Monitor 2015-11-5

OHLONE COLLEGE

MONITOR

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2015 Vol. L No. 7

Theatre and Dance Department presents ‘Cuckoo’s Nest.’ See story on Page 4.

FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM

Academic Core project delayed

HONORING THE DEAD

BRIANNE O’SULLIVAN News editor

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Above: Deborah Alongabony, left, snaps a photo of Jessa Marie Torralba during the Day of the Dead celebration at the Newark campus on Oct. 29. Below-right: Alejandra Cruz paints Cynthia Rico. Below-left: A box of pan de muerto, a sweet bread often sold for the Day of the Dead. Read the story and see more photos of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Newark and Niles on Page 5.

Ohlone’s Academic Core Project, the reconstruction of the heart of the school, has been delayed by an estimated seven months.

The Academic Core, funded by Ohlone’s 2010 Measure G bond, will cost $130 million. Before the setback, the construction was expected to be completed by July 2018. Now the center of the campus is expected to be available as soon as Spring 2019 or as late as Summer or Fall 2019.

The delay is indirectly due to the California Supreme Court’s refusal to hear an appeal to an appellate court’s decision in the Davis vs. Fresno Unified School District case. The ruling called into question Fresno’s practice of using a lease-leaseback transaction to build a new elementary school. Ohlone officials had planned to use the lease-leaseback process for the Academic Core construction.

There is now some question as to whether or not a lease-leaseback delivery is a “genuine lease,” according to David Casnocha, Ohlone’s bond counsel.

Many K-12 and community college school districts have used the lease-leaseback delivery for significant Continued on Page 3

Proposition seeks Ohlone professor to play fire benefit to lower drinking age SAM CAMPBELL Opinions editor

SAM CAMPBELL Opinions editor Terrance Lynn of Portola Valley has started the process of getting the drinking age lowered from 21 to 18 in California.

Lynn’s proposal was approved Oct. 29, and he has until April 26 to collect 365,880 signatures – 5 percent of the votes cast for governor in November 2014 – in order for it to appear on the November 2016 ballot.

“This is about equal rights,” Lynn said on his website. “18-year-olds have nearly every burden and privilege of adults … except the right to drink alcohol.”

Ohlone students had mixed reactions to the proposal.

“I think that’s a terrible idea,” Sohail Alamkhel said.

“They’re immature. They have no idea what they are doing.”

Amelia Angdjaja disagreed.

“I think it’s good,” she said.

“I think it should be the same age as the voting age. If you can die for your country or get married, you should be able to drink.”

Omar Gomez has a more neutral perspective.

“I think they should, because in some countries kids know they have to be responsible, but don’t because not everyone is responsible.”

If the measure passes, California could lose about $200 million a year in federal Continued on Page 3

Ohlone Professor Nick Chivers will play a benefit show for victims of the Butte fire on Sunday with his band ShitOuttaLuck.

The Butte Fire Benefit show at the RockBar Theater in San Jose will donate its proceeds to Fire Aid, a group that gets money to firefighters and uninsured homeowners who lost their homes in the Butte fire.

Two people were killed and one injured in the fire, which also destroyed 475 homes in Amador and Calaveras counties last month.

Chivers has been playing trombone with ShitOuttaLuck since 2007, and describes them as “ska with a nice blend of rock, Latin, jazz and pop.”

Other bands performing at the event are Sweet

Hayah, OnOff and Black Cat Path. The show is only for those 21 and older, but younger students can still show their support by telling friends and family, or donating at www. eventbrite.com/e/buttefire-benefit-concert-tick-

ets-19133581056.

Doors open at 6 p.m. at the RockBar, at 360 Saratoga Ave. The cover of $20 includes one raffle ticket.

Find out more about the band at www.shitouttaluck. com. @SamCamp08

COURTESY OF SHITOUTTALUCK

The band ShitOuttaLuck, including Ohlone Professor Nick Chivers, will play a benefit show on Sunday to support victims of the Butte fire.

2

NEWS

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

NEWS BITES Brass Band to play Friday The Mission Peak Brass Band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday in the Jackson Theater at the Smith Center on the Fremont campus.

Tickets cost $15 for general admission and $10 for students, staff, youth and seniors.

On Saturday, classical pianist Tao Lin will perform, also at 8 p.m. at the Jackson Theater.

Tickets for that concert are $20 for general admission and $15 for students, staff and seniors.

Warriors tickets discounted The Student Activities Department has partnered with the Golden State Warriors to offer discounted tickets for Ohlone College Night at the Oracle Arena on Jan. 27, when the Warriors play the Dallas Mavericks.

A portion of the ticket sales will go toward the Ohlone Pantry, a foodassistance program for Ohlone students.

The ticket price includes an invitation to attend a courtside shoot-around from 6 to 6:30 p.m. before the game. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

To buy tickets, go to w w w. w a r r i o r s . c o m / ohlone. The password is WARRIORS. The deadline to purchase is Dec. 1.

Food drive to benefit Pantry The Student Activities Department is organizing a food drive from Monday through Dec. 4 to benefit the Ohlone Pantry.

Canned fruit, soup, stew, meat, vegetables and juice can be placed in green donation bins.

The bins are on the first and second floors of Hyman Hall, the first and second floors of Building 7, the cafeteria, and the student lounge (FP-27) on the Fremont campus, and in the firstfloor lobby on the Newark campus.

The Ohlone Pantry helps to feed students in need. To receive assistance, go to the Office of Student Life on the second floor of Building 7.

– Compiled by Monitor staff

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Above: Job-seekers line up to work at Super Bowl 50, to be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in February, during the Tri-Cities One Stop Career Center Career Expo in Newark on Friday. Below: The Staffmark table at the Expo. Bottom-left and bottom-right: Attendees register and check in at the Expo.

Career Expo connects employers, job-seekers AGNES MADRIAGA Features editor Hundreds of job-seekers attended the Career Expo organized by the Tri-Cities One Stop Career Center at the Newark campus on Friday.

About 45 businesses participated in this event, along with representatives from local, county and even state agencies.

Companies included Tesla Motors, Home Depot, Fremont Bank and Fry’s Electronics. Some government agencies also were hiring, including the City of Fremont and AC Transit.

“We are passionate about what we do here at Tri-Cities One Stop Career Center because we see that what they (the applicants) take from us here at the center, eventually they give back to the community when they hire for their businesses,” center Director Binh Nguy-

en said. “It comes around full circle.”

The career center was established in 1998, “connecting people with employment and training opportunities to empower the individual and strengthen the local economy” according to its mission statement.

The center partners with community colleges, local and state agencies, local employers, chambers of commerce, and other community-based organizations.

“We are grateful to partner with the local businesses to participate and to market the event so as to reach out to the students and the community,” said Shadia Schoen, a business services liaison at the center.

For more information, stop by the Career Center in Room 1211 on the Newark campus, or go to www.tricitiesonestop.com.

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 Adviser: Rob Dennis Printer: FP Press

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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.

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

3

Academic Core project delayed after ruling Continued from Page 1 construction projects, because it allows cash-strapped schools to select specific consultants and pay them in increments.

Typically, Casnocha said, “public facility contracts should be competitively bid.” Critics say the leaseleaseback practice was an opportunity for school districts to circumvent that.

However, after the recent ruling, that may be changing.

School districts have been advised either to put their lease-leaseback projects on hold or to proceed with a different delivery method.

In September, Casnocha warned the Board of Trustees that the Academic Core Project “is a big project to go into a delivery method that has some weakness.” Ohlone has decided to abandon the more efficient lease-leaseback route for the safer, more traditional design/bid/build delivery type.

It is expected that leaseleaseback delivery projects will face scrutiny and possible lawsuits after the Davis vs. Fresno Unified School District case. Therefore, Ohlone is putting the Academic Core Project back out to be competitively bid on, and that is the cause for the delay.

In addition to delays, Joel Heyne, project executive with Gilbane Building Company, warned trustees last month that the traditional delivery comes with “certain impacts we were hoping to avoid,” which he broke down into “schedule, cost and quality concerns.”

COURTESY OF OHLONEBOND.COM

Above: An artist’s rendering of Ohlone’s planned new arts building, part of the Academic Core project. Below: An artist’s rendering of the planned new science building.

Neighboring community colleges such as Foothill, De Anza and San José/Evergreen also have abandoned their lease-leaseback programs.

Proposed ballot measure could lower drinking age Continued from Page 1 highway funds, but would see increased state and local tax revenues of several million dollars associated with the sale of alcohol, according to the state Legislative Analyst and the Director of Finance.

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 punishes states that allow people younger than 21 to buy or publicly possess alcohol by reducing their federal highway funding by 10 percent.

What do you think? @ SamCamp08

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FEATURES

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

A party with a view Renegade Gaming held the League of Legends World Championship Halloween Viewing Party at the Newark campus on Saturday, and had a strong turnout of more than 30 people, including members, other students, and the neighboring Cal State East Bay Esports Club.

SK Telecom T1, regarded as the best South Korean Team and by some the best in the world, won the League of Legends World Championships 3-1 over the KooTigers, who placed third in the LCK, League of Legends Championship, Korea, the same division in which SKT T1 placed first.

The highlight of the event, according to club President Steven Porep, was the best-of-three match between Ohlone and CSU East Bay, with Ohlone coming out on top! Sam Coleman and another unnamed member shoutcasted the game, live.

It was Coleman’s first time commentating live, and he regarded the experience as “great fun.” He hopes that they will be able to bring more collegiate teams to Ohlone in the future.

Winners of the ARAM (All Random All Mid, a supported PvP game mode in LOL) contest received “Championship Kalista” In-game Character Skin Codes and Riot Games Official World Championship T-shirts.

There was a scheduled cosplay contest, however the contest was canceled due to the small number of cosplayers that arrived.

Still, Renegade gave out consolation prizes to those who did decide to get spiffy for the occasion.

At the door, Renegade Gaming gave out League of Legend lanyards and wristbands. The public was given the chance to predict the winners of the World Championship event and to the winners of the Ohlone/East Bay match in exchange for Character Skin Codes.

There also was an early morning coffee and bagels breakfast, followed by pizza and soda for lunch.

I don’t know about you all, but I think it’s about time I start playing League of Legends myself!

But until then, Play with me on the PlayStation platform: valarmorghulis8_

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Above: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ cast members Jess Martinez, Greg ”Juice” Burhyte, Matt Monaco, Idrees Najibi and Stacey Lynn Bell (in the background), Middle-upper: Monaco. Middle-lower: Tim Garcia and Monaco. Bottom-left: The cast cheers on a baseball game. Bottom-middle: Garcia and Monaco. Bottom-right: Robert Lundy-Paine, left, and Monaco.

‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ kicks off Friday

AGNES MADRIAGA Features editor Ohlone’s Theatre and Dance Department will present “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” this month at the Smith Center on the Fremont campus.

Performances will be at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, and then Nov. 12-14 and Nov. 19-21. There will be an ASL performance on Nov. 14.

Tickets cost $12 for the general public and $10 for students with ID and seniors. The play contains mature language and subject matter, and is not recommended for children younger than 13.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was written by Dale Wasserman, adapted from the novel

by Ken Kesey. Michael Navarra is directing the Ohlone production.

When Navarra first saw the film version of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” he was “captivated

by Jack Nicholson’s performance” as McMurphy.

As a rebellious teen, he was “intrigued by McMurphy’s resistance and his fight for dignity, for himself and for others.”

Later, Navarra read the novel and was surprised to realize the story was told from Chief Bromden’s perspective.

The “system,” which the Chief calls the Combine, “controls all of us, those with power and those without, and robs us of our selfworth and individuality.”

The Ohlone cast includes Jess Martinez as Chief Bromden, Stacey Lynn Bell as Nurse Ratched, and Matt Monaco as McMurphy.

When choosing a play, Navarra asks himself, “Is this play relevant today?”

“I think that, perhaps, this story is even more necessary and pertinent now than in its time,” he said.

“Respect and acceptance for who we are as individuals has not been fully realized even now in 2015.”

Navarra hopes that the play’s message will be heard and the audience will enjoy the show.

FEATURES

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

5

Newark, Niles celebrate Day of the Dead VANESSA LUIS Editor-in-chief Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that focuses on the spirits of loved ones who have passed. Friends and family gather to celebrate and set altars for their loved ones in remembrance of their life. The holiday is celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2 every year.

M.E.Ch.A., the Puente Program, and Student Activities put together their own Día de los Muertos celebration on Oct. 29 at the Newark campus main lobby.

This public event went from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. complete with food, music, crafts, an altar, and lots of info.

There was a chance to purchase a bundle for $3 that included coffee, pastries and a chance to win a Día de los Muertos-themed necklace at the Plinko Board.

Thefreeactivitiesincluded painting sugar skulls, making tissue flowers, photos at the themed photo booth, and sugar-skull-themed face paint. M.E.Ch.A. asked for donations for face paint that is going directly to the Hurricane Patricia relief fund in Mexico.

During the event, a television displayed some information about the significance of the holiday.

Maria Ramirez, counselor and Chicano Studies professor, spoke briefly about the history and culture behind this holiday. She was in tears at the end when she was presented a bouquet and kind words from Associated Students of Ohlone College President Bubba Manzo and her friend, Trustee Vivien Larsen, in recognition of her service to the Chicano community. Ramirez is at Ohlone for her final semester, and soon will retire.

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Top-left:Cynthia Rico decorates a sugar skull known as a calavera during the Day of the Dead celebration in Newark on Oct. 29. Top-right: Andres Macias works on his sugar skull. Above: A car with an altar in the trunk is parked in Niles for the neighborhood’s Day of the Dead celebration on Sunday. Below-left:The community altar sits in front of the Niles Train Station.

Below-right: Tristessa Banco, a hair and makeup artist, takes part in the Niles event.

6

OPINIONS

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Zola story ELEVATOR ODDS empowers, disturbs VANESSA LUIS Editor-in-chief Just last week a Twitter user, @_zolarmoon, aka Aziah Zing, wrote a 150-tweet-long story.

The story was mind-blowing – well-developed, interesting characters, even some plot twists.

The story featured Zola, waitress at Hooters and stripper, and Jess, stripper and prostitute. In the story we see a series of events including stripping, prostitution, violence, kidnapping and murder.

Since the posts went viral, people are asking a lot of questions about the story.

Some people are questioning the validity while others are wondering if the story is empowering or downright disturbing.

I want to tell you that whether the story is valid or not is irrelevant to me; however, the so-called “morality” of the piece is very much relevant.

I believe that this story is both empowering and disturbing. You might be thinking: “Vanessa, take a freaking side,” and normally I would agree with you. Yet this particular story is dynamic; it is dynamic in the sense that reading it as a woman made me feel proud that Zola embraces her sexuality, but at the same time made me cringe at the tragedies that Jess faces.

That, I think, is the power of this story. It has the ability to pull you in, make you laugh, cringe at the mistreatment of one woman, all while being inspired by the strength of the other.

Being a woman, it is difficult to embrace your sexuality without being looked down upon and judged, and there-

JOY MOON / MONITOR

fore it takes a lot of courage to be yourself regardless of societal standards.

You see, society perceives sex, stripping, women’s sexuality and prostitution as things to be ashamed of. They label this as vulgar and inappropriate and demeaning, when in fact it is beautiful and natural and empowering. Some women prefer the standards set by society, and those standards make them feel empowered (and that is fantastic!), but it is time to realize that society’s strict standards of what women’s behavior is supposed to be is demeaning and holds us back from our true, natural inner power.

Now, let’s talk about how this piece is also very disturbing. The humor in the piece will distract you from the fact that, while Jess Continued on Page 7

CAMPUS COMMENT

Political pipeline Everyone has heard about the seemingly never-ending debate over the Keystone XL Pipeline.

TransCanada, the Canadian energy company in ownership of the proposed oil pipeline system that would stretch from Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Nebraska, requested that the Obama administration pause its review of the pipeline.

According to Trans-

Canada, there is a Nebraskan regulatory process that will take them another seven months to a year to finish. And that is the reason behind their request to delay the review.

Environmentalists and those who oppose the pipeline are happy with this latest development and have declared triumph.

However, some aren’t so sure they should be taking their victory lap yet.

If the request to delay the review were to be approved, President Obama would not be the one to review the pipeline. Instead, the fate of the Keystone XL Pipeline would be put in the hands of the next president.

Those vying for the Democratic nomination all oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline. GOP presidential candidates support the pipeline. Clearly, the dis-

cussion of the pipeline is politically charged.

The request to delay the review could be a move by TransCanada to see if they will get a president in the Oval office in 2017 who supports their project.

Tiernan Sittenfeld, with the League of Conservation Voters, said in a statement that the request to delay the review “is nothing more than another desperate and cynical attempt by TransCanada to build their dirty pipeline someday if they get a climate denier in the White House in 2017.”

According to the State Department, the suspension request is currently under review.

Want to talk shop?

Tweet me @bri_osullivan

What do you think about premature holiday decorations?

LEVINA UMALI Communications

“Well, I think it’s odd when Christmas is in October ... that’s kind of out of place” MELISSA Z. PRIETO Nursing

“They’re trying to push the Holidays on us too soon. ” MUSTAFA BAHADURI Undeclared

“I honestly don’t personally care about it and I don’t think anyone should” SALEM KARIMI Nursing

SATPREET KAUR Business Administration

“I don’t care at all”

“I think the decorations are OK. ... I see that businesses are just trying to make money by promoting the holidays, and it will help people prepare for the holidays”

OPINIONS/SPORTS

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

7

Renegades hold on for sweep of Chabot CRISTIAN MEDINA Sports editor The Lady Renegades volleyball team defeated the Chabot Gladiators in three straight sets on Tuesday night. But it wasn’t easy.

After losing the first set 25-18, Chabot refused to go quietly into the night.

Ohlone had a slow start to the second set and were down 7-1 at one point. But they were able to come back and even up the score. From there, the set went back and forth until the end, with the Renegades holding on for an intense 26-24 win.

Facing a sweep, Chabot refused to give up. In the third set, the Gladiators gave the Renegades all they could handle, with the set again going down to the wire.

Ohlone was able to hold on for a 25-22 set win and its fifth conference win on the season.

Chabot ultimately was silenced by strong performances by sophomores

Jenni Brochu and Camaryn Bricker.

Brochu led the team to victory with 16 kills and 16 digs, while Bricker finished the night with 42 assists and 14 digs.

Also deserving mention is sophomore opposite hitter Audrey Vaughn, who led

in service aces with 4 along with 13 digs, 6 kills and an impressive 0.600 hitting percentage.

With three games remaining this season, the Renegades will need to play their best if they want to rise in the standings. Two of their remaining three games

Wednesday

1st 2nd 3rd Final 18 24 22 0 25 26 25 3

Coast-South Conference Standings

WINS Foothill

8 Gavilan

8 Cañada

6 Ohlone

5 Chabot

2 De Anza

1 San Jose

0

LOSSES 0 1 3 4 7 7 8

Violence covered by humor in Zola story Continued from Page 6 stripped and was pimped of her own accord, she was kidnapped and beaten senseless for working in someone else’s territory.

The violence that was displayed in the story was skillfully covered by the humor of the piece as a whole. In fact, at some points in the story, Zola seems to enjoy the pain that the other girl endures.

Jess also was humiliated

on social media because of a spiteful act by her boyfriend, in which he posted the link to her advertisement for sex, exposing to all her friends and family her lifestyle (which is unfortunately taboo in society). This is an act similar to that of revenge porn, in which someone posts a risqué photo or video of another person in order to get back at them. Revenge porn is extremely violent and can harm a person’s life

significantly.

So, while the piece has an empowering tone that is fantastic for women who want to embrace their sexuality, it is also a very violent act – disguised by humor and plot twists – against the other woman, Jess.

I encourage everyone to read The Zola Story online and tell me what you think about it.

Let’s get real, Twitter: @ vanessamluis

They’ll look to improve their 5-4 record when they take on San Jose City College on “Sophomore Night” next Wednesday at home.

Upcoming games VOLLEYBALL

GAME RESULTS SETS Chabot Ohlone

are against an undefeated Foothill team and an evenly matched Cañada team that got the better of the Renegades earlier this season.

nell College at Central Park in Fremont.

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., WOMEN’S WATER Sophomore Night vs. POLO San Jose City College at the Fremont campus.

Friday, 11:10 a.m. vs.

Merced at Foothill ColNov. 13, 6:30 p.m. at lege.

Cañada College in Redwood City.

MEN’S WATER POLO Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m. at Friday, 11:15 a.m. vs. Las Foothill College in Los Positas at De Anza.

Altos Hills.

Friday, TBA vs. West ValWOMEN’S SOCCER ley at Saratoga.

Friday, 3 p.m. vs. De WOMEN’S BASKETAnza College at Central BALL Park in Fremont.

Nov. 17, 6 p.m. vs. De Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. vs. Anza College at the FreSkyline College at Tak mont campus.

Stadium in Fremont.

Nov. 19, 6 p.m. vs. Gavilan Nov. 21, TBD, Region- College at the Fremont al Round 1 Playoffs at campus.

Higher Seed.

Dec. 4, 7 p.m. vs. College MEN’S SOCCER of the Siskiyous at the Fremont campus.

Friday, 6:30 p.m. vs. Las Positas College in Liver- MEN’S BASKETBALL more.

Tuesday, 7 p.m. at De Tuesday, 3 p.m. vs. Anza College in CuperGavilan College in Gil- tino. roy.

Nov. 14, 5 p.m. at HartNov. 13, 3 p.m. vs. Hart- nell College in Salinas.

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SPORTS

MONITOR NOVEMBER 5, 2015

What really grinds my gears

IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR

Above: The Renegades’ attack was unstoppable as they moved the ball up the field. Middle-upper: Analysia Flores leaves the Chabot defense in the dust. Middle-lower: Melissa Urena centers the ball. Bottom-left: Urena uses some fancy footwork to get past a defender. She later scored the game’s second goal. Bottom-right: Urena strikes toward the goal. It was one of her four shots on goal.

Renegades shut out Chabot, remain in first place CRISTIAN MEDINA Sports editor The Ohlone women’s soccer team’s impressive season continued with another win at Chabot College on Tuesday.

The Renegades defeated the Gladiators by a score of 2-0 and remain at the top of the Coast-South Conference.

Analysia Flores got Ohlone on the board 10 minutes in with her fifth goal of the year. Melissa Urena scored the insurance goal in the 69th minute to give the Renegades a two-goal lead.

A strong performance by the defense and goalkeeper Cristal Villalvazo secured the 2-0 shutout and

their eighth win of the season. Chabot was limited to just three shots on goal.

All eight of Ohlone’s victories this year have been shutouts.

An Oct. 30 win over West Valley College was Ohlone’s first home game since Sept. 30. The Renegades finished October with a 2-2-3 record after playing six straight away games.

With two games remaining, the Renegades are in position to win their conference and head into the playoffs as a top seed.

Ohlone will take on De Anza College on Friday and close the regular season with a matchup against second-place Skyline College on Tuesday.

ALL EIGHT OF OHLONE’S VICTORIES THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN SHUTOUTS

You know what really grinds my gears? The 49ers’ front office thinking that benching Colin Kaepernick is going to solve any of their problems. I don’t care if it’s just to give him a mental break or to foreshadow the end of Kaep taking snaps in San Francisco. Yeah, he hasn’t been playing well, but neither has the entire team.

It’s unfortunate that a very athletic player who thrived under good coaching is now being made the scapegoat in a situation that has more than one problem.With an offensive line that can’t protect the quarterback and a nonexistent secondary, a new quarterback isn’t going to make things any better for the 49ers.

Kaepernick has almost identical statistics to Carolina Panther’s quarterback Cam Newton, and he’s in the discussion for league MVP. Sure, the Panthers are 7-0 and the Niners are 2-6, but all that says is that it’s not just the quarterback, but the whole team contributing to their success or failure.

Backup Blaine Gabbert will be the starter against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, but don’t expect him to bring San Francisco back to life. The former first-round draft pick of the Jaguars is 0-8 as a starter and is seen as one of the biggest busts to come out of the 2011 draft.

Statistically, the 49ers have less of a chance to win any of their remaining games with Gabbert starting than Kaepernick. Just saying.

So I’m not really sure what the “geniuses” in the front office are doing. Everyone on the planet seems to think this is a bad idea except for the owner, Jed York, and the GM, Trent Baalke. But they seem to know best, right?They can’t regain the team’s former glory by drafting injured players and getting rid of a head coach who took the team from mediocrity to three straight NFC Championship appearances and one Superbowl appearance in a span of four years. Jim Harbaugh had more regular season and playoff wins than the previous three 49ers coaches combined.

But, you know. York and Baalke know best, right?