THURSDAY DECEMBER 8, 2016 Vol. LI No. 13 FREMONT, CA Robots take server jobs. OHLONEMONITOR.COM See story on Page 6 Midwinter celebration has deep roots MIRA CHANDRA NEWS EDITOR OPINION Whether you’d like to believe about the tall green tree, and it or not, the roots of Christmas Santa Claus? Well, as earlier extend far back to pagan times, mentioned, in areas of Europe long before Christianity entered where winter brought dark into the mix. frigid days and sometimes There is an ancient history of even caused families to starve, celebrating midwinter holiday people were looking to celebrate rituals, but not necessarily for anything they could—which religious reasons. In the past, included decorating the house to especially in agriculture-based mark the mid winter season— societies experiencing the harsh making the evergreen fern tree winter, the winter solstice (Dec. a perfect holiday decoration, 21) is when the days start getting since it stays evergreen all year longer and signify that spring round-- A.K.A. that big tall is on its way. It’s the best time green tree in your living room for celebrating and naturally actually symbolized a shining feasting—there isn’t any more beacon of hope to a starving harvest work to be done, and 7-year-old pagan back in the frankly, people needed some day, go figure—right? That’s cheering up. Other than feasting, what Continued on Page 3 Holiday stoplights RONNIE LOZANO/MONITOR Workmen get ready for next phase of Ohlone’s Academic Core building project. An end to the clanging RONNIE LOZANO were built in the 1970s. the project. STAFF WRITER Groundbreaking began in The complex which is April and since then con- set to open in the Spring of The drilling operations for struction workers have been 2019, is set where Buildings the Academic Core Project setting up the footprints for 1, 2, and 8 formerly stood. are completed and the next the Academic Core Buildings There will be three new step will consist of pouring at the heart of the campus. buildings to replace the ones concrete foundations and the The process included that were demolished last year. coordination of site utilities. workers drilling piers for Building 1 will be for Workers drilled deep holes, foundation 20 to 40 feet deep, science classes, and will then lowered “re-bar” into the followed by the placement of have a large lecture hall holes and filled them con- deep steel cages which are on the side of it. The large crete. This avoided the usual there to eventually be filled lecture hall is scheduled to loud pounding of the pile up with concrete, which is dif- open before the rest of the driver during construction, ferent from most procedures. complex due to the planned but students still noticed a lot “The loud banging noises tearing down of what is cur- of motor noise and clanging. that had continued for the rently Building 3. The process formed the past few months will no lon- Building 2 will be for art foundation of the Academic ger be heard,” said Robert classes and will have a small Core Project, classroom Dias, director of Measure G. lecture hall on the side of it. buildings that will replace Dias expects the campus to Finally, Building 3 will be IVAN VARGAS/MONITOR the former Buildings 1, 2 and be relatively quiet for finals as the learning commons and Brake lights and turn signals blended with Christmas decora- 8, which were demolished students focus on their classes. will include the library. tions on Mission Boulevard below Ohlone College as the fall during the summer of 2015. In the meantime, workers “It will essentially be a new semester approached its end and the frenzy of the shopping Voters passed the $349 will continue to make as campus,” said Dias, who ex- season kicked into high gear Wednesday evening. This is the million in 2010 and the proj- much progress as they can pects the buildings to be easy to final Monitor of the semester. Look for us in the New Year. ect began with demolition of until Winter Break, when navigate through for students And please drive with respect and be careful out there. Buildings 1, 2, and 8 which they’ll halt construction on once they are finished. MONITOR 2 DECEMBER 8, 2016 NEWS NEWS BITES Geography talk, and rap Applied Music ROELLE BALAN He covered geography topics STAFF WRITER like geomorphology, cartogra- The Ohlone College Music phy and gentrification. Department will present the The very first thing the “Gentrification is absolutely Applied Music Showcase, speaker played was a song. It and fundamentally a geographic conducted by Professor Janet wasn’t what one would expect process of uneven development Holmes and Professor Tim from a geography talk at Ohlone and, as a geographer, as a hu- Roberts in Campus Recital College. The song he played man, as a scholar, I’m extraor- Hall, Room 3101, Saturday, was Tupac’s “California Love.” dinarily interested in these very Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. It is open to The reason geography pro- immediate attempts to displace public with no admission fee. fessor Dr. Adam Levy said he people and thus to disrupt their Musicians will be covering played that song was to get his lives,” Levy said. 400 years of music, including audience to realize what Tupac The talk started right be- vocals, piano, strings, such raps about fore sun- as violin and guitar, brass, is geo- set with an woodwind, and percussion. graphic attendance “culture of about 60 Toy drive forms.” The reason students. The “ Stu- During the season of giv- lyrics geography professor dents who ing Ohlone has placed bins include Dr. Adam Levy said he were in around campus for students to common Professor donate toys. Cali- played that song was Narinder Students are encouraged fornia Bansal’s to donate brand new toys in themes to get his audience to class re- original packaging. Ohlone like the realize what Tupac raps ceived ex- has been holding the dona- “wild tra credit tion for seven years on cam- wild about is geographic for going pus. The process is sponsored west” or ‘culture forms’. to the lec- by the League of Volunteers “Cali- ” ture. with the toys being dispersed fornia -- Roelle Balan Levy throughout the tri-cities. dream- gave his There are two areas to do- ing.” Tu- students a ROELLE BALAN/MONITOR nate on the Newark campus, pac also mentions cities in his chance to make up an absence one in the Student Services rap like Compton and neighbor- if they attended the lecture. Professor Adam Levy lectures about geography. room and the other in the lob- hoods like Watts. The outcome was so big, by. It will be held until Dec. Levy then told his students Newark campus’ small class- 13 with four more bins on the when they think of people from “A Dutch cartographer and some faculty members that rooms, usually separated by a California looks like the hit misinterpreted the diary or a main campus. attended to think of a song they Shelby Foster, who is co- partition wall, had to be pushed show “The OC.” journal of a Spanish priest and liked about California. ordinating the drive said, away to make room for all the Levy showed a presentation when he misinterpreted Cali- “There are many children in He explained that geography students. of words, lists and photographs fornia as being surrounded by the tri-city community who is described in these songs. Levy’s slide show presenta- including one of Yosemite sea, it was rendered in the map benefit from this toy drive. Levy led a one-hour lecture on tion included engaging pictures in the year 1872. Levy also of the Dutchman as an island, When donating a toy, you are Tuesday “From Gentrification and graphs. Those pictures in- showed a map of California and that extended until 1747 helping a child who might not to Geomorphology:Geography cluded ones about “Surf City” as an island. when the new Spanish king otherwise have gifts this holi- in the Golden State” at the New- and “California Girls.” He said “The map is wrong, the map decreed in fact that California day season.” ark campus in Room NC2100. the stereotype others think about is a myth,” he said. was not an island.” Last year, the League of Volunteers (LOV) was able to distribute 3,824 toys to 18 local agencies. These agen- A day in the park cies included the Viola Blythe Center, the East Bay Agency for Children, Abode Services and Fremont Healthy Start. Speech and Debate Next semester you could consider joining Ohlone’s speech and debate team. Forensics is defined as speaking in the public forum. It is made up of two primary categories: speech and debate. Ohlone College offers a number of competitive speak- ing platforms to students as well as parliamentary debate. The team is looking to re- cruit new members eager to learn argumentative strate- gies and further develop their speech styles and speaking abilities. If you are interested in competing and are looking to receive speech and debate coaching by experts in the COURTESY OF PSYCHOLOGY CLUB field, join the Ohlone foren- sics team by registering for Last weekend, the Ohlone Psychology Club used some of the proceeds from the club’s speaker series to visit the California COMM 191- forensics com- Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park. Club members were impressed by all manner of scientific factoids, specimens, and petition spring semester.