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SISOk gift gives college extra boost By Christa Farmer
TirE TELESCOPE
IIDIEW PHELPS I THE TELESCOPE
Albertsons employees Alex Mohn, Mike Capuchino, Melissa Vasquez and Katy Ka111inski brandish their signs Oct 22 to protest being "locked out" of union-staffed grocery stores. Mohn and Ka111inski are Palomar students are concerned about the conflict's effects on their education.
Two charity organizations donated $350,000 to Palomar College for classroom supplies, library materials, instructional equipment and building renovations. The Palomar College Foundation and Palomar President's Associates made the donation a joint gift. "The goal of the foundation is to help on times of need, especially in a time when we're facing budget cuts," said Berta Cuaron, vice president of instruction. The grants are being given to offset some of the financial support lost because of the budget cuts. The Palomar College Foundation is funding two-thirds of the grant, and the President's Associates is providing the rest.
Students suffering in grocery strike Food and Commercial Workers International union rejected a new proposal from the chains after the most recent contract ended Oct. 5. The union is striking over pension and benefit issues. Although the union pays strikers for time on the picket line, they must spend at least 20 hours a week to make $100 and 40 hours to make $300. "It takes a big toll (on me) because I have to bend those 40 hours just to study," Mohn said. If they picket for anything less than 20 hours, the strikers receive nothing, said Erica Williams, a
Bv Jessica Musicar·
TirE TELESCOPE
With the grocery strike full under way, Palomar students who work at Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons are suffering. Time on the picket line means time away from studying, said Palomar student Alex Mohn. The strike is also causing them to lose paychecks that many are counting on to survive, said Albertsons employee and Palomar student Alex Mohn. "I'll tough it out as long as I can, but I'm gonna have to find something else to keep me above water," he said. The strike began when the United
• SEE STRIKE, PAGE 2
Who: Employees at Vons and Pavilions. (Ralphs and Albertsons employees were locked out by their employers.)
Why. Safeway, owner of Vons and Pavilions, wants employees to pay 50 percent of their health fees .
• SEE DONATION, PAGE#
Board passes college budget unanimously Bv Roger Renkas
TlfE TEl!StOPE
Palomar governing board members unanimously approved a $106.1 million budget for 2003-04 after a detailed review of all revenue and expenditure items at their meeting Oct 14. The new budget increased $10.4 million • SEE BUDGET, PAGE 2
Student election draws few voters By Roy McCann
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Seven uncontested candidates for the Associated Student Government's fall elections were sworn in at the ASG meeting Oct. 15. Less than one hundredth of a percent of the Palomar student body cast votes in the online election Oct. 6-9. Students Ryan Birtcher, Patty Horta, Jason Roach, Ariel Zeballos, Eric Van Epps and Lisette Medina are the new senators. Eli Magana is the new executive vice president. One hundred and eleven students out of approximately 29,000 at Palomar voted in the ASG's online election.
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"It's important to have a voice," said student voter Samantha Stabler. Marilyn Lunde, administrative secretary of student affairs, said she was disappointed with the voter turnout. ''When there is no competition, students don't vote," Lunde said. ASG President Amador Soto said it was every candidates' responsibility to get the vote out. Even though they ran unopposed, he said, they should have campaigned harder to attract attention to the election. "When I ran for office, I passed out 2-3,000 flyers ," Soto said. • SEE
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government president Amador Soto (right) swears in new ASG members at ELECTION ' PAGE 3 Student a meeting Octl5. All candidates went uncontested in the ASG election Oct 6-9.
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