The Telescope 64.2 by The Telescope

Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif. tuesday sept. 7, 2010 Vol. 64, No. 2

the-telescope.com

Free ‘RAD’ rape defense class now at Palomar

College remains on warning status for accreditation

yvonne lanot the telescope

sydnie taylor the telescope

turn to rad page

Palomar’s accreditation remains on warning status until the college can adhere to recommended areas of improvement. In June, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges put Palomar on continued warning status because Palomar did not complete certain requirements. Palomar was responsible for completing four recommendations of improvement by ACCJC, but only completed three. Palomar still needs to improve “integrated planning, evaluation and resource allocation decision making,” according to the Palomar website. This ACCJC recommen-

to regain good status. “Students should not be worried about our accreditation,” said Berta Cuaron,Vice President of Instructional Services. “We continue to provide our students with a strong teaching and learning experience with faculty and staff dedicated to supporting the success of our students.” According to Cuaron, Palomar faculty and staff has done a great job improving all areas recommended by the ACCJC. The staff at Palomar understands how important it is to meet all requirements. “Palomar should be following all recommendations, but at turn to report page

Building for the future... Palomar planning new facilities, completing others

Robert Deegan. The site features an office building with more than 100,000 square feet, as well as a threestory parking garage, he said.

david leonard the telescope

With a focus on the future of the college, the Palomar administration is planning a new center in Rancho Bernardo to serve students in the southern end of the district. This center, along with the newly opened Health Sciences building and nearly completed Multidisciplinary Instructional building, is part of a broader effort to expand the capacity of the college over the next 12 years. The newly purchased Rancho Bernardo site is projected to be opened to students in Spring 2013, according to Palomar President

INSIDE...

Slamin’ education page

too.” If Palomar loses its accreditation, students will lose the credibility of their classes. Credits will not be transferrable if Palomar is not accredited. When community colleges, like Palomar, diverge from specific academic requirements, they are placed on warning status. Fortunately, Palomar does not lose its accreditation when put on warning and is given the opportunity

joseph bonnet | THE TELESCOPE

Be safe. Be aware. This motto, said by Karen Boguta, Palomar dispatch records coordinator, is something that should be taken seriously by all, especially women. Boguta, who works for the Campus Police, said that the best way to be truly safe is to take a Rape Aggression Defense class, also known as RAD. Palomar offers this free course to any woman ages 14 and older for three consecutive Saturdays starting Sept. 4. RAD. consists of learning the basics of self defense, then having real hands-on training, ending with a fullcontact, simulated-assault scenario on the last day of class, according to the Palomar Campus Police website. Boguta said she thinks every woman should know how to keep herself protected. “It’s important for people to know how to keep safe,” Boguta said. “They should know the basics of learning how to defend themselves and should know about the buddy system and to even take advantage of our escort service that is offered at Palomar.” Student Britania Mendoza said she likes that these courses are at Palomar. “I think it is a good idea that Palomar is offering this class,” Mendoza said. “It’s so close, so any students who want to take it can come and not have to drive out to far places to go.” Not only does RAD. teach how to defend against an attacker it is also a good way to network with other RAD. members and take more advance classes in the future, according to Boguta. With the RAD. program having been offered at Palomar for a few years now, Boguta said this is the first time that they were able to open up an advanced class for those wanting to further their learning experience in learning how to defend themselves. “We’ve been wanting to add an advanced class for some time,” Boguta said. “Most of the advanced classes are only offered in the East Coast, so it was nice to finally get someone certified to teach the class down here.” Palomar student Emalynn Tagulal said she finds this free course a good learning experience for the women of today. “I think it’s a good thing for women to be informed about these types of situations,” Tagulal said. “With

dation requires Palomar to put together a plan that incorporates all major budget processes into one operation, according to the Palomar website. Palomar has already developed this plan, but it has not yet been implemented. Not putting this plan into action is what placed Palomar on warning status in the first place. “Palomar’s failure to do their homework doesn’t just affect them,” student Lisa Coster said. “It affects us,

Palomar student Ian Erskine, who expressed enthusiasm over the location chosen, is a member of the group benefiting most from the planned center: those students who currently commute from Poway, Ramona and the surrounding communities. “I work in Rancho Bernardo, and it would be very close. That would be great,” he said. The 23-acre site was identified for use as the southern education center of the district after a long search for the opportune plot. A general location for the site was

Time warp to the ’80s page

photos by deb hellman | the telescope

Building a new center

Construction on the Health Services building was completed this year. The current building is shown above, and the building is shown under construction to the left. Classes are being held this semester in the new building. laid out in the Palomar Master Plan for 2022, which calls for an ongoing expansion of the facilities in the district to take on an influx of students over the next 12 years. “We quickly found that there were no suitable large sites for a college campus (in the southern end of the district),” Deegan explained. He said that there are opportunities for expansion of the site beyond the current building, including two large concrete bases that could be used to build similar-

Duo directs team page

ly sized buildings as necessary. The purchase of the Rancho Bernardo center was made mostly with money from Proposition M, a 2003 voter approved measure that provided the college with $694 million for modernization projects.

Updating campus

our

current

Prop M funds are already at work on the San Marcos Campus, turn to buildings page

A really expensive sponge page

|CAMPUS BEAT

Remember Sept. 11

Seeing Red

Campus Calendar Tuesday, Sept. 7

• Coffee Night, 5 p.m. t o 7 p.m., Escondido Campus lobby • Project Walk at 10:45 a.m. starts in the Student Union Quad • Inter-Club Council meeting at 12:30 p.m. in Room SU-204

Wednesday, Sept. 8

• ASG Meeting at 1 p.m. in SU201 • Be Green event at 10 a.m. in the Student Union Quad • Skills for Study Workshop, 4 p.m. in Room 500 at the Escondido Campus

Friday, Sept. 10

• Remember 9/11 display

out all day in the Student Union Quad lawn area

Monday, Sept. 13-17

• American Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Parking Lot 11 • Free Build Your Note-Taking Skills workshop at 5 p.m. in Room 500 at the Escondido Campus

Tuesday, Sept. 14

• Hoop It Up at 11 a.m. in the

Student Union Quad • Inter-Club Council meeting at 12:30 p.m. in Room SU-204

Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Palomar Health Services and the American Red Cross are teaming up to host a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking Lot 11 on the San Marcos Campus Sept. 13-17. Only about 3 in 100 people in America donate blood and every donation makes a difference, according to the American Red Cross. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and are encouraged to eat a full meal and drink plenty of fluids before they donate in order to ensure a successful donation. Potential donors must make a appointment and can sign up either by logging onto givelife.org and entering the code: palomarsm or in person at the Health Services building near Parking Lot 11. Donors should allow approximately one hour to complete their appointment. Interested donors without a parking pass can call campus police at 760-744-1150, ext. 2289 or visit their office.

New president, new policies

courtesy PHOTO| MCT Campus

Visitors walk through a field of flags representing the victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001. (Chuck Kennedy/MCT) Join the Office of Student Affairs in remembering the fallen victims of 9/11, Sept. 10 in the lawn area between the Student Services Center and the Student Union Quad. USA flags will be set up around the walkway. A booth with Remember 9/11 stickers will be set up for students, faculty, and staff . “This will be a quiet, static event as a reminder to remember 9/11,” Lindsay Koch, Student Activities coordinator said. Student volunteers are needed at 6:30 a.m. that day to assist with placing flags. Contact Koch at 760-744-1150, ext. 7509 to assist.

Calling all job seekers Come one, come all job seekers to Palomar College’s first job fair of the 2010-2011 school year. Palomar’s Counseling Center will host a free job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 15 on the sidewalk area between the Student Services Center Building and the Student Union. At press time, 25 companies, from Harrah’s Casino to the San Diego County Sherriff’s Department, signed up to have booths set up with brochures and information for attendees. In previous years, fees have ranged from $100 to $175 depending on the company, but this year it is free for vendors. Career Center Coordinator Eddie Tubbs said he did a marketing survey and was told many companies that had attended previous job fairs no longer

THE TELESCOPE | tuesday, sept. 7, 2010

had budgets for the job fair. “In wanting to help our students, we want to promote our job fair, so we decided that if we waived the registration fee and made it free for companies and businesses, that we would entice them to come,”Tubbs said. Entice it did. Four companies originally paid and once the fee was waived and vendors were notified, the number jumped to 25. The four that had paid were refunded. Parking is available for vendors in parking lot 1. Students are required to get a visitor’s pass from the campus Police Department. Contact Tubbs for more information at 760-744-1150, ext. 3125 or go to palomar.edu/counseling/careercenter.

The Associated Student Government held its first meeting of the fall semester Aug. 25 for the election of new officers and to discuss a new policy for clubs when requesting money. Clubs now have three days to come before the ASG and give a formal presentation to request funding. ASG chose Sept. 15, 22 and 29 as funding request dates for all clubs. The new policy will allow ASG to organize spending for clubs and to process requests in a timely manner. “This does not mean that clubs cannot choose other days on which they want to present their monetary request. Rather, this merely means that on these assigned days, ASG has set aside other concerns and will be fully ready and focused on the clubs needs,” according to official documents. The ASG welcomed new president Channing Shattuck, who ran the meeting. Contact ASG at 760-744-1150, ext. 2594 or attend a meeting at 1 p.m., Wednesdays in SU-201.

Go Green or go home

The first of a two-part series “Mission 2 B Green” project for the 20102011 year will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 8 in the Student Union Quad. This first event, Be Green, sponsored by Palomar and the Office of Student Affairs, “will allow Palomar College to stay clean and welcoming to our visitors as well as inviting to all students attending classes,” said Lindsay Koch, Student Activities coordinator. The second part of the “Mission 2 B Green” series is scheduled for Spring 2011 at Earth Day. Be Green will consist of 30 community vendors, Palomar departments and clubs that will have booths set up with informtion for attendees on

how to contribute to keep the environment clean. The Office of Student Affairs booth will be promoting campus activities and the student activity card as well. Clubs can earn money by forming a team consisting of two to five members and performing projects ranging from collecting recyclables to removing gum off cement around campus. Each act will earn points. At the end of the year, the total points will equate to money for the club. For more information on how to participate, contact Koch at 760-744-1150, ext. 7509 or by going to the Palomar online page, Student Affairs web page, and clicking on “Mission 2 B Green.”

• ASG Meeting at 1 p.m. in SU-

201 • Free job fair at 10 a.m. in between the Student Services Center and Student Union • Project Walk at 10:45 a.m. Starts in the Student Union Quad

There were three bikes stolen over the summer, on July 14, 19 and 26. The bikes had been chained up.

Thursday, Sept. 16

• Coffee Night, 5 p.m. t o 7 p.m., Escondido Campus lobby • Constitution Day, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Quad

What’s up? Do you know something we don’t? Let us know. To submit story tips or events for the campus calendar, e-mail us at telescope@palomar.edu or call 760-891-7865.

kelley foyt | THE TELESCOPE

Campus Police officer Mike Harun issues a ticket at the Escondido campus.

CAMPUS WEATHER Tuesday Wednesday Sept. 7

Sept. 8

73°/58°

73°/57°

sunny

Thursday Sept. 9

88°/62° sunny

You weren’t alone. 1,047 cars were ticketed during the first week of the semester for not having a permit displayed. Despite the fact that this was the first semester that Palomar did not offer a parking permit grace period, there were 347 less parking tickets issued than last fall semester. Karen Boguta, Dispatch Records Coordinator, credited the fewer tickets with the fact that more students are aware. “The point is not to write tickets, but to let everyone know that we shouldn’t have to,” Boguta said.

A student was found digging up plants out of a planter to bring home. The student was sent to Student Affairs.

A fire alarm was set off near the soccer fields on June 4. No other details are known.

On June 20, a vehicle was broken into at the San Marcos campus. The front window was broken and electronics were stolen. On June 29, there was another burglary at the Escondido campus. The front windows were smashed in on the driver’s side door and an iPod was stolen. There were four more similar burglaries in July.

A non-student subject was issued a citation for marijuana possession on Aug. 5 near the soccer field. On Aug. 19, a subject was cited and released for knife possession. No other details are known.

On Aug. 8, a subject drilled a hole into a men’s restroom located in the F Building. No details are known. On Aug. 29, a delivery truck backed up into a loading dock at the San Marcos campus.

A subject with multiple warrants out of Florida was arrested on campus and transferred to the Vista Detention facilities on Aug. 10. There are no other known details available.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

87°/62°

87°/62

85°/62°

85°/61°

Sept. 10

sunny

Sept. 11

sunny

Sept. 12

Sunny

Sept. 13

Sunny

news| 3

tuesday, sept. 7, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

Palomar creates free counseling program natalia Vasquez the telescope

Depression in young adults has risen nearly 10 percent in 10 years, according to a study released this year by the American Psychological Association. In response, Palomar’s Health Services Department created the Brief Personal Counseling program this year. “We don’t have extensive mental health services like at the CSUs because there is a lack of state funding for community colleges,” said M. Jayne Conway, Director of Health Services. The program consists of a oneon-one visit where students can seek a lifeline during a semester of chaos. The program is an evaluation process for students who are not already under a physician’s care, and accessible to everybody attending Palomar. Brief Personal Counseling allows Health Services to better refer students to resources within the county. “We have information about community services available like state-funded therapy,” Conway said. Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other specialized groups provide a support system for people free of charge. A poor economy sends stress levels to an all-time high, resulting in anxiety and depression, accord-

ing to Conway. “Working retail in a slow economy takes me from full-time to part-time,” fine arts major Christina Dunagan said. “The classes are cut, my paychecks are smaller. It’s a lot to manage.” Conway suggests Palomar programs like Extended Opportunity Program Services, where students who are receiving mental health counseling can also get disability benefits.This can lighten the blow of the financial troubles plaguing students across campus. There is an urgent need for universities to develop specific treatment plans because of the increase of depression among college students, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry. Health Services offers meditation sessions on CD as well as healthy choices workshops, two programs Conway considers alternatives to medication. “A meditation CD sounds cool, like talking to you super peaceful. I’d be down,” said Palomar student Jake Bennett. Studies by the APA have also shown a 13 percent increase in psychiatric medications among young adults. “My medication helps me in school, but it took a year before my body regulated to it,” said history major Tess Ryan. “Our mission is to treat the whole student, not just jumping to medication to solve a problem,” Conway said.

movement. A New York Times article reports that the rally was “surprisingly apolitical.” Speakers included Sarah Palin, Dr. Alveda King, Marcus Littrell and Beck. On the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic speech, around 87,000 people attended the Restoring Honor Rally held on Aug. 28 in Washington, D.C. The driving forces behind the rally were the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Glenn Beck. The event, located on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, packed the National Mall and tied up D.C. traffic for the entire day. Touted as a non-political event to “restore the values that founded this great nation,” according to Beck’s website, many who attended have been a part of the Tea Party

A man from Poway and his friend died in a plane crash in Arizona on Aug. 26. According to the North County Times, Shawn Muscat, 27, of Poway, and his friend and pilot Glen Slagoske, 47, of San Diego County, went flying in a homemade plane to conquer Muscat’s fear of flying. When Slagoske lost control of the plane it crashed, killing the two men on impact. Muscat, 2001 graduate of Poway High School, leaves behind a wife and his two children. A trust

Photo illustration courtesy of casanova | mct campus

A poor economy can send stress levels to an all-time high, resulting in anxiety and depression, according to M. Jayne Conway, Director of Health Services. Palomar has recently creating a Brief Counseling Program to deal with this stress. The program is free. Students agree that meditation is more beneficial than medication. “I’ve never tried meditation or taking medicine but with pills you might get addicted depending on your stress level,” said Palomar student David Islas. The CDs can be checked out of the Health Services office by any student so they can take the time to relax in a place that is comfortable for them. The mind and body working together as one is proven to manage stress according to Kaiser Permanente’s own stress management

has been set up for the Muscat family at Shawn Muscat Memorial Trust, P.O. Box 963, Poway, Calif. 92074.

WhileSanDiegoconstructsnew carpool lanes on the Interstate-15, the rest of the United States (and the world) have turned to traveling by high-speed rail. In South Korea, Spain, Japan, London, France, and from Boston to Washington commuters can effortlessly travel between major cities. The phenomenon does not seem to be spreading quickly enough to the West. According to an article on CNN.com, the Department of Transportation has given 31 states the opportunity to develop high-speed rail service in the form of $8 billion.

workshops. “I haven’t heard of the new counseling program, it(is?) cool they’re giving us some kind of mental health option,” Dunagan said. Of the 13 people interviewed, none had heard of the new program. Christine Skow, APA attendee, said early coping skills encourage less destructive ways to manage stress, combating the risks of drug and alcohol abuse. She encourages parents to begin coping skills from a young age. Coping with stress is the No. 1

A high-speed rail project proposed by the California HighSpeed Rail Authority would run from San Diego to Sacramento, hold 1,000 passengers, go 220 mph, over 800 miles of track. The proposal is projected to be up and running by 2020. Close to 2,000 people have gotten sick with salmonella poisoning, according to a CNN.com article. The problem stems from contaminated shell eggs, which have been traced toWright County Egg. Recently, new laws have gone into effect to prevent this sort of outbreak, however, the outbreak could have altogether been prevented had the eggs been cooked enough to kill the bacteria. Wright County Egg has recalled over 380 million eggs.

way to acquire a healthy mind and body, according to studies within medical profession. “Meditation sounds so much better, pills are bad for you,” student Julie Garcia said. President of the American Psychological Association Carol D. Goodheart outlined the plan for action. “If we give our practitioners a sound structure, a 21st century home that provides us with everything we need to do our best work, psychology will flourish and improve the lives of the people we serve.”

Those hoping to get through another fire season in southern California unscathed can think again. A series of fires started by lightening storms have been burning in the state over the last few weeks. A fire in northeastern San Diego County near El Capitan and another just north of San Luis Obispo caused the surrounding areas to be evacuated, including El Capitan reservoir and few campgrounds. According to an article on the North County Times website dated Aug. 25, the El Capitan fire came within a mile of homes in the Barona Mesa community. Mike Watkins, a weather service forecaster to the North County Times stated, “The thunderstorms fizzled out, but they can come right back.” -SB

|Opinion

THE TELESCOPE | Tuesday, sept. 7, 2010

OUR VIEWPOINT Cutting Class Community colleges cut classes every semester, but when Palomar cuts classes that are major-specific, things get tricky. While many students plan to transfer to universities, there is an abundance of students coming on campus here to get an associate’s degree. If a class is major-specific, there should be more leeway on of how many students are required to register for the class before the start of the semester. By Palomar cutting classes before the semester starts, it takes away from students needing the class. As we all know, every class the first few weeks of the semester will have crashers. Palomar administration should wait until two weeks into the semester until they decide to cut a major-specific class.

Not the Enemy

Approved: New Rancho Bernardo Center Attention all students in the southern end of the district, we are receiving an urgent message from the Palomar administration... you have not been forgotten! Indeed, the administration efforts in purchasing a new site in Rancho Bernardo are a laudable step toward providing all students of the college with a reasonable commute to class. Many of us know the stress associated with fighting morning traffic to make that 8 a.m. lecture. The Rancho Bernardo center will help students get to class on time, without rushing, and for that we are thankful. The three-story parking garage and 100,000 square-foot building only sweeten the deal. Thumbs up Palomar administration, for making student concerns your own.

The new semester has begun and some classes are standing room only. Not all classes have functioning air conditioning and not all windows open. Professors are diving into lessons and handing out permission codes like candy. As students, we’re more than Palomar’s protectors are failaware of the hardships that a new ing big time. semester creates, but the teachers The Campus Police, under a are really the ones who carry the guise of protecting and serving weight. the campus commuBill Jahnel wrote in e-mail that nity, are instead he had visions of “students wanting bullying and inpermission codes as zombies shoutc o nve n i e n c i n g ing ‘BRAINS!” students for no apKudos to all of the Palomar profesparent reason. sors who have dealt with all of these While it’s certainly ‘zombies’ over the past few weeks. laudable to enforce rules and keep order, when there’s an explicitly labeled secGreat job Palomar, tion of the parking lot for visiwe’re still on warning. tors and one for 20-minute parkWho needs ac- ing, there’s no excusing police creditation? Oh wait, blockading the entrance to the school and refusing to even allow we do. We need those long, pickups and drop-offs at certain hard units we took for count- times of day. Some officers have even given less semesters to transfer over. No one wants to go into the Transfer false information about whether Center and find out that this college they were citing for permits the doesn’t accept that credit because first week or if they offered the usual one-week grace period this Palomar screwed up. Only seven more months until semester. It’s not the best way to bring the next check up by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Ju- in the new school year. It can nior Colleges. We can only hope this be hard enough to find suitable time Palomar will actually be ready parking without having to deal and finally get us off that warning with lying, brutish police officers status to become the upstanding ac- in the process. “To protect and serve” indeed. credited school we should be.

To Protect and Bully

Heads Up

don bartletti | mct campus

U.S. Border Patrol agent Jerome Conlin gazes across the base of Otay Mountain in California on Jan. 11, 2010, at a recently completed stretch of the U.S./Mexico border fence. The 3.6-mile-long, 18-feet high barrier through rugged terrain east of San Ysidro cost $57.7 million to construct.

MONEY SPENT, MONEY THROWN ERIC WALKER The Telescope

Isn’t throwing money away just grand? It’s the new great American pastime. Wait, it’s not? Then someone had better inform the Senate. A $600 million boost to border security was approved by Senators Charles Schumer and Ben Cardin, who apparently feel that the best way to stop a problem is to conveniently ignore the faulty piping, and just put a really expensive sponge at the end of the hose. That this passed with such unanimity just shows how easily swayed the American public can be. It’s just a desperate scream of “Look, we’re doing something, vote for us again!” By creating a scapegoat of the border, we eschew ourselves of the responsibility to actually do anything productive. There’s no denying that Mexico is in dire straits at the moment. Drug-related violence is rampant and more than 28,000 murders in

Focused on Palomar

Volume 65 Number 2

The Telescope is published 11 times per semester. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, Palomar faculty and staff members or the governing board trustees.

the past four years have been connected to the drug cartels. To put that in perspective, Palomar has approximately 30,000 students attending it. As of 2009, the murder rate in Mexico was more than twice that of the United States, and the rate has only increased. With both accomplices and victims flitting across the border, more than 10 percent of Mexico’s population has been lost to either emigration or drug violence. When even the local police are corrupt and participating in the killings, the knee-jerk reaction for us is to say “adios” to our neighbors down south and block the entryway, continuing to live in blissful ignorance of what’s going on down there. But the fact is, they’re still coming through, and a few more unmanned aerial vehicles won’t stop them. People love to complain about the illegal immigrants for, say, stealing jobs and jacking up taxes

Address | The Telescope, Palomar College 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos, CA 92069 Newsroom | Room MB-1 Phone | (760) 891-7865 Fax | (760) 891-3401 E-Mail | telescope@palomar.edu Advertising e-Mail | telescopead@palomar.edu Staff Writers | Camilo Barrero, Casey Byrne, Marina Cantarelli, Denny Dorsey, Davon Hollis, David Leonard, Daniel Martin, Joseph Melson, Jarred Powell, Mark Saunders, Nick Shumate, Victoria Tran, Michael Treadway, Natalia Vasquez, Emilie Vurik, Chris Wafer Staff Photographers | Layan Ammouri, Breanna Avella, Jennifer Bacon, Steven Balubar, Brak Blevins, Austin Castillo, Ian Chalmers, Christina Dugdale, Rosa Galvin, Tina Hernandez, Doug Holstein, Christopher Kennedy, Reginald Legaspi, Rachel Martin, Rachel Munoz, Huy Nguyen, Mathew O’Neil, Christian Provano, Stacey Prince , Heather Skaggs, Kirgan Snaer, Leslie Surek, Brian Tierne, Allyson Watson, Joshua Yepez

by leaving unpaid hospital bills. But the true problem immigrants are those who are involved in the drug trafficking cartels. By tightening the borders, we’ll drive up our prices and deny hard-working people jobs while doing little to solve the actual problem. And blow $600 million in the process — while we’re at it. What we need to do instead is attack the source, if anything. We’re focusing on saving nations halfway across the world that often don’t want us there to begin with, while a more immediate threat looms much closer to home. Either we as a nation need to leave them be and let them stand on their own feet, solving their own problems, or we need to get out of the Middle East and focus on more productive nation building. Not only do they need us more, their affairs affect us directly. But hey, by all means, keep throwing money at the border. Maybe a bigger wall will do it.

The Telescope welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters must be typewritten, under 300 words and include the author’s first and last names, major and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published. Letters can be e-mailed to telescope@ palomar.edu or delivered to the newsroom in Room MB-1. The Telescope reserves the right to edit letters for space and grammatical errors and not to print lewd or libelous letters. Lettesr must be receieved one week prior to the newspaper’s publication to be considered for inclusion.

Associated Collegiate PRess

CFAC

California Newspaper Publishers Association

California First Journalism Association Amendment Coalition of Community Colleges

Opinion| 5

tuesday, sept. 7, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

Speak Out!

How do you manage stress?

“

Community college students stay too long

I play with my son and do yoga.

“

”

— Kristi Walz Nursing

I’m not very stressed out.

”

— Max Rimple Undecided

photo illustration by brittany stockham & eric walker | the telescope Kelley foyt The Telescope

Incoming freshmen beware: Palomar is a trap. They sucker you in, telling you that they’ll take you under their wing and take care of you. It’s okay that you can’t afford a university, or that you didn’t make the cut for your top school. It’s hard to argue with the perks of open admissions, flexible scheduling and cheaper tuition. With a community college’s helping hand, a successful transfer is just two years away… Right? What the administration doesn’t tell you is that as a community college student, you are 36 percent less likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree than your university counterpart. On top of that, only 26 percent of CC students who planned on getting a bachelor’s degree actually have that degree a full nine years after they first began schooling, both facts according to a July 2009 article from The Regional Economist. I take more than a full workload every semester; 15 units is a minimum for me. I’m an overachiever, and I have a 3.8 GPA. I’ve had numerous appointments with counselors, and I’ve been told that I was on the right track.

I always told myself that Palomar was temporary; I swore I would be out in just two years. And yet, I find myself enrolled in my third year of classes. I’m not alone. I have plenty of friends in their fourth, fifth and even sixth years. Out in two years? Yeah, right. The transition from high school to community college is easy. It’s the leaving part that’s hard, and it’s not because we love Palomar so much. I’m not bashing community colleges. I am, however, criticizing their program set-up. It’s overwhelming. Palomar offers transfer classes for both in and out-of-state universities, two-year degrees, certificates, classes that are just for fun, the line between community colleges and four-years is even beginning to blur. Seventeen states have let community colleges award bachelor’s degrees. On top of that, there are community colleges that have been transformed into four-year institutions, according to a May 2009 article from the New York Times. Incoming freshmen have spent their entire educational career working towards graduating from high school, and now that they’ve done that, the possibilities can seem endless.

But remember need to focus. Decide what matters. Take into account friends’ and family’s opinions, but in the end, remember that the decision is your own. If you want to transfer, decide where you want to go now. At the very minimum, decide if you want to go to a UC, CSU or out-of-state school. Decide if you want a certificate or an associate’s degree. And then find out the specific class requirements that you need, and plan out each of your semesters accordingly. I cannot stress enough that students need to know exactly which classes to take each semester. Flip flop the courses around if necessary (based off of enrollment availability), but don’t just stumble into Palomar blindly. This is my last semester at Palomar. I’m enrolled in all of the classes that I need for my transfer requirements as well as my associate’s degree. I planned on being out of here before summer began, and in hindsight, I should have planned it out better, because it could have been done. Two years at this school is enough. It’s monotonous, repetitive and draining. Don’t stay longer at this school than you need to. And don’t say that you weren’t warned.

“

I play ice hockey and stay physically active.

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— Chris Saunders Fire Science

I do a lot to relieve stress, listen to music and run.

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— Rich So’oto Undecided

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I hang out with friends.

— Jamie Jacobs Undecided

Have something more to sayabout Palomar? Have you also been affected by the Campus Police or the admistration?

Vote in our online poll at www.the-telescope.com or write us a letter to the editor eric walker | THE TELESCOPE

|arts & culture kelley foyt The Telescope

Space Invader landed first. Other international artists were quick to follow him in a flurry of spray paint and stencils, creating one of the most incredible art exhibits of 2010. The “Viva la Revolucion” exhibit is displayed both inside the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s gallery as well as on the walls of the streets downtown, which is only appropriate for the controversial artists. Twenty artists from all over the world are linked together based off of how their work addresses urban issues. Not all of the artists

work on street canvases. ground following, exhibit review Major kudos to MCASD and the audiences for being one of the first are what made the museums to bridge the exhibit so unique. As gap between the two each piece popped up genres; art displayed around the city, blogin galleries and art disgers, tweeters and Faplayed on the streets are cebookers tracked the now synthesized. artists’ progress. Viva la Revolucion MCASD The outdoor exhibit The indoor galis phenomenal. Never lery, while slightly less has a collection of art impressive than the out of four stars been so in-your-face. outdoor work, is still Each artist has an exastounding. The $10 tremely distinctive style, which is admission is a steal. evident in their respective works. My only disappointment came Even without a signature, a view- from Banksy. Information was er should be able to distinguish available prior to the exhibit’s which artist created which piece. opening on which artists would Urban art has a huge under- be participating, but museum

HHHH

THE TELESCOPE | Monday, Aug. 23, 2010

coordinators left out the fact that not all artists would be working on the streets. Banksy is best known for his satirical grafitti, not his prints, so it’s natural to assume that he would be taking over one of San Diego’s walls. However, the city’s buildings were left bare of Banksy’s strong political statements. Instead, the gallery simply hosts a room of Banksy’s prints, which hardly compare to the larger-than life-sculpture by Swoon (another artist) which is located just one room over. The exhibit opened over the summer and runs through Jan. 2, 2010. For more information, visit mcasd.org.

kelley foyt | THE TELESCOPE

Urban artists took over the city streets for the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego exhibition “Viva la Revolucion.” Shepard Fairey’s piece (shown above) is located next to the Urban Outfitters in Hillcrest. Os Gemeos has work on the walls of Horton Plaza (background photo). Space Invader has numerous pieces throughout the city, one of which is shown in the Exhibit Review box above. Twenty artists participated in the exhibit, which is both indoors and outdoors.

Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

8 |Arts & Culture

Monday, Aug. 23, 2010| THE TELESCOPE

WHAT’S HAPPENING What: Silent Movie Night When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Balboa Park, Spreckels Organ Pavilion Cost: Free Info: www.sosorgan.com

Wed., August 25 Who: Chris Issak What: Rock When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Humphreys Cost: $ 97 Info: 619-224-3577

Sunday, August 29

Event: American Carnage Tour: Slayer, Megadeath What: Metal When: 7 p.m. Where: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre Cost: $22-75 Info: ticketmaster.com

Thursday, Sept. 2

Who: Green Day and AFI What: Alternative When: 7 p.m. Where: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre Cost: $20-85 Info: livenation.com

Through three years of revolving band members, two Palomar students were able to stick together and fulfill their musical aspirations. Dylan Kebow and Cory Ulz, both 18, have been in their band, The Seized, since the summer of 2007. Before The Seized, Kebow was in another band, which is how the two first met. “Cory and I got along fine from the start,” Kebow said. “It’s just that two people didn’t make a band, so we kept having a bunch of other people come in, some of them worked, most of them didn’t. But the two of us were able to stick together.” With Ulz doing vocals and playing guitar and Kebow being able to jump from vocals, bass and drums, the two recorded a CD with five songs. “We drove down to Temecula for five days,” Ulz said. “It was undeniably hot and we sat in the back of a music shop and paid $20 an hour to record. We thought it would only take a few days, but it didn’t. But we were able to record with just the two of us.” In order to keep a unique sound, they said they channel their emotions when writing songs. “It feels like a lot of my songs are, on the surface, catchy and like pop because that’s the kind of music I listen to,” Ulz said. “But once you get down to the lyrics it’s all depressing and sad songs. One of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written was when I was pissed off and it’s a

Friday, Sept. 3

Who: Melissa Etheridge What: Rock/Pop When: 8 p.m. Where: Copley Symphony Hall Cost: $49-117 Info: 619-235-0804

Sat. Sept.

Event: Ray LaMontagne & David Gray What: Alt. Rock When: 7 p.m. Where: Harrah’s Rincon Open Sky Theater Cost: $53-138 Info: 1-800-745-3000

NOW ON SALE Doobie Brothers

Concert at San Diego Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, Sept. 8. Tickets on sale at ticketmaster.com.

Carrie Underwood

Concert at San Diego Sports Arena, Oct. 1 Tickets on sale at ticketmaster.com.

On the sprawling tree of hip-hop with sub-genres galore, gangsta rap emerged in the mid-1980s as the most raw, direct outlet of inner-city life and struggles.

dan mccarthy The Telescope

Created on the surf-beaten beaches of San Diego in the mid 1980s, the traditional California Burrito is a one-fisted meal, wrapping carne asada, salsa fresca, french fries, cheese and guacamole in an abnormally large tortilla. As key element of the local food scene, it is a public service to wade through the scads of “(insert prefix)bertos” taco shops, hole-in-the-wall establishments and restaurants favored by cash-strapped college students, and lay a crown to the tastiest, most delectable iteration of San Diego’s favorite junk food: the Califor-

Yvonne Lanot | The Telescope

Cory Ulz (left) and Dylan Kebow (right) rehearse a new song in Kebow’s garage. The creative process normally begins with a riff by Ulz and then Kebow will come in with a beat, according to Kebow. song called ‘Revenge.’” Kebow said he also lets his feelings take over while he writes. “When I get upset, that’s how I channel it, I write lyrics,” Kebow said. The band mates like to have fun with their music. “We try and keep it simple to the

best of our abilities,” Kebow said. “That makes it catchier and more relatable. We just try and have music that’s fun, something that people actually enjoy listening to.” The Seized is a big part of their lives, both know that being a rock star is not their main goal. “We’ve both realized that it’s

unlikely that we’re going to get super rich and famous,” Kebow said. “This is all for fun. It’s cool to get our names out there and play around and have people hear our stuff. It’s just cool that people enjoy our music.” To check out The Seized, log onto Facebook and search for the band.

In the gangsta rap genre is an even smaller breakdown into regional sub-types, with Southern California owning the most enduring and popular: Gangsta Funk, commonly abbreviated “G-Funk.” Content is first, last and seemingly always a hedonistic exploration of exactly how many ho’s, rides, guns, drugs and paper stacks (money, in hip hop parlance) one can accumulate at any given time, by whatever illegal means conceived. Poignancy has no place here, and

deep lyrics, social commentary (save for a general disdain for law enforcement) and most types of introspection are quickly shown the door in a hail of bullets. Even with tracks lacking the aggressive tempo (Can’t C Me) of most gangsta rap songs and opting for GFunk’s classic laid back, P-Funk (a type of 70s funk typified by George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic Collective) sampled beat, they retain their “party-interrupted-by-gunfire” qualities. G-Funk has since faded from the hip-hop mainstream, ceding that ground to the Auto-Tuned, buffoon-

inhabited scene of modern rap music, but its heyday defined over half a decade of chart-topping music and left an imprint on the genre and American pop culture that lasts to this day. -DM

nia Burrito. a substitute for legitimately appetizLolita’s Taco Shop came as the ing carne asada stuffed haphazardly most recommended burrito spot in it. That’s it. No variety of flavor, from both personal nothing to make it contacts and online What: Lolita’s Taco Shop “pop” in your mouth ratings. But this was — just dairy, meat Where: Bonita hardly the California and bread every bite. Price: $4.95 with tax Burrito’s finest hour I applaud the consisRating: 2/5 Burritos — or finest recipe, for tency; though biting that matter. into consistently subThe chief culprit in my dining par burrito gets old, fast. disappointment was missing comCertainly, this is not a failure of ponents. I found no salsa fresca, no execution — that’s the way Lolita’s guacamole and no seasoning on the does it. carne asada. Instead, my tortilla had In an interview with Happy Hour stringy cheese, slightly runny sour Magazine in late 2009, Juan Farcream, way too many potatoes and fan, son of owner Joaquin Farfan this bland meat I can only assume is noted,“A real California Burrito has

carne asada, fries, sour cream and cheese. Not with guacamole or pico de gallo.” Well, a real California Burrito is simply bland. Typically I would give praise to a burrito of large size, as was the case at Lolita’s, but herein lay a doubleedged sword of having a large burrito (good) whose lack of flavor prolongs the dining experience seemingly without end (very bad). The only saving grace was Lolita’s red colored hot sauce, which added just enough kick to the otherwise unremarkable experience. It did not, however, redeem the burrito, as it served only to mask the major flavor deficiencies.

Da Very Best of G-Funk: • Gin and Juice by Snoop Dogg • Nuthin But a G Thang by Dr. Dre • Real Muthaphukkin G’s by Easy-E • Regulators by Warren G • Can’t C Me by 2Pac • Don’t Bite the Phunk by Kokane • Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.

Dan Mccarthy| The Telescope

Monday, August 23

Yvonne Lanot The Telescope

10 | NEWS

THE TELESCOPE | tuesday, sept. 7, 2010

buildings

report

rad

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evidenced by the extensive construction underway in many places along Comet Circle. The recently completed Health Sciences building, located adjacent to the Student Union, is the first structure completely funded with Prop M dollars, according to Deegan. Professor Wendy Nelson, who teaches communications in the new building, said the rooms made it a lot easier for her students to work, and appreciates that the technology is easy to work with. She added that it was in a great location on campus. The Multidisciplinary Instructional building, situated just north of the new Health Sciences structure, is also nearing completion.This facility, which was built with money from a different state fund, is scheduled to open in Spring 2011. It will be the largest building on the San Marcos Campus, with 107,000 square feet of instructional and office space. The Health Sciences building was completed on time and under budget, Deegan said. The administration estimates that the Multidisciplinary Instruction building will be completed in a similar fashion. The savings from construction will be used to outfit both buildings and the student union with solar paneling as an example of the college’s focus on sustainability, Deegan added. With numerous other projects in the works, including a new center in Fallbrook, and a planned “face lift” on the Escondido Center, Deegan expressed hope that the new facilities and construction efforts would “meet the need of the students for many years to come.”

least they are doing well in all the other areas,” student Monica Marciano said. Palomar needs to create a comprehensive strategic plan, according to the recommendations. Also, Palomar should modify the process of how the budget is developed. This should be changed so that the college’s strategic plan priorities are in the center of this process. Palomar should also find ways to evaluate the college’s planning and resource allocation in hopes of improving all processes. ACCJC states “accreditation is a status granted to an educational institution that has been found to meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality.” Accreditation status is not required for community colleges, but it assures students that their credits are valid and able to transfer. “I’m proud of all that we have achieved in the past year and look forward to being removed from warning so that we can focus more of our meeting discussions and efforts on how we can better serve the needs of our students,” Cuaron said. Palomar will submit another follow-up report in April 2011 and ACCJC will return in April 2011 to check on the status of Palomar. If Palomar makes the necessary changes, ACCJC will accredit good status back to Palomar. “We have appreciated the time and effort all the faculty, staff, and administrators have put into this accreditation process as we have all recognized how important it is to satisfy this last recommendation.”

all the abductions and kidnappings that have happened in this area it’s important for girls and women to be defensive and learn how to survive and get away in those type of situations.” With the recent murders of locals Amber Dubois and Chelsea King, safety awareness has increased. Daisy Vu, a finance major at Palomar, said she believes that this will help make women more confident when they’re at risk of being attacked. Boguta agreed with Vu. “This program allows women to bring out their inner strengths,” Boguta said. “It helps in bringing out what you are truly capable of.” To learn more about R.A.D., check out the official website rad-systems. com or contact officer Monika Forest at 760-744-1150 ext. 2289.

photo illustrations by doug holstein | THE TELESCOPE

Jesica Siefers and Jon Holstein act out a staged assault and defense to get the word out on upcoming RAD classes at Palomar.

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

Diversions| 9

Selected Works of XKCD.com

Comics courtesy of Randall Munroe | xkcd.com

tuesday, sept. 7, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

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