MULTI-CULTURAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT ALARMED
Isolation cause of decreasing enrollment By Steve Taylor Campus race relations were discussed last week when about 40 students and teachers from Afro-American Studies 77 and the Multicultural Studies Department confronted Palomar President Omar Scheidt and Dean of Instruction Virgil Bergman with the challenge to reduce racial tensions at Palomar by more open encouragement of the MCS Department. Although personal incidents were cited by many at the meeting, the m ajor thrust was made by a student spokesperson who remarked on the isolation of the MCS Department that has led to decreasing enrollment and increasing attacks upon the academic and personal integrity of some of its faculty members. The charge was also made that
students, especially white students, are not actively encouraged to take much needed MCS courses, thereby allowing an atmosphere in which racial misconceptions are prevalent. Cross-listing courses between ethnic studies and the more established departments is one way to help more students connect with MCS courses, according to a student spokesperson. An example of cross-listing is the Black Productions Workshop which is listed both under Afro-American Studies and the Theater Department. MCS faculty member Elizabeth Evans mentioned that cross-listing encourages the view ofMCS courses as academically-respectable alternatives and complements to traditional course offerings. Results of a survey taken by students in
several MCS classes showed that about 50o/o of the students already enrolled in the department were unaware that their MCS courses are fully transferable to the University of California. The survey also questioned students on whether they thought MCS courses were geared just to ethnic students, and more than half of the students responded that they thought the courses were. Faculty fn the department was quick to point out that this is a general misconception at Palomar and that the contrary is quite true. White students are greatly encouraged by the MCS faculty to take the classes and to take active roles in the classroom. In many interviews with students and MCS faculty , the connection was made between current problems at Palomar
and the history of ethnic groups in this country and in North County. According to several, it is only through a long struggle by dedicated individuals and movements such as the Farmworkers, Labor, Civil Rights and Indian Rights that ethnic oriented studies anci programs on campus exist at all. Growing out of "minority" strength and awareness in 1968, this approach has gained Palomar 14 classes in AfroAmerican and African Studies, 23 in Chicano Studies, six in MCS, a strong an_d independent American Indian Studies Department and a growing Bilingual Education Department. Steve Taylor is not a staff writer. He is a student interested in the Multi-Cultural Studies Department. Future articles concerning MCS will be written by Taylor.
ETELESCOPE Palomar College
Volume 31 No. 23
A Publication for the Associated Students
Friday, May 19, 1978
San Marcos, CA
Art display features students' work History of art and modern art classes will present their spring student project show in the main library May 23. Art projects in the show range from paintings, drawings and sculpture to craft objects. The display will feature interpretive pieces including a simulation of a Michelangelo fresco, a large impressionist oil painting, an intricate Celtic illumination and stained glass windows from students in Rita White's history of art class. Also exhibited will be sculptures in bronze and clay, acrylic paintings, water color fans and small pieces of silver and bronze inlaid with enamel created by students in Donna Tyron's history of modern art class. During the semester, the students are inspired by slides, television, books and discussion to create the semester projects using various media including clay, stone, wood
papier mache, pen and ink, mosaic, fresco and paint. The projects are original interpretations of arts and crafts of Western man from the Renaissance to the present and of F.nronP. and the Americas from the French Revolution through modern times . White, head of the college arf department, feels that the projects make the theory and workmanship more understandable. "Students get more benefit from actually going through a process that might have been used centuries ago than they do by just writing a term paper about the process," she says. Many of the art history students are not art majors and the projects may be their first attempt at being creative . " The students have the opportunity to get really involved and come out with a project they can en joy and take pride in," says White. The student project show may be
MIME DUO- John Moriarity andDaveCaserio of the Crazy Quilt Mime Company will present a show filled with music, story and mime tonight at 7:30p.m. in the Student Union .
Malcolm X birthday celebration set for today In celebration of Malcolm X's birthday today, the Black Student Alliance is sponsoring a variety of activities from a play to a disco dance. The events begin at 1 p.m. in P-32 with a play entitled Wine in the Wilderness enacted by the Muntu Players. Excerpts from El Hajj Milak will also be included. Admission is free .
viewed at the Palomar library 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a .m . to 4 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Transfer permits needed for SDS summer classes Residents of the Palomar community College District who plan to take college classes during the summer session should note that certain procedures have changed this year regarding interdistrict transfer permits. According to Dr. David Chappie, Dean of Student Services, "Our residents who w1sh to take summer classes at San Diego State must first obtain interdistrict transfer permits from Palomar College." In previous summer sessions, this requirement was waived. However, Chappie states, "The interdistrict transfer agreement with San Diego State has now been updated , and summer session is treated like a regular semester." The only permits which will be granted, according to Chappie, are for programs not offered during any semester in the resident's home community college district. Persons wishing an interdistrict transfer should contact Chappie immediately. Registration for the summer session will be held on May 30-June 1 for those holding priority cards. Priority registration will be held in the Student Union from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Open registration begins on ,June from 8 a.m . to 4:30 p.m. in the Admissions Office.
Spring Faire set
Cl ubs and organizations all have the chance to display their works at the Second Annual Spring Faire which will be held on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. According to ASG Vice-President A mime dinner performance is next on the agenda. The show will Leonard Schnedar the Spring Faire start at 7:30 p.m . in the Student is primarily an art and information Union with a $1 charge for admis- day for the students. Refreshments will be available sion and a $1 charge for dinner. an d entertainment will be part of the Wrapping up the day 's events will day's events. Schnedar invites anyone inbe a disco dance which will be held in the Student Union following the terested in pa rticipating in the Mime performance. Admission to Spring Faire to co ntact the ASG office in R-4A the dance is free.
ARABS -Belly and folk dancing, Arabian cuisine and a fashion show will be featured during Arabian Culture Nite tomorrow night beginning with dinner at 8 in the Student Union. Palomar students Sara Taha and Sultan Alotaibi, shown above, model traditional Arabian and Palestinian dress. (Photo by De bby Dun can)
Arabian culture sample available tomorrow night Belly dancing, folk dancing, Arabian cuisine and a fashion show will be featured in Arabian Culture Nite presented for the public by the Palomar Arab Students Club tomorrow beginning with dinner at 8 p.m. in the Student Union. According to club president Sultan Alotaibi, the purpose of the evening's activities is to share a sample of the Arabian culture with American students. "At present there are80 or more Arab students at Palomar and we would like to acquaint other students and the publi c with our culture," he says. The highlight of the evening will be a professional Arabian dance group from Los Angeles who will demonstrate belly dancing and other dances representing Morocco Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.
Also featured during the evening will be a presentation of the Palestine traditional folk dance, "Dabka," by a dance group composed of students from San Diego State. Participants will feast on typica l Arabian cuisine such as grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat prepared by the Arab college students. Arab Culture Nite will also in clude a fashion show representing clothes from different Arabian states. A charge of $2 is requested with monies to help defray the cost of the Los Angeles dancers. Advanced tickets, to help ascertain the amount of food to be prepared, may be purchased at the counseling department. Tickets will also be sold at the door the night of the event.