THE
San Jacinto Times
Do the Brittish handle crisis better? Page 2
The voice of San Jacinto College since 1991
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Texas wildfires hit close to home October 3, 2011
The Student Publication of the San Jacinto College District
Vol. 22, No. 3
Is Two and a Half men better without Sheen? Page 4
Another great Beirut album. Page 5
MCT Campus
Burning continues to ravage land, property in many areas of the state Panic and devastation ensue after mother nature enforces her will on many Texas towns.
By MARANDA JENKINS San Jacinto Times
Editors note: San Jacinto Times staffer Miranda Jenkins’ hometown of Waller was ravaged by wildfire. This is a first-person account of what happened. “There is a fire a few miles down the road. I’m not sure if I should leave or wait and see if it gets worse,” my mother told me over the phone on Sept. 7. By the next day, my entire subdivision was evacuated and my hometown of Waller, Texas was up in flames.
I drove over to Waller a few hours after receiving my mom’s phone call to help transport her belongings to my home in Houston. I did not begin to worry until I witnessed the thick, black clouds of smoke in the air above the neighboring city of Cypress. It terrified me that the smoke was visible in a town thirty minutes away from the actual source of fire. I had not realized how large the wildfire was until that point, and quite honestly had thought my mother had been exaggerating when she had called. I could smell the smoke in the air as I drove down my parent’s street. The sky was black, ashes
SJC celebrates its anniversary
were falling onto my car, and my neighbors were all outside of their homes looking towards the sky and taking pictures of the wall of smoke that was quickly growing larger. The scene looked like something out of a doomsday movie. As we were packing away the last of my family’s things, a police officer drove by speaking urgently into an intercom. He ordered everyone to pack up their belongings within the next five minutes and leave the area immediately. This command alarmed us more than the visibility of the nearby smoke and ash did. As I began to drive down my parent’s dirt driveway, I remembered how my friends and I used to
race up and down it on cool spring days. I looked towards the woods I used to explore endlessly on my summer vacations and saw the tree I had hit when I first learned to ride my bike without training wheels. I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw the chipped green paint that my father had never got around to fixing and the screen door that never quite closed all the way, even though my parents’ house was dark and empty it still looked welcoming. I wondered if any of these things would still be there in a few days. PLEASE SEE FIRES on Page 4
Test driving college can be easy if you have the correct Carr By LESLY DELGADO San Jacinto Times
By HARRISON LEE San Jacinto Times
Interested in being a part of the making of San Jacinto College history? If so, be at the Central Campus track on Tuesday, October 4, at 4 p.m. sharp to mark the 50th Anniversary of the college by forming, you guessed it, a giant human “50” photo. The College estimates about 600 students
INSIDE
Column/Commentary...2 Around San Jacinto.....3 Front Page Jumps.......4 Entertainment...........5-6
are needed for this endeavor, so bring along anyone you know on campus that might be interested. If you should have a San Jacinto College uniform [athletics, cosmetology, allied health, automotive and so on], please wear it. San Jacinto College apparel is also recommended, but not required. If you wish to obtain any school apparel or memorabilia, it is available at each campus bookstore.
"I used to tell everyone I was related to David Carr, and I went to all his football games when he played with the Houston Texans," Billy Carr jokes as he tells his story. Just like any other guy, he loves sports and likes hanging out with friends. Carr is another San Jac student and is currently taking his last class before transferring to the University of Houston next spring. Carr however, is not your average student. He has been out of school for almost six years. "I enrolled right after graduating high school and I attended for two years, I was actually almost done. I was good student, I even went to class, but then I got a job and I also liked the money, I guess that’s why I decided to take a break from school…. unfortunately a small break turned into a couple of years!" Being out of school for such a long period of time is tough for some people. Getting back into the whole schedule, learning how to sit in a classroom and take notes may take some adjustment and getting used to. And to Carr this was no exception. "Not much has changed, school looks about the same. Classes are just like I remember, I had just forgotten all that reading out of textbooks I had to do.” He wanted to test the waters when returning back to school and decided to start by taking only one class. Carr so far is enjoying the experience and is very optimistic about the future. Since he is currently working at a golf course one of the things Carr is also learning to balance is having a full time job and attending school. According to the Missouri University of Science and Technology website, there several concerns for adults returning to college “…you may have concerns about money, competition with younger students, fears about whether you can remember
Photo by Lesly Delgado
Billy Carr is relearning to become a student.
how to study, and insecurities about being set apart from others. Usually, you have many more activities to balance in your personal life than the younger students,” according to the website http://counsel.mst.edu/selfhelp/vpl/adults.html. It is becoming more and more common for working adults to go back to school to complete or strengthen their education. For example, some people, just like Carr, did not have the chance to finish what they started and want to actually achieve their college education to better themselves and get a better job. Generally the higher the education you have, the higher the paycheck you earn. Another factor encouraging adults to go back to school is that some jobs that existed in the past do not exist anymore. Technology surrounds us, controlling almost everything and contributing to everyday life. It is a must to keep up with it its changes and improvements. It is a very competitive job market especially with the way economy is right now. The more credentials a job candidate has the better it looks in their resume. A degree or certification completion can be the deal breaker for employers when seeking someone to work for them. PLEASE SEE CARR on Page 4
Opinion/Commentary
Always a time to consider the choices
October 3, 2011 San Jacinto Times • Page 2
By ASHLEY CRUZ San Jacinto Times
“We can take care of all your problems” the doctor told sixteen year old Barbara Cruz. They assured her they would take care of her baby if she agreed. She asked how they would take care of her baby if she allowed them to, and them began to inform her about abortion. Doctors tried persuading Barb that it was the easiest and best decision. On Nov. 7, 1989, at seventeen years old, Barbara gave birth to a baby girl. That baby was me. My mom chose to believe that my life was a gift, not a problem. Her and my dad’s decision to believe so definitely cost them; but if not for their value of life and sacrifice, I would not be alive. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, over 50 million abortions have taken place in the United States Since 1973. I am not here to challenge women’s rights or every single type of situation that could cause a woman to conceive. I am not trying to express hate towards anyone. I am however trying to challenge the very core of those arguments. How valuable is a person’s life? I value my life, and hope to make it one that positively impacts the world. I thank my mom and dad for the sacrifices they made in order to not only have me but also keep me. My dad surrendered his dream of going to college and joining the army for us. He has worked hard ever since then to love and provide for my family. My mom also gave up pursuing college so she could work and raise me and eventually my three younger siblings. My parents grew up fast by choosing to keep me, but their love reminds me that it was all worth it, that I was worth it. Now I have the opportunity to choose how I honor this gift. This story rings true of many others as well. Our history is made up of stories about how people have decided to live the life they have been given and its impact on the world. Everyone has a unique role in history. Life is a gift we have been given, despite the conditions of our conception. No one else is like you nor ever will be. There are people who hold stories about their mom trying to abort them but they survived. These are beautiful sto-
ries. Even if the person did not honor the life they were given by how they lived, they were given a chance because they were loved. There are however, the millions of people who have never been given the chance at making their life count. Whether their mom was raped, poor, or pressured into making the decision, it was done and they will never have the chance to speak out for the part in history they could have made. Please understand, I do not underestimate what some women have gone through that led them to abortion. It is not an easy decision either. Looking after these women is highly important. That’s why a number of organizations have been established to help moms make the best decision for them and their baby. Life isn’t easy. Sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes someone puts us in a position we never wanted to be in. We do,
MCT Campus
however, have control over how the situation is handled. One day we will look back on our lives, either proud or ashamed, of how we handled our decisions. When a woman is pregnant (whether she wants to be or not) she also carries the responsibility of making the best choice for the life in her womb. It is not her body in the womb; it is the baby’s body, it is the baby’s life. This is a huge responsibility and weight for someone to bear, especially if they do not have the support of their family or the father, and they lack the resources they need. That is why I hope to not only challenge women in their consideration of what they do with an unplanned pregnancy, but also men, parents, siblings, and friends, and how they plan for their futures.
Looking to keep calm? Just glance across the Pond
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html
By HARRISON LEE San Jacinto Times
We Americans are a bit of a jittery bunch. If you feel you need proof-positive, when you go home tonight turn on Headline News and bask in the histrionic glory of whatever overly Sensationalized story headlines the evening. Let me lay my hand out in full. America is good at a lot of stuff. We are very good negotiators [The Louisiana Purchase]. We can be very good at hoarding [The Smithsonian], and hey, we used to do politics really well [Thomas Jefferson, et al]. We shine in those aspects, but nowadays there seems to be a bit of drama in, well, everything. Step into a time machine with me and let’s go back to London circa 1939. It wouldn’t look like the glittering megalopolis we know now. Sure Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey were still there, but surrounded by rubble. Literally. The bulk of the Greater London area was in pieces and strewn about the ground like shriveled leaves. The Battle of Britain was raging; His Majesty’s Royal Navy was holding back the bulk of the German Navy on guts, daring and a zealous devotion that can best be summed-up by the phrase Defend The Realm. A British Admiral remarked that, “They shall have to sink all of our ships tenfold if they wish to cross the Channel.” Can you imagine such bravado? Well it gets better. Back to bombed-out London, and the multitudes of British citizenry who had watched their city, in the span of several weeks, rejoin the Stone Age. None of us can imagine what the mood was across the Pond. More to the fact, how would we Modern Americans have reacted? Not well. We’d probably do what we do now, which is surround ourselves in a paranoid cocoon of cable and internet “news”. We would trot out career pundits to second-guess everything. We would make slaves of ourselves to frivolous TV “debates”. In other words, we’d run around like chickens on methamphetamine. What did the citizens of London do? Keep Calm And Carry On.
Photo Courtesy of The British Royal Archives
Three posters, twenty-five words, one singular feeling that kept a Country bound together. surface toughness that no Nazi bomb could destroy, it showed the corLiterally. In 1939, red posters appeared throughout Britain bearing the afore- rect way to handle adversity, even in regularly catastrophic form. The mentioned slogan. Think about that for just a second. Your city is Brits had the good sense to realize that freaking out wouldn’t solve being bombed into stark oblivion on a daily basis, and the prevailing anything, and it would probably have given validity to the Nazis and thought is “Keep Calm And Carry On”. That takes the famous stiff their terror bombing. Today we have politicians who will exploit any event to fluff poll upper lip to a whole new level. As of this printing, framed replicas of that poster hang in every British Embassy in the known world. The sit- numbers, so it is quite hard to imagine in the early goings of WWII, uation is the same with US Embassies, complete with the ironic use of King George VI [Bertie to those who saw The King’s Speech] telling his subjects that, “The highest of distinctions is service to others”. the British Crown on the poster. Two other similar posters dotted Britain during the War. One that Speaking skills like that make me wish we could trade our current read “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will bring us media obsession for Divine Right. victory” appeared in the offices of Buckingham Palace. Perhaps the I’m not saying emotion is never warranted, but we all need to step penultimate blend of genuine patriotism tempered with no-nonsense sensibility was displayed in the form of “Freedom is in peril, Defend back and realize that every little bad thing in the world doesn’t warit with all your might”. To me, those make more sense than our cur- rant a panic-attack. Sometimes the best reaction is no reaction. You rent idea of National Unity, which basically consists of being afraid of can color me callous all you want, but that doesn’t mean everything needs an on-air idiot blathering. Sometimes life is scary, that’s a fact. things we see on TV. But sometimes, we go out of our way to make it scarier. Take a breath Keep Calm and its brethren placards symbolize not just a beneath the with me, keep calm, and let us all do our best to carry on. EDITORS
Michael Deats, Maria Chavez
MANAGING EDITOR
San Jacinto Times
Chris Shelton
WEB EDITOR Greg Starks
ASSISTANT EDITORS Jannette Marin, Ashley Cruz, Caty Christy CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
San Jacinto College Student Publications
Harrison Lee
CIRCULATION Cristal Calvillo
ADVERTISING Sara Quintana
ADVISER Fred Faour
The San Jacinto Times is published weekly by the journalism students at San Jacinto College Central, 8060 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the staff, its adviser, the administration or the Board of Regents. The Times encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be in good taste, accurate, free from libel, malice or personal controversy. Letters must be limited to 200 words in length. Letters submitted without the author’s signature will not be accepted.
The staff reserves the right to edit the letters for accuracy without altering the general meaning. Letters can be e-mailed to fred.faour@sjcd.edu. Letters must include name and phone number for verification. The online edition of the Times is available at www.sanjacintotimes.com. Advertising space is available for $5.00 per column inch. Special rates are available. For news tips and information on advertising, contact the Times at 281-4782752.
Around campus Espanol Norte
Lunes, Octubre 3
• No hay actividades
Martes, Octubre 4 • Junta del club Rotaract, 1 p.m., Slovacek S215 • Reclutador de transferencia de UH Downtown, 2 p.m., lobby del centro estudiantil
Miercoles, Octubre 5 • Reclutador de transferencia de UH Downtown, 9:30 a.m., lobby del centro estudiantil
Jueves, Octubre 6 • Reclutador de transferencia de UH Downtown, 10 a.m., lobby del centro estudiantil
Viernes, Octubre 7 • No hay actividades
Sabado, Octubre 8 • No hay actividades
Domingo, Octubre 9 • No hay actividades
Lunes, Octubre 10 • No hay actividades
Central
Lunes, Octubre 3
• Junta del club catolico, 10:30 a.m., ADM E202
Martes, Octubre 4 • Junta de escritores creativos, 10:30 a.m., ADM 218A • Tornamento del x-box, 12 p.m., cuarto de juegos • Junta de GSA, 2:30 p.m., C3.204
Miercoles, Octubre 5 • Junta de republicanos del colegio, 10:30 p.m., Adm 218A • Junta de republicanos del colegio, 1 p.m., Adm 218A • Junta de VYNE, 1:30 p.m., c3.222 • Junta de la sociedad Anime, 2 p.m., CADM
Jueves, Octubre 6 • Evento de prueba de tu estado de animo, 11 a.m., Centro estudiantil • Junta del club de filosofia, 2:30 p.m., ADM W106
Viernes, Octubre 7 • Junta de PTK, 10:30 a.m., ILC 230 • Junta de SGA, 10:30 a.m., ILC 155 • Junta de LASO, 12:30 p.m., C3.204
Sabado, Octubre 8 • No hay actividades
Domingo, Octubre 9 • No hay actividades
Sur
Lunes, Octubre 3
• Junta de juego de las empresas del gremio, 3:30 p.m., 2141 • Junta de Artes Marciales Mixtas, 6:30 p.m., Gym 6120
Martes, Octubre 4 • Junta de asociacion de la biblia estudiantil, 11:30 a.m., cuarto de juegos • Junta de TIES, 1 p.m., cuarto de juegos • Junta de la asociacion del govierno estudiantil, 1:30 p.m., 4202 • Noche de Pintar, 2:30 p.m., FAB 213 • Junta de juego de las empresas del gremio, 3:30 p.m., 2141
Miercoles, Octubre 5 • Junta de juego de las empresas del gremio, 3:30 p.m., 2141
Jueves, Octubre 6 • Junta de juego de las empresas del gremio, 3:30 p.m., 2141 • Junta de la sociedad de pre=medicina, 1:15 p.m., 1104
Viernes, Octubre 7 • Junta de Phi Theta Kappa, 1 p.m., 2209
Sabado, Octubre 8 • No hay actividades
Domingo, Octubre 9 • No hay actividades
This course is all class By KRISTINA TAYLOR San Jacinto Times
Many people in college have had their experiences with good and bad professors. Everyone has their opinion on what classes interest them and bore them; some professors can change a student’s mind on the class by teaching it to make it more interesting, boring or strictly by the book. In the Spring Semester of 2011, I took Government 2301
Tuesday, October 4 • Rotaract Club Meeting, 1 p.m., Slovacek S215 • UH Downtown Transfer Recruiter, 2 p.m., Student Center Lobby
Wednesday, October 5 • UH Clear Lake Transfer Recruiter, 9:30 a.m., Student Center Lobby
Thursday, October 6 Photo by Kristina Taylor/San Jacinto Times
Lisa Palton teaches at South campus. SJT: So tell us where you went to college and why you chose that school? LP: At the time I was thinking about two schools, one of them being Rice University. Although, I ended up going to Baylor University and what started it all was a dare from my friend. I got dared that I could not get in to Baylor and I actually did. I decided to go there after getting so many good reviews on the school from some faculty at my high school. SJT: I see that you are married; did you meet your husband in college? LP: I did meet him in Waco my freshmen year. He went to two colleges, one of them being Sam Houston University and [he] got his degree in Criminal Justice. We got married after I had earned my Master’s; we waited because school was important to me. We have no kids but we do have a Pomeranian dog whose name is Ziggy. We got him in 2007 and he is a handful just like a kid. SJT: Not having kids can have some advantages by being able to travel and do many things you could not normally do. Have you and your husband traveled anywhere exciting? LP: We do not go on many vacations since we still have to get someone to babysit Ziggy. We’ve tried PetSmart and a doggy hotel that just did not work out for us, but when we do leave the city we drop him off at our vet, which they do take vey good care of him. We usually just go to visit my mother in our hometown in the Caribbean. SJT: The Caribbean must have been an interesting place to live? LP: Yes, it was very nice. You can see the water and it only takes five minutes or less to get to the beach from my mother’s condo. We usually go visit once or twice a year and it is nice to go back home where I grew up. After taking her class last semester and now taking another, I did not know she grew up in the Caribbean until now. You never know what you can learn about the professors here and I really enjoy how she teaches the class. So I recommend her class for anyone who will be taking Government 2301 and 2302.
By LESLY DELGADO San Jacinto Times
Nathan White
attending this school. It will focus on the existence or nonexistence of God. “It is important that persons who are non-believers are aware that they are not alone, and that they have a voice and I want to make sure it is heard,” White states. With other organizations like Campus Christians practicing their religion and beliefs on campus, the Freethinkers Society should have no problem succeeding because it is also a belief organization. It is a gutsy action that White wants to take by starting the Freethinkers Society, for the community in which this campus is located is very reserved and mainly religion-oriented families. But on the other hand, there are also students who are with him and understand what he wants to do because they share his thoughts and points of views
in life. So far the response that he has been getting back from the student community that he has spoken to about, has been very positive. There are several students that already plan to join the society once it becomes official. There is no other organization on campus that is similar to the Freethinkers Society, but White believes he can achieve this. He wants his opinion to be heard and share it with others. He wants the Freethinkers to be successful, and hopes that people will understand it for what it really is and not what others make it out to be. White states that he respects all other religions, and he wants for them to do the same. Just because his beliefs are different from the majority of what the world considers to be good does not make him a bad person. The expectations once the organization is up and running is to meet weekly or bi-weekly. Also, he hopes to bring speak ers to discuss their experiences with students. If you want to help White build The Freethinkers Society or simply learn more about it make sure you attend the interest meeting on Thursday Oct. 6, 2011 at 2:30 pm in room C3206. Topics on selecting officers and writing a constitution will be discussed.
Conversation hour helps South
Conversation hour is a program that is running through the Student Success Center. It was started about 2 years ago by Diana Shokralla (the coordinator to the success center). This program is free and is opened to all San Jacinto College students and to the community members. The program is designed to help ESL (English
North
• No Scheduled Activities
Student hopes new club opens minds
The First Amendment of the American Constitution gives us the right to practice any religion. This is a guaranteed right to anyone who lives in the United States; it is one of the most important amendments to the constitution because it allows us to practice faith and individual beliefs to whatever extent one desires. It is what makes us an individual with unique beliefs. To Nathan White, this Amendment means to speak out and stand up for what he believes in. White is a secondyear student attending the San Jacinto Central campus working on his basics for his Philosophy major. He considers himself a “freethinker.” The Dictionary defines a Freethinker as: "One who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority; especially: one who doubts or denies religious dogma." White is working on starting the “Freethinkers Society” which is a natural society or club for Atheists and Agnostic practitioners that attend this school. This will be an organization in which different thoughts on life and religion will be analyzed. The mission of the society is to give support to non-believers
8 DAYS A WEEK Monday, October 3
Course focus
at South Campus with Lisa Palton and this semester when signing up for 2302 I knew I was going to take her class. In the spring when I first took Palton’s class, it seemed like the class was not going to be easy. I will say it is not the easiest class in the world but I definitely liked how she taught. There are three exams, a research paper and a Final that are all worth 20 percent of your final grade for both 2301 and 2302. The exams are not the easiest but before every exam she would give us chances to earn extra credit on our exam, which definitely helps. So if anyone does take her classes, which I recommend, do the extra credit. The best thing about her class is that the exams and final are directly from the notes. She goes over a review of the exam a week before, which gives everyone enough time to study and ask any questions people may have over the exam. As I sat down with Palton I learned some interesting facts of how she became a professor and how she got where she is now in life. San Jacinto Times: What did you major in and why? Lisa Palton: I majored in Political Science/Government. I was always interested in it, it was a good degree plan and I wanted to go to law school but I ended up not going to law school. SJT: Why did you change your mind about going to law school? LP: Well I got my Bachelor’s degree at 21 and my Master’s degree at 23 and after all that I was tired, I needed a break. I had to work full time to have the necessities you need in life and there just was not enough time to work and go to law school. I planned to go in the future when I had more time but life sometimes has a different plan for you and things change. SJT: After your plan changed, what made you decide to become a professor? LP: My mother was a teacher and had influenced me to get a teacher’s certificate and even though I did not get it while I was in college, becoming a teacher ended up being a good option. I really enjoyed teaching; I liked the impact that you could have on the students. I first started at the North Campus here at San Jac and then moved to South Campus in 2002. I became a full time faculty member in 2006 and been here since. At first I wanted to be a Vice President at a college but it did not make me happy like I had thought so teaching ended up being something that I really enjoy.
October 3, 2011 San Jacinto Times • Page 3
Second Language students) in practicing the English language through tutor help, group discussions, and learning activities. Hours and room number vary every semester. For the Fall semester the hours are Mon- Thurs from 12pm-1pm in room 3211 (room numbers may vary).
• UH Main Transfer Recruiter, 10 a.m., Student Center Lobby
Friday, October 7 • No Scheduled Activities
Saturday, October 8 • No Scheduled Activities
Sunday, October 9 • No Scheduled Activities
Monday, October 10
Central
• No Scheduled Activities
Monday, October 3
• Catholic Club Meeting, 10:30 a.m., ADM E202
Tuesday, October 4 • Creative Writers Meeting, 11:30 a.m., C3.257 • X-Box Tournament, 12 p.m., Game Room • GSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., c3.204
Wednesday, October 5 • College Republicans Meeting, 10:30 a.m., ADM 218A • Mexteco Ballet Folklorico, 11:45 a.m., Student Center Raven Cafe’ • College Republicans Meeting, 1 p.m., ADM 218A • The VYNE Meeting, 1:30 p.m., C3.222 • Anime Society Meeting, 2 p.m., CADM 104
Thursday, October 6 • Test Your Mood Event, 11 a.m., Student Center Lounge A • Philosophy Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., ADM W106
Friday, October 7 • PTK Meeting, 10:30 a.m., ILC 230 • SGA Meeting, 11:30 a.m., ILC 155 • LASO Meeting, 12:30 p.m., C3.204
Saturday, October 8 • No Scheduled Activities
Sunday, October 9 • No Scheduled Activities
Monday, October 10 • Thinkfast Game Show Event, 11:30 a.m., Student Center
South
Monday, October 3
• Game Enterprise Guild Meeting, 3:30 p.m., 2141 • Mixed Martial Arts Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Gym 6120
Tuesday, October 4 • Student Bible Fellowship Meeting, 11:30 a.m., Game Room • TIES Meeting, 1 p.m., Game Room • Student Government Association Meeting, 1:30 p.m., 4202 • Paint Club Night, 2:30 p.m., FAB 213 • Game Enterprise Guild Meeting, 3:30 p.m., 2141 • Writer’s Block Meeting, 6 p.m., 3200
Wednesday, October 5 • Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., 2141
Thursday, October 6 • Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., 2141 • Pre-Med Society Meeting, 4:15 p.m., 1104
Friday, October 7 • Phi Theta Kappa Meeting, 1 p.m., 2209
Saturday, October 8 • No Scheduled Activities
Sunday, October 9 • No Scheduled Activities
Monday, October 10 • No Scheduled Activities
Entertainment
October 3, 2011 San Jacinto Times • Page 4
Two And A Half Men still “winning” with Kutcher By TIFFANY SEXTON San Jacinto Times
Carlos Irwin Estevez, otherwise known as Charlie Sheen, is one of the most talked about celebrities in the entertainment world. One of Sheen’s most famous roles is in the television series Two and a Half Men. At the end of his career with Two and a Half Men he was making about two million dollars an episode, easily making him the highest paid actor in television, confirmed by Gary Susman. Although Sheen thought he had it all; his arrogance got the best of him along with his spiraling drug and alcohol addiction, and he went from being the highest paid television actor to getting fired. Since being fired Sheen has been able to get his act together. He was a presenter of an award at the Emmy’s and made a statement about his old television series. “From the bottom of my heart I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television.” Sheen has been recently replaced with Ashton Kutcher on Two and a Half Men. There was so much controversy on how they were going to write off Sheen from the show, and if bringing in Kutcher will be a good idea. In my opinion, from watching the show with Sheen, I was worried about them bringing in a new character and I thought they should have just ended the show, although my mind has been changed after watching the first episode that aired on Sept. 9. The first episode was hilarious, a whole lot better than I expected. They
FIRES
Continued from Page 1 I wondered if I would have anything to come back to. There was a lot of traffic leaving my small town. Both lanes were used to escort cars out of town and no one was allowed back in. Traffic was prolonged because people were stepping out of their vehicles to yell angrily at police officers. One woman screamed, “My mother is back there! I have to pick her up!” Others were desperate to get any information they could and stopped their vehicles to badger the police with questions. Deer were running out of the woods in large groups fleeing from the fire. They headed straight past the vehicles stuck waiting, paying no attention at all to the humans surrounding them. Watching the deer bolt from the woods was the spookiest image I remember from the entire ordeal. I couldn’t believe any of it was actually happening. Once my family reached Houston, it was an endless waiting game. Information was difficult to come by. The news reported very little about the wildfire affecting Waller, and focused more on the Bastrop
CARR
wrote off Charlie by killing him, literally. They opened at Charlies funeral with Alan, Charlies brother, talking and during his speech, he continues to get interrupted by all of Sheen mistresses. Then finally he calls Rose, the woman who is his next-door neighbor and stalker, up to the podium to say her piece on his death. Alan tells the congregation that Rose was the last person to see Charlie alive. She begins talking about how Charlie asked her to marry her, and then a few days later she caught him cheating on her. Then she explains that later that day he ‘just so happened to fall in front of a metro train’ which leaves everyone wondering if she actually caused his death. In the next part of the show the family is sitting around trying to figure out what to do with Charlies beach house. Eveyln, Charlies mother, is taking over the sale of Charlies house. Alan wishes to keep the home but he does not have the money to keep up with the payments. John Stamos, Jenna Elfman, and Thomas Gibson stop by as guest appearances for interested buyers. Then as the night goes on Alan receives Charlies ashes in an urn. Ashton Kutcher, known on the show as Walden Schmidt, shows up on the balcony soaking wet, and asks Alan if he can use his phone. Alan quickly finds out Walden was trying to commit suicide in the ocean because his wife is leaving him, and also that he is worth about a billion dollars. He is able to convince Walden to go out and have some drinks with him, and Alan also allows Walden to stick his clothes in the dryer. Then shockingly,
Walden just strips down naked right in the living room and gives Alan a big hug for helping him out. Walden begins to explain that his wife is leaving him because she thinks he is “emotionally immature”, and he is worth 1.3 billion dollars because Microsoft bought out his website. So then Alan convinces Walden to drink a strong drink with him and he begins giving Walden his pep talk. Alan starts telling him how he needs to move on and try to meet someone new, at least for this night. Two girls show up and Walden starts crying telling them how much he misses his wife. The four of them go back to Alan’s house and before Alan knows it Walden and the two girls are in Charlie old bedroom leaving Alan, as usual downstairs. The next morning Berta, Charlies old housekeeper, is standing in the kitchen and once again Walden comes into the kitchen naked and meets Berta for the first time. Then Alan gets up and meets Walden, still naked, in the living room and Walden tells Alan that he wants to buy the house and gives Alan another hug. As Walden is hugging Alan, his son Jake and his ex wife Judith open the front door. Judith, who hardly ever liked anyone Alan or Charlie associated with, from first glance decides to announce that she likes Walden as he is walking up the stairs. Then the episode ends there with a ‘to be continued…’ leaving everyone wondering what will happen next. The second episode aired Monday night on Sept. 26. This episode was still really funny. It begins with Walden asking Berta to continue cleaning the house and he
fire instead. The lack of credible information led to rumors and speculation being spread predominately through Facebook. People began posting they had lost their homes, when really they had no idea whether the fire had even reached them. I had four people write to me saying that my parent’s home had caught fire. There were others telling me that the gas station located in front of my parent’s subdivision had exploded. Both of these things proved to be false, but with no other source to disprove them it was very difficult not to believe it. It was a constant back and forth. One second the fires would be contained and then they would break out again. My family was allowed to go back home two days after they came to Houston, but only an hour after arriving back to Waller, they were evacuated for a second time. It was another four days after the second evacuation before they were allowed to go home permanently. At that point 85% of the wildfire had been contained, but firefighters were still working around the clock to completely extinguish it. The fire
would also like her to stay there full time to take care of him. Berta, more than willing agrees as long as the pay is still good. Alan moves in with his mom and she is not interested in him having him stay there very long. Evelyn explains that she is going to have a date that night he better stay out of the way. During her date Walden shows up at Evelyn’s house and asks Alan if he would like to hang out Alan jumps on this idea instantly because he does not want to be home during his mom’s date, which has already started. Walden and Alan try climbing over the gate and she electrocutes them and eventually allows them to come inside. Bridget, Walden’s wife, sits Walden down and explains that she cannot wait for him to grow up anymore, and that it is over for good. When Walden and Alan leave they go and get really drunk and end up waking up together outside on the balcony along with Berta. That morning a girl stops by the balcony looking for Charlie, Berta announces that she’s tired of all the girls coming by and having to explain to them that Charlie has died so she pawns her off on Alan. The doorbell rings and Alan goes to answer it and it is Bridget at the door looking for Walden. Bridget and Walden sit down in the living room and Bridget explains that she was sorry that she was so hard on him and she is actually willing to give Walden a chance to grow up. As they are in their conversation Alan comes back and says that he is going to leave now and Walden walks him out the door. As they are outside Walden tells him thank you for saving him with that girl and that if he ever needs a
MCT Campus
Kutcher gives Two and a Half Men new life. favor he would for sure help him out. Alan starts to say that there is one thing that he can help him with and, Walden says anything. Alan asks if he can move back into the house and Walden says of course no matter how long he actually needs. For those of you have not seen the first or second episode yet I have told everyone the core of the episodes, leaving out all the funny incidents that happen throughout the episodes. It is my personal opinion that you should tune into the new season of Two and a Half Men and you will be pleasantly surprised. What is next for Sheen? The world may not know yet but as for Two and a Half Men, the cast and crew have gotten off to a great start.
was stopped a mere seven houses away from my parent’s home. Overall, 10,500 acres were burned in Waller, according to the Texas Forest Service. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. If anything positive has sprung from this tragic event, it would be my re-affirmed belief that people are truly good at heart. There was such a vast amount of people volunteering to help that the YMCA was forced to turn people away. So many donations were received that shelters had to repeatedly state that they no longer needed supplies. People were offering their homes out to complete strangers and firefighters were risking their lives working 24 hours a day to help save homes. I had never seen so many people willing to help. My hometown may only be a blip on the map, but the wildfire has shown me that it is home to some truly amazing people. I am now Photo by Shiloh Oxspring Photo by Shiloh Oxspring extremely proud to say that I am from the Gazing at the destructive force of a tiny country town of Waller, Texas. Billowing clouds foreshadow the wildfire leaves one in awe. upcoming damage.
Continued from Page 1 For Carr it is all about self-improvement and knowing that he finally did it. He is currently working on getting his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He states that he likes the subject and he is ready to move on and get a job in corporate world in America. "I want better money, I want to prove to everyone but mostly to myself that I did it, I want to feel complete and I want to achieve that goal that has been on hold for half a decade. I think it’s finally time.”
Life a game for some at Central By JACOB KESSINGER San Jacinto Times
Every Saturday, San Jacinto College central campus’ Student Center bears witness to powerful strategy, tests of skill, and shifts in luck that affect the outcomes and fortunes of economies, battles, and even entire worlds. Every Saturday, the San Jac Gaming Club meets. The 18 year old club, faculty sponsored for the all of the last 18 years by Professor of computer information technology Mike Kent, meets every Saturday at 5 pm to play board games like Risk or Stratego, card games like the immensely popular Magic: The Gathering or Yugioh, miniature games such as Warhammer, or role playing games like the famous and classic Dungeons and Dragons. The club is comprised of a mixture of students, guests, alumni, and faculty. Anyone who wants to can simply show up and start playing. There are no dues; the club sells sodas in order to raise money. The “RPG-ers” meet every Saturday and play until the early hours of the morning, and the board gamers meet “typically second and fourth Saturday, pretty much at noon” every month according to Professor Kent. Professor Kent himself is an active participant in the club, as could be seen when the San Jacinto Times interrupted him on Saturday Sep 24th. Sporting a faded red Astros cap, Professor Kent, a self-professed “strategy gamer” was found playing a “card set game” called Saint Petersburg with two other club members, in
which the objective is to acquire workers and build buildings in order to attract nobility and attain enough fame to win the game. Essentially, it is a game of economy in which careful strategic skill is required in order to prevail. Between turns, Professor Kent explained what was needed in order to be a gamer. “Just show up,” Professor Kent put simply, “bring snacks, play games.” As of yet, the club has not included console gaming, and although students have expressed interest, no one has volunteered to organize console gamers. “Its like the chicken and the egg,” Kent elaborates, “if you can get some people showing up consistently, then other people will show up.” The club currently has enough money in its coffers in order to buy a console outright, which means all that is needed is games and gamers to consistently show up to play them. The club has permission to use the enormous television in the student center on which to play, and all games are welcome. The atmosphere was one of fun and laughter Saturday night, with gamers spread out in the student center huddled over cards and boards sprawled out among the tables. “Since they remodeled the cafeteria into the food court it works really well for gaming,” Kent said of the remodel that took place two years ago. From what the Times has observed, last Saturday was not atypical of the club, and it looked like a good time for gamers of all ages and backgrounds. Professor Kent summed the atmosphere and goal of the Gaming Club up nicely by saying, “Basically you get together, you kick back, and you have a good time.”
Entertainment/Reviews
Slave Ambient makes the hit list By GABRIEL OSBURN San Jacinto Times
Coming out of Philadelphia, Indie Rock trio The War On Drugs release their second full length album, Slave Ambient, building on their base of Springsteen-like american rock. One of the first things you notice about this album is how easy it is to listen to, it's one of those weird ones where you just sit down and let it play. Start to finish I was very pleased with the pace it managed keep, I didn't find myself skipping back and forth through it because I was bored. The album as a whole feels very consistent, but even within the individual songs themselves it keeps a steady, satisfying rhythm that manages to build on itself slowly
without becoming muddled.
By keeping things simple, Slave Ambient manages to do more with less. Smooth, unobtrusive synth lines held up by droning snare rhythms leave plenty of room for guitarist and vocalist Adam Granduciel to nudge each track forward without necessarily moving fully to the foreground. In short, this is a solid record that fully deserves it's namesake. The War On Drugs trance inducing tracks fall just short of being totally addicting though, and after a few playthroughs you can start to notice a lack of diversity between each song. But the first time through is absolutely worthwhile and for this it earns a deserved A-.
The Cars still have some moves By GABRIEL OSBURN San Jacinto Times
Their first album in 24 years, Move Like This features the return of the popular 80's group The Cars, responsible for notable hits like My Best Friend's Girl and Moving in Stereo. Move Like This features the same simple plunky guitar and synth styles that the band is famous for and, thankfully, doesn't try too hard to fit into the “80's album” niche or to be gimmicky like a lot of comeback records. The Cars manage to produce 10 tracks that, for the most part, sound fresh, energetic and concise. And though his lyrics can leave a bit to be desired on some tracks, Ric Ocasek is in prime vocal form along with the rest of the band, who take over for bass player Benjamin Orr. At it's core, Move Like This is a very well pol-
ished and unique pop rock album that falls neatly in line with The Cars previous works, which in a way carries a double edge about it. Fans of previous Cars albums should find themselves pretty pleased, as it picks up right where “Door To Door” left off. Newcomers however may feel it sounds dated since this is, at the end of the day, an album by The Cars. Though not necessarily a rehash, Move Like This doesn't exactly bring anything new to the table either, though not for a lack of musical talent. Ultimately this album is the product of it's environment, a group of good artists from the 80's. It's not that The Cars pursue this actively, any more than Gary Numan does; it's simply their identity as a band. Move Like This is definitely an album worth checking out. Though it lacks somewhat in lyrical depth, catchy rhythms and overall unique musical stylings pick up the slack. Grade: C+
October 3, 2011 San Jacinto Times • Page 5
Concert calendar for the week By GREG STARKS San Jacinto Times
Oct. 3 MC CHRIS, MC LARS-Fitzgeralds Opeth, Katatonia-Warehouse Live Oct. 4 Tech N9NE(nine), Kriss Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Jay Rock-House of Blues Oct. 5 La Sien, Making Movies, Pop Pistol, Bang Bangz-Mangos Dominant Legs, Nurses, Tame Blonde-Fitzgeralds Thrice, La Dispute, Moving Mountains, O’ Brother-House of Blues Katie Herzig, Sandra McCracken, Robbie Hecht-Fitzgeralds Oct. 6 Hunter McKithen, Fight the Quiet, 38 Caliber Hero, Clay Melton, Wayside-Fitzgeralds Oct. 7 Balaclavas, TENSE-Mangos Weedeater, Saviours, Bison BC, Fight Amp-Fitzgeralds Blind Pilot, Dan Mangan-Fitzgeralds Oct. 8 A Tragedy Lost, Carrion Sun, Carry the Storm, Decimation Theory-Mangos Revolver, Chateau Marmont, La Catrin-Fitzgeralds Wild Moccasins, Mathletes, Little Lo-Fitzgeralds Oct. 9 Toro Y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Bass Drum of Death-Fitzgeralds Andrew Ripp, Steve Moakler-Fitzgeralds
Beruit cements themselves as timeless greats with The Rip Tide
Beirut originally was the solo project of Santa Fe, NM native Zach Condon, that evolved into a fullfledged band. They have created an entirely unique sound and style, melding Eastern European and Balkan(the area from Croatia to Bulgaria encompassing Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Greece) folk music along with traditional Western style pop music. The feel of any Beirut recording is clearly identifiable. They use lots of horns and stringed instruments, along with some really booming drums
which create a decidedly “foreign” sound while still possessing a more familiar Indie-pop vibe. The Rip Tide certainly does not depart from that blueprint. It is a very sonicly beautiful recording.
The almost crooner style in which Condon presents his vocals is a very nice accompaniment to the at-times lamenting style of the band. It almost gets to a marching band style in some songs, as the horns and percussion are in the spotlight most of the time. Then there are tracks like the the title song, The Rip Tide, that posses a really American pop sound, with a piano opening the track and strings alongside a woodblock creating the melody. This is my top
pick off of the album; it has a quiet sadness to it, and yet, is not depressing at all.
I really like the balances Beirut achieve in their work. Like their style of blending genres, they also blend emotions quite well; sadness, elation, heartbreak and joy all have their place in The Rip Tide. Condon writes about his life, and a complex one it is. He dropped out of high school at 16, moved to Europe at 17 and discovered the Balkan folk music that has mainly comprised his influences for Beirut. What a life. Condon and Beirut do a great job at changing things up from track to track while not straying too
far from the Indie\World pop that makes them who they are. They album as a whole plays condusively and is a shining example of what a totally unique and individual sound can be.The Rip Tide is another excellent notch in the belts of Condon and his bandmates, and makes me very excited about what will come from them next. This is an A+ record for sure. In fact, I am sure I would rate all of Beirut’s albums as such. So venture out of the norm a little and check out this, and the rest of what Beirut has to offer as soon as possible. I assure you, you will like what your speakers have to say.
N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y
NOW OPEN
at Memorial City Mall
- A nonprofit, WASC-accredited university - Online and on-campus associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs - Talk with an enrollment counselor and create the right education plan to meet your goals - Experience the flexibility of taking an online class - Learn about financial aid options
Learn more at the
National University Online Information Center in Houston 303 Memorial City, Suite 848
www.National2011.info/Houston 713.365.6720
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By GREG STARKS San Jacinto Times
<PM =VQ^MZ[Q\a WN >IT]M[ An Affiliate of The National University System
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Student Life
October 3, 2011 San Jacinto Times • Page 6
The Times gives you the skinny with 2011 Fashion You can look great for cheap BY JANNETTE MARIN San Jacinto Times
Do you want to look like you just stepped out of a fashion magazine? You can! Just by following these new and exciting tips for the fall. Some people try to purchase clothes that can be used all year around for the fall because money can become an issue when trying to wear what fashion trends have to offer every season. According to associatedcontent.com, fashion designer, Caprice Willard says, “[There is lots of lovely lace tops at Macy’s but these will definitely be a few fave’s this year. And the best part is you will be able to wear them for fall and winter, and then again for spring and summer.]” New styles for the fall can be found at affordable stores and still look great with the new fall trends, for example, plunging neckline, pleats, and fur clothing. Now the 70’s are coming back! As the skinny jeans slowly fade, bell-bottoms and flared pants are back in style. As well as large rounded hats and polka dot shirts. Colors and textures are very important this fall season. Olive yams with shades of goldenrod and bronze tones are going to be incorporated in the clothes and make up. Beyond the limits, shades of forest green, plums, and deep violets are in as well from nail polish and make up. Many cosmetic companies like M.A.C are launching new collections for the 2011 fall and their new colors are midnight blues, silver, shades of gray, and nudes. The new look for the 2011 fall trend is dark and sophisticated with dark purple lips and plum color nails. Surf the web and you can find amazing colors and textures that you can incorporate into your own style for the fall! Look stylish and walk the runaway with confidence.
From Chicken Fried to fire fights, student does it all BY CHRIS SHELTON San Jacinto Times
A casual stroll to the student center at San Jacinto College Central may include a jam session. The tunes of Jacob Lawson compelled me to offer him cash as just compensation. Lawson has a music background that precedes his prepubescent years. He has banged the skins and tickled the ivory since he can remember. Lawson expanded his music repertoire to include the guitar over a year ago. He was inspired by watching Jim Carrey coax Luis Guzman from a suicidal ledge in the comedic film, Yes Man using only his guitar. Lawson hopes his play will one day inspire similar positive actions.
Lawson transferred from a University this semester and is now part of the San Jac student body. Lawson explained that too many distractions at a large University crafted a path to San Jac.
Lawson has dreams of protecting the city of Houston from ravaging fires that damage property, destroy lives and delete sentimental photos that are etched into memory as a firefighter. Lawson picked San Jac Central for its strong firefighting and paramedic/EMT program. He is taking courses that he hopes will benefit him for his future career. So if on your way to the student center you hear Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band, Lawson’s favorite tune to play, you are looking at an interesting San Jac student who has a bright future.
Our staff Fashionista shares her good taste BY ANGELICA RODRIGUEZ Special to the Times
This weeks “Pic of the Week” is Jeraldin Ollervides from SJC Central.
Photo by Angelica Rodriguez
Jeraldin Ollervides starts off the Fall Season.
Adam Lawson plays “Chicken Fried” for The Times.
Photos taken by Maria Chavez
Looking for the right look just for school? Jeraldin’s apparel is a great look for any casual occasion. Her outfit was chosen because it is an excellent look for the upcoming Fall styles, her outfit is also close-fitted yet comfortable for class. Her blouse is floral, slightly green and yellow with the appropriate pink tones for the fall. Her blouse is great for unexpected occasions because it is mid-way down her arm and not showing skin around her waist. For this season, wearing black, brown and nude colored belts will go great with almost every pair of jeans in your wardrobe just like Jeraldin did. Her jeans are low -rised with a great fit around the waist which when combined with a solid colored belt, made perfect combination with the rest of her outfit.
As we all know summer is over, so put your white shoes and purses at rest till next year, it’s just not time for the flip-flops to go this time of year! Your shoes don’t necessarily have to match your outfit, if it balances well with the rest of the colors, it can really work. Similar to what Jeraldin did for Houston’s blazing hot weather, she is wearing a pair of simple black flip-flops that match her bold black fingernails. On another note, you can also put the bright make-up away and instead embrace your skins beauty with more natural make-up and a touch of pink blush to give your cheekbones a little color. And remember, every outfit stands out with a matching handbag or purse, so let’s not forget the additional accessory, Jeraldin’s off-green tote bag to give her outfit an extra detail!
Hey San Jac students! Ever wanted to see your name or picture on the newspaper? Well, now is your chance! Each week we will pick one out of many photos to be on the “San Jacinto
Times”. The pictures will be taken of our current students each week who are wearing the latest trends or season styles. We will also describe a little about your outfit and why it was chosen. How to participate you ask? It’s easy, just being yourself, if you stand out you’ll see me and my camera at any San Jac campus looking for you. All you have to do is answer a couple of questions about your apparel so your picture and description can be printed here for the “Pic of the Week”. So San Jac, whether you dress up or dress down, be on the lookout, the next person might be you! Don’t see me around campus and want to participate? Take a picture at any SJC of your seasons’ outfit and send it in to: rodriguez.a2412@student.sanjac.edu only from your San Jac e-mail. Tell me what you consider your style to be, why you chose that outfit, don’t forget to mention your first and last name including the campus you attend.