Eastfield Et Cetera May 4, 2016

Etera

Eastfield College

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Female auto body student graduates with diploma, job in hand See page 5

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Volume 47, Issue 13

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

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The Et Cetera

Accessible campus parking being misused

By James Hartley and Brianna Harmon etc4640@dcccd.edu

Disabled parking on campus is apparently being misused by drivers who do not have permission to park in accessible spaces.

The Et Cetera found three to six violations every morning between April 25 and April 30 during peak parking hours between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Campus police have only issued four citations since January, according to records.

Capt. Timothy Ellington said that the department does not have a strict policy regarding disabled parking on campus and that officers patrolling parking lots give citations at their own discretion.

“He can give a verbal warning, he can give a campus citation or he can give a [Justice of the Peace] citation,” he said.

Veronica Carrera, a social services major, was issued a disabled placard for a leg injury in 2015.

She said illegal use of handicap parking would make it difficult to find parking.

“You would see people there parked illegally at all places,” Carrera said. “I would leave my house earlier to make sure that I found parking close. I feel like if I wouldn’t have left earlier it would have been more difficult to find a handicap spot. There are a couple locations I would take the last handicap spot or have to wait for

someone to pull out.”

John McDaniel, 78, says when he can’t find handicap parking for his night classes he has to use regular parking.

“I’m parking in regular parking because if I can’t find a handicap one that’s my only choice.

I either do that or don’t park at all,” McDaniel said. “I have a vision problem and at night I get lost in the dark. If I can find parking place that is handicap and close up to a lighting system where I don’t have to go very far in the dark then it helps me.”

Ellington said that Eastfield police have not received any complaints regarding misuse of disabled parking this semester.

“There has been an influx on occasion of people who use their parents’ or stolen placards,” he said. “What we do at the start of every semester, we put fliers on every car. That’s a proactive deal that we use.”

The fliers inform violators of the penalties of parking illegally in disabled spaces. Ellington said the Eastfield police use these instead of tickets to give violators a warning to quit breaking the disabled parking laws.

Ellington said officers can give verbal or written warnings instead of tickets. He said sometimes drivers forget to hang their placards on their rear view mirrors.

Although police could give a ticket for that, Ellington said they like to give drivers a warn-

ET CETERA FILE AND CRAIG MARTINEZ

ing so they can have the chance to hang it up next time they park in a disabled space.

“A lot of times, for whatever reason, they may not hang them on the mirror,” Ellington said. “We like to show a little courtesy. A lot of

times they’ll have it on the dashboard. … We’ll give them a written warning.”

To report violations, visit the police station in N-112 or call campus police dispatch at 972860-4290.

Former abuse victim leads fight to end domestic violence

By Mayra Rosales-Montoya etc4640@dcccd.edu

For its victims, domestic and child abuse can often feel like a topic people like to “sweep under the rug,” activist Gauthami Vemula said in a speech April 25.

“It’s not about the check. It’s about them calling three or four months down the line and saying ‘Hey, thanks for keeping my family together,’ ” Vemula said about her work as founder and president of Color Me Safe, a family crisis management consulting firm.

Before she created Color Me Safe, Vemula worked for Child Protective Services for 10 years as a child abuse investigator and department manager. During that time, Vemula found many holes in a system she calls “broken.”

One of the main issues Vemula witnessed during her time at CPS was that many families are not justly being served. She explained that these families are often immigrants who may have trouble speaking and understanding English.

Sometimes, these families don’t have the money to hire lawyers to fight their cases. Most often, however, it’s just people being manipulated and taken advantage of by a system they don’t understand.

After witnessing the wrongs in the structure, she decided to build a company that could help solve these problems.

“There was a void in the community and I wanted to fill it, so I created Color Me Safe. It’s a bridge between a broken system and North Texas families,” Vemula said.

Color Me Safe’s main goal is to help families along as they deal with CPS. Vemula’s organization collaborates with lawyers and medical professionals and guides the underrepresented step

“

Learn to let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.

—Gauthami Vemula

Founder, Color Me Safe

”

by step.

As a young girl, Vemula never imagined herself in the social services field. In fact, at one point in life she was a medical student with a 4.0 GPA. It was during this period that she found herself in a relationship with a man that would change the rest of her life.

For a year and a half, Vemula was in a mentally, physically and sexually abusive relationship. Her grades plummeted.

Her relationship with friends and family suffered. It wasn’t until her life was almost ended by her partner that she was able to gather up the courage to ask her parents for help and walk away.

It took a long time for Vemula to heal completely, but when she did recover she knew it was time to help make a change.

“Learn to let go of what was, and have faith in what will be,” she said.

Nearly everyone in the audience raised a hand for questions at the end of Vemula’s presentation, which was sponsored by the Asisan-American studies program.

“Many of us are ignorant of the actions we can take,” nursing major Jocelyn Ramirez said. “Knowledge is power. I didn’t know how to take action [after a friend was abused], but now I have more information.”

Professor Brett Wilkinson, who teaches U.S. history and African-American studies, appreciated that Vemula reached out to students and informed them about a tough topic.

“It’s an important issue that she and her organization raise,” he said. “It’s significant that young women and men learn about this. Many of us have been touched by domestic abuse and don’t know what we can do about it.”

Anna Howard, Vemula’s partner in Color Me Safe and licensed clinical social worker, knows that educating on the issue is crucial.

“I think that any issues of domestic violence are very fluid,” Howard said. “There’s no pattern. No blueprint. The best thing you can do to help someone is to be patient and consistent.

These [victims] have no consistency in their lives.”

When she isn’t working with Color Me Safe, Vemula dedicates time to tell her story and bringing awareness to domestic violence and child abuse.

She also teaches children classical piano, has recently published a children’s book and runs WheatishComplexion.com, a blog dedicated to empowering women.

After her own experiences with domestic violence and over a decade of dedicating her life to helping women and children out of threatening and abusive conditions, Vemula still holds an air of positivity around her.

“Inspiration cannot be drawn from one thing, but everything and everyone,” she said. “The universe inspires me to be the best human being I can possibly be.”

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Student leader constantly pushes to better herself

By David Silva etc4640@dcccd.edu

Alejandra Salcedo competes every day.

While everyone competes with everyone else, she pushes herself to exceed previously accomplished goals. She has done this ever since she was young.

Salcedo, named Student Leader of the Year last month, is the Communication Club president, the HarveSTARS president, a Student Government Association representative, a campus ambassador, a Phi Theta Kappa member and an Office of Student Engagement and Retention employee.

Every single day she competes to be a better version of the person she was yesterday.

“My normal day starts at 8 in the morning, and I don’t leave until about 6,” Salcedo said. “I go to class, I do homework here, I help students, I have meetings, activities, volunteering.”

Even though she is constantly pushing the person in front of the mirror, she doesn’t singularly worry about herself.

She plans to become a lawyer because she wants to give “a voice to the voiceless.”

“I’d like to think that I made a difference in [people’s lives],” Salcedo said. “I like for them to know that they can come to me with family problems, anything, and I’m willing to help.”

Even though those around Salcedo consider her a consistently confident and versatile leader, she does have days where she questions her workload.

She finds reassurance and support from her mom.

“There’s times where you question why you’re even going to school, you question the

existence of life, and you question if you’ll reap your benefits with everything you’re doing,” Salcedo said. “She’ll tell me, ‘It’s all worth it. Just keep studying, keep pushing through it.

Because you’ll get your degrees, you’ll get what you need, and you will be successful.’ ” Salcedo wasn’t always as involved on campus as she is now.

She said that when she began her academic career at Eastfield, her mentality was to go to class and then go home.

That was until she met speech professor Mary Forrest, who invited her to the Communication Club meetings.

“She was in my 1311 class, and she was kind of introverted at that time,” Forrest said. “But she had a fabulous voice. It’s very kind, but it’s also a confident voice. I saw potential in her leadership abilities, so I encouraged her to be the best she could be, and she listened.”

After that, Salcedo became increasingly involved.

“She has done amazing things here at Eastfield College,” Forrest said. “She’s what I call a service leader because she’s constantly trying to serve and to be the best she can be.”

Forrest admires Salcedo’s growth as a leader, especially as the president of the Communication Club.

“She’s smart, but she works very disciplined,” Forrest said. “She’s confident. She’s comfortable in front of an audience, and she’s always enthusiastic [and] authentic. She has patience. She’s very kind. But she lets them know that she expects them to do their best [and] she synergizes the group.”

Salcedo also interns for the City of Mesquite.

She is City Council member Jeff Casper’s social

ALEJANDRA ROSAS/THE ET CETERA

Student Leader of the Year Alejandra Salcedo takes time not only to push herself further but to help others do the same in their own lives.

media intern. She posts city events and local activities.

When Casper ran for City Council and Salcedo asked to get involved, he did not hesitate to make her a part of the team.

“I knew her talent, ability [and] character while she was taking [my] government class,” Casper said. “I saw the opportunity to bring in a rare talent and a hard worker.”

Those around Salcedo have seen talent in

her from the start.

They believe she is deserving of the Student Leader of the Year award and has a bright future ahead of her.

“I think she’s in a place where she will do it on her own,” Forrest said. “We at Eastfield College have given her a little bit of help, a little bit of a boost. We’ve made it possible for her to do these things by making the opportunity, but now she’ll fly.”

Neave encourages students to serve in their communities

By Parker Ward etc4640@dcccd.edu

Victoria Neave visited Eastfield on April 13 as the third and final featured orator in the Student Government Association’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

Neave grew up in Pleasant Grove. Her parents advised her to remember her roots.

“You can go be a doctor or lawyer, but never forget where you came from,” she recalled them saying. “Give back and serve your community.”

She became a lawyer in 2009 and has been focusing on cases in the Latino community, particularly cases concerning small businesses.

“So many small businesses don’t realize that if you don’t incorporate or protect your company in certain ways and you get sued, then you can be sued individually,” Neave said.

“Making sure they have the tools to succeed is something that is important to me.”

Neave is currently running for the House of Representatives as a Democrat in District 104, which covers parts of Dallas, Mesquite and

Garland.

She talked about her experiences in education while on her way to becoming a lawyer and encouraged students to continue their schooling beyond Eastfield. “[My father] came with a sixth grade education and a dream,” she said. “He dreamed of a better life, and my parents emphasized to me the importance of education.

“That’s the solution to so many of our state’s problems. We need to be investing in our public schools.”

She believes she will be a good fit in office because of her experiences in serving the community.

While getting her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas, she served as vice president of the Student Government Association.

“Ever since I was young, I was involved in lots of organizations and community service and trying to make a difference in our community,” she said. “I want to take the skills that I have as an attorney to be able to write and ad-

vocate for laws that impact the future.”

Neave gathered opinions on issues facing students from those who attended the event.

Biology major Tori Finley said campus carry concerns her, however, she does not know what to believe.

“I feel like there are so many different opinions, it is hard to form one,” Finley said.

Former Texas Junior College SGA President Rameez Sohail said he enjoyed listening to Neave.

“It is such an honor to be able to listen to our future state representative speak today,” Sohail said. “It’s great to know that there is someone here working for social justice.”

Toward the end of her speech, Neave stressed the importance of voting.

“The importance of getting engaged [in voting] now is something that we want college students to be a part of,” Neave said.

“We want to make sure that your voices are heard," she added, "because there are important decisions being made in the Texas Legislature that effect everyone.”

ALEJANDRA ROSAS/THE ET CETERA

Attorney Victoria Neave tells her story of service and urges students to remember where they come from.

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The Et Cetera

Student moms make time for family, school, work

By Andrea Carrizales etc4640@dcccd.edu

When her son Junior was 11 years old, Nelda Alderete would wake him up at 6:30 a.m. and “drag him out the door” to drive him to school.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays she would drop him off 30 minutes before Terry Middle School opened, when the sky was still dark and only the band director was there to supervise him.

“Two days out of the week, I was terrified,” she said. “But he had a cellphone with him.

He’d let me know if something was going on.

As soon as he got into the building he would text me or call me.”

Although Alderete didn’t like their routine, taking her son to school so early was the only way she could arrive on time to her 8 a.m. biology class at Eastfield during the fall of 2013.

Earlier that year she had filed for a divorce, prompting her to enroll in college. But the biggest challenge came a few months later, when she learned she had breast cancer. Through the divorce, the long days on campus, and the therapy she underwent later that semester, Alderete found her strength in Junior.

“He was the one pushing me,” she said. “My son was my knight in shining armor.”

There are more than 2 million single mothers in the United States who, like Alderete, balance motherhood with their studies, according to a 2014 report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

The majority of these students attend community colleges and usually deal with time and financial constraints.

Alderete, 45, is only days away from graduating. She will walk across the stage with her associate degree in science on Saturday.

In order to provide for her son while meeting her responsibilities as a mother and a fulltime student, Alderete works the front desk at TRIO Services three days per week.

“Being a student and working here has helped me a lot,” she said. “Not having to find another job or spend more money on gas. I am here all day.”

Paola Reyes is another full-time student and single mom. Her son, Jeremiah, is 4 years old.

She works up to 30 hours per week at Sam’s

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Nelda Alderete and her 13-year-old son, Junior Medellin, study together in the TRIO tutoring lab after Junior gets out of school.

Club, which enables her to afford the weekly $135 daycare fee for her son. Reyes is also graduating this Saturday and plans to transfer to Texas Woman’s University, where she will continue working toward her nursing degree.

“Sometimes I feel bad because I’m away from [Jeremiah] all day,” she said. “But at the same time it’s a good thing because I’m working and I’m going to school. I’m doing what I have to do, and it’ll pay off later on.”

Reyes met Jeremiah’s father in high school and got pregnant the summer before her junior year. She had to take off the last few weeks of that academic year to give birth to Jeremiah, but returned to school the following semester and graduated six months earlier than planned.

She started college right after, wanting to get ahead.

“It took me about three years to get my associate, but I’m glad I did it the way I did,” she said.

Reyes, 20, lives with her mother, who takes care of Jeremiah in the afternoons after he gets out of daycare, while Reyes is at work.

NEWS

Brief Early college students to receive degrees Eastfield will award associate degrees or certificates to 863 students this year.

Among those are 27 W.W. Samuell High School students, the first to graduate from the early college partnership between Eastfield and the Dallas school.

The class of 2016 also includes 68 students from Garland’s Lakeview Centennial High School Collegiate Academy.

Graduation will be held at 4:30 p.m. May 7 in the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. Tickets are required.

“When I come home, sometimes I lay down and try to get homework done,” she said. “But most of the time I’ll shower him and get him to bed, and I’ll sleep later on.”

Although Jeremiah’s father works out of town and has a family, Reyes said he helps her when he can. She also counts on her father and Jeremiah’s grandmothers to provide support.

Estefania Cedillo also relies on her loved ones to help her balance motherhood and college. Cedillo, 23, plans to major in English and minor in early childhood education. Her mother and her boyfriend help her watch after her 21-month-old baby, Preston, when she needs to concentrate on classwork.

“The hardest thing about school has been trying to study while having him,” Cedillo said.

“He doesn’t like it when I study. He wants all my attention.”

Cedillo was 21 years old when Preston was born. At the time, she chose to dedicate herself wholly to the care of her son, after her baby’s father decided he was not ready for parenthood.

A year and a half later, encouraged by her

new boyfriend, Cedillo decided to enroll in college. Because of its proximity and affordable tuition, Eastfield seemed like the right choice.

Every day before heading to class she drops off her son at a daycare in Sunnyvale.

“It costs a little bit, and by a little bit I mean a lot,” Cedillo said. “But it’s totally worth it, because they have a curriculum, so it feels like he’s going to school too.”

After taking her classes, Cedillo returns home around 3 p.m., does homework, takes care of chores and picks up Preston before 6 p.m. Then she makes dinner and spends time with her son while doing more homework.

“I’ll be outside [in the backyard with him] practicing my speech, or typing my paper while he’s playing,” she said.

Alderete and Junior, who is now 13 years old and in middle school, also spend some of their afternoons doing homework together.

“I remember at one time I had history with professor [Mike] Noble,” Alderete said. “[In Junior’s class] they were talking about George Washington and I was reading about him too.

It was kind of neat, him and I doing the same thing for history.”

She remembers sitting at the kitchen table with her son, sharing facts about Washington.

“Did you know about this?” she asked.

“No, mom, they don’t have it in my textbook,” Junior replied.

“Well, they have it on my textbook. Look!”

Alderete said.

“A couple of times we did that with history,” she said. “We studied together.”

Alderete plans to transfer to Texas A&M Commerce and pursue a bachelor’s degree in special needs education. Working as a special needs teacher at a local elementary school has been her goal since she started college three years ago.

Although she wants to move to Commerce, Alderete has decided to make the one-hour commute to class so her son can stay in his school.

She said she will try to build her schedule around Junior’s, so that she doesn’t have to drop him off so early in the morning anymore.

“He’s a straight-A student,” she said. “I don’t want to mess that up for him.”

New SGA officers sworn-in The Student Government Association has elected new officers to serve during the 2016-17 academic year.

Aaron Sustaita, right, was named president and was sworn in April 29.

Officers also elected to the executive board are Vice President Stephany Sam, Secretary Vandhana Jeevaraj, Parliamentarian KeNesia Sumpter and Treasurer Elisa Jimenez-Pate.

Elections for House of Representatives and Senate seats will be held in the fall. For information, visit the Office of Student Engagement and Retention in C-237.

JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

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PUT IT ON YOUR

Calendar May

Wed

Recital: Jazz Ensemble, 12:30 p.m., Performance Hall

Thu

Cinco de Mayo Celebration, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Lower Courtyard

Fri

Financial Friday: Federal student aid, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., C-135.

Sat

Graduation ceremony, 4:30 p.m., Curtis Culwell Center, Garland

4 5 6 7

Mon

Final exams start

Thu

Last day of spring semester

Mon

Memorial Day, campus closed

9

12 30

ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO BY JASMIN JIMENEZ

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Auto body student defies gender norms

By Parker Ward etc4640@dcccd.edu

Jennifer Scruggs didn’t need anyone to make her pursue her dream job.

Nobody told her to take extra classes while working full time. But she did, and now she’ll be walking the stage Saturday a semester before she was expected to graduate.

She will earn a certificate in auto body management, which she believes is the best way to prepare for her dream job at an auto body shop.

“I want to be an estimator, and hopefully I am one by the end of the year,” Scruggs said. “I can only go forward from here. I don’t plan on going backward.”

An estimator is the person in charge of coming up with a price to give to customers based on the damages.

They are also the last person to check the work done to a vehicle and are a direct line of communication between shop and customer.

While earning her degree, she worked at a car dealership shadowing an estimator.

“Jennifer is driven and she is passionate about what she is learning,” auto body program coordinator Carlos Ojeda said. “She went out to interview for a position with the company she works with, and she landed

JASMIN JIMINEZ/THE ET CETERA

Jennifer Scruggs paints a car in the campus auto body shop.

it all on her own.”

A good estimator can mean the difference between success and failure at an auto body shop, Ojeda said.

“The estimator is the most important person in the shop being that estimator is the direct line to securing the money. Without that estimator, the company could go under.”

Scruggs always knew that she was interested in cars. She was a part of the Duncanville High School collision program before graduating in 2013.

However, it was not until after she earned second place in a competition by painting cheetah print on a

car hood that she felt like she could achieve success in the automotive field.

While trying to find a job in her field of study, Scruggs applied at two other businesses before landing a position at a dealership. She said the other places did not give her much of a chance.

“At the first one, they asked me, ‘Are you sure you are really ready for this?’ ” she said. “At that point, I knew the interview was over. He didn’t even get up to shake my hand.”

Despite landing a job, she believes that the automotive industry as a whole does not have enough women.

THE HOT TOPIC

“At the shop I work at, I’m one of only two females in my shop,” she said. “The other is the receptionist.

Even when you go to other shops, all guys. There’s not very many females, and a lot of people frown upon it.

There are very few people that find it to be a good addition to the company.”

As a woman, she said, applying for a job in the automotive field is taking a big chance.

“It’s just a gamble,” she said. “You have to go to the place with your head held high and hope for the best. I’m hoping that if other females see me succeeding, then it will show them, ‘You can do this.’ ” In contrast, fellow auto body student Zulemma Morales believes that companies might take prospective female employees more seriously.

“You don’t find a lot of women working in this industry, but I really think they take a good look at you if you are one because they want a lot of us in there,” Morales said.

Scruggs’ family initially opposed her pursuit of a career in the automotive field.

“They were scared for me, but I’m here to prove them wrong,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter that I’m a female in a guy’s environment. At the end of the day, we are all human. It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female as long as you get the job done.”

NEWS

How do you feel about changing who is depicted on paper money?

Brief ATM no longer offered on campus

Sonya Battle Science Major

Jedidiah Starr Math Major

“We’ve been marginalized for far too long, and I look forward to pulling money out of my wallet and seeing a woman’s picture on it, especially Harriet Tubman.”

“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have an African-American woman on there. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have a woman on there. I’m saying it won’t change the way I spend my money.”

Mary Forrest Speech Faculty “I think it’s long overdue and it should have been done before now.

Women should be represented because … we are equally important.”

Joaquin Tinoco Industrial Design Major

Gregory Anduevoye Automotive Service Major

“I think that it is really important that a woman like Harriet Tubman can appear on the bills because we need to know that women have fought for this country and they have done as many things as men have.”

“I don’t really think anything of it. I kind of think they are making a big deal out of nothing, to be honest.”

The Higher One ATM in C building will no longer be available beginning today.

The college will be without an ATM until officials contract with a new provider.

Eastfield uses Higher One cards to issue refunds and disburse financial aid.

Higher One cardholders may visit Allpoint ATMs to obtain cash without fees.

Allpoint ATMs are located in retail stores such as Walgreens, CVS, 7-Eleven, Safeway and Kroger.

To find an Allpoint ATM, visit allpointnetwork.com, call 800-809-0308 or download the Higher One app.

Life &Arts

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Top five Force-users in Star Wars In honor of May the Fourth, also known as “Star Wars” Day, we look back at the best Jedi Knights and Sith Lords to appear on the big screen.

The next “Star Wars” film, “Rogue One,” takes place between episodes III and IV and is set for release Dec. 16. No word yet on if any Jedi or Sith will appear in this story about stealing plans to the Death Star.

If you’re not up-to-date on the Star Wars story, beware. Spoilers ahead.

Emperor Sheev Palpatine Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, ruled the galaxy for nearly four decades. He had the power to manipulate the Force, allowing him to infiltrate and destroy the Galactic Republic from its highest office as chancellor.

His downfall only came with a surprise attack from his protégé, Darth Vader.

Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi Obi-Wan has numerous achievements on his Jedi resume: defeating a Sith Lord while only a padawan, killing General Grievous singlehandedly, overpowering his protégé, the future Darth Vader, and training both Anakin

and Luke Skywalker.

Obi-Wan was one of the most powerful masters of the Force in the Star Wars saga. He was disciplined and willing to do nearly whatever it took to get the job done.

While Obi-Wan could not bring himself to kill Vader in “Revenge of the Sith,” it was not for a lack of power and ability.

multiple encounters with Darth Vader. He ultimately converted Vader back to the Light and brought about the fall of the Galactic Empire, at least for a time.

Yoda Grand Master Yoda, a mysterious 900-yearold Jedi with no real backstory, rivals all others who use the Force.

His leadership of the Jedi Order, though ending in disaster, saw a long period of peace and prosperity.

All in the Jedi Order aspired to his wisdom, and while he was not able to stop the rise of the Galactic Empire, he later trained the Jedi who did.

Anakin Skywalker Later known as Darth Vader, a dark lord of the Sith, Anakin was essential to the Republic’s efforts during the Clone Wars.

His defeat of Count Dooku, after an earlier loss in a battle with the same man, showed the power Anakin could muster when needed.

Anakin didn’t show his true power until his fall to the Dark Side, when he essentially committed an act of genocide at the Jedi Temple.

Anakin’s mastery of the Force and lightsaber techniques made him one of the most powerful Force-users.

Luke Skywalker Trained by Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke, the unbeknownst son of Vader, saved the universe by firing the shot that destroyed the Death Star.

Luke, with minimal training, survived

Honorable Mention: Rey Rey, the female protagonist of the newest installment “The Force Awakens,” shows a natural ability to use the Force and escapes a confrontation with Sith apprentice Kylo Ren without formal training.

But we’ll have to wait for Episode VIII, due in December 2017, to discover if her skills blossom into Jedi-level awesomeness.

CRAIG MARTINEZ/THE ET CETERA

— Compiled by Mickey Smith

Local graffiti artists inspire without breaking laws

By Jennifer Sanmiguel etc4640@dcccd.edu

Art was unleashed in the form of spray paint outside of the G building on the morning of April 21.

Students and staff crowded around the Dallas-based graffiti art collective Sour Grapes as they demonstrated spray-painting techniques. Sour Grapes strives to share their work without violating the law and to inspire and motivate young artists to pursue their goals.

Brothers and San Luis Potosi, Mexico natives Arturo, Miguel and Carlos Donjuan grew up in Dallas before founding Sour Grapes. Arturo and Miguel talked about spraypainting freight trains in the middle of the night as children. Arturo said that one night, he felt something biting him and later realized he was standing on an anthill. Dedicated to finishing his art, Arturo endured the pain of the ant bites.

Arturo described their childhood graffiti as both a criminal act and “innocent” because they didn’t know

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

Arturo Donjuan spray-painting a piece of lauan wood April 21.

the art they were creating was actually illegal. After a close encounter with the police, the three realized the risks they were taking. The brothers then began searching for a legal way to continue doing what they enjoyed.

“There was no rule book on how to do this the right way,” Arturo said.

“We had to figure it all out ourselves.”

The brothers decided to ask a West Dallas restaurant owner if

they could host an art show in his business. After hanging some of their art and paintings, Arturo made an anonymous call to a small local paper to spread the word that graffiti group Sour Grapes was hosting an art show in the area. The publicity led them to develop a fan base.

The collective now paints murals in many small businesses and company buildings and on the sides

of highways. They have painted murals on Davis Street in West Dallas and on the Jefferson viaduct.

The group now consists of six artists, who consider one another family: the three brothers, Miguel’s wife, Emily Donjuan, Ricardo Oviedo and Isaias Torres.

Sour Grapes has hosted art shows in Fort Worth, San Antonio, San Francisco and is planning one in Milan, Italy.

The group has been commissioned by companies such as Nike, Red Bull and Goodyear Tires. They also take commissions from the community, recently finishing murals on five Dallas Independent School District high schools.

“We’re putting murals where no one expects them or even think art would exist on their walls,” Miguel said.

Eastfield Gallery Director Iris Bechtol said that bringing groups like these to the college can inspire artists to look at new forms of art and pursue careers in the arts.

“A lot of it is like teaching,” she

said. “Teaching people young and old about their work and also how they could do it too. I think that that is more exciting because it’s like you’re bringing something real here and not just teaching from a textbook. … So it’s really bringing the real people, the writers and the artists and performers, to campus to connect with the students.”

Art major Hector Munoz was surprised to learn that it was a presentation on spray-painting, an art form he respects and admires.

The group motivated him to continue working with spray paint, and he hopes that it motivated others as well.

“It was actually amazing,” he said. “These are kids that came from Mexico, that came from nothing, and to see them now, it’s just, it’s amazing to see how they’re working, how big they’ve become and they still give to the community.”

The Sour Grapes studio is located at 801 Seale St. Suite B across from the Belmont Hotel.

The group’s next show will be 6-10 p.m. May 14. It is open to the public.

LIFE&ARTS

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Drama teacher demonstrates theater makeup skills

By Jasmine Oliva etc4640@dcccd.edu

Applying theatrical makeup is a lot like learning how to “contour like a Kardashian,” drama program coordinator Dusty ReasonsThomas said.

An art form in its own right, stage makeup is heavily reliant on highlights, shadows and overall precision. Reasons-Thomas showcased stage makeup’s role in theater by demonstrating her skill on student models at an April workshop during the Literary & Fine Arts Festival.

Using a variety of products, she recreated a look from the musical “Cats” and freestyled a look of her own.

Reasons-Thomas used foundations and setting sprays often found in common cosmetic stores but also used products exclusively available at theater costume stores or online.

She used makeup application techniques with brush strokes usually found in studio art classes.

“Something I like about doing makeup is that everybody’s face is different,” she said. “I love the face and body as a blank canvas and

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

Dusty Reasons-Thomas (left) applies stage makeup to a student.

recreating new characters on actors.”

Reasons-Thomas said her interest in theater

started early while growing up in Missouri.

Participating in productions from junior high onward led her to study acting in college.

She said having a career in theater seemed like a “natural progression.”

“I have been working professionally in theater for over 14 years,” she said. “I started performing in professional shows while in college and have worked nearly every aspect since then.”

The first paying job Reasons-Thomas ever had in theater was for a small theater company’s public relations department.

Pursuing acting in college and graduate school, Reasons-Thomas was encouraged to take classes in all aspects of theater.

“When you’re a theater major and especially as an actor, you don’t just take acting classes,” she said. “You learn makeup, theater tech, how to build sets … a little bit of everything.”

In her sixth year teaching at Eastfield, Reasons-Thomas says she always works to instill the importance of learning other skills in her students. Art major Victor DeTerra has applied this lesson, most recently during Eastfield’s production of “Harvester Cabaret.” DeTerra was an

actor in the production and says he attempted to do his own makeup in the fast-paced musical theater environment. The art of stage makeup is not always a time-consuming job, he said.

“If we have 10 minutes to get onstage, it’ll probably take about five minutes,” DeTerra said.

Stage makeup student Tanya Uhrich helped DeTerra apply his makeup for the show as well.

Uhrich enrolled in the makeup course after her dissatisfaction looking for professional face painters.

“I just started doing it for my kid’s birthday parties and then other people started asking me to do it for theirs,” she said. “I took this class because I thought it would teach me some techniques and further my skill.”

Reasons-Thomas said the midday class, which teaches students how to create bruises and burns out of makeup, is a great way to “freak people out” all while broadening one’s horizons.

“It’s good to be diversified because actors don’t typically make a lot of money,” she said.

“But we don’t do it for the money, we do it because we love it.”

Millennials’ health habits set new hopes for tea industry

By James Hartley etc4640@dcccd.edu

A tea trend has been brewing in America, and it’s not the traditional Southern iced tea. Steeped in thousands of years of history and practice, tea is becoming an increasingly popular beverage in the United States.

Americans consumed 80 billion servings of tea last year, according to the Tea Association of the USA, with four out of five Americans drinking tea. Millennials were the largest consumers with 87 percent drinking tea in 2015.

According to Euromonitor, an international market research service, tea saw the largest growth in U.S. sales last year with more than 6 million pounds of tea sold, a 13 percent increase from 2014. Herbal tea sales alone jumped 14 percent. The health benefits and flavor options of tea have sparked the trend, according to Kyle Stewart, owner of The Cultured Cup. “It helps me wake up and gives me more energy during the day,” said Jennifer Ortega, a 19-year-old nursing major who drinks at least one cup of tea each day. “There’s a good variety.

I’m very picky about the flavor because I wasn’t a big fan of tea at first.”

Student Drew Web, 21, grew up in a house with an entire cabinet of tea. Still, he said he doesn’t drink it as often as his parents.

“I’ll drink it once every few months,” he said. “Mostly it’s calming and soothing. Coffee is still my morning drink. Hot tea is really for before you go to bed.”

The U.S. became the third-largest importer of tea in 2015 and is the only western country with a growing market in tea imports and consumption, according to the Tea Association of the USA. The market saw a 16 percent increase in restaurants offering tea on their menu.

Stewart predicts tea will soon become the most popular beverage in the U.S. “Tea is hot right now, and restaurants are upping their game,” he said. “It’s not OK anymore to go to a really good restaurant and have great wine, great food and sucky tea.”

Beth Howard, a Taiwan native who works in the Eastfield facilities department, said she believes tea is becoming popular in America because it allows consumers to slow down and enjoy its health benefits.

Howard said that when she came to the U.S., she drank coffee and soda. As she grew older, health concerns brought her back to her native culture’s tea habits.

“This is just from thinking, ‘How do I improve myself to reduce my medical bill?’ ” Howard said. “I drink green tea every day. I don’t drink soda, for many years.”

Howard said Americans may not be getting the fullest health benefits when they drink tea from a vending machine or with added sugar. She suggested drinking loose leaf tea to maximize health benefits.

Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the USA, said that while tea bags and loose leaf both offer the same health benefits, ready-to-drink teas common in vending machines are less healthy.

“They tend to be more diluted, so the antioxidants in the tea are less,” he said. “But it depends. I worked for Unilever for 32 years. Their ready-to-drink teas in a plastic bottle and their Pure Leaf have higher levels of antioxidants, so it’s about equivalent to consuming a cup of tea. … You have to look at the brands and the labels.”

The Tea Association estimated that the wholesale value of the U.S. tea industry has increased from $800 million in 1990 to more than $2 billion in 2015 in traditional markets. Specialty stores like The Cultured Cup have seen overall growth from $200 million in 1990 to $2 billion in 2015.

Goggi said that while America is “ruled by tea bags,” loose leaf tea sales are increasing. He said specialty tea and loose leaf tea sales have increased “in the lower double digits” since the 1990s. Millennials are drinking more tea, he added, which will likely make America a tea nation when the millennial generation has children.

“As the millennials continue to consume tea, their kids are going to be used to tea being in the house,” Goggi said. “We’re very

JASMIN JIMENEZ/THE ET CETERA

The Cultured Cup’s owner, Kyle Stewart, brought tea for students to try at the tea time presentation on campus.

bullish on tea’s increase in consumption in the U.S. We think it’s going to continue.”

Goggi said the culture behind tea is also attractive to millennials.

“Particularly with the millennial generation, you’re seeing a lot of engagement,” he said. “Not just with the tea product itself, but with every product they buy, they want to know something about it. … They want to be able to understand where it comes from.”

While tea consumption has risen, coffee consumption has largely been unaffected, Goggi said. He said tea has become more of a daytime drink while coffee is primarily a morning drink.

Stewart suggested that tea will continue to grow while coffee will remain steady because consumers have more use for tea in their daily life but will not abandon coffee because it has become a part of American culture.

Music major Angelica Garcia, 23, said she sticks mostly to coffee and soda.

“I really only drink tea when I’m sick,” she said. “Otherwise, I don’t drink it that much.”

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

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The Et Cetera

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Students show talents in Fine Arts Fest

ALEJANDRA ROSAS/THE ET CETERA

The Arts & Communications Division sponsored the annual Literary & Fine Arts Festival the week of April 18. Clockwise from top left: The Brass Ensemble plays during Jazz Under the Stars. Nursing major Adrianna Cruz performs in a preview of the Spring Dance Concert in front of the Bohemian Wonderland exhibit at the Fireside Lounge. Author Clay Morgan reads from one of his books during a Back to the Stacks event in the library. Student Jonathan Andrews gives a first-place showing at The Et Cetera's seventh annual Poetry Slam. See more coverage of the festival at eastfieldnews.com.

AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA

ISABEL ESPINOZA/THE ET CETERA

LIFE&ARTS

9

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

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vs The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe are at the onset of war. They’ll battle it out on opening weekends for moviegoers as they leave a lasting legacy on the superhero movie genre and make a boatload of money in the process. Marvel planted their flag early with the release of “Deadpool” in February, and DC brought out its big guns with the release of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Marvel will soon fire back with the upcoming release of “Captain America: Civil War,” but the battles don’t end there.

Marvel and DC have an arsenal of films set to release for years to come, from their classic lunchbox heroes seen in “Wonder Woman” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” each set for 2017 releases, to their misfit comedies such as “Suicide Squad” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” With summer fast approaching, we asked students around campus to choose a side and tell us which upcoming movies they anticipate the most from these superhero juggernauts.

— Compiled by Winston Ebune

Garret Williams Undecided major

Joshua Adi Computer Engineering major

“Have you seen the ‘Daredevil’ series? Freaking good. Daredevil and Jessica Jones are amazing. You take a look at the movies that just came out right now: ‘Batman v Superman’ [and] you realize that is not really Batman on screen. He picked up a gun!”

“The difference between Marvel and DC is like the difference between a galaxy and galaxies. DC just has strong characters. [My] favorite character is Shazam because of his unique magical ability. [He’s] the only character that can run toe-to-toe with Superman.”

Malik Russel Performance and Automotive major “I feel like there’s a need of more diverse characters. Someone like Blade is hard core even if he doesn’t have powers. ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ is something I’ve been waiting for [and] ‘Doctor Strange’ is something I’ve been wanting to see outside the comics.”

Brandon House Undecided major “I wanna watch ‘Suicide Squad.’ I love Will Smith. Batman [is my favorite character] because why not?

But I need to watch ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.’

Out of everything I need to see that because the first one was so cool.”

Lupita Rangel Psychology major

Vicky Perez Psychology major

“Marvel because of their [overall] production. I say Wolverine [is my favorite character]. I just like all the X-men, all the Wolverine movies. I like his character. I’m looking forward to ‘Civil War’ and [the new] ‘Spider-Man’ movies.”

“I grew up watching ‘Teen Titans’ when I was little. Then my brother introduced me to every [DC] comic book that there is. Then we had Injustice and Young Justice. I just started all DC from there. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing ‘Suicide Squad.’ ”

Santiago Serrato Finance major “Deadpool [is my favorite] because he’s a mercenary. He just doesn’t give a sh*t. [And Wolverine], Logan is pretty badass.”

Illustrations by Jonathan Wences

India Stewart Professor of Sociology “Everybody doesn’t have mutant powers. You can’t just become a mutant. Anybody can be Batman.

It’s something to aspire to.”

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

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The Et Cetera

Prepare to die again in third ‘Dark Souls’ journey Gamer Z ne

By Caitlin Piper etc4640@dcccd.edu

The infamous difficulty curve of the “Souls” series isn’t so much a sharp incline as it is a Sisyphean trek up the mountains of the Underworld.

Just when I think I’ve gotten used to the weight of that boulder and manage to reach the peak, it slips from my hands and goes tumbling back to the ground as a shambling corpse with less muscle mass than a fossilized gnat somehow manages to punt my fully armored player character after it, forcing me to start all over again.

For reasons I’m sure are unrelated, I get some pretty strange looks when I tell people they’re some of my favorite games to come out in the last decade.

“Dark Souls III” is the sort of sequel I find nearly impossible to review on its own merits because it has almost none.

It shamelessly banks on the nostalgia of fans with familiar locations and characters and has gameplay so identical that it left me feeling like a patient at a dark fantasy-themed amnesia clinic.

And yet, as I write this, I have more than 40 hours logged on my main save file and don’t plan to shelve it any time soon.

As per usual, you play as a cursed undead dragged up from your sorry existence to ostensibly return peace to a desolate kingdom centuries past its expiration date. One of my favorite things about the “Souls” series is the richness of its lore and its ability to tell so much with so little, and “Dark Souls III” doesn’t disappoint in either regard.

This isn’t yet another Tolkien clone. The plot is unveiled through

the world itself with minimal NPC interaction and cutscenes. Crumbling castles and haunted hamlets tell the story of a world where all the old heroes are dead, broken or indiscriminately homicidal, and unlike most games that emphasize exploration, “Dark Souls III” doesn’t try to hide it all behind pretty skyboxes and invisible walls.

In true “Souls” fashion, if you see something in the distance, you’re going to be able to explore it with virtually no interruptions from loading screens.

The world feels massive and lavishly detailed, yet efficiently designed, and half the fun of exploring is discovering shortcuts to dart through when you inevitably stumble upon one of several hidden bosses.

While on the subject of bosses, “Dark Souls III” has some of the best in the series. After the disappointment of “Dark Souls II” and its many iterations of animated suits of armor, I was dreading the sight of the first boss — a plate-armored knight pinned in place by a rusting long sword — only to be pleasantly surprised when I initiated the fight by ripping the sword from his chest and was promptly sent cartwheeling headfirst into a gravestone by the John Carpenter’s “The Thing”-esque abomination that burst from the wound.

While I won’t spoil my favorite fight, there’s a lot of creativity in the monster designs that I haven’t seen since the first “Souls” game, and oh, how I’ve missed it.

Combat is identical to previous entries in the series, unabashedly

COURTESY OF FROMSOFTWARE

so, but it feels more polished and fast-paced due to a few small but noteworthy tweaks. The staples of a “Souls” game are all here. As an undead, you don’t die permanently.

Rather, you are sent to the last bonfire you rested at — each of which serve as save points, warp stations and more — at the cost of souls you collect from enemies. These souls serve as both currency and experience points that can be permanently lost if you die before you’re able to reclaim them at the last spot you were defeated. Enemies also respawn with every death and bonfire visit, so tread carefully and guard often.

Your character moves slightly faster than in previous games, though your jump is still pathetically short, and the new ability to move while healing feels like a natural extension of combat. Targeting doesn’t snap

away from enemies as much as it did before, and kicks are finally back after a noticeable absence in “Dark Souls II.” There are now multiple types of healing Estus flasks, and while I personally didn’t find the arts system to be all that useful with its options to magically alter weapons, I didn’t find it distracting either.

The difficulty level is pleasantly challenging. It manages to find a happy medium between the overly forgiving “Dark Souls II” — a game that dedicated half an hour to a combat tutorial — and the less-thanwelcoming intro to the original — a game that dropped a boss on you while you were still trying to figure out which button made you sprint and which button made you somersault into the nearest chasm. (Protip: They were actually the same.)

“Dark Souls” and its ilk are like

To be eligible for membership:

Join us!

Every other Friday @ 2 p.m.

Room C-335

that overbearing relative who’s constantly pushing for you to climb to the top of the corporate ladder before you’re old enough to legally fall into the crippling alcoholism that follows.

They want you to succeed, but they’ll leave it to you to figure out who’s there to help and who’s there to sabotage as you’re forced to work with the twin terrors trial and error is order to advance.

And I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

Between the hauntingly crafted world, the rich atmosphere and the indescribable satisfaction of finally figuring out how to beat that thrice-cursed giant who’s kicked you through a cathedral ceiling half a hundred times, “Dark Souls III” is a worthy successor to the game that taught me the meaning of “tough, but fair.”

* You must be enrolled in a regionally accredited institution offering an associate degree program * You must have completed at least 12 hours of coursework that may be applied to an associate degree (part-time students may be eligible) * You must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher * You must receive an invitation to membership from the chapter at the college where presently enrolled * You must adhere to the moral standards of the society To find out if you are eligible for Phi Theta Kappa membership, contact JoAnn Coates, VP Membership at psietamembership@gmail.com Member meetings are held in C-297 on 1st and 3rd Friday of every month at 12:30 p.m.

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Eastfield dancer to graduate, plans choreography career

Q A &

Q A

Dance major Colby Calhoun works as a dance instructor in the Eastfield work study program under faculty member Danielle Georgiou. Calhoun will graduate this semester and transfer to Texas Woman’s University in the fall to pursue his dream of becoming a choreographer. He performed in the Spring Dance Concert as part of the annual Literary & Fine Arts Festival.

Before the performance, Calhoun spoke with Et Cetera reporter Jamiah Sandles about his experiences as a male dance major and aspiring choreographer.

How long have you been a dancer?

In high school, I would be in musicals and I would hang out with the drill team girls when they would practice in the gym before school. I never was really a dancer until my senior year in high school. We did “Footloose.” I was the lead role. That was the first time I did a lot of dancing. Then a little bit after I graduated high school, I started attending classes at a studio and I started attending classes here.

I guess like two or three years I’ve been dancing.

Q

Dance instructor Danielle Georgiou says that all she sees are bodies when she choreographs and that there are no gender specifications when it comes to fulfilling the duties of a dancer. Do you feel the same way?

A

I think that is the way it should be. It’s great that we have someone here that understands that and helps teach that. Dancers are just bodies.

Q A

What are some advantages and disadvantages of being a professional male dancer?

Obviously male privilege permeates through everything. Just being a male, not even being a good male dancer, gets you lots of roles, especially in classical dancing. They need guys to do the lifts and the partnering … so it’s easy to get a job.

I guess the disadvantage is that you don’t really get to find artistry. You’re the vehicle to lift a person. Once I get my foot in the door, it’s like, “Oh look, I’m good at what I do. Hire me for other things.”

Now it’s not so uncommon that there’s male dancers.

It’s a lot more common than it was. Especially with modern dance being the new thing. Now that dance is a lot less [driven by] gender, it’s easier to be just a dancer as opposed to a male dancer.

REVIEW

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN WENCES/THE ET CETERA

Above, the male cast members perform "Red and Black" from "Les Miserables." Below, Cathrine Christensen headlines "All That Jazz."

Music revue sparkles

By Olivia Zablosky etc4640@dcccd.edu

AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA

Q A

What are some of your career goals?

I’m really interested in creating things. I want to be a choreographer just like Danielle Georgiou. She gets to create things that are her truth.

She gets to package it into something she cares about.

I feel like it is sort of my duty as a dancer and as a creator. If I don’t follow that, I’m not being fair to myself.

I want to be able to create things and be able to dedicate my time to that.

It’s hard to sustain yourself, especially as a dancer, because a lot of times you have to come to rehearsals for months, then get paid for a performance. I teach dance classes in the morning. It’s a lot about doing things you don’t want to do so you can do what you want to do. I want to be at a place in my life where I can just focus on creating and not worry about where the money is coming from.

Q A

What or who inspired you to dance?

In high school, I was in choir, band and I was in orchestra at one point. Dance feels like something that is so uniquely me. My body is no one else’s. Being able to express through my body, even if it is someone else’s choreography, the way I do it just feels so powerful.

We did another musical before “Footloose,” and our choreographer went to New York University Tisch [School of the Arts] for modern dance. One day he said, “If you want to stay, I am just going to workshop some choreography so you can stay and learn it.” We learned a little 30-second piece that he choreographed, and that was the first time I was like, “Yes, this is how I can really express myself,” which sounds so cliché, but it’s so true. I believe dance is the most universal way to communicate.

It is not every day that a transvestite ushers you to your seat.

But that was the scene at Eastfield’s production of “Harvester Cabaret,” a raunchy but humorous performance April 14 and 15 that included a number of love songs from theater productions such as “Cabaret,” “Les Miserables,” “Chicago” and “Rent.”

The play opened with “Willkommen” from “Cabaret” headlined by the host (Morgan Solorzano). He opened sharply and flamboyantly, setting the tone for the show.

The second number, “Gold” from the musical “Once,” was sung with emotion by Adam Wright. The men of the ensemble followed with a passionate rendition of “Red and Black” from “Les Miserables.”

Monica Lira belted out a humorous and honest performance of “I Hate Men” from "Kiss Me, Kate," and Cathrine Christensen led a sensual and flirty “All That Jazz” from "Chicago" with backup from the scantily dressed ensemble.

A quirky and energy-packed “Mix Tape” performed by Codi Nelson and Victor Deterra followed, and then Micah Cavender and Christensen sang a sweet duet of “Falling Slowly.”

Finally, the ensemble closed with an upbeat and cheery “Seasons of Love” from “Rent.”

The set designers created a smoky atmosphere with fringed lampshades suspended over tables and old jazz playing in the background. The Performance Hall stage served as both show space and audience seating, with round tables scattered to create the ambiance of traditional cabaret shows performed in pubs and restau-

rants. I expected a cigar girl to come up and offer cigarettes and a light.

The glowing blue backlighting, the piano and drum players, the cheaplooking hooker makeup and risqué wardrobe choices enhanced the performances.

Solorzano’s performance as the host was fun. The other actors played their parts well enough to make it believable. Though their dances were a little out of sync and a bit tense, everyone worked as a whole. Unfortunately, a few of the singers’ voices were competing with the volume of the music, minimizing the intensity of their songs.

Overall, “Harvester Cabaret” startled me and introduced me to a type of entertainment I have not experienced before. Despite the amateur qualities, it was bewitching. From the bewildering beginning of “Willkommen” to the end of “Seasons of Love,” it had my attention.

The ensemble’s ability to work as a unified whole deserves praise, as well as the direction, music, choreography and stage design that brought the pieces to life.

opinion

12 www.eastfieldnews.com

Etera

Early college program challenges me to grow

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Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief Parker Ward Managing Editor Andrea Carrizales News Editor James Hartley

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The Et Cetera is published every two weeks—except December, January and summer months—by a student staff. Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera. Additional copies are available in Room N-240.

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

OUR VIEW

Morgan, Lira Bravo for DCCCD While most of the 10 candidates seeking to fill three seats on the Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees appear genuine in their desire to improve the district, we’ve chosen to endorse Richard Morgan (District 2) and Monica Lira Bravo (District 4) for their administrative goals and willingness to hear directly from students in public panels. We are not endorsing a candidate in the District 3 race.

Most candidates agreed that budget cuts would have to be made in order to lower tuition.

Only a few offered up tangible solutions.

Some were sensible, such as Martha Jo Talbot and Dorothy Zimmermann’s efforts to decrease spending at the district level. Others were questionable. As much as we understand where she’s coming from, that old chestnut about college students and free food makes us hesitate to support Zimmermann’s idea to cut such amenities at campus events, especially since they are what draw many students to them in the first place.

Some ideas were downright ludicrous, namely Gene Robinson’s straight-faced suggestion to trim the “administrative bloat” of the vice president and vice chancellor positions and pass their workload onto their already-overworked superiors.

Though we understand that some sacrifices must be made in order to realistically lower tuition, we can’t agree with the proposals to cut liberal arts programs in the district. J.C. Osborne suggested cutting specific programs that do not open job opportunities after graduation. But he also said he would keep individual programs if students requested them, making us wonder just what constitutes a disposable program for him.

All candidates rightfully opposed LGBT discrimination on campus, although Brad Underwood’s most recent campaign ads don’t promote acceptance either. While we can’t say we also share an opinion on the overwhelming acceptance of campus carry, we appreciate Morgan and Lira Bravo’s support for open discussion among students, staff and campus police on the subject.

Overall, many of the candidates need to provide more substantial solutions if they hope to gain student support.

Anyone can tell us that textbooks are disgustingly overpriced and graduation rates are at a shocking low, but it all rings hollow without a plan to fix it.

While we can agree with several of the nominees on hot-button issues, Morgan and Lira Bravo have risen to the top because they are readily open to hear input from students.

In 2007, W.W. Samuell High School in Pleasant Grove faced Emily the prospect of Martinez closing down.

The school had a graduation rate of 36 percent.

At that point, the closure seemed inevitable. But Jennifer Tecklenburg said developing an early college program with Eastfield helped turn the school around.

“Early college high school has been something that we can use to promote higher standards,” said Tecklenburg, principal of the Samuell Early College High School at Eastfield.

The early college program began at Samuell in the fall of 2012. Freshmen and sophomore students take advanced placement high school courses and then transition to Eastfield for their junior and senior years, where they take college courses.

The system is designed for high school students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree.

May 2016 is the first year Samuell High School students will walk the stage with other Eastfield College students and receive their degrees. Then, in June, the students will graduate from high school.

Although it is an amazing advantage, it can have its ups and downs.

Jose “Tito” Lopez said the program is great but demanding. Lopez is a kind and spirited senior who is in the top 1 percent in his class. While at Samuell, Lopez played football.

“My main focus has always been education,” Lopez said, “I always put my social life second. As much as I love football, I had to get out of it because I couldn’t keep up with it. It takes a lot of sacrifice.”

Early college is not only a way to get free college education and acquire a degree faster, but it is also a way to gain exposure to the challenges of college and life.

Students learn to manage their time and prioritize.

I remember walking into my English 1301 class and looking around for my fellow classmates so I could sit next to them. To my surprise, I was the only teenager in there.

Twenty pairs of eyeballs stared at me, and I knew right then that I didn’t belong.

I felt like a joke walking into that class. I would complain to the teachers and my friends on how I was stuck in a class for an hour and 20 minutes with adults.

I finished up that course with a B. Even though I only spoke about three times the entire semester, I understood why I thought I didn’t belong. I was afraid of succeeding in a group that I was unfamiliar with. Early college has brought me into a special place where I have learned to see myself not as an outcast but as someone who can improve as a person and student. That’s all that early college is about.

Emily Martinez is a Samuell High School junior and a student in the Early College High School at Eastfield.

13

OPINION The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Police brutality can happen anytime and anywhere When I sit back and think about watching my little sister walk across the stage nine months ago, I don’t remember the look of joy and nervousness on her face or the roar of the crowd as the announcer rattled off name after name of college graduates.

All that comes to mind is how the day was ruined when an officer of the law assaulted me.

It would be naive to make the assumption that all police officers are bad or corrupt. Of course there are good cops. My mom’s neighbor is a member of the Seagoville Police Department. He exemplifies what it means to be a police officer.

But this story isn’t about good cops or bad cops. This is about the fact that the news reports you see on TV about police brutality happen more often than you think.

They don’t just happen to thugs or people committing crimes. Not everyone “had it coming” or “asked for it” before being assaulted.

Look around you.

Victims of police brutality aren’t just strangers. Sometimes they’re your classmates, neighbors and friends.p

Gabriel Flores

All those dash-cam videos shown on the news couldn’t have prepared me for being planted face down on the steaming asphalt, a knee wedged into my neck and one arm pinned underneath my body.

On July 25, 2015, I was driving to my home in Balch Springs after watching my sister graduate from Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute in Plano. My girlfriend, my 17-year-old brother and his girlfriend were in the car.

When we reached Sheppard Lane in Balch Springs, the driver behind us was tailgating so severely that he nearly hit my car.

I took offense and took my time accelerating. A couple of honks later, his black Impala was to my left and attempting to cut me off. The car swerved in front of me and the driver hit his brakes. My car screeched to a halt, hitting the Impala on the

rear passenger side. I jumped out of the car and began exchanging words with the driver while also trying to keep my brother away from him.

Eventually, I called the police.

By the time a squad car approached, I was leaning against my vehicle and the other driver was on the other side of the street.

The officer asked me to gather my insurance and registration from the glove box.

As I was returning with the items, I heard the other driver call my girlfriend a bitch, and I responded by shouting an obscenity back at him. “F*** you!”

The officer pinned me up against my passenger door with my left arm behind my back and declared that I was under arrest for “trying to start a fight.”

I responded by saying “OK, I’m under arrest. Just let me give my girl my ID,” which was in my right hand.

When I extended my arm, he said “stop resisting” and swept my legs from underneath me, planting me face-first onto the asphalt.

I lost consciousness for a few seconds and awoke to a burning sensation on the right side of

my face and stomach, which was exposed and pressed against the ground.

“Please officer, I’m not resisting.

The ground is hot,” I said.

“It burns! Please!”

Those five minutes unfolded in slow motion. Questions began to run through my mind.

“Is my brother about to watch me get killed?”

“Am I the next Michael Brown?”

“Will people protest for me?”

After medics arrived I was allowed to get back into my car and drive away with no charges or citations. But that wasn’t the end of the ordeal.

Three days later, I visited Parkland Hospital for chest discomfort. An exam revealed that I had a bruised sternum to go along with the baseball-sized knot above my left eye and some scrapes along the left side of my face and stomach.

What’s scary is that it could have been much worse.

This experience changed me. I am bitter and filled with regret about how I handled the incident.

Although I filed a formal com-

plaint with the Balch Springs Police Department, I never followed up.

So I never found my peace.

I never felt like justice was granted.

I believe the officer should have been charged with assault and removed from his position. If he is capable of doing what he did to me, who’s to say that he won’t do this again? Maybe he already has.

But I never felt like I had a chance with my complaint.

And it was easier for me to bury it than to face the fact that I was a victim.

As a Latino male I have always been apprehensive about dealing with law enforcement. There is an inherent distrust that, despite my best efforts, manifests itself when I see an officer in my rearview mirror.

I can remember being warned as a kid about the power the police wield and what can happen if you cross the wrong officer.

Nine months ago, I found out.

So the next time you see a story on the news or a video on social media about police brutality, remember my story and think twice before you just write it off.

Community involvement helped me overcome my fears I was scared of going to college; I still kind of am.

When I walked into Eastfield for the first time, I was so scared of the place that I begged my dad to come with me. We were trying to learn how to register for classes. I was frightened and confused about enrolling in college, and my dad, who hadn’t gone to college in the United States, didn’t know what to do either.

We emigrated from Mexico when I was 15 years old. I attended Crandall High School, where all my classmates were crazy about finishing their senior year and moving on to university. But college was not a big concern for me. I wanted to continue my education, but I didn’t know anything about the process.

I didn’t even understand what “majors” and “tuition” were.

During college fairs, I would go down the rows of tables, only paying attention to the names and colors of universities and taking their promotional items. Although I accepted their brochures, I would just look them over and throw them away.

I didn’t care about things like class sizes or the sports that were offered. College was extremely expensive, and my parents did not have the money to pay for it.

Since my status as a non-permanent resident didn’t allow me to receive federal financial aid, my parents encouraged me to

Andrea Carrizales

continue my education in my hometown of Saltillo. So I moved back with my mom and sisters, happy to see my friends again.

However, once there, I felt like I didn’t fit in anymore. I was scared of going anywhere by myself due to stories of violence and crime, and I didn’t even feel safe wearing shorts in public, something I had become used to doing during the hot summer days in Texas.

My family was torn between staying in Mexico and returning to the U.S. My dad had to stay in Texas for his job as an elementary school teacher. One of my little sisters wanted to be in Crandall, and the other wanted to be in our hometown. My mom was willing to compromise for everyone. Even now, I don’t know which option she would have chosen for herself.

As for me, I wanted to come back. So when my family and I received our permanent resi-

dence only six months after my high school graduation, it felt like a blessing. It meant I could work in the U.S., receive financial aid and apply for scholarships.

Eager to start school, I enrolled at Eastfield and took a full load that summer because I simply could not wait for the fall semester to start.

I started looking for opportunities to be involved with clubs and community service.

My communications professor, Lori Dann, invited me to join The Et Cetera student newspaper, and a friend I met over the summer invited me to join the Rotaract Club. I also joined the Student Government Association without being fully aware of the fact that I was a member. I did not see myself as a “leader,” but I decided to give it a try.

I was trying to figure out what I could do to be successful at Eastfield. Until I became involved with clubs and saw how other students were just as confused with the college process, I hadn’t realized I was not the only one who felt overwhelmed.

With time, I let go of my fears and started to enjoy and excel in my academics and extracurricular activities.

I became a member of the Honors Program, Phi Theta Kappa, became a Campus Ambassador and more. I was also honored to receive the 2014-2015 Amidon/Beauchamp

Student Leader of the Year award and was awarded the LeCroy Endowed scholarship, which covered my tuition and books this year.

In my two years at Eastfield, the campus has come to feel like home. I have stayed until 3 a.m. on Monday nights putting together the newspaper with my friends, I have my own workspace and I have a blanket stashed away in my newsroom drawer in case I get cold.

Through my activities at college, I have met some of the most wonderful and caring students and professors who have made me feel truly welcome. It was in the student government meetings that I met my boyfriend and some of my closest friends who are also active in many organizations.

Now, I am ready to transfer to a four-year university, but going through the transfer process made me realize I am still scared. I fear having to start over, with new classmates, new professors and a new campus.

I have been accepted to Southern Methodist University, but the tuition is so high and intimidating that I’m still unsure if I should go there.

Even though I am worried about paying for college, I now know that there are better alternatives to hiding under a blanket and hoping the issue resolves itself. I’m not sure what my next steps should be, but now I am confident I’ll figure it out.

Sports

The Et Cetera

May 6 May 7 May 19 May 20

Baseball vs. Brookhaven Baseball vs. Brookhaven NJCAA District C Tournament NJCAA District C Tournament

www.eastfieldnews.com

2 p.m.

Noon TBA TBA

14

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Harvester in school because of MLB pitcher

By Brianna Harmon etc4640@dcccd.edu

Gabriel “Cookie” Gonzalez almost gave up baseball due to his ambivalence toward school.

But after a heart-to-heart with Texas Rangers pitcher Shawn Tolleson, Gonzalez found the motivation to get back in school and play baseball.

“He told me that I have to push myself through it,” Gonzalez said. “It made me think about it. I knew that if I wanted to play that I had to go to school.

“It was a good conversation. It was my goal in high school to play at a Division I school, but I went to a Division III. He told me that not everybody starts off big and gets straight to the big leagues.”

Gonzalez works as a groundskeeper for the Texas Rangers as he pursues an Associate of Science while playing baseball at Eastfield.

Gonzalez started out in the warehouse, filling food orders for the concession stands before moving up to his current position. As a groundskeeper, he sets up batting practice for the Rangers and interacts with the players.

“It’s crazy working here,” he said.

“At first you go to the games and you’re just there just dreaming that you want to play there and then I ended up working there. It’s nothing I can explain. It’s a good experience.”

In time, Gonzalez formed a relationship with the athletes.

“I went down there to start working and [the other groundskeepers] started introducing me to the players and other teams,” Gonzalez said.

“I started knowing everyone and was cool with them. They would let me shag batting practice [collecting balls]. They give me lots of equipment.”

Gonzalez has batting gloves from Rougned Odor, Alex Rios and Leonys Martin.

He also has bats from Odor, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Martin and David Murphy.

“I ended up giving some of them away because I started to see [the players] every day,” Gonzalez said.

“But when I first got them, I thought, ‘I’m never getting rid of these.’ But

AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA

Above, Gonzalez runs to field a ground ball in between first and second base. Below, Gonzalez waits for the ball to be hit into play in a game against North Central Texas College on April 25.

I gave them to someone who really wants and needs them. I gave them away to people because they don’t have the opportunity I have.”

Gonzalez says that when he receives equipment takes him back to when he was younger.

“I felt like, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ ” Gonzalez said. “It brought the little kid back in me. Being on the field is the same thing you imagine being on a MLB field every day.”

Eastfield baseball coach Michael Martin said Gonzalez has a great opportunity on his hands.

“We look forward to him getting back down there around those guys,” Martin said. “I think nothing but positive things come out of it.”

Gonzalez signed with Cedar Val-

ley in 2013 but was redshirted. He then decided it was not where he wanted to be, so he stopped playing baseball and going to school.

After the talk with Tolleson, Gonzalez contacted multiple coaches, but no one would sign him. He then decided he was going to play in a college showcase tournament with hopes of being signed.

Gonzalez now plays second base for the Harvesters.

Martin said he is one of the best defenders on the field.

“He anchors down the infield while he is out there,” said Martin.

“He does a really good job for us.”

Teammate Trey Stone said Gonzales always has a smile on his face.

“He’s just Cookie,” Stone said. “He could make an error and he is still

smiling. I like how he is always in good spirit.”

Last fall, Gonzalez was given the nickname “Cookie” from assistant coach Travis Graves.

During a double-header against Paris Junior College, he was sitting on the bench munching away Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies.

Gonzalez never thought the nickname would last, but when the team returned from winter break everyone had jumped on the bandwagon.

“I didn’t think it was going to stick,” he said. “I at least have a big bag of Chips Ahoy a week. I eat a lot of cookies. Cookies and milk are just so good. I always have something to eat. It’s kind of like a superstition. I feel weird when I don’t have something to eat during a game.”

AHMAD ASHOR/THE ET CETERA

SPORTS

15

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Anderson represents EFC in NJCAA all-star game

By Gabriel Flores etc4640@dcccd.edu

Sophomore guard Tre Anderson was the catalyst for the Eastfield Harvesters basketball team’s success this season, especially during the second half.

For his efforts, he was selected as a National Junior College Athletic Association First-Team All-American and earned an invitation to play in the NJCAA All-Star game, which was held April 30 in Las Vegas.

The 6-foot-4-inch Anderson is arguably one of the most versatile players in the country.

He finished the season as the Harvesters’ leading rebounder, averaging nine per game, and second-leading scorer with 15 points per game. He also led the team defensively with 1.2 blocks per game and was second in steals with 1.6.

Head coach Anthony Fletcher utilized Anderson’s skill set throughout the season.

“There were times where he was our leading scorer and there were times where he was our go-to defender,” Fletcher said. “He played everything from the two to the five in our system. He’s even had to defend point guards.”

Anderson said he models his game after another versatile player: Hall of Fame forward and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls.

In the Harvesters’ locker room, there is a quote that reads, “The hardest part about a team is learning your role.” For Anderson, it isn’t that difficult.

“Your role is to be on the team and win,” he said. “That’s your only role.

SPORTS

Briefs Pool reopens after closure for upgrades The campus pool, located next to the P building, has reopened after closing October 2014 for repairs costing over $245,000.

During the academic year, the pool is home to classes in scuba diving, swimming and water aerobics.

Swimming lessons are also held throughout summer.

Open swim is held from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Your role is not to go out and be the best defender. That’s your goal every day. My only motive is to win.”

Anderson’s coaches and teammates admire his personality and intelligence.

“He’s funny off the court,” guard Ed Williams said. “On the court, he shows no emotions. On the court, he’s straight-faced. You can’t tell what Tre is thinking until he opens his mouth. There’s some crazy stuff that comes out of his mouth.”

Fletcher describes Anderson’s offthe-court demeanor as “worldly.”

“He reads a lot,” Fletcher said. “He gains knowledge through reading and he reads different types of things.

When you do that, you begin to get different experiences.”

Anderson said he was surprised to be selected to play in the all-star game.

“I kind of felt like I wasn’t supposed to get the nomination,” he said.

“I thought Ed was supposed to get it, honestly.”

Anderson values family and a positive atmosphere, which were among the reasons he chose to transfer to Eastfield from Our Lady of the Lake University.

He said that will also factor into his decision about where he plays basketball next season.

Although he credits others for his success, Anderson believes it can have a positive impact on those closest to him, including his younger brother Jonathan.

“It makes me feel like I can’t slack now,” he said. “Jon Jon wants to be like me, so I’ve got to show him what it takes to get to the places where I’ve been and not make some of the mistakes [others have] made.”

DAVID SANCHEZ/THE ET CETERA

Guard Tre Anderson shoots a 3-pointer against Richland College on Feb. 13. Anderson finished the season averaging 15 points and nine rebounds per game.

Athletes sign national letters of intent

Whitemon signs with Jarvis College

Eastfield pitchers Evan Rogers and Brandon Saddler signed their National Letters of Intent April 20.

Rogers will be continuing his baseball career at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth and Saddler will be attending Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.

Two basketball players have also signed recently. April 29, sophomore guard LeTron Manning signed to play at Wiley College in Marshall and sophomore forward Danzel Whitemon signed to play at Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins.

— Compiled by Brianna Harmon

Sophomore forward Danzel Whitemon signs his letter of intenet April 29 to play at Jarvis Christian College.

Whitemon averaged 13.5 points per game and 2.4 assists per game this season.

He helped the Harvesters basketball team capture a 28-6 record and reach the NJCAA Division III national tournament.

JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA

Wrapup The Et Cetera

16 www.eastfield.com

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW

Zek and Slik By Matthew Rohan

COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY

Mowgli (Neel Sethi) encounters Kaa (Scarlett Johansson).

‘Jungle Book’ captures old and new fans alike

By David Silva etc4640@dcccd.edu

Join our news team!

Work for your award-winning student newspaper, The Et Cetera, this fall.

Pick up an application outside N-242 or email elizabethlangton@dcccd.edu.

Trivia Bit

Who was the only actor ever nominated for an Oscar for one of the “Star Wars” movies?

A) Peter Cushing B) Harrison Ford C) Ewan McGregor D) Alec Guinness

Sudoku

Disney’s 1967 animated adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” was more than just a film. It marked the end of an era. “The Jungle Book” was the last animated Disney film made while Walt Disney was still alive.

While this version deviates far from Kipling’s work, it is nonetheless colorful and lively.

This is where Jon Favreau’s liveaction adaptation switches styles. It trades bright and colorful for realistic and adventurous. It takes its audience away from cartoon sketches and instead presents masterful CGI. The jungle is vast, diverse and even dangerously mysterious. As Mowgli (Neel Sethi) swings from one location to the next, he encounters a cast of iconic characters voiced by such greats as Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken.

When we’re first introduced to Mowgli, he is being raised as the sole “man cub” of the jungle’s wolf pack, namely mother wolf Raksha (Nyong’o).

His life is endangered when the villainous tiger Shere Khan (Elba) plots to kill him. Mowgli sets out on a journey to return to his “own kind” in the “man-village,” but he soon discovers that he can counter Shere Khan’s threat by utilizing mankind’s

powerful “red flower.”

This film may initially seem like another unnecessary production in an age of unrelenting remakes. From the start, however, it’s clear that the filmmakers did not intend to simply make a quick buck on a familiar tale.

They made a film that branches out from the confines of the original, both artistically and technologically.

It’s no surprise that the film’s success is found in its star-studded cast.

Standing out above the rest is Elba’s bone-chilling performance as the man-eating Bengal. His voice seamlessly echoes the cold and calculating tiger, and the film presents his purpose clearly.

Shere Khan is a perfect counterpart to Mowgli, crafting a battle between man and beast, innovation and instinct, freedom and convention.

Don’t be fooled by the near-twohour runtime ­ — Mowgli’s adventure is fast-paced and will leave you yearning for the next adventure.

That’s perhaps the only problem I have with the film. As masterfully constructed as the atmosphere is, I’m never allowed to get comfortable and bask in the beauty of a setting. Instead, I’m quickly pushed and pulled from one location to the next.

It’s unfortunate that a film with such a wild and adventurous story can often come off as controlled and clean-cut.

Answer: D