THURSDAY
MAY 15, 2014
Vol. XLVII No. 10
Need some travel destination ideas for the summer break? See photos on page 5
POLITICS
State race has college connection
STUDENT PROFILE
Poetry: A business model
SHANNON SORGE News editor
The June 3 primary election for the 25th Assembly District has an Ohlone flavor to it – two of the five candidates have ties to the college. Trustee Teresa Cox has served on the Ohlone College Board of Trustees for nearly six years, and former trustee Bob Brunton served on the board for 12 years. The other candidates in the race are San Jose Councilman Kansen Chu, Milpitas Councilman Armando Gomez, and retired Fremont police chief Craig Steckler. The 25th Assembly District includes southern Fremont, Newark, Milpitas, Santa Clara and part of San Jose. Under California’s openprimary system, all candidates for statewide offices, regardless of party affiliation, will appear on a single ballot, and voters can choose a candidate from any political party. The two candidates who garner the highest number of votes in the June primary will qualify for the Nov. 4 general election. Brunton, a Republican, said he decided to run because he wants to make a positive change for students’ future. “I really feel our state government is failing us; our state government is hurting Continued on Page 3
FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM
TRUSTEES
Board appoints member Ishan Shah chosen to replace Kevin Bristow MONITOR STAFF
groups was poetry,” Bartolome said. “That was really the first time I was sort of formally introduced to poetry.” Her older sister Joanna Bartolome always noticed her younger sister’s love for the arts. “She has always been very creative and in tune with her feelings,” Joanna Bartolome said. “Marjorie expresses herself in artistic ways, like painting and writing in a journal.” As she has gotten older and more accustomed to
The Ohlone College Board of Trustees on Wednesday night appointed Ishan Shah to serve on the board until the November election. Shah will replace former trustee Kevin Bristow, who stepped down in March after he got a new job outside the district. Shah was appointed to fill the vacant seat following two rounds of voting that ended with him narrowly edging out candidates Steven Chan and Rakesh Sharma on the final ballot. “I ran in 2010 for the same office, and it feels like I have been campaigning ever since,” Shah said. “This is a lot of hard work paying off in a big way.” The five candidates – Shah, Chan, Sharma, Donald Jedlovec and Taha Champsi – were ranked in order of preference, and the totals were added up. The first round of voting narrowed the field to three, and in the second round Shah obtained 14 points, while Chan and Sharma each received 11.
Continued on Page 3
Continued on Page 2
RYAN PARCHER / MONITOR
Ohlone College student Marjorie Bartolome writes poetry near the pond on the Fremont campus.
LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief When you think of an awakening, poetry usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, Ohlone College student Marjorie Bartolome has taken it upon herself to make sure that poetry is awakened and becomes alive again – not just in our community, but everywhere. Earlier this month, Bartolome filed paperwork to get a business license for her new venture, Poetic Awakening. The mission statement for the business is, “To enlighten the souls of artists, poets, listeners alike through poetic expression. I want to have events at art galleries and coffee shops where people
SRUTHIE KONDAMOORI / MONITOR
can socialize, perform and network with one another.” Poetry and performing have been a part of Bartolome’s life for years. “My sister was into drawing,” she said. “My dad was a construction worker, but he did a lot of drawing and my aunt liked to paint. Ever since I was younger, I always leaned toward the arts. It was a good way to release and express anything in me.” Bartolome did just that and let it all out, performing for the first time at age 13. “It was a winter church camp and one of the interest
MEASURE G
Browning: Ohlone still great, despite construction LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief Whether you’re a new or returning student this fall, you’ll have a new Ohlone experience to look forward to. With demolition and construction already under way, the installation of portables next to Hyman Hall last week was a clear indication of what is to come. Yet Ohlone College President Gari Browning sees a lot of upside for students and faculty. “Is it going to be a little noisy, messy and dusty? Yeah, probably,” she said. “Everything that has made this school great is not going
anywhere. Sure, relocated, but nothing is leaving.” Browning was referring to many of the prestigious and award-winning programs that the school has to offer. “I do not think that this should discourage anybody from coming here,” she said. “Ohlone is a great school and is continually improving.” Student Kim Sue disagreed, though. “I do not like the idea of the college being under construction while I am here,” Sue said. “Is it going to be loud?” The Measure G initiative and all of the demolition and construction that come along with it are scheduled
to be completed in 2018, creating more than four years of unrest on the Fremont campus. Being college president keeps Browning busy, but between Measure G and the impending frontage property development deal, things have been hectic in a really good way. “We really do not want to depend on the state of California for funding, especially in bad economic times,” Browning said. “The main factor in pushing the frontage deal forward was to become a self-sustaining institution, like many others Continued on Page 3
RYAN PARCHER / MONITOR
Workers install portable buildings near Hyman Hall last week.
2
NEWS
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
Ohlone HAPPY SUMMER BREAK FROM THE MONITOR hires new full-time faculty STAFF PHOTO
MONITOR STAFF Ohlone College has hired a new associate dean of Deaf Studies and filled four full-time faculty positions. Darline Gunsauls, who has a bachelor’s degree in child development and a master’s degree in education, will be the new associate dean of Deaf Studies. Gunsauls has been an American Sign Language professor at American River College since 2003, and department chair since 2009. Shyam Sundar will be the new faculty member in anatomy and physiology. Sundar, who has a bachelor’s degree in chemical biology and a doctorate in endocrinology, has taught as an adjunct at the College of Alameda since 2007, and was an Ohlone adjunct faculty member in 2012. Jennifer Jovel, who has been a full-time counselor at Mission College since 2012, will be the new faculty member in sociology. Jovel, who has a master’s degree and a doctorate in sociology and sociology of education, worked as an Ohlone adjunct from 2006 to 2012. Larissa Favela will be the new faculty member in speech and communications. Favela, who has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech and communications, has been an Ohlone adjunct since 2006 and also has worked at De Anza College. Finally, Michael Navarra has been hired as the new faculty member in theatre arts. Navarra, who has a bachelor’s degree in drama and a master’s degree in acting, has worked here as an adjunct since 2011 and directed award-winning Ohlone plays “Dog Sees God” and “Jesus Christ Super Star.” The new hires bring the number of full-time faculty at Ohlone to 118 – a figure that is finally on the rise after years of budget cuts. “We are actually beginning to restore our fulltime faculty contingency rather than simply halting the decline,” college President Gari Browning said during her State of the College speech in January.
NEWS BITES Speech series concludes
Rae Ann Ianniello will speak about the “Power of Storytelling” during the final installment of the Speech Colloquium Series on the Fremont campus on Friday. Ianniello has been a trainer and consultant as well as one of the instructors in the Speech and Communication Studies Department. The free event will be from 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 3102.
Job fair in Newark Ohlone College and the Tri-Cities One-Stop Career Center will present a free job fair May 28 at the Newark Center. Students can meet employers, explore career options, network and learn about job opportunities at the fair, which will be from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Employers are recruiting for positions in a variety of fields, including biotech, health care, information technology, manufacturing, media, retail, staffing agencies, logistics and security. For a list of employers and other resources, go to www.tricitiesonestop.com
Forensics students win
TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR
Front row, seated, from left: Sruthie Kondamoori and Erika Heredia. Middle row, from left: Tam Duong Jr., Alizaib Lodhi and Shannon Sorge. Back row, from left: Adviser Rob Dennis, Ryan Parcher and Editor-in-chief Louis LaVenture. Not pictured: Hung Nguyen and Magdalena Jurys.
Shah appointed to board Continued from Page 1 “Congratulations to our newest member Ishan Shah,” board President Garrett Yee said following the appointment. “We all look forward to working together.” The 22-year-old Shah may be a lot younger than the other candidates, but he has ample qualifications. A former Ohlone College and University of Southern California student, Shah ran and lost the election for a seat on the Ohlone board in 2010. Shah was a commissioner of student aid for the state of California from 2011 to 2013, and he also served as education policy coordinator for
the SiliconValley Leadership Group in 2012. “I have really worked hard to get here,” Shah said. “All of the networking and communicating I have done has helped get me here and I
can’t wait to start.” The college only had a 60-day window to fill the vacancy once it was declared in March; the deadline to apply for the position was April 16.
LOUIS LAVENTURE / MONITOR
Ishan Shah, center, speaks to other candidates and trustees Wednesday night after he was appointed to the board until November.
Four Ohlone students won awards Saturday at the Northern California Forensics Association Spring Fling Speech Tournament. In the dramatic interpretation category, Jasica Gill won first place and Kim Yee finished second. In the poetry interpretation category, Jennifer Chang finished in second place and Joanne Nguyen finished sixth.
OFK seeks site monitors Ohlone for Kids and Teens is seeking students to work as Site Monitors for the Summer Enrichment Program. The site monitor will help ensure the smooth running of student activities on campus, and interact with parents and community members. Ohlone for Kids will offer classes to children in grades 4 through 11, from June 23 through July 31. For more information, go to www. ohloneforkids.com. Applicants should email their resumes to ofk@ ohlone.edu. – Compiled by Monitor staff
NEWS
OHLONE COLLEGE
MONITOR STAFF: Editor-in-Chief: Louis LaVenture News editor: Shannon Sorge Features editor: Louis LaVenture Sports editor: Louis LaVenture Opinions editor: Louis LaVenture Photo editor: Tam Duong Jr. Online editor: Shannon Sorge Advertising coordinator: Sujin Park Monitor Staff: Erika Heredia Magdalena Jurys Sruthie Kondamoori Alizaib Lodhi Hung Ngyuen Ryan Parcher Adviser: Rob Dennis Printer: FP Press
California Newspaper Publishers Association
Journalism Association of Community Colleges
General Excellence Fall 1994 Fall 2000 Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2013 Spring 2014
CONTACT US: Offices: Room 5310 Call: 510.659.6075 E-mail: monitor@ohlone. edu Read: facebook.com/ Ohlone.Monitor www.ohlonemonitor.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.
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
3
Student launches poetry business Continued from Page 1 the world of poetry, Bartolome’s style has changed and become her own. Love and issues that revolve around women are very prevalent in work like “The Kiss,” where she says, “I am searching for meaning and I find it in you.” High school is when Bartolome began heavily attending shows and openmicrophone events. She became not only an audience member, but also a frequent performer. “I love the vibes,” Bartolome said. “When people are listening to my story and the vulnerability of me telling my truth, it is an amazing thing.” As Bartolome has grown, so has her style, evolving into spoken word experiences such as The Virgin’s Blink, which she performed at the Ohlone College Poetry Day last spring. “Never have I ever felt like this, like this world is built for two, where good things come in threes and when you multiply by four the score is always even.” Her style and ambition have led her to this path of attempting to create a oneof-a-kind business, which Bartolome hopes can grow into a successful enterprise. “In my wildest dreams I would love for it to turn into Def Jam,” Bartolome said. “A place where people can go drink coffee and enjoy the atmosphere.” Bartolome was referring to the HBO series Def Comedy Jam, which later spawned a spinoff entitled Def Poetry Jam showcasing the top poets in the world
RYAN PARCHER / MONITOR
Above: Marjorie Bartolome reads some of the poetry that she’s written near the pond on the Fremont campus. Right: Bartolome shows the paperwork she filed with Alameda County to launch her business, Poetic Awakening. Bartolome wants her new business to “enlighten the souls of artists, poets, listeners alike through poetic expression.” in a raucous environment. Bartolome, a James Logan High School graduate, has always stood out in the crowd wherever she was. High school classmate Fatema Sarwari shared some of her early memories about Bartolome’s passion. “She is very talented and unique, always has been
Construction shouldn’t discourage students, college officials say Continued from Page 1 have done.” The income generated from leasing the frontage property will go toward helping the school reach their goal of becoming selfsustaining and less dependent on the state to fund the school. Board President Garrett Yee had nothing but positive things to say about all of the changes comingOhlone’sway. “Measure G and the frontage deal are both great things, not only for the school and the campus, but the community as well,” Yee said. “Dr. Browning has been an instrumental driving force behind all of these changes.” While many physical and aesthetic changes are im-
minent, the structure of Ohlone College that has made it what it is will not be changing at all, to the delight of some students. “I love all of the classes I have taken here,” Thomas McKenzie said. “Hopefully, a new school doesn’t change all of the inner workings of Ohlone. I mean, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?”
Monitor on break This is the last edition of the Monitor for the semester. Have a great summer, and we’ll see you in the fall.
unique,” Sarwari said. “Marjorie always has a great insight on life. Her perspective is intriguing. Her poetry and artistic work really inspires people and is easy to connect to.” Poetic Awakening is not just a business for Bartolome – it is also her passion that she hopes can become
something bigger than she ever imagined. “I want to do workshops and teach people about poetry, with great artists running them,” Bartolome said. “This isn’t just a business for me. It really is something that I am passionate about and that I want to succeed.”
4
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
On the Road with MITCHELL WALTHER
NEWS
Assembly race has Ohlone ties Continued from Page 1
Summer of adventure There’s this stigma with Americans that we go big or go home. For the most part this is pretty true, especially when it comes to our goals in life. We need to be the biggest Boss, have the biggest house, the best car. Basically, we need to be better than everyone else. We tend to pursue the wrong things, things that require we push someone down to get to. The ability to be content has been lost, and it also seems that adventure’s spirit has been quelled as well. We have a whole wide world to explore, and Americans, if anyone, should be salivating at the chances of venturing out there. They don’t have to be dangerous, either. I was at a coffee shop the other day. Now, normally I get cup of black iced coffee, especially considering how hot it has been lately. But that day the girl behind the register talked me into trying a French soda. It was fantastic. We chatted for a while, and then some old high school friends happened to walk in and we all caught up for a couple hours. This was a simple experience, no risk was taken, but that encounter set the mood for the entire week for me. It was great. I guess in the end the only thing I’m really trying to say is, don’t always try to be the big fish; the smaller fish really gets to see the details of its home. The sooner you realize how much bigger the pond is than you, the sooner you can be happy where you are. Take a chance this summer to let the details be what drives you forward each day. There’s no downside to letting ambition take a vacation. Forget trying to force life, don’t forego the little things, and always keep an eye out for adventure.
students’ future,” Brunton said, adding that politicians are spending way too much time dealing with the smaller issues instead of the larger ones. “It’s time to just start really dealing with issues.” Cox, a Democrat, also said education is one of her top campaign issues. “As an Assemblyperson, I want to help to improve education, small business opportunities, and create jobs for pay equity, working conditions and benefits for working people around the state of California,” she said. “I want to turn my hightech, education and health wellness experiences into results for our district.” Brunton said his top three campaign issues are to grow the economy, to improve the educational system, and restore trust in government. “We need to stop a lot of the bickering and start working on a solution,” he said. “I understand how tough it is to do business here.” Cox, for her part, said her top priorities are education equity, gender equity – battling for women – and creating jobs through small business initiatives.
WE NEED GREAT SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA - TERESA COX
IT’S TIME TO REALLY JUST START DEALING WITH THE ISSUES - BOB BRUNTON
“We need great schools in California to produce a well-educated workforce to support good paying jobs and help turn our economy around,” said Cox. She added that the state must stop budget cuts to education, which should be its top priority. “Make education more
affordable for all students to live the American Dream,” she said. Cox in November 2008 succeeded in her bid to replace Brunton on the Ohlone board, after some trustees said Brunton was to blame for an accreditation report that criticized the board for trying to micro-manage the
college’s affairs. “The ability of working with fellow trustees is an important aspect of government,” Brunton said when asked what he’d learned from the controversy. “I’ve learned my lesson to let others share in the success of the decisions.” Both candidates said their prior experience on the Ohlone board has prepared them well for the Assembly. “We have a very dysfunctional education system,” Brunton said, emphasizing that students are taking too long to graduate, and adults need education as well. “We’re having problems,” he said. “I understand how much money gets wasted by things not going to students.” Cox said her experience as a trustee has given her first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing public education. “In the Assembly, I’ll be a dedicated advocate for improving higher education both statewide and locally,” she said. For more information about Brunton and Cox, go to www.bobbruntonforassembly.com/ and www. electteresacox.com.
FEATURES
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
5
Destinations plentiful for Ohlone students
RYAN PARCHER / MONITOR
With summer break rapidly approaching, students can find themselves without much to do. Here, Monitor staffers illustrate some possible destinations with photos from their own travels, near and far.
TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR
HUNG NGUYEN / MONITOR
Top: A whale disappears beneath the water near Vancouver, Canada, last year. Middle: The sun peeks through the trees in a forest near South Lake Tahoe over the winter break in January. Bottom: Downtown San Francisco is illuminated at night, providing an excellent local travel destination for students looking to get away.
6
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
FEATURES
FEATURES
Global game has local appeal
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
7
RYAN PARCHER / MONITOR
Left: Srihari Dasarathy, a 17-year-old American High School senior, practices bowling during the Cricket Festival at James Leitch Elementary School in Fremont in March. Center: Kavya Joshi, a first-grader at James Leitch Elementary School in Fremont, gets some air as she prepares to throw the ball during a cricket festival at her school in March. Right: Elementary school students get some special cricket instructions during a festival at James Leitch Elementary School in Fremont in March.
Cricket festival at James Leitch Elementary School in Fremont helps to teach, inform community about sport that often lacks support RYAN PARCHER Staff writer Srihari Dasarathy started off at a trot, gaining speed as he went. Nearing the cage and moving fast, he leaped into the air, leaning his torso back so his legs projected out in front of him. Planting his right foot on the fake turf, his other limbs spread-eagled as he rotated his arms as if about to perform a high-speed cartwheel, whipping his right arm around in a wind-
mill motion. He released the cricket ball just above his head level and it went streaking down the cage toward the batter. Dasarathy, a 17-yearold American High School senior, has been playing cricket for seven years. In March, he practiced bowling during a Cricket Festival hosted by the California Cricket Academy. The festival was a free event aimed at increasing interest in the sport, as well as celebrating the new, full-length practice cage constructed at James Leitch Elementary School in Fremont. The cricket practice cage was a collaboration between CCA and Warm Springs Little League. Dasarathy has competed on the national level as a member of the Northwest Regional Team and has visions of representing the United States in the quest for the International Cricket Council World Cup someday. But there are some obstacles between Dasarathy and his dream. For one thing, the U.S.
cricket team needs to climb a few divisions before it can even compete against countries like India, Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. “But we beat Canada,” Dasarathy said enthusiastically. “We are actually pretty good in the Americas.” The other challenge Dasarathy is facing is unique to aspiring cricketers in the U.S. It is a kind of athletic gap, a no-man’s land between youth leagues and the national team. While elite high school baseball players may seek scholarships from hundreds of collegiate athletic programs, Dasarathy won’t have that option as a cricketer. If there is cricket at a college it will probably be more like a club than a school team, he explained. He doesn’t play cricket in hopes of earning a free ride to college on an athletic scholarship. “I guess I just play cricket because I like it,” Dasarathy said, laughing. Vijay Pradhan, the former United States of America Cricket Association youth coordinator for the North-
west Region, has been working to bridge that gap for young cricket players. Cricket is not one of the 23 sports regulated by the NCAA. Because of that, there is no real good place for young cricket players to play after the junior leagues. “The kids see that there is nowhere to go, so they pick another sport,” Pradhan said. Despite the increasing demand and growth of cricket in Fremont and Cupertino, the sport, as a whole, is somewhat bogged down at the national level. USACA is the controlling agency for cricket at the national level. According to an article by Peter Della Penna, a cricket journalist with ESPN, the International Cricket Council has suspended USACA’s membership twice in the last decade due to poor governance. Pradhan’s disgust and frustration with USACA was clear as he described them as “defunct.” Not officially defunct, just effectively defunct. “USACA is poorly man-
aged,” Pradhan said. When it appeared that a change in leadership was likely in an upcoming election, USACA summarily banned 32 member leagues from voting, presumably preserving the status quo. Rather than devoting his energy to navigating the choppy waters of U.S. cricket politics, Pradhan said he would rather just be about cricket. Making good on that sentiment, he has spent his time working with the CCA. The CCA is a local league that started in Cupertino about 10 years ago, and expanded into Fremont four or five years ago. Hemant Buch, a manager at a medical device company in Cupertino, cofounded the CCA, to provide a legitimate venue for youth cricket in the area. Because of USACA’s struggles in recent years, the CCA’s parents and supporters have stepped up to help fill some competitive gaps. The CCA has organized and hosted three national level tournaments. They have also competed in Canada, England and In-
dia to try to bring attention to the legitimacy of cricket in the U.S. The first few years CCA played in India, Pradhan said, India matched up the U.S. team against a “B-team” version of the India team. When the U.S. team won 80 percent of the games, India, one of the most respected cricketing nations, finally paid attention. “They were embarrassed to have to keep reporting U.S. wins over India,” Pradhan said. After that, the U.S. team was matched against the Indian A-team. “We still won 40 percent,” Pradhan said, smiling. The CCA has worked hard to show the best cricketing nations that cricket in the U.S. is worth paying attention to. According to Pradhan, all eight of the cricket regions in the U.S. are at “critical mass.” The demand is there, it’s just a lack of facilities and a competitive path for college-aged players. The players, coaches and parents of CCA have lobbied fiercely to get the facilities they have now. The CCA has
two practice cages and two cricket fields in Cupertino. Most of the CCA league games are played there. CCA also recently acquired the full-length practice cage at James Leitch Elementary. The CCA has two full-time coaches and what appears to be a small army of highly motivated parent volunteers. The limiting factor right now to the growth of cricket in the area, according to Buch, is facilities and coaches. Buch pointed out that a cricket field for under-17level players ideally should encompass at least a 75-meter radius around the pitch. That squares out to roughly 190,200 square feet, or about 17,400 square feet larger than a football field. Such large swathes of land are not going to be cheap or easy to come by. Buch said he would like to see cricket get at least 20 percent of the support that baseball gets from the city of Fremont. Buch said about 25 percent of the population of Fremont comes from cricket-playing cultures. The U.S. Census Bureau
website indicated some support for Buch’s claim, showing a growth in the Indian population of Fremont from 10.2 percent in 2000, to 18.1 percent in 2010. Buch’s request for support may be getting through to the people who can make things happen. Anu Natarajan, a Fremont City Council member, also attended the festival. In a speech that morning, she described the challenges of procuring the new practice cage at James Leitch Elementary. “Ten years ago, when I started on city council, and I’d talk about cricket, their eyes would glaze over,” she said. “Then four years ago there was still this talk about, ‘Oh, we can’t spend the resources for just a small segment of the population.’ ” Natarajan credits the parents as the driving force behind changing the City Council’s perception of cricket. Fremont now has plans for two fields in north Fremont and plans for two more fields in the Auto Mall area. Natarajan explained after her speech that it was
the number of requests to reserve baseball fields at local parks for the use of cricket that first caught the attention of the Parks and Recreation Department of Fremont. Now, according to Natarajan, city officials are beginning to see cricket more as a standard sport, like baseball or soccer. Buch and the CCA have worked hard to generate awareness and appreciation for cricket in the local community. One way the CCA has worked to promote cricket is through the school systems. In the younger grades, despite the smorgasbord of activities that are taught in PE, cricket is rarely even mentioned. Unfortunately for cricket proponents, cricket was never written into the state curriculum for Physical Education in schools (unlike square-dancing). Now, the CCA has sent their coaches to Cupertino Union Schools, to train PE teachers on how to play and teach cricket to their students. The CCA also recently
completed a four-week program, teaching cricket to students at schools in Palo Alto during the lunch period. The CCA focuses as much on refining the quality of the training provided to the kids as they do to promoting cricket in the community. In addition to their two fulltime coaches, they draw from a pool of others who played professional cricket in Pakistan, Australia and India, to run various camps and clinics in the area. The cricket parents seem tremendously active. The excitement at the cricket festival was palpable. The challenges of developing a budding sport have not discouraged them. Instead, they seemed to stiffen their spines and harden their will. In the past 10 years, enrollment in cricket has gone from zero to about 100 kids in Fremont. In that time, one of the eight Little Leagues in Fremont has seen enrollment drop from about 400 to 300 kids. Only time will tell how far this pendulum will swing.
8
OPINIONS
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Response to disappointing opinion, ruling I read with dismay and disappointment today an opinion piece in the Monitor by Alizaib Lodhi in which he praised the recent closely split decision by the United States Supreme Court that the Christian prayers said before town council meetings in New York were not in violation of the United States Constitution. I saddens me to think that Mr. Lodhi, as well as five members of the Supreme Court, might be so ill informed (and/or biased in their thinking) about the founding principles of our country. The very First Amendment that Mr. Lodhi references as protecting his and others’ speech (specifically, prayer) also has within it a section that has come to be known as the Establishment Clause, and is often referred to as providing a “separation of church and state.” Those actual words do not appear in the First Amendment, but anyone reading it can see that it was intended to separate church from state (i.e., government). At its first adoption in 1791, the Establishment Clause only applied nationally, prohibiting the federal government from any involvement in religion. But by 1833, virtually every state in the nation had officially declared their recognition of the importance of separating religion and government by including such a statement in their state constitutions. The Establishment Clause does not prohibit the practice of religion in public
life. As citizens, we are free to hold our religious convictions, to worship as we choose, and also to have no religious beliefs or practices whatsoever. The Founding Fathers’ intention was not to stop religion, but to prohibit our government from favoring one religious view over another, or even from favoring religion over nonreligion In 1802, Thomas Jefferson himself, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, wrote: “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.” Virtually all of the Founding Fathers and others of their time knew very well the tyranny and subjugation that religiously motivated governments are capable of. In our own time, we see this still playing out around the globe. The Sultan of Brunei, an oil-rich country with strong political and economic ties to the United States, recently announced that the public stoning of gays, transgender citizens, adulterers, and others would begin this week under a strict form of Sharia Law. In many countries, women are denied an education based upon Judeo-Christian or Islamic rules that refer to the sins of Eve in the supposed Garden of Eden, and/or because
CAMPUS COMMENT
MAGDALENA JURYS / MONITOR
the Bible tells women to keep silent and to hold no positions of authority (e.g., “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” – 1 Timothy 2:12). At least partly because religions can be interpreted and reinterpreted throughout their existence in human cultures, governments based upon them often breed illogic and danger, as opposed to increasing the freedoms and
safety of their citizens. Town hall gatherings during which governmental business is conducted, City Council meetings, court hearings, and public schools are places in which religion not only has no function, but is specifically prohibited. I can only guess that people who praise this Supreme Court decision imagine that it somehow provides them with a “freedom” that they don’t cur-
rently enjoy. My fear is that some might also imagine their own religion being the dominant one in future governmental decisions, allowing them to live in a society that matches their own beliefs and practices, which is exactly what the Founding Fathers were attempting to escape and avoid.
Sheldon W. Helms Associate professor of psychology
What will you be doing during the summer break? JUSTINE EADS Business
“I am going to go camping as well as work full time” KRIS SCOTT
Business Administration
“Probably working at a sports and fitness camp in Atlanta” KELLY DOYLE
Human Development Studies
“I will take evening or morning classes. But I will be going to school” JEFF PRACHICK JOSE BARAJAS Biology
“Taking some classes and maybe a trip to Mexico to visit my family”
Bio-Chemistry
“I am going to Mexico on a cruise and I will also be working”
FEATURES/OPINION
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
9
‘Two ways’ needed FIRE UP THE BARBIE to keep it together ALIZAIB LODHI Staff writer It’s been said numerous times: If there’s a will, there’s a way. Being a student at both Ohlone and De Anza College, while simultaneously working a part-time security job, I needed two ways. Everyone wants to get to the finish line faster. Some just want to get there. In order to achieve that, you need a plan. You need to know where to start, you need to know where you’re headed, and you need to calculate and navigate everything in between. After completing the majority of my units at Ohlone, I thought it was time for a change, but falling behind in math was my main reason – I attended De Anza to try to get back on track. De Anza is a lot like Ohlone; the only difference is it offers a quarter system for its students – a fast pace. Who wouldn’t like that? The downside for me, being a resident of Hayward, is getting to my 6 p.m. class through Bay Area traffic twice a week. With ever-rising gas prices, the trip took its toll on my wallet. Working a part-time job, racking up 24 hours a
week, with 12-hour shifts each weekend, and being a full-time student isn’t easy. Constantly living on a budget. Trying to be wise with my money is difficult and if I don’t do it right then the chances of me not getting to class is quite high. I could look for another job that makes my life easier, but work and school schedule always tend to conflict. Helpful tips: If you’re planning to take classes at another campus, be sure to track the deadline for registration. Car-pool with a friend who’s willing to take classes at another campus, that way you save time and money. Depend on yourself. College can be a hectic experience, but getting past the exams, essays and projects will allow you to reap the benefits. Remember, you are your No. 1 asset, so lean on others only when you have to. Make wise decisions that affect your surroundings – setting plays a huge role in performance. Find your happy place to study so that personal conflict doesn’t disrupt your education. And never forget that all you have to do is breathe. It’s free, so why not? Just breathe.
COURTESY OF SANDRA PARK
Ohlone students help themselves to some grub at the Ohlone Korean Student Association’s community barbecue at the pond on the Fremont campus on Saturday. About 35 students participated in the barbecue. Twenty percent of proceeds went to the Ohlone Pantry food relief program.
10
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
BASKETBALL
SPORTS
Ohlone hoops moves forward after losing icon Resignation of John Peterson leaves Renegades without a leader; Lady Renegades looking to flourish under tutelage of Julia Allender LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief The departure of legendary men’s basketball coach John Peterson wasn’t just a blow to the basketball program, but to the entire college. “We still don’t have a coach,” Ryo Tawatari said. “It is a little weird but it’s OK.” Ohlone has yet to hire a replacement for Peterson, and Athletic Director Chris Warden said the school is considering “several candidates for the coaching vacancy.” The Lady Renegades avoided this drama last season when they managed to lure back Julia Allender from the grips of Holy Names University in Oakland, where she was set to go. After both teams made the postseason in January, the programs will be looking to build off those successes in the upcoming season. For now both teams will have the summer break to reload.
TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR
Forward Marcelus Clay blocks a shot during an opening-round playoff victory over College of the Sequoias in February in Fremont.
SOFTBALL
SPORTS
11
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
Lady Renegades fall in second round
Got Me Feeling Some Type of Way with LOUIS LAVENTURE
Drafting Excellence
After defeating Gavilan College in first round, Lady Renegades lose both secondround games LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief The Ohlone College softball team lost in the second round of the playoffs over the weekend, 9-0 to host team College of San Mateo and 12-7 to Sacramento City College. The Lady Renegades finish the season with a 28-14 overall record and a 13-5 Coast Conference record. “I was excited to see our team’s performance in the first round of regionals,” coach Donna Runyon said. “It was the biggest upset in the state and I am proud of their effort all year, especially putting it all together for the playoffs.” Runyon and the Lady Renegades will have a wealth of talent back next season, with just three players listed as sophomores, potentially returning 13 of 16 players to next year’s squad. “Knowing that we had such a young team, the experience of two rounds of regional play could only help us gain that valuable experience going into next year,” Runyon said. “I am excited about the returning players getting better and mentoring the new recruits coming in for the next year.”
TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR
Top: The Lady Renegades celebrate a strikeout during a home game in March. Middle: Alyssa Raguini makes contact during a home game in March. Bottom: Ohlone College softball players enjoy some laughs following a conference victory in Fremont in March.
For the first time in a while, the Oakland Raiders had a good draft. They avoided the dangling bait in the form of Johnny Manziel and went with the “sure thing” defensive prospect Khalil Mack from Buffalo with the No. 5 overall selection in the National Football League draft on May 8. Many Raiders fans were clamoring for the Heisman Trophy Winner Johnny Football to don the silver and black, yet it wouldn’t have been right. Manziel had more question marks and offthe-field issues surrounding him than most other draft picks, which was a great reason not to draft the Texas A&M standout. While many fans would have been a lot happier landing the likes of Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins, Mack is just what the doctor ordered. A stalwart defender that Oakland can plug in on defense for the next 10 years and watch the championships roll in. Well, that is the hope anyway, yet many experts like former Raiders coach Jon Gruden disagree with the evaluation of Manziel. “I mean, if I had the first pick in the draft, it would be a no-brainer: Manziel. He is the best player in this draft class,” Gruden said. While many Raiders fans are upset that Oakland didn’t nab the college gunslinger to cement the quarterback position, the majority are excited about the direction of the team. Solidifying the defense while still getting a quarterback in the second round – Derek Carr, brother of former No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans, David Carr – were huge priorities that were both addressed. Several huge-name free-agent acquisitions during the off-season, combined with a draft that has been viewed as above average by all analysts, are two major factors that will lead to the Oakland Raiders making a return to relevance in the NFL in 2014 and many more years to come.
12
MONITOR MAY 15, 2014
SPORTS
TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR