Founded 1946
Palomar College
Volume 41 No. 14
A Publication for the Associated Students
Friday, March 11, 1988
San Marcos, CA
Election Reynaga vetoes Hoop hoop hooray! deadline are overridden slated By Tom Fitzpatrick
When does a presidential veto not a veto make? When it is overridden by two-thirds of the student senate or exceeds the
Election dates and a new deadline for student government elections were announced in a March 9 memo by Election Committee Chairperson Fred Tracey. According to the new schedule, candidates must me a completed petition of intent to run by March 25. Petitions, which require the signatures of 350 registered students, are now available in the Student Acctivities Office, R-30. The election is set to take place April 4 through 6, according to Tracey. Tabulation of ballots is scheduled for April 7. All elective positions in the Associated Student Government, including president, vice-president, treasurer, and each of the 10 senate seats, are up for a vote. Those elected as senators will serve until elections next fall, while the terms of the executive positions last only until executive elections this May. Students carrying a minimum of six units and maintaining a grade point average of at least 2.0 are eligible to run for an ASG office.
Money leads UCLA survey
Mexico trip scheduled for summer Beginning June 26, Palomar College will offer beginning and advanced Spanish classes in the colonial city of Morella, Mexico. History, art, anthropology, international business, education, guitar, folkloric dancing, and Mexican cooking classes also will be offered. According to instructors George Pesacreta and Joel Rivera, program participants will enjoy a "total immer- . sion" in Spanish, live with Mexican families, speak Spanish daily, and experience Mexican culture firsthand in the picturesque central highlands of Mexico, midway between Guadalajara and Mexico City. Both three-week and five-week programs are offered. The five-week program runs June 26 through July 30 at a cost of $775 plus air fare. Students can apply for grants to pay some costs. Two three-week programs are offered: June 26 through July 16, and July 10 through July 30. The cost is $525 plus airfare. The fees include room, board, fieldtrip, and transportation to outlying villages. Not included are transportation to and from Morella and registration ($5 per unit up to a $50 maximum). Classroom activities and child-care will be available at modest costs to families with small children. Spaces are limited. Early reservations are recommended. For more information, call the Foreign Languages Department Ext. 2390, or Palomar's Community Education Division at Ext. 2156.
Graduation deadline set March 15 is the deadline to apply for spring graduation. Students can complete A.A. degree and/ or CertifiCate of Achievement applications at the Admissions and Records office.
Patrick Jones claims a trophy after Saturday's 71-57 victory over Pasadena in the Dome. The win propelled the Comets into this weekend's basketball playoffs in Santa Clara. For game details see page 3. (Photo by Becky Adams)
EFFICIENCY RATE UP
Financial well being seems to be the most important value among college students, according to a report released by Dr. Alexander Astin, professor of education at the University of California at Los Angeles. The report, condensed in a memo to faculty members from Dr. George Boggs, president/superintendent, also shows that women students outnumber men and show the greatest increased interest in business careers and have a desire to have administrative responsibility for others. Other points in the report are: •Adults tend to be part-time students. •Women freshmen are the highest smoking group. •Business careers are the main vocational interest of college freshmen. Arts, humanities and social sciences majors have declined by 10 percent in 1987. •Interest in teaching careers have "plummeted." •There is a gradual trend against majoring in physical and life sciences, and mathematics has become a less popular academic discipline. •Students show a lower level of social concern. •Students have not become more conservative since the 1960's. Students take a liberal view in regards to the legislation of abortion, school bussing and defense spending. •The percentage of students in favor of legalizing marijuana has fallen from 52 percent in 1977 to 20 percent in 1987. •Community college students are more likely to be part-time, minority, disadvantaged and to hold part-time employment.
New phone system accepted By Fred Tracey People didn't know what to think about it. To some, it meant one more way of computers taking over everything. But now when people call the switchboard · and get a live person, they ask, "Where's the computer?" Since last July and $65,000 later, the new phone system made its mark on Palomar students and staff. No longer were they speaking to a live person when they called in. Now, they get D.I.A.L. (Direct Access Link), and if you're using a touchtone phone, you can dial the extension you are calling yourself. If you don't have a touchtone phone, you can stay on the line and a live person will be there to help you.
One of the "live" persons you are most likely to talk to is Maryann Amaya, Palomar's senior switchboard operator. Before coming to Palomar four years ago, Amaya spent seven and a half years with the telephone company in Chicago. She also worked at
the University of Chicago as a budget assistant. If you can catch Amaya during a quiet moment, she1l be glad to tell you what the new telephone system has meant to Palomar.
"One thing I think the system has given my office is more efficiency in answering calls. We have got the office to a 95% efficiency rate as far as personnel needs and handling the calls go." Human nature being what it is, some people calling in had a hard time getting used to the computer. "They didn't like it," explained Amaya. "But once we educated the people calling in on how to best use the system, they accepted it. A majority of the time, people are patient. But like any other business, there are those who are impatient." Under the old system, if the switchboard happened to be busy, it might have taken one of two switchboard operators 40 to 50 rings to answer a call. Now, with the D.IAL. system, 18 calls can be answered at one time, on one line.
Adding to this convenience, was the message capability each extension on campus can have. Pat Farris, business services coordinator, said she is hoping students will press their instructors who don't have the service to get it. If a student calls an instructor who is out of his/ her office, a student can leave a message. It may seem astounding to know that under tpe old system operators were answering 2,000 to 3,000 calls a day. But even with the new automated system, operators usually handle 850 calls a day.
Operators are able to spend a little more time with people to help them get whatever business they have done, or get them to the right person. "We have a lot of things to remember. There's a lot of general information to pass along to the public," Amaya said. "Being pleasant to people who call, that's what we do." People with questions or suggestions on telephone services are encouraged to call Pat Farris at Ext. 2108.
powers given to the president. Associated Student Government president Mary Reynaga encountered both circumstances after her February 19 veto of five motions approved by they senate. Senators voted at the March 2 government meeting to override her disapproval of two funding measures, one that gave $5000 for scholarships and another that provided the men's volleyball program with $2000, after briefly discussing then dismissing Reynaga's recommendations on the measures. The president had suggested that only $2000 be spent on scholarships this year and $1000 be placed in a trust fund. Interest from the fund would then be used for future scholarships. She also recommended that men's volleyball be given only $1500 and provided with the option of returning later with a request for an additional $500 if needed. A third veto, which sought to prevent a February 26 disqualification hearing, was virtually ignored after senate members determined Reynaga exceeded her authority by making the decision. A hearing to disqualify Mary Bagshaw and Suzie Yankton as senators because of alleged excessive meeting absences was held as scheduled on February 26 despite Reynaga's veto of the action. This, according to head senator Ken Green, was possible because the president lacks the authority to bar the senate from meeting. No action was taken at that meeting when a quorum failed to attend. Bagshaw was removed at a rescheduled March 4 hearing by a 2-1 vote, with one senator abstaining. Yankton quit before the hearing could be held. Reynaga fared better in her move to block spending $595 on jackets for cheerleaders and $9000 on furniture for the Student Union. Senators went with the president's recommendtions that only $250 be given to the cheerleaders and that $1000 of the money allocated for new furniture be spent in the student lounge.
Nursing need highlighted Students interested in careers as registered nurses can attend informational meetings in N0-1 every Thursdayat4 p.m. The one-hour meetings focus on the many career opportunities found in the nursing industry. A discussion of the Palomar program, prerequisites and a course outline are provided. Palomar's nursing education department offers a fully-accredited registered nursing degree. One purpose of the meetings is to raise public awareness regarding the serious shortage of nurses in this area. "The nurse shortage leaves many attractive job opportunities open in the San Diego area and across the country," according to Carolyn Richtmyer of the Palomar staff. "In San Diego County, for example, a recent graduate with an associate degree in nursing can expect to start at $1800 to $2000 per month in acute care hospitals and other community health agencies." The meeting room (N0-1) is located on the south end of the campus. For more information, call Ext. 2279.