May 5, 2015

CHRONICLE Richland

Vol. XL Issue 14 May 5, 2015

Dance, dance, dance

Students compete in “So You Think You Can Dance”: Pg. 6

Russian arts Cinco de Mayo

Richland professors discuss Kandinsky’s paintings and Solovyov’s poetry: Pg. 3

A history of Mexico’s independence: Pg. 5 Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com

Official Richland Chronicle Outlets

@ChronicleDCCCD

CAMPUS/SPORTS

Drama students receive internships JOYCE JACKSON

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015

Copy Editor

2

Three drama students of theater professor Gregory Lush have been selected to receive summer internships at Shakespeare Dallas.

Lush said Faith Yocum, Madison Rey and Mary Brown will spend the summer with the professional equity company, one of the biggest arts organizations (and most prestigious) in Dallas.

Lush said he negotiated the internships with Shakespeare Dallas last summer when he was playing the title character in their production of “Tartuffe” at the Shakespeare Festival.

“I realized that they really have a pretty high demand for quality young people to fill these internship positions,” Lush said. “And there are a number of positions every year with the festival. They vary, depending on the season and the specific needs of the plays involved.”

Lush has been associated with the Shakespeare festivals for 10 years, and since he has been at Richland for two years, he said he had a strong sense of what students were about.

“I thought, ‘Why couldn’t we marry these two things together?”’ Lush said “Our students are right here. I’m right here to help supervise. So why don’t we look at making this happen?”

Soon thereafter, Lush set up a meeting with Raphael Parry, Shakespeare Dallas artistic director and Jenni Pitman, development director, to get some insight on creating the internships.

“They were super gung-ho about it and after that, it developed really quickly,” he said.

After discussing it with Drama Department Chair Andy Long and the dean, who were both excited about it, Yocum, Rey and Brown now have summer internships.

Lush said this summer Shakespeare Dallas is performing “The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) [revised].” Their main festival is located at the Samuell Grand Amphithe-

atre, near downtown Dallas, where they have a permanent stage. Their offices are at the Sammons Center for the Arts, where meetings are held.

Lush said the internships are all different.

Yocum is a stage management intern and will begin when rehearsals start. She was also the assistant director in Richland’s April production of “Sylvia.”

Brown is a costuming intern so she will start in the costume shop and later work nights to help dress the actors. Rey is a scenic painter intern and will work on the sets. All three can work 20 hours a week.

Although the internships are unpaid, Lush said what the students will get at the end is credit on their résumé.

“At the successful completion of an internship, they’ll get a letter of recommendation from the artistic director, which is a huge feather in the cap for them,” Lush said. “Then obviously all the professional contacts they’ll make and the experience and the education that they’ll get.”

Lush said the festival is really good about hiring interns as paid employees the following year, if they do a good job.

This fall, Lush said he is appearing in “King Lear,” his sixth show as an actor at Shakespeare Dallas. He said this will be a great opportunity for Richland drama students.

“If it works out well, then in following years, we’ll be the go-to organization when they start their interviewing process,” he said.

Chronicle file photo

Pitcher Eri Sanchez fires a fastball for the Richland T-Ducks at a recent game.

T-Ducks grab last playoff spot BLANCA REYES Photography Editor

image courtesy dcccd.edu

The Richland baseball team squeaked past Cedar Valley 7-6, Friday afternoon, securing a playoff spot.

Although several games were canceled due to severe weather, the Thunderducks fought to finish the regular season strong to make the playoffs.

“The team struggled a little bit during the year; however, in the last couple weeks we

played a lot better. And if we can win one game this weekend against Cedar Valley, we’ll clinch the last playoffs spot,” head coach Guy Simmons said before the game.

Even though practices have been canceled several times due to rain, Simmons is confident about the team.

“It has been one of the strangest seasons in my all coaching career, as far as weather … but we do the best we can,” Simmons said.

For more information on baseball and other sports offered on campus, stop by Guadalupe Hall, Room G-114.

CAMPUS

‘A moment!’ of Russian poetry and art RYAN BINGHAM DUFF Staff Writer

image courtesy pinetrest.com

Professor Tom Motely used the painting “Transverse Line” as a starting point for the presentation, mapping Kandinsky’s journey to the abstract.

that it may be near impossible to define, since Kandinsky had used certain colors to represent the characters on the canvas.

Motley ended his presentation with a quote from Erin Hoffman while viewing a slide of Kandinsky’s, “Several Circles” in 1926: “The viewer reacts to it as if he went to a music score; when he sees it as a purely formal arrangement and does not look for representational references or emotional representations.”

“That was now Kandinsky’s purpose. To create with elementary forms, subtly arranged in a concrete pictorial reality in its own right, which will justly be called ‘a composition,’” Motley said.

He had a passion for art and drawing and was raised in a family of farmers. Motley said, quoting his parents, “If it didn’t have a cow, it wasn’t art.” Motley has been teaching art, art history and drawing at Richland for 43 years.

Hayley Mida, 24, who is not only a gradu-

Job skills 101: How to build a résumé Professor Charlene Mary A. James, a professional networking coach, had students take a sharpie and write down one word that defines them on a nametag as part of an exercise.

Next step she asked: “What’s your proof ?”

“Intelligent” was the word one student with a 4.0 GPA chose. Another wrote “Life” and was unable to come up with a credible explanation. This warm-up exercise was intended to help students see what companies are looking for.

James holds a doctorate in communications studies and teaches at Texas Southern University and Lone Star Community College, and has worked with the University of Texas Public Health, Houston Area of Urban Professionals, Houston Area Urban League and the Texas Association of Black Schools.

At the presentation, James discussed not only about how to build a good résumé and a self-brand, but also about how to take charge of a job interview.

She also lectured on how to maximize networks, how to best connect to capital, acquire money, buy things, build an empire, build partnerships and create opportunities.

James took it a step further when she shared with the class a presentation manual intended to teach students about writing a self-motivated résumé. The résumé was intended for discovery about the individual writing it and to reveal the important details about certain skills that hiring companies in particular need from

Staff photo Isai Diaz

Charlene James explains how to take charge of a job interview.

a potential employee.

Anthony Simpson, 19, a broadcast major and Richland president of the Black Student Association (BSA), said the presentation was informal yet superb for a lot of people who don’t have the knowledge about résumé.

“It’s actually a serious problem with this generation these days, the whole process of actually not obtaining a job,” Simpson said.

“This is a first step.”

Aspiring activist Essence Provoest, 19, a political science major and BSA treasurer, said, “They told us what was approriate and what wasn’t. They told us about professional dress, handshakes, eye-contact and every single thing

that mattered.”

James admitted that back in 2007 when she graduated, it was difficult to find work because nobody was hiring at the time. She would always receive callbacks from interviews due to the look of her résumé and her portfolio, but she was unsuccessful at getting hired because of a lack of qualifications.

James shared five tips for an applicant who wants to acquire a specific occupation: “First, prepare. Research the organizations first. Know who youre talking to (the interviewer). You could call a day before and ask who will be conducting your interview and then do background research about them,” James said “Own the interview.” She noted that when most people go into an interview they are passive. “They go in, sit down, and then they wait for whatever the person asks them. Take charge of the interview,” she said.

“Ask questions.” James suggested having at least two relevant questions in advance and said it shows that “A: You know about their business and B: You’ve done your research.”

“Know the company culturally.” By that, James means when you go in for a job interview and know what the company is about, you should dress the part.

“Don’t leave yourself out of the interview.”“Tell them who you are, not what you can do,” James said. “They saw your résumé. They already know that.”

— Ryan Bingham Duff

Staff photo Isai Diaz

Motley discusses the meaning of Kandinsky’s paintings.

ate with a bachelor’s in art history but and a former student of Motley and Ewing, said, “I’ve studied the work of Kandinsky before.”

Mida added that she found Solovyov a very inspirational poet for Kandinsky. She said, “I find, it’s very interesting information I didn’t know before.”

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015

A presentation focusing on Russian poetry by professors Tom Motley and Jon Ewing who teach art history and religion respectively, captivated the audience in Brazos Gallery Wednesday.

Ewing, who holds PhD in theology, teaches both religion and philosophy. He shared a portion of “Three Encounters,” a famous poem written by Vladimir Solovyov. The room fell silent as Ewing brought the words to life: But then the sun’s orb rose above the skyline A moment! Then the vision hid away— The glorious sounds of perpetual chiming, The desert silent as my soul prayed.

Ewing said that Solovyov wrote the poems as he traveled by steamboat across the Mediterranean and in the deserts of Egypt.

The poem was translated from its native Russian by Judith Deutsch Kornblatt from the department of Slavic languages and studies at the University of Wisconsin.

Art history professor Motely then took the lead and focused on the painted works of Wassily Kandinsky. According to Motley, Kandinsky’s artwork has been one of history’s most popular sources of study. Motley said that Kandinsky’s work often involved what Solovyov wrote so that the world could try to understand what he was seeing. Motley added

3

ENTERTAINMENT

RICKY MILLER

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015

Entertainment Editor

4

This sequel is like hearty comfort food.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” does what it’s supposed to in bringing in new characters and identities while not forsaking others in the process.

Remember, at the end of last year’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the audience was introduced to the brother and sister duo of Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch?

Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, “Godzilla”) and Quicksilver (Aaron-Taylor Jonson, “KickAss”) now work for Ultron, voiced with a sinister stride and nefarious tone by James Spader, who squared off with Robert Downey Jr. in 1987's “Less Than Zero”. In that one, Spader’s persona of Rip was just a lowlife drug dealer to aid Downey’s quest to score his next high.

Returning to the director’s chair is Joss Whedon, who obviously took cues from the first chapter wherein his camerawork glides from one fight sequence into the next without

Image courtesy soundonsight.org

Iron Man gets it done in Hulk Buster armor in this latest installment of the series.

missing a beat. He knows where to position the camera in every single shot.

This chapter does exactly what it’s supposed to do in bringing forth further adventures of the team to face in fighting nefarious races

that encompass a neverending tapestry of death and destruction.

Part of the plot to “Age of Ultron” deals with Tony Stark’s dabble into the world of artificial intelligence. He discusses this at

Ultron, voiced by James Spader, shows off his laser-firing skills in the second “Avengers” movie, “Age of Ultron.”

length with Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

Banner is secretly interested in Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssen) on the side, but the pair wants something real they can cling to.

Integral to this chapter is Hawkeye’s (Jeremy Renner) safe house, where he lives with his family in a foreign land.

Also playing significant parts in the story are Captain America (Chris Evans), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Falcon (Anthony Makie), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård).

Another new introduction comes with the appearance of Vision (Paul Bettany), who used to be the voice of Jarvis, Stark’s old ally and friend.

Like Richard Donner’s fun sequel “Lethal Weapon 2,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron” delivers in every single department. From the ridiculous stunts and ludicrous plot twists to the relationships and friendships.

Grade: B+

Image courtesy Imgur.com

CAMPUS/COLUMN

this day has different meanings in Mexico and in the United States.

Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday Managing Editor in Mexico. It is the day of La Batalla de La Almost everyone knows that the Cinco de Puebla (The Battle of Puebla). This battle was Mayo celebration is related to Mexico. What relevant because it was the first time that the many people do not know, however, is that Mexican military defeated a foreign military,

MARTA PLANELLS

in this case, the French.

The battle took place in 1862, at the same time that the American Civil War was happening. If the Mexican military hadn’t defeated the French, the ending of the American Civil War could have been very different.

In the United States, Latinos in California

started Cinco de Mayo observences after the Civil War. They would dress up in traditional clothing.

Over time, it has been transformed into a day to celebrate Mexican ethnicity and culture.

A student sampling

“I do not know much about it. I have [heard] about it.”

“I think it is the independence from Mexico.

I do not [celebrate it].”

Nicolas Lopez Computer science

Magnolia Burne Biology

“I know it is a big celebration ... Was it for our independence?”

“Isn’t that the independence? Between Mexico and Spain?”

Jacob Hand Computer science

Felix Barbosa Criminal justice

ASHLING HAN

Donation information:

Staff Writer

The Nepal earthquake, packing a magnitude of 7.8, killed at least 6,000 people on April 25.

It also destroyed a lot of heritage temples.

I went to Nepal in 2012 with six friends. We were there for two months as we traveled from town to town with members of a band while they performed. They played a mix of regional and local music with the popular music at the time. They wanted to spread local musical traditions with modern instruments.

When the earthquake happened, I lost contact with my friends in Nepal and only heard from them Thursday night on Facebook. One of them lost their house and many are afraid to go into their homes because it is still dangerous. They are collecting money for themselves to live and to help others in the countryside.

My friends who went to Nepal with me have been calling to talk about the disaster. We spoke about the beautiful views, spectacular architecture and welcoming people we met there. Looking at all the ruins of the places we had seen broke our hearts.

Several temples, including the Dharahara

AmeriCares Napal relief fund: www.americares.org

Image courtesy Ashling Han

Image courtesy The Washington Post

Ashling Han with friends at one of the temples in Durbar Square in Nepal.

The same temple in Durbar Square after the earthquake in Nepal.

tower built in 1832, and the Manakamana Temple in Gorkha, were also destroyed. The Unesco World Heritage site, Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square, has been ruined.

Memories of the first foreign country I traveled to cannot be crumbled, however. It is a peaceful country with friendly people and

diverse heritages. Every building with delicate craftsmanship, wood carvings and breathtaking sculptures still exists in my memory bank.

We should not only remember Nepal as the site of this tragedy, but also as the beautiful country where visitors, like me, came to appreciate the art and life.

American Red Cross Nepal earthquake relief: www.redcross.org

ActionAid International Nepal earthquake emergency appeal: www.act.actionaid.org

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015

Nepal: A shaken country, yet beautiful memories remain

5

CAMPUS

A passionate performance in Fannin

Richland

CHRONICLE STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Layout Editor Online Editor Photography Editor Entertainment Editor Copy Editor

Melanie Brandow Marta Planells Kisten S. Chetty Joe Stumpo Blanca Reyes Ricky Miller Joyce Jackson

ON THE COVER Students dancing in the cafeteria.

Kandinsky’s “Several Circles.”

Mexico with Mexican flag.

COVER AND FONTS Photo illustration Isai Diaz. Left: Image courtesy grupimprovizo.com. Right: Image courtesy wikipidea.com

Michael Brock plays “Tanguissimo” during a concert in Fannin Hall.

“Music in Emotion,” a spring symphonic instrumental concert, evoked emotions from the audience in Fannin Performance Hall April 28. It was a riveting, passionate performance.

The concert included six sections: the Richland string orchestra with director Jordan Kuspa; the Richland chamber woodwinds with director Sharon Knox-Deuby; the Richland chamber with director Phares Corder; the Richland percussion group with director Derrick Logozzo; the Richland chamber strings ensemble with Kuspa and the Richland wind

Certain cover fonts are provided by the following: http://www.nymfont.com - http://www.bvfonts.com

Staff photos Ashling Han

symphony, also under the direction of Logozzo.

It showcased varied styles with different instruments. Some students played multiple roles in different sections of the concert.

Guest violinist Nicholas Leh Baker impressed with “Le Quattro Stagioni /The Four Seasons.” The familiar melody flowed out of him emotionally. He played with confidence and joy, celebrating the season with music.

— Ashling Han

STUDENT MEDIA STAFF Crissy Ashley Isai Diaz Ryan Bingham Duff Ashling Han Abraham Igene Truman Kohler-Katz

Anthony Nguyen Lydia Nigussie Jerome Robinson II James Shrader Fatma Mohamed Swaleh Quan Tran

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS Carolina Sweeney performs on French horn.

Romp in the cafeteria

Erica Edwards Jack Fletcher David Goodloe Tim Jones

Steve Noviello Larry Ratliff Marshall Siegel

ISSUE DATES May 5 May 12

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015

AWARDS

6

ACP Pacemaker Winner, 2000, 2001, 2007 ACP Pacemaker Finalist, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007 ACP Online Pacemaker Finalist, 2007, 2008 1st Place - TIPA Sweepstakes, 2005 3rd Place - TIPA Online, 2005 & 2006 Over 170 Texas college journalism awards since 2000 CMA Newspaper of the Year Finalist, 2014 1st Place – TCCJA Overall General Excellence, 2014 2nd Place - Pinnacle College Media Award, 2014

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

Staff photos Isai Diaz

The “So You Think You Can Dance” competition brought the sounds of a cheering crowd mixed with popping and locking break dancers to the cafeteria Thursday. Above left: Johnny Blanford displays his

winning style. Right: Darrell Rodgers Jr., left, took second place, Jacob Smith won third place and Blanford took home the prize for first, an iHome stereo clock radio valued at $100.

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 2015

OPINION/CAMPUS

It’s time for some medical compassion BLANCA REYES Photography Editor

“Why is it so bad that a patient feels good?”

That was one of the most emotional questions that Barbara Humphries, a 31-year-old patient with Stage 3 breast cancer, posed to the Texas legislators Tuesday, according to txcann.com.

The testimony from about 70 people supporting the legalization of marijuana in Texas were heard for hours. Ultimately, the bill was left pending in committee. It was unknown at press time if or when it will be scheduled for a vote.

In the meantime, Texans who have various medical conditions such as epilepsy and cancer remain in limbo, waiting for the “yes” vote that could change their lives.

Even though Texas has a tradition of being a very conservative state, last week House Bill 3785, which would allow doctors to prescribe cannabidiol (CDB) to patients, was supported by patients, doctors, veterans and parents who described themselves during testimony as conservative Christians, according to txcann.com.

If the bill passes, Texas families would be able to receive the medical treatment they seek in their home state. The Department of Health and Human Services could implement the treatment program as soon as 2016 if the bill passes.

“I will see Texas continuing to lead the way of diverting away from activity that involves drug use and helping people lead more productive lives,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said,

Images courtesy radicalruss.com

according to an article published in the Dallas Morning News.

Although Abbott and the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas have already stated that they do not support the legalization of marijuana, the effectiveness of CDB for multiple conditions such as seizures, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder that many veterans suffer is well documented.

The only organization that was scheduled

to testify against the bill was the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas; however, none of its representatives testified.

Given some of the healing qualities attributed to marijuana, I do not understand why the legislators cannot listen the people who really need it to improve their quality of life and be free of legal drugs that don’t work as well and have terrible side effects.

Among the those who testified, according to various online sources, there were doctors who said they feel frustrated not to be able to prescribe CBD to their patients knowing the benefits it could bring to their health.

According to txcann.com, a doctor from MD Anderson Cancer Center, David Yang, supports the bill, saying that it shows promising treatment options for cancer patients.

Yang broke down the plant’s effectiveness to a molecular level. He cited it as being a safe and effective treatment for patients.

Many of the people against legalization are afraid that this bill will open the door to the legalization of marijuana for recreational use and the consequence might be an increase in crime.

It is no secret that the states that have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational purposes have had a decrease in drug-related crime; also, 13 states have already approved CBD oil and the results of its use are obivious.

The stagnation of medical marijuana legislation is more about imbedded taboos than science-based concerns about the effectiveness — and the impact on our conservative Texas society.

Upcoming Events Today 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Student Government Elections Seven positions open

Voting at tables in El Paso Hall Student ID required

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cinco de Mayo celebration

Outdoors in the breezeway 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Honors Vocal Recital

Fannin Performance Hall 7:30 p.m.

Spring World Beat Concert:

“Drumming From Another World” Richland’s Percussion Group and Steel Bands

Fannin Performance Hall

May 6 7:30 p.m.

Spring Student Composer’s Concert: “Through the Sounds of Time”

Works composed by students of Professor Jordnn Kuspa

May 7 Summer Classes:

Game Design Day: May 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Time to register for summer classes and Maymester.

Lecture:

Get ahead with your degree this summer by taking some classes at Richland. Registration for Summer I, Summer II and Maymester classes is now open.

Summer I classes begin June 8 and Summer II starts July 13.

Flex-Term classes are available too, with a variety of dates.

Search for classes by using the express credit class finder tool or the browsable class schedule.

How to register: • • •

Register online via eConnect Register on campus Visit the campus website www.dcccd.edu for current information

Book buyback:

The Follett Bookstore on campus is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. For additional information call 972-231-7315.

Noon, SH-118 “ Creating an Unreal 4 Boxworld Space” Michael McCoy Jr., Lecturer of Design SMU Guildhall program

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Instrumental Honors Recital Fannin Performance Hall

May 9

Lecture:

1:30 p.m., SH-118 “Mobile VR, The Business of Games & the Future!”

Scott March, President and Creative Director for SpiderMonk Entertainment

7:30 p.m.

Event:

Fannin Performance Hall

11 a.m. to noon, SH-118 Come play the latest multi-player creations by Richland Game Design Students

Event:

3 to 4 p.m., T-242 “Motion Capture Lab” Visit the new Richland

Richland Music Scholarship Benefit Concert Wind Symphony String Orchestra, Chamber Singers Admission $10

May 11-14 Final exams

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015

Fannin Performance Hall

7

8

Richlandchronicle.wordpress.com May 5, 2015