Pro/Con: Should children be allowed to fly airplanes~
Golden West College rustles up Comet men's volleyball
Aliens, robots, cheesy movies and outer space hijinks, oh my! It's 'MST 3K: The Movie'
OPINION PAGE 8
SPORTS PAGE 16
THE·
LESC Palomar College
Friday, April19, 1996
San Marcos, CA
Volume 49, Number 19
City pledges $2 million for Palomar stadium • Project will move baseball diamand, call for constructian of three new practice fields Catharine Hines Staff Writer
A $2 million project funded by the city of San Marcos to upgrade and relocate some of Palomar's athletic fields should benefit both Palomar and the local community by bringing a new football stadium to the college. "The benefit to Palomar College is to move the baseball field to the back (of the campus), and to make a football/soccer field usable for our intercollegiate sports," said Mike Gregoryk, administrative services' vice president. The project is still in the planning stages, so the start date has not been determined, according to Grcgoryk. He said since 1988, when the project was first initiated, the main concern for the college has been to relocate the baseball field to resolve the problem of baseballs being launched onto Mission Road which runs along the field.
"That was the initial impetus because of the risk of baseballs going out onto Mission Road, which creates a serious liability for Palomar College," said Gregoryk. Athletic Director John Woods also said the current baseball field's location is a problem. "Balls are going onto Mission Road and it's a nightmare," said Woods. ·'Back in the '50s or '60s there wasn't a whole lot of traffic on Mission." Plans also call for a new 3,000-seat stadium to'be built, which means the Comets football team may someday play their home games at home, something they can't do now. "Obviously, we're real excited. This is a great opportunity." said Woods. "We've been here since 1946, and the facilities have had a tendency to deteriorate." The City of San Marcos and its Rcdevel-
See STADIUM, Page 4
Ralph W. Lincoln I Tlte Telescope
This artist's rendition of the proposed football stadium was released by the architecture firm working with the city of San Marcos and Palomar. The new stadium will be located on the site of the current baseball field on Mission Road.
Faculty, staff clash ASG adviser predicts high over bonus wages voter turnout for election • Groups negotiate to work through dispute over distribution of funds Rob Denny Staff Writer
Surplus money from the fiscal school year is always good news for the Palomar Governing Board, but exactly how the money should be divided up this year has presented a problem. There is approximately $400,000 from property tax back~ fill and expenditure savings to be split up among three groups of Palomar employees: the Faculty. the Classified employees and the Administrative Association. The faculty feels the money should be given out proportionately, which means they would receive about 53 percent, while the administration and classified staff feel it should be given out equally on a per capita basis. "We would have liked to have seen the money used on campus needs, but since it's not, we feel this is an opportunity for the Board to show the importance of all its employees,'' said Kelley Hudson-Maclsaac, president of
the Administrarive Association. Bonnie Ann Dowd, president of the Faculty Senate and chair of the Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee, said her group feels that, since the faculty makes up 53% of the district· s salary budget, the faculty should Dowd receive 53 percent of the funds. "We feel it is reasonable to expect that the same cost of allocation be used for income allocation," said Dowd. There are approximately 825 contract and part-time faculty members, 270 Classified employees and 80 Administration Associate employees on campus. A rough draft of a letter stating the faculty's position was reportedly stolen following an
See FUNDS, Page 5
Suzette Clark Staff Writer
Palomar College\<; 1996 student government campaign season is here. On April 17, candidates held a press conference where issues ranging from student apathy to procedure changes were discussed. Despite a history of low voter turnout, there is optimism that this year will be different. According to Jim Bowen, director of Student Activities. voter turnout for the II elections since 1991 has averaged 289 students (less than one percent). This year, Bowen expects voter turnout to double because three people are running for president. "With three people running for president, the students are more compelled to vote. I predict a turnout of around 450," said Bowen. Despite Bowen's optimism, many students remain unaware of the upcoming election, and some are not quite sure what the ASG is or what is does. "What is the ASG?'' asked Dan Johnston, an engineering major. After a brief explanation on the functions of ASG, Johnston said he was not likely to vote. Johnston, and classmates Ryan O'nan and Malcolm McCassy, said they did not sec the point in voting.
1998-97 ASG Elections Palontal' Colage students wil go to the poUa t1111 week to elect the olllclall who control ov• $80,000 In lbldent hllds. ASS lll8lllb8rl ..a 8IICOIIPIIIInl allbldlnts to vote When to Vata: April 23 and 24 8 a.m. to 8:30p.m.
WhiPI to Vata: Inside the Student Union Whafs at Stake: President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of State Affairs, Vice President of Social Affairs, Vice President I Chair of ICC, Treasurer, 10 Senator positions. "The ASG docs not do anything that affects me," said McCassy, a business major. "I have not seen any of the candidates walking around and talking to people. All I have seen are posters in the Student Union. Some of us don't go down there." O'nan, a psychology major, agreed, saying, "I don't plan on voting. It's just not important to me." Some of the same sentiments were echoed at an ASG press conference on Apri I 17. Senator and presidential candidate David Espinoza said that he
understood the apathetic nature of the student body. "I sit in meetings, and I feel the same discontent that the students feel. We need to be more visible on campus." Espinoza said he would reinstate the ASG newsletter and ask The Telescope to start publishing weekly ASG minutes' briefs. Senator Victoria Maddock, who is also running for president, said that although she agreed with Espinoza, she felt that the issue was
See ELECTION, page 6