CHRONICLE Richland
Vol. XLI Issue 7 February 24, 2015
State of the District: Pg. 9
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CAMPUS
Building upgrades begin JOYCE JACKSON
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
Copy Editor
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The week of Feb. 9 was the official kickoff for campus construction on upgrades mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Austin Longacre, senior associate director of Facilities Services, said the renovation around Richland is going to be a campus-wide ADA renovation project. It stemmed from an ADA accessibility assessment by an expert who wrote a report in 2011. Longacre said that the other six Dallas County Community College (DCCCD) campuses have already completed construction. The decision to proceed with the ADA renovations came from the Board of Trustees in 2011 and it was approved in 2012. “If I’m not mistaken, Richland is tailing at the end of this whole process,” Longacre said. “We didn’t get our plans as soon as some of the other campuses did, so they phased everything across the district.” Longacre said the process took so long – from 2011 until now – in part because of the purchasing process, which requires competitive bidding. “You have to have time for the engineers and architects to develop plans,” he said. “It’s a very involved process. District bidding takes a sizable amount of time. Vetting the contractors to bid on it takes quite a bit of time. “Denco Construction Services Corporation has 269 calendar days to complete the project per the contract,”. Longacre said. “The total project cost is $2 million and is being funded by the DCCCD Deferred Maintenance Budget.” The work crew is beginning construction in the Pecos building. They started meeting in December, but the actual work began the first week of February. “We meet weekly and they give two-week projections on where they’re going to be so we can notify those who would be in the affected areas,” Longacre said. “That would give them plenty of time to know that there will be crew members working in their areas. If there‘s anything that needs to be done in their space, they would need to be made aware of it.” As far as the new regulations, Longacre said that the scope of the projects can be as miniscule as moving a paper towel dispenser in a bathroom because it sticks out too far from
the wall – to door hardware replacement – to the lever style, so it’s accessible for everyone – all the way to major additions, such as two new elevators. “One of the new elevators will be in the Lakeside Resource Center in El Paso Hall that connects El Paso all the way up to the second floor of Alameda Hall,” Longacre said. “Currently, the elevator that serves there does not meet code for the proper dimensions of the cab. We were not able to retrofit that cab in the same way that we did at Bonham Hall.” The old elevator will remain in service, but it won’t be the ADA-accessible elevator, Longacre said. The other new elevator will be in Guadalupe Hall because right now there is a stairwell chair lift that doesn’t meet current code. “In Fannin Hall, there are complete restroom renovations that are going to be done,” Longacre said. “They’re actually starting in this building [Pecos] to do some restroom renovations to bring everything up to code; that is everything from exterior ramps and handrails are going to be looked at and redone where appropriate, where it was noted in the accessibility report.” Trailers are currently parked near Fannin Hall, where supervisors and foremen have set up shop. “They have the plans there so they’ll be able to have meetings with their subcontractors and everything else,” Longacre said. “We tried to give them as central of a location as possible, based on the size requirements that they were needing.” Longacre said that probably not more than 20 crew members will work at any given time, but as soon as the elevators and everything starts breaking ground, more manpower will be needed. As far as completion of the project, Longacre said they would probably be done by this time next year. “Based on their contract, they do have a certain amount of calendar days to finish this work and so that will be the baseline,” he said. “Anything else after that will either be a change order or they will have to assess damages for going over the allotted amount of time.” Longacre said he thinks the ADA project is “absolutely something that needs to be done for us to be a competitive institution and attract students from all walks of life.”
Image courtesy logo-kid.com
Staff photo Melanie Brandow
Be Project students enjoy the release of balloons on Thunderduck bridge.
Balloon release promotes teen violence awareness MELANIE BRANDOW Editor-in-Chief
Clear blue skies were filled with the color of orange balloons Thursday on the bridge over Lake Thunderduck when the bell tolled 1 p.m. The balloons were released in honor of victims to acknowledge February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Students from the Be Project released all together about 60 balloons with messages written on them or names of those whom had suffered from teen dating violence. In addition to the balloon release, there were pink and blue cupcakes sold to demonstrate the gender roles of teen dating violence awareness. The funds are going to be used for future events such as a project named One Time. This event is so that Be Project can reach out to elementary schools and let the students know more about bullying and making flyers and posters to promote One Time. Be Project was able to raise approximately $63. President Brianna Garcia planned the balloon release along with Heather Wheeler, adolescent counselor for the Be Project. Garcia felt that the message Be Project is trying to get across about teen dating violence is essential. “It’s a big deal, and it happens more than we think [or] know,” she said.
Staff photo Isai Diaz
Counselor Heather Wheeler at release.
CAMPUS
College success: Get a coach and reach your goals MARTA PLANELLS
that the student has to be enrolled in at least one credit course in Richland. We put the student in contact with a coach and it is up to them how to meet and how to work together” said Smith.
Staff Writer
People might say that college years are some of the best years of life, but being a college student can be very stressful. There are many decisions to make. What do I want to be in the future? How do I get to reach my goal? What courses do I take? I am sure that all Richland students have raised these questions at least once, but it is not only about the future. It is also about how to take advantage of all the resources that are available on campus. Many students may not know all the services offered by DCCCD. One of them is actually designed to help students succeed in college. Journey to Success is a program that has moved students toward accomplishment at Richland for several years. The program coordinator, Illiona Smith, said the goal is to help Richland students in any aspect that they may need. The program does so by pairing a stu-
“We try to pair students with someone who works in the same field,” — Illiona Smith Staff photo Blanca Reyes
Illiona Smith, program coordinator.
dent with a “success coach” who will help the student with his/her academic concerns. Smith explained that students might have different situations going on and occasionally need guidance on which way to go; sometimes they need support with some classes; other times, encouragement is desired. “It’s a free program, the only requirement is
At this time, the program has 48 students and 26 coaches. “We try to pair students with someone who works in the same field so they can also share their background with students, but this is not always possible” Smith said. Being a coach requires taking online training and is considered to be volunteer work. So far it seems easy. However, does this really work? Dania Rifai is one of the students who decided to ask for help. She joined the program
last semester after two years at Richland. “I want to be a pharmacist, but I needed more moral support and some guidance. I needed someone to turn to and tell me what I should focus on because I know what I want to do but I just don’t know how to get it.” Rifai learned about Journey to Success through an email and decided to try and find answers to all her questions. “My concerns were what classes I should take to be a pharmacist and if my major is the appropriate to reach my goal. I didn’t want to waste my time taking extra classes.” Rifai would recommend the program to all Richland students. Whenever she would go through a website to look for information, she said she wouldn’t understand all the terminology and felt overwhelmed with all the courses and plans. “When I met my coach it was so refreshing to finally have someone that will tell me what to do to achieve my goals,” Rifai said. Instructions for requesting a coach and more information about the program is available on www.richlandcollege.edu/jts.
JOYCE JACKSON Copy Editor
An odd-looking exotic plant has been discovered on the Fannin Hall stage. It was brought in by a young flower-shop employee named Seymour, who pampered it to the point that it became totally obnoxious. That’s where the fun begins in Richland’s spring production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” The book and lyrics are by Howard Ashman, with music by Alan Menken. Carter Brown, one of eight Richland acting students in the musical, plays the nerdy Seymour, who works in Mr. Mushnik’s Skid Row Flower Shop. Seymour is an orphan and is grateful to Mushnik for taking him in. He names the odd-looking plant Audrey II after Audrey, the gal he works with, in hopes that she will fall in love with him instead of her current boyfriend, a sadistic dentist who beats her. Director Gregory Lush describes “Shop” as a “dark musical comedy” that revolves around Seymour’s devotion to the plant. He comes up with the brilliant idea of putting it in the window to attract attention – as well as feeding its demands for food. The ravenous Audrey II, however, soon craves blood and Seymour must accommodate. He pricks his fingers to squeeze out enough blood to satisfy Audrey II’s enormous appetite. Audrey II’s popularity increases and it transforms into a man-eating plant. Eventually, Seymour’s plan becomes hugely successful and he quickly becomes famous, even going on lecture tours about his great gardening skills. Lush said at this point, “Seymour has got to feed the plant if he wants to continue this
new life that he’s created. The play is really about the moral dilemma. Seymour has to do the wrong thing if he wants to keep up the lifestyle he’s created. So, it’s [the plot] got a certain morality to it that’s fun and I think really engaging.” The other actors in the musical are: Isabell Moon as Seymour’s wannabe love interest, Audrey; Zachary Jones as Mushnik and Kevin Dang as the dentist. Lush said a trio of singers, called the Ronnettes, function almost like a Greek chorus. They are: Stephe Campos as Chiffon; Bridget Condra as Crystal and Johanna Nchekwube as Ronnette. Audrey Clark is an understudy. “They [the Ronnettes] come right out and sing to the audience and ultimately sing about the moral of the play at the very end of it, just the way a Greek chorus would,” Lush said. The musical numbers are from the 1950s. Guest artist Ivan Jones, a local actor, has the creepy role of the voice of Audrey II. Lush said Audrey II is “a cross between an avocado and a Venus fly trap.” There will be four different versions of the plant, from small to really large – the smaller ones done by hand puppets and the largest manipulated by a puppeteer, Raied Makhamreh. “The puppets are borrowed from the Zach Scott Theater in Austin,” Lush said. He describes Audrey II’s voice as rather devilish, with “a little Mephistopheles to it because he’s a seducer. He has to coerce Seymour into doing what he wants. It’s just like the Faust legend in that sense. He’s really leading him [Seymour] down the path in exchange for getting what he wants – money, fame and the girl of his dreams.” “Shop” will run at 7:30 p.m. March 4-7 in the Fannin Performance Hall. The musical is free and open to the public; reservations are not necessary.
Staff photo Isai Diaz
Cast, director Gregory Lush, right, during Richland production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Lush said the audience will enjoy “Shop” because the music is fantastic and the singers are great. “There are some sweet songs, but there are some really funny songs and they’re all super catchy,” he said. “‘Shop’ is PG-13 and is definitely appropri-
ate for families,” Lush said, “but there’s a little bit of salty language and mature themes, so it’s best recommended for older children.” With a voracious man-eating plant, combined with Seymour’s overwhelming success, the audience will experience quite a thrill. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
There will be blood, laughs when ‘Little Shop’ opens
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OPINION
What the SGA does for you RYAN BINGHAM DUFF
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
Staff Writer
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Student Government Association (SGA) members met Feb. 2 for a statistical update to discuss some campus renovations and for SGA members to explain their positions and concerns. Last semester, renovations for the first floor in Guadalupe Hall were approved for an estimated cost of $1 million. The entire area will be redone. That includes new furniture and walling. “It was originally because the women’s locker room was not up to date as the men’s and the best way to equalize that was to renovate the whole area altogether,” Nariman Al-Matari, SGA vice president, said. Al-Matari said that a few more changes have been accomplished. One of them is extended library hours during finals week each semester. That way students won’t have to cram more into their study time. Another change is the installation of ecofriendly water fountains so that students can enjoy a hydrating beverage to go. Also, the installation of a new bike rack was conveniently located closer to buildings. Previously they were located in awkward places, like the ones between Wichita and Sabine Halls. SGA member Jonathan Riggs said that there has been a gluten-free option recently added to the café menu located next to the school’s bookstore, which he has been pushing for. Another new proposal was submitted for improved signs so that new students could find their way easier around campus. SGA President Quynh Pham has expressed her initiative, encouraging more students to be involved in campus affairs. “As the president, I organize the meetings and I keep everyone on track – check up on everyone, make sure everyone is on the same
page,” Pham said. Heejeon Kim, SGA historian and chair of the Legislative Committee, said she keeps a record of most events. “Sometimes I work on Facebook,” she said. Kim said the association has a Facebook page and she also presents posters and flyers at meetings so that the staff can decide when to post them. SGA Ambassador Celso Arellano said she communicates with the Richland senior leadership team. “Basically, I keep the communication of what we do,” Arellano said. “Send them our information of what we have done in it and vice versa – the minutes that they have and such to our body. “I get to see what changes are on the paper before it actually happens on the campus – such [things] as the new scoreboard for our Thunderducks basketball team,” Arellano added. SGA parliamentarian (self-described “glorified rules keeper”) Aaron Janke said he makes sure that members of the E-board and general body who are present at the table are following “Robert’s Rules of Order” and parliamentary procedure. The rules are a set of guidelines used by the U.S. national government as well. Janke is also the chair of Student and Media Relations. As such, he makes sure that as a club, members are presenting what they want to do. Al-Matari said she manages all five committees to make sure each knows what they are doing. Once every semester they meet with the regional Texas Junior College Student Government Association of the second region (TJCSGA-II) to update and inform them on their current statistical progress. This year it will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Denton. Their regional TJCSGA is linked with the TJCSGA that covers the entire state of Texas.
Composite images courtesy michigandaily.com, quolmnig.com/Staff illustration Quan Tran
Obama’s college savings plan: Will it work in this country? JEROME ROBINSON II Staff Writer
Staff illustration Richland Chronicle
The ways and means of “free college” haven’t really been accepted by the masses in the United States, yet even people who support the president sometimes differ over this particular agenda item. Government-sponsored plans have derailed the support of many, based on their failures and the negative effects that they have had on millions of Americans and their bank accounts. More often, people generalize about the expectations of college and the money it takes to graduate. Being a long-time college student, I understand the way one might feel about giving money to a person for a free college education. These measures are meant to help the many people who live below the poverty level in the United States. Actually, the “well-to-do” will benefit from the proposal as well, which brings up an argument about “Who’s going to pay for this?” Unfortunately, members of the middle
class are the victims. That is always a problem. Changes in economic status predict that the middle class will foot the bill. Fair or not, this creates controversy about a government plan that proposes more taxes for the not-sorich and, by some strange coincidence not so much for the rich. I feel confused by the whole plan but still understand things have to begin with a format. The formidable starting point is the community college, which Richland represents. The goal is for the student to start small with that investment and then take the next step, which would be to attend a fouryear school to finish their major and get the degree. People may agree or disagree with the structure of the plan, but the bottom line is that helping the less fortunate achieve a dream that might not have been possible without it is a good thing. Financial participation in a greater way, by the government, would profoundly reduce the burden of student loans on the students. Just something to try to get your mind around.
FEATURE
Head, shoulders, knees & toes: This time it’s personal Staff Writer
Songs and cartoons are some of the most interactive ways to grab a child’s attention. The nursery rhyme, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” is what I remember being taught in kindergarten to learn about my body parts. But I knew my body had more than what the song was limited to. All children are aware of their body parts, even private parts. If you’re a boy you have a penis, and if you’re a girl you have a vagina. Children don’t know a lot about them. They just know to cover them. Now, enter a colorful European TV channel designed to teach kids about their “private parts.” A fellow student brought it to my attention. Barnkanalen is a dedicated Swedish channel that educates kids from the age of 3 to 10 about their bodies. It now airs a music video titled “Snoppen och Snippan” with dancing penises and vaginas. Created and written by Johan Holmströmhe, the acrobatic genitals are benevolent, cute and bubbly characters. They were designed and illustrated for children with discretion. The whole video is a burst of colors that attracts and invites attention. The dancing genitals have wide cheerful eyes, big charismatic smiles and amazing dance moves. The video shows the vaginas faultlessly blushing and blinking their long eyelashes. The penises are flipping and shown wearing top hats. Some of the penises look mature and have a head full of hair with a mustache. There’s even a caricature of a granny vagina with her hair in a bun. She’s wearing eyeglasses and holds a cane while bouncing with the other genitalia. The video
In response to comments, Kajsa Peters, the program’s executive producer, wrote on Facebook: “We aim our programs at children, but
Staff drawing Abraham Igene
most parents watch them with the kids and we hope we make it easier for them to talk about and explain things.”
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
LYDIA NIGUSSIE
was aired after its season premiere and genitals were bouncing from edge to edge inside Swedish family home television screens until “Willie” and “Twinkle” jumped in between the legs of a boy and girl silhouette. Their one-minute spot on Barnkanalen is supposed to represent friendly and shameless privates. According to the Guardian, the song uses idioms children use to describe their genitals. The term “Snoppen och Snippan” is what some parents call them at home. They hope to appropriate these terms by educating children with a fun, catchy song. Holmströmhe wrote lyrics pertaining to these parts such as “Here comes the penis at full pace,” and “The vagina is cool. You better believe it, even on an old lady. It just sits there so elegantly.” The clip was uploaded on YouTube and at press time has over 5 million views. Logan Anderson is one of those three million. Anderson, 19, is majoring in 3-D animation. Along with being a Richland student, Anderson is an older brother and an uncle in-law to his 10-year-old nephew. “It’s not too overly inappropriate” Anderson said. “It’s cute. It’s funny. It’s very weird.” For fun, Anderson and his nephew play basketball and Xbox. In response to the video, Anderson said, “They’re not really sexualizing it or anything [but]… I wouldn’t show It.” “It’s hard to learn about,” said Victoria Olivia “It went straight to the point about what they are and what it is without beating around the bushes, which is kind of nice.” Olivia, 23, used to be a nanny to children from infancy to 12. “I know some parents will probably have issues,” Olivia said, adding that she would only show it to a child with parental approval. There was a lot of positive and negative feedback circulating on social media.
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ENTERTAINMENT
‘Day of Ingress’ — just a game, or is it? ANTHONY NGUYEN Staff Writer
The game that’s not really a game, but plays out like a game, but no one thinks it’s a game. Not many people know about it because not many people are chosen for it. The world around us is not what it seems. A strange substance has leaked into our world. Many speculate about its origins, but no one questions its name: Exotic Matter (XM), a powerful form of energy being brought over by mysterious beings we call the Shaper: Many welcomed their visit and wished to merge our way of life with theirs. But some feared the Shapers would bring about the end of humanity. And so began the War of Ingress. OK, OK. That little war scenario was just how I play it in my head. The reality of it is, … how do I say, more flight and less fight. Emphasis on the word “flight” because that’s what you’re doing for the entire game. “Day of Ingress” is an augmented reality massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) played entirely on smartphones. It uses your phone’s GPS system to track your progress and location, as well as any other potential actions you can take to advance your level. Sounds simple, right? Well, remember that war scenario I mentioned to you earlier? This game has two
constantly warring factions that you can choose from: the Resistance marked in blue, or the Enlightenment marked in green. From there, the game thrusts you into a new world that changes your cellphone’s satellite into a real-time display of the battlefield. This is where your phone becomes your XM lifeline. What may be three conspicuous pillars might actually be a portal ready for you to capture. Yep, “Ingress” is the definitive “Capture the Flag,” where the “flags” are portals that are marked by points of interest. You hack portals to get items such as: resonators you can use to claim portals for your faction, XMP bursters to destroy enemy resonators and portal keys to link portals and create control fields. Sound complicated? Well, it can be if you’re not familiar with hacking, because that’s the first thing I did. All I did was tap everything on my phone that looked like it could be hacked or read. But once I got into it, I really got into it. Just the thought of traveling the outside world to progress through the game was more than enough to get me going. You literally have to move around to get the game moving and that was always a bonus. I was taking my sweet time seeing the world around me, visiting places familiar and unfamiliar. When I was on the prowl, I actually felt the rush of the war, as if those portals could be instantly turned against me. I was hav-
ing a lot of fun. But as good as “Ingress” gets, I do have two issues that I sincerely hope that Niantic will address in the near future: 1.The level-cap requirements. Leveling past 8 is not at all a comfortable experience. Instead of performing simple actions, you must acquire the correct type of badges to advance. That can be a pain if you’re not a fan of constantly wandering around. Thankfully, you do get an upgrade to your abilities to supplement this. 2.Confused GPS is confused! I mean, yes, I know I’m outside using the school’s Wi-Fi network so there will be interference, but … this is outright ridiculous. No, Mr. GPS. I’m standing right in front of the observatory in Wichita Hall. What gave you the idea of me riding the atom outside Sabine Hall like a wild buck? And, hello. I’m outside, groping the Lady by the River in the armpit. Stop moving me inside Bonham Hall. I don’t even have a class in Bonham Hall. What’s the matter with you? Overall, I enjoyed “Ingress” very much. The dynamic of you moving around to capture and defend portals is very appealing, if you can deal with its wonky GPS tracking. It’s free on iOS and Android. All you need is a Gmail account, and you’re all ready to conquer the Exotic Matter. Just pray that the Shapers don’t find you first. Staff illustration Isai Diaz
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
‘Kingsman:
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The Secret Service’
Ricky’s Take
RICKY MILLER Entertainment Editor
I just love it when they do things right. Director Matthew Vaughn handles “Kingsman: The Secret Service” by doing spy flicks justice. The tone, at times, is very tongue-incheek. Sure, various people might be meeting their demise, but it’s all handled with the right tone and fervor. Taron Egerton is Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, a British youth who always seems to be in trouble. He befriends Colin Firth’s Harry Hart, better known as Galahad. For all intents and purposes, they comprise a modern update of the Round Table. Also involved is Merlin (Mark Strong, “Sherlock Holmes”), Arthur (Michael Caine, “The Dark Knight”) and Lancelot (Jack Davenport).
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Their enemy is Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson, “Jackie Brown”) who speaks with an amusing little lisp. At his side is Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), a henchman with strong and nimble razor-like legs. Think of Richard Kiel’s “Jaws” persona and his strong silver teeth who constantly thwarted Roger Moore’s James Bond 007. The characters all impress in just the right ways. Eggsy had not seen “Trading Places” or “Pretty Woman” but does acknowledge that he did like “My Fair Lady.” The inside joke of the movie is Jackson’s nemesis Valentine, since it makes a play of Billy Ray Valentine, a character Eddie Murphy made famous in 1983’s “Trading Places.” Vaughn did a great job with the Nicolas Cage-led “Kick-Ass” a couple of years back, and with “Kingsman” he replicates the same intensity and general enjoyment of everything at hand. He also did a half-
way decent job with “X-Men: First Class,” wherein he reintroduced audiences to Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) aka Magneto, Beast (Nicholas Hoult) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). Also, making an appearance is Mark Hamill (“Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope”) as Professor Arnold, who meets his demise way too soon in this enthralling tale. The fun parts are involved with the would-be spies and the tasks that they need to accomplish. Remember, it’s all about teamwork. That is the one thing a lot of the candidates fail to acknowledge on their first sets of tests. With the early-on disappointments of “Seventh Son” and the ‘Wachowskis’ bust that was “Jupiter Ascending,” it is a relief to have such a good time at the movies with “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Grade: AStaff illustration Isai Diaz
“The DUFF” — The acronym is Designated Ugly Fat Friend. Cute yet track team based on a true story that actually delivers in every single here, aB+ former assassin-for-hire who gets pulled back into forgettable fodder about senior high school journalist Bianca (Mae Whit- department. the seething underworld he thought he left behind. Kevin man, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”) who comes out of her shell when she “The Wedding Ringer” — The always annoying and obnoxious “Stonehearst C+ -for This is inanneed intriguing tale is informed of this. Grade: C+ Hart is the ringer of the Asylum” title, an arranger those of friends“Birdman or (“The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance”) variousceremonies. denizens Josh of Gad a mental institution “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” — The gang is all back save for John Cu- for-hireabout for wedding is Doug Harris, thethat singlein- Michael Keaton is athings. washed-up actorlooks staging a onesack, who wasBprobably off doing better The group for Lou’s loathsome loutMichael who needs a friend. cludes Caine, JimC-Sturgess, Kate Beckinsale and showwho on shot Broadway whonether dealsregions. with a Itvariety of pre(Rob Cordury)man assailant, Lou in the was amus“The Boxtrolls” — Oscar-nominated family fun flick from Laika studios, Ben Kingsley. and problems of his play. ing to see Loudicaments and Nick (Craig Riobinson)preceding constantlythe callopening Jacob (Clark the team “St. behind “Coraline” “ParaNorman.” little of stopan Vincent” B and - Bill Murray is a Enjoyable curmudgeon B+this - Brad is commander of levels. a platoon Duke) a nerd, nut.“Fury” Otherwise, messPitt disappoints on so many C- of motionold animation flickbefriends chroniclinga the adventures of a boykid named “Eggs” man who next door neighbor (Jaeden “McFarland soldiers USA” —facing Kevin Costner stars as aplenty the coachinof Germany a high school predicaments at the and various other friendly creatures who spend time living in boxes. B Lieberher) who learns to fend for himself in the everyday
end of World War II. “John Wick” B - Keanu Reeves is the title character
world.
CAMPUS
Encourage, empower, uplift MELANIE BRANDOW Editor-in-Chief
The Conscious Theater Project performed a play addressing the problems in the black community at the Fannin Performance Hall Wednesday. According to the “Project,” despite black and white crime rates being similar, black youth are far more likely to be killed by police. “Suspects in America” deals with controver-
sial subjects including black-on-black crime, hip-hop music and other things that influence Americans. The production takes place in a melodic courtroom setting where Black Man is implicated in a terrorist plot against the country by spreading fear through hip-hop culture. Hiphop music originated from slave music and “It was a protest, it was messages, it was an urban youth thing,” Willie Holmes, author of “Suspects in America,” said. Holmes portrayed the issues of social jus-
“All rise” Jared Dubose as The Police says to the audience during the play.
Staff photos Isai Diaz
tice and in equalities of the black community and how it impacts other racial/ethnic groups. He wanted the student body to understand why “Suspects in America” is important. “Become critical thinkers. I try to resemble both sides of the issues,” and “to just understand,” Holmes said. The audience responded with appreciative applause to the play’s message about how strong racism still is today. For more information about “Suspects in America” visit www.blackenblues.org.
Brittney Dubose as Racist testifies.
Tony Moore as Black Man shows his anger.
Staff photos Isai Diaz
A cooler filled with crawfish at Richland.
Students check in for Mardi Gras beads before getting in line for free food.
Beads were distributed by the Office of Student Life (OSL) to get people in the spirit of the Mardi Gras event that took place in El Paso Hall on Feb. 17. An advertisement was placed on each necklace to let everyone know about upcoming events and programs at Richland. Carter Bedford, director of OSL, who has lived in both Shreveport and New Orleans, said he enjoyed the spirit of the Mardi Gras event. “It’s good to see a celebration for it,” he said. This is Bedford’s second Mardi Gras event, “It’s kinda become a little tradition. And it’s an opportunity for us to have a celebration.” The music department put on performances with themed southern New Orleans music related to Mardi Gras. Students munched on free food from Cajun Crawfish. More than 600 people attended. Bedford said the event was not only for celebration. It was also a chance to get connected. While students snacked on crawfish, there were many discussions/conversations about the upcoming events and programs, such as DSKNECTD. This event is to invite students for conversation to reflect on how digital technologies are changing the way we think, study and connect with others, according to the flyers posted in El Paso Hall. “Overall, I thought it was a good turnout. I think students always enjoy when they get something free,” said Carter. — Melanie Brandow
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
Mardi Gras at Richland: A very ‘Fat Tuesday’
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OPINION
The daily struggles of a Type 2 diabetic
Image courtesy itrtagehealth.com
JOE STUMPO
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
Staff Writer
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“My doctor said, ‘Look, if you can weigh as much as you weighed in high school, you will essentially be completely healthy and will not have Type 2 diabetes, ‘and then I said to her, ‘Well, then I’m going to have Type 2 diabetes because there is no way I can weigh as much as I did in high school.”’ So said Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, 57, when he revealed on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in late 2013 his diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes. I would have said almost the same thing to my parents and grandparents who, up until my diagnosis in 2006 with diabetes, frequently told me that if I didn’t do something about my diet and exercise, I was likely going to get diabetes or encounter worse health problems. My comment to them would have been, “Well, I am sorry, but I like my pastas, pizzas, pastries, hamburgers, steaks, Cokes, eggs with the yellow stuff and anything else that’s likely on the ‘No’ list that causes high blood sugar and heart disease. In short, I am going to get Type 2 diabetes sooner or later, whether I work out or not.” I weighed 180 when I graduated from high school in 1988 and, up until I landed an IT support help desk job in 1996, I managed to keep my weight between the 180 and 200-pound mark simply because the jobs I held involved always standing up and moving around. In
other words, I didn’t need to exercise much. Diabetes, which involves the body’s failure to produce insulin, is a ‘pain-in-the-ass’ disease. Like cancer, it attacks everything in the body, but on a much slower rate. Just because the drugs you are given to take orally during the early onset of Type 2 help bring your sugars down to the 90 to 110 range, like they should be, doesn’t mean they will work forever. It also doesn’t mean one should rely on the meds and think they can continue to eat what they’ve eaten before. Hanks might have been joking about what diabetics must do to fight the disease, but he was certainly right. “You’ve just got to lose weight, exercise a lot and change everything you eat and never, ever, ever, ever, ever, have any fun whatsoever,” he said. I have come full circle on learning such hard lessons. Since 2006, I have continued to assume the meds would keep everything under control and I just have to show up every three to six months for a checkup. That is not the case. During the past eight years, I have seen my weight go from 300 to 260 to as low as 240 over the course of six months or less. I am now maintaining a weight of 215. Not because of dieting and exercising but because the medications stopped working and yet, I thought, “How cool is this” that I can fit back into jeans that have accumulated dust in the closet the past few years. I had vision problems, which baffled the eye doctor because I am nowhere close to devel-
oping glaucoma. It turned out I have central serous retinopathy, which attacks males between 20 and 50 and is brought on by stress and can only by cured if you stop letting everything get to you. For the past seven years, my doctor has been asking if I want to consider weight loss surgery, in particular the gastric bypass or gastric sleeve as he has said repeatedly, the diabetes will go away as a result. Every time he brought it up I said no. After speaking with someone I know, however, who had the gastric sleeve surgery done over the holiday break, I am now actually considering it if for no other reason than I am sick and tired of taking the diabetes medications and pricking my fingers twice a day and I am tired of eating out all the time. I’m at that point that I am willing to be put on a diet by the doctors to make the weight loss surgery work, should I decide to go that route. If you’re wondering if there is a point to my telling you this, there is. It shouldn’t take an actor’s illness, or this column, for that matter, to get people to start looking at their own health and consider seeing a doctor to find out if they could be heading in that self-destructive diabetic direction. People should be taking every precaution to keep from becoming the next number the Centers for Disease Control keeps track of yearly when it comes to how many Americans have been diagnosed with that dreaded “D” word or what I refer to as “a-pain-in-the-ass” disease.”
Common symptoms of diabetes:
Urinating often Feeling very thirsty Extreme fatigue Blurry vision Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
Newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes: What do I do now? 1) Educate yourself. The American Diabetes Association recommends a book called Diabetes A to Z which, by the name you can tell, provides everything you would need to know about diabetes. If you are not the book-reading type (hey not everyone likes to read) you can certainly find a plethora of information on the web. 2) Diet. See a nutritionist. A person’s recommended calorie intake varies and it is very important that you find out the correct one for you to avoid unwanted complications from losing weight too fast. 3) Exercise. Thirty minutes per day is really all you need. It lowers your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. It helps you deal with stress, keeps your body and joints flexible, blood flow and tones muscles and makes your heart and bones strong. 4) Test your blood sugar – ALL DAY! Not only should you check the levels, you should make a record of your levels not just as your own guide but also as a tool that you and your doctor can work with. Your Diabetes goal is going to be to keep your level as close to your target level as possible.
NEWS
JAMES SHRADER Staff Writer
For his second State of the District speech, Dallas County Community College District Chancellor Joe May spoke with a spark in his eye at LeCroy Center on Feb. 16. May is an individual with a big smile who you can’t help but want to talk to. That spark is probably due to the continuation in 2015 of “the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) way,” as May called it. This motto entails the progression of the educational experience through partnerships with the surrounding community and industry. It also includes tailoring career pathways to meet the needs of individual students. These partnerships, or what he calls “alignments,” are one of many things students and facutly will see in 2015. These alignments are used to further the success of each and every Dallas County community college. May has many ambitious goals that could change the way students experience college as a whole. As the district’s 50th anniversary approaches, with Richland being the third college established in 1972, this year marks a turning point in DCCCD history. The chancellor initiated four focal points he will use to achieve success. They include: personalization, alignment, innovation and scale. First, May wants to personalize the college experience even more with new technology, new software and improvements in social media that allow students and teachers to comfortably interact and progress while still using the face-to-face contact. Next is alignment. May said that it is the job of the DCCCD to look to provide a better quality of life for the people in the communities surrounding each college. This means seeking to continue to streamline the “early college” high schools. He said that “businesses migrate toward success” and prosperity means jobs. Also, the industry in our communities is where we will find those jobs for our
future graduates. May is also focusing on innovation in areas such as the demographics and individuals in the community who aren’t going to school but could be. It seems that a lot of people who that aren’t in college believe that they do not “fit in” or that they would be out of place. The chancellor is looking to remedy that problem. One of the ways is through competency testing to give those new students and others, such as veterans, the credit(s) that they deserve from their life experience. May is considering that all students will leave with the credentials, awards and/or degrees in the field of their choice that is necessary to enable them to excel. Some of the new programs that could be coming to the DCCCD are healthcare, auto technology and construction. “What you do in your past doesn’t determine your future,” May said. Freeing up new funding or “risk capital” for new projects and ideas is what May feels necessary. Lastly, May said he wants the district to focus on growing the scale of educational possibilities on an individual basis. There are more than 140,000 students who attend DCCCD schools in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex. Expanding the educational scale comes into play when we help people to expand and grow their dreams. It is then that we empower them to strive to live the life they really want. May is also proposing a new four-year degree in early childhood development, which is one of many examples where the district is tailoring the career pathways to the individual. New plans for 2015 could also save students over $600 during the course of their college experience through new contracts with the campus bookstores. These new programs paint an optimistic future for Richland. These new plans also include other institutions within the district. According to May, it’s a matter of moving forward. “We need to build upon the past, but look to the future and focus on the next 50 years,” May said.
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
The state of the district: The next 50 years
Staff photos Isai Diaz
Chancellor Joe May speaks passionately during his second State of the District speech.
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SPORTS/FEATURE
T-Ducks closer to the national tournament BLANCA REYES
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
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ON THE COVER Chancellor Dr. Joe May
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STUDENT MEDIA STAFF
Staff photo Blanca Reyes
T-Duck guard Brandon Woods drives to the basket Tuesday night.
cally ready for the next step toward reaching the national tournament. Gross said that it was going to be the third time that the T-Ducks confronted Mountain View on the court, so they already know what to expect. “Basically, it is just come out and play; we can’t do anything more or anything less,” Gross said. Although the team tries to keep calm and focused, members are aware of the big possibilities this year to reach the final step to the national championship. “We are still the best team in the conference,” guard Trey Hall said. Hall said that if they keep playing as they usually do, the national championship can be a reality. “I think we are good enough, but, you know, the ball has to bounce right and we have to have a little luck, too,” Simmons said. For more information about the schedules and results visit www.richlandcollege.edu/basketball or stop by Guadalupe Hall, Room G-120.
Richland baseball Thursday Eastfield College 2 p.m.
Saturday
Eastfield College 11 a.m. and 2 p.m
March 2 At Texas Wesleyan JV 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
League art competition produces Richland winners ASHLING HAN Staff Writer
Staff photo Ashling Han
Juan Cruz, left, Professor Tom Motley, Rebecca Shewmaker and Liz Trosper.
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CHRONICLE STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS
Photography Editor
Richland hosted the basketball conference championship tournament last week as a result of the Thunderducks’ winning record in the regular season. The T-Ducks played in the semifinal against Cedar Valley College last Tuesday night. Even though the Suns totally dominated the first half, Richland took the victory, 95-85. “Absolutely, [I’m] happy with the outcome. Just disappointed in how we came out in a game like that” head coach Jon Havens said. “ We just had to come with more fire.” Havens said that even though the Thunderducks where not ready to play in the first half, the team is prepared for the final game. At press time, it was scheduled Saturday against Mountain View. He said the responsibility for the lack of readiness in Tuesday’s game falls back on him. A sizable crowd, including parents, coaches and athletic director Guy Simmons, were there supporting the T-Ducks. Simmons said that the players worked really hard to overcome the first half and Havens did an excellent job supporting and putting all the pieces together to make it possible. “Our kids played really hard and we’re looking forward to Saturday trying to get to the national tournament,” Simmons said. “First half, they [Cedar Valley] just came out more intense, hungrier,” assistant coach Michael Gross said. “The fist half was [a] little accidental, but the second half we turned it around.” Gross said he totally trusts the talent of the team and never feared a repeat of the difficult loss last year. “I trust the guys. They promised it wouldn’t happen,” Gross said. “In the first half, we didn’t play our game. We played their game,” guard Ryan Daniels said. Although fatigue plays an important role in the Thunderducks’ performance, the team took just one day off before preparation for the final game. The coaching team wanted to be sure the T-Ducks were mentally and physi-
Richland
Juan Cruz, a student in Richland Professor Tom Motley’s art appreciation and drawing courses and also currently enrolled at Brookhaven College, won third place for his oil painting at the League for Innovation art competition hosted by Mountain View College. Rebecca Shewmaker, an art major, is also enrolled in the same courses with Motley and was honored for the Mountain View Purchase Award. Liz Trosper, another of Montley’s students, entered a still life painting.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
El Paso Hall, Room E-020, 12800 Abrams Rd. Dallas, 75243 Newsroom: 972-238-6079 E-mail: richanchronicle@gmail.com Advertising: 972-238-6068 E-mail: advertise@dcccd.edu Fax: 972-238-6037 Staff meetings: Monday and Wednesday 2 p.m. in E-020 Letter Policy Letters to the editor may be edited for space. They will be edited for spelling, grammar and malicious or libelous statements. Letters must be the work of the writer and must be signed. For identification and verification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s classification (grade level), full name, address and telephone number, although address and telephone number will not be published. Editorial Policy The Chronicle is the official student-produced newspaper of Richland College. Editorials, cartoons, columns and letters are the opinions of individual students and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other individual student writers, editors, advisers or the college administration. © Richland Chronicle 2014
NEWS/CAMPUS
Physics instructor remembered as dedicated LYDIA NIGUSSIE Staff Writer
Dr. Charles “Jerry” Norrell passed away Feb. 6 at 73. He was a senior academic adviser and an adjunct physics instructor at Richland from August 2002. His colleagues said he was such a modest man, and he was very humble about his intelligence. Norrell pursued science, attending the University of Texas at Arlington. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics and his doctorate at Baylor University. When his father passed away, Norrell managed the family sheet metal company. Wanting to continue working in education, Norrell sold the company to work at Collin College and later Richland. Norrell’s teaching prowess will be remembered. Norrell said he wanted to help “students clarify and reach their educational goals.” He wanted to guide students in striving to achieve. Fred Wittel, dean of math and science, supervised Norrell as part of his job visiting all adjunct classrooms. “He’s a very dedicated teacher,” Wittel said. Norrell was a lecturer who wanted to edu-
cate his students. He also coordinated and supervised the probation academic advising program. Ryan Nelson, a Richland academic adviser, remembers when he and Norrell first met. “He helped hire me,” he recalled, “I remember in my interview he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, thinking ‘this guy looks fun.’ Norrell enjoyed participating in school activites. One day, the advisers were having a themed Hawaiian day. Although Norrell was easy going, he didn’t take the advising position lightly. Nelson said he asked the hardest questions. As the main suspension adviser, Norrell never restricted himself because of his responsibilities; he continued to be there and help others. The first time Nelson dealt with a suspension student, Norrell helped him along in the process so he could understand policy and procedure. Uneasy at first, Norrell made it comfortable for Nelson by thoroughly training him. Most of all, Norrell emphasized the importance of “how to be there with the students,” Nelson said. Adviser Lorrie Anderson said that Norrell had the qualities of a leader. “When he became ill, he became an out-
standing role model,” Anderson said. He suffered lung and blood cancer for a year but still never missed a day. “It showed work ethic because he wanted to be here for his students and fulfill his commitment to his advising,” Anderson said. He was a great mentor. The advisers noticed how much he persevered in his efforts. Anderson said he would help students get serious about academics by practicing study and time management skills with them. Cindy Berry, director of academic advising, said that Norrell wanted to continue to keep serving the young community as he was, “instrumental and helped a lot of students reaching their goals.” Norrell’s persistence and devotion was indisputable to the faculty and staff. In 2011 and 2012, he received the Jean Sharon Griffith Student Development Leadership Award. It personified his honor and prestige. He was always friendly and devoted to his students. “Everybody loved him. He was a really good friend and hard worker,” Berry said. Always willingly, Norrell cherished his time for the betterment of his students. Norrell’s accomplishments will not be forgotten.
Semi, compact wagon collide on Walnut Street
Upcoming Events Today Today
Noon to 1 p.m.
Fusion Band, Cafeteria Stage
“Mardi Gras” (Fat Tuesday) Concert 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Woodwind Quartet
Fannin Performance Hall
Free and open to the public
Wednesday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Thursday Noon to 1 p.m. Richland Jazz Combo Cafeteria Stage 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Entrepreneurship Club Meeting Wichita Hall, Room WH-103
Friday Noon Cafeteria stage
Wednesday – Saturday
March 4-7
Richland Drama Department presents “Little Shop of Horrors,” a musical Fannin Performance Hall
March 5 Pre-Job Fair Event Career Center
Spring Break: March 9-15
Image courtesy Jack Fletcher
Both campus and Dallas police arrived at the scene of an accident involving a semi-trailer truck and a compact wagon Wednesday morning at the intersection of Walnut Street and Richland Oaks Drive. The semi was in the left lane and the car was behind the truck. The
truck made a wide right turn from the left lane onto Richland Oaks Drive. The driver of the car tried to pass on the right before the semi turned. The truck had dragged it against the curb, smashing it. There were no injuries, according to bystanders.
Inclement Weather Hotline: 972-238-6196 For Richland employees: 972-238-6912
Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015
Richland’s Got Talent competition
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Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com February 24, 2015