Vol. 72, No. 5
Monday, December 10, 2018
And the Comet Award goes to...
OPINION
Governing Board amends President’s contract, lawsuit ongoing
The greatest superhero of all time SEE PAGE 7
BETHANY NASH STAFF EDITOR
ARTS & CULTURE
Trends in video games SEE PAGE 10
Bob Wilson holding the thank you card given to him by Palomar students during the event for the new Food and Nutrition center, March 9. Aubree Wiedmaier/ The Telescope
On Dec. 4 during the “Better Together” Community Showcase, Bob Wilson was awarded Palomar College’s Comet Award for his funding of the Anita and Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center. The Comet Award is the recongnition
SPORTS
Palomar’s hidden star SEE PAGE 12
Telescopenews
of an outstanding citizen in the North County area who has shown exceptional leadership and community service. “They say money can’t buy happiness, but I’m the hapiest man in the room right now,” Wilson said in an interview with Palomar News. - Bethany Nash
Drones at Palomar SEE PAGE 4
The_Telescope
The Telescope
The Governing Board voted to amend the contract for Superintendent/ President Joi Lin Blake during the Nov. 13 Board meeting. The purpose of the amendment is to clarify language in the contract in regards to the $15,000 annuity payment the Dr. Blake would receive. Under the current contract, the language suggests that Dr. Blake would get $15,000 annualy upon separation from District employment. This, according to the Board, was not the intention, and they are expected to make a final vote to amend the contract during the next Board meeting on Dec. 11 to clarify that it will be only a one time payment. Governing Board President, Paul McNamara, noted the importance of the amendment given the
pushback from community groups on campus. One such push came on Sept. 25, when the Palomar Faculty Federation filed a lawsuit against the Governing Board in regards to alleged violations of the Brown Act and lack of transparency. Faculty Federation CoPresident, Teresa Laughlin explained in an email that the lawsuit is ongoing as of Nov. 27 and the Faculty Federation is waiting on the District’s response. She further stated, “the willingness to discuss the public’s business in public is a good sign for future Board meetings. I do not believe this would have occurred without the PFF pushing for transparency in Governing Board dealings. We will continue to hold the Governing Board accountable to the Brown Act.” BNASH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
2 • NEWS
October 10, 22, 2018 2018 December
t BRIEFLY t MASSAGES
HEALTH SERVICES
SAN MARCOS --- Massage Monday is back just in time for finals. The Healing Hands School will be offering free 10 minute neck and shoulder chair massages from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. They will be located in the SU-quad on the San Marcos Campus. For more information visit the student health services website or call (760) 891-7530. — Krista Moore
RANCHO BERNARDO --- North County Health Services (NCHS) will be on Palomar’s Rancho Bernardo campus Monday Dec. 10 for the last time this semester. They will be offering free dental screenings along with oral health counseling, family planning and birth control. They will also be providing information about Covered California, Medi-Cal and more. They will be on campus from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. For more information you can visit their website at nchshealth.org or call them at (760) 736-6742. — Krista Moore
HIRING EVENTS SAN MARCOS --- Looking for a fresh start in the new year with a new job? You’re in luck. The Career Center at Palomar College is hosting two hiring events. They will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 30 and 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 in SU-17 on the San Marcos Campus. On Jan. 30, the hiring event will host the City of Carlsbad, who will be covering open positions and recruitment options for jobs such as the following: Police Officer Academy graduate, Police Officer Recruit and Police Officer Lateral. On Jan. 31, the hiring event will be covering a wide range of jobs that are open around the San Marcos area. Some of the jobs include: Lifeguards, Cashiers and Recreational Leaders. — Bethany Nash
CONCERT HOUR SAN MARCOS --- The Palomar Performing Arts program will be presenting the semi- annual Honors Recital from 1-2 p.m. on Dec. 13. The concert will be held in the Howard Brubeck Theatre on the San Marcos campus, and the recital will showcase some of Palomar’s student musicians. Doors will open at 12:50 pm and admission is free. For more information visit Palomar performing arts website at www.Palomarperforms.com — Krista Moore
DRC MOBILITY UPDATE
Photo illustration of downloading the Friendli app. Bethany Nash / The Telescope
FRIENDLI APP If you have ever wondered when you can use an app to meet friends in your area, that time has come. Founder and CEO, Robert Swisher, has developed the app Frendli in order to, “help real people, make real friends, in the real world.” Just like any dating app, the app matches friends based upon their interests, goals, location, and personal lifestyle. Except the twist is that the app does not tolerate any advances that are more than friendship. The goal of the app is to help people make friends in order to
help them engage more offline by providing deals and special offers on local activities and experiences to help get friends together and build connections. Swisher explained in an email, “I started Frendli to solve my own problem. When I moved to San Diego thirteen years ago I knew literally no one. It took me WAY too long to build a good circle of friends...There is an epidemic of loneliness happening in the country right now. 50 percent of US adults say they feel lonely or left out on a regular basis. Research shows you’ll lose half of your
friends every sevenyears and that lack of meaningful social interactions can be as bad for your health as tobacco or obesity. We want to make it easy for everyone to find people around them who share their interests and find fun activities to share together.” The app launched there beta version a little over a month ago in the San Diego area. To sign up for Frendli go to www.frendli.com or download the app in your smart phones app store. — Bethany Nash
SPEAKOUT
What are the challenges of dating in college?
THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1964
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr.
“There are layers to social media which cause disruption to relationships.” - Hayley North
“I think there is no time, because I’m a full time student.” - Max Zimet
“Men don’t know how to prioritize, because we are in our transition years in college.” - Kyra Skibicki
SAN MARCOS --- The Disability and Resource Center (DRC) will still be able to offer its students mobility services. Due to the moving of the Police Department being near the parking garage, the point of pick up for a scooter will now be at the DRC. The DRC and Palomar Police Department are now working together in order to make transportation for DRC students easier. The DRC will be the point of contact and assistance when needing pick up and transport. They offer a variety of options for assistance depending on the individuals needs. If the DRC is unable to get to you with a cart, no need to worry. The DRC will contact Campus Police and they will be over with a cart in no time. Additionally, for DRC students waiting for a Lyft, the point of pick up will now be the new Police Department location next to parking lot 12 and the parking garage. This provides students with water, shelter, warmth., and safety while waiting for their ride. For more information regarding transportation services consult the DRC website at https://www2. palomar.edu/pages/drc/ accommodations-and-services/mobility-assistance/ or call ext. 2375 — Bethany Nash
NEWS • 3
the-telescope.com
Student Advocacy BETHANY NASH STAFF EDITOR
SWAG, the Student Wellness & Advocacy Group at Palomar seeks to erase the stigma around mental illness. SWAG at Palomar initially began when a faculty member discovered Alexis Garcia and her mom implementing the program at Mira Costa College, and decided it was something needed at Palomar. Garcia comes from a family that deals with mental illness, and her passion was instilled at a young age. She is now working with SWAG to train students to be student mentors and advocates for struggling students. “My ah ha moment interestingly enough didn’t come from any of my family members, it actually came from one of my close friends...he took an attempt on his life...I actually talked him down from suicide. Having that experience with him...I came to realize I wanted to be as educated as possible,” Garcia said. The mentors are trained in a series of powerpoints and skill sets in order to help other students recognize the signs of mental health, as well as being able to make presentations to various Palomar classrooms and open up the conversation among students. One of these students
is, Dorian Owens, a SWAG mentor. “I have had a lot of struggles with depression, definite family issues that caused that depression, but I want to be that voice for somebody that doesn’t have that voice,” Owens explained. SWAG works to offer regular programs where students are forced to be in the moment and gifted the opportunity to take a small break from the demands occurring in one’s everyday life. Some of these programs include, crafting glitter balls, drawing in coloring books and massage Mondays. Additionally, they also offer workshops discussing suicide, depression, anxiety, etc. in order to give a platform to students that doesn’t have to be a ‘therapist’, but allows for the students to start a conversation and be open without any stigma. “I want to make sure other people know what to do... want to make sure that they don’t feel lost, but they feel equipped,” Garcia said. SWAG team are not experts or therapists, but are student advocates for mental health. For more information about upcoming workshops or the mentor program consult the following page: https://www2.palomar.edu/ pages/healthservices/. BNASH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
An interview with President Blake
Dr. Joi Lin Blake watching student video projects shortly after arriving at Palomar in August of 2016. Johnny Jones / The Telescope INTERVIEW BY BETHANY NASH
Q.
What does it mean to you personally to be invited to the President’s Advisory Committee and and Student Success Funding Forumla task force? It is so nice for the college to be recognized for our leadership in issues of diversity; I am always honored to represent Palomar College in the communities we serve. It is important for Palomar College to be at the table in discussions at the statelevel about funding, access, and transfer. The University of California (UC) President’s Advisory Committee on African American Presence is an opportunity to expand access for California’s community college students throughout the UC campuses.
A.
Q. A.
What message do you want people to take away from your success in education? Having an education provides individuals an opportunity to give back to the community and to have an impact on future generations.
Featuring Dorian Owens and Alexis Garcia during a SWAG workshop on Nov. 28. Bethany Nash/ The Telescope
Q.
What does the African American Presence at UC mean to you? What do you hope to accomplish on the committee?
A.
Many of our students transfer to one of the 10 UC campuses. I can give voice to what our students go through to enter the UC system, as well as share what it means to them. The California Community College system welcomes every opportunity to partner with our colleagues in the UC system to increase transferreadiness and actual transfer, not only for African American students but for all students.
Q.
What does the Student Success Funding Formula mean to you? What do you hope to accomplish as per joining the task force? The new Student Success Funding Formula challenges us as a system to hold ourselves accountable for ensuring we provide higher education that is accessible, affordable, and supports students achieving their education goals in a timely fashion. While performance-based funding has been on the horizon for a few years, this new model requires that we align our efforts and resources in order to keep students at the center of all that we do. As an at-large member, I see my role on the task force as an
A.
opportunity to shape policy and practices that support students in our region.
Q.
If you could give any piece of advice to a student, what would you want them to know? Take an active role in student government and seek out opportunities to let us know your needs to strengthen our ability to advocate for you.
A.
Q. A.
Where do you hope to go in your career and what are your goals? Palomar College is one of the premier community colleges in the nation, providing students with an outstanding education to assist them in achieving their goals. The college has dedicated faculty and staff who are student-centered and committed to the college’s Vision of “Learning for Success.” Mygoal is to expand access in our region to our innovative programs and services. The college is working towards fully implementing Guided Pathways to better serve our students and the community-at-large.
Palomar’s Public Affairs Office receives four awards at national conference ANA ACOSTA STAFF EDITOR
Palomar’s Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs Office has recently been awarded four National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) Medallion awards. The Public Affairs Office (PAO) maintains marketing communications, campus communications, news and media relations, public relations and social media for Palomar Col-
lege. The PAO oversees Palomar’s branding and works to keep the campus community up-to-date on important news relative to faculty and students. “The department strives to provide visually-appealing materials, compelling content and engaging communications to support and share Palomar’s numerous stories,” Laura Gropen, Director of Communications said. Alongside this, the PAO staff works to develop relationships with internal and external constituents
such as government officials, the media, and those directly impacted by the campus community. “I have been very fortunate to have had a fulfilling professional career in communications and marketing... Most importantly, my career has included working with amazing, creative and dedicated professionals,” Gropen said Another key component to the Public Affairs team is Communications Specialist, Tom Pfingsten. “My experience within the last year and a half
working here has been that this college is full of good stories,” Pfingsten noted about his experience with working at Palomar. Recently, the PAO received a Bronze award for the Palomar e-newsletter and two Silver awards recognizing their Social Media and Viewbook usage. Along with these awards, Pfingsten received a Gold award for Excellence in Writing. Pfingsten received the award on behalf of his story that featured Palomar student Luke Max-
well, creator of “U Can’t B Erased.” Maxwell’s goal is to de-stigmatize and raise awareness of mental health issues surrounding young people. “I think the credit goes to Luke for being so transparent about what he went through” Pfingsten continued, “I’m honored to have won the award, but actually feel grateful just to be able to tell his story.” Pfingsten’s story is now being admitted to receive a national award. Pfingsten’s story on Luke Maxwell can be
found here: https://www2. palomar.edu/pages/news/ mental-health-2018/ “We were honored to have the office’s work recognized by organizations comprised of marketing and communications professionals,” said Gropen. For more information and stories from the Public Affairs Office, check out Palomar News here https:// www2.palomar.edu/pages/ news/. AACOSTA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
4 • NEWS
December 10, 2018
Right: Mikela Garza helps a fellow student analyze drone images. Patrick Hartley / The Telescope Left: Professor Mark Bealo and the GCIP 168 Digital Imaging class practice flying drones. Courtesy of Neil McDowell-Horn
Drone program takes f light PATRICK HARTLEY STAFF WRITER
Palomar’s Geography and Digital Imaging Departments combine for a groundbreaking Associates Degree. According to Consulting firm Mckinsey and Co. drones are the next new technology that will both disrupt and construct whole new industries. They stated that the U.S. drone economy has already grown from $40 million in 2012 to earning 1 billion in 2017. It is also predicted to leap to a $40 billion industry by 2026. “You’re definitely finding a new use for this technology everyday,” said Wing Cheung, Palomar College Professor of Geography. Cheung, along with Professor Mark Bealo has overseen the creation of the UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Associate Degree at Palomar. Jobs for pilots, new software, infrastructure and maintenance of drones are growing. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) states that more than 66,000 remote pilots were certified in 2017.
Palomar College has skyrocketed ahead of other colleges by earning one of ten NSF (National Science Foundation) grants in the whole country to develop a curriculum to grow and educate students, businesses and community about the use of drones. The $800,000 grant provides funding for expanding the program in the San Diego region. The program is led by instructors from Palomar and Southwestern College. As of spring 2019 Southwestern College will also offer drone technology. “First of all, it’s just fun to fly, those drones just, you move the joystick and the drone moves. It’s just like the real life video game,” said Palomar Drone student and videographer Zach Camerino. But these drones aren’t just for teenagers flying in the park for fun. The professional drone operator of today can fly an $8,000 drone equipped with thermal infrared sensors, laser ranging or photogrammetry sensors that create geologic and geographic data and images that
Mikela Garza practices flying a DJI Phantom drone for a Geography class project. Courtesy of Mark Bealo
are used for industries such as farming, energy, insurance, law enforcement and firefighting. But just flying the drone isn’t enough, that’s why the degree requires classes in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). “I operate the drones but I’m also on the other side learning GIS classes, so the science side behind the data that we’re capturing, able to analyze it,” Palomar Drone student Mikela Garza said.
Depending on the client students can gather and analyze terabytes of data from multispectral sensors such as NVDI (normalized vegetation difference index), and high-resolution images. “You can do surveys, inspections, digital models to surface models, there’s tons of stuff you can do with drones nowadays,” said Palomar student Gerardo Perez.” We’re showing farmers an area that has healthy vegetation and an area of your crops that are not doing so well,” Mikela
said. Mikela and Gerardo were invited to represent Palomar College at a summit in Washington DC hosted by the NSF in October. There, they presented maps of some of their different types of imagery. By learning how to process and analyze the geographic and environmental data with GIS software, drone pilots become subcontractors that can compile 3D models or an orthomosaic map to be used for construction, conservation, agriculture, real estate or law enforcement clients. Thermal infrared sensors also can help firefighters identify lost hikers or hot spots for water drops. Some students just want the pilot’s license and opt-out of the geography courses but still benefit from the classes like Digital Imaging 168 “You start out super basic, then you get up and use these $5,000 drones and then you get to use this $3000 software that you would never be able to use without paying upfront,” said Camerino. Companies are investing
$40 billion industry
2017 $1 billion industry
A study done by Forbes projecting the growing trend of the drone industry by year 2026.
2012 $40 million industry
PHARTLEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
2026
THE BOOMING DRONE ECONOMY How the drone industry willl continue it’s growth in the U.S.
heavily in Drone technology. Microsoft recently invested $26 million to develop software by Airmap to improve air traffic management systems that can accommodate drones. Palomar College recently partnered with Uber Eats to share feedback with the community on the food delivery test program. Currently drones can only fly below 400 feet, within sight of the licensed operators and not over crowds. Amazon spent $9 million last year lobbying the FAA to amend those restrictions. With the spread of access to data and companies wanting more thorough information to make decisions, drone pilots and Geospatial data analysts will be in demand. Whether it’s humanitarian efforts such as delivering medicine, monitoring and restoring habitat, surveillance or building inspection, drones are already making a big difference to the bottom lines of many industries.
NEWS • 5
the-telescope.com
Dig into Palomar’s archaeology program ANA ACOSTA STAFF EDITOR
Palomar’s Archaeology program provides a variety of courses for students seeking careers in archaeology. Archaeology, a study under the larger study of Anthropology, works to reveal the significance behind humans of the past and present, and their relationship with the material objects they make. Jim Eighmey, the program advisor, explained that Archaeology is important to study because it helps define the relationship between humans and material objects. “By studying Archaeology, you become sensitive and interested in this relationship between material items that people make and their lives,” Eighmey said, “it opens your eyes up to that set of relationships, not just in the past, but today.” The program has been around for nearly 40 years and it is said to be one of the best archaeological programs
Professor Jim Eighmey (left) shows Chris Murray (right) how to use the Paleolithic atlatl (spear-thrower) tool. Ana Acosta/The Telescope
amongst two year colleges in the West Coast. Although schools like San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos provide degrees with specialization in archaeology, Eighmey says that their archaeology courses are only available to upper-
classmen. In contrast, the courses provided at Palomar provide upper division objectives and skills that help students determine if archaeology is something they wish to pursue. “There’s very few community colleges that even offer
any archaeology certificates,” Marlow Willows, Palomar’s Biological Anthropologist said, “ so we’re very fortunate to have a great certificate program.” Mark Thompson, an archeology student at Palomar, has used what he has learned
at Palomar by working internships at museums, traveling to places such as Belize and Italy and working on real life research digs. “It’s about building up a body of information about cultures. We think we might understand them, but we may
not quite. Ultimately, the goal is trying to understand their world view,” Thompson said. Along with the assets the program provides for students, community outreach is also an important objective for the archaeology department. On Saturdays during the Fall semesters, professors and students head to Los Peñasquitos Ranch House to engage in fieldwork. “It gets you out of the classroom, out into the field, you’re actually doing the real archeological work,” Thompson said. The archaeological digs provide students with handson experience for their future careers while also working to share the word about Palomar college and the Archaeology program. “That’s part of our service to the community,” Eighmey said, “we like to be ambassadors for archaeology and ambassadors for Palomar College.” AACOSTA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Palomar Police move across campus next to parking garage SUMMER AGUIRRE STAFF WRITER
The new Palomar College Police Department building is up and running as of Nov. 5. The new station is located on the western side of the San Marcos campus, directly adjacent to the parking structure and between the Learning Resource Center and parking lot #12. Students will find a stateof-the-art operation to further ensure campus safety. Brand new equipment and services, the hiring of new
employees, and a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security are in place. The funding for the construction of the Palomar College Police Department building was made possible in 2006 when the Palomar College Governing Board requested bond measures to finance the maintenance and improvement of the San Marcos campus. According to Palomar College Chief of Police, Chris Moore, the new station cost the school over $5 million and was included in the construction plans of
the adjacent parking structure. “We are grateful to the Board and the college for putting a premium on public safety,” said Chief Moore. The construction of a new and improved site was an action taken to further increase safety on not only the San Marcos campus, but Palomar’s satellite campuses as well. “We’re always trying to enhance the presence of cameras,” Chief Moore said about future security measures. He said that the PCPD has been communicating with Palomar Col-
lege’s Associated Student Government about increasing the level of security through the installment of more cameras. In addition, an automated notification system is being enhanced to quickly inform the school in case of an emergency. The setting alone grants the police greater connectivity to the entire campus and a quicker response to the center of the main site and all of the major buildings, such as the Learning Resource Center, Student Union, and parking structure.
The Palomar Police Department on Dec. 5 located next to lot 12 and the parking garage. Bethany Nash/ The Telescope.
The station’s former placement did not enable such interconnections, being isolated at the southernmost major entrance to the college next to the visitor and staff lot. The new building is twice as large and features innovative technology to more effectively monitor security across the four campuses. One hallmark is the Emergency Operations Center, which is two-thirds larger than the room that served as the center at the old site. In the occurrence of an emergency, Chief Moore said it will function as an information center for the college and North County public safety if necessary Chief Moore explained in a video tour posted on the PCPD’s Facebook page that the center “has the ability to house the National Incident Management System,” a Department of Homeland Security national approach to managing incidences. Palomar College’s former Chief of Police who stepped down in 2017, Mark DiMaggio, was greatly involved in the design process of the center. Chief Moore said DiMaggio stressed expansion as the school continues to grow, and the importance of providing a workplace that would allow the department to efficiently plan and work as a team. “It’s a real legacy piece... he helped design and [planned] how things would flow,” Chief Moore said about DiMaggio’s hand
in the modeling. Dispatch is also experiencing a significant upgrade. They are leaving behind a small room with two dispatch stations and an outdated radio system, and going to a space double the size with four dispatch stations and a modern radio system. Along with this development, the PCPD is looking to add two full-time dispatchers to the team to ease the workload of the current staff. A few other additions include an interview room dedicated for conducting confidential discussions, a designated parking lot for the police, a more comfortable workspace for lobby employees, and a space for student workers to get live scans completed; an inkless fingerprinting process required prior to employment. While the new station has been operating for a month, the department will not be fully transferred until the end of the 2018 Fall semester. The official grand opening to the public is projected for the beginning of the 2019 Spring semester. For a video tour of the new police station, visit the Palomar College Police Department page on Facebook @PCPDBlue. SAGUIRRE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
6 • OPINION
December 10, 2018
College campuses sweeping sexual assault under the rug
The Telescope Focused On Palomar Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 Vol. 72, No. 4 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.
LINUS SMITH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BETHANY NASH
MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR
JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ MONICA NAVARRETE
OPINION EDITORS
SKYLAR MILLER VICTORIA PRICE
ARTS & CULTURE EDITORS KRISTA MOORE
SPORTS EDITOR
GEHRIG ROSEN SAMANTHA COX
BLOG EDITORS
ANA ACOSTA
SUPPORT EDITOR
SAVHANNA VARGAS TAYLOR HARDEY
PHOTO EDITORS ERIN HIRO
ADVISOR
MAURICE THOMAS
DESIGN MANAGER
STAFF WRITERS
SUMMER AGUIRRE, ANGILI BEHARRY, BRIAN BELTRAN, CHEYENNE CYR, RYAN DAVIS, ALEX GARCIA, PUCHIE GRUPEE, PAT HARTLEY, GERALD LIGERALDE, NATHAN NAVIDA, JOSEPH RENTERIA, ASHLEY ROMERO, JEREMIAH TATOLA, ERIC CANTU, RHEA MARSALIN, LUCIO ALBERGO DI PACE
PHOTOGRAPHERS
AUBREE WIEDMAIER, KIMBERLY BARBER
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Women listen to a speaker while gathered in front of the administration building following a march on Friday January 26, 2018 on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing while speaking out against sexual assault following the Larry Nassar case. (Ryan Garza/Detroit Free Press/TNS)
PATRICK HARTLEY STAFF WRITER
In light of sexual assault scandals from universities across the country, students and survivors are forced to take on new measures in securing their safety on college campuses. Sixteen percent of college women are sexually assaulted according to recent studies from Princeton and seven other universities. Those numbers may even be higher on some campuses because studies show 88 percent of women don’t report. The Hunting Grounds is a documentary on Netflix that came out in 2015 that addressed sexual assaults on campuses in the U.S. and the failure of college administrators to deal with it adequately.
Now with the #MeToo movement that sparked an international outrage against sexual harassment and sexual assault, there is more dialogue about topics that many campus administrations would rather silence The story follows two women, Annie Clark and Andrea Pino on their journey to find justice in a system that seems more focused on protecting sexual predators then victims. Colleges are business, public relations and branding is how they raise funds from donors. Reports of sexual assaults might have an effect on donations to a college, or deter students from enrolling. College’s are also required to report all incidents through the Clery Act or risk losing Federal student
aid. Between 2000 and 2016 Michigan State University sports physician Larry Nassar sexually assaulted 156 women under the guise of medical treatment. Fourteen MSU representatives chose to ignore his abuse, even lying to police. MSU agreed to pay $500 million to the victims of Nassar. Administrators must walk a fine line between protecting the public and protecting the accused from false allegations. Colleges not only want to avoid lawsuits from the victims but also lawsuits from the perpetrator. According to a businessinsider.com report, lawyers for Yale University weigh the cost benefit analysis of expulsions of accused perpetrators to Yale’s bottom line in re-
gards to profit. So rather than getting the accused rapist arrested or issuing an expulsion, they are reprimanded, or suspended and then let back on campus shortly after. At UC Berkeley, of 78 sexual assault cases only three resulted in expulsion. At University of North Carolina, where much of The Hunting Grounds was filmed, out of 136 sexual assaults only three were expelled. Palomar regularly tests their “Be on the Lookout” (BOLO) phone messaging system. Whether Palomar College notifies the community about incidents depends on the specific crime and whether there is an imminent danger. All incidents are part of public record and found on the Palomar Col-
lege website’s crime log. The documentary talks about how colleges discourage victims from filing police reports and are reluctant to believe them, and even lecture or blame students for being sexually assaulted. Many women in the film express how being belittled and treated poorly by authorities is more traumatic than the actual assault. Clark and Pino eventually appealed to the Department of Education to have them file a Title 9 lawsuit alleging the college failed to uphold their right to an equal education and by not disclosing the risks on campus contributed to a hostile environment. As of 2016 over 100 Title 9 cases have been filed at colleges across the country. Until activism and lawsuits expose the lack of moral high ground on campuses the sexual assaults will continue. Palomar does have many resources listed on their website including sexual assault prevention, safety escorts, self defense classes and 16 different hotlines for help. We as students must come to grip with a new sad reality: it’s becoming a students responsibility to be pro-active in learning how to protect themselves. College campuses are not always able, and in the case of Michigan State University, not always willing to protect students. For more info on the movement started to stop sexual assault go to Seeactstop.org PHARTLEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
College outpaces time for a true romance; Love or Lust? ERIC CANTU STAFF WRITER
The changing of generations and the standards of love. “The young habitually mistake lust for love, they’re infested with idealism of all kinds” stated by the Canadian poet Margaret Atwood. Too often is it that you here and see the young saying they’re in love but not really take the true steps to show love and let it grow. For college students this is something that has grown to be all too casual. Most college students have an abundance of testosterone and estrogen, the hormones that aid in this quick moving romance, only lends itself to a high sex drive. From the time that Atwood created that state-
ment, much has changed when in her era they developed and grew relationships where as now our generation searches for quick lust connections. Dating truly seems to be at an end in my generation and it’s not because they’re too busy partying it’s mostly because they don’t know how. We know that dating is a way that humans assess the compatibilities of a prospective partner and students either too selfcentered to truly take that time to learn about a potential partner or they are straight out fearful of rejection. On top of students lacking communication skills to even get a date they now have an even bigger distraction, electronic devices. As compared to past generations our current
students are different because they are able to look on a screen of phone and pick and choose who they want which leaves them with the inability to create a good conversation and establish a good connection. Sites such as Tinder, Grindr, and Bumble allow easy access for almost any college student to meet and disconnect quickly without establishing a relationship, mostly those that are unwilling to go out in the real world and establish a good connection with another or those that just don’t have the time. Students can be busier in a community college, due to the fact that some need to also work so they can pay rent. I have a full time job as well as being enrolled full time at Palomar, so I see that students are becom-
ing more ambitious and less willing to be involved in committed relationships by choice because success in life and a career is more important than a college romance. Interaction between students who have longterm relationships in mind is something that isn’t a problem because from the perspective of a student, Yoana Lozano, who has been in a 3 year relationship while in college and stated,” You need to have similar end goals if you really want it to work.” Unlike Yoana Lozano, Arenia Robinson she had experienced a failed relationship. “Dating in college means that each person needs to be on the same page just so that it’s possible for things to work out.” she stated. In this current genera-
tion of students more and more are unwilling to partake in committed relationships. Some students now are less willing to stay committed to a single person for a long time. Young mindsets have evolved to moving on in a quicker pace, thinking that if they give themselves time to “see what’s out there” they will eventually “find the one.” However, this leaves them with a dirty image that portrays them as jumping from person to person. Things are getting rough for these young adults. ECANTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
OPINION • 7
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Nancy Pelosi is the Voice of the Progressive Voter RHEA MURSALIN STAFF WRITER
Nancy Pelosi portrait for then Speaker of the House 2012. Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
Owing it to her family’s experience in the political world, it is safe to assume that the drive for politics is in Pelosi’s blood. From 2007 to 2011, Nancy Pelosi served as the Speaker of the House. During this time, Pelosi led several delegation trips with Congress to places such as the Middle East, in order to meet with presidents and other authoritative figureheads. Pelosi has been continuously campaigning and openly speaking of the fact that she wishes to reclaim the role of Speaker in 2019. There is no doubt that she has experience and skill, seeing that she has been voted for the job before and did an impeccable job at it. But some Americans feel that because she has played a role before, the job should go to a young, new face. In November, Pelosi began making promises to the Progressive House Leaders that if they were to support her campaign and endorse her altogether, she would give them more seats and more influence over big legislation in Congress.
For the reason of more power, the Progressive people began supporting Pelosi during the election. Moreover, the Progressive voters went far as to give public statements threatening those who opposed Nancy Pelosi. From what was
Pelosi is currently fighting for better healthcare, more pay for the middle class, better roads, infrastructure and housing. • Rhea Mursalin
researched, it was found that the Progressive people, as of right now, are backing Pelosi and her efforts to regain the position as Speaker of the House. Those Progressives and Democrats who are seen to be rejecting her probably stem from the fact that other candidates are attacking her. In addition, some might not
want to support Pelosi for the mere fact that she is a woman. When the television is turned on, there are many details about Pelosi’s life plastered in ads created by others in the race and they don’t paint her in the most delightful picture. There are many reasons why people would be against Nancy Pelosi and many reasons why they would be for her. When it comes to choosing an individual to represent the best interests of other people in a country, city, town, or community, there will always be controversy. There are always two sides and opinions to everything as everyone has the capability of possessing their own belief system. As of now, a majority of the Progressives are supporting Nancy Pelosi and a grand amount of Democrats are against her. Pelosi is currently fighting for better healthcare, more pay for the middle class, better roads, infrastructure, and housing. In addition, Pelosi is committed to advocating and supporting the Progressive people. For that reason solely, more Progressives should consider supporting her. RMURSALIN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Spider-Man is the greatest superhero of all time LESLI KADDIN RATTO JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ STAFF
Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is by far the most relatable and the most unique character of our teenage years. That puts him as the best character of the Marvel Universe. Unlike many of the other superheroes, Spider-Man (Peter Parker) was a regular teenager in high school when he suddenly got bit by a radioactive spider, that gave him super powers. Spider-Man was created by writer-editor Stan Lee & writer-artist Steve Ditko. It is evident through their work their goal was to reach young hearts and they did. He first appeared on the comic called “Amazing Fantasy #15” which featured him swinging with a distressed citizen. This cover of Spider-Man is used countless times for other characters such as deadpool,proving that he is a role model to follow in the comic world. The character became an orphan after his parents died in a plane crash and he went to live with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. This shows that even heroes go through
real life issues. Peter loved his uncle and aunt more than anything. His uncle was then killed when a burglar was robbing their house. With this event affecting Peter, he then took up the mantle as the Spider-Man and began to fight crime. This was the start of his newfound transformation into becoming “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man”, who fights crime, villains and brings justice for the innocent. He could have stopped the burglar who killed his uncle because he later learns it was the same person whom he let go earlier. Peter Parker well known as Spider-Man can be very relatable to younger generations and their day to day struggles. He struggles with financial issues, he is lonely at times, has girl problems, and soon graduates high school and enters college. Peter Parker then attains spider-like qualities such as genius-level intellect, superhuman strength, speed, durability, and agility. He has the ability to cling to most surfaces, precognitive spider-sense, his wrist as web-shooters, wall-crawling, durability, reflexes, stamina and
healing. His spider-sense can warn him of dangers, such as sudden assaults and prevent him from tripping over anything in complete darkness. Even Stan Lee’s favorite superhero was Spider-Man, based off the Parade.com
interview with Stan Lee in which he said, “The Marvel comic book legend has created hundreds of characters, but one stands above the rest: Spider-Man.” “He’s the best-loved all over the world, and that makes me very happy,” said Lee. Spider-man is
recognizable by his costume. His classic suit, by Steve Ditko, inspires many young adult’s and children’s costumes. Spider-Man even has a black version that makes him super badass. His villains equate to the awesomeness of Batman such as the Green
Goblin and the Rhino. Above all, Spider-Man is the leading superhero of all time. Through his struggles as a teenager he proves to be relatable to the average teenager and reigns as a hero when he fights crime. LRATTO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Spider-Man kneeling on a ledge while having hand forward and the other back . Courtesy of Wikimedia commons
8 • ARTS & CULTURE
Yungblud performing at Rock am Ring in Germany in 2018. Courtesy of rawpic / Wikimedia Commons.
December 10, 2018
The Aces performing at The Grove in Los Angeles on May 25, 2018. Courtesy of Justin Higuchi / Flickr.
Lovelytheband performing at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood on Sept. 27, 2018. Victoria Price / The Telescope
Music recap: Three albums you might have missed this year ALTERNATIVE NOTES
VICTORIA PRICE STAFF EDITOR
As we near the end of the year, we get closer to award season, which means the usual roundup of all of the standout music that was released throughout 2018. However, in the midst of the usual crazy, hyped up releases, we see a few that end up slipping through the cracks. Yungblud: “21st Century Liability” Yungblud, the stage name of British rocker Dominic Harrison, is fairly new to the scene, only being active since
2017. He released his debut studio album on July 6, fusing genres of punk, rap, rock, and even elements of reggae. Unlike many artists this day and age, Harrison’s music is rooted in activism, calling for reforms in areas like gun control and sexual harassment, creating anthem-like protest songs. The album was released to mixed reviews from critics but is a really stand-out album. It’s a fresh take on issues that plague our society today, and blends different genres together to create a unique sound. Check out: “I Love You, Will You Marry Me?” or “Machine Gun (F**k the NRA)”
The Aces: “When My Heart They released their debut Felt Volcanic” album on April 6 under Red Bull Records. Mainstream music is While their style and conflooded with female artists- cept is nothing unheard of, it’s and you can hear their voices uncommon to see a totally feall over the airwaves. In alter- male run band, and not in the native scenes, we see a lack of “girl group” style, like the Spice female fronted acts, and you Girls and the Pussycat Dolls. can probably name them all Their music is fun, upon one hand, at least for who beat, and truly a summer turned out successful. soundtrack to pull back out In most of those bands, when the weather gets warmthere’s one female in a group er. of four or five- but what about Check out: “Stuck” or “Bad four girls in one indie pop Love” band? The Aces formed in 2016 Lovelytheband: Finding It in Provo, Utah, consisting of Hard to Smile vocalist and guitarist Cristal Ramirez, guitarist Katie If you were anywhere Henderson, bassist McKenna near the radio these past few Petty, and drummer Elisa months you probably heard Ramirez. these guys on the radio.
The lead single “Broken” peaked at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Song Charts in April, and they released their debut album a few months later on August 3. Even though “Broken” was a massive success, their album released went quietly under the radar. The band consists of vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald, and drummer Sam Price, hailing from sunny Los Angeles, forming in 2016 after Collins departed from his former group, Oh Honey. Lovelytheband falls under the indie alternative category, making their sound not uncommon but still easy to listen to and enjoy. They feature a lot of com-
mon themes and attitudes surrounding the genre and the scene itself, commenting on the culture surrounding mental health, money, and even Coachella. They are definitely worth your listen, and if you liked hearing “Broken” on the radio, you’ll enjoy the rest of the album. Check out: “These Are My Friends” or “Coachella” With the constant outpour of releases in the music world, it’s easy to lose a few along the way. These three albums seemed to get lost from mainstream media throughout the year, and they are definitely worthy of your time. VPRICE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Hawthorne and Shiver in the film. Courtesy of Laurie Sparham.
Disney’s take on “The Nutcracker” is here for the holidays MOVIE REVIEW
LESLI RATTO STAFF WRITER
As a special gift given by her mother before she passed away, Clara must obtain a key to open the box. Her godfather gifts her the key, and just as she is about to grab the key, a mouse takes it instead, and this is where her journey begins.
Alongside the Nutcracker, they embark into the fourth realm. The movie does not entirely follow the original Nutcracker. It starts with Clara and her brother setting a trap to catch a mouse in their attic. The children’s mother has passed away, and their father is left to take care of his three children. For Christmas, Clara receives a very decorative egg-shaped gift, which she needs a key to unlock. Clara’s godfather hosts a
Christmas party, in which each child is presented with their gift. Their gifts are obtained by following a string that contains their name, which leads Clara to the land of four realms. Upon entering the fourth realm through the Christmas tree, Clara Silberhaus learns she is princess and her mother was a queen, and she meets the Nutcracker. Mice do not fill the room nor does the Christmas tree grow to an enormous height.
In the movie, she does go through a Christmas tree to get to the other realm. The battle between an army of gingerbread men and mice lead by the mouse king does not occur in the movie, a battle occurs though it is sugar plum who is trying to take over the kingdom, by making tin soldiers life-size. The nutcracker in the movie is not transformed into a prince as in the original, though he becomes friends with the mouse. In the original a final
waltz is performed, but in the movie she returns to her world, and Clara and her father have a father-daughter dance to music from a music box, which is the gift her mother gave her, and her sister and brother join the both to dance. The movie takes a child into a different world, it holds that “Disney” touch, in animation. When “The Nutcracker” comes to mind, I picture ballet dancers coming together to perform a fantastic production.
The movie lacked much of ballet dancing, some scenes where incorporated but not what “The Nutcracker” is known for. In the original Nutcracker, godfather brings the children four life-like dolls who can dance, in the movie no lifesize dolls are brought to the children, and it would have been an amazing opportunity for a choreographed ballet scene in which the dolls come to life. LRATTO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
ARTS & CULTURE • 9
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Bend it like Burr PATRICK HARTLEY STAFF WRITER
After a performance at Palomar college’s concert hour, Palomar’s Music and Jazz students were treated by Ellen Burr to a rare master class on extended flute techniques, and improvisation on and off the stage. Burr is not only a Master Flutist, teacher, conductor and author, she is a featured performer at numerous Los Angeles music festivals and concert series. She is also a member The West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio. Burr gave down to earth tips on how to add color to your music and your life. Burr was creative both in her instruction and on her creative process. She was somehow able to make the tedious process of learning the techniques and the structure of musical composition fun. “Sometimes I make mistakes. But rather then going Oh! That’s not what I wanted! I go, Oh! That’s not what I wanted! Ha-ha, Lets see where that takes me!” Burr said. Along with sharing ways to play incredibly intricate improvisational sounds and notes she also suggested strik-
ing a balance between finding your voice and supporting yourself. “Improvising, isn’t that part of socializing yourself? And part of being in the world is, how much do you say your own thing? And how much do you not?” Burr said. A handout from Burr detailed some of the terms, techniques and notation for some of the sounds such as tongue stops, key clicks, Trills and Multi-phonics. “Any kind of sound you can make with your mouth, you can put a flute on the end of it,” joked Burr. The master flutist was able to conjure up an amazing vocabulary of sounds from the different flutes. One student asked for advice on composing sounds for a musical arrangement about coral reefs. Burr playfully described how to mimic different animals. “Maybe you want some seagulls?” said Burr as she created the high pitched whale calls from the depths mixed with bird noises and breathy clicks and groans. “I like scaring children’” Burr joked as the class chuckled at the strange variety of sound effects from one instrument. But all joking aside Burr discussed how only by a thorough knowledge and practice
Ellen Burr teaching the students that attened the master class how to make different animal sounds. Patrick Hartley / The Telescope
of the foundational elements of a song could she venture out into variations and interpretations of the notation of a song. Burr also stressed the value of experimenting and going off script after you complete a lesson. “I love it when I make mistakes while giving a class. Because that’s the thing about improvising.” Burr described practicing a section of a song in different keys, bending notes or even playing only the high notes of a scale.
“I would go all the way up and get that into my ear and my fingers. Then when I am on stage, then I just let myself... go ... and I trust that from what I practiced something will stick” said Burr. Burr explained how mastering unusual scales like the pentatonic or chromatic gave more variety to her musical palette. Her explanation also relates to the open ended nature of improvisation. “If we play major scales, we are so conditioned to how
it resolves, but with whole tones wherever I land will be home,“ Burr said. To read and write the symbols for such strange sounds such as whale calls or jet whistles can be difficult. Palomar Music Professor and Composer Madelyn Byrne urged creative methods on how to write the correct pitch and timbre. “Don’t let not knowing how to notate hamper your imagination,” said Byrne.” For monster sounds or different timbres, just make
up a description in text or a funky drawing. We can look it up after the fact,” said Byrne. Burr’s lessons of hard work and having a sense of humor have helped her find her voice. In some ways music is like life; when you let go, you find harmony. “Our world makes you think too much, but you got to practice thinking, then you separate, and just let yourself trust that you are enough” Burr said. PHARTLEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Pottery on display at the Palomar College student art sale. May 3, 2018. Trina McLeary / The Telescope
Art department holds semi-annual student art sale NATHAN NAVIDA STAFF WRITER
Palomar’s semi annual art sale returned from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. The variety of crafts from former and current Palomar students offered gift ideas for the upcoming holidays. 75 percent of the proceeds made off the art go directly to the artist and 25 percent of it will go towards supporting the art department which includes scholarships, visiting artists, exhi-
bitions, and new equipment. However, there’s more to the art sale than just the money for the students. “This is really our way for students to be able to take some of the stuff that they do in classes and outside of classes to be able to sell to the public so they get a semi-professional type of experience,” says art director, Michael Hernandez. The artists real world experiences such as this art sale are critical for success outside of Palomar where it gives them
an idea of how they should present their works. In addition to selling art, students will be exposed to interactions that a similar profession would have to face. “So they not only deal with putting their work out, but they also help to organize the sale and get experience with selling things and what it is to set your work up in this environment,” Hernandez said.“ It’s really just a great way to be able to engage with the community of Palomar College and the
San Marcos community.” For the artists themselves, the art sale gives them an opportunity to show people who they really are, how they see the world, and what art truly means to them. “I hope people take away the delicacy of my craft and the work that’s put in. I feel like with these pieces and the art sale, some people don’t understand the actual work, the glazing, the handwork, and everything that was put in with these [art-
ists] that have been doing this for 30 years plus,” says ceramic student and graphic design major, Javier De La Cruz. Even though Javier is majoring in graphic design he is still able to learn a lot from different artists and their works. “I want to learn everything that there is to know about art. I feel like I can learn a lot from these people,” De La Cruz said. With the holidays just around the corner, the art sale is a great opportunity
for people to get some great gifts. There’s an amazing variety of glass, ceramic, jewelry, and wood crafts that all people can enjoy especially for the holidays. Palomar does a great job of allowing students to not only gain some real world experience but also the ability to express themselves to the community. Check out the full video to the Holiday Art Sale on The Telescope’s website. NNAVIDA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
10 • ARTS & CULTURE
December10, 2018
The new open world order of gaming Cowboy riding into the sunset in video game Red Dead Redemption 2. Photo Curtosy of Bagogames.
JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ STAFF EDITOR
The biggest trend in video games are Battle Royale and open world games doing whatever the fuck they want. This is just the beginning of a malicious business tactic threatening a wonderful experience for gamers. With technology advancing towards a better tomorrow, shows how much we have accomplished in terms of
graphics. As a stark comparison of old to new games such as the gameplay mechanics. Skyrim paved the way for open world gameplay, beautiful graphics, characters and the storyline is phenomenal. It puts open world games at such a high regard that any developer that wants to do an open world game has to tip their hat toward Skyrim. Another trend in the videogame world of battle royale is “Fortnite” and “Player Unknown: Battle Ground”
(PUBG). This trend has garnered enough attention that big video game titles have followed the trend, such as “Call of Duty” and “Battlefield”. The reason for the sudden trend is quite simple, most of the players want a massive online experience with hints of an open world gameplay. Epic Games, a well known developer, offered this unique game mode to gamers and the reaction was phenomenal. Now almost
every video game title has some sort of a battle royale mode. But what is good for the player leaves a stench of greed. With many incredible ideas and the well done graphics to accompany, the publishers of major video game titles will want to gouge on the player with the unforgiving “microstransactions”. Microtransactions is the implementation of a charge to access certain features of the game, such as a certain
map, or a certain character, special weapons, better vehicles etc., all for a certain price. This just hurts the player and the consumer, further hurting their pockets and the experience. Take for instance the scandal of a certain publisher named EA that tried to take advantage of the players through the new “Star Wars: Battlefront” game. The publisher, EA, craved for more money from the player to the point that all playable con-
tent was a pay to win scheme. The outrage by the players gave enough commotion that the publisher was threatened by the House of Representatives as well as the mega-corporation Disney, in which threatened to pull all its investments from the publisher. This made EA worry of course, and reversed its anti consumer behavior. JENRIQUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Calling all coffee addicts BLOG SPOT
SAMANTHA COX STAFF EDITOR
Mostra Coffee opened this Summer at the South Education Center in Rancho Bernardo. Being a small, aesthetically pleasing cart on the first floor, students are drawn to it - not only because they are sleep deprived. Mostra Coffee is a San Diego based micro-roasting company that serves fair-trade coffee. Their mission is to provide specialty coffee to the North County area outside of large corporate chains. With a ‘English Industrial’ design and an eclectic menu, customers are drawn to their cafe’s. Their menu consists of both unique and traditional coffee-based drinks such as pour-overs and a series of cold brews exclusive to Mostra Coffee. “Mostra Coffee was made for our community, by our community. A coffee haven of sorts that welcomes not only coffee lovers of different tastes, but also beer, bourbon and food connoisseurs alike,” said Mostra’s co-owner, Mike Arquines. Mostra Coffee brings a sense of Armin Salinas works at the new Mostra Coffee shop that opened on the Rancho Bernardo campus, Nov. 8. Taylor Hardey / The Telescope
community to its customers. Their mission is to create a place where local businesses and consumers can come together in one place to connect with one another. Founded by Beverly Magtanong, Jelynn Sophia Malone, Mike Arquines, Sam Magtanong, and RJ Ocubillo in 2013, this small coffee cart has grown into something amazing. It is now finding its way to college campuses to provide students with enjoyable coffee that they cannot find anywhere else. Large corporate chains simply do not have the time to make sure each individual batch of beans are roasted to perfection, let alone being sustainable. Mostra’s beans are hand picked, and are closely watched to ensure they meet standard. Mostra’s Manifesto “from seed to cup, we are committed to providing the very best.” Small batched, slowly roasted coffee is what makes Mostra Coffee beverages stand out from their competitors, such as Starbucks. It is an absolute must to pick up a beverage from Mostra while you’re on campus. SCOX@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
The Telescope publishes on its website blogs that cover a variety of sections the are not included in the print edition, to see more articles like this visit our website at www.the-telescope.com and search under the “blogs” tab.
SPORTS • 11
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Stop fighting! the children are watching SAMANTHA COX STAFF EDITOR
SPORTS OPINION Humans have an instinct for violence, and when combined with the competitiveness of sports, a non-contact sport can turn into a physical battle. No one talks about the effect violence has on common people. It has been proven again and again that violence in television shows, video games, and movies results in violent children. Yet no one talks about the violence in sports being potentially dangerous to everyday minds. When a fight occurs during a game, it often results in verbal abuse from other players, or coaches who condone the behavior. This is like fighting fire with fire, it only creates more violence. The media reports on violence more than the games themselves, because it entices viewers. Violence between players, fans, and coaches thrives in the social media world. We see videos of verbal and physical violence occur during games constantly. It has become the norm, as a sports fanatic, to abuse fans of your opposing side. While unruly conduct during a game, can result in being penalized, or even disqualified, this does not stop it from occurring.
Fighting in sports has become extremely common in both contact and non-contact sports, especially today. When off the field, hazing occurs to initiate new team members. Hazing can cause mental discomfort in team members, thus, they turn to the field to release aggression towards one another. During a match in the 2015–16 Greek Football Cup, midfielder Robert Mak was taken down in the penalty area with no call on the play late in the second half. Crowds in the stands were outraged
and flares were thrown onto the field. Players and officials were escorted off the field by security and riot police. This is just one example violence during a game resulting in the endangerment of fans watching the game. When fans see their favorite team fighting on the field, they think that it is acceptable to do in everyday life. During games, hardcore fans trash talk, and sometimes even physically injure one another. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is one of the most famous rivalries in sports his-
tory. With rivalries, come excitement from fans. The stress of taking a game becomes so intense, it causes physical fights against one another. Aodan Doyle, a writer for NBC Sports states “So far, the two rivals have battled each other nine times in 2018, games that have been defined mainly by blowouts and a brawl.” Baseball is not a contact sport, however its become one due to these rivalries. Fighting in hockey has become tradition for the sport. Fans attend the games pri-
marily to see the fights. Physical play in hockey is allowed to an extent, for example checking and elbowing is not prohibited in the sport and merely causes a small penalty. Despite negative consequences, extreme violence continues to occur. US sports fans have been known to riot after a win. Fans love of their favorite sports team is intense. Alcohol is often consumed during games as well, which only makes things worse especially in a crowd. Jason Lanter, psychology
professor at Kutztown University says, “People do things in crowds they would not do alone. People make poor decisions in crowds.” In crowds, people are more likely to be involved in violent acts, such as starting fires or hurting others. There is peer pressure to an extent during games, especially playoffs. When someone in a crowd sees someone starting a fire, they will be more than happy to throw in gas to ignite the flame. People feel a sense of belonging when they’re part of a fan base. They feel as if the team is something they are in control of. When they see people they look up to fighting each other over a game, they think thats okay to do to each other. Fighting in non-contact sports doesn’t make sense. It takes away from the game itself. Not only does violence have a negative effect on the team as a whole, but it also creates a violent fanbase. Fighting needs to be covered in the media in a way that is not exciting to readers. Players should be punished in a way that prevents them from playing games in the future if they initiate fights among others, no matter how good of a player they are. SCOX@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista (19) gets hit by Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor (12) after Bautista slid into second in the 8th inning at Globe Life Park on May 15, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS)
A trio of trainers
ERIC CANTU STAFF WRITER
Connor Curry, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt freshman from Evangel Christian High in Shreveport, Louisiana, originally had an offered from Clemson before spending a redshirt season at Division II national power Ouachita Baptist University. Krista Moore/ The Telescope
All-central conference comets KRISTA MOORE STAFF EDITOR
After an up and down football season the Palomar Comets have named nine all- Central Conference players. Four players were voted onto the first team including, utility player Devin Nilson out of Carlsbad High School, inside linebacker Chris Calhoun from Mission Hills High School, punter Jacob Stepanek from
Temescal Canyon High, and Kick returner Lamar Raboteau from Mira Mesa. Palomar had five players voted to the second team, wide receiver Mikel Barkley and quarterback Connor Curry both being division one prospects. Center Anthony Escalante from Rancho Buena Vista also got voted to the offensive second team. Defensively the Comets had Josh Bernard from Oceanside High school, and
cornerback Jay Craft a Kansas State transfer made the second team. The Comets also had a handful of honorable mentions that included defensive tackle Nick So’oto, linebacker Spencer Kaoanga, defensive back Louie Flores, offensive linemen Brayden Lindholm, Francisco Rodriguez, and wide receivers Malachai Russell, and Logan Gamble. KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
They can be found along the sidelines at every Palomar sports game and with 450 student-athletes across 22 sports, the Comet’s athletic trainers are in constant demand. Felica Heise and Dennis Greenhill, and Trevor Van Haute make up the athletic training team that takes care of the largest Athletic programs in the county and 3rd in California. These three trainers come together and build a successful team every day by utilizing the knowledge and experience they each have. Felica has been a trainer with Palomar for 24 years as head athletic trainer. Dennis, originally working to become a history teacher turned his attention towards athletic training because of a class about sports medicine and healing injuries. He went onto SDSU’s athletic training program and went to Mesa college for his internship, and is now in his 12 years with Palomar. Trevor Van Haute, the youngest trainer on staff was a Palomar student him-
“Knowing that an athlete is going to be able to get back up and lead a successful life is what makes the job worth it,” Dennis Greenhill • Trainer
self from 2013-15 and went on to SDSU’s athletic training program. Van Haute wanted to become an athletic trainer after he was a student-athlete and suffered an injury, making him realize helping athletes is something that would mean a great deal to him. He is in his second year as an athletic trainer here at Palomar. “Knowing that an athlete is going to be able to get back up and lead a successful life is what makes the job worth it,” said Palomar athletic trainer Dennis Greenhill. Together they have encountered events that have
required them to apply their emergency medicine skills to bring athletes back with an AED (automated external defibrillator) and to see limbs facing a direction they’re not meant to be facing. All these events have stayed with them throughout their careers and they take it all in and continue to aid our athletes in their time of need. Palomar’s trainers have been successful by way of delegating tasks between each other which allows them to be interchangeable. The career of an athletic trainer is meant for someone who can be prepared to handle anything that can come their way at any moment, they must be able to work as hard as they can and still they must be able to manage post-op rehab, oversee athletes, provide event coverage with emergency medicine. The job done by our trainers is one that challenges them every day, but a job they believe worth it if they are to be aiding in the future of their athletes. ECANTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
12 • SPORTS
December 10, 2018
Devon Modster: Palomar’s hidden star KRISTA MOORE STAFF EDITOR
“Excited for a new chapter!” Devon Modster, former UCLA quarterback, wrote in a Twitter post thanking his former coach and teammates. On Sept. 21 the news of Modsters’ transfer rippled through the college football world. Eight years into his football career, Modster decided it was time for a change after losing the starting quarterback position to teammate Wilton Speight. As a high school recruit he was ranked the 13th best quarterback in California. As a senior in high school Modster had an impressive 14 college offers. Narrowing it down to a handful of schools, Modster committed to University of Arizona. “They were my first offer,” Modster said. But a month before National Signing Day he made the decision to switch his commitment to UCLA. “I liked the way their offense was and they’re a tremendous university I’d love to be a part of,” Modster said in regards to why he decided to ultimately sign with UCLA. Modster fell third in the
UCLA quarterback Devon Modster (18) throws downfield during the Bruins’ spring football game at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
depth chart under first year head coach Chip Kelly. From the five games he appeared in last season, Modster had a 64.4 percent completion rate, 671 yards, and four touchdowns. It was clear to the Bruin fanbase that they had a special player not being utilized. The young quarterback received an outpouring of support after the announcement. Former teammate
Wilton Speight tweeted, All love bro! Can’t wait to watch you succeed. Former UCLA wide receiver Darren Andrews also showed encouragement saying, “ Good luck bro I already know you’ll kill it wherever you end up.” After he made the decision to transfer schools Devon turned to his family for support. With help from his father he landed at Palomar. The quarterback looked to
join the team, but due to eligibility guidelines set in place by the NCAA, Modster is confined by a five year clock. From the time he enrolled at UCLA he had four competitive seasons to play. Unfortunately, playing for the Comets would have taken away from being able to play at a D1 school. For now Modster is taking classes working towards a degree in sociology.
Having to make a decision by mid December on where he wants to play next, Modster has seen interest from a handful of schools. Boise State, where Modster’s older brother Sean is a senior was also on his short list. Modster is looking to be able to walk straight onto the field and start. In his third season the young quarterback won’t have a lot of time to waste if he wants to make a
good impression in the football world. Among the interested schools is San Diego State who could use some help in the quarterback position. Every school and coach are looking for different things. Most football programs are looking for young, fresh faces to invest their time in. For Modster it has been a journey trying to find a school that has a need for an experienced player. Modster mentioned that he had coaches in the past that have suggested he change positions, specifically to the linebacker position, to get more playing time. He has always seen himself as a quarterback. His most recent offer from Montana State validates the fact that Modster is still a young talented athlete who continues to be pursued by top rated football schools. As he continues to train, Modster looks to transfer to a school where his football talents will be best showcased. Palomar is proud to be a stepping stone for Modster as he works toward his goal of becoming an NFL Quarterback. KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Palomar basketball back in action GERALD LIGERALDE STAFF WRITER
Palomar men and women’s basketball is back in action and looking to get into shape for the upcoming 2019 season. Both teams have a lot of fresh faces and raw talent and both teams are hungry for the championship title. The women’s teamis especially hungry, seeking redemption for last year’s state tournament upset. Men’s basketball tied for second in the league last season at 16-14 and played in the state playoffs losing to Long Beach College 74-80. The team has two returning players from last year with a total of 12 freshmen rounding out their roster. When asked how they look to improve from last year Coach John O’Neil said that, “It’s gonna be...trying. Because we have so little experience we have to very very patient with this team.” Many of the former players went on to get scholarships but overall Coach O’Neil is astounded with the current team’s energy and is very pleased with their performance so far. When asked what
they expect from this season Coach O’Neil said he expects the unexpected because of how young and inexperienced the team is. They are going in with no expectations because of how unpredictable the game of basketball is , so working hard and improving each and every day is the least they can do. Returning player, and team captain, Jamario Harris stated that his primary goal is “to become a better leader on and off the court, to win a conference, and make it to the playoffs.” He understands that his team is young but being a leader and sharing his experience with his teammates is essential if they want to make state. Freshman Anthony Routh expressed similar opinions with his captain, stating he also wishes to be more of a vocal leader to his team as well as the glue that holds them together. He expects a lot of close games this season and says the men’s team this season looks very promising with all the young talent. Women’s basketball finished last year 29-2 winning the conference for the fourth consecutive year,
making it to the playoffs and losing to UC Merced by two points. The team has one returning player with five sophomores and ten freshmen rounding out their roster. When asked how they can improve from last year Coach Leigh Marshall said, “We have to be more player led.” Creating mix ups in defensive schemes and plays is something they look to improve upon and having the players take initiative is a good start. When asked what they expect for this season Coach Marshall shared a similar response to Coach O’Neil in that they really don’t know what to expect because their team is so young. They are consistently improving from game to game but it’s really about their chemistry that will drive them forward to win. The primary goal for Coach Marshall is to make it back to the Elite Eight at the state tournament and seek redemption for last year. Other than that,their focus is to be the best they can be as a team moving forward. When asked what she could improve on for this season, returning player,
and MVP of the Mt. San Ysidro tournament Clarissa Taite stated that, “Being a better defender would probably be the most important thing.” One thing she expects is for “our IQ to go up a little bit more, and to be around basketball a little bit more, and hopefully that can lead us to getting into the state championship.” New freshman player Taylor Williams wants to improve on being more aggressive in her play style. When asked what she expects from this season she responded with, “I expect us to grow on and off the court chemistry wise.” Having this chemistry with her teammates and forging that bond is very important when it comes to the overall team synergy. Overall, this season of basketball looks quite promising with both teams having the potential to be extraordinary with all the young talent on both sides. Despite an unpredictable season in store, Coach O’Neil hopes that the teams hard work can translate into a trophy for 2019. GLIGERALDE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Comets player Clarissa Taite #4 Concentrates to make that shoot on the basketball court after a foul. Against Mira Costa. Feb.16.Ramon I Valdivia /The Telescope
Palomar Comet basketball player number 14, LaVale Coleman, running the ball down to the opposite end of the court Feb 2. Emily Whetstone/The Telescope