Richland Chronicle February 16th, 2021

CHRONICLE Richland

Vol. XLVII Issue 12 February 16, 2021

A student publication

Dallas shivers in the dark Pg. 2 • COVID-19 vaccine report

Pg.3

• ‘little things’ simmers

Pg. 4

• Talk ‘the talk’

Pg. 6

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2 CAMPUS/LOCAL

February 16, 2021

Classes cancelled as winter storm slams North Texas Angela Ly

Managing Editor A frigid blast of winter weather plunged Texas into an unusually icy emergency Feb. 15 that knocked out power to more than 2 million people, shutting down grocery stores and creating hazardous driving conditions. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth says another winter storm on Feb. 16 is expected to bring a wintry mix of ice and snow to North Texas worsening the impact from the earlier storm. Dallas College is taking precautions.

“With the snow, below-freezing temperatures and rolling power outages across the DFW Metroplex today, we know that some of you, along with our students, are without power or even water. Due to this, we have decided to cancel classes through Wednesday, Feb. 17,” said Dallas College Chancellor Joe May in a college-wide email.

May added that students and employees will also stay in remote operations through Feb. 17 with any further decisions made as the days draw closer.

Dr. Beatriz Joseph, vice chancellor of student success, encouraged students to check their email and eCampus accounts for announcements from instructors.

“Your health and safety are always our top priority, even when you are not on campus.

And we want to make sure we can continue to provide you with the best level of support,” Joseph said via email.

Students who may be facing housing concerns or those in need of emergency aid can find resources on the Dallas College website. A list of food pantries is available using the Quick Resource Guide, financial resources are available through Connections (including Emergency Aid), emergency mental health resources are available via CARE

Photo The Associated Press

Dan Bryant and his wife Anna huddle by the fire in their Garland home with sons Benny, 3, Sam, 12 weeks, and dog Joey during power outage as temperatures drop inside their home Feb. 15 due to a winter storm that brought snow and freezing temperatures to North Texas.

Resources, therapy assistance online is available at the Counseling Resources link and My Community Services connects users to neighborhood services.

Those without internet access can call 214-860-5800 to connect with a member of the Student Care Network. Response time may be prolonged due to increased demand.

“Typically, we just don’t have quite this much cold air in place that far south,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

The weather conditions halted the delivery of COVID-19 vaccine shipments prompting some Texas healthcare providers to scramble to find takers since doses expire within hours of opening.

Air travel was also affected. By midmorning, 3,000 flights had been canceled across the country, about 1,600 of them at Dallas/Fort Worth International and Bush Intercontinental airports in Houston. At DFW, the temperature was 4 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius) — 3 degrees (-16 degrees) colder than Moscow.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for all of the state’s 254 counties on Feb. 13.

“All of Texas is facing an extremely dangerous winter storm,” Abbott said.

President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Texas Feb. 14 and ordered federal assistance to aid state and local response efforts. The declaration allows the Department of Homeland Security and the

Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide assistance, equipment and resources to those affected by the storm.

“We’re living through a really historic event going on right now,” said Jason Furtado, a professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, pointing to all of Texas under a winter storm warning and the extent of the freezing temperatures.

For those who may be in need of emergency shelter due to the freezing temperatures, Dallas and surrounding counties have opened the inclement emergency shelters; Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center 1221 Canton St. Dallas, TX 75202 and 1702 South Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Dallas, TX 75215. If you need transportation to a shelter, please call 9-1-1.

goods, pastas and grains. The NTFB Mobile Food Pantry supplements packaged goods with fresh produce and dairy at the twicemonthly, on-campus events.

The COVID-19 pandemic required adaptation as needs increased while campuses have been closed. The NTFB reports a 40% increase in agency-wide food distribution between 2019 and 2020.

Modeled as a “low-touch” drive-through event combining pantry items and fresh produce, Mobile Food Pantry recipients remain in their cars as volunteers load boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables and canned goods into their trunks. No pre-registration is required, although some self-reporting is requested.

Food distribution is not limited to Richland Campus students and employees. Anna Kurian, senior director of marketing and

communications for the North Texas Food Bank, said that on average each distribution event sees about 380 households receive groceries.

According to Kelly Sonnanstine, a program services coordinator with the Office of Student Life, community members from the neighborhoods around campus are encouraged to utilize the program as well. Individuals are welcome to pick up food for multiple households. Sonnanstine notes that the amount of food provided per individual household is substantial.

Food insecurity is defined as uncertainty about where one’s next meal will come from, a situation that affected roughly one in six north Texans before the pandemic. A recent study published by the University of Texas School of Public Health found some 200,000 additional people in the region have become food

insecure since March 2020.

The next NTFB food distribution events are scheduled at the Brookhaven and North Lake campuses on Feb. 18 and the RichlandGarland campus on Feb. 25. The NTFB Mobile Food Pantry returns to the Richland Campus March 4. Those in immediate need are advised to consult NTFB.org for a comprehensive list of regional resources.

Winter weather forces cancellation of North Texas Food Pantry services Fran Badgett

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Staff Writer

As temperatures in North Texas dropped below freezing, threatening icy roads and dangerous driving conditions, the North Texas Food Bank announced it would cancel the Mobile Food Pantry distribution at Dallas College’s Richland and Cedar Valley campuses. The decision was made out of concern for the safety of the program’s staff and volunteers. The Feb. 11 event at Richland would have been the first of 2021.

Dallas College has long partnered with the North Texas Food Bank in the battle against food insecurity. Many campuses maintain food pantries to help provide students, employees and faculty with consistent access to nutrition in the form of shelf-stable foods like canned

NTFB Mobile Pantry upcoming events 2/18 -North Lake & Brookhaven 2/23 - Mountain View and

Eastfield Campus 2/25 - Richland (Garland

Campus) & Cedar Valley 3/2 - North Lake and Brookhaven

February 16, 2021

NATIONAL/LOCAL 3

Texas Senators support Pelosi’s call for Jan. 6 investigation House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Feb. 15 that Congress will establish an independent, Sept. 11-style commission to look into the deadly insurrection that took place at the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi said the commission will “investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021 domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex … and relating to the interference with the peaceful transfer of power.” In a letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol.

After former President Donald Trump’s acquittal at his second Senate impeachment trial, bipartisan support appeared to be growing for an independent commission to examine the deadly insurrection. Investigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee.

Pelosi, D-Calif., asked retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré to lead an immediate review of the Capitol’s security process.

“It is clear from his findings and from the impeachment trial that we must get to the truth of how this happened,” Pelosi said in her Feb. 15 letter. She added, “As we prepare for the Commission, it is also clear from General Honoré’s interim reporting that we must put forth a supplemental appropriation to provide for the safety of Members and the security of the Capitol.”

The Senate verdict on Feb. 13, with its 57-43 majority falling 10 votes short of the two-thirds needed to convict Trump, hardly put to rest the debate about the Republican former president’s culpability for the Jan. 6 assault.

“The January 6th attack on the Capitol was horrific and appalling. Those who planned and participated in the violence that day should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I agree with Speaker Pelosi that a 9/11-type of investigation is called for to examine and address the confluence of causes for those shocking events and to help prevent them from ever happening again,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn in a statement on his website.

An independent commission along the lines of the one that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks would probably require legislation to create. That would elevate the investigation a step higher, offering a definitive governmentbacked accounting of events. Still, such a panel would pose risks of sharpening partisan divisions or overshadowing President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda.

House prosecutors who argued for Trump’s conviction of inciting the riot said on Feb. 14 they had proved their case. They also railed against the Senate’s Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, and others who they said were “trying to have it both ways” in finding the former president not guilty but criticizing him at the same time.

Photo The Associated Press

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., with impeachment managers Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo. address the media following the acquittal of former President Donald Trump Feb. 13.

The Senate acquitted Trump of a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after House managers laid out a case that he was an “inciter in chief” who unleashed a mob by stoking a months-long campaign of spreading debunked conspiracy theories and false violent rhetoric that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, what we saw on January 6 was a despicable terrorist attack on the United States Capitol and those who carried it out should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sen. Ted Cruz

(R-Texas) in a statement on his website.

“Unfortunately, this impeachment trial did nothing to bring the domestic terrorists who committed this heinous attack to justice.”

The conviction tally was the most bipartisan in American history but left Trump to declare victory and signal a political revival while a bitterly divided GOP bickered over its direction and his place in the party.

standard 15 minutes to see if the vaccination had any negative effects, all happened in under an hour.

“There was a golf cart waiting for us, as well as for other people, to take us to the vaccination spot,” he said. “They had it set up so there were spaces between people. There were people taking your information while you were standing in line and it moved rapidly.”

When Weiss went to get the second vaccination, he noted the same COVID-19 protocols and parking accommodations were in place, but something unforeseeable transpired that prolonged the experience.

According to Weiss, the center didn’t have access to enough generators to keep vaccines cold enough for distribution. As a result, Weiss had to wait more than five hours to get the second inoculation. He arrived at the event at Fair Park around 2:45 p.m. and did not leave until 8 p.m.

“The line moved very, very slowly. There were a couple of times cars tried to jump the line and get in front. But fortunately, the police were on guard and shooed them away,” Weiss said.

To best prepare for unforeseen circumstances, Weiss recommends calling in advance to get an estimated wait time and to prepare some snacks and water for those unable to avoid a long wait.

Sproull, a Fort Worth resident, witnessed similar safety protocols at two different Tarrant County locations. He received both

shots of the Moderna vaccine at locations near Tarrant County College South Campus.

He had good experiences both times and said the lines were socially distanced, masks were mandated and workers checked for identification prior to entering the building.

“I was just amazed by how smooth and organized everything went,” he said. “I was very impressed. Even the signage as you get closer to the place you’re going to, is pointing you in the right direction.”

Sproull and Weiss both noticed more people were getting vaccinated during their second visits, which accounted for a longer wait time.

According to Sproull, Tarrant County has not run out of the vaccine as has happened in Dallas County.

County officials hope to improve the vaccination process with the creation of three massive COVID-19 vaccination hubs by late February; two in North Texas and one in Houston. They include AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Dallas Fair Park and HRG Stadium in Houston.

The Biden administration, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies are planning to open 100 federally supported vaccination sites across the country by the end of February, according to The Associated Press. President Biden has reportedly declared a nationwide emergency and is comparing the campaign against COVID-19 to a war.

–The Associated Press with quotes from Texas Senators inserted by Chronicle editors

Photo The Associated Press

Ethel Radovich, of Dallas, receives her second COVID-19 vaccination shot in a drive-thru lane at Fair Park in Dallas Feb. 10.

Angela Ly

Manging Editor Texas is rolling out vaccines to front-line health care workers, people 65 and older and those with health conditions, which includes some students. Two Richland Student Media contributors, Jerry Weiss, 86, and Keith

Sproull, 64, recently received their vaccinations.

Weiss, a Dallas resident, said his experience receiving both his first and second doses varied considerably. Both took place at Dallas Fair Park. According to Weiss, the first time he received his shot, everything went smoothly.

The entire process of waiting in line, checking paperwork, receiving his shot and waiting the

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Dallas/Fort Worth vaccine rollout gets different reviews

4 ENTERTAINMENT

February 16, 2021

‘little things’ intrigues Ricky Miller

Entertainment Editor

Director John Lee Hancock has crafted an intriguing, interesting story of men at odds with each other in “the little things.” It’s very well done and emits a smokescreen of a very slow burn of ill doing under the surface.

This story is a pretzel weaver that keeps the viewer guessing throughout. Both Denzel Washington and co-star Rami Malek are in top form as detectives investigating the disappearPhoto Courtesy IMDb Notifications from different social media apps accumulate as shown in “the social dilemma.” ance of females in the Los Angeles area against a 1990’s milieu.

Washington, as usual, excels with his turn as Joe “Deke” Deacon, whose career has been stagnant for too many years, since “he doesn’t go to the right church.” His status in the policing community is well known, since his progress always yields positive results in the end.

Dara Jones and Google said, “Our attention is the product Malek, as Jim Baxter, is still riding high Editor-in-chief being sold to advertisers.” from his Oscar-winning performance in The film also explores the introduction 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” as Queen front Ever wondered if you live in a real-world “Matrix” like in the 1999 film starring Keanu of social media apps and the rise in body man Freddie Mercury. I think people will be Reeves? You might come to believe so after dysmorphia, depression and suicide in teens surprised next time they turn on “The Twilight and tweens as well as the ways in which the Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2,” where Malek watching “the social dilemma.”

In this disturbing film, Director Jeff platforms have been abused by political stars as Benjamin, part of the fang-toothed sect of vampires. In “little things” he is lead Orlowski examines the negative impact social groups.

Some of Orlowski’s subjects expressed investigator media technology has on current society. A docudrama, it combines a powerful dramatiza- concern that the platform algorithms foster tion featuring an ordinary family’s use of social networking users, such as those prone to media, the nefarious affect it has on them, and conspiracy theories, together into larger and powerful testimony from former executives larger groups, and how the platforms can from tech giants such as Twitter, Facebook, be easily exploited by foreign governments, authoritarians and dictators such as those in Google and others.

Many of the interview subjects were Myanmar and Brazil.

“If you want to control the population of involved in the development of social media platforms, most notably Justin Rosenstein, your country, there’s never been a tool as creator of the Facebook “like” button, Tim effective as Facebook,” said Robert McNamee, Kendall, former CEO of Pinterest and former an early Facebook investor.

I found the film informative and thought Google executive Tristan Harris. Harris was called “the closest thing Silicon Valley has to provoking, yet almost too dense at times. a conscience” in a Nov. 2016 article in The Given the volume of interviews, I wondered if a shorter version could have been just as Atlantic magazine.

Orlowski explores the disturbing consensus effective making the case.

That said, the dramatization thread pulled among his subjects that social media platforms are using behind-the-scenes artificial intelli- the film into a cohesive, watchable whole that gence learning software to adapt to, manipu- will stay with me for a long time. Want to peek late and control users to become addicted to behind the big tech curtain and see how it’s their devices in order to maximize company affecting you? If so, I highly recommend “the social dilemma.” advertising profits.

Grade: A- Denzel Washington, left, and Jared Leto star in “the little things.”

Rosenstein, a former employee of Facebook

‘The social dilemma’ sounds a wakeup call

RichlandStudentMedia.com

So readers know, Hancock is partially to thank for Sandra Bullock’s Oscar-winning turn in 2009’s “The Blind Side.” She played matriarch Leigh Ann Tuohy, who essentially adopts Quinton Aaron’s Michael Oher. More recently, Hancock directed the Netflix original “The Highwaymen” with Oscar-winner Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson in 2019.

Hancock also directed Tom Hanks in “Saving Mr. Banks” in 2013. As aforementioned, the pacing on this one is what I would call a slow burn in that it takes time to unravel all the mysteries brought forth.

Oscar-winner Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”) brings on the creep factor as suspect Albert Sparma. He is already nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award for this highly strung performance. Leto brings a certain odd reverence to the part that keeps one guessing until the very end.

I can’t give away too much, because I know better than to give away spoilers, I will say that Hancock delivers in virtually every single department despite a few intermittent doldrums that don’t quite reveal enough.

I recommend “the little things,” in part, because there is no superhero nonsense competing for one’s almighty dollar. At press time. “the little things” is included with a subscription to HBO Max. Grade: B+

Denzel Washington edition

“Glory” (1989) – Denzel Washington received his first Academy Award for best supporting actor as Pvt. Trip who fought in the all-Black 54th regiment in the midst of The Civil War. Mathew Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Cary Elwes also star.

“Devil in a Blue Dress” (1995) – In this great film noir, Washington’s Easy Rawlins, a Los Angeles private detective circa 1948. This one introduced America to the great Don Cheadle as his friend and confidant, Mouse Alexander.

A

A-

“Fallen” (1998) – This outstanding and inventive serial-killer thriller features Washington as a police detective on the trail of a killer who escapes death by jumping from body to body. With John Goodman, the late James Gandolfini and Donald Sutherland.

B-

“Out of Time” (2003) – I interviewed director Carl Franklin for this crimedrama revolving around the idea of never trusting an old flame since they just might be a femme fatale.

B

Photo Courtesy IMDb

“American Gangster” (2007) – In this Oscarnominated tale, Washington plays Frank Lucas who brings drugs from overseas during the Vietnam War. He shares great chemistry with Russell Crowe who plays cop Richie Roberts.

-Ricky Miller

A

February 2, 2021

Photo Courtesy Unplash

Art Exhibit “(In)Justice” on display Nov. 25, 2020, the international day against domestic violence, in Bonn, Germany.

Sexual assault survivor shares her story Reagan Davis Staff Writer

This is Part 1 of a two-part series The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is reporting a 13% rate of non-consensual sexual contact in colleges with more than 90% of sexual assault victims on

college campuses failing to report the assault.

A new study released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college and 63.3% of men who attend university have self-reported acts qualifying as rape, attempted rape and have even admitted to committing repeated rapes.

Lavinia B. Masters, a survivor of sexual assault and an advocator for sexual assault victims, teamed up with Dallas College to host a sexual assault awareness workshop.

She shared her story in an online seminar with Dallas College students and acknowledged Jan. 28 as Sexual Assault Survivors Day, designed to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault and recognize the courage of survivors throughout the state of Texas.

Masters made history when she became the first Black woman to have a law named after her in Texas. The Lavinia Masters Act was signed into law in 2019. It was created to tackle the state’s backlog of sexual assault forensic exams so that survivors can pursue justice.

Masters shared her story about being raped at knife point by a stranger when she was 13.

Her sexual assault case sat stagnant for over 21 years. Masters approached her congressman about processing the backlog of rape kits.

Her action resulted in passage of the Lavinia Master’s Act designed to give survivors the confidence to come forward with their stories and pursue legal action without fear that their assailants would go unpunished.

“I struggled for many years emotionally, mentally and sociologically after several years of childhood abuse, and the brutal rape I faced at 13 years old,” Masters said. “From there things began to take a toll on me and I began to go through a lot of ups and downs in my life. I felt a lot of confusion, bitterness, anger, frustration and devastation, because I started out as a 13-year-old child who was pretty much happy all of the time, got good grades in school and was respected and respectful. However, when I came back from the summer, I was a whole new person and I

CAMPUS 5 started getting into fights with my classmates, teachers and overall, just acting in an unfamiliar manner.”

Masters said she was labeled a “problem child” in school and, rather than try to figure out why she was acting the way that she was, the adults in her life, the teachers, counselors and principals wrote it off as her being “a nuisance” due to her racial and educational background.

Masters said she is working to raise the visibility of stalking too.

“I wasn’t just a victim of rape, but I was also a victim of stalking as well. The month of January is also used to bring awareness to stalking, and it is something that can happen to anyone. It is incredibly dangerous and is a serious crime that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” Masters said. “You should know it, name it and stop it when it comes to stalking, because when I was 17 years old a man broke into my home again and I realized in that moment that he had entered with the intent to harm me.”

Fortunately, her attacker was unsuccessful.

“I realized that sometimes stalking and rape can go hand in hand and that your attacker can be capable of both,” she said Masters has become a fierce advocator for sexual assault survivors. She is fueled to use her story to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault and bring attention to the fact that people often don’t speak up when they have been attacked.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault visit the Dallas College website at https://www.dcccd.edu/about/legal/ title-ix/pages/default.aspx, call 972-669-6400 or call 911 to file a complaint. According to Masters, it is never too late to share your story and bring your assailant to justice.

Hannah Spohn & Angela Ly Staff Writer/ Managing Editor

Starting a business is the dream of many college students who see entrepreneurship as a way to get ahead in the business world.

A panel of Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs met with students virtually on Feb. 9 to offer insight into how they started their businesses and some of the challenges they faced along the way.

Phillip Washington created his firm, Stone Hill Wealth Management, a registered advisory firm located in Cedar Hill. His goal is to provide more than just investment advice by helping his clients make vital financial decisions, such as money management, estate planning, pursuing a business venture and more.

“Five years ago, I launched Stonehill Wealth Management, which [means] I’m the portfolio manager. I am the product,” Washington said.

He started his own business after gaining 10 years of experience as a salesperson.

Sarang Douglas founded her Afri-Caribbean dance fitness program, Fluffy-N-Fitness, when she pursued her own weight loss journey of losing 200 pounds. Fluffy-N-Fitness focuses on high intensity, low impact “empathetic

movements’’ to help others embrace their “fluffy” while breaking out of morbid obesity or just to get more fit.

“As I always say that my fluffiest I was well over 400 pounds, but by significantly changing my eating habits in addition to the workouts, I’ve lost 200 pounds,” Douglas said. “We really appeal to the ‘fluffier’ demographic.

However, our fitness format is for all levels, all fitness levels.”

Esther Oppong runs Queen Esther’s Cupcakes out of her apartment and has operated the baking company for five years.

“You’re paying, I’m baking,” she said.

Oppong started her business because she wanted to be more financially secure. She did not feel like working for someone else, so she jumped in headfirst into her baking passion.

She found it to be successful.

“Some days it feels like forever. Other days, I can’t believe it has already been five years,” Oppong said.

Though he was a presenter, Tiy Webb is also a businessman. He had two associate degrees when he transferred to the University of Texas at Dallas to pursue a degree in marketing. Webb is currently the owner of a customized shoe brand and is working on a

new clothing line.

“I’m trying to always network with people,” he said.

Webb stressed the importance of keeping in touch with people and following up for potential future opportunities, which is good advice for anyone pursuing a business career.

The panel was composed entirely of Black entrepreneurs who addressed their experiences with racism in their specific industries.

“There are people who are super prejudiced that’ll still do business with you if you provide a really good service,” Washington said.

Washington had his share of negative experiences. He recalled the time a client told Washington’s friend, who had referred the client to Washington, that he would not be using his services next time. This was due to his skin color.

Washington reflected on that experience and offered his perspective for dealing with racism.

“It will be like exercising. Exercising is always hard. Once you have a couple of wins, and you’ll know you’ll get through it,” he said.

Oppong, on the other hand, had not faced that sort of mistreatment when running Queen Esther’s Cupcakes. In fact, she credited the

nationwide awareness of social injustice for bringing her new clients.

“Especially over the last year, something that I experienced was how many people were seeking out my services because I’m a Black woman,” she said. “Maybe it’s the nature of my business where I haven’t had many experiences where people overtly had any problems with my work because I’m Black. The other side of that has been the support from people that want to elevate and support Black businesses.”

The speakers addressed the challenges of being an African-American entrepreneur in today’s climate. Some entrepreneurs found a community willing to support their products and services while others found themselves on the receiving end of discrimination.

Social media has been a vital tool for these entrepreneurs as a way to publicize their brands and engage their consumers, especially during a pandemic where many find themselves cooped up at home.

“In the beginning I got most of my business from people that I knew and now most of my business is coming from people I’ve never met. A lot of that I attribute to the growth of my social media,” Oppong said.

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Young entrepreneurs inspire next generation

6 COLUMN

February 16, 2021

CHRONICLE Richland

STUDENT MEDIA LEADERS Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Design Editor Entertainment Editor

Dara Jones Angela Ly Barbara Gandica Martinez Ricky Miller

ON THE COVER A woman wrapped in a blanket crosses the street near downtown Dallas, Feb. 16.

Credit: LM Otero/The Associated Press

BACK COVER Hikers enjoy the snow at Vitruvian Park in Addison on Feb. 14.

Credit: Barbara Gandica Martinez

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

STUDENT MEDIA STAFF Frances Badgett Reagan Davis Rory Etienne Dave Freeman Nabeela Iqbal Jalen Jordan

Marley Malenfant Fernanda Pargas Janssy Sanchez Hannah Jade Spohn Keith Sproull Jerry Weiss

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS Erica Edwards

Tim Jones

Jack Fletcher

James Ragland

Meg Fullwood

Larry Ratliff

ISSUE DATES

A photo illustration demonstrating a father giving his son “the talk.”

Courtesy: August de Richelieu/Pexels

‘The Talk,’ a rite of passage in Black families Marley Malenfant

RichlandStudentMedia.com

Staff Writer The smartphone is Black people’s greatest ally when it comes to interacting with police.

It can record audio when a person is being pulled over. It can stream and record video of what’s happening in that moment during the interaction.

The last time I was pulled over, the duration in my voice memo was 35 minutes and 48 seconds.

Of course, I’m fortunate. Thirty-five minutes is a luxury when things can go bad in mere seconds.

Even if you’re doing all the right things you were taught.

Dallas College hosted a virtual event titled “The Talk” on Feb. 11. The event was hosted by Eastfield’s Jide Carew, Dr. Myesha Applewhite, Dr. Mica Stewart, Dr. Darryl Howard and included several panelists. The event dealt with how Black families teach their children how to behave when pulled over by an officer and how these lessons affect relationships with law enforcement.

Most panelists shared stories about their interactions when being pulled over by an officer. There were polls that asked if you viewed the police as a friend or an enemy? And have you had “The Talk?”

Dr. Howard shared a story about working late nights after teaching a course, and constantly being pulled over by Irving police when he worked

at the North Lake Campus. He said he was pulled over almost nightly And even with his parking decal and professional dress, the officers still questioned Howard’s whereabouts.

In these moments, he would think about the advice he received as a kid to de-escalate the situation.

“What do you have to do to make sure you get home safe tonight?” he asked. “I think about the talks my dad and granddad would tell me. ‘Boy, when you get stopped by the police, you do what the hell they tell you to do.’”

Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber was also a panelist on “The Talk.” Haber spoke on the protocol for pulling citizens over, holding officers accountable, the use of body cameras and community policing. Haber, who has worked for Balch Springs Police Department since 2002, has experience in reprimanding his own officers for shooting unarmed citizens.

In 2017, former Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Three days after Edwards’ death, Haber fired Oliver.

Oliver is currently serving a 15-year sentence.

During the discussion, Haber held up his smartphone and said if we could just put these down and have a conversation, we can get somewhere.

Therein lies the problem. Black folks are always asked to have a conversation. Black people are tasked with trauma and asked to educate people of other ethnicities about it.

When Sean Bell was murdered, there was a conversation. When Tamir Rice and Michael Brown were killed, there was a conversation.

When Sandra Bland was hanged in a jail cell, there were national talks. When the messaging around the killings of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor went viral, the world paid attention.

Protesters in any major city were in the streets on a nightly basis to bring the conversation to you.

Last year, for the first time, many corporations embraced the movement and had “Black Lives Matter” company statements.

What Black people were saying for centuries, finally had the rest of America’s attention. It felt like change was on the way. It’s been almost 11 months since the murder of Taylor and nine months since the murder of Floyd. What has changed since?

We got Aunt Jemima removed from a syrup bottle.

Progress is slow. It takes time. Unfortunately, there will be more Black and brown men, women and children dying at the hands of officers. There will be more videos from smartphones and bodycams documenting these deaths. And like most Black people, I’ll continue to follow what I was taught.

License and registration out. No sudden movements. iPhone in the background recording the interaction.

And, hopefully, I will live to tell about it again.

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May 11

STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS Student Organization Community Service Award, 2019 Student Organization of the Year, 2019 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 Over 270 Texas college journalism awards since 2000

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February 16, 2021

SPORTS 7

Predators-Stars postponed at city request, extreme weather Texas was dealing with unusually snowy conditions and bitterly cold temperatures — with wind chills below 0 degrees Fahrenheit — as part of a widespread winter storm. The state’s overwhelmed power grid began imposing blackouts that are typically only seen during 100-degree summer days.

A winter storm warning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area expired Feb. 15, but the National Weather Service had already issued another one from the evening of Feb. 16 through the morning of Feb. 18 in anticipation of another system expected to bring heavy mixed precipitation, with snow and ice accumulations. The temperature is not expected to get above freezing again until at least Feb. 19.

The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks also play in the AAC and, on the night of Feb. 14, played the sixth of a sevengame homestand that has kept the arena busy. They are scheduled to close their homestand the night of Feb. 17 against Detroit.

With the late postponement of the Predators-Stars game, it was the first time in 10 days without an NHL or NBA game being played at the arena.

The Stars are also scheduled to play home games Feb. 18 and 20. Both against Tampa Bay in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final won by the Lightning in six games over the Stars in the NHL bubble in Edmonton last September.

Photo The Associated Press

- The Associated Press

The Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars NHL game at the American Airlines Center Feb. 15 was cancelled due to an electricity shortage.

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The Dallas Stars postponed their Feb. 15 home game against the Nashville Predators after a request from city officials not to play because of the impact extreme winter weather had on the area. With significant power outages in North Texas and throughout the state, the NHL said the decision to postpone the game was made by the teams, on-ice officials and the league upon the advice of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.

The NHL didn’t announce the postponement until just more than a half-hour before the scheduled start of the game. There was power at the American Airlines Center.

Tristan Hallman, a spokesman for the Dallas mayor, told The Dallas Morning News that the AAC is on the critical infrastructure grid, the same grid that powers the convention center and area hospitals.

“I don’t know the status of that grid, but frankly, the Stars game is not critical infrastructure,” Hallman said. “The American Airlines Center could be critical infrastructure if we were using it for critical infrastructure.”

The game was set to be the fifth of the Stars’ season-long eight-game homestand. No makeup date was announced. The teams were already scheduled to play at the AAC for the second of backto-back games Feb. 16, and it wasn’t clear if that game would also be impacted.

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February 16, 2021

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