Monitor 2008-10-2

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Lady Renegades fight on road.

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Fremont, California

Vol. XXXVIII No. 5

All smiles for opening in SF

The new San Francisco Academy of Sciences opened its doors to thousands of visitors in Golden Gate Park last Saturday, Sept.

27. The building, featuring many new exhibits and energy-saving features, has been under construction since 2005, and now is the greenest building the country, earning a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification.

Students make smoking choice.

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October 2, 2008

A look at your future Board

By NICOLE JOHNSON Staff writer

Photo by Samantha Conlon

OPINION

Student play bingo, win prizes.

SPORTS

NEWS

FEATURES

A story four decades in the making.

Ohlone got its first glimpse of the candidates for the College Board of Trustees on Sept. 25 at a meeting sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The conference was held at the Child Development Center on Ohlone’s main campus from 7-8 p.m. Written questions from the audience were given to interviewer Mary Miller.

David Sheen and Greg Bonaccorsi are running for Trustee Trisha Tahmasbi’s seat, while Teresa Cox is competing against incumbent Bob Brunton, while Nick Nardolillo is running unopposed.

Candidate Greg Bonaccorsi said, “The Board of Trustees is in order. [The Board of Trustees] will practice micromanaging decisions and look to faculty for leadership.

The faculty and student body is outstanding.” Bonaccorsi has been a math and science teacher for the Fremont Unified School District since 1988. He earned a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Humboldt State University, in 1986. Bonaccorsi was also President of the Fremont Unified District Teachers Association, California Teachers Association (CTA), and National

Education Association (NEA) from 2000 to 2005.

Teresa Cox is chair of the Economic Development Advisory Commission for the City of Fremont. Cox plans to “get expertise and advocacy from the college council, see how skills are developing and take the necessary steps to get to the next level,” as she wants to move onto a four-year institution after she has made a difference on the board. “The criteria for a four year college is to provide a curriculum necessary for success.”

Cox attended Northwestern University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1985, making national headlines as the first African-American woman with a degree in Nuclear Engineering, later earning a Master of Business Administration degree in 1988 from the University of Rochester.

David Sheen is an attorney and business owner with a bachelor’s degree in Art and a doctorate in Law. He is the president of Citizens for Better Community and is a community volunteer/activist.

Sheen graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his bachelor of arts degree in political science and psychology.

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Hyman Hall bathrooms in need of cleaning

By Benjamin Chang Staff writer Students and staff have decided enough is enough and are circulating a petition to keep the Hyman Hall bathrooms cleaner. The petition was started on Sept. 5, and there are roughly 100 signatures already.

The petition will probably be turned in at the end of the semester.

In the middle of the day the Hyman Hall bathrooms resemble a cold smelly cave, with water dripping all over the floor and puddles on the counters along with paper towels scattered everywhere. Are

the maintenance workers to blame or do the students need to be more respectful?

It is a mix of both. The bathrooms are supposed to be maintained twice a day. The bathrooms are often in need of cleaning by 2 p.m. and they do not get cleaned until Hyman Hall closes. This becomes a problem for all students, especially students who attend night classes.

Faculty have complained almost every week to the Building and Grounds department but nothing seems to be getting done. Last week the bathrooms were not cleaned for nearly three entire days. The

bathrooms have been in this conditions for almost two years, with complaints heard for just as long.

Although many have complained about bathrooms, according to English Learning Center Coordinator Rakesh Swamy, people are limited in what they can do because the Service Employee International Union is protecting their personnel. According to the staff, they do not want to get anyone fired, but if the custodian cannot clean the bathroom that day they feel that the Buildings and Grounds department should reassign the Continued on Page 3

World Forum on Afghanistan

By NICOLE JOHNSON Staff writer Ohlone will introduce “Education in Afghanistan: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities,” a World Forum given by Mohammad H. Qayoumi, president of California State University East Bay. The World Forum will be held

on Tuesday Oct. 7 from noon to 2 p.m. It will be in the Smith Center’s Jackson Theatre.

Qayoumi’s experience extends over 30 years in higher education and industry. Qayoumi has published eight books and more than 85 articles.

He has made presentations at numerous conferences across the

United States and in 10 other countries on various topics. Qayoumi was the senior advisor to the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan from 2002 to 2005 and remains on several boards of directors, including the Central Bank of Afghanistan. The World Forum will be webcast live and a video archive of it will be made available.

The state of the Hyman Hall bathrooms has led to the circulation of a petition.

Register to vote Haven’t registered to vote yet? What’s your excuse? If it’s laziness, procrastinate no longer: you can pick up your voter registration form from the same Monitor rack you got this paper from. No more excuses. Register to vote today.

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Opinion

monitor October 2, 2008

Associated Collegiate Press / National Scholastic Press Association All American 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Regional Pacemaker 1988 Journalism Association of Community Colleges General Excellence Fall 1994 General Excellence Fall 2000 General Excellence Fall 2004 General Excellence Fall 2005

Editor in chief: Eric Dorman News editor: Kyle Stephens Opinion editor: Brian Chu Features editor: Andrew Le Sports editor: Jeff Weisenger Photo editor: Japneet Kaur Online editor: TBA Staff writers: Inez Black, Jacque Orvis, Benjamin Chang, Ankita Chhabra, Suchi Gupta, Nicole Johnson, William Martin, Ryan Richmond, Anna Biantz Roldan, Kathy Sung, Farnoosh Vahedi Cartoonist: Amanda Sheppard Ad manager: Jacque Orvis Adviser: Bill Parks Printer: F-P Press

Offices are located in Room 5310 on campus, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont 945395884. Call (510) 659-6075. Fax: (510) 659-6076. E-mail: monitor@ohlone.cc.ca.us Opinions expressed in the Monitor are those of the respective authors and are not necessarily those of the staff, the college or the Associated Students of Ohlone College.

Unsigned editorials reflect the majority view of staff members. Advertising material is printed herein for informational purposes and is not to be construed as an expression of endorsement or verification of such commercial ventures by the staff or college.

The Monitor is funded by the district, by the Associated Students of Ohlone College, and through advertising revenue.

The Monitor is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Journalism Association of Community Colleges, Community College Journalism Association, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Media Advisers and Society of Newspaper Design.

Opinion

Education denied to the Baha’i minority in Iran

By Farnoosh Vahedi Staff writer Since 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has denied higher education to the members of the Baha’i religion. The Baha’is account for the largest religious minority of Iran.

The government has also sought to close down Baha’i efforts to establish of their own institutions of higher learning.

This denial of education to the Baha’is is a serious offense to the human rights charter.

It also has long-lasting effects. Without education, an individual is condemned to the prison of his own ignorance, tortured over his lack of opportunities and more than likely consigned to a life of poverty, underdevelopment and oppression.

These actions come against a wider picture of persecution of the Iranian Baha’i community.

This is a systematic attempt to alienate the members of the Baha’i community.

A confidential letter issued in 2006 by the director general of the Central Security Office of Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology instructs 81 Iranian universities to expel

any student who is discovered to be a Baha’i. This memo, made public in August 2007, confirms that the expulsion of Baha’i students from Iranian universities is government policy, something the Iranian authorities have repeatedly denied in recent years.

Attempts have been made nationwide to stop this blatant violation of human rights.

Asma Jahangir, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has expressed concern about the situation of the Baha’is in Iran.

Congressmen Mark Steven Kirk of Chicago has named this “The crime of the century.”

Also, universities all across the world have written to the United Nations asking that pressure be put on Iran to mend its ways.

along with a vigorous reeducation program about the adverse effects of smoking and a stricter standard backed by state legislation against smoking on college grounds, if not a complete prohibition of it.

Now I’m not one to normally get my feathers ruffled, but I have several deeply-seated objections against the ALA’s motives. What really irks and unsettles me is not so much their attempts at educating—there is nothing wrong with proffering information regarding the health implications of smoking; by all means disclose it—but the way in which they liken us as defenseless orphans in need of a Big Brother and at the same instance,

try to tightly regulate our behavior and decisions for us.

In its press release, the ALA regards college students and young adults in general as being in a transitory phase of life in which we’re more susceptible to trying new things, and maybe cementing them as habits, such as smoking. I don’t directly object to this statement, but their reproach to this by trying to enforce a set of amendments that will directly affect myself and others included ,I do object to, ALA, you are not my mother!

In actuality, the ALA only parades under the guise of the educator, while beneath being the maligning, cancerous entity trying

to puppeteer our lives in a confusing shadow play.

I mean, didn’t we have officers for D.A.R.E. come into our sixth grade classrooms and educate us on this, and didn’t we go over this yet again in our compulsory health classes back in high school, comparing neat textbook pictures of smokers and non-smoker’s lungs?

Aren’t we badgered relentlessly by our parents and grandparents— even the ones that do smoke occasionally—that picking up cigarettes is a bad habit?

And isn’t smoking illegal on our campus, thanks to the efforts of our Student Health Center?

But more importantly, aren’t we

all intelligent and mature adults, capable of discerning what’s good or not good for us, given the evidence, that if we still choose to light up a cancer stick despite all the warnings, that it’s for our own illogical or ineffable reason.

I, as an adult, accept responsibility for the habits I make, and the consequences that may come from them. I don’t need someone to make my decisions for me or tell me what’s right.

Venerable readers, if you feel the same way, I implore you to donate to my Smokeladen 2010 Air Challenge instead, and, well, all I ask really is that you respect my opinions, and I’ll reciprocate.

I can make up my own mind about smoking

By KEVIN QUEI Contributor In its latest attempt to cement itself as our Big Brother and protect we vulnerable and impressionable college students from the vile arrest of cigarette addiction, the American Lung Association (ALA) has proposed as part of their Smokefree Air 2010 challenge an embargo of all and any activities and marketing functions related to Big Tobacco on college campuses.

Their recent press release propounding the extrication of all tobacco-related sponsorships and advertisements from campuses, goes

Campus Comment > > How do you think the bailout will affect you?

Dan Bierman Business “Taxes will go up.”

eva grifen

Physical therapy “I think it’s not going to help.”

katrina clifton

Nursing “I’m a single mom, and it’s really hard..”

jeff lee

Undecided “Yes, our money.”

Randeep singh

Aeronautical engineering “No, it won’t. I’m broke anyhow.”

News

October 2, 2008 monitor

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Students hit jackpot with bingo event

By AnkiTa Chhabra Staff writer Students came together for pizza, prizes and bingo at the “Bingo ballin’” event Wednesday, hosted by the Associated Students of Ohlone College (ASOC) in the Palm Bosque.

Of the 100 students in attendance, the first 50 got free pizza and those who scored “bingo” received prizes. In addition, a reward of $100 was offered to the club that was able to draw the largest number of students to the event.

Assistant Campus Activities Coordinator Renee WongGonzales attributed the success of “Bingo ballin,’ ” an idea conceived one day in the ASOC office, to a simple fact. “Who doesn’t like playing bingo, right?” said Wong-Gonzales who was pleased with the turnout at the event.

Math Instructor Jeff O’Connell and student Tomas Ortega called out the numbers, while other volunteers handed out prizes. They played several games and gave out prizes for anything from “bingo” to “four corners” to “full house.”

Amoung the prizes distributed were gift cards from Panera Bread, Target and Jamba Juice. The prizes were obtained through donations and ASOC funds, said Wong-Gonzales.

Students who missed this opportunity, however, can take heart—the ASOC hopes to repeat the event again this semester.

Photo by Japneet Kaur

Students celebrate their bingo success at yesterday's ‘Bingo ballin’ ’ event.

Qualified candidates vie for board positions Continued from Page 1 Sheen received a doctor of law degree from Cal Western School of Law in San Diego. He is currently the principal attorney at JD Global Law Firm.

Bob Brunton, a former Trustee is running for re-election.

He was a part of the Board of Trustees in February 1996.

Brunton has twice been a Board Secretary, Board Vice President, and Board President. Brunton, a Fremont resident, is

Dirty dealings slimy feelings Continued from Page 1 task instead of just ignoring it. David Wood, ELC Instructional Assistant, works at the English Learning Center, and he feels that the bathroom is a health hazard and encourages students to sign the petition toward a cleaner bathroom.

Other problems Hyman Hall has faced other problems in the past. Students have abused their computer privileges, engaging in non-academic persuits while others need to do schoolwork.

There have been incidences of disruptive individuals, even escaling into intervention by the campus police..

Hyman Hall is one of the most frequented buildings on campus, and as such this high profile area sees much action.

Students can otherwise make an effort to keep the bathrooms clean by avoiding spilling water on the floor and throwing away used paper towels. To sign the petition, contact Rakesh Swamy at rswamy@ohlone.edu.

currently on the Finance, Facilities, and Audit Committee.

He is also a Board Foundation Representative.

He earned a B.S. in Business from Colorado State University, earned a Certified Financial Planner designation from the College of Financial Planning and Certified Professional Manufacturer’s Representative from Arizona State University.

Brunton commented that the Board “will stand alone on

Child development conference

By KYLE STEPHENS News editor This Saturday, Oct. 4, the Ohlone College Early Childhood Studies Department will be presenting its Annual Early Childhood Conference, to be held in the Ohlone Kidango Child Development Center at the base of school. Presentions include: •Taking Care of the Personal and Professional •Self-Working with Children with Challenging Behaviors •Child Health •Infant-Toddler, Preschool School Age Care •Family Child Care And much more.

The conference will be from 8 am to 5 pm, with an

Ohlones to gather at park

By William O. Martin Staff writer The Ohlone Peoples are alive and well and are here to share their knowledge of the land and their profound culture with everyone who wants to experience it. Coyote Hills Regional Park is once again hosting the 12th Annual Gathering of Ohlone Peoples this Sunday, October 5.

The festivities will consist of traditional Ohlone food, games, historical insight and discussions, with crafts for people of all ages. Ohlone descendants are going to be sharing their prosperous culture through customary song and dance, and time-honored stories that have been passed down for hundreds of centuries.

The Ohlone Peoples, also known by the name of Costanoan and as the Muwekma people, have lived in the San Francisco Bay area all the way down to the Monterey Bay area since the sixth century. The Ohlone Peoples, in reality is a group of more than 40 independent tribes which include the Karkin, the Ramaytush, the Mutsun, and the Awaswas, just to name a few. They only considered themselves a unified “group” or “peoples” since the Spanish Colonization, which brought amalgamation among the local indigenous tribes in order for survival.

its own to find an adequate source. The Board is in the role of asset management in getting better with rentals and have contracts to connect more with the college.”

David Sheen concluded that there “is no logical reason or rationale. We need support to change at large. There is no new blood in office, there’s no competition, nothing happens.

We need to encourage more people to pick up what’s been left behind.”

This Sunday, the Ohlone Peoples are inviting you to come join them commemorate their rich history and customs and enjoy a nice day in the sun. A dozen of Anthropology instructor George Rodgers’ students have volunteered to help with the event. Make sure you try the Acorn Soup along with a little Manzanita Cider to help wash it down; just a couple of examples of traditional foods offered at the gathering.

You should also try out their long-established sport entitled “Hoop & Pole.” It is an old Ohlone pastime that consists of a 5-foot pole aimed at a 3-inch hole. Of course it wouldn’t be too fun for us, non-natives, due to its incredible difficulty and our extremely abridged attention spans. Therefore, they Americanized the game and replaced the hole with a hoop in hopes of a winner, or competitors at least.

Then venture off down the long worn wooden wharf, past the old tule ponds and rediscover the 2000-year-old village, home of the Tuibun tribe. Demonstrations on how to they would start fires, weave baskets, make jewelry and much more will be held. Discussions of contemporary cultural involvements will take place as well.

For more information visit East Bay Regional Parks’ website at www.ebparks.org. or call 1-888-EBPARKS, option 3, ext. 4519.

as-yet unannounced keynote speaker. A $20 registration fee covers breakfast and lunch, and water bottles will be availible through the Early Child Development staff.

Participants are encouraged to register early, as space is limited – registration is on a first come first serve basis.

Parking is free. A Professional Growth Certificate for 7.5 hours comes with attending the conference.

Half a unit of Ohlone College credit is available for attending as well, though special registration is required, as well as attendance of a manditory meeting at the confrence's end. See the Conference website for details, http://www.ohlone.edu/instr/ecs/profdev/earlychildhoodconference.html.

For more information, contact Janice Fonteno at (510) 979-7496 or Mairi Tsiftsi at (510) 659-6450, Professional Development Coordinators, Early Childhood Studies, Ohlone College.

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monitor October 2, 2008

The view from here

By Andrew Le Features editor

Ditching the old

We’re a country that holds youth and beauty above all else.

I’m nearly positive that once I’m too old to make the Cash that Rules Everything Around Me (CREAM), I am going to be thrown away. I wonder what it is like for the people who spend years raising their kids, blowing loads of cash into raising the little runts, only to have their kids toss them into an econo-plus Costcosized retirement home.

I assume that most people wind up working jobs they do not enjoy due to pragmatism. I’m fairly positive almost everyone would prefer to major in art appreciation or discuss literary theory all day, but when you’ve got a family, I suppose compromises have to be made on behalf of their welfare and financial stability.

But what do the old fogies get after years of grinding it in a cubicle? We as a society think its perfectly acceptable to discard our elderly into these alien environments for the remainder of their lives so they can play bingo and wait to die.

Now, I’m not proposing we follow the Southeast Asian solution where three generations of rice farmers live in a straw hut, but there’s got to be a compromise.

I remember I once had to bring a 93-year-old woman back to her Section 8 housing after a neighbor complained to my sister that a white woman was loitering outside her house. It turned out that the old lady had temporarily lost the ability to walk steadily and see clearly. Even though the street was busy, everyone pretty much ignored her. The old woman was just standing there wobbling for however long.

In retrospect I can’t hold the drivers completely responsible; realistically, most people driving by would not assume the old woman needed help. But what perturbed me was the fact that the neighbor and her family were watching her stand out there for what I recall as close to an hour and did not offer help; instead, all they did was complain. It was as if she was nothing but a nuisance that needed to be removed from the premises, as if she was more akin to garbage than a human being that needed help.

The EMTs asked her if she had any family, and we found out they were all dead except for her nieces and nephews, who didn’t talk to her anymore. Her house was filthy, with dead leaves scattered over the floor. Here was a woman who had lived for over 90 years and had nothing to come home to but dirty leaves and an empty bedroom. And it really bothered me that I lived in a society where this is more the norm than the exception. That more likely than not, I am going to be just like that woman at the end of my life.

Features Symphony performs Gershwin

By Eric Dorman Editor-in-chief Doing justice to the musical genius of George Gershwin isn’t easy. Performing his trendsetting folk opera “Porgy and Bess” with only three singers is harder. And fitting the four-hour work into about an hour in the confines of the Jackson Theater would seem to be an impossibility.

Still, the Fremont Symphony Orchestra did all of those things, and made it look easy at their opening night “Gershwin and Friends” concert last Saturday at 8 p.m. before a packed house in the Smith Center.

The bill for the evening featured not only selections from “Porgy and Bess” but also pieces from assorted 1920’s and ‘30’s composers such as Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.

The performance, featuring tenor Trente Morant, baritone Brian Keith Johnson and soprano NaGuanda Nobles as well as the full orchestra, showcased popular pieces such as Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and Porter’s “Night and Day” alongside lesser-known numbers such as “Ol’ Man River” and Gershwin’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” Faced with the impossibility of filling the 24-character cast of “Porgy and Bess” with his three vocalists, Fremont Symphony Musical Director David Sloss cut the opera down to size by performing several shortened versions of pieces from the second half of the opera.

“Porgy and Bess,” written by Gershwin in 1935 and based on DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy,” was an unconventional opera in many ways. Rather than using a purely classical score, as had been used in opera for centuries, Gershwin mixed in elements of jazz and blues.

Furthermore, rather than employ a

standard all-white cast, Gershwin insisted that an African-American cast perform his opera about the hardships of African-American life.

The result of Gershwin’s labors was “Porgy and Bess,” a “folk opera” that chronicles the struggles of a black woman named Bess living in Charleston, South Carolina, to choose between love and riches.

Though Bess loves Porgy, a poor black goat-cart-driver who is devoted to her, she finds herself swayed by the riches promised by Sportin’ Life, a fast-talking drug dealer. After agonizing over the decision, she chooses money over love and runs off to New York with Sportin’ Life.

Undaunted, Porgy sets off for New York in his goat-cart, searching for the woman he loves.

Sloss started out the show with the song “Summertime,” a smooth song sung by Nobles (playing Bess) extolling the virtues of easy summertime living. From there, Porgy (played by Johnson) sang a surprisingly upbeat song detailing his lack of material possessions, entitled “I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing.” The song showcased Gershwin’s progressive style as the music took on a folk-music feel, accompanied by a banjo and with violinists, cellists and bassists plucking their instruments in time.

As the contrite, content Porgy walked humbly off the stage and the flamboyant Sportin’ Life (Morant) swaggered on, clothed in an iridescent coat and flashing grins at the audience, the dichotomy between the two men became immediately clear. With the irreverent tune “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” Morant made it clear that he had no illusions about a promised land: “De things dat yo’ liable to read in de Bible/ It ain’t necessarily so.” In the scat-singing interludes between the

verses, the audience sang along with Morant, complete with gestures.

After Sportin’ Life’s flamboyant exit, Porgy and Bess returned to romance with the pieces Porgy’s “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” and Bess’s “I Loves You, Porgy,” songs in which they each started out singing singly but then launched into a duet, Johnson’s baritone blending with Nobles’s soprano.

As the performers continued to harmonize together the basses echoed their voices, producing a number of layers of echoing harmony that resonated through the theater.

The romance, however touching, did not last long. Sportin’ Life soon made another appearance, announcing that “There’s A Boat That’s Leaving,” a craft that would carry him and Bess to New York.

Finally, after Bess has disappeared with Sportin’ Life, Porgy entered once again, this time to declare his intent to follow them. In “Lawd, I’m On My Way,” Johnson expressed hope about the success of his upcoming trip—perhaps a somewhat unrealistic emotion considering his only mode of transportation was by goat.

Still, the whole performance was not devoted to only to “Porgy and Bess.” In the first half of the show, the symphony featured more varied pieces from assorted composers.

One such song was “Blue Moon,”

by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, a piece with a somewhat unorthodox history. Rodgers wrote the music to the piece in 1934, but Hart had trouble coming up with appropriately passionate and provocative lyrics: the lyrics he finally conceived contained the verse “Oh, Lord/ if you ain’t busy up there/ I ask for help with a prayer/ so please don’t give me the air.” Told that his lyrics needed work, Hart produced second and third drafts, no better

than the first. Finally, on his fourth attempt, he created the current version, a resounding success.

Another song performed by the symphony with an interesting story behind it was “Night and Day,” Porter’s 1932 hit. When being interviewed by the New Yorker, Porter was asked for his inspiration for the melody. Thoughtfully, Porter recounted the time he was traveling in Morocco and had heard the strains of a prayer chant floating through the air. After that experience, he was hit with a stroke of inspiration and wrote the melody down immediately.

It would have been a good story, if not for the fact that it was completely fabricated by Porter, who had never set foot in Morocco and hatched the story in his free time. The story ran in the New Yorker anyway.

Another popular piece, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” had another interesting story: the song is said to have been played by the band on the Titantic as it was sinking. The loud percussion, brass and strings made this song an easy tune to keep time with.

Perhaps the highlight of the night came at the end of the first half of the show, with Johnson’s performance of “Ol’ Man River,” a 1927 spiritual by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein. Johnson was masterful in his depiction of a black dockworker’s plight in the Deep South, leading into the raw passion of the chorus, representing the endless inevitability of oppression: “Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along.”

The next performance at the Smith Center will be by harpist Carlos Reyes this Sunday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m. in the Jackson Theater.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available at the box office.

Award-winning belly dancer offers class

By Suchi Gupta Staff writer Starting next week, an introduction to belly dancing class will be offered at the Newark Campus of Ohlone.

Taught by Deborah Lemon, a Spanish instructor and award-winning belly dancer, the class will not offer any credits.

The class will be held at the Newark Campus on Monday and Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.

The classes start on Oct. 6 and 8, and will continue until Dec. 1 and 3, respectively, in Room NC1407.

Belly dancing, known as raqs sharqi in Arabic, is a Middle Eastern traditional dance that may have originated in Egypt.

Although belly dancers were depicted in Persian minature paintings as the early as 12th and 13th centuries, belly dancing did not gain national recognition until the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Naiya, Lemon’s professional

belly dancing pseudonym, has won numerous accolades in this field and won a 2008 Belly Dancer of the year Duet award, as well as a 2008 Santa Cruz Double Crown award.

In the belly dancing class, Lemon will be teaching the various fundamentals of this traditional dance form.

When asked for an attractive feature of the class, Lemon replied, “This class doesn’t require students to have a perfect body shape or be athletic. In fact, anyone can learn belly dancing because it is basically an art of getting to know one’s body shape and how to dance with it.”

The belly dancing class is a multinational combination of basic steps and movements from Lebanese, Egyptian and Turkish forms of belly dancing.

To learn more about the introduction to belly dancing class, timings, registration and location, go to www.naiyaraks.com, www.belly danceduet.com or www.drlemon. net, or reach her by telephone at (510) 742-2304.

Photo courtesy Deborah Lemon

Teacher Deborah Lemon starts teaching belly dancing classes in this month.

Features 1982

1994

October 2, 2008

monitor

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Weighing Anchor

2008

By Eric dorman Editor-in-chief

Protect our moose Editor’s note: The author is making an attempt at satire. No Alaskans, conservatives or moose were harmed in the making of this letter. The views expressed below are not necessarily the views of the author.

Photos courtesy Jeff Cree

Jeff Cree took his first class at Ohlone in 1979. Twenty-nine years later, he’s still working to finish up graduation requirements. From left, Cree waits for a pitch as a member of the 1982 Ohlone baseball team, sings for a Christmas concert in 1994, and sings in his band this year.

Ohlone student in fourth decade

By Jacque Orvis Staff writer More students are attending Ohlone in 2008 than ever before. Some are fresh out of high school; some are almost ready for a four-year university; others are back for some extra schooling. Then there’s Jeff Cree. He’s been in and out of Ohlone College for nearly 30 years.

Cree was just like any other young scholar in the ’70s: he went to school, had friends, and played ball. More specifically, Jeff wanted to be a baseball star, and that dream became more of a reality when he accepted an invite to play Ohlone College baseball almost immediately after high school in ’79.

However, shortly thereafter, Cree quit baseball to focus on fixing his relationship problems, and

he didn’t make it back to the team until 1982.

Unfortunately for Cree, 1980 was a championship year for Ohlone baseball, and he completely missed out on it. As if his luck couldn’t get any worse, his father died in 1982, meaning no more money for a college tuition; Cree had to quit school to get a job. With no degree and no money, college was officially over. His dream seemed to be disappearing.

In 1994, Cree hurt himself at work, rendering him useless for his job. So, under worker’s compensation, Jeff got to go back to school for two years to earn an associate’s degree.

This time he tried a different dream: rock 'n' roll. After his father died, Cree found comfort in music, so he started playing his guitar, as he had done in his youth, and tried making a living from it. As Tom Gomez of KOHL Radio said, “Do

what you love, love what you do.” Cree didn’t know Tom, but he took that advice and began studying Fine & Performing Arts at Ohlone.

This time around, Cree visited an Ohlone counselor, mapped a plan, and took a career planning course. Cree really wanted to get his degree. But, before those two years were up, he was so engulfed in the fine arts program, that he neglected the classes required for his AA. Strike two.

Three weeks ago, Cree made his way back to Ohlone for one more try at finishing college. “It may take you 15 years to graduate,” said Cree, “but isn’t that better than over 30 years? I would love to have been a baseball coach. (Now) I hope to one day be a creative writing teacher.”

Cree is now currently enrolled in California History at Ohlone.

Majestic hawk lands at Ohlone, eats squirrel

Photo courtesy Sue Owen

Two weeks ago, Sue Owen, the Executive Secretary to the Deaf Center, took some pictures of this red-tailed hawk enjoying its squirrel breakfast by the pond. ‘All that was remaining was a squirrel tail and then (the hawk) flew off into the distance,’ recalled Owen.

Dear Gov. Palin, I’ve never really written a letter to a politician before, but after watching all the negative press and jokes about you swirling around in the past couple of days, I felt I really needed to write.

Because, funny as the jokes were (especially the stuff on Saturday Night Live—you should YouTube it; it’s pretty good), I feel that these attacks are really unwarranted. And with your debate coming up tonight, I just wanted to offer a little support.

First of all, stick to your guns when people question your qualification to be president. I mean, take a look at practically every other vice presidential candidate in history. What do they all have in common? Years of real lawmaking experience. I say, dare to be different.

But the thing that bothers me most is this whole accusation that you have no foreign policy experience. Personally, I could totally relate when you reminded Katie Couric that when the Kremlin comes after us (or “Putin rears his ugly head,” as you put it—beautiful!), Alaska’s first in line. The liberal media may not understand simple geography, but I do. When the Soviets attack, they’re going to paddle across the Bering Strait (I’m thinking canoes and muffled oars) and hit us right where it hurts the most: Alaska.

Once they’re in control of our moose supply, we’ll be putty in their hands. I live in fear of that day, and I trust that once elected, you will adequately equip Alaska to deal with this kind of threat. At the very least, protect the moose.

Still, you can look on the bright side of all of this—with effects of global warming, the ice is retreating so much that Russia is actually getting farther away from you. Oh wait—you don’t believe in global warming. I don’t blame you; if I lived somewhere as cold as Alaska, I wouldn’t, either.

Your approval polls might not be through the roof, but we both know that that isn’t your fault. If the liberal media would just back off and quit trying to ask you questions about things you might not have the answers to right now, people could really see the kind of person you are. Like your hairstyle—it clearly speaks to your all-American roots, yet sophisticated ideals. Forget foreign policy and economics; those can wait.

America doesn’t need to hear you, it needs to see you.

So tonight, show America what a real American is. Good luck!

—A devoted fan

6 MONITOR

October 2, 2008

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Campus Events CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS

PIANO FOR SALE -- Upright, rosewood Chappell piano in excellent condition. Made in England. $1,200. Call 510-790-1139 or email souzafive@comcast.net.

For information on Jobs an Career Resources, visit the Student Success Center in Room 1403 or go online at www.ohlone.edu/org/ssc/

October

11 Ohlone College Flea Market - Located in parking lots E and H. Parking is $2.

1 Campus Event - “Bingo Ballin’” in Palm Bosque on Fremont campus at noon.

1 Faculty Senate - Meeting in Room 1307 at 3 p.m.

1 Women’s Volleyball - Away vs. CCSF at 6:30 p.m.

3 Brown Bag Seminar - Curing the Ailing US Health Care System in Room 3201 on Fremont Campus at 1 p.m.

3 Women’s Soccer - Home vs. Chabot at :30 p.m.

3 Men’s Soccer - Home vs.

Foothill College at 4 pm.

3 Women’s Volleyball - Home vs. Gavalan College at 6:30 p.m.

4 Making the Connection - A Conference for Early Childhood Educators in Kidango Child Development Center at 8 a.m.

6 College Council Meeting in Room 1307 on Fremont Campus at 3 p.m.

7 ASOC - Meeting in Room 6105 at 4 p.m.

7 Men’s Soccer - Away vs.

Chabot College at 4 p.m.

7 Women’s Soccer - Away vs. West Hills College in Lemoore at 4 p.m.

8 Board of Trustees - Meeting in the Jackson Theatre at 3 p.m.

8 Women’s Volleyball - Home vs. CCSF at 6:30 p.m.

24 Women’s Soccer - Away vs. Foothill College at 4 p.m.

25 “Dark Designs” Theatre Show Reception at 7 p.m. in Art Gallery.

28 Women’s Soccer -

28 ASOC - Meeting in Room 6105 at 4 p.m.

28 Men’s Soccer - Home vs. Monterey Peninsula College at 4 p.m.

14 Men’s Soccer - Away vs. Hartnell College at 4 p.m.

14 Women’s College - Home vs. Evergreen College at 4 p.m.

15 Faculty Senate Meeting in Room 1307 at 3 p.m.

15 Women’s Volleyball - Away vs. West Valley College at 6:30 p.m.

17 Brown Bag Seminiar - 21: The Math Behind the Movie. Seminar in Room 3201 at 1 p.m.

17 Men’s Soocer - Home vs. DeAnza College at 4 p.m.

Women’s Soccer - Away vs. Las Positas at 4 p.m.

17 Women’s Volleyball - Away vs. Cabrillo College at 6:30 p.m.

18 Smith Center Presents - Richard Glazier on the piano in the Jackson Theatre at 8 p.m.

20 College Council -­ Meeting in Room 1307 at 3 p.m.

21 ASOC - Meeting in Room 6105 at 4 p.m.

21 Men’s Soccer - Away vs. Cabrillo College at 4 p.m.

10 Women’s Soccer Home vs. CCSF at 1:30 p.m.

22 Board of Trustees - Meeting at 7 p.m. on Fremont Campus in Child Develop

7

Home vs. Cabrillo COllege at 1:30 p.m.

14 ASOC - Meeting in Room 6105 at 4 p.m.

21 Women’s Soccer Home vs. Skyline College at 4 p.m.

10 Women’s Volleyball Home vs. Hartnell College at 6:30 p.m.

24 Men’s Soccer - Away vs. Mission College at 4 p.m.

24 Women’s Volleyball Away vs. SJCC at 6:30 p.m.

11-12 Qigong Symposium - Grandmasters from China at Newark campus at 9 a.m.

9 Academics - Last day to apply for fall 2008 Graduation or Certificate of Achievement.

10 Men’s Soccer - Home vs. Cañada College at 4 p.m.

at 8 p.m.

October 2, 2008 monitor

23 Art Gallery - “Dark Designs” Theater Show in Louie-Meager Art Gallery until Nov. 1.

23-25 Halloween Trilogy week 1 in Jackson Theatre

Read the Monitor Online at http://ohlone.edu/org/monitor

The Monitor invites your comments. Letters should be 250 words or less and include your name and relationship to Ohlone. Letters become property of The Monitor and may be edited for spelling and length. Campus Events listings are free for college-related events.

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Thursday, October 2, 2008

Page 8

Third and Five...

Triples Alley

By Jeff Weisinger Sports editor

By Tomás Ortega Sports writer

Cable vision

A good year

After being named interim head coach after Lane Kiffin’s firing on Tuesday, 43 year -old Tom Cable inherits an Oakland Raiders team that has slightly improved, but greatly struggled over the last six seasons, after the Super Bowl collapse to Tampa Bay in 2002.

“As we know this is a business,” Cable said at the press conference Tuesday.

Cable knows that in order to succeed, he has to get his team to look forward.

“Now it’s time to move forward,” he said.

Cable joined the Raiders as the offensive line coach in 2007 and coached an offensive line that finished sixth in the NFL in rushing and in red zone touchdowns.

The Merced native began his coaching career at the University of Idaho, as a graduate assistant in 1987 and 1988. He earned his first coaching job as the defensive line coach at San Diego State in 1989 and then as the offensive line coach in 1990.

However, this time around, the job will be more difficult than those he has had in the past.

He goes from taking charge of about 12 guys to 52, including a coaching staff of about 10 other coaches.

He also has to repair the relationship between the coaching staff and front office that was damaged by the Kiffin regime.

Kiffin and Davis almost never talked, so Cable would be wise to let “ Al be Al” and not challenge anything he does.

Second of all, he’ll need his offense to continue their improvement. Cable’s big selling point is that he coached an offensive line that went from weak to potentially dominant.

However, at the same time, Cable must make sure that his offensive line does not regress under new offensive line coach James Cregg.

He must also support his defensive staff, players and coaches alike. Kiffin wanted defensive coordinator Rob Ryan gone last season, yet Davis rejected that idea and Ryan stayed this season.

Cable also caught a break when offensive coordinator Greg Knapp rejected an offer to be the head coach, which favors Cable because he won’t have to look over his shoulder and wonder if he’ll get replaced with Knapp toward the end of the season if things continue downward.

Oakland played hard for Kiffin toward the end and we’ll see if they’ll do the same for Cable, The Raiders are a combined 20-64 since the 2002 Super Bowl.

At least, we’re not the Tigers.

Yeah, the Detroit Tigers who had no ceiling to how good they could have been this year.

Adding Miguel Cabrera to an already great offensive lineup in the offseason had the Tigers destined to roll through the regular season, yet they ended with a record of 74-88.

So I’ll say it again. At least we’re not the Tigers.

The San Francisco Giants, however, had a good season.

Their record of 72-90 would tell you otherwise, but if you happened to watch closely, especially after the trade deadline, you would have seen that they have a handful of good, exciting talent.

Welcome Palo Sandoval!

He comes up and bats .400 in the first month that he’s up in the bigs. For 41 games he ended up playing for the Giants, he accumulated a .345 average, 24 RBI’s and a .847 OPS. Sandoval was one of the bigger (pun intended) surprises for the Giants late in the year when everyone wanted to see them lessen the playing time for the veterans and give the younger kids a chance to showcase their talents and extend their spring training essentially.

Another two names that jumped out to most Giants fans were Sergio Romo (no relation to Tony) and the hard throwing, but sometimes erratic, Alex Hinshaw.

Romo quietly recorded 33 strikeouts in 34 total innings pitched.

As for Hinshaw, although he struggled a bit, he came up huge in key spots when the Giants needed to get a tough hitter out late in the game.

Hopefully Bochy can use both Hinshaw and Romo in the as the 7th and 8th to bridge the lead to closer Brian Wilson.

Now, how about that Mr.Wilson.

(No, not “that” Mr. Wilson) All anyone really knew about Wilson was that he threw hard.

When he became the closer, he made things exciting at times, he got the job done more often than not. Furthermore, he adds that “fun to watch” tag with his 100 mph heat and his Nen-like slider that precipitously drops below the strike zone.

So maybe the Giants didn’t finish above .500, maybe they didn’t score many runs or hit many home runs that San Francisco has been used to in the franchise’s 50 years, but they did bring something that Bonds and the A’s can’t provide... exciting, young, talent.

Notice I didn’t mention the starting rotation. Doh!

Photo by Jeff Weisinger

The Women’s soccer team continue their drive toward a winning season in 2008 after going 1-1 on their recent two-game road trip.

Road warriors: Women’s soccer play hard on road trip

By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer The Ohlone Women’s soccer team suffered a minor setback last Friday, losing to West Valley College 1-0.

“We played fairly well, and had some good opportunities (against West Valley),” said Renegades head coach Larry Heslin who was content with the girl’s performance on the field.

The game’s lone goal came in the second half as West Valley's Kristine Higgins scored in the second half off a cross pass from teammates Whitney Katsanes and Molly Lopez to put the Vikings

up 1-0 against goalkeeper Shelby Tomasello, who played the whole game and accounted for three saves but allowed the crucial gamechanging goal.

“They came out tough and we tried our best,” said forward Fanny Koloko-Green.

However the disappointment over the West Valley loss would not last too long as the Lady Renegades came back strong on Tuesday and pulled off a victory against the struggling Hartnell College 3-2.

Though Hartnell has struggled though the season, only pulling a 2-6-2 record going into Tuesday’s game, it would be Ohlone that struggled in the first half.

The Lady Renegades would regroup and come back strong and mistake-free in the second half.

Ohlone’s Laura Gorecki led off the scoring with the second goal coming from Koloko-Green, who leads the team with six goals on the season.

Danielle Anderson took over the goalkeeping duties against Hartnell, allowing two goals, however, also having two clutch saves to preserve an Ohlone victory.

Yet, in the end, it was Jasmine Floyd's goal that won it for Ohlone.

They will host their cross-town rival Chabot College Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Kenny Kim. However, it was the Renegades who starred and showed significant improvement.

Their lone goal came in the 57th minute when Patrick Lee redirected a corner kick for his team high second goal of the season.

“Score is not always a good indication of how a team plays,” said first year coach Don Williams.

“The first half we came out intimidated because we were facing the top team in the conference” The improvement continued for Ohlone in their 4-0 loss on Tuesday at undefeated CCSF. Against the defending confer-

ence champion CCSF Rams, the Renegades stayed toe-to-toe, nearly matching the Rams in shots (CCSF’s 10 to Ohlone’s 9), including Patrick Lee’s team high five shots for the Renegades.

“I know what I see out there,” said coach Don Williams. “We are playing with guts and not backing down to anyone,... a win is just around the corner.”

The Renegades return home tomorrow, in search of their first win on the season as they take on Foothill College at 4 p.m.

“Now we are proving we can play with the very best,” said Renegades co-captain Sean Powers.

Good, but not good enough: Men’s soccer still winless

By Ankita Chhabra Sports writer The Ohlone Men’s Soccer team still remains winless on the season.

Yet, the Renegades showed signs of improvement in their last two losses against West Valley last Friday, and againt City College of San Francisco on Tuesday.

Ohlone lost to West Valley 2-1 last Friday, as they missed captain Sean Powers and left back Sammy Haidari to injury.

The Vikings scored both goals in the first half off a penalty kick by Josh Johnson and the second from

Upcoming home games Men’s soccer

Women’s soccer

Fri. Oct. 3:vs. foothill college, 4 p.m.

fri. oct. 3: vs. chabot college, 1:30 p.m.

fri. oct 10:vs. Cañada college, 4 p.m.

fri. oct. 10: vs. ccsf, 1:30 pm

fri. oct 17:vs. deanza college, 4 p.m.

tues. oct. 14: vs. evergreen valley, 4 p.m.