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CRYSTAL METHOD EXHIBIT A new and fragile exhibit is on display in the art gallery at Palomar College. The featured artists used all glass for their pieces. • Page 5
“Toy Wall” by artist Aya Oki, on display at the Boehm Gallery’s “Crystal Method” exhibit through Nov. 6. • Hayley Ulle/The Telescope
the telescope Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper
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Vol. 68, No. 4 • Monday, Oct. 20, 2014
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the-telescope.com
HALLOWEEN
Benefits, drawbacks of early retirement SUSAN WHALEY THE TELESCOPE
Stu Miller’s pumpkin patch is crowded in San Marcos with people ready to celebrate this years’ Halloween festivities. For full story turn to page 2. • Meredith James/The Telescope
Officials plan for wheelchair accessibility CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE
School officials said they will take action after two Palomar students complained that the cafeteria, which was built in 1970, is not accessible to handicap students. Students Shovan Vatandoust and Sid Matlock told school officials that the door to the Food Service building was impossible for Vatandoust, who is in a wheelchair, to enter without help. Vatandoust asked his friend Matlock to com-
plain to school officials. Those officials initially said the complaint had to be from Vatandoust. But, Palomar President Robert Deegan told The Telescope they would handle the complaint heedless of the complainant. “Anytime a student is encountering a barrier to access any of the buildings, then we certainly want to address that issue as quickly as possible,” Deegan said. “Any student with any form of a disability, we don’t have an option of whether to accommodate or not ... we do,” Deegan said.
When Deegan heard of the complaint, he immediately placed a call to Christopher Miller, Director of facilities at the school. “He told me I didn’t have to tell him, ‘Hey, Chris, fix the door,’” Deegan said. “He informed me that the door is being fixed, that it is in the works,” he added. According to Miller, the school has plans to fix not only the cafeteria, but the bathroom that is located in the Student Union building as well.
JUMP TO WHEELCHAIR PAGE 3
With a proposed early retirement for eligible employees at Palomar College, officials are looking at the pros and cons. It will save the college $2.7 million, according to Palomar President Robert Deegan. “This is absolutely to save money,” Deegan said. He also added that it will be beneficial for students on campus because it will increase diversity. Eligible employees have until April 3 to sign up for the incentive plan. When a college loses older faculty, then the college can hire new, younger faculty at a lower pay rate. Vice President of Human Resources John Tortarolo, said the negative side of losing older faculty members is a loss of experience, but the positives outweighs the negatives. “Students are changing, so faculty must change,” said Teresa Laughlin, lead negotiator for the Palomar Faculty Federation. A downside to adding parttime faculty to fill in for the lost members who retired is less office hours which creates less access for students, Laughlin said.
Rancho Bernardo campus scheduled to open Fall 2017 KIRK MATTU THE TELESCOPE
As the slew of continuous construction ensues on campus, Palomar College is establishing new outposts within its district. Ahead of the North Education Center in Fallbrook, the South Education Center in Rancho Bernardo is gearing up for primetime and establishing its staffing and educational needs, according to Palomar officials. The center is planned to open for classes in Fall Semester 2017 with an overall budget of $34 million, according to Chris Miller, the director of facilities at Palomar. Once the plans are finalized, construction will begin at the end of 2015 or the
beginning of 2016. “We don’t want to build too soon where (the center) sits vacant or too late where there is a rush at the end,” Miller said. The building, located off Interstate 15 and Rancho Bernardo Road, was originally built as a business building with an existing parking structure. The building sat vacant and because Palomar officials couldn’t find a parcel of land big enough to meet their needs within the southern portion of the district, they took on the 26 acre lot to make it into an educational facility, according to President Robert Deegan. “We came across this building and we thought, let’s think outside the box. Instead of a traditional cam-
The center is planned to open for classes in Fall Semester 2017 with an overall budget of $34 million. CHRIS MILLER • FACILITIES DIRECTOR
pus that’s spreads out, we’ll go up,” Deegan said. There are four floors for the new center. The first floor will consist of student services as well as a
community room to accommodate 150 people. The community room will create a space to hold events for the school and the surrounding community. The second and third floor will hold classrooms, faculty offices and lab rooms. The fourth floor will hold additional classes as well as a library that overlooks majestic views of the area. Palomar needs that building to serve the needs of its southern region. While classes are offered at Mount Carmel High School, it is not enough. About 8 percent of Palomar’s student body comes from the Poway area and increased traffic on Interstate 15 has made it harder for those students to come to Palomar’s main campus, Deegan said. Palomar has also seen a
significant loss in student enrollment from 8 to 6 percent, he added. “We just want to have more of a presence in that southern area to meet the needs of the community of that area of our district,” Deegan said. Classes that are scheduled for the center will be traditional general education courses. “A student who chooses to attend there can take all of their general education courses for an associates degree, for transfer to a CSU or to transfer to a UC,” Deegan said. It will also offer technical courses designed to meet the job needs of the local community as well as basic skill courses, he added. KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
2 • NEWS
Monday, Oct. 20, 2014
Halloween haunts many across the world
GERALD TOVAR
which was influenced by Celtic harvest festivals known as Samhain (SAH-WIN) dates back 2,000 years. The belief was that spirits would come back from the dead as ghosts and peace offerIn some parts around campus you can begin to see ings would be left on doorsteps to keep ghosts at ease. the kiss of fall as leaves turn to orange. The smell Citizens would even dress up as ghosts to be purposeof fall is beginning to grasp the air in the cold fully mistaken by the spirits. early morning, and the days beginning to As the tradition was lead into the 21st century e econth f o end earlier. many changes took place to make up what is te a st e th ing who say With fall comes trick-or-treaters, gobknown today as Halloween. And with the holi• 25.2: Perceanctting their Halloween spend lins and ghosts and the spirits of the dead day right around the corner Palomar students omy is imp seem to come alive. are starting to prepare for their fun this Halplans. “Halloween is a day where everyone lows Eve. Around campus faulty and teachers elebratc e th can be kids again. Even adults can dress have begun to garnish the campus with totems t n u o m a verage osup and eat candy,” Palomar student Marof creative Halloween spirit. Pumpkin buckets • $75.03: Tehre eaxpects to spend on décor, c garite Martinet said. with candy in the Admissions office and cauing consum y and fun. Popularized by American culture, tion tape with stickers dress the entrances to tumes, cand Halloween has been represented in many classrooms. ways across the world. Also known as Día Touched by the past memories of Halloween, unt expected to o m a l ta to e h T : de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, the Palomar Freshman, Josh Lawson, shared what • $2.08 billiocnandy. traditional celebrations can be located back deeper meaning Halloween has for him. be spent on ding on n e sp to Mexico, with many similar celebrations all “Halloween was mostly about friends and family. d te a im st Total e across the globe. The symbolic meaning in each I moved here a few months ago and we’ll find out if I • $6.9 billion2:013 culture relates to the spirits of the dead that are celbuild new traditions. Halloween to me is a night where Halloween in rbes.com Fo ebrated in either a positive or negative way. people express their darker side, and everyone else can have om fr d re ui cq A In the Hispanic culture Day of the Dead is celebrated fun.” as a ritual to respect the presence of the dead, and to rememTraditions are all around us this October as students reflect upon bering them by creating alters which are dressed with sugar their respective culture and dress up as their favoite ghouls. Like every holiskulls, marigolds and the favorite foods of the departed. Graves of loved ones are respectfully day, college is the perfect place to build new traditions year round. visited and dressed to honor the dead. The Hispanic celebration starts Oct. 31 and ends Nov. 2. The research for this article was acquired from the History channel website. Far across the waters the similarities of Celtic tradition in Ireland and Scotland take place on Oct. 31 following into All Hallows Day on the first of November. The popular tradition GTOVAR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM THE TELESCOPE
BRIEFS
Learn more about transferring at college fair
The Transfer Center is hosting a college fair from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 21 on the lawns near the Student Union. Students will be able to discover more information about transferring to a four-year university and connect with representatives from local universities. For more information contact (760) 744-1150 ext. 2552.
Palomar will be celebrating this month. The Inter Club Council is hosting an event dubbed Halloween Escape from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 30 in the Student Union. The purpose of the event is to celebrate Halloween by giving out candy, playing games and dressing up in costumes. All students are encouraged to attend this event to have fun and become acquainted to other students at Palomar College. For more information contact lkretchman@palomar.edu or (760)744-1150 ext. 2594.
The action is framed in a Native American oral history tradition, which looks at the connection between cultural values and the environmental issues humans face. The show runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, directed by Michel Mufson and written by Eric Coble. The shows will play on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., and on Thursday at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 General, $12 Seniors and Staff and $10 Students. For more information contact (760) 744. 1150 ext. 2453
It’s no secret that health insurance can help to ease the hassle of having to go to the doctor. Palomar is holding two health insurance events. The first event is at 6 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the Escondido campus and another is at 4 p.m. on Oct. 29 in the Student Union. The event is being held in partnership with the Vista Community Clinic and will feature representatives from Covered California, the state’s new health insurance exchange. Students can ask questions and get information about health plan options and the health insurance enrollment and application processes. Open enrollment for Covered California health insurance begins Nov. 15. For more information contact lschanka@ palomar.edu or (760)-744-1150 ext. 2380
Most of us think of mushrooms as a salad topping or something to toss into a spaghetti sauce, but there is apparently much more to them than meets the eye. On Nov. 1, Palomar will be hosting a “Mushroom Talk” at 10 a.m. in NS-139. Steve Ferrar will be discussing the culinary, healing and medicinal properties of edible mushrooms, along with educating attendees about the study of mushrooms known as mycology. These mushrooms grown in the San Diego area are used in everything from nutritional supplements to healthier alternatives to energy and sport recovery drinks. Ferrar is the mycology expert at Mushroom Matrix, a company that sells medicinal products derived from mushrooms. He has over 40 years of mycological experience. For more information contact arangel@palomar.edu or call (760) 744-1150 ext. 2133.
Nab a summer internship with this workshop Need help with health The many hidden propInterested in doing an internship? insurance? erties of mushrooms If so, then head to the Career Center at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29 to attend the Summer Internship Workshop. Valuable information will be provided about a paid internship with GEICO. Stop by to learn more about the program and the $1,000 Achievement Award. For more information contact ppierce@ palomar.edu or (760)-744-1150 ext. 3125
Clubs to host spooky Halloween event Halloween is sneaking up on Palomar College.
Climate crisis comedy parodies consumption
The Howard Brubeck Theatre is hosting a new comedy show starting on Oct. 31. Natural Selection: a climate-crisis comedy is about a theme park in the near future. Set in post climate change landscape, the Eurocentric ideology of domination over nature has pushed us to the brink of an apocalypse. This play parodies people’s tendency to consume and thrive in a culture of commercial exploitation.
Show off your Palomar Comet spirit The Associated Student Government is hosting a Comet Celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 23 in the Student Union. This two-day event gives students the opportunity to celebrate their school spirit on campus. For more information contact (760) 744-1150 ext. 2594 or at lkretchman@palomar. edu.
Students file through the Cafeteria entrance doors at the Palomar College San Marcos campus on Oct. 8. • Erika Shasky/The Telescope
WHEELCHAIR
The cost of the project (Including taxes and labor) lays out as follows:
The funds for the project will come from new state money. “We haven’t had any state maintenance funding in a while, but this year we do. We’re going to install electric doors that will open with a motion sensor,” Miller said. As to when that project will be completed, Miller said, “it will take about six to eight weeks.” When Matlock was told about the changes being made, he wasn’t too impressed but was very adamant in his opinion. “I’ll believe it when I see it. No disrespect to the administration or this wonderful organization, but I’ll believe it when I see it,” Matlock said. “It’s not about whether we are in compliance with state code ... it’s about doing the right thing,” Matlock said.
• Cafeteria door (south area of building): $8,982 • SU bathroom: $7,685 When asked if the school had received complaints about the cafeteria before, Miller said that he hadn’t received any for that door. “If we had received those, we would have definitely jumped on it,”he added. President Deegan said he wants to express that the priorities of the student are first and foremost, from the able to the handicapped. “The important thing is this: the buildings are accessible and will be accessible. It’s never going to be an option that it won’t be,” Deegan said. CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
NEWS • 3
the-telescope.com
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College cuts ribbon for new building GERALD TOVAR THE TELESCOPE
Focused On Palomar Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 Vol. 68, No. 4 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.
SUSAN WHALEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIKE PETERSON OPINION EDITOR MEGAN BUBAK A&E EDITOR CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK SPORTS EDITOR EMILY RODRIGUEZ ONLINE EDITOR BRIAN O’MALLEY PHOTO EDITOR ERIN HIRO ADVISER DEB HELLMAN BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS MIKE ADAMS, LEAH BAENA, HANNAH BARKER, STEVEN BURIEK, BROOKE CRAWFORD, CHRISTIAN GAXIOLA, MIKE HAMERSCHLAG, SEAN HORGAN, KIRK MATTU, FERN MENEZES, FRANCINE MORENO, GERALD TOVAR, HAYLEY ULLE PHOTOGRAPHERS MARCELA ALAUIE, HARIM ARJON, EVAN CAST, CASEY COUSINS, DIRK CALLUM, JOSEPH DAVIS, CERISSA FARIN, PHILIP FARRY, ADAM HAAS, MEREDITH JAMES, PAUL NELSON, ANGELA SAMORA, ERIKA SHASKY, JUSTIN SUMSTINE, GARY WEST, YOSHIKAZU YAMASHITA 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
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On Oct. 10 Palomar College Robert Deegan was humbled by the communities endorsement at the Humanities Building Grand Opening . He thanked the community for the district bond which recognized Palomar for its hard work and dedication. The bond allotted the school $694 million and spent nearly $30 million for the new facilities. The H Building at 91,000 square feet houses departments of English as a Second Language, Communication, American Sign Language and a few other state of the art facilities. “(This is a) statement of support to expand the campus for the hard work, recognized by the community” Deegan said. Many leaders around campus at- Administration, faculty and students attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Humanties Building grand opening at the Palomar Coltended the event to speak included lege San Marcos campus on Oct. 10. The building was completed and open for class in Summer 2014. • Gerald Tovar/The Telescope Paul McNamara president of the Governing Board, Berta Cuaron vice speech that touched many members cos fires that took place earlier this classes with support for any phase of president of Instructional Services, of the audience. spring. a writing process. Shayla Sivert Dean of Languages and Faculty members of the audience Amongst the many computers With a new Speech and Debate Literature, Jason Hosfield president moved into their new home from and helpful members of staff this the Lab which ASG President Jason of the Associated Student Govern- different buildings all over campus VRS is a very useful tool for this fa- Hosfield said “(is) the best commument and Kevin McLellan Chairman such as the buildings AA, S, P, and cility which is located on the second nity college facility for speech and of the Speech Communication, Fo- F. It was as Sivert stated “a great mi- floor. The English Department and debate on the west coast.” rensics and American Sign Language gration” as she discussed the process Writing Center offer diverse, stimuDepartment. McLellan signed a of moving in during the San Mar- lating rages of writing and literature GTOVAR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Guest speaker shares benefits of using compost SUSAN WHALEY THE TELESCOPE
It’s all about the recipe. Turn the nature-oven on and add food, water and air. The ingredients were laid out during a composting event hosted Kevin McLin from San Pasqual Valley Soils Oct. 11 at Palomar College. Compost is defined by McLin as, “the soil-like material produced by decomposing organic discards such as yard trimmings, food scraps and manure.” McLin discussed the benefits of using compost, how to make your own compost at home and application. Throughout the event he was open to spontaneous questions from the audience. The lecture was “really easy to understand,” said Nathan Hunt, who is studying hydrology at Palomar. Hunt added that he is interested in studying water problems in the world. Compost-enhanced soil retain water better than the sandy, native soils around the southern California region, according to McLin. This allows people to water their plants less and conserve more. “Compost helps retains nutrients in the soil, helps prevent fertilizers and potential toxins such as pesticides from running off into our water,” McLin added. Before attending the lecture Hunt said he had no knowledge about how to start the composting process. He said he learned everything he needed to start his own compost at home. The best size for a compost bin at home is 3 feet wide, 3 feet tall and 3 feet deep, according to McLin. Food scraps, grass, leaves and manure can be added to the bin. It is important to balance the
nitrogen and carbon items as they each serve a fundamental purpose in the success of the compost. It takes between 90 and 120 days to have useable compost, McLin said. “Make sure to turn your pile,” McLin added. Another benefit of producing compost at home is saving money.
McLin said people pay his business to take their yard trimmings, then he makes compost with it and resells it to people to use in their gardens. “You are throwing dollars away,” McLin said. McLin was invited as a guest speaker by the Friends of the Arboretum. Part of its mission statement
is, “we believe that arboretums and gardens enrich our surroundings and enhance our love of nature.” Hunt is taking a botany class and received extra credit for attending although he said he would have came anyway because it is something he wants to do. SWHALEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Don’t just imagine it. Create it. Autodesk software is FREE* for students and educators. Visit autodesk.com/students to get yours. Autodesk software, including Autodesk® Fusion 360™, is FREE* for students and educators.
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*Free Autodesk software and/or cloud-based services are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the software license agreement or terms of service that accompany such software or cloud-based services. Software and cloud-based services provided without charge to Education Community members may be used solely for purposes directly related to learning, teaching, training, research or development and shall not be used for commercial, professional or any other for-profit purposes. Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2014 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
4 • A&E
Monday, Oct. 20, 2014
G Burns Jug Band brings Americana to Palomar CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE
The Concert Hour on Oct. 9 hosted an interesting brand of music not well-known in today’s era of pop and electronic dance music. For this concert, publicity and program coordinator Randy Hoffman brought in the G Burns Jug Band, a San Diego-based quartet who plays a style of music from the early days of America called Americana.
I happened to hear them playing on the streets of Carlsbad one night when I was at a music festival. Randy Hoffman • Publicity Coordinator
For Hoffman, he said he wanted to bring an element of honesty to the concert goers. “I try to bring themes to the series that are representative of all kinds of music,” Hoffman said. “My only criteria is that it needs to vest one thing, and that is honesty.” From the danceable, mid-tempo songs “Easy Ridin’ Mama from Tennessee,” to the Texas love song, “Crazy About Nancy Jane,” the band strummed and jived its way through an energetic set of tunes that brought the crowd back to the days of the old
Midwest. For Devin, a 29-year-old music major who didn’t give his last name, the experience was so good he forgot it was a homework assignment. “I attended the Concert Hour as part of what I have to do for my music fundamentals class,” Devin said. “But, it was so enjoyable I forgot to take down any notes,” he laughed as he chatted with another concert goer. Each song performed was a showcase of life in the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century, where life was known as simple but still had their troubles like anyone else. “Sugar Blues,” a tune first performed by vaudeville singer Sarah Martin, a song that spoke of a woman’s issues with her man and how he doesn’t treat her right. For this song, lead vocals were performed by Meghann Welsh, who also plays the accordion and banjo for the band. The next song, “Kenesaw Mountain Rag,” was originally recorded back in 1930 by Seven Foot Dilly and His Dill Pickles. This time, no vocals were necessary as fiddler and vocalist Batya MacAdam-Somer took the lead. For this edition of Concert Hour, Hoffman said it wasn’t even a question of whether to bring them here; he just knew he had to have them perform. “I happened to hear them playing on the streets of Carlsbad one night when I was at a music festival ... I had a really good feeling about what they were doing and I thought this would work,” Hoffman said. “I hadn’t heard them before, I didn’t know them, but I knew I had to
The G Burns Jug Band plays in the Howard Brubeck Theatre for Concert Hour on Oct 9 •Angela Marie Samora/The Telescope
have them,” he added. Rounded out by MacAdam-Somer and Welsh, the band also features tuba and jug player Jonathan Piper and percussionist Andy Rae. Formed by native Kentuckian and multi-instrumentalist Clinton Davis
back in 2012, the G Burns Jug Band has made a name for itself in the San Diego music scene. They host a residency at the Black Cat Bar on the first Saturday of every month, called the G Burns Barn Dance. In May of 2014, they released their self-titled debut al-
bum and toured the West Coast, sharing the stage with such big name folk artists like Jim Kweskin, The Americans and Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band. CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
A&E • 5
the-telescope.com
New glass exhibit reflects original perspective HAYLEY ULLE THE TELESCOPE
Every piece of art in the Boehm Gallery’s new exhibit has a mutual connection that is fragile in every sense of the word: glass. “Crystal Method” exposes the community to a variety of three-dimensional glass work from 12 local artists. Michelle Hauswirth, a staff member at the gallery, said she had the privilege of preparing the lighting and several pieces of artwork for the exhibit. “As soon as all the packing (material) goes away, then it’s just like, ‘Oh my gosh, everything is so pretty!’” Hauswirth said. Featured artists include Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend, Nate Cotterman, Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Nate Dubbs, Katherine Gray, Jessica McCambly, Aya Oki, Dylan Palmer, Timothy Ringsmuth, Aimee Sones and Hiromi Takizawa. All of the artists produce their work in Southern California, from San Diego to north of Los Angeles. At the exhibit opening on Oct. 9,
Michael Hernandez, curator of the gallery, said he was satisfied with the size of the crowd. Artists Stinsmuehlen-Amend, Takizawa and Palmer participated in a gallery talk about their work. The panel provided some insight into their backgrounds, inspirations and experiences working with glass. Artist Takizawa grew up in a small town in Japan that had several glass studios. She said she had never considered working with glass herself until she visited a glass-blowing studio at an American community college in her early 20s. She said she decided to take a class, and immediately fell in love with the material. “I like working with glass because (of) the transparency ... translucency, and also the optics that (it) creates. And also when the light hits it … (it) reflects and refracts the light,” Takizawa said. Hernandez said that these artists were selected to show their work because they demonstrated “diversity of type of work and approach to glass.”
“Toy Wall” by Aya Oki, Boehm Gallery’s “Crystal Method” exhibit. • Hayley Ulle/ The Telescope
The featured art is diverse indeed. Upon entering the gallery, a shallow bowl of turquoise glass holds a miniature plastic boat and quietly gurgles as soap bubbles emerge from the bowl. On the other side of the room, a large panel with pictures of food that appear to move serves as a background for a colorful mask created from blown glass and aluminum. Stinsmuehlen-Amend said that the art on display demonstrates “a lot of combinations of techniques ... which is one of the reasons this show looks so good.” Stinsmuehlen-Amend’s glass paintings stand out against the white walls of the gallery with their playful use of colored imagery. During the gallery talk, she explained how she used kiln-fired glass powder paint, which is similar to the paint used for stained glass, to create her paintings. She also incorporates mirrors, wood and metal into her designs. Additionally, she described how fellow artist Aimee Sones used a combination of silk screens and kilnfired painted glass in her work. Other notable materials used in the exhibit include soap, hair, car rims, plexiglass and silver-coated glass. The exhibit lends itself well to individuality and versatility. It offers visitors a fresh perspective on an otherwise ordinary material. And, since the pieces are related through their use of glass as a common medium, artists have the freedom to address a wide range of subject matter, the artists said. “For me, a lot of my work is really intuitive, really formal,” Palmer said. He added that he likes to combine objects to create something new. Stinsmuehlen-Amend expressed a similar sentiment, noting how she blends narration and imagery with concepts of nature and humankind “so it makes some new kind of sense, some kind of poetry.” The gallery space was thoughtfully utilized in the presentation of the glass work as well. Instead of simply presenting all of the art at eye level,
Artist Hiromi Takizawa at the “Crystal Method” exhibit at the Boehm Gallery Oct. 9 • Dirk Callum/The Telescope
pieces were displayed on the wall, on the floor, and on podiums of different heights. The varying display levels allowed visitors to view the art from unusual angles, attendees said. Palomar art student Julie Shelton, 35, said she liked how the space did not feel “overcrowded” with artwork. “You can actually focus on one piece at a time,” she said. Shelton, who has visited the gallery once before, followed her art teacher to the exhibit. She said she
felt inspired by the art on display and would definitely return to see it again. “It’s gorgeous. I love glass work and I have been hoping to take the glass-blowing class for a while now ... so this is something I would love to do in the future.” The exhibit is open through Nov. 6 during the gallery’s regular hours. Admission is free. For more information, call (760) 744-1150 ext. 2304. HULLE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Palomar’s symphony orchestra quenches California’s thirst SEAN HORGAN THE TELESCOPE
A symphony that was inspired by the current drought that has gripped California and the rest of the Southwest performed at Palomar College. The symphony, dubbed Water Music I: The Flow of Ideas, performed on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 at the Howard Brubeck Theatre. Ellen Weller, a professor of world music for 10 years and a conductor for Palomar’s Symphony Orchestra for five years directed Water Music, which consisted of students from Palomar. The symphony included pieces from famous composers such as George Handel, Felix Mendelssohn and Joseph Haydn, who were all inspired by the idea of water. The symphony opened with Handel’s “Water Music Suite,” then it continued with Mendelssohn’s “The Hebrides” and it concluded with Haydn’s “Symphony No. 104,” otherwise known as “London.” According to Weller, Handel’s experience with the River
Thames, Mendelssohn’s experience with the Scottish Highlands and Haydn’s experience with the English Channel all influenced these composers to create these pieces of work that are based on the importance of water. Weller said the she picked these artists because of her concerns with water pollution, climate change and California’s drought. Morgan Post, 16, said that the performance was “incredibly interesting,” and said that she would like to come back to see more performances. Post also said she believes pollution is a large factor influencing global warming and to cut down on pollution would help the problem. “We are at risk here as a species and composers throughout time, always comment on things,” Weller said. “They tell the truth, they have been telling us that water is important for hundreds of years, so I picked pieces that represented different forms of water; ranging from water in streams, to rain, to tears,”
she added. The Oct. 10 showing of the symphony had a turnout of roughly 75 people, many of which had positive opinions about the performance with a few things to say about the current issue of global warming. Connor Rice, 18, said the performance was “absolutely incredible,” and he also commented on his optimism on the issue of climate change. “I think it’s more about braving the storm as always. I think that we’re past the point of no return on that. But I think we’ll be fine,” Rice said. Weller mentioned that water is the most important resource in this world, and that people need to be more conscientious on how they use and treat water. “Everything is connected, but to me water is at the heart of all of this,” Weller said. “That is the one resource that we cannot live without. So we should start by being cognizant of water usage, don’t overflow lawns, don’t let water run incessantly.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency website, having a reliable water supply is crucial for farming, ecosystems and energy production; the Southwest’s current water supply is already constrained by the current climate conditions that are happening, but on top of that, other adverse conditions, like groundwater pumping, have been lowering the water supply The EPA’s website also stated that climate change has increased the average annual temperature of the Southwest by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the last century, and it will continue to increase toward 2.5-8 degrees Fahrenheit. This increase in temperature, according to the EPA, will result in dwindling rivers and reservoirs, a significant decrease in ground water and a decrease in precipitation during the spring, which will result in water demands not being met. Weller did express some optimism to the drought and climate change by comparing California’s predicament to the River Thames
and how it was once polluted, but once the city of London took action to prevent polluting, the river became healthy again. “This music is picked to highlight that it is actually not too late,” Weller said. “We can reverse some of the harm that we have done to this planet.” According to data from ca.gov, California’s conservation efforts in urban areas have climbed to 11.5 percent, the statewide water saving rate has increased dramatically from the 7.5 percent during the summer and 81 percent of water agencies that have been reporting to the government of California have implemented water use restrictions. Palomar’s Symphony Orchestra will be hosting another symphony, dubbed Water Music II: Flow of People, at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 in the Howard Brubeck Theatre, which will also be directed by Weller. SHORGAN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
6 • OPINION EDITORIAL
Palomar facilities needs new priorities It is one of a college’s responsibilities to offer a fair and hospitable learning environment to all of its students. And it seems Palomar College has slipped in this area. While every single building at Palomar is supposedly wheelchair accessible, last month there was an incident when a student using an electric wheelchair was not able to enter the cafeteria. He had to wait several minutes until the door was eventually opened by another student. The two students, Shovan Vatandoust and Sid Matlock, complained to school officials about the problem. They eventually sought help from the Disability Resource Center. In response, the leader of the Disability Resource Center told the student that he would have to email a complaint to the school. The fact that a student needs to complain about this sort of issue in the first place is a sign that someone messed up along the way. Of course, Palomar President Robert Deegan and the school moved to quickly solve the problem as soon as he heard about it. He contacted Chris Miller, Palomar’s director of facilities. The school is apparently addressing the cafeteria door, as well as the two bathroom doors in the Student Union that are also reported to be inaccessible. While it is admirable that they’ve gotten their priorities straight and are addressing the problem in a timely manner, this shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. Especially because it seems strange that officials say a complaint has never been filed in the 40 years that the cafeteria building has existed. What is disappointing is that Palomar is receiving close to $700 million worth of funds to “maintain and modernize” the campus. The expected construction cost of the handicap accessible doors is a little over $16,600. In comparison, the new Humanities Building on campus cost $26 million. The need for Palomar to update its campus with new buildings is an important one. But to a student who can’t get into a door to get lunch, a handicap-accessible building is going to overshadow a shiny new one. When approaching a project such at this, the facilities department should have started with the absolute basics: ensuring that every building can accommodate all types of student. Sid Matlock himself said that Palomar should be doing the right thing. We’re inclined to agree. EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Monday, Oct. 20, 2014
Is the plastic bag ban a good idea?
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a statewide ban on the use of plastic bags in September. The ban will go into effect July 1, 2015. • Brian O’Malley/The Telescope
PRO
CON
We all benefit from the bag ban
Don’t single out single-use bags
EMILY RODRIGUEZ
FERN MENEZES
THE TELESCOPE
Our golden state is taking an initiative to go green with a bill that seeks to improve the environment of California’s land and marine population. Needless to say, I’m all for it. Gov. Jerry Brown declared his intention to sign the bill SB270, which will ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores, pharmacies and other retailers beginning next summer. Like all great laws and ideas, this one has its critics, but evidence shows that plastic bag bans do decrease the amount of litter they create, which is a significant goal of the ban. Cities like Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco who have already adopted the bill reported significant declines in the amount of plastic bag litter following their bag bans. Critics argue that the bill brings inconvenience, but that’s because they, as consumers, are used to having it easy at retail centers. They pick up what they want to purchase, it gets bagged for them and done. However, only very few of these consumers recycle their plastic bags and instead these bags end up as litter, poison for animals and, as I’ve experienced, flying across the freeway. We really don’t need plastic bags. In fact, it’s pretty easy to keep a reusable bag in the car for when it’s time to go grocery shopping, and considering you normally grocery shop once or twice a week, or even month, that’s as often as you need to wash your reusable bag – no hard work here. And for those who are worried about the bacteria that may accumulate in these bags from buying produce and meat, the plastic bags provided for these items at grocery stores are not included in the ban. Not only are plastic bags unnecessary, they’re the most commonly found pollutant on beaches, and are a severe threat to both land and marine animals, according to the U.S. Marine Debris Monitoring Program. Cleaning these beaches is hard work
and expensive. According to data from San Jose and Los Angeles County, the overall cost to protect our ocean from litter is about $428 million each year – (between 8 to 25 percent of that cost is attributed to plastic bags alone.) Plastic bags take an enormous amount of time to decompose, and instead end up as litter everywhere, including in the tummies of birds and marine animals – all because we’re throwing out bags that again, we don’t need. Would we throw out our reusable bags? Of course not! They’re reusable. Plus, 175,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced annually as a result of the bill. Talk about a change in environment. Achim Steiner, head of the UN Environmental Program, recently said, “there is simply zero justification for manufacturing (plastic bags) any more, anywhere.” And really, there isn’t. Wanting to keep plastic bags around is selfish. People prioritize convenience over the cleanliness of the cities they live in and the beaches they like to visit on hot summer days. Marine life death, litter and the cost of plastic bags are too high a price to pay for conserving one of the many options for carrying groceries. A complaint I’ve heard many times is that California is focusing on this issue but not on others. Maybe we shouldn’t make any effort to clean the environment because citizens are impatient and want it all done at once. Should we not make any effort at all because doing so makes others question why that issue, why not this one? Getting rid of a large contributor to the state’s litter is certainly a step in the right direction. People don’t deal well with change – it’s human nature. But just like we became used to plastic bag use, we’ll get used to living without it, and the environment will thank us. ERODRIGUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
THE TELESCOPE
As of July 1, 2015 California will implement a new law banning the disbursement of single use plastic bags from retailers and pharmacies. Somehow this does not make me picture clean beaches or roadways and parks without litter. Why single out the plastic bags and not consider the remaining debris? I’m picturing disposable diapers, cigarette butts, batteries, plastic drink bottles, fast food containers, food wrappers, etc. Recently, Sen. Alex Padilla, co-author of SB 270, commended Gov. Jerry Brown for signing the bill and stated that “a throw-away society is not sustainable.” I do not believe the elimination of plastic bags will stop anyone from throwing their garbage onto the streets, if that’s their inclination. According to American Plastic Manufacturing, plastic bags account for less than one percent of all the litter. According to the EPA, disposable diapers make up 3.4 million tons of waste, or 2.1 percent of U.S. garbage in landfills each year. Even after used diapers hit the landfills, it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose even if exposed to sunlight and air. That’s not even considering the untreated waste in the diapers. By the way, it is illegal in most states and forbidden by the World Health Organization to dump untreated human feces and urine in any landfill. Adding used disposable diapers to our landfills are a prime example of a blatant disregard of this law. The National Institute of Health reported in 2007 that each year an estimate of 1.69 billion pounds (845,000 tons) of cigarette butts winds up as litter worldwide. Any agency or organization that does a beach clean-up will tell you that the number of cigarette butts collected far outnumber the amount of plastic bags that were collected.
Most people know how harmful batteries are to us and the environment. Batteries contain mercury, cadmium, lead, nickel, zinc and lithium. Each of these chemical elements can cause multiple health problems if exposed in a specific amount such as neurological damage, kidney damage, birth defects and cancer. It is illegal to dispose of batteries in landfills and yet people continue to toss their old batteries in the trash, which eventually hits the landfill. Excluding the plastic bags, we continue to have batteries, paint, used oil, chemicals, diapers with human waste, plastics, cigarette butts and all other toxic materials that continue to fill our landfills and litter our roadsides which completely disregards the rules and regulations about disposal. Will the state be hiring someone to sift through the landfills and separate those items that were dumped illegally from the legal trash to help save the environment and slow the process of global warming? If the state is so concerned about the environment it should be looking at campaigns to educate the public, recycling programs that are better incentivized and making it easier for proper disposal of toxins. We are still a throw-away society so how will we sustain ourselves? Why isn’t the governor helping to create jobs in litter containment and disposal regulations rather than attempting to remove a single item of non-significant trash to solve the problem? Unless the state moves to eliminate all disposable products made with plastic and educate the public with truthful statistics, we will continue to have the same problems, except now we’ll be seeing the new, thicker, recyclable 10 cent plastic bags along the roadside – along with the rest of the debris. FMENEZES@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
OPINION • 7
the-telescope.com
San Diego should reconsider minimum wage CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE
The phrase is as old as time, and rings true in any aspect of business, “you have to spend money in order to make money.” In order to make money, the common people have to be able to spend it, which means they need a decent minimum wage. In the city of Los Angeles, the city council has approved a minimum wage hike for hotel workers who work in large hotels of 125 rooms or more. While the minimum wage in the state of California is $9 an hour, their new minimum wage is $15.37 an hour. This increase is a good investment for a growing economy such as Los Angeles, and makes one wonder when other big cities like San Diego or New York will follow suit. Three-quarters of the full-time labor force residing in Los Angeles earn less than comparable workers 30 years ago, according to a report by Daniel Flaming and Patrick Burns of the Economic Roundtable. When the federal minimum wage was set back in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the intent was that workers would receive wages sufficient to maintain “the minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being.” The year 1968 was when the federal minimum wage had its greatest value. Set at $1.60 an hour, when compared to the 2012 dollar, it has a value of $10.51. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. When you look at the current cost of living nowadays, it’s amazing that a family of four can maintain the basic standards of living. When
Fast food workers are joined by community supporters as they walk into a downtown Los Angeles McDonalds restaurant for a peaceful demonstration demanding higher wages. Sept. 4, 2014. • Mark Boster/MCT Campus
you look at a city like Los Angeles, it’s even more of a surprise. So you wonder what does it cost to live in San Diego? According to calculations done on Payscale.com, the cost of living in San Diego is around 30 percent higher than the national average. In comparison to other major cities in the United States, only New York is more expensive to live in. The cost of housing in San Diego? 100 percent higher than the national average. Yikes. Working in a hotel, I can see how people in the hospitality industry
struggle to make ends meet. I work two jobs to stay ahead and pay my bills. A lot of my co-workers only work one job. They are either relegated to living at home with their parents, or they rent an apartment with close friends or random people. According to the criteria set in the Fair Labor Standards Act, a current living wage in Southern California is about $15 an hour. If you calculate that wage for a fulltime worker (35 or more hours a week for 50 or more weeks a year), that would mean a typi-
cal worker would make $26,250 a year. Compare that to 1985, when most community college-age kids were born. The same amount it costs now to survive was worth $11,901, which if you follow the same criteria from the FLSA rounds out to an average wage of $6.81 an hour. This means if you were making $15 back in 1985 you were living a life of luxury. Let’s compare some statistics. In 1985, the average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.20, a dozen eggs was
80 cents, a gallon of milk was $2.26 and a new home was $100,800. Now, in 2014, on average ,a gallon of gas costs $3.20, a dozen eggs is $1.95 and milk is $3.64. In San Diego, the city council recently voted to hike up the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2017. Yet, there has been plenty of opposition against it. That makes no sense. Flaming and Burns’ report states plenty of reason as to why raising minimum wage would work. Here are some reasons: 1) Low-wage workers will be paid more and their standard of living will improve. 2) More money would stay in Los Angeles (or San Diego in this case) rather than being paid to stockholders who live elsewhere. 3) Low-wage workers who receive the pay increase are likely to spend all of that money. More spending and economic stimulus occurs when money is in the pockets of lower-income workers than when it is in the pockets of higherincome stockholders. When the poor get paid more, the money circulates within their general living area. The standards of living improve in said area, and more people aren’t lining up to move where they can afford it. They’ll stay where they are, working a job that allows them to live in some comfort instead of toiling and resenting having to work. The Los Angeles city council figured that out, and therefore helped the situation. If San Diego does the same thing, more people would actually want to stay in San Diego. CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Colleges need to address sexual assaults on campus EMILY RODRIGUEZ THE TELESCOPE
What used to be a fun and exciting college experience is turning into a nightmare for many students. Parties have become rape scenes and universities and colleges seem to be more concerned with their reputation than with their students who are paying a terribly high price to be there. Not only is sexual assault in colleges becoming more prevalent, the consequences are devastating and justice is barely served, if at all. If you’re a female, your chances of being sexually assaulted in college outweigh your chances of contracting the flu (one in five women will experience sexual assault in college while her chances of getting the flu are 8-20 percent.) Sexual assault is prevalent on almost every campus and sadly we can testify to that, having had cases on our campus in the past. Even our neighboring campus, California State University San Marcos, reported two cases of sexual assault in the same week. But, the act of sexual assault isn’t the only problem. In the unfortunate event that you find yourself a victim of sexual assault, statistics show that you are more than likely to keep quiet about it.
It gets worse. If you did report it to school authorities, the assailant would only receive a mild punishment such as suspension, which was the case in Margaux J.’s experience. Margaux, a student at Indiana University, was raped at the university in 2006 and the only punishment her assailant received was suspension for the summer semester. The way in which colleges are handling these reports is severely flawed and they are only worsening the problem. If students aren’t receiving support from school officials or are encouraged to keep quiet about the crime, then they are less likely to report it in future assaults. The crime is kept concealed and it persists. Furthermore, the distress these victims suffer may trigger them to drop out while the assailants graduate. Do we want these criminals to become our future doctors and teachers? Of course not. The most effective solution would be for colleges to bring attention to this issue, educate their students and give the assailants a fair punishment. These schools should furthermore encourage students to speak up, provide more support to the victims and treat these cases as what they really are – crimes. Perhaps the underlying problem
If you’re a female, your chances of being sexually assaulted in college outweigh your chances of contracting the flu. in sexual assault crimes is the way colleges are treating the crimes, or rather, failing to treat them. A rise in sexual assault reports may be a good thing as it means more students are reporting these crimes and the schools are, too. Ultimately, this means more attention is being brought to this issue and students, school officials and government leaders will take action to halt this crime. Under the Clery Act, established in 1990, colleges must issue annual crime reports and the most recent reports were issued on Oct. 1, covering the year 2013. According to the Huffington Post, the reported numbers of sexual assaults at universities and colleges across the country were higher than they were
in previous years. For example, Occidental College in Los Angeles reported 12 sexual assaults in 2011, 11 in 2012 and 64 in the report it issued this month. Higher reports are actually a positive thing – it means these schools are opening up about these crimes, which they have been bad about doing in the past. Officials at Univerity of Southern California and Occidental College, for instance, stated they had under-reported sexual assault cases for 2010 and 2011, according to the L.A. Times (USC failed to report 13 cases while Occidental failed to report 24). Not only is failing to report crimes immoral, it is a violation of federal law. Sexual assault and rape crimes are issues that must be addressed by students, school officials and government officials alike. Bystanders at parties should report the crimes, school officials should give fair punishment and victims should be encouraged to speak up. Fortunately, many students have begun to do so. You may have heard of “mattress girl,” the Columbia University student who was raped by a close friend on campus and carries the mattress on which she was raped until the university expels her assailant. Her act has inspired other university students to do the same
as an anti-rape movement across different colleges. The president, too, is taking action against this issue. The Obama administration launched a campaign called “It’s On Us,” which is an effort in combating sexual assault crimes and seeks to raise awareness and educate students. The campaign will be advertised on popular television channels and on the internet and will host several celebrities to promote the campaign. The key to preventing these sexual crimes from occurring is to be educated and use some common sense. When at a party, don’t take opened drinks, stay close to your friends and if you happen to be a bystander of this crime, report it. As students, we all want to make the most out of our college experiences. It’s the time of our lives where we can be independent and have fun. We all have a role in addressing the issues that can potentially add fear and danger to an experience that should be nothing but enlightening, fun and memorable. None of us should withdraw from college activities out of fear of being physically violated. In order to live it up, we must remember to always speak up. ERODRIGUEZ@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
8 • SPORTS
Monday, Oct. 20, 2014
Comets wrestling continues its winning traditions MIKE ADAMS THE TELESCOPE
Tucked away in a small set of rooms adjacent to the Dome, the Comets wrestling team is busy at practice. Diligently going through fundamental drills, the frequent whistle blow by Head Coach Brody Barrios sequences the wrestlers from one exercise to the next. Alongside assistant coach and father Don, Barrios is working to help his squad continue the storied history of Palomar wrestling. So far this season, they’ve been fairly successful. After finishing in fifth place at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state tournament last season, the wrestling team started its campaign with a very strong performance at the Mt. Sac Duals in September. Winning all four of their matches, the Comets’ sweep clinched their third straight victory at the tournament, defeating the 4th (Santa Ana) and 3rd place (Mt. SAC) finishers at state in the process. Freshman wrestlers Alberto Garcia (133 pounds), Eric Collin (165 pounds), Cody Doyle (174 pounds) and Alex Graves (184 pounds) all went undefeated in what was a great team performance across multiple weight divisions. “We had a good core group of guys that put in pre-season training sessions, so when they came in at the beginning of the semester already in
Palomar wrestlers Alex Graves and James Murphy practice fundamentals during an Oct. 9 practice. • Paul Nelson/The Telescope
pretty good shape, we were able to move at a faster pace and get a lot of the fundamental techniques and drills done over the summer,” Barrios said. “Conditioning was a big part … from when the season starts to the first competition there’s not a lot of time to get in shape,” he added. The hard work is paying off. Coming off the opening Duals win, the Comets continued with a respectable fifth place finish out of 24 teams at the Santa Ana tournament earlier this month. The performance of Comets wrestler Graves during the competition caught the attention of the Pacific
Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC), who honored Graves as their male athlete of the week Oct. 4. In his first match, it took Graves only 10 seconds to pin and defeat his opponent. With an 11-4 win in the final match over his Mt. San Antonio competitor, the freshman from San Marcos High School placed first in the 184 pound weight class. Palomar wrestling has had an illustrious record over the years. Starting with John Woods’ 16-year tenure as head coach from 1973 to 1988, during which time the Comets won six state championships, knowledge of the wrestling craft has been passed down
from coach to coach. “I grew up around this wrestling program at Palomar. My dad wrestled at Palomar for Coach Woods. A lot of my knowledge came secondhand from him. It’s a privilege to be following those guys I grew up looking up to,” Barrios said. Coach Barrios takes a break from the interview to whistle his squad into the next set of drills. “Wrestling in San Diego, it’s all right here at Palomar. We take a lot of pride in that and try and instill it in our guys,” he said. An assistant coach at Palomar since 2006, Barrios became the sev-
enth wrestling coach in school history in 2011. During his wrestling career, Barrios was a two-time state champion at Poway High and is also head wrestling coach at nearby San Marcos High School. Freshman Erik Collin previously wrestled at San Marcos High under Barrios and has been a part of the team’s success this year, losing only once. “It’s nice to know your coach. I’ve been with him five years now. He knows what we need to do to be ready,” Collin said. Part of what makes the team successful is the depth and competition in the squad and getting to train against that daily at a high-level. “We work out pretty hard during the week, everyday so we get a lot done,” panted Collin, taking a brief break from practice to talk about the team before running back into the gym. The Comets compete next in the Meathead Movers Tournament on Oct. 25 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. With just two months until the state tournament on Dec. 12-13, the team will look to improve upon its fifth place finish of the past two years. “This sport is so physically and mentally demanding so a big part of it is keeping everyone healthy. These guys continuing to push themselves is going to make the difference,” Barrios said. MADAMS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
Goalie Zito transforms the identity of women’s soccer team HAYLEY ULLE THE TELESCOPE
Palomar’s women’s soccer team has made a comeback this season with the addition of freshman goalkeeper Valentina Zito. In the first game of the season, Zito, 20, shut out Irvine Valley, resulting in a 0-0 tie. She had 13 saves and blocked a penalty kick in the 31st minute. Since the first game, Zito has recorded five shutouts for the Comets, along with 87 saves. “She’s an incredible goalie,” teammate and center forward Kaitlyn Crone, 18, said. Head Coach Hector Hernandez said that Zito’s strengths are her skill, experience and most importantly, her height. At 5 feet and 9 inches tall, she has a big advantage over most of her opponents when it comes to shot blocking. “You always see teams trying to hit the ball over her head and ... it’s very rare that she’s allowed a ball that goes over her head ... a lot of teams like to take shots from outside, and we feel pretty comfortable that she can handle those shots,” Hernandez said. Crone described Zito as a leader for the team. She cited Zito’s sportsmanship and positive attitude as two of her most notable qualities. “All the girls look up to her and .. .she con-
Palomar goalkeeper Valentina Zito takes the ball away from the goal during their Aug. 28 season opener against Irvine Valley College. Zito recorded her first shutout in a 0-0 tie. • Marcela Alauie/The Telescope
trols the field when we’re playing, so she’s a really important factor on our team,”Crone said. The Comets made a turnaround after a discouraging 2013 season. They had six victories, three of which were consecutive, before they were defeated 1-0 by Southwestern College on
Oct. 10. Both Hernandez and Crone said the team’s success is largely due to Zito’s performance on the field. “She stops some really good goals and she’s put us through in a lot of big games,” Crone said.
Zito identified her father, who is an avid Italian soccer fan, as an important inspiration in her life. She said that he introduced her to soccer when she was 4 or 5 years old and she has been playing ever since. “(I have the same) love for soccer as he does, so that just grew as I got older,” Zito said. Zito and her parents moved to California from New Jersey about a year and a half ago. Having grown up in a small town, she knew everyone on her traveling and school soccer teams well. She said that moving across the country and establishing relationships with her new teammates is one of the biggest challenges that she has faced. “Getting a new chemistry with the girls (was) definitely hard,” Zito said. “Now we have ... great chemistry, so it worked out,” she added. When asked about her future plans, Zito’s confidence and passion for the sport shone through in her response. “I would love to go pro if I have the opportunity. I definitely want to play in college,” she said. The Comets will face Mt. San Jacinto at their next game on Oct. 21 in Menifee. HULLE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
UPCOMING PALOMAR HOME GAMES OCT. 22
OCT. 24
OCT. 24
OCT. 29
OCT. 29
OCT. 30
Women’s volleyball vs. San Diego City College 5 p.m. @ the Dome
Men’s soccer vs. Cuyamaca 3:15 p.m. @ Minkoff Field
Women’s volleyball vs. Mt. San Jacinto 5 p.m. @ the Dome
Women’s water polo vs. San Diego Miramar 2 p.m. @ Wallace Memorial Pool
Men’s water polo vs. San Diego Miramar 3:30 p.m. @ Wallace Memorial Pool
Men’s soccer vs. College of the Desert 3 p.m. @ Minkoff Field