the
The semest11 in review. • PA&ES 16, 17
www. the-telescope. com
Candidates running for student government By Shahrazad Encinias THE TEUSCOPE
ELLIOT DE LISSER I THE TELESCOPE
Zahi Damuni points to a series of maps showing how Palestine's territory has decreased. He spoke at an event hosted by Palomar's Muslim Student Association on April 30 about walls built between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli government. Damuni is one of the founders of AI-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.
raeli walls protested at college ...} Ja&.;n Dum: TH£ TELESCOPE
A guest speaker denounced walls being built in Israel's West Bank to separate Israelis and Palestinians on April 30 in the Student Center. The college's Muslim St udent Association invited Zahi Damuni, co-founder of the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, to speak at the event. Damuni spoke in front of an 8feet-high, 40-feet-long wall that MSA members constructed and covered with political graffiti. The wall, along with an information booth, was in the Student Center throughout the day. About 50 people attended the speech in the afternoon. Damuni denounced the walls and the U.S. for giving money to the Israeli government. He said the U.S. could better spend taxpayers' money on
education and housing. "I want my money to be used to build here, not destroy elsewhere," Damuni said. MSA members handed out postcards addressed to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, asking the U.S. government to end construction of the walls and dismantle those that have already been built. Dum ani said 7.2 million Palestinians out of the 9.7 million population became refugees after World War II. "Every time they build this wall, they demolish houses on either side of it and displace more people," Damuni said. He described one city with a wall around it and one checkpoint to get in and out. "That's a prison - open air prison," he said. He said whenever he is invited to speak about the situation in the
West Bank, he takes the opportunity. "This is one of the only ways we have of telling our narrative," he said. In a question and answer session that followed, John Valdez, multicultural studies department chairman, said he seldom hears the Palestinian perspective in the news. "I thank you for giving us this insight, this information," Valdez said. Other speakers at the event were Ed Gomez, history department chairman at San Bernardino College; author Justin Akers and Palomar student Freddie Santistevan, president and founder of the MSA. "This treatment has to end and the only way it'll end is if we get up and do something," Santistevan said.
The Associated Student Government will hold its annual elections online from May 7-10. Two candidates are running for president and two for vice president. All Palomar students may vote in the elections. ASG members are appointed to represent ,-----M-'0,-I-D_tl_fl-.'11-l_ll_l __-., the student body by sitting on Palomar's gover- www.palomar.edu/asg/elections.htm nance councils. ASG Find out 11bout thl tllndidllles members can offer input Page 6 for Palomar's policies in ' - - - - - - - - = - - - - - - - ' several areas such as financial aid, the bookstore, campus police, curricula, matriculation and food services. The ASG also organizes campus activities such as Black History Month celebrations and Springfest for the spring semester, and Comet Week in the fall semester. To vote, go to www.palomar.edu/asg/elections.htm during election time.
CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS, PACE 6
Feds clear way for grant applications By Jason Dunn THE TELESCOPE
Palomar could have more money in its future after the federal government deemed the college eligible to apply for two types of grants. Palomar can now apply for Title III grants, which are for institutional development, and Title V grants, which are given to institutions where Hispanic students account for 25 percent or more of credit enrollment. "We could secure roughly $250,000 and upward over a five-year period," said Berta Cuaron, vice president of instruction. Cuaron said if Palomar receives the grants, the college would probably spend the money on student support centers, similar to what it has planned for a one-time, $514,000 • SEE GRANTS, PACE 3
Palomar group prepares for trip to give toys and food to Thai children By Tara Ashford THI TELESCOPE
Pictures of smiling faces were showcased in Oceanside on April 29 . They were the faces of Thai children who will receive the support of the Toys for Thailand organization, a Palomar group that aids impoverished children, orphans and students who were affected by the tsunami
that struck Thailand m December 2004. The Toys for Thailand organization held a toy-packing event catered by Ocean Thai Cuisine at the Spectrum Video warehouse in preparation for its third trip to Phuket, Thailand on May 29. The group originated from two friends, former Palomar student Sasha Biler and former faculty mem-
II you're not etlling org•nit, you're lilting junk• • PA&E s
her Judy Eberhart taking two suitcases of toys with them to Thailand. Now the group has 10 volunteers. This time, they will bring more than 10,800 pounds of toys. The group has raised $30 ,000 in donations that members will use to buy shoes and school supplies for the • SEE TRIP, PACE 3
P•lom•r student m•kes the tr•nsition. • PA&E 11
OSCAR MIRTIIEZ I THE TELESCOPE
Lise Flocken (left) and Genel Mclaughlin (right), along with other volunteers, organize toys that their group, 'Toys for Thailand,' will give to children in Thailand whose lives were affected by the December 2004 tsunami.
P•lom•r professor showt•ses his •rtwort. • PA&E 10