The Eagle - Issue 2, Spring 2018

T he E agle ntcceagleonline.com

Volume 35 Issue 6

Wednesday March 7, 2018

NORTHEAST TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Campus Safety & Security

NTCC takes a closer look at campus safety

By Daniel Yanez Managing Editor Like many other public schools, colleges and universities, safety and security is a top priority for Northeast Texas Community College.

In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida that killed 17 students and faculty and left many others injured, the U.S. experienced an uproar over gun regulations and many other social and political questions have again been brought to light.

Although the inevitable is never easy to prepare for, Northeast President Dr. Ron Clinton said the college has a plan in place for possible emergency scenarios. Clinton said one of the responsibilities of the college administration is to consider emergency readiness and how to be better prepared.

“We have worked over the years to develop our emergency preparedness plan that doesn’t just address the outside chance that there could be a shooter incident on campus,” Clinton said. “Certainly that’s something we have to prepare for, but it also includes a lot other emergencies that could happen, probably a scenario that’s more likely to happen, like tornados or an explosion.”

Clinton said that in the past the college

See Security on pg. 2

NTCC administration is reviewing security measurements including lighting, cameras, lockdown and evacuation procedures as well as other emergency readiness acts.

AUTOBODY

courtesy photo

ADMINISTRATION

College names new executive VP

By Kenzie Messer Editor-in-Chief

staff photo

| kenzie messer

From left, NTCC Director of Plant Services Tom Ramler, Abraham Minjares, Alex Plunkett, Sydney van Rijn, and Tony Whitworth stand alongside the project car that the NTCC auto body class repainted for plant services.

Everything old becomes new again

By Kenzie Messer Editor-in-Chief Auto body isn’t the kind of career that one would think involves a lot of art.

Students from the auto body program received the chance to tap into their creative side and design the paint scheme for a car that once belonged to the police academy.

The auto body department added a new paint job to a car that Director of Plant Services Tom Ramler plans to use as a vehicle for plant services.

NTCC Instructor of Automotive Technology Tony Whitworth used the project as an opportunity for a competition between his dual credit

students to create a paint scheme for the car.

“When the police academy closed, we had the vehicle to use,” Whitworth said.

“It was in bad shape. It needed paint. We had a contest, so the duel credit students came up with a paint scheme.”

Whitworth had each one of his students draw up a paint design for the car.

Whitworth then reviewed all the designs and chose the one that he felt represented NTCC the best.

The NTCC auto body students put in several hours sanding and painting the vehicle, which was so sun damaged that it resisted the paint and continued to chip.

“It was pretty rough,” Whitworth said. “We were lucky to get that paint job on it because it didn’t want to sand very easy. When we put primer on, it was trying to lift it.”

Whitworth said that the project gave students the opportunity to learn the technique of painting by experiencing it.

“We needed a car for a project to work on throughout the year,” Auto body student Alex Plunkett said. “We started it a month into the semester, last semester. Each one of us put well over 20 hours into the car, sanding it down and trying to get it to hold paint.”

Plunkett along with Abraham

WHAT’S INSIDE

PULPWOOD QUEEN PG. 3

WHAT’S BREWING PG. 4-5

See Auto body on pg. 2

Dr. Jonathan McCullough was recently promoted from vice president to Executive Vice President for Advancement. Northeast Texas Community College had only been opened for a few years when McCullough joined the staff 25 years ago.

He has served as VP for Advancement for the past 13 years.

“I feel honored that the president and the board have the faith in me to be executive vice president and to handle whatever responsibilities come with it,” McCullough said.

Northeast President Dr. Ron Clinton said that one of the EVP’s duties is to serve as president when he is off campus. Clinton said that McCullough was a good fit for the position because of his longstanding leadership role with the college. He said McCullough’s commitment to NTCC was one of the reasons for the promotion.

“Part of it was in recognition of his contributions to the college,” Clinton said. “He is an incredibly gifted leader.”

After graduating from college, McCullough worked in retail as a salesman before coming to work at NTCC. He started off his career at the college working for the Communities in Schools (CIS) program.

After a year with CIS, McCullough

McCullough became the director of housing and the director of student activities. During his early years of employment, he also coached the softball team and worked with the baseball team. McCullough said he never thought at the time that he would end up making a career in education at a small, rural college in Northeast Texas.

“I didn’t envision myself, years ago, staying in education for this long,” McCullough said. “I thought I would be off selling something somewhere, but after being at the college for about ten years, then, I got to thinking ‘you know, I don’t really think I could picture myself anywhere else.’”

As Vice President for Advancement, McCullough has worked closely over the years with organizations and individuals throughout the community to help raise money for the Northeast Texas Community College See Vice President on pg. 2

UPCOMING EVENTS Art Society Show Reception.................................................... March 10 Daylight Savings Time............................................................. March 11 Spring Break....................................................................... March 12-16 Saint Patrick’s Day................................................................... March 17 Foundation Scholarship Due.................................................... March 23 Spring Fest...........................................................................March 26-30 Continuing Education Spring Travel Course............................... April 5 5k Crawl to Prevent Suicide Registration....................................April 5

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The Eagle

Northeast Texas Community College

March 7, 2018

NEWS

Campus Security Cont. from pg. 1

administration has worked through various scenarios and has come up with a written plan in terms of what to do.

“We have started to try to get on a regiment to do simulations of some kind every semester whether that’s a fire drill or tornado drill,” Clinton said. “We are also looking at doing some training for our faculty and staff for a shooter scenario.”

Security Coordinator Russell Taylor said incidents like the recent one in Parkland, Fla. have sparked a sense of urgency to better inform students of possible scenarios and the appropriate emergency procedures.

One of his ideas is to develop a video about emergency procedures that could be shown at student orientations or used by faculty in their classrooms.

“It’s an unfortunate reminder but it does remind us that it can happen,” Taylor said.

“It’s an opportunity while it’s fresh on our minds to use that energy to put things into place. Once it’s gone and forgotten it becomes like an inconvenience.”

Taylor said one of the things faculty, staff and students can do to be better prepared is become aware and better informed of the college’s emergency procedures.

In recent weeks Taylor visited with several classrooms to talk to students about safety and security. He also mentioned efforts to create more awareness across the campus.

“I want to make sure that the student body is informed,” Taylor said. “We have flip charts in every classroom but most students aren’t aware of it. It’s my job making sure they’re aware of it. My hope is that they will talk and word will spread. To me an informed community is a safe community.”

One issue that Taylor said the college runs into is the fact that new faces walk onto the campus on a regular basis.

“Ultimately our students change every semester so therefore it’s a challenge to reach every new student body,” Taylor said. “But, if our faculty and staff, if everyone, knows what to do it would be amazing. I think we should have training across the board, different people have different jobs and just for everybody to know what to do as far as faculty and staff. I think that if we have the faculty and staff trained then they’re more apt to talk about it.”

NTCC Vice President of Student Services Josh Stewart said finding ways to communicate with students and staff is an ongoing challenge.

“I think the outreach for campus safety is no different than outreach for a lot of our other areas in that the communication means and methods are always changing,” Stewart said, “that’s something that we have to stay up to date on and keep finding good ways to communicate those things with our students and our staff.”

Clinton agreed that getting the employees trained is key to making sure that students learn the correct procedures for safety and security on campus.

“We’re still working through some ideas on how we can best communicate with our students what the right processes are, but we have to start with our staff and faculty first because they are going to be the leaders in any scenario that we’re talking about,” Clinton said.

NTCC Director of Plant Services Tom Ramler, who is also in charge of safety and security for the campus, said he feels positive about the current safety and security procedures. Ramler said the current lockdown, evacuation procedures and notifications systems are in check. He also mentioned that they are looking into adding more lighting and continuing with an ongoing plan to update security cameras across the campus.

“At least once a semester we do training where we actually run the siren and do mock drills of a lockdown or some other procedure,” Ramler said, “but at the end of the day it is the individual’s responsibility to take some ownership and understand what’s in place to protect them.”

Ramler also said, as adults, everyone on campus should take the responsibility to know what to do in case of an emergency.

“The vast majority of the students who use these facilities are adults, and there are responsibilities that come with being an adult,” Ramler said, “part of those responsibilities would include becoming familiar with the emergency preparedness flip chart or the phone numbers that you would call. Those things are available on the website and on handouts.”

Ramler said working as a police officer in Los Angeles, Calif. gave him a different view on safety on the Northeast campus.

“I have a little different perspective, when I look at this campus and community I feel very safe,” Ramler said. “If you compare life here to an urban environment it’s very different.

I feel safe here. Parents should not have to

staff photo

| mandy smith

NTCC employees Miles Young and Delbra Anthony review the Emergency Preparedness Quick Flip Chart that was recently updated. worry their child is in a very dangerous situation.”

With some of the recent renovations to the college within the last year, Ramler said there should be an added “level of confidence and peace of mind for both students and parents.”

While administration seems fairly confident that the college has a solid security plan in place, students may not feel quite so safe.

NTCC student Tammy Christianson, who attends both day and night classes, said she does have concerns about safety on campus at night. She said the grounds are not as well lit as she would like, and that she did not know that security is on campus when she heads out to the parking lot following her evening class.

“Anything can happen, and it doesn’t feel secure,” she said. “Only having one security guard, that I didn’t even know that we had, feels like there are just not enough eyes watching us.” Christianson said she would like to see the evening security guard patrolling the parking areas when their classes let out each night.

While students may have some questions about security, Clinton said the college continues to put a number of safety measures into place across campus.

“We can now automatically lock all the buildings. We have a system in place where we can do that,” Clinton said. “Our security officers and administration know where those points are so that at any point we can lock down a building at a moments notice.”

Clinton said in the past the college has participated in FEMA exercises to stage real life scenarios to better understand the interdepartmental coordination.

“We have an instant command system if a

certain eventuality was to happen they trigger not only our command team to get together and function a certain way but also how we deal with the county officials, local officials, police force and EMS,” Clinton said. “About three years ago we did a county wide scenario where we basically shut down the campus.

We try to create the scenario as realistic as possible and we learned an awful lot from that scenario.”

Clinton said two of the takeaways from that scenario were to increase security in classrooms and offices.

Ramler said he and others recently met with a representative from the Titus County Sheriff’s Department to discuss the roles of the responding agencies.

“The reality is when there is a highly publicized incident it is going to raise awareness, and we are going to react to that awareness,” Ramler said. “It’s a good time for us to once again sit around the table and make sure that everybody knows everybody and to review, renew processes and procedures.”

Clinton said while there are many emergency scenarios to prepare for, the main priority is to provide a safe learning environment for students.

While the college has mentioned plans for more training and ways to raise awareness for both students and faculty, there is no solid word on when and how the college will move forward with these plans.

“First and foremost we want to keep our students safe,” Clinton said. “I know in this day and age everybody thinks of the active shooter, but there are many other things that could happen that we need to be prepared for.”

Executive Vice President Cont. from pg. 1

courtesy photo

Autobody student Abraham Minjares works on the paintjob for a project car for the maintenance department.

Auto Body Program Cont. from pg. 1 Minjares, Sydney van Rijn, and Jonathan Ledesma all had a hand in the paint job.

“The challenge was there was so much paint on it,” Whitworth said. “Really, when we were painting, I was painting the roof because I was so afraid of the roof, and I was showing them that you had to spray it real light because if you put it on to heavy, the paint underneath was trying to eat through it.”

Whitworth said that as the group came together as a team, they were able to overcome these problems and get the job done.

“We had a few incidents, but overall it turned out good,” Whitworth said.

“I think teamwork is the key. I hope they got a little inspiration that they could do this, even if they didn’t want to. They find out real quick that this is a lot different than being a mechanic.”

Whitworth said that the students learned new things about themselves as they worked on ways to get past the problems they encountered and do the job that needed to be done.

“It’s all about learning to work,” Whitworth said. “We

all have a disability. It’s an art, and there is also a certain amount of ethical ways of doing things. Anybody can do this, but it’s how you do it.

You can do a really nice job or you can do a real crappy job.”

Whitworth was in the auto body field for five years before he really began to understand that it was an art.

“I was fortunate that I had a good friend that was a body man to help me along,” Whitworth said. “What I try to do here is not be easy on them. I give them a little bit of free time, but then I push the “go button” on them.

That job is just a scratch of what the industry is like.

Becoming a paint and body person is unbelievable in this time and era because there’s hardly any left.”

Ramler said this gave the students the opportunity to learn how to properly paint a car.

“Because we are such a small school, we all know each other,” Ramler said. “We are all able to coordinate and network very well together.

Instead of having to purchase a vehicle, we were able to use existing resources, and now we had a vehicle we will use for the next ten years.”

Whitworth and his students learned a lot while working on the car.

Shelby Automotive Program Director Ron Luellen said it benefits the students in the fact that they got to work on a real life project.

“That car is going to be out on the road,”Luellen said.

“People are going to see it all around campus. That has to give them a sense of pride.”

Whitworth said he’s proud that they were able to take a car in such poor condition and make it look new.

“I feel extremely lucky that’s it’s done and it didn’t fall apart,” Whitworth said.

“I’m proud too, but it’s been a lot. It has not been a dull moment.”

Whitworth said that anyone who is good at drawing is good at painting.

He said that they should be confident in the abilities they have and not afraid to show them.

“If you’re an artistic person, it’s a blast,” Whitworth said. “I hope they learned that this is not an easy thing for anyone. You have to drive. You have to be self-confident. You have to be motivated, and you’re going to make mistakes.”

Foundation. The Foundation provides a number of scholarships that benefit students including those offered through the college’s successful Work Scholarship Program, which McCullough helped develop.

“I have such confidence in his decisionmaking ability and his connection with the college,” Clinton said. “He knows everyone not only at the college, but I think in the community.”

Clinton said he is confident in McCullough’s abilities to move comfortably into the new position as executive vice president.

“He’s very humble and very low-key about it,” Clinton said. “That’s Jon’s personality.

He’s a humble servant leader, so he’s

handling it very gracefully. I’m really excited to have Jon stepping into this role. It makes my job so much easier to have people like Dr. McCullough to work with. I think everyone that works with Dr. McCullough has this incredible confidence in his leadership ability.”

McCullough had the opportunity to apply for a president position at another college a few years ago, but he said after praying about the decision he recognized that he needed to stay at NTCC. “If an opportunity came up to go to another college, it would have to be a great opportunity because it’s no longer about the position or title,” McCullough said. “Now, it’s about this being a place I love to be. I’m very happy with where I am.”

March 7, 2018

The Eagle

The

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Northeast Texas Community College

FEATURE

Pulpwood

Queens

Local book club ‘royalty’ visits NTCC

By Chelsey Elrod Staff Writer

In a time of need, even the craziest of ideas can work. Artist Kathy Murphy never thought that combining hair dressing and her love of books would someday create the world’s largest book club. On Jan. 18, 2000, Murphy opened Beauty and the Book just down the road in Jefferson. According to the Pulpwood Queens official website, Murphy’s crazy idea became the first and only hair salon/bookstore in the world.

A few years ago, Murphy was let go from her position as a book publisher’s representative with Southern Territories and Associates due to downsizing. At a loss of what to do, she turned to her sister, Karen Penner. Murphy’s sister reminded her that hair dressing had always been a means to an end, so she opened a hair salon with a twist.

“My sister gets credit for coming up with the idea of combining my two passions, creating beauty and promoting reading, thus, Beauty and the Book, the only hair salon/book shop in the country,” Murphy said.

The idea to begin her own book club came to Murphy when she learned that a nearby club would only allow a few members at a time.

“I started my own book club because the local one only invited me to attend the book club as a guest as they felt that only eight people could be in a book club,” Murphy said. “I asked myself, “Who made up that rule?’ So I rolled up my sleeves and went to work.”

Starting out with only six complete strangers, the Pulpwood Queens book club was established. Word soon spread and the book club expanded to include 150 members from the small historic town of Jefferson.

Not long after, chapters were being established in nearby towns and cities. Murphy can name off a few that have been with her since the beginning including clubs in Tyler, Longview, Dangerfield and Mount Pleasant. The Mount Pleasant chapter is run by Head Librarian Helen Thompson of the Mount Pleasant Public Library, a good friend of Murphy’s.

“Our sole mission is to promote authors, books, literacy and reading and to help undiscovered authors get discovered in a really big way,” Murphy said.

“I opened it and the very first thing that happened was the media jumped on it,” Murphy said. “And then every author in the country started calling me saying, ‘I want a makeover. I want to come to your store.’”

The media attention given to Murphy’s new shop helped her to reach more viewers and lovers of books.

“And then we got a call from the Oprah Winfrey organization and they wanted to come and do a show for the Oxygen Network called Dallas Style,” Murphy said. “I was thrilled because I thought I would get to meet Oprah. I didn’t get to meet Oprah.”

Murphy met with a producer that filmed one of her book club meetings. Instead of meeting Oprah, Murphy’s piece was featured alongside an unknown singing sensation from Houston, Beyonce.

“So, Beyonce and I started exactly at the same time,” Murphy said. “Then not long after that Diane Sawyer called me from Good Morning America and wanted to know if I would like to kick off the new “Read This Book” club.”

Murphy went on to be featured on Good Morning America two more times. With all of the media attention Murphy was called on to write a book about it. The Pulpwood Queen’s Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life was published in January 2008.

“I’m working on my next book, The Pulpwood Queen Goes Back to School. It’s on why you should be a lifelong learner and the lessons that I’ve learned from educating myself,” Murphy said. “I think it will be inspiring.”

Living in a small rural town in Texas, Murphy wants to remind folks that the largest book club in the world did not come from the east or west coast. It all started here in East Texas. Murphy said that the connections that everyone develops and shares within the book club is the best feeling.

“It’s a human connection. Each book club chapter meets and discusses the book and then I arrange for the author to Skype or Facetime or call in. So, there’s a connection,” Murphy said. “There’s some technology, but we really want people to discuss the book in person.”

She points out that in a world full of technology, she tries to tip the scales back in favor of human interaction. Many of the authors that are chosen to be read are less known. The

staff photo

| mandy smith

Above: Kathy Murphy, far right, speaks to NTCC Vice President for Instruction Dr. Kevin Rose and Tiajuana Anderson Neel during the reception for her art exhibit titled “Bookland.”

Below: NTCC student Miguel Gonzalez takes a selfie with Murphy during the reception.

Pulpwood Queens take in about 30 suggestions a week from authors.

“There’s nobody really out there helping the first-time, first-book author,” Murphy said. “The books that I don’t select, I donate to libraries, little free libraries.

Or to my members, so they all go to readers.”

Along with the book club and her own writing, Murphy also is an artist. NTCC Art Director Debbie Strong, a member of the local Pulpwood Queens chapter, recently featured Murphy’s artwork in an exhibit titled “Bookland.” The display, which ran throughout the month of February in the foyer of the Whatley Center, featured ceramics and alcohol ink panels. Murphy said that her art pieces are intended for the audience to use their imaginations.

“I like to help budding artists and she just graduated with her bachelors in art and I knew her as an author,” Strong said.

Strong said that she admires the energy Murphy sends forth and has even talked with her about working as an adjunct instructor on the Northeast campus.

“She has a very creative mind, she has a very interesting story. She’s done a lot and she wants for people to learn, especially young people,” Strong said. “She really cares and is interested in young people.”

While Murphy is busy working on her second book and creating unique art pieces, the “crazy idea” she started several years ago continues growing and adding new members regularly.

The Pulpwood Queens Book Club has 753 chapters, including 15 that are international.

The genre of books that are read are as diverse as the people who read them.

“I try to pick all aspects of the countries. Overseas and in the United States. I also try to pick both men and women authors,” Murphy said. “They think we only read women’s books and that’s not true.”

The book club is all inclusive. Instead of being called a Pulpwood Queen, the men fall under the name Timber Guys. To join one has to pay the annual fee of $25, wear a tiara or crown and read the book. “There’s no right or wrong answer in any of the book club discussions,” Murphy said. “It is all about connecting with each other through the story.”

Donor honors sister’s memory with NTCC scholarship

By Jodie Weber Public Information Director Nothing prepared Christi Denney for the loss of her beloved sister, Nita DeWoody, in October 2016.

However, In the midst of her grief, Denney became determined to do something good to carry on her sister’s memory.

With that goal in mind, she organized a charity 5K race that was held in October 2017 in Pittsburg.

The proceeds went to support three of DeWoody’s favorite causes, one of which was funding a scholarship at Northeast Texas Community College.

Denney recently presented a check for $1,000 to the NTCC Foundation to provide a scholarship to a nontraditional student pursuing a degree in a health sciences field.

“Education was very important to Nita. She began her career as a public school teacher. After her children

were born, she returned to the classroom for a short while, but decided that her goals had shifted and she wanted to change careers.

While preparing to enter the Physician Assistant program at UT-Southwestern in Irving, she attended NTCC to take all the pre-requisite math and science classes that she needed,” Denney said.

Denney said Nita was the first person in their family to ever attend college, and she had to beg her parents to allow her to attend after high school.

“She paved the way. When my middle sister graduated, it was less of a struggle, and by the time I came along, it was expected that I would go to college. My sister Nita made that possible,” Denney said.

Attending NTCC has become somewhat of a tradition in Denney’s family.

Her middle sister, Wendy, also attended NTCC to take pre-requisite classes for nursing school as an adult.

Denney took dual credit

classes through NTCC during high school and her nephew attended NTCC before transferring to UT-Tyler, where he earned Bachelor and Masters degrees.

“Because of the positive impact NTCC has had on our family, I wanted to create this scholarship to help a nontraditional student (like my sisters were) also fulfill their goal of entering the medical profession here in East Texas (another thing Nita was passionate about). I can’t wait to see who is awarded this scholarship and what they go on to accomplish,” Denney said.

The Nita DeWoody Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student for the Fall 2018 semester.

Applications for all NTCC Foundation Scholarships are currently being accepted.

Students interested in applying should visit ntcc. edu/scholarships to learn more and download the application.

courtesy photo

From left, NTCC Director of Development Nita May receives a $1,000 check from Christi Denney for a scholarship honoring her sister Nita DeWoody. DeWoody, who passed away in 2016, paved the way for her sisters to attend college. Proceeds came from a 5k charity race that was held in October 2017 in Pittsburg.

For more information on ways to support students at NTCC or to apply for a scholarships, contact NTCC Executive Vice President for Advancement Dr. Jonathan McCullough or go online at www.ntcc.edu/give.

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The Eagle

Northeast Texas Community College

March 7, 2018

LIFESTYLE

staff photo

| emma wolfe

Jo’s at NTCC opened during the 2017 fall semester. Located in the Learning Commons, Jo’s offers a variety of drinks and snacks and a community for students and staff alike.

By Emma Wolfe Staff Writer Being a college student means having certain necessities unlike anyone else. We need a quiet place to study or do homework and the energy to stay motivated. Coffee shops offer both of those things, usually accompanied by a great friendly staff.

A coffee shop is like a second home for many students. It’s a place that promotes productivity while also providing a comfortable atmosphere. It can be a safe haven for focus, allowing an opportunity to work without the temptation of taking a nap. Coffee shops can also bring together a community to meet other students. Many coffee shops love hosting study groups for you and your friends.

The number of coffee shops has been growing in our area. There are many options to choose from when deciding your designated hangout spot.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet place to spend your time, or a drive-thru to grab your morning brew, we have all the information you need to find the perfect coffee shop for you. staff photos

| emma wolfe and jillian brooks & courtesy photos

content by

| emma wolfe and chelsey elrod

March 7, 2018

The Eagle

Northeast Texas Community College

Page 5

LIFESTYLE

Main street Gym & Market has been offering fitness and a healthy lifestyle to Pittsburg for a little over a year. The Market offers coffee, all natural smoothies and healthy foods. Directly linked with the 24-hour gym, this extraordinary gym is one-of-a-kind. The gym has everything you need to practice cardio, strength training, and even gear for boxing. They also offer yoga classes and spin classes.

Occasionally, they offer “Yoga in the Park,”which is available for free to the public. Community is also a big deal to Main Street Gym & Market. They sponsor Pittsburg High School DECA. Teachers,as well as first responders, also have a chance to win a free lunch and smoothie.

Sweet Shop USA recently added a coffee bar to their local retail shop. What better place to study than surrounded by the sweetest treats in town? Fantastic customer service and delicious coffee await you. Go by and study or stop in after class for a delicious drink. Sweet Shop USA has been making handmade chocolates for 40 years, and now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest truffle! They have incredibly sweet coffee drinks. Sweet Shop USA offers gourmet hot chocolate made with real white, milk and dark chocolate. Incredibly sweet and espresso-free, Sweet Shop USA is a unique experience unlike anywhere else.

For those of us with our 8 a.m. classes or maybe a night class in need of an afternoon pick-me-up, Hebrew’s is the ideal stop to and from the college. This drive-thru style coffee shop has quick and friendly service. They offer a variety of different flavors. Not only do they serve coffee, but they also have delicious snacks and breakfast options to fuel you up for the day. They just recently released a lunch menu with amazing sandwiches starting at $8.99. Stop by the bright orange building for your caffeine needs.

Many things make Coffee Break and More unique, but their coffee is the most interesting. Most people don’t know that Coffee Break and More actually sells coffee exactly like Starbucks and Seattle’s Best.

They have amazing drink options, mimicking those of the favorite coffee chain. They offer comfortable seating, wall outlets and wifi. Coffee Break also has a convenient drive-thru. With amazing menu options like smoothies, protein shakes, amazing teas and custom-made sandwiches, Coffee Break and More is a definite go-to place for students. They often host special events as well, like poetry slams or baby showers. They support the local high school by donating to the Project Graduation fund.

Jo’s is an amazing place to study for finals or catch up on homework. The floor has plenty of seating with tables to accommodate textbooks or laptops. Jo’s also offers outlets along all walls to plug in your electronic devices. They offer free Wifi as well. Jo’s has a very friendly staff, some being a part of our own NTCC student community. Not many people are aware that Jo’s was once an antique shop. The owners of the coffee house decided to keep the previous owner’s name, Jo, in her honor and loving memory. Jo’s also has a convenient location in the NTCC Learning Commons.

The Daily Grind is a cute little coffee shop located on Highway 271 in Pittsburg. It has the luxury of a drive-thru, but you could also stop in for some really cute photo ops. The Daily Grind is linked with The Drugstore Pharmacy and is also a gift shop. They have cards, jewelry, luxury candles and seasonal gifts for all occasions. The Daily Grind offers several sweet treats like cookies, brownies and muffins to indulge in. A cute and comfy oasis to find everything you could possibly need.

If you’re looking for a cute and comfy spot in Mt. Vernon, Watermelon Mills is the place for you. With a very laid back atmosphere, available Wifi, outlets and soothing music for those final exam nerves, this coffee shop is perfect for our Mt. Vernon students. They have a loft which can be rented out for occasions. Owned by former basketball player Greg Ostertag, Watermelon Mills is a unique place for students to gather to work or play.

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The Eagle

Northeast Texas Community College

OPINION

March 7, 2018

EAGLE EYE

Do you have any safety concerns about the NTCC campus?

“I mean, one’s always in danger but you have to stay positive.”

- Shalem Guerrero photo from pexels.com

Picky eater? The struggle is real

By Jillian Brooks Staff Writer

Being a picky eater has its ups and downs.

The ups being that I can live off of instant mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and beef jerky.

The downs being that I get stares at Mexican restaurants when I order a simple plate of chicken strips and french fries, or when I decline a salad at Olive Garden and the waiter squints at me.

Believe it or not, I didn’t choose the picky eater life. Ever since I was a child, I only ate certain things and completely avoided others.

I ate broccoli for the first time when I was 17 and drank orange juice for the first time when I was 12. For years and years, I only drank milk if it had ice in it. I KNOW, I KNOW, disgusting, right?

I’ve now found out that fate has a twisted sense of humor, as I have become completely lactose intolerant. I lived off of ice cream, ate cheese off the block, and drank whole milk by the gallon. Now, I actually have to cut out my favorite foods and… dare I say…

BRANCH OUT. The green stuff, I think people call them vegetables, now have to become part of my diet instead of cheese and milk. But thank the heavens for the people who came up with things like lactose-free milk and ice cream.

I don’t think I’d be able to go on without it.

I’m tired of people seeing picky eaters as “scared” and “weak” because they don’t want to eat certain things. I’ve been told to

grow up, put my big girl pants on, etc., and surprise… that never works. I don’t like ranch, I don’t like ketchup, and I don’t like corn, many things that people seem to love.

When I rarely order salad, I get strange looks from the staff when I tell them that I do not want ranch. I even had a woman say, “Seriously? No ranch? Okay…” Needless to say, I was incredibly embarrassed about it for no good reason other than this woman thought I was an alien because I don’t like ranch.

In my opinion, all condiments do is make the food wet, which ruins it for me. My pickiness stems from the texture of the food.

Apples, once you chew them up, feel like sand. Microwave chicken is like jelly, and corn is like popping pimples in your mouth.

Sorry-not-sorry for the free mental image.

If you ask a picky person where to eat, and they choose the same place as before, don’t get mad… You are the one that asked them anyway.

Anytime I go out with friends, or even new acquaintances, I let them know immediately that I am very picky and that I know exactly what I want to eat.

Usually they simply nod and agree to eat somewhere that we all enjoy, unlike a few circumstances when I’ve had to sit quietly with a water at a Chinese restaurant while everyone else ate some sort of strange meat with rice.

I’ve learned from a young age to ask what we are eating for dinner or where we are eating if we go out.

A simple fix to the issue would either be a peanut butter sandwich beforehand, or I make everyone in my family eat at Chick-Fil-A for the third time that week. Either one is good for me.

cartoon by daniel yanez

The Eagle Eagle Adviser Mandy Smith Editor-in-Chief Kenzie Messer Managing Editor Daniel Yanez

Entertainment Editor Jessica Drumm Staff Writers Chelsey Elrod, Vanessa Nevarez, Nubia Sanchez, McKay Patrick, Adam Kuza, Emma Wolfe, Jillian Brooks and Kathryn Huffines The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the opinions of the faculty advisor or the administration of the college.

Questions? Comments? E-mail our adviser Mandy Smith at msmith@ntcc.edu or visit our website at www.ntcceagleonline.com

We’d like to hear from you!

Got an opinion??

Write a letter to the editor and email it to ntcceagleeditors@gmail.com

“My question would be are there enough officers and if so, are they obligated to do anything in the event of a shooting?”

- Allen Herald

“I don’t think so, but I heard people saying that we needed more security officers on campus.”

- Madison Cox

“I don’t think so. I feel pretty secure.”

- Blake Hughes

Strong Opinions

“We don’t need no stinkin’ parade!”

By Debbie Strong Guest Columnist President Trump wants a parade to showcase our military might, and I say, “We don’t need no stinkin’ parade!” Sure, everyone loves a parade, and I understand why he wants one. The president wants a parade to show that he supports our military and to show the rest of the world what a mighty power we are.

But, just imagine the logistical nightmare, the outrageous costs and the suffering that a ceremony of such magnitude will create.

Plus, this type of display reeks too much of communism to me. When I think of such grand parades, I immediately envision Nazi soldiers goose-stepping in formation past a gloating Adolf Hitler.

Other countries like China, North Korea and Russia all hold massive military parades to boast of their perceived powers. Leaders like China’s president Xi, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s President Putin inspect their polished troops with smug looks and tout the technical prowess of their weapons.

We do not have to stoop to this level to display our power.

The logistics of a parade of this size are also nothing to sneeze at. Even a static display of equipment must be cleaned to represent the high degree of preventative maintenance, checks and services performed by the operator. You just cannot grab a muddy tank from the motor pool and put it in a procession. It takes a team to get it in tiptop shape, and it takes valuable time that could be spent in training or maintaining. Now multiply that one piece of equipment by the hundreds of planes, tanks and other vehicles that President Trump would most likely want brought

in from military posts all over the United States, and you have a logistical nightmare.

The president says the generals would love to have a military parade, but I have not heard any of them voicing their support of such a massive ceremony.

Preparing soldiers for a parade takes away from training and maintaining, too.

Soldiers have to practice and practice again. When I was a soldier stationed at Fort Lewis WA, I participated in many parades. The worst one was the Fourth of July parade. Standing in the middle of summer in combat boots with a pistol belt digging into my hipbones, weighted down by a steel helmet, web gear, and an M16 rifle slung over my shoulder, I had to hold a salute while a cannon fired 50 times in recognition of each state.

I had to remember not to lock my knees, so I would not pass out. If I did pass out, there were soldiers lurking on the sidelines to drag me out by my arms to a shady spot to recover. Such an undignified way to leave the scene.

I recall parades as a fair amount of suffering on a soldier’s part. The command party who rode by standing up in a jeep as they performed a pass and review of the troops surely did not suffer as much as the troops in formation.

The Department of Defense has come up with a price tag of between $10 million to $30 million for Trump’s proposed parade. All I can think of when I hear these estimates are the number of injured warriors and homeless veterans who would benefit more from better VA facilities and care than watching a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Sure, everyone loves a parade, but is it worth it? So, I say no to a parade, President Trump. Figure out a more beneficial way to support the troops you are so proud of and respect.

March 7, 2018

The Eagle

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Northeast Texas Community College

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Black Panther’ devours box office

Marvel introduces newest on-screen super hero

By Jessica Drumm Entertainment Editor As I made my way through the crowded theater to my seat and prepared for what was about to come, I found myself wondering, “What should a superhero movie be?”

What makes a hero a superhero and how can a movie portray this?

Marvel’s latest triumph, Black Panther, has finally given us the answer.

Over the past decade or so, Hollywood’s hall of heroes has offered little in the way of progressive change, preferring to keep the stereotypical hero within the

realms of the industry.

Superman and Thor, powerful gods. Iron Man and Batman, billionaires.

Captain America, a World War II soldier who went on to become the literal manifestation of national hope.

Black superheroes, however, have never been given the same honor.

The only exception I can think of was the Blade trilogy back in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

However, even that legend has disappeared over the years. That is, until Black Panther premiered recently with a record breaking first weekend of $218 million.

As the movie starts, director Ryan

Coogler takes us to Oakland, Calif. 1992.

The occasion – murder. It’s here that the audience is first introduced to Prince N’Jobu (Sterling K. Brown), a spy from the African nation of Wakanda. N’Jobu has been secretly selling vibranium – a very powerful metal and the source of Wakanda’s technological advancement – to a dangerous black market arms dealer.

When Prince N’Jobu’s actions are uncovered, his brother, King T’Chaka is forced to confront him and ultimately end his brother’s life. And though I didn’t know it at the time, this fateful scene is at the very heart and core of this film.

The rest of Black Panther picks up where Captain America: Civil War left off. Black Panther, otherwise known as T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), heads back to his home country of Wakanda to take over as king after his father’s death.

For many years, Wakanda has thrived under the cover of Africa’s dense rain forests, believing that if the rest of the world ever discovers the country’s secret to prosperity, Wakanda would be destroyed.

Here’s where the main conflict of the movie arrives.

While most of the nobles and elders of Wakanda wish to keep the country functioning as it has for centuries, others believe that it is Wakanda’s duty to help those less fortunate – whether they be refugees, oppressed children, or anyone else in need.

The catalyst that starts the gears of change turning arrives in the form of Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), a former Black Ops mercenary driven by a lust for blood and vengeance for his father, Prince N’Jobu’s, death. Wills clash, lines are drawn, and what emerges is a thing of beauty, backbone and astonishing discipline.

Technically lush, the film is immersed in cultural diversity. Traditional Wakandan dress, native African architecture, rhythmic music, and even actual dialect pulled from Ethiopian, Kenyan, Nigerian, and Tanzanian languages add to the diversity of this film. All of these elements are integrated so well into the shots that they seem only natural.

The technical detail in this film is astounding and each shot is filled with color and pure awe.

For example, when T’Challa drank a potion and traveled to the ancestral plain to meet with his departed father, the plain’s dreamlike, gaping purple skies extended into the theater and made me feel like I was right there with him. As Marvel films go, Black Panther is filled with thrilling action sequences.

The most notable of which is probably the underground South Korean casino fight turned car chase that’ll leave you breathless and wanting more.

However, despite all the action and violence, nearly every scene is undercut with moments of pure human emotion and light-heartedness.

The director did a great job of adding welltimed humor to what would otherwise be a rather dark, gritty story.

Ultimately, the film seeks to answer the question of who are you responsible for, your people or the people of the world. Featuring a nearly all-black cast, and giving plenty of nods to black culture beyond the traditions of Wakanda, Marvel’s Black Panther is an unmistakable triumph.

This film is set to make movie history with its daring undertaking to put black superheroes where they should be – in the same Hollywood hall of fame right alongside Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and all the rest.

So, what makes a good superhero movie? It’s truth, justice, love and passion. And if we’re lucky, it is all of the above. It’s no mistake that Black Panther overflows with these virtues.

‘Alienated’ offers an out of this world romance

By Vanessa Nevarez Staff Writer Aliens have landed on today’s bookshelves and have taken the spotlight.

Readers who are fans of the science fiction genre are growing in numbers.

It’s no mystery as to why.

Sci-fi explores “what if” questions in both familiar and altered places, worlds utterly different from our own.

As the first installment of a new young adult series, Alienated written by Melissa Landers, manages to blend two lives from different worlds to create a captivating story.

The book is easy to read and does a great job at world building. Landers really knows how to create a world with small details, and without being too wordy.

The story includes some alien descriptions referring to some objects, but is never confusing since they are well described or explained in the story.

From the beginning, I was really interested in

how Landers would characterize this new alien race.

In the story, the United States along with many other countries are hoping to create an alliance with the extraterrestrial citizens of planet L’eihr.

The aliens have superior intelligence, technology, and medicine, exactly what Earth needs. If they can also manage to become friends and remove the threat of an invasion, making an alliance wouldn’t be the worst thing. One of the characters, Aelyx is a master at foreign languages, a little arrogant and strangely good looking for an alien.

Chosen based on his unique talents, Aelyx comes to Earth as an exchange student.

L’eihr officials want to make sure they can trust the people of Earth before the alliance can happen.

The only downside? Most of the citizens of Earth and L’eihr despise each other.

Aelyx and his friends have designed a plan to end any chance of an alliance once

and for all. It’s sneaky, brilliant, and it just might work.

What he didn’t expect was to get to know Cara Sweeney, his temporary host and roommate.

Cara has everything she could ever want in life, straight A’s, a cute boyfriend, the coolest best friend and just became the valedictorian of her high school.

The only drawback, she now has to share a roof with an alien from the planet L’eihr.

Welcoming Aelyx into her home with the promise of a free ride to college, Cara will do everything she can to make this work.

The best part of the book for me was the chemistry between Cara and Aelyx. It practically oozes off the page.

I was really sucked into the story. Their conversations were hilarious at times.

I was able to relate with Cara’s determination to see something through, as well as with Aelyx’s generally reserved personality.

Cara slowly brings him out of his shell and I begin

to really like him. Also, I really loved how the introverted sides of these characters made them and their interactions more unique.

The story was heartwarming and at times held a good measure of suspense.

Considering this is a sci-fi novel, it is rare to find one that has a little bit of every element.

Alienated has action, drama and suspense, but it is also funny with just enough romance to keep it interesting.

I enjoyed the story, but what I liked the most was the depth of the characters.

Since the author uses dual points of view, the reader really gets to see the perspective of both characters, and learns what each of them is feeling and thinking.

This book is for young adults because there are some scenes that might be inappropriate for younger readers but exactly right for young adults.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who has a soft spot for books involving aliens, romance and science fiction.

Courtesy Photo

Landers young adult novel Alienated tells the tale of an intergalactic romance that will leave you wanting more.

Five Finger Death Punch releases heartrending new hit

By Jillian Brooks Staff Writer Five Finger Death Punch is an American groove metal band, key word being “American.” They wear their heritage on their sleeves, paint it on their faces before shows, and sing and scream about it.

This band is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. They speak their minds on issues such as war, capitalism, the financial issues of America and veterans.

If you want to give them a try, prepare yourself.

Their debut album, The Way of the Fist, released in 2007. It only went upwards from there, selling over 500,000 copies worldwide. Their second album, War is the Answer, sold over one million and reached platinum status very quickly.

The third album, American Capitalist, reached gold within the year of its release.

A rapid success rate for this kind of in-yourface metal band is pretty rare, and it makes me very happy that this band is getting the recognition it deserves.

Lead singer Ivan Moody, who offers both harsh and clean vocals, credits Pantera

for Five Finger Death Punch’s sound and attitude. Pantera was both wildly successful and outrageously aggressive toward their audience, which is what propelled them forward.

Most bands during that age were simply dark, musical and lyrical wise, but Pantera took it a step further, as does Five Finger Death Punch.

Branching out from the usual album full of just screams and guitar solos, Five Finger Death Punch also performs ballads of their own making.

One of their biggest singles from their older albums, “Walk Away”, is a ballad about walking away from toxic relationships, with the message that it’s easier to let go than to hold on.

Another slower song, “Wrong Side of

Heaven”, focuses on the financial and mental struggles of veterans coming back from war, saying many of these soldiers never get the help that is necessary for them to get back onto their feet.

Five Finger Death Punch’s newest single, “Gone Away”, was released with their compilation album rightfully titled Decade of Destruction. The song by itself is enough to make anyone cry, but when paired with the tear-jerking video, it’s especially hard to keep the water works at bay.

The video starts out with a man in military uniform staring into the camera. He then starts to have flashbacks of explosions, his brothers-in-arms yelling orders and gunshots.

K.I.A is repeated multiple times, meaning that his comrades were killed in action, while he was left alive to deal with the grief. He then walks toward the vehicle that his friends were killed in, tears running down his cheeks as he punches the door.

Ivan Moody is now singing, his smooth voice floating through the speakers and somehow relaxing the audience despite the situation that has unfolded on the screen.

The scene switches to the same man who was left alive, kneeling in front of a military gravestone with teary eyes.

He flashbacks to one year earlier, showing him with his friends and letting us know that he knew those men before he entered the military, making the loss much more difficult to deal with.

He feels as though it was his fault because the vehicle rolled over a hidden explosive that he was supposed to be looking for. He then goes to his garage and unpacks his military helmet and pistol.

He places his helmet on his head and the pistol to his temple. He is unable to pull the trigger, and he stands up and screams out in pain and sadness. The man ends up reenlisting, knowing that he is not safe from himself there in his home.

I hope people learn to realize that Five Finger Death Punch is more than screaming and loud guitars; they are raising awareness for veterans dealing with PTSD in the coolest way possible.

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Northeast Texas Community College

March 7, 2018

SPORTS

staff photo

| kenzie messer

Eagles shut out Bossier Parish in weekend series game changer

Narrative Science The Eagles were able to pick up three wins against Bossier Parish in conference play last weekend.

On Sunday the Eagles seized an 11-4 win over the Cavaliers by holding on to the lead late in the game.

The Eagles were down 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning but Ryan Dudley doubled on a 2-1 count and the team was able to pull away for good in the sixth.

Taylor Barber grounded out in the sixth scoring one run.

Dudley would drive in another run in the seventh inning for the Eagles.

On the pitcher’s mound Tyler Jeans earned the victory for the Eagles pitching for five innings, allowing zero runs on two hits, striking out two and walking one. Matt Kortendick threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.

NTCC racked up 15 hits for the day. Emmanuell Garcia, Hunter Thomas, Dudley, and Kyle Moos all managed multiple hits for the team. Garcia went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead the Eagles in hits.

On Saturday’s double header game, the Eagles defended their home field against the Cavaliers with back-to-back shut outs against Bossier.

In game 1 of the double header series the Eagles earned a 4-0 victory over the Cavaliers.

With Chandler Dean on the mound for the Eagles, Dean surrendered zero runs on three hits over seven innings, striking out two, walking zero and allowing only three hits.

Taylor Barber led Northeast Texas Community College Eagles with two hits in two at bats.

Chandler Mauldin pitched for the Eagles in game 2 allowing zero runs and besting Bossier Parish CC by a score of 10-0.

The Eagles immediately hit the field running in the first inning

with Emmanuell Garcia at bat. The Eagles would continue the offensive threat with a single by Andrew Skivington, a home run by Kyle Moos and an error on a ball put in play by Jhosmel Rodriguez.

Mauldin led things off on the hill for Northeast Texas Community College Eagles Varsity. Mauldin surrendered zero runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out ten and walking zero.

Head baseball coach Andrew Morgan said the team is off to a good start in conference play and that the team still has room to improve.

“It’s really hard to sweep someone, especially on the road,” Morgan said. “It’s a good start to the conference season. We still have a lot of games left and we have to get better, but this group does a really good job of competing.”

The Eagles will face off against Panola College on March 10 in Carthage.

Softball readies for conference by mandy smith

Eagle Adviser

The Northeast Texas Community College Eagles softball team had a good showing in Longview last weekend at the Crossover Tournament. The Eagles split in four games of play taking wins against Laredo Community College and Coastal Bend while coming up short in games with Alvin Community College and Galveston College. The tournament offered the team some playing time before conference play starts on Friday, March 9.

Northeast Head Softball Coach Jessica Keith said the team is gearing up for conference play despite the fact they have not been on the field much in the past month due to weather conditions. “This team just needs to see some play,” Keith said. “This weekend we played back to back games and it was amazing the difference between them. We haven’t been able to pay a consistent scheduled yet, so that’s affected a lot of things.” Keith said the mostly freshmen team is starting to come together as a team.

“I think they are just now getting confidence in themselves,” she said. “We just need to play. They are tired of looking at each other.

They just need to play and understand how good they are.”

She said the tournament gave them a chance to play and to find out that they could win.

“They showed a lot of fight,” Keith said.

“They’ve realize that it’s fun now, and they realize that everybody that we’ve played against that is ranked, they can compete with them.”

The Crossover Tournament games started

with the first game of play for the Eagles on Friday against Laredo. Pitcher Kara Carter was first on the mound for NTCC and held the Palominos at bay until a score on an error in the bottom of the fifth inning. Laredo scored again in the fifth going up on the Eagles 2-0.

But, the Eagles came back strong in the top of the sixth with a walk by Ashley Barnette to start of the inning. Blakelea Nettles hit a double on a hard ground ball and an error to advance Barnette to third. Ramzi Smith sent a 3-run homer over the fence to put the Eagles up 3-2 going into the top of the seventh.

Eagles pitching held on in the bottom of the inning to take the win against the Palominos.

The Eagles started off with a rougher showing against Alvin, allowing a score on an error early in the first inning. The Eagles came back and held the lead 3-1 going into the bottom of the fourth. The Dolphins answered back with a home run bringing the score within one as the game moved to the fifth inning. Shelby Baker kept the Eagles’ hopes alive with a home run to center in the top of the sixth. The Dolphins came back strong in the seventh, scoring three runs to take the win against the Eagles 5-4.

The Eagles took the field in the first game on Saturday against Coastal Bend College.

Kristen Allen scored a run off of a hit by Blaklea Nettles to put the Eagles on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. The Cougars came back with a two-run inning to take the lead in the top of the fifth. The NTCC ladies battled back to tie the game 2-2 in the seventh inning forcing the game into an international tie breaker (ITB). Mackenise Mankel took the mound for the Eagles in the

staff photo

| daniel yanez

Assistant softball coach Sarah Lankford exchanges a few words with members of the team during a recent practice. top of the eighth and held the Cougars at bay.

The Eagles showed that they meant business in the bottom of the eighth with a bunt by Korbyn Bassett to move Ramzi Smith into scoring position. A hard hit ground ball by Daniela Azuaje scored Smith to take the 3-2 win in ITB play.

NTCC had a strong showing early against the Galveston Whitecaps scoring two in the first inning. The Whitecaps came on strong to go up 7-2 over NTCC in the bottom of the fourth. The Eagles’ bats struggled through the rest of play and they fell to Galveston 8-2.

Eagles Pitcher Kara Carter said the weekend tournament offered the pitchers and the

defense behind them some solid playing time as the Eagles get ready for their upcoming conference game against Kilgore. “I think as a young team we will surprise a lot of people and make a new name for Northeast,” Carter said. “We improved a lot of and we have good chemistry. You wouldn’t know that we are a bunch of freshmen.”

First Baseman Shelby Baker said despite the weather and the young team, they are ready to move into conference play. “I think it was really good for our team to get on the field and see live pitching,” she said. “I think it set us up for starting conference off on a good foot.”

Eagles sports gear up for the spring season

staff photo

| daniel yanez

Jahvian Russell, left, and Kevin Gonzalez, right, move the ball down the field in a recent practice drill.

The men’s and women’s teams both travel today to Dallas to take on Dallas Baptist University (NCAA D2). The women’s match will kick off at 5 p.m. and the men will follow at 7:30 p.m.

staff photo

| daniel yanez

Ramzi Smith, shortstop for the Eagles softball team, warms up before a practice session. The team is currently preparing for conference play starting March 9.