The Telescope 65.16

G

t

the telescope Palomar College’s Independent Newspaper Vol. 65, No. 16 • Monday, April 16, 2012

GOVERNING BOARD

Student activsts tell trustees to step in ian hanner the telescope

After months of urging from a student activist group, Palomar’s Governing Board began discussions on whether the student government’s management should be put to a student vote.

The Governing Board did not make any decisions on the matter during the April 10 meeting but listened to five students and faculty from the Coalition for Democratic Education during the public forum and agreed

to further discussion.

The initiative that the Coalition set forth to Palomar’s Associated Student Government was intended to break the representative body off from the Office of Student Affairs, allow members to select their own adviser and hold annual elections for ASG senators rather than the current system of board appointment. Now, following a stricken lawsuit, the Coalition was given a second chance to state its case.

“Every other club on campus has the ability to choose the person they

want as their adviser,” said Nestor Venegas, a Coalition member. “Why is it that the ASG can’t choose the adviser on their own terms?”

Certain members of the Governing Board voiced their concerns.

“You’re kind of like the intern at the hospital who’s saying you don’t want the experienced surgeon to make the decision, you want to make the decision,” said board member Paul McNamara, referring to students choosing advisers.

Turn to Concerns, Page 9

1140 W. Mission Rd, San Marcos, Calif.

OPENING TO THE SKY

ASG ELECTIONS

NO COMPETITION FOR STUDENT GOv’t SEATS Two students are running unopposed for executive positions in the Associated Student Government, following a tradition of low engagement that saw just hundreds of students vote in last year’s election.

Candidates Johnathan Farmer and Angel Jimenez have previously served in ASG. Farmer is currently senator and Jimenez was a senator and chairwoman of the inter-club council.

Page 2

CANDIDATES & THEIR PLATFORMS Farmer for President: Bridge gap between ASG and campus clubs Jimenez for VP: Raise student awareness of ASG Photo by Deb Hellman/Telescope

Planetarium set to open April 20 / Page 6

VETERANS

G.I. Bill cuts remove soldiers’ financial safety net War vets face a permanent cut to their school funding ian hanner the telescope

A recent change to the Post 9/11 GI Bill is making it harder for many veterans to pay the bills.

For years the Montgomery GI Bill has provided some financial security for veterans who seek higher education upon finishing their tours of duty. The bill aims to pay a veteran’s college tuition, fees, books and the cost of living in the area they are going to school, all with the intention to reintegrate them into the community. Starting Aug. 1, 2011, the bill temporarily restricted the highly valuable funding known as “break pay,” a provision that helped pay

WHAT’S INSIDE

3

G.I. bill expert Moses Maddox discusses recent cuts to education pay for veterans on April 9 • Brian Korec/Telescope

for the cost of living in between semesters and during other breaks.

“The sudden (nature) of the break pay cuts left a lot of veterans out in the cold,” said Moses Maddox, a former Marine and certifying official at Palomar Col-

lege that focuses on GI Bill benefits. “Our enrollment actually decreased from last semester to this semester. There’s a myriad of reasons why people cease attendance, but whenever there’s a cut in pay, there’s a drop in people at-

POLITICAL ECONOMY DAYS NEWS / Sessions by various inspirational speakers were featured in the two-day event.

8

tending (on the GI Bill).”

According to Maddox however, a trip to Washington D.C. from March 26-30 for an event called Storm the Hill, brought the news that the pay was cut for the foreseeable future.

TAX SEASON ARRIVES

LIFE / Tips and tricks for knowing whether you need to file taxes this year and if you’ll get a tax return.

Storm the Hill is an annual event organized by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

“Veterans don’t have a lobby group,” Maddox said. “So once a year we get together and we take on 12,000 lobbyists. One of the things we talked to them about was break pay. Bottom line is break pay is not coming back. It is a time of economic downturn and the bottom line is that nationally, break pay costs $3 billion a year.

We’re expensive children.”

Despite the possible financial benefits of cutting what was deemed an expensive entitlement for the country, many veterans who relied on the money to cover the cost of living are struggling to find ways to balance their personal budgets.

“I’m just thankful I’m married to a Marine,” said 26-year-old Marine Corps veteran Christopher Narvaez. “She’s also on the GI Bill.

Without her, I would never be able to live out here.

12

TURN TO BILL, PAGE 9

DUAL ATHLETE

SPORTS / Comets starting pitcher D.J. Zapata played football last season.

2 • NEWS ASG ELECTIONS

Monday, April 16, 2012 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

PALOMAR NEWS IN BRIEF

3-DAY EVENT CELEBRATES WOMEN’S RIGHTS, HISTORY Shaun Kahmann The Telescope

TOP: Candidate and current ASG senator Johnathan Farmer BELOW: Candidate Angel Jimenez. • Kiigan Snaer/Telescope

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES UNCONTESTED The only students running for Associated Student Government are current ASG Senator Johnathan Farmer for president and former ASG Senator and former Inter-Club Council Committee Chairperson Angel Jimenez for vice president.

According to Marylin Lunde, staff assistant for the Office of Student Affairs, less than five application packets had been picked up by the April 9 deadline. Students interested in running for the presidential positions for the 2012-2013 school year had until 4:30 p.m. last Thursday to turn them in.

In light of the recent student initiative proposition to remove the ASG from the OSA, Farmer has focused his campaign on resolving the complaints posed by the student group.

“There has been some disagreement between the ASG and members of certain clubs, certain students, faculty members at Palomar. I want to bridge that gap,” Farmer said. “When you have that many motivated and smart people you have to find some kind of common ground.”

Jimenez wants to raise student governent awareness around campus.

“I feel it’s important that the students know that there is a student that’s going to be on the ASG for them. Many of the times that I went out to ask for endorsement for my candidacy for student government, a vast amount of students didn’t understand what the student government is,” Jimenez said. “(I have) grassroots ideas. A couple of times I’ve noticed (Palomar College) President (Robert) Deegan out there sitting under a canopy with a little table and banner that says ‘President’s Hour,’” Jimenez said.

At the April 11 ASG meeting Vice President Cody Dean talked about the low turnout for the election and possibly extending the deadline for students to turn in their election packets.

“I knew that (the elections) were going to happen, but I didn’t even know they were going on (right now),” Dean said during his executive report. “I was disappointed how little promotion was done.”

JOEL RAMOS

From reproductive rights, to pubescent rites of passage, this year’s “Women’s History Month” event covered a wide range of topics on women’s rights and history.

It was organized by the Palomar Women’s Studies Committee to draw attention to female roles in modern society. The three-day, annual event brings attention to women’s health issues and topics. Held every March, this year’s event included women’s healthcare legislation, the prevalence of HIV and AIDs and pioneering women of the past.

Day one featured a speaker panel of women from diverse backgrounds talking about what it’s like to live with HIV and AIDS. According to Women’s History Professor Wendy Kinsinger, the biggest point to take away from the event was that each woman contracted the virus from someone they least expected.

“All of those women were infected by someone they loved,” Kinsinger said. “You wouldn’t look at those women and say ‘Oh yeah, they’ve got AIDS’.”

Day two kicked off with food and music and featured Palomar Clubs ranging from MEChA to the Anime Club, which offered a mosaic of presentations highlighting some of history’s most iconoclastic women like Joan of Arc. A presentation from the Black Student Union focused on a woman named Henrietta Lacks. During the 1950s, Lacks was diagnosed with cancer and was being treated at John Hopkins Hospital. Before Lacks’ death, cells were unknowingly extracted from her tumor that could survive past the first few cell divisions, resulting in an immortal cell line that would later be used by Jonas Salk to cure polio and provide treatment methods for AIDS, without ever compensating Lacks or her family.

The final day of the event focused on cultural rites of passage for women in various cultures from around the world. Familiar female initiations like the “Quinceanera” and “Bat Mitzvah” of Mexican and Jewish cultures were highlighted.

Also noted were lesser known female rites, like the Apache custom known as “Changing Woman.” According to presenters, women of the Apache Nation must undergo the “Sacred Ordeal,”a process involving rigorous physical training in order to endure four days of long distance running.

Kinsinger said she hopes the event fostered a genuine interest in women’s history and culture.

“I would hope that people came away wanting to expose themselves more to the variety of women’s experiences across cultures,” Kinsinger said. skahmann@the-telescope.com

Construction continues at Howard Brubeck Theatre on April 11. • Sergio Soares/Telescope

CONSTRUCTION

SAN MARCOS CAMPUS UPDATES T BUILDING The T Building on Palomar’s San Marcos campus is currently being remodeled and renovated in order to hold part of Palomar’s Industrial Technology department.

When completed, the building will house welding, wastewater technology, cabinet, furniture and technology and a spray booth for automotive classes.

According to Palomar’s Facilities department, the project is currently running behind schedule, causing it to go an estimated $1.3 million over budget, according to Palomar’s Facilities Review Committee. The Industrial Technology department is currently looking into ways to cut back budget overruns and reduce the

BRUBECK THEATRE The remodel of Palomar’s Howard Brubeck Theatre on the main campus in San Marcos is well underway and staying on schedule and budget, according to Palomar’s Facilities department.

All the structural steel is up and the concrete flooring is poured for the expansion of the building. On the interior of the existing building, the floor has been demolished and the pit for the Orchestra has been built. The floor of the Orchestra pit will sit lower than the audience and has the ability to be raised and lowered hydraulically for performances, according to

CAMPUS EVENTS

EARTH DAY TO PROMOTE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Palomar students and staff are invited to come out and celebrate Earth Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 19 in the Student Union, according to event organizers.

“The event is free to everyone and designed to encourage, enlighten and empower students and staff toward a more sustainable future,” Palomar Student Activities Coordinator Lindsay Kretchman said.

Various campus clubs will attend and hand out information on what students can do to help the environment. Attendees will also be invited to join in games, eat pepperoni and cheese pizza or simply enjoy live music, according to Kretchman.

The Friends of Arboretum is an organization made up of nature lovers such as but not limited to biologists dedicated to preservation of Palomar’s botanical garden of trees. They will attend the event and set up a table of rare potted plants that students and faculty can buy.

JACQUELINE COBLE

ANNUAL FASHION SHOW SET FOR APRIL 21

Palomar’s Facilities department is currently in the process of replacing all the aging high voltage transformers on the San Marcos campus.

According to Facilities staff, the project is estimated to be finished over summer break. Facilities staff estimates there will be a couple of power outages due to the project. After the project is completed, all buildings, new and old, will be moved over to the same electrical service.

Coming down a runway at the California Center for Arts Concert Hall in Escondido, will be Palomar’s annual Fashion Merchandising and Design Fashion show also known as Moda at 7 p.m. on April 21.

According to organizers, the socalled Moda event will showcase the work of Palomar fashion students sharing their spring collections in collaboration with merchandising students who pick the models, decide on makeup and hair styling, and select the visuals and lighting for the concert hall.

This year’s special guest will be KUSI Fashion expert Leonard Simpson, an artist and designer. He is best known for the segment Fashion Forward on the KUSI morning news where he dishes out the latest style tips for both men and women.

Tickets are $12-15 in advance and $20 the day of the show. They can be purchased online at artcenter. org/performances or at the California Center of the Arts ticket office, at 800-988-4253.

NATALIE SOLDOFF

JACQUELLINE COBLE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

NEWS • 3

the telescope FALLBROOK CAMPUS

American Indian Studies Department voices concern against Palomar administration APRIL TESTERMAN THE TELESCOPE

A Palomar Faculty department spoke out last month against the administration’s handling of an ongoing conflict with local American Indians.

Construction on Horse Ranch Creek Road began last year to provide access to Palomar’s future satellite campus in Fallbrook. In Jan. 2011, as construction crews started moving ground, human remains and artifacts were unearthed on the site. Upon examination, it was determined the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians were the “most likely descendent” (MLD), according to a letter from Palomar President Robert Deegan addressed to the faculty.

While a temporary restraining order filed by the Native Americans was pending in court, the school held off on the construction for nearly a year. After the court denied the protesters lawsuit, and the school gained approval from the county and Army Corps of Engineers, the school resumed construction on the site while exercising sensitivity to artifacts and the site, according to Deegan.

The American Indian Studies department released a letter in response to the administration’s decision to continue construction despite the findings of human remains and artifacts.

“AIS is dismayed you failed to

recognize the 40-year history of our department and our connection with sovereign local tribal governments as the valuable resource it is,” according to the letter signed by the American Indian Studies Department.

The critical letter explained the department’s frustration with the fact that Deegan had not included its department members in any discussions regarding Horse Ranch Creek Road.

The department staff said they understand that Deegan had no legal obligation to include them, but AIS department Chairwoman Patricia Dixon wrote that she believes “it could have made a difference.”

“The letter was to help the community to understand that we can make a public statement to our president and our school at large,” Dixon said.

The department has announced they will be holding a teach-in on April 25 located in MD157 regarding the Tom-Kav village and the issues surrounding it.

In response to the letter, Palomar President Robert Deegan scheduled a meeting with the AIS department on March 27.

At the meeting, Deegan extended invitations to AIS for any future meetings regarding the site. Before speaking to Deegan, the department had no idea when or where the meetings were being held.

“Our meeting was good in that

it provided clarification for both sides,” Dixon said.

The meeting between the department and Deegan clarified that Palomar had no control over road placement and the construction of the road is Palomar’s legal responsibility, as stated in the purchase agreement of the 86-acre property.

Once bone fragments had been discovered, by law the property owner was legally obligated to discuss the matter with the MLD, implying that Palomar may not be the one at fault here. In this case, the road falls outside the property owned by Palomar and was worked out in a deal with Pardee, Pankey and Passerelle.

“Sometimes people have to respond to the reality of the law and not to the higher principles of morality-- which happens,” Dixon said.

A letter from Deegan to the “Campus Community” was released on April 5. It suggested possible “construction adjustments” such as, “filling the remaining data recovery holes by hand with shovels” and “limiting the number of earthmoving equipment working in the area.”

The letter ended by stating that, “the College will continue to meet its legal obligation of Horse Ranch Road, while pledging to work cooperatively with the Native American community.”

Signs at the entrance of Horse Ranch Creek Road construction site show the location of the new Palomar site in Fallbrook on Feb. 26. • Deb Hellman/Telescope

atesterman@the-telescope.com

POLITICAL ECONOMY DAYS

Complete Your Bachelor’s Degree at

Azusa Pacific University

Speakers discuss death, economy, terror to packed crowds KELLI MILLER & JOEL RAMOS THE TELESCOPE

Palomar guest speaker Yaja Boren told students how, at age 11, she had to dig a ditch faster than German soldiers in order to escape death during World War II. Speaking as part of Political Economy Days, a two-day series of 19 speakers, Boren described how one day German soldiers came to her worksite to “weed” out the workers who weren’t up to their standards. When the soldiers noticed Boren, who was very small for her age, her boss, a German bricklayer jumped to her defense.

“He took a chance on me and made a deal,” Boren said.

The bricklayer challenged the older, stronger soldiers to dig as fast as Boren, and if they could catch up to her then he would get rid of her himself.

“I was four feet tall and I won; I dug faster than those big guys,” Boren said. “There is no such thing you can’t do if you want to do something.”

Boren was the closing speaker at Palomar’s fourth Political Economy Days April 4 and 5 to expose students to important historical, political and economic issues.

The two-day seminar put on by the Political Science Department featured a variety of Palomar pro-

fessors and other educators from surrounding colleges and universities. The hour and 20 minute lectures ranged from topics such as taxes and voting to discrimination.

Boren, who grew up Jewish in Poland, is one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust and has held lectures for the past 17 years. This was her third time speaking for Palomar’s Political Economy Days.

“I have a mission in life and my mission is to inform you, the young people, that what happened to me can happen again,” Boren said. “And I don’t want this to happen again, so I teach tolerance and ask you to find a way to help stop this.”

The audience remained silent as Boren spoke about the never ending hunger, her family being torn apart, beaten and murdered and the surprising compassion from the bricklayer, who refused to whip the children digging ditches.

“I want you to know there is good and bad in all of us. I don’t hate the Germans like most do,” Boren said.

In the spring of 1945, Boren, her sister and a few other children finally escaped the gruesome camp by digging a hole under the barbed wire fence. Boren returned to Poland and waited three

years for the arrival of an American visa sent by an uncle living in the states.

Boren is now an Oceanside resident and has written two books, “We Only Have Each Other” and “There are No Strangers,” and she lectures young adults on the importance of tolerance.

“We saved the most profound for last,” Political Economy Day’s organizer Peter Bowman said. “All of our presenters have been incredible, but none are as intrinsic, spiritual or have the humanity as Yaja Boren.”

Another panelist looked at tearing down common misconceptions.

Palomar Professor Phillip de Barros discussed commonly accepted beliefs about the American economy.

During his lecture, de Barros spoke about several American cultural mythologies. Some of the myths he disproved related to the differences perceived between Europe and America including the belief that government is smaller here than in Europe.

In another talk, Point Loma Nazarene University Professor Rosco Williamson spoke about the characteristics of terrorist organizations in the Middle East. kmiller@the-telescope.com jramos@the-telescope.com

Choose from accelerated degrees online or on campus.

LIBERAL STUDIES

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The B.A. in Liberal Studies (LIBS) will prepare you for a career in education. In less than two years, you could be on your way to teaching in your own classroom.

The versatile B.S. in Organizational Leadership (BSOL) makes it easy to take the next step in your career. You will learn relevant business strategies that can empower you to become an effective leader.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMS •

Complete your degree in less than two years.

•

Choose to earn your degree online, or attend class only one night a week at a location near you.

•

Applicants for the Liberal Studies program must be at least 22 years old; Organizational Leadership program applicants must be at least 25.

Find out about the next Liberal Studies or Organizational Leadership program start date.

Contact us today!

CALL CLICK

(626) 815-5301 www.apu.edu/explore/caps AZUSA

MURRIETA

|

|

HIGH DESERT

ORANGE COUNTY

|

|

INLAND EMPIRE

SAN DIEGO

|

|

LOS ANGELES

VENTURA COUNTY

|

ONLINE 12697

4 • NEWS

Monday, April 16, 2012

CALIFORNIA WATCH

CSU also exploring two-tiered pricing plan Erica Perez

California Watch

April 6, 2012 All eyes are on Santa Monica College, where a controversial plan to offer a tier of higherpriced courses has been met with pepper-spray-tainted protests and legal questions.

Less noticeably, California State University officials have been mulling their own brand of higher-priced classes. In 2010, officials began exploring whether they could offer more remediation classes and high-demand “bottleneck” classes through Extended Education - a self-supporting program that provides online and face-to-face CSU classes to students without the university admissions process.

Because it operates without state subsidies, Extended Education offers classes that are pricier than the standard CSU fare, and students can’t use Cal Grants or CSU State University Grants to help pay for them.

Prices for Extended Education classes vary. But in 2009-10, the average annual tuition for an Extended Education undergraduate degree completion program was $7,290 - about 51 percent higher than the $4,827 average annual tuition at CSU at that time, according to a CSU report .

In their 2010 presentation to the CSU Board of Trustees, Executive Vice Chancellor Ephraim Smith and State University Dean of Extended Education Sheila Thomas said that by offering English and math remediation, bottleneck courses, and other classes through Extended Education, CSU could meet its academic mission while “freeing up resources on the state support side that could be re-deployed to critical areas.”

As for the higher cost of the offerings, the report described Extended Education prices as affordable when compared with the classes offered by a comparison group of for-profit colleges, which had an average annual tuition of $13,082 in 2009-10.

“For many students, it is the access to these programs - both at the CSU and at private or for-profit institutions - that can outweigh the higher cost,” the report said.

“In these challenging fiscal times it is critical to review potential avenues of expansion for Extended Education to meet the needs of CSU students and working professionals.”

The idea has similar characteristics to the proposal at Santa Monica College, where the Board of Trustees this week approved a plan to offer a set of high-demand classes such as English and math at about $200 per unit, rather than the standard community college price of $36 per unit. The idea is that students who find themselves shut out of the limited state-subsidized classes have the option of paying a premium for a spot.

Santa Monica College has seen a backlash. Students protested this week, and some were injured after a campus police officer discharged pepper spray. California

Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott has questioned the legality of the college’s plan and has asked trustees to put it on hold, the Los Angeles Times reports.

At CSU, where the university has seen a steady decrease in state revenue and has had to cut thousands of courses and reduce faculty and staff, students already have turned increasingly to Extended Education for the higher-priced classes, data shows.

From fall 2006 to fall 2010, the number of CSU students who were enrolled in Extended Education classes grew from 0.6 percent of the student population to 1 percent.

At some campuses, the programs are more widely used.

About 11 percent of CSU Dominguez Hills students took Extended Education courses in fall 2010.

The campus’ Open University catalog of Extended Education courses includes hundreds of classes, from accounting to women’s studies.

The California Faculty Association has criticized CSU officials’ move toward expanding Extended Education, describing it as a “for-profitization” of the university.

“The price of doing that is to profoundly change the mission of these institutions, to have them begin to resemble more and more for-profit entities, where money talks and if you have the money, you’re in,” said Susan Meisenhelder, professor emeritus of English at CSU San Bernardino and former president of the faculty association.

In the fall 2010 report, CSU officials observed that in order to expand Extended Education on a large scale - particularly online - they would need to amend collective bargaining agreements, executive orders and potentially state Education Code.

Faculty association representatives, now in the midst of negotiating their contract with CSU, said the university recently has proposed taking away certain pay guarantees for faculty members who teach Extended Education courses - a signal, they say, that the university is clearing the way to expand the program.

Meanwhile, CSU recently posted a request for proposals for Cal State Online, seeking firms that provide online education to help roll out an increased assortment of online classes. Those courses are planned to be offered through Extended Education, said CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.

Although a May 2011 report by consulting firm Richard N. Katz & Associates Inc. said bottleneck courses could be good candidates for the Cal State Online initiative, an open letter from Ruth Claire Black, executive director of the Cal State Online Board, said the initiative will start with the roughly 60 online self-support programs that currently exist in the CSU system. Most of those

Thousands of students converged on Sacramento, Calif. on March 5 to protest budget cuts and fee hikes for higher education. • Randy Pench/Sacramento Bee/MCT Campus.

are aimed at working professionals or unemployed adults.

Uhlenkamp said nothing has been decided as far as expanding Extended Education to add more bottleneck and remedial courses.

“There haven’t been decisions made,” he said. “We need to review what we currently do and review the climate that we’re in.”

That hasn’t stopped the faculty union from trying to head off future moves. Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, D-El Segundo, introduced a bill sponsored by the California Faculty Association that would allow CSU students who take Extended Education courses for credit toward a degree to pay no more than the fees charged for any other academic term.

This story was produced by California Watch, the state’s largest investigative reporting team. It is a part of the independent, nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting.

For more, visit w w w. c a l i f o rniawatch.org.

Pregnant?

You’re not Alone.

We Can Help.

All of our services are FREE and confidential • Free Pregnancy Tests / Verification • Options Counseling • Ltd. Ultrasounds • Resources and Referrals 1830 Hacienda Drive, #8 Vista, CA 92081 760.945.4673 24 Hr. Hotline: 800.395.4357 www.pregnancyresourcecenter.com

OPINION • 5

the telescope

t

VOICES OF REASON

BY KAITY BERGQUIST & COLLEEN PETERS

the telescope Focused On Palomar Monday, April 16, 2012 Vol. 65, No. 16 Palomar College, San Marcos, CA

YOUR PUBLIC BEHAVIOR MAY NEED SOME WORK

MATTHEW SLAGLE editor in chief & PAGE DESIGNER KAITY BERGQUIST MANAGING EDITOR & PAGE DESIGNER IAN HANNER NEWS EDITOR JOEL RAMOS NEWS EDITOR GIO NIETO OPINION EDITOR KELLI MILLER LIFE EDITOR COLLEEN PETERS SPORTS EDITOR & COPY EDitoR NATALIE SOLDOFF PAGE DESIGNER DEB HELLMAN PHOTO EDITOR BRIAN KOREC ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR DAVID LEONARD INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT ERIN HIRO ADVISER KIIGAN SNAER BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS April Testerman, Cyndi Lundeberg, Danielle Taylor, Emma Maliszewski, Jessica Brooks, Jacqueline Coble, Lexy Perez, Michael Astorino, Mike Peterson, Peter Behr, Shaun Kahmann & Stephen Keck PHOTOGRAPHERS Charles Lugtu, Allyson Watson, Aden Webster, Dan Chambers, Ebony Avery, Kristen Campbell,Phyllis CelmER, RUSSELL WHITE, SERGIO SOARES ADDRESS THE TELESCOPE PALOMAR COLLEGE 1140 W. MISSION ROAD, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 PHONE / 760-891-7865 NEWSROOM / MD-228 WEBSITE/ THE-TELESCOPE.COM 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 receieved one week prior to the newspaper’s publication to be considered for inclusion.

The Telescope is published 11 times per semester.

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

ASSOCIATED COLLEGE PRESS

CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER’S ASSOCIATION

Recycling containers can be seen all around Palomar’s campus, making recycling convenient. • Kristen Campbell/Telescope

Recycle: make the effort to conserve our planet’s resources APRIL TESTERMAN THE TELESCOPE

Those of you who think that recycling isn’t beneficial, think again, there’s more to it than keeping our campus clean.

It seems as though plastic and aluminum containers are the pieces not finding their way to the recycling bin these days.

Just walk through the halls of Palomar and you’ll find that littering is still a prominent issue.

To everyone at Palomar, recycling should almost be second nature because there are designated bins everywhere.

All of us should be recycling, but we’re not.

Despite the fact that Palomar has made it as easy to recycle as it is to throw away trash, not everyone is disposing of their aluminum cans and water bottles properly. By recycling, we are reducing landfills and reusing our resources, making recycling worth the effort.

In 1976, the average American consumed 1.6 gallons of bottled water. In 2006, that number became 28.3 gallons, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp. In 2010, San Diego’s recycling rate was 68 percent. If we strive for 100 percent, space at the landfills could be reserved for actual waste.

San Diego’s only active landfill is in Miramar. There, almost 1 million tons of waste is disposed of yearly. The fill is approximately 1,500 acres in size and they are running out of room, so it’s imperative that each of us do our part to recycle whatever and whenever we can.

Not all resources are inexhaustible, and that’s something that people aren’t always keeping in mind.

Here’s the thing, it’s not just about pollution anymore, (although pollution is still a major concern). It’s about being smart and resourceful. Not all waste is recyclable, but it’s important to know the difference

between litter and reusable material.

Recycling should be a matter in which we all young and old take responsibility to do something about conserving useful materials.

At least someone is cashing in on the 5 cent California Redemption Value (CRV).

California law now gives recyclers the option of receiving the CRV per container and not just by weight.

It may not seem like a lot of money, but it adds up. On average, I drink about two to three bottles of water a day. Three bottles a day at five cents for a year is about $54. That’s just me, most people have roommates or live with family. Multiply that number by just two, three or even four.

So yes, recycling is worth it, because it makes our world cleaner and because it reuses our resources.

Aluminum, another container a lot of us use daily, can be recycled over and over again. Typically, after being recycled, an aluminum can could easily be right back on the shelf in 60 days. Throwing an aluminum can away, and not recycling it, wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline, according to Earth911.com. Gasoline is a tough resource to purchase.

Though I try my hardest to recycle every little bit of paper, glass, plastic and aluminum that I touch, I too fall short, but there is nothing I hate more than taking a stroll on the

IS RECYCLING WORTH IT? 1 million

TONS OF WASTE THE U.S. DISPOSES OF ANNUALLY

68%

AMOUNT OF RECYCLABLE WASTE ACTUALLY RECYCLED. THE OTHER 32% GOES INTO LANDFILLS

$.05

CALIFORNIA’S REDEMPTION VALUE FOR EACH BOTTLE TURNED IN AT A RECYCLING CENTER

$54

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY A PERSON CAN EARN IF THEY COLLECT CRV ON TWO TO THREE RECYCLABLE BOTTLES EVERY DAY FOR ONE YEAR Source: Berverage Marketing Corp.

beach and finding empty cans or plastic bottles in the sand. I mean come on, we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and we are trashing it.

We aren’t doing our part.

People are just being lazy and not taking the few extra steps to recycle. We need to take responsibility and start making conscious decisions, because recycling does make a difference in our lives and in the lives of future generations. atesterman@the-telescope.com

Spring is here, which means more leaving the house and more time out in public.

No matter what the setting, being around people who are lacking in any sort of public etiquette can ruin the entire day. For us, springtime means baseball season and 162 games spent around thousands of fans, some of whom are not the most cultured (like Dodgers fans).

Etiquette is not the same in all places, this is true, but knowing how to act in various public situations is key.

Helium.com sums up the general idea of public etiquette as, “be courteous of others and respect yourself as it’s the only way you’ll get respect in return.”

As we looked through Google to defend our statements, a few results stated, “make sure you wear clothes.” We weren’t aware that that was ever an actual issue.

However, there are bigger issues that can sometimes be controversial, especially at Palomar.

Smoking. As non-smokers, we’re constantly subjected to the second-hand smoke of the people around us. It’s your decision to smoke and kill yourself, but it was never our decision to inhale your second-hand smoke, so if you must smoke, please walk away from crowds and do it elsewhere.

“Before smoking, the best policy is to ask if anyone minds, or wait to see if others smoke,” according to executiveplanet.com, a website detailing the acceptable social practices of countries throughout the world.

We would agree that if you really can’t wait to inhale a few more toxic chemicals, it would be polite to ask those around you if it is okay. Also, we do attend school on a smoke-free campus; you shouldn’t even be lighting up at Palomar in the first place.

Swearing is just as offensive in public as smoking. A lot of times, people think they are being funny, or adding drama to their story, or they do it just because. What they don’t realize is that they sound less intelligent with every curse that flies out of their mouths.

According to Modern Manners Guy, “Attitudes are many times contagious. So someone just hearing you swear can begin to lose their positive outlook.”

The point is this: When you’re out in public, don’t act like you own the place. It’s likely that you don’t. Please take into account that there are other people around that do not necessarily subscribe to your habits or point of view. kbergquist@the-telescope.com cpeters@the-telescope.com @kaitybergquist @colleen_teresa

6 • LIFE

Monday, April 16, 2012

PHOTO ESSAY

Planetarium opens doors to the universe

Deb HEllman The Telescope

When the Palomar Planetarium opens its new state-ofthe-art home on the San Marcos campus, it will continue the legacy of introducing and educating visitors on the science of the universe.

The general public opening of the planetarium will be at 7 p.m. on April 20. The planetarium celebrated the ribbon cutting of the new structure on March 9 — 47 years after the original planetarium opened in March 1965.

“The new, state-of-the-art venue and presentation technology will make astronomy come alive in a way that the old planetarium was unable to do,” said Mark Lane, Palomar associate professor and planetarium director. “The new planetarium will allow students to see the various concepts of astronomy in a way that is realistic and dynamic.”

It will provide students and guests with a 100 percent digital reproduction of the universe. This is done with a Digistar 4 projection system that creates real-time renderings that are calculated and drawn. The scale distances and orientations of the universe are displayed on the 50-foot Astrotec dome. This visual and audio technology allows the audience to feel like they are orbiting through space. The experience educates and entertains at the same time, he said.

The architecture of the structure’s exterior is showcased with the stainless steel, chemically treated, colored roof tiles that appear slightly different depending on the angle of the sun.

The new freestanding planetarium is the fifth largest in California and can seat 142 in the theater.

The cost of the new planetarium was $8.5 million and funded as part of Proposition M, a bond that was passed in 2006.

“This magnificent structure is not just a classroom facility for Palomar students,” said Palomar Governing Board Member Darrell L. McMullen. “It is to be experienced by every young student in San Diego County as they come by the busloads.”

In addition to being an integral part of astronomy courses for Palomar students, it hosted 200,000 area K-12 school children as part of their science curriculum over the 43 years it was open. Groups of students came from as far as Orange County, Borrego Springs and Chula Vista.

The planetarium brought local school-aged groups, as a field trip for the third and fourth graders to fulfill the astronomy requirement in their science curriculum. The planetarium is open to the general public in addition to the 100 schools that have contracts.

The general admission cost is $7 and discounted rates of $5 will be offered to students, military and seniors. Parking for the Friday evening shows is free in Lot 5 with arrangement through Campus Police. The ticket booth is open from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and tickets are sold on a first-come first-served basis.

For additional information on the officical opening, visit http://www.palomar.edu/planetarium/ dhellman@the-telescope.com

TOP: Palomar Planetarium construction is complete and the general public opening is scheduled for April 20. MIDDLE TOP LEFT: Planetarium dome displays images of Saturn. MIDDLE BOTTOM LEFT: Planetarium dome showcases planets and stars in the solar system as part of the presentation. BOTTOM: Moon landing shown to the attendees on March 9 at the Planetarium ribbon-cutting ceremony • Deb Hellman/Telescope.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Palomar Dean of Sciences Dr. Charles Coutts pictured in the original planetarium afer it opened in 1965 • Courtesy Photo from Palomar Planetarium

LIFE • 7

the telescope PLAY PREVIEW

‘BLUEFISH COVE’ PLAY RAISES AWARENESS emma MALISZEWSKI the telescope

Palomar students have taken the stage for a new production called “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.”

The theatrical comedy debuted April 13 and will run through April 22 in the D-2 performance lab on campus.

Directed by Performing Arts Professor Michael Mufson and written by Jane Chambers, this comedic love story depicts a community of lesbians in the mid-1970s.

“I fell in love when I first read the script,” Mufson said. “I couldn’t put it down.”

The “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” production is one of the many events on campus to celebrate April as Lesbian, Gay Bisexual Transgendered Questioning and Allies Awareness month.

“I was approached by the Palomar College Committee to Combat Hate, and they asked me if I could do a play that would reflect issues of concern to gay people on campus,” Mufson said. “Their mission is to make our campus more friendly, welcoming and accepting of LGBTQ folks.”

The play’s plot takes place in a little beach town named Bluefish Cove, a wellknown lesbian haven, where women can be free and out of the closet. One of the central characters is Lil, who is dying of

cancer and spending her last summer at the cove.

“A casanova who’s never been in love, she likes to play the field and enjoys the chase. She is a very dynamic character who embraces life and decides to quit chemo to enjoy the end of her life,” Mufson said of Lil. Palomar student Hailee Bird, who plays Lil in the production, said her role will bring closure to a recent loss.

“This project really hits home for me because a little over a month ago I lost a really good friend to cancer. He was my acting mentor, a father figure and he was gay,” Bird said. “My character in this play is gay, and she also dies of cancer.”

Another member of the women’s community at Bluefish is Kitty Cochran, a famous feminist writer who is also still in the closet. When one of the cabins is accidentally rented to a straight woman, Kitty worries that she will be outed. The straight woman renting the cabin, Eva, has just impulsively left her husband and old life behind her and was ironically inspired by Kitty’s book.

“The arch of the play follows Eva on a journey to discovering her power as an independent woman,” Mufson said.

“My character is learning how to grow,” Palomar student Taylor Cohen said, who plays Eva in the play.

“This play is welcoming to gay and not gay audiences,” Mufson said.

ABOVE: Actresses Hailee Byrd (left) and Katherine Bermingham (right) converse during a scene of the play “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” at Palomar College in room O-2 on April 10.

RIGHT: Actresses Katherine Bermingham (front) and Claire Tucker (back) perform during a rehearsal of the play “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” at Palomar on April 10. • Brian Korec/Telescope

Although the story focuses on the lives of lesbian women, the themes are universal and are meant to be accessible for everyone.

“The play is a lot about love, acceptance and overcoming challenges and being able to give yourself over to love,” Cohen said.

Bird agreed.

“I read the script and loved the story,” Bird said. “It’s got comedy, romance, and drama. It’s a beautiful piece that is for anyone who has lost a loved one.” emaliszewski@the-telescope.com

8 • LIFE

Monday, April 16, 2012

FINANCES

PAY UP: TAX SEASON STRIKES AGAIN SOME STUDENTS WONDER IF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO FILE TAXES, IF THEY WILL BE GETTING A TAX REFUND NATALIE SOLDOFF THE TELESCOPE

It’s the time of year when stress levels are guaranteed to rise and everyone starts seeing dollar signs; it’s tax season.

The one silver lining of calculating the money you have to give up is the money you stand to get back in the form of a tax refund.

An issue students often face is whether they are even required to file a tax return, let alone if they are going to be getting a tax refund.

“There are so many variables; it’s a function of how much money you make, what kind of deductions and withholding allowances you have and whether you are a dependent or not,” said financial accounting and business mathematics professor Joel Glassman.

Determining whether or not to file can be confusing to those who haven’t worked for very long.

“This is my first time filing, I’m kind of nervous about it,” Palomar student Breanna Devecchio said.

“Last year I didn’t make enough to file. I’ve never had to worry about it until now, and I’m kind of freak-

ing out about whether I’m going to do it correctly or get any money back at all.”

One way to see if you need to file and to ensure you are filing correctly is to hire a tax expert.

“I went to H&R Block,” student Jorge Cortes said. “They do everything for you. It makes taxes so much less stressful; especially if you’ve never done them before.”

Glassman also suggest trying out one of the several software programs that are out there to help you file taxes, such as TurboTax or H&R Block.

After the filing process, if you are entitled to get a tax refund, the real question is what to do with it once it’s in your hands.

Some students are deciding to have a little fun with their money; while others are deciding to put it toward something they need, or even saving for the future.

“I’m going to Paris this summer, so if I get any money back it will probably all go to that, or in my gas tank,” Devecchio said. “But if you want to be smart with your refund start a bank account, it’s something that can gain interest if you leave it alone for a while.”

Photo Illustration by Kristen Campbell/Telescope

Another student suggested using the refund to pay bills.

“Put the money towards something you need, like insurance or fixing and maintaining your car,” Cortes said. “People should put the money aside and save it for

emergencies.”

The experts agree that the wisest move is saving the tax refund.

“As much as students probably don’t want to hear it, they should save their money,” Professor Glassman said. “I know

it is the last thing college students are thinking of, but the moral of the story is” start saving money early-- start saving as soon as you can. Compound interest is your best friend.” nsoldoff@the-telescope.com

SIP OF THE WEEK

The Mint Julep DANIELLE TAYLOR THE TELESCOPE

Rich in history and taste, the Mint Julep is the perfect drink to bid adieu to the cold winter weather and say hello to the warmer days ahead.

Being falsely appreciated as a breakfast drink in the 1800s for protection against Malaria, the Mint Julep is one of the oldest mixed drinks still being consumed today. Originally only served in a silver cup, this rejuvenating drink dates back several centuries to 1803 when it was first mentioned in a book by John Davis. He described it as, “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it.”

Its popularity only grew from there. In 1938, Churchill Downs, host of the Kentucky Derby, designated the Mint Julep as the official drink to enjoy at the horse races.

Every year since this designation, about 120,000 juleps are served during the two-day race.

In 2008, the host of the Kentucky Derby unveiled a 7.5 foot tall glass containing 206 gallons of the revitalizing concoction. This drink served about 5,000 happy patrons and went down in history as being the largest cup of Mint Julep ever created.

Extra-premium Mint Juleps were created in 2006 by Downs, and were sold at the race at a price of $1,000. The cups were gold plated and made from the finest imported ingredients from around the world. Even the ice was made from spring water in the Bavarian Alps. Gluttony aside, all the proceeds made from the sales of this

drink were donated to a non-profit organization dedicated to helping retired race horses.

Nearly every bartender knows how to make a Mint Julep, but it is more fun to make at home with a few simple ingredients. This twostep drink involves making your own syrup, which is much more effortless than it sounds.

INGREDIENTS Mint syrup: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 bunch mint sprigs

HOW TO MAKE IT

The first step is optional, but highly recommended. By making your own mint syrup, you are not only saving money, but you are getting a more fresh and natural taste. Mix one cup of sugar, one cup of water, and one bunch of mint sprigs. Boil for about five minutes and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. If you don’t have a month to spare, you can always buy a bottle of mint syrup.

The most important ingredient in the Mint Julep is, of course, mint. The fresher the mint, the better the taste. Crush a sprig of mint in the bottom of a frosted silver cup, or more conventionally, a highball glass filled with crushed or cubed ice. Mix two tablespoons of mint syrup with two tablespoons of water and two ounces of Bourbon. Add a sprig of mint as a garnish and you’re ready to enjoy your timeless drink.

One unofficial rule to drinking a Mint Julep is to never drink it with a straw. By drinking straight from the glass, you are able to smell the aroma of fresh mint, which adds to the overall experience.

DTAYLOR@THE-TELESCOPE.COM

Photo illustration by Sergio Soares/Telescope

The drink: 2 tbsp mint syrup 2 tbsp water 2 oz Bourbon Mint sprigs

NEWS • 9

the telescope Concerns Continued from Page 1

According to the Coalition, that mentality is part to court, they have said they felt that the school of the problem with the way students are viewed at has essentially been ignoring them, according to Palomar.

Daniel Finkenthal, an instructional adviser for “The same thing that makes me qualified to vote the Coalition. for you is what makes me qualified to vote for my For their part, Governing Board members adviser,” said Valerie Viana, Coalition member. “If I have claimed the reason they haven’t made a decan vote for the president of the cision is not from lack of interUnited States, I should be able to est, but that they believed the select my own adviser.” matter was out of their hands.

Members had returned to the While no ruling was made by Governing Board meeting after the board, the speakers at the a lawsuit they filed against the event did serve to show alignIf I can vote for the presi- ment on the issue among some school was dismissed without prejudice on March 9. Heeding individuals. Shannon dent of the United States, I notable the court’s advice, the Coalition Lienhart, the Palomar Faculty is now asking again for admin- should be able to select my Federation president, took the istrative consideration from the podium to speak rather than Associated Student Government from her place on the panel to own adviser. and the Governing Board on the emphasize she was speaking Valerie Viana • COALITION MEMBER on behalf of herself and not the initiative they requested be put to a student vote. faculty.

“It seems they need to be “These students are not K-12 compelled—either through a students, they’re adults,” Lienre-request from your clients or hart said. “They could go to war. perhaps ultimately from the Court—to do their You may see your powers as limited, but I see your mandated analysis,” said Judge Earl H. Maas III powers as great. One of the great things you can during the hearing. “And until that’s done, you can’t do tonight is voice your support for this as a govuse the mandated process to order the school to do erning board.” something.”

Since the Coalition first brought their case ihanner@the-telescope.com

bill resentative of veterans, it’s my job to let their voice be heard. When I do become that voice, part of it is to say ‘this is their response.’”

According to Maddox, the quiet reaction from those hit is a testament to the maturity and the sense of “taking one for the team” that veterans possess. Though it is becoming harder for veterans to afford to go to school, Maddox said they are still valuable additions to any campus.

“In the military, you live in a world that’s very pinpoint and [decisive],” Maddox said.

“College isn’t like that. The people in college aren’t like that. You might have some people who are, but for the most part, everyone’s trying to figure that out. Many veterans aren’t trying to figure themselves out. If you get shot at once or twice, you tend to figure out who you are pretty quickly.” ihanner@the-telescope.com

GET THE WORD OUT TO THOUSANDS OF LOYAL COLLEGE READERS. PUT YOUR AD IN THE TELESCOPE. ads@the-telescope.com

ARRESTED? DUI? THEFT? DRUGS?

Call Attorney Bradley Corbett at 760-201-9839 THE LAW OFFICES OF BRADLEY R. CORBETT 3 8 0 S o u t h Me l r o s e • S u i t e 3 0 0 • V i s ta

Become

Continued from Page 1

I would have to sell my car, move into a studio apartment or maybe in with roommates, because just $1,866 [a month] is not enough to pay for everything.

“Rent alone out here is about $1,400, which leaves about $400 left for food and then you’re broke: no internet, no cable, no car, no gas, nothing.”

At the event, Maddox said Sen. Patty Murray, the Chairwoman of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, explained the nature of current budget prioritization. Though the GI Bill has long been considered off limits in terms of cuts, federal lawmakers have been forced to look at everything as “almost a business” in an effort to stabilize an already aching economy.

“The fact is that even with break pay getting cut, [veterans] are still getting a monthly stipend,” Maddox said. “They’re still getting tuition and fees paid. There are many students that would kill to be in that position. As a rep-

Governing Board member Paul McNamara raises a question to the speaker during a Board meeting at Palomar College on April 10 • Brian Korec/Telescope

A Nationally Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Fast, Affordable, Convenient Course Carlsbad Location, So what are you waiting for???

WWW.LINK2LIFE.ORG 877-4LINK2LIFE

10 • SPORTS

Monday, April 16, 2012

SWIMMING

internat’l swimmer at home in u.s. pool jacqueline coble the telescope

Ever since he was a little boy, Misaki Onoue dreamed of leaving Japan to study in the U. S. His ultimate dream was to attend a school where he could swim, because the pool is the one place he will always feel at home, he said.

Now he is living his dream and swimming for Palomar College.

On March 30 at the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference against Grossmont, the freshman took first in the individual 1,000-yard free-style and blew past his opponent in the last length of the 500 free-style to take the No. 1 spot for the Palomar Men’s Swim Team.

“He is an animal. He works really hard,” swim teammate Andrew Thomas said. “Misaki blows past all expectations, and really has been a great asset to the team.

We’re happy to have him.”

One of his coaches agreed.

“He is a great worker. He pushes the other guys and in return the guys help push him,” Assistant Swim Coach Scott Lawson added. “He really has molded into the team well. The guys just love him and his positive but competitive nature.”

Onoue first started swimming at 5 years old on the Nagasaki Club Swim team in Japan. His mother Naoko and father Hiroyuki got him involved in swim because of his love for the water and to help him overcome asthma.

“I’ve seen a huge improvement in my physical condition since I began swimming,” Onoue said.

“My asthma doesn’t bother me at all anymore. It’s completely gone.”

His love and talent for swim allowed him to continue the sport with his club team until junior high school. Following graduation of

International Palomar swimmer Misaki Onoue poses in the water during practice on April 5 at Wallace Memorial Pool. Onoue has been swimming since he was 5 years old with the Nagasaki Club Swim Team in Japan. • Sergio Soares/Telescope

junior high, he was given a scholarship for swim at Kyushu High School in Fukuoka, Japan. He swam on the team for three years.

During his third year, he won first in the individual 100-yard freestyle race and earned an invite to compete at Fukuoka prefecture, which is the next biggest competition for Japanese High School swimmers, according to Onoue.

There he freestyled his way to another first place spot and as a result he was eligible to compete against the top contenders on the island of Kyushu, Japan.

“I placed third in that competition, and out of my five teammates, I was one of the four selected to race against my toughest opponentsyet,”Onoueexplained.“About 3,000 swimmers competed, and out of those swimmers I was ranked

54th. It wasn’t number one, but it was still a huge accomplishment in my swimming career.”

After he graduated high school in spring 2010, Onoue took a year off from swim to study at an English school in Japan so he could learn how to read, write and speak English. It was at this time that he began researching schools on the web. It was ultimately Palomar College that caught his eye because it offered his main interest, psychology, as a major and it had a swimming pool.

Because he had never actually stepped foot outside of Japan, Onoue did admit to being concerned about attending Palomar College as an international student.

“The first concern I had was, would I be able to communicate and get along with my new team-

mates,”Onoueexplained.“Second,I was nervous because it was a new place. And third, the least of my worries, would I be able to keep up with the other swimmers since I took a year off.”

But these concerns soon disappeared. After being in California for 11 months, Onoue has adjusted quite well and said that he enjoys Palomar, his new teammates and coach.

According to Onoue, Palomar’s swim team is a lot different from a Japanese team which tends to be very individual.

“Oftentimes, in Japan, it’s very competitive and serious so it can get very ugly,” he said. “But here at Palomar, everyone is friendly.

They’re here to improve themselves but also more willing to help and make you better. It’s much more

enjoyable that way.”

Onoue also finds swimming at Palomar to be more comfortable because of the differences in pool length and coaching style. In Japan, he said the pool is 25 meters or so longer than the pool at Palomar. As a result, he said swimming distance at the school here actually feels a lot more comfortable and easier to him.

Onoue also pointed out that the Palomar coaches tend to be more helpful and available - something he didn’t have before.

“In Japan, we don’t have coaches poolside, instead we have a menu that tells us what is expected of us for the day and every now and then the coach would appear,” Onoue said. “We didn’t have a coach there to tell us if our stroke is too weak or we’re not kicking fast enough like I have witnessed here.”

For that reason, his adjustment to life at Palomar has been quite smooth. However, in the classroom, Onoue felt it was a different story, but his grades proved otherwise. He has maintained a grade point average of 3.4 in his first year as a collegiate athlete.

“I was a little nervous about my classes at first, but since I was already here, I told myself I can’t be afraid,” Onoue said.

“Like swim, I just had to jump in and do it.”

As for the future, Onoue said he hopes to transfer to a four-year college with a swimming scholarship. His top two choices are Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and Cal State, Bakersfield both of which offer what he believes to be a very good psychology program and have swimming pools where he could continue to swim. jcoble@the-telescope.com

FOOTBALL

SPRING FOOTBALL PRACTICE UNDERWAY matthew slagle the telescope

Early spring practice for the football team has started with over 100 students putting in extra work before the preparation for the start of the season starts in earnest.

Head Coach Joe Early said “it’s really early” in the process and no major decisions have been made.

The spring practices are used mainly to start getting the basics down as well as an evaluation tool.

“Not everybody in this class is going to be invited to summer (practices),” Early said.

The big question is at the quarterback position; both of last year’s quarterbacks, David Fisher and D.J. Zapata, are no longer on the team, with Fisher playing for Kent State and Zapata playing baseball at Palomar.

Fisher played in all 11 games and threw for 2,539 yards, 27 touchdowns and ran for 403 yards and seven touchdowns.

Potential replacements who are currently in camp are UNLV transfer Joe Portaro, Miles Godfrey, a greyshirt from last year, and Ryan Lamb.

No matter the player under center, the offensive line that will be supporting him is pretty much set, with

four of the five guys returning from last year’s team.

“That’s huge,” Early said. “The offensive line is where it all starts.”

As for the plans in terms of offense and defense, they are “still up in the air” and will be influenced by the starting personnel.

The departures of wide receivers NigelWestbrooks,Nevada-Reno,and Alex Wheat, Utah State, who combined for 1,500 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, have created openings for a new receiver to step in.

Other positions with openings are tight end, safeties and linebackers.

In terms of players filling positions, it is going to be very fluid until later in summer practices when the roster gets pared down.

“It changes all the time. We have some guys in here, but we have a lot of guys that we have recruited that won’t be here till June,” Early said.

“We will have a better gauge on that once we get all of our recruits in here.”

It is possible that Dillon Baxter may join the Comets. The once highly touted running back out of Mission Bay, who has been released from a football scholarship at both USC and SDSU, is once again looking for a place to play.

His options are limited and he is

potentially going the community college route. According to Early, after it was announced that Baxter was released from SDSU, Baxter contacted Palomar staff.

“I got a text that he contacted us; I didn’t talk to him personally,” Early said. “If he shows up, he shows up.

I’ve heard he is down at Grossmont, but who knows.”

However because Baxter was allegedly released from his previous schools for off-the-field issues, according to the U-T San Diego, it could be a major issue for potential teams. His talent might mask his issues, but if he has turned things around he could be the talent a team needs to make it deep into the playoffs.

“We will always talk to anybody, but we also have expectations, and this isn’t to say he doesn’t,” Early said. “We are always looking for character guys and guys that aren’t afraid to compete on and off the field and in the classroom. This is the ultimate team sport, and you have got to have pieces to fit into the team.”

“We will entertain it, but it doesn’t mean we will go with it.” mslagle@the-telescope.com @MATTHEWSLAGLE

Palomar wide receiver Javier Gamboa runs drills. • Brian Korec/Telescope

PALOMAR 2012 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME SEPT. 1 @EL CAMINO 6 P.M. SEPT. 8 @RIVERSIDE CC

6 P.M.

SEPT. 15 SOUTHWESTERN

6 P.M.

SEPT. 22 @ORANGE COAST

1 P.M.

SEPT. 29 GOLDEN WEST

6 P.M.

OCT. 6 CERRITOS

6 P.M.

OCT. 12 @FULLERTON

6 P.M.

OCT. 27 SADDLEBACK

6 P.M.

NOV. 3 SANTA ANA

6 P.M.

NOV. 10 @GROSSMONT

1 P.M.

HOME GAMES IN BOLD

SOURCE: PALOMAR ATHLETICS WEBSITE

SPORTS • 11

the telescope DIVING

FLYING HIGH & SOLO

Palomar diver Liam Acosta practices his dives midday on March 28 at the Wallace Memorial Pool. Acosta is the only member of the Palomar Dive Team. • Deb Hellman/Telescope

Lone Palomar diver adjusts to training on his own in new environment while helping to establish new diving team COLLEEN PETERS THE TELESCOPE

This season, the Palomar swim team has an asset that it has not had for the past two seasons: a diver.

Coach Marnie Young restarted the program at Palomar this year and brought one diver into the program with her.

According to Young, each diver’s score counts as one-third of the score of a swimmer. It’s beneficial to the team that they have even one swimmer, but ultimately she would like at least three men and three women diving to further bolster the overall team score.

That swimmer, Liam Acosta, has been swimming under Young for nearly five years now. Last year, Acosta swam at Mesa College in Grand Junction, Colo. Coming back this season, Acosta said, has been an adjustment. In Colorado the pool was indoors, and so he had a constant climate. At Palomar, he must dive out-

doors, and the weather and the environment around him compromises his spotting while trying to dive.

“I’m just used to seeing walls rather than nature,” Acosta said.

It wasn’t just the climate and environment, but Acosta was not the only diver on the swim team. He said that he had one close friend who was diving with him and helped him focus on his dives while he was in Colorado. At Palomar, it’s been difficult to transition from having a good friend who would train with him to trying to do it on his own.

Coming back to Palomar and working with Young again, Acosta said that his dives have improved-even the ones he learned while he was away.

Acosta wants to find a school where he is comfortable living for the remainder of his education, but also hopes to find a school where he can dive. He said that the schools with dive teams are limited.

“Swimming and diving took a really nasty turn,” Acosta explained.

“Most schools and even club programs are shut down, and it makes it hard to find a school.”

To build Palomar’s team, Young trains Acosta three nights per week and spends her lunch hour one day per week at Palomar. Young said that her life is dedicated to dive.

In order to build the future numbers for the team, Young hopes to hold a dive class over the summer.

But, with the 20 student requirement, she said that she may have to combine swim and dive into one class. She hopes to eventually feed her high school divers into Palomar’s program.

She said that anyone would be welcome to join the team. Young didn’t begin diving until she was 19.

“I’m proof that you can start at any age,” Young said.

For more information on joining the team, or to contact Young, vist her website at clubdivesandiego.com. cpeters@the-telescope.com @colleen_teresa

Palomar diver Liam Acosta takes a break from practicing his dives on March 28. • Deb Hellman/Telescope

12 • SPORTS

Monday, April 16, 2012 ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

SPLIT PERSONALITY

Palomar dual athlete D.J. Zapata showing his range of athleticism playing baseball (left) in the spring and football (right) in the Fall. Photos by Deb Hellman/Telescope • Photo illustration by David Leonard/Telescope

One sport wasn’t enough for this man. He had to rule in two.

KAITY BERGQUIST & MATTHEW SLAGLE

My main goal is my education.

D.J. ZAPATA DUAL ATHELTE

2012 STATS BASEBALL ERA 2.12 W-1 1-2 APP-GS 11-7 SV 0 IP 34.0 H 25 R 9 ER 8 BB 9 SO 22 SOURCE: PC ATHLETICS

2011 STATS FOOTBALL GP 6 CMP-ATT 18-31 PCT 58.1 YDS 308 TD 2 INT 0 SOURCE: PC ATHLETICS

THE TELESCOPE

Studying at Palomar has provided athlete D.J. Zapata with something that many athletes have tried but failed: playing two sports, baseball and football.

Zapata was Palomar’s backup quarterback last fall for the football team, and has made his way into the starting rotation for the baseball team this spring.

Zapata grew up playing baseball, starting at age 6.

“There’s pictures from when I was 2 and 3 on the beach throwing pebbles, and I throw the same way I do now,” he said. “My mom played softball at Santa Barbara and my dad was a starter on varsity from the time he was a freshman, so baseball has been in my blood.”

Unlike baseball, Zapata didn’t start playing football until his freshman year of high school, when Mission Hills Head Coach Chris Hauser convinced him to come out and play for the team. “(Hauser) had been poking at me since I was young, and as soon as he found out he was going to be the Mission Hills coach, he started poking around the area,” Zapata said. “His son is a year younger than me and we played (baseball) together, so he was the one that got me into it.”

Zapata ended up playing football for all four years while continuing to play his first love: baseball. In his junior year, he strained a nerve in his elbow, which resulted him in not being able to pitch, but due to the differences in the throwing motion he was still able to throw a football. He didn’t play baseball at all in his senior year.

At the end of his senior year,

he accepted a full-ride scholarship to the University of Montana to play football. He ended up only spending a season there as a backup quarterback, and left due to changes in Montana’s coaching staff.

Zapata came back to Palomar and played football in the spring.

Appearing in limited action as the backup, he had 18 completions in 31 attempts and threw for 308 yards with two touchdowns.

Once the season ended and no viable football option opened up, he looked toward his original love for baseball.

“The kind of opportunities didn’t open up I was hoping for football and I had an extra semester sitting around here,” he said. “I was planning on going to Cal State San Marcos and playing baseball, but decided to give (baseball) a semester here.”

He recently committed to Santa Clara University with a full-ride baseball scholarship, where he’ll be joining former teammate Casey Husband. Current Comet third baseman Casey Munoz has also committed to Santa Clara.

“I’m not afraid of NorCal. I know they think they are better than us, but I will rep SoCal when I’m up there,” Zapata said.

As of April 9, Zapata had a 2.48 ERA in 29 innings pitched, which is the second best ERA on staff. He has allowed only eight runs along with eight walks and 19 strikeouts.

Against conference opponents, he has a 1.82 ERA. His pitching arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball, which tops out at around 90 m.p.h., a twoseam fastball that cuts in on a right handed hitter, a slider and a changeup.

Before every start, Zapata’s routine stays consistent, especially

when it comes to what he eats.

“I eat the same thing when I start,” he said. “I wake up and eat four eggs with ham and cheese in a tortilla. My lunch is usually a tuna sandwich or a PB&J, then I eat another one right before the game. Always have a Gatorade and a trail mix.”

When it comes to preferring one sport over the other, Zapata can’t choose.

“I couldn’t say I enjoy one or the other more,” Zapata said. “I played baseball my whole life and love the game, they are both such different sports.”

His current head coach is very impressed with Zapata’s abilities.

“I think it’s great,” baseball Manager Buck Taylor said about Zapata playing both sports. “I know it’s very difficult to do, and we’ve had a lot of kids try it in the past and haven’t been able to do it.

He’s talented enough and I think he plays a position that’s more attainable than being a position player.”

His football coach had similar sentiments.

“Everything Daniel gets is well deserved,” Head Football Coach Joe Early said. “He is going to make the most of it and is going to be successful no matter what he does. He has that type of mindset, discipline and integrity.”

Zapata said that the transition from football to baseball isn’t too hard because the throwing motions have different characteristics.

“I throw a baseball a lot harder than a football,” he said. “It’s not as much the arm angle, it’s more of the wrist and shoulder action that changes.”

“During the transition, I took it as slow as I possibly could, not throwing very much everyday

and working back into it,” he said.

“When you do it for 15 years of your life, you never forget how to do it.”

Taylor agreed that that was one of the biggest things that carries over.

“If anything has carried over (from football) it’s probably the arm action, throwing a baseball and throwing a football are two different things,” Taylor said.

When Zapata was younger, he played catcher, pitcher and outfielder. As he got older, he stopped catching and focused more on pitching. Now, at Palomar, he started as a reliever and has made his way into the starting rotation.

When that happened, he looked to change his approach “from blowing guys away to now hitting my spots more and mixing up pitches,” he said.

“I prefer starting, but I love coming in to relieve because I love going out there and throwing as hard as I can for two innings and knowing that I’m done,” he said.

Zapata wants to be a high school math teacher and get his teacher credential in California.

“My main goal is my education, and having (baseball) as my backup,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to be drafted, everybody wants to, but you have to be realistic because of how many guys want to play. It’s every baseball player’s dream to get drafted,” he added.

“But I would love to go and give it a shot, even if it is one training camp [sic] or one season with a team, I would love to give it a shot.”

KBERGQUIST@THE-TELESCOPE.COM @KAITYBERGQUIST MSLAGLE@THE-TELESCOPE.COM @MATTHEWSLAGLE