OHLONE COLLEGE
MONITOR
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22, 2015 Vol. L No. 5
A shark researcher will speak in Newark on Friday. Read the story on Pages 4 and 5.
FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM
Lawmakers introduce affordable textbook bill BRIANNE O’SULLIVAN News editor
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
Engineering Club members demonstrate robotics to middle school students during the Night of Science on Saturday in Newark.
Hundreds attend Night of Science AGNES MADRIAGA Features editor An estimated 500 people packed the Newark campus for “A Night of Science” on Saturday. The free event, which started at 6 p.m. and ended well after the scheduled 9 p.m., included a variety of interactive science exhibits, manned by volunteers. “This is so awesome,” said Jennifer Jovel, an Ohlone staff member who came with her husband, Rafael Padron,
a seventh-grade science teacher in Fremont, and their two children. “It’s amazing to see all the students.” The first floor had many interactive exhibits while the second floor had the Lego and robotics displays. Two companies were invited to display their products: Octave, a 3D printing company, and Compuchild, which taught using Lego blocks. A snow cone stand, a cotton candy maker and a pop-
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
Continued on Page 7
Students volunteer to help “mad scientists” with an experiment.
Earlier this month, a group of legislators introduced the Affordable College Textbook Act to the U.S. Senate and the House. The bill, introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin, Al Franken and Angus King and Reps. Rubén Hinojosa and Jared Polis, aims to lower textbook prices by creating a grant program that encourages the growth of the “open textbook.” Open textbooks are available to students, teachers and anyone else who would like to use them online and in print, for little to no money, because they fall under an open copyright license. Many educators consider them to be the best approach to combat high textbook prices. “One thing is clear: the traditional publishing market isn’t delivering the materials students need at prices they can afford,” Ethan Senack, a higher education advocate with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said in a statement. In recent years, college affordability has become an ongoing and heated debate. However, the skyrocketing cost of textbooks has often been overlooked in the conversation. “When buying a textbook becomes a barrier to education, you know something has to be changed,” Hinojosa, D-Texas, said in a statement. “And that’s exactly what we want to achieve with the Affordable College TextContinued on Page 3
Professor speaks about Artist explores population growth `Paradox of Masculinity’ AGNES MADRIAGA Features editor
SAM CAMPBELL Opinions editor Professor Nicholas Chivers, in conjunction with the Communication Department, gave a talk Oct. 9 titled “The Paradox of Masculinity.” In his hourlong presentation, Chivers spoke about masculinity as a social construct, the struggles that face individual men, and male privilege. “As a social construct, we all play a part in creating
masculinity as an identity category, its challenges, privileges, and power alike,” Chivers said. Chivers explained how masculinity is something that really is not ingrained in our identity, but is a part of the way we perform our identity. A good portion of his talk revolved around Paul Kivel’s “Act like a man box,” a diagram showing how we push masculinity on others. On the outside of the box are examples of verbal and Continued on Page 3
Kevin Chen describes his work as a “collection of drawings and sculptures investigating the rapidity of human population growth and how it manifests itself.” The pace of population growth has expanded exponentially in the last decade, he explains, and he plans to do a similar project in the future. Chen’s project, “Scale Up/Scale Down,” will be on exhibit in the Louie-Meager Art Gallery in the Smith Center on the Fremont campus until Nov. 4. A reception and artist’s talk was held Oct. 12 at the gallery. Chen’s use of miniature buildings comes from his interest in architecture. He finds that architecture is reflective of the culture that it comes from. Although the miniature buildings may seem familiar, he states that all the structures are purely fictional with some Continued on Page 3
LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR
Kevin Chen’s artwork is on exhibit until Nov. 4 at the Louie-Meager Art Gallery.
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MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
NEWS
NEWS BITES Chancellor to retire next year California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris last week announced he will retire in April. Harris has led the state’s community college system for more than three years, since he retired as chancellor of the Los Rios Community College District. “Representing 113 colleges and more than 2 million students has been a dream job,” Harris said in a message to college leaders. “No matter where I went as your chancellor I was greeted by people who sang your praises.”
Newark to host Career Expo The Ohlone College TriCities One-Stop Annual Fall Career Expo is coming to the Newark campus on Oct. 30. The event, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will include up to 50 employers looking to fill part-time and full-time positions in industries including manufacturing, biotech, retail and health care. Students should wear business casual attire to the event, and bring resumes to present to employers. The career center is offering a series of Career Expo readiness workshops to help students prepare for the event. For the schedule, go to http:// tricitiesonestop.com.
Professor, poet to appear at Ohlone Javon Johnson, a Communication Studies professor at San Francisco State University who won backto-back poetry slam nationals and has appeared on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam,” will perform at Ohlone on Wednesday. Johnson will appear from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Room 7101 on the Fremont campus. Admission is free. The event is presented by the Communication Department and Club and by the Associated Students of Ohlone College. To get a preview, check out Johnson on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=u9Wf8y_5Yn4. – Compiled by Monitor staff
A Sunday stroll Photos by Laura Gonsalves and Ivan Vargas Niles Canyon was closed to vehicles Oct. 11 for the Niles Canyon Stroll and Roll, which gave pedestrians and cyclists sole access to the 6.4-mile stretch of highway. The event, sponsored by Alameda County Supervisors Scott Haggerty and Richard Valle, whose districts are at either end of the canyon, coincides with the completion of a study of three options for a paved 10-footwide canyon trail for pedestrians, cyclists and possibly equestrians. Supervisors are seeking public input about the project. Above: Pedestrians and cyclists make their way through the canyon during Sunday’s event. Right: Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum members Zack Sutherland, left, and President Dorothy Bradley set up a table at the event. Below: A Fremont police officer speaks with a woman on a motorized scooter at the stroll. Bottom-left: A group of cyclists make their way through the canyon. Bottom-right: Some strollers enjoyed the day by dressing up like Charlie Chaplin.
NEWS
OHLONE COLLEGE
MONITOR STAFF:
Editor-in-chief: Vanessa Luis News editor: Brianne O’Sullivan Features editor: Agnes Madriaga Opinions editor: Sam Campbell Sports editor: Cristian Medina Photo editor: Ivan Vargas Photographer: Laura Gonsalves Design: Shuai Liu Joy Moon
Continued from Page 1 physical ways we force people into the “act like a man box”; inside the box are words that describe textbook masculinity; and in the middle are examples of what this pressure causes and what men are forced to suppress. In his talk, Chivers touched upon the idea that individually, men struggle and feel as though they are not a part of a privileged group. Intersectionality plays a huge part in this. A white man might have more privilege than a man of color, but still, men as a whole are the most privileged group. This is the idea of the paradox of masculinity. This results in what is called toxic masculinity. By forcing men into a gender performance, they suppress things like love, sadness and
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elements that are based on reality. Chen works close-up with his drawings, stepping back to gain perspective, yielding impressive detail. He does not use a magnifying glass, and draws with a graphite pencil. One small building in his projects can take at least five hours of work. The whole piece takes days to complete, or even longer because of his curatorial duties at various galleries and art venues all over the Bay Area. Chen encourages his audience to actively interact
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Online: 2005, 2013 CONTACT US: Offices: Room 5310 Call: 510.659.6075 E-mail: monitor@ohlone. edu Website: www.ohlonemonitor.com Facebook: www.facebook. com/OhloneCollegeMonitor Twitter: @OhloneMonitor 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.
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Chivers: Let go of constraining expectations emotions that are perceived as weak, and only reaffirm their masculinity when they show anger. We tell boys that the way you become a man is by doing things like having lots of sex, and being tough, but not everyone can live up to this. Does this mean you’re not a man? By doing things like this without providing men with a way to express these
Women in gaming This week, I want to address a very important problem that exists in the gaming community: The hate, violence and threats against women who game, as well as the oversexualization of female characters. As a female gamer, I have experienced all of the above and then some. Most of us endure and continue to play because this is what we love to do; others, however, have experienced so much violence that continuing to play is just not worth it. Let’s begin by talking about the very real hate that plagues women gam-
suppressed emotions, they are forced to internalize it and begin to feel isolated, and this results in the violent behaviors we often see in cases of domestic violence and sexual assault. In the end, Chivers wanted to remind everyone that gender equality will benefit all. He said the best way to ensure this is to try to destroy the gender box that
puts these constraints on masculinity. But how do we do that? We need to listen to stories from one another, understand one another’s lives and stories, and look for more information. The message to take away from the talk was this: We all need to begin to let go of the constraining expectations that we put on each other, and let people live and love.
Textbooks bill introduced to Congress Continued from Page 1 book Act.” There is no question that textbook prices are one of the many obstacles in pursuing an education. According to College Board, textbook prices can be as high as 40 percent of tuition for community college students, and are high enough that 65 percent of all students
Exhibit in gallery until Nov. 4
Adviser: Rob Dennis
MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
with his work. Upon closer view, some frames without the Plexiglas covers contain tiny buildings that are magnets, which can be moved around within the metal frame. He hopes that by doing so, the viewers can get a sense of scale and have something to think about in terms of perspective. Chen received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and East Asian languages and cultures from Columbia University. The Louie-Meager Art Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. ers, who actually make up a significant amount of the community. Women face this constant hate in the community and, many times, we must defend ourselves as a “true gamer.” Why should we have to tell you all about our skill, our play-time, or our knowledge in order to be respected in the community? We should not have to defend the type of games we play, the way we play, or whether or not we know everything. In fact, if a woman does not know everything, then we are not, in fact, “true gamers”; but, if a male gamer does not know everything, that’s OK – he’s still respected. And that, friends, is bullshit. Next, let’s discuss the verbal violence and threats of real violence that are so common. As a female gamer playing online, particularly when you are hooked up with a mic, you run the risk of an angry player calling you a colorful string of names, such as “slut,”
have skipped buying or renting some of the textbooks they need. On average, a student’s textbooks and other materials budget is $1,200. Stephanie Schultz, a sociology student at Ohlone, spent almost $1,000 on textbooks this semester. She said her sociology textbook, “which is only about 70 pages,” cost her
a whopping $120. Jackie Capie, an ASL interpreting major at Ohlone, supports the bill. “Instead of spending thousands of dollars on textbooks, I could put my money towards gas for my car to drive to all my classes, new school supplies to help me keep track of classes, and, of course, food,” she said.
‘AN HONEST LIAR’
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
Magician James “The Amazing” Randi amazes the crowd with the result of a mental trick at the Smith Center on Friday.
“whore,” “bitch,” and the list goes on and gets worse. Or, even better, you may be submitted to the threats of rape and murder that people are so confident in spewing over the Internet. In reality, threats like these are not taken lightly and have consequences, but on the various online networks these kinds of verbal attacks are commonplace and not policed. As a female, I no longer use my mic online unless I am in a party with gamers I know, because I will not subject myself to the violence that is used against me. As a female, I have changed and hidden my name on the networks I am a part of. As a female, I have chosen a tag that is vague about my gender. Now, let’s talk about the fact that I cannot choose a female character in most games without the emphasis of her boobs, stomach, butt and legs. I personally embrace and celebrate women’s sexuality as a form of empowerment, but what
we are talking about here is the exploitation of the female body to entertain and arouse the straight male gamer. In addition, there is no reason that I should have my character running into a gunfight with little else on but a bikini. We all play games as an escape from reality, but come on people, let’s at least have some real clothing on Lara Croft, who is exploring tombs and fighting off bad guys, tigers and bears. (Oh my.) So gamers, in an effort to make our community more inclusive, please take note of what I have said here today. Do not allow yourself or other gamers around you do these things, which are so violent and so discriminatory. Have something to say on this subject or a have a story to tell? E-Mail me at monitor@ ohlone.edu Play with me on the PlayStation Network: @ valarmorghulis8_
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FEATURES
MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
FEATURES
COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
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COURTESY OF PAUL J. CLERKIN
Above-left: Paul J. Clerkin measures a species of demon catshark. Morphometric data is essential to identifying and describing species of sharks. Above-center: Lanternsharks found in the Southern Indian Ocean in 2014. Above-right: This strange-looking animal is a new species of ghost shark discovered by Clerkin during an expedition to the Southern Indian Ocean. It is one of Clerkin’s favorite species. There are about 50 known species of ghost shark, and Clerkin’s discovery will add to that number.
Story by Thomas Rebelo Graphic by Shuai Liu Paul J. Clerkin stood on a busy commercial dock in Madagascar, waiting to board a 150-plus-foot fishing boat for a 129-day expedition 1,200 miles into the Indian Ocean. The crew of the WillWatch was going after fish, as usual. But Clerkin was hunting for a new species of sharks. On earlier voyages into the vast, mostly unexplored ocean between Madagascar and Australia, Clerkin already had discovered eight previously unclassified species of shark. His method was simple -- when the nets came up, he separated the sharks from the mounds of market fish. Before Clerkin came along, the crew usually threw the sharks back overboard, or sometimes ate them for dinner. Now those sharks help scientists understand the mysteries of this wild and untraveled stretch of the Indian Ocean. Clerkin is a graduate researcher at the Pacific Shark Research Center at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, but already he has appeared on Discovery Channel’s SharkWeek and is a recognized expert in his field. Clerkin will discuss his work from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Friday in Room NC2100 on Ohlone’s Newark campus for the first Friday Science Seminar of the semester.
The seminars are sponsored by the Associated Students of Ohlone College and the Division of Math, Science and Engineering. On his first day of work aboard theWillWatch, Clerkin was called below deck to examine a shark that had been caught. He instantly realized it was a large Kitefin Shark. This shark has glowing eyes and the ability to breathe while lying perfectly still thanks to sphericals on its head. It might be small in comparison to other sharks, but this was the largest Kitefin that Clerkin had ever seen aboard the ship. Now came the difficult part: gently getting the shark back into the ocean. Clerkin had to wait for the captain to slow down the boat, and then gently slide down the ramp at the back of the boat to release the shark into the ocean. One smooth wave came along and shark disappeared into the darkness. Clerkin is one of the very few people who can say they have discovered multiple creatures, especially in one of the most challenging natural habitats: the deep sea. When most people think of sharks, they think of some of the biggest and baddest, and sometimes the fastest, creatures in the ocean, such
as the Great White, the Mako and the Hammerhead. But Clerkin says he loves all sea creatures, big and small. He specializes in the strange, deep-sea chondrichthyans and is keeping his focus on identifying them and telling their history. His work is related to the sharks he found in the Southern Indian Ocean in 2012 and 2014. As an animal lover, and especially a shark lover, Clerkin and his associates have devoted their lives to gathering information on these creatures and laying it out for everyone to see. Sharks are like the pit bulls of the sea; they have the worst reputation of all animals, and are seen as brutal, large creatures with lots of teeth that will attack anything and everything in their path. However, just like pit bulls, that is only a stereotype. During an open house at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Clerkin described how he works to get the word out about how some shark species are being added to the endangered species list – a list that is growing larger every year due to shark fishing. According to the Save Our Seas Foundation, an average of 38 million sharks a year are killed for their fins. That equals about 1.7 tons of shark fins annually. According to the foundation, about 95 percent of the animal is wasted when fishermen throw the carcass
COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Paul J. Clerkin holds a Portuguese Dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis), the deepest living species of shark, which has been reported at depths of up to 12,000 feet.
back into the sea to make room for more fins. Some fins can cost upward of $1,000 per kilogram. In comparison, prawns retail at about $6 per kilogram. Those numbers don’t include sharks that are acciden-
tally caught in nets, and those that are hunted for sport. The Save Our Seas Foundation estimates that a total of 73 million sharks per year are killed. Getting rid of the top predator in the ocean throws off the entire underwater ecosystem; the sharks are necessary to keep balance in
the ocean. In his booth at the open house, Clerkin had skeletons and specimens of different sharks for the public to look at. He had a preserved head of a Mako on the table with the teeth still intact, along with the entire skeleton of a smaller Lemon
Shark. People of all ages and ethnicities listened as Clerkin gave short talks about his research and showed a slideshow of some of the crazy sharks that he studies. Later, he took me behind the scenes of the laboratories and
showed me where the specimens are kept, how they are logged and sheer amount of them: from entire sharks and mussels to crystalized rocks and shark heads, brains and teeth. Currently, Clerkin is most interested in the Ghost Shark and the “cute” Cat Shark. He said he loves the small scrunched-up faces and flabby bellies of these tiny creatures. He calls them “chubby little torpedoes.” “Ghost sharks are not actually true sharks,” he said. “Ghost sharks only have three pairs of tooth plates (two in the upper jaw and one pair in the bottom jaw), a fleshy operculum, and a long tapering body. Like sharks, they have cartilage skeletons and have been around for hundreds of millions of years. They have large eyes adapted for the deep sea, serrated, venomous spines for defense, and large wing-like pectoral fins. They get their name from the ghostly appearance and movement.” Clerkin said the hardest part of studying sharks is just getting access to them and getting down to the depths where they are. Not only are these animals more than 1,000 miles from land, they are so deep in the ocean that you need an extremely specialized craft to go down there. Clerkin was able to do his project thanks to the Will Watch, a commercial fishing
vessel. He said it would have cost him millions of dollars to get his own ship, equipment and crew, so he jumped at the chance to go out with the fishermen to see what their nets would pull up. Sharks come in many sizes. The largest species that Clerkin came across was a 5-foot False Cat Shark that he pulled out of the nets in the Southern Indian Ocean. The smallest was the“Cutie Eye” Cat Shark, which is under 10 inches long at full maturity. For Clerkin, each full net is like Christmas morning, because you never know what you are going to find. When he finds a new species, it needs to be described and named, and all of the data about size, reproduction, diet, vertebrae and spine need to be recorded. The length of the sharks can be linked with diet, distribution and maturity. Even if the shark is dead, Clerkin still tries to gather as much information as possible. Ultimately, Clerkin hopes to open the minds of many to the fact that there are many more types of sharks than the large ones we think of or that are portrayed in the movies. He works in the Indian Ocean because very little work has been done there, especially when it comes to sharks. He said he hopes to provide a baseline on the population and distribution of sharks in that area.
Clerkin said that if he could pick any shark to be, he would choose the Greenland. “They can live over 200 years, they eat whatever they want, you’re poisonous so no one would want to eat you,” Clerkin said.“In addition, you can cruise around wherever at any depth, because they have been seen in multiple ends of the ocean, and with a lazy disposition and a speed of about a half-mile an hour, they can cruise and relax. The downside of them is that they get these eye parasites, which cause them to slowly go blind.” Clerkin is doing deep-sea research the way it has been done for centuries. Our ancestors learned about the deep sea from things that were brought up in nets, before the big submarines and multimillion-dollar enterprises went down to explore the darkness. Clerkin’s goal is to find new species that humans have never before seen. Without him and others like him, we would have much more limited information about the ocean floor and its craziest inhabitants. Most people know little about the world’s oldest living predator apart from the horror stories conjured by media and the movies. Clerkin and his team aim to change those perceptions about sharks through their discoveries, increasing our knowledge of these amazing creatures.
THE SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION ESTIMATES THAT A TOTAL OF 73 MILLION SHARKS PER YEAR ARE KILLED. ... THE SHARKS ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP BALANCE IN THE OCEAN.
WHO: Paul J. Clerkin of the Pacific Shark Research Center WHAT: Friday Science Seminar WHEN: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Friday COURTESY OF PAUL J. CLERKIN
The view from the back deck of the fishing vessel Will Watch, the ship Paul J. Clerkin was on last year for the show “Alien Sharks: Return to the Abyss,” which aired on the Discovery Channel.
WHERE: Room NC2100, Newark campus
COURTESY OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Clerkin finishes measuring a Southern Lanternshark in the factory aboard the Will Watch fishing vessel. As the name implies, this species can actually generate light.
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OPINIONS
MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
Representation of minorities lacking in TV, movies
SAM CAMPBELL Opinions editor “Pan” came out in theaters Oct. 9, and it was fun seeing one of my childhood favorites come to life again on the big screen. But when the strong female character Tiger Lilly came onto screen, one thing stood out the most: She was white. We have all seen the original “Peter Pan” and know that Tiger Lilly represents Native Americans. The decision to have a white woman play this character was explained by actress Rooney Mara: “They are natives of Neverland, a completely made-up place.” But that is not the point. When faced with an amazing opportunity to have a strong female lead played by an
Tapping young voters During the first Democratic primary debate, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was asked if he believed a person who identifies as “socialist,” as Sanders does, could win the general election. Sanders went on to explain that “democratic socialism is about saying that it is immoral and wrong that the top one-tenth of 1 percent in this country … own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. That it is wrong, today, in a rigged economy, that 57 percent of all new income is going to the top 1 percent.” However, the maybe more notable part of his answer
actual Native, the director opted to make an excuse to use someone else. It is rare women get strong leads in the first place, but a majority of them are given to white women. Representation of minorities in television and movies is severely lacking. Right now some of you are listing in your head all the people of color (POC) you know in television. It’s a short list, isn’t it? Now shorten it more to POC with lead roles. This issue goes beyond not even giving roles to POC, but actually getting mad when they get one. This past week, #BoycottStarWarsVII was started on Twitter, calling the movie “anti-white.” Many
supporters argue that it is pushing diversity on us because none of the leads is a white male. The lead male is an African American and the lead woman is just that, a woman. So, not only are they pushing a racist agenda but a sexist one also. This anger that they are feeling is literally how POC feel every time they see a white-washed movie that was actually meant for them. “Exodus: Gods and Kings” came out last year and none other than Christian Bale played Moses. Last I checked, Egypt is in Africa, and there were about seven POC in a cast that should ultimately have had no white people at all. This issue transcends race and leaks into sexuality.
was his pointing out that his campaign was energizing a demographic that is typically terribly apathetic about politics – young people. This struck me as having some merit. I have multiple friends who had literally zero interest in politics before, but have recently started talking about the 2016 election and Sanders’ campaign. According to Sanders and common political knowledge, “Republicans win when there is a low voter turnout.” Only 20 percent of young people who were eligible to vote in the last election did. And while this may be said every time an election comes around, it really is remarkable how much untapped political potential the younger generation holds. Is Bernie Sanders the candidate to get young people to the polls? Maybe. Maybe not. Is Donald Trump? Maybe. Hopefully not. But that’s not really the
point. The point is that decisions are being made by our representatives every single day. And these decisions have an influence on an individual, national and global level. It is important that our representatives are elected by the people, for the people. We have every right to complain about politicans and status quo politics as much as we want – hello, First Amendment. But the fact of the matter is we are the ones electing our representatives. And while special interest groups and billionaires may be pumping money and influence into the Beltway, everyday citizens are still the ones voting our representatives into office. Believe it or not, representatives are accountable to their constituents. Young people will be crucial in upcoming elections. As fictional President Josiah Bartlet said, “Decisions are made by those who show up.” Will you be at the polls for the primaries in June? Or the general election next November?
CAMPUS COMMENT
When there is a portrayal of a gay man, almost 100 percent of the time he is flamboyant and, as “Mean Girls” said back in 2004, “too gay to function.” And if a gay man is in a lead role, he is played by a straight man, he is a running joke, and he needs to be kept in line. On the other side, the portrayal of lesbians goes one of two ways. She is either super masculine and is just one of the guys, or she is completely oversexualised – her character caters to the male viewer. And bisexuals, you ask? I’m not sure producers have ever heard of it. And of course every other sexuality is basically ignored. I’m aware there is so much more I can talk about within this issue, but for the sake
of your attention span I will leave you with this: Representation matters more than you think. Youth needs to see people who look like them, who act like them. They need to see these characters struggle, overcome and succeed. Growing up, all of us are told we can be anything we want, but how can you believe that if the only representation of your culture you ever see is as a maid, a slave or a savage who needs to be stopped? We are the next generation of filmmakers, story-writers, producers and actors; it’s up to us to make a change. Let’s give people the representation they so deserve. Got beef? Tweet me. @ SamCamp08
Get a room SAM CAMPBELL Opinions editor
Imagine for a second that you are back in high school, minding your own business and walking to class.You turn the corner and BAM, there they are – the couple everyone knows a little too well. These lovebirds always seem to be attached at the hip, or rather, the lips. We all either know a couple like this or have been a part of one. Most of us quickly learn and grow out of it, but some of us don’t. Here at Ohlone College this isn’t as big of an epidemic as it is on high school campuses, but the instances definitely do not go unnoticed. Public displays of affection, or PDA for short, is kind of touchy subject for some. A few people see no problem with two consenting adults sucking face in the middle of a courtyard, but most of us just don’t want to see that. Now, I’m not saying ignore your partner. Hand-holding or a quick peck on the lips is not a big deal, but once you cross the line into something I should have to pay for on the Internet, there is a problem. Let’s use this simple rule, if you would not do this in front of your grandmother, it is too much! There is a time and place for behavior like this, and outside a newspaper staff room is not the best place to show your girlfriend why your Xbox Live gamer tag is TheLegend. So, next time you’re out there with your partner, or partners, just be aware of where you are. We are all adults here and can use our better judgment to know when it is a good time for PDA and when is not. Your couch at home is completely different than the middle of your college campus.
What was your favorite part of elementary school? Should Ohlone implement it? ALLISON YU English/Linguistics
“Definitely the playground. I think a playground at Ohlone would be a lot of fun” JA’MEL L. GREENWOOD Graphic Design
“Recess and elementary school breakfast. ... Just because there was so much detail put into it” SYDNEY HILLS Undeclared
“Parking was free. And yes, yes they should” MURELLE JOHNSON Undeclared
“Field day. Yeah, Ohlone should have a huge dodgeball or kickball tournament”
MEGAN BANKE Biochemistry
“Spirit days. But I don’t think Ohlone should implement them because there are more important things in life”
NEWS/OPINIONS
MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
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Proposed permits would limit Mission Peak access EDITOR: We represent an organization committed to those using our public parks. We found our voice when the East Bay Regional Park District cut park hours by 33 percent within 900 acres of the Mission Peak Regional Preserve in 2014. The district completed this action with very limited public input and over the protestations of many park visitors. Over two weekends we collected 800 signatures from park visitors disturbed by this action and submitted a petition calling for a repeal to the EBRPD Board and Fremont City Council. We were ignored by both organizations and out of frustration and angst our organization was created. We have been successful in getting sanitary conditions improved via the delivery of chemical toilets at the Ohlone College park entrance and at the Stanford Avenue entrance. We have successfully lobbied for closure of bootleg trails which cause erosion by implementing fencing, signage and wattles. We have successfully represented park visitors at many EBRPD Board meetings and Fremont City Council meetings, and in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. The Fremont BART station opened more than 40 years ago, and residents nearby have endured parking congestion on their streets ever since. The City of Fremont canceled a permit parking program there
several years ago, due to its lack of effectiveness and the high cost of administration and policing. Now, city officials are considering parking restrictions again, but not around the BART station. Instead, they want to restrict parking near the Stanford Avenue entrance to Mission Peak Regional Preserve. The neighborhood near the Stanford Avenue entrance has the city’s highest property values and politicians are very attentive to residents’ wishes. Last year, the local homeowners pressured the City of Fremont and EBRPD to cut park hours by 33 percent and as a result the number of park visitors fell by 25 percent. The local residents are still pushing for more cutbacks, and the city is asking EBRPD to assist. According to an EBRPD spokeswoman, “The District currently is engaged in conversations with the City of Fremont about a possible parking permit program in the neighborhoods surrounding Mission Peak.” The city police would ticket cars without a permit, or with an expired registration or a missing front license plate. Residents already have plenty of space to park their vehicles as all of the homes have multi-car garages and wide driveways. On most weekends only 5 percent of the homes have cars parked in front of their garages. On most evenings the streets are empty of cars parked in the street because Mission Peak Regional Preserve is closed after dusk. Most
LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR FILE PHOTO
A group poses after hiking Mission Peak last year. The East Bay Regional Park District and the City of Fremont are considering a possible parking permit program in the surrounding area.
residents near the Stanford Avenue entrance don’t park on the streets, while parking near the Fremont BART station is congested both day and night. The real estate used for street parking is expensive, and the proposed permits would limit park access and deprive taxpayers of valuable public parking spaces. The residents want to minimize access to the public park and to public parking in their neighborhood. The plan would work like Robin Hood in reverse, taking recreational access away from the public while giving access to public streets to a few wealthy residents. Taxpayers would pay for enforcement of the new parking restric-
tions and receive reduced park access. EBRPD visitors are currently redirected to the Ohlone College trail entrance to reduce parking congestion, but that impacts parking at the college, which has a focus on education, not providing parking for EBRPD visitors. Neither the City of Fremont nor EBRPD have disclosed the goals, geographical boundaries or enforcement costs. According to an EBRPD spokeswoman, “A public review process would be required for the City to adopt any such program.” The parking permit program would misdirect EBRPD funds away from its mission, which is to improve
access to parks especially for those least able to afford the cost of living in our communities. EBRPD and the City of Fremont should open their doors to public review of the designated parking plan. Parking restrictions stand to harm EBRPD’s reputation, and undermine voter support for future bond measures. Mission Peak Conservancy believes the public deserves unfettered access to public parks with no parking, hiking, use or dog fees, since we already pay taxes to support both the City of Fremont and EBRPD. Wm. Yragui Co-founder, Mission Peak Conservancy
Night of Science attracts large, enthusiastic crowd Continued from Page 1 corn stand were set up outside, giving away free treats for both children and adults. Upstairs, in a conference room, a forum of Ohlone professors discussed science, technology, engineering and math with middle school students who were interested in pursuing these subjects in higher education. The Night of Science was conceptualized and organized by Student Activities Coordinator Renee Gonzales and student Nabeel Naqvi. They “wanted to come up with an activity that would benefit the Newark/ Fremont community,” Gonzales said. ASOC President Bubba Manzo was enthusiastic about the fair and the student volunteers. “About 12,000 fliers were printed to give out to the Fremont and Newark schools,” he said.
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
A middle-school student reacts as an Ohlone student demonstrates how to intubate a patient during the Night of Science on Saturday in Newark.
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SPORTS
MONITOR OCTOBER 22, 2015
Go home, Roger
LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR
Above: Ohlone volleyball players give it their all in the team’s 3-2 loss to Cañada College. Right-center: Jenni Brochu saves the ball from hitting the floor. Below-right: Two Ohlone defenders block Cañada’s effort to spike the ball over the net.
Renegades lose nail-biter to Cañada CRISTIAN MEDINA Sports editor The Renegades dropped a close game to Cañada College on Wednesday night, losing 3 sets to 2 at home. The Renegades were led by sophomore outside hitter Jenni Brochu, who led the team with 19 kills along with 2 service aces and 20 digs, while Krissa Marie San Juan led the team in digs with 25 digs. Sophomore setter Briana Hill finished the game with a team-leading 48 assists to go with 19 kills and 3 kills. Both teams were very evenly matched as Cañada won the first and third sets
and Ohlone won the second set and the fourth to force a winner-take-all first to 15 points fifth set. Cañada jumped out to an early lead in the fifth set and the Renegades were unable to come back, losing 15-10. The loss moves Ohlone to a 3-3 conference record and down to fourth place in the standings, behind Cañada. This was their second loss in a row after losing 3 sets to none to a 6-0 Foothill team who are at the top of the conference standings. The Renegades will have a week to regroup and prepare for a matchup next Wednesday against a 1-4 De Anza team.
Coast-South Conference Standings Foothill Gavilan Cañada Ohlone Chabot De Anza San Jose
WINS 6 4 4 3 1 1 0
LOSSES 0 1 2 3 4 4 5
WATER POLO TAKES DOWN CSM
LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR
Above-left: The Ohlone women’s water polo team scores in its 15-13 win against the College of San Mateo on Wednesday afternoon. Aboveright: An Ohlone player races away with the ball from a College of San Mateo player.
The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell are at it again. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and every year the NFL loosens up from its strict uniform policy and allows players to wear pink in support of those who have died from and are battling the disease. One player, however, has been making the case for the last two weeks that he should be allowed to raise awareness for other types of cancer as well. Cam Heyward, a defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been wearing eye black with the words “iron head” on them in honor of his father, who died from bone cancer in 2006. But the NFL didn’t see this as such an honorable act, and instead fined Heyward twice for violating the uniform policy. The policy prohibits the writing of any messages on eye black without special permission. On Tuesday, the NFL and Heyward reached an agreement in which the NFL would significantly reduce the fine and Heyward would stop wearing the eye black and instead start a cancer research charity. It really does speak volumes about the NFL’s priorities when it seems like it cares more about what you write on eye black or whether you slightly deflate a few footballs than domestic violence. Greg Hardy, domestic violence suspect, and Tom Brady, ball-deflater suspect, both had the same suspension length – just four games. And even though Brady’s suspension was lifted by a federal judge, the NFL is still trying to find a way to punish him, despite the fact that its strongest argument was that Brady was “more likely than not” aware of the incidents occurring. Heyward’s camp pointed out to the NFL during his meeting that last season, when Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still wrote “Leah Strong” on his eye black in honor of his five-year-old daughter’s fight with cancer, he was not fined. Maybe Still wasn’t fined because his jersey sales went up significantly when this happened. It looks like the NFL is more than willing to look the other way when they profit from it. Go home, Roger.