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Vol. XLV No. 8
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Fremont, California
Ohlone strengthens anti-violence measures By TARA INGRAHAM Staff writer
Is Ohlone prepared to deal with a campus shooting? Even before the recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., and Lone Star College Community College in Houston, Texas, campus health center directors throughout California have discussed the impact of mental health in these situations. This led many campuses including Ohlone to obtain grants funding mental health workshops on high risk behavior, crisis intervention and disaster preparedness, said Health Center Director Sally Bratton Ohlone’s Step-Up Programrecieved a $332,000 grant last October to specifically focused on reducing the stigma around seeking help through peer-to-peer education and teaching people how to recognize students with problems, Bratton said. Bratton posed this question: Does mental illness play a factor in actions like this? “Yes,” she said. “People who are mentally healthy do not go to a school
and shoot little children.” To help prevent Ohlone students from feeling cornered, helpless and possibly pushed into a scenario where suicide or violence seems the only way out, the health center assembled a contact team to deal with such issues before any harm occurs. “After receiving a call from students or staff that notices any suspicious behavior, we would evaluate the situation,” she said. “If the person is a considered dangerous, we would do what we call a 5150 which means we call the police who pick them up and have them evaluated for 72 hours. If not, then we simply chat with them so we can evaluate their issues to see what is causing their discomfort and guide them through it. You can’t be successful in college unless you are healthy. That includes mental, emotional and physical health. Students just don’t perform well if they are not healthy and well.” Ohlone’s Chief of Security Steve Osawa said there have really only been fights without weapons and weapons without fights on campus. “The college has only seen one shooting that occurred,
which was about 15 years ago down near Mission Boulevard,” he said. But due to the spontaneity and unpredictable outcome from not knowing an attacker’s intent, Osawa fears that his security department would be unable to give an immediate response to an outbreak such as those at Sandy Hook and Lone Star. Osawa said the variables include the number of targets, location of the danger and how well the assailant is armed. The department’s response process starts off by alerting the campus either through the AlertU system or through common student texting. After that, security would notify the Fremont police while gathering information on the situation to best prepare for their arrival. Once the police arrive, the campus security will then act as guide due to their knowledge of the grounds. Once a situation has been suppressed, campus security informs the premises and they continue on from there. Some people on campus suggested an increase in lighting and camera quantity Continued on Page 3
April 4, 2013
Teens use brain, heart and nerve at theater festival
TARA INGRAHAM / MONITOR
Noah Sherry dresses as the Tin Man from the “Wizard of Oz” as he participates in Ohlone’s annual high school theater festival on March 22 and 23. Students participatged in costume, acting and dance competitions in the festival.
Faculty positions opening up for next year By FRANKIE ADDIEGO Staff writer
Ohlone College will soon add four new full-time faculty members for the 2013-2014 school year. Currently, Ohlone is searching for an engineering instructor, a deaf counselor, a medical-surgical nursing instructor who will also teach psychiatric and mental health classes and a kinesiology instructor who will also serve as the head baseball coach. Kinesiology is one of the fastest growing majors in the country, according to the
website www.insidehireded. com. During its last Board of Trustees meeting, the college said it would offer courses in the science of mechanics of human movement. In order to become an instructor at Ohlone, candidates will go through an intense level of scrutiny from current administration to be selected to join the current faculty. “A hiring committee of faculty and staff is established for each position. These committees screen all applicants and decide who should be interviewed,” according to an email from Jim Wright,
Ohlone’s vice president of Academic Affairs. “The committees conduct the interviews and recommend to the President their top choices.” From there, the decision falls upon Wright, and Gari Browning, Ohlone’s president and superintendent, who will submit their choices for each position to the Board of Trustees. “We are hoping the committee interviews and final interviews will be completed before the end of the Fall semester. Recommendations can be approved by the board at their meetings in early
June,” said Wright. “We’ve been having a number of retirements lately,” said Senior Human Resources Specialist Kathleen Johnson. “We just opened the recruitments on March 13.” Qualified job seekers may obtain the application form from http://www.ohlonejobs. com and must apply by April 19. Each position requires a masters’ degree in a major related to their respective subjects, as well as experience in their respective fields. Each faculty position offers a $58,502 to 88,723 per year salary. The deaf counselor
will earn between $61,274 and 99,225 annually, as they will be serving the campus’ roughly 200 deaf students. In addition to the salaries, the new faculty members will receive health care, sick and sabbatical leave and membership in the State Teachers’ Retirement System. In the description for each position, the ideal candidate statement states, “Ohlone College seeks to employ faculty members who have a passion for teaching and learning… an ideal candidate will be skilled in generating student interest in learning.”
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NEWS
2 monitor April 4, 2013
News bites Poetry teacher Mitchell not all rhyme Alumni to present about child soldiers
Former Ohlone Student Rose Mukhar will speak on “The Plight of Child Soldiers and How International Law is Failing to Protect Them” Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in room 2133. Mukhar graduated from Ohlone as well as Wellesley College and is an attorney who recently did a summer program at the Hague. This is part of the Communication Colloquium Series that ASOC and the Communication Department sponsor each semester. Admission is free.
Blood drive rescheduled The American Red Cross Blood Drive scheduled for April 17 has been rescheduled for Monday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students and faculty to play for The League Fusing the worlds of popular and classical music, the band called The League, will collaborate with a handful of exceptional students from the Ohlone College music department and two very musical faculty members for “Vampires, Ghosts, Wolves, & Rabbits: A Rock Revival” at Ohlone College 8 p.m. April 9. The “Expanded Edition” of The League will perform original compositions with vocals and a mix of keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and horns. For tickets and more information, call (510) 659-6031 or visit www.smithcenter. com. The event is partially sponsored by the Associated Students of Ohlone College.
Future teacher workshop Debra Luna, chair of Elementary Education from San Francisco State University, will provide an information session about becoming elementary school or high school teacher on April 16, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Room 7101. In addition, Claudia Quezada from CSU East Bay will be on campus to provide information about the Future Math and Science Teacher Scholars Program 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 17 in the quad in front of Building 5. The program website is: www.csueastbay.edu/fmstdsp
By TARA INGRAHAM Staff writer
Q: What do you teach? : “I teach poetry, introducA tion to literature, developmental writing and basic composition English classes here at Ohlone.”
Did you always want to Q:teach English? : “No. I did various jobs A beforehand, including, owning and managing my own
book store for about three years where I sold rare out of print books before it went out of business.” “I was born in Lubbock, Texas. I graduated from Abilene Christian College and went to Harvard for two years, then dropped out. I was tired of school at that point. Then a friend and I bought an auctioned off mail truck and drove it across country. That is when I came to the Bay Area.” “I actually hated English during my school years due to all the grammar. History was my favorite subject.” “My preference for English did not evolve until later on when I took English classes here at Ohlone and found that I liked the themes we discussed. Then I took a career survey and found out that all the things I liked doing involved teaching.”
TAM DUONG / MONITOR
Ohlone College instructor Robert Mitchell elaborates on some of the books in his office at the Fremont campus in March.
you ever gone out in sunshine one moment and : What poetry and books Q:ofHave the country? in a gale within 30 minutes.” Qdo you read? Are there any particular authors you : “My wife and I have been : What is your dream job? like? A to Ireland and Chile. I Q also did a trip through Europe : “My reading tends to be which included Rome, Ven: “Maybe being a travel Aeclectic, but for poems I ice, Verona, Paris, Amsterdam Awriter who makes docu- like works from Mary Oliver, and London.” mentaries or a museum cura- Walt Whitman and e. e. cum“The west coast of Ireland is my favorite spot. It’s rocky with multiple islands including one where monks used to live to get away from civilization. I went up there and saw the stone huts they built and lived in. There are no big cities. They still speak Irish there and it has wild unpredictable weather. You can be
Bone marrow drive arranged By NORIHIRO SASAKI Opinions editor
The Ohlone College Asian Pacific American Student Association will host an event to register potential bone marrow and stem cell donors, having partnered with the Asian American Donor Program. This will take place on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hyman Hall lobby on the Fremont campus. In order to register, donors need to be between 18 and 60 years old and in good health. “In order to register as a donor, you have to remember your Social Security Number and submit some information,” APASA member Nick Alejandrino said. “We will check them and then you will provide a cheek swab sample, which is used to check if there is a patients matching you. That’s all. So the donor registration procedure is so easy. Even if you can’t come to this event, you can register AADP on the Internet by yourself.” If they match a patient, they will be asked to donate bone
marrow or cell. Now, the situation surrounding patients are getting serious. “Shortage of marrow donor is severe, especially for Asian Americans,” said Melanie Cairel, club secretary. “But we need not just Asian American in general but all ethnicities, like Pacific Islander, African-American/ Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American and multiracial backgrounds.” Why has APASA members decided to host this event? Members say they can’t be indifferent to the matter. “My sister has suffered from cancer. Some other members’ relatives, like Melanie’s mom, have also suffered from cancer or other diseases. That’s why we want to help people suffering from diseases,” said Alejandrino. This event will give students opportunities to help patients with life threating diseases. “Just as person, you can make big difference. It is a really big chance to save people,” Alejandrino said.
tor. I want to able to continuously learn new things and share that knowledge with others.” “I also thought about becoming a librarian at one point, but there is not enough interaction with people. More than anything, I would say the book store from before would be good.”
mings. My favorite book author is Hermann Hesse. I see poetry as a way of keeping my mind sharp and making myself open to different perspectives. I gravitate towards themes that relate to the difficulties of life. I have read non-fiction books about the second half of life including Dorothy Allison’s “Bastard out of Carolina.”
Ohlone descendant dies at age 87
COURTESY OF / GERALD MOONEY
Felipe Galvan, also known as Phil, died on March 25 at 87 years old. Galvan suggested that the college be named Ohlone in 1967 and over the years he kept close relations. Galvan along with other members of his family established the Ohlone Indian Tribe, Inc. in order to preserve the Ohlone Indian Cemetery. Ohlone College continues to be the only community college named after an Indian tribe in the United States.
NEWS
April 4, 2013 monitor 3
ohlone college
monitor Editor-in-Chief: Ashley Lam Senior editor: Manika Casterline News editor: Louis Laventure Features editor: Manika Casterline Sports editor: Louis Laventure Opinions editor: Norihiro Sasaki Online editor: Joshua Mobley
Monitor Staff: Frankie Addiego Michael Delahoussaye Tam Duong Celia Freire Tara Ingraham Adviser: Jeanie R. Wakeland JACC NorCal Student President: Manika A. Casterline Printer: FP Press
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Journalism Association of Community Colleges
JACC AWARDS Mail in winners Enterprise news writing News writing Sports game writing Feature photo Editorial cartoon On the spot winners News writing Opinion writing Copy editing Contact us: Offices: Room 5310 Call: 510.659.6075 E-mail: monitor@ohlone.edu Read: http://www.facebook.com/ Ohlone.Monitor www.ohlonemonitor.wordpress. com
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.
Ohlone radio KOHL turns up the music By MICHAEL DELAHOUSSAYE Staff writer
If radio broadcasting is a passion, then a broadcasting class could be a gateway to a career. As Tomas Briseno, program director and broadcast instructor at KOHL puts it, “The main goal of the radio programs at Ohlone College is to equip students with a well-rounded skill set and ultimately get them a job in the radio industry.” More than 100 students have gone on to get jobs in the radio industry, said Briseno. Past students have gotten jobs in radio from Sacramento all the way to Dallas, with certain ones reaching greater success than others. Some students wound up in syndication and have their own radio shows, he said. Putting on a broadcast at KOHL is more than just talking into a microphone; it’s an intricate process. “Timing is everything,” Briseno said.
When doing a broadcast, DJs have to hit their breaks on time as well as the top and bottom of the hour. DJs also have to keep a transmitter log as well as a program log to make sure they have done everything they need for the broadcast. They also keep an Emergency Alert System log for any incoming EAS announcement they have to make. To make sure students are ready to go live on-air, they have a practice studio. The practice studio is exactly the same as the on-air studio, so the students will be able to transfer fluidly between studios. When it comes to putting on a live broadcast, Briseno said. “It is more work than you would have thought.” When it comes to being a DJ, the voice isn’t the primary concern. At KOHL students don’t have to be afraid they will accidentally stumble on a few words during a broadcast. “If you stumble on some words it’s OK, you’re only human. Just try to recover grace-
MICHAEL DELAHOUSSAYE / MONITOR
Above: DJ Jonathan Cohoon gears up for another on campus broadcast. Below: Cohoon takes a breather before his intro.
fully and move on like it never happened,” said Briseno. The primary goal of a broadcast is to entertain the listeners. At KOHL, they would rather the on-air talent be relatable and know what they’re doing, than have a great radio voice and be clueless. “The thing that makes any business successful is consistency,” he said. “When you go to a place like Burger King, it’s the same menu almost everywhere in the world. If you don’t have consistency, you may fail.”
Consistency is one thing that KOHL has down pat. They have been putting out broadcasts since 1974 and continue to do so every day. The station streams live all over the world on a daily basis. The staff’s goal is to turn a college radio station from a liability into a legitimate radio station, said Briseno. “We don’t run this as a hangout for radio students. We run this as a business,” he said.
Campus security gears up for possible attacks Continued from Page 1
during the upcoming campus remodel, but Osawa said that it is unclear how helpful that would be. Ohlone already has 58 cameras in place on the Fremont campus, but lacks the officers to monitor them due to budget costs. “Cameras help if people report a crime, but nobody should rely on them as their main source of security,” he said. “A camera is simply a tool. The person sitting behind it would not really be able to do anything.” Osawa suggests improving safety at Ohlone by arming its campus security officers in order to better prevent delays in violent situations. The idea has been shot down over the years by students and staff, said Osawa. “Some people believe that
it might interfere with the educational environment,” he said, “but most of the community colleges in California along with all the state colleges and universities have armed police departments. Even most elementary, junior and high schools today have an armed resource officer.” At the moment, the department’s only weapons are batons and pepper spray, which requires a fairly close distance to a perpetrator. Due to potential threat for their own lives, the current security department is not allowed to engage any hostile figures. “We have to depend upon local law enforcement who are not going to be as familiar with the campus as we are,” Osawa said. “They will need to take time to prepare for any action they will need to take.”
This means that there will be a time delay that could last up to 10 minutes. This could mean the difference between life and death for a victim. “Arming the security is like having insurance,” said Osawa, but a big issue is the cost for the weapons and training along with possible liability costs for the college. Shairon Zindshiem, head of the Human Resources Department said the AlertU program would inform students, staff and faculty through texts. “During any emergency situations, students will be texted through the AlertU system that is sent out by the security staff. All students should be signed up for it and we are trying to get all the staff signed up as well,” she said. “It is not a requirement, which is unfortunate because
those who do not have it are in danger of having no forewarning if something occurs.” Information for AlertU is available in the class schedule, catalog, posted around campus and is on the campus police website. The AlertU mobile alert emergency notification system is easily accessible. Students just go to the www. ohlone.edu home website, click on faculty and staff and scroll down to Campus Police Services. Once on the police site, look under Emergency Procedures and Information and it will say AlertU: Mobile Phone Alert. Click on the link to sign up for AlertU. Zingsheim said Osawa sends out a text every semester to make sure that the system is working.
4 monitor April 4, 2013
FEATURES
As long as I got my suit and tie By MANIKA CASTERLINE Senior editor
As a professor of mathematics, Geoff Hirsch is all about the numbers. It should come as no surprise that the collection he is known for by students, faculty and administration certainly adds up. Hirsch estimates that he owns over 900 ties. His collection really started in the summer of 1987, he said, when he told his class that he only owns boring ties. From that point onward, his identity became tied to ties. Several years ago, Hirsch and his wife were on vacation in Cabo San Lucas when he received a call from the front desk asking him if he was the “tie guy”. Hirsch said that he was, but was curious if his reputation preceded him. The hotel employee had found a lost tie embroidered with the words “Hirsch” and “tie guy” on it. Hirsch’s earliest memory of having to wear a tie was donning a basic black one as a kid for formal functions. To this day, Hirsch does not count a single plain black tie within his diverse collection – although he does own ones that primarily features that color such as his Beatles tie and a Star Wars tie. Once Hirsch entered the world of having a job, his ideology of keeping it simple became knotted through his admiration of a co-worker’s impressive craftsmanship. His co-worker tied his tie in a Windsor knot as opposed to Hirsch’s haphazard way. From him, Hirsch learned how to tie a tie. Hirsch continues to only know how to tie his tie Windsor style. “I started off with 20 or so conservative ties,” Hirsch said of his expansive collection, which snuggly tucks into 12 boxes and spans the accumulation rate reaching TAM DUONG/ MONITOR slightly over two decades. Professor Hirsch shows his tie of The Beatles, which he considers as one of his more interesting in his diverse collection. Almost 26 years later, Hirsch’s favorite ties have two things in common: delivery and creativity. His students have run the gamut in both. For example, the tie that was placed inside a cake or the ‘crowd’ one that was inside a box of Cracker Jacks with a ball, dice and empty peanut shells reflecting the lyrics of the classic baseball game song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” “I hope that they be donated to the Smithsonian Tie-ceratops ‘At any rate’ Keep on truckin’ Unconventional when I am gone,” Hirsch Hirsch takes ownership that he The tie-ceratops is a paper A Tonka truck tie was a special Fashion made from unconven- said. A portion of Hirsch’s uses the phrase, “at any rate” a mache pinata. Once open re- delivery to Hirsch. It rolled in tional materials is not just for lot in class. One of his students veals three ties including the on model of yellow “Thunder “Project Runway.” Hirsch owns tie collection is currently on tallied how many times it was one knotted around the spiked Runner” vehicle as well as sev- ties made from duct tape, glass display at the Ohlone Coleral other ties. uttered it in a semester. creature. and a bike tire. lege library.
All in the creativity and delivery
FEATURES
SIZZLING BAY AREA FAVORITE
Photo essay // Manika Casterline // Senior editor
“Just a Burger? Just a burger. Robin, it’s so much more than “just a burger.” I mean...that first bite—oh, what heaven that first bite is... This is no mere sandwich of grilled meat and toasted bread, Robin. This is God, speaking to us in food.” - How I Met Your Mother In the popular television show, the character Marshall Eriksen is in pursuit of the best burger in New York City. While the West Coast may not have the fictional clientle, we can boast of our very own
greasy spoon, Val’s Burgers Hayward. The restaurant epitomizes 1950s diner culture with booth seating and a close-knit sense of community. It is the type of place where employees truly know their patrons and have customers who come back year after year for the quality of the food instead of going to a chain burger joint. Laura Iarussi from Walnut Creek has been to Val’s twice in the last 12 years. On her return to Val’s on April 3 she asked her waitress for input
before ordering a BLT. “We were looking for a really great hamburger place and last week. We went to a place the TripAdvisor recommended in Concord. It was terrible and all of a sudden the lightbulb went off,” Iarussi said. Iarussi said, “It is nice to know that when you show up after a number years and the restaurant is exactly what you remembered.” Val’s Burgers is on 2115 Kelly St. in Hayward. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Above: Burgers at Val’s come in three sizes: the baby (pictured), the mama and the papa. Condiments such as Swiss cheese and tomato are considered as extras. Right: The thin mint milkshake is made from Andes Creme de Menthe Mints and aims to taste like the Girl Scout Cookies for which it is named.
April 4, 2013 monitor 5
OPINIONS
6 monitor April 4, 2013
Passing genetically modified food law is wrong By JOSHUA MOBLEY Online editor
President Obama signed a controversial law on March 26 that has food activists in an uproar. HR-933 or the socalled “Monsanto Protection Act” contains a provision that protects genetically modified food companies from the judicial process. The Monsanto Company is most famous for its genetically modified food production and its monopoly on the corn industry. Even worse, the bill was written by Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican whose highest campaign donor was no other than Monsanto. While the bill would only be in effect for six months, its passage ensures that a similar and permanent law could be passed in the future. The bill protects companies such as Monsanto from be-
ing sued in case genetically modified foods are found to be harmful to health. The problem is that studies are starting to be released that link diseases and disorders to genetically modified foods. Last year, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine successfully linked genetically modified foods to “immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.” If people are diagnosed with a disease that can be successfully linked to GMO foods, they would be unable to take legal action against Monsanto or any other food company like that. Some argue that not enough studies have been done on genetically modified foods to say whether or not they are harmful to people’s health, but this law ensures that if there ever
‘‘ The act open up the floodgates for the planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, endangering farmers, citizens and the environment’’ --Food Democracy
was conclusive evidence, consumers wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Advocate group Food Democracy stated on its website; “This dangerous provision, the Monsanto Protection Act, strips judges of their constitutional mandate to protect consumer and farmer rights and the environment, while opening up the floodgates for the planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, endangering farmers, citi-
FRANKIE ADDIEGO / MONITOR
zens and the environment.” Food Democracy created a petition that has more than 250,000 signatures asking President Obama to veto the bill. The fact that the president signed this bill at all is incredible. He has paved the way for huge companies such as Mon-
santo to do whatever it wants to our food and not have to pay the price for it. This law should never have been passed. It favors corporations over the well being of the American people and bars them from possibly taking the corporations to court.
Letter to Editor >>> Public information officer disputes cafeteria story Dear Editor: In an effort to provide the Ohlone community an accurate understanding of the reasons behind the conditional pass given to the campus cafeteria, which was inaccurately represented in the March 14 edition of the Monitor. On Feb. 22, the college had scheduled maintenance on the water temperature regulators and installation of new kitchen equipment. The time was deliberately chosen because it was a slow period for food service, so kitchen workers would not be doing food preparation while the equipment was taken apart. Yet, the repair work was taking place during regular operation hours. This would not have been a problem except that an inspector from the [Alameda County Department of Environmental Health] showed up for a surprise inspection, something inspectors can do at any time. Because the repair work being done in the kitchen was during regular food service hours, the inspector can and did score the kitchen as though food was being prepared and served under those operating conditions, whether or not the workers were actually preparing food. During the inspection, the inspector deducted points because the kitchen staff could not reheat anything (4 points), regulate hot temperatures (4 points), or cold temperatures (2 points) because of main-
tenance being done on the temperature regulators. The food preparation surfaces were currently covered with tools for the repair and installation work, so the kitchen was docked for not properly cleaning the food prep surfaces (4 points). Points were also deducted for staff not cleaning up properly (4 points), which was again due to the repair work taking place, as no cleaning or food preparation was taking place at the time. To get a green pass on an inspection from the county, a facility must have 20 or fewer points deducted from the possible total of 100. The number of points deducted on the inspection dated Feb. 22 was 25, 18 of which resulted from the maintenance and installation work scheduled for that date, leaving only 7 points deducted (all of which are elaborated in the March 14 Monitor story). With only a 7-point deduction on the inspection, the cafeteria would have received a green pass. To imply that unsafe health practices exist in the cafeteria is unfair to our food contractor Fresh and Natural, especially considering that it was the college that scheduled and conducted the work on that day to upgrade and maintain the equipment while the kitchen was still operating. Patrice Birkedahl Public information officer Director, College Advancement
Campus Comment >>> If you donated your bone marrow to any celebrity, who would it be?
Martin Nunez PSYCHOLOGY “Mark Wahlberg because I identify with him a lot more and the characters he plays more than other actors.”
Julie Hawkins DEAF STUDIES “The only person I would give my bone marrow to is my daughter, Alaha.”
Eddie Fanene FINANCE “I would choose Taylor Swift because I love everything about her and I would love being able to tell people that she had my bone marrow.”
Stephanie Alipio ENGINEERING “Martin Freeman from the ‘Hobbit’ because he is an excellent actor and I would feel bummed to see him die if he needed my bone marrow.”
Jerry Garcia NURSING “Probably J. R. R. Tolkien because he was a brilliant writer who created ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series.”
SPORTS
7 monitor April 4, 2013
Lady Renegades still in the playoff hunt
TAM DUONG / MONITOR
Ohlone College Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Roberts celebrates a close win over Solano College with Lady Renegade Ariana Marquez on Saturday in Fremont. By LOUIS LAVENTURE Sports editor
The Lady Renegades softball team hopes to make a push for this years playoffs late in the season. Their playoff hopes got a huge lift on Tuesday when they defeated West Valley College 4-3 in Fremont. West Valley was ranked seventh in Northern California at the time of the game, which gives Ohlone a huge confidence boost. Coach Donna Runyon took notice of her team’s recent tough victories. “We are playing really good teams and beating them,” Runyon said. “Tough games that we are finding ways to win.” Ohlone is now 16-17 overall and 5-7 in conference play with just six games remaining in the regular season. Alyssa Castillo was stellar for the Lady Renegades earning her ninth victory of the season. “We worked so hard on conditioning I know she can go the distance,” Runyon said. Alyssa Raguini has been solid at the plate and in the field this season for Ohlone. She took note of the success.
‘We are playing really good teams and beating them. Tough games that we are finding a way to win.’ --Coach Donna Runyon
“Against Solano College we had to work on run downs and our bunts because they were a quick team,” Raguini said. “They were good.” Adriana Segovia had a great game for Ohlone against West Valley College, collecting two doubles in three at-bats and driving in two of the Lady Renegade runs. Alyssa Castillo went the distance for the Lady Renegades, only allowing six hits and three runs on the day. Castillo has been stellar for Ohlone all year long, improving her record to 9-9 on the season. However, the record doesn’t always indicate the effectiveness of a player, especially in the case of Castillo.
“Her record just does not show how good she has been this year,” Runyon said. “She wants the ball in her hand.” Coach Runyon has gotten the most out of her talented Lady Renegade squad this year, just like she does every year. Team captain and Academic All-American Mackenzie Bush spoke about Runyon’s coaching prowess earlier in the season. “Coach Runyon is great. She just knows what to say when I need to hear it,” Bush said. “I really love playing for her.” The Lady Renegades have a tough road ahead of them if they plan to make the postseason and make a deep run in the playoffs. All six of Ohlone’s final remaining regular season games are against conference foes, which will go a long way in determining who makes it as well as seeding. Their next game is today against the City College of San Francisco at the Fremont campus at 3 p.m. On Saturday, they take on TAM DUONG / MONITOR De Anza College at 3 p.m. Ohlone slugger Alyssa Raguini watches a high pitch go by They return home on April 9 to against Solano College on Saturday in Fremont in a 4-3 conface Chabot College at 3 p.m. ference victory for the Ohlone College softball team.
Pair of Ohlone College softball players receive 3CFCA awards By LOUIS LAVENTURE Sports editor
Two Ohlone College softball players received awards last month for their outstanding play. Pitcher Alyssa Castillo received the Northern California Pitcher of the Week award in March for two phenomenal outings. Castillo defeated the No. 1 ranked team in the state, TAM DUONG / MONITOR College of San Mateo, and also Lady Renegade Sarita Leon
the fourth ranked College of the Sequoias. “She wants the ball and doesn’t shy away from pitching,” coach Donna Runyon said. “I trust her to go seven innings.” Sarita Leon also received a prestigious honor of being named the Northern California Player of the Week by coaches in the California Community College FastTAM DUONG / MONITOR pitch Coaches Association, Ohlone pitcher Alyssa Castillo or 3CFCA.
Leon had an amazing week, amassing a batting average of over .800 and collecting 15 hits in 18 plate appearances. Leon hit for the rare cycle in the March Madness tournament in Fremont. “Sarita hits everyday of the week and her work ethic is unbelievable,” Runyon said. “She leads our team in runs batted in and as a freshman it is really nice. Usually sophomores lead that catergory. It is nice.”
SPORTS
8 monitor April 4, 2013
Renegades baseball making push for playoffs By LOUIS LAVENTURE Sports editor
With just nine games remaining before the playoffs, the Ohlone College baseball team finds itself in unfamiliar territory. The Renegades lost their last three games, making them 13-14 overall and 8-7 in Pacific Coast Conference play. Ohlone pitcher Jackson Zarubin remained positive about his team’s recent losing streak. “We played our hardest so we can’t get down on ourselves,” Zarubin said. “Just have to move on.” The most recent loss came in Fremont to the visiting De Anza College Dons on Tuesday. Ohlone jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Collin Crowl singled, scoring Jacob DiThomas for the first run of the contest. The Dons were able to come back by scoring a run in the third and fourth innings, making the score 2-1. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ohlone scored twice to take the lead back 3-2. Stephen Zanders smashed a triple to the outfield, scoring Crowl who reached base earlier in the inning. Josh Egan then sacrificeflied out to center field, scoring Zanders for the third run of the game for the Renegades. In the top of the fifth inning, De Anza slugger Gilbert
‘Anytime our team is able to bounce back from being down, especially that deep in the game is a huge upside. Not only the team, but as well as the pitcher’s mentality that inning. Every pitcher in our staff with a tie game on the line is going to go out there with confidence and trust in their pitches, to do what ever it takes to get the offense back up.’
their record. In their last win before the three-game losing streak, the Renegades needed extra inning to hand the Gavilan College Rams a 5-3
--Ohlone College pitcher Daniel Edmondo
Guerra blasted a homerun to put the Dons up for good. De Anza added another run loss in later in the game in the eighth 10 innings of inning to make the final 5-3. play. Renegades standout LJ KaThe game was lawaia took note of Ohlone’s tied 2-2 when the recent struggles but remained ninth inning began. very positive about his team. “Although we fall behind Ohlone was able to during these games, the score take a 3-2 lead in never discourages, but mothe top of the ninth tivates our team,” Kalawaia inning. said. G a r r e t t E v e rhart doubled off the “We never give up. We play hard until the last out of the Gavilan pitcher which game is called and that is scored Sean Goodall to what makes us a championgive the Renegades a ship caliber team.” one-run lead heading Under the direction of Juin to the final inning. lian Russell, the Renegades The Rams were able to are always a championship plate a run of their own in the caliber team regardless of bottom half of the inning off
of relief pitcher Michael Slifer to tie the score at three-a-piece in dramatic fashion. “Gavilan scored a run versus me in the ninth to tie the game but we scored again the next half inning which was great and it showed what our hitters are capable of in tough situations,” Slifer said. “You kind of feel like you let your team down, but our guys picked me up the next half which was a big relief. It was also important as a pitcher to shut them down the next inning which I did.” Shut them down is exactly what reliever Slifer was able to do regaining his composure and closing the tenth inning strong for the Renegades and securing the victory. With just nine games remaining on the schedule and all of them conference games the Renegades will be looking to secure every victory. They want to assure themselves not only a spot in the state playoffs but to obtain as
high a seed as possible. Seeding is very important in the playoffs especially when it comes to the vaunted home field advantage aspect. In the community college playoff system, the higher seed in the contest usually gets the right to host the game. Ohlone will be looking to play as many more home games as they possibly can before the end of the 2013 season. Next up for the Renegades will be another home contest when Cabrillo College comes to Fremont. The first pitch is slated for noon on Saturday. Ohlone was able to defeat Cabrillo College last time the two teams met in Aptos in February. The Renegades bats came alive on the road trip en route to an 8-4 triumph over the home team. Ohlone College will then take its act on the road for two games against College of San Mateo on April 9 at 2:30 p.m. The second game of the road trip is scheduled for April 11 when the Renegades will travel back to Aptos for the rubber match of the regular season series with Gavilan College. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. Ohlone returns home on April 13 to take on Canada College at the Fremont campus at noon in yet another vital Coast Conference contest.
TAM DUONG / MONITOR
Ohlone Renegade catcher Aeryk Hernandez frames a pitch for a strike against Monterey Peninsula College at the Fremont campus in a 5-2 conference victory.