The Telescope 66.14

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FEATURE

COALITION FIGHTS FOR CHANGE

the telescope Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper Vol. 66, No. 14 • Monday, April 8, 2013 1140 W. Mission Rd, San Marcos, Calif.

WHAT’S INSIDE

2 4 6 12

SPRINGFEST TO BE HELD

NEWS / The Associated Student Government will hold a Spring Fest event for students to relax and decompress during the stress of the semester.

TOP: The Coalition logo. BOTTOM: Coalition members pose for a group photo after their court date in Vista Feb. 28. • Courtesy photo

SHOULD LARGE PEOPLE PAY?

THE TELESCOPE

OPINION / Government should tax obese people to make them pay for their health costs.

BUNGEE BARBIE EXERCISE

LIFE / Photo essay documents math classes attempts to drop Barbie dolls off the side of a building.

BASEBALL FIRST IN CONF.

SPORTS / The Palomar baseball team is leading its conference as the season nears an end.

renovation

heather randAll Organizers of a group that has spent the last two years fighting Palomar’s student government and administrators said they won’t back down despite two legal rulings levied against them.

The Coalition for Democratic Education has no plans of dismantling, nor are they feeling deterred about getting their message out to students, organizers said recently.

Professor of physics and engineering Daniel Finkenthal, who acts as the Coalition’s adviser said, “I intend to assist the Coalition in building real student power on campus through grass-roots organizing and political engagement in the community.”

Coalition member James Jimenez, 20, a Palomar student, said members of the Coalition will continue to move forward with their own projects, independent of support from Palomar’s Associated Student Government (ASG).

“The Coalition stands for students,” he said.

Over the last few years, the Coali-

tion has been the cause of widespread controversy after drafting the “Proposition for Student Control of Student Government” and demanding that the ASG allow the student body to vote on the measure in a campus-wide election.

The ASG refused to comply with the request, saying the proposition was unconstitutional.

According to court documents, on Feb. 28, Judge Robert P. Dahlquist who presided over Nunez vs. Palomar Community College District wrote that “if the students (petitioners) are unhappy with the College’s administration, the Court believes that the students of Palomar College are free to form their own independent association of students.”

Existing Coalition member and current Palomar student Giovanni Herrera, 21, explained, “It’s just a matter of organizing again, you know. We’ve shown that we have a capability to organize and be successful with a lot of things - reach out to a lot of students...

It’s definitely a goal to have more students aware of what’s going on.”

Relations with the ASG

Current ASG President Johnathan Farmer became directly involved in the feud when he was elected president in Fall 2012. At the March 12 Board of Trustees meeting, he addressed the board about the ongoing tension between the two groups.

“In my opinion, over the last 10 months there has been a very divisive environment, because of this proposition,” Farmer said.

He added that the ASG has been forced to spend an exorbitant amount of time doing research into previous ASG governing board reports and minutes to prove that the ASG has been accurately representing students.

Farmer maintained that “every concept, every message, every word, every sentence that you guys hear from the ASG is 100 percent from the students,” Farmer told members of the Board of Trustees at the meeting.

Sen. Dane Thorp then reported on the ASG’s accusation of manipulating the Coalition members and overstepping his role as a faculty member.

TURN TO COALITION, PAGE 3

A class at the Escondido campus. • File photo/Telescope

ESCONDIDO CAMPUS TO BE CLOSED OVER SUMMER marissa milloy

retirement

VP OF STUDENT SERVICES TO RETIRE jordan greene the telescope

THE TELESCOPE

Palomar’s satellite campus in Escondido will be shut down for renovations for the remainder of the summer, forcing all summer courses to be moved to the main campus in San Marcos.

“It was necessary to shut down the campus this summer because all classrooms, hallways and parking lots will be renovated,” said Tom Medel, acting manager for the Escondido center.

The planning for reconstruction began two years ago.

Closing the campus is necessary to allow construction personnel to complete the construction.

According to Medel, students will benefit from the renovations in numerous ways.

turn to escondido, page 3

Vice President of Student Services Mark Vernoy announced he will be retiring in August of this year.

Vernoy applied for a teaching position at Palomar in 1976 because he wanted to do more than just research and wanted to stay in Southern California because of his family. He was a psychology professor at Palomar for 24 years, in addition to teaching at University of California Irvine for two years.

Vernoy attended and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Occidental College in Los Angeles, before earning a doctorate in psychology at UC Irvine.

“I had to do a lot of research for my PhD,” he said. “And I did most of my

Mark Vernoy • Courtesy Melinda Finn

post-doctorate work in a Naval submarine research lab before becoming a teacher.”

He decided he wanted to further his experience past a lifetime of teaching,

and ultimately applied for administrative positions at Palomar.

He was Chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department for seven years, and President of the Faculty Senate for three. He also was Interim Dean of the Human Arts and Sciences Division for two years and held the position of Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences for seven years after that. On his retirement date, Aug. 31, he will have been Palomar’s Vice President of Student Services for two years.

“I don’t want to see him go,” Athletic Director Scott Cathcart said. “He’s been a tremendous supervisor and good friend of the Athletic Department. I can’t say enough good things about him; he’s just outstanding.”

turn to retirement, page 3

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2 • NEWS

Monday, April 8, 2013

campus events

Palomar students perform Ballet Folklorico for Cesar Chavez Day in the Student Union

LEFT: Alejandra Bernal, 20, and Edwin Mendez, 20, perform Ballet Folklorico in the Student Union to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day on April 1. • Carolyne Corelis/Telescope ABOVE: Alejandra Bernal, 20, business adminstration major, performs Ballet Folklorico in the Student Union to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. • Carolyne Corelis/Telescope

ASG hosts Springfest

GRad PROGRAM

Event promotes new GRAD program

Sydney Davison The telescope

The Associated Student Government (ASG) is planning a Springfest Event for students to come and relax and decompress after vacation.

The event is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 in the Student Union.

The Hawaiian-style event will have food and entertainment for students.

“It is a time for people to come out and have some fun, enjoy some music and food and mingle with their peers,” says ASG Vice President Joe Hilliard, one of the coordinators of the event.

Organizers are planning on a variety of music and will have Hawaiian-themed food like shaved ice and activities such as hula lessons.

“It’s a wonderful time of the year,” Hilliard said.

Students who are having a hard time getting back into the schedule of school should come to the event. The ASG is “trying to get everybody back into motion,” said Lindsay Kretchman, coordinator of student activities at Palomar.

Hilliard’s goal for Springfest is to try and get students more involved.

“We are trying to give back to our constituents,” Hilliard said, adding that his main goal is to focus on the students and advocate for them.

All students and clubs on campus are invited to come out and join the fun, free food and activities while meeting new people and peers on campus.

LEFT: Palomar students gather to check out the new GRAD program at an event April 2. RIGHT: The t-shirt explains the acronym that GRAD stands for. • Christine Foronda/Telescope

CHRISTINe FORONDA The telescope

The Associated Student Government (ASG) along with various campus clubs hosted a campus-wide event to promote the GRAD (goal, responsibility, attitude and determination) program.

According to ASG President Johnathan Farmer, the Associated Student Government (ASG) requested $20,000 from the Strategic Planning Council on behalf of the students to help promote the GRAD program, something that has never been done before.

He said that “the GRAD program basically promotes student success and wants to help increase retention and help students take control of their own academics.”

The GRAD event took place on April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

and on April 3 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Student Union Quad.

There was music and a free lunch of corndogs, chips, and drinks that were served with no need of a student activity card.

Long lines were quickly formed and students took turns spinning the prize wheel to win prizes such as scantrons, green books, GRAD t-shirts, pens, wrist bands and tumbler cups.

The ASG informed students about the GRAD program and passed out fliers stating that “the object of the program is to ensure students success within the college and encourage students to take responsibility on achieving their educational goals.”

Farmer wants more students to have the opportunity to see a counselor and create a formal educational plan. This plan is intended to prevent students from getting lost in the system and

taking arbitrary classes.

Farmer also said that other entities on campus are also doing their part to promote the GRAD program.

Faculty members will engage in additional training to improve their teaching methods to help students move through the system more effectively. For the counseling department, there will be additional staffing so that every student will have a chance to talk to a counselor and get help in creating their educational plan. Farmer said he believes this will greatly contribute to student success.

“We want to make sure that the [school] structure is there so that it would allow someone to go through the system effectively and efficiently,” Farmer said. “I would like the students to know that the ASG has done everything it can to make the system easier to get to [for stu-

dents] and the ASG has done everything it can to help students to get through the system as well.”

ASG Vice President Joseph Hilliard added, “We want to get it out there to everybody and let them know that they have that support and they’re not alone.”

ASG Senator and chairperson of the event Reza Nemovi encouraged students to attend the event to be more aware of the program and how it can help them reach their academic goals.

Nemovi stated that the event will help students learn more about GRAD and how the ASG supports student success.

Nemovi said that “the ASG is there to help students, make sure that they achieve their goals, make a difference and ensure success of our future.”

CFORONDA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

NEWS • 3

the telescope ENROLLMENT

CALIF. COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT IN CLASS SECTIONS PLUNGE, REPORT SHOWS KATY MURPHY SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS/MCT CAMPUS

California’s community colleges _ the nation’s largest public higher education system _ have lost so many teachers and classes that students are being driven away.

With the number of course sections down systemwide by as much as 20 percent since 2008, enrollment rates have hit their lowest point in two decades, concludes a Public Policy Institute of California report released Monday.

The community colleges’ ideal of open access for all, still dear to many Californians, barely resembles the reality on campuses today after years of budget cuts.

“I expected to get the classes I needed, but I was wrong,” said Rigo Navarro, a second semester student at Chabot College in Hay-

ward. Navarro wants to major in criminal justice and engineering but said he has yet to find space in a math or a criminal justice class.

Alexandra Olivares, 18, had it even worse, at least at first. Every class she tried to take in the fall at Chabot was full. She cried as she joined wait lists, thinking she would have to delay her career and find a low-wage job. Eventually, she got in.

Such stories have become more of a rule than an exception. The community college chancellor’s office reports that a half-million students have been shut out of the system in recent years because they couldn’t get into classes. The system counted 2.4 million students in 2011-12, down from 2.9 million students in 2008-09, according to the report.

The problem can be especially acute for those beginning their college careers, such as Olivares

and Navarro, as they often must wait to register until after returning students have a chance.

The number of young, firsttime community college students in California fell even further behind the number of recent high school graduates between 2008 and 2011 _ a trend that, combined with lower California State University and University of California enrollment, “does not bode well” for the state’s workforce, the report’s researchers concluded.

Even though voters last year approved a tax hike and the governor wants to infuse the schools with an additional $210 million, the report authors say that’s far from enough.

The state and the colleges must come up with a long-range plan to restore the system, whether through increased state revenue, local parcel taxes or student fees, the authors concluded. The report

also listed online education and larger classes as possible ways to reach more students. A bill introduced this month by State Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, SB 520, would allow public college students shut out of classes to receive transfer credits for some online courses offered by the private sector.

“The saddest thing of all, for me, is that the one magnificent system that was open to all Californians has begun to ration what it can and cannot do,” said Rita Cepeda, chancellor of the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District.

Statewide, the number of for-credit classes fell by 14 percent between 2008 and 2011; the number of noncredit classes, such as English-as-a-secondlanguage, dropped by more than one-third. The noncredit decline is noteworthy, as the governor

escondido

retirement

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

“There will be technological upgrades in the classroom,” Medel said. “All three parking lots will be renovated and include easier access for students to navigate, and student common areas will be installed to give students a place to study, eat and socialize.”

Other renovations will

include: new paint and flooring in classrooms, an exterior facelift of the entire facility, giving it more a “collegiate” feel and equipping all three parking lots with parking permit dispensers.

Campus will re-open on Monday, August 12 and will be ready to serve students for the first day

of classes on Monday, August 19.

Last summer, the Escondido campus served a total of 1200 students.

All summer session classes offered will cross over and mesh with classes being offered at the main campus. mmilloy@the-telescope.com

coalition Continued from Page 1 Different Ideologies Persist The ASG continues to stand firm with its belief that members effectively represent the student body while pointing out many of the Coalition members are not current students.

“How can they (ASG) be representing me when I don’t know who they are?” said Coalition member and current Palomar student, Valerie Viana, 26.

Viana has been a Palomar College student off and on since 2009. She became a member of the Coalition after learning of the strife between the two groups when Coalition members visited one of her classes to collect signatures from students. Viana said she was unaware the ASG existed before the Coalition’s class presentation.

Palomar student Alberto Nunez, 33, said he became a founding member of the Coalition after his experience running for ASG President against Evelyn Lucero in 2011. Nunez felt he suffered unfair treatment by ASG officials in the way they handled a paperwork snafu.

Prior to running for ASG President, Nunez had been a delegate for the ASG, President of MEChA, a part of the Palomar Engineering and Physics Student Organization (PEPSO), as well as a

member of Encuentros United.

“I saw there’s a lot of things that could help the students out, you know, really represent the issues,” Nunez said about why he wanted to run for ASG President.

A primary concern of Coalition is that the ASG is not independent from Palomar College, and therefore, is not able to represent students correctly. Sherry Titus, current ASG adviser, as well as the Director of the Office of Student Affairs, has declined to comment on the Coalition.

The Future One of the Coalition’s biggest projects currently, is to create a cooperative textbook exchange among students to alleviate some of the financial stress on students. The Coalition has attracted the support of Faculty Union President Professor Shannon Lienhart.

Lienhart, of the Mathematics department, is also the President of the Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF). In her report on March 12 at the Board of Trustees meeting, Lienhart stated that the PFF is currently working with the Coalition to establish the textbook exchange, which they expect to launch next fall.

“This will be a model program, and will educate students on how to solve real world prob-

lems through organizing and collective action,” Lienhart said.

Dr. Finkenthal added that in addition to the textbook exchange program, students will also learn about “recruiting, selecting and electing school board candidates that truly understand and respect the needs of students.”

Lienhart also reported that the PFF will be sponsoring two students to attend “The Students for Economic Justice” summer training program. The program is a six- week long, paid internship program to provide the interns with training on community organizing and leadership through political education focusing on economic and social justice.

After he retires, Vernoy said he wants to travel with his wife to Machu Pichu, the Galapogos Islands, all along the Western United States and to Scotland to visit his wife’s family.

He also said he would like to do writing for textbook companies in addition to meditating, activities in which he participates currently.

“I’m not planning on working much [after retiring]. My wife Hererra, who also interns for the PFF, attended a Labor Council dinner on March 16.

“We’re going to focus on the needs of students… Instead of having students going to the bookstore and buying these ri-

wants to make the colleges responsible for teaching ESL and other adult education classes now offered by K-12 districts.

Since 2010-11, Chabot has closed about 12 percent of its classes, including some sections of the popular mass communications course.

Last semester, class instructor Chad Mark Glen tried to ease the damage, letting in every student who tried to register for his introduction course. The cap was 44 students, but he invited more than 90 into a little lecture hall _ basically, packing two sections into one. Students sat on the floor and poured into the hallway.

Glen said the class was vibrant and fun to teach. It was also draining. This semester, he said, “I told my dean, ‘Put it back to 44.’ I just felt I couldn’t do it again.”

has been retired two years, and she works more now than she did before she retired. I don’t want that to be me,” Vernoy said.

Palomar staff will be accepting applications for Vernoy’s position after April 12. According to college spokeswoman Laura Gropen, “There is quite a long and extensive process for filling a vice president position.” jgreene@the-telescope.com

diculously expensive textbooks, we can somehow provide a database or even a physical place where we can store these books,” Hererra said.

HRANDALL@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

4 • OPINION

t

Monday, April 8, 2013 OBESITY TAX

EDITORIAL

A CURE FOR STUDENT APATHY

the telescope

WHAT WE THINK The ASG should use excess funds to advertise its presence on campus.

Focused On Palomar Monday, April 8, 2013 Vol. 66, No. 14 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.

KAITY BERGQUIST editor in chief COLLEEN PETERS MANAGING EDITOR & COPY EDITOR APRIL TESTERMAN NEWS EDITOR MARISSA MILLOY OPINION EDITOR EMMA MALISZEWSKI LIFE EDITOR SYDNEY DAVISON assistant LIFE EDITOR SCOTT ROBERSON SPORTS EDITOR SCOTT MORTON ONLINE EDITOR MATTHEW SLAGLE MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ERIN HIRO ADVISER DEB HELLMAN BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS Rose Miriam Babiarz, Lloyd Bravo, Carolyne Corelis, David krueger, Cliff Ireland, Gary Nelson, Heather Randall, zach phelps, Nada Sewidan, Christine Foronda, Nicole Gibbs, Diana Valdez, Jordan Greene PHOTOGRAPHERS PETER ASHUE, Phyllis Celmer, Brian Korec, Andrea Gruber Matthies, Gary West

ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / MD-228 website/ www.the-telescope.com facebook/ search “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 typewritten, 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 8 times per semester.

Opinions expressed in the newspaper are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, Palomar faculty and staff members or the governing board trustees.

ASSOCIATED COLLEGE PRESS

california newspaper publisher’s association

Illustration by Sheneman/MCTCampus

CARRYING THE WEIGHT

Cliff Ireland The Telescope

Look around and it is easy to see that most people in the immediate area are more than likely overweight, and more interestingly, they’re not even trying to hide it.

You don’t have to put on a cape and become captain obvious to notice the huge midsections of the people next to you It’s disgusting. There is no other way that I can use to describe how we look today, and I cannot remember when we, as a society, decided that being overweight was both visual and economically acceptable.

More than likely, being a middle-aged male going through a mid-life crisis and returning to college skews my view a little on this subject.

However, those same reasons are exactly why I’m concerned about the future of our health and how much money in the long run obesity is going to cost us.

Research

Considering that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that already over 35 percent of the population in America is considered obese, if we do not somehow come up with methods to encourage people to live healthier lives, then along with the percentage of overweight people, the cost of taking care of them will balloon as well.

According to the article “As America’s Waistline Expands, Costs Soar” written by Sharon Begley for Reuters in April 2012, $190 billion a year is spent on medical reasons related to obesity.

Using research conducted

by John Cawley of Cornell University and Chad Meyerhoefer of Lehigh University, the article broke it down even further by saying that on average, a man will spend an extra $1,152

and women will spend an additional $3,613 per year on medical reasons related to obesity.

However, it is not only the overweight people who are paying more for their overindulgence.

Normal size people will also have to carry the burden of other people’s extra weight by paying higher health care fees as well.

This is something that is not fair and needs to change.

If people choose to be overweight, then they need to be willing to pay for it.

Imagine what the money generated from a fat tax could be used for.

If they can afford to become super-sized by always eating super-sized, then it seems only fair that they alone should have to foot the bill.

Whether we like it or not, overweight people are already paying more for various things.

When they buy clothes, they have to pay more for the extra material used.

When they fly, most airlines charge them more or even make they buy an extra ticket.

This is not enough though.

If we really want to attack the fat, then we need to hit people where it counts.

Somewhere, tucked away in those skinny jeans, is probably the only real skinny thing that’s on them: their wallet.

Implement a “fat tax”

A “fat tax” is nothing new.

First introduced in 1994 by Yale Professor Kelly Brownell, part

of it focuses on charging taxes based on food’s nutritional value. Basically, the less healthy the products are, the more taxes they will cost.

Imagine what the money generated from a fat tax could be used for.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg from New York seems to have it right as he tries to make his city healthier.

By trying to ban sodas over 16 ounces, he has at least acknowledged that there is a problem with the way we choose to eat.

Although I applaud his effort, I do not see how this would actually stop people from drinking a lot of sugary drinks.

But, if you charge taxes on them, then we have a whole new ballgame.

Everything from health education programs to even covering the costs of health care related to obesity.

More importantly, a fat tax might make someone think twice before buying an unnecessary amount of muffins that helps in the development of their own personal muffin top, which I have no interest in looking at.

Let alone paying for it when they go to the hospital for a heart condition caused simply by being overweight.

It may seem unfair at first to charge more for unhealthier foods, but remember, a pack of smokes used to be under a dollar and you could smoke in restaurants and bars.

Then tobacco taxes slowly increased and smoking became banned nearly everywhere to reduce secondhand smoke.

If you can’t remember that, then that means you are too young to remember these changes, and your generation has already accepted these things as just the way it is.

Just like the next generation would accept the fat tax as just the way it is.

CIRELAND@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

We think more Palomar students would be aware of the Associated Student Government (ASG), given the surplus of money it has at its disposal.

After a bit of investigating, it has come to The Telescope’s attention that the ASG receives a lot of money every year—most of which is not spent.

According to ASG Sen. Dane Thorp, the Palomar Community College District gives the ASG $30,000 every year, which goes into its general fund.

For the 2012-2013 school and fiscal year, the fund started with approximately $105,000 in it — that money could potentially be used to help students, beyond the recent GRAD (Goal, Responsibility, Attitude and Determination) program.

Another question that has yet to be answered is why the district continues to allocate $30,000 per year to the ASG when it (ASG) has an excess amount of money in the bank, while classes have been cut in the past, due to severe budget cuts.

“If something came along that was very beneficial to the students, I would absolutely spend it,” ASG President Johnathan Farmer has said.

We want to know what constitutes “very beneficial.” The most beneficial thing the ASG could do right now is promote the student government, many students walk around campus not even realizing we have an ASG. Students are not only unaware of the ASG but the students that are aware don’t understand the ASG’s role and the power it holds in representing the Palomar student body.

In last year’s election, about 1 percent of Palomar’s student body voted.

In addition, both candidates for president and vice president ran unopposed.

We’ve come to the conclusion that this is a recurring issue that the ASG has yet to handle.

While The Telescope does its best to make election dates known to Palomar students, we think the ASG needs to move beyond the Student Union and promote the ASG all over Palomar’s campuses.

There may be various signs scattered throughout the San Marcos campus promoting the ASG, but we don’t think those have proven to be successful. Class visits and presentations would be more appropriate.

We also believe that, for the ASG to be an effective group, its members need to get out there and see what the students of Palomar would like to see changed or enhanced—perhaps by means of a poll or more events.

If the ASG truly has student productivity in mind, its members should widely advertise its presence at Palomar.

Perhaps the voter turnout would be higher than 1 percent, more students would run for offices, and the ASG would have a better idea of what to spend its money on to improve the lives of students on campus.

OPINION • 5

the telescope texting

The etiquette of texting: What social rules do we need for this new communication?

Debra Nussbaum The Philadelphia Inquirer/MCTCampus

As I watch people text in public head down, earplugs in, oblivious but still shuffling forward a la the Walking Dead, I can’t help but wonder when we’ll see a news story about one of them strolling into traffic and being run over.

How did we get so hooked? Texting is one of those habits that came so quickly to our society that everything from schools to hospitals to state capitals, institutions that say things in full sentences and without emoticons are scrambling to impose rules of the road, literally and figuratively.

Americans send more than two trillion texts a year. And all this started only in the early 2000s. By 2007, texts had surpassed the number of phone calls people made in a day.

If you spend time with anyone under 40,

It’s impolite to text when people are speaking to you.

It’s rude to text during a class or at a meeting, and it’s a total disregard for the safety of others when you text while driving, biking, or walking.

In New York City, people have practically trampled my 85-year-old mother on the sidewalk because their faces are buried in their phones.

And our constant passion for texting may also not be the best thing for our relationships. Last year I sat in a lovely restaurant with my husband, and there was Photo Courtesy of Google Images a 30-something couple at the table next to us.

Throughout dinner, they sipped their these statistics do not come as a surprise.

Like many aspects of technology, we wine and looked down at their phones and haven’t quite figured out the etiquette of texted. They didn’t exchange a word with each other. texting.

“Texting is extremely controlled and you We text while people are speaking to us.

We text in classrooms. I have seen people don’t risk an interpersonal experience,” text in churches and synagogues (Sorry, said Pamela Pressman, a licensed Pastor Bill, I once sent my daughter a professional counselor in Voorhees who text from church), we text at meetings works with adults and couples of all ages.

Texting while people are speaking and, probably worst of all, we text when another person is sitting right across from to you is “disconnecting and putting up emotional barriers,” she says. us trying to engage in conversation.

When we don’t give people, meetings, In response to earlier columns on manners, people write to say they agree services, or classes our full attention, it with me about thank-you notes, or RSVPs, prevents us from relating to people and connecting with them. or other aspects of acceptable behavior.

Pressman recently saw people texting And, invariably, they add, and what about how rude people are when it comes after a viewing, moments before the start of a funeral. “How can you get more to texting?

I’ve had time to think about this, and disrespectful than that?”

At Rowan, professors and instructors to talk to others, and to watch texters in action. And I’ve come to this conclusion: are asked to put texting, e-mailing, and

Illustration by Carolyne Corelis/The Telescope

cellphone rules in the syllabus so students understand that texting and learning don’t work in concert.

“They aren’t listening to us when they are texting,” said Claudia Cuddy, chair of the journalism department.

Recently, a student who came to meet with Cuddy for an advising session reached for her phone when she heard that call of the text. “I said, ‘Put the phone away. This is my time and your time to meet,’ “ Cuddy told me. “Multitasking is taking a toll on every aspect of students’ lives.”

Texting while doing almost everything is exacting a price on politeness and how we relate to one another.

My friend Harvey was in a meeting recently for a charitable group in South Jersey. Several participants around the table were texting with each other conducting their own meeting.

Not only is that rude, but how is a group supposed to interact and make decisions?

I have hope that we are not doomed to be a society of the turned off and tuned out.

I recently asked two distinct groups if it was rude to text while someone was speaking to you.

The first was my book group made up of middle-aged women (the near-50 and over set). Is it rude? “Yes,” was the resounding answer they gave without hesitation.

Then, I put the question to my 18 Rowan students, ages 19 to mid-20s. Acceptable or rude? Again, without any pause, without first texting anyone, they all said, “Rude.”

Acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery. This epidemic faux pas, that I, too, have been guilty of, may pass.

6 • LIFE

Monday, April 8, 2013

the telescope

photo essay

Math class pushes Barbie over the edge Scott Morton The Telescope

To teach his students real-world applications of mathematics, Professor Mark Clark had his students bungee jump Barbies from the third floor of the NS building in late March.

Titled the Barbie Bungee Jump Competition, Math 60 Intermediate Algebra students from two classes were asked to calculate the drop rate for Barbie dolls.

“This project brings together skills we have discussed all semester and makes it a very fun, hands-on way to pull all of these skills together,” Clark said.

The students were grouped and tasked with calculating how many rubber bands it would take to drop a doll off of the 11-meter edge as close to the ground as possible without impact.

The students then plotted data to a graph that they could

take with them to the competition. The location was kept secret until just minutes before the competition and students had to use their data to get as close to the ground without hitting.

A successful jump was defined as a Barbie falling between 0 and 1 foot from the ground. There were two winning teams -- one from each class -- with one team getting 3 inches from the ground and the other 11 inches, Clark said.

The 3-inch fall required 51 rubberbands attached to the doll’s feet while the other group used 50.

The event drew a crowd to the courtyard as people gathered and watched, letting out gasps and exclamations when the dropped dolls got close to the ground, and laughing when the Barbies smashed into the ground. smorton@the-telescope.com @etb_scott

LEFT: Palomar student Josh Groom prepares to drop his team’s Barbie over the railing on March 19 at the NS building as student Olivia Sales watches.

ABOVE: The winning Barbie from the 12 p.m. class lies in the classroom with 50 rubberbands attached to her ankles. NEAR TOP RIGHT: Students show off Barbie’s customized tattoo “I love Math.” FAR RIGHT: Math Teacher’s Assistant Ali Saadat (middle) works with student Ian Conner before having the group’s Barbie jump off the plank. NEAR BOTTOM RIGHT: Palomar Math professor Mark Clark holds the winning Barbie at the ground level of the NS building on March 19. • Phyllis Celmer/Telescope

LIFE • 7

8 • LIFE

Monday, April 8, 2013

jazz

Palomar’s Jazz ensemble swings into its spring concert Sydney Davison The Telescope

Alex Albanna plays a guitar solo during the jazz show, “Something Hot Something Cool,” March 15 as part of the Day Jazz Ensemble. • Gary West/Telescope

Palomar’s Jazz ensemble performance is going to be an immense event with two 17 piece bands performing the instrumentation and style of the swing era.

Swingin’ into Spring on April 19 is taking inspiration from big names such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Buddy Rich. They were inspired by the sounds of the 1930’s and 40’s.

The jazz event is going to be staying true to the big band sound featuring instruments including horns, trumpets, trombones and saxophones, as well as a full set of drums, electric and acoustic bass, guitar and the piano.

“We are demonstrating American Culture,” Paul Kurokawa, director of the event, said.

They are trying to depict the “American institution and our great cultural gift,” Kurokawa said.

The two bands are going to be performing in O-2 with a compilation of original compositions by band members as well as big band music. The second band will also be performing with a lead vocalist.

Lorronishae Escalona is the lead singer with the night band.

She will be singing Duke Ellington’s ‘In a sentimental mood’ and the popular jazz sound of ‘The Way You Look Tonight.’ Escalona started singing with the jazz ensemble in 2012.

Glenn Richardson plays a saxophone solo during the Palomar Night Jazz’s rendition of the classic “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” March 15 as part of the performance “Something Hot Something Cool.”• Gary West/Telescope

Bruce Grafrath, one of the two guitar players in the show said his role in the ensemble varies depending on the music.

“I enjoy any and all ways I can contribute to the band,” Grafrath said.

The band members and their director are still working on the details of the show, but Kurokawa’s main goal is to give the musicians some real life experience.

“What we are really trying to do is prepare students for a career and entertain audiences

with a wide variety of music arranged in the big band style,” Kurokawa said.

The last jazz event sold out quickly, so the band encourages students and staff to show up early or buy tickets online at palomarperforms.com.

“We put on a good, exciting show and are one of the best big bands in San Diego County,” Kurokawa said. The performance will be in O-2 and begins at 8 p.m. sdavison@the-telescope.com

video games

Dedicated video gamers invade Student Union

Carolyne Corelis The Telescope

Deep in the dark cavernous recesses of the cafeteria they gather.

Eyes glued to back-lit screens, crouched forward intently, concentration focused.

Lost in the battle, the cafeteria noise diminishes to a low roar and only the murmurs of other virtual warriors around them are heard.

One jumps up yelling in victory, while his competitors deflate and groan in dismay.

Such is the life of a group of Palomar students who proudly display their love of video games.

Almost every day they meet, laptops open and eyes glued to the screen.

Some days the group swells to occupy the entire northeast corner, while on off days, only a few tables have dedicated players.

The dedicated gamers sometimes gather in front of a TV brought into the cafeteria by one of the gamers.

When the TV is present, there is often a crowd around the players using a Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo 64 or Microsoft XBOX 360. They prefer to play fighting games because of their capacity to allow up to four players to compete

John Wyatt, Phillip Burbidge, and Robert Leshiman play each other on their handheld gaming consoles in the corner of the Student Union April 1. • Carolyne Corelis/Telescope

at once. The range of games they play as a group vary from handheld, console to computer games.

Rebekah Feezell, 22, a chemistry and American Sign Language major said, “everyone is friends here” and they all share a common love of the virtual world.

Feezell added, “Playing together on campus is about the friendship and companionship.”

This takeover of the far corner of the cafeteria has not always been fun and games.

One gamer said they have received complaints about the noise and they ran into problems with the amount of trash after gatherings.

To curb any conflicts, the group has adopted a policy of self-policing, warning gamers not to get too

loud and to clean up after themselves when they leave.

So far, the administration has left them alone, they said.

Many of the participants reiterate that while they do enjoy video games as a hobby, individually each gamer tries maintain a healthy GPA and they have interests outside.

John Wyatt, 21, a video game

design major, said, “We encourage everyone here to keep an open mind and to not have any judgements toward anyone.”

Everyone in the group encourages any student who is interested to sit down, pick up a controller and join them in the virtual world. ccorelis@the-telescope.com

NEWS • 9

the telescope Art

Boehm Gallery hosts mixed media exhibit April 3- 20 Sydney Davison The Telescope

The latest exhibit at the Boehm Gallery -- Ojalá: Considerations of the Unavoidable Syndrome of Illusion by artist Marisol Rendón -- opened April 3 and will run through April 20.

Rendón is displaying a mixedmedia show that includes seven to eight large-scale sculptures consisting of metal work, carved wood, light, heat and form plastic -- three of them at a monumental scale.

Also included in the show are charcoal drawings done in a large scale. With these drawings, as well as her other works, Rendón is attempting to have the audience interact with the theatricality of the large-scale objects.

“She concerns herself directly with the poetics, with objects and materials that utilizes metaphor,” said Ingram Ober, director of the Boehm Gallery and husband of Rendón. It’s meant “to be theatrical and powerful as opposed to cerebral or academic art.”

Rendón’s use of contrasting light and dark help to create a cerebral metaphor for psychological problems and help her audience to reflect on the world in which we live.

The large-scale aspects of her work help the audience realize the severity of psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression.

“We inhabit a world in which we unceasingly look for a way, any way to justify the difficult and sometimes the impossible,” Rendón said in her mission state-

ment for the art.

Ober said Rendón also works to create an illusionist space, trying to show a window into another world or environment and then using that illusion toward how we perceive and live in the world.

“We all utilize illusion to cope with everyday life, whether that’s religion or politics,” Ober said.

“Dreams and hopes are feelings that somehow have been helping us to keep our balance,” Rendón wrote.

“However, I’m sure of something: In most cases, behind and after each moment of illusion, there is a sigh of resignation. I would love to find a way to represent that sigh.”

Rendón’s exhibit is free to the public. sdavison@the-telescope.com

ABOVE AND RIGHT: Large-scale sculptures are part of Artist Marisol Rendón’s Ojalá exhibit at the Boehm Gallery April 2• Brian Korec/ Telescope

Earth Day

Tie-dye t-shirts displayed during an Earth Day event at Palomar College on April 26, 1991 • Telescope file photo

Palomar celebrates Earth Day April 22 Palomar’s Earth Day event will be hosted by the Inter-Club Council from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SU quad.

Local Earth Day events • April 21, Earth Fair 2013 in Balboa Park, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., largest free environmental celebration in the city of San Diego • April 21, Earth Day 10K in Carlsbad 7 a.m., scenic 6.2 mile run/walk along the coastline • April 21, Beach Clean up at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, 9 a.m., hosted by Surfrider Foundation to keep San Diego’s favorite playground clean

• April 21, Encinitas Garden Festival 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Self-guided walking tour through unique neighborhoods in Encinitas • April 27 & 28, California Earth Day Jam 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Environmental networking event with empowering speakers, health fair, music and eco-fashion • April 21-29, National Park week, in honor of Earth Day all national parks are offering free admission

10 • SPORTS

Monday, April 8, 2013

men’s volleyball

Palomar Volleyball struggles through less-than-par season scott morton the telescope

The Palomar men’s volleyball team has experienced a rough season in 2013.

With only a handful of wins this season, coaches plan to keep building the team for next season.

On March 29, the Comets almost upset conference leaders Orange Coast College.

It looked as if the Comets had lost the first set with a block at the net.

The teams were in the process of switching sides when the referees decided a player had touched the net.

Both teams were brought back onto the court, and in the confusion, Palomar was

able win the next set.

Even with the lead, Palomar still fell to Orange Coast 25-27, 24-26, 20-25, 16-25.

The team has had to deal with small player size and small team size this season.

“Just our numbers are our biggest thing,” Head Coach Bjorn Dahl said. “Normally we have 15 to 18, so to get six on six games is hard in practice.”

Dahl is the director of the Coast Boy’s Volleyball program and hopes to use his connections in the program to bring players to Palomar.

A bunch of schools in the area should have players graduating this year, according to coach Dahl.

“Last year was just a down

year for San Diego,” Dahl said.

He continued, “We usually don’t have this problem, it is usually easy. While we did get good players, just the sheer numbers were down. It kind of fluctuates. Some years a lot of guys will graduate and some years we just have a few seniors.”

The team’s only sophomores Hunter Chaney, Mark Lorack, and Ariel Milo will be moving on after this season.

Leaving the young team to grow and recruit new members.

“They are all good players, but we just don’t have enough guys to have competition in practice,” Dahl said. smorton@the-telescope.com

Freshman Palomar men’s volleyball player Kyle Bass (32) reaches the volleyball during a game March 27 against Irvine Valley in the Dome. • Courtesy photo/Hugh Cox

SPORTS • 11

the telescope hall of fame

Three former Comets inducted into Hall of Fame Heather randall the telescope

Palomar Comets wide receiver Jerry Garrett (8) races to stay clear of San Diego Mesa defensive lineman Matt Yost after catching the ball during Homecoming football action Nov. 9, 1991. • Telescope file photo

Three former Palomar College athletes and coaches were inducted into the California Community College Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame last month.

The three inductees were Thom Kaumeyer, Jerry Garrett and Tony Lynds. They attended a ceremony in Visalia on March 10.

“We’re always proud to see Palomar College alumni and staff acknowledged by the state,” Athletic Director Scott Cathcart said.

“It’s verification of the tremendous athletic prowess at Palomar College.”

Lynds was a coach at Palomar over four different decades. In 1967, he came to Palomar as the defensive coordinator for the football team.

He also coached wrestling and women’s tennis, which at the time wasn’t even an officially recognized sport.

From 1991-1993, he worked under Tom Craft as an assistant football coach and was also the head wrestling coach.

He eventually became the Chair of the Physical Education department.

“It meant a lot to me,” Lynds said of his induction. “Assistant coaches don’t get recognized a lot.”

Retired since 2011, Lynds now lives in the Northern California city of Cloverdale.

He has two sons and a daughter, all of whom were athletes at Palomar. He stays busy with his 17 grandchildren, while also working at a local senior center.

Lynds said he still keeps track of how the teams he used to coach at Palomar are doing. He believes strongly in the value of the community college system.

“The community college system can be a tremendous reservoir for younger children,” he said.

Kaumeyer, an Encinitas native, was an athlete and coach at Palomar.

He was recognized as an AllAmerican safety in football before transferring to the University of Oregon, where he received All-Pac-10 Conference honors.

After a short stint in the NFL, he earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Regents University in Albany, N.Y. Kaumeyer returned to Palomar in 1991 as an assistant coach, and worked steadily up the chain

to become the head coach. In his lone season running the program, 1994, he led the Comets to an 8-3 record and a No. 18 national ranking by J.C. Grid-Wire.

Garrett -- at 40, the youngest of the inductees -- said it was “shocking” to him to be included in the group.

“It was a humbling experience,” he added.

As a sophomore wide receiver in 1991, Garrett helped the Comets win its first-ever national community college title.

Garrett still holds the school record for catching 95 passes in a season.

Garrett has been an assistant football coach at Carlsbad High School for the last three years, and he loves it, though he says he’s anxious to come back to the college level.

He has a nephew who is a wide receiver at Palomar.

Garrett said he has a message for current Comets.

“Don’t be discouraged, because your chance is coming,” he said. “Just take care of business. Community college is not the last step; it’s just a step toward your goals.” hrandall@the-telescope.com

march madness

March Madness: Predictably unpredictable scott roberson the telescope

March Madness will conclude tonight and once again has proven to live up to its expectations of unpredictability.

Every year millions of people fill out brackets for the NCAA men’s basketball championship, with many thinking that they have this year’s tournament figured out.

However, like years prior, they are left in awe, gasping for air because their picks to go deep into the tournament have been sent home early.

Yet, just like clockwork, every March the same individuals repeat the process with the same expectations of wielding a perfect bracket.

This year has been among the more unpredictable tournaments in recent memory.

This is partly because of college basketball having many good teams, but not a single powerhouse.

Last year, college basketball was dominated from start to finish by the University of Kentucky Wildcats.

They had NBA-caliber talent, and the coach to ensure they lived up to their potential.

They were the favorite to win the tournament -- right-

fully so -- and were able to do just that.

Following that season, six of their players were drafted into the NBA, the highest number ever picked from one team in a single year, including the first two spots.

The 2013 NCAA tournament has been a great representation of a regular season filled with inconsistency.

The coveted No. 1 ranking became a revolving door this season.

As one top-ranked team was defeated, seemingly every week, another was bestowed with the honor, only to be upset soon thereafter.

This year’s top seeds at the tournament were Louisville, Gonzaga, Kansas and Indiana. Mirroring the regular season, all but Louisville were eliminated before the Final Four, the winners of their respective regions.

According to Yahoo!

Sports, 3.3 million brackets were filled out and collected on its website, but following the first round, only 374 brackets remained perfect, which represents a microscopic percentage of 0.012 with five rounds left to be played.

The biggest bracket-busters were Harvard and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).

Harvard, seeded No. 14 in its region, upset No. 3 seed New Mexico, and No. 15 seed FGCU sent second-seeded Georgetown packing.

FGCU was able to make history for a 15th seed by mustering one more win, over San Diego State, before losing to

No. 3 seed Florida.

Although these upsets drive people to pull their hair out and toss their brackets in the trash, the allure of the “Cinderella” team is undeniable. We all love a good underdog story.

If the outcome of the tour-

nament were easy to foresee, nobody would participate, but the unpredictable nature of single-elimination tournament play infatuates the average sports enthusiast. sroberson@the-telescope.com @scottroberson55

12 • SPORTS

Monday, April 8, 2013

BASEBALL

Palomar baseball leading conference standings

Kaity bergquist the telescope

Passing the midpoint of the season, Palomar’s baseball team had six wins in a row, had won 12 out of its last 13 games, and was leading the conference by two games over Southwestern as of April 1.

The team, with only four returning players with experience, has a record of 15-9, 12-2 in conference leading up to this point. They also have an excellent home record with six wins and three losses.

Freshman second baseman Dillan Smith is leading the team in batting average with a .380. Sophomore Nico Garbella leads the team in RBIs with 22.

The top pitchers for the Comets are Kyle Montiel and Anthony McIver. Montiel had an ERA of 2.44 over nine appearances, allowing 14 earned runs with 36 strikeouts. His record is 5-1 McIver had an ERA of 3.24 over eight appearances with 18 earned runs and 33 strikeouts.

Leading the team in ERA is Zach Wilkins with a 1.17 over 11

appearances in relief pitching.

Some of the top games for the Comets included a 23-1 rout of Imperial Valley College March 29.

They played this game at the end of a three-game series with Imperial Valley after defeating them 11-5 in the first game and 11-4 in the second game.

Smith dominated at the plate in the series finale, going 3-for-5 with an inside-the-park home run, a sacrifice fly, a walk, three runs scored, and four RBIs. The team had 20 hits total and held Imperial Valley to three hits over the entire game.

The Comets also swept Grossmont College in a three-game series March 19, 21, and 23. They won the first game 2-0, the second 7-5, and the third 4-3 in 12 innings.

Looking forward to the rest of the season, Palomar still has a handful of games against conference rivals, including one April 16 against Southwestern before heading into playoffs. kbergquist@the-telescope.com

Palomar pitcher Kyle Montiel pitches in a game March 7 at Myers Field at Palomar. He pitched for seven innings. Montiel is currently leading the Comets with 36 strikeouts. • Photo Courtesy/Deb Hellman

swimming

Swim teams gear up for conference play Marissa Milloy the telescope

As the Palomar swim season is coming to a close, the team is gearing up for conference and state meets.

In preparation, the team continues to train doing dry land workouts that consist of plyometrics, ab work, and working on certain parts of strokes.

At press time, the men were 2-1; the women were 1-2 for the season.

Head Coach Scott Lawson says the team chemistry is a lot “different,” in comparison to seasons prior, with a spectrum of ability levels from beginner to the most veteran of swimmers. As Lawson said, “You can’t win meets by just having a few fast people. You have the depth and stuff, too. It’s a team effort.”

Wyatt Woodward said he hopes to finish his final season strong with a back-to-back win in the 800-yard freestyle relay in the state championship. He will be retiring his collegiate swimming career after the season.

Woodward, along with swimmers David Smithers, Misaki Onoue and Neil Fogel will be competing in this year’s 800-yard freestyle relay.

“I would really like to repeat (a

SPORTS ON DECK

win) in that event, because that was an absolutely fun race.”

Veteran and returning swimmer, Kylie Brown, has her eye on the ultimate medal prize in her event, the 200 freestyle.

“I want to win the 200 free in state,” she said. A bold statement, but she is no doubt on track to do so. Placing fourth place at last year’s state meet, first place a touch away.

However, the women’s team as a whole has struggled this season.

“It’s hard because last season, with the relays, every single relay broke a record and it was such an exciting season for that reason.

And this season we are not having that. So just with that, the team camaraderie is a little bit lost,” Brown said.

The women’s team has downsized substantially from last season, and is much smaller than other schools in the league. That leaves them unable to meet the demands of every event.

Both teams faced tough losses against Grossmont, their biggest rival.

“When we swim against Grossmont, that’s kind of our rival, and it brings the best out in all of us,” Lawson said. Despite the meet with Grossmont being a tough loss for the team, Coach Lawson remains upbeat, “Whether we come out on top or we lose, that’s

Tues., April 9 Baseball

San Diego City 2 p.m.

Myers Field

ABOVE: Palomar swimmers participate in end-of-practice relays on April 1. BELOW: Palomar swimmers Neil Fogel. Wyatt Woodward, and Misaki Onoue pose after practice April 1 at the Wallace Memorial Pool. • Kaity Bergquist/Telescope

fine with me, as long the guys and girls have learned something from that, that’s what I care about.”

The PCAC Championships will be held at Palomar at Wallace Memorial Pool. Championships will be held over a course of three days from April 18-20. mmilloy@the-telescope.com

Wed., April 10 Softball

Imperial Valley 1 p.m.

Softball Field

Wed., April 10

Sat., April 13

Men’s Volleyball

Baseball

San Diego CC 6 p.m.

Dome

San Diego City, Noon Myers Field