The Telescope 68.10

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VACCINATIONS

The controversy surrounding whether or not parents should vaccinate their kids • Page 4

HIKING TRAILS

the telescope

Want to know about the best trails to hike close to Palomar? • Page 16

Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper

the-telescope.com

Vol. 68, No. 10 • Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

Nursing bachelor’s degree is coming to Palomar • The program is expected to be available on campus by the Fall 2015 semester.

• Tuition cost is $16,200.

• Point Loma Nazarene University will offer the degree on campus.

Photo illustration •Stephen Davis/The Telescope

The nursing degree will be offered through an outside university next fall SUSAN WHALEY THE TELESCOPE

Even though Palomar was not selected by California to offer its own bachelor’s degree, the nursing department has teamed up with another university to offer a 4-year degree on campus.

On Feb. 10, the Palomar College Governing Board approved an agreement with Point Loma Nazarene University to provide a bachelor’s degree program on campus for nursing.

The meeting room, filled with faculty and students in the nursing program, exploded in excitement after the board voted. The approval was the last stop in the process the allow the degree.

The program will be offered as soon as Fall 2015, according to Hope

Farquharson, the chair and director of the nursing department who spear-headed the process. She had been collaborating since 2008 on this project and it was in January that she had a meeting with the dean from Point Loma.

The new program will be 15 months long and designed for working Registered Nurses. Nursing students who have graduated from Palomar have first priority in the Point Loma degree program. According to Farquharson, the cost will be $16,200 which covers fees, books and tuition.

For students to be eligible to partake in the bachelor’s degree opportunity on campus, first they must have graduated from the program to become an R.N. and have passed the R.N. board examination, known as NCLEX. Nurses can certainly get a job as

an R.N. but “hospitals demand 80 percent of nurses to be baccalaureate prepared,” Farquharson added.

Student Nurses Association at Palomar President Brandi Cloyd and Vice President Tami Heaston, two nursing students who also attended the Board meeting in show of support, will both be applying for the degree program with Point Loma.

They said they were excited for this opportunity. Since they are both graduating May 14, it is the perfect time for Palomar to offer the opportunity for them to stay and obtain their bachelor’s.

Cloyd, who started her nursing pre-requisites in 2010, said she is proud to be receiving her degree at Palomar.

“Palomar has a really good reputation in our community,” she added.

Farquharson mentioned the rea-

son she liked Point Loma was because of their nursing degree program reputation as well.

One of the concerns the Governing Board had was how California State University San Marcos would feel about Palomar’s step forward into nursing bachelor’s degree territory.

Farquharson said she already thought this through and mentioned she has been working with staff at CSUSM, so no tension has been caused. CSUSM offers their nursing degree online and not all students learn through that avenue, so Palomar is just offering a different option down the street.

Farquharson stressed that Palomar faculty and professors are not forcing or swaying their students’ mind with the new program. It is simply another option for Palomar

students.

There are a few requirements both Palomar and Point Loma must uphold, according to the contract.

Palomar must provide a room to hold classes one day per week and Point Loma must provide $1,000 to the library for student access needs and will provide students with an adviser from Point Loma. Since it is a Point Loma program being offered, the university must provide an adviser for the students to guide them through their education process with Point Loma.

This will be the third bachelor’s degree program offered through Palomar. Aviation Management and Geographic Information System are currently offered through partnerships with other universities.

SWHALEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

What does accreditation mean for students, faculty?

KIRK MATTU THE TELESCOPE

A team of 14 individuals selected by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) will evaluate Palomar College’s accreditation status during the week of March 2.

An evaluation of a college’s accreditation status is conducted once every six years and determines the credibility of the college as an academic institution. The status of ac-

creditation ensures the transfer of grades and credits to other colleges and universities and the ability for students to receive federal financial aid.

“It’s extremely important for students to know about accreditation. There have been cases where community colleges have lost their accreditation status,” Associated Student Government (ASG) President Mario Gaspar said.

The site review team consist of administrators, faculty, and staff selected from a pool of the 112 community colleges across the state. Leading the team is Tod Burnett,

president of Saddleback College, followed by members of colleges as far north as College of the Redwoods and as far south as Riverside City College.

The site review team will be visiting Palomar from March 2 to March 5 and will be working out of offices in the Natural Science building, according to Berta Cuaron, vice president of Instruction and Accreditation Liaison Officer.

JUMP TO VISIT PAGE 3

2 • NEWS

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

Palomar womens basketball player Keisha Cox leads the crowd in cheering during the men’s basketball game against visiting Mt. San Jacinto. The Comets women’s basketball team played the late game of the doubleheader against San Diego City College in the Coaches vs. Cancer doubleheader. Mt. San Jacinto beat the Comets 76-69 on Feb. 11. • Philip Farry/The Telescope

BRIEFS

Donate blood and get a free Red Cross T-shirt

The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive Feb. 23 through Feb. 27. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday in Parking Lot 6, near the planetarium All donors will receive a free Red Cross T-shirt.

Appointments can be made by contacting the Health Center at ext.

2380 or by visiting the Red Cross website at www.redcrossblood.org and entering “PalomarSM” under “find a blood drive.”

This event is sponsored by the Palomar College Health Services Centers and the Fire Club.

Quirky comedic musical to be held at Palomar

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is running from Feb. 27 to March 8 at the Howard Brubeck Theatre.

The play has six quirky student participants and three quirky adults running the show in an ambiguous middle school spelling bee. Be careful you may be asked to participate.

Find show times and purchase tickets at http://www2.palomar.edu/ performingarts/venue/howard-brubeck-theatre/.

Upcoming event to link students with local area

Palomar College’s Office of Student Affairs will be hosting a Community Day Event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the Student Union. The event is free to all current students.

The student-focused event aims to unite the student body and local area businesses to encourage community participation and inform students on local services available to them and who they can contact for more information.

Vendors will also be selling vari-

ous types of merchandise and handing out informative pamphlets.

Local businesses also get a chance to be the first to receive beneficial student traffic.

Free snacks will also be available for students who present their Spring 2015 Student Activity Cards, while supplies last. For more information contact ext. 2594.

Reduce math anxiety with this workshop

Palomar College officials will be hosting a workshop for math students aimed at helping them achieve success, while reducing anxiety about math. The workshop is from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 7 at the Escondido Teaching and Learning Center.

The topics to be covered include: learning how to overcome math anxiety, stress reduction techniques, learning styles, time management, specific math study strategies, test taking techniques, and more.

The workshop will be run by math and counseling professors. This workshop is free, however signing up in advance is required. To sign up, email Debra Avila davila@palomar.edu with your name, student ID, email address, date, and location of the workshop.

Palomar alumni to perform opera pieces

Vocalists Danielle Perrault and Michelle Law will perform during Concert Hour at 12:30 p.m. on March 5 in the Performance Lab, room D-10.

The former Palomar students will perform a range of opera pieces featuring arias and duets by classic composers such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Bizet, according to the Palomar Performing Arts website.

The Concert Hour performance is free to attend. The program runs from 12:30 p.m. through 1:20 p.m., though attendees should arrive early as seating is on a first-come first-

served basis. Late arrivals may be admitted during first pause of the performance at the discretion of the house manager.

Patrons may pick up a guest-parking pass from the Campus Police Office located on Visitor/Staff Lot 1, accessible via the main campus entrance on Mission Road.

For more information about the performance, visit the Concert Hour website at http://www2.palomar.edu/ performingarts/concert-hour/ or call ext. 2317.

Get in shape with a Fitess Center membership

Free and private HIV testing available

WATCHDOG

Free and confidential are two great words to hear when it comes to the often stressful task of HIV testing.

Stop by the Health Center located on the Escondido campus from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 to get tested and stop your worrying. Testing is provided by the Vista Community Clinic. Call ext. 8105 before your visit to schedule an appointment. For more info, contact Lenka Schanka at lschanka@palomar.edu.

Former music professor to take main stage

Esteemed pianist and former professor of music at Palomar, Peter Gach will be taking the main stage. From 12:30 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the Performance Lab, room D-10 for an up-close look at inviting and entertaining classical renditions.

With a repertoire that ranges from Bach to Charles Ives, as stated on his personal homepage, the Palomar College Foundation’s Comet award Recipient is guaranteed to stun with a beautiful performance.

Entry into the event is free. However, with doors opening at 12:20 p.m., seats can fill up and seating is relegated to a first-come first-served basis. For more information on the event call ext. 2317or visit www.palomarperforms.com.

Palomar’s Fitness Center is currently offering a 6-month membership for $50. This current promotion runs until Feb. 28.

Stop by the wellness center, located behind the tennis courts to sign up and get back on track with your New Year’s resolutions. Students, staff, and faculty are always welcome to come by and sign up for a free three-day pass.

Palomar College cited for toxic waste disposal

Palomar College was cited for “failing to properly label and contain hazardous waste to keep toxic sub-

stances away from people and the environment,” according to a Feb. 17 U-T San Diego article.

CORRECTIONS

A Feb. 2 story on page 1, “District shifts leadership toward diversity,” we wrongly implied that Governing Board President John Halcon and Vice President of Instruction Berta Cuaron lobbied to have a Latino/Latina as the next school president. To clarify, Halcon stated during an Oct. 28 meeting that he wanted diversity in the committee that chose our next school president. Cuaron did not speak on the matter. The Telescope regrets this error.

Palomar College crime log: • Feb. 1 - Graffiti at 11 a.m.. in F Building men’s restroom • Feb. 1 - Property vandalism at noon-2:30p.m. in ITC Building • Feb. 3 - Assault/disturbing the peace/disorderly conduct and disruptive behavior at 11 a.m. in PAC • Feb. 5 - Vandalism at 4 a.m. in MD Building, third floor • Feb. 5 - Accident - Hit and run at 3:47 p.m. in Lot 9 • Feb. 5 - Disturbing the peace at 6:57 p.m. in Lot 12 Feb. 6 - Accident - Hit and run at 9:49 a.m. in Lot 9 • Feb. 9 - Disturbing the peace 11:01 a.m. in Lot 11 • Feb. 10 - Sexual harassment 5:22 p.m. on Escondido campus • Feb. 10 - Skateboarding at 5:07 p.m. on San Marcos campus • Feb. 11 - Graffiti at 3:50 a.m. in MD Building, third floor women’s restroom • Feb. 17 - Confidential investigation, open for further investigation, at 9:18 a.m. on San Marcos campus

NEWS• 3

the-telescope.com

VISIT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

During their stay, the group will be attending meetings, interviewing administrators, faculty and staff and visiting Palomar’s two off-campus, educational centers in Escondido and Camp Pendleton.

Cuaron has asked the college department staff to look at their department websites to ensure that they’re up to date and for faculty to work on their student learning outcomes and assessments so that they are current for the site review.

Members of ASG have been proactive in reaching out to students and informing the student body of the upcoming accreditation review, Gaspar said. Updating the ASG website is on the top of their list in preparing for the site visit as well as holding a workshop on accreditation during a retreat on Feb 20.

“It’s something that we have to do and it’s important. We have to try the best that we can to reaffirm our accreditation,” Gaspar said.

Palomar has released five items in their actionable improvement plans that the college will be working on in the coming years.

Diversity on Palomar College is among the five items, followed by fiscal responsibility, inter-college communication, engagement in shared-governance and tutoring services for distance education.

Diversity at Palomar is defined as broad as possible and in conjunction with how the federal government has defined it, Cuaron said. This encompasses not just

ethnicity, but social economics, gender preference, gender (male, female, and other) as well as cultural differences.

Palomar will be addressing diversity through the hiring of new full-time faculty from positions becoming available through Palomar’s Golden Handshake, a monetary incentive program for current staff to retire this summer. The Faculty Senate is looking at what the college staff is doing that may or may not be encouraging a diverse pool of applicants, Cuaron said.

Diversity will also be discussed in the hiring process of Palomar’s new president during the Faculty Senate’s workshop on Feb. 24, where they will be meeting with a selection committee and discussing their interests in their ideal candidates.

The college has put in place a number of mechanisms to ensure that they are fiscally responsible as well as asking people to be conservative with their expenses, Cuaron said. Palomar will be minimizing expenses while still providing services to all the classrooms and support areas on campus.

The Faculty Senate will be attempting to improve communication through the college by posting briefs or highlights of their meetings on their shared governance web page. This will make it easier for faculty, staff and employees to see the important events that occurred during the meeting instead of having to pour through the meetings minutes, Cuaron said.

Improved campus communication will also improve engagement in shared governance through the

timely presentations of agenda’s and minutes.

Tutoring services for distance education is Palomar’s fifth actionable improvement plan. Palomar staffers will attempt to make the lives of students enrolled in both distance education courses and hybrid courses by looking into the prospect of online tutoring services. It’s a service that the college will be exploring, Cuaron said.

The college community will have two opportunities to address the accreditation group during two forums: The first will be held at 3 p.m. March 3 and the second at 11 a.m. on March 4, both in the Governing Board Room on the San Marcos campus.

On March 5, the review team will conclude their site visit with an exit report of their findings. This report will be sent to the accrediting commission where the team will praise the college on what they have done well and recommend areas for improvements.

The commission will then follow-up with Palomar by sending out an action letter to the college either reaffirming their accreditation or placing them on warning to get into compliance with recommendations. If the college cannot show compliance to set regulations then they will face probation or termination of their accreditation.

Information on the members of the visiting team and their agenda during their visit as well as Palomar’s self-evaluation report and accreditation process can be found at http://www.palomar.edu/accreditation/.

KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

New student vice president steps in, hopes for student involvement MIKE PETERSON THE TELESCOPE

Palomar’s student government has elected a new vice president who wants to make big changes.

At the Feb. 4 meeting, former ASG Senator Michael Dentoni was elected as the next vice president of the board. One other person, Malik Spencer, ran against him.

Dentoni is in his second semester on the ASG and was recruited by former president Jason Hosfield.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” Dentoni said when asked about his new position, “But I think one thing Jason said is that none of us actually have power, just responsibility.”

“I think that’s a good way to put it,” he added.

The seat was left empty when former vice president Mario Gaspar ascended to the president’s seat.

Former president Jason Hosfield officially resigned on Feb. 4 because of personal and financial reasons.

“He just stepped up to the plate,” ASG President Mario Gaspar said of Dentoni. “I think he’ll do a great job.”

Dentoni is the fourth vice president that the ASG has had in the last two semesters.

When asked about the high turnover rate, Gaspar said that being on the board entails a lot of responsibility. Sometimes the busy schedule of a college student doesn’t allow for that much work, he added.

“Sometimes it’s just too overwhelming,” Gaspar said, “It’s pretty time consuming.”

Dentoni said that he hopes to help future ASG staff, and by extension future students, by reviewing the bylaws.

According to Dentoni, there are some inherent problems with the way the bylaws such as poor organization and lack of good review.

“The important thing is to have good, solid bylaws that make sense and that people can rely on,” Dentoni said. “I think that’s an area that Palomar could benefit from improvement.”

One of the bylaw issues is a problem with the definition for quorum.

The ASG bylaws conflict with Robert’s Rules for Order, a book full of rules for meetings and assemblies that the board wants to operate by.

Another issue is succession.

When Hosfield left, there were issues with conflicting bylaws concerning the rules for replacing the vice president.

As well as reviewing the bylaws, Dentoni is also in charge of discipline. He holds the other members of the board accountable, including senators and the president, according to Gaspar.

The ASG has suffered from low numbers in recent semesters. Dentoni said that when he started, there was basically an empty board room.

He hopes for more awareness and interaction with students.

When asked about his ultimate goal for ASG, Dentoni said it was to leave ASG better than he found it.

MPETERSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

4 • OPINION

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Getting vaccinated is your civic duty CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ THE TELESCOPE

the telescope

Focused On Palomar Monday, Feb. 23, 2015 Vol. 68, No. 10 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.

SUSAN WHALEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIKE PETERSON MANAGING EDITOR & OPINION EDITOR CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK SPORTS EDITOR JOEL VAUGHN CO-A&E EDITOR STEVEN BURIEK CO-A&E EDITOR KIRK MATTU ONLINE EDITOR STEPHEN DAVIS PHOTO EDITOR JOHN LUCIA CARTOONIST ERIN HIRO ADVISER DEB HELLMAN BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS MIKE ADAMS, LEAH BAENA, ROSS BECKWITH, PETER BRIGHT, BROOKE CRAWFORD, TAMARA EAKINS, RODNEY FIGUEROA, DIANA GUEVARRA, JODY JOHNSON, FERN MENEZES, JASMINE MONROY, FAYE NOUROLLAHI, CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ, ED ROSA, AMBER ROSARIO, ALEXANDRA ROTHMAN, ROBERT RUKAVINA, JOE SANDOVAL, ROMA WATKINS, KRISTINA WALTON, ZACHARY WATSON PHOTOGRAPHERS JACOB BANKS, EVAN CAST, CASEY COUSINS, DIRK CALLUM, PHILIP FARRY, ADAM GUERRERO, DEVIN HIGHLAND, MEREDITH JAMES, SETH JONES, MICHAEL KAPLAN, DANIEL KRESGE, BELEN LADD, PAUL NELSON, JUSTIN SUMSTINE, RICARDO TORRES ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / H-103 WEBSITE/ WWW.THE-TELESCOPE.COM FACEBOOK/ SEARCH “THE TELESCOPE” TWITTER/ @TELESCOPENEWS EMAIL/ EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM AD EMAIL/ ADS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM 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 SHOULD BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM. THE TELESCOPE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT LETTERS FOR SPACE AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND NOT TO PRINT LEWD OR LIBELOUS LETTERS. LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE NEWSPAPER’S PUBLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION THE TELESCOPE IS PUBLISHED 8 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 ASSOCIATED COLLEGE PRESS

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER’S ASSOCIATION

I remember what it was like having to get vaccinated as a child.

I hated it.

I remember I would check my little yellow Immunization Record card and dread the date marked for my next appointment. When one of those dates would inevitably come, my parents would take us to the doctor’s office and there would be nothing to do but sit and wait for the shot.

It was one of those worries of life as a little kid. But as real as the struggle was, we knew getting vaccinated had always been a standard that everyone had to go through.

Even at that age, we understood this was meant to keep us safe and that it was important.

Now, with the recent increase in people who actively choose not to vaccinate their children, it seems like all that diligence was for naught. Though it’s common to think that catching something like measles “won’t happen to me,” it is surprisingly easy for the system that has kept everyone healthy to tumble when people stop vaccinating.

According to organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control, as people get vaccinated, fewer people become sick and the risk for infecting other people is reduced.

This way, new cases of certain contagious diseases can be held at bay, ultimately to the point where we can say a disease has been eradicated. Then, even if a few people can’t be vaccinated, the immunity of the group protects everyone.

When enough people have been vaccinated to make this happen, it can be said that the population has reached “herd immunity.” For measles alone, it is necessary that over 90 percent of a population be immunized for herd immunity to take effect. But as people stop vaccinating, the risk of someone becoming

Photo illustration of vaccine at Palomar Health Services. • Philip Farry/The Telescope

infected increases, and once a person is contagious the disease can spread exponentially through more of those who are unprotected.

This is what has begun to happen. Diseases that had become uncommon thanks to vaccination are now resurfacing, such as in the current measles outbreak that stemmed from children who visited Disneyland and has spread to several states.

But one of the most worrisome aspects of this is the logic people use to justify why they are choosing to forgo vaccinations. Every bit of misinformation about the effects of vaccines and perceived dangers is perpetuated by an atmosphere wherein “my (perceived) rights and beliefs” trumps all, and where the search for an “all-natural” lifestyle has become a flawed trend.

One of the major arguments by people who don’t vaccinate their kids is that they reserve the choice to not vaccinate. Some go as far as to say that this is their right and that

what they do is no one else’s business. This attitude of entitlement seems to come up everywhere in recent times (despite the fact that some of these qualms are not rights but merely privileges); it’s my right to do things my way and get away with it.

But what about the rights of others? What about the rights of the newborn your child sat next to at the doctor’s office, who can’t yet receive immunizations? Or the rights of your child’s classmate who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons?

Or the rights of someone else’s family member who must be very careful around sick people because of a compromised immune system?

If your child happened to get sick with the measles and spread the illness because you chose not to vaccinate him, now you would be infringing on the rights of someone else to not be exposed to a potentially deadly disease that can easily be prevented through immunizations.

This is not to say people who don’t vaccinate are bad people. It’s not easy being a parent and neither is figuring out what’s best for one’s kids. But why are they making these choices? Because some health blog or some celebrity says that vaccines cause autism, or that vaccines make children sick, or that vaccines contain toxic chemicals that are not “natural”? These claims have been disproved through actual studies, and if we’re refusing vaccines to cut back on unnatural things and toxic chemicals, we’re looking to cut back in the wrong places.

To continue to listen to these sources of pseudo-scientific information and refuse vaccines on personal whim is irresponsible and only helps perpetuate the spread of dangerous attitudes. It seems that for a generation who proclaims their love for Bill Nye, the regard for science as a source of authority has ironically gone out the window.

CRODRIGUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Hollywood needs to be more inclusive JODY JOHNSON THE TELESCOPE

#OscarsSoWhite was the number one trending topic on Twitter that caught fire after the Oscar nominations were announced. It mainly started as many people commented about how there is little to no color in this year’s nominees. Many people have also commented on how they felt “Selma” was snubbed, as critics have stated how David Oyelowo’s portrayal of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was Oscar worthy.

Could this even be considered an Oscar snub?

Maybe the reason also depends on the material that the actors and actresses received were better than the roles and story lines that African American actors received.

This #OscarsSoWhite snub can’t be a snub for the African American entertainers as much as it is a reflection of how movie roles

and characters are limited for African American actors and actresses.

Most of the roles that are offered to African American actors and actresses portray the same stereotype of what society and the media constantly want to reinforce.

Most of the African American Academy Award winners won playing the part of a maid (Hattie McDaniel and Octavia Spencer), an abusive mother (Halle Berry and Mo’nique), and a slave (Lupita Nyong’o).

As one can see, the roles for an African American actress are really limited in what they are given to work with. The constant portrayals of maids, slaves, and abusive mothers directly influence the community as many young African American females view these actresses as role models, which can reinforce the idea about how African American communities should live.

Hollywood needs to open up more varieties of roles that African American entertainers can win, so many young African American children can have more positive role models to look up to. Instead, many children see the gangbangers, the drug dealers, the prostitutes, the crackheads, the abusive parents, and other negative portrayals.

Society continuously wants better role models for children, yet nothing is being done to change the perception of these negative portrays unless Hollywood gives colored entertainers better variety of roles to portray.

“When there’s a consensus that has to be made by a certain group, “ explained Ava DuVernay, “Selma” director, “the consensus is most likely going to be made through a specific lens.”

“Selma” was the only movie with people of color to even be in the consideration of Oscar-worthy per-

formances, which DuVernay noted.

“Why was “Selma” the only film that was even in the running with people of color for the award? You know what I mean? I mean, why are there not — not just black, brown people? You know what I mean? Asian people, indigenous people, representations that are more just one voice, just one face, just one gaze?,” questioned DuVernay.

There is much diversity in the world, but wouldn’t be reflected on the silver screen as most movies don’t include diversity in the leading roles, often the minorities in the supporting roles.

If young children want to one day win an Academy Award, should they be encouraged to portray these negative stereotypes, or should we award them for breaking the norm and acting to the best of their ability?

JJOHNSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

OPINION • 5

the-telescope.com

Are internships really the best use of your time?

Anthony Locklear, 22, is a second-year law student at the University of North Carolina and is interning this summer at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Interior Indian Affairs. • Andre Chung/MCT Campus

PRO

CON

Internships: a necessary step An inverse look at internships ERIN ESKENS

FERN MENEZES

THE TELESCOPE

THE TELESCOPE

a beefed-up resume and a professional reference or two. Most companies are more than happy to give you a letter of recommendaSet yourself up for success. Internships tion for your time. give you a leg up in today’s competitive job Interning also teaches you how to netmarket. work and how to build business connecToday’s job market is undeniably tough. tions, skills that are crucial to any job. If the Even entry-level positions require some sort company you interned for isn’t hiring, they of industry experience, and with so many can direct you to someone who is — glowing recent graduates, employers can afford to be recommendation and character reference inchoosy. cluded.

Work experience, however, can be hard to Some internships even offer college credit get when you’re a full-time student. Between for your time with the company. While you a hectic class schedule and a part-time job won’t get a paycheck, you may be able to at the bookstore, working in the “real world” take a few classes off your schedule. Instead can seem like an unattainable goal. How do of taking a boring elective like pottery or you get “real world” experience before you basket weaving, you can spend a few days a enter the real world? week gaining valuable work experience and Internships are the answer. boosting your grade point average.

Internships are what fill the gap between Want to test-drive your future career or college classes and a post-grad job. Intern- figure out if a field of work is right for you? ing gives students valuInternships let you try able experience in a probefore you buy. Gauge fessional environment. the stress level and workSkills learned in school, load without the comlike time management, mitment. Internships are working under stress and Having an internship or two an inside look into a typimeeting deadlines are under your belt makes the cal day at the office. They tested in a real-world setare snapshot of the 9-to-5 transition (between college life that comes after gradting.

If you want to stand At an internship and the work force ) easier. uation. out as an intern, you have you can decide what you to work hard and prove want to do with your life, yourself.

Internships before you start the rest also teach you things you of your life. can’t learn in a classroom, like how to ace an Internships serve as a stepping-stone beinterview and how to build a strong work tween college kid and full-fledged grown-up. ethic.

Moving out, working full-time, and becomWhen you’re an intern, you have to roll ing a productive member of society is dauntwith the punches, take every task thrown at ing, especially if you’ve never worked more you, and get it done with a smile. You have to than a few shifts a week. be eager to go above and beyond to demonHaving an internship or two under your strate the value you can bring to a company. belt makes the transition easier, since they All this hard work pays off though, be- give you industry experience. cause internships open the door to a paid, You’ve been through the ringer, started at full-time position. Employers want to know the bottom, and know the struggle of doing you’re a hard worker with a strong drive to work for free. Now that you’ve graduated, succeed, and with an internship you give you’re just happy to be bringing home a paythem a firsthand look at how you perform as check. You can leverage the lessons learned an employee. at your internship and anticipate some of the Forbes reports that 69 percent of large challenges of the job. Interning gives you a companies and 39 percent of small compa- global perspective and helps make you a betnies hired their interns on full-time. Intern- ter employee. ships.com reports that you have a 7 in 10 Having an internship or two on your rechance of being hired by the company you sume exemplifies your drive, dedication and intern for. Interning gives you a measurable work ethic. When it comes to landing a job, advantage when it comes to getting hired. you have to set yourself apart from other apInternships are proof that when it comes to plicants. Internships are what give you the landing a job it’s not what you know, it’s who skills and experience employers look for, you know. they are what help you stand out.

Even if you do not get a job offer after your internship, you can still walk away with EESKENS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

of their contribution were the same as school hours.

“We’re looking for the next person who, Internships can provide a student with an eventually when they finish their education, opportunity to obtain a hands-on experience can become part of our workforce,” Bowden in their chosen profession; this can also lead said. to disastrous consequences if the internship Internship ads can be found in newspabecomes a negative experience. pers, the Internet, magazines, discussion Often an internship is unpaid, or at best boards and student unions. On Indeed.com at a minimum wage job. Some businesses many are listed; most of the unpaid positions are not looking to extend your education, are at the top of the list. Some ads are lookbut instead will promote a position that will ing for students with extensive knowledge in benefit the company by using an intern as a specific field, and graduates or undergrads free labor. that don’t require training.

There is a criteria that must be met if an A salary is not always the downside to internship is unpaid. The U.S. Department of an internship. It is possible for a student to Labor, Wage and Hour Division says, in a nut- come away from their experience wanting shell, that: to change their major.

1.) An internship is This happens when exsimilar to training and pectations are not clear must be given in an eduand the employer has not cational environment been willing to let the 2.) It must benefit the You don’t want to waste intern apply their skills, intern. or there is an unexpecttime in an environment ed heavy workload put 3.) Interns work under existing staff and are not them. that’s not conducive to upon to displace anyone A poor relationship your education.

4.) The employer does with management could not benefit by the activialso lead to a bad referties of the intern ence. This could affect the 5. ) It does not guaranstudent’s relationships on tee a job campus and possible fu6.) The intern and employer both under- ture employment. stand the position is unpaid.

A student always runs the risk of acceptThese rules apply to “for-profit” businesses ing an internship thinking it might lead to and if these criteria are not met then the em- employment when in fact this was never the ployer must pay wages to the intern. intention. It’s always a good idea to have this An article written by Derek Thompson, understanding up front. on May 12, 2012 and printed in The Atlantic, James Chilton, CEO and founder of Socimentions that some employers are desper- ety of Financial Awareness located in San Diate for cheap work. It’s obvious who stands ego, Calif., spoke about the use of an internto gain the most from an unpaid internship ship program. Chilton places a high value on when some students and recent grads may youth and having interns has been a positive be so desperate that they will negotiate their experience for him and the interns. He stated wages down to nothing. that it’s important for both the intern and The unpaid internship has more negative management to understand the expectations aspects than just salary. It becomes burden- and outcomes of the internship. Chilton has some on college and university students who a ‘no questions asked’ policy if the agreement usually work to cover their expenses through does not work for either party. school. Tuitions, books, living quarters, transLooking for the right internship is no easy portation, food and incidentals all cost mon- task. A student needs to be sure about the exey. Gaining experience through an internship pectations and salary before committing to is optimal however that’s not always feasible if a position. Make sure there’s a place for you, there’s no salary. that there’s work for you and that your goals According to George Bowden, director and the company’s goals don’t conflict. Be preof Sales at Sierra Cases in Vista, Calif., start- pared to admit if the internship does not align ing an internship program for marketing and with your skills set. sales has not been easy. Bowden is looking for You don’t want to waste time in an envian intern that will contribute to the company ronment that’s not conducive to your eduand later become a part of their team. He said cation. he has been disappointed in the past with interns that are immature in thinking the hours FMENEZES@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

6 • OPINION EDITORIAL

Don’t trade quality for ‘diversity’ In the last issue of The Telescope, we talked about current Governing Board president John Halcon and his passion for diversity among school leaders. We at The Telescope applaud that, and are glad he is pursuing it as we look into hiring a new president for Palomar College.

The question we have to ask is this: what is the school’s definition of diversity?

During an special Governing Board meeting on Oct. 28, 2014, trustees Nancy Chadwick, Nancy Ann Hensch and (then trustee) Halcon all expressed their interest in building a diverse committee for finding a new president. In another meeting, then-trustee (now Governing Board vice president) Mark Evilsizer expressed his interest in having someone as president who has “demonstrated experience in working with the Latino community.”

Though they may have not said it directly, what the Board is implying is very clear to us: they want to see a Latino/Latina as our next president. It makes sense: according to the most recent copy (201213) of the ACCJC Demographics and New Students study, Hispanics represent the second-biggest demographic at Palomar College at 34.6 percent.

When looking back at Palomar’s past history of school presidents, all nine of them have had the same thing in common. They have all been Caucasian, including the one female, Sherrill L. Amador.

So it is a good idea that the Governing Board wants diversity in choosing our next president. But are they overlooking candidates who may be of other origins?

For all we know, there could be an African-American or an Asian-American candidate who may meet their qualifications. We could also look at sexual orientation. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see a transgender candidate as our next president? Considering the boom in same-sex civil rights as of late. We may not be too far away from seeing an openly gay or lesbian person presiding over Palomar College.

From the initial signs we have been given, however, we may not see that day in the near future. The board seems to have its mind set on appeasing a certain demographic, while unknowingly alienating others in the process.

We’re not saying that the Governing Board has a racial bias, that’s not our intent at all. We just want them to give us a clear definition on what they are looking for, and entertain all options.

EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

Traveling is worth every step PETER BRIGHT THE TELESCOPE

Traveling is often overlooked as a valid learning experience. School takes priority, and traveling purely to see other cultures and countries is crassly associated with the word “luxury.”

When speaking about travel, a trip to Six Flags with the family or a weekend in wine-country doesn’t satisfy the meaning completely. The lessons and the learning start when a traveler takes a step they never have before, to places that they never have been before.

A backpack trip across Europe, a year abroad as an exchange student, a couple weeks spent exploring an area of the world not seen before. It is a trip that will bargain for a place A United Airlines flight lands Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014 at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. • Anthony Souffle/MCT Campus in someone’s memory among the countless math lectures, and mean may not pass quickly, but the mem- sity, the theory of what Lonely- ter off to travel, look at the breaks just as much as complicated algebra. ory of the classroom will only make planet.com calls “armchair travel” is from college. Look at the summer The wisdom gained from see- it seem as if one was there for two proved to be true using a test from vacation and the winter vacation. ing other places in the world is seconds. However, the memory of a foreign country; just the idea of a There is time, it just takes a bit something that cannot be learned hiking through Costa Rica on a trail test from another country increases of planning and some effort. And in a classroom. It is something that that did not have an exact destina- the creativity in the responses from if money is your worry, consider means just as much as any class tion seems like a lifetime. And any- students who took test. It was then planning a trip south of the United that can be taken in college or high one who has ever been an exchange speculated by the university that States. There are great public transschool. student knows the saying, “it’s not a planning travel, or even the thought portation options all through MexFor a quick example of how this year in your lifetime, it’s a lifetime in of traveling and placing oneself in a ico and the countries beyond, plus can be, a Lonelyplanet.com post (a a year.” foreign environment, increases cre- it all starts about one hour from us popular traveling website) described Besides the undefinable ben- ativity as well as self-awareness. here at campus. how every moment in a foreign efit of stumbling upon a better unFor most of us here at Palomar, The point is, it is February now. It country seems like two moments in derstanding of yourself and your this probably all means nothing. is a great time to start planning sumreal time. “… a week in Guatemala own surroundings, one can count Traveling is expensive, and who has mer travels. Hopefully now there is seems to last as long as three weeks up the other advantages gained by the time anyway? College and edu- sufficient motivation to actually pull in Outer Banks – in a good way.” traveling. Whether it is domestic or cation are the goals right now, and out the calendar and consider it seIf a person feels their time has international, there are languages that would simply be delaying the riously. And remember, for every doubled, it is undoubtedly caused learned, old customs realized and process and prolonging these “try- minute you spend planning, it will by the amount of experience and understood, as well as friends made ing” times. feel like two minutes when you are thinking comprehension that has and at least different people met.

Well, take a closer look at the de- actually there. It is worth every step. happened during that time. MeanStill not convinced? In a study tails. If it’s hard to imagine stepping ing that a night at Palomar College conducted at the Indiana Univer- up to a semester abroad or a semes- PBRIGHT@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Employers aren’t responsible for employees ZACHARY WATSON THE TELESCOPE

What’s the worst thing that can happen when you have a few drinks and get behind the controller of a quadcopter? Well crashing it into, arguably, the most heavily guarded lawn in the United States for starters.

The unidentified pilot of the drone was drinking in his friend’s apartment at a late hour. He was flying a drone around the room when he decided to open a window, and test the wild blue yonder beyond the confines of the small apartment.

Things went awry when the drone lost contact with the controller, which is a common and reoccurring malfunction of the brand. The brand says the user must calibrate the drone to prevent such occurrences, but how much can be expected of someone under the influence, and who lacks the knowledge to operate a drone.

After sleeping the night off, and noticing the incident on the news the next morning, the unidentified man contacted local authorities. He works for a government intelligence agency called The National Geo-Spatial Intelligence Agency and was not charged with any crime.

This latest breach of security at the White House has spawned a lot

of questions on how well the Secret Service can guard the president’s safety, while the NGA is caught in the limelight of attention, apologizing for their employee’s mistake.

According to NGA’s webpage, they take “the incident very seriously and remain committed to promoting trust and transparency.” The fact that the unidentified man is a government employee means his job is most certainly at risk, even if he was off duty.

What does NGA have to do with this incident? Why is NGA apologizing for this man’s actions? The mistake certainly appears to be exactly that, a mistake. Every human commits them, and they are unavoidable.

Employers are not always the parents who forgive their child after he or she has snuck out of the house past 9 p.m. on a school night. Most companies’ forgiveness is only going to stretch as far as the risk of their reputation allows.

Reputation is the cornerstone of success, and it does not reflect well on an ‘intelligence’ agency if they have employees crashing drones into the lawn of the White House while inebriated. Companies do not want to be associated with people who cannot conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner.

It is the same thing as people who do not want friends who are always

getting them into trouble, or having a friend who is not with you, but does something heinous. Would someone want to be associated with that person anymore? Guilty by association is the saying, and companies take this seriously.

A most prudent move would be a public apology from NGA, but until NGA made the apology, the general public did not know of NGA, or that the man worked for them.

There is usually a much higher degree of accountability with careers associated with the government in any way at all, so the apology comes as no surprise. Government employees know this very well as it is reiterated many times, and employees are aware that an incident like this will not be taken very lightly.

Not all employers and companies should be responsible for their employee’s actions when they are off duty though, and this largely depends on circumstance. If an employee knows that a trustworthy and professional reputation is absolutely critical to his or her employer, then they should know they are held accountable for their actions on or off duty.

If the situation was different and the unidentified man worked for a company that did not work for the government, then a public apology is not an obligation. It may be a smart

decision for a company to issue an apology regardless.

Any person who considers themselves a professional should expect a large measure of responsibility when making mistakes like this, and this man has expressed that. By his willingness to call the accident in himself shows that it was a genuine mistake, which everyone makes, no matter if he was doing all the wrong things that creates a scenario that only ends badly.

Furthermore, a good employer that cares for their employees, government agency or not, should seek all options of keeping an incident like this in house. Punishment will usually be less severe if the press and the Secret Service are not involved.

If the incident breaches the code of conduct then the employee should be fired to show that such actions are not tolerated.

Ultimately there needs to be a middle ground in situations like this.

Companies need to do their best to protect their employees, while the employees should always act in a professional manner, at work and on their own free time. People get fired all the time for inappropriate behavior outside of work, and companies are always taking the blame. Something has to give.

ZWATSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

OPINION • 7

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‘50 Shades of Grey,’ other media promotes rape culture LEAH BAENA THE TELESCOPE

A woman agreeing to sex out of fear, is not the same as consent. We are living in the midst of a rape culture.

Sex has become even more so belittled by a countless amount of erotic films, novels and televisions.

We must stop supporting a society that won’t label “making profit off of movies that are centered around sex” the same as slavery experienced in human trafficking.

Take for instance this commercial: A handsome man is standing in the distance, he begins to look up dominantly at the woman before him, like a lion ready to pounce on prey.

The scene shifts, he is slamming the woman up against the elevator wall, another scene and they’re ruffling through sheets and as his hand unlocks the door he says, “I don’t do romance.”

This brief synopsis of the trailer for the first installment of E.L. James’ trilogy “50 Shades of Grey” lures audiences in to explore the story centered around Christian Grey, who is interviewed by a young, virgin journalist.

Grey’s secret is soon revealed to the journalist, Anastasia, that he particularly likes a type of sex known as Bondage, discipline, domination, submission, sadism, masochism, or BDSM. She becomes his own personal love doll, a slave available to take his fantasies out on.

What is even worse than this poorly written soft porn novel, is the fact that the trailers for the film have been coming on during any time of the day, on any channel.

Potentially, one could flip the channel but would most likely run into an inappropriate condom commercial or a bikini-wearing model eating a giant cheeseburger.

Either way unsuitable material is inescapable.

The character of Grey suffered a traumatic childhood filled with memories that vary from the abuse he suffered from his mother’s pimp, to the experience of living in a foster home and losing his virginity at a young age to the woman who introduced him to BDSM. Throughout the novel, Anastasia agrees to pain-inducing sex that she is uncomfortable with, out of fear of losing Grey. A common trend in abusive relationships, and even considered to be rape in most instances.

According to the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network, 1 in 5 women will be raped in their lifetime. Yet as a society we label things such as “50 Shades of Grey” a guilty pleasure, rather than calling it what it really is: an invitation to further our rape culture.

Women Against Violence Against Women define rape culture as one that “condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm” The Rape Crisis center further explains that this culture “includes

jokes, TV, music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, words and imagery, that make violence against women and sexual coercion seem so normal that people believe that rape is inevitable.”

There is a bigger problem at hand here when young girls in our lives are at risk for being raped, because of the actions we refuse to stop sewing now, there is a bigger problem when males of this society have slim pickings of role models that respect women.

“The Loft” is another anticipated film to be released this year.

For those who are unfamiliar with the plot of “The Loft,” it is a thriller, focused around the finding of a murdered, unidentified woman in a loft purchased by five married men in order to “live out” their sexual fantasies with women other than their wives.

These newly released films promote sex on impulse, and sex with anyone, anywhere.

The pressures to live this type of lifestyle show no signs of letting up in the future.

Sabrina Weill of CBS News writes “many teens do not have the maturity, judgment, or sophistication to make possibly life-changing decisions regarding sex without the input of an older, wiser adult.”

Exclusive National Survey Results found that teens are becoming sexually active as young as age 14. This statistic should awaken us to preventing the promotion of these types of movies.

According to a research study conducted by National Eating Disorders “Numerous correlational and experimental studies have linked exposure to the thin ideal in mass media to body dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin ideal, and disordered eating among women,” as well as the “Pressure from mass media to be muscular being related to body dissatisfaction among men.”

The objectification of a person’s body is something that we as a society have control over. It currently steers the way our adolescents are headed as well as what we believe of ourselves.

We are a generation that complains of both anorexia and obesity, moral and immoral, yet we are further poisoning the minds of generations to come.

We need to make the first move in taking a stand against this trend of never ending body dissatisfaction, and over sexualization found all around us.

We are living bodies, not objects for sale.

The current pressures we face in this sense, are creating a new generation on its own: Transforming humans into sex-crazed, body-obsessed monsters.

The only way to end this mistreatment that we condone is to stop buying the songs, the movie tickets and watching television shows that promote the objectification of the human body.

It will only get worse from here.

LBAENA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Bradley Cooper plays Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in the movie “American Sniper.” • Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

‘American Sniper’ tells it like it is ALEXANDRA ROTHMAN THE TELESCOPE

Caught between criticism, commitment, and conviction Grossing $105 million in its opening weekend, it is no surprise that “American Sniper” is the biggest box office hit since “Avatar.”

With its sequences of intense gore and emotionally moving scenes, “American Sniper” tells the story of one man’s quests, convictions, and events as an U.S. Navy SEAL. According to director Clint Eastwood, the film “certainly has nothing to do with political parties.” Yet, it has caused immense controversy between the left and right wings of politics. Matt Taibbi, a writer for Newsweek, recently wrote an article criticizing the new film, saying “Sniper is a movie whose politics are so ludicrous and idiotic that under normal circumstances it would be beneath criticism. It’s the fact that the movie is popular, and actually makes sense to so many people, that’s the problem.”

Many people are taking to Tumblr to blame the recent Cha-

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Editorial Cartoon•John Lucia/The Telescope

pel Hill shootings on the film. “A movie about a man who wishes he’d killed more Muslims hits theaters and does well. A month later, three Muslims are dead because of a “parking dispute.” Probably a coincidence. Nothing to worry about,” says one user.

Critics claim that “American Sniper” glorifies murder and the killing of Muslims. Others claim that it is simply a narration of his life story. First Lady Michelle Obama spoke out in support of the movie, saying “while I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I’ve heard firsthand from military families over these past few years.”

Bradley Cooper, who played Kyle, recently had an interview with NavyTimes. “He (Kyle) wished they’d record how many lives saved as opposed to killed.

He didn’t understand why you would mark it up as confirmed kills instead of lives saved. It’s for the audience to decide whether he’s conflicted about what he’s doing. He certainly says, at the end of the movie when he’s talking to

the psychologist, the only thing that bothers him are the lives he couldn’t save.”

Perhaps the root problem behind the criticism of “American Sniper” is that there is no grasp of what the troops are fighting for and against. There is a lack of understanding for the reasons of Chris Kyle’s actions. Many Islamic extremists despise the West and everything America stands for.

U.S. troops not only fight for the freedoms of westerners, but also for innocent Muslims to live in their country free of tyranny.

Is it ignorance, or is there a refusal to come to terms with the fact that there are unjustified haters of America? Perhaps there is an unwillingness to acknowledge radical Islam for a fear of being politically incorrect. “American Sniper” exposes these evils and shines them in a very different light that may be too much for people to swallow.

This film is an invitation for a much needed truthful conversation about America finishing a fight it did not start.

AROTHMAN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

8 • A&E

The new ‘IT’ spot in San Marcos ROSS BECKWITH THE TELESCOPE

Palomar students and staff now have a new dining and drinking option with the opening of Inland Tavern across the street from Restaurant Row in San Marcos.

Managing Partner Pete Zacarias and Head Chef Rob Conaway are bringing their vision of fusion cuisine and cutting edge refreshments to the site that had housed the Penny Lane English Pub for the last 20 years.

The two met while working at the Glass Door in San Diego in 2008.

When Zacarias purchased Penny Lane in 2011, Conaway was brought in to consult on the existing menu. Once the decision was made to close Penny Lane, Conaway was chosen to revamp the menu for the new venture.

“I envision a San Diego vibe, great beers, nice wines, tacos, with a little twist on it,” Zacarias said. Options include Kung Pao Carnitas Tacos, Kale Cobb salad and Teriyaki chicken wings. Fish and Chips, a Penny Lane staple, is still available, but are made with ever-changing fish varieties in keeping with the goal of presenting evolving and new offerings.

Bartender Holly Kramer worked at Penny Lane for a year before staying on at Inland Tavern.

“Pete wants to be a trendsetter when it comes to the beer selection,” she said.

Zacarias confirms this. “We want to have a broad spectrum. The taps evolve every week to two weeks and we are always open to talking to local breweries and getting their stuff in here. With (Rob’s) menu, and what we have on tap there’s always something that pairs really well with one another,” he said.

Specialty cocktails are also offered and for those who prefer a non-craft beer, domestic bottles are also available as well as an always-evolving wine list.

Large, flat screen TV’s hang behind the bar, in the dining area and will soon be added on the outdoor patio. Sports and action sport videos add to the locals hangout vibe that Zacarias and Conaway are looking for.

Happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. offering $1 off all beers, well drinks, and glasses of wine. Future plans include late night specials as well as live entertainment.

“We want, after 10 p.m., to be known as the ‘IT Spot’, for Inland Tavern,” Zacarias said. Plans include wing nights, Taco Tuesdays, live bands, and DJ’s.

Inland Tavern is located at 1001 W. San Marcos Blvd. #195 in San Marcos. Hours are Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday 10 a.m to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. More information and a complete list of all offerings can be found at inlandtavern.com.

RBECKWITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

Bravura accepting submissions for magazine KIRK MATTU THE TELESCOPE

Bravura is Palomar College’s award-winning literary journal that features creative work of students and alumni.

The magazine staff is asking all students to consider submitting their poetry, art and other work in hopes of publication and prizes.

The literary journal began in the Spring of 1964 and is going into its 51 year of publication at Palomar. During this time the journal has won two awards from the Community College Humanities Association, a national nonprofit devoted to strengthening the humanities at community colleges. The first award was given in 2009 and the second in 2012, both placing second in the respective division.

The journal showcases the creative work of students at Palomar year after year and has found generous support from the President’s Association, Rocco Versaci, co-advisor of the journal, said.

The magazine is “a great facet of our culture and humanity here at Palomar,” Nathan Rodgers, a student editor on the publication, said. “The more people who are able to go out and share (their voices) through these outlets and the broader it reaches people, the better off we are in understanding each other.”

Versaci, along with Professor Carlton Smith, have been advising the publication for over 16 years and oversee the course that produces the journal, English 137.

Students in the class are broken up into committees where they review and edit submissions to be featured within the publication. These committees consist of prose, poetry, visual arts, outreach, layout and public relations.

The class will receive anywhere

f r o m 500 submissions that are the reviewed by editors Photo Illustration by Stephen Davis/The Telescope in the course within a week before being sent out for produc“You can be a tion. About 90 percent of submissions creative person and are given during the week before the have creative pursuits and be interdeadline, Rocco said. ested in pursuing something else,” The subjective process will be Rodgers said. more of a discussion with each ediThe journal accepts year-round tor’s varying opinion on a given work, submissions of poetry, prose, photogRodgers said. raphy and art in their yearly publicaThe class offers the students an op- tion that publishes at the end of each portunity to expand on their creative spring semester. To be featured in the writing skills through the in-class publication the deadline for submisworkshops held and to gain skills in sion is March 3. Bravura also features magazine editing and publication. submitted work that doesn’t make it The Bravura staff encourages any to print through their online comstudent to consider submitting their panion of the publication on their work for publication in the academic website www.palomar.edu/english/ literary journal, Rodgers said.

Bravura.htm.

Awards will be given to published submissions during their annual gala at the end of the spring semester where first place winners will receive $100 in the three available categories: poetry, prose and visual art.

Second and third place recipients will receive $50 and $25 respectively.

Submissions can be emailed to rversaci@palomar.edu. Work can also be submitted directly to co-advisors Carlton Smith and Rocco Versaci in their offices located on the third floor of the Humanities Building.

All past and current issues spanning the journals 51 years of publication can be viewed within the library.

KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

‘Ballet 422’ showcases local choreographer ROMA WATKINS THE TELESCOPE

Young choreographer Justin Peck was only given two months to choreograph the 422nd original ballet for the New York City Ballet (NYCB), which premiered during the 2013 winter season.

The result, documentary “Ballet 422,” takes you behind the scenes from the first rehearsal with NYCB Principal Dancer Tiler Peck to the premiere of the ballet, Paz de la Jolla.

Peck grew up in San Diego and briefly took dance classes at a local studio, San Elijo Dance Academy after which he worked with California Ballet before joining NYCB in 2007.

After five sessions of working with an affiliate of NYCB, the New York Choreographic Institute, NYCB Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins asked Peck to expand his work. The result was Year of the Rabbit, Peck’s first ballet choreographed for the company.

Jody Lee Lipes, the Director of Ballet 422, talked to The Telescope about his feelings toward Peck and how the project was conceptualized.

“I’m always looking for ways to get better at filmmaking and what I do

and whenever I find another artist … who I really respect I try to learn as much as I can about them and about why they do what they do and how they do it,” Lipes said.

The story of the film is told without narration. When asked about why he made that choice, Lipes said “I don’t know when it became the norm for every documentary to have talking head interviews in them. That was never a requirement in my book and there are a lot of amazing films that don’t do that.”

Peck was 25 when he choreographed Paz de la Jolla, much younger than other famous choreographers.

There can be some challenges that arise when talking to your collaborators who are also your elders. Peck said he is still trying to find himself in Justin Peck in “Ballet 422.” Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. regards to his new position as choreographer. uring things out and still unsure of one-by-one basis.

When asked why he wanted to go himself in some ways. He also menThe film opens at Landmark’s forward with making the film, Lipes tioned that it would be interesting to Hillcrest Cinemas on March 13. “Balsaid that he felt Peck’s career was go- see a movie like that about Jerome let 422” gives you an unprecedented ing to be really substantial and last Robbins or Balanchine before they look behind the scenes at one of a long time. He said it would be in- became masters at their craft.

America’s oldest and most prestigious teresting to make a film about him Peck was recently named Resident cultural institutions with one of their before he became really important, Choreographer, which means that he shining stars. before he was branded as a master is under contract to create ballets for choreographer, when he was still fig- NYCB for a year or two, not just on a RWATKINS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

A&E • 9

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‘Borrowed Landscapes’ makes Boehm debut KIRK MATTU THE TELESCOPE

The Boehm Gallery opened the Spring semester with its first exhibit of the year titled “Borrowed Landscapes.”

The exhibit took about a month to develop and execute curator, according to Nikko Mueller, a professor at Southwestern College. This is Mueller’s first curated show but he did have his work at the Boehm in the 2009 exhibit, “Terra Incognita.”

“On a certain level, it’s sort of like going for a shopping spree without any money,” Mueller said on curating his first show. “You get to pick out all these great works and see them in a place and in a context you like but you don’t have to be able to afford the work.”

Mueller sought out a variety of work from artists in both San Diego and Los Angeles that looked at landscapes in ways that were “tied in with tradition but weren’t terribly traditional.”

The inviting motif of landscape is easily relatable to the viewer while the motifs may not be as obvious or straightforward.

The pieces on display utilize varying media from traditional acrylic and oil on canvas to audio and visual media and photographs.

Eben Goff is an artist based out of Los Angeles with three of his structural works showcased in the borrowed landscapes exhibit: Sluice Gate, Spanish Slides and Flood Cubes.

These works look at how fluid objects react within a container and are shaped by its typographical landscape.

The aluminum shapes of Goff’s wall-

“Borrowed Landscapes” is the newest exhibit at the Boehm Gallery. The exhibit is a collecttion of artists from the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. • Daniel Kresge/ The Telescope

mounted work, Sluice Gate and Spanish Slides, create a container that acts as a landscape toward the wax and pigments that move across its given terrain, solidifying in the process.

Flood Cubes was a project that evolved from rudimentary bare metal forms to more refined chromed metal that play up the polarity of the

elements witnessed in the greater Los Angeles River system, Goff said.

The work came from Goff’s fascination with the life cycle or seasonal cycle of Ballona Creek and how impromptu sculptures were being made through the outcroppings and architecture of the river when the floodwaters came during the big rains.

Love isn’t blind...just invisible EDWARD ROSA THE TELESCOPE

The latest dating app has been unleashed upon the public. Over OK Cupid? Tired of Tinder? Glutted with Grindr? Get ready, because here comes Invisible Boyfriend/Invisible Girlfriend.

These new apps, currently testing in beta, are essentially exactly what their respective titles imply.

Your Invisible Boyfriend/Girlfriend will do all of the things a real significant other might do: call, text, leave a voicemail and send you pictures. The one thing they won’t do is show up. Ever.

These apps are designed to simulate an actual relationship with another person, which sounds more like an anti-dating app. But why argue semantics?

For a fee, users create an account, upload some selfies and create a custom partner. In addition to the benefits already mentioned, your virtual romance comes complete with a story of how you met, and photos of the two of you, thus further cementing the illusion in reality. As these apps are still in their testing stages, the level of interaction with your virtual romance is limited to contact via your smartphone. However, demand for the product has apparently been

significant, and the company responsible says that they are looking into augmenting the experience, according to their website.

“This may include gifts, personalized notes, flower deliveries, social media connections, and you name it. We get the sexting/naked pics question a lot, but there are currently no plans for offering these services at launch,” company owners wrote on the website.

A lot of you are probably wondering why anybody would want this at all, let alone be willing to pay for it. However, if the claims the company makes on its website are true, demand has been overwhelming. When considering whether or not I would enjoy this app, the prospect seems highly dubious.

But what about for someone in a different situation. Say you are a woman trying to build a career and you have decided that now is not the right time for you to start a family, (assuming you even want to start a family in the first place).

Now let’s say you also have an overbearing relative whose eagerness for you to find someone exceeds your own. Bingo! Invisible Boyfriend/ Girlfriend! Now you can show that relative how blissful you two are, while concentrating on what really matters to you.

Many will deride potential us-

ers of this product, and lament the fact that technology has become a permanent part of the dating scene.

Others will complain that if there isn’t anybody real on the other end, that it is pointless. But for many out there this could potentially fill some kind of void they have in their life.

Romance is such a personal part of people’s lives, that it is impossible to say that something like this is entirely good or entirely bad. But to those who would complain that an app like this could further alienate someone who already has a tenuous hold on a social life, I disagree.

Perhaps this app could be a confidence builder. Perhaps you are someone who hasn’t been very lucky in love, and hasn’t had much practice. Here is a dating simulator that could possibly help you out in that department, without having anyone’s real feelings on the line.

In an episode of the television show “Black Mirror”, a grieving widow has the pain from her husband’s death eased by communicating with an incredibly realistic doppelganger of him via her smartphone. Perhaps this app could be used in a similar capacity.

So before we are quick to condemn, perhaps we should first try to understand.

EROSA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Keaton Macon is another artist based out of Los Angeles with his Palm series instillation on display in the Boehm. His work has archival processes that transport the viewer to the artists-conveyed experiences through time and place and its placement within a given landscape.

The epicenter of Macon’s work was

prompted from a neighborhood fire in Koreatown of Los Angeles. The installation discusses how documents work through audio recordings, photographs and drawings and how documents have qualities that can evoke an experience, Macon said.

KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

COMMENTARY

Maintaining individualism in a dualistic reality ROMA WATKINS THE TELESCOPE

Partnerships must be equal.

One cannot constantly be giving everything while the other gives nothing in return. When you want a person to be your significant other it feels like they’re your whole world. However, after you’re in the thick of the relationship it can be burdensome work or feel like you’re being absorbed into their life and they don’t seem to reciprocate.

How does one keep their individuality while still maintaining a close bond with someone else?

Maybe your partner isn’t paying attention to you or you feel loved sometimes and inadequate other times. Psychologically you learn to associate feelings of neglect with feelings of love or confuse adoration with attachment.

This can lead to serious lapses of judgement if you’re focused on your boyfriend or girlfriend and their acceptance of you.

Remember that confidence and acceptance are two things that only you can truly give your-

self. If you wait for them, you will become so absorbed in the other person that you will turn into a shell of your once-vibrant self. If you are always making concessions in your schedule to fit them in, it shows that they don’t value or respect you or your time. When you are distracted by thoughts of the other person you become disinterested in your own life, this is a strong warning that something might be wrong in the relationship.

Some of our most basic needs are food, shelter and water but we also need love, compassion and acceptance in order to thrive. If your partner only worries about themselves and doesn’t contact you until they want something from you, then you should start talking it through or leave the relationship.

It is all too easy to lose sight of yourself when another person appears as bright as the sun but is actually a black hole sucking in all the best parts of you and leaving only empty matter behind.

RWATKINS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

10 • A&E

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015 MOVIE REVIEW

‘Whiplash’ sets audience on edge

EDWARD ROSA THE TELESCOPE

Sundance participants experience virtual reality. • Robert Rukavina /The Telescope

Virtual Reality immerses viewers ROBERT RUKAVINA THE TELESCOPE

The other night I raped a girl. I was drunk at a party and had been flirting with her. Later that night I saw her passed out in a bedroom. A buddy and I took turns with her. She couldn’t say, “No.” She couldn’t say, “Yes.” She couldn’t fight us off.

But I was raped, too. The other night I had a college boy spread my legs apart and take advantage of me.

His buddy let him go first. He didn’t try to stop him. No, rather he egged him on. I had passed out on a bed.

Everything was a blur. When I regained consciousness I saw that they had written on me. The humiliation I suffered was disgusting.

I took off the Virtual Reality (V.R.) glasses and appreciated what it was like to actually be in someone else’s shoes. As the viewer navigates the scenario from both perspectives, details are seen differently. Is the girl holding the guy’s hand, or is she keeping him at a distance? As unsettling as it was to be a predator, that held no comparison to the incomprehensible demoralization of being raped.

The program titled “Perspective: Chapter 1: The Party,” by Rose Troche and Morris May, was just one of the virtual reality stations at the Sundance Film Festival. There were fun programs, like Kaiju Fury, where you don cardboard designed to hold your smart phone, and watch people try to fight off giant monsters that are attacking the city. Google and DODOcase have these cardboard frames available online, ($6.99 to $24.99).

And you can get V.R. Apps online.

My favorite was “Birdly”, where a person lays on a specially designed T-frame with wing controls and flies like an eagle through skyscrapers.

The euphoric sensation of true flight (although V.R.) was addicting.

There is nothing stranger than a room of people swinging their heads around with black boxes and headphones on. When it’s you in the apparatus, you know you look like a fool, but you don’t care.

There is going to be a major market for these games: first person shooters, role-playing games, and other games that will envelop the player within the world. The thing that struck me was the different ways a designer could offer a genuine message to promote social change and impact people on a personal level. There were stations about the war in Syria, and the Iranian revolution in 1979. One man, Oscar Raby, designed one to educate the public about a mass execution his father had witnessed in 1973.

The possibilities of these programs are exciting. Of course there will be the leisure games, but this technology can also be used to train police forces how to react in complex situations. Recent events have shed a light on some grievous errors in places like Ferguson, Mo. The military already uses large projection screens to simulate combat situations. With V.R. the realism of potentially being ambushed from any direction becomes possible.

Classrooms could become amazing worlds where a professor can provide students with total immersion in a scenario where the students have to make real world decisions. Instead of suffering through long and boring lectures, students can role play or observe lessons in 360 degrees.

Troche and May see the social possibilities of this technology. “The Party” is part of a trilogy where the next installment will be a confrontation between a police officer and a protester. Very soon we all may be able to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.

RRUKAVINA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

“Whiplash” is an engrossing and tightly wound drama that is easily as good as, if not better than its competition at this year’s Academy Awards.

The film, directed by Damien Chazelle, combines fantastic and believable performances, tension you could cut with a knife, and truly beautiful photography to create a dramatic portrait of a contentious student-teacher relationship, wherein both participants are in search of greatness.

“Whiplash” is a film that is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat while you watch it, and will leave you thinking about it for days after it has concluded.

“Whiplash” tells the story of Andrew Neimann, played by Miles Teller. Teller is in his first year at the Shaffer Conservatory, where he is studying to be a jazz drummer.

While practicing, Teller’s drumming catches the ear of Terrence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons, the most celebrated and controversial conductor at Shaffer.

Simmons curates his own jazz orchestra comprised of students,

and he accepts nothing short of perfection. Simmons hears something he likes in the way Teller plays a double-time swing, and invites him to the next practice session.

Once Teller has his foot in the door, he develops a kind of myopia wherein the only thing visible to him, is becoming the greatest jazz drummer of all time. Teller sees success in Simmons’ orchestra as the way to achieve this feat. Simmons however is notorious not just for his greatness as a jazz conductor, but for his teaching methods as well, which are highly questionable.

What follows is one of the most intense depictions of a master-student relationship Hollywood has ever produced.

“Whiplash” is not entertaining exclusively for its scenes of whiteknuckle tension, nor for its tourde-force performances from both Simmons and Teller. Beneath the surface, “Whiplash” is a bit of a rumination on success, and masculinity. Teller’s drive to succeed, and the methods he employs to pursue that goal could be equally as laudable as they may be questionable, depending on the viewer.

The same goes for Simmon’s

character. His teaching methods, the psychological torture and manipulation he uses to achieve his goals will certainly become fodder for dinner discussions following the film.

Simultaneously, “Whiplash” asks its viewers to consider the role parenting plays in the age of the millennial. Teller’s father Jim, played by Paul Reiser, is portrayed as a loving and concerned parent, one who is not as focused on “success” as his son is. Reiser is seen often trying to soothe Teller, and tell him that failure is not just okay, but is a natural part of life.

However, there are those who feel like old school toughness is the best way to aid a protege in achieving greatness. So for parents in the audience, “Whiplash” may serve as a sort of a mirror by which one might judge their own approach to being a parent or mentor.

They say art exists to provoke a reaction, or an emotional response.

“Whiplash” succeeds masterfully at provoking and evoking a number of reactions from the viewer, as well as being a fantastically well done piece of entertainment.

EROSA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

ALBUM REVIEW

Edgy folk singer tackles the “L-word” MIKE PETERSON THE TELESCOPE

If they gave out sainthoods for debauchery, Father John Misty would be on the list of contenders.

Father John Misty is the pseudonym of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Tillman, probably best known for his work as the drummer of Saxon Shore and Fleet Foxes as well as his string of solo releases under the name J. Tillman.

His sophomore record, “I Love You, Honeybear,” released by Sub Pop on Feb. 10, is a much more refined work when compared to his last album, “Fear Fun.” The instrumentation is more mature, with elements of orchestral music, well-produced arrangements and clear, tangible vocal melodies.

At first listen, his mellow, acoustic folk style doesn’t seem very adventurous or experimental. His lyrics, on the other hand, are often caustic and hilarious, filled with tales of drinking, women and drug use. His selfdestructive tendencies are as finely developed as his knack for songwriting.

Where his last album treaded on themes of wanderlust, travel and substance abuse, his new album tackles one of the most common motifs of popular music: love.

The title track and opening song of the album, “I Love You, Honeybear” sets the tone for the rest of the songs to follow. Although the title and chorus of the song might prepare the listener for an overly syrupy and sweet love ditty, the song deals with elements of hopelessness and malaise.

“Everything is doomed and nothing will be spared, but I love you honeybear,” he sings as if being in love is

Father John Misty performs at Coachella in 2013. • Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/MCT

the only remedy for the failing and soon-to-be-destroyed world he lives in.

“Bored in the USA” starts out as a sad piano ballad, but quickly takes a hilarious turn. He starts poking fun at the American Dream while a laugh track plays. “Strange Encounter” describes a traumatic event involving Father John Misty and a significant other.

“Nothing Good Ever Happens At The Goddamn Tipsy Crow” is a song about bars and Father John Misty’s commitment and love for his partner. “Holy Shit” pokes fun at religion, Western culture and societal norms.

“Chateau Lobby #4” has mariachi overtones to its instrument mix, with horns and Mexican folk-style percussion sprinkled throughout. Lyrically, Father John Misty begs his lover to “be gentle” as it is his first time.

Whether he’s talking about falling in love or a roll in the hay is left up to the listener.

The song “True Affection” definitely sticks out on the album, and not exactly in a good way. The song is dominated by electronic drum machines and synthesizer riffs. This clashes pretty dramatically with the organic feel of his other songs.

Having said that, the lyrics speak

of “strange devices” and talking faceto-face. Maybe Father John Misty is making a sonic commentary on the digital age with this song.

Of the 11 songs here, there is enough variety in style to keep things interesting. “The Ideal Husband” has elements of garage rock instrumentation. “The Night J. Tillman Came To Our Apt.” sounds like a spiritual successor to The Velvet Underground & Nico. “When You’re Smiling and Astride Me” is a straight soul song.

Father John Misty is quickly becoming an incendiary and popular figure in indie rock. “I Love You, Honeybear” sounds like an alcoholinduced, Americana-themed block party. But the lyrics are inspired by very honest and sincere feelings of love, commitment and disillusionment with society.

If you are a fan of contemporary folk music, “I Love You, Honeybear” is definitely an album you should check out. But this record is strong enough to stand on its own, regardless of genre tastes. It is an interesting, funny and lyrically-dense album.

It may not be reinventing the wheel, but it is an excellent album and worth a listen.

MPETERSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

A&E • 11

the-telescope.com

Fashion student weaves organic designs JODY JOHNSON THE TELESCOPE

Fashion Week throughout the world is the place to be for a fashion designer. Fashion designers create the clothes we wear, and the style we want to emulate on the streets.

For Jacqueline Banting, a Palomar College student, fashion is a way of expressing her creativity into her designs as she prepares for Exhibit Ambush.

Exhibit Ambush is a showcase that occurs every two years, bringing unknown artists of all fields displaying their creative designs to the public. Exhibit Ambush challenges artists to expand their artistic talents to create art that is both shocking and unique. Jacqueline Banting is no stranger to Exhibit Ambush, having created fashion designs for the showcase before. In 2013, Banting created her fashion pieces using cardboard and other unconventional items.

For 2015, Banting once again returns to Exhibit Ambush to showcase her leading-edge fashion designs. Cardboard designs are a thing of the past, when Banting will use food products in her fashion designs.

Banting hopes to create a beaded look by using lentils and rice. The theme for Banting’s design revolves around the idea of duality.

“Duality means good versus bad, right versus wrong. This is my rendition of what it means. Ultimately, duality is me choosing what I want for myself.”

Banting first noticed her passion for fashion designing when she was growing up and she drew characters with clothing.

“An artist growing up, it kind of just grew into my personality,” Banting stated when describing where her love for fashion came about.

Once Banting realized her passion, she researched several fashion

I really want to do my designs, and put my designs in a movie. Most importantly, I want my designs to be free with my heart and not for the audience.

designers to gather inspiration. Alexander McQueen, Manish Arora and Elie Saab are the muses in which Banting is getting her inspiration as she creates her designs for

this pop up event.

“They (McQueen, Arora and Saab) are very into detail, and their designs are both balanced and creative,” Banting said.

THE TELESCOPE

The Fashion Club is back, and they are looking for new members.

The Fashion Club held its first meeting of the semester at 3 p.m. on Feb. 5 in FCS-1. They plan on meeting the first Thursday of every month this semester at that same location and everyone is invited to attend.

The intention of the first meeting was to introduce new club members to each other and discuss what the main focus for the club will be for this semester.

Club President Izabella Latrach, a student in her fourth semester at Palomar, led the meeting.

“I’ve always loved clothing since I was a little girl,” Latrach said, who added that her mother named her after a model.

The fashion club had been on a brief hiatus before Latrach assumed the role of president, and she said she plans on “revamping the club from scratch.”

While the main focus of the club

is getting students involved in the world of fashion, its members can expect to do more than just work on clothing. Latrach has set up several goals for the club this semester, including raising $2,000 for club events, partaking in local fashion shows, and involving club members with community service.

In fact, community service is a large part of club duties, and is something new that Latrach wants to implement. They include tasks such as clothing drives for orphanages and local hospitals in Mexico and the United States, and knitting beanies for newborns.

Kendell Dolinsky, vice president, said that it didn’t matter what major the student was, or what their experience in fashion had been, they are welcome to come and become part of this community.

Both women stressed the importance of the combination of community and fashion, and view the two as interconnected.

The women have started an Instagram account called Palomar Lookbook, and encourage club

members to take and post pictures of fashionably dressed Palomar students, with their permission. They have also started a Facebook account to chronicle club events.

Samantha Bohner, a new club member, said she was new to fashion, but wanted to join this club to network and learn more about this career. The ability to immerse oneself in a future career is unique on campus, so she was excited to join the club.

Rita Campo Griggs, Fashion Club adviser, was present for the meeting and said she understands how important it is to give students a chance to become involved.

She said all different kinds of opportunities were available for members, and she loved the energy and ideas students brought.

Fashion students are provided contacts and the ability to gain exposure for their work, as well as intern for top designers.

Another example of the handson experience the club provides is involvement in various fashion shows. The Fashion Club plans on preparing for the upcoming annual

THE TELESCOPE

Moda Fashion Show, a show that is run and organized by students, which the Fashion Club has previously attended.

This year’s theme is “Global View”and will be held at the California Center for the Arts Concert Hall in Escondido 7 p.m. on May 8.

Tickets cost $15 for the orchestra, $12 for the mezzanine and are $20 at the door.

The global theme, Campo Griggs said, reflects the idea that fashion is international, as well as a global, international economic force. As stated by reportlinker. com, the global textiles, apparel and luxury goods market had total revenues of $3 billion in 2011, and the performance of the market is forecast to accelerate to a value of almost $4 billion by the end of 2016.

In addition to Moda, the club will also partake in the Palms Springs fashion show, which will take place March 21-28, and Fashion Week in San Diego, whose spring showcase is March 15.

FNOUROLLAHI@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

LBAENA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

If designing for one showcase was busy enough, Banting is also working on designs for the Palomar College Spring Fashion Show.

“It’s been hectic as having those two events so close to each other,” Banting said when describing her schedule for preparing for two fashion events.

For the college’s fashion show, Banting is developing a theme that is centered on the idea of Spirit Animals. “I want a queen from each world that represents that animal,” Banting said. Some of the animals she is toying with include a chameleon, a koi fish and a phoenix.

Exhibit Ambush is set to occur from 5 to 10 p.m. on March 7 at the Women’s Museum at Liberty Station, The Palomar College Fashion Show will occur in early May. Banting said she wants to continue designing in the future and hopes to continue drawing only for the benefit of herself, not caring what others will think of her designs.

“I really want to do my designs, and put my designs in a movie.

Most importantly, I want my designs to be free with my heart and not for the audience,” she added.

JJOHNSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Fashion club struts to its rebirth with new members FAYE NOUROLLAHI

LEAH BAENA The poetic lines that spin through your head throughout the day have an opportunity to be told While it may not be classified as a degree, Palomar students have the opportunity to take their poetry skills to a professional level.

Professor Joseph Limer of the Political Science Department has created a safe environment for anyone, whether they are a Palomar student or not, to come and get their story out on paper.

While this group has coined the official “Palomar’s Poetry Club” title, it is more so for bylaws. The students of the organization desired for their poetry to be heard, minus the formality.

“It’s like Dead Poets Society. Poetry for poetry’s sake,” Limer stated. “Even now, we can meet really anywhere.”

When they do meet, it is to hear one another with their own level of communication.

The idea to create this sort of club at Palomar derives from a meeting Limer had attended for MiraCosta College’s Performance Writer’s Club.

Professors Anthony Blacksher and Bruce Hoskins were preparing for a spoken word event held each semester. This became the motive to start a poetry club on campus to give Palomar students an equal opportunity.

“I truly believe anyone can be a poet as long as you have a voice,” Limer said. “My workshops are designed to get people to look at their truths ugly and beautiful.”

He spoke of a group of students from a previous semester that went on to compete in the national slam poetry, that many poets have roots at Palomar College.

Being well known for his ability to perform in the spoken word, and to teach others as well, Limer encourages students to tell their stories, and to be creative with that honesty.

According to powerpoetry.com, “Spoken Word is writing that is meant to be read out loud. Some examples of spoken word you might be familiar with are stories, poems, monologues, slam poetry, rap and even stand-up comedy.”

Limer’s journey as a poet began at the same time he began studying to become an English major and the two thrived off one another. However, pieces he wrote during this time, he kept for himself and is able to identify with those who do the same.

“I was always into poetry,” Limer said. “But I was a closet poet.”

It was not until Limer had participated in an open mic night and seen his poetry in motion with an audience response, that he felt the need to be honest, to speak on private matters of his own life and social issues.

Anyone is invited to come to the poetry club meetings. Being an English major or a poet is not mandatory.

“It’s a safe space. A refuge,“ Limer said. “A place where you can let go creatively and not be judged.”

The Poetry Club meets at 3:30 p.m. every Thursday in MD-303.

JACQUELINE BANTING • STUDENT

Fashion designer Jaqueline Banting poses next to her current work made of lentils, rice and crushed corn for Exhibit Ambush. • Photo courtesy of Zynada Aurelio

Poetry students find their voice

12 • NEWS

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

Student involvement hides, but still exists CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ THE TELESCOPE

Student involvement is not completely dead, but it does take some legwork to find it.

According to the Office of Student Affairs, 23 campus clubs are active this semester, with 22 of them signed up to participate in the InterClub Council, or ICC. “I approved six clubs just today,” said Lindsay Kretchman, activities coordinator for the Office of Student Affairs. “I think last semester we had 26 or 27 total clubs and right now we’re at 23 so that’s a really good start and we’re only four weeks into the semester.”

According to Kretchman, a range of different student activities have seen good turnout too, with events such as the bi-monthly Hoop-It-Up needing to turn away participants at times, to having more than 20 student leaders attend Club Officer Training.

Yet, the level of involvement may widely vary between groups or niche of student interest.

During this semester’s first official meeting of the ICC, representatives from many of the campus clubs shared their group’s progress and upcoming activities. Clubs such as Intervarsity (a religious interest group) and Active Minds (mental health interest) reported either strong club attendance or shared dates for formal campus events scheduled by their groups.

Others reported low member activity. The representative for MEChA (cultural interest) reported that his club had “no immediate plans” for activities or campus events. While others still did their best to implore their peers to attend their club-sponsored events and bring their friends.

Kretchman said that for a student to become involved, it takes about three levels of exposure to an event. “(Students) will look at you the first time you’re running something like, ‘What is that? I’m just going to look from over here.’ The second time they start to poke around, and the third time they’ll say, ‘This is really cool, how about doing this?’ and they throw out suggestions on how to make it better,” Kretchman said.

This process of growth is evident for many students who currently participate in different activities.

Students Donna Howe and Ali Robbins-Goddard are leaders (president and treasurer) of the Palomar Theater Ensemble, a recent club which has achieved a decent level of success in a relatively short amount of time.

They talked about what has helped the group be more successful.

“Participation has increased from last semester; we had a change in leadership, but also got some new students that really wanted to do something,” Howe said.

They explained that planning and setting goals have made a difference in their club. “Meetings were more chaotic, I think (now) we’re more focused,” Robbins-Goddard said.

“You have to have a goal, something for people to strive for and work for. We did our goal (Stop Kiss,

Baruch Guerrero of the Palomar Theater Ensemble entertains students with a magic trick during the Club Rush event on Jan 29. • Claudia Rodriguez/The Telescope

a play the group recently produced) and you get that sense of fulfillment that makes you want to do it again,” Howe added.

Robbins-Goddard added that having more motivated members has helped.

“That’s a huge difference because two people alone can’t do it,” she said.

Still, motivation and the best of intentions can be trumped by other factors.

First Year Experience students, Doña Rosa and Juan Carlos Hernandez, spoke about the factors that influence their own involvement in campus activities.

Doña Rosa, as she is known among recent Summer Bridge students, explained how students on campus tend to stay within their own groups of friends, which makes finding new groups of people difficult.

“If I could, I would have liked to participate in a Folklorico dance group,” she said.

Hernandez added, “Yeah, (the problem) is time, because if you are a full-time student and you also work, it’s very difficult.”

Rosa explained that this is the case for a lot of students and is part of the nature of a community college. “It’s difficult,” she expressed in Spanish.

She explained that this is the case for a lot of students and is part of the nature of a community college, a factor referenced by others.

“People compare us to a fouryear university, but it’s different because here our goal is to get students to move forward as quickly as possible,” Kretchman said.

Ironically, being involved on campus is one of the best ways to achieve this.

According to Kretchman, students should try to “find a connection somewhere that you feel comfortable on campus because there’s a lot of research about students doing well in their courses and their degree in general if they get involved and make connections.

“There is a push for students to

get more training and they want to get involved but sometimes they don’t know how,” she added. “But that’s the beauty (of it), it’s not about knowing a whole bunch of stuff already when you come in, it’s about the learning process and figuring it out as you go.”

To learn more about different ways to get involved on campus, student may visit the Office of Student Affairs located in the Student Union room SU-201.

CRODRIGUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

A small dinosaur sits on a piece of petrified wood on display at the GeoScience Club table during Club Rush in the Student Union on Jan 29. Claudia Rodriguez/The Telescope

NEWS • 13

the-telescope.com

New class, opportunity for cross-cultural communication

Palomar documentary seeks Salton Sea awareness

RODNEY FIGUEROA

The stench of dead tilapia and rotting algae filled the dry desert air. It’s effect was twofold. The first of course, was revulsion. The second was to ask the question: What happened?

Produced, directed and written largely by PCTV’s Bill Wisneski, “Breaking Point” is a feature-length documentary that takes a look at California’s geologically fascinating Salton Sea, and the tremendous environmental disaster concerning it.

The specifics of the problem are quite frightening indeed. The main issue is that, for a number of reasons, the sea is drying up. This is not only a problem in and of itself.

Of course there will be devastating effects that the disappearance of the sea will have on its indigenous wildlife, migratory bird populations and local residents. Beyond that, there are a number of secondary emergencies that will result from the disappearance of the sea. Among which are extremely unhealthy levels of toxic chemicals polluting neighboring communities, and serious changes to the way water is distributed here in Southern California.

The film explores several possible avenues that may be taken in an attempt to preserve some of what is left of the Salton Sea. Rather than using its platform to filibuster for a particular solution to the problem however, “Breaking Point” instead opts to educate the viewer about the history and status of the sea. It then sheds some light on a number of the different options that are being discussed.

“This could be, literally, the worst

THE TELESCOPE

There is a new class at Palomar College this semester designed to help students explore the intricacies of intercultural relationships.

Speech 131: Intercultural Communication is an online course that seeks to diversify and expand multicultural learning and understanding, offering insights into the complex social relationships between different people and cultures from which they come.

The students are exploring not only the verbal cues, like why a Chinese or Japanese person may say “yes” to a request when they really mean “no,” but also analyzing cultural norms and how they’re practiced within a variety of cultures.

Shayla Sivert, the dean of Languages and Literature, praised the course and its mission to expand the intercultural knowledge of students.

“Communication is one of the soft skills that employers value in their employees. Communication between two people with the same linguistic and cultural backgrounds

can be challenging enough. Throw in language and cultural differences and the potential for miscommunication grows exponentially. Because this class explores communication between cultures, it is a must for anyone who is truly interested in relationship building in today’s workplace.”

Key elements to be covered in the course are cross cultural interactions in specific contexts such as education, business and healthcare. The course aims to appeal broadly to not just speech students, but to everyone due to the examination of culture and its impact among all cross cultural interaction.

Lisa Stefani, the professor of the course, wrote in an email “We live in a very diverse world. The United States accepts many immigrants from around the globe – and diversity is one of its greatest assets. No longer are just the ‘big cities’ such as New York City or Los Angeles cultural melting pots, but ‘small town USA,’ is also now tremendously diverse. It behooves all citizens to learn about their fellow colleagues … Education,

respect and tolerance make us a United Nation.”

Professor Stefani herself said she has extensive, hands-on experience with cultures outside of the United States due to her military background as well as her wide array of published work in the communication field.

The course is currently being offered as an online only class via the campus Blackboard system, but Stefani sees no drawback to the lack of a physical classroom.

Leveraging the power of the global internet, Stefani said she seeks to encourage interactive extracurricular learning and people outside of the classroom, culminating in an online project that analyzes cross cultural stereotypes with Belizean students.

The current plan for the course is to offer it at least once a year for now, and expand as interest accumulates in the course. The course, which started Jan. 26, will continue to run from now until the end of the semester, and offers transferable credits to California State University San Marcos.

RFIGUEROA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Contest open for teachers who use technology FERN MENEZES THE TELESCOPE

Faculty members are invited to submit their online courses in a contest for the best teaching this spring.

During a recent meeting of the Faculty Senate, a committee known as The Academic and Technology Resource Center (ATRCC), chaired

by Lillian Payn, was advising the Senate. One particular item is of special interest for the staff at Palomar College. It enables students to recognize all the planning and implementation efforts that instructors put into their courses.

The committee is having its third annual Palomar Teaching with Technology award or the Best of the Best contest. Instructors are given an opportunity to showcase their teachings using technology in the classroom and online.

According to Payn, the contest came about at an ATRCC meeting during a discussion on how they can motivate and encourage instructors to use more technology in the classroom and also share what they’re doing. In the past there were workshops that provided an opportunity for instructors to share, however the committee wanted a way to reach a broader audience.

Today, technology plays a major role in teaching so a contest for all instructors seemed to be a perfect resolution for achieving their goals, which are to facilitate, enhance, and support the technology environment among the staff and students at Palomar “Education is a triangle,” Payn said. “The students interacting with the instructors, the students interacting with each other, and students interacting with the content. The learning management system is a way this

EDWARD ROSA THE TELESCOPE

environmental disaster in U.S. history,” Wisneski said in reference to the looming catastrophe. When speaking of the potential for success from the various plans on the table regarding the preservation of the sea, Wisneski said “It could also be one of the most incredible success stories that have ever occurred.”

If the primary focus of “Breaking Point” is to educate, distribution would certainly help the film in reaching as many people as possible. The film has been entered in at least two prestigious film festivals in hopes of not just garnering accolades, but attention, as well as a distribution deal could increase the film’s audience by a significant margin.

In addition, there are plans to submit it to many other festivals, particularly in the American Southwest. “Breaking Point” will premier on Feb. 26 at the Sedona Film Festival in Arizona. In addition, it has just been accepted to the American Documentary Film Festival, which runs from March 26 - 30 in Palm Springs.

Ironically, Palm Springs is one of the largest and wealthiest areas in the projected danger zone that would suffer major consequences of the loss of the Salton Sea. But what about those of us closer to home, who have no plans to journey to these various film festivals?

The good news is that there are plans to air the documentary on PCTV. The film will screen at 8 p.m., 10 a.m., and 9 p.m. on Feb. 21, 22, and 27 respectively. PCTV can be found on Time Warner channels 16 & 14, AT&T on channel 99, and Cox Communications, channels 16 and 19.

EROSA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Loan program on campus in crisis, students not paying back BROOKE CRAWFORD THE TELESCOPE

Photo illustration • Philip Farry/The Telescope

can happen.”

Certificates will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners for four categories: 1. Online using Blackboard 2. Online without Blackboard 3. Face-to-face with and without Blackboard 4. Hybrid (50 percent online, 50 percent face-to-face) with and without Blackboard.

Winners will also be recognized during the annual Faculty Tea at the end of the semester.

A submission criteria can be found at http://www2.palomar.edu/ pages/onlineshowcase/ for instructors teaching the Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 semester classes. Those using the Internet to teach their courses are being asked to submit their techniques via slideshow or video presentations.

“As the instructors build their presentation they can make sure they’re addressing everything all the judges will be looking for,” Payn said.

Applicants, students or anyone

can view the past winners and their submissions by visiting the “gallery” on the website.

The criteria, according to Payn, are based on the “best practices” checklist here at Palomar. This is an extensive and thorough checklist.

The committee used suggestions from other universities abroad as well as in the United States to build the checklist and it’s given to all prospective instructors and current online instructors to follow as they build their courses.

“If the instructors are really addressing all those concerns (the criteria) and there is presentation they’ve got all their bases covered.

They’re really handling how to deliver a comprehensive course that communicates the content, engages the student, and gets the students communicating with each other regularly throughout the course,” Payn said. The deadline for the submission is April 1.

FMENEZES@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

A trending topic at Palomar is about financial aid and specifically student loans.

According to school officials, there is a loan program that is at a 30 percent default as a result of students not paying their loans back. The loans that are not paid back make it difficult for the program to continue and officials are considering shutting it down. This was brought up by Diana Studinka at a Faculty Senate meeting on Jan. 26.

Students don’t always pay back their loans on time or in some cases at all. Defaulting on student loans has consequences to the student as well as the program.

There are two type of William D. Ford Federal Direct loans offered at Palomar. Subsidized loans are interest free while in school as long as the student is enrolled at least part time.

Unsubsidized loans are not interest free and the student is charged interest while attending school. The amount borrowed is dependent upon how many credits the student has completed and whether or not they meet eligibility.

Students who have 24 units or less, a total of $12,500 or more in loan debt,

or have been approved for financial aid through an appeal will not be eligible to borrow unsubsidized loans at Palomar College for the 2014-2015 year.

According to the Palomar website, the interest rate for Direct Loans disbursed after July 1, 2014 is 4.66 percent. There is also an origination fee on all Direct Loans, whether subsidized or unsubsidized. The fee is a percentage of the loan amount that is deducted from each loan disbursement. The current fee percentage is 1.073 percent for loans disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2014.

The total limit for a dependent undergraduate student is $31,000 and $57,500 for an independent undergraduate student.

Although the financial aid is through Palomar College, the loan is actually billed through a loan servicer.

In extenuating circumstances the services can grant temporary postponement or reduction of monthly payments.

Credit Bureaus receive information about all loan information regarding late or non payment which lowers credit scores. Defaulting on loans also puts a student at risk for losing eligibility for future financial aid.

BCRAWFORD@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

14 • NEWS

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

Veteran center reopened after closing for conduct concerns ZACHARY WATSON THE TELESCOPE

The Veterans Resource Center was closed down at the end of the last Fall semester at Palomar College. This incident agitated many of the veterans on campus, and still remains a sensitive subject, but officials said they felt it was necessary to shut it down.

The reasons for the Veterans Resource Center shutting down last semester are obscure. The people involved with making the call, and the veterans themselves are very tight-lipped about the incident.

Palomar’s Director of Enrollment Services, Kendyl Magnuson said it was a “code of conduct issue,” and because of the nature of the incident, and student confidentiality he cannot fully disclose the specific details of what happened.

Magnuson explained that the school takes student conduct very seriously. When complaints of the incident reached the faculty, they responded quickly by initiating an investigation.

Furthermore, anyone can use the Veteran’s Resource Center because a college campus is public grounds, and statutes permit all students and faculty members anywhere on the campus. No building is off limits to anyone, and nonveterans are known to go into the VRC. Whatever the investigation found resulted in the ultimate decision to shut it down temporarily. This was done mainly because it was the end of the semester and also finals week.

This would mean two things; the VRC would not be closed for very long, but would also minimize the impact that veterans would feel as they would not be without the resource for very long. It would also mitigate the distractions that veteran and non-veteran students would have during one of the most important weeks of a semester.

According to Magnuson, the veterans were informed that anyone who had issues with the decision could speak to Adrian Gon-

Rules of conduct on display at the Veterans Resource Center. • Stephen Davis/The Telescope

zales, assistant superintendent and vice president of student services.

Several veterans did meet with Gonzales, and many of them were upset with the decision. Magnuson said that many of the “veterans

were concerned it was a reflection on them in some way, and that wasn’t our intention.”

Whatever “code of conduct issue” happened at the Veterans Resource Center, it seems to be re-

solved now, as the VRC has been open since the start of this semester. There have been some small changes there. It is less of a lounge now, and the VRC is more upfront about the rules of conduct.

Magnuson explained that there needed to be more clarification of the rules, and that there needs to be more transparency between the faculty and the VRC. He also describes the two components of the VRC; first, it is a service center to be utilized by the veterans, and a place where they can use computers, study and complete their homework.

Secondly it is supposed to be a place of relaxation or a sanctuary”for veterans, a place where they can communicate with other veterans who understand where they have been and have similar lifestyles.

“We want that safe place for vets to go but it’s also a service center,” he said.

There are plans for a new Veteran’s Resource Center. The current VRC is small, and can get quite packed during the middle hours of the weekdays. The new VRC will have a lot more space as well as provide more services for veterans. There will be more computers, and a larger lounge, and there are plans to get tutors in there as well.

The new VRC will be located right behind the Student Services Center. This will create that transparency with the faculty, as well as allow veterans to be a short walk away from administrative services. Plans for the new VRC are set for 2016.

Now that the VRC is open again, Magnuson said, “we are pleased with how we managed this,” and that a potential conduct issue had minimal impact. While this may be true, most veterans refused to comment, and one said “It’s a shame.”

Everyone seems glad that the VRC is back open, and the veterans enjoy the space that is provided for them.

One veteran said that the VRC is a safe place where they can kickback. Veterans can relate to other veterans, and help them better than anyone else. They are a family there, the same veteran added.

ZWATSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Campus radio station nominated for multiple awards ERIN ESKENS THE TELESCOPE

Palomar’s radio station, KKSM, is gearing up for the IBS awards in New York City where it has received seven nominations including one for Best Faculty Adviser.

KKSM faculty adviser Zeb Navarro will be representing the station at the March 7 ceremony at the New York City Conference Center. This is the first year Palomar has been a finalist for the awards, he said.

Navarro said he was surprised at the announcement of his nominations since nominations must be submitted by students. For those who work with Navarro at KKSM, the announcement came as no surprise.

Brianna “Charles” Harley, nominated for the Best Liner award her-

self, said Navarro “is constantly helping us along to sound really polished and professional without taking away from the fun we can have in our individual shows.”

Navarro said he is the liaison between the station and the students and oversees the whole KKSM operation. Navarro said he is undoubtedly proud of the station’s accomplishments and said the professional sound and alternative music is what sets KKSM apart from other college radio stations.

Navarro sets a high standard for all students who work at KKSM. The work environment is a structured, organized, and well-oiled machine.

It is this standard that makes KKSM so successful, he said.

Despite its relatively small size, KKSM packs a big productionquality punch. KKSM has received

seven awards over the years, including awards for best on-air personality, best news documentary and best audio production.

However, what truly makes KKSM successful is Navarro’s active role in giving students full creative freedom. KKSM encourages students to explore and develop their radio personalities. From alternative music stations, to a nerdy talk show, students said they are allowed to express themselves on the air.

Harley said students have the freedom to talk about “whatever suits their fancy.”

KKSM also boasts a varied selection of music. Navarro said he prides himself on giving students the chance to play music “you won’t hear anywhere else.” KKSM has dedicated airtime to almost every genre imaginable. They play heavy metal,

Mexican ranchero, the blues and everything in between. This included a special, album-only Ramones song that KKSM played on a special tribute day for the band.

Station Manager Serena Reid was also nominated for her work at KKSM. Navarro spoke highly of Reid, nominated for Best Program Director and said she is “great with the program” and gives students guidance. She is another enforcer of KKSM’s high, professional standards of production quality.

So, what’s next for KKSM? They may bring home golden microphones from the IBS awards on March 7. The IBS awards recognize outstanding college radio stations from all over the country, and KKSM was one of only three finalists for Outstanding Community College.

KKSM’s future also includes con-

tinuing the excellence and professionalism, but due to department budgets, the station has no immediate plans to expand to FM radio.

KKSM can currently be heard on 1320 AM, and the signal reaches from San Juan Capistrano to La Jolla.

Despite their relatively limited reach, Navarro said they have a dedicated listener base. KKSM can be live streamed online, and listeners can tune- with the Live365 app.

The station’s success is felt beyond the station and its listeners. Navarro said that many of the students who have graduated from the program have gone on to hold positions at professional radio stations. KKSM strives to give students the experience and skills needed to start a career in the industry.

EESKENS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

SPORTS • 15

the-telescope.com

PALOMAR COLLEGE SPORTS ON THE GO

Evans’ hot start earns her PCAC award honors

Comets softball pitcher Summer Evans was named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Women’s Athlete of the Week for Feb. 9-15 after recording three wins in a seven-day span.

Her three wins boosted her overall record for the season to 5-0, and helped the team go undefeated for the week (3-0).

Evans, a freshman from Escondido High School, has an 0.60 earnedrun average (ERA) over 35 innings this season. To start her week, she pitched a seven-inning complete game on the road against Saddleback College, leading the team to an 11-1 win.

In the second game, she pitched another complete game in a 10-2 rout of San Diego Mesa in the first game of PCAC play. The game was called after six innings due to the mercy rule.

To finish her week, she pitched three shutout innings in relief against Mt. San Jacinto in a 7-4 road win, leading the team to an overall record of 8-1-1.

Tennis teams notch first wins of the season

Women’s sand volleyball head coach Karl Seiler is a five-time PCAC Coach of the Year. • Philip Farry/The Telescope

Selflessness defines Coach Seiler KIRK MATTU THE TELESCOPE

Karl Seiler, head coach of sand and women’s volleyball, is a product of Palomar College, starting his career as a student athlete in 1988 and going on to clench five Pacific Coast Conference Coach of the Year awards during his coaching career at Palomar.

He said he accepts the awards in honor of the team.

“If the team does well I say they did great, if the team does bad then I say I coached badly,” Seiler said.

His selfless personality transcends beyond the court and into the lives of his students and athletes, they say.

Rachel McFarland, a studentathlete at Palomar, said that Karl always makes himself available to help.

“He cares about what you’re doing on the court and also off the court,” McFarland said. “He tries to find a way to make us better.

He’s there for you.”

These attributes haven’t gone unnoticed by his fellow colleagues.

J.G. Aegerter, a football defensive line coach, has known Seiler for 20 years and said that Seiler’s experiences in community college and within the sport are benefits for Seiler’s student athletes.

“He understands the importance of junior college and especially in athletics and how it helps kids move on to the next level,” Aegerter said.

Seiler graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1983 where

he went on to play soccer at MiraCosta College. He found his way to Palomar a year later and began his volleyball career at the height of the men’s national volleyball team in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic games.

“Everywhere I turned, volleyball was there,” Seiler said. He had played basketball and baseball along with soccer and said the blend of those skills needed to play volleyball is what drew him to try it.

During his college years, Seiler said he tackled several different majors, attempting to steer clear of a teaching route that his parents took as community college professors themselves.

Seiler said he followed the direction of his friends and let other people make decisions for him because he felt they had better ideas.

He eventually realized whom he was and what he wanted to do. He earned his master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University.

“Act on what you believe and what you want to go after, and then problem solve it. If it doesn’t work then you find a different route,” Seiler said. “Keep going forward and don’t look back unless to see how you can change things for the future, but don’t sit back there.”

His advice stays true to who he is as a coach as well. Hanna Seits, a student athlete at Palomar, said, “he can always turn a situation into a positive. He’s always looks at the bright side of things.”

Seits added that his fatherly demeanor is what makes him so lik-

able and approachable. “He’s definitely a father figure to us and very caring.”

Seiler described himself as a person whose job is to support people and to try to help them be better at what they’re trying to do by giving them the experiences he’s garnered throughout the years.

“You always want your kids to be better than you,” Seiler said.

“It’s kind of like on my teams, once you’re on my team you’re basically my daughter and I want you to be better than me.”

Transitioning from an athlete to a coach was one of the toughest moments for Seiler early on in his coaching career. “The first game that we had was the hardest one for me because I felt like I was walking in to play, not walking into coach, because I still had that passion to play,” Seiler said.

Realizing that he could help people improve their game, Seiler’s focus changed and solidified his path on to a coaching career at Palomar. Seiler ultimately followed within his parent’s footsteps and made an impact with the people he’s met here at Palomar.

“He’s very passionate and serious when it comes to volleyball and he takes everything very seriously but light heartedly at the same time,” Seits added. “He has that right balance of seriousness and goofiness where he can goof around and have fun but he definitely knows how to click into coach mode to make sure we’re all focused.”

KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

After starting the season 0-4 and 0-5 respectively, the Comets’ mens and women’s tennis teams finally notched their first wins of the season on Feb. 17.

The men’s team traveled to Victor Valley and dominated the Rams in a 9-0 shutout. In the No. 1 singles match, Jonathan Rodriguez beat Manny Diaz-Gomez in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. In the doubles matchup, Taylor Bryant and Christian Corse beat Diaz-Gomez and Nolan Earl 6-1, 6-0.

In other singles matches, Bryant and Corse won their respective match ups (6-1, 6-0 over Earl at No.2; 6-0, 6-0 over Paul Araoarao at No.3), while Vince Rivera, Matthew Potes and Allen Golditch also won their singles matches.

The women’s team hosted Cuyamaca College, and sent them home packing with a 6-0 shutout of their own. Bettina Olah defeated the Rams’ Amy Nicholson in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 in the No.1 singles matchup, while Olah and Teresa DeAnda won 8-0 over Nicholson and Orlanda Mendez in the No.1 doubles matchup.

Men’s basketball wins their home finale

On a night where the men’s basketball team celebrated its three sophomores, the Comets took to the Dome floor knowing they needed to win their home finale to keep their hopes of winning the PCAC North Division alive.

With the help of freshman Matt Duniphan, the team did just that in an 86-68 victory over Imperial Valley on Feb.13. Duniphan, an Escondido High import, had his first doubledouble of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The team’s three sophomores, guards James Sampson and Keith “K.J.” Houston, and forward Jeremy Franklin, made sure that their final home game was a game to remember.

With their friends and family there to watch the game, Houston had 10 points and 6 rebounds; Sampson was a rebound and assist away from achieving a triple-double (12 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists); and Franklin scored 19 points, including a spectacular dunk in the third quarter that nearly broke the backboard.

Women’s B-Ball moves one step closer to PCAC championship with win

On the final home game of the year, the Palomar women’s basketball team took one step closer to claiming its second Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title in three years.

In beating visiting MiraCosta College 79-36 on Feb. 18, Coach Leigh Marshall and her players showed the resilience of a veteran squad, with 12 of her 14 players scoring. Keisha Cox, the state’s No. 14 leader in points per game, led the team with 14. Other players in double figures were Jessica Scott and Mikaela Stanton (11 and 10 points respectively).

The team celebrated Sophomore Night before the game, paying homage to the eight sophomores on the team. Guards Cox, Lee Lee Tomlinson, Tessa Balcom, Victoria Stewart, Daijon Sumpter and Andrea Hollins, along with forwards Ashleigh Barnes and Scott are all in their final seasons as Comets.

COMPILED BY CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK.

Palomar College Comets men’s basketball team honored their sophomore players Jeremy Franklin, James Sampson and K.J. Houston before the Feb. 13 game against Imperial Valley College. Parents of the sophomores were presented with flowers during a half-time presentation in the Dome. • Dirk Callum/The Telescope

16 • SPORTS

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015

Mount Woodson in Poway. • Photos by Fern Menezes/The Telescope

Five cool hikes around North County FERN MENEZES THE TELESCOPE

“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” - Henry David Thoreau San Diego County is a treasure trove for the outdoor lover. We have deserts, mountains, lakes and the Pacific Ocean. Intertwined in our landscape are hundreds of miles of bike trails and hiking trails. It’s impossible to pick a favorite spot. The following hiking trails offer a bit of it all – scenic views, challenges and a variety of distances. All you need is time and water.

Daley Ranch, Escondido: http://www.escondido.org/daley-ranch-hikes.aspx.

Found next to Dixon Lake, Daley Ranch is perfect for day hikers.

There are wild animals such as coyotes and bobcats, many birds species, rattlesnakes and native plants like fragrant California Lilacs.

The ranch is a network of trails totaling about 25 miles. It accommodates people, mountain bikes, horses, and dogs. Keep in mind if you go midday the trails are very busy. The park is open from dawn to dusk.

Double Peak, San Marcos: http://www.ci.san-marcos. ca.us/index.aspx?page=268.

There are some very cool 360 degree views of mountains and the ocean. Starting at Discovery Lake (close to CSUSM) it’s a fivemile loop on a firebreak road and lots of chaparral. There are more trails around the lake for running, mountain biking and hiking. Pets are OK. Open year round dawn to dusk.

San Luis Rey River Trail, Oceanside: http://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/ gov/ns/parks/amenities/trails.asp.

From 0 to 14 miles: The trail starts at Mance Buchanon Park, off of College Drive, and goes to Neptune Drive in Oceanside (within blocks of the beach) Lots of walk-

ers, roller-bladers, kids, pets, cyclists; needless to say it’s a busy trail. It’s flat, easy, and you can turn around anytime, making the hike as long as you want.

Woodson Mountain, Poway: http://www.localhikes.com/ Hikes/MtWoodsen_7320.asp.

This is a more challenging hike with 2.000 feet elevation gain. It is a total of 11 miles (up and back) and a fee of $4 for day parking at Lake Poway. Take Interstate 5 south to Ranch Bernardo East, this becomes Espola Road and this takes you to the Lake Poway entrance. The view is spectacular in all directions at the top. A popular trail for people at Mt. Woodson is Potato Chip Rock.

Ricky DeLoeravallia, a current student at Palomar, said “Potato Chip Rock is my favorite. You don’t really get to see people sit on the edge of a rock and take pictures.” (www.gohikeit.com/2013/07/potato-chip-rock-hiking-trail.html) Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, Escondido: https://www.olivenhain.com/ elfin-forest-recreational-reserve Here is 750 acres of trails that have views of Olivenhain Dam and Lake Hodges. The trails are open to runners, hikers, mountain bikes, equestrians and pets. Take Harmony Grove Road to mile marker 6.

Look for the Way Up Trail which intersects with other trails at the top.

You’ll see lots of bird species, chaparral and creeks and you’ll catch views of Escondido, San Marcos and the ocean. Trail is open from 8 a.m. to dusk.

When you find yourself feeling stressed or bogged down with studying, take some time and head for the hills. It’s good for the soul and you just never know who you’ll meet on the trail.

“It’s a good way to take your mind off of the go-go-go of every day,” Palomar student Hiba Dhiyebi said, “It’s a good way to meet people and you lose weight.”

FMENEZES@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Top: Double Peak, San Marcos Left: Daley Ranch, Escondido Right: Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, Escondido Bottom: San Luis Rey River Trail, Oceanside