new travb fn1
Basketball New coach changes Palomar's offensive strategy
Arts &
Entertainn1ent, page 6
Monday, Nov. 1, 1999
Sports, page 8
Palornar College -
Volurne 53, Nurnber S
San Marcos, Calif.
Fees not going to construct new Student Union not built with a strong enough foundation," Boggs said. Boggs says that a second story Students at Palomar College on the current building would will not be getting a new building involve a complete re-engineering for the Student Union. In Spring of the current Student union and of 1998, students voted for an with the projected budget would annual fee that would go toward just not be possible. building a new Student Center. "lt's just a matter of how much Instead, those fees will go to either money is available," Boggs said. remodeling or adding on to the According to Vice President of current building. Administrative Services Jerry Erica Olvera was president of Patton, it is projected that collecthe Associated Student tion of fees will result in a $2.5 Government million hudget for (ASG) at the time the Student Center. of the vote and District Architect now serves as an Marlene lmirzian ASG senator. says that this $2.5 Olvera says that million will go she and the other toward the project members of stuhudget which is not dent government simply fo1 conat the time had a struction but goes vision of a whole to pay for permits new building and and fees as well. that students who Currently, a voted for the fee committee of stuexpected the same. dent~. faculty and "I think it betrays staff are meeting to the students' trust discuss how the us," Olvera Ill project budget will said, "It's like we be spent. "Until we advertised somereally understand thing that's not what the students going to happen." want, we have no Director of idea what the - Bruce Bishop design will be.'' Student Activities Bruce Bishop, like Director of Imirzian said. many others, So far the comStudentActivities thought that a secmittee has disond story would be added onto the cussed remodeling or adding onto current building. "It was because the current building but because of in various publications and discuslack of funds a new huilding has sions related to the student center not been talked about. we saw artists' rendering of a two "Even if we can only recondistory building," Bishop said. tion the Student Center at least Now that Bishop has been more we're doing something,'' Rabaya actively involved in the planning said. of the Student Center he has a Rabaya was not a student when more realistic view on the issue. the election occurred but has "It is now pretty obvious that the noticed two discrepancies between amount of money generated by what was promised by ASG and this fee is not sufficient to pay for wtat is happening now. a second story." Bishop said. One discrepancy deals with Dr. George Boggs says that it ASG's promise of a new building would not be possible to have a and the other deals with financial second story added to the current Student Union. "The building was see CENTER, page 5
Dustin J. Schwindt
FeaTure Ediror
.ft'><,ica Tl•nnh I The Te/e~N>pr
Cars, busses and trucks wait in line at the Twin Oaks Valley Road I Highway 78 interchange in San Marcos. Work began to expand the overpass in August and is expected to take about 21 months to complete.
Work starts on Twin Oaks gridlock Tom Chambers EdiTor in Chief
Palomar student Heather Donlon spends 20 minutes a day wa1tmg in her white Chevy Cavalier at the interchange of Twin Oaks Valley Road and Highway 78. For several years, motorists have sat in long lines waiting to get to Palomar or Cal State San Marcos. "The traffic is always backed up," Donlon said. "People don't know what to do at the stop signs. I'm surprised l haven't gotten into an accident." The traffic nightmare is about to change. An $11.6 million project was started in August to replace the infamous bridge with a wider one including new freeway entrance and exit ramps. Students at Palomar and Cal State San Marcos, along with North County residents, couldn't be happier. The volume of traffic on
Highway 78 has doubled in the last 10 years and continues to increase at a rate of 12 percent each year 50 percent higher than most other state highways in San Diego County. The City of Constru.etion San Marcos, • Area Palomar College, Cal State San Marcos and the Chamber of Governments, succeeded last June Commerce tried for years to get - getting $5.1 million from the the state to prioritize the project state for the project. The rest of on the two-lane overpass that conthe money needed to complete the nects the university, downtown improvements will come from San Marcos and Palomar. sales tax and local funds. The coalition, working with the "This is something that I San Diego Association of thought would never happen," San
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Marcos Mayor F.H. "Corky" Smith said at the groundhreaking ceremony. The 21 month project will replace the existing bridge with a four lane overpass. The plan calls
see BRIDGE, page 5
"It is now pretty obvious that the amount of money generated by this fee is not sufficient to pay for a second story."
Palomar seeks call boxes Patricia S. McAvoy Opinion EdiTor
Continuing its efforts to ensure student safety, Palomar College is planning to install emergency call boxes on campus. Fifteen remote telephone columns placed around campus connecting directly to campus police will be placed throughout the San Marcos campus. "Our number one priority is to protect students and facilities on campus,'' said Tom Plotts, director of public safety and police. "Students have substantiated a need, we will establish a fund and install the equipment," Plotts said. However, he said, no specific date is set for installation because information is still being gathered.
Emergency call box systems can operate on phone lines or radio frequencies. In a recent report to the Governing Board, Director of Facilities Mike Ellis said the college is looking at call box systems from three companies. "We're leaning toward a duel system," Ellis said. "Because of the cost of installation." The estimated cost of an initial system with duel communication capabilities is about $88,000. The Facilities Department hopes to keep the costs down by using the new phones lines installed during the infrastructure project and by installing the boxes themselves. The telephone unit's design, which is capable of a duel system,
has the telephone recessed into a round illuminated column making it easily visible, displaying "emergency" lettering and a strobe light that is activated when the telephone is used. The phone operation is "push button, you talk," Ellis said. The ease in use, the highly visible column and placement in parking lots and other higher risk areas on campus should provide more safety and convenience for students, Ellis said. "Boxes placed in parking lots will save students from having to come all the way from parking lots to call for help," Ellis said. Also, the blue strobe light will alert campus police and security
see CALL BOXES, page 3
Roher! Cha•is I The Tele.\cope
A construction worker sprays water on fresh cement on the west end of Comet Circle. Comet Circle has been closed from parking lot 12 to lot 15 for construction.