ASGElection '99
legoland
.Palomar students vote this Tuesday and Wednesday for next year's ASG. Meet the candidates inside.
The new theme park just opened in our backyard. Is it worth the $32 admission to go?
Arts and Entertainment, page 8
ASG Election, page 6
MONDAY,
APRIL
19,
1999
PALOMAR
N
0
DA
COLLEGE
SAN
MARCOS,
VOLUME
CA
52,
NUMBER
19
Candidates vie for ASG seats diplomatically "We encourage all students to vote. That'.1the only way to have a voice - don't complain and then not vote." Jose Cartagena Election Committee Chair Vincent Vigil / The Telescope
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Thirteenstudents seek ASGpositions
Tom Chambers Edirnr -in -Chi ef
Jose Cartagena, chairman of the election committee, is optimistic about the outcome in this year's Associated Student Government election. "From what I saw last year, the campaigning this year is not as cutthroat," said Cartagena. "The candidates are concerned with
their own campaigns." Cartagena credits this year's candidates. "We have a more mature candidacy this year," Cartagena said. "They realize they will have to work as a team on ASG, and they're starting now." This year's election, raking place this week on Tuesday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 21, is lo elect 12 ASG officers for next year's board. Of the 13 candidates, five are run ning for the six open senator seats. The entire executive board is up for election as well. Two students, Buddy Rabaya and Danielle Oakley, are running for president.
Palomar Pow-Wow leaps hurdles to take place Jessica Long Swf( Writer
In its 16 year history, Palomar's Pow-Wow has become a staple for both the college and the surrounding community, blll planning for this year\ annual communal celebration was threatened due to lack of interest and funding issues, said Loretta Murillo-Colton, American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society (AISES) President. "We had difficulty last semester .. . part of the problem had to do with low attendance at club meetings on the part of both students and staff," Murillo-Colton ,aid. "We've pushed the issue and our meetings have gotten a lot bigger now." Murillo-Colton attributed the lack of faculty interest to conflicts in scheduling and the amount of time involved in planning the Pow-Wow. "We've got a lot of support now. Everyone has come around and it should he a good event," MurilloColton said. The Pow-Wow's continuing presence on campus has also been helped along because various campus clubs have pulled together to make it a true community event as it is meant to be, Murillo-Colton said. In the early planning stages of the Pow-Wow. AISES found Palomar's Associated Student Government had wrongly read the funding guidelines for the event. ASG is responsible for funding the Pow-Wow while AISES helps funding by contributing what they can. The enor occurred when ASG members read a legislative article as being that AISES was responsible for matching any amount of financial support from ASG. "It was an e1Tor in how they read the article. We had to remind them that they were indeed responsible for funding us this year regardless of
how much we were capable of raising," Murillo-Colton said. With funding set. AISES contacted other campus clubs which agreed to co-host along with them. The Connection Club will provide security for the event. The club has also arranged for non-profit organizations such as St. Clare's Women ·s Shelter and Serenity House to sell baked goods. The money generated from the sale will benefit the women and children who reside in the safe houses. Other clubs participating are MechA and the Gay and Lesbian Association (or GALA). Entertainment will include a variety of Native American performers including San Diego State University's Aztec dancers and a children's group from San Luis Rey. The Pow-Wow which has traditionally held a drum competition for a cash prize will not be part of the festivities. Instead, audience participation will be emphasized in the drum and dancing performances. The change was made because in previous years professional drummers would enter and win, making the competition unfair for amateur drummers who participated believing the contest was equal. "We had to do something about the drum competition because people would come out and put a lot of effort into their acts. The playing field just wasn ' t even, " MurilloColton said. "We're going to have food, entertainment and it's all free. I really encourage students of all backgrounds to come;' Murillo-Colton said. The Pow-Wow will be held in the sports dome on Saturday , April 24 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. AISES is looking for volunteers to help with the event. For more information contact American Indian Studies at (760) 744-1150. ext. 2425.
Polls are open in the Student Union on Tuesdayand Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cartagena plans to have the voting booths manned by paid students and election committee members at all times, to avoid Complete problems with ballot tamper coverage of ing. all the races. "We encourage all stuPage 6 dents to vote," s a i d Cartagena. "That's the only way to have a voice - don't complain and then not vote."
Inside
WARNING DANGEROUS li?ACONDITIONS
us/Jf~Efl,S REPAIR ,INH!SK
Mikael Wiley / The Telescope
A sign at Palomar's
track warns potential
users of danger and disrepair.
Athletics · to field new facilities Anthony Saavedra Staff Writer
The Padres wou ld not be expected to play home games at SDSU's Tony Gwynn Stadium, nor would the Lakers play on the court of Lht: local YMCA. However, with three national championships this decade, Palomar College's football team play s its games at San Marcos High School. This is about to change, though . After J 8 months of designing and haggling over the budget, Palomar finally has a plan to create athletic
fields befitting a top program. As the footba ll team plays at San Marcos High School , Palomar's baseball and softball fields resemble those of a little league team. The soccer field is nothing more than the softball field with extra chalk lines on it. The Dome is cold , dark ai1d requires refurbishing. "A major face lift is overdue," said Athletics Director John Woods. "We probably have the worst facilities in the conference. It's discouraging to see things like this." The$ I? million project still lacks funding. The District has raised
enough money for the construction of a new baseball field and for improvements in the Dome. Al one point, bec;ause of problems concerning the drainage system, the new baseball field was $1.9 million over budget. A new plan to eliminate a proposed retaining wall bas brought the field back within the budget. "The only money we had available," said Facilities Director Mike Ellis, "was a $2 million grant from the city of San Marcos, with the assumption that we would move the baseball field off of Mission Road, and they want two practice fields.
According to Ellis, Palomar would use those fields for physical education classes and team practices during the day, and the city would have access to them at night. The baseball field will be moved to the north end of campus and will seat approximately J ,500 fans. Construction of the field is set to begin the summer of 2000. The District has also looked for funding from several other sources. "We have $1.8 million existing in funding from the county, community,
see FIELDS, page 3
ASG learns lobbying rules at The Capitol Sean O'Connor
ASG Election this week
Rabaya served as executive vice president this year. For executive vice president K.J. Tosaya and Israel Cervantes are running. Both come with past ASG experience. Moody Wasif, running for vice president of state affairs, and Elaine James, running for vice president of social events, are both unchallenged. Wasif served as a senator this year, and James is seeking re-election . Peter Mojica is seeking re-election as vice president/Inter -Club Council chair. He is challenged by Shannon Gyde .
Staff Wrirer
Eight Palomar students, all members of Palomar's Associated Student Government (ASG) and their adviser, James Bowen went to Washington D.C., March 27 -30. They we1:e not on vacation. "The students had a great experience. The learned a lot. Hopefully every student on campus will profit from their lobbying efforts," Bowen said. They were part of a group of 250 other students from the American Student Association of Community Colleges (ASACC)
who were lobbying Congress for financial aid for community colleges. These students represented 90 community colleges from 22 states. The eight Palomar students lobbied the chiefs of staff of Senators Boxer, Feinstein, and Representatives Cunningham and Packard. Unfortunately, these senators and representatives were not present because they were also on a spring recess. ln particular, the Palomar stu dents lobbied for increased funding for child care, financial aid for students, Pell grants and for aid to
companies sponsoring employees attending Palomar for additional educational training. They also pointed out that the average age of community college students was 29 and there was a great need for child care. To lobby effectively and to learn more about how Washington works, the American Student Association of Community Colleges arranged for well -known speakers and workshops for the students to attend. Palomar students heard well known speakers as Ralph Nader, consumer crusader, Bay Buchanan, president of the
American Cause, and sister of presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, Henry M . Smith, U.S. Department of Education, and others. Students could choose from 20 workshops at the conference. Some of the topics at the conference were: • Lobbying IOI: How to work with legislators • The Federal Basics: Pell Grant, EEA, Federal Loan Programs, and Work Study? • Student Aid: 1998 Higher Education Act
see WASHINGTON, page 3