Monday, Oct. 30, 2000- Palomar College- Volume 53, Number 8
Backing Bush
Meet the candidates Trick or treat
A call for college students to vote in the next election for George Bush.
Your guide to each of the governing board candidates up for election.
Start your holiday by visiting one of San Diego's haunted houses. Focus, page 10
News, page 3
Opinion, page 5
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Students find artifacts 1n dig Ramin Falahi The Telescope
Professor of Anthropology Phil de Barros and a team of student archaeologists at an oncampus dig are uncovering artifacts they didn't expect to find. Since the initial digs on Sept. 9, excavations have been focused on the north end of campus. An archaeology firm, Gallegos and Associates, proceeded with the test excavation, finding a piece of shell dating from about 3500 years ago. Gallegos found the site to contain artifacts from American Indians living in the San Diegiuto Archaic period, ranging from 3000 to 8000 years ago. But the students are revealing artifacts such as the rim of a bowl, that are from the Late Prehistoric period, spanning the last 800 to 1000 years, de Barros said. The Indian group occupying the territory before 3000 to 5000 years ago are Hokan-speaking Indians. The Hokan-speaking Indians in some way merged with the Shoshonean-speaking Indians who came in the last 3000 to 5000 years. The Luisefio Indians in San Diego are descendants of the Shoshonean Indians. There isn't exact information to
Mark Brown The Telescope
Asa Philbum and Scott Hensiek sift through dirt for artifacts in the wash screen area of the archaeological dig.
place each artifact with an Indian group, but archaeologists said they think the findings from the Late Prehistoric period can be linked to the Luisefio Indians because the site is in former
Luisefio territory, de Barros said. Recorded in the 70s, the site is not sacred, nor do the artifacts have religious significance to the Indian groups. The artifacts merely signify the Indian groups'
cultural heritage, de Barros said. Associate Professor of American Indian Studies Patricia Dixon has contacted the Pauma See Artifacts, page 7
Air problems continue Jo Appleton The Telescope
Jessica Tennis I The Telescope
Palomar College student Steven Peny broadc:asted his show S&M from KKSM's studio with his mother.
KKSM DJ dies Sean J. O'Connor Th e Telescope
Patti Whitman DSPS
Steven Perry, a Palomar College radio and television major, died after a brief illness Tuesday, Oct. 10 at the age of 21. Perry started his own radio show with his mother, the S& M show, which played every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Comet 1320 AM, the college's radio station. S & M stood for Steve and his Mother. It was a music and talk show. Rob Branch, associate pro-
Transit District may drop 320 Palomar bus
fessor of communications, called Perry an inspiration whose manner in overcoming obstacles helped others keep their own problems in perspective. Branch said, "Steve was one of those shining assets that a radio station or any institution likes to point to with a degree of pride of ownership." He said Perry's dedication to learning and teaching communication skills and his tenacity were "interwoven into our fiber." Tim Ulman, professor of forSee Perry, page 7
After spending $1.5 million on a retrofitting program for the Palomar College library, the district is now spending thousands more to try to figure out what could be the reason for the poor air quality that is still a growing concern. Manager of facilities planning/environmental health and safety, Kelley Hudson-Macisaac, said several library employees have suffered symptoms related to poor air quality since 1983. Seventeen years later and the problems still aren't solved. Manager of Library Staff and Services, Katherine Gannett, said that library workers have had symptoms such as burning lips and nose, coughing, headaches, scratchy eyes and a heavy feeling in the chest. Between 1993 and 1994, as a result of students and library staff complaining of symptoms, the district began a project that cost $1.5 million to improve the building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), system. Those early studies revealed that the HVAC system wasn't working properly and a new one was installed along with new carpet, paint and lighting, said Gannett. Glenna Mitchell, senior library technician and employee of 14 years, said before the retrofit there were times when she was ill with symptoms but not to the point that she would have to stay home from work. "I went to the doctors and he said there was nothing wrong with me, which is hard to believe
when your eyes are watering and you have a metallic taste in your mouth," said Mitchell. "Since the retrofit there's been a great deal of improvement, but some days I still get allergy-like symptoms." Another library employee of 27 years explained how the staff was subjected to tests with doctors as far away as San Diego. By the time they arrived there most of the symptoms had cleared up and there were none to justify the workers' complaints. She added the one thing that has improved is that now people believe the workers complaints are legitimate. " o one believed us, they just thought we were silly women and that it was all in our heads," she said. "We heard that one person in administration commented that we are "hysterical, pre-menopausal women." "Obviously something is going on here," Gannett said. After the completion of the 1994 remodel, there were no complaints until about 1996, then they steadily increased over the next two years until they became more common. "Sometimes staff will say that it's really bad here in the mornings, especially on Mondays," she said. Library employees are urged to fill out forms when the building is bothering them to record the symptoms and complaints that they have. "Fewer forms have been turned in," she said. "It's not because people are experiencing fewer symptoms but more likely that they're tired of filling out forms everyday." She said she gets See Air quality, page 7
Students who rely on the bus to get to Palomar College will have to take more time to do so if the North County Transit District follows through on its plan to cut the 320 express bus route. The NCTD is considering cutting the 320 route's stop at Palomar, forcing many students to take the slower 302 route. The 302 route makes the same stops, but takes side streets and makes more stops along the way. If the changes are made they would be implemented in the next year. The NCTD is holding an open house in December to review the proposed changes. "The main reason for discontinuing the 320 from Palomar College is to make timed connections at Vista and Escondido, and maximize the mobility benefits of the express service all along the corridor", said Stephan Marx of NCTD. "I want the 302 and 320 bus, it breaks up everyone piling up on one bus," said Palomar student Jennifer Knapic. Marx said if the NCTD finds most riders are going to Palomar from Vista and Escondido, then the change is worth making. There is a 20 minute difference if a student takes the 302 compared to the 320. NCTD said they are concerned about the delay so they proposed there be a 15 minute peak hour service on the 302 during school and rush hours, Marx said. ¡Renita Pitt , executive vice president of the Associated Student Government said she was told it would take 15 to 20 minutes, when the ride actually took 25 to 30 minutes to get to Palomar. "It makes a big difference to the students on campus, when the extra time is infringing on your schedules, classes and time," Pitts said. Knapic and Pitts are lobbying the NCTD to keep the Express route. There will be an express connection from Vista to Palomar College to run non-stop between these two transit centers during peak hours and will be timed to meet other buses at the Vista Transit Center, Marx said. The Vista to Escondido express trips can be completed in 30 minutes if the Palomar stop is skipped, Marx said. Palomar College is the longest deviation on the schedule because of the time it takes to travel from the transit center to the freeway. Because of street patterns and traffic in the area the trips from Escondido to the Palomar on the 320 are slightly faster than the 302, Marx said. The 320 relies on the riders and by eliminating the Palomar College stop, it improves the travel time and the riders of the district, Marx said.