Monitor 2009-2-26

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Vol. XXXIX No. 5

Hoff one-hits Sac City.

OPINION

Win prizes at silent auction.

SPORTS

NEWS

FEATURES

Photos by area faculty on display.

Racist cartoon: not funny.

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Fremont, California

February 26, 2009

Proposals: more parking, more hangouts

Clubs look to swell ranks

By Zuhal Bahaduri Staff writer

Photo by Jorge Gomez

Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.) Club member Rudy Barrios looks down from his club’s table at Club Days Wednesday. Club Days, an annual event in which clubs come together to seek out members, took place Tuesday and Wednesday in the lobby of Building One.

The Facilities Committee named parking, social gathering areas and academic gathering areas for students as college priorities at its meeting Monday.

In the long term, the college hopes to provide better parking, primarily in the upper levels, so students can have better access to the main part of the campus. In the master plan they also want to connect and define pathways to provide clear pathways with destination points and ensure all of the paths are accessible.

In the master planning the committee hopes to improve the campus by making quality open spaces like terraces, patios, lawns and balconies as well as providing larger gathering spaces and developing memorable spaces. The committee hopes this will attract students to the campus.

The comittee also discussed the long-term possibility of demolishing and rebuilding Buildings 2 and 8. The original plan was to merely renovate the buildings, but rebuilding them could ultimately turn out to be more cost-effective and better represent student needs, committee members suggested at their meeting Monday. The plan is still tentative, but the proposed timeline is in the five-to-ten-year range.

California’s recently-passed budget will not affect the master planning of the committee. The proposed planning the committee

Workers roof the SSB. has been working on throughout the year will not begin construction for approximately five to ten years.

Master plans are usually aimed at long-range goals.

Many students have complained about either parking or social gathering space. Hyman Hall has become a gathering area when it is supposed to be a quiet study area. The cafeteria is no longer attracting the crowd of students it was originally designed to attract. The bookstore, Hyman Hall and Mitch’s coffee cart are typically the three main hubs of social activity on campus. The committee’s master planning hopes to change this by providing better areas for students.

Parking garages were also discussed and suggested in the master planning. Parking garages fit into the committee’s sustainable tactics for the college. But, none of this can begin until more funding is received.

In other college construction news, the new Student Services Building construction is proceeding on schedule. It is scheduled to be completed in June.

World Forum to focus on global economy

By Devery Sheffer Staff writer The future of our global economy will be the topic of the upcoming Ohlone College World Forum Thursday, March 5, from noon to 1 p.m. in Jackson Theater.

It is almost impossible to turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper without seeing news about the recession and foreclosure. Speaker Kausik Rajgopal will discuss the causes and the recovery of this economic downturn at the talk, entitled “Global Economic Outlook Finding a Compass for Uncharted Waters.”

Rajgopal is a partner for McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm in San Francisco. According to their website, McKinsey & Company is an advisor for over 70 percent of the most admired

companies in Fortune magazine. The status of our economy is an issue for these companies.

It is the job of McKinsey & Company to help work this issue out.

Specifically, Rajgopal has worked with several different types of clients since he joined the company in 1997. He has worked with many types of organizations, everything from the government to retail and software companies.

Rajgopal's job is to counsel these organizations on their management issues such as global restructuring and executive transitions.

Due to the credit and mortgage crisis our country is undergoing, economic growth has been seriously slowed. This in turn has led to a global recession. The future of the world’s economy is unsure but what is important is what can be learned from this experience, and

how companies must adjust their policies and operations to prevent a similar situation from happening again in the future.

The poor state of the economy is affecting you, as a student, as a teacher, and as an American. But that’s not all, it is affecting everyone all over the world, Europe, Asia, the Middle East are all experiencing this recession along with us.

Since Spring 2005 there have been two Ohlone College World Forums a semester.

These programs are designed to offer our community a chance to hear professionals speak on global issues. If you are interested in learning more about the state of our economy from a person who is a part of rebuilding its future, the World Forum promises to deliver those answers. Admission is free, and the talk will be followed by a Q & A session.

Kausik Rajgopal will discuss the global economy at the March 5 World Forum.

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Opinion

monitor February 26, 2009

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: Jake Benson Opinion editor: Noah Levin Features editor: Nicole Johnson Sports editor: Jeff Weisinger Photo editor: Japneet Kaur Online editor: Suchi Gupta Staff writers: Ankita Chhabra, Theodore Harrison III, Esmeralda Leon, Alex Lykins, Nazia Mastan, Sean Nero, Tomás Ortega, Anna Biaritz Roldan, Devery Sheffer, Zunera Syed, Farnoosh Vahedi, Isaac West Photographers: Anna Alfafara, Jorge Gomez, Tara Lynn Lanning, Dan Yuan Ad manager: Jacque Orvis Ad staff: Inez Black, Christ Marovich, Harpreet Singh 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

Another gust in this most recent media storm

By Nicole Johnson Features editor Comedy is supposed to be funny.

When you open up a newspaper and see a cartoon about politics, that is what it would be. If the paper were to poke fun at a chimp that attacked a woman, they would have done that.

Instead, the New York Post crossed the line with their blatantly racist cartoon published on Wednesday, Feb. 18. This is what makes readers like me say, “you really should have known better.” What shocked me the most is that the N.Y. Post had the audacity to actually run this cartoon. The image was totally unnecessary.

The cartoon itself was supposed to be a play on the chimpanzee that was shot for mauling a woman in

Stamford, Connecticut on Monday, Feb. 16. The image the N.Y. Post ran does not depict that, because of one thing - the punchline. “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” This quote changes the entire meaning of the cartoon.

Every time a person turns on the television and hears the word “stimulus,” it is always associated with President Obama.

Thus, running this cartoon connects an outdated racial stereotype with the president in a very unpleasant way. How can people not take offense at this image that the N.Y. Post irresponsibly printed?

In addition, President Obama has had the most death threats of any president, simply because of the color of his skin. People were

ready to assassinate him even before he became president.

The image is clearly racist, whether it was intented to be or not. For generations, AfricanAmericans have battled racism and have been trying to break media stereotypes.

How could the N.Y. Post be so insensitive in so many ways? Other than the obvious racist statement and the ridiculous stereotype, this image is also desensitizing and demeaning a very serious situation.

If the N.Y. Post really wanted to make fun of the woman who was seriously injured by the chimp attack, they could have done so in much more suitable way. However, there is no way they could have. This was unnecessarily violent and left nothing for the reader to interpret.

The N.Y. Post’s attempt at poking fun at this incident is both disturbing and uncalled for.

The N.Y. Post placed an “apology” on their website Thursday, Feb. 19 which stated, “It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period.” Obviously however, it was taken as crude and racist. The N.Y. Post claimed “this most certainly was not its intent...”

The N.Y. Post then defended itself, saying, “Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon - even as the opportunists seek to make it something else.”

What kind of apology is this?

This apology is clearly aimed at civil rights activist Al Sharpton and those demonstrators protesting the N.Y. Post. The paper sees Sharpton and the demonstrators as “opportunists” seeking out controversy whenever

they can, finding any reason to point fingers at them.

There is no unjust finger pointing going on. The N.Y. Post is standing by their racist cartoon, refusing to see it as a hurtful depiction of stereotypes that should be long dead.

As a business, the Post will not acknowledge that they published a racial slur in a post-racial era.

The N.Y. Post feels they have done nothing wrong and refuses to apologize for the damages they had caused. This is intolerable and the N.Y. Post should be sympathetic to people’s outrage, not acting as if this will all blow away in tomorrow’s news.

The apology from the N.Y. Post raised many eyebrows and made many skeptical. But it was their Continued on Page 6

Clarifications on the accreditation process Dear Editor: I would like to provide some clarification regarding some of the statements contained in the February 19 Monitor article entitled, “Faculty Senate works to keep Ohlone in good standing.”

The article stated: “Ohlone has been undergoing a procedural revision of the programs that we offer because our accreditation is under a warning from the Accreditation

Team.”

Clarification: Our programs are not undergoing a procedural revision, and our programs are not related to the warning issued by the Accreditation Commission. In fact, our Instructional Programs were praised by the Accreditation Team and they made no recommendations for improvements related to Instructional for Student Development Programs. What they did recommend was our process of Program and Services Review (which they

felt was very good) should be more closely linked to our general college planning processes.

The article stated: “Our school has been working on revising and reviewing programs and composing detailed reports to send back to the team in order to reaffirm our standing in the California community college system.”

Clarification: Again, we are not working on revising and reviewing our programs. We are, rather, working on improving the linkage

between our Program and Services Review processes and our general college planning processes.

Finally the article stated: “But, our school is still under warning, according to Vice President of Instruction Jim Wright. He touched on the fact that if we review our programs wisely, our “$46 million” budget will be reserved.”

Clarification: What I actually said was in response to a question from a faculty member about the difficulty of linking Program and

Services Review to budget planning when our budget is so constrained. I stated that we do have a $46 million budget and the program improvement objectives from our Program and Services Review processes can help direct the money that we do have.

Thank you for allowing me to provide these clarifications.

Dr. Jim Wright Deputy Superintendent & Vice President of Academic Affairs

Campus Comment > > > What did you think of Obama’s TV address?

Kevin Riveria HEALTH

“It was so good, I almost cried.”

Arvin Buenaobren

Tseten Dolkar

NURSING

COMMUNICATIONS

“I didn’t see it. I was busy studying for my practical.”

“I only watched part of it. It was reassuring.”

Ryan Cabalbag

Donna Hallican

RADIOLOGY

LIBERAL ARTS

“It was awesome! And really reassuring.”

“He was great. It was well presented, and he was very intelligent.”

News

February 26, 2009 monitor

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AC Transit postpones bus fare meeting

By Ankita Chhabra Staff writer Due to the new stimulus package, the AC Transit Board of Directors has delayed the initial meeting to discuss the increase in bus fares for adult riders from Feb. 25 to March 11.

This change in schedule will allow more time to re-evaluate the rise in fares depending on the District’s financial situation after they receive money from the stimulus package.

The Board has proposed a 25cent increase in all basic fare, which would mean an increase in adult fares from a $1.75 to $2 and a 15cent increase for youth and disabled riders from 85 cents to $1. ten-ride tickets and adult 31-day passes would increase as well.

Currently, not much can be said about the decision because the Board needs to re-evaluate their decision according to the amount of money they receive out of the stimulus package.

The public is encouraged to come

Psychology Club will host skeptic

By Ankita Chhabra Staff writer “He is a man who chooses to question the bizarre beliefs of people as a scientist, rather than be a critic of their beliefs,” said Psychology Professor Sheldon Helms.

Helms, along with the Psychology Club, will welcome famous author and psychologist Michael Shermer at Ohlone at the Smith Center next Friday, March 6.

Shermer is the face behind many successful published books, including Why People Believe in Weird Things, and is well known columnist for Scientific American.

He is also the founder and publisher of The Skeptic Magazine. Shermer

has a scientific approach in the way he looks at everything, and, as a scientist, evaluates people based on the evidence presented to him.

The Psychology Club said they are honored to be hosting Shermer as he will help demonstrate diversity within the field of psychology.

In today’s world, the common man likes to believe a lot of things that are thrown his way, things like aliens, acupuncture and even Big Foot. In a fun, entertaining and witty talk, Shermer promises to explore the human mind and examine how some require little or no proof to come to conclusions about such things. Tickets and more information can be found on the Ohlone website or at the Smith Center.

Silent auction set for ‘Yes I Can’ scholarship funds

By Sean nero Staff writer The Black History Month Committee, the ASOC and Faculty members will present the first ever Black History Month silent auction today. The auction is scheduled for 1 p.m. in front of Building One. The silent auction marks the ending of the black history month celebrations that took place between the Fremont and Newark campuses.

From Feb. 11-26 students are able to purchase raffle tickets from the front lobby in Building one. Tickets cost $1 for one or $5 for six. Tickets will be placed in a container and pulled at random with four prizes up

for grabs. Prizes include keepsake books, memoirs and a painting.

The proceeds from the silent auction will go toward the “Yes I Can” scholarship, a new scholarship which will be awarded at a later date. The scholarship is “targeting underrepresented and financial needy racial groups particularly African Americans,” according to committee member and Political Science Professor Matt Freeman.

Freeman said, “African Americans are among the most underrepresented people at the college, making up only 4.5 percent of the student body and this scholarship is an effort to try and bridge the racial gap.”

to the public hearing that will be held in Oakland on March 11.

With the meeting set on a new date, the Board will be meeting to

agree to act quickly on a proposed fare increase that would go into effect July 1.

If the increase is passed, many

bus riders will be affected and some may stop riding the bus altogether.

The AC Transit service area includes 13 cities around the Bay Area.

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Features

monitor February 26, 2009

Stone cold thinker

Wild symphony

By Noah levin Opinion editor

Apathy not acceptable It strikes me as somewhat worrisome, when the majority of my peers brushed off their responsibilities as adults and decided to abstain from the political process.

Many young people my age, ranging from 18 to 26, willfully ignore major political events. Be it a rally, a local vote for mayor, or the presidential race, it seems that most of my peers simply ignore politics to avoid being inconvenienced. This is going to be our generation’s major downfall.

By putting ourselves apart from the raging sea of American politics, by making it a larger struggle to get us out of our houses and into voting booths than it is to get us to look for a job, we are hobbling our own ability to change things later. One thing that our demographic has excelled at is complaining without contributing. This is made clearly evident by our generation’s demands for higher paying jobs, lower taxes, and lower school fees. But how many of us played an active and positive role in the formation of laws or the election of a preferred candidate? Too few, by my reckoning.

To demand positive change in our state and our nation’s social programs, our generation must take the initiative and not just demand change, but take the steps necessary to enact it. This is not just a call for our generation to go and vote, but to wake up, and start tuning in when our president addresses the whole nation on television, especially during this time of economic crisis.

We should be listening to fewer shock jocks on the radio, and watching fewer political pundits on the television. These are the wrong places to be getting some of the most vital, decision-making information needed to be a wellinformed person.

What our generation needs is more real news. The Woody Show on Live105 and Michael Savage is not news. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report ARE NOT reputable news sources. Because our generation is so willfully uninformed, it leaves us vulnerable to predators. I’m not talking about sexual deviants or drug dealers, I am referring to dirty politicians who seek to line their pockets; the credit card companies that harass through the mail, preying on our love of acquiring possessions. The predators are the check cashing centers, the armed forces recruiters that occasionally arrive on campus to convince the young and the financially wanting that they should go off to war.

Our generation stands to be one the greatest yet, but we have to be willing to stand up, start thinking, and take our place in history.

I do not want to be a generation remembered for our complacency and apathy, but for our vigor and foresight.

By Devery Sheffer Staff writer Spring is the season of rebirth and renewal: the birds, the bees and… frogs? That’s right, Ohlone’s frogs are orchestrating a great ruckus of a symphony as students head to class.

Students with night classes this semester can't help but notice the

orchestra of frogs on both the Fremont and the Newark campuses. Jim Baxter, an Ohlone biology teacher for 10 years, is quite knowledgeable when it comes to frogs and what they are doing here on campus.

There are two reasons for all that racket coming from puddles and ponds. The majority of the noise is coming from male frogs who are trying to first of all, attract a female frog and second scare away any other male frogs who might try to invade their territory.

Frogs can judge the quality or size of a frog simply by the sounds it makes. The deeper the sound, the bigger the frog. Big frogs will

attract the females but scare away intruding male frogs.

Most frogs will return to the spot where they were born for mating season.

Most will then leave again after they have done their business.

They will go back to the hills so they can feed on insects. Frogs will lay several hundred eggs at a time but few will metamorphose to an adult frog.

Tadpoles make an ideal snack for several birds found on campus such as the great egret, coots, and mallard ducks.

Not all the wildlife on Ohlone make their presence known with loud mating calls.

Bufo toads are another type of amphibian found on campus. They don’t make much noise but they do secrete a poison from their skin that is strong enough to kill a dog

if ingested.

Both the Fremont and Newark campuses are literally crawling with wild life.

Most everyone has seen squirrels around, either looking for leftover food or dashing at the last second right in front of your car. Deer are frequent visitors to the Fremont campus as are raccoons to the Newark campus.

Other wildlife include, rattlesnakes, bobcats and jackrabbits. A common animal many may never notice are bats. Tiny fruit bats can be found hanging in doorways and elevators on the Fremont campus. “[The] elevators in Building 6 and 8 are notorious for bats,” said campus security officer Stewart Dawson, a wildlife enthusiast.

Whether it be mating frogs or hanging bats, wildlife is a special and important part of Ohlone.

Due to the economic crisis, SOAR’s goal this year is lower compared to previous fundraisers.

“In the past, SOAR would actually double this contribution - volunteer donors would purchase bouquets and then donate them to SOAR to sell,” Wong said.

However, this time SOAR will be directing their donations to the American Cancer Society web site.

Donations on the web site are

open until March 5 and the bouquets will be delivered on March 17.

The proceeds from Daffodils Days will go to support the groundbreaking research and offer free information and support to the patients who suffer from cancer.

Donors will be receiving and giving beautiful flowers to show gratitude for their support in fighting against cancer.

You have the option to buy fresh cut daffodils and commemorative

vases, along with a list of daffodils the web site has to choose from.

According to www. daffodil. acsevents.org, “Donations received through the Daffodil Days program enable the Society to offer free programs and services that help people fight cancer with courage and optimism, while providing physical and emotional assistance and financial information to ease the cancer experience.”

SOAR is dedicated to enhance Ohlone’s employee’s morale by funding social gathering along with recognizing and acknowledging groups and individuals.

Events are made possible by donations from Ohlone’s staff, administration, and faculty. This fundraiser campaign joins with many other areas across the U.S. in helping American Cancer Society.

This also gives SOAR the opportunity to contribute to a hopeful fight against cancer.

SOARing toward a great cause By esmeralda leon Staff writer This year SOAR (Social Ohlone And Recognition) is giving the gift of hope to those in need. They have once again coordinated a fundraiser in support of the American Cancer Society to bring awareness to people and help make the world a cancer free place. The Daffodils Days fundraiser, established in 1973 is a long-standing fundraiser program in the American Cancer Society organization. Daffodil is a symbol of hope, the first flower that grows in spring.

George Wong, computer science insturstor and event coordinator, said that SOAR has raised several thousand dollars over the last couple of years for the American Cancer Society.

“This year we have set our goal to raise a thousand dollars for the cancer society,” said Wong.

Ohlone professor makes film debut

By Anna Alfafara Staff writer Living in West Oakland means there are many dark and troublesome days to overcome. In a movie entitled, “Everyday Black Man” a man, named Moses, is a reluctant hero who has done exactly that. His past has shaped his approach to the world with the self-imposed responsibility of fixing the community saying “I’ma fix everything.”

The creator of this film, Carmen Madden, an English teacher at Ohlone, showed the movie’s trailer on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Building 1 to a small group of students. She

explained her experiences of making the film and all the time and planning that went into it.

Madden had a final script and started creating the film, then bringing together a cast. Madden used to run a training school, which made it easier to cast the film.

Because of the limited amount of funds, scenes were deleted or touched up to eliminate factors such as location and setting props, that would be very expensive to get.

In making the film, she learned the value of time and that there would be a lot of obstacles that she will encounter. One of her obstacles includes location. “You’re shooting

based on the location you have to work with.”

Madden also didn’t expect the obstacle of when her main actor got sick and he couldn't on set for a few days. They had to send the main actor to the hospital, which stopped production for a couple of days.

The job of making a film requires long hours. “You get up at the crack of dawn or you sometimes don’t go to bed until the crack of dawn,” said Madden.

Her plan for circulation is a film festival, with the requirement that there may be no circulation of the film allowed until after festivals.

Madden is also trying to arrange a

viewing of the film at Ohlone. After she is done with this film, she plans to move onto another film called “Shadow Fight.”

Madden hopes her film will do well, however, she doesn’t want to sell the movie to a studio because they tend to require more of the profits, so she prefers smaller distributors.

One of the students asked what Madden hopes the viewers would get out of the movie. Madden replied “with the hope that people will take it upon themselves to improve their communities; to start discussing ways to revitalize hope within their communities.”

Craniums in demand for math contest By eric dorman Editor-in-chief Looking to test out your mathematical skills, or maybe just earn a few bucks? Mathletes will get a chance to flex their mental biceps at the AMATYC Student Math Competition next Friday, March 6, at 5:15 p.m. in HH-218.

The competition’s top scorer will win $100. The next four highest scores will each win $50, and an additional two randomly chosen students will win $50. Funds are provided by the Math Department and the ASOC. The AMATYC, or American Mathematical Association of TwoYear Colleges, offers the test once

a semester to every community college in the nation. The test is made up of 20 multiple-choice questions, which are at the pre-calculus level but require a deep knowledge of math.

The score is out of 40 – correct answers are worth 2 points, and a half a point is deducted for each incorrect one. Blank questions score

zero points.

In the past, Ohlone students have scored well on the test, leading Ohlone to high national rankings in several past years.

The Math Club will hold a practice session for the test from 6-8 p.m. in HH-218.

The AMATYC contest is free to join.

Features

February 26, 2009

Photo show: A sight for all to see

monitor

5

Weighing Anchor

By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief

Burris owes us honesty

By Anna Biaritz Roldan Staff writer The photographs of professors from around the Bay will be featured at the Louie Meager Art Gallery starting this Friday.

The show, which will run until April 4, features the works of retired Ohlone Instructor Gerry Mooney, Solano College Photography Instructor Jessica Hayes, and Ohlone’s own Photography Professor Paul Mueller.

Each of the photographs in this gallery will connect to a certain theme or genre that represent powerful ways of capturing images, said art gallery Director and Curator Kenny Mencher.

Mencher named several main genres that the majority of the photographs fall under. The first are the documentary-themed photos – those that are usually found in magazines like National Geographic. The second is fine art, commonly found in homes.

“These works usually represent the world how artists see it, like those of Dana Marlow Davis’s photographs of nude bodies,” said Mencher.

All these have some connection with what photography students are learning right now their classes.

“When I took over the gallery last spring it was pretty detached from the college,” said Mencher, “so I decided to integrate all the shows with what the classes here at Ohlone presently teach.” He further explained that he tries to invite Bay Area educators from different learning institutions to not only to present their pieces in the galleries but also to talk in Ohlone’s art classes.

“They serve us with good examples to emulate,” said Mencher.

The gallery’s reception will be on March 21 from 7-8 p.m.

A variety of photography and art professors will showcase their photos at the upcoming photo exhibit at the Louie Meager Art Gallery.

From top: ‘Blackfeet Pow Wow,’ by retired Ohlone Instructor Gerry Mooney; ‘Kore 62,’ by Berkeley City College part-time Instructor Dana Marlow Davis; and ‘Night Series 4,’

by Katty Ryan Hoover of the Academy of Art University at Modesto Junior College.

Illinois has come a long way since Honest Abe. It’s unclear whether professional dishonesty is a pre-requisite to holding high public office in Illinois, but it certainly seems to have become tradition. And while we can all appreciate the value of traditions, this year, when Rod Blagojevich became the sixth Illinois governor to face indictment after allegedly attempting to sell President Obama’s Senate seat, we were all ready for this little saga to come to close.

Unfortunately, it isn’t over ‘til the fat lady sings, and she’s holding her breath along with us as the newest addition to Illinois politics, Roland Burris, fights for his newly gained Senate seat after revising his official story about his dealings with Blagojevich so many times it’s starting to tear at the seams. It is not until he acknowledges his untruths and steps down that the shattered trust many of us have in our elected officials’ commitment to truth can begin to be restored, and we can all begin to breathe easier.

The position Burris stepped into initially was a delicate one; after all, he was appointed to the seat by a man who had declared that any hopeful for the seat had better be ready to pay for it. Still, at the time of his appointment, Burris had the opportunity to do the right thing—to turn the page in Illinois politics (and American politics in general), and deliver the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It was a path that might not lead to the seat, but it was a path that would lead to the restoration of Burris’ political future and begin the revitalization of public trust in Illinois.

Sadly, Burris scorned that path, preferring instead to provide versions of the truth so elaborate and numerous that it is clear none of them actually resembles the real thing. Every official statement from Burris has offered a different account of his involvement with Blagojevich, from a Jan. 5 denial that he had any contact with him, to his latest admission that he tried to raise money for the former governor. And, like most figures derailed from the truth, Burris refuses to ’fess up and be transparent about his lack of transparency. “I will continue to be transparent,” he insists, even as his statements are less disclosive than Dick Cheney’s travel itinerary.

Politically, in all likelihood Burris would probably not be a detrimental addition to the Senate.

There is no reason to believe that he is corrupt; rather, he appears to merely be an ambitious politician who’s willing say whatever needs to be said to ascend in the political world. In the real world, though, there’s really only one thing we need to hear: the truth.

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News

February 26, 2009

Ohlone nears due date for accreditation report

By Nazia Mastan Staff writer The team of accreditors known as the Accrediting Commission of the California Community Colleges has outlined the importance of Ohlone finding a connection between data review, budget-decision making, facilities planning, and information technology decisions that support student learning outcomes.

There was a set of recommendations that the Team of Accreditors set for Ohlone. The recommendations are being worked on, and are to be completed by March 15 when the progress report is due.

Ohlone President Gari Browning at Monday's College Council meeting, presented the March follow-up report that, “[the] results of program review are clearly and consistently linked to institutional planning processes

Hand glider indoors

Photo by Jorge Gomez

Alsion teacher Karl Allmendinger demonstrated his hang glider at last Friday's Brown Bag Seminar on the principles of soaring.

Human Resources finally manned By jake Benson News editor Vice President of Administrative Services Mike Calegari announced Wednesday the aquisition of an interim Dean of Human Resources.

Vic Collins, the retired Executive Dean of Human Resources from

Long Beach Community College District, will be acting as Ohlone’s Dean of Human Resources.

Calegari said in a recent memo, “We are very glad to have someone with Vic’s experience and expertise in this interim assignment.”

Collins can be reached at the Human Resourcs Office.

Racist cartoon Continued From Page 2 lack of humility that made me wonder whether or not they cared that people were furious. It was not until Rupert Murdoch, media mogul and owner of the paper, made a statement that my frustrations began to subside.

Murdoch stated that the paper had made a mistake in publishing the cartoon, and took the brunt of the responsibility. The mogul proclaimed that he was “... ultimately responsible for what [was] printed...” and that “... last week, we made a mistake... I want to

personally apologize to any reader who felt offended.”

As he should! This mistake made many people furious to see racism being published in the mainstream media. The aforementioned “apology” must have been even more appalling if Murdoch had to cover for his editor’s insensitivity.

The N.Y. Post is off the hook for now, but dare something like this ever happen again, there will be hell to pay. Racism should never be made light of; it will never be seen as something that can easily be condoned, because it’s not.

and resource allocation processes.” The outcome of program review can also affect how money is allocated. These results will be applied to instruction and support services, as well as library and learning resources. It is important that Ohlone is able to connect program review and planning.

There is a set of objectives that the administration at Ohlone is working on during the Program and Services Review process that

promotes smart decisions when allocating money to certain areas within our college.

Not only will the Program Review Process provide short-term benefits, but the process is being described as “longitudinal” - the positive results will be seen over time as well.

One of Browning's goals is “A regular assessment and review process for the Mission and Vision statement,” which is designed to ensure that the school remains accredited.

Sports/Campus Events Softball to finish strong despite 7-5 start

February 26, 2009 monitor

Through 12 games this season, the Softball team has yet to shock anybody like they did last year with their astonishing 24-0 conference record.

After five weeks, fans of the 2009 Lady Renegades look at the 7-5 record and wonder what happened to the team that lost just nine total games in all of last season.

After hearing what her team’s record is in comparison to last season, Ohlone catcher Kat Sumner had a look of concern.

“You could look at it in a bad way, or you could see that our schedule is much tougher this season,” Sumner

Triples Alley

By Tomás Ortega Sports writer said. “We play much tougher opponents this season.”

Their five losses, while not very appealing, have been to very good teams. College of the Siskiyous, Cypress College, Fresno City College, College of the Sequoias and San Joaquin Delta College are all in the top 20 in the RPI (Rating

Percentage Index) rankings in California. Ohlone stands 14th in the California RPI standings.

Ace pitcher Kelly Colker has seen a “slump” in the team’s performance this season. However, she said her team is “waking up” as far as performance goes.

“We’re picking things up much quicker,” Colker said. “After the losses to College of the Sequoias and Cypress College, we ran all day at our next practice. But I think it was good for us. We learned from it.”

With the conference opener later today against Mission College,

Wolff ditches Fremont plan Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff was able to do something Tuesday that former President George W. Bush was unable to do in his last four years in office... realize when it’s time to pull out.

Wolff’s decision on Tuesday to cease his plans to relocate his franchise from Oakland to Fremont and build a $1.8 billion “ballpark village” and scrap the idea of the “Oakland A’s of Fremont” comes as a shock to nearly nobody.

“Cisco Field” was to be located near Auto Mall Parkway, west of Interstate 880, but numerous delays and resistance from the citizens and employers of the city of Fremont, not to mention the struggling economy, led Wolff to drop any plans to relocate the team to Fremont.

“Perhaps my view … failed to properly anticipate the resistance we have encountered,” Wolff said in a three-page letter to Fremont

Inside the lines

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor Mayor Bob Wasserman Tuesday.

“The business I am in should be fun first and foremost.”

“Fremont is not really a destination. We’re not Oakland or San Francisco,” said Fremont City Councilman Bob Wieckowski.

“This would have given us a chance to show off our city. So it’s a little disappointing they’d just walk.”

The project cost Wolff $80 million, which includes attorney and consultant fees and real estate costs.

Just more than a quarter of that is non-refundable.

Wolff also included a two-page section describing Cisco Field in

Fremont as the “Future Home of the Athletics” in the team’s 2009 media guide.

The city of Fremont, on the other hand, hasn’t spent a dime on the project, despite the A’s giving the city about $750,000 to pay for staff time and consultant fees with the planning process.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has long suggested that the A’s leave the outdated, 42year- old Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum that they share with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders.

Wolff still plans to relocate the team and keep them in Northern California, but has no plans to do so in the near future.

“My focus now is on baseball, with Spring Training and the opening of the 2009 season,” Wolff said.

“I am extremely excited about the team’s prospects this year.”

Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor

February 26 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. Gavilan College at 2 p.m.

26 Women’s Softball Home vs. Mission College at 3 p.m.

27 Art - New art gallery exhibit Design Show in the Louie-Meager Art Gallery.

The exhibit runs from Feb. 27 until April 4.

27-28 Women’s Basketball - Regional Semifinal Playoffs. Location TBA 28 Women’s Softball Home vs. Solano College at 10 a.m.

28 Men’s Baseball - Home vs. Hartnell College at noon.

28 Women’s Softball - Home vs. College of the Siskiyous 2 p.m.

March 3 Men’s Basketball - Nor Cal Play-In Game. Location TBA. 3 Men’s Baseball - Home vs.

Cañada College at 2 p.m.

JOBS For more information visit Transfer & Career Services.

For more information on Jobs & Internships visit Transfer & Career Services in Building 1, 4th Floor, Rm 1405A. Hours: Monday Thru Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Closed Friday.

3 Women’s Softball Home vs. DeAnza College at 3 p.m.

4 Foundation - Full board meeting in Room NC-1100 at the Newark Center at 7:30 a.m.

4 Foundation - Full board meeting: annual board retreat at 9 a.m.

4 Meeting - Faculty Senate meeting in Room 1307 at 3:30 p.m.

5 Men’s Baseball - Home vs. Mission College at 2 p.m.

5 Women’s Softball Away vs. Chabot College at 3 p.m.

6-7 Men’s Basketball - Regional Semifinal Playoffs

6 Academics - Last day to apply for Spring 2009 graduation or certificate of achievement.

6 Entertainment - The Ohlone College Psychology Club presents Michael Shermer: Why People Believe Weird Things in the Jackson Theater at 7 p.m.

Admission is $10.

7 Women’s Basketball Regional final playoffs 7 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. Cabrillo College, noon.

8 Entertainment - Ohlone Chamber Orchestra in the Jackson Theater at 2 p.m.

9 College Council – Fremont Campus in Room 1407 and Newark Campus in Room NC-1219 from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

10 Men’s Baseball - Home vs. Skyline College at 2 p.m.

10 Men’s Tennis - Home vs. Chabot College at 3 p.m.

11 Meeting - Board of Trustees business meeting at the Newark Campus at 6:30 p.m.

13-15 Women’s Basketball - State Finals in Fresno

the Lady Renegades look to be in much better shape than they were last week. Mission tends to have a rough time against most of the conference, and Ohlone as an opponent is no different.

“I’m excited to do just as well as we did last season in conference.

I’m not saying we’re going to blow through like last year. But I’m sure we can do well,” Sumner said.

Sumner isn’t hitting as well as she did last season, when she batted .411.

Still, after one year as the starting catcher, she has built a solid relationship with battery mate Kelly

7

Colker.

“It helps that this is our second year playing together,” Colker said.

“I like to pitch at a faster pace and she knows that.”

That link between the two of them should definitely give Ohlone a shot at the top of the Coast North’s standings.

“I just want to do well the rest of the way and pull out more wins in the close games,” Sumner said.

There is a great possibility that the upcoming games against Solano College at 10 a.m. and Siskiyous College at 2 p.m. on Saturday will maybe turn this team around.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Page 8

The fast break

By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer

The wet truth “It’s something about the anticipation of the swimmers’ last lap to see him or her finish strong and bring the win back home that drives people to this sport,” said Ohlone assistant swimming coach Don French.

And that’s just one side of the story.

It’s the passion, the strong will and the determination of the Ohlone swimmers that allows for the glory that comes after every lap they swim.

“Swimming isn’t a sport you can fake - you can either have the will to do it or you don’t.”

Ohlone Head Swimming Coach Gene Kendall couldn’t have said it better. He takes pride in his hardworking team that is up in the weight room at 6 a.m. every day and then in the pool every afternoon at 1 p.m. “If you want to be good you got to practice, but if you want to be great you have to practice hard,” said Kendall.

And which athlete doesn’t? Baseball players are out on the field struggling and improving through their weaknesses, just as the basketball players are in the gym improving their skills.

But then there are the swimmers too who splash into the warm water to improve “individually” and then improve together.

And that is still just one side of the story, it’s the hunger to swim, not the hunger for attention that drives these swimmers.

“Everyone is willing to help and understand and make you better.

Like a family” And family is what swimmer Victoria Zolfarelli has found with the Renegades. Just like the rest of her teammates, Zolfarelli sees this sport’s upsides and its downsides as well.

Swimming is the best all around body workout, but that doesn’t mean you will be burning fat (you need that to retain heat in your body in the pool), but it is one of the most demanding of workouts out there.

“I like the six-pack abs that it get from swimming,” said swimmer Adam Kallabis, who looks past the early morning workouts for the end results.

There are also endless amounts of possibilities that the pool has to offer.

“Compared to a lot of other sports, it is one that is well recognized in the Olympics as a hardcore and demanding sport,” Kendall added.

“Everyone can swim, but not everyone can do it on a competitive level. So that’s why people forget that it’s a sport,” French added/ Just take the Olympics into account the next time you have a doubt about swimming being a legit sport.

Just ask Michael Phelps.

Ohlone’s chase for state begins Both men’s, women’s basketball teams start playoffs this weekend

By ankita chhabra Sports writer After a great season for both the Ohlone Men’s and Women’s Basketball team, both are back in the gym making more lay ups as they prepare for the State playoffs.

Since the beginning of the season it was each player’s dream to make it this far, and now that the time to perform has arrived as both teams look ready to play.

For the Men’s team, it was been a season of growth and learning.

Since game one, they came out strong and played consistently throughout the season as the top spot in conference, until they were tied up with the City College of San Francisco in the number one spot.

It is the battle between these two schools who are seeded third and fourth consecutively, that the Renegades are really looking forward to face off with.

“We work hard, and I know all of us want to really win the state championship because it would mean a lot to win the state championship,” said sophomore center Alpha N’Diaye.

Though the Renegades have been able to make it the playoffs in the past several years, the title has not seem to have missed their hands by a two game difference.

Both teams have a league record of 10-2; therefore, each team will be working hard to hopefully face off against each other.

Last year the men went headstrong into the playoffs but were eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen against Fresno City 64-62 as Ohlone’s Chancious Rose could not get off the last-second three-

pointer.

This year Head Coach John Peterson believes this team can be capable of winning and going to the end.

Their first playoff game will this Saturday as they host Merritt College.

“I heard they were good this year, but I know we are better,” said Kevan West, who, like the rest of his teammates is looking confident for playing Saturday night and advancing to the next round.

On the other end of the court, is the Women’s Basketball team.

Despite a slow start to the 2008’09 campaign, the Lady Renegades had their share of treasured memories of this season that was not only perfect in conference, but successful toward the end of the year.

With a great coach at hand to guide them this year, the girls were honored to be part of such a team under the wings of Head

Coach Elizabeth Stanley, who was awarded Coach of the Year by the State Conference Committee.

The girls, who are perfect in conference with a 12-0 record, are seeded number seven in state and are hosting Siskiyous College this Friday at 7 p.m. to kick off Ohlone’s chase for the State Championship.

They have been looking forward to the playoffs as well and are looking sharp as they get ready to be play and win the next 12 scheduled games.

After receiving several recognitions and conference awards, the girls are preparing to finish the match-up on Friday strong and move to the next game.

The brackets are in place, and the playoffs are under way as the battle to win the tile begins. This year looks good for both the Renegades teams as the shooting still continues and the hunger to win persists.

Hoff tames the top-ranked Panthers By jeff weisinger Sports editor Sophomore right-hander Ian Hoff is well-known for his lightsout stuff coming out of the bullpen.

However, after Tuesday’s 1-0 upset over top-ranked Sacramento City, he’s now the guy that just simply has lights-out stuff, period.

Hoff held Sac City off the basepaths until the fifth inning when Panthers left fielder Eli Hynes doubled off Hoff to start the inning.

That would be the only baserunner Hoff would allow in his first win of the season.

Hoff (1-1) earned the complete game victory in a pitchers duel against the Panthers Mikey Torrence, allowing just the one hit and striking out eight on the afternoon.

“I thought I did pretty well,” said Hoff after the game. “I did my job.”

Hoff had a lot of help defensively, highlighted by third baseman Zach Johnson’s diving catch and throw to first baseman Ryan Walterhouse in the sixth inning that prevented a Panther rally with one out.

“Our defense was the key,” said Renegades Head Coach Jordon Twohig. “Every time [Sacramento

City] put the bat on the ball, we made some nice plays.”

Sac City starter Mikey Torrence also took a no-hitter into the fifth inning until Renegades second baseman Michael Ussery hit a double to right to earn the Renegades their first hit of the game.

Both the Renegades and the Panthers offenses would remain quiet until the eighth inning.

After Hoff retired the Panthers in order in the top of the eighth, the Renegades hitters took over in the bottom half of the inning.

Andrew Galvan took over for Torrence in the eighth for Sac City as the Panthers looked to keep the Renegades off the scoreboard.

Ohlone’s Aaron Chavez had other ideas. He led off the bottom of the eighth with a key single. He would advance to second off of a Steven Ramos’ groundout.

Cody Foster then reached first after being hit by Galvan’s pitch, which brought up the clutch Zach Johnson.

Johnson hit a line drive to the shortstop, and what looked to be a guaranteed out at second turned out to be the go-ahead run as the second baseman, Mike Hagarty, dropped the ball as he tried to get the sliding Cody Foster out at second.

The error ended the scoreless game as Chavez reached home following Hagarty’s error to give

Photos by Tara Lynn Lanning

Sophomore Ian Hoff shut down the topranked Sac City Panthers Tuesday, holding them to just one hit on the day.

Ohlone the potential game-winning 1-0 lead with one out in the inning.

Hoff finished the one-hit complete game shutout against the Panthers as he struck out Hagarty to end the game.

“The first game [of the season] we were playing against Sacra-

mento City. Today we were playing against the game of baseball and letting the chips fall where the may,” said Twohig.

The Renegades have now won 12 of their last 13 games since losing at Sacramento City on opening day and take their seven-game win streak on the road to Gavilan.