PALOMAR COLLEGE, SAN MARCOS, CALIF.
MONDAY OCT. 5, 2009
FOCUSED ON PALOMAR
VOL. 63, NO. 5
the-telescope.com
COME TOGETHER Students travel to learn, bring perspectives ASAKO SASAKI THE TELESCOPE
DAVID ULRIGG | THE TELESCOPE
In honor of Banned Book Week the steps of the Palomar College library were inscribed with words that apply to book banning.The event was designed to call attention to the First Amendment rights of U.S. citizens guaranteed by the Constitution: Freedom of Expression.Titles that have been banned in the past --- and are on display in the library --- include “Grapes of Wrath,” “Ulysses,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “1984,” and the Bible.
There are 243 international students currently attending Palomar College this semester, said Yasue O’Neil, international educations coordinator. A good environment, a relatively FLORA SILVA | THE TELESCOPE easy application, an attainable test Lee (third from the left), an international student from Korea who is currently Seulali standard for English as a Foreign attending her third semester at Palomar, draws a Japanese writing character during a Language or TOEFL, and perfect weather are some of the reasons Cultural Event organized for the Osaka Study Tour on Sept. 24 on campus. The Osaka students come here, O’Neil said. Study Tour is a three-day event hosted by Palomar College for foreign students from Many of the international students Osaka, Japan who are health majors. are from Japan, she added. Approximately 85 percent of have the most difficulty with laninternational students hope to guage, Palomar College has tiered English as a Second Language transfer like native students. Two differences between native classes to best match student levstudents and international stu- els. ESL courses are helpful for international dents are that interstudents since national students are they have probGet more required to take 12 lems with units every semester. Check out The Telescope’s Web English that difThe other is tuition site for profiles on some — an international international students at Palomar. fer from native student’s cost is $196 the-telescope.com speakers. O’Neil said, per unit. This price the benefit of increase is because international students do not pay having international students prestaxes before or after receiving an ent is having different and various education from local colleges and perspectives as well as new knowledge even in subjects such as fashuniversities. Since international students ion and interior design.
University transfer deadlines looming
INSIDE
ENTERTAINMENT In tune
Student musician Owen Cooper believes everyone can relate to music
OPINION
MAGGIE AVANTS THE TELESCOPE
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Hidden danger?
Do speed bumps create more trouble than they’re worth? PAGE 5
FOCUS
Comic relief
A local comic shop gives students a place to work and discuss literature
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SPORTS
Comets’ streak Palomar’s football team scores back-toback victories
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LAURA TUCKE | THE TELESCOPE
Small portion of students give blood to help others Zack Bartlett brought a book to read during the American Red Cross blood drive to distract himself while he donated blood on Sept. 24 at Palomar.
MELINA FICKAS THE TELESCOPE
Palomar student Jesse Hofbauer has a yearly tradition. Once a year, he tries to donate blood. He says this is his fifth time giving because only 3 percent of Californians donate blood. Hofbauer was one of many students who donated blood when the American Red Cross made its once-a-semester stop at Palomar’s San Marcos campus Sept. 24. The goal was to
collect 150 pints of blood. Another student was Devin Brown, who said that he donates because his uncle had leukemia. After the blood is collected from the drive, it goes to a lab in Pamona, Calif., where it is tested for three days for all major diseases, including HIV and hepatitis, according to American Red Cross employee Nancy Dornon. TURN TO
BLOOD PAGE 3
Just as January through April are busy months for tax of employees preparers, Palomar College’s Transfer Center find that their busy time is during October and November when students are applying for transfers. Students wishing to transfer within the California State University and the University of California systems for fall 2010 need to apply between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, and the worst thing they can do is to wait until the last minute, Transfer Center Staff Assistant Dagmar Royer said. Due to state budget shortfalls on education, Royer said it is especially important that students prepare their applications correctly and on time. “In the past, they may have been able to make a mistake and the schools would contact them,” she said. “That is not going to work this year, not with these cutbacks.” There will be less spots available in the fall for many students, and schools like San
Getting in Here’s what it takes to get into the four-year schools in San Diego: z z z z z z z z z
UCSD 3.4 minimum GPA 9,825 transfer students applied last semester 42% transfer students accepted
SAN DIEGO STATE 2.4 minimum GPA* 11,961 transfer students applied last semester 45% transfer students accepted
CAL STATE SAN MARCOS 2.0 minimum GPA 3,867 transfer students applied last semester 33% transfer students accepted
*unless stated otherwise for major
Diego State University have announced stricter transfer guidelines. According to SDSU’s Web site, its undergraduate enrollment will see a reduction of 4,588 students. Students wishing to transfer will need to have 100 percent of their transfer work completed, their general education and TURN TO
TRANSFERS PAGE 3