing their projects is “not always the best,” said Ryan Coggins, treasurer of the GDC. Visit www.ohlonegdc.com for more information.
Ohlone’s blind: more than meets the eye By Inez Black Staff writer The swearing-in ceremony of David Paterson as the governor of New York made history Monday, March 17, as the second legally blind governor in the United States. (In 1975, Arkansas Governor Rob Cowley Riley was the first legally blind governor of Arkansas for 11 days.) Robbie Barnes, who plans to major in music/entertainment, Isabel Vasquez, who plans to major in interpreting and Angela Vasquez are all blind students attending Ohlone. They qualified for the Apartment Program at the School of the Blind, learning independent living skills while in college. The students take regular classes, except they’re provided with Disabled Students Program Services. Kathleen Schoenecker, adjunct instructor and instructional assistant
Super Smashers brawl in Hyman Hall By Kyle Stephens Staff writer Get ready for eight great hours of smashing brawls, combo melee attacks and plenty of awesome gameplay at the Spring Break Brawl. Organized by the Game Development Club (GDC), the competition will be held in Hyman Hall on Friday, March 21. The event starts at 1 p.m. and will run until 9, with tournaments starting after 3. Featured games will include the much-anticipated Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, as well as the now
Fleeing the nest is usually discussed from the parents’ point of view. But are they really the ones that suffer? Sure, there’s the loneliness, the heartache, the sleepless nights worrying about drugs, pimps and unpaid parking tickets your child may be involved with. But there’s also a newly-vacated room, a much-decreased laundry load, a house that finally smells like something other than feet and pizza and, best of all, the regained ability to function as normal human beings, i.e. no longer full-time parents. But the poor kid. Thrust out on its own for the second time in its life, (the first involved an unpleasant amount of squishing and a completely uncalled for ass-spanking) it must find its way through the maze of the “real world” school, society and MTV have hardly prepared it for. Bills, it turns out, do not pay themselves. Alarm clocks must be set - no one will wake you up for class, unless it’s your roommate, five hours early, courtesy of his PlayStation skills. Groceries fail to magically toddle from the supermarket to your fridge and, once there, seem to quickly develop an appearance more in line with what you’re used to seeing safely behind glass in chem class than on a dinner plate. No one cries over your booboos, unless you’ve managed to snag a significant other, which in and of itself brings a whole new interesting set of problems. Apparently, people who haven’t birthed you really don’t have to take your shit. And you thought this was just your parents talking crazy. And for the final blow, when you - tired of all the insanity, exhausted beyond measure by the tedium of work, school, shopping, rinse, repeat - escape to your hometown, arriving dusty and bedraggled at your front door and dropping three months of dirty clothes on the stoop, stuff your key in the door and, tumbling inside, prepare to be greeted as a returning hero with hugs, tears and hot chocolate, what do you find? That your sweet, devoted, caring parents AREN’T HOME! They’ve gone to gallivant somewhere. To have fun. To the museum or a party or a restaurant, or even skiing. Without you. Cold. Cruel. How could they? So you collapse on the couch to wait, your old room having been scraped clean and turned into a workout room. With a treadmill! Like your parents even know how to use one... And when they come home, turn on the light and find you lurking in the dark, there’ll be only one thing you can say. “Where have you been?!”
6 MONITOR
News
March 20, 2008
TechComm seeks to isolate IT budget sources By Kyle Stephens Staff writer Recently hired Information and Technology Coordinator Bruce Griffin will redraft Ohlone’s Technology Master Plan (TMP) within the next few weeks and “hopefully” less than a month, according to Griffin. At the TechComm meeting Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Room 1407, proposed TMP plans included isolating tentative budget sources for various programs. This is an funding-independent plan, discussing simply where the money will come from. The sources include the Title III Grant Language Instruction for Limited English Proficiency and Immigrant Students, the IT Budget, the “Other Campus Budget,” No Impact goals (goals without monetary cost, such as continuing
ongoing efforts and writing policy) and Bond money. Currently, the inventory of school equipment is being updated and compared manually to the previous, not entirely accurate list. The new inventory is to include computer accessories such as printers and monitors. Inventory is being recorded via Datatel database software. In order to expedite the inventory-gathering process, one possibility suggests that faculty describe their machines to the IT department via email. The exact data-gathering method, however, is still under consideration. In addition to the inventory is the implementation of a rating system for computers, in order to assess their value to the school. The rating system is based on various specifications, namely processor speed, RAM, purchase datea and hard drive size. Each characteristic
carries a different weight; the exact values are being discussed. Some staff and faculty members proposed having ratings accounting for teachers’ needs - as a machine ill-suited for one may be perfect for another. Some gray areas, like Macintosh users running Windows operating systems, are cause for classification issues. The rating system would also be beneficial for budgeting purposes, as it is funding-independent. When it comes to computer replacement, the machines most in need of such would be easily identified. Regarding replacement, Ohlone at present lacks computers powerful enough to run Microsoft Office 2007. The TMP aims to keep on top of the latest technology but, at present, is unable to do so in this respect. The purchasing of equipment is
an important issue, as a machine should be optimized for its given purpose. Faculty and staff should not have equipment under- or overpowered for their needs, as it is an efficiency-sapping mismanagement of resources. The decision of what a given staff of faculty member requires may fall mostly to the individual, to “selfidentify” their specific needs or to seek the advice of a knowledgeable technology representative.
Additionally, the meeting touched on the need for Ohlone’s computer labs to have the same equipment and software. One system image, or master copy, of all the software needed to run a computer (operating system, basic applications and specialty programs required for any given class) can easily be applied to a whole lab if all machines are identical to the computer the image was meant to be installed upon.
Campus Events CLASSIFIEDS PIANO FOR SALE -- Upright, rosewood Chappell piano in excellent condition. Made in England. $1,200. Call 510-7901139 or email souzafive@ comcast.net. 1 9 8 7 M er c u r y cougar $800 OBO -- Vehicle is in good working order, will get you where you need to go. Automatic transmission. Power ever ything. 2dr Gold. Hood and roof paint are faded. New tires, front pads, plugs, wires, cap and rotor, starter solinoid, battery, battery cables. Asking $800 OBO. Call 510-7901139 or email jackieorvis@ gmail.com
March 20 Women’s Softball -- Away vs. Hartnell @ 3 p.m. 20 Environmental Sustainability Meeting -- Meetings are the third Thursday of each month, rotating between the Fremont and Newark campuses @ 3:30 p.m.
21 Brown Bag Science Seminar -- Stem Cell Research in California. Dr. Dina Halme will discuss her work at UCSF, which focuses on the regulation of potential stem cell-based products. Presentation is @ 11:45 p.m. in Room 8203 21 Men’s Tennis -- Away vs. Foothill College @ 2 p.m. 21 Women’s Tennis -- Here vs. Foothill College @ 2 p.m.
25 Men’s Baseball -- Away vs. Hartnell College @ 2 p.m. 25 Women’s Tennis -- Away vs. Cabrillo College @ 2 p.m. 25 Women’s Softball -Home vs. Monterey Peninsula College @ 3 p.m. 27 Men’s Baseball -- Home vs. Monterey Peninsula College @ 2 p.m. 27 Women’s Softball --
Away vs. Gavilan College @ 3 p.m. 28 Men’s Tennis -- Away vs. Mission College @ 2 p.m. 28 Women’s Tennis -- Home vs. City College of San Francisco @ 2 p.m. 29-30 Women’s Softball -- Away vs. Sierra College Tournament in Rocklin. 29 Men’s Baseball -- Home vs. City College of San Francisco @ noon.
March 20, 2008 monitor
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April 4 Brown Bag Seminar -- Cyber Crime with Steve Hanna, Instructor. 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. in Room 3201 16 Spring Health Fair -Visit Building 1 Lobby for the Spring 2008 Health Fair @ 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 18 Building of Hubble Space Telescope -- Presentation by Astronomer Karl Allmendinger @ 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. in Room 3201.
22 Women’s Softball -- Away vs. West Valley College @ 1 p.m. 22 Fremont Symphony Orchestra with pianist Jon Nakamatsu -- Best of Beethoven @ 8 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. 24-29 Spring Break -- No classes. 24-28 Spring Break Soccer Camp 2008 -- For boys and girls ages 6-14. 25 Men’s Tennis -- Home vs. Chabot @ 2 p.m.
Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor
The Monitor invites your comments. Letters should be 250 words or less and include your name and relationship to Ohlone. Letters become property of The Monitor and may be edited for spelling and length. Campus Events listings are free for college-related events. To have your event added or to place an ad, contact Jacque Orvis at (510) 659-6075 or e-mail monitorads@ohlone.edu
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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Ohlone hosts Spring Invite, wins both games By Jerome Nepacena Sports writer After a stretch of up and down games for the Ohlone Men’s baseball team, the Renegades were able to pick up impressive wins over Taft and Reedley College as part of the Ohlone Spring invite. The Renegades went 2-0 in the two games they played as part of the event which took place on backto-back days. The event was highlighted by a blowout victory over Taft College in which they overcame an early deficit, where Taft started out strong in the first inning by scoring 3 runs. A single run was scored on a controversial call on which Renegade pitcher, Shane Murchison, appeared to get the out against a Taft runner who was then called safe, resulting in two runs scored for Taft. After scoring three in the top half of the first, Taft would go on to score three more while Ohlone’s hitters caught a hot streak at the dish by lighting up Taft’s pitching staff, bringing in 18 runs of their own after that first inning. The game featured solid hitting by players like David Luna, Justin Landay and Aaron Chavez, who all took advantage of their at-bats and came through with clutch base hits for the home Renegades. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Renegades managed to get their first lead of the game when first basemen Justin Lunday got his first hit and scored two, putting Ohlone ahead 6-4. Landay was 2-5 for the game with a team-leading 5 RBI’s and a
Photo by Tomás Ortega
Ohlone second baseman Matt Langseth applies the tag after Renegades catcher David Luna, not pictured, guns down Taft’s runner at second. stolen base for Ohlone. The Renegades would continue to roll from there, winning the game 18-6 after nine innings. The team seems to be finding their rhythm after experiencing some tough losses
during the course of the season. It was nice to see the team overcome a deficit and get some runs batted in after a few games in which the team couldn’t hold on to some early leads and would come
Photo by Tomás Ortega
Lea Knop led the Lady Renegades to their first win Friday.
Women’s Tennis first-ever win By Jerome Nepacena Sports writer The Ohlone women’s tennis team picked up its first win last Friday afternoon with several wellplayed matches against Monterey Peninsula College. Lea Knop led the group to a 6-3 victory and was one of many winners for the Lady Renegades. Other victories included Hanh Nguyen, who won in the second singles match, Van Nguyen, who won in the fourth and Christina Vargas, who won in the sixth singles match of the afternoon. The team also won one doubles match-up and three games by default. This game, which was played at Monterey Peninsula College, was huge for Ohlone; as Head Coach Fu Wong would tell you, “this was significant because it’s the first tennis win for Ohlone.” Wong explained, “we are now at 2-7, which isn’t great, but for what’s basically an expansion team it’s going to be a tough year.” This season marks the first women’s tennis season for Ohlone and the women’s team looks to build on their recent success as they host Foothill College this Friday.
up short in the end. This time around, it was the Renegades getting over the hurdle and turning an early deficit into a dominating victory. The Renegade baseball team will
head to Salinas to take on Hartnell this Tuesday. So, while you’re baking in the sun next week,hopefully if it doesn’t rain, this ball club will doing all they can to work toward a winning record for the year.
By Tomás Ortega Sports editor
score in the first inning on an error by Sierra’s second baseman, that would be all they could get. Sumner was also the only Renegade to get more than one hit in the game. Ohlone would be handed their only loss of the tournament, knocking them out of the running for a tournament win. Ohlone’s overall record jumped to 19-5.
Softball March Madness wrap This weekend, Ohlone hosted its annual March Madness softball tournament. The tournament was held at the Pleasanton Sports Complex instead of the usual venue of Central Park. While the Renegades did rack up a 4-1 record for the weekend, they ended up taking third overall in the Gold bracket. The winner of the annual March Madness was College of Siskiyous, which beat Sierra-Rocklin 1-0. The Renegades did very well on Saturday, picking up a 9 a.m. victory over Solano College, 7-4. Their second win came over Feather River 4-0. Ohlone ended Saturday on a high note, besting Modesto in the 3 p.m. game 3-1. With three wins in pool play, the Renegades advanced to the Gold Bracket for Sunday’s games. They met Fresno City College at 11 a.m. and Kelly Colker pitched a great ball game. This time, Colker only had two strikeouts and gave up one run. Sierra-Rocklin would pose a tough match for the Renegades. Though Ohlone’s Kat Sumner did
Tuesday marks another win for Renegades Tuesday afternoon, the Renegades hosted Foothill College and let their offense speak loudly while carrying a big stick. They came out on top 17-1. After sitting down the Owls 1-2-3 in the top half of the first, Ohlone splurged at the plate putting up a 7 spot in the bottom half. The inning included back-to-back 2-run base hits by second baseman Desiree Springs and right fielder Desiree Sanchez. That would be all Ohlone would need with with Danielle Yee on the mound. Yee went 5 strong innings and struck out 5. Ohlone improved to 12-0 in league play.