Richland Chronicle December 4th, 2018

CHRONICLE Richland

Vol. XLV Issue 14 December 4, 2018

Rebirth in Rowlett

Pg. 3

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2 CAMPUS

December 4, 2018

Your favorite teacher

The Excellence in Teaching Award nominations are underway.

Photo illustration Emily Escamilla

Has a teacher changed your life?

Let them know: Nominate them

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Trace Miller

Staff Writer Is there a teacher whose positive impact resides within you? A teacher who changed the course of your studies — and perhaps the course of your life? Are you struggling to find something commensurate to your gratitude?

Look no further. Nominations for the Excellence in Teaching Award are underway.

With a few simple clicks of the mouse, you can nominate an incredible teacher for this prestigious award, described by recipient Susan Barkley as “the greatest honor I’ve ever had.”

Barkley, executive dean of World Languages, Cultures and Communications and recipient of the 1999 award, further extolled its symbolism and value.

“It means more than you can ever imagine,” she said. “It’s the greatest honor I’ve ever had because it came from my students.”

Any professor or teacher can be awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award: Full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, continuing education, or staff and administrators who teach. To be eligible for the award, a faculty member must be nominated by a student or colleague. This can be done online at www.richlandcollege.edu/ excellence. Nominations close in March.

The process itself is quite simple: Fill out an electronic form with your name, phone number and email address, your professor’s name and the outstanding class in which you partook, then write a short paragraph explaining why this professor deserves this distinguished honor.

There is no essay required, so don’t worry about perfection. Once nominated, professors have their work cut out for them. Samantha Alkadi, a workforce ESL instructor and recipient of the 2018 award, described the process as “pretty intense.”

All nominees are required to compose a document describing their teaching philosophy and to submit it to the selection committee. In the end though, it’s worth the effort.

A prime parking spot and $1,000 educational grant await the award recipients each year.

Barkley, who taught French at the time, used her grant to bring a speaker to Richland.

As for the more material, temporal benefits, Alkadi said, “It is nice to have the parking spot. I know I don’t have to spend an extra five or 10 minutes looking for a parking spot in the morning.”

Barkley, when asked if professors have auctioned their parking permits to eager students, laughed and replied, “Oh, I don’t know! I’ve never heard. I’ve heard people sometimes give it to someone else.”

Yet for all the honor and glory, Alkadi stressed “Teaching is not about awards. My awards [for] teaching are a student coming in and telling me ‘I was able to talk to my children’s teachers and I don’t need a translator anymore.’”

“As a teacher, it’s our job to motivate our students”— not to focus on winning awards and recognition. It’s nice to be recognized, but at the same time the real rewards of teaching aren’t awards,” she said.

December 4, 2018

LOCAL/MAIL 3

Rowlett:A tale of tragedy and resilience Staff Writer

Part 1 of a 2 part series As the winter holidays approach with fun and festivities on the minds of many, a solemn anniversary looms for the survivors of the 2015 tornado that devastated parts of Garland and Rowlett.

Bohdana Kertesz, administrative assistant to the dean for the School of Social Sciences, is a storm survivor. Despite losing her home, she stayed strong, has fully recovered and moved on.

“Life goes on and I still get a little nervous when I hear the sirens and I guess that’s just natural. We moved on and recovered. It’s just the material stuff can always be replaced. You just got to appreciate each other more when these things happen and enjoy life.”

On Dec. 26, 2015, the storm outlook showed North Central Texas was under an “enhanced risk” of storms, where numerous severe storms are possible. By evening, a tornadic thunderstorm over South Dallas moved north, forming a tornado in Sunnyvale that moved toward Garland and Rowlett.

Just as festive celebrations were ending, this emergency broadcast from the National Weather Service turned the day into the worst experience ever for many residents: “Spotters report a large and extremely dangerous tornado north of Sunnyvale moving north toward Garland and Rowlett. If you are in the path of this storm, take cover immediately!”

Stephen Levine, senior academic adviser at Richland College and avid storm-chaser,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Reader says president Trump is a “dangerous demagogue” Two years ago, in this newspaper, I declared that Donald Trump was unfit to hold the office of president of the United States. I sincerely wish that his performance since that time had

given me reason to admit that I had misjudged him, but sadly, after nearly two years in office, he has more than proven me right.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “demagogue” as “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices, false claims and promises in order to gain power.” In light of his frequent fearmongering rhetoric, I can think of no other person who more closely fits that definition than Donald Trump.

Frankly, I am astonished that he was ever elected president in the first place, or that he was even seriously considered as a candidate.

His personal behavior, both before and since taking office, has consistently been that of a narcissistic spoiled juvenile who thinks he knows everything but who actually knows very little, who betrays his lack of even the most basic knowledge every time he opens his mouth and who thinks nothing of mocking disabled people, and belittling women, minorities and decorated military veterans.

Yet the people who make up his base, people who appear to lack either the ability or the willingness to think for themselves, apparently have no problem with the president of the United States exhibiting, on nearly every occasion, the sort of boorish bad behavior that no responsible parent would ever allow their

Staff photo Ryan Bingham Duff

The “Spirit of Rowlett” memorial is located at Schrade Bluebonnet Park in Rowlett.

“First thing of course, I had to focus on finding another place where I’m going to stay.

It was hard because everybody else was looking for a place to stay. I remember the hotels were booked out and we managed to find a place for the first couple of days and then later on, I stayed with my friend for a couple of weeks until we found a more permanent living [space],” Kertesz said. Emergency response

teams were there to help them.

“The response was incredible from everybody from churches, workplaces, even here at Richland, of course. People were just incredible for explaining concerns and wishing well, asking them about us, to donations and helping but it helped a lot, based on recovery. That people keep you in mind that you’re not alone, that helped a lot,” she said.

own children to get away with. Why they give the president a pass is entirely baffling to me.

If I treated my students the way that Trump treats the press, I’d soon be out of a job.

It is generally conceded that all politicians lie, but let’s face it, some lie a lot more often than others and some a lot more blatantly than others. There can be no question that Trump is one of the latter.

While listening to the speeches that he gives at his rallies, the provocative and outrageous statements he seems to simply make up as he goes along never cease to amaze me. Sometimes, he not only lies but also says things that make absolutely no sense. Recently, at one of his televised rallies, I heard him say that he had kept more promises than he had made. How is that even possible?

Americans seem to have already forgotten that only a few short weeks ago, just before the midterm elections, an ardent Republican, whose van was plastered with pro-Trump stickers and whose social media presence made it clear that he was a big fan of the president, was arrested and charged with sending letter bombs to several high-ranking Democrats including two former presidents.

Yet Trump disavowed any personal responsibility for the divisive, inflammatory language

he frequently uses that seems to have animated the alleged would-be assassin. By routinely demonizing Democrats, refugees, legitimate news outlets such as CNN or NBC (which he insultingly calls “Fake News” or “the Enemy of the People”) and just about anyone who either disagrees with his policies or publicly points out the falsity of his often outrageous claims, he has shown himself to be nothing less than a dangerous demagogue.

By sowing the seeds of discord he does nothing to heal the political divide that is so painfully apparent in this country. If anything, he is making it worse by appealing to emotion and fear (most of it baseless), rather than to reasoned, civil discourse.

It is ironic that the president often uses derogatory language to describe the press or his political opponents that is far more applicable to him. By both words and deeds, he almost daily proves that it is he, not they, who is “rude,” an “embarrassment” and a “disgrace.”

I’ll give Trump this: Despite his limited vocabulary (or perhaps because of it), he certainly knows how to work a crowd and get them on his side. But so did Hitler.

– Dr. Steven Butler is an adjunct faculty member in the history department at Richland.

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Alex Ortuno

said the tornado was significant to Dallas and Rockwall Counties.

“It reached a status of EF-4, which is considered a very destructive tornado and when it moved up north, it diminished into an EF-3. It was one of the strongest tornadoes we’ve had in Dallas County and extremely rare for so late in December.”

“Destructive” is a fitting description, as it carved 13 miles of damage with wind speeds estimated at 170 to 180 mph. It also occurred at an uncommon time.

“The peak [tornado] season is April and early May but we can get them elsewhere during the year. There is a second storm that sometimes occurs in October and November, where tornadoes can happen. This outbreak the day after Christmas is basically unprecedented in North Texas,” Levine said.

Although significant from meteorological viewpoints, it was also for those hit. With $26 million of damage, nearly 600 homes were damaged and almost 400 were destroyed.

Although Richland was not hit directly, it was impacted nonetheless as many staff members and students were affected.

Kertesz’s home was hit by the tornado.

“On that day, I was driving from my work [because] I have another job. I was driving back home and basically the tornado hit and I was caught on the road, which was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. The most stressful thing about it was the separation from my son because my son was at home and I was trying to get to him,” she said.

When she arrived home, she found her son had survived. It was not easy for them after the tornado though, as many obstacles arose.

4 ENTERTAINMENT

December 4, 2018

‘Fantastic Beasts’ casts a spell Ricky Miller

Entertainment Editor I like it when sequels continue the storyline without losing the appeal of the original. That is why I relished every moment of the all-new “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” a follow-up to the 2016 release.

The story picks up a couple of years later, when Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) awakens after ingesting a love potion. The spell leaves him with the exact same feelings for Queenie (Alison Sudol) who orchestrated the spell to ensure their compatibility as a couple. The pair enjoy each other’s company, but Kowalski cannot be with Queenie because he is considered a “No Mag,” or non-magical, which means a real-life relationship is out of the question.

The storyline in “Crimes of Grindelwald” focuses on Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) who faces off against Johnny Depp’s Grindelwald. Scamander does not usually get involved in such human matters.

He prefers to be more of the observer type and avoid conflict. Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) has plans for Scamander, but due to an unwritten rule, cannot interfere in the situation.

Another part of this tale involves Newt’s relationship with Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston). The pair share great chemistry that sizzles on the big screen.

David Yates returns to direct “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” in yet another well-shot, made-for-the-big-screen tale that looks simply amazing on the IMAX screen. Like in the earlier chapter, Oscarwinning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot returns. He won an Oscar for shooting Robert Redford’s familial slice-of-life, fly-fishing tale “A River Runs Through It” in 1992.

Those familiar with the Harry Potter universe will feel right at home here, since “Grindelwald” makes direct references to some of the past characters. Viewers are treated to vistas of Hogwart’s Academy throughout this fun and involving flick.

As far as modern sequels go, I put this one close to the top. To me, when things of significance happen in the fantasy genre, it’s because the filmmakers have to bring their best foot forward and create something significant. I particularly enjoyed Guillermo Del Toro’s “Blade II” from 2002. It perfectly blended the bloodsucker lore from the comic book genre with modern-day Los Angeles. Del Toro’s film “Pacific Rim” also explored the fantasy element with robots punching giant monsters in the face.

I admire what Yates did with the material in “Grindelwald” and look forward to seeing what he and writer J.K. Rowling bring to the future chapters of these tales.

Grade: A-

Eddie Redmayne stars in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

New

as e l e r

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“Robin Hood” — Yet another update about the iconic hero who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Taron Egerton plays Robin of Loxley who faces adversities aplenty with Ben Mendelsohn as Sheriff of Nottingham.

Also with Jamie Foxx and Eve Hewson.

C

Photo courtesy IMDb

Photo courtesy IMDB

Michael Jordan, left, and Sylvester Stalone star in “Creed II.”

‘Creed II’ packs a punch Ricky Miller

Entertainment Editor The passing of the torch can be a tough thing to watch. On one hand, it’s a generational thing, but on the other, it’s carving out a new path for those facing their own struggles and challenges.

What is interesting in “Creed II” is that the storyline starts in the past with Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago and his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) on the streets of Russia.

This is a major turning point in the story.

His character is there for a major shift in the overall tone and structure of the film.

Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is now the heavyweight champion of the world. He looks up to and sees Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa as a father figure.

After the success of “Creed” in 2015, the movie studios were clamoring for a follow-up.

That was acknowledged when Stallone was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. Stallone lost to Mark Rylance in Steven Spielberg’s equally amazing tale, “Bridge of Spies.”

Tessa Thompson as Bianca and Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne Creed offer great support in “Creed II.” Bianca is with Adonis and is on the verge of hitting it big on the music scene. Mary Anne is the widow of Carl Weathers’ Apollo Creed, who gets killed in Stallone’s “Rocky IV,” one of the biggest hits of 1985.

“Green Book” —This is the story of an accomplished African-American pianist and an ItalianAmerican driver who face discrimination when touring the southern United States in the 1960s. Expect Viggo Mortensen and costar Mahershala Ali to be front-runners in this year’s Oscar race.

A+

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” — This animated sequel to “Wreck it Ralph” (2012) finds Ralph (voiced

by John C. Reilly) at odds with Vanellope (Sarah Silverman). Friends explore new game dynamics on the internet while everything points to the shutdown of the arcade they know as home.

C

Going back to “Creed II,” Russell Hornsby plays a Don King-like promoter who stages fights and likes to give the boxers their big pay day. If he looks familiar that is because he spent the better part of a decade on the underrated NBC show “Grimm” as Portland cop Hank Griffin.

Also making a very brief appearance is Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmilla Drago, Ivan’s ex-spouse and Viktor’s mom. She is no longer with Ivan, rather someone who just takes care of herself and satisfies her ego and self-worth.

The trouble is that at the end of “Rocky IV,” Drago was looked down upon by the masses as an outright failure and second-class citizen.

When his son starts beating other champions, Drago finds a way to be viewed with honor and pride again.

If one looks closely at the credits, they will see that Stallone also contributed to the screenplay as he has for most of the “Rocky” franchise movies. He also gets a producing credit with co-producers David Winkler, Irwin Winkler, William Chartoff, Charles Winkler and Kevin King Templeton.

Directing credit goes to Steven Caple Jr., who won a couple of Black Reel awards for his 2016 film “The Land.” Caple was also nominated in 2014 for the short film “A Different Tree.”

“Creed II” knows its pace and limitations, so it never settles into the doldrums. There are a few hokey spots, but that comes with the “Rocky” territory.

Grade: B

“The Front Runner” — Based on a true-life tale about former Senator Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman), who faced scrutiny over an alleged love affair in the midst of his presidential campaign. With Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons and Alfred Molina.

C

“Widows” — This intriguing action-drama is about a group of women (Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki) struggling to pay a debt their late husbands owed to a ruthless gangster. Also with Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell and Liam Neeson.

— Ricky Miller B+

‘Tis the season to give Kobloh-Obase Kammonke, Josiah Rogers

Staff writers Toys for Tots has been reaching out to families all over the U.S. for more than 71 years at Christmas. This year, Richland’s Health Professions Club pioneered an initiative to partner with Toys for Tots in a bid to reach out to less fortunate kids.

The donations will go to under-privileged children whose parents cannot afford to buy them Christmas gifts.

There are boxes set up in six locations on campus; the library in Bonham, the Learning Center in Medina, the Honors Office in El Paso, the Office of Student Life in El Paso, the Math Science and Health Profession office and the Multicultural Center in Thunderduck.

The boxes will be in place through the first week of December.

According to Jackie Reynolds, a biology professor at Richland and sponsor of the event, those who intend to donate should bring unwrapped toys in the original packaging. This is to enhance the look of the gifts and to avoid second-hand presents, so each child will feel special and have a new quality gift.

“It is nice to do something nice for somebody. There a lot of children that don’t get anything or [not] very much,” Reynolds said.

“I mean, for adults it’s one thing. Christmas is less important as an adult. The younger you are, [the more important it feels] I kind of feel sorry for those children.”

The donated toys will be taken to the main Toys for Tots office in West Dallas where the sorting and distribution takes place.

The Health Professions Club is for people going into the medical field. Their next meeting is from 2 to 3 p.m., Dec. 6 in Sabine Hall, Room 133.

Angel Tree For the past 140 years the Salvation Army has facilitated the Angel Tree Program in order to help families in need provide gifts for their children during the winter holidays.

Richland has provided gifts for more than 100 angels this year.

“It kicks off in November to give people time to adopt the angel, shop for the angel and time for the parents to wrap [the presents],” Louise Rogers Keim, administrative assistant II, in the Office of Student Life said.

The Salvation Army strategically delivers the angel (a card with the child’s age and

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Christmas present wishes on it) at the beginning of November to provide not only time to shop, but also time to take advantage of the holiday sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Donors return the gifts to the Salvation Army base where they got the angel. At Richland, it’s the Office of Student Life. The parents are permitted to wrap the gifts and give them to their children. “[This] makes them [the parents] feel like they’re still doing something for their loved ones,” Keim said.

Some may frown upon the Angel Tree program and wonder why the donors don’t just deliver the gifts to the recipients themselves, but the point of the program is for families to gather and share gifts.

While the program does have an extremely high success rate, there is one major issue.

Some angels are not taken off the tree.

Keim said these “forgotten angels” are not left out. “The Salvation Army keeps a list of names and reserve gifts. People tend to spend too much on everybody else. This holiday season you are encouraged to adopt an angel and bless those in need with Christmas gifts,” she said.

CAMPUS 5

Staff photo Emily Escamilla

Boxes to collect for Toys for Tots are located throughout campus.

RichlandStudentMedia.com

December 4, 2018

6 CAMPUS/LOCAL

December 4, 2018

Dean enters new phase: retirement CHRONICLE Richland

Joyce Jackson Copy Editor

Martha Hogan might know everything about what it takes to be a dean after 21 years at Richland, but on Dec. 21, at age 69, she will step down and let someone else take a crack at it.

When Hogan first started at Richland, she was the manager of College Labs and Lands for several years. She also managed IT support on campus. Then she became dean of Educational and Administrative Technology, followed by dean of IT Programs and Systems Support.

Now she’s the executive dean in the School of Engineering and Technology, which has the transfer areas of engineering and computer science.

“I have computer information technology, cyber security, engineering technology and advanced manufacturing, multimedia and photography,” Hogan said. She’s also responsible for all of the faculty and support staff that works in those areas. That includes lab coordinators and lab assistants.

Hogan has a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Iowa State, a master’s from the University of Texas at Tyler and did postgraduate work at the University of Georgia in mathematics and computer science. Her title as dean, however, will come to an end when she retires.

Now that retirement is almost here, Hogan said she’s looking forward to it.

“It’s a hard decision to leave something that you’ve worked so hard at, but I’m looking forward to the next stage of my life, too,” she said.

Guyger indicted for Botham Jean murder Kaelyn Bradley

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Staff Writer

A Dallas County grand jury indicted former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, 30, for the murder of 26 year-old Botham Jean on Sept. 6. The murder indictment was announced by Dallas County district attorney Faith Johnson during a press conference at the Frank Crowley Court House on Nov. 30.

Guyger claimed she killed Jean in his own apartment after mistaking him for an intruder inside her residence. She told investigators that, after finishing a 15-hour shift, she arrived to what she thought was her apartment and found the door ajar. She opened it to find a figure standing in the darkness. According to Guyger, after the person ignored her commands, she pulled her gun and fired twice killing Jean. He lived in the apartment directly above her.

Following the fatal incident, Guyger was terminated. Initially, the Texas Rangers investigated and recommended a charge of

The first thing Hogan will do is enjoy a vacation in Hawaii with her husband Jim in January.

“Then, I’m looking for whatever life is after Richland College,” she said. “I haven’t yet decided what that life is.”

Hogan’s husband is an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, so she said she may find something part time, perhaps with a nonprofit. She plans to take a month or two off to “just chill” and then decide what is next.

Hogan said what she has enjoyed most about her job through the years is working with the students.

“It’s all about the students and the success of the students,” Hogan said. “I hear from them periodically, about their successes at Richland. That’s why we’re here; to get them going where they want to be.”

Hogan’s husband is semiretired, and they have traveled in the past, but now they’ll have even more freedom to explore the world.

They visited Portugal in September and went to Iceland last year.

They’ve also been to France, England and Ireland.

Hogan is also auditing a class this semester on information systems.

“For IT, you just really have to stay up to date,” she said. “That changes so quickly.

What I did when I first came here is totally out of date. So, yes, IT, it’s continuing education constantly.”

During her time at Richland, Hogan was once Administrator of the Year. During this time, she oversaw the renovation of more than 14,000 square feet of space and purchased a lot of new equipment.

manslaughter. After that recommendation, Johnson informed the public of the possibility that more serious charges could be initiated by a grand jury and said her office would present as much evidence as possible to help the grand jury make a decision.

“We presented the evidence and we explained the law. The district attorney’s office made sure its investigative efforts were thorough so we would know all the pieces of evidence we need to take before the grand jury,” Johnson said.

Members of Jean’s family spoke to reporters following the district attorney’s news conference. His mother said she believed the killing was intentional.

“I truly believe that she inflicted tremendous evil on my son,” Allison Jean said. “I look forward to the next step, which is a conviction of murder of Amber Guyger and more so, of a penalty, the proper penalty, that will cause her to reflect on what she has done and the pain that she has caused, not only my son, but my family, my church, my country.”

According to The Associated Press, Jean’s killing received national news attention on the issue of law enforcement and race. Johnson said it could be at least a year before the case goes to court.

STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Entertainment Editor Layout Editor Photo Editor

Aly Rodrigues Kammonke Obase-Wotta Joyce Jackson Ricky Miller Dara Jones Emily Escamilla

ON THE COVER The “Spirit of Rowlett” tornado memorial in Rowlett, TX. Staff photo Ryan Bingham Duff

COVER AND FONTS Certain cover fonts are provided by the following www.nymfont.com – www.bvfonts.com

STUDENT MEDIA STAFF

Staff Photo Muyideen Ogunbunmi

Martha Hogan, executive dean, School of Engineering and Technology is retiring.

“It was all consuming for about four years,” she said. “It was a big deal.”

One thing Hogan wants to do when she retires is to sit down at her piano to see if she still knows how to play.

Her parents gave her the piano, but to stay proficient she said you have to practice – something she will have time to do now that she’s retiring.

The one problem Hogan said she will have once she retires is that she doesn’t know what she’s going to do with all of the things in her office.

First, however, she plans to enjoy the holiday with her husband, son and granddaughter.

Fire victim fundraiser Chris Akins Staff Writer

The Multicultural Center at Richland is collecting donations to help a student who lost all of her possessions in a fire at the Cambridge Park Condominiums on Nov 27.

Three Dallas firefighters were injured fighting the blaze that destroyed the homes of dozens.

Jana Miller is program service coordinator with the Multicultural Center. She and her colleagues set up a collection box to accept donations for the student.

“This particular student is an international student here on F1 Visa. Her whole family is all at home so she luckily has an aunt and cousin that she lives with but other than that she’s by herself. So we had to step up and do something,” Miller said.

The Multicultural Center is accepting woman and men’s clothing, personal hygiene products, household items and gift cards. The student, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has responded gratefully.

Donations can be made at the Multicultural Center, in Thunderduck Hall, Room T-150, as the student and her family begin the process of rebuilding their lives.

Gloria Agbogla Adrienne Aguilar Omorinsola Ajayi Chris Atkins Jack Ramirez Bernal Kaelyn Bradley Thomas Cabrera Melanie Castenada Drew Castillo Jasmine Chatman Ryan Bingham Duff Kene Enemo Chloie Lewis Mirco Daniel Mbega Ndoumou

Lashanda McCuin Trace Miller Nick Medlock Everett Newson Kobloh-Obase Kammonke Muyideen Ogunbunmi Alex Ortuno Kim Sanders Mike Sokolski Pete Shannon Isabelle Tchoungang Nathan Terry Jerry Weiss

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS Erica Edwards

Tim Jones

Jack Fletcher

Larry Ratliff

Meg Fullwood

ISSUE DATES Dec 11 - Final Issue Fall ‘18

STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS CMA Pinnacle Two-Year TV Station Award 2018 CMA Two-Year Radio Station Award 2018 ACP Newspaper Pacemaker Winner Award, 2016 ACP Best of Show Award 2015 ACP Photo Excellence Award 2015 CMA Newspaper of the Year Finalist, 2014 1st Place – TCCJA Overall General Excellence, 2014 2nd Place – Pinnacle College Media Award, 2014 1st Place – TIPA Sweepstakes, 2005 3rd Place – TIPA Online, 2005 & 2006 ACP Pacemaker Winner, 2000, 2001, 2007 ACP Pacemaker Finalist, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007 ACP Online Pacemaker finalist, 2007, 2008 Over 270 Texas college journalism awards since 2000

CONTACT INFORMATION El Paso Hall, Room E020, 12800 Abrams Rd., Dallas 75243 Newsroom: 972-238-6079; richlandchronicle@gmail.com Advertising: 972-238-6068 Email: Advertise@dcccd.edu Staff meetings: Monday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. in E020 Letter Policy Letters to the editor may be edited for space. They will be edited for spelling, grammar and malicious or libelous statements.

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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 2018

SPORTS

December 4, 2018

Kene Enemo Staff Writer

Lorena Perez, an 18-year-old Richland student, was scouted by an academic company after the gym coach in her hometown in the Canary Islands (off the coast of North Africa) submitted a recording of her playing in a volleyball game. Zelda Smith, Richland’s volleyball coach, saw the video and contacted Perez about studying at Richland and joining the team here.

After doing research about Richland and discussing it with her family, Perez set out for Dallas, traveling from her hometown through Madrid, then landing in Dallas on July 26 after a 10-hour flight. She was picked up by Smith, introduced to her new teammates and has become a valuable part of the team.

Perez has had a passion for volleyball since she was 6. Making her mark as a twoyear member of Spain’s National Volleyball Team and traveling to Soria, Spain, for the Western European Volleyball Zonal Association competition (WEVZA) at 14, she played against countries like Italy, Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands. Perez has proven that volleyball is more than a sport; it is a lifestyle.

“The best years of my volleyball life was at WEVZA,” Perez said. “My team had such a strict routine. We would wake up early, eat breakfast, practice four to five hours every day, eat dinner and go to sleep.”

Perez plays left-front-outside hitter for Richland and played in the conference championships. She has accumulated many medals throughout her career including 1st Team AllConference, All Region V and All-American Nominee. She works on improving her skills by checking statistics and setting goals for herself with constant practice.

Perez recently held the fifth position in the state of Texas. She hopes to improve at the sport and possibly be invited to universities that offer more opportunities. She prefers, however, not to make a career out of it. Perez plans to finish her science degree in biology.

She intends to put her studies first and play volleyball as a hobby to stay active.

Richland was her choice of colleges because she enjoys the peaceful environment.

“Richland is very small and quiet. It has a good team and it is a good distance from where I stay. I am very comfortable here.”

Perez said.

The school also gives her a chance to improve her English language skills. She is starting with beginning English classes rather than by placement exam like other colleges do.

“I like the fact that I can improve my English first rather than jump into college courses.

That was one thing I noticed about Richland. English is not my primary language, so it is important for me to learn it so it can be easy living here. I improve my English first, then I will find it easier to take more advanced courses.

I was placed in Level 2 English and I passed with an A,” said Perez.

“My English is much better now.”

Perez said adjusting to a different language and culture was not easy Staff Photo Mirco Daniel Mbega Ndoumou at first. She recalled the Lorena Perez during practice. fear she felt as she got I live with a few of my teammates and they lost in the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport when teach me everything now,” she said. she arrived in Dallas. Daily communication Now that volleyball season is over, Perez was an issue at first, but she adjusted with the plans to return to Spain for the holidays and help of her teammates and friends. reunite with family. She will return to Dallas in “Everyone is very helpful, but I try to learn January for another volleyball season. many things by myself and be independent.

UPCOMING EVENTS All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.

December 4 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. i

El Paso Lounge 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. i

Francis Doe shields the ball against a Randall university JV player Nov. 29.

Staff Photo Mirco Daniel Mbega Ndoumou

World AIDS Day “Know Your Status” Sabine Hall, S118 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

i

Instrumental honors recital Fannin Performance Hall, F108

i

3 to 7 p.m.

FAFSA/TASFA Nights Help applying for federal/state grants Thunderduck Hall, T219

E

Call Financial Aid Office for what to bring 972-238-6127

December 5

i

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Take a Study Break – Relax Back massages, refreshments, color therapy El Paso Lounge

December 6

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. i

Vocal honors recital Fannin Performance Hall, F108 1 to 1:30 p.m.

i

Basketball heats up Preparations for conference games are heating up with a string of good performances from the Richland Thunderducks.

The team recorded three wins and a loss in the past week.

The Thunderducks opened the week with a 72-64 loss against Collin County, but bounced back to win three in a row.

In the last two games against Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf and Randall University JV, the trio of Davon Berry, Rashad Perkins and Malcolm Green hit double digits.

Richland’s conference games are slated to begin on Jan 9.

World AIDS Day events Trivia wheel, sweets ‘n treats

DCCCD Study Abroad Cuba Information session Scholarships available Crockett Hall, S110 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

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Fall World Beat Concert: “The Drum Show” Fannin Performance Hall, F108

December 10

5 to 7 p.m. i

Game night and pizza El Paso Lounge

December 10-13

i

Finals week book buy backs

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Lorena Perez: volleyball prodigy

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December 4, 2018

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The Chit Chat

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Student Gvt. Assn.

Challenging the Narrative

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Tea Time

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OPEN OPEN Pronk Pops politics and current events

faculty discuss creating course pairs

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Groovin’ with Gretchen

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the discussion continues

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eclectic mix of oldies, disco and 80s music

rock, sports, guests and interviews

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Nukem Nation

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trending world news

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If you are enrolled in classes at Richland, you can host a one-hour radio show.

Contact Jack Fletcher for more information - jfletcher@dcccd.edu

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