Vol. 72, No. 10
Monday, May 20, 2019 ARTS & CULTURE
Governing Board hears overnight parking proposal
MODA Fashion Show: lace, catwalk, and tulle, oh my! SEE PAGE 14
Richard Contreras STAFF WRITER
The Associated Student Government of Palomar College (ASG) presented an informative report proposing an overnight parking program to help address student housing insecurity and homelessness at the Governing Board meeting on May 14. ASG Vice President of Shared Governance, Anthony White, authored and presented the report at the meeting. The proposal called for creating a culture that destigmatizes asking for help, creating an office for basic-needs support, and establishing an overnight parking lot so housing-insecure students have somewhere safe to sleep at night. “As a homeless student during my time with MiraCosta, I didn’t know where I could turn to for help,” White said, calling for a centralized office where students can be directed for basic needs support services. The proposed support office would be an all-inone place for basic needs support and associated resource management. Counselors at this building would be able to help students overcome need-based obstacles to their education and refer students to off-campus support through local, state, and federal programs. The ASG reports that there has been increased focus within the state on the basic needs of California Community College students.
SEE OVERNIGHT PARKING PROPOSAL PAGE 4 Telescopenews
Palomar had its annual MODA Fashion Show on May 10. Lot 9 was the placed to be as Fashion students showcased their new bold designs.
FOCUS
How avocados are funding the Cartel. SEE PAGE 13 Palomar comet, Megan Wachholtz, hits the ball against Canyons pitcher, Apr 20. Taylor Hardey/The Telescope
Comets claim conference crown
SEE PAGE 17
Grievance filed over custodial hiring postponed as negotiations with District continue Ana Acosta STAFF EDITOR
The Council of Classified Employees filed step four of the formal grievance regarding the outsourcing of custodial jobs, and the grievance has since been temporarily suspended. In early March, the Council of Classified Employees (CCE) filed step two of the grievance process, which requested more information as to why the District had decided to outsource custodial work. According to Anel Gon-
How does purchasing avocados contribute to the Mexican drug cartels? Our reporter interviews a source with knowledge about what happens in the trade behind curtains
SPORTS
Long time Palomar Comet is laid to rest
zalez, President of the CCE, when the fourth step was filed, the District repeatedly rejected the grievances previously submitted, claiming that CCE missed the deadlines to file. The goal of the grievance was to request that the District hire a sufficient amount of custodians needed to maintain the San Marcos Campus, as well as provide a staffing plan to show that the District is making an effort to resolve the issue.
SEE CUSTODIAL GRIEVANCE PAGE 4
The_Telescope
SEE PAGE 18
President of Council of Classified Employees Union, Anel Gonzalez, continues to call for more custodial staff. Sonny Cavarlez / The Telescope
The Telescope
Tom Saxe served at the Palomar College Athletics Department for over 20 years. On May 2, he passed away in his home. Athletic heads honor him for the good work he throughout his career.
2 • NEWS
May 20, 2019
t BRIEFLY t UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Love on a Leash Su-Quad
Thursday 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Applied Music Honors Recital and Annual Scholarship Awards Howard Brubeck Theatre 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Never Lose the Groove Howard Brubeck Theatre
STUDENTS RECEIVE RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE LEARNING ACHIEVEMENTS SAN MARCOS --Representatives from Palomar College gave out awards and scholarships to students at the Service Learning Academic Showcase on May 7. The program awarded four $100 scholarships to students who were nominated by their professors or the community site with which they were volunteering. All of the recipients volunteered over 100 hours, going above and beyond the required minimum of 12 hours per semester.
This year’s winners were Caitlin Bergen, who volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito, Sharon McNeal who volunteered with the Inland Valley Hospital and Scripps Hospital, Stephanie Sanchez who volunteered with Operation HOPE of North County and Joshua Middleton who volunteered with the deaf community. Service Learning Administrative Coordinator, Angela Kong said this year’s program participation involved 592
students who completed a total of 11,500 volunteer hours with 250 different community partners. According to service learning data collected by Palomar College, one in four students who participate in service learning are offered jobs or internships from their community partner by the end of the semester. To learn more about the Service Learning program, visit www. palomar.edu/servicelearning. — Richard Contreras
ASG PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGED BY GOVERNING BOARD
ASG President Amber Bancroft received a token of appreciation from the Palomar College Governing Board for her service as Student Trustee during the 2018-2019 academic year. Richard Contreras / The Telescope
FOOTBALL SUMMER CAMP Tuesday Summer Classes Begin
Main Campus Office Hours: Monday-Thursday (7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) Friday, (7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.). (760) 744-1150 Ext. 2164
THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1932
Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic
LOVE ON A LEASH RETURNS TO CAMPUS SAN MARCOS --- Palomar’s Student Health Center is bringing back its Love On a Leash event in time for finals week. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Quad. The event seeks to provide support for students when dealing with the stresses that are tied to finals week. Students will have the opportunity to meet emotional support dogs. According to Love on a Leash, the emotional support dogs do not require special training and are meant to provide emotional comfort and companionship to owners and others. In short, when finals week leaves you feeling ruff, the Love on a Leash dogs will be there to fetch back your fighting spirit! — Cheyenne Cyr
MEChA held club elections on May 14. Standing (from left to right): Nancy Morales, Daisy Zavala, Joseph Atemoa, and Junessa Reyes. Kneeling (from left to right): Ana Juarez and Evie Rivera. Photo Courtesy of Nancy Morales.
MECHA ELECTION RESULTS SAN MARCOS --MEChA held club elections to prepare for the upcoming semester on May 14. Students gathered in room MD 317 to vote on candidates running for positions. Here are the results:
Chair Evie Rivera Co-Chair Joseph Atemoa Secretary Juessa Reyes Treaurer Nancy Morales ICC Rep Junessa Reyes
External Rep Julia Perez Political Director Daisy Zavala Sergeant of Arms Ana Juarez MEChA meets every Tuesday at 1 p.m. in MD317. — Ana Acosta
TENTH ANNUAL MEDIA DAYS
SAN MARCOS --Orientation for the summer football class in coming up on Monday June 24 starting at 2 p.m. Players will need to provide cleats, a mouthpiece (optional) and tennis shoes for lifting, but the required shirts and shorts will be provided at 12:30 p.m. on June 25. Players participating must complete an application and have a valid student ID number. Incoming students can go to the Palomar
website to register for the camp. Players must also fill out a physical form to participate in padded contact drills. $20 Physicals will be held at the school on July 30 in the athletic training room. Incoming freshman and first time players must enroll in Kinesiology 204 A that will run from June 26 to August. 5. For a list of full registration details visit www. palomarathletics.com — Krista Moore
HIGH-RATED SUMMER CLASSES SAN MARCOS --- If you’re looking to fulfill some of your core class requirements for IGETC certification this summer, we’ve compiled a list of some of the highest rated professors teaching this summer for English composition, critical thinking and oral communications. the ratings are according to ratemyprofessor. com. The classes are still open as of printing. — Linus Smith
ENGLISH COMPOSITION Classes for English 100
Name:
Rating:
Kimberly Wolfe 4.8/5 Steve Waszak 4.3/5 Sarah Faulkner 4.2/5 CRITICAL THINKING Classes for Philosophy 200
Name:
Rating:
Zachary Seech 4.3/5 William Leslie 4.0/5 ORAL COMMUNICATION Classes for Speech 100
Name:
Rating:
Lisa Wertin Nicholas Thomas Dewi Hokett
4.8/5 4.7/5 4.7/5
ASG ELECTION RESULTS
Top Left: Dr. Denise McKenna Ph.d, Palomar student Derek Matlock, an afficionado of Marvel comics and Professor John McMurria discuss Marvel comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. May 1. Sonny Cavarlez/The Telescope. Bottom Left: Bill Wisneski Producer and Director of documentary “Shattered Dreams” Bill is the Producer of Palomar College T.V. station. Alongside him is assistiant producer Candice Rose. Julie Leyden/The Telescope. Top Right: The Marvel Comics and Film/TV Culture presentation was very popular amongst media students. May 1. Sonny Cavarlez/The Telescope.
SAN MARCOS --79 ballots were cast during the ASG election period. Here are the results: President Linus Smith Student Trustee Eric Cantu VP of Finance John Matson VP of Legislative Affairs BreeAnna Dail Senator Ashley Flores
While open for voting at the time of the election, The ASG was not able to get the necessary District policy changes in place by the deadline to separate the Student Trustee from the ASG President position. As a result, Linus Smith, who won ASG President will duly serve as Student Trustee in place of Eric Cantu. — Courtney Davis
NEWS • 3
the-telescope.com
Palomar’s food and nutrition center undergoes beneficial changes Nicole Villanueva STAFF WRITER
The Nutrition Center at Palomar College recently underwent some muchneeded expansion. Palomar administrators have been assisting the food insecure community on campus since 1983. However, as food insecurity remains a steadily growing issue, the need for help was outweighing the resources available on campus. After receiving a $400,000 donation, The Anita and Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center was renovated from an old faculty lounge into the new nutrition center that opened in the fall of 2018. The new center located at SU-40A, has newly installed refrigerators that provide students with fresh produce, dairy, and perishable options. Recently, the installation of a loading dock made it possible for the center to receive food in larger quantities. The workers at the center now have a functional space to better serve the campus community. Beyond the physical improvements, there were multiple changes to the supplies and food provided by the center. The new, well-rounded food selec-
tion now extends beyond canned items and provides food for a variety of dietary needs. Fresh fruit, potatoes, eggs and ready-made steaks are a few examples of what students can expect in the center. Recipes and meal ideas are printed and provided throughout the center for inspiration. Serena Lee, who helps manage and oversee the daily operations of the nutrition center, recalled a time when a student with celiac disease visited the center. Lee claimed the student mentioned limited options at other food assistance locations. The student regarded that the food provided by the center was able to provide for her specific dietary need. “She was so happy she cried,” Lee said. Another improvement includes the new database that was acquired in January. The center utilizes the same database as The San Diego Food Bank, one of their supporting partners. The new system allows the center to streamline the way the center signs on and assesses individual needs for students. Through signing in on the new database, students are automatically enrolled in over 40 other San Diego food assistance
locations. This helps reduce the hassle of requiring students to sign up multiple times at various center locations. Students are also provided with a take home reusable shopping bag and resources to find additional support off-campus. Lee reported records from the database show that there are now 385 students who visit the center on a regular basis since January. Kevin Cuntreras, a Palomar student, recently signed up for access to the center and said that the center will help him save money. According to Cuntreras, the process to sign up was simple. Cuntreras said he was required to fill out paperwork and review policies such as frequency of visits and limitations for certain items provided. In regards to the food selection provided by the center, Cuntreras said the center had a good variety. “There was everything I would have looked for in a normal grocery store.” Overall, he felt the support that was provided by the center was fair. The center’s end goal is to gather qualifying students to sign up with CalFresh, a program that provides individuals with food
stamps. Twice a month, a representative from CalFresh visits the campus to help make signing up more accessible to students. Recently, a diaper program has been implemented, expanding to cater to parent demographics on campus. Lee said the response to this addition has been a joyous relief to many who feel it’s additional stress removed from their situation. There are efforts to make food support on campus more recognizable. Foodsupplying events have been moved from inside the SEAL room on campus to outside, where students can easily walk up and receive food. “There’s no reason to keep it inside,” Lee said, “let’s keep it as visible as we can. It’s dignified and there’s no shame in needing help.” Students who would like access to food support on campus or would like to know more information, visit the food bank’s site at www2.palomar.edu/pages/ studentaffairs/student-assistance/palomar-collegefood-bank/ or visit The Stan and Anita Maag Center Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or The Student Affairs Office at SU-201. NVILLANUEVA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Top: With a variety of palates, Palomar College boasts the Anita and Stan Maag Food & Nutrition Center located in the Student Union building at SU-40A. Anna Gabriele/The Telescope. Bottom: The food bank at Palomar College is located in the Anita and Stan Maag Food and Nutrition Center, March 5. The food bank is a resource for those in need of food and other products. Taylor Hardey/The Telescope.
Parking permits going digital, prices increase for students
Campus parking permits officially have been switched to digital. The original price of $40 for a permit raised to $46 due to extra costs to fund the new program. Elvin Diego/The Telescope.
Jonathan Sarabia STAFF WRITER
Costs for parking permits have increased by $6 due to a recent switch to a digital parking permit database. The fee change will be implemented in the upcoming Fall semester. According to Chief of
Police Chris Moore, the permit costs have not been raised for over 12 years until this year when the PCPD implemented a new system that utilizes digital parking permits. With the partnership of Credential Solutions and ParkMobile, students will be able to purchase their parking permit on-
line at any time. “Going virtual will help students in getting access to a parking permit more easily without the need of waiting long lines or two weeks for mail delivery,” Roberto Huerta, a Palomar student said. ParkMobile is an app that will be accessible to students through the My Palomar App. “Dr. [Joi Lin] Blake saw the lines in the Cashier’s Office and challenged me to find a solution,” Moore recalled. Students who do not purchase their permit ahead of time must wait in line on their first day of school. “Because of the wait, I was late to my class on my first day even though I had gone early,” Melissa Mondragón, a student said. Originally, students paid $40 for a physical parking permit and students who received the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) Waiver paid $20. Although these students will still be eligi-
ble to a discounted price, the new permit fees will raise to $46 and $26 for students with CCPG waivers. According to Anna Maria Petrov, a Palomar student, virtual permits would save time and decrease stress. “It’s like an eye for an eye,” Petrov said. “You know, virtual comfort for a higher price.” Moore added that the increase was due to thirdparty fees, additional parking structure maintenance that was not previously budgeted, and hiring more staff. As of June 3, both the San Marcos and Escondido Campuses will continue to have daily ticket meters on certain lots. However, the Rancho Bernardo and Fallbrook campuses will not. “It’s helpful for people who don’t take the same car every day, they forget their physical permit ticket so they get a ticket,” Moore said. According to Moore, students forget their
physical permits every day. This new system works to eliminate the need of having to display a physical permit. Students will have the ability to have five license plates registered to their permit. Moore stated that two police cars will have license plate readers that will be used for enforcement on all four campuses. According to Huerta, the price increase is a disadvantage, but it is still manageable. “If we compare schools,” Huerta said, “I think that the price increase is still reasonable for the students.” Cal State San Marcos is nearly three miles away and parking costs are higher. After the parking structure was implemented in 2003, the cost increased greatly for students. In 2009 the cost was $293 and in 2011 it increased to its current price $388 per semester. Palomar student, Karla Gómez, along with other
students showed dissatisfaction with Palomar’s price adjustment. “The price increase is ridiculous because students already have enough to take care of in school and some are barely getting by,” Gómez remarked. Moore believes that parking permit machines were inefficient. “The district saved about $80,000 in not buying those parking permit machines. Almost $2,000 a piece plus annual maintenance,” Moore remarked. The app usage will determine whether or not digital permits will become the only method of purchase for the campus community. Moore said that the police department is waiting to see whether machine usage increases or decreases. “We will realize that people don’t mind that option,” said Moore, “so we’re kind of waiting on consumer feedback.” JSARABIA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
4 • NEWS
May 20, 2019
PCPD officer establishes outreach efforts with ESL community
Gerard Perez speaking to the community members in attendance at the Police Community Outreach event. April 26, 2018. Jennesh Agagas/The Telescope
Officer Gerard Perez speaks to ESL classes to improve campus community relations with students. Perez is pictured here with one of the classes he speaks to. Photo courtesy of Gerard Perez.
Summer Aguirre STAFF WRITER
If you ever walk across Palomar College with Officer Gerard Perez, be prepared for students and staff to greet him, shake his hand, or stop to chat. The Palomar College Police Department places an emphasis on community outreach, and Perez is the face that the campus police has chosen to represent them in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. For the past four years, Perez has been visiting Palomar ESL classes to connect and communicate with students. At a time when many are wary of corrupt law enforcement, the PCPD places importance on establishing
relationships with the campus community. According to Perez, the PCPD’s mission when reaching out to ESL students is broad. He accentuated the importance of transparency so that students can see the campus police as approachable and not as an adversary. “The mission [is] to be open, to have a good relationship, to respect each other in a positive way,” Perez said. “And to let them know that we’re part of the process [of]...international students or ESL students, coming and getting their education.” Perez said the goal repeats itself every semester with each new group of ESL students: to encourage them to continue pursuing an
education and ensure that they’re comfortable on campus. Perez explained that many ESL students are from countries like Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala where much of the interaction with law enforcement is negative. In the United States, Perez claimed that students regard the police with more respect but are still hesitant to approach officers due to previous experiences and immigration laws. He hopes to ease their anxieties by answering “why” questions, such as why the police issue tickets, and making himself available to students. Oliver Dávila, an ESL student from Guatemala
who has been living in the U.S. since Aug. 2016, expressed how it’s good to know that law enforcement can be trusted and work together for the overall safety and improvement of the community. “As an immigrant it’s hard to be far away from home and living in a new country where the laws are different and you can feel afraid and unprotected,” Dávila said. Having met Perez through his class, Dávila said that the officer has changed his perspective about the police. He is no longer worried about his immigration status or afraid to ask for help if he needs it. Palomar College ESL instructor Christina Fatseas said that Perez approached her at the beginning of the Spring 2019 semester and has since visited her class on multiple occasions. Perez has established himself as a friend to the students, not just as their protector. “I would say that my students feel an open door
CUSTODIAL GRIEVANCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“A plan from the District to have the right amount of people that is needed to keep the campus clean and safe for the students,” said Gonzalez. “That’s the only reason that we’re here.” The staffing plan requests that the District determine what level each building on campus, is to figure out how many custodians is sufficient for each building on campus that requires maintenance. Step four of the grievance process is the final step and requests the involvement of a state mediator to resolve the conflict. Gonzalez claimed that when step four was filed, the District refused to meet with CCE members and proceeded to postpone mediations. CCE and the Palomar
Community College District met with state mediators on May 6 to resolve the issues that the grievance addressed. The CCE formed a custodian committee, which Gonzalez said has helped move the situation forward. The committee consists of custodial members that volunteer their time to select candidates for available positions so that the Governing Board can hire them in a timely manner. Carmelino Cruz, the Vice President of CCE, claimed that there is also an issue regarding the retention rates of custodial positions. “We may hire one, we may hire two, but then we’re also losing one,” Cruz said. “So I think that’s part of the conversation also.”
The Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF), CCE’s sister union, has planned to circulate a petition to show solidarity with the classified employees. Their support was announced in a resolution during the PFF’s report at the Governing Board meeting that took place on May 14. Teresa Laughlin, CoPresident of the PFF, explained that the goal for the petition is to show solidarity with the classified employee union. Laughlin claimed that it shows poor planning on behalf of the District when there was no effort to hire for maintenance workers to occupy the newly completed buildings. “They’re our colleagues,” Laughlin said, “they’re as much trying to help students as anybody
on campus. I think that that should be rewarded with a good contract.” During the mediation between the CCE and the district held on May 6, both groups agreed to place the grievance in abeyance. According to Gonzalez, the District agreed to meet a timeline to fill five vacant positions, while also hiring for two outsourced positions. The custodian committee hopes to select job candidates by May 17. The job offers will be approved by the Governing Board at the Board meeting on June 12. If the District complies to the set timeline, new maintenance and custodial workers will be able to start working the day following the Board meeting. AACOSTA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
policy with the police as a department because of Officer Perez,” Fatseas said. Perez, whose parents are from Mexico, feels as if he can relate with ESL students. “[They] have to see that I’m sincere,” Perez said, “They have to know that I’m a real person, not just this persona of being a police officer.” As an outgoing and personable character, Perez’s personality is what deemed him a good candidate for ESL outreach. The PCPD first approached Perez about speaking to ESL classes when the societal climate was fraught with problems. Perez said the department wanted to increase interaction between the campus police and students, as fear was being generated among international pupils by incidents covered by the media. Once he was selected as the liaison, the program commenced. He recalled the first time speaking to an ESL class as unsuccessful.
“To this day, I still feel bad for that class because that class actually got the brunt of how this whole thing started,” he said, “They were the experiment.” Perez says he was prepared with an arsenal of notes from which he explained law enforcement policies and procedures, how many officers the PCPD employs, and other information about the campus police. He didn’t receive much response from students, saying that what he needed to show was “the guy behind the badge.” He took a different approach in the following session. Instead of lecturing students, he connected with the class by describing his upbringing, getting to know them, and having casual conversation. What was supposed to be a 15-minute talk turned into a 40-minute discussion, despite the professor’s attempts to resume the class. “I just had so much fun with it and we were having such a good time talking,” Perez recalled. It was the difference of two classes that launched this adventure for Perez. Although Palomar College attempts to make all students comfortable on campus, one-on-one relationships like those established by Officer Perez are invaluable. Fatseas regarded the effort of the PCPD with respect, saying, “I believe the officers’ actions are exemplary with regards to community outreach.” SAGUIRRE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
OVERNIGHT PARKING PROPOSAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Earlier this year, California Assemblymember Marc Berman proposed Assembly Bill 302 which would require community colleges to establish overnight parking areas for use by enrolled homeless students by July 1, 2020. Palomar College President/Superintendent, Joi Lin Blake said that the District will soon be looking at the financial analysis of moving forward with oncampus housing for students and faculty. While the campus housing initiative is still in its early stages, the ASG advocated for Palomar officials to provide resources for the estimated five percent of housing insecure students currently attending the college. Blake said she is exploring what can be done
in the immediate future to support students who have emergency housing needs. Governing Board Vice President, John Halcón, expressed support for moving forward with the issue of basic needs support. “This is one of those ‘yes’ and ‘now’ situations. We need to step up. We need to be able to say we are doing something to support our students who find it difficult to find a safe and secure place to do simple things like go to the bathroom, take a shower and sleep,” Halcón said. The ASG proposal urges Palomar College officials to take action to establish an overnight parking lot by the 2019 fall semester. RCONTRERAS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
CULTURA COMETA • 5
the-telescope.com
Tiroteo en sinagoga de Poway contra la comunidad judía causado por un alumuno de San Marcos Monica Navarrete EDITORA
El Departamento de Justicia presentó más de un centenar de cargos federales basados en racismo al joven de 19 años que atacó armado una sinagoga en San Diego y quien ahora enfrenta potenciales sentencias de pena de muerte o cadena perpetua. Entre los cargos figuran homicidio con agravantes y 53 intentos de asesinato con agravantes, racialmente motivados. Los cargos incluyen el ataque armado en abril con un fusil automático R15 en la sinagoga del vecindario de Poway y un intento, un mes antes, de incendiar una mezquita en el contiguo vecindario de Escondido. El rabino que, herido por un disparo en una mano, sobrevivió al ataque porque una amiga suya se interpuso a otros disparos, dijo que es necesario que las autoridades sienten un precedente. “Es necesario aplicar la ley a fondo, para que quede
claro que este tipo de actos no se van a tolerar en ninguna parte y de ninguna manera”, dijo el rabino Yisroel Goldstein. Robert Brewer, procurador federal en San Diego dijo en conferencia que “no vamos a permitir agresiones en los centros ceremoniales donde los estadounidenses ejercen su derecho a tener creencias religiosas”. Las autoridades acusaron al atacante, John Earnest, de 19 años, de cometer los ataques como delitos de odio, es decir, cargos federales separados con base en violencia por diferencias o intolerancia raciales, étnicas y religiosas. Las autoridades federales presentaron a Earnest en total 109 cargos. Los documentos en la corte indican 54 cargos por uso de arma de fuego para obstrucción del libre ejercicio de creencias religiosas, con resultados de muerte, lesiones corporales e intentos de matar. También un total de 54 cargos por delitos de odio
derivados de los disparos ejecutados en la sinagoga. Además, un cargo federal por daños materiales religiosos con empleo delictivo de fuego, por tratar de quemar la mezquita. Todos estos cargos federales son separados a los que una corte estatal le presentó la semana anterior al mismo joven. En la corte estatal se le acusa de homicidio, intento de homicidio y también por tratar de destruir la mezquita. Tanto en una como en otra corte enfrentaría la cadena perpetua, pero en el tribunal federal se agrega la pena de muerte por agravantes. Earnest entró el 27 de abril a la sinagoga con un R15 y un chaleco antibalas y comenzó a disparar. El rabino Goldstein trató de apaciguarlo y el joven le disparó en la mano. Iba a matar al rabino cuando una mujer de 60 años, Lori Kaye, se interpuso y ella recibió el disparo, más tarde murió. En el atentado también
John Earnest, de 19 años, acusado de matar a uno e herir a otros tres en el tiroteo de Chabad of Poway el 27 de abril de 2019, aparece en el tribunal superior de San Diego durante su comparecencia el martes 30 de abril de 2019. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune / TNS
resultaron heridos un hombre y una niña. El fusil de asalto se atascó a Earnest y un veterano de guerra que estaba en la sinagoga consiguió neutralizarlo. El joven enfrenta cargos por los proyectiles que no pudo disparar, involuntariamente, porque el arma se
atascó, pero que planeaba usar contras otras víctimas. Poco antes del atentado, Earnest había dicho en redes sociales que se sacrificaba por su gente, en relación con los anglosajones. Los padres del atacante dijeron en una carta abierta sentirse sorprendidos por la actitud de su hijo, quien
recibió la misma educación con base cristiana que sus hermanos. Los motivos raciales del joven fueron claros en su proclama en redes sociales, en la que dijo que actuaba defendiendo a la raza blanca. MNAVARRETE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Opinión: Llegamos al final del semestre y necesitamos reponernos Monica Navarrete EDITORA
Gary Markstein, ilustración en color de un estudiante con dolor de hombro por trabajar en una computadora portátil en una posición incómoda, sentado sobre una pila de libros.
En la vida de un estudiante lo más probable es que estemos ocupados todo el tiempo, ya sea haciendo tarea, trabajando o como yo tratando de salvar el mundo. Muchas veces me gusta decir sí porque sé que todos en algún momento necesitaremos ayuda de las personas que nos rodean Sin embargo, algo que yo no sabía era el daño que me estaba haciendo a mí mismo sólo por decir sí a todo y tratar de hacer todas las cosas en un día para complacer a los demás y yo estar tranquilo. Este semestre, me he dado cuenta que no siempre tenemos que salvar al mundo y hacer algo que no podemos o queremos para satisfacer a las demás personas. En ocasiones debemos escuchar a nuestro cuerpo porque él también se cansa de tratar de solucionar lo que hay en nuestro alrededor. Desde muy pequeño buscaba maneras de ser voluntario en mi comunidad y siempre tener buenas notas en la escuela, fue ahí donde me adapté a estar ocupado
todo el tiempo. Con el paso de los años me di cuenta que ya no era un niño y que ahora tengo la responsabilidad de un adulto. En mi mente quiero seguir siendo el niño que ayudaba a todos o me gustaría ser un superhéroe para resolver los problemas de mis amigos y familiares pero es imposible. Es por eso que siempre digo “si puedo ayudarte”, aún cuando estoy muy ocupado porque quiero ver a mi entorno bien para yo sentir que logre algo aún cuando yo no me sienta bien. Durante mi semana de descanso de primavera tuve la oportunidad de ir en una caminata junto con mi mamá. Cuando estaba subiendo la montaña, trataba de no darme por vencido con el poco aire que tenía para lograr llegar hasta la cima. Mientras seguía avanzando me di cuenta que así me he estado sintiendo todos los días. Siento como si siempre estoy escalando una gran montaña de responsabilidades y querer apoyar a los demás pero nunca termino de llegar a la cimapor toda la carga que siento. Fue ahí que me comprendí que debo saber decir no cuando
no puedo ayudar y no es que no quiera sino que yo debo saber balancear mi vida y mi tiempo. Es difícil decir ‘no’ a las personas que nos rodean porque pensamos que creerán que no queremos ayudarlos porque somos egoistas. He tenido malas experiencias cuando digo que si puedo hacer algo, al momento de hacerlo siento que no puedo y el estrés se acumula en mi y nada me sale bien. Cuando eso sucede, olvido ponerme como prioridad a mi porque debo cumplir mi palabra de apoyar a los demás. La verdad es que cargar una mochila llena de responsabilidades, estrés y aparentar que estamos bien todos los días no nos ayudará a tener buenas calificaciones en la escuela ni disfrutamos la vida. Aprendamos a escuchar a nuestro cuerpo y corazón, ya que nos ayudará a traer ese balance a nuestra vida. Es importante que conozcamos cuando podemos apoyar a nuestros seres queridos y cuando es momento de darnos un tiempo para nosotros mismos y seguir adelante.
Si bien, una de las cosas que muchos no hemos sabido hacer es cuidar nuestro tiempo. Debemos saber primero a terminar nuestras obligaciones para después brindarles un momento a las personas que nos piden favores y no mezclar nuestras tareas con los problemas o acciones de alguien más. Asimismo, tenemos que llenarnos de cosas positivas que nos hagan querer continuar, para poder aportar cosas buenas a nuestro alrededor. Al final del día, no tenemos que ser tan injustos con nosotros mismos, si no podemos ayudar a alguien, no nos sintamos culpables ni avergonzados. Algun día podremos aceptar ayudar a nuestro familiares sin tener la necesidad de estresarnos y tendremos tiempo para nosotros también, sólo es cuestión de tiempo y organización. Un consejo que les doy a los estudiantes es no seguir la misma rutina todo el tiempo, a veces nos merecemos tomar un descanso y hacer algo para nuestro bienestar mental y no siempre hacer feliz a los demás. MNAVARRETE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
6 • OPINION The Telescope Focused On Palomar Monday, May 20 2019 Vol. 72, No. 10 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.
LINUS SMITH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ANA ACOSTA BRIAN BELTRAN
NEWS EDITORS
JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ NATHAN NAVIDA
OPINION EDITORS
VICTORIA PRICE
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR KRISTA MOORE RYAN DAVIS
SPORTS EDITORS
MONICA NAVARRETE
FOCUS EDITOR
SAMANTHA COX
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
AUBREE WIEDMAIER
PHOTO EDITOR
ERIN HIRO
ADVISOR
MAURICE THOMAS
OFFICE MANAGER
STAFF WRITERS
SUMMER AGUIRRE, KIERA COLARUSSO, RICK CONTRERAS, CHEYENNE CYR, COURTNEY DAVIS, RIPP FRIESEN, ALEX GARCIA, PUCHIE GRUPEE, KENA HAUN, NINA ISHII, HAYLEY LAWSON, KIRAL LEPARD, KATY LYNN, D’ANDRE MIRANDA, AIKA OMURA, PAT HARTLEY, ASHLEY ROMERO, IDETH GUERRERO, JONATHAN SARABIA, JORDAN SPURGEON, KIANA TEIXEIRA, SUNDAE VELASCO, NICOLE VILLANUEVA, ROSALINA BURTON, NICHOLAS CASADONA, TANNER LEADER, KAT MILLER, RAISA MURSALIN, JAHAIDA RAMIREZ, MARCELLA PRECIADO
PHOTOGRAPHERS
SONNY CAVARLEZ, ELVIN DIEGO, LANDON DRINKWARD, ANNA GABRIELE, SEJI GAERLAN, MEGAN LAMMOTT, JULIE LEYDEN, MARIANA MELENDREZ, BLAKE NORTHINGTON, MARIESA RANDOW, BRISA MAR ROQUE, EMILY WHETSTONE, SUKHI HUEMANN, TAYLOR HARDEY, ISAIAH CABREA, ISAAC FIGUEROA
ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / H-103 WEBSITE/ WWW.THE-TELESCOPE. COM FACEBOOK/ “THE TELESCOPE” TWITTER/ @TELESCOPENEWS EMAIL/ EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE. COM AD EMAIL/ ADS@THE-TELESCOPE. COM
THE TELESCOPE WELCOMES ALL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. LETTERS MUST BE TYPED, UNDER 300 WORDS AND INCLUDE THE AUTHOR’S FIRST AND LAST NAMES, MAJOR AND PHONE NUMBER. PHONE NUMBERS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. LETTERS SHOULD BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM. THE TELESCOPE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT LETTERS FOR SPACE AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND NOT TO PRINT LEWD OR LIBELOUS LETTERS. LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE NEWSPAPER’S PUBLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION. THE TELESCOPE IS PUBLISHED 5 TIMES PER SEMESTER. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE NEWSPAPER ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL WRITERS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE ENTIRE NEWSPAPER STAFF, THE EDITORIAL BOARD, PALOMAR FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS OR THE GOVERNING BOARD TRUSTEES.
ASSOCIATED COLLEGE PRESS
CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER’S ASSOCIATION
May 20, 2019
The District needs to be more proactive in cooperating with the campus community EDITORIAL The Palomar Community College District needs to begin responding to legitimate concerns among faculty and employee unions, before they result in legal action, as opposed to after. There have been four cases this year alone where legal action has been taken against the Governing Board to instigate meaningful change on our campus. Three of the cases were lawsuits that asserted the District has problems with being transparent with the community. The fourth case was a grievance filed by the Council of Classified
Employees Union (CCE), that called for the District to stop outsourcing custodial jobs, and to begin hiring for the increased demand of custodial positions. These issues did not arise out of the blue, the Palomar community has been calling for improving communication from the Governing Board with the faculty and staff for years now. The call for more custodian positions to fill the demand of keeping up with the new buildings being constructed has been an ongoing struggle now for nearly two years. CCE President Anel Gonzalez made repeated attempts at the Govern-
ing Board to express their discontent over the District outsourcing custodial jobs, and refusal to hire more Palomar custodians. The District has claimed that in order to meet the calls for action by the CCE, they’ll need more time. However, the Prop M bond was approved over 10 years ago, and Palomar has been planning to install these new facilities for years. Why was no consideration given to custodial staff and the increased demand for campus maintenance? At the Grand Opening ceremony for the Maintenance & Operations building, President/ Superintendent Joi Lin
Blake claimed that Palomar maintenance workers were her “number one marketing team.” However, if the administration truly prioritizes maintenance workers, they should treat them better than they have been. Over and over again we hear the same thing from the Palomar community: moral has gone from bad to worse. Sooner or later the District needs to respond to these calls for cooperation, take action where it is needed, and finally uphold the college theme “Better Together 2.0.” The first step to resolve these issues is acknowledgement of fault on be-
half of the administration, the second step would be for the District to take action to help resolve the issues their employees face. With the grievance being placed on pause as negotiations continue, we hope to see more action being taken to meet the needs of custodians. The third step would be to ensure that this does not happen again. Faculty and staff are the ones on campus who students have the most interaction with, and if the District continues to neglect them, we’ll begin feeling the effects of the deteriorating relationship as students. EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Our Union can’t handle another 4 years of Trump Rosalina Burton STAFF WRITER
Donald Trump should not run for office and here’s why. When Donald Trump, President of the United States and worldwide real estate mogul, announced he would be running for the 2016 presidential election, many doubted his abilities. Trump lacked the experience and poise often expected of a candidate and this made him unpopular to many, including the Republicans he planned to represent. As time progressed the very behavior that upset many, strengthened his base. Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has remained committed to Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Prescott Valley Event Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz, on Oct. 4 2016. his way of approaching Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore / Wikipedia Commons the people of the United States. Remarks about doesn’t care about who’s Marshall, also voted for a lot of great things and shouldn’t have won in the race, class, economy and listening” said Robert Trump, but for different most people want to see first place. social structure can be of- Cannon “Bob.” “people reasons, moral ones. Mar- that through even if they I don’t think Trump is fensive and often border like that because he levels shall believes that if Clin- have an issue with what good for the overall wellon prejudice if not racism. with us.” ton had won, this would he did this term.” being of the people of the Yet, his base numbers Bob is a middle-aged result in a lot of “family If voting for Trump United States. are steadfast because Republican who has vot- values” being thrown out was strictly about morals I fear that Trump winTrump was seen as the ed red most of his life, the window in support of or outcomes why wouldn’t ning another term could lesser evil. With the pos- dressed in a tucked in a progressive mindset and voters opt for a more ac- result in adverse outsibility of Hillary Clinton a checkered shirt, worn way of life. ceptable candidate when comes seeing that there is winning the house voters jeans, and a leather jackFor Marshall, her given the chance. It fur- strong opposition to him, came out in droves not re- et. Bob sees Trump’s vote was about salvation. ther shows that stupid- his stances, and especialally to support the Repub- brashness as a strength. When asked if she would ity is bliss among Trump ly his approach to those lican but prevent Clinton He believes that this, still vote for Trump with supporters. stances. from winning in 2020. and Trumps record low a more acceptable DemoIt is nothing new in At this point, many Will he win again? Should unemployment, strong cratic opponents who learning the polarity in don’t care if the winner is he? economy and tough trade would run against Trump. our political system is at Republican or DemocratTo answer these ques- deals will ensure that he “No,” she responded, an all-time high. There is ic, they just don’t want it tion I search for the op- wins another term. “Democrats will never see little flexibility or compro- to be Donald Trump and portunity to interview two “You may not like what the world the way I do, I mise and for this reason, I stand with them. As a Trump supporters on why he says but you have to re- would rather roll my dice there is a good chance nation, we need to come they voted for Trump and spect what he’s done. He’s on Trump.” that Trump will win even together, and that cannot get their prediction for the best thing that’s hap“And do you think if most people are not too happen with someone like the 2020 elections: pened to the nation.” that’s a good bet?” I asked, excited about him win- Trump in office. “He says what he Did all Trump support- “A great one,” Marshall ning, even if many feel wants when he wants and ers feel this way? Dawna responded, “He’s started he should not win and RBURTON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
OPINION • 7
the-telescope.com
Instagram prioritizes mental health by removing like button Nathan Navida STAFF EDITOR
The power of the “Like” may finally be coming to its end. This is one step towards solving problems in today’s culture of validation. Instagram has recently run a test that involved removing the ability of users to see how many likes an individual post has received, so only the owner of the post can see how many likes it gets. This is a huge change for social media. It may
be a shock to many to not be able to see how many likes a post has. It is a relief that social media developers are finally trying to break today’s obsession with likes. Our culture has come to grow up and create the importance of things such as followers and likes because we have a tendency to want recognition. It’s at the point where it’s turned into a competition where the person with the most likes and followers receives the most praise
and ¨clout¨ from their peers. Social media started off as a way to keep in touch with close friends and relatives. However, once it began to grow and more people were getting involved, it became almost like a game to see how many likes and followers one person can get. People do things today like finding the perfect caption with the right filter to try and get as much validation from their peers as possible. It makes them feel good
about themselves, but there’s also downsides to that. Self-image issues, cyberbullying, anxiety, and social isolation are a few of the issues people have had to unfortunately come across and it has led to some dire consequences such as suicide. These are the same issues that tech companies have had to deal with for a little while now and it seems that they’re finally responding. With Instagram taking away likes a few things can start to be
resolved. One of them being that no one can feel the need to flaunt their likes to show what their social status is like among their peers. The ¨competition¨ of getting more likes than that person ends. Even though it may still be able to see how many likes a post have, you won’t have to worry about what others think. There’s less pressure to keep posting and checking on your peers’ likes. With Instagram taking steps like these, their platform can start to be
used in a healthy and productive manner. Even though this one change will help solve only a few problems, I believe it will prompt all social media companies such as Facebook and YouTube to take further steps to make social media a safe platform. Although platforms may see a decline in interactions which they need to gain revenue, I think they’ll make the sacrifice for the health of their users. NNAVIDA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
8 • OPINION
May 20, 2019
U.S. keep your hands off Venezuela Justin Enriquez STAFF EDITOR
Under the flashing lights of gunfire, a woman screams for her child, the Venezuelan flag is carried by a man with a bandana running across the street, the smell of gunfire filled the air. As the United States begins to support the interim President Juan Guiado, the current President Nicolas Maduro has kept a tight grip to power relying mostly on his military commanders and some supporters, but what makes the United States interested in Venezuela is one resource, oil. Venezuela according to the organization of the petroleum exporting (OPEC) has the largest oil reserves in the world leading with 24.9 percent of oil. This should not come as a surprise as when we invaded Iraq and
made our richest oil moguls more rich. We need to keep in mind that our executive branch is staffed with people that will greatly benefit from a coup and exploiting the oil reserves in Venezuela. Take for instance, John Bolton, who is Donald Trump’s war whisperer, in a interview on Fox News he admittedly said, “It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.” This is not a human rights issue it is a matter of corporations not getting their bellies filled with money and power. Therefore we should not support a coup in Venezuela because it wont benefit the working class, instead it will only benefit the plutocrats of Venezuela.
United States should not adopt a warhawk diplomacy filled with violence and bloodshed because only the common people will suffer as it has right now. Donald Trump has repeatedly displayed cold war tactics with supporting Juan Guaido the interim president that has called himself the president of Venezuela. This is not to say Venezuela is suffering a humanitarian crisis, it most definitely is but the intentions of United States is more sinister than it looks to be. In fact United States is the biggest hypocrite in this situation, according to truthout.org the United States supports 73 percent of the worlds dictatorships. Though the Republican warhwawks will sing kumbaya with Donald Trump for their gain for riches and exploitation of the Venezu-
elan people. Though the Warhawks of this administration have repeatedly used the moronic reason to state that a support of this coup will give great benefits to the Venezuelan people as well as the American people. But the fact is that there will be no benefits on either side, the Venezuelan people will be still be starving and be economically distressed while the American people will only witness another regime change and mass genocide, all the while the bellies of the plutocrats will only grow bigger. The only coup the United States should support is the one domestically. We must remove Donald Trump from office and remove his crown of power of the executive branch. JENRIQUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
OPINION • 9
the-telescope.com
Advisor for The Telescope, Erin Hiro, awarding then Opinion Editor Linus Smith with Advisor’s Award at the 2017 Telescope Awards Banquet. Photo by Johnny Jones / The Telescope
Spring 2017 editor staff. From left to right: Kirk Mattu, Morgan Burns, Abraham Jewett, Linus Smith, Jacob Tucker, Bethany Nash, Hayley stvenson. Photo by Deb Hellman / The Telescope
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Linus Smith STAFF EDITOR
After three long and wonderful years at this publication, the time has come for me to step out and let a new generation of student journalists take up the responsibility of The Tele-
scope. As I survey all the words I have archived in my library of knowledge of the English language, no word better articulates how much this newspaper has meant to me than the word, wow. This newspaper has been the chief architect in shap-
ing the person I am today. The skills I’ve learned here are sure to serve me for years to come. Through The Telescope, I have met some of the best people I’ve ever had the privilege of calling friends. With that in mind, I want to thank all of the people who have made my time at The Telescope so memo-
rable. Bethany, Seji, Hayley, and Jacob, like hands pressed into a slab of wet cement, the memories I formed with you guys will forever be imprinted in my heart. You all taught me what it meant to have a second family, the adventures we had together and what they meant to me are inde-
scribable. Krista, Tori, Justin, Monica, Sammi, Ana, Ryan, Brian, Nathan, Savhanna and Aubree, my time as Editor in Chief has not been without its trials. But I am glad to have had all of you for an editorial staff. It was an honor being able to work with you, and to see you all grow as writers and editors. For those of you continuing at The Telescope next year, I’m comfortable leaving it in your hands, I know you’ll do great. Maurice and Wendy, I group the two of you together because you’ve both mentored me so much over the last year. Maurice, with every single newspaper we put out you taught me how to better myself as a designer, and you were one of the few people who kept pushing me forward as Editor in Chief. Wendy, our exchanges were brief, and far in between, but so crucial in developing my ability as a journalist to fairly assess and represent the various sides of the same story. Erin, I’m confident that you will forever be the best professor I’ve ever had. You are certainly one of those I have come to consider as part of my second family.
I’ve never had a professor who pushed me as much as you did, and believed in me as much as you. As I leave The Telescope, I know the thing I’ll miss the most is working with you. I promise to come back and visit. Finally, I wanted to thank all of my sources, and the people I’ve interviewed over the years. Especially Laura Gropen, Chris Hopp, Amber Bancroft and Dr. Joi Lin Blake, I interviewed all of you the most for my stories, and I know that I made mistakes. But people like you, having the patience that you did, is what it takes to transform our Telescope student journalists of today into the professional journalists of the New York Times and Washington Post tomorrow. I’ll never forget the encouragement and support I’ve been forwarded in my time here. It is part of the reason why in 20 years, when I look back to my college years, I won’t think about a four-year school, I’ll think about Palomar Community College, I’ll think about The Telescope.
This musical offering was filled with a kaleidoscope of emotional colors captures by an attentive orchestra and many memorable highlights throughout the concert. The stellar performance from all the Soloists, David Melendez and Mitchel Ridgaway two gorgeous tenors shared a poignant part in Lux Aeterna. Nicole Di Gangi and Clara Kelly, Soprano Soloists sang with shear beauty
and breathtaking sensitivity, seemly floated over the Choirs full rich sound. This magnificent concert was indeed a feast for the heart, soul and spirit! This was just one example of the plethora of fantastic events waiting to be discovered by you. We wholeheartedly invite you to join us next semester to enjoy the exquisite performances of dance, music and theatre at Palomar College.
LSMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Spring 2017 editor staff. From left to right: Tracy Grassel Kirk Mattu, Morgan Burns, Abraham Jewett, Linus Smith, Jacob Tucker, Hayley Stevenson, Kitty Pinney. Photo by Johnny Jones / The Telescope
LETTER TO THE EDITOR By Cynthia Soltero A stunning concert! May 10 and 11 the “Requiem for the Living” was performed at Palomar College. Audiences were wowed with the colorful sounds of gorgeous voices accompanied by the full Palomar Symphony Orchestra. The Contrasting moods evoked by the mas-
terful work was reinforced by the powerful pulse of the timpani, and heavenly sounds of the glockenspiel and the harp. The audience was completely captivated from start to finish, and at the end gave well deserved cheers and standing ovations. The first half started with an exquisite piece by Ravel “Pavane for a dead
Princess” played well by the orchestra and followed by the lovely piece “Geistliches Lied,” by Brahms conducted by Matthew Brady. Brady is the dynamic Chorale director for CSU San Bernardino College, and long-time friend and colleague of John Russell. His passion and love of music was demonstrated through his fabulous Chamber Singers who joined forces with Russell’s outstanding
Palomar Chamber Singers and Chorale, their collaboration reaped magnificent results! The “Requiem for the Living,” a stunning piece by Dan Forrest was heard in the second half. Russell, director of Chorale studies took the platform and masterfully conducted by the orchestra and combined voices through a magnificent musical journey to a destination toward Utopia!
10 • PHOTO ESSAY
May 20, 2019
By taking a landscape and culture class you’d think it would be just learning about rural scenery, but in Professor Amy Caterina’s class you get something more interesting. Students challenged the traditional perception and understanding of landscape by photographing it in many different ways; as Beauty, as Tourism, and as Sprawl. Students demonstrated their interpretation of the influence of man on nature and the landscape. The PHOTO 171 class took trips to Irvine industrial parks to photograph the landscape as sprawl, and Catalina Island to photograph the landscape as tourism. For more information on the Landscape and Culture 171 class or other photography courses, contact the Photography Department at (760)744-1150 x2384. All photography provided by PHOTO 171 students: Shoshonia Vanderploeg Lazaro Jimenez Vina Saycocie David Stephens Jason Hernandez David Klich Ashley Paulsen Sukhi Heumann Elvin Diego
the-telescope.com
PHOTO ESSAY • 11
12 • LIFESTYLE
May 20, 2019
Black Rock Coffee Bar recently expanded to open a drive-thru location in Vista (823 E. Vista Way, Vista, California 92084). Anna Gabriele / The Telescope.
Vista welcomes a new coffee shop with a unique atmosphere and free beverages on opening day
Kiana Teixeira STAFF WRITER
B
lack Rock Coffee opened up their second California location located in Vista on East Vista Way on April 12. Upon opening, Black Rock was welcomed into Vista with swarms of people on opening day ready to get their free drink. From 5 a.m. until when they closed at 9 p.m., they had a steady line at both the walk-up window and the drive through. Black Rock celebrated their opening week at their new location with a bunch of free goodies ev-
eryday for customers. On opening day, they gave out one free medium drink to each customer. The next day, they had two for one drinks. Sunday-Tuesday, they gave out free Black Rock merchandise to select customers. Wednesday-Friday was ‘double punch day,’ so people with punch cards earned double the amount of points. Outside the store they had music, photographers, and people handing out free stickers to thank customers for coming to the grand opening. Each and every worker
greeted the customers with smiles and welcoming personalities - ignoring the chaos going on outside the store from the excitement of guests. Each and every drink was made with the same attention to detail as the drink that was made before it. They have regular cafe drinks such as brewed coffee, lattes, and mochas. They also serve custom drinks, such as their chillers and energy drinks. ‘Chillers’ are frozen blended coffee drinks. The oreo chiller is a customer favorite. Combined with the sweetness
Celebrate everything this juicy fruit has to offer Ashley Romero STAFF WRITER
The 2019 10th Annual Vista Strawberry Festival is making its way back to Vista, California on Sun. May 26, 2019. The festival is free to the public and will take place in downtown Vista at 127 Main Street Vista, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be live entertainment and bands performing, food, carnival games, and contests with prizes. The free-to-enter contests include Little Miss Strawberry Shortcake, pieeating, strawberry costume, and much more. If you would like to show off a special talent of yours, register for the Strawberry Jam talent show. Each contestant must submit a $20 registration fee with a link
of a two to five minute video performing his or her talent. All videos and fees must be submitted by Sunday, May 19 2019. Contestants can register on the Vista Strawberry Festival website. There will be over 400 local vendors whom guests can buy tasty treats from. Adults can enjoy the beer garden open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. where an expected nine local microbrewers will be sharing their craft beers. Parking will be available free of charge in neighboring lots. A free shuttle service will be offered to all attendees from the Vista courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and at Vista High School from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The shuttle service will run every 15 minutes from both locations. Once known as the unofficial strawberry capital of the world, Vista was making
daily shipments throughout the United States and throughout Europe and Asia during peak season in the 1960s and 1970s. Vista still grows strawberries today but there are not as many fields as there once was. California alone is responsible for about 83 percent of America’s strawberries because California’s fields are extremely productive yielding 10 times more strawberries, per acre, than strawberry farms in Michigan. In 2010 the Vista Strawberry Festival was created to celebrate the city’s history with the berry. It is the only festival in San Diego County, but among many across the nation that celebrate everything this juicy ruby fruit has to offer. AROMERO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
of milk and chocolateyoreos, the oreo chiller is a well-balanced drink with both strong coffee and sweet cookies. If you’re a black coffee kind of person, you will be pleased to know that Black Rock sources their coffee beans from local roasters in Southern California. Their lightest roast is ‘the pearl,’ a bright, full roast with a hint of cherry sweetness. ‘Old town’ is a popular roast at Black Rock. Being a medium blend, this coffee will keep you caffinated, and provide a well-balanced flavor whether you
enjoy your coffee with or without cream and sugar. ‘Steel bridge’ is Black Rock’s dark roast. It is a vienna style roast that has rich undertones and unique flavor contrasts. Fuel drinks are customizable energy drinks with over 12 different flavors to choose from, such as cherry and blue raspberry. With every customer coming that day leaving with a smile on their face its safe to say that Black Rock Coffee is here to stay. The new Black Rock Coffee location is open for business 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
everyday. Relax at their patio with your own handcrafted coffee, or simply stop by the drive thru before class or work. If you reside more Westward, they also have an Oceanside location in Oceanside Village Square, that is just as delicious and will satisfy your caffiene needs. For more information on Black Rock Coffee and other locations they have around the nation, visit br.coffee.com, where you can also purchase merchandise to show support. KTEIXEIRA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Thistle and Sage gives vegans a place to mingle Samantha Cox STAFF EDITOR
Alyssa Bassir, local vegan baker, created a place to spread awareness of veganism. Thistle and Sage had their first night market at Vail Headquarters last month. Since then, people all over southern California have been raving about it. The market occurs on the third Saturday of each month from 4-8 p.m. Not only is the event free of admission charges, but also kid and pet friendly. So even your furry friends can enjoy delicious vegan food. One of the most popular vendors throughout all of Temecula is Amo Nakatl Asada, a vegan twist on traditional mexican food. This past weekend, they “completely sold out with-
in two hours,” says Jocelyn Amador, sister of Lucero Amador-Oseguera, the company’s founder. Customers love their jackfruit tacos and specialty nachos. Lucero says “though we have restaurant and cooking experience, we never imagined being where we are now with our food.” Harmless Eats is a vegan pop-up vendor primarily found in San Diego County. Like Amo Nakatl Asada, they had an amazing turnout. They sold out of everything besides their patty melt within hours of opening. This place veganizes southern dishes. Some popular items are their fried chicken grilled cheese, po-boy, and the elote dog. Selling out of most of their menu items didn’t stop them from getting business, however.
Many market-goers were more than happy trying the patty melt, which was delicious. Just about anything could be found at Thistle and Sage, even vegan candles. The Sivan Collection is a local business founded by Noah Sivan, Sacramento born and Temecularaised. Many of his candles are lightly scented with local coffee beans and fresh fruit with a soy base. You can find Sivan selling his candles at the Old Town Night market at Baileys in Temecula, or now at Thistle and Sage Marketplace in Vail HQ. Whether you are looking for a filling dinner, premium candles, clothing, or simply a good time, Thistle and Sage is to you. S CO X@THE- TELES CO PE.CO M
FOCUS • 13
the-telescope.com
Justin Enriquez STAFF EDITOR
Did you know that for every avocado you buy at the market, you might be supplying the drug cartels of Mexico. In 2018, the two main cartels that used avocados as a way to supply their income were the Jalisco Cartel and La Familia Michoacana Cartel both of which used fear and violence on the landowners. The biggest consumers of avocados is the U.S., Canada, Japan and China. The biggest supplier is in Michoacán, Mexico. There are some estimates that both of these cartels have generated ranging from $100 million to $200 million from controlling local farmers that grow avocados. Another way that cartels use their influence is by extortion as a use of financing. To do this, cartels pay through the “Packers” and the “Growers.” There are many packers and growers with only six sourcing regions: California, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and South Africa. To help with growers and packers, an association that functions as a union called APEAM (Association of Producers, Packers and Exporters of Avocados in Mexico). Gabriel Villaseñor, the president of
the association, handles all the issues with the workers and the problem with the cartels. Recently, some landowners have fought back against the cartel, establishing vigilante groups to protect their land. As a result, the formation of a vigilante group in Tancítaro, Michoacan in which the cartel started to spread its disease of violence and death through beheadings and shootings. In a BBC interview with Josè Hugo Sánchez Mendoza, the head of CUSEPT, a Spanish acronym meaning “public security corp,” he described how the vigilante groups have been resisting the cartel’s influence. “The self-defense groups freed the municipality from organized crime,” and then, in conjunction with the government, we worked with the avocado producers to recruit police,” Mendoza said. Within months, the cartel had little influence, and with that less violence occurred and the people took back their town. Though the story of Tancítaro was successful, other areas within Michoacan suffer far worse fates. This puts a lot of pressure on Michoacan because it is the only state included in the USDA’s certified export program. According to APEAM,
“As of 2016 year after year the share of our avocado in the market has been falling…the most drastic decreased from 85 percent to 67 percent on average…big chains prefer to offer consumers avocados from Peru, having enough fruit from Mexico.” This shows that food chains buying avocados from Mexico are starting to catch on to the violence and bloodshed that comes with when buying their avocados. In an interview with Josh Estebane, an avocado expert, the sales and business development from company West Pack based in Murrieta and Fallbrook, in regard to the Avocado Cartel issue in Mexico he said, “people are dying over this stuff.” “All that is happening was when the growers/cartels didn’t let other growers pick,” Estabane said. “They wanted to create a guaranteed price on the avocado.” The situation that he was referring to was an incident that lasted a months in which the growers held a strike. In a letter to the importers of avocados from Mexico by APEAM, it discussed the situations. “A group of growers acted to protest against what they consider to be low prices for their fruit and decided to install check points in all major roads in the Michoacán
avocado growing region,” the letter read. “During the morning, they stopped cars with picking crews and field trucks, impeding their trips to the orchards and obligating them to return. In the afternoon and evening, they retained some of the few trucks that were able to get fruit.” When this was brought to his attention he scuffled and raised his eyebrows as if he had known something that I didn’t know, he then said, “Growers/Cartels do this all the time to achieve higher prices. Because of this we faced a heavy profit loss and huge shortage of customers” Though the cartels have used other methods to garner a substantial amount of income through avocados. Some have argued that focusing on this fruit and attacking it will only garner more demand such as the early day of the Mexican drug war. Others have given solutions such as pressuring big banks to propose anti laundering policies but that wont happen anytime soon. In the meantime we should be careful on where we get our avocados, because it might give income to one of the deadliest gangs in the world. JENRIQUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
14 • ARTS & CULTURE
Model showcasing a design created by a Palomar student in the advanced sewing class in the MODA Fashion Show on May 10 2019. Mariana Melendrez / The Telescope.
May 20, 2019
Models catwalked down the runway as they showcased the works of Palomar student Robin Clark at the MODA Fashion Show curated in Palomar College. Mariana Melendrez / The Telescope.
Model presenting a complete design by Palomar student Madison Acri at the MODA Fashion Show on May 10 2019. Mariana Melendrez / The Telescope.
Guests saw looks designed by the sewing classes, graphic design students, freshman and senior designers, Palomar alumni, Temescal Canyon High School students and many more under the umbrella. There was no shortage of variety. From menswear, to prom looks, to festival fashion, pajama pants, winter headwear, couture and much more, the crowd cheered in adoration as they judged their favorite fashion moments. Former Palomar student and designer, Anastacia Brumidis said, “It was beautiful. There was quite an array of styles, I espe-
of five or more cohesive looks. From the bold, couture cuts by Shun Oyama to the flowy florals of Marielle Partido and animated inspired work of Kristina Miller, Palomar truly turned it out. The final designer was Madison Aeri. Her collection was reminiscent of a fairytale. Models were draped in dreamy florals, soft rosy hues and statement crowns. When asked what words she would use to describe her collection Aeri said, “ethereal, goddess, enchanted, magical.” Reflecting back she said, “I’m re-
MODA fashion show: lace, catwalk, and tulle, oh my! Nicole Villanueva STAFF WRITER
The Fashion Merchandising and Design students of Palomar College showcased their talents at the MODA “Better Together Again” Fashion Show on Friday, May 10. At 7 p.m. there was hardly an empty seat as a buzzing crowd gathered under an expansive white tent filled with colorchanging lights and bumping music. Parking Lot 9 at Palomar was the place to be. Starting off in a playful manner, guests were greeted by Pepper, Palomar’s own AI robot. If you’re
thinking, “Wait a minute, Palomar has an artificial intelligence robot?” You’re not alone. Pepper then introduced the guest of honor, former Palomar fashion student, April Yang. Yang welcomed everyone and shared her journey from Palomar College into the fashion world. Now a successful social media content creator, Yang gives styling tips to over a million of her followers. Models of all heights, stature and gender strutted down the catwalk donning the latest creations of student designers of all levels.
cially loved the pajama pants.” She went on to compliment the funky festival jackets of designer Kelly Thompson and clean, polished, dress-casual wear of Robin Clark. In between the fashion ensembles, guests were treated to the musical talents of San Diego-based singer Aventine, who filled the tent with her powerful, in-perfect-key vocals. Later, Los Angeles-based performer Dev Kennedy captured the audience with his charm and melody. To close out the show, Palomar’s senior designers showcased their own unique lines, consisting
ally grateful for everything Palomar has taught me.” She has big dreams ahead. “I plan on starting my own business to help kids with disabilities,” Aeri said. Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke about her dreams becoming a reality, and she sees herself one day sewing couture in Paris. The evening ended in roaring applause and outside the tent, proud, overcome designers were met with flowers, praise, and tight hugs from their biggest supporters. NVILLANUEVA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Looking for some podcasts? Here are some staff favorites STAFF
In today’s media, podcasts are becoming more commonly produced and more frequently listened to. Here is a list compiled by our staff, recommending their favorite podcasts, from comedy to politics and sports to religion. Very Really Good by Kurtis Conner Recommended by: Victoria Price Kurtis Conner is a Viner-turned-YouTuber who also happens to have a really cool podcast. If you’re looking for something light hearted and entertaining, this is your go-to. His episodes are full of awkward but funny hu-
mor, embarassing stories, and hot topic (but not really) debates, with some Q&A sessions thrown into the mix. Overall, this is an easy but enjoyable listen and it’s definitely worth listening to.
hear on the way to work or school. It is diverse if you want to listen to someone talk about covering the cartels in Mexico or how a UFC fighter almost drowned while cave diving.
The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan Recommended by: Justin Enriquez
Starting 9 by Jared Carrabis Recommended by: Krista Moore
Joe Rogan’s podcast is a mix of all things. One day it could be comedic and some other day it can be more in depth and intellectually based. In some cases, Rogan talks about health, politics, technology and economics all in the same day. His interviews with people are astounding to
The list of sports podcast is long but for baseball fans around the nation Starting 9 is the place to go. Hosted by blogger Jared Carrabis and former MLB pitcher Dallas Braden from Barstool sports, the podcast is used to talk about trending baseball topics and news.
The pod also features interviews from players around the league giving fans another way to learn about their favorite players. Lore by Aaron Mahnke Recommended by: Richard Contreras Lore is a well-researched podcast that tells non-fiction stories of supernatural events and other creepy themes. It has won several awards and has two seasons of a television series available on Amazon Prime. The Caliphate by the New York Times/Rukmini Callimachi Recommended by: Linus Smith
This podcast follows Rukmini Callimachi, the Isis beat reporter for the New York Times, as she investigates the inner workings of the Islamic State. In the podcast Callimachi interviews a former Isis member, known by his Isis callsign, AbuHuzaifa, who was a part of the Isis police force, known as the al-Hisba. The on-record interview covers everything from how Isis conducted its recruitment, to how they prepared people to carry out terrorist attacks and perform executions. This podcast provides a deep insight to the Islamic State in digestible 20 - 30 minute episodes.
Girlfriends by Danielle Bean Recommended by: Ana Acosta “Girlfriends” is a podcast specifically targeted towards Catholic women in all walks of life. Danielle Bean answers questions regarding the Catholic faith, advice on how to overcome daily hardships, and other encouraging topics like how to spread joy and be patient. My favorite episode from the podcast is titled “How to banish FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).” EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
ARTS & CULTURE • 15
the-telescope.com
Did ‘Days Gone’ live up to the hype from the gaming community? Alex Garcia STAFF WRITER
We are just about a month into the release of one of Playstation’s most highly anticipated games of the year, and the question remains: is it good and worth buying? The answer to that question is a big YES! “Days Gone” is everything that the developers said it was going to be and much more. Although the game has had mixed reviews due to complaints about some technical issues and bugs that have been encountered, it’s overall doing quite well. You begin the game as Deacon St. John, a survivor of the major epidemic going on in the world that’s turning people into zombie-like creatures called “Freakers.” However, Deacon is not alone on this adventure, he has his best friend Boozer
with him along for the ride. They are trying to head to the Pacific Northwest to reach a camp for people who are still normal, places called “NERO camps.” They’re not only going there to be safe, but at the start of the game there is a cutscene that shows Deacon, his wife Sarah and Boozer at the beginning of the epidemic. They’re running to safety, but Sarah gets hurt by one of the Freakers and needs help. They eventually come across a NERO helicopter taking survivors to safety, but there are only two open spots left on the helicopter. Deacon decides to let Sarah go on her own to get help, letting her know that they’ll reunite soon. You begin the game living as a mercenary and bounty hunter, exchanging your services for supplies to survive on the long trip ahead. The main point of the game is simply to survive
the world around you and eventually make contact with your wife, Sarah, again. The way of transportation in the game is awesome as you begin with a drifter motorcycle and you get the chance upgrade it as you go. You can do that by earning the trust of other camps, completing missions, and clearing out Freaker infestations and so on. You don’t begin the game with all the best guns, you must also earn those by doing missions. Sometimes you may get lucky and find one as you search old abandoned vehicles throughout the game. The only bad thing about the weapons is that you are only able to carry one primary weapon, a crossbow, and a pistol. If you want to carry a shotgun, sniper rifle, or LMG (light machine gun) you must make the sacrifice of
Model and actress Jourdan Dunn attends The 2019 Met Gala “Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art” on May 6, 2019 in New York City. (Star Tribune/TNS)
not having a assault rifle. The story was very well done, as you continuously want to keep playing the game to figure out what is going to happen next. It is also filled with exhilarating cutscenes that further explain Deacon’s journey and just how far he has come. It is estimated that it will take you about 30 hours to complete the game, but as the game takes place in an open-world environment, you may get sidetracked and do some of the side missions, so for some it may take longer. After playing this game I would definitely have to give this game a 4.5/5. I recommend this game to people who are into open world games and are intrigued with zombie-filled action. Make sure to visit your local retailer and give this game a try. AGARCIA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Promotional artwork for the Playstation 4 exclusive “Days Gone” featuring the main character Deacon St. John. Courtesy of steamXO/Flickr.
Model, actress, and musician Hailee Steinfeld attends the 2014 Met Gala. Courtesy of Eric Sudias/ Flickr.
Dear Vogue, make the Met Gala shine again Brian Beltran STAFF EDITOR
New York’s largest and most publicized annual charity event is a joke now. Vogue’s Met Gala was once a prestigious occasion that hosted the elites of fashion and high life. While the gala continues it’s valuable charitable traditions, the event’s cachet is quickly eroding. For over 70 years, the Met has been hosted in New York City on the first
Monday of every May. The gala raises money for the Costume Institute, a wing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, despite the costly entry prices, the exclusivity of the event is diluting year after year. With the unique themes of each year’s gala, the aclass attendees and the passionate paparazzi, the celebrities glam the world for a single night a year. Today, the guest list is laughable and the people who attend make a mock-
ery of the themes that made the event so iconic. Celebrities in both the fashion and entertainment industries have tried to continue the mystique of the event, but allowing professional athletes and YouTubers to walk the pink carpet is the kind of “campy” behavior that is ruining the event. Yes, we laugh at the notion of critiquing attendee’s multi-thousand dollar outfits while we sit at home in our pajamas, but this is part of what made the
event so interesting. People care, whether they’re fashion experts or not, about what their favorite fashion icons are wearing to the Met. Wearing a plain black tuxedo when the theme is “Heavenly Bodies” is bad enough, but imagine wearing a skimpy Coachella outfit when the theme calls for outlandishly extravagant fashion (We’re looking at you James Charles). For those who don’t follow the event or who simply don’t care, imagine
your friend showing up to your Star Wars viewingparty dressed in Harry Potter robes or that guy who wears a Cowboys jersey to the bar on Super Bowl Sunday. Missing the theme isn’t the only problem with the latest iterations of the Met. When YouTube or the NFL is allowed to book a table in the venue, the guest list becomes saturated with figures that simply don’t belong. Tom Brady might be the exception (Thanks Gisele).
From the eyes of this casual Twitter follower, the Met is more enjoyable for the public when it takes itself seriously. There’s no need for provocative themes that will spark controversy (let’s forget 2015’s theme didn’t happen), and there’s certainly no need for d-list celebrities to attend if they won’t abide to the traditions that made the event respectable. BBELTRAN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
16 • ARTS & CULTURE
May 20, 2019
Rapper Lil Dicky combines rhythm and advocacy Nicole Villanueva STAFF WRITER
Rapper Lil Dicky performing at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle on Sept. 5, 2015. Courtesy of Kayla Johnson/Flickr.
Lead singer Josh Kiszka performing at Rock am Ring in Germany in June 2018. Courtesy of rawpic/Wikimedia Commons.
American rapper and comedian Lil Dicky collaborated with over 20 of pop culture’s biggest names to deliver a strong message to the future leading generations. The music video, titled “Earth,” premiered April 18, 2019 and has racked up nearly 100 million views. At first glance, the animated video seems like playful, lighthearted entertainment. You’ll see Justin Bieber as a baboon, Ariana Grande as zebra, Miley Cyrus as an elephant and Snoop Dog, very fittingly, as a weed plant, but that’s just a fraction of the celebrities in this video. So what’s bringing all these influential people together? Only the most detrimental issue to our complete existence: the destruction of our home, planet Earth. In today’s media, celebrity-glamorized culture is sometimes the best way to reach people, especially for the younger generations.
Guitarist Jake Kiszka performing ar Rock am Ring in Germany in 2018. Courtesy of Stefan Brending/Wikimedia Commons.
A lot of artists are succeeding by releasing content that is self-centered, over-sexualized, substancelacking, or outright harmful. Amidst this diabolic trend, Lil Dicky is a breath of fresh air. He uses his skill and status to spread knowledge and bring forth issues that matter. The concept of this video started out as something fun. Famous people, playing the part of animals. Then he decided the proceeds should go to charities involved with the environment. This caused the rapper to do some further research and in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine he said, “I didn’t know that we literally have 12 years to completely change how we do so many things on earth, from a fundamental standpoint, or the damage will be irreversible. In our lifetime we’re going to experience such a drastic impact.” He goes on to say, “it went from a silly song about animals to, ‘oh my god, this is the most important thing
I’ll ever do.’” The video takes viewers on a fun seven minute ride with shoulder-swaying beats and stimulating visuals. Lil Dicky raps in a clear and concise voice, and it’s almost as if he’s just having a melodic conversation with you. It’s a really important conversation. In a time where people are so divided concerning issues of religion, political stances, and sexual and cultural dissonance, Lil Dicky creates a sense of oneness. He makes a point that all of these differences will cease to matter if we don’t make active decisions to reduce our harmful impact on this planet we all inhabit together. After the video pulls you through various animated corners of the earth, you feel overcome with a sense of love and pride for our planet. And then it gets real. He calls out mankind saying, “We gotta save this planet, we’re being stupid.” Then Ariana Grande chimes in with, “We gotta
Bassist Sam Kiszka performing at Rock am Ring in Germany in June 2018. Courtesy of Stefan Brending/Wikimedia Commons.
get our shit together now.” Then as a call to action the video says, “Guys everyone look into whatever the fuck Leonardo DiCaprio is always pushing.” Leonardo DiCaprio is a huge environmental activist. Since 1998, his foundation has funded over 200 projects and supported over 132 organizations that support issues concerning climate change, wildlife, marine life, media science, technology and more. Best of all, the video Earth leaves you with more than a burning desire to help. It actually provides you with resources to do so. You’re left with WeLoveTheEarth.org, a website that further educates you on issues concerning the environment and how you can help. Here you will find many ways to get involved, and many do not require a monetary contribution. Check out the video on YouTube and as our younger generation would say, get woke. NVILLANUEVA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Drummer Danny Wagner performing at Rock am Ring in Germany in June 2018. Courtesy of rawpic/Wikimedia Commons.
The best Grammy-winning band you’ve never heard of ALTERNATIVE NOTES Victoria Price STAFF EDITOR
In the 1960’s and 70’s, music was graced by the era of classic rock, with iconic bands like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and so many others. With the mainstream market today, the idea of the old-school classic rock genre seems to have passed on with the era it highlighted. However, there’s a new band rising through the ranks that’s proving that theory wrong. In small town Frankenmuth, Michigan, teenagers Josh Kiszka (lead vocals), Jake Kiszka (guitar and backing vocals), Sam Kizska (bass, keyboard, and backing vocals), and Kyle Huack (drums, later
replaced by Danny Wagner in 2013) came together to form Greta Van Fleet in 2012. They came up with the name after a relative of one of the members heard of a Frankenmuth resident named Gretna Van Fleet, and with Fleet’s approval, the band was born, changing “Gretna” to “Greta.” Although they formed in 2012, they didn’t release their first official single until 2017, with the release of “Highway Tune,” gathering attention from fans of classic rock and from the younger generation, giving them a hint of what current music might have sounded like if they were alive 40 or more years ago. Greta Van Fleet’s music is the perfect blend of hard rock and classic blues, fit-
ting into the likes of those that came before them. Their debut EP, “Black Smoke Rising” was released on April 21, 2017, with their second EP “From the Fires” arriving shortly after, with a release date of Nov. 10, 2017. “From the Fires” received mixed to favorable reviews from critics, and the lead singles “Highway Tune” and “Safari Song” charted well on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Alternative Charts, with both songs reaching the top spot by Feb. 2018. Although reviews were mixed, the attention was well deserved, and the band took home the Grammy for Best Rock Album at the 61st Grammy Awards this year. Normally, musicians
that take home such a prestigious honor are talked about and gain a lot of hype in the press, but for Greta Van Fleet, this wasn’t the case. The band receives a lot of negative attention for sounding a little too much like Robert Plant, famous lead singer of well-known rock band Led Zeppelin. While Plant’s and vocalist Josh Kizska’s voices are clearly different (with Kiszka missing an accent), they sing in the same style: that loud, almost arena-style wails that are impressive by almost all standards. Fans of bands like Led Zeppelin flack on Greta Van Fleet for being a carbon copy of the classic bands they draw inspiration from, insisting that no one could ever recreate
the same feelings and style of the music they grew up on. Thinking that way is simply ignorant, and although intentions may be good, it surely doesn’t come off that way. This week, the band announced an extension to their current tour, dubbed the “March of the Peaceful Army,” a reference to their debut album titled “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” released last fall on Oct. 19, 2018. The new dates included some previously missed west coast dates, including Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, and San Diego, among others. After the relase of the new tour dates, Rolling Stone posted a press release notfying fans that dates had been added,
and some of the responses on Twitter were less than positive. Some of the responses read, “Just when I had forgotten about this horrible band..” and “Or you could just stay home and listen to the Led Zeppelin box set.” However, dates sold out within minutes (and from my personal experience, it took me 40 minutes of battling bots just to get a set of tickets), showing that the negativity isn’t doing much damage to their promising career. Greta Van Fleet is still new to the scene, but they’ve proved themselves as more than worthy of attention and praise, and are truly a force to be reckoned with. VPRICE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
SPORTS • 17
the-telescope.com
Comets claim conference crown
Second basman Jillian Zamora and pitcher Allie Hughen doing a handshke before the start of Paloamrs game against Antelope Valley May 4 . Krista Moore/The Telescope
Ripp Friesen STAFF WRITER
Through dedication, hard work, and closeness created through blood, sweat, and tears, the Palomar College Comets softball team clinched their seventh consecutive title and are headed to the playoffs. The softball program has been here for 41 years, and 36 of those years the Comets have won the conference, so it was no surprise to Head Softball Coach Lacey Craft that this year was no different. “We have a really strong
tradition of success,” Craft said going on to talk about the challenge of injuries. “We’ve had some injuries this season and some people returned at the end so it’s nice to have everybody healthy that carried us right into that six-game winning streak.” There were a few injuries on the field such as a sprained ankle and a few broken fingers, but the teammates were able to recover and come back. Throughout their practices, the team members were not only building up their skills but also their bonds with one another.
Speaking with a few members of the team, the feeling of family and teamwork was overwhelming. The teammates all felt that their wins were largely due to this closeness and hard work. “We all care for each other a lot, we help each other out,” Braun said, “we’re there to pick each other up when it comes to it.” Sophomore and centerfielder, McKenna Crawford felt the team’s fight and dedication during practice is something that should be carried on. “This team really
worked hard on, we called it leveling up.” Crawford said, “So, like we would sit on the field until we got a drill done right no matter how long it took so I would say the fight in this team is what got us here.” Sophomore, right fielder and catcher Megan Wachholtz also commented on training the new freshmen players. “We have a lot of new players this season for sure,” Wacholtz said, “We`ve been teaching the freshman a lot of little things, like how the program works.” What made this season
so special as opposed to other seasons? A very balanced team with solid offense and defense. In this lineup, according to Coach Craft, there were seven teammates who were hitting over .400 at the end of this season. “We had a very good offensive lineup this year,” Craft said, “we have had multiple hitters in our lineup who hit over .400.” For now, the Comets are focused on their goal of winning the super regionals, then going on to win the state tournament. One hundred percent of the sophomores on the
team are graduating and transferring out of Palomar College. Athletic Director Scott Cathcart gave praise to both Coach Craft`s, and the entire 2019 teams victories saying, “Winning the conference championship, earning a high seed and advancing deep into the state playoffs has become a standard of normalcy for this program,” he said, “which is both recognized and respected for excellence throughout our state and far beyond.” RFRIESEN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Starting pitcher Hazelwood backbone of pitching staff Krista Moore Jahaida Ramirez STAFF
Twelve years ago, Everhett Hazelwood started his baseball career when his mother announced she had signed him up and his practice would be the fol-
lowing day. Now a sophomore at Palomar Hazelwood turned into a dominant presence on the mound as a right handed pitcher. He earned the SoCal Player of the Week honor the week of March 24. “He was part of our
Everhett Hazelwood right handed pitcher for the Comets. Anna Gabriele / The Telescope
backbone as a club,” Head Coach Ben Adams said, “We were driven by our pitching staff and he was at the forefront all year long.” In his Comets career the Carona native appeared in 28 total games with a record of 7-4. He pitched 88.2 innings in his two years with 100 total strikeouts. He ended the season with a 3.38 ERA and a 4.18 combined ERA for both seasons. Humbled by the award Hazelwood mentioned he had a shaky start to the season and was surprised to receive the honor. In his game that lead to the award he went seven innings with six strikeouts giving up three hits and zero earned runs. “Luckily I had all three pitches working for me that day so that always makes it easier to pitch.” Hazelwood said, “but
overall I think it just came down to me executing the pitches I needed to in certain situations.” Crediting his offense for a four run lead to give him some breathing room, Hazelwood has given his teammates props all season long saying it’s easier to pitch with the defense he has behind him. Teammate and long time friend Gavin Kenny said, “He is a great teammate and competitor, I like watching him pitch and he is a great friend too.” The two pitchers met their freshman year of high school when they went to the same pitching coach, Chris Hyndman. Kenny mentioned he liked the way Hazelwoodwent about his business on and off the baseball field. Coach Adams agreed he was a great competitor saying “ Very talented and
Everhett Hazelwood pitches in the first inning on April 26, 2019 against Mesa, getting three outs with no hits. Sukhi Heumann / The Telescope
ultra competitive.” Adams believes that the sky’s the limit for the righ hander who he believes will continue to grow. For now Hazelwood is a business major and is planning to continue his education at Kansas City
University while hitting the fairway in his spare time. Like so many others he will continue toward his dream of becoming a big leaguer. KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM JRAMIREZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
18 • SPORTS
May 20, 2019
Long time Palomar Comet is laid to rest Krista Moore STAFF EDITOR
Lifelong sports writer and Palomar alum Tom Saxe has left an imprint on the Palomar Athletic Program that will last. In a letter to Palomar faculty Athletic Director, Scott Cathcart said, “Tom committed -not his professional life -but his total life, to what he considered to be his family, the Palomar College Athletic Department.” Saxe was in his 22nd year at Palomar and second as the Sports Information Director (SID) at the school. He also had been the SID for the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference for the last 23 years. The amount of time he put into the athletic program didn’t go unnoticed. Cathcart said, “His long
Tom Saxe, Sports Information Director for the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference. Photo courtesy of Palomar College hours of dedicated effort benefited literally thousands of individual student athletes and brought positive recognition and notoriety to our coaches
and teams regionally, state-wide and even on the national stage.” Football Head Coach Joe Early reflected on his time with Saxe say-
ing, “He was our ‘Palomar Historian’ when it came to athletics and knew and remembered a lot of the athletes that have come through this school.”
Early described how he would show up everywhere, even going as far as to show up to coaches meetings, “He wasn’t afraid to give his opinion either. He was a die-hard Comet football friend.” As a junior in high school Saxe started his career covering Comets sports by writing a season preview about the football team for the Blade-Tribune. From there he went on to become sports editor of Palomar’s student run newspaper, The Telescope, before moving on to bigger roles as sports editor for the Vista Press/ San Marcos Courier. Saxe also wrote for the San Diego Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. “I joked a lot about Tom being our general manager,” Early said,“ Because he was around so much in our practices,
on the sidelines or in the pressbox, or in our back coaches office during meetings.” Saxe was always around the athletics program as a track and field and a cross country runner as well as a writer getting to know the student athletes. As the first inductee to the Palomar Athletics Hall of Fame, Tom Saxe will be missed in the athletic department. Throughout the athletic department coaches recognized him to be a very important part of player development “Tom Saxe lived and breathed Palomar athletics,” Baseball Head Coach Ben Adams said, “he in fact was Palomar Athletics!” KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Men’s golf captures conference title Krista Moore STAFF EDITOR
Freshman tennis player Cali Smith. Richard Contreras/ The Telescope.
Freshman tennis player has breakout season Richard Contreras STAFF WRITER
As the only Palomar Comet to play on the all-conference team for women’s tennis singles, freshman Cali Smith had a standout first year at Palomar College. Though Smith is new to Palomar, she’s no stranger to tennis, having started playing when she was in the fourth grade. Smith said she was introduced to tennis when she was hanging out with a friend who had to go to practice. Her friend told her that she could either sit on the bench and wait or borrow her extra racquets and clothes. “It was just supposed to be this one-time thing,” Smith said. It clearly was not a onetime thing. Smith continued to play tennis, earning her way onto the varsity team at San Pasqual High School in Escondido. In 2016 she was a finalist in the Valley League Champi-
onship. Smith recounted a time during her junior year of high school where she was playing a girl that had beaten her previously. They were on the third of three matches and she was down 5-0. “I came back and beat her 7-5. It was really exciting, not only to see progress in myself but to see that regardless of how you’ve performed against someone in the past, every match is new,” Smith said. Smith’s goals for this season were to qualify for the Ojai Annual Tennis Tournament and to enjoy herself as much as possible. To make it to Ojai, Smith would first have to do well at the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC). She was seeded fourth and qualified for Ojai, accomplishing both of her goals. Smith’s coach, Carly de Anda said “Cali’s biggest asset is her mental toughness.” She went on
to say, “I’ve seen her lose a few games in a match and yet where some players give up or put themselves down, she is able to dig deep and pull herself out of that headspace and take control of her game.” Off the courts, Smith keeps herself busy as a full-time student majoring in English with a minor in Spanish and waitressing at an Italian restaurant. “I’ve always loved writing, and it’s been a big part of my life. I want to be a teacher, so English seemed to fit the bill,” Smith said. In the short-term, Smith hopes to do a semester in Spain and transfer to a four-year college such as one of the Universities of California. To unwind after her long days of school, tennis, and work, Smith enjoys running and making music. “I’m really into music. I love to sing, and I’m learning guitar right now and writing music,” Smith said. RCONTRERAS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
The men’s golf team capped of a dominant season with a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title. The team ended with 44 wins and four losses with a first round score of 392 against College of the Desert. In their second round the team shot a 380 and rounded off the afternoon with a score of 772 to defeat COD. Along with the conference title Jacob Montes was awarded player of the year with a total score of 742 on the season. Montes shot a 76 in the first championship round and followed up with a 73 in
the second round. Alex Rhee was a low medalist for the tournament shooting a 77 in round one and a 71 in the second round for a combined total of 148. Zach Brown shot a 75 in round one and a 79 in round two. Kyroshiro Azumada shot an 84 in round two and a 78 in round. Richard Jeppesen shot an 80 in the first round and an 86 in the second round. Rounding out the Comets Kyle Hazlett scored an 86 followed by a 79 in the second round. At regionals Palomar finished sixth out of nine teams and missed qualifying for the state tourna-
ment. They finished with a 744 team score. Montes won the tournament shooting with a score of 139. For the rest of the team Hazlett came in second with a combined score of 146, Kyoshiro Azumada shat a 152, Alex Rhee had a combined score of 153, Zach Brown shot a 154 and Richard Jeppesen shot a 161. Montes And Hazlett advanced to the state tournament. Montes received an Honorable mention for all conference while receiving All -Conference Player with his Athlete -of -the -Year award for men’s golf. KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Palomar Comet Mens Golf Team.Top left to right: Ryan Stewart, Richard Jeppesen, Jacob Montes, Kyoshuro Azumada.Bottom left to right: Kyle Hazlett,Zachary Brown. Emily Whetstone/ The Telescope.
SPORTS • 19
the-telescope.com
Palomar athletics succeed on and off the field COURTNEY DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Ninety-five percent of student-athletes at Palomar College are successful in their sophomore year either continuing at Palomar, completing their desired educational goals or transferring. The Athletics Program credits this to the dedication and motivation of student-athletes coupled with the handson approach designed to keep student-athletes on track. Palomar StudentAthlete Transfer Rates Soar Palomar College has one of the largest athletic programs in the state, with a combined 22 sports teams averaging 450 participants each year. The student-athletes that participate in this program are a specialized population who are uniquely different to any other student population. While most non-athlete students can self-pace, student-athletes are not afforded that opportunity. Strict regulations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) state students are allowed four years of competition, which must be completed in a five-year period, as measured from the point of full-time enrollment in a post-secondary institution. The additional year allows a student-athlete to complete his or her eligible athletic competition in case of an injury or academic deficiency. While the NCAA isn’t the governing entity over Palomar College Athlet-
Happy graduating students file in and take their seats the commencement ceremony at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA on May 26, 2017. Joe Dusel / The Telescope.
ics, most student-athletes plan to transfer to universities where NCAA regulations are in place. “From the moment a studentathlete enrolls full time, their NCAA five-year clock begins,” said Palomar’s Athletic Academic Counselor, Steve White. An emphasis on academics is placed on student-athletes beginning at their initial athletic academic counseling appointment. “Ninety percent of the first counseling appointment is focused on academics,” said White. “Student-athletes are held to a higher standard in a shorter amount of time.” Enrollment in a minimum of 12-units, nine of which must be in academic coursework, is mandatory for participation in Palomar’s intercollegiate athletics program, which is governed by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). First-time participation in Palomar College intercollegiate athletics requires no oth-
er academic standard. Continuing eligibility for sophomores, however, is determined by the successful completion of 24 units (18 of which must be in academic coursework), while maintaining a minimum 2.0 grade-point average, as measured from the semester in which the student-athlete’s first year of competition was conducted. Resources for studentathletes are abundant. Counseling services are provided for student-athletes by White, whose role is to advocate and advise in academics for studentathletes, provide guidance in the accomplishment of educational goals through the development of a Student Educational Plan, and serve as a liaison between coaches, studentathletes and faculty with any academic concerns that arise. Academic resources available to student-athletes are in concert with those available to the general student population,
allowing for greater success. The student-athlete population is different, in part due its high level of motivation to compete. “We understand that student-athletes have an inherent advantage in comparison to non-
athletes,” said Director of Athletics, Scott Cathcart. “The greatest advantage our students have is the self-motivation to participate in a program of their choosing, for which they have developed a strong passion.”
According to Cathcart, the important thing to pull from the statistics is that more student-athletes are staying in school. The success of these students is also important. The hands-on approach the Athletics Program takes involves weekly eligibility checks and grade checks to ensure students remain eligible and on track in their academics. “It is a plain and simple fact,” said Cathcart, “you cannot be an intercollegiate athlete unless you’re a collegiate student first.” Palomar College’s 2019 softball team is proof the high standards studentathletes are held to are successful. All sophomores on the 2019 softball team are transferring with 100 percent of transfer careers extended. CDAVIS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR STATISTICS FROM CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHANCELLORS OFFICE Full-time enrollment for both the fall and spring semesters – Athletes 65 percent; General Students 11 percent. Students with a GPA < 2.0 – Athletes 23 percent; General Students 26 percent. Students with GPA 2.0 to 2.49 – Athletes 17percent; General Students 11 percent. Students with GPA > 2.5 – Athletes 60 percent; General Students 56 percent. Average units attempt-
ed – Athletes 30.96 percent; General Students 12.41 percent. Average Successful Units Completed – Athletes 23.57 percent; General Students 10.58 percent. Students who completed less than 24 units – Athletes 47 percent; General Students 75 percent. Students who completed 24-29.9 units – Athletes 21Percent; General Students 6 percent.
eral Students 3 percent. Average course success rate – Athletes 77 percent; General Students 69 percent. Percentage of students who’ve taken an English course – Athletes 75 percent; General Students 49 percent Percentage of students who’ve completed a transfer-level English course – Athletes 77 percent; General Students 73 percent.
Students who completed more than 30 units – Athletes 31 percent; Gen-
Beach volleyball duo reaches regionals Krista Moore STAFF EDITOR
Beach Volleyball pair Mikayla Seiler and Noemi Ramos were the only Comets to reach regionals this season representing the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference. The ten seeded pair faced the No. 2 seeded pair from El Camino in the first round dropping two sets, 21-17 and 21-16, putting them in the losers bracket. In their second round Seiler and Ramos faced Bakersfield taking the
match in two sets, 21-18 in both sets. In the final round the duo faced a pair from MiraCosta, but lost their third set 16-14 where their season ended. Seiler received a first team all-conference honor for both indoor and beach volleyball. In her two years at Palomar she had 287 digs and 59 kills. She is committed to Western Oregon University for indoor volleyball. KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Left: Noemi Ramos and Mikayla Seiler grab the championship title for Palomar Collage at the 2019 PCAC pairs tournement. Mariesa Randow/ The Telescope Above Left: Comet’s player Mikayla Seiler, serves during the game against San Deigo Mesa on March 23. Aubree Wiedmaier/The Telescope Above Right: Palomar women’s beach volleyball player, Noemi Ramos, prepares to spike the ball, Mar. 23. Taylor Hardey/The Telescope.
SPORTS â&#x20AC;˘ 20
the-telescope.com
All-Conference Comets Comets outfielder and power hitter Pignone has set the tone each game leading off with a .432 batting average. The sophomore out of San Clemente earned a first team honor with a .481 on base percentage and a .705 slugging percentage. In two years with Palomar she has appeared in 81 games with a .441 average.
Pitcher and middle infielder Hughen has been dominate in the circle for the Comets appearing in 22 games this season and 77 innings pitched. As a pitcher she has a total of 130 innings pitched in two years with a 0.70 ERA. As a hitter Hughen has a .364 batting average this season and a .392 career average earning her first team honors.
In her sophomore year at Palomar Fisher is batting .471 with five home runs and 52 RBIs. The outfielder turned third basemen has a .523 on base percentage while slugging .772 in her two seasons as a Comet earning her a first team honors.
Outfielder and catcher Wachholt earned a first team spot with a .469 batting average with 38 RBIs. In her two years in a Comets uniform she is slugging .578 with a .537 on base percentage. This season she lead the team in walks with 20.
Freshman utility player has earned a first team honors in her first year as a Comet batting with a .446 average with a .544 on base percentage and a .651 slugging percentage.
Freshman catcher and utility player Kates has played in 40 games so far batting a .414 with two home runs in her first year with Palomar. She has 30 RBIs and five stolen bases while slugging .569 and a .461 on base percentage to earn a first team honor.
Freshman pitcher for the Comets earned an all conference second team honor with 121.2 innings pitched. She had a 17-2 record in regular season play leading the conference in strikeouts 119 in 28 appearances and had a 1.67 ERA.
First basemen out of Escondido High School has appeared in 41 games batting .350. Penrod has a .383 on base percentage while slugging .615. Se has 43 RBIS with two stolen bases to earn her a place on the second all conference team.
Riley earned an honorable mention batting .386 with seven RBI and stolen bases. In her freshman season with the Comets the outfielder has a .449 on base percentage while slugging .477 in 26 games.
Freshman shortstop Robinson, from Mt.Carmel High School has appeared in 38 games this season. She has a .313 batting percentage with 12 RBIs and three stolen bases. In her first year in a Comets uniform she earned her honorable mention with a .364 on base percentage while slugging .375.
The sophomore pitcher from Poway High School appeared in 23 games this season with three complete games and two shutouts. Braun has 56 innings pitched with a 2.63 ERA and 41 strikeouts earning her an honorable mention
In her freshman year at Palomar Smith is the only tennis player to be named to the all conference team. She was seated fourth in singles play.
The freshman outfielder from Las Vegas earned a first team all conference honor with a .366 batting average and sevens stolen bases in 37 games played for the overall season Hemphill lead the team in hits with 52 and stolen bases. He ended his first season as a comet with a team leading .445 on base percentage and a .415 slugging percentage.
The third baseman for the Comets ended his season with a .333 batting average with 19 RBIs and five stolen base in 34 games played.. His .442 on base percentage and .508 slugging percentage help him earn first team honors.
In his Palomar career Olthoff has pitched a total of 105.1 innings with 68 of those coming this season. The right hander earned a first team honor a 6-1 record holding a 2015 ERA and 75 strikeouts . In his two years wearing a Comets uniform he started eight conference games holding a 3.08 ERA and 122 strikeouts
The sophomore right hander had a breakout season this year with 64 innings pitched and a 3.38 ERA to capture a first team honor. After two years with Palomar he pitched in seven conference games with a total of 88.2 inning pitched and 100 strikeouts averaging 10.15 strikeouts per nine innings.
Reliever for the Comets, Reitmeyer appeared in 16 games this season. The right hander ended the year with a 1.13 ERA and 44 strikeouts earning a first team spot. In two years at Palomar he had a total of 51 strikeouts and a 0.82 ERA.
Freshman first basemen Ianniciello played in 35 games this season. He had a .326 batting average with four home runs and 46 RBIs. Ianniciello was tied for second on the team with 42 hits and led the team in doubles with 12 earning him an all conference honorable mention.
The freshman infielder out of Hawaii rounded out the All Conference honors with a .311 batting average in 32 games played this season for the Comets. He had a .400 on base percentage and a .367 slugging percentage to earn an honorable mention.
On the season the freshman infielder held .313 batting average with 29 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 36 games to get an honorable mention. Omahen is tied with Evan Ianniciello for second on the team in hits with 42 and had a.412 on base percentage with a .388 slugging percentage.
Photo of Andrew Reitmeyer by Hugh Cox, Photos of Allie Hughen, Megan Wachholtz, Samantha Renteria, Catalina Aguilar, Everhett Hazelwood, and Trevor Omahen by Sukhi Heumann/ The Telescope Photos of Sarah Fisher. Taylor Rylee, Aubrey Braun, Noah Hemphill, Braden Olthoff, and Evan Ianniciello by Taylor Hardey/ The Telescope. Photo of Cali Smith by Mariesa Randow/ The Telescope. Photos of Kylie Pignone, Kendall Kates, Rylee Penrod, Antionette Robinson, Justin Folz, and Jaisten Cabatbat by Krista Moore/ The Telescope.