OHLONE COLLEGE
MONITOR
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 Vol. L No. 1
Virtual reality gaming is on the rise. See story on Pages 4 and 5.
FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM
Parking structure opens 900 new spots available on south side of Fremont campus SEAN DAVIE Staff writer
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
College officials cut the ribbon for the new parking garage Wednesday evening. Left to right: Rahul Patel, student representative to the Board of Trustees, trustee Ishan Shah, trustee Vivien Larsen, trustee Greg Bonaccorsi, college President Gari Browning, trustee Teresa Cox and trustee Jan Giovannini-Hill. Below-left: Attendees gather for the grand opening. Below-right: Construction continues on the Fremont campus after Buildings 1, 2 and 8 were demolished over the summer.
The first of Ohlone’s many construction projects has been completed and is now officially open to the public. Although the new parking structure on the south side of the Fremont campus has been fully accessible since the beginning of the semester, college officials held a ribbon cutting Wednesday evening. The construction project began with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Feb. 12, 2014 – nearly 19 months ago. The new structure contains 906 parking spaces, including disabled, staff and student carpool spots. The structure adds 563 new spaces, compared with the lots it replaced. It also includes an elevator system, EV charging stations and bike racks. One of the worst aspects of life at the main campus, especially lately, has been the dreaded march up the hill. Luckily, however, parking in the new structure will save up to 250 stairs’ worth of climbing. “I find that it’s a lot easier to get up to the classrooms, especially since it’s a lot closer here,” student Steven Mendez said. “There’s a lot more parking spaces than there used to be down there. It’s just very convenient.” Not all the parking news is Continued on Page 2
McMahon, longtime professor, dies at 63 VANESSA LUIS Editor-in-chief Retired Ohlone psychology professor and counselor Tom McMahon died over the summer in Carlsbad. He was 63. McMahon, who retired in 2011 after 35 years at the college, died on June 25 after a long battle with frontotemporal degeneration, a non-Alzheimer’s form of dementia. “He was kind, considerate, and funny,” math Professor
Geoff Hirsch said. “I enjoyed our many conversations.” Born on July 1, 1951, McMahon grew up in San Diego and began working at Ohlone in 1976. He was a successful writer, the author of three books and a nationally syndicated parenting newspaper column. Retired Ohlone professor Alan Kirshner, McMahon’s former colleague, described him as “a great mind, a creative mind, an active mind. Continued on Page 2
New women’s basketball coach takes reins BRIANNE O’SULLIVAN News editor Ohlone has recently hired Steve Picchi as the women’s basketball head coach. During his impressive coaching career, which began with him unofficially coaching a sixth-grade team as an eighth-grader, he has held positions at places such as Sequoia High School, Santa Clara University, Notre Dame de Namur University, Burlingame High School, and Chabot College. Picchi’s Sequoia High School team, his most recent before joining the Renegades, qualified for the
Central Coast Section playoffs three times and in 2012 netted a Peninsula Athletic League title. “Steve brings with him a long history of success with student athletes in the Bay Area and we hope to continue that trend here with our women’s basketball program,” ChrisWarden, dean of the Kinesiology and Athletics Division, said in a statement. At 16, Picchi was hired to coach a youth basketball team. After that first week, he went home and told his father, “I know what I am going to do when I grow up.” Picchi has been quite successful in his coaching
COURTESY OF OHLONE COLLEGE
career. During his time at Burlingame High School, his team won a Division III Continued on Page 2
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NEWS
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
NEWS BITES Transfer Day at Newark campus Students can meet with college representatives to ask questions and explore transfer options Sept. 29 at Transfer Day 2015. Representatives from 45 colleges and universities across the United States will attend the event to offer information about academic programs, admission requirements, and student life on their campuses. Transfer Day will begin at 10 a.m. in the first floor lobby at the Newark campus. For more information, go to www.ohlone. edu/org/transferday.
Parking structure opens Continued from Page 1 good, however. Parking fees rose steeply this year, with semester permits going for $40 and day passes for $4, and an additional option of one- or two-hour passes costing $1 or $2 respectively. Also weighing on the minds of some Ohlone students are the inherent dangers of parking structures, especially for those walking back to their cars after latenight classes. However, there has been only one recorded instance of rape at the Fremont campus within the past decade, and a total of 15 instances of motor vehicle theft, according to campus crime records. For students who still
feel nervous, student escort officers are available to walk students from their classrooms to their cars any time from 7 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ohlone students can request an escort by calling campus police at 510-6596111. This service is only available on weekdays at the main campus, not on weekends or at the Newark campus. At any other time from 7:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, campus police can escort students safely to their cars. To request an escort, call 510-659-6111 on the Fremont campus or 510-742-2311 on the Newark campus.
International Club to host party The International Club is hosting a Welcome Party on Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the cafeteria on the Fremont campus. About 150 new international students will begin their studies at Ohlone this semester. Students from 53 different countries have enrolled at Ohlone over the years.
Speaker to discuss social media The Communication Studies department will present its first speaker of the Fall 2015 Communication Colloquium Series on Friday. Anu Khanna, educator and entrepreneur, will speak about “Defining Your Professional Identity: What Does Your Social Media Say About You?” The free event will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Room 3101 on the Fremont campus. All students, staff and faculty are welcome to attend.
Food available from TOP Students in need can receive food from The Ohlone Pantry by visiting the Student Activities Department on the second floor of Building 7 from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For more information, contact Student Activities Coordinator Renee Wong Gonzales at 510659-7311 or rgonzales@ ohlone.edu. – Compiled by Monitor staff
MONITOR FILE PHOTO
Tom McMahon, shown here teaching at Ohlone in 1984, died in June.
McMahon ‘was a great teacher’ Continued from Page 1 He was a great teacher.” McMahon is survived by his wife, Nancy; children, Amber McMahon and Kelly McMahon; sister, Debbie Cogan; and brothers, Bill McMahon and Leon McMahon.
Services were held July 11 at Valley Community Church in Pleasanton. “It was hard” Kirshner said. “It was too early.” Donations may be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration: www.theaftd.org.
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
A fence marks the construction site in the upper campus.
Ohlone hires new coach Continued from Page 1 California State Championship and was honored with a place in the Burlingame High School Athletic Hall of Fame. When asked what his favorite aspect of coaching is, Picchi jokingly said, “winning.” More seriously, Picchi added that the game is all about the student athletes. His goal is “to help student athletes be as successful as possible,” and said nothing is more rewarding than to “watch an athlete exceed their own expectations.”
Picchi wants local student athletes to know that Ohlone College is a place with rigorous athletic and academic programs that holds great potential for all. He hopes to instill in his team the philosophy that success is “not measured by wins and losses, but rather by the experience.” Wo m e n’s b a s k e t b a l l games begin in early November and last throughout February. An official game schedule can be found at www.ohlone.edu/ org/athletics/womensbasketball/.
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FEATURES OHLONE COLLEGE
MONITOR STAFF: Editor-in-chief: Vanessa Luis News editor: Brianne O’Sullivan Features editor: Agnes Madriaga Opinions editor: Sam Campbell Photo editor: Ivan Vargas
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Upcoming events include sculpture, multimedia AGNES MADRIAGA Features editor
1971
Journalism Association of Community Colleges
Album: “Badlands” Artist: Halsey
General Excellence
MANIKA CASTERLINE Music correspondent
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Online: 2005, 2013 CONTACT US: Offices: Room 5310 Call: 510.659.6075 E-mail: monitor@ohlone. edu Website: www.ohlonemonitor.com Facebook: www.facebook. com/OhloneCollegeMonitor Twitter: @OhloneMonitor Opinions expressed in the Monitor are those of the respective authors and are not necessarily those of the staff, the college or the Associated Students of Ohlone College.
Artist in Residency Program. • Nov. 16–Dec. 14: Paintings of artist Deirdre White. • Jan. 18–Feb. 17: Paintings and Drawings of artists Kenny Mencher, Gabriel Navar, George Rivera and James Wu. • Fe b. 2 2 - Ma rc h 1 2 : Ohlone College Multimedia Department. Work from Professors Isabel Reichert, David Folker, Alejandro Jauco, Merav Tzur and Yinghua Wang. • March 18-19: 2016 High School Theater Festival • April 11-May 13: Annual Juried Student Awards Exhibition, showcasing the work of Ohlone students. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
AGNES MADRIAGA / MONITOR
Photography instructor Naomi Vanderkindren works with a student. Vanderkindren’s ‘Paramnesia’ exhibit will run through Sept. 28 in the Louie-Meager Art Gallery on the Fremont campus.
Halsey carves own pop path with debut album
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Instructor to discuss ‘Paramnesia’ exhibit at gallery reception
Ohlone photography instructor Naomi Vanderkindren will discuss her photo series “Paramnesia” during an artist talk and reception from 4 to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Louie-Meager Art Gallery. The exhibit is on display at the gallery, in the Smith Center on the Fremont campus, until Sept. 28. Other exhibits at the gallery this year: • Oct. 5–Nov. 4: Drawing and sculpture from Kevin B. Chen, artist, curator and director of the De Young Museum’s
Staff: Sean Davie Shuai Liu Joy Moon
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
In the spectrum of pop acts, Taylor Swift reigns supreme as the red-lipped saccharine superstar with hits like “You Belong With Me” and “Shake it Off,” while the younger import to her squad of female powerhouses, Lorde, topped international charts with the darker sound of “Royals” and “Team.” Halsey (born Ashley Frangipane), New Jersey native and the freshest face to the genre, at 20 could distinctly be the “middle sister” conglomerate of both Swift and Lorde, but instead carves her own path in pop as she releases the gritty yet cinematic debut album “Badlands,” which lyrically explores the enclaves of sex and drugs that her predecessors retreat from. Halsey welcomes you to “Badlands” with female empowerment tracks “Castle” and “Hold me Down.” “Castle” sees her entering a kingdom where its people already want her to be queen even though
she has barely arrived. It has a no-holds-barred attitude behind it that is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s repertoire, while “Hold me Down” is the fight song that stays light on its feet and poised for the next challenge to her takeover. These songs set up the landscape for “New Americana,” in which Halsey is defining her generation with an anthem as she sings, “Self-made success now she rolls with Rockefellers. We are the new Americana, high on legal marijuana, raised on Biggie and Nirvana. We are the new Americana.” In an album that is laden with heavy and haunting lyrics and overall production value, “Roman Holiday” can be easily forgotten because of its simplicity. However, “Roman Holiday” holds its own as the one track that will be added to a road-trip playlist and sung loudly to. Halsey ultimately speaks in this song to the wind in your hair, do-not-care vibe, whether you are driving down the California coast or on a Vespa in Roma. “Hurr icane,” on the 16-track deluxe version of “Badlands,” was previously released on Halsey’s “Room 93 EP,” and she has called it the trippy song where she zones out when performing. “Hurricane” is sampled in “Gasoline” during the line “Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?” The production of
“Gasoline” contains what sounds like a guqin, a Chinese stringed instrument. “Gasoline” as well as “Coming Down” and “Drive” are produced with an inclusive theme that utilizes the sound of keys, windshield wipers and rain. These details lead to a cohesive but unique sound that draws in the listener and through audio creates the visual perspective of a relationship between two forces of nature. “Coming Down” is the sole track that ties Halsey’s metaphorical references of climate and spirituality together, whereas “Ghost,” “Strange Love,” “Haunting,” “Control” and “Young God” address how the relationship elevates itself to a religion to which the protagonist is masochistically committed. The final track of the deluxe album is a cover of the Johnny Cash classic “I Walk the Line,” fitting perfectly with the message of the Halsey-written tracks that espouse never being the victim of your circumstances. In “Badlands,” the crème de la crème is “Colors.” The other tracks are the fancy bow wrapped around “Colors,” the exquisite treasure that stands alone as the beating heart and soul of Halsey’s freshman effort. “Colors” has been deconstructed by fans to be about the artist’s former romantic interest, Matt Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, a Manchester-formed band
that is known for their black and white aesthetic. Healy’s drug addiction is alluded to in the chorus, “Everything is grey. His hair, his smoke, his dreams. And now he’s so devoid of color. He don’t know what it means. And he’s blue.” Throughout the track, Halsey dapples in the details of their involvement while painting an immersive visual masterpiece of what they once were. “You were red and you liked me because I was blue. But you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky. Then you decided purple just wasn’t for you” – the bridge of “Colors” sums up and stains the listener in vibrant hues long after hearing. Prior to the Aug. 28 release of “Badlands,” Halsey sold out the majority of the dates on the “Badlands” tour including one historic San Francisco venue, The Fillmore, on Nov. 16. The momentum surrounding “Badlands” makes sense when giving the album an auditory spin and it’s worth dropping the spare cash on the deluxe edition for the complete narrative. The storytelling is consistent from start to finish while making grandiose production overtures that set Halsey apart in the bubblegum genre and establish her as the newest queen in the pop scene.
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FEATURES
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
Intriguing Destiny Destiny: The Taken King is set to be released on Sept. 15. If you are a returning player, your characters will begin at their current level. New players and/or characters will automatically start at level 25. The sequel to the original Destiny brings with it many new features, including a more developed plot and new subclasses and abilities. Many veteran players know the struggle of the original Destiny story mode – vague cut scenes and mystery characters. Trailers for the new game are showing signs that we may be in store for a more interesting plot along with enhanced characters and a central enemy: Oryx, father of Crota. The Taken King will come with a new Subclass in addition to your original character’s other two subclasses: • Titan Subclass: Sunbreaker – the Titan will possess a hammer that can be used from a distance and will rain fire on the enemy. • Warlock Subclass: Stormcaller – the Warlock will have the ability to manipulate Arc energy, creating a chain of lightning. • Hunter Subclass: Nightstalker – Hunters will have a bow and arrow made of what looks like Arc energy. I don’t know about you, but I am already stoked about the new subclasses, particularly the Warlock. So far, between Hunter and Warlock, the Warlock has easily been my favorite class in both crucible and story mode. I have not, however, tried the Titan class; I am curious to see how the hammer works as a long-distance weapon against enemy defense, especially against Titan Arc shields. Bungie was more vague in the description of the Hunter Subclass and ability, leaving much to the imagination. If you are a new player and interested in the game, you can get the legendary pack, which includes The Taken King, Destiny, Expansion I: The Dark Below, and Expansion II: House of Wolves. Returning players can easily order the Destiny Expansion online in the PlayStation Store. Play with me on the PlayStation Platform! PSN: valarmorghulis8_
The rise of virtual gaming
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in medical fields, those with crip- cians to make them appear near endless possibility and sports, science, the pling phobias. more like the person, foster- application. military, and simply One recent study ing feelings of sympathy for Virtual reality doesn’t stop It started in the midst of in everyday life. even covered the the politician in question. at gaming, either. Hollywood a tropical jungle, standing The concept of virissue of sexualWith any new technology, has already approached under a cliff in a nest full of tual reality evolved ized female ava- there will always be ques- Bailenson to consult him large eggs. In front of me, I out of the early tars in video gam- tions of how it will affect daily about the possibilities of vircould see tall trees tower1960s, when Morton ing and the real life and the new benefits and tual movies, and a tip from the ing over me, the rich foliage Heilig, a cinematoglife implications problems that come with owners of the Golden State rustling as different creatures rapher, developed of sexualization them. While those questions Warriors led NBA Commisroamed by. A dragonfly the Sensorama, an and rape myths, remain to be answered, it sioner Adam Silver to the Virwhizzed by my head mointeractive theater finding that those won’t be long before we see tual Human Interaction Lab ments later, and I ducked as it experience with an who were as- virtual reality as a consumer at Stanford to explore the idea flew around me, attempting enclosed viewing signed sexualized product. Next year seems to of improving the experience to dodge the insect. screen with steavatars believed be the year that virtual reality of a game for both fans and Suddenly, the forest shook. reoscopic images, rape myths more will become a very real real- players, with virtual courtside The sound of low, thudding oscillating fans to than those who ity, with Oculus releasing its seats and virtual rehabilitafootsteps approached. From simulate weather efwere assigned first consumer headsets in tion for injured players. the densely packed foliage fects, speakers, and a non-sexualized early 2016, and Sony releasVirtual reality’s applicaemerged a terrifying Tyrandevice that emitted avatars. ing the Morpheus sometime tions are far reaching, and nosaurus Rex, letting out a smells. Be yo n d t h e that year as well. Steam’sVive we may only be at the surface loud roar. It approached me, While far removed p s y c h o l o g i c a l hopes to beat both Sony and of what can be done with but it didn’t appear to want from the technology ethics, there also Oculus to the punch, plan- the new technology being me for lunch. After it left, of today, the Senhave been ques- ning to release its headset in developed. It could stand to my attention turned to the sorama was a watertions pertaining the winter of 2015. reason that in a few decades, eggs nearby. I brought my shed moment in the to identity and Most recently, a virtual we could be taking virtual head forward to nudge the creation of virtual privacy. Bailenson theme park called The Void tours of Mars or going on egg nearest me, and soon it reality technology. argued in a BBC was announced, with the first virtual vacations to exotic lobegan to crack. As the scene The research and News article that one to be built in Pleasant cales from the comfort of our began to fade to black, I could development in the virtual technolo- Grove, Utah, by the summer couches. Doctors could even hear the screech of an infant field boomed going gy, such as Micro- of 2016. The park will have make diagnoses without dinosaur, probably one of my into the1980s and soft’s Kinect for continuously reconfigurable having to leave their offices brothers and sisters. 1990s as computers the X-Box, could rooms, and patrons will be for patients a continent away. At that moment, I reached became more widebe hacked into able to walk around in virtual That sort of advanceBy Trish Tunney, https://secure.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/16115909113. Licence at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. up to remove the headset.The ly available. But the by criminals and reality headsets and suits ment might be far off, and scene before me was no longer consumer expectaused to steal not around these rooms through the current technology isn’t a primordial jungle, but that tions for virtual real- The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset was on display in March at the 2015 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. just your likeness different simulations, work- perfect by any means, but of a packed Moscone Center ity did not match up and identity, but ing together or competing to for a moment, I left the in downtown San Francisco with the current technology, from more than 9,000 backers, and explored the psychology and real inside of virtual reality.” also nonverbal behaviors and survive. The park also will Moscone Center, the city The advancement of vir- cues, using that information have motion simulators and of San Francisco, and even for the 2015 Game Developand with the Internet opening their work caught the attention of world applications of virtual realers Conference, or GDC for up new technological fron- Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, ity, such as empathy, learning in tual reality over the years to create an avatar copy of “fourth dimension” effects the year 2015 and traveled short. I had just participated tiers around 1995, the desire who bought the company for a a virtual classroom, immersion, raised many ethical ques- you. to offer as much immer- back to a prehistoric age, to in a technical demonstration to explore virtual worlds was staggering $2 billion in a move that communication, and teaching tions about how we interact This new form of identity sion as possible. The Void towering tropical jungles and of “Back to Dinosaur Island” left to science fiction as more drew both praise and criticism from conversation and sustainable with the virtual world, and if theft has the potential to be is the brainchild of former reptilian titans that roamed by game developer Crytek. In focus went toward the World game and technology developers. behaviors for the benefit of the it has any lingering effect on used in robots, using the cybersecurity business owner the primordial earth. From Oculus’ work, a new field of environment. how we interact with others stolen Kinect data to create Ken Bretschneider, who has my hands was an Oculus Rift Wide Web. My “devolution” reinThe lab has been the subject in the real world. Studies by a false identity. In addition invested $13 million of his forced the rapid evolution headset, one of the first of a In 2012, Palmer Luckey, game development emerged, one new generation of gaming who described himself as wrestling with the challenges of of many stories surrounding the Bailenson and his students to psychology and cyber own money into the project. of virtual reality, which has devices tailored toward a not a “virtual reality enthusi- making the most authentic virtual advancement of virtual reality revealed that behaviors in crime, Bailenson expressed He plans to work with outside grown from a novelty to a technology. A CNN report on the the virtual world influenced concern about the use of gaming studios to create dif- revolution that’s not just for entirely new, but now more ast and hardware geek,” reality experiences. The improvement of 3D graphics lab featured Bailenson leading how people behaved when virtual reality in a commer- ferent gaming experiences for video games and entertainfully realized frontier: virtual founded Oculus and develreality. oped the first Oculus Rift over time has helped make those Morgan Spurlock over a virtual back in reality. In one study, cial setting, expecially with those visiting The Void. ment, but for the way we At GDC, the world of video headset with the help of experiences more authentic, and plank placed over a deep pit. While participants who cut down Facebook’s acquisition of The virtual playground interact with one another game development was on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding the new peripherals at GDC, like Spurlock had plenty of carpeted a virtual tree began to use Oculus. He feared that, like of The Void seems to be a and the world around us. display, and at the center of website that helps would-be the Virtuix Omni, help to deliver floor around him to walk on, in less paper. the cyber criminals hacking combination of everything Whether it will have the Other studies revealed the Kinect, companies and that Morton Heilig hoped for impact we expect remains to all the buzz and excitement entrepreneurs, artists and those experiences with more au- the headset he could only see the was virtual reality gaming. developers obtain funding thenticity. But developers like plank and the pit, and his mind that the use of virtual avatars advertisers would use pho- in the Sensorama, and then be seen, but we’ll be seeing Developers from across the for their projects through Tom Forsyth, an Oculus software tricked him into thinking the situ- could help those with anxiety tos of a person in Facebook some, delivering a virtual it through a virtual headset in social situations, and that to create false identities or experience as close to the real and into a world beyond our world shared their visions public support. The Rift architect who gave a speech at ation was very real. In another story, ESPN demon- virtual simulation could help even morph faces of politi- thing as possible and with reality. and technology in many raised about $2.5 million last year’s GDC about his experiences with developing the Oculus strated the use of virtual reality Rift, recognized the challenge of as a training tool for Stanford’s creating an immersive environ- quarterbacks to simulate the line ment for players. He described of scrimmage and assist players the challenges of making sure the in reading defenses in the virtual virtual world scaled correctly with world, which they could, in turn, real world perception, especially in apply to reading defenses in the terms of player height or character real world. Bailenson consults height, and working to make cer- regularly with government agentain animations not seem awkward cies such as the Department of or out of place, especially for player Defense and the National Institute controlled avitars. of Health on policy issues concernThe challenges are technical ing virtual reality. He co-authored and psychological, as pioneers in a book with Jim Blascovich, a the virtual reality field are trying professor of psychological and to discover ways of making the brain sciences at the University of experience feel as real as possible. California, Santa Barbara, called Not far from Oculus’ headquar- “Infinite Reality,” in which he and ters in Menlo Park, and about a Blascovich explore the psychology 45-minute drive from Moscone of virtual reality. Center, is Stanford University’s “We’re the first team to come Virtual Human Interaction Lab. out that’s not as technologists, but The lab, founded and directed by really, fundamentally, as psycholoAssociate Professor of Communi- gists,” said Bailenson in a promocations Jeremy Bailenson, deals tional video for the book. “Our goal, By Official GDC, https://secure.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/16719560675. Licence at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. with the application of virtual even though we do act as engineers By Official GDC, https://secure.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/16532138880. Licence at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. reality beyond gaming. Bailenson and build these virtual worlds, is to Users try out virtual reality gaming technology at the 2015 Game Developers Conference at and the students of the lab have really study how the mind operates Visitors flood the Expo Floor at the 2015 Game Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco in March. the Moscone Center in San Francisco in March. ALEXANDER LYKINS Contributing writer
different aspects of gaming, especially in virtual reality technology. In the wake of Oculus’ $2 billion purchase by Facebook last June, several companies have come to the forefront of the new virtual frontier. Sony’s Project Morpheus for the Playstation 4 was on display at the convention, along with the Vive, a virtual reality headset designed by Valve and HTC. The technology of virtual reality even included smart phone compatibility, with Samsung showing off the Gear, which you can pair with your phone and watch virtual movies or play games. With the rise of virtual reality gaming also came the challenge of making the experience as authentic as possible. At the convention, tech developers paired motion tracking peripheral devices with virtual reality headsets, simulating such nerd fantasies as light saber combat. One company, called Virtuix, took this concept a step ahead with the Virtuix Omni, a platform used to simulate movement in the virtual world as if you were walking or running in the real world. At their demonstration booth, those who made appointments to try out the technology ahead of time lined up to literally step into their virtual worlds. From the outside, they looked like your average treadmill joggers at the gym, only with plastic guns and a bulky headset over their eyes. In the virtual world, however, they appeared to be living out their wildest fantasies as space heroes or bionic soldiers. What was once a novelty has grown into a potential technological revolution with applications beyond just gaming, with virtual reality potentially being used
FEATURES
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
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OPINIONS
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
End marijuana prohibition nationwide Legalization would raise taxes, reduce prison population
I hear Colorado is collecting so much marijuana tax revenue, they want to build schools with it.
VANESSA LUIS Editor-in-chief Weed, Dank, Tree, Doja, Mota, Indo, Chronic, Mary Jane; we all know it by a different name. Marijuana, or cannabis, is a widely used plant that is illegal for non-medical use in 46 out of 50 states in our great nation. Twenty-three states have legalized the use of marijuana with a cannabis club card. Marijuana-related arrests are a small but significant part of the crime rate in the United States that could be disintegrated upon legalization. According to an article at drugpolicy.org, “Nearly half of all drug arrests each year are for marijuana-related offenses, the overwhelming majority of which are for personal possession.” That means that for just having the substance, people are being arrested and imprisoned at a significant cost to U.S. taxpayers. Not only are we using resources to continue this war
Oh, no. You can’t educate the youth, then Donald Trump won’t have ANY chance!
JOY MOON / MONITOR
on marijuana, but we are also losing out on immense economic opportunities. According to drugpolicy. org, in Colorado legal marijuana sales accounted for approximately $40 million in taxes in just the first 10 months. With that kind of extra revenue, we could make our communities flourish with the improvement of schools, afterschool programs, music and arts programs, and
so much more. In addition, there would be a significant increase in employment in the marijuana industry, both in cultivation and sales of the plant. According to Drugpolicy. org, “Marijuana has been shown to alleviate symptoms of a huge variety of serious medical conditions, including cancer, AIDS and glaucoma, and is often an effective alternative to synthetic painkillers”. However,
with most states limiting access to the plant, many people are not receiving the benefits of this substance. Furthermore, with the legalization of marijuana, we could incorporate testing and standards of the final product. Regulation of the plant would allow customers to have a profile of the strain they are purchasing, including facts on cultivation and potency. You cannot ignore the
economic and community benefits that come along with the legalization of this product; more tax money for our schools, more jobs for our unemployed, fewer people in our legal system, and regulation of the product for the safety of customers. We should end the prohibition on the consumption of marijuana nationwide. See our next issue for the reasons why I believe in legalizing prostitution.
Ohlone should provide gender-neutral bathrooms SAM CAMPBELL Opinion editor Over the last couple of years we have begun to see a spike in the fight for equality within and around the LGBTQIA+ community. With the legalization of same-sex marriage passing in the United States this past June, most Americans believe the fight is over; but a single marriage license does nothing to stop the constant harassment of people who fall within these
categories. Even with some big names coming out as transgender (trans) or gender nonconforming, such as Ruby Rose, Caitlyn Jenner and the wonderful Laverne Cox, society’s view of the Trans community continues to be based on ignorance. Last spring, Ohlone College students in the Speech and Communication Club took it upon themselves to advocate for the Trans
CAMPUS COMMENT
community here on campus. Students and faculty of the Communication Department went to College Council and Associated Students of Ohlone College meetings to petition for gender-neutral restrooms on both the Fremont and Newark campuses. The current male/female restrooms are non-inclusive to gender nonconforming students, and potentially dangerous (mentally and/ or physically) for our trans-
gender students on campus. Society, for the most part, adheres to what is called, the gender binary. This means that people exist mainly as male or female while not recognizing the possibility that someone may not identify with either gender. In contrast, there is the gender spectrum that recognizes some people may identify with the gender binary, some may identity with both, and some may not identify with any gender.
To be transgender is to no longer identify with the gender expected of you at birth due to your assigned sex. “When I use the restroom, I am often faced with people who become obviously uncomfortable by my appearance,” said Trent Triskelion, an openly trans student here at Ohlone. “They stare at me as if they are trying to figure out whether or not I have the acceptable genitalia Continued on Page 7
What do you think of the new parking structure? AOLANI GATAN Psychology “This parking structure is actually really nice and I really like it”
MARIO RAPPA Theater “I’d say, ‘Good job Ohlone, you’ve earned my respect’ ” CASS LANG Theater “It’s a lot easier finding a parking spot up here than say, at the bottom of the hill” SEAN DELBARIO Computer Science “It’s convenient because I don’t have to worry about the long walk
WENDY MILLS General ed toward BSN
“I love the new parking structure. It gets me right up to the top”
NEWS/OPINIONS Show Ohlone students they are being heard
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
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TV OPEN HOUSE
Continued from Page 6 to be in that restroom. Other times they see me washing my hands at the sink, as they come in, and they stop to double check the door, to make sure that they are in the right place. Either way, it leaves me feeling awkward and unwelcome in the restroom.� Trent is not the only one who feels this way. Our school is full of students who fall all over the gender spectrum who have to face this inner struggle on a daily basis. A third single stall restroom would be a perfect way to open up the conversation with our transgender students on other steps we can take to ensure they are just as comfortable as any other cisgender (a person who identifies as the gender they were given at birth) student. This will do so much more than just add another place to use the restroom; this will show our students that they are being heard and their struggles are not going unnoticed. If you are gender nonconforming, have a friend who is questioning their gender, or are just interested to learn more and understand gender, you can reach out to the Ohlone Speech and Communication Club by e-mailing vanessamluis@gmail.comfor more resources. If you are having an immediate struggle with your gender identity and would like to speak to someone, contact the Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline run by trans people for trans people, at 877-565-8860.
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
Actors Joe Corso, left, and Tiffani Lopez take direction from instructor Lawrence Iriarte on Sept. 2 during the Broadcasting Television and Film Open House at the Television Studio on the Fremont campus. Below-left: The control room. Below-right: Instructor William Moore demonstrates one of the Broadcasting Department’s cameras.
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SPORTS
MONITOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
The Ohlone men’s soccer team scores its only goal of the game in a 2-1 loss to Lassen College on Tuesday. The women’s team lost the first game of the double-header.
Ohlone soccer teams fall in double-header JOY MOON Staff writer Both Ohlone soccer teams battled but wound up losing in a double-header at Tak Fudenna Memorial Stadium in Fremont on Tuesday evening. As the women’s team fought to the end against
Diablo Valley College before losing 1-0, the men’s team prepped for their game against Lassen College. “They are an incredibly strong team and today my expectations for the team are to defend well,” Head Coach David Cordova Marroquin said before the game. After Lassen took the
lead, scoring two goals in the first half, Marroquin reminded the players to “shape up,” to continue to play the planned formation. Ohlone had several chances to score, but the first half came to an end with Lassen leading 2-0. During the second half, a
Lassen player received a red card and was removed from the game. The crowd got riled up when forward Jorge Pena scored for Ohlone. However, the game ended with a final score of 2-1. It was an unfortunate day for both women’s and men’s soccer. However,
Marroquin said he was satisfied with the effort. “The boys feel a little bit frustrated because they put in their best effort, but we got set up for the rest of the game because we played a quality team, and as long as we put in our best effort, I am satisfied with that,” Marroquin said.
Upcoming games VOLLEYBALL Friday, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., DVC Classic vs. Diablo Valley College and Solano College in Pleasant Hill. Wednesday, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Renegade Classic vs. Lassen College and College of Alameda at the Fremont campus. Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. at Skyline College in San Bruno.
WOMEN’S SOCCER Tuesday, 4 p.m. vs. Mendocino College in Ukiah. Sept. 18, 3:30 p.m. vs. Modesto Junior College in Modesto. Sept. 22, 4:30 p.m. vs. Cabrillo College at Tak Stadium in Fremont.
IVAN VARGAS / MONITOR
The Ohlone women’s soccer team lost 1-0 to Diablo Valley College on Tuesday evening.
Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. vs. Napa Valley College at Tak Stadium in Fremont. Sept. 18, 2 p.m. vs. Butte College in Oroville.
WOMEN’S WATER POLO Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. vs. Foothill College in Los Alto Hills. Sept. 25-26, 8:30 a.m., Bockman Memorial Tournament in Aptos. Sept. 30, 3 p.m. vs. Cabrillo College at the Fremont campus.
MEN’S WATER POLO Friday and Saturday, all day, West Valley Tournament in Saratoga.
MEN’S SOCCER
Sept. 18-19, all day, Delta Tournament in Stockton.
Friday, 1 p.m. vs. Yuba City College at Central Park in Fremont.
Sept. 25-26, all day, De Anza Tournament in Cupertino.