December05 2012 Issue

Volume 44, Issue 6

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012

Stolen Ideas Students finding new ways to cheat, plagiarize

By Anjulie Van Sickle etc4640@dcccd.edu

It’s midnight. After a crazy weekend, a student remembers that she has a five-page research paper due in eight hours.

She frantically scans her notes, trying to find something that she can work with. After two hours, she has nothing.

Out of sheer desperation, she types her topic into Google. Several websites come up advertising opinions, facts and even papers

that are available for purchase concerning her subject.

She looks over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching. She clicks on a website and scans it until she finds a paper that deals with her topic.

She puts in her information, pays $20 and downloads the paper.

She has no choice. She has to make a good grade in this class so she can maintain her GPA and earn a scholarship. She considers the risk worthwhile.

See CHEATING, page 2 ➤

ILLUSTRATION BY CHADNEY CANTRELL

2

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

PUT IT ON

Calendar December Wed

5

A blood drive will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in G-101.

DMAT 0097 tutoring will be offered by Dr. Erika Glaser and Sara Culver from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in G-118.

DMAT 0099 tutoring will be offered by Dr. Denise Race and Carlos Aguirre from noon to 2 p.m. in N-113.

Thu

6

The Lose to Win final weigh-in will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Health Center.

Tutoring for MATH 1314 will be offered by Sharon Johnson and Sheharyar Khan from 4-5:15 p.m. in N-243.

Fri

Phi Theta Kappa will hold tutoring sessions for all students in all levels of math and science from 9 a.m. to noon and 5-7 p.m. A session will also be held on Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon.

For more information, contact William Ballard at 214-315-3421 or by email at efcptkha@ gmail.com.

Sat

Accounting and math tutoring will be offered by the Math Club from 9 a.m. to noon in C-118.

7

8

DMAT 0066 tutoring will be offered by Leticia Escobar and Carlos Aguirre from 9:30-10:15 a.m. in C-297. They will offer DMAT 0090 tutoring from 10:30-11:45 a.m. in C-297. Escobar and Thomas Do will offer DMAT 0098 tutoring from 1:30-2:45 p.m. in C-297.

Mon

10 Fri

14

Final exam week starts.

Textbooks may be sold to the bookstore from Dec. 10-13 from 8 a.m.6 p.m. and Dec. 14 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Registration for the first Wintermester classes ends at 9 a.m. Registration for later Wintermester classes ends once classes start.

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The Et Cetera

Pressure prompts some to cheat Continued from Page 1 Many college students are constantly pressured to do well in their classes.

Whether it’s looking over someone’s shoulder or plagiarizing an entire paper, some students will do anything to succeed.

“People have this thought that you have to go to college, which means graduating and being successful,” history professor Mike Walker said. “But it’s more than just learning information. It’s [about] earning a grade and getting a mark that says, ‘I accomplished this.’”

As a result, he said, students are becoming more concerned with the “letter of accomplishment” than what they are learning.

Procrastination is another motivation for students to cheat. When time runs out and there is no other option, some choose the easy way out. These “outs” include buying a paper online or stealing another classmate’s work or ideas.

According to the student code of conduct, which is published in the college’s catalogue, any time students copy answers or plagiarize, they are in violation of that code and subject to disciplinary action.

Instructors have the choice to file a complaint against a student if they believe it’s necessary. Such a complaint will go on the student’s permanent record.

However, some students fail to consider that cheating can have such a negative impact on their careers as students.

“It’s so important to get good grades,” psychology major Kemji Edo said. “Those who cheat aren’t thinking about the consequences.”

The consequences differ from situation to situation. Whatever they may be, they are sure to be severe.

“If it’s a student that has multiple violations across different [fields], if I find out about it, or if a dean finds out about it and [we] keep seeing that name, then it is the right of the instructor, or the dean, or even myself to pursue further action,” said Michael Gutierrez, vice president of academic affairs and student success.

“That action could result in having the student sit out a semester or even an academic year.”

Gutierrez said the course syllabus is always referred to first in cheating cases. All instructors are required to have a section in their syllabus that explains their specific policy on academic dishonesty.

In some cases, the student automatically fails the course the first time cheating is detected. In others, there are steps: The first time it happens, the student fails the assignment. The second time, the students fail the entire course.

“If it’s 1302, you automatically fail the class [if plagiarism is detected],” English professor Larissa Pierce said. “In 1301, I’m more lenient simply because they just got to 1301 and I’m not sure if it was intentional or unintentional.”

Pierce said an easy way to improve students’

knowledge of how to avoid plagiarism is to take the first few weeks and explain how to use proper citations in their papers.

Advances in technology have made it easier for students to cheat. However, the methods of detecting cheating have also improved.

Through SafeAssign, professors are able to check the percentage of a paper’s originality. If a student has copied and pasted someone else’s work into a paper, the instructor is immediately notified.

“Even without SafeAssign, it’s easy to catch,” Walker said.

He described a situation when he was given an excellent paper, but knowing the student’s typical work, Walker realized it was not his student’s paper. The student was asked to stay after class and read his paper out loud. When he couldn’t pronounce most of the words, he confessed he had bought it.

“I don’t have the tolerance for it,” Walker said. “I would rather a student come to me and say, ‘I just don’t get this. I wrote a horrible paper.’ Then we can have a conversation about it and learn from it instead of using plagiarism tactics.”

Texting, writing answers on one’s arm and taking pictures of test answers are all common methods of cheating. Some take it further, placing answers inside the label of their water bottle.

“We know the bad cheaters,” Gutierrez said. “I’m sure there are some really ingenious ways that people cheat, but we don’t know what they are because we didn’t catch them. What we really find out are the people who don’t do it well.

There are probably other ways, but they’re just too good. It’s like a magician: You don’t want to reveal all your secrets.”

When it comes to cheating on written tests, Edo described how students have become more clever with their strategies.

In high school, she said some students would even create diversions so that could get a copy of a test.

“Then there are the crazy codes and taps that friends would make up to get answers to one another in class,” she said. “A cough was A, two taps of the pen was B, and pulling the ear was C,” Edo said. “There were some crazy ways of cheating.”

Online instructors have even more difficulty monitoring cheating in their classes. Some resort to making tests more difficult or time restrictive, which doesn’t work for all students.

“I [prefer] online classes,” human management major Everardo Amaya said. “But the professor is afraid that we’re going to cheat, so he makes the tests harder. He gives us a very limited time to take them. Then those who take the time and read are at a disadvantage because we are not given enough time.”

Amaya emailed his professor about his concerns. The professor’s reasoning for making the tests more difficult was that students often take advantage of the fact that the class is online.

Cheating is also unfair to students who invest the time in studying and completing their assignments.

Ultimately, though, Gutierrez said taking the easy way out hurts the cheater more than anyone else.

“Grades are one thing, but I would like to think that it’s really about the learning,” Gutierrez said. “If you’ve not really learned what the objectives of that particular course were or that particular assignment, you’ve not come out with what you needed.”

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Trademark claim kills Harvester logo

By Justin David Tate etc4640@dcccd.edu

Eastfield is being forced to change its Harvesters logo due to trademark infringement concerns.

In a letter dated Oct. 2, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) asked the college to cease use of the logo, deeming it “remarkably similar” to UTEP’s own Miners logo.

“The Eastfield Logo, in fact, appears to be a replica of the UTEP Mark, with the mountains removed and the axe replaced with a highly similar scythe,” trademark lawyer Jered E. Matthysse wrote in the letter to the college. “Your use of the UTEP Mark in this manner is highly likely to confuse consumers that you are licensed by the university.”

Matthysse said the UTEP logo has been in use by the university since 1999. The current Harvesters logo was created in the fall of 2009 and adopted by spring 2010, according to Sharon Cook, assistant to Eastfield President Dr. Jean Conway.

The college, which had never had a mascot logo before that point, be-

From left to right are the Eastfield Harvesters, UTEP Miners and Pampa High School logos.

gan searching for one at the request of athletic director Anthony Fletcher.

During the search, college officials found the logo of Pampa High School in West Texas, which also calls itself the Harvesters. Eastfield received permission to use Pampa’s gold and green scythe-wielding Harvester logo as a starting point for its own.

Conway said she was unaware of the resemblance to the UTEP logo and was surprised to receive the letter concerning the trademark issue.

“I was distressed, because our values [are] integrity and honesty, and

we certainly didn’t want to be doing something without permission, that doesn’t follow our values here at Eastfield,” Conway said. “But it was without knowledge, so all we could immediately do is say we are sorry and not do this any longer.”

Eastfield has stopped producing T-shirts, and other promotional items that have the logo on them. At its own request, the college was given May 1, 2013, as a deadline to phase out all use of the logo. It is being removed from the college’s website as well as table drapes, flyers and other documents and materials.

The college hasn’t placed the logo on any uniforms or on any permanent part of the campus’ structure.

However, Student Life Director Judy Schwartz was on the verge of making an expensive investment — a $3,000 mascot costume — when the school received the letter.

“I’d already saved money to buy a mascot suit,” Schwartz said. “This kind of came about at the right time, because I’m saving money by not buying the old one and now having to replace it. I’m just hopeful we can get one designed and approved and be able to move forward.”

Unlike Eastfield, Pampa, which also received a letter from UTEP, will not be completely without a logo. The high school uses a variety of logos that can be used interchangeably.

“We disagree with [UTEP’s] assessment, but we’re not going to make a big deal out of it because the individual that did that logo did apparently start with their logo,” Pampa Superintendant David Young said.

“We feel like it was altered enough that it was unique. We also feel like our two organizations are pretty mutually exclusive in terms of purpose and fan base and that that wouldn’t be a big issue, but we respect their copyright.”

Conway and Schwartz are now looking into the creation of an original Harvesters logo. One option is to have a design contest among students and staff.

“Once we get our new design, we’ll be able to use it for all eternity,” Schwartz said. “Around next fall we’ll get a mascot costume so we can have a student trained to wear that costume around campus and [athletic events] and build some school spirit.”

Students research ways to find better teachers

By Keturah Jones etc4640@dcccd.edu

Choosing classes can be confusing. It’s difficult to tell a lot about a teacher simply by reading a name next to a course listing, so students rely on a variety of methods for picking a course or a professor.

Engineering major Eric Nestares said when he’s not familiar with a professor, he uses the website ratemyprofessor.com.

“So far the website has been very helpful to me when picking my professors,” he said.

“I find it helpful when I read the good or bad comments from previous students that have had that professor.”

Ratemyprofessor.com has become a popular website among college students. The site was made for students by students to critique their professors. Clarity, helpfulness and the difficulty of the course are rated on a scale from one to five. There is also a chili pepper rating for a teacher’s appearance.

“I didn’t use ratemyprofessor.com [this semester], but later had a friend to look up a teacher for me,” applied science student Selassie Tillis said. “I wish I would have used this site before choosing my classes, because the comments and ratings would have kept me from taking a few courses I’m now not happy with.”

After watching one professor make grown adults cry, Tillis decided to create a profile and use the site religiously.

Other students simply rely on word of mouth to choose their instructors.

“I’m a new student, so websites that give professor or class ratings are not beneficial to me,” criminal justice student Nicole Colon said.

“I walk up to other students and ask what they know about the class or teacher. I also ask the advisors.”

Developmental reading instructor James Swindling, who has been a faculty member since 1970, has developed a form that helps a student use critical thinking skills and ask questions that will help them pick a professor.

“You know your learning style, and I believe that it is a great idea for the student to know the teaching style of a teacher,” he said. “So the match-up of styles will present a successful outcome for the student and professor.”

Spanish professor Christina Fox-Balli believes that whatever method is used to choose a class, it is the student’s right to know what they are walking into.

“I like that the student can take an active role in choosing their classes, but it’s up to the students to care enough and take the initiative to do research,” Balli said.

Balli likes the concept of ratemyprofessor.

CHADNEY CANTRELL/THE ET CETERA

com and how effective it can be for the professor as well as the student. She believes the comments and ratings can be used by professors for self-improvement. She says it allows her to see

her own strengths and weaknesses.

Students who want to rate their professors on the go can also check out the ratemyprofessor app.

4

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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The Et Cetera

Clayton journeys to Africa to help rebuild

By Justin David Tate etc4640@dcccd.edu

Inside a Zimbabwe church that hasn’t seen the swing of a hammer in decades, a 69-year-old man wobbled while standing on a scaffold working on a dilapidated ceiling.

After nearly succumbing to gravity, English professor Glenn Clayton came to a realization.

“At my age, I can’t work on a scaffold anymore,” Clayton said. “I lose my balance too easily. Some of the younger guys had to take care of it.”

Though he didn’t get back on a scaffold, Clayton did repair chairs, windows and doors in the church and orphanage.

His church, Scofield Memorial Church in Dallas, needed his help on the mission trip, so he dusted off his passport and geared up to go.

Clayton had never been to Africa, but he quickly raised the money for his trip through anonymous donations made by fellow instructors as well as church members.

Megan Lackley, a fellow church member, was proud to see Clayton and the rest of the deacons helping out a church in need.

“You don’t get that [deacon] position if you haven’t shown faithfulness and spiritual maturity,” Lackley said.

“They’re looked up to as leaders in the church.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GLENN CLAYTON

English instructor Glenn Clayton journeyed to Zimbabwe over the summer to help rebuild a church ceiling and rebuild an orphanage.

When Clayton arrived, the city of Bulawayo had an 80 percent unemployment rate. Of its 1.5 million inhabitants, most are lucky if they can find a job that pays $6,000 a year.

For Clayton and the other volunteers, this resulted in a difficult search for tools. Most stores only sold a collection of random parts.

“I bought hinges in one store, but

he didn’t have screws, so I had to get screws somewhere else,” Clayton said. “We spent almost half a day trying to gather up some tools that we thought we needed, but never got them.”

The volunteers quickly ran down the batteries on their power tools, forcing them to work the hard way, using hand tools.

Scofield’s assistant pastor, Jim Cassidy, who made the trip with Clayton, said the lack of power tools tested Clayton’s skill as a carpenter. The task proved daunting, but fortunately, he had help. The pastor from Zimbabwe sent some of his church’s best deacons to help out, including one who introduced himself as God Knows.

Clayton said that when the man introduced himself, he had to ask him to write his name on his hand before he realized what his name was.

Clayton and God Knows got along very well. Clayton said he admired the man’s compassion and willingness to take in the homeless.

“He lives in a house that may be 900 square feet, maybe, with no electricity, with no running water,” Clayton said. “He has two children, and at any time, he has as many as four to six other guys living there that he takes in and helps out. And he doesn’t have a full-time job.”

During their downtime, Clayton and the other volunteers fellowshiped with God Knows and his congregation. Clayton had his first experience with what’s referred to as a bush church.

The church service was held against a brick wall outside. Eventually, a generator was set up to play what Clayton called a “Jesus film.”

Once it began playing, people came from a long way to watch, both on

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“I read my textbooks like William Shatner because it inspires me and helps me to retain more information.”

“I like to study on my rooftop. I climb out of my window and study on my roof and watch the stars.”

“I have to study in a room with a lot of noise. There has to be constant noise around me. I can’t study in silence. Silence makes me sleepy.”

“I like to study topless and eat Hot Cheetos. It gives me a sense of freedom with no restrictions.”

“I must have jazz music playing all the time while I’m studying. I’m a very hyper person. Playing the music calms me down and helps me to focus.”

foot and by bicycle.

“Decent production, but I didn’t understand a word of it,” he said. “If you’re [familiar with the scripture], you can kind of piece who’s who.”

Clayton came home from Zimbabwe after five days of working to repair the church ceiling and the orphanage facility. He said he’d be willing to return again if asked.

He may join the Texas Baptist Men, a Christian organization that helps in times of disaster such as a post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans or a post-Hurricane Sandy New Jersey and New York.

“The beauty of Christianity is it goes across all tribes, all races,” Cassidy said. “The average Christian on Earth today is a 20-year-old Asian woman. We don’t know what a Christian looks like, and that’s wonderful.”

Clayton said he enjoyed his time with the people of Zimbabwe. He found the lack of electrical tools to resemble his own farmland upbringing in the small West Texas town of Deport, even though he was thousands of miles away.

“I’m thinking, ‘This is West Texas,’” Clayton said. “Except for a baboon running across the road or an elephant over in the distance, it looked like West Texas. The brushy grove, the dry land, the kind of redlooking dirt, it’s like going back in time about 50 years.”

PG campus supply machine repaired The supply vending machine at the Pleasant Grove campus is working again after being out of order since July 17 due to a burglary. The machine is now stocked with medicines, scantrons and other supplies.

A meeting to determine whether to open a part-time bookstore on the Pleasant Grove campus was held Nov. 13, but an agreement was not reached. However, bookstore hours for the spring semester will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. for the first two weeks of the semester.

Bookstore manager Ericka Spann said she is trying to make sure all students have the books they need for the first day of class. Students can order books online, and brochures have been distributed to show students how to place orders.

— Keturah Jones

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Vet program added Students face earlier

By Claudia Guerra etc4640@dcccd.edu

A new veterinary assistant certificate program has been added to the college’s continuing education courses.

The program, which starts Jan. 19, will run for five months and costs $1,800, which includes books and materials. Students must have a high school diploma or GED, pass a criminal background check and no have prior drug convictions to enroll in the program.

Schneil Dunn, program director of the college’s Workforce/Continuing Education program, worked with MK Education to bring the program to Eastfield.

Sangini Brahmbhatt, creative director at MK education, said one of the reasons for choosing Eastfield over other DCCCD schools is because the Mesquite area has a better veterinary assistant job market.

“When we’re looking at partnering up with different colleges, we look at the assessment need,” Brahmbhatt said. “We look at the community to see if there are jobs in the area.”

The classes will be taught by Katherine Zaske, who has a background in zoology.

Students will learn how to care for and handle animals and how to perform clinical and surgical procedures. Sanitization and client

relations will also be emphasized, along with resume preparations, how to dress for an interview and interviewing etiquette.

“I think it’s very important for every person that works in veterinarian [jobs] to be trained well,” Zaske said.

Zaske said that although students won’t work directly with animals at first, there is an internship part of the program where students will have an opportunity to work at an animal clinic. That gives students a chance to gain hands-on experience and ultimately pursue a career with animal clinics, hospitals and shelters.

“These programs are for our non-traditional students,” Dunn said. “These are your students who aren’t really interested in pursuing a degree. They’re interested in picking up a trade and going to work. That’s what these programs are made to do.”

Veterinary assistants typically make between $22,000 and $30,000.

They are also often the first step toward a career as a veterinarian.

Dunn said the school has received numerous calls from people interested in the veterinary program.

“I’m excited about it,” Dunn said. “This is going to be our first semester offering it, so I’m hoping this will be a success.”

spring registration dates

By Claudia Guerra etc4640@dcccd.edu

Students who wait to register until a day or two before classes start will not be able to enroll for the spring semester. Registration will end on Jan. 16, almost a week before classes start on Jan. 22, rather than on the first day of class.

Flex-term registration will also end early, but will open up again Jan. 22. Students who have already registered or are de-registered will be able to add or drop classes on Jan. 17 and 18.

All Dallas County Community College campuses will be open Jan. 12 to help students register, add/drop classes and pay for classes.

Assistant Director of Admissions Philip Bueno said the changes are good, because they allow time for the deans to do their job.

“It alleviates the problem of cancelled classes [on the first day]” Bueno said. “You’ll have that amount of time for the deans to go in and cancel classes that aren’t going to make [before the semester starts].”

Sharon Blackman, the DCCCD’s senior associate vice chancellor of education affairs, said the registration deadline was changed because studies have shown that students who don’t procrastinate perform better in the classroom.

“Nationally, it’s known that if you let students [register] late, they are not as successful as if you had an opportunity to work with them beforehand,” Blackman said. “No late registration is really designed to help students and start them off on a good foot.”

District officials said they have not received any complaints about the new deadline, but many students are still unaware of the deadline despite a district-wide email about it.

“I could have received an email, but they need to do a better job [getting the word out],” biology major Richard Swinton said.

Swinton proposed that the school should place posters around the campus for students who don’t check their email daily.

For Breeana Bridges, procrastinating has never been an option.

“I always register early because I don’t want classes to fill up,” she said. “I do a lot of research about my teachers. The people who register late probably get stuck in bad classes.”

Dean of Outreach and Student Development Dina Sosa-Hegarty said the early deadline should make registration smoother.

“We want to be a functioning office, so students can feel good about their enrollment experience and the efficiency behind it,” she said.

2013 Spring Registration Priority Registration begins Tuesday, November 20 for current students Regular Registration begins Monday, November 26 for all students

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION * Classes begin January 22 and end Thursday, May 16 * Students with an academic standing of Dismissal, Suspension or Probation 1, 2, or 3 must register by January 11. * All petitions must be submitted by January 11 for Spring classes. * Deadline date for probation students 1, 2 and 3 to enroll in courses for Spring 2013 is January 11. * All students with a GPA (1) less than 2.0 must have all grades posted prior to registration. * No Late Registration.

For more information, log on to www.eastfieldcollege.edu.

Find Admissions, and click Academic Advising.

3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 www.eastfieldcollege.edu Educational opportunities are offered by the Dallas County Community College District without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or gender expression. For sign language interpreters or other accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at efcdso@dcccd.edu or call 972-860-8348 at least one week prior to the event.

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2012

Sex is not as taboo a topic as it once was.

Today, it’s not out of the norm for sex to be discussed between children and parents, as well as students and teachers. We’ve complied a list of some sex statistics to stimulate deeper conversation.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Tech tools terrific for some, trouble for others

By Braulio A. Tellez brauliotellez@dcccd.edu

Computers and the Internet have replaced the old blackboard and overhead projectors. Thirty-minute videos have replaced two-hour lectures.

Technology has changed the face of the classroom, for better or worse.

English professor Michael Morris believes tech-driven classrooms are the way to go. He predicts that computer-aided teaching methods will continue to expand and will eventually replace the more conventional methods professors have been using for years.

Morris uses the online classroom tool “Blackboard Learn” to communicate with students as well as submit grades and post tests online.

Morris said Blackboard and other Internet tools are great because they

provide professors with more efficient ways of teaching.

“I’ve taken two exams that I used to give in class that would take an entire week,” he said. “Now I put them online and leave them open for about 10 days, and students can take them whenever it’s convenient. It gives me two more weeks of class time to cover essential material that I wasn’t able to cover before.”

Although computers are enhancing the way professors work with their students, not everyone is willing to accept the change.

“Some professors are reticent to try new technology because the learning curve is so high,” Morris said. “They’ve got to learn so much and they have to put so much work on the front end that they don’t see themselves being saved from a lot of work in the back end.”

He said some students are also

reluctant to try programs such as Blackboard and are often pessimistic about them. Morris said the problem is that many professors do not take the time to go through the program with students. They expect them to know how to use it on their own. He believes a little guidance and instruction go a long way.

“A lot of the students who come in with no computer knowledge at all, if they’re just a little open and willing to learn and ask the right questions, they do great,” Morris said. “Two or three times using it and they’re zipping around the room helping out other students.”

However, in order for that to happen, computers must be available in the classroom. Unfortunately, that isn’t always easy for professors to schedule.

Computer science professor David Kirk said new programs and gad-

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gets, such as iPads and smartphone apps, are promising, but it will take a few years for educators to become accustomed to them.

“The problem with technology in the classroom is that it takes too long to get the kinks out,” Kirk said.

“It takes even longer to get used to working with these tools. I don’t want to spend half of my time trying to get something to work. It needs to be ready and easy to use.”

As far as phone apps are concerned, Kirk said they need to be universal. He does not see them going very far until they do.

“Those apps need to be supported by every device, including Android and Windows phones, on top of Apple products,” he said.

Although Kirk is not big on the idea of using tablets in the classroom, he does believe that, in time, physical textbooks will be replaced by digital

ones.

“As soon as tablets become under 100 bucks, I definitely see everything becoming an e-book,” he said.

According to Ed DesPlas, the DCCCD’s executive vice chancellor of business affairs, the main thing that has prevented the colleges from bringing in more new technology for the school is money.

When the district lost $25 million in funding over a three-year period and began making deep cuts to compensate, one of the first things cut was technology funding.

“We held what we had and waited until we got more money, so now we’re in a rebuilding situation and playing quite a bit of catch-up” DesPlas said. “So we’re looking at future facilities and upgrades in labs and classrooms, but it all depends on how much funding each individual college has put into its technology.”

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Candy, costumes and comedy

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Theatre department treats audience to ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ words. With green hair and orange faces, they were hard to miss.

Narrators Monica Lira and Zach CooViolet Beauregarde sits in the audi- per explained each story line before the ence with her mother, clutching her scenes so the audience wouldn’t be lost. golden ticket and waiting for her chance The descriptions were a bit long and to see Willy Wonka and his famous can- could have been louder. dy factory. She’s normally a gum-chewer, Willy Wonka, played by Lucas but when she heard about the contest, Haupert, looked confident in his purple she switched to chocolate. Now she’s suit and top hat. Portraying a character back on gum. like Wonka, who is a bit mad, isn’t easy, The naughty Violet, played by Lauren but Haupert made the audience laugh Stevens, later steals Wonka’s newest gum with his witty delivery. invention that wasn’t Inside the factory, quite ready and sticks it children dropped like in her mouth. Soon she flies due to their bad begins to change colors behavior.

Augustus and blow up like a giant Gloop, played by Richblueberry as the audiard Everts, fell into the ence laughed. chocolate river after The scene was one Wonka tells him not to of the highlights of drink from it. He doesn’t the Harvesters Theatre listen and is sucked into Company’s opening the pipes in the river. night performance Veruca Salt, the of “Charlie and the spoiled princess played Chocolate Factory” on

by Marissa Walden, Nov. 29.

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA thought she could have Wearing an inflatable Elementary students starred in whatever she desired, jumper underneath her the play as Oompa Loompas. including one of Willy clothing gave the illuWonka’s squirrels. They sion that Stevens actuattacked and threw her down a passageally turned into a blueberry, and helped way. bring the performance to life.

Charlie, played well by Conner GunThe actors were able to hold together nels, was the last one standing, winning their accents throughout the perfor- the prize of becoming Wonka’s assistant. mance, and there were few mistakes.

The play was spectacular and has us The costumes were interesting, and looking forward to the next production, the Oompa Loompas were too cute for “Hairspray,” in the spring.

By Claudia Guerra etc4640@dcccd.edu

Eastfield chorus kicks off Christmas with concert, carols

By Anjulie Van Sickle etc4640@dcccd.edu

The Eastfield Chorus has grown from just five or six students a year ago to a group large enough to perform a holiday concert. Its “Winter Wonderland” show is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in F-117.

The performance will benefit the Vocal Music Scholarship fund choir director Melinda Imthurn is organizing. She hopes the scholarship will bring more students to the department. “[We plan to increase] the num-

ber of private lesson students so that people who want to study voice will come here to do it,” she said. “That way, we can make a name for ourselves.”

The concert will include songs such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “We Need a Little Christmas.” “[It’s] all pop-oriented,” Imthurn said. “We’ll bring in the sound system, and it will feel like it’s a nighttime cabaret.”

The members of the chorus say their director has been the primary

instrument of their success.

“Melinda is doing a fantastic job with this choir,” music/vocal performance major Bradley McDonald said. “She has changed the face of the voice department and what it means to be in a choir. She comes in, has this bright, happy attitude, and everyone feels like a family and feels like friends.”

On Nov. 28, the 16-member group performed its annual recital as a part of the Wednesday Recital Series.

The performance included a variety of arrangements with several soloists and group numbers. The works

ranged from “Mona Lisa,” a piece originally sung by Nat King Cole that has an airy, Italian feel, to “Get it Right,” a song of regret and heartache from the television show “Glee.”

One of the group’s soloists not only sings for the chorus, but has also taken the stage at grander venues.

“I’ve performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City with a group called American Youth in Concert,” said Brent Crowder, a UNT student taking private lessons from Imthurn.

“This was right after I graduated from high school. We made appearances in London, Paris, Austria, Geneva,

Switzerland, Florence and Rome.”

Other members who are just beginning their singing careers have already learned lessons from their choir experience.

“I’ve learned how to be more comfortable in front of people as well as be surer of myself in my singing and [performing],” business major Luke Saroni said.

Imthurn is encouraged by how much the members have improved their vocal and performance skills.

“I think music generally bonds people anyways,” Imthurn said. “It’s just a shared emotional experience.”

LIFE & ARTS

9

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

From Barney to the big stage

Dual-credit student discovers passion for acting, music

By Ginny Morris etc4640@dcccd.edu

Timylle Adams has loved acting for as long as she can remember. She made her stage debut at the age of 2 when she recited Psalm 23 in front of her local church congregation.

Since then, there has been no stopping her.

Her passion for performing has allowed her to enjoy many experiences, from acting on the “Barney & Friends” show to forming her own band. Anyone would be proud of such accomplishments, yet the firstsemester dual-credit student is only 15 years old.

After getting her first agent at age 3, Timylle modeled for print ads until she was 5. At the age of 9, she worked for four months as an extra on “Barney & Friends.”

A deciding moment came when Timylle’s mother, Cathy Adams, took

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Adams shares her life’s journey.

her to see her first play.

“When she turned 7, I wanted to make sure it was still something she was interested in, so I took her to her first Broadway production,” Cathy said. “She just fell in love.”

At that moment, acting became Timyelle’s dream.

One of her favorite memories is her recent performance in “The Secret Life of Girls” with the Dallas Children’s Theater because of the lasting friendships she made.

“There were 12 of us cast in it, and they all do what I do, so we really connected,” Timylle said. “We’re still best friends.”

Some of Timylle’s other favorite activities include playing piano and singing. During a lull between acting jobs, when she was 12, her mother encouraged her to focus on music.

With her younger brothers Uryon and Elyjah, Timylle began performing more vocal and piano pieces.

Their musical efforts eventually culminated in the three siblings forming their own band called Generation.

School has also been an important focus for Timylle. She and her brothers have excelled in their academic

pursuits. Being homeschooled has enabled Timylle to take advantage of acting opportunities while still keeping up with her studies.

When Timylle began reading at age 3, her mother advanced her through subjects quickly so she was doing work above her level, even though she sat out for a year.

As she got more involved in acting, homeschooling allowed her to be more flexible with her schedule.

When she started high school, her schedule became more hectic again.

“Now that I’m older, it’s harder because sometimes we can do school for nine hours straight and still not be done,” she said. “Then we squeeze piano, acting and the band, so it’s kind of hard. You just have to have time management, I guess.”

Now that she’s enrolled at Eastfield, Timylle is enthusiastic about pursuing her dreams while discovering what life has in store for her.

“I don’t know if I’m going to go for acting or piano,” she said. “It’s kind of hard to pick.”

Timylle is well prepared for college, according to her speech professor, Courtney Brazile.

“Timylle is a good student to have in class,” Brazile said. “She comes to every class. In her speeches, when she presents, she has strong volume.”

Having already acted in a dozen plays, Timylle hopes to add film acting to her resume some day. Timylle also plans to act in the college’s upcoming plays.

Brazile said he enjoys meeting students like Timylle with unique backgrounds and abilities.

“As an instructor, I never know who’s going to walk through that door,” Brazile said. “So it’s very interesting and amazing to be able to hear the various student success stories and the various things that they are a part of in their everyday lives.”

you don’t really go back to sleep.

You’re really comfortable and warm.

If someone were to walk in, you would know they were in the room, but not what they’re doing because you’re in that zone. That is a taste of what meditation offers you when you reach that state.”

English professor Betsy Joseph teaches classes all day and takes care of her family, yet she still finds time to practice yoga.

“We are stretched to capacity being of service to others, which is wonderful and is my passion, but sometimes you forget about yourself,” Joseph said. “If we are not centered, how can we be what we need to be for others?”

Joseph recommends taking time out of the day, even if it’s while waiting in traffic, to relax and push the stress of daily life to the side. Instead of driving past the park on the way home, stop and sit at a picnic table.

Rather than drive down the street to a friend’s house, walk and clear the cluttered thoughts in your brain.

Joseph believes meditating is one of the few times we grant permission to do something for ourselves.

“You do not think about your past and you don’t worry about what lies ahead of you,” she said. “Remember to be where you are in that moment and spend that time to think about yourself.”

Business student Julia Reynolds is a full-time student who works as a waitress. After getting ready for the day, she plays some of her favorite ambient music while lying on her floor for about 20 minutes and staring at the ceiling.

“It really makes me feel good, the music,” Reynolds said. “When I stare at the patterns in the ceiling, I slip out of the immediate world and channel into a nice state of mind. Once I slip out of it, I feel this calming buzz over me, and it gets me going.”

Reynolds said finding those few minutes of peace can produce a sense of wellness and clarity, as well as focus.

“Your life energy just seems to be at full throttle when you [meditate] on a daily basis,” she said. “I feel great at work and at school. I even try and get a little meditation in between classes to keep my energy in check.”

Finding your ‘center’ can help you keep your cool

By Braulio Tellez brauliotellez@dcccd.edu

Finding your “center” can calm the crazy stress of the college classroom.

Although juggling a hectic school and work schedule can be difficult, finding time to clear the mind can help alleviate some of the stress.

That’s one reason yoga instructor Beth Cunningham recently began leading meditation sessions in H-100. She welcomes anyone interested in the peaceful art of centering the mind to join her.

Cunningham began the sessions after taking part in the “Fast” art exhibit, where she noticed people were captivated by her calm demeanor amongst the chaos of the show.

“I really wanted to open people up to the practice of meditation and help anyone who might be curious about the subject,” Cunningham said.

She said everyone finds peace of mind at least once in their daily lives.

They just don’t always realize it.

“Quieting the mind is actually very easy,” she said. “It’s staying in the quiet that is the hard part.”

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Beth Cunningham meditates in H-100 and tries to find her moment of bliss. She will be leading sessions on Dec. 5-7 from 9-11 a.m.

Although there are traditional ways of meditating such as yoga, tai chi or mantras, Cunningham said everyone has the ability to find peace in his or her own way. By allowing the mind to fall into that state and suspend it there, we are meditating.

“When you reach bliss, there’s an experience of your own true nature, which is divine,” Cunningham said.

“The practice of meditation is the extension of that experience.”

Cunningham suggests doing something that relaxes you, but not anything that is complex or requires a lot of thinking. Closing your eyes while waiting at a bus stop or listening to soothing music after a shower for about 15 minutes are examples of how people can meditate and center themselves.

“One of the greatest examples is the snooze button,” Cunningham said. “When you push that button,

10

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Et Cetera

F

Class of 2012

Meet roCio

or Rocio, a senior from Dallas, a college education was made possible thanks to the generous scholarship and financial aid support she received from A&M-Commerce. Now she tries to help other students on campus as much as possible.

“When I first came to Commerce I didn’t know one person,” Rocio said. “Now I am cofounder of three successful organizations; LULAC (League of Latin American Citizens), Hermanas United and HSA (Hispanic Student Association).”

Thanks to the supportive campus community and professors like Dr. Virginia Fullwood, Rocio feels she’s been able to grow into a responsible student and business professional, ready for the real world after graduation.

“Dr. Fullwood is currently working on her Ph.D. so she knows what it is to be a student,” Rocio said. “She explains how the material we learn in class pertains to the real world and how to make the most of that knowledge.”

“I have faced some challenges in college but I have worked through them with the help of the wonderful A&M-Commerce faculty and staff and my family and friends,” she said. “Now, if I see a new student wondering around campus I don’t keep walking, I stop and ask if I can help.”

SCAN thiS QR CODE to learn more about Rocio, see her video profile and learn how texas A&M University-Commerce can change your future.

WWW.TAMUC.EDU • 903.886.5000 or 888.868.2682 A Member of the texas A&M University System

11

LIFE & ARTS The Et Cetera

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Setting the pace

Watanabe inspires others with marathon success

By Sidney Murillo etc4640@dcccd.com

Running is about the art of do.

That is the philosophy of marathon runner and geology teacher Shizuko “Zu” Watanabe.

Running, to her, is all about finding your own pace, setting goals each day and racing past those goals. The reward is coming face-to-face with limits and placing one foot after the other to exceed those expectations.

For Watanabe, reaching goals comes in easy strides.

“I’m a very laid-back person,” Watanabe said. “I don’t really set goals for myself each day. I do what I love, and I love running. If I didn’t have a very good running day today, oh well. There is always tomorrow.”

Watanabe’s casual attitude doesn’t keep her from winning races. More than two dozen running awards are lined up on a shelf in her office.

Even on casual runs with fellow faculty members, Watanabe often leaves them in her dust without breaking a sweat.

Ricardo Rodriguez, executive dean of College Readiness and Math, recalls his amazement at Watanabe’s speed and stamina the first time they ran together.

“It was early morning, 6 a.m., at White Rock Lake,” he said. “I’ve been running for a while, so I thought, ‘Yeah, this is going to be an easy run.’

We started running, and after a couple of miles there was not a change in pace. I was tired, and she was still going. After three miles, I just had to stop for water, catch my breath and relax a bit. She was still very energized.”

Though others say she is a great athlete, Watanabe remains humble, confessing that there are still things about herself she would like to improve.

“One thing I’m not very good with is nutrition,” she said. “I eat a lot of junk food. That’s one thing I would like to change about myself. But it doesn’t really affect my running.”

Watanabe’s athleticism also inspires English professor Kassandra Buck.

“It’s fun,” Buck said of running with Watanabe. “She is a true athlete.

She is inspiring me to run more marathons and beat my records.”

However, it took Watanabe time

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

‘Fast’ artist fondles food, shocks viewers

By Justin David Tate etc4640@dcccd.edu

COURTESY OF SHIZUKO WATANABE

Geology instructor Zu Watanabe paced 1:40 at the recent Heels and Hills Half Marathon along side fellow runner and friend Ethan Neyman.

to get to where she is now.

Growing up in Indiana, she ran track and cross country in high school, then sprinted to Hanover College and joined the cross country team there.

She ran her first marathon during a study-abroad semester at the University of Wollongong in Sydney, Australia.

“I remember that I really wanted to be part of something,” she said. “I saw a flyer for a local race, so I said, ‘Why not?’”

Watanabe runs a variety of distance races. There are 5Ks that are 3.01 miles long and 10Ks that cover 6.21 miles.

She also enjoys running marathons, which span 26.2 miles.

This year, she has run one marathon for fun, and plans to race a marathon later this month in Dallas.

“I do a lot of pacing too,” she said.

“The last marathon I raced was a 5K run called the Heels and Hills run. I was there as a pacer. What I do as a pacer is I hold up a sign with a number like 8 minutes and 20 seconds and run. Those who wish to run in that time follow me.”

Watanabe is also a member of the Dallas Running Club, whose members are both aspiring marathon runners and more experienced runners.

Running can be competitive, but it’s also a sport Watanabe enjoys sharing with her friends.

Speech professor Nick Vera, along with Rodriguez, Buck and Watanabe are currently making plans to run the Oklahoma City Marathon, a relay race that takes place during the spring.

Rodriguez knows Watanabe will set the pace for the team.

“She is just on a different level,” he said.

A camera is focused on a lone woman cowering in a corner. Her face is hidden behind her black shades, black afro wig and pouting red lips, giving her an aura of unpredictability.

As a deep, slow voice sings an eerie rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Man In the Mirror” that echoes throughout the H100 Art Gallery, the performer slithers toward a hot dog. She then stares at, kisses and then licks the hot dog before performing the moonwalk with her glitter glove-adorned hand. Eventually, she devours it in a face-first frenzy of ketchup and mustard.

Dressed in a red jacket reminiscent of a Thriller-era Michael Jackson, Danielle Georgiou simultaneously amazed, baffled, disturbed and entertained students and faculty over the course of a 90-minute performance art piece entitled “D in my T, Redux.” It was performed on Nov. 9 as part of the “Fast” art exhibit.

The idea for the exhibit came from the Common Book, “Fast Food Nation,” which is about consumption.

After Jackson’s death, Georgiou read numerous tabloid reports about his sexual orientation. From then on, she decided to take the idea of consumption and turn it into something more than just food.

“I wanted to make this a commentary on what Americans put into the forefront,” Georgiou said. “Here’s this man who we all consider the King of Pop. The reason we have pop music, the reason we dance the way we do and the reason music videos are made the way they are is because of Michael Jackson. But all we seem to focus on is this one issue about him.”

Iris Bechtol, the college’s art gallery director, offered Georgiou a space in the gallery because she felt her work fit with the exhibit’s theme of speed as it relates to life. She said the Jackson-themed performance was more of a “hyper-Michael” than a biographical one.

“I don’t think it’s meant to be an exact portrayal of him,” Bechtol said.

“I think it’s a way of creating this celebrity kind of persona, then coupling that with this desire for food, desire for sex, desire for the celebrity.”

Fellow “Fast” artist Jesse Morgan Barnett was amazed at the display.

“I was trying to make all this meaningful, and then I finally found out this isn’t meant to be some deep thing I’m not grasping,” Barnett said.

“It’s supposed to be funny, strange, awkward, make me uncomfortable.”

Like Georgiou, Barnett and another artist, Christine Bisetto, were also invited to create works for the exhibit.

Barnett’s work, “Figure/Distance,” is a collection of three computer screenshots of live webcasts or traffic cameras from three different parts of the world: a beach on Mexico, a location in Antarctica and a traffic intersection in Japan.

“Essentially, [photography is] made up of a photographical environment, a photographer, either a camera or recording apparatus, and the photograph,” Barnett said. “I was interested in the Internet and how it compressed all of those things into a singular apparatus and experience, via personal computer monitor, screenshot capturing and webcams.”

Beth Cunningham, a self-proclaimed meditation teacher, found that she was able to relate to the man walking to work at the Japanese traffic light in Barnett’s third screenshot.

“It gave me a sense of omniscience, like I was seeing a private moment, a little bit like, ‘how many moments like that have I had that ended up on a webcam?’” Cunningham said.

Bisetto’s piece, “My Worth is Your Worth,” consisted of printed photographs of water with rows of postal labels attached to each photograph.

Visitors are encouraged to take a postal label. As each postal label is lifted, the adhesive takes a bit of the photograph with it. By the time the exhibit concludes, the work will have disappeared.

“The idea behind the audience participating was that water doesn’t really belong to anyone, [nor] do the images,” Bisetto said. “Even though the images were taken by me, they can be for everyone.”

The “Fast” exhibit was only the beginning of a trilogy of art exhibits inspired by “Fast Food Nation.”

The next show, titled “Food,” will open in January, and the last one, “Nation,” is being planned for later in the spring.

12 The Et Cetera

Anjulie Van Sickle

Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Associated Collegiate Press • Texas Community College Journalism Association

Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Fax: 972-860-7646 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu

It’s ‘Merry Christmas,’ not ‘Happy Holidays’

Editor In Chief Justin David Tate Managing Editor Claudia J. Guerra Design Editor Chris Guerra-Yanger News Editor Keturah Jones Opinion Editor Anjulie Van Sickle Life & Arts Editor Sidney Murillo Sports Editor Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Online/Social Media Editor Danyelle Roquemore

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Copy Editors Caitlin Piper Enrique Morales Staff Writers Angel Abarca Jimmy Ambassa Marimar Lazaro Sergio Léon Ginny Morris Miguel Padilla Braulio Tellez Photographers Odessa Leeper Griselda Torres Cartoonists Jonathan Wences Graphics & Layout Chadney Cantrell Student Publications Manager Lori Dann Faculty Adviser Caitlin Stanford Editorial Policy The views expressed on the opinion pages and other opinion pieces and cartoons in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Et Cetera, Eastfield College or the Dallas County Community College District.

Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters will be edited for profanity and vulgarity, Associated Press style, grammar, libel and space when needed.

The content will remain that of the author.

Letters must be 250 words or fewer. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or emailed to etc4640@dcccd.edu First Amendment Right Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

OUR VIEW

With the holiday season upon us, retail stores are showing their enthusiasm. Christmas wreaths, ribbons and presents are everywhere. All the lights and decorations are in place.

When I look at stores like WalMart and Target, I notice nothing actually has the word “Christmas” in it. There’s only the phrase “Happy Holidays.” The companies’ policies ensure they are politically correct and don’t use any sayings that could offend anyone.

Society as a whole has placed restrictions on how people are allowed to celebrate Christmas. Last I checked, we’re in America. We’ve been given the right of free speech. This should allow stores to put “Merry Christmas” in a store window.

But we can’t do this because we might hurt someone’s feelings. And we all know that we can never hurt others’ feelings because we’re just way enrich our learning experience and improve our time too nice (insert heavy sarcasm here). spent at Eastfield.

Certainly not everyone in America Our time in classes will be used more efficiently, and celebrates Christmas, which is fine. our money will be put to better use.

People are entitled to say “Happy It isn’t right to punish employees who have gone so Hanukkah” just like I’m allowed to say long without a pay raise for the sake of maintaining “Merry Christmas.” Granted, our nalower tuition rates. Four years without a raise is almost tion is one with a variety of different unthinkable. religions.

Even with the increase, tuition at our college is still That doesn’t mean we should forget among the lowest in the state. DCCCD schools currently rank 48th out of 50 colleges and universities in terms of our heritage; we can’t lose who and what we are. We were built as a Christuition charged.

DCCCD schools are also well below the average Texas tian nation.

Just because someone has a differcommunity college tuition rate of $73 per credit hour, ent belief system doesn’t mean we all even when including the $7 increase. have to conform to one religion; it’s For too long, the college has been trying to meet impossible to make everyone happy. the demands of a growing population of students with I celebrate Christmas as a time to shrinking funds. The current tuition rate can only go so acknowledge my Savior’s birth. I know far. not everyone feels the same. But just Less revenue for the college means fewer free rebecause you don’t believe the same as sources are available to students.

I do doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be alIt’s true that no one wants to spend more money. lowed to say “Merry Christmas.”

However, you can’t put a price on a better education.

Let me have my freedom of expresIn a country where college degrees are a must for sion and you can have yours. It’s a higher-paying jobs, every second spent sitting in class two-way street. counts.

You can’t put a price on quality education Beginning this spring, tuition will increase $7 per credit hour for those attending DCCCD colleges, rising from $45 to $52.

The additional revenues will help employees of the district receive their first substantial pay raise in more than four years.

Reactions to the former were negative, as expected.

No students want to spend more of their hard-earned cash. But critics must realize that this tuition increase is for the best.

Wages for DCCCD faculty and staff have been noticeably lower than those in neighboring districts such as Collin County and Tarrant County for quite some time.

And lower wages means less interest from potential applicants.

Less interest from potential applicants means we are losing more and more qualified employees to other colleges with each passing semester.

In the past three years alone, enrollment on our campus has ballooned from 10,500 to 14,000. Such a dramatic rise in the student population is not without its costs.

An additional $7 per credit hour is not a lot to ask for, and considering what the increase in tuition will do for our campus, it is more than worth it.

Having more qualified professors to teach us will

OPINION

13

The Et Cetera

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Hogwarts, a place I will forever call home For most of the world, the magic of Harry Potter is over. It ended a year and a half ago with the last film.

But it isn’t over for me.

I saw the first Harry Potter film when I was 7 years old. My mom told my aunt not to let my sister and me watch it. Naturally, my aunt put it on as soon as my parents were out the door.

I was hooked. When the movie was over, I was in awe. I felt like I had finally found something I could relate to.

That’s deep for a 7 year old, right?

Well, it wasn’t for me.

My mom and dad have been in an on-again, off-again relationship my entire life, and I didn’t have very many friends in school.

Even at 7, I knew I lacked something other kids had. I just didn’t know what I was missing was security and stability.

Harry Potter brought that to my life.

Danyelle Roquemore

After I saw “The Sorcerer’s Stone,” I cried until my dad took me to see “The Chamber of Secrets.” My mother flat out refused to have anything to do with it, at first.

Once I saw the second film, I wanted more.

My school librarian was a mean old lady who wouldn’t let a secondgrader check out books about wizardry, and my mom wouldn’t let me check it out at the public library. So, I waited until the third grade.

Still nothing.

Finally, in fourth grade, I got my hands on the books, and boy, was it worth the wait.

Once I had read through the first three books at lightning speed, I caught my mom’s attention. She finally caved and bought me a set of the first five books.

I cried from happiness when I received them on my ninth birthday.

By the time I was in the sixth grade, I knew Hogwarts was my home.

My parents were falling apart again. I felt like my house was not a home, but a battlefield, and the only thing that saved me from falling apart was reading my Harry Potter books by lamplight in my room as they fought in the next room.

When my parents finally called it quits and divorced, I was on my way into middle school, the worst two years of my life.

In middle school, I lost almost all of my friends.

One of the only people who stuck by me was a girl who became my friend in elementary school solely

based on our shared love of Harry Potter.

She and I were like the Weasley twins: always together and able to finish each other’s sentences. I was the Fred to her George.

The summer before my eighthgrade year, she and I went to a “Deathly Hallows” release party, and we both cried over the series’ end and losing our favorite characters.

Throughout high school, whenever things got hectic, I would pick up one of the books and go home to the Wizarding World.

Once the movie series ended, I started to suffer from post-Potter depression. Yes, it’s a real thing.

Thinking about it, talking about it, reading it still makes me cry because Harry Potter is so beautiful and dear to me. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s a part of who I am.

People have asked how Harry Potter has impacted my life. I can’t specifically answer that. There’s no

It’s more than just jelly, it’s a baby At the age of 30, I was faced with a decision that no one at any age should have to make. Though it was difficult, my decision helped me develop courage and strength.

I sat quietly in a small room so overwhelmed by fear that it felt like my heart was beating louder than the ticking clock on the wall. To ease my nervousness, I occupied myself with looking at pictures of the human anatomy that covered the walls.

There I was contemplating my unborn son’s life, questioning whether I should let him live or take his life.

“Don’t worry, Miss Jones. At 13 weeks, it’s just jelly,” the nurse said moments later.

Having a father who was a preacher, I was raised a Christian. I was taught that abortion was wrong and something I shouldn’t condone.

How could I be sitting here confused and debating whether or not I should take my own child’s life?

Being in an abusive relationship, I was ready to leave and I felt that having the baby would complicate things. After telling the father I was pregnant, he decided I would have an abortion.

The nurse at the clinic told me they couldn’t cover the total cost

Keturah Jones

of the procedure, but there were agencies that would help me pay a percentage. She stressed that it was very important for me to get the abortion right away since I was right at 13 weeks.

She told me it would be hard to find a clinic that would do the procedure after that point. I remember looking up through my tear-filled, blurry eyes at the calendar and noticing it was Friday. My body felt numb and there was a painful lump in my throat.

I finally swallowed and asked the nurse, “How soon do I need to schedule the procedure?”

“Monday morning,” she said.

I made the appointment, then exited the clinic through a different door to avoid the protestors and signs telling me I was going to hell.

When I got home, I lay in the bed, body still numb, telling myself that I

was really going to have an abortion.

But something just didn’t feel right.

The nurse’s words — “It’s just jelly” — kept penetrating my thoughts.

I even called a church called the Potter’s House for counseling. I told them what I was about to do. The counselor I spoke to made me promise not to do anything until I came to see her. I made that promise.

I went to the refrigerator and opened a jar of strawberry jelly.

I examined the consistency. If it was just jelly, then it’s not a baby yet, I thought. I should be all right with God and not go to hell like the protestors said. I wouldn’t be a murderer.

Then I went to the computer and typed in “13-week unborn fetus.”

I wasn’t prepared for what I saw next. There in front of me was a picture of this little person. It was a full body with a head, arms, legs, eyes, toes and fingers.

“This isn’t jelly!” I shouted.

I continued my search to find out more about my unborn child.

Until that moment, I thought it was some jelly substance floating around.

Seeing the pictures, the numbness began to wear off and things started getting real.

I got angry at the thought of what I was about to do. I trusted that nurse, and she lied to me. Through my research, I found out that my baby could feel and react to my touch when I simply poked my belly.

Jelly? Not unless jelly has bones at 13 weeks. My baby’s cartilage was turning into bones.

I sat down with the baby’s father and showed him the pictures of our baby. I saw nothing that resembled jelly.

I took a stand and made the decision for myself and my child not to have the abortion.

Seven years later, I sit here looking at one of the best decisions I have ever made: my son, Tyler. If I had only listened to the nurse, I would have made the most regrettable decision of my life. I would have never forgiven myself.

All of this started behind the words, “Don’t worry, Miss Jones. At 13 weeks, it’s just jelly.”

No matter what choice I was going to make, I felt that the right to develop my own perception was taken from me. When making such a major decision, don’t rely on the perception of others without first seeking your own understanding.

one specific thing that it did for me.

I simply don’t know who I would be without it. It has shaped my personality, sense of humor and relationships with others.

I lived in the cupboard under the stairs, feeling like I didn’t belong with my family. I have found solace in the Gryffindor common room and the secret passageways of Hogwarts Castle.

Eleven years after seeing the first film, I am grateful for the series and all it has given me.

Harry Potter has taught me about things like death, heartbreak and betrayal. It has taught me to explore every one of life’s possibilities and trust my instincts.

It has taught me that love, loyalty and friendship are great qualities to possess.

But above all, the Harry Potter series has taught me to never, ever back down from my beliefs or compromise who I am.

Basketball team on a winning streak at home Props to the Harvesters basketball team for going undefeated at home this season and soaring to No. 9 in the national rankings. Go support your team as they try and continue their run.

Scrooges and Grinches are ruining Christmas for kids Drops to the empty donation boxes in front of the bookstore. The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital toy drive has been going on for three weeks, and only four toys have been donated. Come on guys, lets get into the spirit of giving.

Students share their art with the campus Props to the student art show in Gallery F-219. There are amazing works of art in every medium imaginable.

A reception for the show will be held on Dec. 6. Go check out our local talent.

ON DECK

Dec. 5 Dec. 7 Dec. 8 Dec. 15

SW Christian 7 p.m.

El Centro 7 p.m.

Paris JC Noon Cy-Fair CC 2 p.m.

The Et Cetera

Harvester hoopsters off to blazing hot start

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. etc4640@dcccd.edu

The way the Harvesters’ basketball season started can be summed up in one word: winning.

The team is off to a 9-2 start, blowing out its first four opponents by an average of 44 points and scoring 143 in its best offensive game against Paul Quinn on Nov. 5.

Sophomore point guard Semar Farris, who is second on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game and first in assists at 5.6 per game, credited the team’s early success to its ability to move the ball and get scoring from many sources.

“Everyone on the team can score,” he said. “We have a really good program this season.”

Aside from his offensive presence, Farris has lived up to his anchor role on defense as well. He is leading the team with almost three steals per game.

Head coach Anthony Fletcher said Farris’ play on both ends of the floor has impressed him.

“Semar has been playing really well starting at the point guard slot for us,” he said. “He’s so fast and so quick with the ball, when we get it we’re off and running.”

The Harvesters’ first loss was a 77-72 setback at Kilgore on Nov. 17. Eastfield shot only 16 free throws while Kilgore attempted 37.

“It was a [good loss,] if there is such a scenario,” Fletcher said. “We had to go out and play a Division 1 opponent, a scholarship school, and we gained experience on the road.”

Despite the loss, freshman forward Andrew Maxie was named the NJCAA Division III Player of the Week. Maxie, who scored 26 points in the game, said he was flattered to receive recognition, but wished the team could have pulled out a victory.

Maxie leads the team in scoring with 11 points per game and is on the heels of sophomore shooting guard Brock Hunter for the team lead in rebounds at five per game. It’s rare that a guard leads a team in rebounding, however, and Fletcher said he would like to see an improvement in that area by his post men.

“I would like to see a guy that’s not a guard be our leading rebounder, just be a glass cleaner,” he said. “It makes it easier if one of your post guys [rebounds].”

Eastfield bounced back from the Kilgore loss with its largest win so far, posting a 62-point win over Northwood on Nov. 19. The Harvesters had six players score in double figures, including Farris, freshman forward Dimari Porterfield and sophomore forward David Bonner, who all came off of the bench.

The Harvesters will play four more games prior to the semester break, the last of which is Saturday, Dec. 15, against Cy-Fair Community College. Cy-Fair’s only loss came at the hands of MAC member Brookhaven.

“We like to compare and contrast the scores [of other

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Questions

ANDREW “FRESCO” MAXIE NJCAA Division III Player of the Week Pregame Ritual: Listening to Dom Kennedy Favorite Player: LeBron James High School: Odessa Permian

6-5 FRESHMAN FORWARD Stats: 11 PPG, 5 RPG CHRIS GUERRA-YANGER/THE ET CETERA

MAC teams],” Fletcher said, “to see how everybody else is doing against our opponents.”

The Harvesters will also play seven games over the semester break, including three versus conference opponents.

“Hopefully, we’ll be more focused,” Fletcher said.

“Guys don’t have to worry about the classroom at that point. It’s just basketball.”

On Jan. 23, after the spring semester begins, the team matches up with defending Region V champion Cedar Valley.

On Cedar Valley’s basketball website, there is a banner depicting the team returning to New York to play in the national championship. However, the Harvesters believe they can upset the Suns’ plans.

“It’s a new year,” Farris said. “That banner motivates us. We have a real tough team this year, so they’ll have to come with a lot.”

The Harvesters, who were unranked at the beginning of the season, have been ranked as high as third and are currently ninth in the nation. They will look to continue their strong play into the second half of the season.

“It’s going to be quite interesting,” Fletcher said. “Hopefully, we can keep doing the same things that we’ve been doing.”

Kevin Cushingberry Jr.

ON THE NBA

What is going to be the biggest surprise?

On Oct. 27, three days before the NBA season began, the Houston Rockets acquired shooting guard James Harden by way of a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The biggest surprise this season will be Harden leading the league in scoring. Harden’s former teammate, Kevin Durant, led the league in scoring three consecutive years while Harden was on the bench.

#44

14

What lottery team has the best chance of making the playoffs?

After making the playoffs in Brandon Jennings’ first two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks missed out on the eighth seed last year despite acquiring Monta Ellis in a trade with the Golden State Warriors. In the deal, they lost Australian big man and former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut. However, after trading for

Samuel Dalembert and drafting twotime ACC defensive player of the year John Henson as well as Kentucky star Doron Lamb, the Bucks have what it takes to make the playoffs.

What team will win the championship?

The number 23 – not the Jim Carey film, but the number that Michael Jordan wore – is a number frequently seen in basketball gyms across the country, from pee wee to the pros.

Soon the No. 6 will be recognizable too. LeBron James, undeniably the most talented basketball player in the world, gained enough gold to survive Armageddon over the summer. He won the NBA championship with MVP honors, and then went on to lead Team USA to an Olympic gold medal. With LeBron’s newfound success, he has made “the leap.” He is the biggest reason why the Miami Heat will make it out of the Eastern Conference and win their second consecutive NBA championship.

What is going to be the biggest surprise?

The Brooklyn Nets are an upgraded team this season with a new stadium and a coach in Avery Johnson, who will lead them on a deep playoff run. Brooklyn has what it takes to challenge the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat and possibly come out of the East.

What lottery team has the best chance of making the playoffs?

Based on current stats and playing abilities, the Portland Trail Blazers seem to have what it takes to make the playoffs. Damian Lillard is gelling surprisingly well with the veteran supporting cast he has around him. Portland wants to show that it can be the next young pack to make a run at the title. The Blazers will make the playoffs if Lillard can stay healthy and play with the same enthusiasm

Jimmy Ambassa

in the playoffs as he’s shown in the regular season.

What team will win the championship?

The team that wins it all this season will be one that can remain healthy and play smart during crunch time. The Lakers have had too many changes, and I’m not sure they will be ready to play as a unit when they take the court in March. My pick to win the championship is the San Antonio Spurs. They have all the necessary pieces to win it all, and I strongly believe they will make a comeback from their collapse last year.

15 The Et Cetera

www.eastfield.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Jonathan’s World By Jonathan Wences

GAMERZ By Armon Reynolds Fighters and action-adventure are the best!

Shooters and R.P.G.s beat the rest!

But EA Sports is never a mess!

People who play sports games aren’t gamers, you pest!

<---Tony Romo

SUDOKU

TRIVIA 1. Who was the first president to die in office?

2. What do the survivors of the post-apocalyptic television drama “The Walking Dead” call zombies?

3. What American film production company that produced “Star Wars” was purchased by Disney for $4 billion?

4. What family member does Oedipus marry in the Greek tragedy “Oedipus the King?”

5. What forgotten duo is famous for using feathers and eggs?

6. In what stadium was the first Cowboys game held?

7. What astrological sign is symbolized by twins?

8. What is the full name of the lead singer of the band “The Smiths?”

Answers 1. William Henry Harrison; 2. Walkers; 3. Lucasfilm; 4. His mother; 5. Banjo-Kazooie 6. The Cotton Bowl 7. Gemini 8. Steven Patrick Morrisey

A Furry Situation By Stephanie Owens

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The Et Cetera

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

EDUCATION

that WORKS