The Telescope 64.7

Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.

monday nov. 1, 2010

Politicians debate on campus page

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Vol. 64, No. 7

PHotos by Jennifer bacon | THE TELESCOPE

the-telescope.com

Michele Nelson (incumbent)

Paul McNamara

Mark Evilsizer (incumbent)

Three compete for two spots on governing board Two incumbents campaign for a return, newcomer enters race

sydnie taylor The Telescope

Three candidates. Two positions. One race.

The three candidates vying for two spots on Palomar’s Governing Board consist of two incumbents –Mark Evilsizer and Michele Nelson – running against newcomer Paul McNamara.

The governing board is made up of five trustees who are elected, or re-elected every

four years. The trustees are designed to oversee Palomar’s budget and services for students.

The three candidates come from very different backgrounds. Evilsizer spent five years teaching at Palomar and has served two full 4-year terms on Palomar’s governing board.

Nelson has been serving community colleges for 37 years, and has spent 12 of those years as a governing board member. McNamara is a retired Marine colonel and local businessman

with an emphasis on information systems.

“Running against two incumbents is a tough hill to come – I wouldn’t take that on lightly,” McNamara said.

McNamara said he believes that there are two major problems Palomar he could help fix.

He said the fact the college remains on warning status for accreditation illustrates the goals of the school are not supported by the budget, and that this is a trend 14 years

Inside... Your 2010 student-voter guide

within the school.

The college was put on continued warning status in June for not completing one of the four recommendations the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges suggested.

According to the Independent Accreditation Agency, in 7 of the 8 metrics used to rate schools against their peers, Palomar is below

Gubernatorial race • Our endorsements • Propositions

turn to board page

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|campus beat

THE TELESCOPE | monday, Nov. 1, 2010

Alcohol and Other Drug Studies program to host free orientation

Campus Calendar M onday , N ov . 1

• Flu Shots offered at the Health Service center will be free for students and $15 for staff. Call 760-744-1150, ext. 2380 or 8105 to make an appointment.

T uesday , N ov . 2

• Hoop It Up at 11 a.m. in the Student Union quad • Free cookie with Student Activity card starting at 10 a.m. Table set up at SU-202

W ednesday , N ov . 3

• ASG Meeting at 1 p.m. in SU-

201 • Coffee Night at 5 p.m. in the Escondido campus lobby • AODS information orientation at 6 p.m. in room NS-360

T hursday , N ov . 4

• Concert Hour at 12:30 p.m. in the performance lab. Palomar Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorus directed by Karen Bryan • MECHA club meeting at 5 p.m. in SU-17

F riday , N ov . 5

• Mission 2 B Clean & Green event at 8 a.m. in the Student Union quad

F riday , N ov . 19

• Talent show hosted by the Black Student Union club and the Extreme Creative Talent club at 6 p.m. in room D-6

What’s up?

Do you know something we don’t?

Let us know.

To submit story tips or events for the campus calendar, e-mail us at telescope@palomar.edu or call 760-891-7865.

Photo Jen Bacon| THE TELESCOPE

From left, Governing Board Trustees Dr. Rose Marie Dishman and Mark Evilsizer, Governing Board President Dr. Michelle Nelson and Palomar President Robert P. Deegan are shown at the Veterans’ Support Center grand opening held Oct. 22 outside SU-22.

New Veterans’ Support Center ready for action Student veterans at Palomar now have a place to study and talk military while relaxing. After almost a two-year wait, a ribbon cutting grand opening was held Oct. 22 for the first Veterans’ Support Center on the San Marcos campus.

Staying true to military routine, the grand opening started with the Pledge of Allegiance. Speakers included Governing Board President Michele Nelson and Interim Assistant Superintendant/Vice President Dr. Mark Vernoy and President Robert Deegan.

“This center opening is a long-time coming and we are excited to provide this much-needed space for our veteran

students to better access specialized services and to just have a designated place to meet on campus,” Deegan said, according to Palomar’s website.

Refreshments were served throughout and tours of the center were given.

Palomar currently has one of the largest numbers of enrolled veterans of any higher educational institution in California, according to a Media Advisory sent by Laura Gropen, Palomar spokeswoman.

Located in room SU-22, the Veterans’ Support Center has a “lounge area with couches, a 55 inch high-definition TV, reading area, resource tables, four com-

CAMPUS WEATHER Monday Tuesday Nov. 1

69°/53° SUNNY

Nov. 2

72°/53° Sunny

puter workstations and a private service room that will be rotated by outside agencies promoting their services or help to veteran students,” according to Mark Minkler, financial assistance and veteran’s specialist.

Currently veterans can take advantage of the free center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Center hours will expand based on usage, according to Minkler.

Information on veterans services can be found online at palomar.edu/veterans or by calling 760-744-1150, ext. 2175.

Wednesday Thursday Nov. 3

Nov. 4

71°/51°

69°/50°

Sunny

sunny

Photo by PAUL stachelek| THE TELESCOPE

The Telescope staff wins at journalism convention Oct. 16 From left: Daniel Martin, David Leonard, Kelley Foyt, Loghan Call, Melina Fickas, Matt Slagle, Eric Walker, Belinda Callin, Kiigan Snaer, Yvonne Lanot, Mark Saunders, Stacey Price and Deb Hellman at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges at Southern California State University, Fullerton competition. Winners for on-the-spot competition included, Editor In Chief Eric Walker, fourth place for copy-editing, Assistant News Editor David Leonard, third place for news story, News Editor Kelley Foyt, honorable mention critical review, Opinion Editor Yvonne Lanot, honorable mention for broadcast news writing, Staff writer Mark Saunders, honorable mention for feature story. Mail-in competition winners were Managing Editor Sara Burbidge, third place inside design and third place news feature story, former Editor In Chief Dan McCarthy, second place for critical review and Editorial Cartoonist Joseph Bonnet, honorable mention.

Friday Nov. 5

67°/51° sunny

The Palomar Alcohol and Other Drug Studies (AODS) department will host an information orientation at 6 p.m., Nov. 3, in Room NS-135.

Students will be taught educational options and certification requirements to become a substance abuse counselor.

Maria Miller, the department head of AODS, has arranged for a former Palomar student who is now a drug abuse counselor to come and speak at the orientation and answer questions.

According to Miller, the orientation will show students “what it is like to be working the front lines as a counselor.”

Palomar offers both Associates of Arts degrees and certificates in AODS, which are accredited by the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators.

The AODS program prepares students to provide services in agencies which focus on alcohol and drug intervention, treatment and prevention.

Students are prepared to work in agencies that provide intake, assessment, detoxification, impaired driver interventions, drug testing, crisis intervention, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, relapse prevention, counseling and family recovery.

No reservations are required to attend. For more information contact Miller at 760-744-1150, ext. 2188 or at mmiller@palomar.edu.

Saturday Nov. 6

75°/56° Sunny

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Sunday Nov. 7

74°/56° Sunny

Opinion|

monday, nov. 1, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

Our viewpoint By endorsing certain propositions and candidates, The Telescope staff does not feel that it is telling voters how to vote, but rather is giving recommendations so that voters can choose (or choose not to) factor them into their decisions. We have formed our opinions based on intensive research and what we believe is best for Palomar students.

Prop. 19 Let’s face it: The current educational and judicial system for marijuana is just about as flawed as abstinence-only sex education.

Voting “yes” on Proposition 19 would be the first step to fix the system.

Under state law, individuals 21 and older could possess and grow a limited amount of pot. Plus, state and local governments could authorize, regulate and tax marijuana-related activities.

Prop. 19 will put our police priorities where they belong. Citizens don’t need to waste their taxpayer dollars on non-violent smokers.The money used from the proposed pot tax would generate an additional $1.3 billion annually for the state, according to a Time article dated July 24, 2009.

It won’t fix the recession, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Prop. 21 For just under $20, Proposition 21 would allow Californians to use any of the state’s 278 parks year-round. This would generate $500 million toward state parks.

It’s not just about free admission to parks, it’s about preserving our wildlife. Prop. 21 adds an ad-

ditional $18 fee to every California driver’s registration.

In 2009, 80 percent of California’s state parks were proposed for closure, according to an article on yesforstateparks.com.

This proposition would provide Californians with a cheap, year-round pass while providing money to keep parks open.

It would replace the current payper-visit system. Currently, the price to park at any of San Diego’s state parks during the summer is $10-$15 per visit. Anyone who attends a park more than once a year would already be saving money.

A “yes” vote on Prop. 21 allows you to visit any of San Diego County’s 17 state parks for a fee of less than a couple of movie tickets — on top of helping those parks stay afloat.

Prop. 22 Proposition 22 has a simple premise: restrict the state’s ability to use money from local governments.

Its ramifications are more complex.

The state uses local government money to pay down ballooning debts. While this isn’t the explicit purpose for this money, it allows the state flexibility in the current fiscal nightmare.

Prop. 22 would tie state legislators’ hands, and force them to spend more money from the dwindling General Fund, the same fund that supports Palomar. Voting “no” on Prop. 22 protects our funding.

Prop. 23

Proposition 23 is intended to suspend the Global Warming Act of 2006 until the unemployment rate in California goes below 5.5 percent for a year.

What the two major oil companies who sponsor the proposition don’t tell you is that in more than 20 years, the unemployment rate hasn’t dipped that low for long.

So basically, Prop. 23 will go out of effect when hell freezes over.

Using unemployment rates to argue against the clean air laws is a sleazy way to try to pass legislation.

Contrary to the arguments, clean energy businesses and jobs have increased by more than 30 percent in the last 10 years.

It’s time to tell the oil companies where to stick it.

Prop. 25

If passed, Proposition 25 will replace the current twothirds vote for state budget approval with a simple majority.

The frightening truth behind Prop. 25 is that it would allow for a state budget to be passed with only 51 percent in favor, creating a recipe for disaster because the ruling party would be able to make rash decisions on how to spend the state’s money.

As a community college, Palomar is funded by the state. If Prop.

25 is passed, our budget could be seriously flawed because a mere 51 percent didn’t have our priorities in mind.

It’s not a fix to the budgeting problems; it’s really trying to cover up the real solution – fiscal responsibility.

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McNamara for gov. board: A student’s most important vote

photo courtesy of pAUL mCnamara

There is only one viable option for Palomar’s Governing Board: Paul McNamara.

The duties of the Governing Board are to check the administration’s decisions in topics including budget and hiring.

McNamara understands this, and says he will make sure the issues on campus are addressed instead of swept under the carpet.

Incumbent Michele Nelson seems to misunderstand the severity of the issue of accreditation

Vote for Brown We endorse Jerry Brown for governor because education is one of his top priorities.

Brown’s experience with education stretches back decades to his tenure as a member of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees. While serving as the California governor in the 1970s he more than doubled the amount of money provided to state schools.

at Palomar, and thinks it’s just a matter of time until it’s fixed.

The fact that newcomer McNamara is not as politically eloquent as Nelson or Mark Evilsizer is actually one of his strong suits. He’s not your typical politician, and citizens can trust that he truly has the student’s interests as his top priority.

Unlike his competition, McNamara understands the problems on campus. Palomar needs a trustee like him.

This time around, Brown has promised to increase funding for all levels of education again. He also wants to align transfer courses offered by community colleges with CSU and UC schools to eliminate tiresome redundancies for transfer students.

Brown’s platform has a strong focus on both education and job creation, both of which are of particular concern to our staff and the student body. A vote for Brown is a vote for our future, both as students and as stewards of the Earth.

How important is voting to you?

“

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It’s good to exercise your Everybody should have the political right. I don’t really right to say what they want, think our government is all great when they want. right now. So now would be the best time for people to vote.

— John Whytiker, Undecided — Niki Bosgick, Radiology

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It’s very important to vote.

My wife is from a different country and she didn’t have the right to vote so she taught me the importance of voting.

—Dennis Groh, Nursing

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Focused on Palomar

Monday NOV. 1, 2010 Editor In Chief | Eric WALKER news / managing Editor | kelley foyt campus beat Editor | melissa caston Opinion Editor | yVONNE lanot arts & culture Editor | MELINA FICKAS

in depth editor| belinda callin

sports editor | matthew slagle Online Editor | daniel martin

Volume 64 Number 7

Managing editor/ ads | sara burBidge photo editor | deb hellman

Multimedia Editor | loghan call Asst. Multimedia Editor | Graianne Ward

asst. news Editors | sydnIE taylor, David leonard Instructional Asst. | Charles Steinman

Journalism Adviser | Erin Hiro

The Telescope is published 11 times per semester. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, Palomar faculty and staff members or the governing board trustees.

“

“

Yeah, I think it’s relatively People my age feel that important to get your voice out voing isn’t something that we there, to be heard. If you don’t need to do, but I think that you can’t have an opinion on voting is important. things.

— Ben Artinian, Anthropology — Khari Williams, Architecture

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Address | The Telescope, Palomar College 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos, CA 92069 Newsroom | Room MB-1 Phone | (760) 891-7865 Fax | (760) 891-3401 E-Mail | telescope@palomar.edu Advertising e-Mail | telescopead@palomar.edu

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The Telescope welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters must be typewritten, under 300 words and include the author’s first and last names, major and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published. Letters can be e-mailed to telescope@ palomar.edu or delivered to the newsroom in Room MB-1.

The Telescope reserves the right to edit letters for space and grammatical errors and not to print lewd or libelous letters.

Letters must be receieved one week prior to the newspaper’s publication to be considered for inclusion.

Staff Writers | Casey Byrne , Ben Gross, Davon Hollis, Joseph Melson, Jarred Powell, Mark Saunders, Nick Shumate, Victoria Tran, Michael Treadway, Natalia Vasquez, Emilie Vurik, Chris Wafer Associated California Newspaper Staff Photographers | Layan Ammouri, Breanna Collegiate PRess Publishers Association Avella, Jennifer Bacon, Steven Balubar, Brak Blevins, Austin Castillo, Ian Chalmers, Laura Davis, Christina Dugdale, Rosa Galvin, Tina Hernandez, Doug Holstein, Christopher Kennedy, Reginald Legaspi, Rachel Martin, Rachel Munoz, Huy Nguyen, Mathew O’Neil, Christian California First Journalism Association Provano, Stacey Prince , Heather Skaggs, Kiigan Snaer, Amendment Coalition of Community Colleges Leslie Surek, Brian Tierne, Allyson Watson, Joshua Yepez

CFAC

California Propositions Explained A breakdown of five propositions from the Nov. 2 ballots! melina fickas & kelley foyt the telescope

The 2010 mid-term elections are coming upfastwithnewpropositionsthatmaychange California as we know it. It’s important for students to know what they are voting for, and commercials on television don’t always give the correct information. To make it easier, we’ve translated what a “yes” or a “no” vote means for the top five propositions that students should know.

Prop. 19: The Weed Proposition

The most widely talked about proposition is Proposition 19, which, if passed, would legalize marijuana under state law.

If Prop. 19 passes, it would be legal for adults 21 years and older to possess and grow up to 1 ounce of marijuana.

If the individual chooses to grow the plant, it must be cultivated within a 25-squarefoot garden on their private property.

The proposition also authoriz es the commercial activity of marijuana, according to the official voter information guide.

Student opinion was divided on Prop. 19.

There were 70 students polled, and 35 answered each way.

“I’m all for it,” student Bobby Gustafson said. “I think it will have an adverse affect on crime and there will be more entrepreneurs in the industry.”

Another student didn’t think that passing the proposition would have a huge impact.

“If you wanna smoke, you’re gonna smoke,” Christian Ramirez said.

Local governments would determine marijuana taxes if the proposition passed. The state could also choose to tax marijuana as well, according to the official voter information guide. However, federal laws regarding marijuana would remain.

agreed.

“It (a state park) is worth being taxed a little more,” he said.

Prop. 22: The Local Gov’t Prop.

Proposition 22 says that the state will be prohibited from taking money used for transportation, redevelopment and local government projects and services.

This would affect the resources in the state’s General Fund and transportation funds because they have been “borrowing” money from these funds for many years.

Areas of restrictions are state fuel taxes, property taxes and the vehicle license fee.

Fifty-three percent of the 32 students who were polled at Palomar said that they would vote “yes” on Prop. 22.

“I don’t think we should mess with the General Fund,” student Jamie Sanchezsaid.

“The state is broke, and we shouldn’t take away money that could pay off debts.”

If Prop.

22 passes, the state would have to reduce General Fund spending at least $1 billion annually, but there would be an increase in the funding for state and local transportation and local redevelopment, according to the official voter information guide.

“It’s important for students to know what they are voting for, and commercials on television don’t always give the correct information.”

Prop. 21: The State Park Prop.

Proposition 21 would add an extra $18 per year on every resident’s car registration fees, which would then be designated to fund California’s 271 state parks and other open space and wildlife programs, according to the official voter information guide.

After paying the surcharge, all California drivers would be exempt from park day-use fees.

The new fee would generate about $500 million annually, and the money could not be used for any reason other than to fund the state parks and wildlife conservation. Residents would not have to pay day fees at state parks that can range from $5 to $15 because of the fee, according the official voter information guide.

More students said that they planned on voting “no” on Prop.

21, but the results were tight. There were 65 students polled, and 54 percent said they would vote “no.”

“It’s just $18 out of a whole year,” student Drake Chance said.

Another student, Bruce Tabb,

Prop. 23: The Clean Air Prop.

This proposition would suspend the 2006 voter-approved Clean Air laws until the state is below a 5.5 percent unemployment rate for a one-year period.

There was a clear consensus at Palomar that students plan to vote against Prop. 23.

Out of 40 students polled, 78 percent said they would vote “no.”

“I don’t want dirty air,” said student Miguel Manzano.

Some students said it was unreasonable to believe that the unemployment rate would actually drop as low as 5.5 percent for a year.

“If you’re going to set a goal, keep it real,” student Chris Adauto said.

If the proposition passes, state agencies cannot propose or implement new policies on air pollution. The unemployment rate has been below 5.5 percent three times since 1970, according to the official voter information guide.

Prop. 25: The Simple Majority Prop.

State legislators would only need a simple majority to pass the state’s budget instead of the currently implemented two-thirds majority, if Prop. 25 passes, according to the official voter information guide.

This proposition would amend the Constitution.This is supposed to make the approval process of the state budget easier and faster.

Also, if Prop. 25 passes, legislatures will not be paid if they do not meet the June 15 deadline each year.There would be a $50,000 reduction each day.

There was an even split for students’ views at Palomar for Prop. 25. Out of the 36 students polled, half said they are going to vote “yes, “and half say they are going to vote “no.”

“I think they should stick with two-thirds,” student Jennifer McGinnis said. “That way, there are more people in agreement. It’s ridiculous how long it takes for them to reach an agreement, though.

Arts & Culture | 5

Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

Making A Statement With Art

Photos by Leslie Surek| THE TELESCOPE

Palomar art students had to pick a newspaper article and create a ceramic sculpture to represent it.

Students could choose anything in print, from food to fashion to politics, as their muse for the assignment, according to an e-mail from professor Sasha Jonestein.

“This project helps locate sources of content and asks the students to consider their own life experiences and beliefs and how that fits into our larger culture,” Jonestein said of why she believes this project is important for her students.

It is important for artists now to create works of art in ceramic that reflect contemporary experiences, according to Jonestein.

“Ceramic objects can survive thousands of years and are one of the primary sources available to unearth information about the culture, lifestyle, behavior and belief systems of earlier civilization,” Jonestein said.

Shown here is student Richard Kirkland’s interpretation of a Hungarian toxic spill (left) and student Luis Porras’s interpretation of the Communist revolution (right).

er m Ga

ck o R

• Naoto Shibata - “Theme of Simon” (Super Castlevania IV) • Stemage - “Phendrana Drifts” (Metroid Prime) • The Black Mages - “Dancing Mad” (Final Fantasy VI) • Powerglove - “Mute City” (F-Zero) • The Minibosses - “Kid Icarus” (Kid Icarus) • Evil Horde - “Hangarmageddon” (Doom)

While modern video games may be content with epic orchestral themes akin to those of any good gladiator movie, once upon a time composition trumped sound quality.

Rather than relying on symphonic and dramatic brass, composers strived to make their songs catchy and memorable., especially in the early days of Nintendo.

Cut to 1997, University of Massachusetts. A duo calling itself the Jenova Project took inspiration from the gaming world, and began recording hard rock covers. Eventually the group expanded into the Minibosses, one of the first bands to gain popularity for remixing video game music.

Over the years since, talented gamers have taken inspiration from the Minibosses and similar groups, recording countless songs and albums rendering classic game themes in styles ranging from disco to rap.

Eventually, the professionals started getting involved. 2002 saw acclaimed “Final Fantasy” composer Nobuo Uematsu forming his own cover band, the Black Mages. In this

band Uematsu experimented with heavy metal recordings of various songs from the series. The Black Mages have gone on to perform several concerts and release three albums, becoming one of the best known bands of its ilk.

Konami did the same for the “Castlevania” series, releasing two hard rock albums (“Perfect Selection: Dracula Battle” and “Dracula Battle II”) and even a “Castlevania” rap album (confusingly titled “Dracula Perfect Selection”).

Entire communities exist on the Web dedicated to game covers, the most notable being OverClocked ReMix (ocremix.org). There are also seriesspecific projects such as the “Doom”inspired “Dark Side of Phobos” and “Metroid Metal,” which of course focuses on “Metroid,” though not exclusively.

Even music fans who aren’t into slaying digital cockatrices will be able find something they enjoy in this material.

The original game tunes and their covers ranged in genre from epic classical scores to fast-paced techno, but make no mistake — the tracks in this mix are straight-up rock. -EW

6 |News

THE TELESCOPE | Monday, nov. 1, 2010

A HERCULEAN BATTLE Democrat and Republican members of the state legislature squared off at an Oct. 21 debate at Palomar. mark saunders The Telescope

O

n March 8, 1971, Madison Square Garden hosted a fight featuring Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. On Oct. 21, 2010, Palomar hosted Francine Busby versus Sen. Mark Wyland. Both venues were filled beyond capacity.

On Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, Political Economy days took over campus with discussions between students and experts in the fields of politics and economics.

The last seminar of Political Economy days presented a Republican and Democratic debate among Busby, the Democratic Party’s endorsement for California’s 50th Congressional District, and Wyland, State Senator for California’s 38th District.

“I always speak with students,” Busby said. “(I) want to inspire people to get involved with the voting process.”

When asked what brought him to Palomar to debate, Sen. Wyland answered, “I was going to be a teacher.

“I see some teachers now and I’ll just say, I wouldn’t lecture,” Wyland said. “But I love politics.”

The debate itself was not a struggle over who will win the seat, -rather a dialogue over the Democratic and Republican Party stances on issues pertinent to incoming and departing college students.

“I think Busby stood out more,” said Blake Garcia, a first-year student. “(She) actually answered most questions instead of stepping around them.”

“There was no fighting or hair pulling,” said Morgan Olivacce, a first-year student. “It (the debate) was very pleasant.”

The event was organized associate professor of political science Peter Bowman, associate professor of economics Teresa Laughlin and Academic Department assistant Sheila Atkins.

Adjunct professor of political science Jared Zacharias organized the Busby-Wyland debate.

“The purpose of Political Economy days is sharing (with students) intellectual exercise and ideas they’ll experience when at a four-year university,” Bowman said.

“They (speakers) are altruistic about wanting to share their credentials for virtually nothing.”

Regarding Prop. 19, an initiative to legalize the sale and use of marijuana in California, both candidates agreed there were more pressing issues to discuss.

“Everyone can get it now, and we know that,” Wyland said. “The fact is the attorney general already said he will enforce federal law if it passes. I’d rather talk about jobs right now.”

“Outside California, it (marijuana) is still illegal,” Busby said. “It’s not going to close the budget or lower alcoholism. California needs to move on.”

After more discussion of health care reform, 2008’s Prop. 8 and other propositions on November’s ballot, both speakers issued their closing statements.

“Both candidates did well,” said Anthony Smith, a second-year student. “On some issues they hit the nail on the head and on others they both seemed not to want to.”

A question and answer period ensued and was ended quickly due to time constraints. However, students willing to stay behind were treated to conversation with each candidate. It was after the debate, when most students left, that the real conversation took place.

Both Busby and Wyland discussed the 2009 stimulus bill’s effects, the Bush tax cuts, Arizona’s latest immigration regulations and Propositions Californian voters will see this November.

The two delved into discussion with remaining students about community college education. Lingering students listened and submitted follow up questions to each debater during the open discussion. Education cuts and costs for private and public schooling were thoroughly debated.

“If you don’t like it (school subjects) then it has no value,” Wyland said.

“I would like to see longer school terms,” Busby said.

“There is a lot (of material) being left out of classes as it is.”

Upon leaving, Busby left Wyland with a few words.

“Go get that budget figured out,” Busby said.

board Continued from Page 1 average.

McNamara said he believes that it is the job of the trustees to thoroughly follow the budget to ensure it follows the school’s plan.

“I don’t think the board is doing this at the level they should,” McNamara said.

But Nelson said the college is heading in a very positive direction.

She said the school is on track, and will focus on getting the accreditation issue wrapped up in its final stages in March.

Evilsizer has a different focus. He said there is inadequate funding at Palomar, which is evident in the class reductions and funding for fewer students.

Evilsizer is mounting his campaign on the fact that students have been unable to receive grants and financial aid money before the start of the semester.

If elected, Evilsizer said he will lobby for change. For the past few years, Palomar has served more students than what it was funded for by the state, and Evilsizer wants to continue this tradition.

In order to make changes like this, hearing the voice of the students is crucial, McNamara said.

McNamara said he counts on feedback from students. He said he recognizes the fact that a lot of students have had difficulty getting into their classes, and wants to fix this.

“At the end of the day, we are trying

to provide students with the best education that we can,” McNamara said.

Nelson said protests and rallies are the most important form of student feedback.

“I love to see the activism of students –the students who say ‘no, don’t cut our classes,’” Nelson said.

She said her primary focus is student success. She wants to use the best teaching and learning practices, and to utilize resources that can help students.

“Palomar does that wonderfully, we just need to see a refocus on that opportunity,” Nelson said.

Citizens in the voter district can vote for two of the three candidates in tomorrow’s general election.

News to Know

Irfan Khan |MCT CAMPUS

Torrance, Calif,, firefighters walk through the breezeway at North High School, where 10 students were injured on campus Friday, Oct. 22, 2010, when a portable cooking device they were using exploded.

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In depth |

Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 | THE TELESCOPE

P

Physics and engineering club rockets to award-winning levels

assionate

hysicists

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Melina Fickas The Telescope

If you are into building and knowing how everything mechanical works, then Palomar’s Engineering and Physics Student Organization is the club for you.

PEPSO devotes half of its club meetings to building projects, many of which end up winning awards.

“We got second place last year in a rocket-car contest at Cal State San Marcos,” club president Alberto Nunez said.

The club is not only for engineering and physics majors; they accept anyone who would like to join. Michael Alverez, a nursing student, joined the club this semester because he wants to conquer his fear of math.

Club leaders and participants agree that the best part about the club is working together on projects.

“It’s a chance to get a hands-on experience,” Nunez said. “It’s cool to see a bunch of ethnicities in here; we can all help each other.”

This semester there are three planned projects, each will have their own project manager and anyone in the club can offer to do it.The projects include building life-size chess pieces, making a television run from a solar panel, and finishing a gravity well that was started last semester.

“The main work is intended to be done by PEPSO members,” club co-adviser Arthur Gerwig said.

Many club members had just joined PEPSO this semester.

“I want to be an engineer,” student Patrick Briley said. “I think it will be a good extracurricular activity to help with that.”

Student Michael Scott said he joined PEPSO so that he can “build stuff and break stuff.”

Chris Kennedy | THE TELESCOPE Several of the club members PEPSO vice-president Fred Greene shows off some of the recent club projects to boost club membership at the Student Union on Oct. 6. have been in PEPSO since the club

nthusiastic

ngineers

started in 2007. PEPSO was originally started by an engineering student who wanted a little something extra to put on his resumé. PEPSO was revived two years ago and has been growing since, according to club member Nathan St. Clair.

“I like to build things, and that’s what this club is about,” St. Clair said.

Nunez, as one of the founding members of PEPSO, joined the club because he has an engineering background, but wanted to go to school to complete his education and after taking one math class and decided to continue and get his degree.

“I joined the field, but you can only get to a certain level without a degree,” Nunez said.

The club plans on holding events several times throughout the semester, including an egg drop contest. PEPSO not only helps its members to succeed, but also participates in Palomar activities. Last year PEPSO was the winning team in the “Mission 2B Clean and Green” contest and received $1,000 in prize money. The club plans to participate in the contest again, according to Nunez.

About PEPSO Meeting times:

3:30 p.m. every Thursday in Room NS-255

Club President: Alberto Nunez anunez@pcpepso.com

Website: pcpepso.com

Union leader devotes her time to students Melissa Caston The Telescope

The new head of the faculty labor union isn’t new to Palomar College. Shayla Sivert’s 22-year track record is why her colleagues think she will thrive as a committed union leader.

“In whichever of her many roles she is applying herself, as friend, mother, colleague or teacher, you can be sure Shayla will devote all her energies and thoughts, and you can always expect outstanding results,” said Coordinator of Academic ESL Colleen Weldele.

Sivert, an English as a Second Language (ESL) professor, was nominated as Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF) full-time co-President May 13. PFF part-time co-president Perry Snyder described Sivert as “dedicated, because of her untiring dedication to the cause of the Palomar faculty as served by the PFF.” Her time with the PFF began when she edited the “Watchdog” newsletter. In 2009 she was nominated to the executive board. She said she was hesitant when first nominated because she knew it was a huge commitment, but she decided her sons had finally reached the ages where they were more independent so she had the time to go up against what some people call a tough Palomar administration.

“I felt a big responsibility … in protecting our workplace, whether that means working hand-inhand with the administration or going head-to-head with it,” Sivert said.

She has two goals for her work with the PFF. “My main goal for the PFF includes continuing to do work that productive unions do in protecting the working environment, most of which, of course, directly affects our students,” Sivert said.

That productivity includes working with the executive administration to determine class sizes, get participation in college wide governance and protect classroom environments where professors and students can speak freely and think critically. She has assisted with the PFF protests held in the past

year to stop the cutting of classes and to have more put back in the schedule, she said. The second goal is to strengthen the bonds that exist among the different groups on campus.

“We, the faculty, cannot exist without the students or the classified staff or the administrative staff,” Sivert said.

With a long to-do list, her history of multi-tasking will serve her well.

While at Palomar, Sivert taught almost every course in the ESL department, coordinated the Escondido and San Marcos ESL programs, coordinated the Amnesty Program in the early 1990s, served as faculty senator, ESL department chair and created and directed the ESL computer lab department.

Not shy about her love for her work, Sivert said; “I truly enjoy teaching. I’ve had so many wonderful colleagues and amazing students throughout my years here.”

Doug Holsten| THE TELESCOPE

Shayla Sivert, recently elected as PFF’s full-time co-president.

8 |News

THE TELESCOPE | Monday, nov. 1, 2010

It’s your vote: who will you pick?

Brown proposes new master plan, focus on community colleges Staff the telescope

Democratic governor candidate Jerry Brown feels he has outlined what’s necessary to fix the state’s obstacles at the university level.

An overhaul of the current higher education system is first on Brown’s education docket, according to his website, jerrybrown. org.

He wants to create a new state master plan for higher education. The original and current financial plan was created in 1960.

The new master plan would address issues caused by the state budget, which include rising tuition, a decling amount of incoming freshmen and transfer students, and good professors moving to other states.

In this new master plan, Brown wants to focus on community colleges, according to the information from his website. He wants to keep state regulations and mandates to a minimum, and align community college courses closely with those of transfer schools (in an attempt to eliminate redundancy in a student’s curriculum).

“Brown has specifically sighted community colleges and he suggests building on higher education, and he certainly has the support of every teacher group out there,” said Palomar history professor BillJahnel.

However, he said there are flaws with both candidates campaigns.

“Both promise reduce (tax) revenue, but that makes it difficult to supposedly add more money to education,” Jahnel said.

The majority of students polled at Palomar said they do not want to vote for Brown. Out of 50 stu-

Whitman promises $1 billion to CA universities if elected Staff the telescope

Republican governor candidate Meg Whitman’s campaign slogan on education is simple yet direct: “Fix it.”

California voters have expressed concerns about teacher layoffs, the removal of after-school programs and the ever-increasing class sizes negatively affecting students’ education.

Whitman uses her educational plan in an attempt to diminish voter fear by addressing a number of these issues.

Whitman believes the University of California and California State University resources have been harmed because of the state’s budget crisis, according to her website megwhitman.org.

Under Whitman’s design, $1 billion will be put into the college system in an effort to secure success for universities. The funds for this will come from her welfare and budget reforms.

“The Whitman campaign has called for money being, in her view,

more efficiently allotted to go into the classroom,” said Peter Bowman, a Palomar political science professor.

Bowman said the Whitman campaign has to clarify where that money would go. He said it would be beneficial if Whitman chose to increase the C.O.L.A. (cost of living assistance) and F.T.E.S. (full time equivalent student) growth formulas.

While Whitman has said that she will invest in the UC and CSU systems, she has not clarified where that money will be spent, according to her website. She recognized issues in the higher education system, including the rising cost of fees and the decline of per-student funding.

One student felt education wasn’t at the top of Whitman’s priorities.

“She probably just addressed that (education problems) because she had to,” Gabriel Hernandez said. “I’m sure it’s on her agenda, but it’s not at the top.”

Most Palomar students said they

didn’t like either of the governor candidates, but believed that Whitman was the better option.

Fifty-four percent of 50 students surveyed said they’d vote for Whitman.

Students had different reasons for choosing Whitman.

“I don’t love her, but I hate Jerry,” student Shawn Burke said.

Another student agreed.

“He’s terrible. He’s such a loser,” student Shirley Estrada said. “Meg Whitman is the lesser of two evils.”

Another student explained her vote.

“My dad is going to vote for Whitman, so I’ll probably do the same,” student Devanae Elizondo said.

Palomar student Lauren Lam-

dents surveyed, 46 percent said they plan on voting for him.The rest of the students said they’d vote for his republican opponent, Meg Whitman.

However, some students said Whitman’s undetailed plans work against her.

“Because Meg is vague, that may cost her votes,” Andrea Shadduck said. “Brown is specific and that will boost his ratings.”

Another student, Matt Kizer, agreed.

“Whitman has been way too vague on how and where she is going to get funding back to our schools,” Kizer said. “Brown says he wants to create a new master plan (which is good because) we are still using a financial model that was made in the dark ages. Plus he is backed by every teacher’s union in the state. It’s obvious who the best choice is.”

But most students were torn on which candidate to choose, because they said they didn’t like either.

“Both don’t seem sufficient,” student Aizza Hollander said. “Brown is over the top and Whitman seems like kind of a liar.”

Some chose to vote for Brown simply because they didn’t want Whitman to win.

“Anyone but Whitman,” student Patrick Courtney said. “I’d rather the money go somewhere else, like education. I don’t think she’s qualified; she’s just a business owner.”

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born said she thought Whitman’s investment plan gave hope to higher education. While she didn’t believe Whitman was the perfect candidate, she would choose Whitman over Brown.

“I would prefer her to be more

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specific,” Lamborn said. “Brown’s goals aren’t realistic, and he doesn’t have a history of being able to support his ideas. Whitman is more business-oriented and has a better ability to follow up with what she says.”