The Telescope 71.07

Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper

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Vol. 71, No. 7 • Monday, March 5, 2018 STORY ON PAGE 3

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Palomar students. (from left to right) Grace Arnold, Sharia Lazo, Kim Thai, Jada Onwuta, Sam Andrade, Kristen Eyrd. Photos by Cameron Niven, Graphic by Maruice Thomas / The Telescope

Palomar student dies in motorcycle accident “A light in our shining community,” remembering Palomar Student Erick Garcia LEXINGTON HOWE THE TELESCOPE

Palomar student Erick Garcia died in a motorcycle accident in Temecula on Feb. 2. He was 21-years-old, and would have turned 22 Feb. 11.

Garcia was an engineering and physics major, and an active student in the department.

Daniel Finkenthal, professor and chair of the department, spoke highly of Garcia. “Erick was an exceptionally engaging, optimistic, and conscientious young man. He had a profound effect on the students he shared space with and was a joy to have in class. We are all mourning the loss of this shining light in our community.”

Garcia was active outside school as well, being an instructor with a 2nd degree blackbelt in Krav Maga, a snowboarder, motorcyclist, and parkour enthusiast.

He was also involved with the Hikers and Backpackers’ Club on campus.

Photo of Erick Garcia courtesy of the Garcia family.

Vice President of the Hikers and Backpackers’ Club Steven Parker, knew Garcia as a friend, fellow motorcyclist and lab partner in class. “I was extremely privileged to have gotten to know him over the past couple years; he would be one of the people you still talk to years later, and I am deeply saddened by his passing.”

There are certain classes and groups of students that stay with you throughout the years.

This is one of them.

GINA SANDERS • MATH PROFESSOR

Parker also stated that Garcia was very involved in his work at Palomar, always taking time to help others. Within the department, Parker said, “The engineering and physics students at Palomar are a tight-knit family, and Erick was at the center of that family.”

The advisor of the Hikers and Backpackers’ Club, assistant professor of mathematics Gina Sanders remembers Garcia crashing her Calculus 3 class last semester. The class had been full, but she had given him a spot.

“There are certain classes and groups of students that stay

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with you through out the years.

This is one of them,” Sanders added. Garcia tended to be involved with the other students, keeping an upbeat attitude.

“The students in this class were very close and Erick was an integral part of that.”

Chris Hopp, ASG President, spoke on behalf of Garcia, who is also in the same department as he was. Hopp said Garcia was well liked, and ASG has been asked by fellow students and friends of Garcia’s to start a program in which students could be memorialized on campus.

While this is a new idea, Hopp and other ASG members have discussed the possibility of something permanent. “We have students that pass away from time to time, which unfortunately happens, and we’re looking for ways to come up with ideas to address this sort of event in the future, “ Hopp said.

Hopp hasn’t had contact with the Garcia family, but looking forward, anything planned for the students would need to be given permission by the family.

Hopp wants to make sure the family or friends of the student is afforded the opportunity of memorialization if they request it in the future. He said everyone deserves to be remembered, and ASG has discussed the possibility of a bench, wall, or even a plaque in memorializing the student.

Hopp wants something in place that, if this happens again, there is a process that family members or students can go through to memorialize them.

“Erick was a good guy,” Hopp added. “He will be missed.”

LHOWE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

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Erick Garcia performing parkour. Photo Courtesy of Jimmy Davidson

Student walkout planned for March 14 ASG approached by student walkout advocate KYLIE STEARNS, LINUS SMITH THE TELESCOPE

At the Associated Student Government (ASG) meeting on Feb. 23, a Palomar College student approached the ASG asking them to send a mass email to the student body to notify them of a national classroom walkout.

The walkout is a result of the recent school shooting in Florida.

Valentine’s Day was a difficult day for students at Marjory Stonewall Douglas High as they heard gunshots. By the time the shooting was over and the gunman, Nikolas Cruz, had been arrested, 17 were dead and many more tears spilled as parents embraced the survivors

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at a nearby Marriott.

Following the shooting, students of Stonewall took to Twitter to barrage President Donald Trump about what he could be doing to stop shootings in the future.

Assault rifle regulations have been pushed in Florida as of late, and the funding of the NRA behind several political candidates.

“I think it’s important for students to participate because we are the future, we are the next generation that’s gonna be taking up this country,” Brennen Lisenbe, who is the student that approached the ASG said. “It’s important that we get our students involved because we are going to be the ones soon making the decisions.”

JUMP TO WALKOUT PAGE 3

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2 • NEWS

Monday, March 5, 2018

n BRIEFLY n PALOMAR HUB TO OPEN SAN MARCOS --- Palomar College’s one-stop shop to gain access to essential resources is coming to the San Marcos campus.

Located by the new Food Bank, officials from the Student Affairs office are replacing the old Veterans Resource Center with the new Palomar Hub. In room SU-22, the space will be transformed into a welcoming living room area for students to have access to a variety of resources to meet their basic needs.

As an extension to the food bank and nutrition center, its purpose is to provide a helping hand for food insecure students. In a recent report, more two-thirds of 33,000 students across 70 community colleges in 24 states were food insecure. The purpose of the Hub is to change the system by increasing accessibility to nutritious food, stable housing, financial wellness, and emotional sup-

port. In many cases, students who are food insecure may also experience other insecurities, such as homelessness, domestic abuse or trauma.

With the new Hub, students facing any issue other than food insecurities will be supported by professional staff members, lead interns, or peer mentors. The Hub will give students a chance to meet with their Calfresh representative to find out if they could be eligible for EBT. While this is only the start of what to expect from the new Hub, officials say it will always be evolving to become whatever safe space it can be for students. It will be based on students serving students to give them the essential resources required to help them thrive as human beings. The new Palomar Hub is expected to be unveiled in March.

—Jennesh Agagas

CLUB RUSH HELD

Students walking through the SU-Quad during the Club Rush event on Feb. 14. Club Rush is a semesterly event which gives the opportunity for clubs to meet and recruit members of the student body. Andrew Meer / The Telescope

ADMINISTRATION GOES TO D.C. WASHINGTON --- The Palomar College administration joined over 1,000 other Community College leaders earlier this month at the Community College National Legislative Summit in Washington D.C. The delegation, consisting of Superintendent Dr. Joi Lin Blake and three Governing Board members, advocated for fixing issues existing within the Higher Education Act, which has yet to be reauthorized since its expiration at the end of 2013.

Among the legislation that Palomar’s administrators went to lend their voice on was the new Prosper Act, which is expected to create a massive overhaul of the federal student financial programs.

Currently, the Trump administration is intending to roll-back Obama era regulations and end the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which erases debt, after 10 years, for those who enter public service. Proposed within the Prosper Act is the ONE Loan Program, which would subtract the number of payment options from the current nine to two.

The Stafford loan program would also be eliminated by the Prosper Act, which would result in loans designed for students in financial need accruing interest while the student is still in school. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill within this fiscal year.

—Keanu Marble-Smith

HIRING EVENTS FOR STUDENTS SAN MARCOS --- Palomar College will be hosting hiring events throughout the month of March at the Career Center, located at SU-17.

Brookdale Senior living will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. They are looking for full and part-time caregivers, cooks and LVN’s( Licensed Practical Nurse).

Also stopping by this month is Children’s Paradise Inc. from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. on March 6.

They are looking to hire Instructional Assistants, and lead teachers.

In addition, Legoland will be at Palomar on March 20 and 27.

FACULTY SENATE MEETING

Faculty Senate discuss the pros and cons regarding online education, and how it will affect ground courses. Andrew Meer / The Telescope

They are looking for team members in Admissions, Food and beverage, as well as Sea Life and the Water Park.

Aflac will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 8.

They have internships available, and are also seeking benefit consultants. They have training opportunities and are looking for students regardless of their major.

Free coffee will be available to all students that stop by. For more information contact Pippa Pierce at ppierce@palomar.edu or you can call her at (760)7441150 ext.3125.

—Jenna Wilson

TEACHING & LEARNING CENTER ESCONDIDO --- The Escondido Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) will be hosting free workshops for your essay.

It will go over how to write persuasive essay from 3 to 4 p.m. on March 7. There will be another workshop about how to use the library databases for your research from noon to 1 p.m. on March 12. Both workshops will be held at the TLC Escondido Campus in Room 500B, which is next to the library and at the southwest corner of parking lot one.

To reserve a seat, you need to email the TLC at EscondidoTLC@palomar.edu with your full name, email address, student number, and telephone number.

For more information, visit https://www2.palomar.edu/ pages/tlc-esc/.

—Momoko Watarai

ASG CONSTITUTION SAN MARCOS --- For the first time in over a decade, the ASG is overhauling their constitution. The student government constitutional convention is a last look at all bylaws and policies before putting the changes on the upcoming ballot in April. The last time this was done was in 2006. The meeting will be from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday March 9 in SU-204.

New positions will be added to the board going from 23 to 35 potential members with 6 new executive positions, 4 new senator positions and 2 new delegate positions. Delegates will also get an advisory vote to better voice their opinions.

A new term limit termination date will occur at the beginning of the academic year, which interfere with current board members and end their terms sooner than previously expected. Students at the ASG election late next month will vote on the new constitution.

No experience is required to run for any ASG position and all students are welcome to attend the March 9 convention.

—Pat Hartley

THIS DAY IN HISTORY 363 Roman Emperor, Julian, marched onto the Sassanid Empire from Antioch with an army of 90,000, in a military campaign that would lead to his death.

NEWS • 3

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Women's Press for Progress in March BROOKE REOTUTAR THE TELESCOPE

Continuing a tradition over a century old, people worldwide will celebrate International Women’s Day with a new modern-day campaign, ‘Press for Progress.’

International Women’s Day on March 8 is a global celebration of women’s achievements and social, economic, cultural and political advancements.

Throughout the month of March, Women’s History Month, Palomar will offer several ways to engage with the movement and teach students, faculty and staff about women’s progress throughout history. Learn about women leaders on campus and how they contribute to the Press for Progress movement: Women in History Catherine Christensen Gwin, PhD, professor of U.S. History and Women’s History at Palomar College, focuses on providing a holistic and comprehensive picture

of America’s past. A professor of 13 years, Dr. Gwin’s research examined the politics of gender and sexuality at U.S borders in the early twentieth century and analyzed the history of local women in San Diego.

Dr. Gwin said while she’s noticed progress in regards to including women in the historical narrative, students should remain cognizant while reading textbook materials.

“When I pick up textbooks now, I see a lot more written from women’s experiences. Although, a lot of these textbooks are still somewhat limiting,” Gwin said.

As an advocate for Press for Progress, Dr. Gwin is also a part of the planning committee that hosts events for International Women’s Day at Palomar.

Through her curriculum and external involvement, Dr. Gwin hopes to instill a sense of pride in her students for all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds.

“I want my students to realize that just because textbooks may not yet cover their ancestral role

History Professor Catherine Christensen Gwin Savhanna Vargas/ The Telescope

in society, doesn’t mean they were not instrumental in shaping it,” Gwin said. “I want all students to know they are a part of the story and have the power to change it.”

International Women’s Day events will take place March 1922. To find out more, contact Catherine Christensen Gwin at cchristensengwin@palomar.edu Women in Technology The number of women in computer science is dwindling according to the National Center for Women and Computer Science, but a new club at Palomar is working to combat that. Palomar Women in Computer Science (PWICS), founded at the beginning of the semester, is Palomar’s first club dedicated to furthering the educational and career goals of women in the industry.

Hanna Rumpler, computer science major at Palomar, was instrumental in establishing the club and helping their numbers grow larger than their original three members.

“The club started off as three people. We won the Women’s Hackathon at CSUSM (California State University San Marcos) in 2017 after creating a mobile app. From there, we got excited and decided to create a club on campus,” Rumpler said.

Rumpler stated that the women of WICS feel excited to be considered pioneers on campus and claim people should not be intimidated to learn computer science skills.

“There are endless resources on the internet that teach basic programming concepts and syntaxes, it’s easier to learn outside of a classroom now,” Rumpler said.

The founders anticipate the club size will increase and encourage more students, women and men, to join the force.

Rumpler declared, “I’d like to inspire others to become developers and programmers. It’s something that I love and it’s a passion I can share.”

To learn more about WICS,

Regina Rains rehearses for Sisters in the System. Brooke Reotutar / The Telescope

follow them on Instagram @PalomarWICS or email palomarwics@ gmail.com Women in Theatre Palomar alum, Ingrid Travao, goes against the grain as a female director leading an upcoming play capturing the struggles of two young women in foster care navigating the juvenile court system.

‘Sisters in the System,’ by female writer Tori Rice, is commissioned by a nonprofit arts advocacy group, Playwrights Project, produced by CSUSM theater and performed by Palomar students.

Although the play is fictional, the script is based on real people and true events to shed light on issues children face in the foster care system.

“This play is a vessel to create opportunity for dialogue and community engagement, because not everyone knows the struggles foster youth experience,” Travao said.

‘Sisters in the System’ is sponsored by ACE Scholar Services,

a program that supports former foster youth at CSUSM. Travo explained that the play’s purpose is twofold. While it spreads awareness about the hardships of foster youth, it will also be performed in honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

“Let’s talk about how hard it is to be a woman artist. Even though we have a voice and there has been progress, we are not always acknowledged,” Travao said.

In an effort to engage with the community, an open discussion will be held after the play to give audience members the opportunity to talk to foster youth and learn how to get involved in the system.

“It’s extremely rewarding to tie my art with social injustice issues around me,” Travao said. “Sisters in the System is a gift because we have the opportunity to connect with an important part of history.”

‘Sisters in the System’ will show at 3:30 p.m. on March 22 at the Palomar College theatre. For information, contact Ingrid Travao at emailgeenow@gmail.com BREOTUTAR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Seventeen minutes of silence in honor of fallen students - WALKOUT JUMPED FROM PAGE 1 The walkout will take place for 17 minutes, one for each life lost in the school shooting, on the one month anniversary of the Parkland shooting, at 10 a.m. on March 14.

When the issue was brought to the ASG, the board appeared willing to send an email, however, they would express that there might be possible ramifications should students disturb other classmates, or step out during lecture.

That said, it is up to individual faculty members whether they will permit their students to participate in the walkout during their class times, without consequences.

Travis Ritt, a history professor at Palomar College said that he will be participating in the event in his own way within his classroom. “I’m going to stop teaching at 10 o’clock for the 17 minutes. I’ve already in-

formed my class of my reasonings of why,” Ritt said.

Ritt will not be exiting his classroom due to a contractual obligation that he remain inside during lecture time. However, although he has not encouraged his students to participate in the walkout, he does not intend to take any action against those who do.

There are those who intend to spend the 17 minutes in a similar way to Professor Ritt, sitting in silence in honor of the lives lost. However, many will also be taking the 17 minutes as an opportunity to lobby for gun reform, and against another element to the issues brought forward from the shooting, President Trump’s calling for teachers to be armed with guns.

The proposal goes against the call of Stonewall students vying for

more restrictions in the process to purchasing a firearm.

“Personally I think that is a bad idea,” Lisenbe said. “I don’t think it is a smart idea for the proposal to be thrown out there that teachers, the ones that are supposed to be teaching us, to be also protecting us as a police officer should.”

Ritt echoed this sentiment expressing that with the exception of trained law enforcement, there is no place armed individuals on a college campus. “If guns were allowed on this campus, I’d quit my job, find something else to do,” Ritt said.

Both Lisenbe and Ritt voiced their opinion regarding the access to guns in the U.S. as well. Neither one believed that the rights to bear firearms superseded the right to life.

The walkout is not the only thing to come as a result from the school

shooting. Police Chief Chris Moore also attended the ASG meeting to outline what the protocol would be in the event of a shooting at Palomar.

In an email, Chief Moore said that the department will be hiring three new officers, one for San Marcos campus, and one more for each the North and South education centers. In total the San Marcos campus will have seven armed officers employed.

In addition, the department intends on introducing new trainings.

“We are working with several instructors … to incorporate training on a more formalized level with faculty and staff in the Fall,” Moore said.

In the case of an active shooter on campus, Chief Moore recommends employing the Run-HideDefend method. “Run-Hide-Defend

are concepts to enhance your survival,” Moore said.

“Run means get away from the danger if possible. This could be running off campus or to a secure building, which can be locked. Hide relates to concealing yourself, shutting off lights in a classroom and pushing desks against the door and locking the door. Defend requires a mental mindset of survival and using objects or brute force to neutralize a suspect if he were to enter a room that is not protected.”

For more information on how to handle an active shooter event, you can visit the Palomar Police website at https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/ police/palomar-college-police-department/ KSTEARNS@THE_TELESCOPE.COM LSMITH@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

4 • ARTS & CULTURE

Monday, March 5, 2018

Chinese New Year Fair dances into San Diego SAVHANNA VARGAS THE TELESCOPE

Lions, dogs, and dragons danced this past month in San Diego for the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Every year celebrations across the world take place surrounding the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar year and lasts for two weeks. Worldwide it has commonly come to be known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival.

Chinese New Year goes for two weeks, and officially started Feb 16. The city of San Diego has been no exception, with multiple events culminating into a two-day celebration with the 36th annual

San Diego Chinese New Year Fair.

The celebration took place Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and comprises of one main stage on 3rd street and a children’s stage on J street.

One of the highlights of the main stage events were both northern style Lucky Lion Dancers and southern style Southern Sea Kung Seng Keng Lion & Dragon Dance Association dancers who each danced the full length of the fair multiple times.

In the morning before, the Lucky Lion Dancers began their procession. Wayne Huey of Red Panda Acrobat performed on the main stage demonstrating barrel squeezing, juggling, and balancing acts.

“Like any other culture it’s talk-

ing about its traditions, its culture, and what we do in the Asian community. This is what it’s all about,” Huey spoke in regards to what the attendees could learn from Chinese New Year, ”so that to me is really important to share with people from all walks of life.”

Blue and white pop-up tents offered a variety of food vendors where Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese food could be found. The merchandise found at the event also offered a myriad of cultural goods and even included a vendor where you could buy outfits for your pets to wear to ring in the new year.

Amongst the booths available was the San Diego Police Depart-

ment whose command staff came out to participate in the opening ceremony. “It’s a good for the community to see the police officers are involved and we care and people can come up and ask us questions,“ spoke Police Sergeant Johnathan Lowe who stood at the booth, “San Diego Police Department is very community oriented in terms of the community oriented policing model.”

Lowe is also half Chinese and part of one of the lion dance groups that performed during the fair.

“That’s just part of my heritage personally so I like working the event because it means something to me and my family, and I just like interacting with people all the time.”

The takeaway was positive for attendee Patricia Penner, “I would say joy in celebrating the new year and seeing how a culture expresses their joy for the new year and I think that’s what I feel.”

One of the common themes for the San Diego Chinese New Year fair was diversity seen through the eyes of not only performers like Wayne Huey or such as Johnathan Lowe but attendees such as Penner “a lot of diversity here, different people different backgrounds coming together and enjoying this. I love it, I love it.”

SVARGAS@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Lucky Lion Dancers parade through downtown San Diego in celebration of the Chinese New Year Fair Feb 24. Jennesh Agagas / The Telescope

A celebration of Vietnamese culture LEXINGTON HOWE THE TELESCOPE

The Vietnamese Tet Festival was filled with life as all ages joined in celebrating their cultural traditions.

The festival runs annually from Feb. 16 - 18 at Mira Mesa Community Park in San Diego. It explores cultural aspects of everyday life which includes entertainment, traditional dances, a myriad of different foods and the history surrounding Vietnamese culture.

The Legendary Lion Dance is a much beloved Vietnamese tradition, and is done every year as a symbol of bringing joy and happiness. Over the three-day festival, this dance is done six times to reiterate the expelling of negative forces and blessing the new year with prosperity.

This festival is a way to remind Vietnamese culture of their traditions, and to bring back a time that was much different than it is today.

Vina Vo and Andrew Tran,

Director and Co-Director, both statement regarding her win: itage. No matter how different thanked the community in their “I want to show everyone that your name may be, you should be ceremony pamphlet for the being Vietnamese is beautiful. proud of it because that is what amazing support they receive You don’t have to speak a lot of your parents gave you, and it deeach year, stating “we would like Vietnamese, or understand that fines who you are.” to thank our handful of com- much because it is beautiful to be Tradition is just as important mittee chairs, the 200-plus vol- proud and confident of your her- as cultural history. Each year, a unteers, the different animal advisors, the steps forward as numerous a sign of luck and sponsors, the fortune for the local leadyear. As the legers, the perend goes, 12 aniformers and mals represented the festival the guards put in attendees. place by the Jade We are ever Emperor, as well grateful for as each individuyour supal on earth. The port.” way to get into The festiheaven depended val also stages on your animal an annual and the characpageant, and teristics associthis year’s ated with it.

Miss Vietnam 2018 is the was Diana The San Diego Vietnamese Tet Festival on Feb. 17. Lexington Howe / The Telescope Year of the Dog, Pham. She said which represents in an online someone of loyal

character, smart and willing to help others - but can also be stubborn and lazy. The dog is one of the last few to have entered heaven’s gates, but nonetheless is important in being a symbol of luck in Vietnamese culture.

The Vietnamese-American Youth Alliance (VAYA) as well as The Vietnamese Federation of San Diego (VFSD) both work to sustain and grow youth and adults within San Diego to provide cultural awareness. This festival is a way to do that.

VAYA President Khoi Tran and VFSD President Peter Pham reiterate this within this year’s ceremonial pamphlet. Tran added, “We organize projects to challenge youths in exploring their potentials, take on leadership roles and to direct their individual talents toward making a positive difference in the community.”

LHOWE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

ARTS & CULTURE • 5

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Nickelodeon legend retires after 20 years and begins new projects GEHRIG ROSEN THE TELESCOPE

Illustration by AmerAzmiRohazam / Wiki Commons

‘Annihilation’ a cinematic ride EVAN MONROE THE TELESCOPE

What would happen if two worlds collided?

Writer and director Alex Garland answers this question in his mind bending and thought provoking film.

“Annihilation” follows a group of scientists who are sent to explore a mysterious extraterrestrial field known as “The Shimmer”. Once inside, the team attempts to learn more about what is causing the strange event.

Science fiction movies rarely explore concepts as thought provoking as “Annihilation” does. Alex Garland directs this film with marvelous beauty which calls back to films like Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

If you pay attention early on in the film, you will notice excellent examples of foreshadowing. Visual hints such as a glass of water and a sliding door indicate certain events in the film. The cinematography

by Rob Hardy paints a beautiful picture with several still shots that seem like a work of art.

The set design and CGI effects used in this film are breath taking. While “The Shimmer” is depicted somewhat ominously, there are moments where the beauty of the strange place is exhibited. The location in this film is meticulously well constructed and a truly unforgettable experience.

Natalie Portman plays a biologist and former soldier named Lana. There has been some controversy surrounding Portman’s casting. Many have deemed it whitewashing due to Lana’s character being an Asian American in the novel the film is based on.

In the novel however, no character is mentioned by name. It isn’t until the sequel that Lana’s race is addressed.

Alex Garland claimed that he

hadn’t read the sequel when he began work on the film.

Whether or not Natalie Portman was the right casting choice, she gives a deeply personal and emotionally realistic performance.

The supporting cast including Jennifer Jason Leigh and Oscar Isaac give quiet and mesmerizing performances. Unfortunately, three out of the five members of the team come off as generic. The stories of these three characters are explained mainly through expositional dialogue rather than personal moments.

However, what makes “Annihilation” an unforgettable ex perience is not the characters.

It is the world that is explored and the questions about evolution and new meaning. While many may find the ending of this film confusing, it chooses not to follow the framework of typical science fiction action films.

The musical score by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury is a highly unconventional score for a science fiction film. The score utilizes acoustic guitar for the film’s quiet moments.

But when the action sequences arrive, the music becomes tense and epic in scale.

Like Garland’s previous film “Ex Machina”, “Annihilation” does not follow the conventional structure for a science fiction film. While the supporting characters in the film are not very memorable, this is a film driven by its challenging questions and direction.

The film has smooth direction, artistically beautiful cinematography, a unique musical score, excellent main performances, and a nuanced ending for this film. “Annihilation” is a stunningly well constructed film that will go down in history as one of the most unique science fiction films of the year.

EMONROE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Danny Phantom and Timmy Turner are retiring from Nickelodeon.

Well not exactly the fictional characters, but the cartoonist/ creator, Butch Hartman, has left Nickelodeon after 20 years with the company. Hartman’s most memorable creations are “The Fairly Odd Parents” and “Danny Phantom.” “Fairly Odd Parents” ran for a total of 10 seasons and despite great feedback from viewers, “Danny Phantom” only ran for 3 seasons.

Hartman’s reasons for leaving isn’t because of mistreatment or anything along the lines of what you’re lead to believe.

In a video from his Youtube channel, he describes his reason for leaving by stating that he “just knew it was time.” He then goes on to say “There’s things you have to do in life that are beneficial to you, beneficial to your family.”

Although his time with Nickelodeon has come to an end, his careers and passions have not.

When asked about the future of Butch Hartman, his response was “I just love doing what I do. I’m still going to be making animations.”

As it turns out, he will still be creating content maybe even more so than before. He is currently signed with a brand new kids entertainment company called pocket.watch. He plans to work with and create new content with this company but can’t tell us much yet. He stated, “I have a lot of projects I’m working on right now, but I’m under contract.”

Besides working for the new company, he will also be creating new content for his two YouTube channels and his cartoon app “Noog”. As for the future of his two biggest creations; It’s unclear what will come of “Danny Phantom.”

For “Fairly Odd Parents”, there is no intention to bringing a new

season to the series but Hartman feels the show will be immortalized on Nickelodeon through reruns. As for “Danny Phantom”, the show could possibly see a revival, but not through just Hartman since Nickelodeon still owns the rights to “Danny Phantom.” Hartman states “I would definitely love to do something “Danny Phantom” related with Nickelodeon.”

For most people there’s the idea that your job is your identity. Through the eyes of Butch Hartman, this is not the case. In his video explaining why he left he mentions his belief that “Your identity is not wrapped up in your job, just because someone leaves their job, it does not change who they are. Always remember that.”

Butch Hartman has left a legacy behind with Nickelodeon that many of us will always remember from our childhood. Currently he will still continue to make childhoods for the next years to come.

GROSEN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

6 • OPINION

t

Monday, March 5, 2018

America’s youth outcry for gun reform

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Focused On Palomar Monday, March 5, 2018 Vol. 71, No. 7 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

EDITORIAL On Feb. 14, the United States saw yet another fatal school shooting, of the 17 dead, 13 of them had yet to even breach the age of adulthood. But really, who gives a shit?

We have already gone through 200 school shootings in this bloodied 21st century, 18 of those school shootings have occured since the beginning of this year.

So who cares that we had one more last month?

We are desperate to give you the obvious answer that we care, and that families all around the world care and certainly that the families and friends of those who were lost in these shootings care.

But what volume can what we say have when the cries of the parents of dead 14-year-olds fall on

deaf ears. If the lifeforce of children bled out onto floors of high schools aren’t enough to make lawmakers do anything about the horrendous state of gun violence in our nation, then the ink bled out onto this page will not likely pierce the black holes that surround the hearts of those that lead the NRA, and their political puppets.

However, mass protest has held a profound effect on the shape of our country throughout all of our history. Protest is the single strongest instrument of change at our disposal, and there is an opportunity for change on March 14.

The one month anniversary of the Parkland shooting will feature a school walkout. At 10 a.m. in every timezone, students, faculty and administrators from across the country are encouraged to

company who makes it. All major personal computer companies have their own Ultrabook.

HP has one, Dell has one, Lenovo has one, etc. and they all come for prices significantly lower than the overpriced and very limited MacBook.

According to PCWorld, an online publication, the biggest ultrabook competitor to the Macbook is the Dell XPS series.

The XPS series comes with one of the latest Powerful Intel

SAVHANNA VARGAS PHOTO EDITOR ERIN HIRO ADVISOR SAVHANNA VARGAS PHOTO EDITOR MAURICE THOMAS JOSE HERRERA DESIGNER STAFF WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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Second Amendment right “is not unlimited. It is not the right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever, in any manner whatsoever, and for whatever purpose.”

The purpose of the Second Amendment was to keep a well regulated militia for the common defense of a free state. Weapons such as the AR-15, are not necessary for the common defense, and are not protected by the Second Amendment.

To all those who read this, please, lend your voice to the crucially important conversation, participate in the walkout.

Change can only occur when we all stand in solidarity against an establishment designed to subvert the will of the people.

EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Don’t waste your money on a Mac

SEJI GAERLAN SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

JENNESH AGAGAS, DANIEL AZIMIOARA, AMY BIGELOW, VICTORIA BRADLEY, SAMANTHA COX, VICTOR FLORES, PAT HARTLEY,KEANU MARBLE-SMITH, KIRK MATTU, SKYLAR MILLER, EVAN MONROE, KRISTA MOORE, MONICA NAVARRETE, ANISSA OCANSEY, VICTORIA PRICE, BROOKE REOTUTAR, KYLIE STEARNS, SUNDAE VELASCO, MOMOKO WATARAI, JENNA WILSON

walk out of their classrooms and offices for 17 minutes, one minute for each life lost in the shooting.

We would encourage those participating to go to the SUQuad to unite as a single entity in protest to the gun violence we habitually see in our country today, and to pay respect to the lives lost in Parkland.

To those who hold the Second Amendment in high regard, and are concerned that participating in this walkout would be in offense to our 2nd amendment rights: we too are in support of the 2nd amendment.

But the Second Amendment is not the right to own heavy weaponry as we saw in Parkland. As the late Justice Antonin Scalia stated while delivering the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in the D.C. vs. Heller Case, the

Processor i7, and best of all, it has all the ports you may need for your personal use, including the much needed USB and SD card ports. It also comes with a much-needed touch display.

Why would you spend over a thousand dollars on such a limited device, when other options are way better for a more affordable price?

DAZIMIOARA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Gun violence: student view Courtesy of pixabay.com

DANIEL AZIMIOARA THE TELESCOPE

It seems that everywhere you look, you see the overpriced MacBook.

The newer models cost at the lowest $1,000 and are very limited when compared to the other choices of laptops that are offered. With the students primary needs for a laptop being simple tasks such as Microsoft Word and Powerpoint, why spend $1,000 on a laptop, that a $300 laptop can do?

Looking in the present, the price of laptops have fallen significantly and are more affordable to the average consumer.

In the premium laptop market, the MacBook’s fiercest competitors are the Ultrabook’s built by various large computer companies. There is a wide variety of choices to choose from, for much less the price of the MacBook.

These Ultrabooks are fast and reliable, and their many features outperform the MacBook, such as, their higher storage capabilities and the much needed ports for file transfer, such as the USB drive.

Apple’s MacBooks have ma-

jor drawbacks in comparison to the cheaper alternatives.

On some of the MacBooks you only have Apple’s Thunderbolt charger port and one USB type C port, meaning if you have files on a flash drive, you must buy an adapter in order to access the files on the flash drive. If you like taking pictures and want to transfer your files onto the MacBook for editing or storing, you must also buy an adapter for it.

So besides already paying a lot for a laptop, you must also spend upwards to $100 to be able to use your other devices.

In 2017 and 2018, many Ultrabooks come with touch display, The MacBook does not.

The MacBooks also have a major problem with display that is not addressed enough.

The display of 13.3 inches for the cheapest laptop is terrible.

It is way too small for a laptop of that price range and the low resolution is not comparable to the higher-end displays of the Ultrabook’s.

Ever since the 2015 MacBook air came out, the laptop has seen little improvement, and lacks the retina display technology offered by their own

Seji Gaerlan and Savhanna Vargas

OPINION • 7

the-telescope.com

Should the U.S. have free universal healthcare?

PRO

TAYLOR MACKAY THE TELESCOPE

Thirty three million people in the United States (10.4 percent of the US population) did not have health insurance in 2014, according to the US Census Bureau, and that is unacceptable.

According to the United States Population Review, the amount of people without health insurance in America during 2014 equals the amount of people who populated Texas in the same year.

Actions need to take place by lawmakers to create a bill that will eliminate these numbers.

The Declaration of Independence, something that all Americans fall under, states that all men [males and females] have “unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” and that implies access to free healthcare.

A new bill that gives everyone free healthcare would bring Life to our people suffering and dying due to the price they can’t pay that are labeled on healthcare plans.

A new bill that gives everyone free healthcare would

bring Liberty to Our people who are suffering, as well as the people who are thriving, by making them all equal when it comes to access to healthcare.

Happiness would be ensured in our people that they can walk into a healthcare facility knowing that they will be treated and not charged.

The right to have access to health care is an not just recognized by Our Declaration of Independence, but is something internationally recognized as a human right.

On Dec. 10, 1948 the United States and 47 other nations signed the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which stated “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of oneself and one’s family, including... medical care.”

The United States and other nations celebrated the 70th anniversary of this declaration in November of 2017, and although this declaration was a step taken in the right direction, the United States Government has yet to instill what is mentioned in the declaration, that “everyone has the right to...medical care” 70 years later.

Since 2005, under the Bush administration, prices for health insurance have nearly tripled according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and they also state, “Annual premiums reached 18,764 for 2017, up 3 percent from 2015 for an average family coverage with workers on average paying $5,714 towards the cost of their coverage” in 2017.

Whereas, in 13 other countries they provide free healthcare to their people, and is something we should follow as well.

One of these countries is Israel, where medical insurance is given to any Israeli residents as a fundamental right given by the government. They also offer an option to increase their coverage if they want to go to a private health insurer of their choice.

Aside from ensuring Life, Liberty, and Happiness, a bill like this would insure medical coverage for everyone, but also leaves room for people to make changes to the amount they want to be insured by going through private agencies.

Covering America means healing our people.

TMACKAY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Photo of Medications ready for use in a medical emergency. Andrew Meer/The Telescope

Inside of an ambulance. Andrew Meer/The Telescope

CON GEHRIG ROSEN THE TELESCOPE

Universal “free” healthcare would cause a long list of problems that would hinder our current medical system even less efficient and set the world back in the advancement of medical science.

First of all, “free” is just a gimmick. A study released

by DecisionData.org stated that, the federal government covers 47 percent of medical costs for the average American.

According to the study, a transition to a universal system would require $562 billion more in taxes.

It’s extremely unrealistic to state this system would be “free” when we would need to come up with billions through taxes, out of pocket, to still pay for it.

Higher taxes would be the only reliable way to pay for the system. The money can not come from the national budget. Last year, 28 percent of the nation budget was spent on medical care.

For the budget to fully cover a free healthcare system, it would require

cuts in Social Security, military, and underfunded programs like education.

Keep in mind that military spending would be cut significantly less than social security since last year only 15 percent of the budget was spent on military spending vs. 33 percent on Social Security.

So we can’t keep taxes low, we can’t increase spending in the national budget, can we pay doctors more? Short answer: no.

Long answer: still no.

For the long answer, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “U.S. medical research remains the primary global source of new discoveries, drugs, medical devices, and clinical procedures.” The reason for this, is the high pay of medical researchers and doctors.

A cut in the salaries of these individuals would cause large setbacks for the future of medical science and procedures. This means if you’re in favor of cutting the salaries of doctors for a less expensive healthcare system, you are against the advancement and development of lifesaving medical technology.

Aside from this system

being a nightmare when it comes to funding, the system itself has been proven to be drastically inefficient.

A major problem in other countries with a universal healthcare system is their wait times.

A report released from HuffPost Canada states that, from 1993-2013 “between 25,456 and 63,090 Canadian women may have died as a result of increased wait times.” This atrocious number is an incredible flaw with the use of a universal healthcare system that should not be overlooked.

The population of Canada is 37 million. In other words, Canada as a whole country has a smaller population than California alone(CA is at 40 million).

What this then means is if a universal healthcare systems gets implemented in the States, it would result in mortalities 10 times the amount of Canada’s numbers.

A universal healthcare system in the U.S. will never become reality due to the vast majority of issues with implementation, funding, and lack-luster efficiency.

GROSEN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

SPEAK OUT

Should we have Cesar Chavez Day and Native American Day off?

Daniel Beltran

“Students have class and lab hours that we won’t be able to make up. Having those days off will push us behind in class.”

Omar Fuentes

“Having those days off would be beneficial, but it’s important that people actually use it as a day to learn about the history and heritage of those peoples.”

Jessica Hui

“I think we need those days off to remember the history of these people and what went wrong so we can learn from the past.”

Photos by Victoria Bradley / The Telescope

8 • PHOTO ESSAY

Monday, March 5, 2018