Monitor 2009-4-2

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Baseball team ranked 6th in nation.

Fremont, California

Vol. XXXVIII No. X

Don’t believe everything you hear.

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OPINION OPINION

Student ID cards good for discounts.

SPORTS SPORTS

NEWS NEWS

FEATURES FEATURES

Readers share their Spring Break fun.

April 2, 2009

Women’s basketball coach won’t return After nine years as Women’s Basketball Coach and a few weeks after finishing a 12-0 Conference season, Elizabeth Stanley will not be returning for the 2009-’10 season.

There has been no official word on why Stanley will not be returning as coach.

Stanley told the Monitor that she “doesn’t know” why she was

relieved of her duties as coach. She also didn’t give a possible reason of why she was terminated.

Ohlone Athletic Director Chris Warden has been off campus at a conference and could not be reached for comment.

College President Dr. Gari Browning would not comment on the situation due to it being a personnel decision. She did, however, refer the Monitor to talk to Warden.

Some of those who played under

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1947 and growing up in California, Oppenheim saw little use for school and decided his hands were more likely to earn him his livelihood than his mind. As a frequently truant high school student in the early ‘60’s, he found that the only summer work available to him lay in the fields of Oxnard, California, picking strawberries and other fruit for 50 cents an hour alongside Mexican migrant workers as part of the Bracero worker program.

The work, which started at 4:15 in the morning and stretched until 7:15 at night, was physically and psychologically brutal. At the start of the workday, at 4:15 in the morning, “I’d get down on my knees on the front end of a row of strawberries and I couldn’t see the end,” remembered Oppenheim. At the 7:15 p.m. quitting time, he’d still be picking strawberries from the same row.

The Bracero program, a temporary work contract initiated in 1942 between the United States and Mexico, was officially terminated in 1964 due to the substandard pay (Oppenheim’s 50 cents an hour was less than half of minimum wage) and deplorable working conditions that had come to characterize the program. The conditions, though, however difficult, enabled Oppenheim to take an early step in his sociological education. Living, eating and working alongside

Mexican immigrants, Oppenheim was immersed in a culture he might never had experienced so fully otherwise.

If the experience taught him about people, it taught Oppenheim about the importance of a positive outlook on life, too. Picking strawberries day after day alongside people who had very little materially but lived richly nonetheless, “taught me that it isn’t what you do, it’s how you do it,” said Oppenheim. “There are things more important than a material standard of living.”

After three years of high school in Ventura, Oppenheim spent his senior year in the Boys Republic correctional program in Chino in 1965. At Boys Republic, the motto of “Nothing Without Labor” very much held true, said Oppenheim, as the boys were expected to put in long hours on the farm held by the program. It wasn’t jail, but there was no leaving and no visitation.

After Boys Republic, Oppenheim enrolled in Ventura Community College, but dropped out in April 1966 to join the Marines. The decision, he said, constituted more of a preventative measure than a desire for a long-time military career. “I figured I was either going to get in trouble [on my own], or I could put myself in an environment where I couldn’t,” explained Oppenheim.

Eight months later, he stepped off the plane in Vietnam.

Continued on Page 4

By Tomás Ortega Sports writer

Stanley’s contract has been terminated.

Stanley had little to say about the situation and looked upset when asked about the decision.

“I don’t think it happened by choice,” said one of Stanley’s former players who would only speak under anonymity. “I’m upset how everything happened. I mean, the whole process.”

Stanley took over as Ohlone women’s basketball coach in the 2001-’02 season. Since 2005, Stanley compiled a record of 82-

39. She also reached the playoffs in six consecutive seasons since 2004, three times as Coast North Conference Champions in 2004, 2007 and 2009. In 2009, Stanley’s team compiled a 12-0 Conference record, her best season ever.

When asked why she believes Stanley was relieved from her duties as head coach, another player, who also wished to speak under anonymity, said, “things happened that you’re not going to find out.”

On the road again: Oppenheim rides on

By Eric Dorman Editor-in-chief It’s a story that stretches from the strawberry fields of Oxnard to the jungles of Vietnam to the steps of Ohlone; from hopping freight trains to riding Harleys; from a childhood of truancy to 33 years of teaching at Ohlone. And now, Sociology Professor Bennett Oppenheim is ready to turn the page and begin a new chapter: retirement.

“I leave this campus with warmth in my heart and a smile on my face.

I have no regrets, I would do it all again in a moment, and I hope being a professor of sociology is as fulfilling for my predecessor as it was for me,” said Oppenheim, who will be stepping down as a full-time professor after this semester.

“Bennett will be missed. I can’t imagine him not being here next semester,” said Psychology Professor Tom McMahon, who was hired the same day as Oppenheim in 1976. “[He’s] one of the stars on campus.”

Few, including Oppenheim himself, could have predicted the career devoted to education from which he is now retiring. Speaking in the metered, carefully constructed and immaculately punctuated sentences that characterize his speech both inside and out of the classroom, Oppenheim described a childhood of adventure, hardship and little emphasis on education.

Photo by Jack Husting

33-year Sociology Professor Bennett Oppenheim hopes to spend more time on his Harley after he retires from full-time teaching in May.

Theater Festival to showcase high school talent

By Esmeralda leon Staff writer The 15th annual Ohlone High School Theater Festival is coming Friday, April 3 to the Fremont campus. This two-day event will be a chance for high school students from Northern California to see what Ohlone has to offer, as well as welcome them to become part of this summer’s big production, the “Sweet Charity” musical.

Not only does this provide a chance to recruit students, but it also provides an op-

portunity for students to compete and put on a show.

Students have the chance to choose any public plays, costumes and props they like and perform in front of judges and their competitors. Ohlone students, faculty and staff are all welcome to come see high school students battle it out. Participants have five weeks to prepare for the festival.

Theater Professor Tom Blank officially started the event 15 years ago. “But everyone in the department, about 50 faculty, staff and students are the ones who really create the

magic and work together to give the high school students a terrific time,” said Blank.

This production gives high school students an opportunity to earn a half unit of college credit, and is offered to 10th-12th graders. There is no cost, but registration and signed permission from the school principal, counselor and parent/guardian must have been submitted by March 4 in order to participate.

“There will be around 500 events going on in seven different buildings on campus. It’s going to be crazy, but very fun,” said Blank.

About 750 students will be competing, which

will represent two dozen high schools from seven counties in California.

There will be 150 professional judges, some of whom are Ohlone alumni, who will help to determine who will take home awards.

Awards include the school spirit award and monitor of the year award, among others.

The opening ceremonies will take place in the gym this Friday at noon. The competition of scenes will take place all over campus from 1 to 5 p.m. On Saturday at 9 a.m., competition will resume and the final performance will take place from 1 to 3 p.m.

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Opinion

monitor April 2, 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

Don’t believe all you hear; do your own research

By NOAH LEVIN Opinion editor It seems that since the 9/11 attacks, there has been a boom in the conspiracy theory movie industry. Countless movies have been made purporting to expose how the Bush administration and previous administrations conducted grand far-reaching plots to control vast wealth. Some of these independent films seem to carry some credence to their claims, while others are just outlandish or outright ridiculous. And now, with a new administration, there is a new spat of conspiracy theorists who claim President Obama has something

tricky up his sleeve. These tricks range from being the Anti-Christ to a complex scheme, generations in the making, to create a new world government.

My beef is not with the conspiracy junkies and critics of the new president. It is well within these people’s rights to publish their thoughts, however outlandish they may be. My problem is with people like myself, who surf the Internet and find these documents and films, but instead of watching them and then thinking over the purported facts given, many viewers of these movies take them as fact, as gospel truth. These same people then begin to tell friends and family of the

shocking truths they have learned, without doing any meaningful research of their own.

The major problem with this is that if they are in fact being given false information, then this disinformation spreads like wildfire, preying on the insecurities and fears of the population. Essentially, these movies are propaganda, and whether or not you align yourself with the left or right, propaganda is not factual evidence, and they are published with an agenda in mind.

As American citizens, we are all given a unique civil liberty where we are free to pursue research any information to our heart’s content.

We have a responsibility to not

squander this right granted us by our government, and we should constantly be fact-checking and researching every bit of news, propaganda, or information that does not come directly from the source.

In this age of consumer technology, the ability to alter the flow and legitimacy of information is unprecedented. Anybody with the know-how and time can create fake news articles, interviews, or videos.

This is where individual responsibility is very important. If I were to write a piece claiming to quote our president, in which he declared war on Canada, I am curious as to how many people would believe it

without question.

I am not saying that people are stupid and gullible, or that journalists and documentary filmmakers should not be trusted. I am saying simply that we are given a lot of information, and what we do with that information can have drastic affects on not just our day-to-day lives, but on the course of our nation as a whole. This country was built on informing the population accurately, but our nation was also founded on the ideal of freedom of expression. What we choose to do with our freedoms are subjective, but I believe it is a fool who disregards the powers we have as intelligent individuals.

Little-known cancer is a big threat if untreated DEAR EDITOR: I am a two-time breast cancer survivor yet I had never heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer – until I was diagnosed. Who would think a seemingly harmless itchy right breast was the initial warning of IBC? Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a rare but an especially aggressive breast cancer that gets little press. Unlike the more common forms of breast cancer, IBC often has no lump and it may not show up on a mammogram, so early detection is extremely difficult. IBC

affects women of all ages, particularly African-American women.

It’s the least understood or talked about breast cancer. At a Berkeley breast cancer support group, an IBC patient inquired, “How many of you 12 women know about IBC?” Only three of the 12 ladies ever heard of it.

There are a number of symptoms that hint at the onset of IBC. Breast itchiness is an IBC warning, as is redness, swelling (one breast larger than the other), warmth, ridges and thickened skin and nipple retraction. IBC grows and spreads on the surface of the skin. Symptoms

develop quickly, so pay attention for changes in appearance.

With IBC, the abnormal cells rapidly infiltrate and clog the lymph vessels in the skin over the breast.

The blockage in the lymphatic vessels causes skin reactions. IBC can be mistaken for the breast infection mastitis, which is treated with antibiotics; therefore some women are missing weeks of proper treatment.

Many primary care doctors have little experience with IBC. Therefore women are encouraged to request an oncology appointment, followed up with a painless

breast biopsy to determine if IBC is present.

Dr. Julie Gralow from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA comments, “Within a few weeks, IBC has most likely spread to nearby lymph nodes, much faster than other types of breast cancer.” IBC is especially aggressive and is classified as either stage IIIB, locally advanced; or stage IV breast cancer that has spread to other organs. Survival rate for IBC is about 50 percent which is lower than more common breast cancers. This alone is reason to be on the lookout.

IBC treatment varies, but most oncologists recommend both local and systemic treatments. Typically this is chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and possibly hormonal therapy. Early diagnosis and improved treatments are increasing survival rates. But it’s up to you to recognize IBC symptoms, and hopefully Breast Cancer education and advocacy will include more information on IBC. My motto is: Cancer is a disease, not a death certificate.

Sincerely, Lynne Orloff-Jones

Campus Comment > > > What did you do for your Spring Break?

Nick Tashijian MUSIC

“Being able to do nothing.”

Khushboo Chabria

Fred Alvarez

PUBLIC HEALTH

BROADCASTING

“Going to Berkeley for four days and partying!”

“Go-karting!”

Eva Griffen ASL INTERPRETING

“I celebrated my good friend’s birthday and exchanged gifts.”

Aaron Prisco

COMPUTER SCIENCE “I got money for my birthday and paid my credit card bill.”

News ASOC illuminates ID card discounts

By Devery Sheffer Staff writer The Associated Students of Ohlone (ASOC) will host Bingo Ballin’ Wednesday, April 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event has much to offer students, including free pizza to the first 50 students to attend, along with prizes to the bingo winners.

Also discussed at Tuesday’s ASOC meeting were the Student ID discounts and draft proposal for the student recreational room in Building 5.

Many students are unaware that if they get an Ohlone Student ID they have the opportunity to take advantage of several discounts at a variety of places. According the Ohlone website, students are eligible for $100 off the enrollment fee and $10 off the monthly fee at Fitness 19 on Fremont Boulevard.

They can also get $1 off any medium or large Blast or Bold Breeze at the Baskin Robbins on Mission Boulevard. For a complete list of the current discounts, visit www. ohlone.edu/org/campusactivities/ idcards.html.

ASOC Legislative Representa-

tive Dan Zhou said that the ASOC has “failed” the businesses who are participating in the program this semester by not getting the word out to the students about the discounts.

The issue of discussion was how to get the students informed.

Ideas that were discussed included making bookmarks with a list of places that offered the discounts, utilizing the Monitor, and making flyers to post in Building 1. Student Senator Teran Finley said they need to approach this as “a continuous problem.”

A proposal for a student recreational room in Building 5 has been drafted. It points out that a place for the students to hang out is the only thing missing from student services, and that Ohlone students are disconnected.

The currently under-construction Student Services Building, set to open this summer, will provide a variety of services to students but fails to provide needed recreational space for the students. Campus Activities Director Renee Gonzales said the draft was “really well written.” When completed, it will be presented to the College Council.

Ohlone Kidango becomes accredited

By Alex Lykins Staff writer The Kidango Ohlone Lab Center is now accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). “It’s like getting a Ph.D.,” said Center Director Mitchell Ha. “After that, there really isn’t anything else.

It’s an honor to get recognized nationwide.”

According to the NAEYC, applying and receiving accreditation requires that a daycare meet a list of 10 program standards by at least 80 percent, and meet classroom standards by at least 70 percent, as well as meet candidacy requirements such as licensing and staff qualifications. In the NAEYC Accreditation Decision Report, the Kidango Ohlone Lab Center met 6 out of the 10 program requirements by 100 percent, and the rest were met with scores of 80 percent and up.

“We are extremely excited about this honor,” said Kidango Executive Director Paul Miller. “NAEYC

Accreditation is a nationally recognized standard for excellence in early education, and to receive accreditation speaks to the excellent work of our staff and the on-going quality of our programs.”

The center serves as both a daycare for students with young infants and toddlers and a lab setting for students majoring in Early Childhood Studies, fulfilling lab hours for their classes by observing the interactions of the daycare staff with the children.

“Many campuses don’t have a center like this,” said Leigh Corrigan, the Development and Communications Assistant Manager. “It’s the closest thing to hands-on experience.”

According to the Child Care Information Exchange, less than 4 percent of centers in California are accredited by the NAEYC. Fortysix percent of Kidango’s eligible centers are accredited, with others in various stages of the process.

“Accreditation is required by Kidango because we want to be known for having the highest quality care centers,” said Ha.

April 2, 2009 monitor

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monitor April 2, 2009

Stone cold thinker

By Noah levin Opinion editor

Hard times, lend a hand

Since before the government officially declared our economy in recession, I noticed them standing there every day. Disheveled, tired and sad; hungry, homeless and jobless. These are the people holding signs that beg commuters and passer-bys to part with anything they can.

In the past, I ignored them.

I am regularly approached in the grocery store parking lot, and I always told myself, “I just don’t have any extra cash;” that it wasn’t my fault and therefore, not my problem, that these people were reduced to begging on the off-ramp in Fremont. After months and months of seeing an ever-increasing number of people asking for help, I’ve decided to stand up, and try to help. By help, I do not just mean giving out whatever cash I have on hand when I am approached or when I see someone holding a sign. I am talking about taking an active role in the situation by taking a hungry person to actually get some food at the grocery store, or giving them $10 as opposed to $1.

Skeptics might say this leaves some people open to being taken advantage of, and to this I say, “Give them the benefit of the doubt.” With the current economy, there are many people who are forced to beg for food or money; it is not only difficult, but also shameful, to have to beg for help. Some in our society even frown upon giving to those begging, the suspicion being that the money will be used for drugs or alcohol.

I had made a whole plethora of excuses to no one but myself in the past when I hurried by a homeless man asking for spare change, or a woman trying to get some food for her family. I was raised in a culture that is cynical and jaded, and the realities of such a culture make our generation wary of scams and scam artists. But it is important to keep in mind that not everyone is out to fleece you, and many people are in genuine, dire need of charity.

If you do not feel comfortable with giving money from your pocket, donate to a food bank.

Give blood to the Red Cross. Donate old clothes to youth charities, or volunteer your time at a soup kitchen. The smallest and largest contributions are all significant, and there are countless avenues for people who are well-off or even just getting by to help others during these hard times. Our money and personal belongings should not be so precious to us that we cannot do without them while whole families go without food and shelter in this country.

Good economy or bad, the surest way to keep our nation strong is through solidarity, and the surest way to secure that is by helping one another.

Ohlone students and teachers sha Ohlone student Christy Marovich, below at left, went to southern Denmark over Spring Break to be with her boyfriend, Allan, right. She described Denmark as a land of bicycles, windmills and manual-shift cars. She visited an indoor rainforest called ‘Randers Regnskov’ where she got to feed a live manatee and had a snake draped around her neck. She said she met a lot of interesting, friendly people and the visit was worth the 15-hour plane flight.

The Big Apple

Springtime in Denmark

Monitor Sports Editor Jeff Weisinger was back home in New York City over spring break to visit family and friends. What photo says ‘New York City’ more than a subway train pulling into the Penn Station Subway stop? Jeff said he was on his way to South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. What do New Yorkers say when you ask, ‘What time is it?’ they say, ‘Time for you to buy your own watch – tourist!’ Jeff is back on the Left Coast now, but is headed back east soon.

Show honors dance innovator, Duncan By sean nero Staff writer Starring in her own self-written one-woman show Kres Mersky will perform at the Smith Center Friday, April 3.

Mersky portrays the life and times of dance trendsetter Isadora Duncan. Dean of Fine Arts Business and Communication Walt Birkedahl

said, “Duncan is the founder of the Modern Dance genre and is a flamboyant character and famous dance innovator.” Mersky, an actress and writer from Los Angeles, will perform in what is called a “one- woman show.” Mersky specializes in one-woman shows and has appeared on television shows such as “Murder she Wrote” and “Charlie’s Angels.”

“[Mersky] wrote the entire play on her own,” said Birkedahl.

Birkedahl also noted “the show will feature different sets as well as numerous costume changes.”

The press release said “Mersky provides a fully dimensional portrait of this great early 20th century woman, whose provocative views on art, women’s rights, education, marriage and love continues to

inspire till this day.”

The release also stated “Kres Mersky brings Isadora to life brilliantly, as she entices, fascinates and stirs the audience to support her school.”

Tickets for the show can be purchased at the Box Office. Adult tickets are $20, Senior/Student tickets will cost $15 and Youth tickets are $10.

Oppenheim recalls past adventures Continued from Page 1 Oppenheim emerged from the war in 1968 physically unharmed but psychologically changed, determined to make sense of the horrors of the past two years. He began “wandering,” as he described it, hopping trains and hitchhiking across the country, and then to Europe.

It was in Europe that Oppenheim began to turn his life around. The catalyst for the transformation was simple—he met a woman, a U.C. Davis student studying abroad, and fell in love—but the results were profound. “For the first time I was around someone who was well-read, well-educated and well-spoken,” said Oppenheim, “and I began to understand what it must be like to know more than what I knew.”

She and Oppenheim soon parted ways, but Oppenheim’s newfound desire for knowledge lingered. He returned to Ventura Community College and devoted himself to studying “24/7,” going on to enroll in the Monterey Institute of

International Studies, where he specialized in Spanish. He enjoyed his time there, but the institute served another purpose as well. “I wanted to find out if I could handle the pressure [of higher academics],” said Oppenheim.

The answer came when Oppenheim was accepted into U.C. Berkeley, where he was immediately drawn to sociology. “Sociology was natural because of the places I had lived, the places I had seen, and what I felt I knew the most about, which was the people in the world around me.”

He majored in sociology, with a minor in computer studies. The strange-sounding combination of disciplines, he explained, was really not that unusual—at that time, a knowledge of programming was necessary in order to carry out the number-crunching needed for sociological research. In the 1970s, before the dawn of the personal computer or even the floppy disk, the only computers were mainframes, refrigerator-sized units that had to

be programmed with paper punch cards. The machines were so few and in such high demand that Oppenheim was only allowed to use them from 2 to 5 in the morning.

Oppenheim went on to get his Master’s and Doctorate in sociology at Berkeley. As soon as he was out of school, he knew he wanted to teach. “I wanted to be a student all my life. The next best option was to be a teacher.”

He taught throughout his graduate studies, first at Ventura Community College, then at Sonoma State.

He came to work for Ohlone in 1976 as a part-time sociology instructor. As the main campus was not yet completed, his first classes were taught at Mission High School. After a year and a half of adjunct work, Oppenheim became a full-time instructor, teaching both sociology and computer studies because the sociology department did not include enough courses to employ a full-time teacher. It was not until 10 years later that the department had grown large enough

for Oppenheim to teach sociology exclusively.

Ohlone was a very different place when he first began teaching, Oppenheim remembered. He would often take his 20-student classes outdoors on sunny days—an impossibility with his 150-student classes today.

Though he has taught three core classes consistently throughout his career at Ohlone—Intro to Sociology (SOC-101), Sociological Problems (102) and Marriage and Family (105)—Oppenheim has also taught a handful of other varied classes over the years. One such class was a course on the “World of Work;” another was a one-time semester-long research project in which he and 300 students interviewed 5,000 Tri-Cities families for a buying habits survey for the Chamber of Commerce.

Alongside teaching, Oppenheim has also served as union negotiator for the United Faculty of Ohlone (UFO) for the last 26 years. The opportunity came up almost by

Features

April 2, 2009

are spring break experiences There’s always a math angle

k

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Monitor Opinion Editor Noah Levin, below at right, brings his shootin’ irons to town in Felton, an old logging town in the Santa Cruz mountains. From there, he traveled down the coast, stopping at a beach near Bonny Doon.

Howdy, sheriff

Math Professor Geoff Hirsch, above, points out a “practical application of negative numbers” from his trip to Death Valley over spring break, where he took more than 400 photos. His drive through Furnace Creek, elevation minus 190 feet, was part of a trip that included a visit to Ojai, where his mother celebrated her 92nd birthday.

Winter sounds during spring concert By anna biaritz roldan Staff writer The Ohlone Community Band led by Conductor Tony Clements held its Winter Concert Wednesday, March 25 the Jackson Theater. During the show, the Community Band played a variety of music with oldies from 1911 to more modern music

from 1992.

The concert kicked off with a piece called “American Overture For Band” by Joseph Willcox Jenkins followed by the emotional “And the Heart Replies” by Anne McGinty which, according to Clements, was written by the “marvelous composer” Anne McGinty.

The band also played the wind

piece “Canzona,” a piece that Clements called an “old hag,” but he added “great music is great music, no matter how old it is.”

The Ohlone Community Band had a great performance even though many tickets weren’t sold.

The band closed with a fourmovement, “Second Suite in F for Military Band” that was written by

Gustav Holst.

It was the moving and soothing piece it was meant to be, as it closed the show, leaving the audience with a lasting image.

The Ohlone Community Band will hold an open house this April 8 and on May 9 at Lake Elizabeth starting 10 a.m. kicking it off with the tuba ensemble.

After 33 years, ‘Dr. O’ is moving on chance: after taking issue with a clause in his contract at a faculty meeting, a colleague told him that if he had a problem with it, he should do something to fix it. Oppenheim took the advice to heart and ran for the position of negotiator soon after. He has been re-elected to the position continuously since.

Historically, union negotiators usually burn out quickly, due to the demands of the job, but Oppenheim said that after dealing with drill sergeants daily, even the toughest negotiations pale in comparison.

“My life experiences make that kind of encounter very easy.”

Oppenheim named his work on health benefits for retirees and salaried workers as his most meaningful achievements as negotiator, but also mentioned a less tangible, but no less important, victory: Ohlone’s faculty have maintained a positive enough relationship with the administration that they have never felt obligated to go on strike during his time as negotiator.

Political Science Professor Alan

Kirshner, whose 38 years of teaching make him one of the longest-serving faculty members on campus, said that Oppenheim’s work as negotiator has been instrumental to the well-being of the college. “He’s the ideal person [to act as negotiator],” said Kirshner, who played a role in persuading Oppenheim to take the position. “He is definitely going to be missed by us.”

Oppenheim will serve through the end of the year as negotiator.

While no decisions have been made concerning his replacement, History Professor Heather McCarty has indicated that she is interested in the position, said Kirshner.

Kirshner and McMahon both mentioned Oppenheim’s charm and disarming presence as memorable characteristics of his personality.

“Bennett [is] the most articulate person on campus,” said McMahon. “He could talk you into anything.”

Always the storyteller, Kirshner reached into the past for a story to illustrate Oppenheim’s dynamic

personality. Some time in the early years of the college, he explained, a contest briefly gained popularity at Ohlone. Styled after the bachelor TV shows at the time, it was made up of several faculty members standing behind a curtain, each vying to be the audience’s choice by answering questions. Every time, Kirshner recalled, the audience seemed to narrow the field down to him and Oppenheim. And each time, Kirshner remembered, chuckling, they picked the latter.

“He has a certain charisma, whether it’s in the classroom or behind a curtain,” said Kirshner.

Despite Oppenheim’s extensive work at Ohlone, he has also found time for other professions. A holder of a brokerage license, he owns Oppenheim Group Real Estate, which he established in 1982. The firm has developed many properties around the Tri-City area, recently selling a four-plex on Fremont Boulevard.

Oppenheim’s departure from Ohlone is not by any means complete—he will continue to teach

Introduction to Sociology (SOC101) online. The college currently has no plans to hire a full-time sociology instructor to replace him, but it will hire enough part-time instructors to ensure that the same number of sociology sections is offered next semester.

With the flexibility afforded by teaching only online courses, Oppenheim plans to begin a new full-time occupation: riding. Sometime this summer, he plans to climb on his Harley for a cross-country trip to see some friends; some time after that, he hopes to take a trip through South America. “I plan on gettin’ in the wind and spending a lot of time on the road,” said Oppenheim, smiling.

Even as he prepares to step down as a full-time educator, Oppenheim still has advice for those unsure about seeking higher education, as he once was. “Nothing is more exiting than learning if you find the area that ignites your passion. And if that light goes on, you will never forget it, and it will never go off.”

monitor

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Weighing Anchor

By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief

Mind the machine

Last week, a troubling report made its way briefly into the headlines: almost 1,300 computers of organizations worldwide— including NATO, governments and embassies—were hacked by a computer spy network based in China.

If you didn’t hear about it, you’re not alone. The story of the hack, like the reports of other cyber infiltrations before it, is easy to ignore. After all, stories of extensive and vicious cyber threats, such as the current Conficker worm scare are to us, for all intents and purposes, just that—stories. We know a couple computers get hacked from time to time, we understand that information does get stolen, but by and large we feel secure in the intricate web of technology that supports our lives. If you stop and think, though, virtually every part of our lives is dependent on some sort of technology—and that technology is not impregnable.

For a reminder of that vulnerability, and its very real consequences, go back no farther than December of last year, when a hacker infiltrated the computer network of electronic payment processing services provider RBS WorldPay, gaining access to the account information of 1.5 million customers and possibly the social security numbers of over a million. If 1.5 million sounds like a big number, try going back a year earlier, when TJX Companies reported that 45.6 million customer credit card numbers had been stolen, the largest data breach ever. If these large-scale security breaches fail to inspire fear, take a look at another statistic: 10 million Americans will be victims of identity theft this year.

Even if you look at those millions and argue that the odds are against a security breach affecting you personally, you can’t argue with the size of the stakes. Like it or not, we’ve entrusted almost every part of our lives to the Machine. We work on computers, talk on cell phones and access our money through credit cards.

And in one way or another, much of who we are and what we’ve accomplished is written in ones and zeros on far-off servers: our social security number, our bank account information and the information we present on social networking sites, not to mention everything we hold dear as students—grades, transcripts, applications and diplomas. That information is too vital to leave up to ignorance and chance.

Technology is a valuable and powerful tool in today’s world, and one that influences practically every aspect of our daily lives.

Its usefulness, however, does not bring with it infallibility, and as users profoundly dependent upon it, we can hardly afford complacence.

6 MONITOR

News

April 2, 2009

Professor describes Russian Deaf culture By isaac West Staff writer A Russian professor and chief editor of the All Russian Federation of the Deaf Monthly presented Russian Deaf art and history to a crowd of about 50 at the Smith Center on Tuesday. Ohlone College, the Center for Deaf Studies, and Gallaudet University Regional Center at Ohlone sponsored the presentation by the distinguished scholar Dr. Victor Palenny.

Palenny explained the AllRussian Society of the Deaf, or the VOG, was formed in 1926 and is known as Russia’s largest nationwide organization for the deaf. Today, it comprises about 200,000 members. The VOG has a large material and socio-cultural base consisting of 68 educational and manufacturing ventures and

more than 400 clubs, health centers and educational establishments, statistics which far outshine the United States system for Deaf education.

According to Palenny, there are about 31,000 students in 271 different deaf schools in Russia. Palenny also said that almost every deaf person has a job, and that deaf people mostly work in noisy environments with loud machinery.

Palenny, himself deaf signed an explanation of Russia’s strict rules for being late for work. “If you accidentally show up late for work for first time, it’s a first warning. If [there are] second or third times, then you go to jail for a month or more. There was a Russia man who ignored [his] alarm. Later, he realized he will be late for work but it’s not first time late. He decided to go and see his dentist and told

dentist to pull out any of his healthy teeth. Dentist doesn’t understand why but he do it anyway. The man said ‘thank you, Dentist!’ Dentist wants to know why he pulled out of man’s tooth, he asked him. The man explained the reason why he wanted his tooth to be pulled out because he can make an excuse for being late for work. Dentist told him, ‘Today is Sunday!’”

Palenny went to Moscow School for Hard-of-Hearing Children and graduated Moscow State Technological University with a degree in engineering. He also obtained a PhD. in education from Moscow State Pedagogical University.

For academic research, he researched deaf history and culture and development, a program that has since been approved by the Russian Ministry of Education and is being used in a number of Russian

schools for the Deaf and two Moscow universities. Currently, he is a lecturer, editor, conference organizer and author. He edited four books on

Deaf history and wrote two books, “The Person from the Silent World” and “History of the All Russian Federation of the Deaf.”

Campus Events April 2 Academics - Ohlone For Kids registration begins.

11 Emergency Preparedness Fair -Newark Campus from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

2 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. San Jose City College at 2 p.m.

14 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. College of San Mateo at 2 p.m.

3-4 Entertainment - High School Theatre Festival in the Smith Center

14 Women’s Softball - Away vs. Mission College at 3 p.m.

3 Men’s Tennis - Away vs.

Chabot College at 2 p.m.

15 Faculty Senate -Meeting in Room 1307 on Fremont campus at 3:30 p.m.

3 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving - Away vs. Chabot College at 2 p.m.

3 Smith Center Presents!

Spotlight - Kres Mersky: Isadora Duncan in the Jackson Theatre at 8 p.m.

4 Men’s Baseball - Home vs. Cabrillo College at noon.

4 Women’s Softball - Away vs. College of San Mateo at 1 p.m.

6-8 Men’s Baseball Ohlone College Tournment in Fremont.

6 Meeting - College Council meetings at Fremont Campus in Room 1407 and Newark Campus in Room NC-1219 from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Professional Development Committee meeting in Room 1407 on Fremont campus at 12:20 p.m.

7 Men’s Tennis - Away vs.

Foothill College at 2 p.m.

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

8 Meeting - Board of Trustees business meeting in the Jackson Theatre at 4 p.m.

9 Women’s Softball Home vs. City College of San Francisco at 3 p,m.

10 Brown Bag Science Seminar - Geology: Key to Puzzles of the Ancient World in Room 3201 at noon.

10 Meeting - Professional Development Committee Meeting in Room 1407 on Fremont campus at 12:30 p.m.

10 Men’s Tennis - Home vs.

DeAnza College at 2 p,m.

11 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving NorCal Conference Diving Meet. Time and location TBA. 11 Event - Ohlone College Super Flea Market on Fremont campus. The flea market is held every second Saturday of every month in parking lots H and E. Parking is $2.

16-18 Men’s Tennis Conference Tournament in Cupertino.

16-18 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving - Coast Conference Championships in Fremont.

16 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. Cabrillo College at 2 p.m.

16 Women’s Softball - Away vs. DeAnza College at 3 p.m.

17-18 New art gallery exhibit - Annual Student Awards Show in the LouieMeager Art Gallery.

17 Brown Bag Science Seminar - How Big is Your Carbon Footprint? by Dr. Laura Iraci, Research Scientist, Earth Science Division, NASA/Ames Research Center in Room 3201 at noon.

17 Speech Brown Bag Speaker Seminar - The Third Person Effect of Drug Advertising on College Students by Kristine Carroll in Room 3101 at 1 p.m.

17 Smith Center Presents!

- Jay Soto, Jazz Guitar in the Jackson Theater at 8 p.m.

18 Auditions for Summerfest 2009 - Sweet Charity Auditions in the Jackson Theater from 1 until 4 p.m.

18 Women’s Softball Home vs. Chabot College at 1 p.m.

19 Auditions for Summerfest 2009 - Callbacks for “Sweet Charity” auditions in the Jackson Theater.

19 Free Triathlon Clinics - Get Your Tri On!: Open Water Swim Clinic at the Fremont Campus pool at 1 p.m.

20 Academics - Summer/ Fall 2009 Priority date for new student applications.

21 Blood Drive -- Fremont Campus from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Call the Student Health Center at (510) 6596258.

April 2, 2009 monitor

7

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Inside the lines

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor

Page 8

Tip the hats to NorCal’s best Jeff Johnson’s two home runs spark #1 Ohlone’s 18-6 win

Tell us why

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor

When she came to Ohlone in 2001, Elizabeth Stanley had just six players on her team. Her only win that year came via forfeit from Mission College.

After rebuilding the team for three years, the Lady Renegades not only made the playoffs, but won their conference in 2004.

Since 2005, she earned an 8239 record, reaching the playoffs in six consecutive seasons since that 2004 season.

Her players went from nobodies to four-year recruits.

So, after finishing the season with an undefeated 12-0 conference record and a win short of a trip to the State Finals, and being named the 2009 Coach of the Year, Stanley will not be returning to Ohlone for the 2009-’10 season.

Nobody will say why she’s out.

Players nor anyone in the athletics department would tell us why she will not be returning, however it is clear that those around the program are unhappy about the decision.

So... tell us why she’s gone.

The 2009 Ohlone baseball team hasn’t just come back from a disappointing 2008 season, they have stormed back Ohlone, ranked first in Northern California, second on the west coast and sixth in the nation, extended their win streak to nine games after Tuesday’s 18-6 win over the DeAnza Dons.

Designated hitter Jeff Johnson hit his state-leading 12th and 13th home runs to spark the Renegades’ 18 runs in just six innings.

“Everyone’s been swinging it good so far,” Johnson said after the game. “Right now we’re just rolling.”

Centerfielder Cody Foster also went 4-4 on the day with four RBIs. “Were just going out and taking the same approach as we have all year long,” said Head Coach Jordon Twohig as his Renegades improved to 26-5 overall with a 13-2 conference record.

Ohlone has scored 10 or more runs in the last five games including Tuesday and the 18 runs

against DeAnza is their highest run total during their nine-game win streak.

Sophomore David Luna (6-1) earned his sixth win of the year, pitching a solid five innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits while striking out six batters on the day.

The Dons struck first off Luna as DeAnza’s Alex Juull’s RBI single gave DeAnza an early 1-0 lead.

Ohlone c a m e right back as Cody Foster and Ryan Walterhouse both hit RBI singles as the Renegades came back to take a 2-1 lead after the first.

The Renegades put DeAnza away after the third inning as Jeff Johnson hit a three-run shot, scoring Cody Foster and Aaron Chavez as Ohlone scored six in the third.

Johnson homered again in the fourth, a two-run shot scoring Cody Foster to give the Renegades a 15-2 lead after the fourth inning.

They would score twice in the fifth and once in the sixth to take an 18-2 lead after six innings.

Photo by Tara Lynn Lanning

Designated hitter Jeff Johnson, No. 20, celebrates his three-run home run on his way back to the dugout. He leads the state with 13 home runs on the season.

San Jose City gets best of Ohlone

By Tomás Ortega Sports writer Softball Coach Donna Runyon and her team were ready to string together a series of victories to cap off another strong conference record. However, what they didn't see coming was back-to-back losses to San Jose City College in a span of four days. They were, though, able to pick up victories over Reedley, Modesto and Gavilan over the weekend.

Ohlone's first loss came in the opening round of the Modesto College tournament held in Turlock over the weekend.

The game went into an extra inning to decide the winner. San Jose City collected the run they needed to seal the victory 2-1.

Ohlone managed their only run in the top of the first inning after Audrea Lopez singled in Jamie Miller to take the initial lead.

Ohlone pitcher Kelly Colker held San Jose City scoreless through five innings.

That trend quickly vanished in the sixth inning as San Jose City tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth off Colker, forcing the game into an international tie-breaker, where both teams start out their half of the inning with the player who recorded the last official at-bat at second base.

Ohlone inserted a pinch runner at second base to start the inning.

However, after being substituted into the game, the runner slipped during her secondary lead and was thrown out by the catcher, killing the momentum for the Lady Renegades in the eighth.

The bottom half of the inning, Ohlone walked the first batter of the inning to put a force on all bases.

The runners then advanced on a sacrifice bunt. The following hitter hit a hard liner into the outfield for a game-winning base hit.

On Tuesday at San Jose City College, the Lady Jaguars forced Ohlone to play catch-up.

San Jose City scored three runs in the second inning and needed nothing more than strong pitching and defense to end the day with a victory.

Ohlone scored two runs in the top of the sixth on an Ashely Nahale two -run home run. Unfortunately, it couldn’t get Ohlone the momentum it needed to pull off the come back.

Ohlone’s fourth through ninth hitters hit a combined 0-16 on Tuesday “Kelly deserves better than that,” said Runyon. “To still have a two-hitter with four strikeouts, she deserves better.”

Runyon doesn’t believe her team will be hurt too much by the two losses to San Jose.

“With seven of our players hitting over .300, we just need to hit like we can hit.”