The Telescope 51.14

Whether doing the "soul grind" or the "Superman slide," skating trends are growing by leaps and bounds and scrapes and ...

FRIDAY, FEB.

Page 6

OPINION

SPORTS

This is your mission should you choose to accept it: arrive at Palomar early enough to acquire a legal parking space and reach your classroom rendezvous point on time.

Page 5

The season goes into full swing for the Comets' baseball team

PALOMA~ COLLEGE

2 7, 1998

ESCONDIDO CENTER

Page 10

SAN MARCOS

VOLU ME

51,

NUMBER

14

AIN ' T N o MouNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

Plans for • neww1ng take off Beatriz Banuelos Swff Wmer

If everything goes as planned, the construction to retrofit the original wing of Palomar College E condido Education Center, will begin this summer.

The "600" wing is located in the southeast part of the center where a taco shop once operated and its ne ighbor, a dentist office, c arries on as usual. The dental office will be relocated in May to another part of the cente r whe n con struc ti on begins.

No noticeable c hanges will be seen from the outs ide because cons tructi on will ta ke place ins ide where the floors, ceilings and walls will be knocked out and reco nstructed to con vert the building to a Departme nt of State Arc hitect earthquake-sate approved s tructure.

Pa lomar 's Dental A ssis ting Department has shown an interest in the Escondido Ce nter 's 600 wing, but no offic ial proposals have been submitted.

Acc ording to Kelle y HudsonMaclsaac, manager faciliti es planning/environme ntal health & safe ty, faciliti es, the 600-wing expans ion could allow the dental assisting program mo re space and support future extended classroom use o n bo th ca mpuses .

Palom a r Coll ege owns the Escondido Center, purc hased with state fundin g in 199 1, and leases o ut space to businesses.

Director of Fac ilities Mike E llis said the cost to conve rt the 600 wing from a c omme rc ial building to a DSA approved building will be an estimated $300,000. · "Sometimes the wheels w o rk slow on making a detenninatio n," aid E llis. The entire 600 wing will be available for c lassroom use after retrofitting, but no de finite lay-out plans have been proposed o r dete rmined . DSA approval could ta ke anywhere from s ix weeks to s ix months, Elli s said .

Photos hy Becky Va n Doorn I The Telescope

Palomar student Russel Bowers, member of the Latter Day Saints Student Association, takes a much-needed rest during the club's effort to fix-up the ·"P."

PUIICIIIID UP Til

~p~

Annica Gerber Managing Ed11or

Dana Bellafaire \taff Wmer

Our c ountry 's c apita l has the Was hington mo nument, New Y9rk has the Empire State Building and Palomar pronounces its prese nce with our very o wn capital P. T he letter " P" which is located o n the hill that overlooks Palo mar college's main campus was o ri g inall y given to the college as a g ift from the 1952 sophomore graduatin g class to he lp make the campus m or~. n oti ceabl e.

Director of the Latte r Day Saints Stude nts Association Blain M organ and the me mbers o f the Pa lomar Co ll ege c lub were in c harge of the "P" uptake, whic h included replacing the limestone that gives it it white color and re moving overgrown weeds.

Relva Whetton and Nathan Broderick stand in the shadow of the landmark and work-in-progress "P."

S F:E

PUNCHING UP, PAGE 4

Jared Stucki shovels lime on to the hillside to bring out the white in the Palomar "P." The 50-pound bags of lime had to be carried up the hill.

Campus crime exists, but -Security says it could be worse Natalie Petrovic

. A-~ Crime Scene 0 Q) Palomar Year End Report

5

10

15

20

25

NUMBER OF. REPORTED INCIDENTS DURING THE

30

1996-1997

Swtf Writer

35

40

SCHOOL YEAR As hton

Ta~ lor I

Tlte Telescope

Imagine walking to your car a fter class only to find it is not the re.

Though this is a real ity fo r some Pal omar students, is it as big of a probl em as it sce ms 7 " No," sa ys Campus Security Supervisor Mike Alle man. "We are ve ry fortun a te, given the size of the stude nt bod y and the number of trans ient persons vis iting o ur earnpu s, that we haven' t suffered any tragedies."

A llem an is re ferring to recent mu rders at two colleges. T he first inc ide nt took place a t South Texas Community College. Two masked g unme n a rmed w ith autom a tic weapons killed a security guard and injured three o thers while students reg istered for c lasses . T he thieves

took abo ut $800 collected in reg istratio n fees .

The second inciden t was the beating and killi ng of a Uni vers ity o f Texas Campus Securi ty O fficer by a me nta ll y ill man. Closer to home, rapes a nd sex ua l assaul ts occurred a.t Universi ty of California campuses in both Los Angeles and San D iego.

At Palomar, the biggest tragedy is the fact that between 1996 and 1997 vehicle thefts and burglaries doubled, a nd vehicle tamperi ngs nearly quadrupled.

A lleman says, however, th at Campus Security is a lready on top of the prob lem, taking measures to prevent this activity. High levels of both vis ibil ity and observation arc j ust two ways Campus Patro l Offi cers arc atte mpting to lower the risk of theft.

Acco rd ing to a m e morandum released by the National Center for Educatio n regard ing na tionwide statistics, Palomar has a sig nificantly lo wer crime rate because there is no campus housing. There have been no rapes or murders repo rted at Palom ar College.

Thefts and burglaries are also signi fica ntl y lower than national college campus stati stics.

Accord ing to Alleman, "The m ain reason we arc striving so hard to upgrade Campus Security to po lice · standards campus wide is that we have student, s taff a nd fac ulty aware of the critical crimes ta king place on other campuses. T hey [student, staff and faculty] have a g reat deal of insight and proacti ve thinking fo r wanti ng a hig her level of security," Alleman than ks them for that a nd says, " It 's a smart move."

2

CAMPUS BEAT

THE TELESCOPE

•

FRIDAY, FEB.

27, 1998

EAT

AM PUS PALOMAR IN BRIEF Items needed for club's sale The Palomar College Undefeated Club needs unwanted, but still usable items for a rummage sale.

Everything from the smallest household item to larger pieces or complete sets of furniture are needed for the sale.

All items donated qualify as a tax deduction if you receive a receipt for the donation. The Undefeated Club must have possession of all donations before March 6.

The proceeds from the rummage sale along with proceeds from other fund-raising efforts will go toward scholarships for disabled students.

The sale will be held on March 8 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the parking lot at 525 W. Washington Ave. in Escondido.

To arrange for transportation of donated items or for more information, call (760) 744-11 SO, ext. 2376 and ask for the Undefeated Club's President Rita Reynolds or Mary Tuttle to arrange a collection of the items.

-Patricia McAvoy Staff Writer

WalkAmerica to benefit children The annual March of Dimes WalkAmerica is coming to North County on Saturday, April 25.

Over 750 participants will help raise $75,000 for the March of Dimes Campaign for Healthier Babies. For 60 years it has worked to improve the health of America's children and is now the leading advocate for the health of mothers and babies.

Last year, 72 people walked on behalf of the Palomar College team raising over $4600. This year the goal is to have I00 Palomar College faculty, staff, students and family participate.

Each member will be required to collect donations from family, friends and co-workers on behalf of their participation prior to the walk.

All walkers will receive a "Palomar College WalkAmerica 1998" T-shirt to wear on the day.

This year the leaders are JoAnne Giese (Administrative Services), Gay Gilchrist (Information Services), and Josie Silva (Vocatiopal Technology).

For more information and forms, call (760) 744-1150, ext. 2140, 2109 or 2276.

-Summer Murphy Staff Writer

Used computers to go on ·a uction Palomar will be holding a public sale of used computers and equipment starting at I 0 a.m. on March 6.

The sale will take place at the District's Warehouse, located south of Borden Road and just off of Comet Circle at the maintenance

Do you think there is an age at which someone is too old to drive?

Hair's to Black History Month ...

compo~nd.

Bids wi II be received by the warehouse supervisor and his staff.

Closing for the first round of bidding will end by silent auction at noon .

All remaining computers will be sold to the highest bidder by oral auction until either all equipment is sold or there are no further bids.

All computers and equipment are to be sold in "AS IS" condition and all sales are final.

For further information, directions to the site of the auction and a list of items to be bid, call (760) 7 44-1150 ext. 2130 prior to the date of the bidding.

-Kristina King Staff Writer

Classes held in Ensenada The Foreign Languages Department is offering a Spanish immersion program at the Center for Languages and Latin American Studies in Ensenada, Mexico. It will give students all the benefits of an intensive Spanish language program abroad.

Students earn one unit of credit for each weekend of participation, which entails constant Spanish language instruction and 20 or more hours of informal exposure to the language by living with a Mexican family.

Students are responsible for their own transportation.

The trip will take place from Fridav ni!!ht to Sund'!Y afternoon the weekends of March 27-29, April 17-19 or April 24-26.

The cost for the programs, not including Palomar fees, range from $115-$165. To apply, applicants must enroll in Spanish 296 (one to three units), Spanish 50 (three units), or Spanish 205 (three units).

There will be an informational meeting on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. in room F-1 or call (760) 744- 1150, Ext. 2347.

-Summer Murphy Staff Writer

Workshops on harassment Teresa Doyle, vice-president of human resources and affirmative action, and attorney Richard Currier will be presenting a workshop on sexual harassment on March 6.

The workshops will focus on sexual harassment in the workplace and will be held in room LS-24. Talks will be based on law and sexual harassment policy. [n addition, sexual harassment will be defined and participants will learn how to recognize the different types of· it in the workplace. The workshop begins at 9 a.m. to II a.m . or I p.m. to 3 p.m. No appointment is needed.

For more information, call (760) 744- 1150 Ext. 2531.

- Rumiko Takeya Staff Writer

Emma Rafferty Undeclared " If their eyesight goes and they are not capable of remembering things then yes. Otherwise no."

John DeCoursey I The Telescope

Members of the Pan Afrikcan Student Movement Sharon Malone, vice president; Elaine James, president; Jose Cartengna and Zeda Barrett, treasurer, display their hairstyles for a Black History Month celebration in the Student Union on Feb. 18. Helenia Morgan, the hair designer, spent about nine hours on all the hair designs.

PATROL BLOTTER

CAMPUS CALENDER

THEFT - On Feb. II between I :30 p.m. and 3 p.m. a vehicle from Lot 14 was stolen.

VANDALISM - On Feb. 12 signs in Lot 3 were vandalized and thrown into the Arboretum. Between Feb. 14 and 17 the staff buildings were vandalized. Between Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. and Feb. 17 at I p.m. unknown suspects defaced flyers that were posted in the Student Union with sexual innuendo.

HIT AND RUN - On Feb. 13 between 8 p.m. and I0: 15 p.m. an unknown suspect drove into a vehicle in Lot 8 causing minor damage.

PETTY THEFT - On Feb. 18 at 3:22p.m. a student shopl ifted a 20 ounce bottle of Slice from the cafeteria. A cafeteria worker saw the student and reported it.

PRE-MEDICAL SOCIETY - Learn about preparing for careers in all areas of the health/medical field. Meetings will be held at 2 p.m . in room ES-1 0 on Fridays, March 6 and 20, April 3 and 17, and May I. ALPHA GAMMA SIGMA - Meetings will be held every other Wednesday at noon in room SU-22.

PHI THETA KAPPA- Meetings will qe held every other Wednesday at II a.m. in room SU-22.

LATTER DAY SAINTS STUDENT ASSOCIATION - The refreshing of the "P" will be completed on Feb. 28. It will be held behind Lot 9 at 9 a.m.

PAN AFRIKCAN STUDENT MOVEMENT (PASM)- Meetings will be held every first and thirJ Friday of the month. It will be held in room SU-16 at I p.m. and ends at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Elaine James at (760) 489-4807.

GAY AND LESBIAN ASSOCIATION (GALA) - Meetings will be held on Wednesday in room SU- 17 at 5 p.m. through 6 p.m. For more information, contact Rachel L. Farr, co-president of GALA at (760) 744-1150 Ext. 2594.

SOFTWARE DEMONSTRATION - A demonstration of the Integrated Reengineered Information System (IRIS) will be held at the Howard Brubeck Theater on March 4 at 2 p.m.

THEATER GUILD - Meetings will be held Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. until I p.m. at the coffeeshop in the performing arts courtyard.

MOVIMIENTQ ESTUDIANTIL CHICANO de AZTLAN (MECHA) -Meetings will be held Fridays at I p.m. in room SU- 17.

WOMEN'S CHORUS - The chorus wil l meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday beginning at 12 p.m. through 12: 50 p.m. in room D-5.

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD- Nominations are open for this year's award. Forms can be found at the library, Student Services Center, the Student Union and the Escondido Center. Deadline is March 6.

F.Y.INFO OPEN REGISTRATION - Registration in short-tenn or openentry/open-exit classes is allowed starting Jan. 31 through the end of semester. If a class is closed, secure instructor's signature.

REGISTRATION REFUND - Fees for dropped spring classes will be applied to new classes added through May only.

DROPPING A CLASS - Feb. 14 through March 13, a "W" will appear on a student's record. Beginning March 14 through end of semester no drops will be allowed and an evaluative grade or "I" will be given.

SPRING GRADUATION - Deadline to apply is March 2. There I is no deadline for California State University general educatiqn (CSU GE) and IGETC applications.

FALL 1997 GRADES - Grades are availab le now. Students may also submit a self-addressed, stamped envelope in drop box in Admissions . Place your social security number and semester attended under flap.

Xavier Corona Undeclared " No, unless their physical cond itions impair them from driving properly then that would be an issue."

Myra Garcia Liberal Studies " I think they should get their licen se taken away if they've had it taken away in the past or if they drive too slow.''

- Interested in submitting club information? Contact Melody Cruz at (760) 744-1150 Ext. 2450 or stop by room TCB-1.

Scott Sandlend Undeclared " I think there should be more testing because a lot of them have problems when they drive."

Tom Chambers Biblical Studies

Zharid Cornejo Criminal Justice

" I think they should have more frequent exams so they can determine whether to pull their licenses."

" They should be checked every two years to see how their eyesight is doing and their reaction time."

THE TELESCOPE

•

FRIDAY, FEB.

27, 1998

NEWS

3

Left: During a break in their day-long effort to clean up and re lime the college's landmark "P," (from left to right) Russel Bowers, Tyson Bizzigotti, Nathan Broderick, Blain Morgan and Relva Whetton listen to one of Morgan's parables of life. Topics he included: the rewards of hard work and the hindrance of whiners.

Right: Blain Morgan, who lead volunteer students and members of the Ladder Day Saints Student Association up the hill behind Lot 9, could not help but comment on the amount of sweat required to make the "P" look as good as new.

Photos by Becky Van Doorn I Tire Telescope

PUNCHING UP: students, staff pitch in to help give Palomar's 'P' a makeover CONTINUED FROM PAGE

1

The first attempt at re-liming the "P" on Feb. 6 was postponed due to the effects of E l Nino, but the LDS group rescheduled the event for the morning. of Monday, Feb. 16.

Morgan was the first to arrive in Lot 9 with several pounds of limestone and all the equipment necessary to redo the " P.'' John Trimble, an art and child development m ajor enjoyed helping out because he ~aid "it showed his school sp irit."

Nathan Broderick, a member of the LDS Association helped out by carrying several of the 50-pound bags along with some landscaping equipm~nt up the hill.

Before the actual work on the "P" could begin there were weeds that had to be pulled ' to clear a path for the workers.

Tyson Bizzigotti, another member of the LDS Association, helped out by pulling weeds and cutting back vegetation alo ng with Relva Wh'etton, a c lub adviser, and Jared Stuck, a social science major.

The recent storms have made it difficult to complete there-liming, only a fifth of it was completed on Feb. 16. The "P'' i~ scheduled to be completed on Feb. 28 at 9 a.m.

"We hope that next time we come to work on the ''P" the college can help us out by driving the heavy bags of limestone up to the "P" using the back road that leads there," said Morgan.

Before he could begin helping to cover the "P" with the new layers of lime, Palomar student John Trimble had to clip and trim overgrown plants from the area.

Getting closer: (From· left) Russel Bowers, John Trimble, Relva Whetton, Nathan Broderick, Blain Morgan, Ronald Way and Tyson Bizzigotti will return to finish the "P" on Feb. 28 at 9 a.m.

rate of student success Melody Cruz Cwnp11.1 Bear Ediw r

A lthough community co ll ege programs were initially conceived as Ia. ting two years, most students today know too well that they are in for a longer haul.

The average studen t takes more than two years to complete a degree or transfer requirements, according to Patrick Schwerdtfeger, interim dean, human arts & sciences.

Hence, ·'Fast Track" was created as a way to help students pick up the pace.

Fast Track classes are eight-week long related c lasses grouped togetl1er that meet the California State Un iversity (CSU) and associate degree requirements .

Weekend college courses meet the same requirements but are held every other Friday, Saturday and Photo illustration b) Teresa Stalcup and Ja,on Schock I The Telescope

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classes from 8 a.m. until 3:20 p.m. two days a week with an hour break for lunch.

According to ·Schwerdtfeger, "That's something most stude nts were used to when they were in high school," he said.

Students considering Fast Track have to be el igible for e ntrance in English I 00 and Math I 00 if their chosen track involves one of those classe .

Some tracks and weekend courses are offered in the evening, but the maj ority of tracks and some weekend classes are offered in the daytime ho urs.

A lso, Fast Track courses c'an o nl y be offered at the Escondido Education Center and a t the Parkway Business Center because of the lack of rooms available at the main campus, according to Schwerdtfeger. Weekend courses will be offered on the mai n campus.

Schwerdtfeger believes these progra ms aren't for laid-back people.

"You should be a motivated student. If a stude nt can knock off two classes at a time, it's just a good idea to do so," he said .

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"Stude nts can get through their general education requirements in the least amo unt of time," Schwerdtfeger said , 'This will maximize the time used for studying and work."

The idea for these programs began to take shape in the spring semester of 1996. Courses are 'put together in " tracks" and numbered between o ne and nine . Students can comp lete over 60 units in nine eight-week intervals.

C lasses meet twice a week which, according to Schwerdtfeger, is a benefit to students who have to work or who have children.

Despite what adm inistrators see as the program 's advan tages, as o f yet Fast Track has not been as popular as they had hoped . " It 's a very planned- o ut program and students don ' t have much leeway o r many options for classes," said D arren Z inman , a liberal studies major.

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4

TH E T E L ESCO P E .

OPIN ION

FRIDA Y, F EB . 27 , 1998

PINION EDITORIALS Lots need lllore security You finish class for the day and pack up for the walk back to the parking lot.

You're not sure exactly where you left your car, but you remember the general area. It's late enough for you to spot it among the few cars left. After walking forever, you know you must have passed it, so you backtrack a few steps.

You scratch your head. You're positive you parked in this lot. You know which car you drove. You realize it's missing...

You panic.

This scenario has been replayed too many times as of late at Palomar's San Marcos campus. Automobile break-ins and outright thefts have climbed to a record high, needlessly turning students into victims.

With Palomar's huge parking lots, especially lots 9 and 12, increased security is a must. Students were smacked with a 12.5 percent increase in parking permit fees when the fee went from $20 to $22.50. 路A portion of that money should go toward heightened security.

From the point when a car has been

broken into, stealing it is made that much easier. Any thief, once inside a car, no longer "looks" suspicious. How many of us sit in our cars for five, 10, 30 minutes reading or napping before class? It's normal. If, however, there is constant surveillance in parking lots, allowing a potential thief get into that comfort zone is made much more difficult.

Who wants to have to sit in class and worry about whether or not their cars are safe and secure for six hours? Or even one hour? You go to one class, leave your car in a crowded, bustling parking lot in broad daylight, and return to find it gone for good. It only takes a few seconds to break into and steal a car.

The good news is other crime at Palomar College is exLraordinarily low compared to that of other colleges and universities. There have been no murders or rapes, no violent conflicts to speak of.

Nevertheless, we all need to take precautions. And if we' re all paying more to park our cars, we want increased peace of mind to match.

Granny gets grounded The United States is one of the leading countries when it comes to criminal activity.

Our jails are overcrowded, courthous路es are booked solid and the justice system has become slow and laborious.

Alleged criminals sometimes have to wait years before they actually get to trial, all the while our tax money is supporting them in jail.

So, shouldn' t the murderers and rapists be first in line for court instead of someone like Sylvia Stayton, a 63-year-old grandmother of 10?

Stayton was arrested, handcuffed and even put behind bars for a brief period of time because she deposited her spare change into people's expired parking meters.

Not only did this woman have to face the embarrassment doing time in jail, she was taken to court as well.

She was charged with obstruction of justice and faced a $750 fine and 90 days in jail. Fortunately, the judge decided

she should not have to serve any more jail time, but she still had to come up with $500 to pay a fine.

Through all this, Stayton was not convinced that feeding people's expired parking meters was wrong and stated that she would continue to feed the meters in the future.

The fact that a case like this made it into a court of law is an embarrassment to the American legal system and the American people.

When the legal system is through with all the real criminals in this world they could possibly start looking around for cases like these, but until then, they should try to convict real criminals.

A 63-year-old woman who selflessly helped out other people is not a threat to society. The real threat to society is a legal system that punishes the few good samaritans left in this world.

The time has come for the legal system to get its priorities slraight and stay focused on the real criminals.

THE TELESCOPE Friday, Feb. 27, 1998

Volume 5 1, Number 14

E DITO R S IN CH I EF

John DeCoursey Jessica Gleason M ANAG I NG EDITOR

Annica Gerber OPIN I ON EDITOR

Seanna Lee E N TE R TAI N M E N T ED ITO R S

Daniel Kwan Bradd McBrearty FEATURE EDI TOR

Jessica Long SPOR TS EDI TO R

Richa rdson Miron CAM PUS BEAT EDITOR

Melody Cruz COPY EDI TOR

Michael Paisner PHOTO ED I TOR

Teresa Stalcup D ISTRIBUTION M A

AGER

ADV ERTI S I NG M ANAGER

Gratitude. That's what is bothering me now about the much-publicized (some say o ver-publicized) affair between President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. I am going to ass ume that something happened between them, even though both deny it.

Why ? Becau e I want to say somethi ng in general using the hypothetical. And I really don' t think the whole thing is more than gossip, but that tends to support my statement.

What I am about to say might sound oldfashi oned or too sensitive to so me.

However, I think a man should support a woman's reputati on and fee lings.

I have no illu ions about the sexual mores in today's society. Nor do I thin k that women need to be "protected" by men. But I also feel there should be a gracious side between people who have shared intimate, if not lov ing, acts. Affection is j ust that, and it connotes trust and reliance. That is what's miss ing in Clinton's approach to this matter.

I came of age during the peace and love era. I realized for some, that was just a political agenda; however, it is based on human reality also. Love, one of the best of all huma n experiences, brings true joy, j ust as making love brings about a peaceful feeling, a serenity and positive attitude of goodwill toward your fell ow humans.

Heidi Fischle Sraff Writer

O NLINE M ANAGER

Ma ny of you may be aware of the startling traffi c accident that occurred las t week路 in Oceanside. For those who aren' t I will g ive you a summary.

A fter leading the California Highway Patrol on a high speed c hase that supposedly began in Temecula, a man dri ving a black Acura he<Jd ing west on Vista Way caused a terrible cras h when he entcre::d an intersection against a red light. The man was reportedly exceeding 80 mph when he struck three vehicles of cross traffic. He never hesitated once.

Possibl y the strangest aspect of all in this scenario was that it was broadcast live on the news wi th a play-by-play narration of what was happening.

I find it very disturbing to think that while we were sitting at home 路watching this like we woul d a movie, we were witnessing what coul d have been the tragic end to an unsuspecting person's life.

Lucki ly, there were no fa talities; in fac t, the person who sustained the worst injuries was the man in the Acura. After things began to calm dow n a bit, the reporters were on hand to speak to some on-lookers.

One man in particular had quite a bit to say. He put much emphasis on the actions of the CHP officer whom he said should have made a better decision and could have prevented the whole thing from happening.

Coul d that be possible? T he officer had a split second to make a decision with many safety fac tors to consider. He did n' t know what he was dealing with. How cou ld the police be to blame for another man's acti ons?

Cathy Hines PHOTO JOU RN A LIS M

A DVISER

Paul Stachelek j OUR NA LIS M

ADV I SER

Susan Deacon STAFF

Beatriz Banuelos, Brooke Davidoff, Janise De Leon, Heidi Fischle, Antoinette Griffith, Kelly Hall, Jeremy Hier, Guy Hitler, Erin Lewis, Steve Marcotte, Pat McAvoy, Summer Murphy, Natalie Petrovic, Brian Samaniego, Jason Schock, Pete Schrup, Dustin J. Schwindt, Rachel Solorzano, Mike Stevens, Rumiko Takeya, Ashton Taylor, Becky Van Doorn , Vincent Vigil, Pam Winters

w e l c om e s a ll lette rs to th e e ditor

Lette rs must be type writte n (no more tha n 300 words) a nd include the a uthor's na me, major a nd phone number. The Telescope reserves the right to e dit lette rs for space, a nd not to print lette rs conta ining lewd or libelous comme nts . Lette rs must be receive d

by Tuesday a t 3 p. m. to be cons ide red fo r publication on Friday. S igned opinio ns are those of the individua l writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper sta ff, Paloma r faculty, staff, the Publications Board or the Gove rning Board.

A DDRESS : The Telescope

Palomar College 11 40 West Mission Road San Ma rcos, CA 92069 OFF ICE: Room TCB-1 a t the north e nd of campus PHONE: (760) 744-1150, ext. 2450 FAX: (760) 744-8123, "Attention: The Telescope" E-M A I L: te lescope@ palo mar.edu W EB S I TE: www.palomar.edu/te lescope/

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pete's point

Conversely, the lack of love brings about a cranky and aggressive demeanor.

Some might agree that's exactl y what is wrong with the politics in America today. A lot of it is filled with anger, bitterness and exacting a revenge regardless of the outcome or harm. As a writer, I would be the fi rst to admit that much of that animosity and anti pathy is coming from the media.

The politics of di vision and derision. Black and white thinking in the human experience that is mai nl y made up of shades of gray.

I have criticized Bill Clinton for not being more gracious about Monica but I also understand he is in a political catfight full of partisans overfl owing with distrust and opposing agendas.

As with Sgt. McKinny (the army's top enli sted man, facing sex ual harassment charges), I can fee l C linton's pain. Of

Crash is bitter re:m.inder that 'life is not a :m.ovie'

Crystal Skufca

Loretta Murillo-Calton T HE T ELESCOPE

Clinton should show a liHie gratitude

The police are not to blame for this irresponsible driver 's actions. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to participate in his tho ughtlessness. It is amazing to thin k just how many lives have been affected by this one incident. Hundreds at least. The question is, aside from the obvious people such as police and medical professionals, why is it that the general public had to be pulled in to this stranger's lack of reason? I know that my life was not enhanced by watching him nearl y kill himself and many other innocent people. If that was the entertainment I was looking for, I could easi ly fl ip the channel and find a choreographed scene with the same factors.

Life is not a movie and it does not need to be portrayed as such. In a normal 'day it is di ffic ul t enough to integrate and decipher the reality from the fiction. We are so accustomed to accepting images as our reality that we begin to confuse an image for an experience. We are conditioned by the media to view these scenes as mere animation , and yes, if it is a movie screen we are looking at, chances are it is fic tion. The lines become shady when the news begins to imitate the movie screen.

Wouldn ' t we be healthier as a society if we foc used more on our own individual experiences and less on the images that are supposed to portray real experience? Each of us should truly understand what it means to be responsible for our own actions, and realize the impact that a single action can have on the surrounding e nvironment.

How can our lives be enhanced be sensationalism and hype?

We wi ll end up striving for a li fe whi ch we haven' t even participated in . We wi ll wonder why nothing fee ls real.

course, some will say it is Clinton that is making the nation feel a big pain . However, as a man , I can empathi ze with their position of getting caught up in some thi ng much differen t then their characters would have all owed.

Sexual harassment can be a very ugly thing, just an elevated version of the old high school taunt.. . put out or get out. No working woman (or any othe r person) should have to put up with that type of selfcentered, churlish behavior. I admit I am an idealist on this, but I just don't th ink people should use each other, physically or otherwise. If you can't be grateful and considerate to your partner, then abstain if necessary.

T hat is the gratitude thing I'm talking about.

Yet I don' t 'think Cli nton is a total cad.

A fter all, Ms. Monica was given some rather plum jobs.

I thin k C linton should come c lean and not blow it. Admittedl y, I am not giving him the benefit of any doubt. I think he should confirm he had a special relationshi p with Ms. Monica and show some grati tude for how he benefited. I think he should defend her position and reaffirm her dignity and support her feelings. He should be more considerate. I bet deep down that is much more of what Bill would rather do than his current grabbing of destructive denial.

simple wisdom Ready to commit?

Are you afraid of commitment in re lationships? As a man, you may be concerned with the burden of taking responsibili ty fo r your partner. As a woman, you may be concerned with losin g autonomy, being controlled.

Man or woman, all of the above may be true for you.

Here's the tip. Check out whether the ti me is right for commitment.

Don' t tic yo urself down prematurely if yo u're c rav ing exci temqtt and adventure. Tel l the truth. Take precautions. Take care not to hurt yourself and others.

If you've "been there, done that" and now you are yearning for somethi ng deeper, take a breath. And take a look at whether you' re ready to take responsibility fo r yourself. Are you wi lling to let your partner find his or her own way in life, offering support without taking over? Can you say what you need, even if it might upset your partner? If you can' t say yes to these questions, look inside. You may need some heali ng. If you can, you have nothi ng to fear. Comm itment w ill provide you a sanctuary of love.

Penelop e Young Andrade is a licensed psychotherapist. Her radio talk show is heard 011 KKSM Saturdays at 1 p.m.

THE TELESCOPE •

right off the bat

Can anyone here spell 'lnglush?'

There's something about the direction in which written English is heading that's been bothering me to the point of insanity. I don't recall when this trend began, but it was probably long before I could speak the language, much less read or write it.

I'm referring to words and phrases which bombard us every day, like it or not. Maybe they particularly annoy me because I'm exposed to them constantly in my job as a grocery store cashier. I'm going to categorize them under "license plate English," due to the tendency of shortening words down to a phonetic spelling.

Everyone knows what I mean . Walk down any and every grocery aisle and you' II see it. You'll see "cheese" spelled "cheez" "quick" is "quik," "corn" is "korn." We have "lite," "nite," butter "spreds," "koffee kups ... " please, stop me!

I have a hunch I know how this all started. Just take a stroll down any breakfast cereal aisle. Products which are fundamentally the same have to distinguish themselves in some way, otherwise there is no justification for differences in prices. So, because a national brand might have "corn flakes" in its name, its generic counterpart is labeled "krunchy korn flakies (they're GRRR8T!)." Now we, the consumers, can naturally ju.d ge for ourselves the difference in price and quality.

I'll pass.

There are probably additional explanations. Perhaps too many people are just plain lazy. Why spell out a word correctly when we can just chop off an "e" and change an "s" to a "z?" We have the exact same pronunciation of the word, and people who read it understand that it's the same.

Why should we make things easy when they could be even "ezr?"

Whatever the reason for this trend, I fear it will soon spiral out of control. I fear that when my children begin reading and spelling, they won ' t be taught to distinguish between a marketing ploy and proper usage of the written word.

My fear will be realized when this type of English spelling one day permeates the language to the degree that, when I go to spell check this column, all the above misspellings will not be marked so.

I suppose the proper course of action I should take would be to find some way to combat this corruption of our language. But I'm at a loss. The only solution I have is to flood the corporations responsible with letters pronouncing my dissatisfaction in their products' names.

On second thought, that's a lifetime undertaking. I'll just live with the knowledge that English is a "living" language, always adding to, deleting from, contorting itself. And next time I'm pulling an allnighter, I' II have to suck it up and run to the local Quikorner for a cup of coffee.

FRIDAY, FEB.

27, 1998

OPINION

5

Palomar parking: Mission Impossible?

• Pro: Lack of -space is perilous .

• Con: Students have no worries

Seanna Lee

Daniel Kwan

Opinion Editor

Co-Entertainment Ediwr

Try and deny that we have a parking problem here at Palomar College. I · II second that denial, if: •You're a health nut. You don't mind walking half a mile just to arrive on campus.

That hike doesn't include walking around all day to get to your classes. And at the end of the day, who feels like walking forever back to their car?

Countless times, I have been so frustrated by not finding a spot that I wind up parking off-campus on Avenida Azul (behind Lot 12). I've always bought a semester-length parking pass. Is that a waste of money, or what?

Sometimes, I'll park in the very last few rows in Lot 12, and I'll see students parking on Avenida Azul. They'll actually be closer to the campus than I am.

•You're Staff or Faculty. Granted, during prime class hours, most of the staff spaces are taken. Drive by at 2 p.m., however, and you'll notice they have emptied out considerably. By the time evening classes begin, they are practically empty.

Isn't there some way we can arrange to have some of the staff lots (and their spaces in the bigger student lots) designated for student use, even if it 's just for evening classes?

•Your classes start at 7 a.m. or earlier.

Ever been to Palomar at 6:45 a.m., when most students are still snuggled up in bed?

The earlier your classes start, the better chance you have of parking within a light year of your classes.

Something about that doesn't seem fair to me. Those of us night owls who sleep from 3 a.m. until I 0, and start classes at 11, are being punished because we can't wake up early? I do understand that parking is first come, first served, so unless I totally rearrange my sleeping habits, I'll have to fight for a decent space. Unless, of course, students are assigned parking spaces over the course of each term. Lot 12, Row I permits: 50 bucks each if you want to park there. All the way back in Row I, 758?

That' II only cost you $10.

It all comes down to this: there are too few spaces available for the number of students the campus is now supporting. It's frustrating and frightening to see what some students are willing to resort to in trying to grab a decent spot.

All of us have been in the situation where we see someone get in his or her car, so we sit there patiently, blinkers flashing, staking out our claim. Out of nowhere, some jerk speeds right at us from the opposite direction and screeches right in our spot. Not only is that incredibly rude and thoughtless, it's dangerous.

Fortunately, college officials recognize the shortage. There are plans to expand Lot 9 in the near future, for instance. But until Palomar offers valet service, those of us who have to deal with a long walk or a fistfight over "our" spots are just going to have to keep fighting.

Instead of complaining about parking problems, students should accept Palomar's lack of parking spaces and try to find practical techniques to deal with the situation.

Palomar students should feel fortunate to attend a college with several parking lots throughout the campus that are within walking distance. No matter where one attends college in Southern California, chances are there are more students enrolled than the number of parking spaces available.

It would be impractical for the college to build a multi-level parking structure since most of the lots become vacant by midafternoon. Additionally, many students have already dropped classes and fewer students are enrolled this semester.

Students can spend their time more wisely by making the most of the situation. Here are a few strategies for making parking a "possible" mission: • Arrive early. Most students make the mistake of arriving on campus 10 minutes before their classes start, only to find that all the close parking spaces are full. If possible, try to arrive at least one hour in advance.

This also gives students time to review class notes and prepare for the day's lecture.

• Park farther away. People who park at a distant spot will actually save time by not having to waste time roaming for a closer parking spot. Many college students have little time for exercise, the extra minute of walking adds to their physical fitness . ; • Take classes at education centers.

Instead of taking classes at Palomar's main San Marcos campus, students can take classes at the other eight education centers ' where parking is more readily available, since fewer students take classes at these locations. The.education centers are located in Escondido, Poway, Mt. Carmel, Ramona, Fallbrook, Camp Pendleton, Pauma Valley and Borrego Springs.

• Avoid taking classes during "prime time." While most students crunch their classes between 8 a.m. and noon, Palomar offers many classes in the afternoon and evening, on weekends and through TV courses.

• Car pool or use public transportation.

Using public transportation can take the stress out of finding a parking space, and it provides· extra study time while riding the bus. The North County Transit District operates routes throughout the area and Palomar has its own transit center. In the long run, an "econo," monthly bus pass of $46 is less than the cost of auto insurance, gasoline and maintenance.

In addition to remembering these tips, Palomar students should realize they're saving money when compared to the cost of parking at other area universities. The $22.50 cost of a permit per semester is a deal, compared to $72 at San Diego State.

Those attending University of California; San· Diego are more unfortunate since they pay $90.75 per quarter, meaning they pay that fee three times per academic year.

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Illustration by Pam Wintrrs I The Telescope

Got the parking blues?

Let's face it ... we've all griped about the parking situation at Palomar's San Marcos campus. Is there a real parking shortage or are students just unwilling to walk any distance to get to class?

Gramps: Put it in park and let someone else drive John DeCoursey Co·Editor in Chief

Driving to school. Favorite song playing.

Feeling good cause although I might not be on time I'm not exactly late, either. Crus in ' along. I'm not driving fast, I'm just flying low.

Hey! What the -?

Who's driving that thing? God, could they possibly go any slower? That has got to be an old person. Man, look at that, they can barely see over the dashboard! Come on!

What are you doing in the fast lane of a highway if you're trying to park?! They should ' ve taken away your license when you turned 70!

Admit it. At one time or another a similar train of thought has rumbled down the tracks of your mind. If you can honestl y say "no" to that, then consider you're the one making others think that way.

In last week's issue of The Telescope, Managi ng Editor Annica Gerber wrote about the highway hazards created by thoughtless drivers who value the ir time more than other people's lives. I would like to add to that field of vision by expanding it to include those who might not be driving fast, but they are still driving recklessly.

More to the point, they're driving cluelessly.

America's elderly.

They may be old and wise but they are rolling death on the highway. An accident screaming to happen. And although it would not be fair to stereotype all elderly drivers

for surely some can still manage just fine, it is clear that enough of them cannot.

According to the Feb. 16 issue of The San Diego Union-Tribune, drivers over the age of 68 "shouldered the primary blame for one-fifth of the deadly accidents recorded last year" in San Diego alone.

One-fifth might sound like a weak per. centage of accidents, but keep in mind those are just the deadly ones.

The elderly who drive way under the speed limit on the highway are more likely to cause non-lethal accidents only because they're not traveling fast enough to cause massive damage. But even small damage is still costly damage, and last time I checked insurance isn't exactly cheap (especially for college students).

Granted, in an accide nt they caused it would be their insurance premiums that would crash through the roof, but that's only more of a reason to get them off the street. Most people are retired by their 70s, and having t~eir insurance rise (along with the additional costs of car repairs and possible legal action) will no doubt make fi nancial daily existence a nightmare.

What's worse, the Tribune article reports that there are 43 Californians over the age of 100 who arc still licensed to drive, some of whom sti ll get behind the wheel.

Does this strike anyone else as being potentially dangerous?

It's dangerous to those who suddenly encounter a car drifting into their lane, the driver either unaware they're drifting or unaware of the other car. It's dangerous to

c-roN• I

both the e lderly and young drivers of America who wind up in the ensuing accidents. Twice as dangerous, in fact, for elderly drivers whose bodies cannot withstand the same level of trauma as someone 50 years younger.

Knowing that, elderly drivers shouldn ' t even want to be out on the highways.

This summer will see the initiation of a law that will forbid drivers under the age of

18 from driving after midnight, as well as restrict who can ride with them at all.

These young drivers might not have years of on-the-road experience, but their vision and reflexes are far sharper than the average 70 year old. And the 70 -year-old driver is still free to hit the highway day or night. I can understand restricting drivers who might not yet have adequate experience (although those restrictions make obt~ining

adequate experience more difficult.). But what about restricting drivers whose capacity to function behind the wheel has diminished or is altogether gone?

By not acting on it as if it were a problem, we 're acknowledging that it's not. And that's something to think about the next time you find yourself wondering if that old guy blocking the passing lane has any idea where he is.

·~

0 rl::.A TURE

THE

E L ESCOP I:. •

top left, Jesse Parker, 22, takes flight In a _.judo" air. Parker slides easy on the rail. Doug a break. Smith spins off a 540 degree

~~9fl<5Uirvt~·the ''tnHUPJ..m~Hf>,wJ:IiJe, .Jclthn Carlson, 14,. takes Vet~zs. of France takes thi"-s face first.

SKATE PARKS FUEL UP· AND·OOMING SPORT Jessica Long Featllre Editor

Bacon-in-the-pan, McTwist, chunk. No, McDona ld 's new breakfast me nu was not just released . These terms arc just a sam. pii ng of the lingo used by those who have taken advantage o f an old sport the second time aro und .

Skati ng has been around as far back as the '50s. But s kating as a spo rt ha progressed in to some thing far bey o nd the boundaries o f the s imple rolle r skate . Roller blades, skateboards and BMX bikes are the rage now.

Just as baseball and footba ll have their own forums , so does skating. Skate parks are showing up throughout the country.

What o nce was a c ity street hobby for school age children to practice during a fter school ho urs is now a full fledged sporting eve nt.

Ro ller blades, or inline skates as they are commonly re fe rred to, are enjoy ing the most success s ince their premiere in the early ' 90s.

In fact, inline skating is said to be o ne of the fastest g rowing sports in the wo rld .

Escond ido Sports Ce nter Director Allen Carlis le said, " Inline ska ting is de finite ly on a steady increase. We will see mo re o f this sport coming up."

The increase in inline skating partici pa nts s ince I 990 e xceeds 700 percent.

Advantages to in line skating incl ude a fitness angle. Due to the nature of inlinc skating, it not o nly has the pote ntial fo r a cardiovascular workout, it also builds stamina and toni ng o f leg muscles inc luding thi gh and calve muscles.

Also due to the nature o f the katin g sports, a worko ut is versatile because skating can be done wherever the opportunity may exist. Bike tra ils, pa rks and along roads and sidewa lks are all popular ites.

In line skating involves much more than fo rw a rd mo ti o n o n wheels. T he re is freestyle, vert and street applicatio ns.

Freesty le skati ng is the root of fi gure skating on ice, traditiona l ro ller skating a nd various dance styles from the last 20 years, from disco to hip-hop. The basis o f freestyle is jus t as it sounds. The skater is free to incorporate his/her attitude and personality into jumps and steps.

Vert- is o ne of the most dynamic and d ra-

matic furms of ~ka ti ng . T his is when the skater uses a ramp to "catch air" and perfo rms vari ous types of tricks. T his includes fli p variations, a ll sorts o f foo t grabs, rotational moves a nd assorted contortions that lend themselves to aerial tricks. Gri nds, stalls, spi ns and various combinations of these arc the sort of tricks that skaters can do• .

Vert a lso le nds llself to photography more them any other for m of skating.

At the Escondido Sports Cente r, the vert ramp is commonly used by professional skate rs fo r promo tional photography.

Freque nt visitors to the vert ramp include Tony Hawkes , Matt Dove a nd Andy McDona ld. These skaters are considered top competitors in their sport.

Hawkes is also ranked as being nu mber one in the world in his sport.

Street skating is the fo rm o f skati ng tha t has taken the most heat from public opinion. Street s ka ters typically have a negati ve image because of the types of areas they frequent.

Parking lots, museums, uni versity campuses, governmen t bu ildings, etc. are the most popular places for street skaters. The

reason these pub! ic s ites arc targets is because the types of tricks perfo rmed by street skaters involve grinding handrails, j um p ing off ledges, j um ping o n, o ff and over picn ic tables and e mbankments.

As me ntioned earl ier, publ ic opinion o f s treet skate rs leaves some thing to be desired . S igns are pos ted in nearl y every publ ic parking structure. T hey say the sam e thing. Skating is prohi b ited.

Police officers are e ven al lo wed within the la w to confiscate roller blades a nd skateboards if they wi tness skati ng on publ ic struc tures whe re a sign is posted.

"M ore and more skate ordinances are being put in place. Skate parks li ke o urs are designed to g ive skaters somewhere to go ~ere they won' t have to worry about whethe r o r no t there is a law against what they do," said Carlisle.

Carlisle added that skate parks give a n a lternati ve to private a nd public grounds where $ I 00- $ I ,000 worth of damage is done d ue to skaters.

Inline skating and skateboardi ng are subject to many safety sta ndards e ven where the sport is allowed . New helme t standard s have recently been approved .

A recreational roller skating he lmet is ide ntical to the standard bicycle he lmet except labeling is approved for all general skating uses except freestyle. A pproval has been given by the American Society for Testing and M aterials for freestyle skaters to usc ex isting skateboard helmet.

Although there is no federal law stati ng that s katers must wear a he lmet at a ll times, it is prc.dictcd that within the nex t two years, Congress will extend the law that states a ll bicyclist must wear a helmet to incl ude skaters as well.

S ince official laws do not ex ist that specifically reg ulate a ll skating, skate parks have their own ru les and regulations.

Despi te popular belief, skating is not lim ited to youth. People well into their fo rties actively participate in skating sports.

Reasons for skating vary as m uch as individual skating styles.

For I 7-ycar-old Jesse Wi lliams, skati ng is an outlet for aggression. Joe Mullen, I I , said he skates j ust for the fun of it.

A t the Escondido Sports Center, skati ng participant range in age fro m I 0 years o ld to people into the ir 20s, the largest gro up being between the ages IO- I4.

air Kedidi (n.): jump into air with feet flailing, usually just before a big fall bacon-in- the-pan (n.) : bad wipe out on a ramp where skater slides back down to bottom black snake (n.) : tar lines on the street bumping ( v.): skating down sta irs cab (n.): a backwards 360 chunk ( v.): to da mage wheels so they have pits or missing pieces f akle ( a dj.): prefix for any tr ick d one backwards g ri n ding ( v.): jumping onto cur b a nd slid ing across with ska tes home run (n.) : a fall while grinding in which both feet slide out from under the skate r McTwist (n.): a ramp trick in which a 540 is don e upside d own rewind (n.): 180 performed off a h andrail while sliding a nd rolling backwards road rash (n.): any wou nd caused by u nin tentional con tact with pa ve ment rocket air (n.) : jump made on ramp while h old ing onto skates scitz ( v.): to hold onto moving automobile to get a free ride (Michael J. Fox made this on e famous) soul grind (n.): back foot slides along th e sole and front foo t is perpen dic ular to curb Superman slide (n.): foward fac ing slid e done on yo ur p rotected h a nds and toe wheels twe aki e ( a dj.): prefix for tricks done with body tucked

THE TELESCOPE •

FRIDAY, FEB.

27, 1998

rts

ENTERTA I NMENT

7

&

ENTERTAINMENT 'Country's Good' mixes history, comedy Janise De Leon - tSummer Murphy Sw{f Wnters

"People who can ' t pay attention shouldn't come to the theater" is among the favorite quotes of Pat Larmer, fac ulty m ember and director.

That quote applies to Timberlake Wcrtenbaker's play •·our Country 's Good."

The c urrent production of the Palomar Performing Arts Department is worth paying attenti on to by a udi e nces inte rested in the history of how huma nity deve loped in the world. "'Ou r Country 's Good" runs in 'Palomar's Howard Brubeck T heatre at 8 p.m. on Feb. 27 and 28.

March 5-7, and at 2 p.m. March 8 .

Wertenbaket·'s play previously won Olivier Awards for best play and play of the year. The settin g ta kes place in Australia, circa 1789.

Based o n humanity a nd brutality, ·".co n vic ts are sen t away from Eng la nd for their country 's good and sent to Australia during its early years as a penal colony.

T he title revolves a round th e good o f the play that British officers a nd convicts make an effort o n stag in g in hono r of the king·s birth1'1:iay whe n action and conflict a ri se between both parties.

Palomar alumnu s Douglas Pyle piays the lead character, 2nd Lt. Ralph C lark, a n asp iring British military officer. who in . J789 , directed a play with a cast drawn from the conv ic ts and officers in the ';newly found co lon y of Syd ney, A us tralia.

Pyle is now performing in New York usi ng the stage name Douglas Everett. He studied a t Palom ar fo r three years and we nt on to Un ivers ity of Califo rni a, Irvine. He majored in act ing a nd m oved to New York in a st ud y program.

Everett has performed in a to ur o f the C hamber T heater in Boston , along wi th roles in the musicals '·Guys and Doll s," "A Funny T hin g Happened on th e Way to th e Forum.'' ".Jesus C hrist Superstar" and ·'Me and My Girl."

He returned to San Diego County in December to vis it his family and will re turn to New York in April.

Meanwhile. he thoug ht he would partici pate in a Palo ma r play to

THEATER PREVIEW WHAT: " Our Country 's Good," a dark comedy by Timberlake Wertenbaker

WHEN: Feb. 27-28, March 5-7 at 8 p.m .

March 8 at 2 p.m .

WHERE: H o ward Brubeck Theatre Palomar College 1140 West Mission Road San Marcos

COST: Opening night: Two tic ke ts for $5

Other performances: $5 students $7 seniors, military a nd staff $9 general admission Group rates available

INFORMATION: H oward Brubeck Theatre Box Office (760) 744- 1150, ext. 2453

work with director Larme r agm n .

Everett's previous rol es a t Palomar included Tom Joad in '·Grapes of Wrath" and Terence O'Keefe in " Breakin g Legs."

Eve re tt said he perceives the play's the me as "The way we treat people- whether it be childre n or e mpl oyees, prisoners, s la ves or whoever-can have a dramatic e ffe ct o n them. This play is about trying to treat people w ith respect."

A pessimist of soldiers, the character William Faddy is played by C hristopher Harrison w ho ta lks a bo ut the play's progl'essing a nd it~ s uccess.

Harrison comme nded the ski lls of La rm e r a nd said, '·Out of a ll the plays I've seen, this one ra tes in the Top 10 ·: Mi ke Klicman , who plays Capta in Camp bell works as an actor in Los Angeles. While no t a Palomar stude nt, Klicman heard of the play th ro ug h a friend. " I ' m

Palomar College's latest production, "Our Country's Good" will open Feb. 27, and run through March 8. ABOVE: Megan Larmer plays Duckling Smith and Mark Zufelt plays Midshipman Harry Brewer. RIGHT: Laura Ushijima as Mary Brenham and Douglas Everett as 2nd Lt. Ralph Clark.

amazed w ith the Palomar theater," said K licman. "In LA there arc a lot of amate ur theaters. T hey're star s truck up the re a nd don· t get the who le meaning . I think there arc better ac tors down here than in LA." He has previo usly ac ted in vari ous television s hows, such as "Homcfront" for two years, ''Cheers.". '·Sci nfcld '' and "Designing Women .'' ··our Country's Good" dea ls with huma nity and brutali ty and th e actions of an individual when few have importance with in situ ations.

C lassi ficd as a dark comedy, the play 's light moments transcend the situati o n. The play may not be s uitable for c hildren because it C()ntains some stron g language a nd ad ult the mes.

Briennc Thompson , who plays Liz Morden said, "The purpose of the play is to dissolve class barriers.

T he officers and the convicts come together, a nd the con victs see worth in themselves.''

"The play's about different people coming together in a time of need. I hope people seei ng the play wil l go home feeling a lit tle better about cooperating wi th their fel low man ... said Seth Laursen who plays the role of Ketch Freeman.

Laura Us hijima's character.

Mary Bren ham, actually existed in history. Ushijima plays Ralph C lark's love interest. ''This play is not like a mo v1c where it shows you everything, so yo u reall y have to pay attention to the s tory and the p lot... says Ushijima.

Photos

rourtl·,~·

of Pa lomar i>l•rformi ng Art~ Department

'Wedding' worth the invitation MOVIE

REVIEW'~

Movie: "The Wedding Singer" Starring: Adam Sandier, Drew Barrymore

'Inside/Out' at Boehm Gallery T he Boehm Gtllery is about to host the collection "Inside/Out" which features paintings by Carol Lindemulder, glassworks by Keikichi Honna, traditional and conte mporary furniture by the students of the Cabinet and Furni ture Department of Palomar College,· and contemporary designs in g lass by various artists. The exhibit is free of charge and will be on display from March 6-31. The opening reception will take place March 6 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 pm.

-Bradd McBrearty Co-Entertainment Editor

Photos courtesy of the Boehm Gallery

**** (out of five stars)

Antoinette C. Griffith Swf{ \\'riter

Valentine's Day is over but the "Wedding S inger· · i~ for anyone who has a heart. Anyone who has ever cared for someone or been in love can identify with Adam Sand ler's character. and th e movi e's overal l th eme.

Sandler g ives a be lievable performance as Robbie Hart. a heart felt portraya l of ' th e hoy next door· who is looking forward to ge ttin g married. Unfortunately. his weddin g doesn't go the way he plans.

Sandler's performance is funny. but he also di splays some unexpected seriousness whi ch has the a udi e nces fee ling a range o f emoti ons.

Drew Barrymore plays Julia, the sweet gi rl nex t door who is abou t to have the li fe most gi rls dream of. . . I

...

. ;.

Barrymore's li fe doesn't unfo ld the way she expects. W hil e bot h Sandler and Barrymore arc friends. they learn a lot abou t each other and what they really want... each other.

The movie not on ly has storyline th at most can re late to. but it also has a very good so undt rack which includes most of the No. I hits and favorites from the '80s . There was a fun11y re nditi on of th e songs "Rapper\ Deli g ht."

"White Wedding" a nd "Pass the Dutchic, .. just to na1 11C a few. There arc so many fun songs on th e soundtrac k that audiences will ha\'C llashhacks of bright colors, lace. and all those fashion risks of Madonna. Boy George and other'>.

The who le cast of "The Wedding Singer" is exceptional. They a ll work well together and complement each other- from the undesirable characters. to the hero and he roine. and everyone in between . Other appearances in the m ovie include Bi ll y Idol and C hri ~t ine Taylor. gi ving the m ovie a very '80s f'ccl. For the yo un g or old, "The Wedding Si nger" appeals to audiences of a ll ages .

"The Wedding Singer" is the kind of mo\·ic where the aud ience cheers and boos the characters in the movie, like it is real ly happening to them. as if it is a real part of their life. When you walk out of the thea ter you will be humm111 g . ,. ; , .., " ; n

'~

''

" , J J,.' " ~ I,;'' , ..

Courll·s~

of Nt'\\ Line Cinema

Adam Sandler stars as Robbie in the romantic comedy "The W.a...l..tina <;inaor" UJhi,...h fo:::aturoc: 1 QROc:. rnnc:ir

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8

THE TELESCOPE • FRlDAY, FEB.

ENTERTAlNMENT

CAMPUS

27, 1998

OUT~

·cALENDAR

The kids are not alright, but it's all cool : • "Inside/Out" What: Paintings by Carol Lindemulder, glassworks by Keikichi Honn, and traditional and contemporary furniture by students of the Palomar Cabinet and Furniture Technology Department.

When: March 6 - 31; Tuesday I 0 a.m.

- 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday I 0 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., closed Monday Where: Boehm Gallery, Palomar College Cost: Free Info: (760) 744-1150, ext. 2304

((Oh my God!

"SOUTH PARK" FAST FACTS

They killed v: 1\enny ... ''

When: Wednesday nights Time: 10 p.m.

Network: Comedy Central Rated: TV-MA (mature audiences)

• A·guide to some

ofthe ways Kenny has bit the big one

John DeCoursey

CINEMA • "The General" What: This ,1927 U.S. film with Buster Keaton is about a reluctant Civil War hero recovering a hijacked train. Some critics have called the film a "masterpiece." Also stars Marian Mack and Glen Cavender. Not rated.

When: Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: room P-32 Cost: Free

• "Babette's Feast" What: This 1987 Danish film is about two sisters who turn away from fame and romance to devote their lives to religion, and then in old age take in a French refugee with a secret talent.

Directed by Gabriel Axel, based on a short story by Isek Dinsen ("Out of Africa"). Rated G. When: Thursday, March 12,6:30 p.m.

Where: room P-32 Cost: Free

.

MUSIC

• Dan Tranh Music of Vietnam What: Perfonnance with Chuong-Thu Thai .

When: Thursday, March 5, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Perf'ormance Lab (D building) Cost: Free

• Musical Gifts Concert What: Civic Light Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Gilson.

Features winners of the San Diego MTA Piano Concerto Competition.

Program includes an overture by Rossini , two Carmen Suites by Bizet and Capriccio espagnol by When: March 8 at 3 p.m.

Where: California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido.

Cost: $9 general audience, $7 seniors/military, $5 students. Group rates available Info: (760) 744-1150, ext. 2453 or (760) 738-4100

• LvB Live! The Music of Beethoven What: An all-Beethoven concert featuring pianist Rebecca Bogart who will play Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor with the Palomar Symphony Orchestra. Cconducted by Robert Gilson.

When: March 14 at 3 p.m. and March 15 at2 p.m.

Where: Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College Cost: $9 general audience, $7 seniors/military, $5 students. Group rates available Info: (760) 744- 1150, ext. 2453 or (760) 744-0136

Co-Editor in Chief

Rolling Stone. Spin magazine. "The Tonight Show." MTV. They've all taken notice.

Four lovable tykes, a half-hour of animation, and a limitless ability to offend people have created one of the fastest growing cult followings in television history. Now entering it's third season on Comedy Central (Wednesdays, I 0 p.m.), "South Park" may look like a innocent cartoon for kids, but the humor is strictly adult. And sometimes stunningly offensive.

However, it is this offensive, envelopepushing nature that is attracting a increasing number of people, and making "South Park" such a hit. And, in its own way, "South Park" is politically correct: it is an equal-opportunity offender. No one is safe from being targeted as a victim by the creator's sense of humor.

The show revolves around the day-to-day life of four 9-year-old boys: Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny. They live in the Colorado town of South Park, where they attend the third grade at South Park elementary. They lead normal lives except for two things: they talk like truckers and are the gecond-smartest resident of the town, after the cows (the adults arc pretty much clueless). From this premise, all hell breaks loose.

In the pilot episode, in which aliens abduct Kyle's baby brother, only the kids and the cows realize that something bad is going on. Only the cows are worried. The boys' only concern is to get Kyle's brother back: they are more concerned about parental punishment than an alien invasion.

The adults of the town never notice a thing.

The aliens, realizing this, share there superior intellect w;th the cows.

It plays much funnier than it reads.

Heroes Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny have some basic character traits that guide them through each episode: Stan and Kyle are the brains of the group, and the two close~t things to normal children in the foursome. Cartman is foul-mouthed, illtempered and grotesquely fat. Kenny is unnaturally mute because his mom always ties his hooded coat too tight (and a good thing, too: the small percentage of viewers that can interpret what Kenny says in the opening theme and in various episodes know that he is the foulest of them all.)

Each of "South Park" 's heroes has at least one major burden that supports weekly reoccurring humor: Stan has a lethally abusive sister and a gay dog, Kyle is a Jew (Don't sue: it's the show that presents this as a flaw, not me), Cartman is a cry baby, and Kenny, the whitetrash pervert, gets killed everyday.

Comparisons to other recent ani-

-~

. .. r \

)

the average "South Park" vocabulary cannot even be mentioned in this article.

But for all it's, urn ... "challenging" content, "South Park" sneaks the occasionally surprising moral message into its storylines.

In the episode where Stan finds out that his dog Sparky is gay, there are plent~ of homophobic statements, most of which come from the absolute gayest (but still in denial) person in the entire town, Mr. Garrison.

But towards the end of the show, after Cartman has referred to Sparky as a "gay· homosexual," Big Gay AI, the show's only (surprise!) openly gay character, deliver a message about homosexuality that shows it to be a "regular part of nature and a beautiful thing."

Of course, this moment of seriousness is shattered when Big Gay AI throws his hands into the air and runs back into his home, shrieking, "Ooh! My carrot cake!"

Plus, an ongoing twisted irony to the otherwise poignant moment is that it comes from a character who is the worst stereotype of a gay' man: pink bandanna around his neck, moustache, hands on hip, severe lisp, high-pitched voice, too-tight clothes, limp wristed, and rolling eyes when he says things like "Ssssuper!"

The show may make a good point once in a while, but unlike "Touched By An Angel" that's not its primary objective.

Likewise, that's not why fans tune in every week. Most people tune in to hear Cartman mouth off or defend himself from fat jokes (''I'm big boned! ," ''I'm festively

plump!") . Some wait to see what fate will befall the ever-doomed Kenny who, to date, has on!'y survived one episode. Others might enjoy watching which part of the world's population will be targeted by the show that week.

But, no doubt. the growing number of "South Park" fans are tuning in every Wednesday night primarily to laugh themselves breathless, marvel at the show's refreshing political incorrectness and wonder if it's even legal to do this on television.

Quite possibly, it's not.

?/:z/dmall't/6 ~ on

with tk

\

'

I

)

~

how to deal jea;

"I would never let a woman kick my ass. If she tried anything, I'd be like, 'Hey! You get your bitch ass back in the kitchen ... and make me some pie!'"

"Be a man, Stan. Just say to her 'Hey, woman! You shut up, and make babies!'

"Hey! Why don't you stop dressing me up like a mailman and making me dance for you while you go and smoke crack in your bedroom and have sex with some guy I don't even know on my dad's bed!"

Bradd McBrearty

CD REVIEW •

• "Our Country's Good" What: A dark comedy set in 1789 in a newly-founded British prison colony in Australia, written by Timberlake Wertenbakcr, based on Thomas Keneally"s novel 'The Playmaker."

When: Feb. 27 & 28, March 5, 6, 7 at 8 p.m. , March 8 at 2 p.m.

Where: Howard Brubeck Theatre , Palomar College Cost: $9 general audience. $7 seniors/military, $5 students. Group rates available.

Info: (760) 744- 1150, ext. 2453 or (760) 744-0136

mated shows that were considered to be too much, such as the late "Beavis and Butthcad," are inevitable, but in addition to its moments of "Butthead" similarities, "South Park" has some creatively v.,itty and wickedly sharp jokes that keep it from being just another opportunity for kids to giggle at a bad word. However, this cuttingedge of creativity is bound to be lost on the more prudent audience members who arc not prepared to meet the show halfway. If you can't laugh at yourself, there is no way you can laugh watching "South Park."

The average 30-minute episode of "South Park" has more than enough incendiary material and language to cause the Vatican to burst into flames. In fact, it's kind of interesting that the Vatican hasn't raised up their papal voice against the creators of "South Park" since one of the animated town's residents is none other than the man himself: Jesus Christ.

In last week's episode, Satan came to town to fight Jesus in the final _battle of good versus evil. The town turned it into a Pay Per View event, touting the boxing showdown between The Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, and Jesus (pronounced "Hay-Zeus") "EI Savior" Christ.

In an average episode, Jesus has his own show on South Park's cable access channel called "Jesus and Pals," during which He takes calls from the residents of South Park.

Jesus also has the same attitude problem as most of his fellow residents, as demonstrated when. a surprised caller asked how Jesus knew his name before he introduced himself: "Maybe because I'm the Son of God, brainiac," Jesus responds.

Being called a "brainiac" could be considered a compliment on thi show. Most of

Zeppelin CD only worthwhile for fans I' f> E L I -" -

THEATER

Courtesy of Comedy Central

Kyle and Stan ·are the brains of the group, and the two closest things to normal children in a foursome of characters from "South Park."

• Trampled by cows • Squashed by a gravestone • Blasted with a hunter's rifle (twice) • Smashed by a crashing airplane • Impaled on a flag pole • Shot by his teacher • Crushed by a volcano's fire bomb (twice) • Run-over by a police car • Pecked to death by turkeys • Cut in half with a chain saw • Strangled by a tetherball cord Squashed by the Space Station • Fried in a microwave Zapped by a UFO • Stabbed in the head with an Iraqi sword • Decapitated by football players • Touched by the hand of Death

-...c:-..... J-; ;-.: :--. I 0 -" "'

Artist: Led Zeppelin CD : "BBC Sessions" Label: Atlantic

*** (out of five stars)

Co-Enterrainmelll Editor

The first law of becoming eternally famous is to suffer an untimely demise.

There are exceptions. Elvis for example, but look at the guy who remembers the old Elvis? Elvis got fat. As soon as he passed his prime he began boozing it up and sucking down the grease balls .

True, Elvis fans have themselves convinced that he died right after his last movie, just so that they can remember him in his prime and swear he's still alive. He's probably performing in a little roadside diner somewhere. Yeah, that' s it 1 Face it, Elvis died an old lard, face down on the can in his own puke.

Back to untimely demises. If a band looses a member and has to break up while they're still in the limeli ght, they will always be remembered as they were in their prime. Look a t Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles, Nirvana or Led Zeppelin . Their

ends should be seen as a gift. A gift from God, fate, mother nature, reality, a higher power or what ever you want to call it.

The gift is the preservation of their entertainment in its time period. Quite frankly, if Hendrix, The Beatles, or even Nirvana went on to release albums for another 10 years, they would have faded into the after glow of up-and-coming new bands and styles. Their sheen would have eventually lost its luster.

Having that said, Led Zeppelin is no exception.

Understandably they were a revolution in the music world as they knew it. They were extremely talented musicians with incredible ingenuity, massive foresight and an unbe lievable obsession with perfection .

They were exactl y what the world of music needed.

In 1968 that is. Not in 1998. SoiTy, nice try, but releasing another collection of lost Zeppelin tunes isn't going to start an

upheaval in the music world and open all our eyes to the lost treasure that was John, Jimmy, John, and Rob. Perhaps that's not exactly what the newest Zeppelin release, "Led Zeppelin: BBC Sessions," was meant to do. If so, good, because it won't. The fact that the band was extremely good and the recordings were incredible for their time is indisputable. The fact is, by today's standards, the music is just plain boring.

Zeppelin fans will probably eat this new set up like candy. I mean, "Wow 1 There are three different recordings of the song 'Communication Breakdown' on the first disc alone! Does life get anymore excit' ing?!"

Steer clear of this collection unless you're already a die-hard fan, or like the prospect of sitting through an 18-and-a-half minute version of "Dazed and Confused."

Led Zeppelin wa taken off this earth, and lets face it, they're never coming ba<;k.

9

SPORTS

THE TELESCOPE • FRIDAY, FEB .

27, 1998

•

Team 1n playoffs; charges dog coach Mike Stevens Staff Writer

Richardson Miron Sports Ediwr

Parents of some players on the men's basketball team have charged that head basketball coach Irv Leifer has been verbally abusive and overly aggressive in his behavior towards student athletes.

The accusations could not come at a worse time for Leifer, as the Comets are preparing for their second consecutive playoff appearance in the coach's two-and-a-half year tenure.

Leifer insists that the ordeal is not a distraction to him or the team.

"I really don't pay much attention to the allegations," Leifer said.

"When you ar'e in this business you are not always going to have your supporters."

The charges were brought to the attention of Palomar's athletic department, as well as the Human Resource Department, by a group of players' parents who demanded disciplinary action be taken.

Judy Lou~her, mother of forward Corey Louther, is one of the head parents leading this charge.

"All of the parents are really upset," Judy Louther said regarding how Leifer has allegedly treated the players.

In one confirmed altercation, the coach reportedly had heated words with a player after benching him during the course of a game. When Leifer then asked the player to return to the game, the player refused, and the coach ordered the player to leave the team's bench.

Midway throu gh the season, the parent gro up held a meeting where the parties discovered that they shared similar feelings about Leifer.

Although incidents brought up by players and their respective parents about the coach were different, they all involved alleged misconduct.

The parent group then set up a meeting with both Asst.

Superintendent/Vice President of Human Resources Dr. Teresa Doyle and Jim Williams, who is a legal resource for the north coun ty chapter of the NAACP. After this meeting and further evaluations it was determined by school officials that the issues that were in question really had no re lationship to race. Complaints came from both black and white parents.

"/really don't pay much attention to the allegations. When you're in this business you aren't always going to have supporters. " •• lrv Leifer Men's Basketball Coach

prepare a recommendation that will be given to John Woods that he will then share with the groups at hand," he said.

Woods still remains very supportive of Leifer and does not envision any change being made. Leifer was Woods hands down first choice when the coaching vacancy opened several years ago.

"I am very concerned with what is being said about our coach," Woods said . "When I measure a program, I'm not measuring it on popularity," he said.

"Basketball is a very difficult sport to deal with for any coach and I don 't think a coach is worth his

The matter then went to Asst.

SuperintendentNice President of Student Services Joe Madrigal to do further investigation .

Madrigal then met with Leifer, Dr. Doyle, and Palomar's Athletic Director John Woods, to talk with the coach face to face.

College officials have not decided what course of action the school will take, and Madrigal and Woods are currently in the process of reviewing the claims and extracting what needs attention.

"I'm doing fact finding at this time ... to validate the complaints," Madrigal said.

"At the conc lusion of that I will

salt if he doesn't challenge his players," he noted.

Leifer inherited a program that was on the downward spiral when the coach took over. The team had not made the playoffs since the early '80s and morale in the program was at an all-time low.

Some p layers say Leifer 's excitable per onality and flare for the dramatic has helped push them become better basketball players, which they say has made them a better team and has apparently earned some players respect.

"Coach has been here two years and has picked this program up off the floor," star guard Jeremy Killion said. "I mean we had a 20-win season this year, and made it to the playoffs for the second year in a row. The man must be doing something right."

Leifer, who is currently preparing • his squad for tonight's playoff game with Fullerton College. believes that the program is on the right track under his helm and that he will continue to run his ship as usual.

A top priority for the coach right now is helping his transferring players find the right niche, as Killion and guard Matt Niehaus among oth-

ers are being highly recruited .

"We try to do the best we can for individual (players), as well as (what is best) for the team," Leifer said.

"If there are individual jealousies there really .isn' t much I can do about it," he said.

Judy Louther says she does feel that as the situation has stalled, the coach's hot temper has cooled.

"The kids do say now that things are getting better," Louther said .

According to the NAACP representative Williams. the dismissal of the coach is not necessarily a must.

If, however, Leifer does remain at his position, there has to be "a lot of moniioring and control."

Williams says that even though this does not appear to be a race issue, the NAACP will not guarantee that this will be the end of any action.

"Right now the ball is in the school's court. What course we choose is dependent upon what course the school chooses," said Williams.

The Comets will try to put the allegations aside in their playoff game tonight at Fullerton College.

The action tips off at 7 p.m.

Men's Tennis looks to ace their competition Richardson Miron Sports Editor

Playing second fiddle can get kind of old . Just ask men's tennis coach Ronnie Mancao.

With the season recently underway, Mancao finds his team in the exact position that they were in at this point last season: Chasing down Pacific Coast Conference champions Grossmont College.

For the past two seasons, Mancao's Comets have finished a disappointing second to division rival Grossmont. But the way

Men's

Mancao sees it, the third time around could be the charm.

"I think that this is the strongest team that I have had since I have been here at Palomar College," Mancao said.

"Right now Grossmont is number one in the conference, but I thin k we have the potential to beat them."

The third-year head coach is very optimistic, and rightfu lly so due to the fact that his roster is loaded wi th good tennis players.

"At the top of our team right now is Bob Picha," Mancao said, "We really look for leadership from Bob (Picha) during games and practices."

The team's number one player is sophomore co-captain Bob Picha, who is a power player with a big serve and an excellent volley game.

Picha is all-conference in both singles and doubles play, where he teams up with sophomore Tyler Hayden.

Hayden is another one of the Comets bright spots, as he utilizes his good ground strokes and savvy experience while out on the court.

Mancao will also depend on rising star Aaron Pratt.

Pratt is one of the team's more experienced players, who has a treme ndous work ethic. That coup led with good strategic tennis that

the sophomore plays enables him to win matches.

These veteran players experience is very valuable to the Comets due to the fact that this years squad embodies nine players who have never played tennis at the college leve l.

But Mancao's squad is very deep with these young players, and the coach feels that this m ay be one of his teams most valuable assets. ''That may be our biggest advantage this year, the fact that we are very deep," Mancao said.

"We have a good team, good enough to say that we are a contender. In my opinion, we are good enough to beat Grossmont," he said.

Unseating the defending champion will be difficult, especially due to the fact that Grossmont has won an impressive 15 consecutive PCC titles.

But Mancao, who is a former professional to ur player and coach, remai ns upbeat that the Comets day will come.

"I think we are about due to fin ish up in first place," Mancao said, "the key is stay ing healthy and getting our academics taken care of."

The Comets next m atch is March 3 at conference riva l San Diego Mesa College. The ac tion will begin at 2 p.m.

This week in

Playoffs Saturday, Feb. 28 vs.

Fullerton College 7 p.m. -Away

Volleyball Friday, Feb. 27 vs.

Orange Coast College 7 p.m.- Home Wednesday, March 4 vs.

San Diego Mesa College 7 p.m.- Home

Baseball Saturday, F eb. 28 vs.

San Diego Mesa College 12 p.m. - Home

Basketball

Men's

photos by Steve Marcotte I The Te/e.<eope

(top) Tyler Hayden hits a backhand in warm ups. (left) Bob Picha in game action vs. Pima College of Arizona. The Comets lost the match up 3-6.

Tuesday, March 3 vs.

Grossmont College 2 p.m. -Away

SPORTS Men's and Women's Tennis Men

Tuesday, March 3 vs.

San Diego Mesa College 2 p.m. -Away

Women Tuesday, March 3 vs.

San Diego Mesa College 2 p.m.- Home

Thursday, March 5 vs.

Imperial Valley College 2 p.m.- Home

Softball Friday-Sunday, Feb. 27March 1 vs.

Bakersfield Tournament TBA-Away

The last chall.el,.)ge of a socially conscious society?· Depression strikes millions- indiscriminately. Depression is simply a suppression of brain activity that makes life unbearable. And even though depression is readily treatable, only 1 in 5 ever seeks treatment. Why do so many just drag themselves along or eventually seek relief through suicide? First, there's the lack of awareness of depression- as an illness and as the threat that it is to each and . every one of us. Second, there's the unwarranted negative stigma attached to it.

You know, the 'mental' thing. It's time to collectively face depression. To know it's an illness, not a weakness. And it's a UNTREATED challenge that's long overdue. It's taken too many of us already. #1 Cause of Suicide

.D EPRESSION

Public Service message from SAlVE (Suicide Awareness\Voices of Education)

http://www.save.org

10

TH E T ELESCO P E • FRLDAY, FEB. 27 , 1998

SPORTS

COMETS STARTING LINEUP center fielder:

Gary Templeton Jr.

le ft fi eld er:

rig ht fielder:

Bryan Harris

Kyle Albright

second base:

Jeff Walker shortstop:

Carlos Fletes

catcher:

coach:

Nick Herz

Bob Vetter

Photos b y Rchccca Thomas I The Telescope

Greg Bochy takes a vicious hack at the plate while teammate Carlos Fletes waits on deck.

After a long w·inter, the Comets play ball Richardson Miron Spons Editor

Whe n you have been coaching college baseball for 22 years like Palomar 's head s kippe r Bob Ve tter. you sta rt to get a feel for what it takes to win baseball games.

Vetter cites p itching and defense as the two biggest factors in how a team fares once they step on the diamond. A nd luc kily fo r the coach th is year 's squad should be ab le to convert these fun dame nta ls to s uccess.

B ut Vetter feels tha t this g roup has somethi ng special that not all team s have. Somethin g that can take you a lo ng way in the grue ling summer heat of a 40 plus baseball season.

T his year 's team has c hemistry.

"Ability w ise I may have had better ball clubs," Vetter said , "but I think overall w he n you throw in work ethic, responsibility, and the

character o f these guys, as well as their ability, thi s is the best team that I have had ," he said.

"Thi s really is a special close knit group, with j ust s uper chemistry."

Vette r re ite rate d.

Vetter, who has been coaching at Palo mar fo r 17 yea rs, doesn't have to re ly o n just these intang ibles a lone to have a successful season, as this team has got some very tale nted players in the ir ·lineup.

T he Come ts e ntire th ree ma n startin g rotation is re turnin g, w ith right-hander Darrell Berek expected to be the ace.

Berek, w hose fastba ll is routinely c locked a round 90 mph , was a Pac ific Coast first-team a ll- confere nce pick last season, as he led the league in ER A { 1.44) with an 8-4 record.

"Darre ll is a very do minating pitcher. H e has the ability to Oat out dominate othe r clubs," Ve tter said o f his ace pitc her.

"We are going to have a very solid staff," the coach added.

T he other two starters that Vetter is depending o n are ri ght handers P a t Edwards (Poway) and Dave E bright (L a Costa Canyon).

Edwards will man the second s pot in the rotation after putting in a solid performance a year ago w hen he posted a 7-7 record to go along wi th a 3.06 ERA. Scott Starkey (Vista) and Greg B ochy (Mt. Carmel) w ill hand le the re lief d uties for a staff that fig ures to have the ir starters going deep into ba ll games.

T he Comets have some good bats in their lineup as well, head lined by first-team a ll -conference catc he r Ni ck Herz (Poway), wlto hit .297 a year ago, and impressed by stopping oppone nts runn ing games.

T he spark plug o f the team is cente rfie lder Gary Tem pleton (Poway}.

Templeton got a n honorable menti on last week fo r PCC player of the

(above) Southpaw Scott Starkey hurls a heater to an opposing batter. Starkey is the lone left handed r eliever in the Comet s bullpen. (Rig ht) First baseman Dave Moss rece ives a pick off attem pt. Moss i s a power hitter who will share platoon duties as the first sacker with Keith Anderson. The Comet s next home act ion is tomorrow against conference rival San Diego M esa at 2 p.m .

week ho nors.

Vetter also hopes to get some big offensive numbers from ri ghtfielder Ky le Albri gh t (R anc ho Bue no Vista), who batted .337 with seven ho mers a year ago, wh ic h landed him firs t-team all-confere nce recognition and newcom in g fi rst baseman Keith A nderson (Escondido) also carries a big stick.

L ast season the Comets started off poorly, losing 17 of their first 2 1 games, whi c h ultimately p ut the Comets out of pl ayoff contention befo re the season was even at the half way point.

But Vetter 's squad ra ll ied and fi nis hed strong wi nning 14 o f their last 19 outin gs, which bro ug ht the youn g c lubs record to a m odest 1822 record , and left the Comets fee ling hungry to get a fresh start. " Bas icall y we had two seasons a year ago," Vette r said .

"We wet'e very young, we had 18 fres hmen on that team , and we went thro ugh four di ffere nt ,peopl e at shortstop. We were really j us t having a to ugh time defensively last season, but I thi nk w hen I put Jeff Walker at short, it j ust turned th ings around." he said.

T his season Wal ke r (San Marcos) will man second base a nd Carlos Fle tes (Vista) wi ll be bring hi s exceptio nal glove work to shortstop . F letes was a firs t-team a ll -con-

Gary Templeton Jr. rounds second base, and looks to go to third. Templeton is the Comets' leading base runner. ference p ick in 1996 before he sat out last season .

This season the Comets have started off much better, win ning five of their first six games. And optimism is runn ing high through the e ntire club.

"I defin itely think we can win the Pacific Coast Championship," Edwards said. "That is our goal and I thi nk we will get it done."

With such lofty expectations fo r the season, coach Vetter realizes that teams that look good on paper

also need to produce for an entire season if they wan t to become champions.

"The word is defi nitely out that we have got a good ball cl ub, so there will be some teams gu nn ing fo r us. We are going to have to be at our best everytime we step on to the fie ld," he said.

The Comets will play thei r first home conference game tomorrow against San Diego Mesa College.

The firs t pitch is scheduled for 12 p .m .