Monitor 2015-5-14

THURSDAY MAY 14, 2015 Vol. XLIX No. 10

Strike up the bands at Lake Elizabeth. See photo essay on Page 5

FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM

Corinthian shuts colleges

MENTAL HEALTH ON CAMPUS

MITCHELL WALTHER Editor-in-chief

Social media paves way for students Final in a three-part series MARTHA NUNEZ Staff writer With a smart phone in hand from the moment we wake up to the moment we get in bed, we stay connected at almost all times.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram keep people in touch with friends and family from city to city and all the way across the world; but is there something missing?

Every day a new study points a finger at these platforms, making them responsible for increases in depression and a lack of real-life connection to the world around us.

“Heavy Facebook users might be comparing themselves to their friends, which in turn can make them feel more depressed,” said Mai-Ly Steers, author of one recent study by the University of Houston linking Facebook to depression.

But can we harness the power of social media, apps and the web to serve as a positive instead?

What does the future have in store

for mental health and technology?

From being able to control fire to inventing the wheel, technology has helped make everyday life easier. Today we also use it as a bridge to bring people together when they need a helping hand.

Ohlone’s Student Health Center has done so by taking the initiative to make their services more

available for students and faculty.

Working with the Student Health Center, the STEP Up Ohlone campaign promotes mental health and wellness, as well as suicide prevention.

Around the world today, mental health problems can come with Continued on Page 6

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Top: Jacob Savage, right, and Doug Marks show off their Concrn app allows people in need of compassionate access to volunteers. Above: Monitor staff writer Martha Nunez checks out the app.

Corinthian Colleges Inc. has closed its doors after filing for bankruptcy.

Corinthian, which operated colleges including Everest, Wyotech and Heald, shut down its final 30 locations a week ago.

After listing $19.2 million in assets and $143.1 million in debts in its Chapter 11 petition, Corinthian finalized bankruptcy with the courts in Wilmington, Del. Ohlone representatives attended the Heald College Transfer Fair that was held in response to the closure, Ohlone President Gari Browning told the Board of Trustees on Wednesday night.

“The chancellor’s office is coordinating a state response to some of the financial aid, transcript and transfer issues that these students are facing,” she said.

Despite repeated run-ins with the U.S. Department of Education, Corinthian had managed to keep its classes running for the last several years. Alleged misleading of students into enrolling in classes and offering fake job placement offers garnered fines from both the Department of Education and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The marketing team of Corinthian also had come under fire, with claims being made that graduation and job placement rates had been falsified. State prosecutors in Massachusetts, California and Wisconsin had all individually sued Corinthian.

“For too many students, Corinthian turned the American dream of higher ed into a nightmare of debt and despair,” said Rohit Chopra, the federal consumer bureau’s top student loan official.

All this controversy has also bred a new development. Known as the “Corinthian 100,” what has become far more than 100 students is a union of those who feel their educational expectations were not met.

They want the Department of Education to discharge all federal Continued on Page 2

Modern shoe collectors doing anything but loafing around KATRINA CONGSON Contributing writer At 5 a.m. in San Francisco on a Friday, shoe enthusiast Rolo Tanedo Jr., better known as @dunksrnice, started his morning by paying $300 for a pair of Unkles, one of the Holy Grails of shoe collectors.

Tanedo stopped by his apartment before heading to his class at the Acad-

emy of Arts. He placed the $300 pair of shoes next to his collection of more than 200 sneakers. The Unkles, released in 2004, are named after a British musical group. Although the musical group isn’t very well known, Futura – the creator of these black and pink dunks – is. This resulted in a complete sellout of the shoe within hours of its release. Al-

though the retail price of these sneakers was $75, due to its rarity the current market value is $400-plus.

“If I like it the first I see it, the more and more I would like it and be held on,” Tanedo said. “Value and how rare a shoe is never really meant something to me.”

Shoes are an important part of our wardrobe – some people just take it

to a new extreme. While a majority of shoe collectors look for sneakers they wore growing up, others look for comfort, and some even collect shoes they fell in love with the first time they saw them.

The sudden explosion of shoe collectors within the sneaker community is nothing new to 26-yearold San Francisco native Tanedo, who started col-

lecting shoes in 2003. The only thing separating him from your average Joe is the fact he once owned more than 600 pairs of Nikes.

While the newest members of the shoe-collecting community are looking for the title as King or Queen of the Shoe Game, Tanedo has always been in it solely for the shoe itself. “I never Continued on Page 3

2

NEWS

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

Chancellor’s office coordinating response to Corinthian shutdown Continued from Page 1 student loans held by current and former Corinthian students. This is one more example of the ever increasingly popu-

lar movement known as “debt-striking.”

“We refuse to be the pawns of a department that seeks to use the students’ campaign to give cover to their ongoing

failures,” the group said in a statement.

The future of the students attending Corinthian Colleges at the time of the bankruptcy has yet to be decided.

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MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

3

Local collectors passionate for shoes Continued from Page 1 had a goal in collecting in this so-called ‘Shoe Game,’ ” Tanedo said. “I don’t collect to have many sneakers or to say I have this and that, I simply just buy because I love those certain sneaker models.”

Another Bay Area shoe collector, 17-year old Selina Chen, explained what started her interest in shoes.

“I started collecting six years ago when I was in the seventh grade, because it was the thing to do,” she said.

“But after a couple months of collecting shoes and reading about them on shoe forums, I started seeing it as more than just the hype – it became a passion.”

Whatever their motivations, collectors gather at major sneaker events such as Sneaker Con, commonly held in Chicago, and the better-known Dunkxchange (DXC) in San Francisco. They come to meet other collectors, as well as to find shoes that aren’t very common. If your mall doesn’t have the latest sneaker model, such as the latest Air Jordan Retro, you are guaranteed a better chance at getting it at Dunk Exchange.

The term “dunk” comes from Nike SB Dunks, a clothing line dedicated to skateboarding shoes. The Dunkxchange is basically “Dunk” and “Exchange” where collectors come together to sell and trade shoes, specifically Nike SB’s.

Gary Hughes founded Dunkxchange in 2005 after he bought fake shoes online.

He wanted fellow shoe enthusiasts to avoid the same problem and to be able to purchase shoes without fear of them being fake.

Although Dunkxchange was powered by people’s passion for shoes, other key elements contribute to the continuation of this event. Shoes are a major part of fashion, which in many ways can be seen as art. From this, Dunkxchange begins to branch out into various elements of urban and street culture, such as dance, art, music and fashion. In attempts to reach out to a larger audience, Dunkxchange includes live performances, DJs, local clothing companies and even celebrity guests.

Besides taking advantage of these events to find rare sneakers, many take this opportunity to meet new people and to create new networks that will come in handy in the future.

“One of the great things about these sneaker events is the amount of people who I have met who have similar interests for the love in general for shoes,” Tanedo said. “Building and having

a friendship where you can later on use each other as a source when you’re finding another shoe.”

The event has grown nationally and internationally to places across the United States. From Hawaii to New York and even outside of the U.S, in Vancouver and New Zealand, avid sneaker collectors are coming together to share their love for sneakers. The event has been going on for 10 years and has hosted more than 300 events and counting.

Everyone has their own reason for why they started collecting and what motivates them to continue.

While Chen started partly because of peer pressure, she continues due to her childhood list.

“I started a list back in seventh grade of different shoes I want to acquire in the future, and I just want to be able to say that I got each one,” she said.

Tanedo started as a kid solely for his interest in shoes, but continues for the same reason. “I liked shoes growing up and got more passionate about it in 2003,” he said. “Fast forward to 2015, and I still have that same love.” He doesn’t collect to have a significant number of sneakers or to be able to tell people he has a certain shoe, “I simply just buy because I love those certain sneaker models.”

When someone is willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of shoes, it’s important to know why. Unless Tanedo is trying to complete a set of shoes, there is more to look for besides rarity and value for him.

“The size, condition and most of all how much they’re asking,” he said. “The other part that plays a huge role is two things: how patient you are and time.” It may seem irrational to pay thousands of dollars for a pair of shoes, but some people have the luxury of being able to do so.

Tanedo’s Holy Grail is a pair of the Original 1988 Black Cement Air Jordan III’s. These Jordans retailed for $60, but are now on the market for close to $600, depending on their condition.

“It took me about 10 years to finally get that shoe with the box, condition, in my size, and more importantly, the price,” he said. Serious shoe collectors need more than $600; they need patience and determination.

Sneakers can go up in price and value the moment they sell out in the stores, so it’s important to either act quickly or wait patiently.

Most shoe enthusiasts have a website they use to alert them when there is going to be a new release. Some use a Facebook group called “Bay Area Sneakerheads,”

or Twitter. Kyle del Rosario, 20, of Fremont said, “I hear about shoe releases from tweets directly from Nike, social media, or through friends. I tell them I’m looking for a certain shoe and they will let me know if anything comes up. I do the same in return.”

Depending on the type of shoes people are looking for, some can be found in thrift stores, outlets, or shoe stores such as Foot Locker or Champs. “I usually go to the Nike Outlet in San Leandro, because they tend to have shoes for really cheap,” Chen said. “From what I’ve heard, and first-hand experience, Thursday mornings are the best days to go, because that’s when they restock their merchandise.”

For a shoe that is higher in demand, more dedication is required. During the re-release of the Cool Greys in 2011, people lined up overnight at the Foot Locker in Ontario Mills for as long as 12 hours. Del Rosario explained, “I lined up at 9 p.m. and stayed overnight until they opened at 10 a.m.”

Some sizes are more rare than others – sizes 7 in women and 9 in men sell out quickly. Stores usually stock 20 to 30 pairs of each size. Before opening, workers give the people in line a wristband if their sizes are still available. The freezing temperature overnight was worth the wait for del Rosario. “I bought two pairs for $170 each and was able to sell one for $350,” he said.

Many shoe enthusiasts, like del Rosario, like to double up in pairs so they can resell or keep one clean for the future. He explained, “If I really like a pair, or it’s anticipated to resell for a lot of money, I’ll buy two. So it’s like making an investment.” Others, like Tanedo, only have one pair so each shoe has its own individual importance.

Everyone has his or her own reasons for collecting shoes – whether it’s to buy and resell, to keep on display, or to wear daily. Unlike Chen, Tanedo aims for older shoes. They have their pros and cons, such as the history through the cracked sole and creases, but the question of, do you want them restored or sole swapped, always comes to mind. Restoration is trying to restore the shoe back to its original design and sole swap is when you change the sole of the shoe.

“I don’t have anything against people who want their shoes restored, but I would rather leave it, because it’s the original shoe and it shouldn’t be modified,” Tanedo said.

Some may wonder how much people are actually willing to pay for a pair of

shoes, but first you must know the shoe that’s highest in value. Actor Michael J. Fox teamed up with Nike’s Tinker Hatfield to recreate the shoes that Marty McFly used in the movie Back to the Future II. Hatfield is the designer of many popular Nike sneakers, including the Air Jordan 3 through Air Jordan 15’s. He was also able to work personally with Michael Jordan.

Hatfield, with the help of Fox, designed the rare Nike Air Mags.

“They’re special because there’s a limited amount of them sold in eBay auctions,” said Calvin Figueroa, 21, of Union City.

The Air Mags are sold to the highest bidder, with proceeds going to Michael J. Fox’s charity fund for Parkinson’s disease. The highest recorded price was $40,000, to British hip-hop artist Tinie Tempah. Although this is an insane price to spend on a pair of shoes, after auctioning 1,500 pairs of Air Mags, Fox was able to raise $5.7 million for Parkinson’s research.

Collecting shoes can be an expensive and timeconsuming hobby, but for many people it’s a passion, and neither time nor prices are of importance. Tanedo is well known for his rare collection of original Jordans dating back to 1985.

It has taken him 12 years to acquire the number of shoes he has today.

“I have sold and traded a lot of sneakers, but I always keep an index card of when and where I got the sneaker,” he said. “If I kept every shoe I sold or traded all these years, I would have close to 600.” He said the last time he counted his collection, he had well more than 200 pairs.

Car enthusiasts spend many years in search of a certain type of car model because they are out of production, and shoe enthusiasts do the same thing. “I would always try to get the original of that shoe because it’s the history alone,” Tanedo said.

“Appreciating the first of many is always nice to have.”

No two shoes are exactly the same, and that makes each one special. The tiny details show advancements in each generation. So while an old pair of Nike SB’s look like a typical sneaker to one person, they could be someone else’s Holy Grail that they have spent years looking for and would be willing to buy for $500.

Tanedo returned to his room after a long day of school and work. He laid down on his bed next to his 200 pairs of Jordans, including his newest pair of Unkles.

Exhausted, he was ready to sleep and continue his shoe endeavors tomorrow.

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OPINIONS

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

ON THE ROAD with Mitchell Walther

A Bag of Chips Endings are hard.

Well, sort of endings are hard.

Okay, let’s split the difference and call this a hiatus.

This will be my last column for the Monitor ever, and my last column for some time.

At Ohlone, the dream has always been to transfer, and now that I finally am, I’m learning the double-edged sword of the future.

College is just High School 2. It’s the same system with just slightly less drama and more alcohol.

You work those hard four years, freshman to senior, and then you’re top dog. First day of college, you’re back at the bottom.

So begins your second journey – you fight for those 120 credits to get back to your original standing.

Then you transfer, and you’re back at the bottom. I can’t tell if it’s a lesson in humility or futility.

The education system is one made up of fleeting achievements and fleeting trials.

Get through a hard time, and a fresh new semester awaits you.

Get awarded for a great accomplishment, and there’s still a new semester waiting for you.

This too shall pass.

The point is to let neither deserts nor oases slow you down. You need to keep on keeping on.

I wrote for the Monitor for more than two years. I went from staff writer to column writer to features editor to editor-in-chief.

Next semester I won’t be writing for anyone but myself. And you know what, that’s kind of a relief.

I’m not a top dog. I’m not a big fish. I am small fish in a big pond.

I have talents, sure. I have ambition, of course.

But there is a lot of water and only little me.

I won’t fail, I assure myself of that daily.

But I can’t ever think that I’m all that and a bag of chips, because have you seen how many chips come in a bag these days?

It’s mostly just a bunch of hot air. mitchellwalther.wordpress.com

@OTRwithMitchell

Moving right along Or, how road trips taught me the art of optimism

MITCHELL WALTHER Editor-in-chief America was born on the back of travelers. Wagon trains and Manifest Destiny. We packed our bags and fought our way against the unbeaten path to the coast.

People dedicated their livelihoods and families to making a new life for themselves in the West. Now here in the West we pack our bags, and continue on the tradition.

I can’t think of anything

more American than a road trip. The paved blacktop, the radio blasting and the open road.

I took a road trip to Los Angeles last month for my birthday. My friend Caleb Prewitt and I packed up his Explorer and headed out of the Bay Area for sunnier skies.

The goal was simply to get away from it all. We had friends in Azusa I hadn’t seen in months, and a reunion was on the horizon.

One, Joel Thompson, had just been married recently,

Top: A stunning sunset over the stirring Interstate 5.

Below: Joshua Bisquera,left, Mitchell Walther, center, and Joel Thompson tour Azusa Pacific University.

Bottom: The hills past Altamont offer a scenic view.

COURTESY OF CALEB PREWITT

and we’d be staying at his house for our stay. The other, Josh Bisquera, shared the same birthday as me, and we were prepared to eat, drink, and be merry together.

I never could have anticipated the lesson I would get while staying with Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.

College life is always posed as this great journey.

We’re on our own. We have to manage roommates and rent. We meet the friends we will stay with all through our lives.

There is a sense that this is when we are supposed to be wild and free. There is also a sense that once

you’re married, that freedom and wildness dies.

Most people I know shun getting married at a young age. I myself have had my own reservations with the idea of being married with my 20s ahead of me. This is why I’m not married.

But the idea that your life ends needs to stop.

Staying with my friend Joel, his eyes were alive.

He was the same crazy kid I had become friends with in fifth grade. He joked the same, acted out the same, and had the same soul that made me want to hang out with him.

His wife, Yvette, also was anything but a reserved housewife. The idea that once the wedding rings are on we turn into black-andwhite ‘50s sitcom cutouts is a hilarious lie.

There are new issues to manage, sure. And old problems become moot and replaced with brand new adventures. A part of you doesn’t die, though, it simply adapts. The same man remains, with a new heart pounding in his chest.

It’s a transplant, not a transformation as we’re told to fear.

The idea of losing my 20s to a missus is a nightmare because it’s a possibility.

Everyone’s road is different, and we all need to learn what path is right for us. We need to learn to look at every road and opportunity through the eyes of those who chose it for themselves.

No life road is wrong; you simply have the opportunity to ruin it for yourself.

This is as true for being an adult as it is for marriage. They are two currents running in the same river.

The trip I took was a fun one. Greasy breakfasts and coastal city walks, what more could I ask for. I didn’t anticipate life lessons, but they were beautiful all the same.

The lessons of an American road trip are eternal.

What happens on the road tends to stay on the road, but we also take the adventure back home with us.

FEATURES

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

5

Two bands, one show LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Above: The Ohlone Tuba Ensemble performs Saturday at the Central Park Pavilion at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont. The ensemble joined the Ohlone Community Band for the concert. Left: Tony Clements conducts the Ohlone Community Band. Bottom-left: Gene Boyle performs the “Trumpeter’s Lullaby” by Leroy Anderson. Below: Members of the Ohlone Tuba Ensemble play during the concert. Bottom-right: Members of the Ohlone Community Band play during the concert.

FEATURES FEATURES Digital age offers new techniques in mental health

Heavy Facebook users might be comparing themselves to their friends, which in turn can make them feel more depressed - Mai-Ly Steers

Continued from Page 1 negative connotations and discrimination attached.

Many who deal with mental illness fear being labeled and often face discrimination. According to the Mental Health Foundation, many who deal with these issues also find that their struggle worsens and their difficulties are harder to recover from.

Because not everyone is comfortable with being approached, the Health Center and STEP Up Ohlone have found a way to connect to students on their most familiar territory: technology.

Together, they have developed an app, “Life This Week,” that features a short survey to help determine how students are doing each week. It features five indicators, stress, depression, anxiety, sleep, and anger which are then forwarded to a database where the Health Center hopes to calculate the levels of stress the student is going through and the possible causes that may be triggering it.

“Depending on their responses, a tailored message emerges along with information on how to access services if needed,” said Sang Leng Trieu, project director of STEP Up Ohlone.

“The results of the app helps to inform the health center staff how students are doing from more of a crosssectional basis,” says Trieu.

The survey, which takes less than a minute to complete, is available for students and staff to take on either of two iPads located at the Health Center offices at the Newark and Fremont Campus.

In addition, STEP Up Ohlone has adopted an online training simulation to help faculty, staff and

students support students who struggle with psychological distress, including depression and suicidal thoughts; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students who are struggling because of harassment or exclusion; and student veterans who are facing challenges in adjusting to college life.

Users learn by engaging in interactive role-play conversations with emotionally responsive student avatars.

The suite is available for free to all California community college faculty, staff and students, thanks to a grant from the California Mental Health Services Authority.

To take the training, go to www.kognito.com/ccc.

Through the Health Center, Ohlone student Jenn Shue found the peace and acceptance she needed to get through a fully loaded semester and ensure academic success.

“When I first came to Ohlone and met Dr. Sally (Bratton, director of the Health Center) and her staff, it was the worst time in my life,” Shue said. “Without their help I never would have regained my family’s support and gotten the treatment I needed.”

Each day 35 million people answer the question, “What’s on your mind?” A Facebook feed can vary from posts about what friends are having for lunch to what the weekend agenda looks like, but often people also reveal serious and emotionally sensitive material.

Everyone uses social media differently, sometimes as a cry for help. Technology and social media are moving so fast that it can be difficult for parents and teachers to keep up, but the importance of being able to maneuver these platforms is not be-

coming any less demanding.

Hilary Roberts, former Peer Resources coordinator at John F. Kennedy High School in Fremont, understands that times are changing and the best thing to do is to get with the program.

“Technology is here to stay, and we are going to have to choose what to do with it,” she said. “Are we going to learn how to navigate it in a positive way or are just going to say, ‘Oh, in the old days.’ Well, it’s not the old days ... Last year’s 18-yearolds, they were born into a world of technology. They’re technology natives. I’m a foreigner so I have to learn the language. That’s my responsibility as an educator.”

In the Peer Resources program, students are trained in conflict resolution, teen advocacy work, and intervention for those with mental health needs. When a student does or has plans to do something harmful to themselves or others, Peer Advocates are trained to report the situation.

Because situations like these arise every day and are not always so obvious, Roberts said it’s important to stay connected with students even after they have graduated.

Using platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, Roberts makes herself available to all former students to report anything that needs attention. Numerous times students have noticed alarming posts and instantly contacted Roberts to report situations such as gang activity, child abuse and even suicide attempts.

In one such scenario, “Within hours we were able to have this kid in a safe place,” Roberts said.

When used the right way, technology and social media can be the gateway to reach-

ing situations that otherwise might not get the attention needed. Inspired to lend a helping hand, two young innovators, Jacob Savage and Doug Marks, came together to create something that does exactly that. While attending a festival in Oregon, Savage noticed that no police enforcement was present and everything still remained under control thanks to an organized firstresponse team. “I found out they provide the same services not only during the festival but 365 days a year,” he said. “They work with the police department to provide mental health first response. It was the first time I’ve ever seen it and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

He was inspired to bring something similar to his community. Together, Savage and Marks developed Concrn, an app that provides a compassionate response to scenarios where help is needed but police work may not be the best approach.

“With a single tap, Concrn sends your name, phone number and location to a network of civilian responders in your area,” according to the organization’s website.

The app allows the user to create a report requesting help for him- or herself or for someone else who may be in need. When making a report, it easily can be customized by describing the urgency of the incident, including a brief description of the person including gender, age group and ethnicity.

The app also consists of sections to define the setting where the incident is taking place, as well as what the person’s state of mind may be.

Lastly, it has a feature that

allows a photo and notes to be added to the report, making it easier for the responder to find the incident and provide the best help possible.

Already in partnership with the Las Vegas Downtown Rangers, a group that assists the community, Concrn also is teaming up with universities such as Stanford to share their approach on compassionate care. Although responders might not be available in every area, Concrn encourages reports to be made so that local governments and nonprofit organizations recognize the need for it in their communities as well.

Still, while advances in technology can play an essential role, discrimination and other barriers still must be broken. Mental health experts say the media can play a major role in this.

The Associated Press in March added an entry on mental illness to its AP Stylebook, a style and usage guide used by many newspapers and other news outlets.

“It is the right time to address how journalists handle questions of mental illness in coverage,” Kathleen Carroll, AP senior vice president and executive editor, said in a statement. “This isn’t only a question of which words one uses to describe a person’s illness. There are important journalistic questions, too.”

Melissa McCoy, a media consultant and a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, spoke about reporting on mental health issues at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ State Convention in Sacramento last month.

She said journalists should be deeply concerned about the issue, given that “one in

four Americans will have a mental health issue in any given year.”

“It’s not something that was talked about in newsrooms very often, and I think it’s starting to be talked about a lot more, which is good, because it’s an extremely important topic,” she said.

One major problem, McCoy said, is news coverage about mental illness tends to focus on mass shootings and other acts of violence.

In fact, she said, people with mental illnesses are responsible for a small fraction of violent acts against others.

“We’re very good at talking about violence as it regards mental health,” she said. “ ‘Mental illness equals violence’ – and it’s just not true. … We know that people are much more likely to be victims of crime than the perpetrators of crime, when they have a mental illness.”

Other institutions, including colleges like Ohlone, also are trying to dispel misconceptions about mental illness. As part of that effort, members of the STEP Up Ohlone team and the Health Center would like to see mental health incorporated into the college’s planning process in the future.

“The promotion of mental health should be and needs to be part of the campus infrastructure if we as a community are seriously committed to creating an environment where students can thrive,” Trieu said.

These are screen grabs from an online training simulation to help faculty, staff and students support students who struggle with psychological distress, including depression and suicidal thoughts; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students who are struggling because of harassment or exclusion; and student veterans who are facing challenges in adjusting to college life. Users learn by engaging in interactive role-play conversations with emotionally responsive student avatars. The suite is available for free to all California community college faculty, staff and students, thanks to a grant from the California Mental Health Services Authority. To take the training, go to www.kognito.com/ccc.

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

7

Last year’s 18-year-olds, they were born into a world of technology.

They’re technology natives. I’m a foreigner, so I have to learn the language. That’s my responsibility as an educator - Hilary Roberts

6

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

8

OPINIONS

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

Parties, leaders concerned only with donations, idealized models NADJA ADOLF Contributing writer The United States is rapidly becoming ungovernable because our political parties and leaders are more interested in either obtaining large donations from the wealthy or in building idealized models in their heads.

No one is putting the interests of the citizenry first; the interests of everyone from billionaires to foreign nationals are of higher priority to our supposed leaders.

Democrats, Republicans, Greens and Libertarians alike endorse “open borders” and the firing and replacement of American science technology, engineering and math workers with H1-Bs. There is no shortage of American STEM workers – we graduate two to three times as many as are needed each and every year – but there is a shortage of STEM workers willing to accept wages that require them to live in their cars while repaying their student loans.

We hear endlessly how illegal aliens – aka undocumented migrants – do the jobs Americans just won’t do, an argument that rings hollow on the ears of anyone over the ages of 40 to 50.

When I was a child, children as young as 7 earned money picking berries, beans and other crops in the fields. We were not harmed by this, and we enjoyed the money we earned. Regulations later banned youth

from this work.

Initially we were replaced by college and high school students, and then by illegal aliens. This situation of allegedly “needing” undocumented workers is purely artificial and manmade.

The few people who had servants or gardeners hired locals, and the ranch hands and farm hands were white, black, American Latino, American Indian or Asian.

Everyone involved was either a citizen or a legal immigrant.

We hear ridiculous hyperbole from individuals such as Sen. John McCain suggesting we would all starve to death without underpaid braceros working in agriculture. Perhaps someone needs to inform Mr. McCain that few undocumented migrants work in agriculture; like everyone else they seem to prefer cleaner, higher paying jobs in other fields, and the employers in other fields prefer them as they can be used to drive wages down and to do jobs considered too dangerous (and illegal)

by Americans. They also work in food service and cleaning – again driving down wages.

A more insidious problem exists that no member of the “enlightened classes” will talk about. One often hears members of the local enlightened elite extol the virtues of “cheaper goods and services” while desiring higher taxes on the “middle tax brackets” in order to provide welfare subsidies to

CAMPUS COMMENT

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

The Spring 2015 Monitor staff. Back row, from left: photographer Ivan Vargas, staff writers Charles Tuttle, Maria Garcia-Hernandez and Oden, D., and adviser Rob Dennis. Front row, from left: photo editor Laura Gonsalves, staff writer Martha Nunez, editor-in-chief Mitchell Walther and sports editor Albert Rebosura.

the families of the imported cheap labor so that the corporate masters won’t lose profits by having to pay a living wage.

There is no enlightenment related to permitting illegal, underpaid labor. There are only “cheaper wages” and unemployed Americans.

Despite the unions’ cries for legalizing illegal aliens, the unions expect the shrinking American middle class to support these underpaid workers and their families.

The level of entitlement and selfishness amongst the “politically enlightened classes” can be surprising.

When I first came to California, I settled for several years in Palo Alto. This was a distinct shock, as I not infrequently heard endless discussions about how much more compliant and pleasant the undocumented servant or worker was than

the “difficult and uppity American poor white, black, Latino, etc.” who just didn’t seem to “know their place” and demanded things like the minimum wage and protective gear for handling pesticides.

These were not mere words; I recall being surprised on entering a house and finding that the charming black housekeeper who had worked for an overindulged acquaintance had been replaced by a woman who did not speak English and was spoken to by means of a book called “Spanish on the Job.” It seems that the black lady had the habit of expecting two days off a week, while the new hire was on tap seven days a week, 24 hours a day, no overtime, no payments to Social Security, no taxes or withholding, and no back talk. The new hire was paid significantly

Ifyouhad$1,000,whatwouldyouspenditonoverthesummer?

AMELIA VULTAGGIO Child Development

“Tuition, food, puppy, tattoo” ISSAMAR SALAZAR Biology

“Save it”

KAYLA ATANOS Psychology

“Gifts to grandma and mother, and pay off my car with the rest” RYO TAWATARI Communications

“Go back to Japan and see family”

less, lived in what had been a storage closet, and had no idea that such a thing as overtime compensation existed.

The H1-B program requires no evidence that a competent American worker is available before hiring an overseas worker; all the corporation needs to do is to pay the H1-B a minimum of $60,000 per year. Due to alterations to the program over the years, it is now completely permissible to fire American workers and replace them with cheaper labor from overseas.

Little reported by the corporate media were the recent mass firings of IT departments at SoCal Edison and Disney Corp. Various claims were made about hiring allegedly “more creative” or “more talented” STEM workers from overseas – and Continued on Page 9

ANDREA DIAZ Environmental Studies

“Three months’ rent and food”

OPINIONS

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

9

All political parties want wealth transfer Continued from Page 8 little was said about the fact that by firing Americans and hiring STEM workers from overseas, corporate profits were increased. Additional savings arise, as employers do not have to pay for certain programs when hiring H1Bs that are required when hiring American workers.

There have been many studies on the alleged STEM shortage. Not one peerreviewed study has found any evidence at all for a STEM worker shortage since at least the 1990s. Further proof of this is that STEM wages have remained stagnant since at least 1998.

There is one widely publicized study that claims it is good for American workers when more H1-Bs are admitted to the country. It claims that every time an H1-B worker is hired additional jobs are created, and that “some of those jobs are highly desirable STEM” positions.

The reality is that those “newly created jobs” are primarily babysitters, maids, janitors, cleaners, waiters and other low-wage service workers. The study cleverly omits that these jobs are also created when an American is hired for a STEM position.

The study seems to believe that providing the best jobs to foreign nationals and relegating Americans to the lowest paying sector of the economy is to our benefit.

Perhaps those writing the study should ask their employers to replace them with

H1-Bs so they can enjoy one of those “newly created jobs” that follows the hiring of foreign workers.

Where are the unions? The unions want more imported cheap labor, since unions no longer put American workers first.

Instead, unions drivel endless nonsense about being charitable to the Third World and electing Democrats. The same politicians who displace American workers with cheap labor at the behest of Nickie Hanauer and Bill Gates are sold to the American public as their “saviors.”

T h e unions and the politicians also indulge in long, boring rants about the alleged “need” to tax the rich while the politicians work overtime at assisting their large donors in finding new ways to hide money in family foundations and other devices that permit political pressure groups designed to improve conditions for the super-rich to masquerade as charities. And the evils of billionaire donors – unless the billionaire is surnamed Bloomberg, Soros, Gates or Hanaueur. Our media lies, is corrupt, and has as its sole agenda increasing the wealth of its corporate masters.

Forget the “evil Republi-

cans” – all parties, including the Greens, are focused on a massive wealth transfer from those who work for a living to those who don’t – including billionaires. It is no mistake that those “green subsidies” for hiring landscapers and installing solar panels and other such entities are most available to the rich.

It is also no accident that in the name of urban renewal, redevelopment and the green movement, established neighborhoods – including old single-roomhousing buildings

then sold at a deep discount or even given away for free – to favored developers.

Homeowners are reduced to renters in “subsidized” low-income housing – instant slums – and small businesses fail and are replaced by chain stores given deep taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Locally, a car dealer was allowed to retain a share of the sales tax that should have gone to the city – while the billionaires who own the a local mall also are being permitted to keep millions of tax dollars that would otherwise go to the city. Local residents pay a “utilNOTE THAT THE VERY ity tax,” one POLITICIANS DEMANDING of the most regressive `TAXING THE RICH’ forms of taxaSOMEHOW WIND UP tion known, TAXING THE POOR to help subsidize billionaires, enthat rented cheaply – are be- abling the city to continue ing torn down and replaced to offer services while the by new single room housing very wealthy evade taxation. buildings, known as “micro Note that the very politicians apartments” that rent for demanding “taxing the rich” $2,000 to $3,000 per month. somehow wind up taxing The media extols the vir- the poor while exempting tues of American workers the rich. moving into “tiny houses” Understand money in and converted shipping politics: Bloomberg and containers, just like Third Hanauer spending millions World workers in China each to disarm the American and Mexico, where the “tiny worker (little Nickie has a house” is called a “hut” and great terror of the peasants the shipping container, coming after him and his equipped with water and fellow zillionaires – he even power, is considered an wrote an article about it) atrocity by Chinese activists. is considered good by corHomeowners and small- porate shills. Thousands of business owners are forcibly regular Americans making evicted, paid low prices for donations of $25 – a few their property – which is thousand to the NRA-PVF –

is bad, evil money in politics.

Soros wanders around insisting that the American worker needs to be humbled and brought down – and millions of American workers foolishly agree. He thinks American workers have too much of a voice in how the country is run, and should live like workers in other countries – and most Americans are too stupid to ask just which other countries he thinks we should be more like.

Racism? Ever noticed Bloomberg’s recent statement that the most important thing was to disarm minorities – and the endorsement of his comments by everyone on the Left, including “black Leaders?”

How many of our current ignorati are aware that one of the very core agendas of the KKK was to disarm Americans other than a select few affluent White Protestants?

Our country has fallen into the hands of the superrich. We are surveilled, spied upon and disarmed.

Corporations drive our wages down by importing foreign cheap labor, and the vast majority of Californians seem to support our own oppression.

What will it take before the average Californian recognizes that their grandchildren’s only future is as an underclass living in hovels and working two or three jobs to afford that 8-foot by 10-foot micro apartment with the shared bath down the hall?

1940s damage control leads to ‘Chicken of Tomorrow’ NADJA ADOLF Contributing writer In the 1940s Americans didn’t eat much chicken.

Roast chicken was a luxury meat; the usual chicken on the plate showed up as chicken and dumplings, the eventual fate of laying hens who had ceased being productive.

Today we eat an average of 80 pounds of chicken per capita, and chickens are so efficient that they produce 1 pound of meat for every 2 pounds or less of feed. How did this happen?

In the 1940s there was a company known as The Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., then the largest retailer in the world and by far the largest retailer of poultry products.

The A&P, as it was known, had received a significant amount of bad publicity during the 1940s after a conviction for criminal restraint of trade. A&P launched into full damage control positive PR mode, and one of the damage con-

trol operations was seen as having as an added benefit the distinct possibility of improving the bottom line at A&P. This PR plan? A national contest, “The Chicken of Tomorrow Contest.” Farmers from all over the country would send eggs to special facilities where the chicks would be hatched, raised, and all slaughtered at 12 weeks of age. The poultry were judged on feed efficiency, health and appearance, growth and size, and edible carcass proportion.

The contest began with two years of state and regional competitions; from these contests 40 national finalist chick strains were selected. In the national finals, the purebred winners were the Arbor Acres White Plymouth Rocks and the crossbred category was won by higher performing, dark colored Vantress Hatchery Cornish crosses which had a less attractive carcass than the white birds. Eventually the strains were crossed, leading to a

higher performing white bird that became the standard of market poultry.

Other breeders developed similar strains, and in the decades since the age of slaughter has declined from what was then seen as an incredibly early 12 weeks to the modern birds of today that are slaughtered at six to eight weeks of age.

The Chicken of Tomorrow was a technological development that had both good and bad effects. Prior to the development of the fast maturing, highly efficient modern meat bird, male chickens were “neutered” either by caponizing – a painful, sometimes fatal operation since chickens testicles are inside their bodies – or by the use of hormone capsules. Both techniques have essentially vanished with the modern meat bird, and hormones have been illegal for years. The modern meat bird grows as it does not because of artificial manipulation, but because of genetic selection.

Faster, more efficient

meat birds have led to more affordable, higher quality protein being available to lower income Americans. The downside is that the fastest growing strains must be heavily monitored to avoid leg breakdowns or heart attacks before reaching market weight. Many of these strains are so focused on eating – for physiological reasons – that they are unwilling to exercise. Some cannot be raised at altitudes above 5,000 feet due to the high probability of heart failure.

Ascribing antibiotic use in livestock to the genetics of the “Chicken of Tomorrow” is misleading at best, and dishonest at worst.

Antibiotics are known to increase growth in animals in dosages that are not adequate to control or reduce disease. The Chicken of Tomorrow, like any other chicken, can live to market age without the use of these drugs. The reason for the use of these drugs is profitability, not disease prevention. Farm profit margins

are so low that if one producer uses them, the others must follow suit or fail.

Some farmers enter niche markets, such as heritage breeds or pastured poultry – but most consumers cannot afford to pay $8 per pound or more for a whole chicken.

Ironically, the man who founded and owned Arbor Acres and won the contest later became deeply concerned and attempted to breed and sell hardier chicks that were capable of exercise, highly productive, and could be raised well without as intensive a raising regime. These birds were unable to penetrate the market.

It is possible to market a less intensively reared, slightly older, economical bird. This means that consumer tastes would have to adapt to tolerate the higher level of dark meat and tougher carcass muscle that result from a more active bird that is capable of foraging for some of its sustenance.

10

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

OPINIONS

Deaf Studies sends student aid to Dominican Republic CHARLES TUTTLE Staff writer

Top: Children take a class photo at the School for the Deaf at Patronato Benefico Oriental in the Dominican Republic.

Right: Deaf students from various colleges teach students in the Dominican Republic and help in ways the country’s education system can’t.

Koichi Tsuji will take a trip to the Dominican Republic representing Ohlone’s Deaf Studies Program in a coordinated donation effort with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

JICA, a nonprofit group based in Japan, is dedicated to aiding numerous international causes, and seeks to aid the struggling deaf studies program in the Dominican Republic.

The Domincan Republic’s schools program struggles due to a lack of funding and school supplies, resulting in deaf children being intermingled with children who are able to hear.

Things are so desperate that some children resort to whatever they can do to survive, as many of them live in abject poverty.

OPEN HOUSE

The school Tsuji will be traveling to help is located far inland, away from the ocean, increasing the difficulty of acquiring supplies from the docks.

Upon his arrival in the Dominican Republic, Tsuji will use the funds he collected over Spring Break with the Ohlone Deaf Studies department to purchase much-needed supplies for the deaf students in the Dominican Republic.

He will work alongside the representative from JICA, who will assist Tsuji in the distribution of the supplies.

Professor Thomas Holcomb leads the Ohlone Deaf program, which has been funding Koichi’s venture to the Dominican Republic through different fundraisers. These include selling various school supplies, such as pencil kits.

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SPORTS

11

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

Concussions: sports safer with more knowledge Concussions can affect an athlete on and off the field, and a life after a concussion can mean long-term effects in their daily life.

Former linebacker George Koonce, who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1999, and also played for the Seattle Seahawks for one season in 2000, struggles with suicidal depression after football, according to Marquette Magazine.

“Like myself, Junior Seau didn’t have any documented concussions,” Koonce said during a panel discussion last year at Marquette University in Wisconsin. “But while we may not have had concussions, it’s more about that constant head trauma.”

When an athlete leaves a sport, it can be difficult to return to normal life, especially if the athlete has suffered several concussions during their career.

“Sport is part of the fabric of our society, but we have to do it safely,” Koonce said.

Continued from Page 12 “We had our own team doctor and he checked me out; from what I’ve been told, they did everything they were supposed to,” Cason-Barnes said.

California Assembly Bill 2127, which took effect this year, limits the length and frequency of full-contact practices for middle-school and high-school football teams, how concussions are managed and if the player can return the game or not.

College athletes dealing with head injuries and concussions face similar challenges to youths and high school athletes, but at another level.

Ohlone College water polo player Austin Gamble played at both levels.

“I’ve been playing yearround for five years through high school and college,” he said.

According to the head trauma in aquatic sports website, water polo is the water sport with the most head injuries – whether a ball hits a player at a fast speed or a player makes physical contact with another.

During a game against Cabrillo, an opposing player hit Gamble.

“As I was swimming away, the guy’s friend grabbed me and kneed me in the eye under water,” he said. After Gamble got hit, he started experiencing symptoms of a concussion.

“My coach couldn’t see my pupils; my eye was bleeding and I felt like I wanted to throw up,” he said.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines for concussions in college sports help coaches to spot a concussion and develop ways to stop them and prevent complications.

“De Anza’s athletic trainer checked me out (after the concussion) and I went to go see Ohlone’s athletic trainer,” Gamble said.

Steve Griffin is the youngest member of his baseballcrazed family. His passion for baseball led him to play at the college and professional level.

“I went to Fresno State University, where we went to the College World Series,” Griffin said. “There was no

ERIKA HEREDIA (ABOVE) AND TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR FILE PHOTOS

Above: A fight breaks out at a San Jose Sharks home game. Below: A California School for the Deaf player fends off Maryland defenders during a 2013 game in Fremont.

protocol back then; we had drug tests, but it depended where you got drafted if there’s a protocol of injury.”

Griffin went on to play in the minor leagues for the Southern Oregon A’s, Scottsdale A’s and Alabama Huntsville Stars. Every sport is competitive, especially minor-league baseball, because a player is trying to move up to the big leagues.

“A lot of players played through their injury to not

lose their spot,” Griffin said.

After Super Bowl XLIX, San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Chris Borland announced he would end his football career early due to his concern about the long-term effects of concussions.

“I just want to do what’s best for my health,” Borland said. “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

Borland isn’t the only player to end his career early. Patrick Willis, Jason Worilds and Jake Locker all ended their playing careers this past offseason.

The decision to end a football career early, specifically because of head trauma, can be alarming.

“I respect and support his decision because it was his decision,” Roberts said.

Football is the sport with the highest concussion rate.

MY EYE WAS BLEEDING AND I FELT LIKE I WANTED TO THROW UP - AUSTIN GAMBLE

SPORTS TWEET OF THE WEEK Feel bad for Tom Brady. 4-game suspension in September means at least 2 weddings he no longer has an excuse to get out of. @MattGoldich TV writer and comedian Matt Goldich shares his thoughts on “deflategate.”

12

SPORTS

MONITOR MAY 14, 2015

Sports world works to limit concussions VICTORIA GROENEWOLD Contributing writer Late in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril got a concussion after he and New England Patriots cornerback Brandon Bolden’s helmets crashed into one another.

The NFL spotter, watching in a booth high above the field, alerted the team physicians to check out for possible concussions.

Ohlone’s athletic trainer, Jeff Roberts, was that guy.

“It was a once in a lifetime thing,” Roberts said.

“My job doesn’t change if I’m at the Super Bowl or at the Raider game, just a bigger stage.”

The American College of Sports Medicine defines a concussion as an injury where force causes the brain to move within the skull. Any sport can cause a concussion, including baseball, basketball, hockey and football.

Concussions have always been a concern in the sports world. One Southwest Athletic Trainer’s Association article says female high school soccer players have a 40 percent higher concussion rate than males, and female high school basketball players have a 240 percent higher concussion rate than males.

“A concussion is a con-

Game over

TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR FILE PHOTO

Maryland players converge on a California School for the Deaf player in a game two years ago in Fremont.

cussion, doesn’t matter what sport,” Roberts said.

According to the website for Head Case, a company aiming to increase safety in sports, concussions increased from 1.9 million in 2002 to 3.8 million in 2012.

The highest rate of concussions in sports is high school football, with 47 percent. People know about concussions among professional and collegiate athletes, but it starts as early as youth and high school players.

The rise of head injuries

and concussions in youth and high school sports is at an all time high.

“I played football all four years of high school,” said Mike Cason-Barnes, who got a concussion while playing the last game of his senior year at West High School in Tracy. The play leading up to his hit was called a screen pass and his responsibility was to be the lead blocker on the offensive line. “I remember getting hit but nothing afterwards.”

According to the Mayo

Clinic, symptoms of a concussion include memory loss, wanting to vomit, ringing ears, dizziness, delayed response to a question, and amnesia from the event.

“My ears started ringing; I had a vague memory of what I remembered,” Cason-Barnes said.

To help prevent more head injuries and concussions from happening in youth and high school sports, protocols and laws have been set up.

Continued on Page 11

Fresno ends Ohlone’s baseball season ALBERT REBOSURA Sports editor The Ohlone baseball team’s promising season came to an end after losing the series 2-1 to the second-seeded Fresno City College.

It was Fresno’s dominating pitching that the Renegades couldn’t overcome in the two losses. Fresno pitcher Connor Brogdon allowed one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in their 7-2 win in Game One. Brogdon improved his record to 10-0 with a 1.79 ERA and 82 strikeouts – sixth most in the state. Ohlone’s Pablo Artero and Josh Roman had the lone RBIs for the Renegades in the loss.

In Game Two, Ohlone squeaked out a 4-3 comefrom-behind victory. Fresno was up 3-2 until the eighth inning, when Justin Chase scored Brock Pradere, tying the game for Ohlone.

Max Diaz would reach base on an error in the 10th inning, scoring Josh Sprugasci and clinching the Game Two victory. Ohlone pitcher Elias Bedolla threw a whopping 10 innings for the complete game victory, tying up the series 1-1.

Game Three was reminiscent of Game One – Fresno’s

LAURA GONSALVES / MONITOR

Head Coach Mark Curran, left, argues with the home plate umpire last month against Gavilan.

pitching was dominant and the score was 7-2 in their favor. This time, Fresno pitcher Jorge Alvarado silenced Ohlone’s offense, allowing two runs in seven innings to

clinch the series and crush Ohlone’s playoff hopes.

Ohlone finished the season with a 29-12 record. The 2010 champions have 19 returning players and 14 moving on.

Among the players leaving are Pradere, who led the team with 33 steals; and Bedolla, who pitched a team-high 86 innings with a 2.93 ERA and a 7-2 record.

Seems like it was just yesterday when I was sitting in Ohlone’s newsroom hoping to be the sports writer, and here I am writing my last column.

Luckily, I didn’t have to plead or fight to become the sports editor – there was no one else who was interested.

Since then, I’ve been responsible for filling two pages every week this school year.

And that included this column.

I’d like to thank all of you who take the time to read my often weird takes on sports – or this newspaper.

I’m pretty sure that more than half the students here don’t know that it exists.

I’ve grown so much as a writer and editor this year.

You have all been forced to watch - and read - me like something right out of The Truman Show.

Just like the Truman Show, this must end. So this fall – man this was very tough – I’ve decided to take my talents up north and join the Humboldt State Lumberjacks.

I would like to thank LeBron James for helping me with that decision.

As a parting gift, I’d like to share my special sports rules and jokes.

My first rule pertains to baseball: players can’t weigh more than their batting average.

This rule requires players such as Pablo Sandoval and Prince Fielder to have a batting average above .300.

The next rule is to respond to every sports conversation with the Alabama Crimson Tide’s saying: “Roll Tide.”

Roll tide is just another way of agreeing with someone or spicing conversations about the Sharks always losing in the playoffs.

“You know what? They had a great season. Roll Tide.”

My last and the most important rule: “ball don’t lie.”

The ball never lies.

I didn’t make this rule, it’s a basketball phrase when a referee calls a bad foul and the player shooting free throws misses the shot.

Ball don’t lie is simply a cool, much nicer way to say, “That’s karma, bitch.”

Those are my rules and this is the end. I’m turning in my jersey knowing that I left it all on the field.

Follow and never forget me on Twitter @ErmeloAlbert