The Telescope 68.12

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NEW BREWERY IN VISTA Wavelength Brewery recently opened in downtown Vista offering a full spectrum of beer and a outerly world atmosphere.

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the telescope Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper

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Vol. 68, No. 12 • Monday, March 30, 2015

Flash mob inspires awareness for Women’s History Month WOMEN’S HISTORY March is Women’s History Month and Palomar dedicated the week of March 23 to it with various events sponsored by the Women’s Studies Department and the Gender and Women’s Studies Student Club.

Events on campus: • March 23 - Panel on Women’s Health and Reproductive Justice • March 26 - Screening of the HBO movie“Muted” • March 26 - Flash mob Important dates highlighting women’s rights and equality in America: Students perform an interpretative dance outside the Howard Brubeck Theatre on March 26. The student-produced flash mob was held to celebrate art as a form of social protest in observance of Women’s History Month. The Women’s Studies Department and Gender and Women’s Studies Student Club sponsored the event. • Claudia Rodriguez/The Telescope

A Palomar screening of the movie “Muted” educates on missing minority girls ALEXANDRA ROTHMAN THE TELESCOPE

A week-long dedication to Women’s History Month ended with a screening of the movie “Muted” and a flash mob dance afterward.

The Women’s Studies Department and the Gender and Women’s Studies Student Club sponsored various events from March 23 to March 26 at the Palomar College San Marcos Campus.

Palomar’s Gender and Women’s Studies group adviser and professor Devon Smith said she supports the film, as it ties in to Women’s History Month and the week that Palomar

has dedicated to it. The club is dedicated to giving a voice to those who don’t. This includes building bridges between the media’s messages and what college students are saying.

“What is the worth of a child?”

This is the question that is argued by the film that was shown at the Brubeck Theatre on March 26. Produced by Tara Tomicevic and Brandi Ford, “Muted” raises awareness of the problem that not all missing persons are created equal.

The film revolves around Lena Gladwell and her struggle when her African-American teenage daughter Crystal gets abducted and the local police force do nothing to cover the news. Yet, when a a local Caucasian

girl from a middle class family gets kidnapped, an Amber Alert was immediately set out.

“Numbers don’t lie,” said producer Brandi Ford when asked about what inspired her to write and direct this film. “I did what I knew how to do, which was write.

Everyone should matter, and we wanted this film to express that.”

She went on to explain that, sadly, we have become a society that feeds off the destruction of people.

“If it bleeds, it leads,” she said.

Some Palomar students attended the film and said they are taking a stand against this stereotype.

One palomar student Anissa Ocansey said “The film was pow-

erful. It is an important representation of a phenomenon that has been going on for decades.”

She said it is important to be equipped, because students have the power through social media make a difference with their friends and family.

“It’s time to start influencing the media instead of letting the media always influencing us,” Ocansey added.

The film is winner of the HBO ABFF 2014 Competition and a finalist in the 2013 Sundance Film Festive, “Muted” touches on a topic that has been ignored.

JUMP TO MUTED PAGE 2

• Aug. 26, 1920 - American women win full voting rights • June 10, 1963 - Equal Pay Act is signed into law • June 7, 1965 - Use of contraception no longer banned • Jan. 22, 1973 - Roe vs.

Wade opens door to women’s reproductive choices • Sept. 13, 1994 - Violence Against Women Act • Jan. 29, 2009 - Lilly Ledbetter Act makes challenging unequal pay easier

For every $1 a man earns, a woman earns

¢

Palomar veteran shares experience transitioning to civilian life ZACHARY WATSON THE TELESCOPE

Palomar student veteran Kandice Roberts served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and trained and worked as a field wireman.

As a field wireman, Roberts established multiple methods of communication like telephones, computers and radios.

Roberts said that she really liked communications, and that it is a "great field, and I got the opportunity to cross train as a radio operator."

Roberts never deployed, and she was quite upset about that while she was in. "I was kinda disappointed," and "why can't I go?" was a lingering question on her mind. She wasn't regretful ultimately, explaining that what she was doing back on the home

front was "still important though."

When Roberts finally had the opportunity to deploy toward the end of her enlistment, she still didn't, but now it was for a different reason. "It didn't feel right to leave young babies at home," she said.

Roberts has three children now: two boys and a girl, ages seven, six and three. All of them were born and raised in California. Roberts is also married to a man she met while in the Marine Corps.

Roberts has been in California since 2005 when she got orders here.

She hails from Long Island, N.Y. and explains that California "took a while to grow on me but here I am setting up shop for my family."

At Palomar, Roberts originally studied child development so she could become an elementary school

U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former Palomar student Kandice Roberts talks about transitioning to civlian life.

• Stephen Davis/The Telescope

teacher, but said "I'm switching careers and I'm going to Kaplan for pharmacy tech school, and in six more months I'll be done."

Roberts still works with the food

services department at Palomar although, and you can find her at the pizza or Subway shops on campus.

Roberts said she misses the Marine Corps a lot.

"Sometimes I wish I never got out and reenlisted, pushing through it all, and if I stayed I would have retired from the Corps. That or they would have kicked me out," she said, laughing. Sometimes when she has to drive around Camp Pendleton she is reminiscing, hoping she'll see someone she knows.

She also said the adjustment to a civilian lifestyle was hard at first, especially because her husband was in as well. "I wake up and I don't have to PT (physical training), I would just sleep in 'till my child needs me."

Also "talking to civilians," on a normal occurrence was difficult at

first because of all the military jargon that was so ingrained into her.

"Trying to meet people not in the service can be difficult because they can't understand ... (It's) hard to relate, they don't know how we conduct ourselves."

Roberts said she slowly eased her way into it though. "I'm better off for it now," she said.

She also said it was very difficult for her to find a job at first. Places of employment would tell her she's overqualified for the job, and she would tell them she only wanted an entry level job to get by.

But Roberts said she is excited for her future. A new career path awaits her, and she will be utilizing her VA benefits soon to find a new home.

ZWATSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

2 • NEWS

Monday, March 30, 2015

MAP OF CAMPUS CRIMES DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH 3/2 - Hit & Run 3/12 - Hit & Run

LEGEND Vandalism, graffiti Theft

3/6 - Petty theft 3/12 - Grand theft 3/13 - Grand theft 3/14 - Petty theft

3/10 - Vandalism 3/4 - Hit & Run

3/15 - Vandalism 3/17 - Vandalism

Assault

3/15 - Burglary Embezzlement 3/20 - Vandalism Arrest 3/16 - Vandalism

Burglary

3/5 - Embezzlement Accident 3/11 - Vandalism

3/17 - Accident, no injury 3/10 - Petty Theft 3/10 - Warrant arrest

3/12 - Vandalism

3/5 - Petty theft Escondido Center

3/10 - Petty Theft 3/5 - Assault

3/13 - Vandalism

3/10 - Burglary in rooms 604, 606, 700 and 701.

3/12 - Vandalism in the 500 wing.

3/24- Petty Theft at Campus Police Office Designed by Mike Peterson/The Telescope

UPCOMING EVENTS

Concert Hour exciting for percussion lovers

If you have an ear for percussion and the various styles and instruments intrigue you, then this event is perfect. The event will kick off at 12:30 p.m., with doors opening at 12:20 p.m., and ends at 1:30 p.m. on April 9 at the Howard Brubeck Theatre.

This Concert Hour will be featuring the exhilarating Palomar Percussion Ensemble/YPO. This will be their first main stage performance and will be directed by Heather Barclay.

For further information, visit http://www2.palomar.edu/performingarts/ or contact Randy Hoffman at (760)-744-1150 ext.

2317.

Cesar Chavez to be celebrated at event

In memory of Cesar Chavez, there will be an event honoring Mr. Chavez at 11 a.m. on March 31 in the Student Union.

The event is hosted by the Associated Student Government, and it is projected to last about three hours.

In past years, the event has hosted speeches from colleagues of Mr. Chavez, and has been very influential.

Cesar Chavez was a civil rights activist in the 20th century who fought for workers’ rights and cofounded the National Farm Workers Association. He was born on March 31, the day that is now commemorated in his honor.

For more information on Cesar Chavez Day, please contact Lindsay Kretchman at (760)-744-1150 ext. 2594 or email her at lkretchman@palomar.edu.

Skin Cancer testing available at Palomar

The Health Services Center will be offering free skin cancer screening exams on April 6 at the Escondido campus. The event will be held in observance of Skin Cancer Awareness month.

Those interested in a screening are asked to call the Health Centers at (760) 744-1150 ext. 3711 to make an appointment.

Students are also encouraged to stop by the Health Center booth between 5:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to learn more about skin cancer

prevention and detection. The booth will be situated in the Escondido Center Main Lobby. The San Marcos campus will be holding the same event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 9 in the Student Union.

Discover what career is best for you On April 1 come to the first Career Discovery Day at the Clocktower. This event focuses on introducing students to the variety of career pathways that are available here at Palomar.

Pianist Solon Pierce returns to Concert Hour

A Concert Hour veteran, Solon Pierce, returns to Palomar College with music from composers Ramon Delgado Palacios, Darius Milhaud, Justin Rubin, and Percy Grainger. This Concert Hour starts at 12:30 p.m. on April 2, at the Howard Brubeck Theatre. . For further information on the event visit http://www2.palomar.edu/performingarts/ or contact Randy Hoffman at (760)-7441150 ext. 2317.

CORRECTIONS

In our March 9 edition of The Telescope on page 2 we ran a photo of baseball player Ricky Kliebenstein. We wrote that he was part of the Palomar College team, but he is actually on the San Diego City College baseball team.

We acknowledge our error.

MUTED

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Missing minority children are not getting the coverage they deserve.

According to Scripps Hoard News, 50 perfect of kidnappings are of minorities, but 66 percent of reports that are covered by the media are of white children. This is mainly due to a “perfect victim” perception that has been created. Victims that are female, white, middle class, cute, and under age twelve have a dominant response called “missing white girls syndrome.” This stereotype does not do missing minority children justice.

“Numbers don’t lie.” said producer Brandi Ford when asked about what inspired her to write and direct this film. “I did what I knew how to do, which was write. Everyone should matter, and we wanted this film to express that.” She goes on to explain that, sadly, we have become a society that feeds off the destruction of people. “If it bleeds, it leads.”

Fortunately, Palomar students are taking a stand against this stereotype. One student speaks up, saying “The film was powerful. It is an important representation of a phenomenon that has been going on for decades.” She states it is important to be equipped, because students have the power through social media make a difference with their friends and family. “It’s time to start influencing the media instead of letting the media always influencing us.”

AROTHMAN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

NEWS • 3

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Student affairs director, beacon for student success CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE

the telescope

Focused On Palomar Monday, March 30, 2015 Vol. 68, No. 12 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.

SUSAN WHALEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIKE PETERSON MANAGING EDITOR & OPINION EDITOR CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK SPORTS EDITOR JOEL VAUGHN CO-A&E EDITOR STEVEN BURIEK CO-A&E EDITOR

Student Affairs Director Sherry Titus • Photo courtesy of Palomar Public Affairs

In a press statement issued by Palomar College, President Robert Deegan praised Titus and her efforts.

“Sherry is highly deserving of this award,” Deegan said in the press release. “Her sincerity, compassion, calmness under pressure, and ability to see the big picture all contribute to her success as an outstanding administrator.”

When Titus learned that she

in my desk,” Titus said. “At the end of the day, when I get that last student email, and I feel tired ... I look at that compass, and it keeps me grounded.”

Mario Gaspar, ASG president, said he feels that she is an integral part of the ASG and the school’s success.

“She’s been really helpful getting me in the ‘know,’ because the transition from vice president to president can be tough,” Gaspar said.

“As far as ASG, she’s seen several boards so she helps us see different solutions that we may not be able to see.”

At the end of the day, Titus really just wants to see one thing, she wants to see Palomar students excel.

“Those things matter to me,” Titus said. “When they graduate from here, that matters. When they move on to the school they want to go to ... that matters.”

CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Student president travels to D.C., brings new insights back as souvenir

KIRK MATTU ONLINE EDITOR STEPHEN DAVIS PHOTO EDITOR JOHN LUCIA CARTOONIST ERIN HIRO ADVISER DEB HELLMAN BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS MIKE ADAMS, LEAH BAENA, PETER BRIGHT, BROOKE CRAWFORD, TAMARA EAKINS, RODNEY FIGUEROA, DIANA GUEVARRA, JODY JOHNSON, FERN MENEZES, JASMINE MONROY, FAYE NOUROLLAHI, CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ, ED ROSA, AMBER ROSARIO, ALEXANDRA ROTHMAN, ROBERT RUKAVINA, JOE SANDOVAL, ROMA WATKINS, KRISTINA WALTON, ZACHARY WATSON PHOTOGRAPHERS JACOB BANKS, EVAN CAST, CASEY COUSINS, DIRK CALLUM, PHILIP FARRY, ADAM GUERRERO, MEREDITH JAMES, SETH JONES, MICHAEL KAPLAN, DANIEL KRESGE, BELEN LADD, PAUL NELSON, JUSTIN SUMSTINE, RICARDO TORRES ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / H-103 WEBSITE/ WWW.THE-TELESCOPE.COM FACEBOOK/ 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

How does one define student success? By the amount of awards they win? By the constant praise they receive on ratemyprofessor. com?

Not according to Sherry Titus, Palomar’s director of Student Services. Her definition of student success lays in the aftermath of them graduating from Palomar.

“I get emails all the time; I have these connections to students that, for me, are at the highest priority for the job I do,” Titus said.

“I consider that successful,” she added.

It is that love for her students that earned Titus the 2015 Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) Leadership Award for Administrative Excellence. The award is given annually to the administrator who excels in innovation, volunteerism and commitment to their institution.

was receiving the award, she was shocked, but deeply humbled.

“It means a lot to me to be honored by my peers, but it’s just a reflection of my day- to-day work,” she said. “I just believe I’m one of many that just want our students to be successful.”

In the 26 years she has been at Palomar, Titus has served as basketball coach, associate professor, athletic director’s assistant, and now her current position, along with being the Associated Student Government advisor.

And according to her, this is the best job she has ever had.

“I can’t think of anything else I would want to be doing,” Titus said.

She said she feels that in her current role she is in a better position to help students, whether it be with student discipline, or just helping fulfill the smallest of needs. Her inspiration comes in something most people wouldn’t guess.

“In my acceptance speech, I referred to this compass that I keep

CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER’S ASSOCIATION

KRIK MATTU THE TELESCOPE

A Palomar student leader spent his Spring Break learning about politics and issues that will better address the needs of Palomar College students.

Mario Gaspar, Associated Student Government (ASG) President, attended a conference held by the American Student Association of Community Colleges (ASACC) in Washington D.C. over spring break with new perspectives and insights that will better prepare ASG for its future.

“You see how different colleges function and run and you try to take (the best) parts of their system and try to implement them into yours,” Gaspar said of the national conference that gathers 2-year colleges across the nation into one location to discuss federal issues faced by these colleges. “I think there are a few changes that we can make here in our board that will help us out in the future. “ The four-day conference was held from March 14-17 and cost $1,300 per person, Sherry Titus, Director of Student Services, said over email about the trip.

While the only member from ASG to attend the conference was Gaspar, the trip was open to everyone on the board contingent to meeting requirements set by their bylaws. The trip was discussed and planned for in October where an allocation of funds was set aside for the trip. Problems arose when members failed to turn in petitions to attend the event on time, Gaspar said.

Topics discussed at the ASACC conference were: Pell Grant Funding, America’s College Promise, Higher Education Reauthorization Act (HEA), Dream Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minor Act), and Student Loan Payment with Pre-Tax Dollars, Titus said.

“For me as the adviser, it is always nice to hear the passion in student voices and recognize their efforts to address items they are directly affected by,” Titus said.

Gaspar attended sessions that involved better communication with constituents and other groups, how to keep in touch with students, how to advertise, how to grow out student government and get better involvement.

“You see that different schools deal with different problems, and since this is a national conference you get to hear the perspectives of colleges from different states,” Gaspar said.

Gaspar and Titus toured the Capitol, attended a United States House of Representatives session and a United States Senate session, and toured several museums outside of conference workshops and events. The two also visited the Supreme Court and attended a courtroom lecture during their trip.

On the end, attendees voted on two to three topics to bring up in discussion with their respective legislators. While Gaspar and Titus were not able to meet with any congressman or senators during the trip due to scheduling difficulties, the two were enthusiastic on the topics dis-

cussed at the conference, in particular Presidents Obama’s January proposal of the America’s College Promise.

Gaspar breaks down the proposal simply by stating that it provides free education at community colleges across the nation for a year. It was a highly discussed topic at the conference.

While California is ahead in the topic by already providing the Board of Governors fee waiver to residents in the state, “The conversation is happening and that’s a good thing,” Gaspar said.

KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

4 • OPINION EDITORIAL

Due credit for Palomar While our job here at The Telescope is to report on all campus happenings, both good and bad, we like to shed light on groups and individuals who have proven exceptional prowess. These accomplishments are a source of immense pride and prestige for Palomar College and are worthy of public acknowledgment.

KKSM - Palomar College’s Radio station was named Best Community College Radio Station in the nation at the 2015 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Golden Microphone Awards in New York City. The following students from KKSM received finalist honors in this national competition in the following categories: Eric Rallos for Best On-Air Personality, Serena Reid for Best Program Director and Best Public Affairs Program, Brianna Harley for Best Liner, Lilly Lopez for Best Specialty Music Show and Zeb Navarro for Outstanding Adviser.

Media Studies Department - At the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Festival of Media Arts, Jennifer Fasulo won Best in the Festival in the Video/ Broadcast Production category in the Student 2-Year/Small College Competition for the production of the segment of North County News, aired on April 22, 2014. For the Audio Division, Best Comedy/Drama, Kenneth Hladky won Third Place for his entry, Tales from Plunther Hills Valley.

Women’s Basketball - Finished with its most impressive season as one of the State Elite 8 with a 26-4 record. The team finished 13-1 in conference and beat the defending state champions in Ventura before losing to Mt. San Antonio College. Player Keisha Cox ranked 12th in all of California and Coach Leigh Marshall was honored by the California Community College Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as Coach of the Year.

Accreditation - Palomar was congratulated by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for several achievements ranging from curriculum goals to library webpages to campus renovation.

Palomar Speech and Debate - Palomar College’s Speech and Debate Team placed third in the community college division at the National Parliamentary Debate Association Tournament in Kansas City in early April. They are headed to the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio on April 3.

EDITOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Monday, March 30, 2015

We should strive for equality, not labels LEAH BAENA THE TELESCOPE

A group known as “Meninists,” have flooded social media sites such as Twitter and Tumblr, with men empowerment and now their negative attention is spreading like wildfire.

We’re talking the F word, Feminism.

This group of men is formed to specifically call out feminists for their well-known “man hating” and “gender biased” tendencies.

Fem·i·nism: noun: the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.

The definition of Feminism enables one to decide whether a statement is a sexist comment or a legitimate gender inequality issue, however the term has been taken out of context by both outsiders, and those claiming to be Feminists.

There are a few shortcomings on the Meninist side, however it is not taken lightly by supporters, that Feminism was once for equality but now condones gender superiority.

This re-amped movement of feminism has created overly independent women, so much that many women do not wish to be associated with the title “Feminist.”

“Women are choosing not to identify as feminists,” UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson states. “Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolation and anti men, unattractive even.”

How true it is, that feminism has become known as a sexist campaign targeting men and all the mistakes

they could ever possibly make.

In 2014, a video called “Potty Mouth Princesses” went viral for its explicit content of toddlers, no older that 9 years old, were found dropping “F bombs” on subjects such as wage gaps and rape.

These sassy little girls are dressed up as princesses while squealing “What’s more offensive? A little girl saying f*ck or the sexist way society treats girls and women.”

While the reality of this video is that these little girls have no idea what they’re cussing about, they’re just excited to have permission, more like promotion, to use inappropriate language.

Feminists have made a bad rep for themselves in various areas of society, and their man-bashing, women-empowering behavior has belittled men, and at times made them feel that there is no longer a need for chivalry or respect amongst the sexes.

Licensed Psychologist Dr. Michael Grayson Conner conducted a research titled “Understanding the

Difference Between Men and Women.” Through this process of study he found that men are anatomically made to be stronger therefore find forceful ways to assert their positions in the lives around them.

“For centuries, the differences between men and women were socially defined and distorted through a lens of sexism in which men assumed superiority over women and maintained it through domination,” Conner stated.

These biological differences amongst men and women not only explain the presumptions genders have of one another, but also the need they feel individually.

According to fembotmag.com, Meninists are arguing “Feminism counts out equality for men, and that Feminists are ignorant to their own sexist expectations of men.”

Watson stated further in her speech on Feminism to the UN, “How can we expect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?”

Feminists obtain the right to be angered by the mockery they are experiencing from this group of men, however, the opposing force should first be educated in the meaning of feminism, and so should self proclaimed feminists.

Feminism is about equality, anything more or less than that is sexism, a never ending competition of whose gender will win the race.

“Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong,” Watson stated. “It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum not as two sets of opposing ideals.”

Both men and women deserve equal rights, no gender is better than the other, but men and women are not the same. The two genders were made to thrive together in a symphony.

The entirety of this argument of feminism versus meninism began not just because of the misunderstanding in regards to the definition of feminism, but because men feel belittled, and useless in some ways in the lives of females.

This is a call to all men, to join the movement against arrogance on both parts of the problem, to believe in equality over superiority.

Watson began a program called “He for she,” that promotes the simplicity of equality for both sexes.

For more information, such as the world map allowing viewers to see how many men in their area have signed the petition for women’s rights, visit heforshe.org.

LBAENA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Celebrities should apologize with meaning AMBER ROSARIO THE TELESCOPE

Public apologies have become quite commonplace yet even with their frequency, apologizing has become somewhat of an art. As we see, time and time again it is difficult for most to apologize and do it sincerely.

“I’m sorry if you were offended by what I said,” is inadequate and dismissive. Unfortunately this is the sad excuse of an apology most people default to.

This is not a decent apology because the person places the blame on the person who was offended.

Instead of becoming defensive, the apologizer must understand that when you apologize, you acknowledge the outcome of your offense, not your intent.

The most responsible way to apologize almost has a formula to it. As Upworthy Curator Franchesca Ramsey stated, in her video titled “Getting Called Out: How to Apologize,” first the person must take responsibility, then make the commitment to change their hurtful behavior. It is that simple, yet saying sorry seems to be a burdensome task. Let’s look at two highly publicized apologies celebrities have made after making insensitive remarks about race.

Last year one of the most high profile apologies came at the hand of Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Sterling was caught on tape making offensive remarks about black people to his girlfriend. His statements sent many people into a frenzy, expressing their disdain for Sterling and demanding a well deserved apology followed by his termination as owner.

Weeks after the incident Sterling sat down for an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and “apologized.” The interview was nothing short of a hot mess. “I’m a good member who made a mistake and I’m apologizing and I’m asking for forgiveness,” he told Cooper. “Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It’s a terrible mistake, and I’ll never do it again.”

In this portion of the interview he appeared to be making a sincere apology however, where he failed was when he blamed his mistake on his age, as if age was an excuse for racism. Continuing on he then said his girlfriend baited him into saying those terrible things, shifting the blame on to her. To top it off, when asked if he had talked to Magic Johnson, an icon in the NBA and former friend of Sterling, about his

remarks he deflected the question and began criticizing what Magic Johnson has done for minorities.

This so-called apology continued on for 25 minutes.

Not only did Sterling wait a considerable length of time to apologize, when he finally sat down to do so he deflected the blame and placed the responsibility for his actions upon everyone else. This is not how you effectively apologize. Taking responsibility of your actions is crucial to an effective apology.

More recently, Giuliana Rancic a television personality, received major backlash when she made racially insensitive remarks about singer, Zendaya Coleman, on the E! Networks’ show Fashion Police. Giuliana stated that the singers’ faux dreadlocks made her look as though she smelled of weed and patchouli oil. These comments touched on assumptions about race, hair and lifestyles and many were offended. Not long after, Coleman herself released a statement expressing how these comments offended her.

The next day Giuliana made an on-air apology stating “… but I do understand that something I said last night did cross the line. I just want everyone to know, I didn’t intend to hurt anybody, but I’ve learned it is not my intent that matters — it’s the result, and the result is

that people are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not OK.” She continued on to say “ Therefore, I want to say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me — I’ve learned a lot today — and this incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of cliches and stereotypes, how much damage they can do. And that I am responsible, as we all are, to not perpetuate them further. Thank you for listening.”

This apology differs from Sterling’s in a way that is undeniable.

Giuliana understood that the intent of her statement did not matter.

What actually mattered was the impact. Not stopping there, she took responsibility for her actions and then proceeded to make a commitment to change the behavior that caused the offense.

That is it, that is exactly what it takes to properly apologize. You don’t have to admit you are wrong to give a sincere apology but you must take responsibility for your offensive actions and make a sincere effort to not do it again. Keep in mind that you cannot dictate what actions will offend people but you can make an honest effort to make a sincere apology.

AROSARIO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

OPINION • 5

the-telescope.com

Qualcomm Stadium. • Photo courtesy Kevin Baird/Flickr Commons

Give us a new stadium, or give us death CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE

If there is any city that deserves to represent the powder blue and gold bolt, it’s San Diego.

Sure, Los Angeles might have the mass media appeal. And yes, it does help that LA is the second-biggest media market in the continental United States.

But let’s go back to past history.

Los Angeles already had its chance to play host to the Chargers, back in the glory days of the American Football League (which merged with the NFL in 1970, resulting in the two conferences you see now: the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC, formerly the AFL)). That only lasted for one year, in 1960, before moving to the sunny confines of San Diego.

The Chargers won their only professional championship in San Diego (1963, AFL champion), back when Balboa Stadium was known as their home. For over 50 years, the Chargers have reigned as San Diego’s premier professional sports franchise. The

Clippers moved from Buffalo, New York in 1978 and were only here six years before making Los Angeles their permanent home. And yes, we also have the Padres...but baseball doesn’t have the stronghold in San Diego like football does.

And now, talks have opened across the NFL that Los Angeles might try to take away our Chargers, too. Stan Kroenke, majority owner of the St. Louis Rams and entrepreneurial giant Kroenke Sports Enterprises, has teamed up with Stockbridge Capital Group with plans to build an 80,000 seat NFL stadium in Inglewood.

Immediately after that news, it was announced that the Chargers and Oakland Raiders have teamed up to propose a new NFL stadium in Carson if negotiations for a stadium in their respective cities fall through.

Organizers backed by the Chargers and Raiders have already gathered more than 14,000 signatures (over 6,000 more than was required) in support of making this a ballot initiative this year.

The Raiders? THE OAKLAND RAIDERS?!

For over 50 years, the Chargers have reigned as San Diego’s premier sports franchise.

They are supposed to be our sworn enemies; the Lex Luthor to our Superman. Between us and the Raiders, our respective cities have seen some of the most physical, bloodiest games the NFL has ever seen. And this doesn’t just stay on the field; fans have been known to get violent in the stands for the teams they love.

And now, all because the premise of a $1.7 billion-pipe dream hangs in the balance, we’re willing to sleep with the enemy? How is that for loyalty?

I get it. Times are changing. The NFL wants shiny new stadiums to show off its biggest money maker, the Super Bowl. And San Diego is one of the nicest warm-weather cities in all of America. Visiting color com-

mentators routinely talk about how they prefer San Diego over any other sports city in America.

Yet, we haven’t hosted a Super Bowl since 2003, when Tampa Bay and our secret lovers in Oakland played in OUR Qualcomm Stadium.

The NFL has told the city that we will not be allowed to host another Super Bowl until a new stadium is built that can handle the capacity of such a major event.

Qualcomm, the second-oldest stadium in the NFL, is outdated. We don’t have a state-of the-art scoreboard, nor does the stadium have WiFi. The stadium expansion in 1997 added nearly 11,000 more seats than the team deemed necessary. As a result, the team has a hard time selling out enough seats to even air home games on local television.

It doesn’t help that the City Council is being cheap. Mayor Kevin Faulconer is claiming that we can build them a state-of-the-art stadium with only $800 million, and that we can build it in Mission Valley...in the same parking lot as Qualcomm. The Chargers’ representatives have made it clear that they prefer a downtown

location.

To put price in perspective, Levi’s Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers, cost $1.2 billion. The new stadium being currently built in Atlanta (scheduled for a March 2017 opening) will cost $1.4 billion.

There are other issues at play; the hoteliers want a convention center expansion instead on a new stadium, and Metropolitan Transit Services (MTS) says that their current bus yard would take at least seven years and a cost of $150 million to move in order for the Chargers to build a new stadium over that ground.

It all eventually comes to money.

If San Diego wants to keep the Chargers, we’ll have to spend money...and LOTS of it.

But for the old school fans and new ones who have supported this team for over 50 years, isn’t it worth it?

I say yes. And if the team does end up moving, you can count me among the masses of San Diegans who will be tossing their Charger jerseys in the trash and setting it on fire.

CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

COLUMN

Love is more than the feeling after a one-night stand LEAH BAENA THE TELESCOPE

In a culture where strangers share beds for a night, true love is an endangered species inching its way toward extinction.

This is a world where the brokenhearted sleep together for a night and wait for a call to validate their worth.

They place their value in the hands of a stranger and then feel worthless when the phone doesn’t ring or the text doesn’t deliver.

I am not a love expert, but I am a firm believer in honesty.

Honestly, I am 20 years old, I have never been kissed, and I am waiting until marriage to have sex.

I don’t play the guessing game, and have no interest in participating.

Love does not come after sex, it cannot be forced where it does not belong.

Marriage is a dead concept to most, it is treated as the last act of a person’s life, a pyrrhic victory at best. But that’s what love is, love is selfless, not liv-

ing for yourself but for someone else, dying to your own selfish needs and thriving to serve another.

In today’s society my values make me a “prude,” “unattractive,” or “overly religious” woman. Yet no word used by an outsider to describe me, would come as a surprise.

Growing up I struggled with insecurities, derived from being called many names, none of which were my actual name. I began believing I had nothing to offer anyone physically or mentally. My self esteem was utterly dependent on the feelings of complete strangers.

I was constantly drowning in the belief that love could only be felt in a romantic way, through a relationship.

Once my parents filed for a divorce, my fairy tale dreams of the perfect relationship drew to an end. I became obsessed with the way I looked, thinking this would define what I deserved, but my mind grew and expanded in undeniable ways. I began to ponder what I believed in, and what kind of faith resonated within me.

Once I received my driver license, I began taking myself to church, reading books by a variety of authors and essentially began writing around the same time. I took walks by myself and drove places by myself, I prayed and I waited for my heart to change.

It wasn’t an overnight process, I was awakened a little more with each day, learning things about the mind that I never knew were there.

One year ago, I took on a job as a personal nanny for a sweet, little girl.

When word got out that I was available for watching children, I got a lot of offers to babysit. It was through these

opportunities that I learned that love is a choice, it longs to serve another person rather than its own selfish desires.

It is through these experiences that I realized all the more how powerful love is.

I am held in ways that I had only dreamed of, I am endlessly kissed by slobbery baby lips, and wanted from the ground up by their stretched out fingertips.

Love can be felt in any situation, from a dog to an owner, from a mom to a dad, from a grandchild to a grandparent. Love is endless.

Love is bare feet pacing back and forth on squeaky floor boards as you put a toddler to bed. Love is carrying your pain-inflicted dog to the car for his last trip to the vet’s office, and holding him as he takes his last breath.

Love is selfless and pure. Love is saving the last scoop of coffee grounds for the other person knowing full well you need it more.

Love is dedication to one person, and one person alone. Accepting each other unconditionally regardless of the

past, and not treating it as a burden or a legal obligation.

Love is choosing the same person over and over again.

Love is salvaging all that you are and dedicating it to people who value your soul and not just your body.

It wasn’t until about seven months ago, that I began to realize what it meant to be single, that being single was no longer a curse, or a result of anything that I lacked, but because I chose to be single. It wasn’t until then that I believed love was real, and that it is for all of us.

No, I have not experienced what this society considers to be the starting point of love. But I have faith that through patience I will have my chance.

Love is for the lonely, for the forgotten, for those who have lost love and for the unrequited.

I do not fall in love, I choose to delve in it, to grow in it, in all circumstances.

LBAENA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

6 • OPINION

Monday, March 30, 2015 THE CRITICAL COMMENT

Don’t use religion to justify discrimination MIKE PETERSON THE TELESCOPE

A sign hanging on Perked up! coffee shop in Virgina Beach reminding people how to be a friend when it comes to drinking Starbucks on March 17. • Susan Whaley/The Telescope

Palomar, don’t post Starbucks ads SUSAN WHALEY THE TELESCOPE

What does Starbucks coffee and Palomar College have in common?

Absolutely nothing.

However, according to Palomar’s Facebook page it seems otherwise because they posted a Starbucks photo memes recently about daylight saving time and last year during the holiday season.

This makes no sense because first, there isn’t even a Starbucks on campus. Second, if Palomar is going to throw ads on their Facebook it should be for local companies or ones on campus already. The local community needs the most help, not the big corporations.

Starbucks is such a large business, or should I say vente, or grande or tall? They all mean the same thing anyway. The point is, a powerful business doesn’t need free advertising, especially from a community college, full of young consumers, who live on caffeine. If Palomar is going to post photos of businesses on its social media they should be doing it for small shops around the area.

Local places need as much support from the local community as they can get just to stay afloat. And they compete enough with big corporations. Palomar doesn’t need to add to that competition.

Starbucks makes enough money as it is anyway. The CEO, Howard Shultz, earned $1.5 million in 2014, according to Forbes. Also in 2013 the company made $146 million on just interest alone, according to a January 2014 Bloomberg article.

By Sept. 28, 2014, there were 10,713 company-owned stores worldwide and 10,653 licensedstores worldwide. According to its 2014 fiscal report, Starbucks employed 191,000 people worldwide.

People need jobs and its important for them to keep them. Starbucks will never go out of business and that’s not the point. The point is if more small, local businesses could survive under the threat of the corporate competition then there could be even more jobs.

Corporations smash local competition to pieces and Starbucks grinds them up finer than espresso.

Palomar isn’t anywhere close to supporting local businesses even away from its social media. There is a Jamba Juice, Java City and Subway on campus. The college has a contract with Aramark, one of the largest food and uniform service distributors in the nation.

Palomar should offer local businesses the opportunity to start-up on campus instead of bringing in big companies. How about Palomar even bringing in former alumn who are trying to start a food company in San Marcos? Now that would really be supporting students and the community.

The big corporations may forever reign over our nation, unfortunately. They may seem inescapable, but with sacrificing slight convenience, it is possible to shop local and put that money in the hands of people you come to know.

What makes local shops better than vente-sized businesses is the people who work there and the unique atmosphere. Each small coffee house has a special and usually quirky vibe that you just can’t get at a Starbucks. Local places don’t have to follow corporate rules or move though bureaucratic obstacles to get anything done.

Small coffee shops allow the workers to express themselves through their clothing and appearance and allows them the freedom to make friends with the customers and actually have a real conversation with them.

Many coffee houses also have open mic nights as well. This is a great element to be added to a community. It brings customers in and allows performers a chance to shine and be recognized.

Starbucks is consistent in everything it does. The workers, the drinks and the atmosphere. This works for some people, but if you want to experience crawling out of your comfort zone to try something new and talk to funky people then Starbucks is not the place for that.

Palomar needs to do a better job at a supporting local companies, or if nothing at all, then at least support the companies they have on campus.

SWHALEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Discrimination is wrong. It is always wrong. But some people try to justify it under various cleverlymarketed flags. For example: religious freedom.

But religious freedom doesn’t mean what you think.

Just last week, the state congress of Indiana tried to pass a controversial “religious freedom” bill that would allow businesses to essentially discriminate against samesex couples.

These types of bills have stirred up a lot of contention in past years.

Similar storms were kicked up by the Hobby Lobby debacle, which allowed companies to deny paying for contraceptives for their employees on the grounds that it would conflict with their religion.

But these two words get kicked around a lot. Religious freedom.

We have the freedom to worship whoever or wantever we want in this country, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures that. But we seem to have gotten caught up in trying to figure out exactly what religious freedom means.

To a lot of people in this country, religious freedom is synonymous with the right to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

We’ve dealt with similar things before as a country. People have used religion to justify segregation and unfair treatment, universities reserved the right to refuse interracial couples. But the Civil Rights

To a lot of people in this country, religious freedom is synonymous with the right to discriminate.

Act of 1964 made it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex or nationality.

It’s okay to have religious beliefs, even ones that conflict with another’s lifestyle choices. You have every right to dislike people who disagree with yours. But in a free country, the right to worship shouldn’t translate to treating people unfairly. It shouldn’t translate to imposing our beliefs on others.

Using government to help impose our beliefs should be a violation of the First Amendment. But there are those who use cleverlyworded bills and underhanded tactics to try and further their cause under the guise of promoting “religious freedom.”

We should face it, discriminating against and harming others under the banner of religious freedom is wrong.

It’s wrong because many religions profess to teach love and acceptance. What you preach at the pulpit shouldn’t conflict with what you write on the ballot.

But it’s mostly wrong because we live in a country with a great deal of freedom. That doesn’t mean

freedom just for one religion, it means freedom for people of all religions and people who have none.

Imposing your beliefs on someone else is just the opposite of that.

It seems like in a lot of cases these religious freedom bills are born purely out of spite. One side feels like they are losing, so they cling to whatever semblance of freedom they have.

But popular opinion has always driven progress in our country.

There were opponents to anti-slavery and anti-discrimination laws.

The right for women to vote had its enemies. But in the end, our country has usually decided what’s right and morally sound, and took that path.

It’s still legal in this country for businesses to refuse service to individuals. And, honestly, that right should not be taken away.

We should just be morally-sound enough to realize discrimination doesn’t belong in a free society.

We have to look at things in perspective. For those of you who think the government is prying the rights of certain religions away, just remember that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the right for students to pray.

Students just can’t be forced to by the school. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Religious freedom means just that. Freedom. But it doesn’t, or at least it shouldn’t, mean the right to force your own beliefs on someone else.

MPETERSON@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Media coverage a mixed bag for transgender community JOEL VAUGHN THE TELESCOPE

Should it really concern you how someone else identifies with their gender? The media seems to hold the opinion that it does.

In recent years the LGBT movement has gain enough momentum to cause social reform that was thought to be impossible 20 years ago. However, transgender individuals have not seen the same amount of respect and acceptance that other subsets of the LGBT community have.

This is seen in the way that the media presents actual transgender public figures. The most recent example of this is Bruce Jenner and how he’s allegedly in the process of transitioning into a woman.

Such heavy media coverage of someone who is in the process of transitioning can be seen as doubleedge sword.

On one hand you have the positive element, it gives them the ability to tell their story in an outlet that they, to a certain extent, can control.

It also gives the public an easily digestible insight into the life of someone who is transitioning.

This is especially noteworthy in Jenner’s case, due to him already having a large public forum that is

his reality show.

It also plants in the public consciousness a discussion of an important topic that is wrongly considered taboo.

But unfortunately with that discussion comes fodder for the myriad of malicious tabloid journalists.

In Jenner’s case this can be seen particularly in TMZ coverage of his transition. The childish tabloid obsessively created controversy that surrounds this serves to do nothing more than further trivialize the lives of transgender people and proves that it’s still an issue that needs to be discussed.

But does the good the media can do for the transgender community justify feeding the ferocity of the bottom-of-barrel, shit-eating, tabloid journalist? It depends on the way the person is already seen the media and who has the louder voice in the media conversation.

So far it hasn’t looked great for the side of reason in Bruce Jenner’s case. It seems like outlets like In Touch Magazine or TMZ are gaining more traction than others, thus further propagating being transgender as this taboo spectacle.

Maybe the reason that Jenner has been such a target for these tabloid outlets is that he was already in

their sights due to taking part in the broadcast of his family’s personal life; but even if that’s so, it doesn’t justify the further scrutiny into his personal life.

It’s important to note that us having to have this conversation on gender issues is indicative of large problem, that many of us are obsessed with the trivial aspects of other’s identity.

An individual’s choice on how they self identify with their gender shouldn’t be at all controversial or even noteworthy. It’s disgraceful that when anyone comes out as transgender, gay or bisexual that it’s still cause for controversy. Shouldn’t we be past this by now, the greatest win for the LGBT community would be when being a member of it ultimately becomes so normalized that it’s mundane.

It shouldn’t matter what bathroom you choose to use, how you dress or who you choose to sleep with. The fact that our society still think it’s outside of the norm to deviate from our born into gender or sexuality by doing these things that are so ridiculously inconsequential is really the epitome of a society that is obsessed over petty non-issues.

JVAUGHN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

OPINION • 7

the-telescope.com

General education does more than fulfill requirements FERN MENEZES THE TELESCOPE

A strong background in general education is the foundation for becoming a balanced and effective scholar.

General Education (GE) curriculum is designed to provide both breadth and depth of knowledge while pursuing a degree. At any level of learning, GE is necessary as you advance toward a goal, and it can be introductory or integrative. GE broadens the scope of understanding the world, how we came to exist and what lies ahead.

GE is often viewed by students as “courses they have to take” and see any need for further knowledge in GE as being redundant or unnecessary. Students may also contend that the time spent taking GE classes is wasteful of time and money and feel the knowledge most likely will not have any further application in their career.

They are wrong. · Without English or reading courses, how will you increase your comprehensive skills, complete your dissertation, carry your weight in a conversation with a peer, teach or mentor? · Without math, how will you determine your goals for financial security, be able to read a graph, or follow the stock market? · Without science, how will you ever satisfy your curiosity about how your own body functions or the natural world and how it works? · Without technology, you can forget about being a part of tomorrow.

During a recent conversation with Martin Japtok, associate professor of English, mentioned the need for education as being “something much

Photo by Allen J. Schaben/MCT Campus

more comprehensive than acquiring a narrow set of skills that’s supposed to serve in the pursuit of a salary.”

Japtok believes the attitude of resentment against GE comes from the misconception that education means “work force development.”

“Higher education has to be something different, have higher goals and higher aims,” Japtok said. He added that it’s not the job of a higher education system to produce a workforce with only technical skills.

Japtok said, “It’s our job (as teachers) to transmit to students that those very simple ideas, that no knowledge is ever wasted” and education is about learning to think for yourself and not just a narrow transmission of technical skills.

The U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE), National Center for

Education Statistics (NCES) and the international Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released on October 2013 data obtained by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The study was an assessment of skills in three domains: literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. There were 165,000 working age adults (representing more than 724 million working-age adults in 23 countries) used in the assessment.

The results showed that U.S. adults scored below the international average in all three domains. U.S. adults were slightly below average in literacy, near the bottom in numeracy, and at the bottom in problem solving in technology-rich environments.

The point here would be that speaking from a global perspective “possessing a degree does not automatically translate into possessing a set of skills for the 21st century,” per the PIAAC. It’s difficult to believe that with all our colleges and universities across the U.S. that we still fall short in global assessments. Should the U.S. re-think the curricula in schools and colleges to include more GE courses?

Is it the responsibility of the student to consciously make an effort to absorb, retain and apply the information being taught?

Applying knowledge obtained from GE should be a perpetual process. Acquiring skills and knowledge without using them results in losing those skills (use it or lose it theory).

In a discussion regarding the need

for prerequisites, Berta Cuaron, vice president of instruction, said “there’s research and data to show that when a perquisite is used for a particular course there’s good data behind it.”

This shows the likelihood for a student to succeed is significantly better.

Today there’s a trend developing for more perquisites “because the students that come to the college are not as well prepared as they should be,” Cuaron said. The conversation turned to the controversial subject of Common Core Standards (CCS) and how this might change college entrants.

The purpose of CCS is to prepare primary and secondary school students for college. This would change the curriculum or prerequisites in the future.

“Students will come better prepared and with a whole different set of expectations of how they’re going to learn,” Cuaron said. She also said that CCS is “something the community colleges will have to watch closely.”

If GE classes were needed to be revised and/or curricula added, this won’t be determined for several years.

Teaching a new set of CCS for math and English is still an inconsistent and uncertain process that varies from school to school and teacher to teacher.

A strong background in general education is the foundation for becoming a balanced and effective scholar. For now, it’s your responsibility to learn as much as you can – beyond what’s required.

As L. Frank Baum says “No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.”

FMENEZES@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

We don’t know how bad social media addiction is FAYE NOUROLLAHI THE TELESCOPE

“Hold on, lemme take a selfie.”

While this might be the tagline of any modern-day hipster, sometimes the overwhelming amount of information about ourselves that is posted online by ourselves or our friends brings up the fundamental question of why, and what this cultural obsession will mean for society.

This technology is simply too new to draw a conclusion on how it will affect society.

How much of our lives is chronicled on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, and others often times varies greatly between individuals.

Palomar student Matthew Santos, 20, believes that smartphones are the main culprit behind the attention and number of postings from

certain viewers. He said the only social media site he uses is Facebook, which he accesses two or three times a month.

He said the amount of time he spends on social media sites is based on a matter of preference and he preferred face-to-face interactions to keep in touch with people.

Justin Smiley, a staff member at Palomar, said he uses social media at least once a day, mainly Facebook but also YouTube and Twitter occasionally. He laughed, “I used (Twitter) to get a free hat once.”

While there is clearly great variability in how often users access sites, Santos and Smiley both mention the need to connect with people as the main driving force behind spending time online.

Smiley mentioned spending the majority of his online time viewing other people’s profiles, and notes people share things just to show how cool their lives are, and only post exciting things and nothing mundane or boring.

Perhaps this is one reason why certain individuals appear to be addicted to social media; by filtering content to only include the most interesting or flattering content, not to mention Photoshopped images and meticulously crafted profile pictures.

We are living in an age where an online profile might not be categorized as completely false, though it can be composed of selected information so that all our less flattering aspects are hidden from view.

Jane Craig-Jones, another staff member at Palomar, said she feels the amount of time spent online depends a lot on the individual, though younger people tend to have less reservations than older people in what they post.

Her comment brings up a broader point; often times younger individuals, especially under the age of 18, post personal information and compromising images because they do not understand the implications and more often than not their parents have no idea they have done so.

But individual accounts are only a fraction of accounts online.

Chelsea Marsh, a Palomar staff member in the theater department, mentioned that social media is no longer limited to the individual, and that the Palomar theater department has an official Youtube account.

While the merits of social media are often times acknowledged, such as the ability to keep in touch with friends and family who are located far away, the ability to meet new people who share interests, and

Cartoon by John Lucia/The Telescope

even the ability to find a soulmate without leaving the house, both Craig-Jones and Marsh agree that some people have a clear addiction to media sites.

The desire to go online and share crosses a line based on the sheer volume and intimacy of posts. Instead of feeling connected to these individuals, both women expressed pity toward these sort of post-ers, because they seem to have nothing else to do with their time, though they acknowledged that some people go online in their free moments to sim-

ply waste time.

While the ability to share any thought or image instantaneously with the world is a new concept, at this moment most people are still figuring social media out.

This technology is simply too new to accurately draw a conclusion on how it will affect society. We know that it is here to stay, though we don’t know what changes it will bring or the long-term effect those changes will have.

FNOUROLLAHI@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

8 • A&E

Monday, March 30, 2015

Wavelength devoted to full spectrum beer

STEVEN BURIEK THE TELESCOPE

Drink a beer in outer space while looking down at the orbiting earth.

New Wavelength Brewing Company in Vista owned by bearded Hans Haas, 34, gives you a threefold experience of science, technology and music.

Still in beta phase when Hass spoke with The Telescope, Wavelength was making the final touches to its minimalist tasting room in preparation for the Grand Opening on March 21, launching to full function with the kickoff of their “T-Minus” Belgian Blond Ale. Ten years ago Haas’s wife bought him a home brew kit that onset the start of his mad scientist brewing passion in his humble kitchen.

“She bought me that brew kit, in a way it’s all her fault.” Haas said.

That home brew kit was the planting seed that allowed Haas’s success of brewing exceptional beer’s to blossom into his idea of Wavelength. A brewery that now uses a three barrel system, has six fermenters and 12 taps. Haughn and his wife Amanda now jointly own the soon to be fully functioning brewery.

“It was either I work for NASA or own a brewery,” Haas said.

He added that he worked with Head Brewer James Petti to renovate an old 1940 antique store into an avant-garde style brewery. The two men did a huge portion of construction themselves. After picking up a few handyman skills at his previous employer Sound Image, Haas said he was reluctant to pay.

“It was trading time; I didn’t want to take low quality,” he said.

To separate himself from the rest of the beer community Wavelength follows the motto of “full-spectrum

beer” and “it’s so good it Hz (Hertz).”

Wavelength likes it all, light to dark, malty to hoppy, mild to strong flavor and strive to encompass as many beers as possible in their regime.

“With so many beers in San Diego, we go by the motto of full-spectrum, beer-making a direct effort to offer variety. We don’t want to specialize,” Haas said.

Placing a modern branding on this brewery, it was installed with a topnotch, audio system, a projector with a continuous streaming of Earth from an ISS (International Space Station) taken from the HDEV (High Definition Earth Viewing) experiment.

The experiment gives a live view of the earth from commercial HD recording equipment in space traveling 17,150 mph around the world. Wavelength transcends the beer-drinking experience, as you drink a brew in space orbiting the world from sunrise to sunset in less than three minutes.

Joseph Goodman, 21 a DJ and producer for music projects Mutiny, Fresh Outta Fuxx and Squelch spoke with The-Telescope about his high regard for the brewery.

“I’m a fan of the whole aspect of connecting technology and sound.

They serve the best smoked porter I’ve ever had.” Goodman said.

Wavelength will be open to host a myriad of clubs, bands and live music of all genres. Haas will soon have décor of astrophotography to add to the ambiance of the minimalist type tasting room.

Because the City of Vista does not allow dancing at venues without a cabaret licence, music must be kept to a certain level. Haas said he has figured out how to bypass all these regulations so that music-centric brewery can keep their guests entertained.

“I want it to feel like an industrial

concert hall. If sound is a problem, give me a decibel unit and a distance, you can listen to it,” he said.

Astronomy will be a big part of the brewery; Wavelength plans to bring out solar telescopes and digital microscopes from OPT Telescopes so beer-drinking guests can have an outer world and science based interactive experience.

Although Wavelength has not started large distribution, they do plan on expanding when the time’s right.

“First place is going to be Churchill’s,” he said. “Just a keg or two here and there, purely based on supply. With only a three barrel system, if we send out a keg, that’s one sixth of our supply. We are taste-centric as of now.”

The brewery is located at 236 Main St. in Vista.

SBURIEK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Wavelength rented telescopes from OPT Telescopes in Oceanside for a more interactive beer drinking experience.• Photos courtesy of Wavelength Brewing Company

A&E • 9

the-telescope.com

Bawdry Brothers new risque’ local band STEVEN BURIEK THE TELESCOPE

The amplified music stops, the voice fades out, and lead singer Jimmy Garcia steps away from the 1960s-era microphone.

“Well, that’s all I have to say about Vietnam.”

A little sweat on his neck, after playing in the sweat box of a garage for the hour-long band practice, Garcia, 21, the lead singer and guitarist of local band The Bawdry Brothers, puts his guitar down and his two band members Andre Berdeja, 21, and Jose Angel, 21, grab a couple of beers and play some horseshoes while they spoke with The Telescope.

The Bawdry Brothers is an Indie, Rock Roll, soul, rhythm blues and at times reggae sounding band of four members that entertained me for the better part of a lazy Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately their lead rhythm guitar player Steven Garcia, 21, could not attend.

I immersed myself in the dead center of a steamy garage, and listened to their raucous sound perched on an old tire. A sneak peek into the Bawdry band’s music rituals turned out to be enlightening and entertaining day and I discovered they were a relaxed conservative band, with a not so conservative sound.

“We don’t want to be flashy, I feel like flashy people are just trying to compensate for their shitty music.

We keep it casual and let the music do the talking,” Jimmy said.

The Bawdry band practice was held at Jimmy’s parent’s place in deep Oceanside, at a location known to the band as “Garage # 2,” a quaint, four-bedroom house with a pool,

The Bawdry Brothers (left-right) Jimmy Garcia (lead vocals), Steven Garcia (rhythm guitar), Angel Linares (bass) and Andres Berdeja (drums), performed Feb 25 at Palomar campus during the National Adjunct Week. • Evan Cast / The Telescope

horse shoe arena and three happy dogs strutting about the vicinity.

Lounging poolside the band told me of all the places they had played thus far. They have played twice at the House of Blues, multiple times at the Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill, the Del Mar Summer Concert series and a couple other venues as far reaching as San Francisco, where the band had spontaneously changed their name to “Sugar Loaf ” for a couple days after playing on a street with said name.

Their gig at Palomar College for the national Adjunct Day is where I was lucky enough to first discover The Bawdry Brothers.

Up to date they have released one album titled “Escape the Farm” with eleven songs. The album cover depicts a lone scarecrow with the background of a rural jam spot out in Vista, and is representative of their push to make it out of the small town living and make it big. The band played in Vista until they were unfortunately robbed, and stopped playing at that location as a precaution.

“It was third world problems.”

Angel said chuckling. “They kicked in the door and only took all the backup equipment.”

The members of the band have been acquainted with each other since grade school and solidified their bond through music. Experimenting, memorizing, and eventually performing music to live audiences, at time’s racking up a small amount for their entertainment.

“We got forty dollars some nights, as long as the bar got business.” Andre said.

The final goal of the Bawdry band hasn’t quite come to fruition. At the moment, they are satisfied with just performing whenever possible. They all work, have girlfriends, and a few of them attended Palomar College at one time.

“We aren’t really promoting ourselves as much as we should be. We are pretty terrible with social media.”

Angel said.

In their pubescent high school years the first band name they held was the “Vigilantes.” Lacking gear and money they had no other method to record. So being resourceful,

they utilized the recording ability of the head buds of an iPod. “I would light up some candles in the bathroom, turned off the fan, I would get down on my knees on the tile floor and played and sang into the recording.” Jimmy said laughing.

Upgrades have been significant since then. In Garage #2, a space big enough to fit two cars, they own a big black vocal booth where recording takes place, plenty of amps along with stand-up speakers. And Andre has since upgraded his first “Cheap ass” Taiwan Sunlight drum kit with symbols that sounded like “trash lids” and currently rocks a Pearl X series set, with a $600 snare to boot.

The jam session that lazy Sunday was not the normal routine as this was the first time the band played while Jimmy sang straight out of the 10 by 5 foot wooden vocal booth.

This was done so he could record live at the same time.

“So we’ve never tried this before.

He’s gonna fucking burn up in there.”

Angel said.

Angel sat on his Rasta decorated amp with one leg swooped over the

other, emotion filled facial expressions expressed with every fluttering flick to his bass. Andre was comfortable and laid back on the drummersseat, hair popping out of his baseball cap like wings. The only one not seen was Jimmy, until the music started, and his voice was heard. The sound of his soulful voice, painted a picture and told his emotion all on its own.

Rhythm guitar, bluesy suave vocals, and plenty of soulful belting, the band played their whole album to me with no breaks in between, they just pushed right on through.

Some songs gave more of an irie feel, and a stoner pace with choppy guitar chords reminiscent of Pepper and Sublime. While songs like “Shake your Youth” hit more on a punk background, ingraining political lyrics in the mix. When they did lay a Sublime song down called “BadFish” I propositioned to sing, and they let the journalist step up to the microphone. Based on the round of applause the band gave, I guess I did well.

There was nothing that let me judge them or categorize their style into just one genre, as the bands objective is to diversify their sound, and diverge from verbose.

“We try doing new stuff, and avoid repeating the same thing over and over.” Angel said.

The Bawdry Brother’s aspire to play at new venues like Hangar 24, the Del Mar San Diego Fair in the Dome, and expand as far north as The House of Blues in Anaheim. Obviously global reach is the end goal, but they’re taking it one venue at a time.

SBURIEK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Video games will shape the modern entertainment Industry RODNEY FIGUEROA THE TELESCOPE

Gamers are growing up and they’re not the buck-toothed, thickrimmed eyeglass-sporting types of yesteryear.

It’s not just a club for the boys anymore either. Women and the younger generation are all getting in on the fun. The global cultural phenomenon that was looked at as just a casual plaything is changing the shape of our global entertainment culture.

For as long as anyone can remember, games and gamers have always been likened to a very particular demographic. The stereotype usually consists of younger Caucasian men who spend senseless numbers of hours in front of a television, playing whatever shooter game seems to be in popular circulation. Never has the stereotype been more wrong than in the last several years.

The consumer base for games has had a tremendous upward trend toward including a new up-and-coming demographic and expanding the medium for the current player-base.

A new diverse worldwide consumer market is demonstrating that games are both desired as a form of entertainment and as a form of socializing for many more people than in generations prior.

A sales demographic survey conducted by the Entertainment Software Association discovered a definitive upward trend of new players for the recent shift in console generation.

As many know, a brand new series of consoles were released by both Microsoft, with the Xbox One and Sony with the Playstation 4. Nintendo has continued to produce strong results with their slightly dated Wii and Wii U home consoles.

“People of all ages play video games. There is no longer a ‘stereotype game player,’ but instead a game player could be your grandparent, your boss, or even your professor,” said Jason Allaire, associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University.

The overall breakdown is as follows: 59 percent of Americans play video games in one way shape or form.

51 percent of households in the United States own a dedicated game consoles. Of those who do, own an average of two. The gender breakdown shows plenty of evening out as well with 48 percent of women participating in video games and the surrounding culture.

The average household also skews heavily toward consoles and smartphones. A phenomenon that the game industry is still coming to terms with.

Noah Bakshis, 15, plays a computer video game titled “Dust An Elysian Tail” at his home in Plainfield, Ill. • John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS

The slowly encroaching power of cell phones as a new medium for entertainment has taken the world by storm. Everyone has a smartphone lately it seems and it’s not just a machine for texting and socializing. Entire multiplayer experiences are built with the cellphone platform in mind, and games are scaled to provide a quick blast of fun when the moment strikes.

The average gamer is now 31 years old, which represents the general age of the current generation of most gamers. The Modern Age of video games is considered by many to have started in 1985 after the industry took a severe downturn after several bad business deals and failed game ventures, including the infamous E.T. The Extraterrestrial video game,

which many blame for the original fall of the games industry in 1983.

Games have proven incredibly resilient against the ongoing recession as well. Poor students everywhere openly admit to purchasing video games over needed essentials, as they find the value of games worth their monetary expenses. And 44 percent of game players believe that computer and video games give them the most value for their money, compared with movies, music or even buying DVD’s.

Even our traditional forms of entertainment wane before the almighty power and popularity of gaming. Of those who have been gaming in the last three years, 48 percent say they spend less time watching TV while 47 percent are spending less time go-

ing to the cinema and watching movies at home.

The fact that people are forgoing other entertainment forms for more video game entertainment is a clear indicator that the value of games is increasing and the overall desire for a deeper medium is demanded.

As the medium ages and more people become part of the entertainment medium of games. Our local and global culture will come to understand games on a truly new level.

At some point in the next few generations all of the younger generations will have grown up with and understand games in ways that we never could. The game design medium will expand with new stories, and new experiences for everyone involved. A truly global culture that circumvents physical limitations with the power of the internet and unites people in ways that we could never begin to imagine Games will continue to see revolutions in design and art. Take for example vinyl albums and 8-tracks.

When those physical mediums faded away music did not fade away, it became digital. The same will inevitably be true for games, transforming them as an ever growing and important cornerstone of our culture, holding fast long after we’re gone.

RFIGEROA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

10 • A&E

Monday, March 30, 2015

The democracy of Let’s take a dip into the ‘Deepest Lake’ modern television

ALBUM REVIEW

EDWARD ROSA

FAYE NOUROLLAHI

THE TELESCOPE

“The Deepest Lake,” the new full length LP (and fifth overall) from Los Angeles sextet Dengue Fever finds the band at the top of their game. From start to finish, the album is compelling, mesmerizing and catchy as hell.

It is easily one of the best records of the year so far. Of course, there are many moons left in 2015, but I promise you few of those will end up being as enjoyable, regardless of what any flavor-of-the-month internet critic or poll tries to tell you.

For those unfamiliar with the band, a brief history might be in order. Ethan Holtzman returned from a trip through Southeast Asia in the early 2000s having developed a flair for Cambodian music. When he returned he contacted his brother Zac, (formerly of now defunct Amarillo Records legends Dieselhed) who had developed a similar affinity for Cambodian rock via a job at a record store. After they reconnected, they decided to put together a band that would pursue a similar sound, and in a very traditional way.

At a nightclub in the Little Phnom Penh area of Long Beach, the brothers discovered their chanteuse to be. Chhom Nimol, an emigre from Cambodia (already famous in her own right) was performing at the club. Her performance convinced them that she was exactly what they were looking for, and Dengue Fever was born.

Throughout their five albums, and a handful of E.P.s, Dengue Fever has continued to expand their sound. Their first album (“Dengue Fever,” 2003) was mostly older Khmer rock tunes from the 60s, re-imagined by the band. But as they moved forward, they naturally began to craft more of their own songs. Although they would retain their heavy Cambodian influence, they began to develop a style of songwriting that was completely unique to themselves.

The title of the new album is “The Deepest Lake,” and while I’m certain that title isn’t intended to be self-referential, the fact is that this LP contains the deepest and richest collection of material the band has

THE TELESCOPE

Photo by Chean Long / courtesy of Dengue Fever

put forth yet. The haunting strains of album opener “Tokay” immediately set the tone for the kind of musical adventure the listener is getting themselves into. Sung in her native tongue, Chhom Nimol’s vocals create a lilting texture guaranteed to hypnotize.

Track 2, “No Sudden Moves,” continues to expand the musical horizons of the album, introducing layers of African percussion, and finds Nimol almost rapping. The tune crescendos in a dizzying mix of percussion, saxophone, and gorgeous vocals.

The third track, and first single off the album “Rom Say Sok” is a super catchy, up tempo number with a fantastic guy/girl dynamic on vocals. Sung mostly in English, Nimol is backed up on vocals by guitarist Zac; the two of them producing a harmony and a sound together that is as addicting as anything that John Doe and Exene Cervenka ever recorded together.

The entire album takes you on a musical journey that is unlike

any other. The peaks and valleys of tempo and style complementing one another in such a way that one really doesn’t want to listen to just one or two songs. The entire album is an experience to be enjoyed. From the slow swooning texture of “Ghost Voice” to the catchy vocal acrobatics on display in “Still Waters Run Deep,” there is so much to be appreciated on this album, that you will continue to sing its praises long after the record ceases to be new anymore.

In a time where a great percentage of the music out there is generated by brain trusts trying to use the prettiest faces they can find to wring as much money out of the public as possible, having an album of this quality; something this real and genuine, feels like one has come home to the planet on which they were really born. Did I mention that these songs are catchy as hell, and you will be singing them to yourself long after the record ends? Because they are, and you will.

EROSA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

It’s a new day in television casting choices - well, at least the dawning of a new day.

With rare exceptions such as the “Cosby Show,” most television shows up until the last 10 years featured an exclusively white cast minority characters were occasionally featured, but rarely and not for more then a few episodes.

Vague attempts to be considered politically correct were perhaps the best intentions of producers during this time period (for example, featuring a black friend in one or two episodes), and using minorities to perpetuate stereotypes reflected the worst intentions (IranianAmerican actor and comedian Maz Jobrani writes in his memoir of being constantly cast as a terrorist in his early acting roles, because producers needed someone instantly recognizable as a “bad guy” and Jobrani is ethically Middle Eastern).

Nowadays however, audiences have to come to expect a more realistic portrayal of the sort of people one sees in their daily life, as well as a culture-wide realization that Americans come in all sorts of skin tones and ethnic backgrounds.

Shows such as “Jane the Virgin” have garnered critical acclaim as well as large viewing audiences.

But do shows that feature minorities in prominent roles owe their success solely to the cast of actors that have traditionally never been given much screen time, or is it a new writing style that tells the narrative of people whose stories are not generally told responsible for the majority of the credit?

Based on rating and viewership, it appears to be both. With the advent of YouTube, entertainers have been “democratized” in the sense that everyone has the ability to garner views, and the cream rises to the top. The ability of a YouTuber to gain an audience is based exclusively on the quality of the content and the willingness of fans to share and promote favorites.

As a result, many YouTubers became viral sensations, producing weekly videos with fan based

subscriptions that could reach millions. It is perhaps no accident then that television producers took note that this audience (the majority of which is comprised of young people, a key demographic that is coveted by advertisers) was seeking out alternatives to the shows currently being produced. It is a common statement from young people today that, “I don’t watch television. But I watch YouTube and get Netflix and Hulu.”

Nowadays, new television shows attempt to seek out more eyeballs by casting a more diverse lineup of shows, but intention is key to the end result.

One could argue that the majority of casting of minorities in more significant roles was something producers were forced to recognize in the age of the Internet, and is something that may not have happened if it had not been for that push.

With America ever increasing in its diversity, with second and third generation children of immigrants seeking out film and television programing that is a reflection of the life they have experienced, if television producers wanted to remain relevant they had to cater to this audience.

Intention that springs from a producer or director’s desire to accurately portray this life (as noted in shows such as “The Wire”) leads to critically acclaimed storytelling and a loyal fan base. Most major television shows that are currently airing are making an effort to feature minorities more prominently or face criticism from fans.

If television wishes to remain relevant in the age of the Internet, perhaps producers need to focus more on telling the stories that people now have the ability to find in alternative media. Yes, the older generation seems content with featuring a cast that seems familiar to them, but times do chance, and this generation has recognized that if the media does not provide them with the entertainment they are looking for they can find it elsewhere - or even create it themselves.

FNOUROLLAHI@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

COMMENTARY

Narcissus, a mortal son of gods JOEL VAUGHN THE TELESCOPE

In Greek Mythology Narcissus, the mortal son of Gods, fell in love with his beauty and drowned while staring into his own reflection in a pool of water.

Narcissus was the spawn of Gods but he was not, in fact, a God. He was flawed, he could die.

Our love for the concept of possessing emotional complexity is indistinguishable from Narcissus and his love for his own beauty.Like Narcissus, we are drowning in our own perceived unique beauty. But where Narcissus’s obsession is physical,

ours is emotional and social.

We insist on broadcasting to the world that we are a unique pantheon of emotions, but in reality we can be broken down into a combinations of the following three basic emotions.

The first is Happiness.

Our happiness is what we hope people will see the most from us, so they can live vicariously through us and vice versa. We are fascinated with creating a social shrine to the self so that others can worship, comment on and share your joy.

The second is Sadness.

We never outwardly portray ourselves as sad for the sake of sadness.

We do it for those around us to wit-

Painting by John William Waterhouse• Source Flickr Commons

ness it as a post of self destruction.

We hope that our friends list of loved ones eat our sadness so that we suffer together and not alone. Like happiness we need someone to both witness and share our sadness for it to feel validated.

The third is Anger.

Emotions of anger are propelled for the sake of the protection of the other emotions. When someone threatens to troll on our happiness or dislike our sadness, anger is the reaction that protects the justification of our emotions.

Our self obsessed self destructive

instinct is that of Narcissus, it’s our nature of drowning ourselves in our own beauty by expanding it to be grander than its actual simplicity in social forums. True beauty comes from defying this instinct. Is it not so reader?

JVAUGHN@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

NEWS • 11

the-telescope.com

Veterans may save thousands with passing of new bill AMBER ROSARIO THE TELESCOPE

A gender neutral bathroom is located in the Palomar College Administrative Services building. • Belen Ladd/The Telescope

Gender-neutral bathrooms, cause for change on campus KIRK MATTU THE TELESCOPE

The Associated Student Government (ASG) unanimously voted on a stance in support of gender-neutral bathrooms across Palomar College campuses and centers and for those in future developments during their March 25 meeting.

A gender-neutral bathroom is a public toilet that people of any gender, or those who don’t associate with a specific gender identity, can occupy.

Palomar College’s Finance and Administrative Services Planning Council (FASPC) will be holding a vote for both a proposal and amendment on gender-neutral bathrooms in the H building on their March 26 meeting.

According to the ASG March 25 agenda the initial FASPC proposal is to designate four single-stall bathrooms located on the second and third floor of the H building near the faculty offices as gender-neutral restrooms.

The amendment proposed would advocate for gender-neutral bathrooms in future buildings, but exclude those found in the H building and keep them gender-specific.

ASG President Mario Gaspar said during their meeting that the main issue was that there isn’t many genderneutral bathrooms on campus and that a vote needed to be taken by the ASG on their stance of the topic.

There are currently two genderneutral bathrooms located on campus, the first in the MD building and the second across from the cashier’s office.

Gaspar continued that he believed Palomar College will resolve the issue by including gender-neutral bathrooms within future campus developments.

“If a student takes a class in the NS building, and needs to use the bathroom, he or she has to run all the way down to the cashiers office to use the gender-neutral bathroom,” Monika Brannick, Mathematic professor and co-director of the pride center, said.

“So we want some that are more accessible,” Brannick added.

Laura Murtagh, a Biology student at Palomar, spoke in support of designating the single-stall bathrooms located in the H building as genderneutral during the ASG meeting and said that they would provide better accessibility for students.

“You don’t have to be transgendered to use these bathrooms; everyone could use these bathrooms. I don’t really support faculty keeping (these restrooms) to themselves when there are so few single-stall bathrooms

across campus,” Murtagh said.

Mutagh, along with Kimberly Kuske, a psychology student at Palomar, who was also in attendance, became aware of the proposal and ASG meeting through the Pride Center located on Palomar’s main campus and through Devon Smith, a sociology professor and advisor for the Gender and Women Studies Student Group on campus.

“I think most faculty are in support; I think most students are in support,” Smith said of those who aware of gender-neutral bathrooms at Palomar.

“I think there are a lot of faculty and students that are unaware of this issue.

My sense is people who are aware of the problem are strongly in favor of this,” she added.

Michael Dentoni, ASG vice president, understanding of the proposed amendment was that the bathrooms are located within a faculty space, therefore it shouldn’t be involved in student issues and designated as gender-neutral bathrooms.

Sherry Titus, ASG advisor and director of Student Services, clarified that there are not designated faculty workspaces but there are designated faculty offices. The single-stall restrooms are located within public spaces and are available for use by anyone and for anyone but are by a section designated for faculty offices.

“Its really hard for some people to understand the concept that has been raised for a space available for all. Gender-neutral just means you don’t have to be male or female,“ Titus said in the meeting.

ASG unanimously voted in favor for designating the single-stall restrooms in a the H building as genderneutral. They also unanimously voted in favor for creating gender-neutral bathrooms at Palomar College, its satellite campuses and centers, and within any future developments and buildings at Palomar College.

The students in attendance during the meeting were proud of the stance ASG took towards gender-neutral bathrooms.

“I’m very proud that (the ASG are) actually supporting students,” Kuske said who has heard accounts from friends from other colleges whose student governments are not as supportive of its students or their opinions.

“I’m very glad that our ASG is in support in hearing what the students have to say and our opinions and supporting us in that,” Kuske said.

KMATTU@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

By July 1, military veterans may no longer be required to pay exorbitant out-of-state tuition fees due to the possible passing of bill H.R. 357, which will save veterans significant amounts of money.

Bill H.R. 357, also known as the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013, is poised to make many improvements to the benefits and services veterans receive. The most significant improvement this bill contains is that it would grant military veterans, discharged within the last three years, residential status in the state they are pursuing higher education in therefore, qualifying them to receive in-state tuition rates and the benefits of the GI Bill.

Palomar, among many of the community colleges statewide, are already gearing up to accommodate veterans if the bill does indeed pass.

Director of Veteran Services, Mary San Agustin, stated “Palomar will handle this well, it’s an easy adjustment, and we are definitely going to

market it to our veterans.”

“The enrollment offices are planning to get BOG, Board of Governors fee wavier, because once this becomes law the veterans don’t just get in-state tuition they also qualify for the fee waiver,” she added.

Currently, The Post 9/11 GI Bill covers the cost of in-state tuition and fees for those veterans attending public universities and community colleges. If passed, this new bill would open the opportunity of higher education to many more veterans.

Upon hearing about the proposed bill, student veteran, Michael Bailey said that proving residency “would become one less headache that I have to deal with, one less barrier to get over or to explain to a bunch of people.”

The nature of the military makes is difficult for those who serve to establish residency anywhere. This causes many barriers for active duty military and veterans alike.

As H.R 357 awaits approval by the Senate, it appears to be on the path to becoming a nation wide

law after being passed by the House unanimously in February of last year.

This bill being passed would be a win-win for all parties involved, veterans said. The government and veterans would spend less money, and colleges would see more enrollment.

Palomar College has nearly 2,000 veterans currently enrolled; H.R. 357 could very well put the amount of veterans attending well above that. The cost of out-of-state tuition for Palomar students is $200 per unit as opposed to $46 for students with residential status. Furthermore, the difference can be upward of $10,000 at most public 4-year universities.

“This bill would bring more veterans to this school because it would make it more affordable and this is southern California, you can’t beat this weather, ” President of the Palomar Student Veteran Organization Andres Garcia said. “For veterans adjusting back to civilian lifestyle can be tough and this is not another burden they need.”

AROSARIO@PTHE-TELESCOPE.COM

12 • NEWS

Monday, March 30, 2014

Students change major frequently, candidates to lose financial aid LEAH BAENA THE TELESCOPE

College students are letting the major they select define them, rather than assessing themselves and defining the major. This means wasted classroom time and takes costly chances for losing Financial Aid. While it has been recognized nationally that students are not completing listed expectations in a timely manner, LaVerne University conducted a study to bust the myths and assumptions about the average college student.

Through these studies they have found multiple statistics to support the concerns of a majority of the faculty at Palomar College.

At least 50 percent of entering college students are undecided about their majors, according to the LaVerne study, as well as between 50 – 70 percent of students change their majors at least once and many will change majors at least three times before they graduate.

According to Brian Stockert, dean of Counseling Services, there are three main reasons for this problem amongst college students.

“To sum it up students have not established their identity,” Stockert said. “They haven’t met with a counselor and are also unaware of the new financial aid limits (FAFSA).”

While changing majors a couple of times is normal for every student, excessively changing majors will impair a student’s financial means

and can result in being comthrough what Stockert calls “inforpletely cut off from FAFSA What do I want to mational interviewing,” a tactic due to the new regulado with my life? How do defined as talking to a person tions placed on the I finish college? How can I get in the profession you are federal system. my dream job? What do I want to interested in and finding Stockert said do with my life? How do I finish col- out if the criteria matchthere are new lege? How can I get my dream job? es up with your skills federal regulations What is my passion? and interests. on federal aid.

How can I get a job?

While statistically “You have to comI like too many the two leading maplete the program within things to de- jors currently are in 150 percent of your units, if cide. Zoolo- the medical field or in you’re doing a 60 unit major, you’ve gy. Physics. the business/accounting got 90 units. That’s it. If you change Medicine. How realm, according to Stockyour mind too many times, you get can I help peoert, the majors are being chocut off of your financial aid,” He ple in life? What sen as a result of wrong motiadded. if I choose the vates, and lack of direction.

However, this FAFSA limit is not wrong path?

“They don’t match their interests much of an incentive to most stuWhat do I want with their aptitudes,” Stockert said. dents therefore the endless search to do with my “For example, let’s say I want to be for the perfect major continues, life? How do I - I don’t know - a rocket scientist, a yet students are coming up emptyphysicist. Well what do you need to handed and out of time. be a physicist? You need math skills, “I think a lot of what happens finish colyou need analytical ability, but what with the changing of majors is lege? How can if that’s not a natural strength for students often pursue a major I get my dream me?” because on the surface it looks job? What do I While many students are ungood, in other words it pays a lot want to do with aware of their aptidues, internaof money,” Stockert said. my life? How do I tional student psychology major The majors that require a smallfinish college?

Maria Teresa Linares is an exceper amount of course work are more How tion. appealing than ones with heavier “I’m from Panama, my parent’s loads, however the choice to pursue pay for my education so I don’t have these majors regardless of whether the advantage of working and findor not they align with values or the search class that examines your ing out what I like,” she said. character of the student, is derived skills and values. We have a whole Linares’ major has changed apfrom a lack of identity within each lot out there and why students don’t proximately six times varying from individual. access it is beyond my comprehen- sports medicine to kinesiology and “Students don’t spend a lot of sion.” has now come to psychology where time assessing who they are,” CaIt is more important for students she has based her study for the past reer Services Director Rosie An- to value quality relationships with two years. tonnechia said. “We have a career their professors and counselors “I’m a runner, and I love the body

can

so I want to work with it,” Linares said.

Not everyone thinks changing majors is a bad thing.

“I wouldn’t say changing your major impairs your journey,” Transfer Center Staff Assistant Brittany Wong said. “As long as you are continuing to talk with your counselor, when you try and figure it out on your own that’s where you run into problems.”

While each student’s circumstances vary, most students are choosing not touch base with their counselors and professors. This leaves students with too many options to choose from, with unproductive results.

Zoology major Casey Colvi has not changed his major once. He said that the passion keeps him going after continuing to pursue the major in hopes of working with wildlife.

“When you’ve been wanting to do something and its what you’ve always wanted to know, it’s no problem,” he said.

Counseling service workers at Palomar say the best way to take advantage of this is to learn your skills and interests, build relationships with people who care about what you care about and be smart about your financial means during this growing process.

“It’s your job to dream, and to know who you are,” Stockert said.

“It’s our job to make sure those doors are open for you and that you have a chance.”

the-telescope.com

SPORTS • 13

Spring Break? Not for these sports CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE

Spring Break. A time for students to refresh their batteries, take a vacation and go balls to the wall crazy.

While the normal student was

busy partying, your Palomar College athletes were hard at work representing the school. Take a look at what some of our athletes did during Spring Break.

CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Palomar players (left to right) Iesha Hill, Leah Gordon, Amanda Miller, and Kristina Carbajal celebrate after Hill and Gordon score in the fourth inning against Southwestern College on March 18. The Comets, ranked number 2 in the state, beat the Jaguars 18-4 in five innings of play at home. The win improved the Comets record to 18-1-1 (10-0 in PCAC). • Philip Farry / The Telescope Palomar’s Taylor Bryant returns the ball during his second set against College of the Desert’s David Bensoussan (not pictured) on March 19. Bensoussan defeated Bryant 6-2, 6-4 and The Roadrunners won the singles matches 6-1. • Philip Farry / The Telescope

Palomar’s Haley Fanum (left) and Ashli Pardi both dig for the ball at the same time against MiraCosta College on March 20 at Grossmont College. The Comets lost to the Spartans 4-1 and to the Griffins 5-0. • Philip Farry/The Telescope

Palomar womens tennis team (left to right) Head Coach Ronnie Mancao, Bettina Olah, Teresa DeAnda, Christina Nguyen and Rebecca Benson get ready to play against San Diego City College on March 17. All four players won their individual matches as well as their doubles games. The Comets beat The Knights 6-3 and improved their record to 5-8 (5-5 PCAC). • Philip Farry / The Telescope

IN THE APRIL 13 ISSUE OF THE TELESCOPE...

One of our editors, Kirk Mattu, gives the readers a history lesson on Myers Field as we celebrate its final season

Myers Field at Palomar College in San Marcos. • Stephen Davis/The Telescope

14 • SPORTS

Monday, March 30, 2014

YOGA POSE OF THE WEEK

Palomar women’s basketball team following their 77-33 win over San Diego Mesa College on Feb 20. • The Comets finished 26-4, a team record. • Stephen Davis/The Telescope Susan Whaley demonstrates how to do the Pigeon Pose, a technique that helps to release tension and increase focus in the Palomar College Dome. • Casey Cousins/The Telescope

Learn to become one with the ‘Pigeon’ SUSAN WHALEY THE TELESCOPE

Stress comes with the territory of being a college student.

We made the choice to multitask, sacrifice and prioritize all the parts of our life. But it is possible to find serenity in all the chaos. Instead of giving in to the physically, mentally and emotionally draining, exhaustion of school, step away from the stress once in a while. Serenity is more valuable than the million tasks you appointed yourself.

The Pigeon Pose is a hip-opening technique to help you let go of tension building up in the body that stress causes and also to help you focus.

Start by getting on all fours and bringing one knee forward, resting it in a V-angle next to your hands.

Your arms should only be slightly forward as you rest your palms on the ground to your sides. The leg that is not bent, or the “neutral leg”

according to “Yoga Journal,” will be kept behind you in a straight position. Keep your hips parallel and sinking to the ground. It feels awkward at first, but try to keep your spine up straight with hips and shoulders facing forward.

The key to the Pigeon is balance. When you execute the pose you may feel slightly off balance because it is difficult to get your knee and leg tucked, while keeping the neutral leg straight and hips parallel. Be aware of the balance and shift slightly as to not tip over.

This can be a strenuous position the first time you attempt it so approach it gently and don’t force your body into it, as to not hurt your knees or hips. After warming up and a doing it multiple times, your body will eventually ease into it more comfortably.

Many of us think to be successful we need to keep going as we are constantly thinking about the next task on the to-do list. We don’t al-

ways allow the time to just sit and be. Instead of going, going, going all the time, breath in and remember it is better for your body, mind and heart to take a step back once in a while. Doing this allows you to quietly reflect about yourself and the world as stress is relinquished from your body and mind.

The Pigeon Pose can also combat procrastination as well as the sensation of a broken heart, according to the book “Yoga Cures” by Tara Stiles.

If you are worried about losing precious studying time, remember you perform better in every aspect of life when you are calm and collected anyway. No point in not enjoying the moment because you are too stressed and scattered.

You can always find the time to do yoga everyday, just by stepping away from your work for 10 minutes.

SWHALEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Comets have a banner year with record season

CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE

Coming off a year in which they missed the regional playoffs by a technical error, Head Coach Leigh Marshall and her Palomar Comets basketball team were looking forward to erasing that bad memory.

Enter Keisha Cox, a transfer from Saddleback College, and Melissa Allen, a freshman transfer from UC Berkeley.

With the addition of these two, and a chip on their collective shoulders, the Comets played their way to their best season in school history, finishing with a 26-4 overall record (13-1 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference) and getting within six points of making it to the state Final Four.

For their superhuman efforts, Coach Marshall was named California Community Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year for the Southern region; to add to her PCAC Coach of the Year award. Cox, who finished 11th in

the state in scoring with 18.5 points per game, was named PCAC Player of the Year while Allen, Jessica Scott and Tessa Balcom were named to the all-PCAC First Team. Lee Lee Tomlinson, the starting point guard, was an all-PCAC Second team selection.

This year was a banner year for the Comets, who won four games by 50+ points, including a 101-39 road win over Imperial Valley College. The team won the PCAC title outright, earning themselves a first-round bye in the regionals. In the playoffs, they beat Long Beach City College at home before traveling to Ventura College and beating the defending state champion Pirates, earning their first-ever birth into the state Elite Eight.

The Comets ended up losing to eventual state runner-up Mt. San Antonio College, who were 32-0 going into the game. But the loss will never be able to take away their accomplishments for this season.

CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Midnight strikes early for Cinderella this March GREG COTE MCT CAMPUS

This is the break at the midpoint of the annual American basketball bacchanalia March Madness, the pause that allows your brackets to breathe _ always assuming your brackets have any life left and have not been ripped to confetti in frustration by now.

The men’s NCAA Tournament resumes Thursday night with the original 68 teams pared now to the Sweet 16 survivors, and what remains of the bracket has almost everything left on it that you’d want (except perhaps your favorite team).

It has kings, champions, legends, blue bloods and pedigrees.

It has everything but a Chair-man.

I miss that chair, man.

So does this tournament.

Embodied in that chair-on-casters that Georgia State coach Ron Hunter rode courtside was the last true Cinderella. Her glass slipper had wheels.

Hunter had torn his Achilles’ celebrating his team’s unlikely Sun Belt

Conference championship the week before, leaving him to coach off his feet in the NCAA Tournament on a rolling chair. That was until his son hit a gamewinning 3-point shot to stun heavily favored Baylor, which sent the coach spilling from his seat in sheer joy, cheering prone on his side.

It was a bizarre, delightful snapshot _ the most memorable of the Madness thus far.

One more win and he’d have rolled into this Sweet 16 tall as John Wayne on a saddle. (As it was, his chair already had its own Twitter site.)

In two weeks this event’s crowning moment might very well be Kentucky coach John Calipari, on a ladder, snipping pieces of the net to mark what would be college hoops’ first unbeaten national champion since Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers of 1976.

I’d propose though that Calipari up on a ladder won’t stick in your mind like Hunter down on the floor.

What’s expected seldom is as interesting as what isn’t.

There is ample greatness in this

Sweet 16, and in Kentucky there is even an ultimate favorite to root against if you are so inclined.

What there ISN’T is a warm ‘n fuzzy underdog left like No. 14-seed Georgia State and its rolling coach would have been.

Or like 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast was in getting to this round in 2013.

The fascination in March Madness isn’t found in Kentucky’s perfection or in the office-pool payout you’re playing for. The fascination is that, every year, there are double-digit-seeded teams whose nicknames you don’t know, from conferences you’ve barely heard of, and this is their Powerball.

This is one big shot.

“This was the greatest week of my life,” Chair-man Hunter called what he’d just been through. The postgame news conference after his team was eliminated moved him to tears. And that emotion was just from surviving to play a second game.

Just like you never win the lottery, the Georgia States never hit the ulti-

mate prize, either. A double-digit seed has never won the NCAA championship let alone reached the title game.

Only three (all No. 11s) have reached the Final Four: Louisiana State in 1986, George Mason in 2006 and Virginia Commonwealth in 2011. George Mason’s surreal ride was the resumemaker and career-maker, of course, for current Miami Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga.

This year, no Cinderella left. No little team aiming a slingshot high.

What’s left is big, storied programs like Kentucky, Duke, Louisville and Michigan State. Ten of the 16 schools left have won a combined 38 national championships. Coaches still in it include legends like Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Calipari, Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo, Bob Huggins and Lon Kruger.

The ultimate proof that Cinderella has left the building? The only doubledigit seed left in the Sweet 16 is only the most successful college basketball program ever: UCLA. I don’t care if the Bruins’ at-large invitation to the tour-

nament was dubious and controversial and I don’t care what the point spread says. UCLA is the New York Yankees - nobody’s root-for-the-lil’-guy underdog.

The other worst-seeded teams still in it are No. 8 North Carolina State, which ousted No. 1-seeded Villanova; No. 7 Michigan State, playing in its 13th Sweet 16 in 20 seasons under Izzo; and No. 7 Wichita State, which reached the Final Four two years ago and arrived here 35-0 last year.

Oh, and, by the way, when North Carolina is described as a “sleeper,” your bracket officially has no sleepers. It is wide awake. The UNC Tar Heels sneak up on nobody.

The giants are all over this Sweet 16. If only a little guy had been able to sneak in.

No Florida Gulf Coasts here, alas.

No Dayton or LaSalle.

No Richmond, Cornell or St. Mary’s.

And no coaches left who rolled into our lives on magic wheels and make us think, for just a minute, that anything was possible.

SPORTS • 15

the-telescope.com THE COFFEE BREAK

Freshmen should be forced to make academics priority # 1 CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK THE TELESCOPE

Imagine if Palomar athletes like Jeremy Franklin (men’s basketball), Davante O’Roy (football) or Keisha Cox (women’s basketball) had been able to go directly into the pros after their 18th birthday. Would Palomar’s teams had been as successful?

If the Big Ten Conference gets its way and it becomes more of a national issue, these athletes wouldn’t be eligible to leave college until at least their 20th birthday (or in the case of O’Roy, 21 due to NFL restrictions on graduating classes).

This doesn’t seem like a big deal to the non student-athlete.

But if you are someone like Duke University center Jahlil Okafor, or many potential “one-and-doners” (the basketball athlete who goes to school for one year to only turn pro the following year), this would seem like an unfair shake.

Being a major sports fan myself, and especially a basketball fan, I think that this is a good idea. I have no issue with anyone trying

to get paid, don’t get me wrong.

But if you’re not mentally or physically prepared to play a grown man’s game, you shouldn’t be rushing to get there.

In a document procured by The Diamondback (University of Maryland’s independent student newspaper), titled, “A Year of Readiness,” the Big Ten discusses the possibility of making freshmen ineligible for football and men’s basketball.

The reason, according to the document, is that “men’s basketball and football lag behind in other sports in terms of academics. Among the 38 sports listed in the Academic Progress Rate data from 2009 to 2013, these two sports ranked last.”

The document also states that while football and men’s basketball only account for less than 19 percent of NCAA Division I participants, they account for more than 80 percent of academic infraction cases.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford, one of the supporters of this proposal, said he thinks it would be beneficial for the prospective student-athlete.

“I don’t think it’s looked upon as radical an idea as it seemed to people five years or 10 years ago because it makes so much sense educationally,” Swofford said in an interview with CBS Sports. “We’re in a period now where everybody is trying to get a hold of the studentathlete experience and a recommitment, if you will, to balance academics and athletics.”

The issue of being able to balance academics and athletics has been an issue for quite some time. In fact, until 1972, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), used to bar freshmen from athletic activity. This has become more of a hot topic today, with people like Swofford, Big Ten commissioner James E. Delany, and even NBA commissioner Adam Silver supporting what would be a reconsidered age restriction.

To some people, this is seen as a knee-jerk response to the “one-anddone” rule, which allows men’s basketball players to leave college for the pros after their freshman year of college. For football, athletes are not allowed to declare themselves for

the NFL until after their third year of graduation from high school.

Ohio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith, who is a part of the Big Ten, has expressed concern about basing freshman eligibility on some basketball stars staying just one year in college before turning pro.

“One-and-done is a small percentage - it’s not even one percent of our student-athletes when you take all the schools,” Smith said in an interview with ESPN.com.

“That’s way off base to me. Do we have challenges with young people who aren’t really prepared the way they should be to attack college education? No doubt about it.”

Which is why Silver believes a higher age limit is essential for an athlete’s development. In a 2014 interview with USA Today, he talked about how he thought the age limit would be beneficial for his league.

“It has been our sense for a long time that our draft (the NBA Draft, held annually every June) would be more competitive if our teams had an opportunity to see these players play an additional year,” Silver said.

“I believe strong college basketball is also beneficial for the NBA and to the game generally. So even if it’s not terrible for the NBA right now, at least, talking to a lot of my college coaching friends ... their view is (that) one and done is a disaster,” he added.

At the end of the day, it all speaks to the bigger picture looming for athletes and colleges. If players stay longer, they have a better chance at graduating. Sure, you have your exceptions (Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, etc.), but for every exception you have your cases like Daniel Orton and Marquis Teague. Orton and Teague, both talented players who left after their freshman years of college, have been bouncing back and forth across the globe looking for a permanent place to play since they left the University of Kentucky in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

I believe that a steady paycheck is important to one’s survival. But if you don’t have a good education to back it up, then that paycheck is worthless.

CBULLOCK@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

PALOMAR COLLEGE SPORTS ON THE GO

Palomar baseball moves up in national rankings

Palomar’s De’ondra Young (left) and Simone Everet (right), of Palomar’s track and field team. • Amber Rosario/The Telescope

The life of a Palomar ‘track-lete’ AMBER ROSARIO THE TELESCOPE

At 8:25 a.m. on the Friday of Spring Break is when most students have their faces buried in their pillows enjoying the last day before school starts again.

However, for Palomar freshman De’ondra Young and Sophomore Simone Everet, this is when they begin their warm up for practice.

What practice requires this much dedication? You might ask. The practice of a Palomar track and field athlete; a thrower to be exact. Young and Everet, Palomar’s throwing duo, show up to throwing practice early to get their warm up laps and dynamic stretching in.

Everet, who has thrown for 12 years, and Young, for 7 years, know exactly how much dedication goes into being a thrower but many outside of the sport have no idea, if they even know much about throwing at all.

The throwing events in track and field encompass the shot put, discus, hammer throw, and javelin; all of which take meticulous efforts and full body training to be executed. The

thrower needs tremendous strength, an air of caution, grace and quickness to be successful. This makes the throwing events collectively unique.

When 9 a.m. rolled around, Young and Everet were at the throwing ring ready to get going. According to Palomar’s throw coach, Whitney DeWeese, the girls practice two throwing events every practice.

She said that all the throwing events are quite taxing on the body, so to practice more than one can be quite tiring. Young and Everet both practice the shot put, discus and hammer throw, which for team scoring is a huge advantage.

Sharing the throwing ring, Young and Everet took turns practicing discus technique. Taking anywhere from 20 to 30 throws, the goal is to really focus on improving their leg strength and footwork technique.

“People think throwing is all muscle and that any one can do it, throwing is actually really technical,” Young said. Contrary to popular belief, throwers put in a lot of work.

Palomar’s throwers run, lift and eat well because as Everet put it, “It takes your entire body to get throwing right.”

Around 10:30 a.m., they head over to the shot put ring. The goal for this part of practice is similar to that of the discus – work on using the legs and improve footwork. After rewarming up their arms for a smooth transition from discus to shot put they begin to cycle through the rest of practice. Throwing high and far while putting every ounce of effort into each throw.

By 11:15 a.m., it was clear to see just how much effort had gone into practice. Practice ended with some stretching and friendly repertoire between the group. Before leaving however, Everet and Young wanted to make sure people knew that throwers are nothing like the common misconceptions people have of them.

DeWeese said, “Throwers are a different breed of athletes.” They bring a calm nature and hard work ethic to the sport that many people overlook, she added.

Throwers matter as much as any other track-lete and as Young said, “are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.”

AROSARIO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

In the March 24 Perfect Game USA Rankings (Cedar Rapids, IA), Palomar’s baseball squad moved up from #23 to the #12 spot in the national community college rankings.

Amongst California teams, only San Joaquin Delta (20-0, ranked #1) of Stockton were ahead of Palomar.

Finishing off the top 10 (in order) were St. John’s River (Florida), Cipola (Florida), Cowley County (Kansas), Iowa Western, Weatherford (Texas), Walters State (Texas), Gulf Coast State (Florida), San Jacinto (Texas) and Florence-Darlington (South Carolina).

Within the top 25, the only other California teams were Fresno City College (#14), and Oxnard (#23). Fullerton, who was ranked ahead of Palomar, dropped out of the top 25 after two straight losses to end the week.

Palomar’s womens swim team one step closer to conference dual meets On March 25, Jem McAdams’ Comets swim team split a home match against San Diego Mesa, with the women winning 137-129, and the men losing 151-136.

With the wmoen’s win , they move closer toward qualifiying for the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference dual meet championship.

On the women’s side; Kelly Harris, who was a All-PCAC water polo selection in the fall, won in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:08.75, and the 500 free with a time of 5:54.29. Other double winners were Kendyl Mundt (2:32.33 in 200 butterfly; 58.19 in 100 free) and Paulina Deehan (2:25.48 in 200 backstroke; 1:02.41 in 100 fly).

On the men’s side, Ryan Sur won in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 11:07.55; Ryan McCauley won the 200 fly in 2:09.58; with water polo teammates Evan Dean and Rich Farley won their respective races in the 50 freestyle and 500 freestyle (with times of 22.85 and 5:04.55).

In the 200 freestyle relay, the team of Dean, Joe Cain, Landon Van Horn and Farley earned first place with a time of 1:31.13.

The women’s swim team is currently 2-0 in the conference, while the men’s team is 1-1.

Craft and her softball team stay at #2 in state In the March 25 California Community College Softball Coaches Association rankings, Palomar softball, lead by coach Lacey Craft, kept their spot as the #2 team in the state.

As it has been the entire season up to now, College of San Mateo (29-0) has retained its #1 ranking.

Behind the Comets (19-1-1) is Cypress (19-4) at #3, followed by a two-way tie for both fourth and sixth place, followed by West Valey (20-4) and Sacramento City College (17-7) to round out the top 10.

PCAC Women’s Athlete of the week honors go to softball’s Kali Pugh Sophomore shortstop and reigning PCAC Softball Player of the Year Kali Pugh was named their Women’s Athlete of the week for the week of March 16-22.

During the week, Pugh went 4-4 with a home run, triple, four RBI and fours runs scored in an 18-4 mercy rule win over Southwestern; followed by a 3-4 performance with a double, three RBI and a run scored in a win over Santa Ana. COMPILED BY CHRISTOPHER BULLOCK.

16 • SPORTS

Monday, March 30, 2014

Palomar’s Tyler Russell pitches during a home game at Myers Field. Russell, a transfer from Esatern Michigan University, has a 4-0 record with a save and a 1.47 earned run average. • Phillip Farry/The Telescope

Palomar’s Russell plays on in honor of father LEAH BAENA THE TELESCOPE

Tink. Pop. Tink. Pop. The ball hits the metal bat and flies to the outfield.

Their cleats touch the plate as they square off their bodies in preparation for what’s coming at them.

To speculators, it’s just a ball. For the players, it’s the future, and they’ve got one shot.

Pitcher Tyler Russell sat underneath the dugout in his Palomar baseball uniform and opened like a book, in the most genuine of ways. He stared off at the field watching what he calls his brotherhood practice for the game that was introduced to him so long ago.

Russell started playing baseball at the age of 4 and it has changed the course of his life, irrevocably. Not only was the love for the game now an unbreakable bond, but also formed a stronger one between him and his father Chris Russell.

This day, March 23, was not just another day, it was the 50th birthday of his father who passed away one year ago after battling Melanoma cancer for 15 months.

“My dad played baseball when he was a kid,” he said. “He started me out when I was 4 and ever since then I’ve loved the game, me and him connected through it, and it was just a bonding thing for us.”

Russell grew up in Murrieta, Calif. and played for many of the leagues in the area before continuing throughout high school. He was accepted into Eastern Michigan

State University and pitched for one season of their NCAA Division I team.

However after his father’s cancer worsened, Russell came home to Murrieta before finishing the season and stayed through his father’s death and continues to be there for his mother and sister.

Through the loss, the family has grieved together and strengthened their relationships. Russell’s mother and 18-year-old sister continue to support Tyler just as his father had every chance he got.

“One of the coolest stories about my dad was last year it was our first series for college out in Eastern Michigan, we were out in South Carolina playing Clemson and three days before the game, the cancer was breaking out in his body and he went to lift up something light, like taking a drink or something like that and his arm broke,” Russel said.

“He had to get surgery the day before his flight to South Carolina, he got surgery, got a huge metal bar in his arm and he still came out. He flew all the way out from California to South Carolina just to see me play. It was just the kind of guy he was. He was always there.”

Russell said that he is still here regardless of his physical absence, “He’s not here in person but he still keeps me going. I can still hear him in my head telling me everything he used to” On days like today, one would expect Russell to be absent from

taught me everything I knew about the game up until now, no matter if he’s here or not, he lives with me and I can still hear him and he told me one thing. It sticks with me forever (that) he said, ‘when you got something good don’t let it go.’ ” “I’ve got baseball and so I’m not gonna let it go,” he added.

LBAENA@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

STATS YOU NEED TO KNOW

EARNED RUN AVERAGE

1.47 (19TH IN STATE) file photo of Palomar pitcher Tyler Russell. • courtesy of Palomar College Public Affairs

practice and with good reason.

However coach Buck Taylor said Russell is a great teammate.

“I worked with him when he was younger, and I was really close with his family,” Taylor said. “His work ethic is great, everything he does, he does for his dad honestly. Just a great kid. A bulldog on the mound and just a great teammate.”

The friendship between Taylor is Russell is a strong bond. Russell vouches that Taylor is the best coach he has ever had, by both encouraging and correcting him. Russell said

just learning more and playing better by listening to his coaches, is his favorite part about playing for Palomar College.

While he enjoys it, he will be moving on to accept a scholarship from Oral Roberts University, in Oklahoma, to play Division 1, with plans to complete college and possibly get drafted along with potentially coaching baseball in the future.

Russell also hopes to have a family one day and pass down all that he was given from his father.

“My dad was my rock and he

31-7 TIED FOR 1ST IN ALLTIME CAREER WINS AT VISTA MURRIETA HIGH (TEMECULA, CA)

4-0, 1 SV 2015 RECORD AT PALOMAR COLLEGE

UPCOMING PALOMAR HOME GAMES MARCH 31

APRIL 1

APRIL 1

APRIL 2

APRIL 2

APRIL 3

Men’s tennis vs.

San Diego Mesa 2 p.m. @ Palomar College

Softball vs. San Diego Mesa 3 p.m. @ Comet Field

Men’s golf PCAC match 9 a.m. @ Twin Oaks Golf Course

Women’s tennis vs. Imperial Valley 2 p.m. @ Palomar College

Baseball vs. San Diego Mesa 2 p.m. @ Myers Field

Softball vs. San Jacinto 3 p.m.@ Comet Field