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Lady Renegades rolling along.
Fremont, California
Vol. XXXIX No. 10
Teen dating abuse widespread. – Page 2
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OPINION OPINION
ASOC may pay voters with food.
SPORTS SPORTS
NEWS NEWS
FEATURES FEATURES
Solar power - not just for cars.
April 9, 2009
Ohlone Baseball 6th in nation McMillin resigns as board chair By Zuhal Bahaduri Staff writer
Photo by Jeff Weisinger
Outfielder and designated hitter Jeff Johnson leads the state with 15 home runs as Ohlone is ranked 6th in the nation. See story, Page 8.
Trustee Bill McMillin, almost six months into a battle with leukemia, resigned his position as Board Chair at the Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday. John Weed was nominated to Chair while Richard Watters was made Vice Chair, both voted in unanimously. McMillin, who was diagnosed last December with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fast-growing cancer that strikes white blood cells, announced via e-mail that it is best for the Board to “reorganize its Board Officer,” as he is not able to continue with the responsibilities as Chair with his current state of health. He said that he hopes to continue participating in meetings as a Trustee as time and his health permit. Two representatives from the Accreditation Team will visit Ohlone Wednesday, April 29, to meet with college administration and governing groups. The team, which is responsible for evaluating California community colleges to ensure that their curriculum warrants continued accreditation, praised Ohlone’s latest report, submitted last month, as very “thorough and well written.” Ohlone will be receiving results of
the accreditation process in July. The Board also presented Math Associate Professor Jeff O’Connell with the Faculty of the Month award for outstanding instruction. Today, college officials will travel to China to visit with Ohlone’s sister colleges, said Director of International Programs and Services Eddie West. This trip is designed to continue Chinese student outreach and continuing dialogue with Ohlone’s existing partners to how to diversify the programs. This trip is Ohlone President Gari Browning’s first China trip meeting with Ohlone’s existing partners. The funding of this trip does not come out of the general fund; rather, sources from which this trip has received funding include the following: the Zhejiang Vocational Academy of Arts, English Language Institute (ELI) and the Business and International Education (BIE) grant. The 2009 California Community College Trustees (CCCT) election is nearing and the Board announced its support for three out of the 15 CCCT hopefuls. The CCCT “board serves a major role within the Community College League of California,” according to the League. McMillin is already a member.
Ohlone continues search for replacement HR dean By Zunera syed Staff writer Candidates for the position of permanent Human Resources Dean have been narrowed down to a group of finalists, the College Council announced at their meeting Monday. After Lyle Engeldinger, who had occupied the position for 10 years, took a temporary leave from the position to act as interim Dean for Pasadena City college last semester, the position has been left unfilled.
Engeldinger resigned in December, leaving Vic Collins, the retired Executive Dean of Human Resources from Long Beach Community College District, to act as interim Dean until a replacement could be found. After a committee headed by Vice President of Instruction Jim Wright interviewed the candidates, on Wednesday, President Gari Browning and Vice President of Administrative Services Mike Calegari interviewed the finalists. They hope to make a decision soon.
The council, after a series of meetings with the Facilities Committee and a number of updates over the past several weeks, is beginning to develop more forward-looking plans following the construction of the new Student Services Building (SSB). They are waiting to see the secondary affects of moving into the new Student Services Building so that they can plan what will be done with the spaces left vacant by departments that move. This project isn’t part of the master plan
ASOC presents Bingo Ballin’ By Sean nero Staff writer Students united for free food, prizes and bingo during Wednesday afternoon’s “Bingo Ballin’” event. The event was originally scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. at the Palm Bosque, but the location had to be changed to the cafeteria due to the likelihood of rain. The event was coordinated by the Associated Students of Ohlone
College (ASOC) and was free for all who wanted to participate. The affair drew a crowd of around 60 people, anxious to begin play. The game was led by Master of Ceremonies and Ohlone student Tomás Ortega. The event had prizes for the winners, which included gift cards to retailers Jamba Juice and Target and gift certificates to the Ohlone bookstore and coffee cart. The grand prize was a $25 gift
certificate to the Ohlone bookstore. While there were various winners in the day’s event, including student Zach Levy who walked away with a gift certificate for Jamba Juice, there was nobody who dominated the event like student Richard Rosenberry. Rosenberry won one of each of the four prizes and the grand prize for a grand total of more than $35.
contract, so they will need a separate proposal to analyze and give recommendations concerning the extra space. After leaving the college mission statement untouched for over two years, the Council is preparing to review the statement again. The goal is to revise the mission statement to tie it more closely to specific program goals and outcomes. Ohlone’s college goals were reviewed at a college-wide planning summit in Epler Gymnasium on March 12.
Atlantis: real after all? By Sean nero Staff writer Geology Professor Paul Belasky will discuss the progress geologists have made in finding the legendary lost city of Atlantis and the fabled island of Ithaca at Friday’s Brown Bag seminar. Math, Science and Technology Coordinator Yvette Niccolls said “Dr. Belasky has [taught] here for 10 years and broke ground on the very first Brown Bag seminar.”
According to Niccolls, Belasky will discuss the legends and theories behind Atlantis and Ithaca and provide “information to either prove or disprove the many myths as truth or based on truth.” According to pantheon.com, “the city of Atlantis has been part of world folklore for centuries,” and Ithaca is thought to have been first discussed in Homer’s classic poem The Odyssey. The seminar will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 3201.
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Opinion
monitor April 9, 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
Rihanna’s abuse means more than tabloid covers By devery sheffer Staff writer Less than two months ago, pop singer Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty spent the night in a hospital for serious injuries incurred from her long time boyfriend and fellow pop singer, Chris Brown. According to the Los Angeles Times on Monday, Brown pleaded not guilty to his two felony charges for assault and criminal threats. Assuming that he is guilty, this shows his unwillingness to take responsibility for his actions. This story holds more weight than your typical front-page tabloid about celebrity scandal. The 20-
year-old Rihanna was physically beaten by some one she had been dating for several months. Though the stories of why and what exactly happened vary from source to source, the fact is this young girl was badly injured. What is even sadder is that this happens to young girls in dating relationships more often than you might think. Abuse, whether it is physical or otherwise, is unacceptable. Many people may not realize that abuse can occur within relationships other than marriages. High school and college students are at just as much risk of being abused by their partners. According to the National Cen-
ter for Injury Prevention Control, one in four adolescents report some form of abuse from a partner, including physical, sexual, emotional or verbal. One out of 11 adolescents reports specifically physical abuse from a partner, like that of Rihanna. This type of behavior can have serious repercussions, including trips to emergency rooms and suicide attempts. However, these statistics can vary wildly from source to source. This is because much of the abuse that occurs goes unreported. Victims may be too scared to tell anyone, feeling ashamed of themselves and fearing retaliation from
their abusers. It is hard to understand why anyone who is being abused would stay in a relationship with the abuser, but there seem to be several reasons. Financial dependence on the abuser, fear of isolation from friends and family and self loathing are chief causes. To recognize if a friend or loved one is being physically attacked or emotionally abused by a partner, there are many signs to watch for. The victim is often bruised and has inconsistent or vague reasoning for their injuries. They may begin to abuse alcohol or drugs. A partner who is controlling and constantly making their partner feel bad about
themselves is also a form of verbal abuse. A study conducted by the New York Health Department showed a growing trend in dating abuse involving adolescents over the past decade. It is easy for victims to mistake outrageous, controlling behavior as a sign of love. Some even relish the negative attention because they feel that this person cares deeply about them. There are countless resources out there for victims of abuse to turn to. Anyone who feels that they need help can seek counsel in the Ohlone Health Center or look on the Internet for help hotlines.
Times call for smarter spending, fewer bailouts By Noah levin Opinion editor I believe environment is one of the essential, major factors that influence the formation and patterns evident in any given culture. This is largely apparent in our own culture. Our nation was founded around a group of colonies, most of which were started as business enterprises. When America’s indepedence was secured, the ideals of freeflowing capitalism endured, and our forefathers imbued our society with
a “go-get-‘em,” dollar-chasing attitude. As a consequence, our society is preoccupied with the acquisition and collection of material goods, causing many of the greater issues in our lives and in the world to be overlooked. Despite a roaring, raging recession that grips our entire country and much of the world, our culture dictates that rather than practice frugality, shoppers should storm the nearest Best Buy when a sale arrives. It seems to me that people would sooner spend frivolously on accessories for pets and cars than agreeing to pay higher taxes to sup-
port more social programs. When one envisions the pursuit of the American dream, it roughly translates into working to earn enough money to buy more, nicer stuff. Even in the hardest of times, it often seems that some Americans will live paycheck to paycheck, each week spending hard-earned money on meals eaten out, on a new pair of shoes or on a round of drinks at the bar. Not all Americans are guilty of foolish financing, but it seems that if our attitudes toward consumerism and money management had contained more forethought, the mess we are in now
might not be as messy. And though our economy is reliant on spending to keep up the cycle of supply and demand, it seems to me that it would personally be more prudent of us to be saving, not recklessly spending, our wages and tax dollars. The fact that two federal recovery packages have been passed and dolled out to the car companies, mortgage lenders and banks to no avail, says a great deal about our government’s approach to this situation. As with its constituents, the government seems to be overspending in a time when money is in short supply. Our own state government
has made massive cuts to education, and despite cries of protest, this in the long run is meant to stabilize and balance the state budget. The federal government would be wise to follow suit, though not necessarily by cutting educational funding. Cutting military spending and better controlling where federal bailout money goes are two ways for the government to stem the economic tide, if only a small amount. Much like we ought to do, the economic crisis might be better dealt with through smarter money management and organization, not more frivolous spending.
Campus Comment > > > What animal would you be and why?
Audrey Harris BIOLOGY
“I’d be a butterfly so I could fly to Mexico for the winter.”
Lael Erskine GRAPHIC DESIGN
“It would be sweet to be someone’s dog. They have it easy.”
Jeremy Leonard MUSIC
“I would be a tiger. I’ve always liked them.”
Charlie Olson PHYSICAL THERAPY
“I’d be a wolf. I’m kind of a wolf myself.”
Chris Brookens
GRAPHIC DESIGN “It’d be cool to be a Jewel Wasp.”
3 MONITOR
News
April 9, 2009
ASOC debates wisdom of food for votes By Devery Sheffer Staff writer The Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) planned Freshman Connection Day as well as their own elections at their meeting Tuesday. The Election Committee, headed by ASOC President Jackie McCulley, requested $1,000 for this month’s upcoming elections. She explained the majority of the money is needed for some type of giveaway to students who choose to vote on April 28 and 29. One possible vendor is Jamba Juice, who quoted $800 for the amount needed to last the two days of the election. Other possible options include Chipotle burritos and doughnuts. The rest of the money would be used for decorations such as balloons. Not all were in favor, though. Director of Campus Activities Debbie Trigg expressed concern about the elections. Trigg stated that there was little marketing about the opportunity for students to run for student government. She wondered who would show up to vote if there was that same amount of marketing for the actual elections. She pushed the committee to advertise the event more with flyers and posters. Renee Gonzales, Campus Activities Coordinator, posed the question, “Do you want food to be the
draw?” Both ASOC advisers were concerned with the large amount of money that the committee was requesting for the upcoming elections. Gonzales suggested giving away popcorn or cotton candy, acheaper alternatives. Allison Bly, Learning Community Coordinator, showed up to discuss the first-ever Freshman Connection Day. The event, planned for Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Palm Bosque, is designed to offer high school seniors information about Ohlone. If the seniors choose to attend Ohlone and complete a series of steps, they will have the opportunity to register early for classes. Bly thanked the student government for granting the necessary funding.According to Bly, approximately 100 students, along with more than 100 parents, have already signed up for this event. The ASOC’s help is needed in a few areas. First, an ASOC member is needed during the lunch session to recruit students and encourage them to get involved. Then they need students to participate on the panel to help advise future freshman. The Newark Room Furnishing Committee reported that the pool table has been set up in the new recreation room and is in working condition. However, the foosball table is still back-ordered and has yet to be delivered.
The Curriculum Committee reported that there are new courses that will be added to the school. Eleven deaf students from Egypt will be attending Ohlone as exchange students, so special classes to help them learn ASL have been added. Also, there will be a new English class that will discuss graphic novels and their role in society.
The Board of Trustees student member, Lauren Baca, explained to ASOC members how Ohlone is going to change the manner in which students pay for their classes. According to Baca, approximately $2 million a year is lost from the budget due to students who sign up for classes and never pay for them. In order to minimize this loss in the school budget, Ohlone will
require that students pay their tuition fees within the first week of school or they will be dropped. Students will also have the option to pay $20 extra to sign up for a payment plan so that they can spread their fees out over a few months. This new policy will possibly be in place for this upcoming summer session, but according to Baca, it will definitely be in effect for the fall semester.
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monitor April 9, 2009
Vaguely necessary By Japneet Kaur Photo editor
Ignorance still with us I left the house yesterday in high spirits and a half-Indian outfit, with a light rain falling sporadically. Despite having to double back past what appeared to be half of the neighborhood just hanging out outside because I forgot my umbrella, I was in an excellent mood. I expected nothing more than to get where I was trying to go, maybe take a few pictures and enjoy my walk as well as the time spent at my destination. Little did I know that yesterday would be another one of those days in my life that would be marked by the reminder of all the people in the world who look at me and see nothing but a turban – a terrorist. I walked past a woman and two children coming home from school, who moved a little to the side to give me some room to walk. I walked past another woman who made eye contact with me and smiled happily, nodding her head. Then I saw two young boys coming from the side – they were further up ahead, so I ended up walking behind them, but not before one of them saw me and nudged the other. They both started laughing obnoxiously, saying things like “Look at the rag on her head.” I’m almost sure I wasn’t supposed to hear that. We walked on a little, then the second boy suddenly let out with a loud “KABOOM!” Both of them laughed and looked back toward me sneakily. Of course, all that was left to hear was the imitation of machine gun fire, which the second boy so kindly supplied. The direction we were walking in was narrowing, and one look back at me told them I was headed in the same direction as they were. They veered off to the left and hung back until I was out of sight. Still within hearing range, I managed to hear a few other of the lovely things they were saying about me. Oh, I feel so special. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel after being in this kind of a situation so many times throughout my life. I can just hear the people who would read something like this and think that I should get rid of my turban or “go back to my country,” or else expect to be treated like this. Why, though? Why should I be treated differently because I’m practicing my religion in a country that was founded on the principle of freedom of religion? I’d like to hear from you about this. E-mail your thoughts to monitor@ohlone.edu. How you feel about the situation, if you’ve ever been in a similar one – maybe even how you feel if/when you see a turban. On the bright side, I had a great day regardless – maybe I’m growing numb to ignorant people!
Features Festival of future stars By devery sheffer Staff writer About 800 students from 27 different high schools packed almost every building on campus over the weekend, vying for awards in dance, theater and other dramatic productions at the 15th annual high school theater festival. While most of the schools were from the Bay Area, there were a few from other parts of California and even one from out of state, Nevada Union High School. This two-day event is designed to give high school students a chance to come together at Ohlone to perform skits, monologues and musicals, among others, to several judges and receive helpful feedback on their act. Tom Blank, Associated Professor of Theater, has been in charge of this festival since day one, 15 years ago. His inspiration for the festival came to him when he saw a similar event at University of Nevada at Las Vegas. The first day of the festival, the schools performed every act twice. The next day, acts that did well performed again in the outdoor amphitheater for the final round. The award ceremony commenced shortly after in the Epler Gymnasium. There are 35 categories in which students can participate. They are made up of all aspects of theater including costume design, theatric lighting, and monologues. Each category is based on different criteria, because each is unique so there is no standard for judgment. “The arts are very subjective,” Blank explained. So he does his best to mix old-fashioned judges with those with more modern taste and so forth, so that the students can get a wide range of reviews. One of the judges, Tim Davis, was what they call a floating judge. He served wherever a judge was needed, at first judging original humorous monologues, then moving on to other events. This year is his fifth year as a judge for the festival. He spent the previous six years helping to run it while he was a student at Ohlone. He has an A.A. degree from Ohlone in Theater Arts. According to Davis, the festival is a good recruiting tool for the college, as well as a great experience for the high school students. He called it a “very positive festival” because it is very encouraging to the participants. The judgment is all about giving the students constructive criticism and helping them to improve. An interesting trend that emerged at this festival is what Blank called “tent city.” People started to bring tents about five years ago due to bad weather conditions. Since then, the Palm Bosque has become a designated area for schools to stake their claims. This year it was filled with tents and tables, serving as dressing rooms and meeting points. Arcadia Conrad could be found prepping her students for performances out in “tent city.” Conrad is a full-time drama teacher from Cupertino High School. This year their school brought about 30 students from their advanced honor theater to participate in the festival. Their
students were involved in a number of categories this year including costume design, the one-act play and humorous monologues. Conrad feels their school’s strength is in their humor, because she feels her students have a talent for making people laugh. Last year their school brought home seven trophies. Still, “it’s not about the trophies,” said Conrad. “It’s about getting out here and participating.” High school students could be found all over the campus dressed in all kinds of costumes. “Most kids spend time exploring the campus, [which] is exactly what we want them to do,” said Blank. Freshman drama students like Hailey Knott couldn’t participate in the competition so they worked as high school student monitors. Knott is from Bishop O’Dowd high school. She ran any grunt work that needed to be done, like getting glasses of water for participants and turning in judge score cards. But primarily her job was to watch the classroom doors to make sure people were going in and out during performances. She described acting as “a really fun way to [make] a total fool of yourself on stage.” Sophomore Bethany Robinson, on the other hand, was able to take a more active role on the stage. About 25 students from her school, Clayton Valley High School in Concord, attended the festival. She and her best friend Courtney Gould, also a sophomore, made it to the final round with their performance of the “food fight scene” from the 1962 film “Miracle Worker.” Robinson played the deaf-and-blind Helen Keller and Gould played her stubborn mentor Anne Sullivan in the category for Contemporary Humor Ensemble. Their scene was quite theatrical—it included the two girls slapping one another, the application of apple sauce to one’s face and the emptying of a glass of water of the head of the other. “I feel we did the best that we could do…[which] is amazing by the way,” she said playfully of their performance in the finals. The judges at the final round gave them good reviews. One said it was the best scene he had seen his two years of judging, while another suggested that they needed to slap harder to add more drama and make the scene more realistic. Robinson’s costume for the performance was a peach dress accented with lace. It was the same dress her mother wore on her wedding day after the ceremony was over. Robinson was very grateful that her mother let her wear the dress, considering the messy scene. Robinson and her friend Gould ended up taking second place in their category. Although they did not come in first, they were thrilled to accept their trophy and received a huge applause from their classmates. The gymnasium was anything but quiet with 800 animated high school students crammed in for the final awards ceremony. They danced and cheered as they caught the flying tee shirts and posters being thrown by Ohlone student monitors. James Lewis, a liberal arts major at Ohlone, has been Master of
Ceremonies for the festival for the past six years. He wore a large and colorful jester’s hat and kept the crowd lively with his witty remarks. His favorite part of the whole experience, he said, are the kids
w h o come back to Ohlone for the festival following years and recognize him, calling it “a phenomenal feeling.” Over 100 trophies and certificates were awarded at the ceremony. Awards were given both individually and school-wide, the latter category including the Spirit Award, the Judge’s Sweepstake and the Sweepstake award. Student a w a r d winners An actor put on quite a show competes for an award. for their acceptances, running down the bleachthrough the auditorium in anticipaers at full speed and raising their tion of the final award. trophies with triumphant skyward Bishop O’Dowd, a Catholic thrusts. One dance student from private high school in Oakland, Irvington High School in Fremont dominated the award ceremonies, did a flip over the bottom stair taking home 17 awards, seven of after his acceptance of his second them being first place. For this they trophy. were awarded the Sweepstakes The Spirit Award was given to award. All the students rushed from the school of Robinson and Gould, the stands to jump and cheer holding Clayton Valley High School. They their trophy high in the air. stood out when they went out of “Yeah, it’s a competition but it’s their way to help a competing also about sharing,” said Blank after group who showed up late and the ceremony was over. He pointed unprepared. This award represents out that he particularly appreciates the sportsmanship of the event— the hard work that Ohlone’s own that the schools aren’t here against students put into the festival. each other, but here to learn from One such student was ASOC each other, explained Blank. Vice President Kevin Feliciano. He The Judge’s Sweepstake award was head of festival central for his is the second biggest award of seventh year in a row. His job was the ceremony, representing the to keep things in order and make highest average of points per sure the students know when and performance. where to go. He was adorned in This award was created shortly 1960’s tie-dye shirt and bell bottoms after the festival first began to to promote the summer musical celebrate the unsung competitors “Sweet Charity.” who work hard but for one reason At the awards ceremony he even or another bring small groups to got to present the award for Maxi the festival and would never stand Musical theater to James Monroe a chance to win the judges against High School in North Hills, CA for dominating schools with 50 or their performance based on “Little more students competing. Me”—a coveted award to win, acThis year that school was Jef- cording to Blank. ferson High School from Daly City. “[Today is] fun, but the days Heike Mansel has been teaching leading up to it aren’t fun,” exdance at Jefferson for 11 years. She plained Feliciano, adding that the brought her 20 students this year to planning for this event started back compete in five dance events. All in August. five groups made it to the finals Blank said he was proud to see and three out of the five received Ohlone students rise to the occatrophies for their dance routines in sion, problem solve and be positive the award ceremony. role models for the high school The Sweepstakes award came students. with the biggest trophy. It goes to The festival grows more and the school with the highest total more each year. This year alone points overall. When the students there were three new high schools were asked by Lewis for a drum that joined in the festivities. It has roll, they quickly obliged. The certainly come a long way from the crowd’s drum roll of feet stomp- 50 or 60 students it started with 15 ing and knee slapping thundered years ago, said Blank.
Features Tribute to a dance innovator By sean nero Staff writer Acclaimed actress Kres Mersky performed her one-person show “Isadora Duncan: A Unique Recital” on Friday night, April 3, at the Smith Center. Mersky chronicled the later years of 20th century modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan. Mersky was portrayed as Duncan, who tried to raise money for her dance school. Mersky portrayed Duncan at a time in which she was no longer dancing but still very much interested in teaching it. Duncan was presented as a wellspoken, witty woman with a very
free view on marriage, love, women’s rights and life in general. The show began with Duncan telling the audience of her early childhood living in San Francisco. Duncan told of her mother’s divorce from her father at an early age due to her dad having extramarital affairs and her subsequently being raised to think that her father was a monster. Duncan said her mother went from a devout Catholic to an atheist following the divorce. Duncan said her father eventually tried to reconcile with the family but neither her mother nor her three other siblings wanted him in their lives. Duncan later told of her family’s
relocation to Oakland, California after the divorce and how being raised in the Bay Area and seeing the flow of the sea influenced her decision to dance. Duncan told the audience of her displeasure of ballet likening the dancers to skeletons due to their lifeless movement and emotionless facial expressions, despite the fact that ballet was the dominant form of dance at the time. Duncan sought to change the public’s perception of dance and created modern dance, which she called “Beauty that flows from the inspired human soul.” Mersky (as Duncan) got the audience involved with the act by talking as if the audience were the
April 9, 2009
people whom she was appealing to for funds for her school. Show attendee Nathan Carney said he “really felt immersed in the play” due to Mersky’s use of audience interaction. Mersky performed the entire show without any costume changes or stagehands. Mersky also made use of a minimalist stage set consisting of little more then a table, a few chairs and a hatbox containing a few items. Mersky does these plays across America and in Canada. The next event at the Smith Center will be held Friday April 17 at 8 p.m. and will feature Billboard chart-topping jazz musician and composer Jay Soto.
Solar-powered boat makes big waves By zunera syed Staff writer Solar-powered boat owner, Computer Science Professor Jon Degallier, is one of the forwardlooking people participating in energy efficient projects. Degallier likes fixing boats as well as building concrete steps, dams, fishponds etc. “I have a couple [of] places in the wilderness where I can never run out of projects. I am also crazy about alternate energies.” Degallier bought the 15-to-20year-old boat two years ago, which had an engine that wouldn’t work. Converting this ordinary boat into a solar-powered one, took Degallier one month, and not much money out of his pocket. The motor cost $1,200. The batteries cost $400. The solar panel cost $900. Cables and other accessories cost $400. “[It’s] very cheap considering all of the fuel is now free.” Degallier’s boat, named Lake Shrimp, goes from five to seven miles per hour. “It’s like a turtle. It’s
slow but it gets there,” he said. The boat got its name because “it is small and does not look like much; so the shrimp part of the name is for the ridicule… it actually is quite a jewel on the inside.” Degallier said his boat is “super relaxing” because it moves slowly through the water, making it easier to drive. He keeps his boat on the water during summer and brings it home during the colder season. “This will only be my second season so I’m still experimenting.” The boat runs on a mid-sized 24-volt electric motor. “The motor pulls and also turns the boat at various speeds, as controlled by a little remote device, just like for a DVD player,” Degallier said. Two batteries are connected to the motor. The batteries are charged by a 24-volt solar panel and the solar panel is mounted on the roof. Degallier said Mark Twain’s books about life on the Mississippi River influenced him to build his own kayak when he was younger and paddle down the Mississippi
Psychology class makes comeback By anna biaritz roldan Staff writer A Psychology and Literature class that had not been offered for six years, is now making a comeback. This fall English professor Cynthia Katona will be teaching the Psychology and Literature class. Katona said that the class had not run for so long because she rotates a series of English classes semester after semester and simply got busy, but she did say that she is “now excited to have it back!” Katona started this class 25 years ago and is the only one to teach it. The class will be talking about the close connection between psychology and literature. She gave examples and saying that, “Freud took the name of his famous Oedipus complex from Sophocles’ ancient play ‘Oedepus Rex.’ Juna studied myth, folklore and literature to understand his archetypes.” Like the example, English 129 will discuss how fiction is strongly
about the characters, how they act and how they react. According to Katona, “literary critics often subject characters in novels and short stories to Freudian analysis.” She added, “I strongly believe that most people read literature because they are interested in human experience and what motivates people and what makes them tick.” Psychology and Literature will discuss topics such as suicide, addiction, humor, anger, alienation, joy, boredom, fear, guilt and anxiety, which are all a part of the human being’s psychological nature. These topics will be taken out of poems, short stories, novels and plays. This class can seat 25 students and Katona said “the best thing about this class is the good discussion that comes from a special set of students who come” to her Monday night classes each semester. The class is worth 3 units that are transferable to both UCs and USCs. It will be held Mondays from 6:30 to 9:50 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Jon Degallier
Professor of Computer Science Jon Degallier stands next to his solar-powered houseboat. from Minnesota to New Orleans. He has been interested in boats ever since. Degallier initially purchased the houseboat because he couldn’t build on the property he owns at Clear Lake, which is very steep and rocky. “It is basically a 45-degree cliff, with a road on top and a beach at the
bottom; a perfect rock path project for retirement!” Now, when Degallier goes to Clear Lake, he stays on his boat. Solar power is nothing new, though some might think it is. French inventor Auguste Mouchout was one of the first to convert solar power into mechanical power in the 1860s.
Contest seeks stories By nicole johnson Features editor Students must ready their pens and carry a creative mind for the upcoming seventh annual writing contest. Students can write a fictional or personal essay to submit. Submissions will be accepted beginning April 13 through April 24. The contest winner will get a prize of $250 and get their story (or excerpt from it) published in the Monitor. The prize will be given in May. To be eligible to participate, one must have been enrolled in no fewer than three units at Ohlone during the 2008-’09 year. Only two entries per person will be accepted, with works no longer than 2,000 words. Stories cannot be submitted electronically. Each entry should have a cover page containing the title of the story, the writer’s name, telephone number, mailing address and e-mail address. The pages that contain the text of the story should have only the title of the story and page number. Stories must be typed and double-spaced, and the pages must be stapled and numbered. The contest will be managed by Carmen Madden, Assistant Professor of English. She oversees the judging of the stories. Stories can be placed in Madden’s campus mailbox which is located in Building 1. Stories can also be mailed to: Carmen Madden, Assistant Professor of English, Ohlone College 43600 Mission Boulevard, Fremont, California 94539 Questions can be directed to Madden at cmadden@ohlone. edu, or by calling 659-6251.
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Weighing Anchor By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief
Greening the future America: on the decline? For some, it’s a question; for others, a statement of fact, but for all it’s an issue we can’t help but consider. One can draw evidence for or against the idea from almost every quarter, but certainly, it’s hard to remain upbeat when looking over federal budgets, like the $3.8 trillion behemoth President Obama is currently proposing— every year, it seems, we spend more money and see less from it. In the face of this cold reality, it’s tempting to try to staunch the flow of greenbacks and support the Capitol Hill Republicans in their attempts to take a hatchet to the “superfluous” spending in the budget, particularly the $129 billion check ready to be cut for “green” job creation. If we really want to stem the flow of job losses, though, it is imperative that we do just the opposite and recognize green tech for what it is—the single greatest opportunity to resurrect the American brand and regain us our status as a frontrunner in the global arena. Whether we slowed up or the rest of the world just got faster, America today is no longer that frontrunner. The mainstays of American industry—steel, the automobile, even the semiconductor—have all been usurped by Asian nations, countries filled with hungry, industrious workers who create them faster, better and more cheaply than we do. We live in a global economy, and we’re falling behind: we may still be the land of baseball and apple pie, but the apples come from China, the caps are made in Thailand and the steroids are from Cuba. There isn’t much we can call our own anymore, and the job losses due to outsourcing reflect that. We’ll never make a microchip or a steel girder more cheaply than China, but if we focus on becoming global experts on renewable energy, we gain a different sort of edge—a mental one. The world will always need energy, but we’re quickly running out of our dirty and planet-warming current sources—petroleum and coal. Within the next 50 years, there will be an incredible demand for clean and lasting energy sources—sources, like solar, that need only funds and innovation to develop. When that demand comes, why shouldn’t we be the ones with the physical and intellectual supply? America’s current dilemma is due to a simple fact—we’ve allowed ourselves to become so ensconced in the past, making the cars of the past and thinking in the ways of the past, that we’ve largely lost sight of the future. Now is the time to change that, and what better way to build a bright future for ourselves than to prepare for that future today? America: on the decline? Only if we let it.
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April 9, 2009 monitor
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Campus Events Meeting in Room 1307 on Fremont Campus at 3:30 p.m.
April 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 Super Flea Market - On Ohlone Fremont campus. The flea market is held on second Saturday of every month in parking lots H and E. Parking is $2. 11 Emergency Preparedness Fair Newark Campus from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. 14 Men’s Baseball - Away vs. College of San Mateo at 2 p.m. 14 Women’s Softball - Away vs. Mission College at 3 p.m. 15 Faculty Senate -
16-18 Men’s Tennis Conference Tournament in Cupertino.
noon. 18 Auditions for Summerfest 2009 - “Sweet Charity” auditions in the Jackson Theater from 1 to 4 p.m.
18 Women’s Softball - Home vs. Chabot College at 1 p.m. 19 Auditions for Summerfest 2009 - CallBacks for “Sweet Charity”
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auditions in the Jackson Theater. 19 Free Triathlon Clinics Open Water Swim Clinic at the Fremont campus pool at 1 p.m.
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 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 Men’s Baseball - Home vs. Cañada College at
Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor
The Monitor invites your comments. Letters should be 250 words or less and include your name and relationship to Ohlone. Letters become property of The Monitor and may be edited for spelling and length. Campus Events listings are free for college-related events. To have your event added or to place an ad, contact Jacque Orvis at (510) 659-6075 or e-mail monitorads@ohlone.edu
Thursday, April 9, 2009
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Inside the lines By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor
13 going on 30 First in Northern California, second in the ABCA Pacific and sixth in the nation. What a difference a year makes... right? Since 2001, the Ohlone baseball team has a combined 229152-2, including this season. However, of the seven winning seasons in the last nine years, none have been as dominant as the 2009 season. Ohlone’s 3-2 win in 12 innings over Cosumnes River on Wednesday not only marked the Renegades 13th straight win, but it also marks just the second time this decade that the Renegades have reached the 30-win plateau, their first in 2002 (34-15-1). They came close to 30-wins in 2003 (29-17) and 2007 (27-19) but could not get over the hump then. “When you can count all the losses on just two hands, that’s pretty good,” said Renegades Head Baseball Coach Jordon Twohig. In his first season as Head Coach, Twohig turned around a team that struggled to a 21-22 record in 2008 under then-Head Coach Tom Kunis. “Any time you get to that 30 mark and start building from there, that’s a good sign,” Twohig added. “That means playoffs in the future and that you’re taking care of business everyday.” Taking care of business is what the Renegades have done best this season. Offensively and defensively, this could possibly be the best squad Ohlone has had since that 34-win 2002 team. After taking two years off from baseball, outfielder and designated hitter Jeff Johnson leads the state in home runs with 15 on the year, while twin brother Zach Johnson has played very well, hitting over .350 in the season. Freshman right-handed phenom Sean Martin, from Newark Memorial, has been simply dominant in his first season with the Renegades, going 7-0 in 10 starts with an ERA just above 2.00. Sophomore San Jose State bound right-hander Ian Hoff has been completely lights out for the Renegades in 2009, leading the team with an ERA just below 1.00 and 7 wins. Last year he went 2-2 with a 4.72 ERA. The Renegades in 2008 played hard despite the record, however injuries and lack of consistency brought them down to just under .500 for the season. Their longest win streak was three games and their best pitcher Shane Murchison was just 8-3 with a 4.03 ERA. 2009 is more than a comeback season, its a storming-back year.
Photos by Tara Lynn Lanning and Jeff Weisinger
Sophomore David Luna, left, and freshman Sean Martin, right, both pitched well against Cosumnes River Wednesday, despite neither getting the win. Ohlone won 3-2 in 12 innings in game one and lost 3-2 in seven innings in game two.
Renegades split double-header Renegades hit 30-win mark, but snap 13-game win streak vs. Hawks By jeff weisinger Sports editor What a difference a year makes. After being the “team that coundn’t” in 2008, the Renegades are the “team that does” in 2009. They’re ranked sixth nationally, let alone first in Northern California. Ohlone (30-6, 17-2) took on the Cosumnes River Hawks of the Big 8 conference for the last two games of the Ohlone College tournament. The Renegades beat Mission College 9-1 on Monday with sophomore Cory Krisman picking up his third win of the year. With Tuesday’s game being rained out, the Renegades played a double-header at home Wednesday against the Hawks. Sophomore David Luna took the mound for the Renegades in game one. Luna (6-1) pitched a good 6.2 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with six strikeouts.
Ohlone struck first in the fourth inning as Ryan Walterhouse scored Ryan Kanzaki from second base to give Ohlone the 1-0 lead. Ohline struck again in the fifth inning off a Cody Foster RBI single to give the Renegades a 2-0 lead. The Hawks came back in the seventh off a Nick Duval RBI single, then Bryce Miller’s RBI off a double-play tied the game at 2-2. Both teams took the game into the 12th inning, continuing what would be the first pitcher’s duel of the day. Jeff Johnson’s RBI single in the 12th scored Aaron Chavez, who singled earlier in the inning, to give the Renegades a 3-2 win. “It’s always fun to win a game in extra innings,” said Head Coach Jordon Twohig as Ohlone earned their 30th win of the season. Freshman right-hander Sean Martin looked to go 8-0 in his 10th start of the season as he got the start for the second game of the double-header. Martin (7-0) didn’t get the win, but he pitched a solid six innings, allowing just two runs on three hits, striking out eight batters and
Still without an answer for Stanley By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor It’s been about a week since Women’s Basketball Coach Elizabeth Stanley was let go from Ohlone and still there is no word on why. When asked about the situation, Athletic Director Chris Warden simply said he has “no comment.” The same went for many in the athletics department. The topic also was not discussed at Wednesday night’s College Board of Trustees meeting. Stanley, who was named the 2008 Coach of the Year, finished
in conference an undefeated 12-0 after her Lady Renegades started the season 0-5. Her team would make it all the way to the Sweet 16, where they were defeated at San Joaquin Delta College 88-60 back on March 7. Toward the end of spring break, during the recruiting period, Stanley was told that she was not going to return as Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team. Without any reason why, many rumors are beginning to swirl around campus as people in the program and those around it try to find out why Stanley was let go.
walking just two. Freshman lefty Roberto Padilla (3-4) relieved Martin in the seventh, but allowed the game-winning run in the seventh and was tagged with the loss. “In all three games overall, we were very competitve,” Twohig added. Jeff Johnson hit his state-leading 15th home run in the third inning as Ohlone cut the Hawks’ lead to 2-1. However, Ohlone left a total of
11 runners on base as the Renegades were able to get runners on against Hawks starter Cody Berger, but were unable to capitalize, especially in the sixth when Ohlone loaded the bases, but was unable to capitalize with the game tied at 2-2. The Hawks scored the game winning run in the seventh as Nick Cole, pinch running for Brock Neil who singled to start the inning, scored on a sacrifice fly by David Henderson to give the Hawks the 3-2 win.
Nahale sparks Ohlone’s 5-0 win By Tomás Ortega Sports writer After defeating Foothill College for the second time this season Tuesday afternoon, the Ohlone Softball team is approaching the playoffs in the coming weeks. With the seventh best record in California, Ohlone (31-9, 12-1) looks to add to its win total in the final four games of the regular season. Although the Lady Renegades have done well up to this point against conference teams, they will still need to grind out some tough victories before the regular season is over. Ohlone’s 5-0 win over Foothill (9-24, 3-10) was one of those tough matchups. On paper, the Renegades were heavy favorites to win the game. However, because the Renegades are the top team in the Coast North, even teams that struggle during the regular season bring their A-game against them. In games like Tuesday afternoon’s duel, players like freshman Ashley Nahale step up to give the team the spark they need to keep up with the status quo they have set this season. Nahale collected three hits in
her four at-bats, including a pair of doubles. She is hitting an even .500 in the team’s last eight games and is one of the key contributors to the Renegades success this year. “I put extra time into my hitting whenever I can,” Nahale said. “I didn’t know college would be so different, so I came out wanting to practice because college is a different level than high school. I have played a long time and coming to play here is a huge step.” Head Coach Donna Runyon is impressed with Nahale’s performance through the season. “I’m excited to see how she finishes the season,” Runyon said before displaying a huge smile to the fact that Nahale will be returning for another season. “She’s also quickly becoming a leader.” The Kennedy H.S. graduate is hitting .381 with four home runs and 30 runs batted in. She is also tied for second in both home runs and RBI’s in the Coast North Conference. “All teams put their best out against us. I can see it. Everyone is out to get us,” Nahale added. “We have a target on our back,” Runyon added. “It would make everybody’s season to beat us.”