THURSDAY
MARCH 16, 2017 Vol. LI No. 15
Khac-Quan Nguyen See article on Page 3
FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM
Fremont is now a sanctuary city MIRA CHANDRA EDITOR
Workmen guiding in another steel frame of the new Academic Core Buildings.
Academic Core taking shape
RONNIE LOZANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The foundation for Ohlone’s Academic Core Project has been laid down after a rainy couple of months. There was a “dent in the schedule” during January and February, said Robert Dias, Director of Measure G, but operations are back on course. Despite unideal weather, the past two weeks have been great
for construction. Workers have made “significant progress” over the span, said Dias. Voters passed the $349 million bond in 2010 and the project began with demolition of Buildings 1, 2 and 8, which were built in the 1970s. Groundbreaking began last April and since then construction workers have been setting up the footprints for the Academic Core Buildings at
the heart of the campus. Structures for all three main buildings of the project are being built simultaneously. Depending on logistics and positioning of the crane, each building is coming together with different sequencing. For example, Building 2 is further along as its skeleton has two floors already in place. The floors are created by “an erection of steel with safety in
mind first,” said Dias. After that, floors are decked and concrete is put over the bases of steel. The process will eventually happen with each structure. Following this phase, Dias said work will “appear to stop” but they'll be working on other parts, such as the interior of each building. The complex is set to open in the Spring of 2019.
In the last city council meeting on March 7, Fremont mayor Lily Mei stated, "By declaring Fremont as a Compassionate Sanctuary City, we are simply upholding Fremont’s core values to celebrate diversity, to protect human rights, and to treat all of our people fairly,” According to city officials, the approved ordinance aims to protect all Fremont residents regardless of origin, gender, disability or sexual orientation. They're aware of the potential dangers which may impact Fremont from this decision due to the supposed loss of future federal funding given the recent political climate. As already enforced, Fremont officers will continue to share information with federal enforcement organizations. The status quo will remain intact in terms of regulation and information releasing, if requested of the Fremont Police. For more information, visit www.fremont.gov/ CivicAlerts.
Graduation forms are due on Friday ROB ADEMIC STAFF WRITER
This Friday, March 17, is the deadline for graduation applications. A paper application must be turned in at the Office of Admissions and Records on the Fremont Campus. The most common mistake on the application is that students list the wrong general education plan. “Sometimes they’ll put plan A when they’re really trying to be plan B,” said Santino Martinez, an enrollment services specialist at Ohlone College. “That’s something we can’t figure out until we run audits and look at it.” It will be Martinez’s job to evaluate the nearly 700 applications that will be submitted this semester. The process can be a bit time-consuming. First he’ll have to use the
information on the application to create a graduate record in the school’s computer system. If the student is applying any transfer work from other schools to their Ohlone graduation, Martinez will have to check to see if these are accredited schools that Ohlone can accept. He may then need to call these other schools to determine the Ohlone equivalent of these classes. If the school is no longer in business, like Heald College, it can be even harder to determine what if any credits are transferable. Once this information has been sorted out and logged in the computer, Martinez can run a preliminary evaluation that will determine if the student will be eligible for graduation. Only around 15 percent of applications are rejected, as most students usually have a pretty good idea of what their gradu-
ation status is before submitting an application. The preliminary evaluation allows Martinez to contact the student and discuss any issues before the semester is over. “If they’re short something, we want to be able to reach out to them and let them know.” The student can then register to make up the class during the summer semester but will still be allowed to participate in the May graduation ceremony. The graduation ceremony is the main reason that applications are due two months early. Admissions and Records has to send vendors lists of all the students who are eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony. These vendors include photographers, the bookstore which orders the caps and gowns, and the printer who prints the degrees. The most popular degree stu-
dents apply for is an Associate in Arts in Human Development Studies. “It’s a general type of degree so you can transfer to a four-year and go into a lot of different things with that,” said Martinez. While it’s the most popular degree, not everyone who earns the degree does so intentionally. “Just by taking care of your transfer requirements, most
of the time you’re on pace for a human development studies degree and you don’t even know it”. A counselor can run their own audit of your transcript and help to find surprise degrees like this however with the Friday deadline looming, there probably won’t be time to schedule a counseling appointment.
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NEWS
M O N I TO R MARCH 16, 2017
NEWS BITES
Rockin’ Mad Tea Party
In association with the 25th Anniversary Advertising Committee, Ohlone College’s 50th Anniversary Committee is planning the Rockin’ Mad Tea Party. On March 31, at the NUMMI Theater from 7-10 p.m., Ohlone will host a dance for all students that will include contests, prizes, giveaways and drinks and dessert bars. The theme of the dance will be Alice In Wonderland, so students are encouraged to wear their best, fancy attire to encapsulate the theme, there will also be a costume contest. The dance is the first in a series of events that Ohlone is hoping to keep up for the students in commemoration of the 50 year anniversary, as well as the hard work they put in on campus. Tickets are $5 online, and $6 at the door. They can be bought online at www.Smithcenter. com. It is first come, first serve, so tickets are limited. For more information, contact the box office at the Smith Center through their website, or (510) 659-6031.
Scholarships available If you were looking for money to apply for college. Good News, Ohlone College has over $220,000 available in scholarships for this upcoming 2017 Fall Semester. This past March 1, the application period was open. Starting from March 1 to April 12, the Ohlone College Foundation is willing to receive applications for both already registered students as for prospective students. For more information, visit http://www.ohlonefoundation.org/. – Compiled by Monitor staff
Ro Khanna met with large crowd at Ohlone SERGIO REYES
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Building Three was over capacity on Feb. 22 with more rooms filled by hundreds of people who came to witness freshmen Rep. Ro Khanna’s first town hall meeting in Fremont. Gail Lee, the mother of an Ohlone student who is part of the ASL Program, formed a group through Facebook of five people she didn’t know before this night. They met and carpooled to the town hall meeting but were split up because there wasn’t enough
room in Building Three. “I am very interested on what he has to say about healthcare as my son is part of the ASL Program here at Ohlone. As well as immigration becasue having an Asian husband I am more aware of this issue,” Lee said. “It’s the people that make the decisions and influence popular opinion! We must fight strongly for our values,” Khanna stated. Wasting no time, he went straight into answering questions, where he met with many happy Democrats
cheering and putting up bright green signs that read “Agree.” Khanna touched on many issues, such as immigration, healthcare and protecting the press. But what he really pushed on was urging the people to become a more bold Democratic Party. “We are not going to beat Trump by getting in the gutter!” Khanna said. “Hilary was up by 10 points in the third debate when she was talking about things that mattered, such as Medicare, making peoples’ lives bet-
ter – when we made it about Trump is when we lost.” Khanna gave the advice to stay informed and bcome more involved. “Don’t underestimate the influence you have!” Expressing the fact that there are so many ways to voice an opinion, such as Twitter or Facebook where more people can see it rather than at meetings. “It’s inspiring to see this level of engagement,” Khanna said as he ended his time at Building Three to move to another room.
Ohlone basketball out of playoffs Continued from Page 8
as heavy favorites to compete for a State Championship and managed to come within a few games of what would have been an unbelievable playoff run. Rowland has played under Fisher for the past two seasons and stated, “Coach seemed more passionate this year and I could tell he wanted it more.” “Seeing how that was my last basketball game here at Ohlone, I didn’t want to go out like that,” Rowland continued to say, “but overall, we had a good season and they should be able to build this off-season.” Fisher brought in multiple recruits from Australia that contributed good quality play
JULIAN MONCALEANO/MONITOR
Ohlone team squares off against Yuba College earlier this semester. for him this season and we integrating international to bounce back from this loss by taking a few weeks off, can expect to see him do the players into the program. We look forward to seeing but then will begin workouts same this off-season. Fisher played professional many of the sophomores from towards the end of March. For full highlights of the basketball in Australia for this year move on to other colmore than 10 years and has leges and universities next fall. game, visit https://www. The Renegades will look youtube.com/ built a great foundation with
Raiders are close to moving SARA BIELA SPORTS EDITOR
It hasn’t been easy for the Oakland Raiders and their move to Las Vegas – but it looks like things may be straightening out. After the pull-out of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs Incorporated on Jan. 30, the Raiders have found the new finance partner they’ve been searching for. On March 6, Bank of America reportedly became the team’s financial partner. Raiders’ owner Mark Davis and team president Marc Badain informed an NFL finance committee that Bank of America had filled the gap in the deal, putting the team back on track. Under the original plan, the stadium authority would provide $750 million in Las Vegas tax revenues; the Raiders and NFL would put forth $500 million; and Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs
Inc. would put up $650 million. There is no word yet if Bank of America will replace Adelson’s $650 million to the team. The Raiders’ relocation application did not include Adelson, and he had been shut out from lease negotiations before the team sent the proposal, which ultimately led to his withdrawal. “It’s clear the Raiders have decided their path for moving to Las Vegas does not include the Adelson family,” said Adelson to ESPN. “So, regrettably, we will no longer be involved in any facet of the stadium discussion.” The team filed paperwork for relocation to Las Vegas in mid-January. A sequence of committee meetings will be taking place over the offseason, followed by voting by all 32 NFL owners. If the vote is in favor of Davis and the Raiders, the
move will be in motion and a $1.9 billion stadium will be built and the 2020 season will begin in the Sin City. Davis intends on playing a few more seasons in Oakland while the stadium is under construction. However, if NFL owners vote to decline the move, there are other options on the table. When the Raiders announced they were ready to leave, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff got to work to keep the team in the Bay Area. “We know Oakland has something to offer that Las Vegas will never have,” said Schaff to KTNV. “That is legacy and loyalty.” Hall of Famer Ronie Lott and his group are also involved in keeping the team in Oakland. The city and Alameda County approved of their stadium plan back in December, and the group formally submitted the plan to the NFL for the first time
on Feb. 28. The plan included components for a 65,000-seat stadium, estimated at a cost of $1.3 billion. In spite of the efforts made by Mayor Schaff and the Lott group, Davis made it perfectly clear he is confident the team will move and will no longer negotiate with the city of Oakland. The only thing stopping the Raiders from moving to Las Vegas is the vote. The organization will need the approval from 24 NFL owners. No estimate vote count has been released, but things seem to be progressing and gaining momentum among the owners. A long and dramatic process will soon come to an end. Will there be a Las Vegas Raiders in the near future? The owners will meet in Phoenix, Arizona from March 26 to March 29. A vote may take place during that time, or may be postponed.
OHLONE COLLEGE
MONITOR STAFF:
News editor: Mira R. Chandra Features editor: Alexandra Romero Opinion editor: Vicente Vera Sports editor: Sara Biela Online editor: Mira R. Chandra Reporters: Rob Adamic Mario Leal Ronnie Lozano Julian Moncaleano Sergio Reyes Adviser: Cristina Gastelu Villarreal Printer: FP Press
FEATURES
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M O N I TO R MARCH 16, 2017
IT staffer runs charity in Vietnam ALEXANDRA ROMERO FEATURES EDITOR
Khac-Quan Nguyen is Ohlone’s Administrative System Analyst/ Application Administrator in the Information Technology (IT) Services department, but he has many other roles. He has been a concert violinist for 14 years. And he founded a charitable organization in his home country of Vietnam called Viet Dreams, which provides clean water and free eye cataract surgery. Nguyen was born and raised in a family that had a long tradition of music, in Hanoi, Vietnam. His father was a famous violinist, while his mother was a ballet dancer. His extended family included 10 relatives who were violinists. Hence, it is no surprise that Nguyen grew up surrounded by the sound of music. Nguyen started learning music at the tender age of 4, with his father as a mentor. He entered the Hanoi Conservatory at age 7, passing with a high score. In 2010, Nguyen founded Viet Dreams, which is a “501(c)(3) charity non-profit organization founded by musicians, artists, and music enthusiasts who all share a common goal- to provide disadvantaged children in
PHOTO COURTESY OF KHAC-QUAN NGUYEN
Children helped by charity run by Khac-Quan Nguyen. Vietnam and the United States with better educational opportunities and a healthy, sustainable way of living,” according to their website VietDreams.org. Nguyen had the idea for Viet Dreams while he was volunteering for different charities in the past and discovered “that none of them actually helped with clean drinking water, or only concentrated in helping only one particular need, in this case it was water.” In order to resolve that problem Nguyen, along with four other board members, created a charity organization
to help deliver clean drinking water. The program targeted pre-school children and orphanages and other places where young children were likely to need help. Since its inception in 2010, Viet Dreams has helped more than 50,000 children and students at 150 schools and orphanages in Vietnam. According to Nguyen, Viet Dreams has five board members, 15 volunteers, and two international staffers (in Vietnam). Viet Dreams also hold fundraising events twice a year in the US. These funds also provide Christmas and Thanksgiving toy drives to
shelters in San Jose. Nguyen’s has said that his future plans for Viet Dreams is devoted “to giving children a healthier lifestyle and a promising future” in the hope their “efforts and commitment will serve as a powerful reminder that there are many children in Vietnam who need our help. Our goal is to give children in Vietnam an opportunity of a lifetime and make their dreams a reality.” For those interested in being volunteers for Viet Dreams, call 408-909-2937 or check their website, VietDreams.org.
First a student dressed up as a bear. Then he killed a woman on stage. Then he took off his bear’s head. The skit was called Bearologist, and the audience loved it. It was Thursday Night Live, held March 9 at 7 p.m. in the Nummi Theater at the Smith Center. The bear skit, plus 19 others, were produced by the Student Repertory Theater, which offers a class in Ohlone’s Theater and Dance Department.
More than 30 students participated in the event, with short 10-minute comedic sketches. The show was directed by faculty member Michael Navarra Smith. He said Thursday Night was an “opportunity for the students to work together as a company for the first time. “We use minimal technical elements, compared to the Playwrights Festival, so that the students can learn and take steps towards a larger production (Ohlone College Playwrights Festival) at the end of the semester.”
Smith explained students and staff began rehearsing at the beginning of the semester. He added, the process was complex. He said the time duration varies, but typically “for educational theatre it’s usually 6-8 weeks of rehearsal. “In addition, there is preproduction, which includes play selection, casting, and director, actor, and designer prep. Post-production includes Strike, a process of breaking down the sets, costumes, lights, and other technical elements of the production.” The producers and cast
members showed commitment and enthusiasm, and the performance was creative and hilarious. A large audience had come to support the Theater & Dance Department. The popularity of the show was obvious by the fact it was full and people were even turned away. The Theater & Dance Department’s next performance will be, The Spring Dance Production, which will be April 19-22. Following it will be The Ohlone College Playwrights Festival 2017, scheduled May 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.
The Monitor is written, edited and produced by students SARA BIELA enrolled in the Journalism SPORTS EDITOR Program at Ohlone College. With the spring semester in Articles and opinions writfull swing, Associated Students ten in the Monitor reflect the of Ohlone (ASOC) hosted more thoughts of our students, and than 10 clubs in the main lobby they are solely responsible for the accuracy of the con- of the Newark Ohlone campus tent. Articles and opinions for Club Day. S ponsored by the Student Acthat appear in the Monitor do not reflect the views or tivities Department, Club Days opinions of Ohlone College. are an opportunity for clubs to
make their presence known as well and to recruit new members. The Ohlone Chapter of Society for the Advancement of Chicanos, Latinos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS) – caught the attention of students, with their innovative smoking volcano and floating block cruising around a track.
“Our club is about stem-field advancement, and we’re promoting the society for Native Americans and Chicanos in the sciences,” said Darren Tan, a SACNAS representative. “We want to encourage the new generation to get into the sciences.”
EA Sports video game club on campus,” said Steven Porep, a Renegade Gaming representative. “We hope to keep the tradition of gaming ongoing, and pass it on to the next generation.”
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CONTACT US: Offices: Room 5310 Call: 510.659.6075 E-mail: monitor@ohlone.edu Read: facebook.com/Ohlone. Monitor www.ohlonemonitor.com
Students perform at ‘Thursday Night’
ALEXANDRA ROMERO FEATURES EDITOR
Club Day held at Newark campus Students were enticed with two gaming systems hooked up to huge TV screens for the club Renegade Gaming. “We’re an
For more information, visit: http://www.ohlone.edu/org/ studentactivities/studentclubs. html
Before the Ohlone Newpaper was known as The Monitor it was called The Saints’ Herald.
On June 26, 1968 the ASOC voted to change the name of the Ohlone mascot from the Saints to the Renegades. The Saints had lasted less than a full year.
Ohlone College first opened for classes on Sept. 25 1967. The first issue of the newspaper was published 38 days later, on Nov. 2, 1967.
779 students voted in the 2016 ASOC election and around the same number are expected to vote in this year’s election. There are around 4,000 students who currently hold ASOC cards.
The current ASOC government consists of a president, vice president and treasurer. The recording secretary has been shortened to just secretary and the representativeat-large is now known as the legislative representative. The positions of commissioner of public relations and commissioner of academic affairs no longer exist.
Monitor’s first edition -and how we’ve changed 4 M O N I TO R MARCH 16, 2017
FEATURES
The campus that was toured on Nov. 12, 1967 was not the Fremont campus that students know now. Ohlone was operated for its first seven years out of a temporary campus located on Washington Boulevard. Construction on the familiar hillside campus didn’t begin until 1969 and finally opened in 1974 with Buildings 1 through 6. Of those buildings, only 3 through 6 still stand. Buildings 7-9 were completed in 1975 only Building 8 (the gym) still stands.
This year the Ohlone College Foundation will award $220,000 in scholarships provided by community donors and business partners.
The Ski Club, Latter Day Saints Club, and the Newman Club have all since disbanded, but Ohlone now boasts 43 official clubs.
FEATURES M O N I TO R MARCH 16, 2017
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OPINIONS
M O N I TO R MARCH 16, 2017
In defense of gender neutral bathrooms VICENTE VERA OPINIONS EDITOR
According to a 2016 study conducted by the Williams Institute, over 1.4 million Americans identify as transgender. Though the massive population should come with it unquestionable liberty, the transgender community continues to face an uphill battle concerning their civil rights. Instead of being granted the full length of rights to which they are supposedly endowed, the minority group remains drowned out when voicing their arguments to a mostly conservative, Trump administration. A recent example that illustrates the dismantlement effort Trump and his yes men have taken against the relatively stable structure of gender rights, has been their overturn of Barack Obama’s law to grant transgender students the option of choosing a bathroom that best aligns with their gender identity. Secretary of the Press, Sean Spicer explained regarding the decision, “The president has maintained for a long time that this is a states’ rights issue and not one for the federal government. So while we have further guidance coming out on this, I think that all you have to do is look at what the president’s view has been for a long time, that this is not something that the federal government should be involved in.” The Justice and Education departments said February 22, the Obama documents do not “contain extensive legal analysis or explain how the position is consistent with the express language of Title
IX, nor did they undergo any formal public process. This interpretation has given rise to significant litigation regarding school restrooms and locker rooms.” This makes it evident that conservative states will continue to bar students from occupying the bathroom that fits their identity, while more liberal states will allow gender neutral bathrooms. With time, the liberal states will continue to progress in civil rights for transgender people, while the conservative states will be stuck in the past, as Republican reign in these states will remain due the LGBT communities failure to outnumber antiLGBT voters. When a community continues to perpetuate the idea that their transgender members should not delight in the same privileges, prejudices will be bound to remain as transgender people will stick with the label of second class citizens. The only way to truly end the stigma, is to fully integrate our transgender community into the society which already benefits from their participation. Integration of transgender people in school restrooms will become a sensationalized issue, but in due time, will settle, as more students view transgender students in the same light as the rest of their peers, given that the government would recognize transgender people in the
same light as every other citizen. Leaving the decision of enforcement of gender neutral bathrooms should not be an issue left for the states to interpret, as this matter is a civil rights issue, something that is supposedly protected under the Constitution. Civil rights issues such as discrimination toward different genders, including transgender, are to be dealt with at the federal level in order for the states to truly enforce it, instead of leaving
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CAMPUS COMMENT
of color, why do they choose to continue discrimination against people who identify as transgender. If people of any minority can choose the bathroom that best suits them, why can’t the growing minority of transgender people benefit from the system that ruled in their favor? That’s not to say we should do away with gender oriented bathrooms completely, but at least have laws in place that promote the integration of genders. The job of
Government must secure happiness” -- Thomas Jefferson
them to individually decide whether the clear civil rights violation merits concern. As stated in the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, … nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Though this amendment was largely ignored, and completely obsolete in wake of the Separate-but-Equal Doctrine. If the federal government can force the states to end discrimination against people
strong central government is to make students feel safe in their learning environment. Being forced to use a bathroom that doesn’t match your gender identity can be frustrating, to say the least. Government are institutions put into place for the advancement of the people, instead what we see is government continuing to restrict the advancement of a community, based on fear mongering and outdated Christian values that have no place in a progressive society. Thomas Jefferson, the most influential philosopher among founding fathers said “The only orthodox object of the institution of govern-
ment is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it.” A 2017 Vox article reminds us “historically bathroom fears have been regularly deployed against civil rights causes. It was used against black people to justify segregation — by invoking fears that black men would attack white women in bathrooms.” Another notion to consider is, transgender students would like their peers to identify them by the gender they identity. Implementing laws that force transgender students to use the bathroom oriented toward a different gender would do away with all chances of trans people being able to fit in with their fellow students, as the discrete nature of their transition would be diminished. On December 1 2014, to further specify the emphasis on transgender rights, United States Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Catherine E. Lhamon, authorized a document elaborating on the then absence of transgender mentions in Title IX. “All students, including transgender students and students who do not conform to sex stereotypes, are protected from sex-based discrimination under Title IX.” It becomes apparent that President is motivated by his own narrative, refusing to take sound advice from the individuals whose purpose is to watch out for the Federal government infringing on the rights of their students. Considering the upcoming Continued on Page 7
What will you do over spring break? Nico Blanco Neurobiology
“I’m going to check out some colleges me and my friends are interested in.”
Jadezl Bartolome Art “I’m planning on going camping at Death Valley.” Zach Wagner
Ahtziri Lopez
“For Spring Break, I’m going to the Bahamas to hangout with some of my friends from the Army, I haven’t seen them in five years.”
“For Spring Break, I’m going to New York with friends … to visit Good Morning America and The New York Times.”
Broadcasting
Broadcasting
Urwashi Singh Criminal Justice
“I’m going to Los Angeles with the rest of my family because my uncle is getting engaged.”
OPINIONS/SPORTS
M O N I TO R MARCH 16, 2017
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Bathrooms should be gender neutral Continued from Page 6
Supreme Court case regarding transgender rights to public schools, President Trump is trying to set up a precedent. The Supreme Court case in question concerns a teen by the name of Gavin Grimm. The battle that Grimm has been fighting began in 2014, when he publicly came out as transgender. Initially, the school had no problem with him using the boys room, until the parents of students caught wind of this supposed “travesty.” The New York Times reports, on Nov. 11 2015, the
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Gloucester County, Virginia School Board heard from many parents who urged them to bar the transgender male student from using the male restroom. Though the students of the school were supportive of Grimm as she had no vocal opposition or confrontation, the parents felt the need to speak for their children. Listening to the parents
tion, just replace the word “boy” with “black.” For the sake of approval on social issues, many people turn to the government’s position on matters. When the government tells its citizens that transgender address the transgender teen people do not deserve to be as if he was a subhuman was protected on a federal level, truly heartbreaking. the citizens follow suit, treatGoing back to the times ing the transgender commuof racial segregation, these nity with the same respect were the exact arguments the government lacks. The that were used to bar integra- parents advocating against
Gavin’s choice to use the boys’ bathroom, even though he recently has his birth certificate amended to describe him as male, is a prime example of citizens following government stances. The Constitution has spoken, our former President has spoken, and the Department of Education has spoken, why should our current administration be able to backtrack on so much progress made to progress the LGBT community and the tools needed to feel welcomed in this country. For the full unedited story, go to Ohlonemonitor.com and check out the “Opinions” section.
Master’s degree in Business Education, a Master’s degree in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Business Education at Southern Illinois University. When asked about the goals for the program, Wang’s answer was obvious. “My goal for the program is to definitely get more students involved in table tennis,” said Wang.
students to come to play,” said Wang. Professor Gao did not hesitate when the same question was posed to him. “Our goal is to make nationals, and to try our best each and every day,” said Gao. To learn more about Ohlone’s Table Tennis club, attend their meetings every Friday from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Trump is trying to set precedent”
Table tennis moves on to nationals Continued from Page 8
team placed 3rd. The instant success in just one semester, it attracted students attention. “Initially, we only had five members,” said Wang. “After one semester with a couple of titles, we now have 20 to 30 members.” When asked if the team was self-taught, Wang immediately acknowledged the
one who deserves the most credit. “We have a coach, who is also our club advisor and a professor here at Ohlone – Yong Gao. His coaching is very helpful.” Yong Gao is a Computer Science professor at Ohlone. He has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Tsinghua University; a
“We want to make table tennis more popular in this country – especially in college.” To make her goal a reality, Wang and the table tennis team plan to bring a competition here to Ohlone. “We plan to organize a table tennis tournament here at Ohlone on March 29, and invite all local table tennis clubs, players and college
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SPORTS
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Ohlone basketball playoff run ends
Drop the puck By SARA BIELA
JULIAN MONCALEANO
SPORTS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Ohlone Men’s basketball season came to an end this past Saturday at the Northern California Regional Finals against Yuba College, losing 63-54. The Renegades were playing their best basketball of the season leading into this playoff matchup, seeing as they were 6-1 in their previous seven games. Standing in their way was Yuba, who came into this matchup as the number one ranked team in the state with an outstanding 28-2 record. “It was a very hostile crowd and the crowd noise was definitely a playoff type of environment,” said Sophomore Guard Devon Rowland. Amongst the crowd were former Yuba alumni, including Festus Ezeli, center for the Portland Trail Blazers. Both teams were neckand- neck in the first half, as they were tied 31-31, which led to the deciding second half. The Renegades needed a major contribution off the bench in order to stay in the game. Bryce Thompson provided a huge lift with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Yuba forward, Jihad Woods, has averaged 16 points per game this season and continued to play well as he had his way with the Renegade defense. He finished the game with 28 points. Midway through the second half, the momentum of the game began to favor Yuba, and the Renegades did not have an answer for this Yuba team that have won 18 consecutive games. The Renegades concluded their season with a 21-9 record after an impressive 9-2 start. Coach Scott Fisher finished his third year as the head man in charge of the Men’s basketball program, and this year proved that this team’s culture may be headed in the proper direction. Fisher finished 16-13 in 2014 under his first season as head coach, and followed it up with a regressed 2015 campaign, finishing 11-16. Before the season, the
Continued on Page 2
No KD, no problem?
Ying Wang (top) facing her opponent Lily Zhang (bottom)
STAFF PHOTO/MONITOR
STAFF PHOTO/MONITOR
From left: Yongxiang Gao, Lingyu Wu, Ying Wang, Yi Wu and Yixiao Wang
Ohlone team wins regional tournament SARA BIELA SPORTS EDITOR
With two divisional team championships under their belt this year, the Ohlone Table Tennis team is continuing their pattern of success by competing in the 2017 West Regional Table Tennis Championship. On March 4 and 5, the table tennis team won the Women’s Team Championship and placed 2nd in the Co-Ed Team Event. The team has advanced to qualify for the National Table Tennis
Final Competition on April 7 through April 9 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In a recent interview with the President of the club, Ying Wang expressed satisfaction with the accomplishments the team has earned these past two years. “Our team has become stronger,” said Wang. The Table Tennis club was established in the fall of 2015, with Wang as president since its inception. The club is semester-round and competes about four or five
times a year. Just after one semester of practicing, the team made their presence known in the spring of last year at their first competition. “After one semester, we won two divisional collegiate competitions and one regional competition, and then we advanced to the national table tennis collegiate championship,” said Wang. At the National Table Tennis Collegiate Championship, Wang won 1st place in the Women’s Singles and the entire Continued on Page 7
The Golden State Warriors have lost five out of their last eight games since losing Kevin Durant back on February 27 against the Washington Wizards. Instead of a strong lead in the Western Conference, the team is now going back and forth with the San Antonio Spurs to secure the number one seed. When looking ahead to playoffs, should Dub fans be worried? Right now, a lot of fans probably are. Not knowing for sure if this kind of momentum will carry over into the playoffs kills them. Losing one of your top starting players is tough on every team – but at some point, the team regroups and learns to find ways to win without them. When the Warriors signed Durant on the Fourth of July last year, it seems like Dub Nation made him “the guy” we would rely on the most to get wins – and now that he’s out, we’re paying for it. Since Durant’s injury, the team’s offense has slowly declined. The 3-point game is in a slump, the team’s shooting percentage is down, and the bench hasn’t stepped up like we were hoping it would. One of two things need to happen: either Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or the rest of the starters need to do more or the bench needs to step up in a huge way. It’s too soon to worry. There’s still regular season left to play. Who knows what could happen. They need to find ways to win and have every player step up. If Durant returns just in time for the playoffs, it’ll be a whole different story. If not, they might not make it out of the West.