WestSideStorv
Teaching vs.learning
women's Softball
Palomar produces its version of the classic Broadway play.
See why Palomar is sweeping the education community with the Learning Paradigm.
Comets are headed toward their 14th consecutive Pacific Coast Conference title? SPORTS, page 9
FEATURE page 8
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, page 6
TIIE: MONDAY,
MARCH
l,
1999
PALOMAR
Y2K is not a problem for Palomar
COLLEGE
SAN
MARCOS,
VOLUME
CA
A CruisingComet
Michelle Yates
Staff Writer
Hopefully some Y2K worries wi II be put to ease when they hear what Robert L. Dougherty, Trustee of the Palomar Governing Board has to say. For over a year, .Palomar has been planning for the new millennium. For a hefty $800,000 the Governing Board hired PeopleSoft, a computer software company specializing in software updating. By the end of the year Palomar's computer system will \Je completely "year 2000 compatible." "We're on top of the Y2K prob lem. Everything will be solved by the end of the year, so there won't be arr, problems," Dougherty said. 'Hopefully this will bring some relief to people," he added. After numerous meetings with many firms, the Governing Board chose PeopleSoft because it is a reputable software company cur rently working on the Y2K issue for many other companies countywide. PeopleSoft is working on a ,;omplete overhaul of the current computer system at Palomar to prevent any major disasters when midnight Dec. 31, 1999 arrives. Y2K complications such as loss of student records, attendance history, financial aid information and residency are not an issue at this point , says Dougherty . According to Dougherty, the overhaul includes new ·software as well as new computers. "We will end up with modern computers." Some of the current computers are so old replacement parts cannot even be found when a com puter breaks down . "This is something ·we' ve needed to do for a while now. [The new system] is totally revamping what we can do with computers ," he said. The revamping not only "ncludes year 2000 compatible software and computers, but a new way of monitoring students. Each and every student will now be monitored for falling grades or excessive attendance problems. For example, athletes are monitored to make sure they maintain 300d grades and attend class regularly. If a coach or instructor sees any irregularity, the athlete is contacted. Currently this is done by hand and although it would be ideal to be able to monitor all students to catch possible problems before a 'ltudent fails, Pal _omar just doesn ' t have the manpower to watch the number of students enrolled. The new system will do all monitoring automatically. The administration will be alerted by the computer if a student's grades begin falling or attendance becomes scarce. Palomar students can rest at ease knowing there their records will be secure and come 2000 Palomar will be doing business as usual. And along with the Y2K problem solved Palomar will be operating with the latest computers , software and a watchful eye 1or struggling students.
Mikji~I Wiley/ The '.('{llestt>pe
Freshman infielder Matt Obregon rounds third as he comes in to score during the Comets match up with College of The Siskiyous. The Comets are off to a 6-2 start this year, and will attempt to repeat last seasons Pacific Coast Conference championship season. Cheek 4?UtThe Back Page to find out whose where for the 1999 Comets.
High Court refuses to expand scope of Title IX Jan Crawford Greenburg College Pres,1
ents of federal fund s, we hold, do not suffice to render the dues recipient subject to Title IX ," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for the court. "At most, the association's receipt of dues demonstrates that it indirectly benefits from the federal assistance afforded its members. This showing, without more , is insufficient to trigger Title IX coverage," she wrote.
Rejecting an argument by an Ohio woman banned from play ing co I lcgiatc vol lcybal I, the Supreme Court Tuesday refused to expand the scope of certain federal anti-discrimination laws. The unanimous ruling was a victory for the National Collegiate Athletic Association , which was hit with a sex-discrimination N C A A lawsuit after :t prohibPresident Cedric ited Renee Smith from W. Dempsey said the organization, playing volleyball. Smith argued that the which has 1,200 member schools, NCAA should be liable was pleased with under a federal educa the ruling. He tion law that prohibits sex discrimination in noted that the Ruth Bader "any education pro NCAA has Ginsburg gram or activity receivworked to comply Associate Justice with Title IX voling federal financial assi stance .' ' untarily. The case came about after The NCAA gets no federal Smith said the NCAA dismoney directly, but Smith argued it was subject to the law, Title IX criminated against her by denying her permission to of the Education Amendments of play college volleyball when 1972, because i l gets dues from colleges that receive federal aid. she was in graduate school. That argument, if adopted, Smith had played volleyball could have had an enormous as an undergraduate at St. Bonaventure University and impact. Had the justices agreed, it could have meant a host of then sough~ to play during her other entities, such as vendors or postgraduate years at Hofstra other athletic associations, also University and the University were covered by the law. Those of Pittsburgh. entitie s also could be subject to In denying her eligibility, lawsuits under s·imilar laws that the NCAA pointed to a rule that allows graduate students. prohibit discrimination in federto participate in athletics only ally funded programs based on a at the institution that awarded person ' s race, age or disability. the undergraduate degree. But the justices swiftly rejected the argument, in a ruling that Smith sued, alleging the NCAA granted waivers from came ju st a month after the case was argu ed . " Dues payments from recipiSEE TITLE IX page 3
Teachers Palomar hosts 'Courage to Teach' conference with Dr. Parker J. Palmer Sean O'Connor Staff Writer
Over 180 administrators and faculty from California State University San Marcos, Mira • Costa College, Miramar College, and Palomar College converged at the Dome to hear Dr. Parker J. Palmer, author of the best-selling book, "The Courage to Teach" on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20. "If you want to improve the quality of college teaching, a million workshops on methodology will not be eno11gh," Palmer said. "Good teaching does not come from technique," he said. "It comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher." During the two-day seminar, Palmer developed the following themes: "Community in Teaching and Learning," "f;\.Teacher's Inner Life: the Woodcarver," "To Teach is to Create Space," and "A Movement Model of Change." He did this by means of lectures, open dialogues, small group discussions, and personal reflection time. Palme~ illustrated his points by telling about a medical school dean who conducted a study about the erosion of compassion and ethics of medical students over four years of medical school. Palmer found McMaster University Medical School, Ontario, Canada, which addressed some of these same problems. Usually in medical school, students sit in rows and listen to a lecturer with a skeleton as a visual
NUMBER
14
Bookstore faces major ,change Dustin J. Schwindt
Staff Wri1er
52,
In an effort to turn the Palomar College Bookstore's negative profits around, the Board of Governors has decided that leasing the bookstore to a private vendor is the best solution . A task force consisting of faculty, administrators, bookstore employees and students has been formed to make such a transition as smooth as possible. The task force is working together to draft what is called a request for proposal (RFP). "The RFP lays out what the college wants and they (the vendors) respond with what they can provide," said Jim Daniels, math instructor and task force member. According to Daniels, the RFP will go out to all bookstores, but the task force is expecting only the big companies like Barnes and Noble, Follett and Walden's to be the ones responding with serious bids. After the committee receives all the bids they will go over them and see which bid best meets the criteria. "The committee will go over the responses and decide who they will recommend," said
inspired
Vice-President of Administrative Services Jerry Patton. "The Board of Governors will make the final decision." Although this is a long process, Patton is hoping that the final decision will happen in May. One of the main things the task force is concerned with is the effect of the lease agreement on price and inventory. "We're trying to make sure there are no price changes," said Mike Schaeffer, director of the bookstore. According lo Schaeffer the bookstore is currently operating at a 22 percent markup, below the national average of 25 percent. "We will try to get the markup as close to 22 percent as we can," Jerry Patton said. According to Patton, large companies like Follett and Barnes and Noble have huge inventories which, he feels, will result in lower prices for students. Follett already operates al 12,000 universities so if they take over Palomar's bookstore, Patton expects that students will have access to a larger supply of used textbooks as well. The transition to a lease agreement has given the task force a chance to propose some new ideas
SEE BOOKSTORE page 3
by courage
aid, he said. At McMaster, students sit in a circle with an actual patient from the very start of their course of studies. The task is to develop a diagnosis with the help of a tutor. This process continues for four years of medical school at McMaster. It is labor intensive. It is costly. Conventional lecturing, meanwhile, continues. But seeing the patient is the hub of the medical experience, Palmer said. The students see how the patient fits into the whole picture and never lose sight of that fact. By now this innovation is an accepted part of McMaster's medical program but the initial reaction was that it would lead to an improvement of the softer virtues of compassion and empathy at the expense of hard scientific knowledge and technique. It just didn't happen, Palmer said. Palmer gave another example of a UC math professor at Berkeley who noticed how Asian students 111 math, were successful
Caucasians were average, and blacks were near failing. After some study, he observed that Asian students would gather in groups after class - something that is deep in their culture - to review the material, but that Caucasians and b_lacks went their separate ways. The solution: the professor set up after-class mentoring groups . The result: all three, Asians, Caucasians and blacks improved their math scores. People attending the conference also analyzed the Taoist Chuang Tzu's poem, "The Woodcarver" and applied it to the teaching situation. The master carver had made such a beautiful bell stand that all were astounded. They said it must be the work of spirits. The prince asked the woodcarver, "What is your secret?" In the poem the woodcarver replied that he was only a workman and had no secret. But he did
.SEE COURAGE page 3
Saul p, ~isI1he
'l'eit'st;(Jp{
Best aelHngauthor Dr, Parker J. Palmertens teachers to have courage.