The Telescope 71.06

Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper

the-telescope.com

Vol. 71, No. 6 • Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

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the telescope Palomar Fire Cadets performing 25 push-ups before the end of the class session on Feb. 7. Fire Academy, 182 Santars Place. Linus Smith / The Telescope

Meet the Academy

Palomar’s hidden jewel tucked away at 182 Santars Place LINUS SMITH THE TELESCOPE

A short drive away from the San Marcos campus, lies the training ground for the cadets of the 53rd Fire Academy of Palomar College.

The academy has been around from the beginning of the 1990s.

Since its conception, it has grown into one of the most rigorous and robust programs that Palomar offers.

It’s a one-semester, 20-unit class which requires those enrolling to fill out an application to get into the program. Out of around 100 semesterly applicants, 40 make the cut.

“We have a very high level of professionalism that we expect from our recruits,” Cory Ender, one of the part-time instructors at the academy said.

Requirements Acceptance into the academy is predicated on how high an applicant scores on a 125-point matrix.

Scoring is based off of whether the applicant has completed a list of fire technology classes, worth up to 40 points, and an oral interview that is worth up to 30 points. Other considerations include previous education and work, military background, and whether applicants have a paramedic license.

In addition to this, cadets are

required to pay material fees, which cost just over $1,200, and also purchase uniforms, which can range from $300 to $750. All of this is on top of the $920 tuition cost, student health center, and student center fee.

Applicants must also be in peak physical condition. Upon finishing a written test, you are asked to complete a JPA (Joint Powers Agreement) test.

“It has ladders, carrying a hose upstairs, lifting a rope up a hoist, carrying a dummy, a 175-pound dummy I believe. Those have to be done in a certain amount of time to pass that,” Ender said. “You have to be fit.”

JUMP TO FIRE ACADEMY PAGE 3

ASG looks to revive elections Associated Student Government sets ambitious election goals LINUS SMITH THE TELESCOPE

Palomar’s Associated Student Government (ASG) have set high expectation for this year’s election.

In the 2017 ASG election, both candidates, Chris Hopp and Amber Bancroft, ran uncontested for president and vice president, respectively. Hopp gathering 25 votes, and Bancroft, 27. It was the third straight election candidates ran uncontested. Now, President Hopp and the ASG is hoping not only for a contested election, they’re looking for a significantly higher turnout.

“I think a good goal is a turnout of 500,” Hopp said. Although it’s a an ambitious goal, given student participation in past elections, they’re optimistic that the steps they’re taking to prepare for this election will help them achieve their goal.

Erin Scott, chairperson for the election committee, outlined in an email the ways that that she is preparing for the election. “We will be doing small presentations in classrooms regarding how students can run in the election as well as what the mission of ASG is,” Scott said.

JUMP TO ELECTION PAGE 3

Palomar’s newest innovation makes parking manageable

Parking structure will save hours of searching in frustration BETHANY NASH THE TELESCOPE

New Palomar parking garage opened on Jan. 24, at the San Marcos campus. Jennesh Agagas / The Telescope

The Telescope

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After years of navigating lots to find parking, Student now enjoy a new parking garage following Palomar’s grand opening on Jan 24.

With five stories and 1616 parking spaces, the structure includes 28 handicapped parking spots and six van spaces. Each level contains an elevator and stairs on both. Levels one, two, and three include individual entrance and exit points to assist with traffic flow.

Palomar’s Superintendent, Joi Lin Blake, addressed the attendees of the ceremony stating, “We just didn’t put up a parking structure and stripe some pavement. We have gone above and beyond.”

Building the 499,000 square foot parking structure, the new police department, and restructuring Lot

TelescopeSports

12, which included all furnishings, equipment, etc... totaled a cost of just under $32 million, which will be coming out of Palomar’s $694 million Prop M bond, voted on in 2006 .

Palomar has equipped the parking garage with emergency phones, license plate readers, electronic signs indicating space availability, LED lighting, and security cameras.

It will also include solar panels, but have yet to be installed. The completion of the installation is anticipated for sometime in 2018.

Three security cameras will be placed on every level and the installation is nearing completion.

Students and faculty have noticed and mentioned to The Telescope that the space readers outside of the parking garage have not been accurate to the space availability.

JUMP TO PARKING GARAGE PAGE 3

@Telescopenews

2 • NEWS

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

n BRIEFLY n CALIFORNIA PROMISE SAN MARCOS --- Incoming Palomar students will receive additional funding through Assembly Bill 19 (AB-19), known as the California Promise, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2017.

This legislation provides free first year tuition at community colleges across the state to eligible applicants. However, Palomar College already has its own version of this program.

Palomar Promise, a pre-existing program funded by the Palomar Foundation established prior to AB-19, already provides one free year of course enrollment for graduating high school seniors in eligible K-12 within Palomar’s school district. as well as other resources

for affordable higher education.

Palomar plans to continue their Promise program in conjunction with AB-19. “We don’t exactly know what the funding is going to be and we won’t know what that funding is until the budgets are signed in May. But the Palomar Promise isn’t going anywhere,” states Laura Gropen, Palomar Director, Public Affairs. “There is talk of adding an additional free year of community college for eligible students.”

For more information, contact the Palomar Foundation at (760) 744-1150 etx. 2366 or visit www. palomar.edu/foundation —Brooke Reotutor

Student Government Meeting Debrief FRIDAY, FEB. 9

- The board unanimously approved a final reading for an amendment to Article XV of the ASG constitution. The move to approve the amended version came from Inter-Club Council Chairperson Armando Contreres, who has been pushing for this change for several years. The amendment will provide an additional $50 in funding to clubs who register/reinstate their clubs within the first two weeks of registration becoming available.

-The ASG made plans to go on their spring retreat, which is a mandatory event they must hold to train board members to better perform their duties, as well as set semester goals they want the board to accomplish.

- The ASG considered sponsoring a memorial site for students who died while attending Palomar College. It is unclear whether they will sponsor it at this point, but most board members seemed to lean toward the idea. Students will only be memorialized if the ASG is approached by friends/ family of the fallen student. Currently the ASG is considering whether the memorial would be in the form of a plaque, or if practical items such as benches would be engraved with the students’ names. There is also the possibility of having trees planted and designated to the fallen students.

MEETINGS HELD AT 11:30 A.M. ON FRIDAY IN ROOM SU-204

FACULTY CONTRACT SAN MARCOS --- Faculty has a better contract going into the 2017-2018 academic year.

At the beginning of the semester, lead negotiator for the faculty contract, Jenny Fererro, announced to the Faculty Senate that over the winter break, she and other team members had negotiated a new contract for faculty in the upcoming year.

Negotiations for the contract began last July, and was finalized on Jan. 26, of this year. Fererro expressed that she was pleased with the way the negotiations went on behalf of the team; which was made up out of half part-time and half full-time faculty, under the leadership of Palomar’s Vice President of Human Resources, Lisa Norman.

Part-time employees gained several benefits from the contract.

Here are some of the highlights:

- All employees at the contract received a 1.56 percent cost of living adjustment to all salaries and stipends, retroactive to July of last year.

- A pay increase for part-time office hours from $45 an hour to $55 an hour, retroactive to fall of last year.

- Part-time faculty who have their classes cancelled up to two weeks before the semester, and any time after it begins, will receive pay for the first week of instruction regardless.

- Part-time faculty who serve on specified councils/committees will receive $11 an hour pay for the time spent at those meetings.

Fererro and the team plan on beginning negotiations for the 2018-2019 contract as soon as next month.

—Linus Smith

The second Women’s March concluded at Palomar College on Jan. 20. People marched for a variety of issues, from women’s rights to LGBTQ rights, and to condemn the Donald Trump administration. Linus Smith / The Telescope

HIRING EVENTS SAN MARCOS --- Palomar College will be hosting various employment groups on campus in the upcoming weeks.

Waterworks aquatics will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 20, at Career Center, which is located across from the library at SU-17. They are looking to hire customer experience experts, as well as swimming instructors and office staff.

Also looking to hire is The

Wave Waterpark. They will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 27. Also located at SU-17.

They are searching for people interested in being lifeguards, helping with guest services, as well as concessions and park services.

The company Aflac will also be coming to Palomar, it will be at the same time as the other two hiring events, but will be on March 8, located in the same location, SU-17.

They are looking for people from

COFFEE WITH A COP SAN MARCOS --- Beginning at 6:30 p.m. and running until 8 p.m., March 1 in the SU-Quad, there is going to be an event called Coffee With A Cop held by the Palomar College Police Department.

There is also the same event happening from 9 to 11 a.m., March 8 at the Escondido campus.

Coffee With A Cop is happening so that students and staff belonging to Palomar College have the opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the po-

lice department, according to the flyer posted on the PCPD website.

At the event will be Palomar’s Police Chief Chris Moore, sergeants, officers and other members of the police department.

Students will be given the chance to get to know the police department in a casual environment and discuss with them any questions or concerns they may have.

Anyone is welcome to stop by and have a complimentary cup of coffee.

—Jenna Wilson

PLANNED ASG EVENTS SAN MARCOS --- The Campus-Wide Activities Committee is planning several events for this semester.

Emily Williamson, chairperson for Campus Wide Activities (CWA) in the ASG, has dates set for the Diversity Event and Springfest.

The Diversity Event will occur from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 13, in the SUQuad.

The Diversity Event’s purpose is to celebrate diversity by showcasing student’s talents among the student body.

Springfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on

April 10 and 11 in the SUQuad.

Springfest will include free food and beverages, and will also include a raffle. Last semester, raffle prizes included items such as coffee sets.

Other events planned for the semester include movie nights and Comet Hour.

Events planned by CWA are free, and open to all Palomar students. These events “don’t take much time,” Williamson said, and they are “fun to go to during breaks.”

—Samantha Cox

any major, and offer training opportunities. In their flier, they single out that they are looking for benefits consultants, however, they mention that they are looking for other positions as well.

Coffee will be served at each of these events for free, for more information you can contact Pippa Pierce at ppierce@palomar.edu, or by calling (760) 744-1150 ext.

3125.

—Linus Smith

BLOOD DRIVE SAN MARCOS --- According to the American Red Cross (ARC), every two seconds someone in the U.S needs blood. The Student Health Center is sponsoring a blood drive for the ARC from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Feb. 20 to 23, in Parking Lot 6 behind the Teaching & Learning Center.

Students may also use RapidPass, a new tool allowing donors to give in less time. Fill out necessary documents online in lieu of completing on site. Get yours at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass.

To donate blood, schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code PALOMARSM. Appointments are strongly encouraged but walk-ins are welcome.

In order to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, be feeling well and in good health, therefore you mustn’t have been sick within the last two weeks. You also must meet certain height and weight requirements, which vary based on sex. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, contact Denise Coughlin at denise.coughlin@redcross.org or (858) 602-8042.

—Brooke Reotutor

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1839 The United States Congress prohibited dueling within the District of Columbia

NEWS • 3

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FIRE ACADEMY JUMPED FROM PAGE 1 Academy Leader

ASG members discuss club membership resubmissions during their Friday, Feb. 9 meeting. Amanda Raines/The Telescope

ELECTION JUMPED FROM PAGE 1 The classes they are primarily targeting for promotion are those within the realm of political science. The ASG reasons that the students in those classes will be the ones who are not only more likely to see the importance of voting, but also the ones more likely to run for a seat on the board. “The political science department, there are kids that really want to become actively involved,” Hopp said.

There are numerous other ways the committee is going to try to get the word out about this year’s election, among those are advertising through the Palomar website and newspaper, speaking at student held meetings, such as those in the Inter-Club Council. In addition, they will also be handing out informational flyers, and plan to have ASG members out with tablets to show students how to vote and run for the board.

The election committee only task is to organize and advertise upcoming ASG elections. Currently, they convene exclusively during an election semester. The election committee this year is far more robust than that of last year in multiple ways.

This committee was formed months earlier than the 2017 election committee, it also has more members than it did in 2017. “I

had, what I believed to be big idea’s for the ways in which I would like to promote elections, but my committee blew me out of the water in the best possible way,” Scott said.

“They had taken ideas I had mentioned and put them into action.”

The election is set to begin near the end of April. On the ballot this year, the ASG aims to have a new constitution for students to vote on, which will revamp the structure of the board.

The constitution, among other things, will add six new executive positions, four new senator positions and two new delegate positions, which will bring the board capacity up to 35 from its current 23. It will also allow for an advisory vote to be made by delegates, to give their opinion on matter facing the ASG, as opposed to only having verbal contributions during discussion and no vote at all under their current bylaws.

A restructuring of the constitution has not happened for over a decade. “To my knowledge Palomar’s constitution has not been amended since 2006,” Bancroft said in an email. “Reasons for amending or implementing a new constitution vary a lot such reasons are to close loop-holes or better serve the students. We chose to change the constitution in order to follow more successful models

from other schools.”

The new seats being created will not be the only reason why students might have a chance at joining the board come this election. President Hopp will not be seeking another term. “I will be hopefully graduating and moving on,” Hopp said. “Whoever takes over from here, I wish them the best of luck.”

The presidential seat is not the only one that will be opening up, Vice President Bancroft is yet to decide whether she will seek reelection, and nearly the entire board is undecided whether they will be with the ASG next semester.

Anyone interested in running for a position on the ASG can declare their candidacy come Feb. 26. No prior experience is required for any position, including president.

“Being a part of the process and having student involvement in the decision making leads to outcomes that serve students in the most effective ways,” Scott said. “Students know the problems they face better than anyone, and it is crucial their voice is heard at all levels.”

For more information on the election, you can contact Erin Scott at escott@palomar.edu.

LSMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

PARKING GARAGE JUMPED FROM PAGE 1 “The counters are about 85 percent accurate,” Palomar Public Affairs Director, Laura Gropen said in an email. “The current counter system provides a good indication of how many spaces are available on each level. After the first week of classes, the parking structure is averaging at about 50 percent full so there has never been a lack of available spaces,” Gropen said.

Additionally, Palomar will be equipping the structure with charging stations for electric cars sometime in 2018, however, there will be a set fee in order to be used. Palomar is partnering with SDG&E (Sand Diego Gas & Electric) to install the charging stations. They will also be determining the usage fee for

students.

“The District has been selected to participate in a new program run by SDG&E where SDG&E designs and installs electric vehicle charging stations at no cost to the District. The District has been working with SDG&E to determine the number and location of the charging stations. SDG&E’s plans have not yet been completed so the charging stations have not yet been installed,” Gropen explained over email.

The parking structure will close at 11 p.m. like all other lots, with the entrances barred off with arms. If a student is trying to leave after that time he or she will need to contact campus police to get the arms lifted. The

Among the pool of cadets that take the course every semester, one cadet is selected to be the academy leader.

Carol Musgrove, a retired police marshall who currently works at the fire academy as a staff assistant, said “In the first week of the academy the instructors look around and they say ‘who are our alpha people?’

And a handful raise their hands, so they keep their eyes on them, and then they’ll make the selection.”

The duties of academy leader is to coordinate with the instructors and to make sure the cadets stay on task, and in line. The academy leader for the 53rd is 31-year-old Jake Castaneda.

“The average day right now, we show up for PT (Physical Training) every morning, PT starts at 7, so we get here at about 6:15 to get everything set up and warm up at about 6:45 so we can start PT,” Castaneda said.

Castaneda was a U. S. Marine in the U.S. army for 11 years before leaving in June of 2016. He said that he wanted to transfer to a job that was more conducive to a family life, and allowed him to be able to live locally within his own community. He saw the fire service as the best way to move forward, because it allowed for the same degree of camaraderie and challenge that he became accustomed to in the Marines, without necessarily needing to leave far away from home.

Castaneda gravitated toward the fire service to get the opportunity to help those within the community. “Typically when a firefighter or firefighters get called out to a call, it’s the worst day of someone’s life. You know, whether it’s a car accident, or their house is on fire or they’re sick, we have the skills and the mindset to help them through that,” Castaneda said.

“And that makes me drawn to this.”

According to Ender, this community-serving attitude is something common among all firemen. Ender said he believes

that the qualities of compassion, empathy, hard work, humility are all traits that are ingrained in the lifestyle of a fireman.

The Brotherhood When speaking with Ender and Castaneda, it was evident that being a fireman is more than a career, it is brotherhood.

Ender recounted his time as part of the Palomar Fire Academy in 2008, where he met some of his best friends, and people who he still speaks to on a regular basis to this day.

Ender works as an engineer and paramedic for the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department. As part of their daily routine they often have physical training; Ender’s crew often spends the time together doing workout circuits. “We cook together, we eat together and then we sleep together as well.”

Castaneda echoed this sentiment of a bond among his colleagues. “It’s definitely something that gets developed, especially when you suffer together. You really get close to a group of guys, a group of people, and you are able to build that trust and that camaraderie that you typically think of when you think of firefighters, police officers, military and stuff like that.”

The brotherhood that bonds firemen together is one that often transcends differences that those entering the career may have had before joining the academy, or a department.

Both Musgrove and Ender mentioned that people come from all sorts of backgrounds, ethnically, religiously, economically, as well as the careers they had before joining, and those entering the workforce take the title of firefighter very seriously.

“I try to do everything I can, as honorably as possible … so that I can accurately represent not only myself but the academy and the fire service in general. To the public, to other firefighters, to other students here, things like that,” Castaneda said.

LSMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

emergency blue phones will still be operating and can be used to call the campus police.

Chris Hopp, president of the Associated Student Government and Palomar’s Student Trustee, stated in his address at the ceremony, “Now it might not seem like a parking garage is that big a deal, but to students this means not missing classes. This means not having to drive around that parking lot looking for that last spot. It means having the peace of mind that when you come to school you know you’re going to have a place to park your car, you’re going to get to class on time.”

BNASH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Fire Academy cadets await instructions from instructor. Feb. 7, Fire Academy 182 Santars Place. Photo by Linus Smith / The Telescope

4 • OPINION

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For once, take charge of your college

the telescope

Focused On Palomar Tuesday, Feb., 20 2018 Vol. 71, No. 6 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.

BETHANY NASH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LINUS SMITH MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR GEHRIG ROSEN OPINION EDITOR LEXINGTON HOWE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR ASHLEY MAGDALENO SPORTS EDITOR HAYLEY STEVENSON TAYLOR MACKAY ONLINE EDITOR JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ SUPPORT EDITOR SEJI GAERLAN SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SAVHANNA VARGAS PHOTO EDITOR

EDITORIAL Palomar’s Associated Student Government (ASG) will be holding another election this April, and for God’s sake people, do something about it this time.

The ASG holds an election every year, however, the turnouts for these elections are often pitiful as best, however, the more accurate description is disgraceful. Last year, there were a total of 52 votes cast for the two candidates running for president and vice president, respectively.

There are two reasons why that is embarrassing. First, there were 27 votes cast for vice president, and only 25 for president, even though they appear on the same ballot.

Which means that at least two voters were too lazy to finish the already very short ballot. Second, the enrollment numbers for the 2015-2016 academic year for Palomar College was just under 19,000 students, part-time and full-time.

Which means there was barely

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ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / H-103 WEBSITE/ WWW.THE-TELESCOPE.COM FACEBOOK/ “THE TELESCOPE” TWITTER/ @TELESCOPENEWS EMAIL/ EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM AD EMAIL/ ADS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM THE TELESCOPE WELCOMES ALL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. LETTERS MUST BE TYPED, UNDER 300 WORDS AND INCLUDE THE AUTHOR’S FIRST AND LAST NAMES, MAJOR AND PHONE NUMBER. PHONE NUMBERS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. LETTERS SHOULD BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE. COM. THE TELESCOPE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT LETTERS FOR SPACE AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND NOT TO PRINT LEWD OR LIBELOUS LETTERS. LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE NEWSPAPER’S PUBLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION.THE TELESCOPE IS PUBLISHED 5 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, THE EDITORIAL BOARD, PALOMAR FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS OR THE GOVERNING BOARD TRUSTEES. CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER’S ASSOCIATION

more than one voter per 1,000 students. If this was a U.S. national election, it would be as if San Marcos, Vista and Escondido were the only places that voted in the entire country.

This cannot be the case moving forward. It is up to every student on campus to shoulder the responsibility of keeping Palomar a place of learning for success, in coordination with our faculty and administration.

There is no more important time to do it than now. In the last ASG meeting, President Chris Hopp asked the board to get a preliminary idea of who will for sure be returning to the ASG in the fall.

Only one person raised their hand.

Whether more members of the board will decide to stay for another term can’t be determined at this time. However, if we do not see a commitment from the current board members to stay for another term, we will be faced with an oblit-

eration of every shred of progress the ASG has made over the last two years. This includes losing student representation on the various committees on campus, which directly impact students.

The ASG currently disperses its board members to nearly all of these committees, that will not be the case unless students finally take charge in bringing their indispensable voice to the conversation. This is the election to do it.

There is likely to be a high level of vacated seats on the board. On top of that, the ASG is also revamping their constitution to not only add more senator and delegate positions, but it is also planning to add more executive positions.

In addition to this, incumbent President Hopp will not be running for reelection, so that seat will also be vacated for new candidates to take. Bearing in mind, the ASG president sits on the Palomar Governing Board with others that have

been elected by the district.

In a recent Faculty Senate meeting, during a discussion regarding the 2018-2019 academic calendar, it was suggested by a member of faculty that the board consider removing spring break. The ASG sits on this meeting, they can express the student body’s opinion on removing spring break.

If the ASG does not retain a high involvement, it will likely dissipate back into the shadows it resided in a couple years ago. Projects they are currently in progress on, like the community student garden and a memorialization site for students that died while attending Palomar, could be lost.

Students of Palomar, you will only be here for a few years, the expression “it’s now or never,” holds especially true for you. Leave a legacy of success for those who will follow you.

EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Lack of professionalism in State of the Union SEJI GAERLAN

ERIN HIRO ADVISOR

ASSOCIATED COLLEGE PRESS

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

President Donald J. Trump is a lot of things, but one thing that he is not is an honest president.

The State of the Union Address was nothing but a collection of our President’s self appraisals, information that could not be further from the truth, and assurances of the few controversial decisions that he has done throughout his presidency.

To begin with, our president has claimed how his State of the Union Address has the highest number of viewership in recorded history, tweeting: “Thank you for the compliments and reviews on the State of the Union speech. 45.6 million people watched, the highest number in history.” This statement is obviously false.

According to John W. Schoen, a writer for CNBC, his predecessors have him beat with Obama bringing in 48 million on 2010 and 52.4 million viewers on 2009. Not to mention G.W. Bush having 62.1 million in 2003 and Clinton with 66.9 million in 1993.

Being the president of the United States is not a job to boost your own individual’s ego.

Worrying more about your viewership other than the civil liberties of

Americans should put your professionalism in question. This is not the only one that should be addressed in this issue. The president has lied to the American people about his policies and his administration’s accomplishments.

Most recently, Trump has been boasting about how his administration have enacted the biggest tax cuts in American history, but when fact checked by the New York Times, this statement is definitely false. According to Jim Tankersley, “Mr. Trump won’t stop making this claim, even though zero evidence supports it.”

Tax cuts signed by President Ronald Reagan were larger as a share of the economy and in terms of their effects on federal revenues. The recently passed tax bill appears to rank 12th in American history, as a share of the economy.

Trump proceeded on stating misleading claims about immigration stating, “Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives.”

It seems that Trump does not know how immigration system work in this country, although the system is broken, it is not how Trump perceives it to be. In fact, the immigration system is so back logged that family members who have been pe-

SPEAK OUT

President Trump at the State of the Union Addres. Photo courtesy of Shealah Craighead, White House photographer

titioned by green card holders have to wait decades for their papers to be processed.

Aside of these falsified statements, Trump’s uncalled for remarks regarding the Democratic Party being treasonous due to their unenthusiastic attitudes as a sign of protest during the State of the Union speech marks our president’s definite unprofessionalism.

Insulting another political party aside of finding compromises to resolve national issues is unproductive and just flat out immature.

As a president, Donald Trump needs to get his presidential shit together and act like a responsible adult, especially if our nation is on the line.

SGAERLAN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Photos by: Savhanna Vargas

What do you think about the new parking garage?

“IT’S GREAT ACTUALLY, THERE’S WAY MORE SPACE. IT’S NOT TOO PACKED

Javier Garcia, 18

“I THINK THE PARKING GARAGE IS REALLY HELPFUL ESPECIALLY BECAUSE ALL MY CLASSES ARE IN THE MD BUILDING SO IT THINK IT’S REALLY GOOD, AND THE NUMBERS ARE COOL OUTSIDE.”

Dustin Duran, 20

OPINION • 5

the-telescope.com

Lawmakers hell-bent destruction LINUS SMITH THE TELESCOPE

It is a sad portrayal of our principles as a people, that we put the destruction of other nations above the wellbeing of our own.

It is abhorrently outrageous that defense spending in the United States in the 2017 fiscal year, accounts for 49 percent of all national discretionary spending, totaling up to $535 billion according to inside. gov. Whereas education accounts for eight percent, Social Security unemployment and labor accounts for six percent, as does veteran benefits. That is abhorrently outrageous.

The trademark of any great civilization is the manner in which it safeguards the less fortunate of its own society. So what does it say about the state of the Union when in the year 2015, Reuters reported that there was more than 500,000 homeless individuals residing in the U.S. without shelter, with one-fourth of them being under the age of 18.

We spend more money, in the quantities of hundreds of billions, knocking homes down abroad as opposed to building homes in the homeland.

Naturally, something such as this

would strike us as an obvious perversion of the standards of humanity that we are expected to fulfill.

However, this perversion is not so obvious to our lawmakers on the Hill.

Late last year, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a spending bill that increases the defense spending budget in the 2018 fiscal year to $700 billion. After the bill went through the conference committee process with the House, who passed their version of the bill earlier. It went to Donald Trump's desk, who was likely tickled pink that it was $600 million more than even he requested.

It is bewildering why our lawmakers believe that it is more important to designate increased funding to the sharpening of swords within the country, rather than the minds.

Education is the cornerstone of a well-established republic.Therefore, an educated populace is essential to the retention of democracy. So what does it say about the land of the free when collectively our students are chained down to $1.3 trillion in student debt, and what does it say about the fact that a majority of our nation has not attained a college

education, as reported by PBS. Last year, the junior senator from Vermont and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, proposed the College for All Act. The legislation would remove tuition costs of four-year colleges for individuals coming from households that make $125,000 or less, and it would make community college tuition free regardless of income level. Sanders projects that the cost of this legislation would be approximately $70 billion, two-thirds of that cost would be covered by the federal government. As it stands, the Senate bill only has seven co-sponsors.

As mentioned before, defense spending accounts for 49 percent of discretionary spending compared to 8 percent towards education. It is astonishing that our lawmakers are able to justify a $165 billion increase to defense spending, but is unable to spare $47 billion for furthering the education of its own people.

In his last State of the Union Address, former President Barrack Obama said “The United States is the most powerful nation on Earth.

Period… We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined.”

With that considered, we can conclude that we do not need any

Photo illustraion courtesy of Phillip Taylor/ Flickr

additional funds going to defense spending. We need to recall that standing with our troops does not always mean providing more arms, sometimes it means advancing the wellbeing and principles of our people domestically. The principles that the military are sworn to protect.

If you agree that our lawmakers on the hill should spend less on the

destruction of other countries, and more on the education of our own, the representative for San Marcos and the 50th California district is Duncan Hunter. His office number is (202) 225-5672, give him a call to tell him what you think.

LSMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Nuclear chicken: pathway to war KEANU MARBLE-SMITH THE TELESCOPE

One of the most anxietyproducing trends of our bizarre times is the melting of lines between pure theatrics and genuine intention.

This, potentially deadly, ambiguity has been expressed in seemly every remark President Trump has made about North Korea at the State of the Union Address (SOTU).

Supported by the parents of the tortured and deceased American Otto Warmbier and the story of a gravely wounded North Korean refugee Ji Soeng-ho, President Trump performed a complete reversal from his last major speech on this subject to where he has threatened to “totally destroy North Korea.”

Soeng-ho received the longest standing ovation of the night. His story of starvation and torture is tragically common in the reclusive prisonstate. While it’s impossible to not be moved by the suffering of those who escape and still remain, it should be alarming that Trump performed this reversal.

It’s safe to assume the President Trump wasn’t heavily involved in the writing of the SOTU. Given the opportunity to give a controlled speech on the topic, the Trump administration attempted to pivot from his infamous “Fire and Fury” remarks and claim that

the U.S. interest with one of the poorest, smallest, and most oppressed countries on earth is not solely based on

the Trump administration before any confrontation has yet to occur.

Trump is the only head of

Trump famously attacked his own Secretary of State on twitter saying he was “wasting his time trying to negotiate with

Illustration curtousy of Wikipedia Commons

national security but mostly on sympathy of an oppressed people.

As seen with the Iraq War, what can begin as a war to protect “the US and it’s allies” can almost overnight become a mission to spread democracy. These shifts of narrative have already occurred under

state in the world who seems to be open to the idea of all out war in the Korean Peninsula.

South Koreas President, Moon Jae-in, has said he is willing to engage in direct talks and that under no circumstances must war break out in the peninsula. President

Little Rocket Man” and has called for a ten-fold increase in the US’s nuclear arsenal.

Thousands of miles away from its enemies, the United States continues to act frivolously with the lives of millions of people we claim to be the protectors of.

Using the suffering of oth-

ers to try to make up to the past disgraces of the President is nothing new. The President’s staff, looking to make up for the many insults he’s delivered to soldiers, thought that if the President applauds the widow of a solider or the North Korean refugee it would be as if none of what he had already said had been said at all.

The refugees invitation was not just to make it look as if the President cares about the people of North Korea, it was much more gravely giving him a justification to invade.

If the obvious similarities between Bush’s State of the Union before the invasion of Iraq and Trumps remarks on North Korea don’t worry you, then maybe this will: an idea that has been floating around that forgein policy establishment is the “punch in the nose” option.

This strategy is to perform targeted strikes on specific nuclear assets in the North Korea. The same institutions that called WMDs in Iraq a “slam-dunk” are now confident that they are aware of every nuclear compound in the country.

Tokyo is 10 minutes away from North Korea at missile speed. Seoul is 10 seconds away and yet again here we are gambling with the lives of millions.

KMARBLE-SMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

6 • OPINION

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

Tide Pod Epidemic affects newer generations GEHRIG ROSEN THE TELESCOPE

This generation of youth is proving time and time again that they’re publicly the stupidest one to ever exist.

Don’t misunderstand, each young generation has its fair share of stupid people, but they’ve never been able to flaunt it openly and publicly until now. Thanks to the internet, we’ve seen young adults pour buckets of ice on themselves, eat spoonfuls of cinnamon, nearly die from climbing on the top of skyscrapers just for a selfie, and smash their faces into the bends of their elbows then call it a dance move (dabbing). The point of the matter is because of the internet, it’s much easier to see these stupid people.

The newest trend is eating Tide Pods. Near the end of 2017, this trend started to grow and grow until nearly everyone has heard of or seen memes about people consuming Tide Pods.

Within the first half of January, Poison Control Centers dealt with

more emergency calls with people consuming tide pods than all of 2016 combined.

To understand why the PCC is involved, it should be noted that tide pods are poisonous. Who would have thought that concentrated detergents and chemicals are poisonous when consumed? Clearly the growing number of teens and young adults consuming tide pods didn’t think of this.

Something else to consider is the effects on the body after consumption. The Public Health scientific Community from the European Commission released a report on what consuming tide pods does to the body.

According to the report, the lighter effect of eating tide pods “may include vomiting, abdominal pain, flatulence, and diarrhea.”

While the more serious risks sit at “vomiting or formation of considerable amounts of foam in the mouth involve an aspiration risk”. Along with this, the American Association of Poison Control Centers(AAPCC) claims that consumption of Tide

Pods “could lead to possible death.”

However, the question still stands why are people eating them?. The answer isn’t because it’s just a joke or a meme, but because the people who make these jokes or memes usually have enough common sense to not actually act on those jokes.

The real reason is to make money. The majority of the videos were posted on youtube. Through the use of putting ads on the videos, content creators were making money off of their videos of consuming tide pods.

Although most of the videos have been taken down on youtube, videos are still being posted and money is still being made.

This new generation of stupidity is built upon the idea of being internet famous and making money.

Although it’s clear that the internet has brought more good to the world than bad, the bad shows its face when it comes to new generations boasting about with stupidity of new proportions.

GROSEN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Tide pod illustration by Andrew Meer/ The Telescope

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Illustration by Seji Gaerlan and Savhanna Vargas/ The Telescope

Minimum wage hike will hurt workers

in their pockets. However, the long-term effects may actually cause dire consequences by negatively effecting job growth and the longevity of small businesses.

In California, the minimum wage jumped from 50 Minimum Wage illustration by Ramon Valdivia/ The Telescope cents to $10.50 per hour for small businesses JENNESH AGAGAS and $11 per hour for compaTHE TELESCOPE nies with more than 26 employees. It may not seem like The plan to raise the mini- much but it won’t stop there. mum wage will cause small In April 2016, California companies to change their Gov. Jerry Brown signed into signs from Open to ‘Out of law an increase of $10 to $15 Business. per hour to the states miniWith the recent minimum mum wage. While the wage wage increases, low-skilled hike won’t come all at once, workers are seeing more cash the law did set a gradual in-

crease of $15 per hour by January 2022. However, workers earning the lowest wages can expect a one dollar increase a year until then.

The move is apart of the labor-backed “fight for 15” campaign in which low-income families would benefit from.

“Economically, minimum wages may not make sense,” Brown said. “Morally and socially and politically, they make every sense because it binds the community together and makes sure that parents can take care of their kids in a much more satisfactory way,” he continued.

A seeming advantage for families or low-income workers who struggle to keep up with rising cost, but in reality it could actually effect hundreds of small businesses or even worse, their job.

“The minimum wage is high for starting employees. My fees for my business are not increasing and it will be almost impossible to afford to have

employees,” said small business owner, Kristine Polanco.

As a result of the gradual increase, employers will resort to dropping benefits, cutting hours, or even laying off workers, if they don’t have enough funds to pay for wages.

Employers have argued it will lead to a decline in employment and higher consumer cost. In this situation, employers are not likely to hire inexperienced workers for $15 per hour.

Nowadays, when you walk into restaurants, movie theaters, and even grocery stores, you immediately encounter a robotic kiosk. It won’t be long until employers replace human labor with machines to balance out the rising labor cost.

But with California’s big boost in the minimum wage, it will likely speed up the process.

In a study conducted by the free market advocacy group, American Action Forum, it found that incremental mini-

mum wage increases implemented in 2018 alone will cost 261,000 jobs and once the new minimum wage laws are fully phased in, it expects to cost approximately 1.7 million jobs in 12 states, including California.

While it’s too early to say how it will effect California, we are seeing these issues happen in San Francisco and Seattle, where their minimum wage has already reached $15 per hour. The cities local businesses are still struggling to adapt due to inflation and remain in a tough situation despite the pay hike.

As much as governor’s habitually tout only their big success in passing laws, such as the positive side of the minimum wage increase. Not paying attention to the bigger picture could cause far more serious consequences in which it may be too late to turn around.

JAGAGAS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

ARTS & CULTURE • 7

the-telescope.com

Artists to look out for in 2018 JENNA WILSON, VICTORIA PRICE THE TELESCOPE

Throughout the year, be sure to look out for releases from these hot artists.

Music is more diverse now than it ever has been. Think about freshening up your playlist with songs by these trending artists. The artists listed each have their own individual style with a unique sound that is catching notice everywhere.

Cardi B Cardi B, 24, has caught many peoples attention over the last year.

Between posting hilarious videos on Instagram to being so open to tell her life story, people can’t get enough of Cardi B and her candid behavior.

Cardi B is engaged to Migos rapper, Offset. A duet song could be in the making.

Already in 2018, Cardi B made music history and surpassed Beyoncé by having a total of five singles on the top 10 R&B chart.

Cardi B will absolutely be making more big moves this year.

"I like her music, I know she is taking a break for acting right now," said Palomar College student Kyle Jones.

It has been confirmed that Cardi B "wants to shut all her haters up by becoming Tinseltown’s next breakout star after her ‘Love & Hip Hop: New York’ career," as stated in Hollywood Life by Bonnie Fuller.

With Cardi B's trap beats and wild personality, she will be bringing a lot to Hollywood via music and television.

Camila Cabello Camilla Cabello released a single in 2017 called “Havana feat. Yung Thug” which became #1 on the Hot 100 music chart. Since then, she has had all eyes on her.

"I think the song is dope, it's different... It's a different type of collaboration and I really appreciate it as a music lover," said Palomar College basketball player Lavale Coleman.

Camila Cabello started out in the band Fifth Harmony and fans have long awaited her solo album which was released January 12th of the new year.

Cabello had a great response to her album with two songs in the Hot 100.

Cabello has that style and fluidity that can put any group of friends in a good mood. When summer comes around, she is the artist to be listening to.

Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake has made his own way since his days in NSYNC and he is constantly releasing new hits year after year.

People were excited to see Timberlake perform for this year’s halftime show at the Superbowl. He paid a tribute to Prince and even gave a subtle reference to Janet Jackson.

Some critique was thrown at Timberlake for the half time show.

"I thought the half time show was interesting. It was okay. It wasn't the best like previous shows. I guess it's better than the last time Justin Timberlake was on," thinks Diana Turvey, a student at Palomar College.

Timberlake just released his new album “Man in the Woods” which some fans are cautious about be-

cause of the ruggedness it displays which isn't usually seen from him.

Others praise him for the fresh content.

Though Timberlake has been making music since the 90's, he is still supplying listeners with plenty of catchy lyrics and intoxicating songs to keep us jamming through the year.

Rae Morris Rae Morris, 25, is an up and coming artist who is showing a lot of promise. Morris has a dreamy pop voice that pairs beautifully with soft electronic beats in her music.

Morris had released an album in 2015 which gained attention for its weird synths and captivating vocals.

“The first album was very much just myself at the piano – it was predominately acoustic with a few ‘soundscapey’ additions - it was all very ethereal. But this time around I wanted to be a little bit more direct. I wanted every instrument that featured to be very specific and to have a reason to be there and to be quite cutting, sharp, raw and edgy. I think the results are more energetic and electric this time around!” says Rae Morris in an interview conducted by Josh NewisSmith.

Morris’s new album, released this February, uses a pop vibe with the same celestial beats that make you want to float away.

If you like songs that make you feel like the divine being you are, look no further.

Harry Styles Although this artist isn’t necessarily new to the scene, he is making waves as a solo artist.

Harry Styles, formerly of One Direction, released his debut self-titled album last May. The album’s lead single, “Sign of the Times”, reached #12 on the Billboard US Top 40.

Styles also made his screen debut in last summer’s Dunkirk, a period piece taking place during World War II. This summer, Styles is embarking on his first headlining world tour, travelling to the United States, Europe, and Australia, among others. Styles is definitely someone to look out for this year, and could potentially be a force to reckon with.

Logic Many artists choose to have a platform. Whether it be political, social, or economical, they’re all important.

American rapper Logic broke through the scene with his song “1-800-273-8255”, featuring singers Alessia Cara and Khalid. The title of the song is actually the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Line, and spreads mental health awareness into the mainstream music scene.

His third album, Everybody, gained favorable reviews and landed in the #20 spot on the US Billboard 100.

“1-800-273-8255” was also nominated for a Grammy award this year in the area of “Song of the Year”.

Dua Lipa Last summer, English singer Dua Lipa hit the scene, and has proven herself to be a fresh face in the pop music scene.

She released her debut album last June, and the single “New Rules” has gained worldwide attention- and rightfully so. It is equal parts catchy and fun as well as empowering and enjoyable.

Dua Lipa follows in the footsteps of artists like Ariana Grande, P!nk, and even Gwen Stefani, spreading the message of girl power. She is currently touring the United States and Canada. She’s also making a stop in San Diego, and that will be a show you wouldn’t want to miss!

Declan McKenna In 2015, London-based singersongwriter Declan McKenna won Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition. He had previously released his first single, “Brazil”, but wasn’t recognized until late 2015.

Since then, McKenna has released his debut album, What Do You Think About the Car?, which has sent his music into airwaves overseas. Last year, he performed at highly-raved festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza.

McKenna is definitely gaining his spot in the ranks of uprising alternative and indie artists, and this summer, he will be touring the United States as well as the United Kingdom. His upbeat tunes with unique vocals are sure to bring a plethora of new fans in the coming year.

JWILSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM VPRICE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

8 • ART & CULTURE

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

KKSM Radio to attend award ceremony in NYC LEXINGTON HOWE THE TELESCOPE

KKSM—the only radio station in San Diego on the dial that allows DJ’s to pick their own songs, has been nominated for over 9 awards this March in New York City, competing with many other radio stations nationwide.

Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems (IBS) will be hosting the competition.

Zeb Navarro, Station Manager since 2006 and affiliated with the program since 1998, described the impact the students have had on the station over the years.

“We offer something different through our format,” Navarro stated, adding “one hour you might hear hip-hop, the next hour low-rider oldies.” It’s all programmed by the students.

Not only is the station student-run, but they operate on freeform, which allows students to create their own content, ‘Specialty Shows’ and playlists that cover from all genres, without restrictions.

“People are getting tired of the corporate radio, listening to Taylor Swift all day. A lot of our listeners tune in to listen to music they haven’t heard of in a long time,” Navarro said.

Content is created after a student goes through the DBA-130 class, and Navarro says this is

when the fun happens. If students have excelled in the class, they can pitch their content to Navarro, and he works with them in creating 2-3 hour show blocks.

The radio station offers more than just student content. “Col-

artist in San Diego or YouTube, then works with Zeb to bring them in to the studio.

A lot of these students aim to go into commercial radio, and this is a stepping stone. Navarro listens to the student’s demo reels and provides feedback,

sibility of being nominated in their designated categories.

Lydia Arguello, nominated this year for Best Audio Engineer, was the only female this year to be nominated in that category.

“It’s an honor just to be nomi-

Kristina Thomas Dj’s for her third semester at Palomar College radio station KKSM after being nominated for Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) awards. Jennesh Agagas/ The Telescope

lege radio is about discovering artists before they made it big,” Navarro adds.

New artists are brought in by the students. Often times a student hears a new upcoming

pushing them to create better content each time.

As for the nominees, special requirements are given to students in order to present their material to the IBS for the pos-

nated,” Navarro stated, saying that they are often pitched against top 4-year universities.

KKSM won Best Community College Radio Station two separate years, in 2015 and 2017.

They are again up for the award this year in 2018.

Ana Martinez was nominated this year for Best Foreign Language Show, ‘Spanglish con Ana’. This is her first nomination since she started at KKSM two years ago.

Martinez stated when doing the show, “I pretend that I’m talking to someone—sometimes I have it in my head one way, but it comes out on the mic in another. You can’t think to much about it.” She explains that it sounds more genuine this way.

Kristina Thomas, one of the DJ’s nominated for Best One Liner, said that this is the career path for her.

When she first started at Palomar, it was a class assigned to her since she hadn’t been sure of what she wanted to do. Now, she spends hours in the studio, working on her playlists.

“It’s good to have a set group of people around you,” Thomas stated. “We discuss sound, and then we put together music that we believe people want to listen to, from all genres.”

With music, it comes down to energy, Thomas added. “Give as much energy as you can, and then they’ll feel it through the headphones.”

LHOWE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Students showcase original photography SAVHANNA VARGAS THE TELESCOPE

It’s that time of year again where Palomar’s student work has the chance to be put into the public eye.

The Hearth Gallery located inside San Marcos’ community center has been hosting the Enlightened Lens 2018 exhibition since Jan. 12. The show made its first run in The Escondido

Municipal Gallery back in Nov. 2017 and is comprised of student work created within Palomar’s Photography Department.

A reception was held along the community center’s hall on Friday, Feb. 9 where the student photographers’ work is currently being displayed. Besides free food, the event involved the ability to speak to those passionate about photography and gain insight into the images involved in

the gallery.

“It’s an important time for me,” speaks student photographer Colin Waterhouse of his black and white image involving a playful scene of a toy dinosaur, stating “this is my first piece in a gallery.”

Among those who attended to support the students was Andrew Murray, “I think it will serve a purpose of drawing people in and kinda intrigue them

in terms of what happens in the photo department at Palomar.”

Former Palomar College student and professor Rebecca Siminou also attended in support of this year’s photographers.

“I know back in the day when I was student and a teacher we did the shows in multiple places. So, you know, having it in San Marcos for example and then another city like Escondido just kinda you know, spreads the word and

gets more and more people interested.”

Enlightened Lens 2018 will continue to be on display until Feb. 28 and includes a variety of works created using film and digital imaging. New entries for Enlightened Lens 2018/2019 will begin during the Fall 2018 semester.

SVARGAS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Students, teachers and visitors alike show their support for Palomar student photography at Enlightened Lens Exhibit in the Hearth Gallery at San Marcos Civic Center Feb 9. Jennesh Agagas / The Telescope

ART & CULTURE • 9

the-telescope.com

‘Maze Runner’ conclusion fulfills expectations

‘Maze Runner’ / Photo courtesy of Bago Games / Flickr Commons.

SKYLAR MILLER THE TELESCOPE

The long awaited conclusion to the ‘Maze Runner’ trilogy has finally arrived.

‘Maze Runner: The Death Cure’ was released in theaters on Jan. 26, 2018 nationwide. Director Wes Ball gracefully concluded the story of Thomas and his fellow Gladers in their last battle against WCKD (World Catastrophe Kill Zone Department).

In this film Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), Newt (Thomas BrodieSangster) and Frypan (Dexter

Darden) embark on a journey to rescue Minho (Ki Hong Lee), who was captured by WCKD. Running into familiar faces, they get into the last city where WKCD has taken over and has put up walls to keep the non-immune people out of these boarders.

Ball, who directed both the first and second installments of the ‘Maze Runner’ series, elaborately brought the movies from start to finish alongside the writer T.S Nowlin, who wrote the screenplay for all three films.

This series has been fortunate in having the writer and director in all three movies, and this enabled

them to develop the characters and plot of the newest movie more smoothly.

If you take a look at other film franchises, such as ‘Twilight’, there is a different director for each film except the last two. This is because of creative differences between the studio, the producers, and even the author of the book. Ball’s closeness with the actors and the writer allowed for the character development to shine.

In the first movie, Thomas and his fellow Gladers are merely scared teenage boys with no memory of their past lives, only with the memory of their names.

In the second film, ‘The Scorch Trials’, you see how their relationships have grown, and each character’s personality grows a little more as they are faced with different tasks. In this final film you really have a feel for each character’s spirit.

The movie was originally planned to come out Feb. of 2017 but because of an on set injury the production was put on hiatus.

O’Brien was involved in a vehicle accident on set, and was severely injured. Fox then put the production on hold to allow O’Brien to heal, and resumed filming in Feb. of 2017.

‘Maze Runner’ is an action packed, thrill seeking, emotion filled ride from start to end. It was composed by John Paesano, who also created the music for both the first and second movie.

His familiarity with these films helped him conduct his music to match the mood of the scenes.

Like all good movie franchises we hate to see them go, but Ball has ended the series in a gracious way.

The prolonged conclusion to this action packed and gripping series offers viewers a great deal of closure, along with a hint of nostalgia.

SMILLER@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Poshmark provides money for college students BETHANY NASH THE TELESCOPE

Poshmark is a trending application to make money off of the old clothes in your closet.

Posh has created a community for college students known as #PoshOnCampus.

Spring 2018 is the 5th semester for this community.

Students can apply before the start of the college semester to be a Poshmark Representative for the #PoshOnCampus association.

As a college student, it is important to attain as much experience and skills as you can while you’re still in college. As students we are constantly trying to build our resumes in order to help us stand out in a job competitive world.

Pipa Pierce, the Career Center Coordinator stated, “I can’t speak to this specifically because I haven’t researched it and those are things we would do to make sure they line up with what we want for our Palomar students. But, any type of

experience in the field that you are going into, certainly would be beneficial for your end game of getting employment as soon as you graduate.”

What is #PoshOnCampus?

According to the Poshmark blog, #PoshOnCampus is a community designed

by Poshmark to give college students real life marketing experience in the fashion community as well as in social media platforms.

What is a Poshmark Representative?

A Poshmark representative is a Poshmark user that builds a Posh community on their campus. Poshmark lists the responsibilities on their blog as follows: 1) Recruit new Poshmark users 2) Host fashioned themed parties on your campus

Illustration by Maurice Thomas / The Telescope

3) Organize listing parties 4) Market the app on social media and host online Posh parties Reps work to represent the fashion community on their campus and help students to create their very own fashion boutique with the potential of building an

income from it.

Poshmark donated 500 dollars this year to three associations of choice from three Poshmark Reps with outstanding achievements.

One of the students is 23 year old, California State University of Long Beach (CSULB) student, Manal Saad.

Saad is studying for her Masters in mathematics.

She began using Poshmark to get rid of a few old things in her closet.

She realized that she could use her skills in numbers to build a business and has begun to use Poshmark as a way of income.

“When I first started I was just selling things from my closet, so things that I maybe used a couple times and are kind of new and didn’t know what to do with them. After I sold a couple things...I started buying some new stuff that was maybe on sale at stores such as Marshalls, TJMax, or Macy’s...and it kind of took

off from there,” said Saad.

How does #PoshOnCampus benefit you as a student?

“I have been a #PoshOnCampus rep for three semesters now and I have met a bunch of different students on campus that I didn’t know were Poshmark users. We hosted a couple meet and greets at coffee shops. We just help each other out to become a better seller,” explained Saad.

If you are interested in becoming a #PoshOnCampus Ambassador, all you need is to be a Poshmark user attending a college or university in the U.S. Apply by filling out the application on the Poshmark website and submit an essay on what Posh means to you and why you would like to represent #PoshOnCampus at your college.

BNASH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

10 • SPORTS

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

Women's tennis coach saves team on the 11th hour Tennis balls are scattered across the open tennis court on Palomar's main campus at the tennis court. Cameron Niven/ The Telescope

BETHANY NASH THE TELESCOPE

The day before their first meet the women's tennis team was able to salvage a fourth player to complete their team.

The struggle was real for Women's Tennis Head Coach, Carly de Anda. She couldn't seem to find one more woman to join the team, which put the women's tennis team on the edge to whether or not

Palomar would have a team this season.

"It's unfortunate, cause right now I got such great players with a lot of skill and a lot of hard work and that's all gunna be for nothing."

De Anda discussed the jeopardy the women's tennis team was facing this season.

Only three women were on the team as of Feb. 7 and four women are required in order to compete in

MEN'S SWIMMING

KRISTA MOORE, MONICA NAVARRETE

KMOORE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

M O

A

build the women's tennis team.

"We fully expect to field a women's team next year," stated Cathcart then.

By 2017 the athletic department had done just that, and the women's team was back in league.

Now, as the 2018 season begins the shadow hits again with another season and a short roster.

"That's been a problem since I was here [ at Palomar], 10 years ago almost now, and its still a

D WOMEN'S N A S EN WATERMAN FESTIVAL RELAY

WI M

Jordan Heimback

Tristin D'Ambrosi

won the Women's 100-

won the Men's 1,000-Yard

Yard Butterfly

Freestyle

Palomar’s men and women's swim teams meet for practice Feb. 8. Taylor Hardey/The Telescope

Madalyn Johnson practicing her butterfly stroke during swim practice Feb 8. Taylor Hardey / The Telescope

problem getting female athletes out here who want to compete and play," Coach de Anda said.

Coach de Anda commented her sigh of relief and excitement, explaining that she was able to pull a fourth player 20 minutes before the interview with the Telescope.

"We came in at the last hour, it's great, it's really great. I'm excited," said de Anda.

BNASH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

WOMEN'S SWIMMING

TE

M A

Palomar Comets head into new swim season with new and promising talent.

Palomar’s Men’s swimming team is once again ready to impress at the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference(PCAC) this coming April. From there those who place high enough will move on to the State Championship.

Head Coach Jem McAdams, alongside Assistant Coach Scott Lawson, have started sculpting the team into shape with intense core workouts and basic technique workouts to sharpen their skills in the water.

Coach McAdams said," They do a mixture of land and water workouts to strengthen their core as well as their strokes."

Coach McAdams is excited for returning swimmer Dylan Van Horn, and newcomer Toby Fast to start training.

Toby Fast said, "I hope to place at state. Top ten!"

Van Horn is a returning swimmer who swims the 400 IM( Individual Medley Relay) and the 50 freestyle. Last year he placed third at the Pacific Coast Conference last year and is looking to take it a step further and place at state in the 400 medley race.

"I'm not really changing anything ,just trying to take a more explosive approach," said Van Horn when asked about his training.

Both Van Horn and Fast are both coming off of a great water polo season and are eager to build on their success in the water.

With core workouts and intense underwater drills the two boys along with the rest of the team will be ready to compete in no time.w

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the league.

"In order to be eligible you need four, to even compete in the program, in the sport, in the league.

But six is a full line up. You got three doubles and three singles players," stated Coach de Anda.

Palomar College was out for a women's tennis team season back in 2016 when only one player was signed up on the roster. In a previous The Telescope article, Scott Cathcart discussed the need to

The Palomar Women’s Swim Team dominated at their last State Conference and are hoping for another victory for this upcoming season.

According to Head Coach Jem McAdams a unique season seems to be under the radar as there are more girls with various levels of talent coming into the pool.

“We coach them no matter how many girls there are but we focus on enjoying the process with them, It’s nice to see them grow individually and as a team--Most of them are first year swimmers meaning they have never swam at a collegiate level,” McAdams explained.

The newest addition to the Comets this season is Violet Stewart. "We definitely brought her in as a freestyler, that’s going to be the strength of us this year," Head Coach McAdams said.

As for the team’s strengths , three girls are under the watch as they are returning after placing high at the past CCAA State Championship.

Sydney Thomas , Jordann Heimback and Rebekah Blackburn are the excitement for the coaches and the fear of those that want to test their skills.

“Each individual has personal goals in swim but swimming faster than they have before in their lives is the goal for the conference championship,” McAdams said. “Not everyone is capable of being fast for state but there are some this season,” he added.

Assistant coaches Kody Moffat and Scott Lawson assure the athletes receive intense workouts to achieve physical strength. “ We train all year for this but they are on top of how hard they train," McAdams said.

“Usually eligibility paperwork and sickness are the obstacles,” McAdams chuckled. “I’ve had some athletes train all year then get “Mono”--it’s just something we want to avoid before championship.”

The 2018 Women’s Swim team is ready to set records at their upcoming championships.

MNAVARRETE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

SPORTS • 11

the-telescope.com

Basketball charity game raises funds ASHLEY MAGDALENO THE TELESCOPE

Comets’ Men and Women’s Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) basketball doubleheader on Jan. 26 at The Dome was not only a victory for the teams, but for the American Cancer Society as well.

For the past six years, Comets’ basketball holds a doubleheader donating all gate proceeds to the American Cancer Society. This fundraiser is part of a joint statewide effort initiated by the California Community College Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coaches Associations. Although the exact amount raised is not known as of press, men’s head basketball Coach John O’Neil estimates they raised roughly $400—the same as last year.

This year, the Comets took on the College of the Desert Roadrunners. The men’s team started the doubleheader winning 8370, following another victory for the lady Comets 94-28.

Women’s head basketball Coach Leigh Marshall said that playing for a cause was an amazing opportunity for the team.

“A lot of these girls have been touched by cancer in their families," Marshall said. "It’s important for the girls to always give back to the community.”

Guard/Forward Quinesha Vanhook tried to raise as much funds as possible for the event. “[I] used popularity of our basketball team to bring awareness," Vanhook said. "The more people we bring in for [the game], more money we make for the awareness.”

The women’s basketball team is currently ranked No. 1 in the state. “We worked really hard that game, we made sure we bounced back from previous games," said Guard/Forward Monica Todd. "Came back and got a win.”

The California Community College Men and Women's Basketball Coaches Associations will be giving the donations from the doubleheader along with similar fundraisers throughout the state for cancer research, at the state championship games, scheduled for Sunday, March 11 at Ventura College.

AMAGDALENO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Above: Palomar basketball player Nia De La Pena-Thompson, 32, attempts to make a basket.

Aubree Wiedmaier/The Telescope Right: Comets player, Andrea Laurent, protects the ball from MSJC on Feb 2. Laurent scored 12 points overall for the team. Taylor Hardey/The Telescope

Palomar Track and Field finds new training facility TAYLOR MACKAY THE TELESCOPE

Palomar's Track and Field team, the Comets, are gearing up for a successful season.

The Comets will begin their seasons’ training at an unfamiliar training field located at Escondido High School.

Although it’s not their usual training facility, Coach Sonia Rodriguez has positive feelings about the change.

Coach Rodriguez stated, “We are very grateful to be able to use the Escondido facility. We are able to utilize the equipment, throwing fields, and of course all the weather track. We have been adjusting to our new evening schedule”.

Along with a new training location, the Comets have 6 new members coming in as freshman, one being Astrid Sanchez.

Sanchez has been running since her freshman year of high

school, this season being her 5th season competing.

Sanchez stated, “I’m excited about being able to experience Track and Field as a college student and being able to race against new people,” When asked about her personal goals her response was, “To improve my time in the 800 meter run and eventually run a good enough time to make it to state”.

Hannah Lopez, a returned Comet, "is our top distance runner who competed at the State Championships this last cross country season", stated Coach Rodriguez.

Lopez ran one year in high school, but has been running Cross Country for three years.

Lopez stated, "I am looking forward to going to state in Bakersfield, CA because I am from there."

Coach Rodriguez also shared, "Betsabe Reyes is our only returner from last year's track team

Palomar runners Hannah Lopez and Astrid Sanchez training at Escondido High School on Feb. 13 Seji Gaerlan/The Telescope

and will be a key contributor to our team."

The team is in good spirits for the season and Sanchez commented, "The team coaches make

it all workout and teammates make it all enjoyable!".

If you want to see the Comets in action, meets will be located in San Diego, Norwalk, Fullerton,

Costa Mesa and San Bernardino, as well as State Championships in Bakersfield.

TMACKAY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

12 • SPORTS

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018

America’s favorite pastime is back, and the Palomar Comets are making the best of it LINUS SMITH THE TELESCOPE

Palomar men’s baseball team is coming into the 2018 season with athletic dominance on their minds.

The Palomar Comets are currently ranked 3rd in their division (Pacific Coast Athletic), with a record of 7 wins and 3 losses, as of press time. The two teams ahead of them are San Diego City, with a 5-2 record, and SouthWestern with 8-2.

As of press time, they are set to play against Orange Coast on Feb. 16. Earlier on in the season when the Comets played against them, they won a 5-1 victory. They are also set to play against Glendale the day following.

As a team, the Comets collectively have a batting average of .294, with an on base percentage of .304. They have 28 doubles, five tripled and two home-runs, earning a total of 66 runs. On the mound, they have 82 strikeouts, and have given up 37 runs.

Their next home game will be at 2 p.m. on Feb. 22, against Pasadena City.

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LSMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

RYAN SEMON #13 Height: Weight: Bats/Throws: Hometown: Position: Appearences:

6’ 1” 175 pounds Left Valley Center, Calif.

Pitcher 5 Losses: 0

Wins: 0 Innings Pitched: 11.1

Saves:1

Strikeouts: 14 Earned Run Average: 5:56

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TRISTIAN KING #37 Height: Weight: Bats/Throws: Hometown: Position: Games Played: Hits:12 Home Runs: 0

6’ 4” 225 pounds Right Boise, ID Catcher 9

Doubles: 3 Strikeouts: 0

At Bats: 28

Batting Average: .429

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CONOR MCKENNA #9 Height: Weight: Bats/Throws: Hometown: Position: Games Played: Hits:12 Home Runs: 0

Final: A: W, 6-4 H: W, 2-1

6’ 1” 200 pounds Right Carlsbad, Calif.

Infield 9 Doubles: 6 Strikeouts: 6

At Bats: 30

Batting Average: .400w

STATS Final: H: L, 4-3

Final: N: W, 9-5

Final: N: L, 4-0

Palomar baseball team plays Orange Coast during their home game on Feb. 7. Eddie Hoffman/ The Telescope Final: H: W, 13-3

Final: 1: W, 5-1

Final: A: W, 4-4 H: W, 10-7