February27 2013 Issue

Volume 44, Issue

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

CHAMPIONS photo by Raul Carrington

Andrew Maxie and the Harvesters are headed to New York after winning the Region V title. ➤ Page 14

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NEWS

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Put it oN YOUR

Calendar February Wed

The ART of Living Black exhibition will feature art by professor Mary Ann Turner from 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m. in the library.

Thu

The debate “Images of African-Americans in the Mass Media” will feature professors Stacy Jurhree and Glynn Newman from 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m. in the Performance Hall.

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“Proper Use of Social Media” will discuss marketing your business through social media from 11 a.m.12:20 p.m. in S-100.

March Mon

Science Week events include: Dr. Ed Ireland on the Barnett Shale, 11 a.m., S-100; full-time faculty panel, noon, S-100; Star Party with Dallas Chapter of the Texas Astronomical Society, south side of G building when it’s dark.

Tue

Science Week events include: Science Corner open house and geology lab open house, 11 a.m; chemistry demonstration, noon, S-206; scanning electron microscope demo, 2:30 p.m., C-350.

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Wed

Science Week events: “Erin Brockovich,” 9 a.m., S-100; physics lab tour, noon; fetal pig dissection, 1 p.m., S-100; chemistry lab tour, 2:30 p.m.

Thu

“Navigating Your Scholarship Profile” starts at 12:35 p.m. in L-208.

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Science Week events include: biology lab tour, 8 a.m.; scanning electron microscope student presentations, 11 a.m., S-100; science game show, noon, S-100; Women in Science, 2 p.m., S-100; Science Corner open house, 5 p.m.

Tue

“Engagement! The Key to Your Success” runs from 12:30-1:50 p.m. in L-208.

Thu

“POW: Proofreading One’s Work” will be presented by professor Selena StewartAlexander from 12:30-1:50 p.m. in L-208.

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The Et Cetera

Budget cuts affect Math Spot resources

By Billy Dennis Jr. etc4640@dcccd.edu

Recent administrative budget cuts have made it more difficult for students to receive the help they need in math.

With roughly 75 percent of the school’s students being required to take at least one developmental math class, the tutoring center is arguably one of the most valuable resources on campus. And statistics show it is becoming even more popular.

The number of visitors to the Math Spot was up by nearly 1,000 students during the fall semester.

Up until last spring, the various departments offering tutoring were grouped under one budget and housed in one location, the Learning Assistance Center (LAC). When they decentralized and separated budgets, the Math Spot began having trouble meeting student demand.

According to math instructor Leticia Escobar, who runs the tutoring center, the cuts have forced the Math Spot to reduce the number of tutors working at any one time.

“We used to have at least three

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

Math tutor Sara Culver helps student Olivia Garcia.

math tutors working at all times, besides the accounting and economics tutors,” Escobar said.

Kimberly DeGonia Johnson said the reduction in tutors has forced her to look for help outside of school.

“Even though there were not many students in attendance, there were even fewer tutors, she said. “When I finally was able to speak with a tutor, he was constantly interrupted by

other students. That experience has made me reluctant to go back.”

Escobar said 4,716 students accessed the Math Spot in the fall, and the numbers seem to be climbing each semester.

Last fall students were able to sign up for a 30-minute one-on-one tutoring session, but Escobar said that has been eliminated for now.

“I wish we could provide one-on-

one tutoring for everyone,” she said.

“But the truth is, we don’t have that kind of money.”

According to Eduardo Aguirre, a math spot tutor and electrical engineering major, the budget cuts are also causing longer wait times during peak hours for students to receive tutoring compared to the previous fall semester.

“We are just stretched out really thin,” Aguirre said.

One solution for students seeking help in math is to stop by the Math Spot during the off-peak hours. This is usually early in the day, from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and in the afternoon from 2 p.m. until it closes at 7 p.m.

“I signed in and immediately got helped,” Jason Griner said about his recent trip to the Math Spot. “They have a little card that you flip over if you need help, so I flipped it over, and there was a guy that was right in front of me that worked out all the problems [with me].”

Despite the budget constraints, the Math Spot has made some recent improvements, adding five new laptops for students to use when accessing Mymathlab.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Stereotypes of black women exposed and explained

By Kametra Nickerson-Loud etc4640@dcccd.edu

The “angry black woman” is one of the many labels the media and society have used to categorize black females for decades.

Several of these stereotypes were created as far back as the 1800s from the Jim Crow laws or “black codes” to deny rights to black people.

“Your Mirror, My Mirror. Who Are You looking At?” explained the history and meaning behind these caricatures and stereotypes as a part of the college’s Black History Month events.

Judith Dumont, associate dean of College Readiness and Mathematics, and Shamyia Mannon, adjunct faculty in developmental writing, collaborated to host the event on Feb. 12.

A panel of four women — Selena Stewart-Alexander, Joselyn Gonzalez, Wanda Moore and India Charters-Wilbon — answered questions from the audience during the event.

“We’re not promoting these stereotypes,” Dumont said. “It’s actually the exact opposite, because black

women are just like every other human being. But modern media will tell you this is the only type of black women that exist.”

“Sapphire” was one of the labels mentioned in the event. Black women who are confident, aggressive or use an assertive tone may be called “angry black women” or “Sapphires.”

This term originated from the 1950s television show “Amos and Andy,” where the character Sapphire Stevens was portrayed as loud and nosey.

Gwenetta Jackson, social work major, said she wondered prior to the event why so many people think black women are so angry.

“Now I know,” she said.

Images were shown of different black women in magazines, on the Internet and in other media, showing how the coverage has played a role in this enduring stereotype.

“The media likes to hypnotize and manipulate the mass audience … with the way they present certain people, all people, through the lens of gender, class, race, ethnicity, religion, all the different components of identity,” Dumont said.

The presenters also showed photographs of first lady Michelle Obama where she seems to be an “angry black woman” because she appears to be upset or is pointing her finger.

The oldest black female stereotype is the “Mammy” housekeeper or nanny. “Imitation of Life” and “Gone with the Wind” were two of several films shown during the event that featured scenes with “the mammy,” a black woman with a scarf around her head in a domestication profession.

Mannon said society created this label for women who took up domestic work because they didn’t have an education and couldn’t find other employment.

The “tragic mullato” was the third stereotype discussed.

Clips of people appearing to be of mixed race from the 1900s to today were shown. The mulatto is labeled tragic because she is considered to be of the black race, and she is often portrayed in novels and movies as depressed.

“I have some mixed cousins in my family ... After hearing about this, I can give [my cousins] some words of

wisdom,” art major William Moses said.

The “Jezebel” is another label assigned to black women by society.

This stereotype portrays black females as hypersexual, like the ones seen in today’s hip-hop videos or on the cover of magazines dressed provocatively.

Historically, white women have been labeled as beautiful if they are sexy.

Some blame reality television, commercials and movies for portraying black women in a negative way.

“The only time that there ever was a [black] woman that didn’t fit one of those [stereotypes] was Claire Huxtable, and they nitpicked her to death. [They said] ‘she’s not real.

Black women don’t act like that,’” Mannon said.

Dumont and Mannon agreed that these stereotypes wouldn’t exist if society weren’t thinking about them.

They said if people are part of the problem, then people should be the solution.

“I want to be an up-stander, not a bystander,” Dumont said.

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GUN CONTROL Students split on president’s proposals

By Billy Dennis Jr. etc4640@dcccd.edu

President Barack Obama managed to avoid the sensitive subject of gun control during his first term, but it appears his second may be consumed by it.

In the 75 days since the Newtown tragedy, the gun control debate has been discussed in every body of government and around practically every dinner table in America.

For many Americans, guns are a way of life. They are ubiquitous.

Want to know just how ubiquitous?

According the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, there are more than 132,000 federally licensed firearms dealers operating in the United States. To put that number into perspective, there are currently just over 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the country. So like them or not, guns are a permanent part of our landscape.

The question on people’s minds is how do we uphold our Second Amendment rights while reducing the number of Americans — approximately 100,000 — who become victims of gun violence each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The issue is fast becoming the president’s primary focus.

“I believe most [gun owners] agree that if America worked harder to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be fewer atrocities like the one that occurred in Newtown,” Obama said after making a series of gun-control proposals earlier this month. “That’s what these reforms are designed to do. They’re common-sense measures. They have the support of the majority of the American people.”

While he said he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment the president believes steps such as banning military-style assault weapons can help prevent mass shootings.

“The fact that we can’t prevent every act of violence doesn’t mean we can’t steadily reduce the violence and prevent the very worst violence,” Obama said.

The central component of the

president’s recent gun-control proposals was the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

In the two latest mass killings — the Aurora, Colo., theater massacre and the Newtown, Conn., school shootings — the assailants used the civilian equivalent of the military’s M-16, a version of Eugene Stoner’s AR-15 assault weapon. Aurora police said alleged gunman James Eagan Holmes used a 100-round drum magazine to shoot 70 people in the crowded theater.

“Assault weapons should not be sold to the civilian populace,” said Eastfield student Jared Booth, who is a hunter and Army veteran.

Booth is also concerned about guns being sold to people with mental health problems.

“I would say that 80 percent of Americans have some sort of mental disability that goes unknown,” Booth said.

Other students disagree and see any type of weapons ban as an overreach by the federal government.

“I believe [assault weapons] are effective in home protection and hunting,” Kimberly DeGonia Johnson said. “I also believe that banning these weapons infringes on our Second Amendment rights as citizens of these United States.”

These differing student views are indicative of the debate that is currently going on nationwide.

History professor Matt Hinckley said a line needs to be drawn somewhere with regards to what kind of weapons people have access to.

“I don’t think that anyone out there believes that people have the constitutional right to have any weapons they want,” he said. “I think most people would say that they don’t agree that people should have weapons-grade plutonium, for example.”

Opponents say the proposal to ban assault weapons is too Draconian and infringes upon their rights.

They point to the 1994 ban, which lasted 10 years, as proof of the ineffectiveness of such legislation.

Although Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association has said the 1994 ban “had no impact on low-

ering crime,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the author of the ban, asserts that it was successful in reducing the crime rate. She notes a 2004 study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and commissioned by the National Institute of Justice that showed a drop in gun homicides from roughly 16,000 in 1994 to 10,100 in 1999, a reduction of about 38 percent.

One new piece of Texas legislation, Senate Bill 182, also known as the “Campus Personal Protection Act,” may soon allow college students with concealed handgun licenses to carry their guns on campus.

Sen. Brian Birdwell, the author of the bill, said it is all about personal protection and preserving rights.

“This affords CHL holders, one of the most lawful groups of citizens in our state, to be able exercise that Second Amendment right to go on to the campus of higher learning, to be able to defend themselves and protect their right to self-preservation, God forbid some act of evil be perpetrated,” Birdwell said.

The bill would allow for private universities to opt out and remain a gun-free campus. However, any state school, including all seven Dallas County Community College campuses, would have no choice but to allow students with the proper licenses to carry their guns on campus.

“That is somewhat troubling news,” student Emma Reynolds said.

“Don’t we have a police force that is trained to respond to attacks? I am not sure I understand how allowing students to carry guns on campus is supposed to make us safer.”

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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The Et Cetera

Lending a helping hand

THE CRIME BEAT

Thieves target TRIO food pantry expands into campus-wide outreach student items

By Anjulie Van Sickle etc4640@dcccd.edu

About four years ago, TRIO director Bobbi White and program services coordinator Shatremeyia Porter discovered that some of their students’ grades were dropping. After some investigation, they found a disturbing cause for their struggles: Some students were going hungry.

“We had three students who were homeless,” Porter said. “There were a few who weren’t homeless, but they couldn’t receive any assistance from the Texas Department of Human Services, or certain food pantries, because they were limited in transportation. So there was a need.”

White and Porter decided to start a food pantry, funded out of their own pockets, for TRIO students who were financially disadvantaged.

Last semester, President Jean Conway offered to provide college funding for the food pantry due to the growing number of students who had begun taking advantage of it.

“As the need grew, we couldn’t afford to fund such a large-scale pantry,” Porter said. “So I mentioned to Dr. Conway what the need was, and she said that we should get the campus involved to spearhead the funds for the pantry.”

The ball started rolling when TRIO began taking donations from staff and faculty at the end of the fall semester.

They donated items such as Ramen noodles, cereal bars, fruit cups,

ana nunez/The Et cetera

TRIO student worker Susan Edwardejus sorts through snacks to give out to students coming for tutoring on Tuesdays.

chips and cookies.

English professor Dr. Elizabeth Huston was one of those who gave to the cause. She said the pantry not only helps fill stomachs, it also helps fill minds.

“We have students who need to eat well, and they’re working so hard,” she said. “I have students who work two jobs and take a full load of

school, and some even have family responsibilities.”

Huston also emphasized the importance of taking care of the body in order for the mind to work well.

According to Porter, as students come through the TRIO program, relationships are built between counselors and students. Through those relationships, trust is built. Through

The Speaker’s Forum Club “Developing Competent Speakers, Thinkers, and Leaders”

Develop your communication skills Meet others with a passion for public speaking Plus, participate in campus debates and other activities!

Meetings are held 2nd & 4th Tuesdays in room N-107 at 1:00 PM 3/12, 3/26, 4/9, 4/23

Email: thespeakersforumefc@gmail.com Phone: (972) 860-7164

that trust comes a comfort level for students to feel safe sharing that they are in need.

“There are no lists and no names taken that will be disclosed to the public,” Porter said. “It is completely discrete.”

White said TRIO students are very helpful, especially when it comes to spreading the word about the pantry around the campus.

“The program helps because the [students] have somewhere to go to,” TRIO student Susan Edwardejus said. “When they have food, they can do anything. It’s not easy going to class without food in your tummy.”

Students are allowed to access the pantry as many times during the week as they wish. However, TRIO does limit the number of items students can receive each day.

“When students come in and talk to an adviser or a student member, someone will walk back to the pantry with them, so people don’t know if they’re necessarily here for the food pantry,” Porter said.

White said she hopes to raise awareness about the program so more students can be helped. She plans to accomplish this by having TRIO students speak out in their classrooms as well as in their club meetings.

“We want students to be successful, and we will do whatever it takes to help them be successful,” White said. “It’s hard to think or concentrate too much when you’re hungry.”

By Keturah Jones etc4640@dcccd.edu

Campus police have seen a recent spike in theft in the Pit. Phones, laptops, purses and money are among the valuable items that have been stolen this semester.

“Students must be aware of their surroundings and secure their belongings,” Chief Michael Horak said.

Horak said some students will go to the restroom or Subway and leave their personal belongings behind, thinking they are secure. However, when they return, the items have been taken.

“Some items have been recovered through lost and found, but cash and credit cards have been taken out of purses and wallets,” Sgt. Brandon Boney said.

Students can obtain lockers near the Pit to secure their items for no charge through the Student Life office in C-141.

In other reports: n Jan. 10, 3:37 p.m. Assault by threat in Financial Aid office. Citation was issued. n Jan. 28, 4:45 p.m. Theft of $1,500-20,000 in L-200. An arrest was made. n Feb. 6, 5:35 p.m. Assault in W1 parking lot. An arrest was made. n Feb. 11, 7:31 p.m. Burglary of a motor vehicle. PG campus. n Feb. 12, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Criminal mischief in W4 parking lot. n Feb. 14, 5:20 p.m. Assault in the bookstore. Citation was issued.

SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH Tornado Safety Prepare for tornadoes by gathering emergency supplies including food, water, medications, batteries, flashlights and a full tank of gasoline.

When a tornado approaches, anyone in its path should take shelter indoors—preferably in a basement or an interior first-floor room or hallway.

Avoid windows and seek additional protection by getting underneath large, solid pieces of furniture.

NEWS

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Problem solver

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Artist born without hands overcomes life’s challenges

By Danyelle Roquemore etc4640@dcccd.edu

Local artist Desmond Blair has learned that life is about accepting tough circumstances and figuring out how to overcome challenges.

As a child, Blair faced many challenges at school. His classmates bullied him, and some teachers believed he was incompetent.

“Because I was born without hands in a world that’s not necessarily designed for me, I realized I was going to have to figure out how to solve problems,” he said. “If you think about the things we go through in life, a lot of times it is about solving problems.”

On Feb. 18, Blair visited the college’s African American and Latino Male Initiative club to deliver a motivational speech to the members.

Blair shared his experiences and advised members on how to overcome challenges.

Blair, who was raised by his mother and grandmother, said that after he was born, his mother received a vital piece of advice from the doctor. He told her to give him the best education possible. This concept has carried him throughout his entire life because his mother stressed the importance of being educated and able

to do things independently. “[My mother would say] ‘I’m not going to be here forever. I’m not going to be able to hold your hand everywhere you go or be with you, especially once you get a certain age.

You’re going to have to learn how to take care of yourself,’” Blair said.

Before he started kindergarten, Blair had to overcome the challenge of learning how to write. His grandmother decided coloring books would be the best way to allow him to repeatedly practice the motor skills he would need to write.

“I tried several things,” he said. “I tried coloring with my feet and my mouth. Then, naturally, it came to me that I could use both hands.”

Once he could write and color, he began tracing the pictures out of the coloring books. After a year or so of tracing the photos, he was able to draw them without having to trace.

He soon realized he had a passion for cartoons and comics, and he decided he wanted to be a 2-D animator. Blair was accepted into W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy, without any prior training, for his middle school years.

“I had no formal training, it was just the desire based on the dream I had and the willingness to keep solving that problem to figure out how to

get there,” Blair said. “From [Greiner] I ended up at Skyline because they had an advertising and design cluster.”

All of the programs that Greiner and Skyline offered were making Blair a better artist. However, they weren’t getting him any closer to his goal of becoming a 2-D animator, or so he thought.

In 2001, Blair was invited to visit an animation studio and was told by a worker that all of the training he was going through had put him on

the right path.

“Even though I was doing stuff that really didn’t seem related, that didn’t make sense, this was the stuff that was going to lay the foundation for me to get there,” he said.

Blair graduated high school at the age of 16, then enrolled in UT Dallas’ Arts and Technology program, which consisted of 2-D and 3-D animation as well as computer animation.

At age 26, Blair already has many accomplishments. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from

UT Dallas, where he taught for a while and now works as a project manager.

“I learned that you can start with a dream that plants your feet and sets your direction, but you have to understand the world around you and how it’ll change,” Blair said. “Along the way of getting to your dream things will shift, and you’ll have to shift.”

Blair advised members of the club to be versatile because he believes the key component to being able to shift, as dreams shift, is being able to adapt.

Club adviser Courtney Brazile hopes Blair’s speech will inspire the young men in his club to rise above any challenge they might face.

“Desmond’s life shows that no matter what challenges you have when you are born, you can overcome them with the right mindset,” Brazile said. “His life is a glowing public statement.”

Blair’s advice really hit home with club president Elijah Jackson.

“His story alone is enough to inspire anyone because it’s not a common thing for an artist to not have hands and to function and go along with life just as normal as those of us who do have hands,” Jackson said.

“He inspired me to strive for higher goals.”

erature faculty.”

The committee based its selected events on attendance and feedback from last year’s Women’s History Month. The events that received positive feedback on were carried over to this year, and the ones that weren’t as popular were revised.

“We definitely heard raves about the Wonder Women Trivia, so we rolled that over and felt like we should continue to do that,” Carter Harbour said. “We also had rave reviews about the lecture that Dean Rachel Wolf presented, so we invited her back again this year to deliver another lecture for us.”

Carter Harbour believes the trivia event will engage students involved in clubs and classes outside of her division. The event is scheduled to take place on March 14 and will shine a light on women’s contributions in

various fields including history, science, sports and entertainment.

Teams of four students will compete against each other in the event.

The deadline to sign up for trivia teams will be Monday, March 11.

Once students sign up for their trivia groups, they can prepare for the competition by visiting the library website to check out the Women’s History Month LibGuides. “[The LibGuides are] a place where [students] can go to numerous links,” librarian Kathy Carter said.

“We try to represent all the categories that will be covered in the match.”

The committee also focused an event around athleticism. On Saturday, April 6, the Queen of the Court Women’s Sports Day will allow students to battle faculty and staff on the volleyball and basketball courts.

“It’s basically just a day to cel-

ebrate women in sports because we think that’s overshadowed quite a bit,” said Judith Dumont, associate dean of College Readiness and Mathematics. “It’s going to be a series of athletic events. We’re going to have a round-robin volleyball tournament and a basketball skills competition.”

Dumont hopes the event will promote athletics as a healthy, productive way to manage stress and anxiety as well as encourage student and faculty engagement.

“I think something really fun happens when you take faculty and administration out of their suits,” Dumont said. “We wanted to do something that really promoted engagement with students, and we thought this would be fun.”

Women’s History Month will kick off March 7 with Wolf ’s lecture about gender and technology.

ODESSA LEEPER/The Et cetera

Desmond Blair shared his art and testimony with the African-American and Latino Male Initiative Club on Feb. 18.

College to celebrate women’s contributions in March

By Danyelle Roquemore etc4640@dcccd.edu

The college will host its second Women’s History Month celebration in March with an array of events such as lectures, performances, trivia and even a sports day.

The Women’s History Month Committee made the decision to begin hosting Women’s History Month last year after they realized most of the events that focused specifically on women were a part of American Heart Month, which was oftentimes overshadowed by the events of Black History Month.

“We thought that it would be nice to actually use the month that has been nationally set aside to celebrate women’s contributions and roll out a menu of events that might highlight a variety of different [subjects],” said

Associate Dean Courtney Carter Harbour of the Arts, Language and Literature division.

This year’s theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination,” borrowed from the National Women’s History Project, an educational nonprofit organization.

“The focus in terms of innovation and imagination is celebrating women who have made contributions in science, math and technology,” Carter Harbour said. “Since our division is Arts, Language and Literature, we typically try to highlight the arts, but we also try to reach out to other departments and divisions on campus to collaborate with us. I like the collaboration piece [because we’re] able to reach out and capture new audiences that would be outside of the students who might be taking courses with Arts, Language and Lit-

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YOU’RE INVITED TO THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE

PREVIEW DAY MARCH 2, 2013 AT 8:30 A.M. A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

This is a great opportunity to experience all that A&M-Commerce has to offer you!

REGISTER ONLINE NOW! www.tamuc.edu/ManeEvent

MARCH 2, 2013 8:30 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. • Free Event with Lunch!

• Scholarship Drawings!

• Meet Faculty and Students!

• Academic & Student Organizations Showcase!

• Campus and Residence Hall Tours!

A Member of the Texas A&M University System

• Win Prizes throughout the day!

• Admissions, Residential Living & Learning, Financial Aid & Scholarship and Success Coach Presentations!

• Bilingual Sessions by Hispanic Outreach!

Texas A&M University-Commerce is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations will be made in accordance with the law.

To request ADA accommodations, please communicate your needs 7 days before the Mane Event by calling Shirl Lee at 903.886.5106.

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COMPILED BY CHANEL JIMENEZ DESIGNED BY CHADNEY CANTRELL

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

TAX TIPS FOR STUDENTS Filing taxes can be a complicated process, but knowing how to do it properly can help you get the biggest refund. Here are five important tax-filing tips to help college students.

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Know who is going to claim you

Students living with their parents will be claimed as dependents. Tell your tax professional this information. Students who work are still able to file their own taxes. “Don’t claim yourself if you are going to be a dependent of your parents,” said Barbara Browning, a Jackson Hewitt tax preparer. “This will help your parents claim you on their tax return. If you double up, someone is going to be rejected.” If you don’t live with your parents, make sure to figure out your status: single, married or head of household. Be aware that head of household is an individual who is taking care of a child under 17 years.

Keep all your textbook and supply receipts

Make sure to save all receipts of your books and other college supplies. This includes everything from beakers for science classes to calculators for math class and even the pencils that get chewed on before finals. “If you don’t keep up with receipts, like most people don’t, you are still able to deduct up to $75 without the receipts,” said Martha Silva, president of the college’s accounting club. “Of course, it’s better to keep them in order to get a bigger refund.”

Track your mileage

Some students have multiple jobs in addition to their school work. If you drive to different jobs in a day you can count the mileage from job to job. “You can claim the mileage, but it must be ordinary and necessary driving,” said Barbara Lee, who is the site coordinator for Prairie Creek Branch library, where the college’s accounting club helps file taxes for free. Leaving your house to go to your first job does not count. Returning home doesn’t count either.

Bring the necessary paperwork

Students receive a 1098T which shows the tuition paid for the school year, to get tax credit for classes. Students working for a company paying them in cash receive a 1099R form. This is the form companies use to keep track of the money earned. The company provides its Federal Tax ID number. Students who don’t get this form should keep a log of their income and file taxes when more than $400 a year is made. However, Lee said there needs to be more than just the log. The most common form is the W2 form, which shows wages such as commission, bonuses and tips.

Don’t miss the deadline

Students who fail to file their tax return by April 15 can file for an extension to Oct. 15. If you know that you will not be able to meet the deadline, file for an extension as soon as possible. If you are anticipating receiving a refund and fail to file by October, you simply will not receive your refund until you file. Students who miss the extension deadline must contact the IRS to make payment arrangements. The IRS will charge interest and penalties depending on the balance due.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The busiest guy on campus

Eduardo Perez helps Sandy Hampton put together goodie bags for the Treats-for-Troops campaign.

Sidney Murillo/The Et cetera

Perez transforms from shy student to ambitious Leader of the Year

By Sidney Murillo etc4640@dcccd.edu

When Upward Bound administrative assistant Sandy Hampton first met Eduardo Perez, she never imagined him becoming one of the most prominent student leaders on campus.

“He was one of those students where you just want to take their face in your hands and pick their head up,” Hampton said of Perez’s demeanor in high school. “He wouldn’t look at you when you talked to him and he was really shy. Eventually he came out of that and got a little bit of self-confidence. Then when he started coming [to Eastfield], that’s when he really blossomed.”

Perez has compiled an impressive resume since that meeting. The psychology major is an Upward Bound student assistant, the Communications Club president, an SGA senator and

the Rising Star president.

Last week he was also named the college’s Student Leader of the Year. He will be receiving his award on March 8.

“I was really excited,” Perez said. “But like I told the committee, the biggest award is serving others.”

This is Perez’s last full semester on campus.

After two years filled with class and life lessons, he will be transferring to UT-Arlington in the fall to pursue a degree in psychology.

“One day, I want to come back and teach here,” Perez said. “I feel that school is very important. For example, what I do in my clubs is motivate people to keep going and not give up on school. Someday, I would like to become a dean here.”

Perez said he wants to work at Eastfield because of how well he was treated here as a student. Professors including speech instructor

Dr. Mary Forrest and employees such as Hampton have served as inspiration for him, demonstrating the importance of to giving back to the community through education.

“I want to give back what they’ve given to me,” Perez said. “All the people from Upward Bound and in the Rising Star program have been caring. I like the atmosphere. I think I am part of the family here at Eastfield.”

Forrest explained how Perez has all the attributes that make a great teacher.

“He loves to work with students,” Forrest said. “He loves to see students succeed, and that’s what we want. We want everyone who comes across our threshold to go out into the world and be successful, and I think he personifies that.”

Forrest said Perez is dedicated to community service, and Hampton even gave him the title of future philanthropist. He dedicates his time

to help the younger students in Upward Bound, and he also assists with volunteer efforts such as Hampton’s Treats-for-Troops campaign.

“He knows when to play and to be one of the guys,” Forrest said. “And then he knows when to become a leader and to pull himself up to a different level to a different style of leadership and communication. And students respect him. That’s what makes a great leader.”

Perez comes from a family of immigrants.

He is the first child in his immediate family to pursue a college education. He said he is proud to come from a family where striving to get the best education possible is encouraged.

“I know some of my friends’ parents say, ‘Why do you go to school? You’re just wasting time. You could be working,’” Perez said. “But our parents have always wanted for us to have better jobs and not struggle the same way they have. Education is the answer.”

LIFE & ARTS

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The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

From the Air Force to the classroom Former pilot heads up speech department

By Ginny Morris etc4640@dcccd.edu

Although speech professor Mark Burks is known as a laidback and easygoing person, he spent the early part of his career following a strict military routine and preparing in case of a Soviet attack during the Cold War. Burks has enjoyed many unique experiences in his life, from serving as a navigator and electronic warfare officer in Guam to running his own vending machine business.

Burks’ military career started when he joined the ROTC program at Washington State University. After a year and a half in training, he was stationed in Guam.

During his nine years in the Air Force, tensions were high between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Burks served in the bomber force of the Strategic Air Command, a major command of the military that was responsible for managing the bombers and nuclear weapons stockpiled in case of a Soviet attack. This required constantly maintaining a high level of vigilance.

“At any one time during the Cold War, one-third of the Strategic Air Command, which contained the bomber force, was on alert,” Burks said. “The rest of the time was training.”

Burks was a navigator and electronic warfare officer on B-52 and B-1 bombers. Besides navigation, he was responsible for jamming the signals of surface-to-air missiles should the plane come under attack.

Bomber crews stationed in Guam would often make a 12-14hour flight to Australia and back.

“Australia was my favorite place,” Burks said. “I think the chance to travel and see different places that you may never ever get a chance to go see, like Australia, [was my favorite part of being in the military]. Those are locations that as a civilian, you never get a chance to go see, but you get to see in the military.”

While stationed in Guam, Burks took up scuba diving and explored relics left over from World War II. “It was mostly Japanese ships that were sunk during the war, and aircraft that were shot down when [the Americans] invaded,” Burks said. “There’s still a lot of live ammunition under water. They tell you ‘Hey, if you see something, don’t pick it up.

Don’t bring it back, because it may explode.’”

After three and a half years in Guam, Burks was transferred to Abilene. He became an instructor on B-52s and B-1s, supervising younger crew members in the final stages of their training.

Burks began attending graduate school in Abilene while still in the military and received a master’s degree in management and human relations.

In 1993 Burks left the military with the rank of captain. After briefly running a vending machine business and a cleaning business with his wife, he went back to school to earn a second master’s degree in communication studies at UNT. His love of teaching began when he became a teaching assistant in UNT’s graduate program.

While at UNT, Burks taught a small group communication class that included Associate Dean of Arts, Language and Literature department Courtney Carter Harbour.

“He was one of my favorite professors when I went to school at UNT,” Carter Harbour said. “And a lot of it, I think, is because he allowed us as students to make the class our own. And I still see that now, that he still allows the students to make the class

Mark Burks stands before one of the planes he flew during his early days in the Air Force.

their own, and to be creative.”

In 1997, Burks was hired as an adjunct speech instructor at Eastfield. Soon afterward, he was hired on full-time, and he has been a full-time faculty member ever since.

He said he loves watching students learn and mature.

“For me personally, [my favorite part is] getting to see people grow — especially in the fall semesters,” Burks said. “You get students who come in who’ve never been to college. Maybe at first they’re a little apprehensive and shy, and you get to see them come out of their shells. For me, that’s the coolest thing. You see them maybe a year or two later, and they’re not the same person they were as an incoming freshman.”

Burks balances his job at Eastfield with a busy personal life.

He is going back to school for the fourth time to earn a doctorate in education at Texas A&M Commerce. He also has two stepchildren in their 20s, as well as 7-year-old twin girls.

This semester, Burks was selected to be the faculty coordinator for the speech department, a role that includes creating a workable schedule for each semester, evaluating the adjunct faculty and dealing with textbook orders.

Burks’ years of teaching have allowed him to bring a valuable perspective to the speech department, said speech professor Courtney Brazile.

Burks mentored Brazile when he first began teaching at Eastfield.

“Mark Burks is one of those persons who stays cool, calm and collected. So when I had several programs coming up, or things that I had to do, he would always let me know, ‘Pace yourself.

It’ll be OK,’” Brazile said. “The things that I made a mountain out of, he so easily reminded me that it’s just a molehill.”

His colleagues say Burks has a good reputation throughout the college.

“He’s very easy to talk to and very easy to get along with,” Carter Harbour said. “I really do think that not only do the students like him and have a good rapport with him, but he also has a really good rapport with his faculty colleagues even across the campus. That’s definitely one thing that I appreciate from him.

He’s very lighthearted and has a good sense of humor.”

Burks’ dedication helps his department run more smoothly from day to day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK BURKS

ana nunez/The Et cetera

Burks teaches a speech class on campus. He uses experience and good humor in his daily lessons.

“We all have different personalities, and Mark is always that personality and voice of reason,” Brazile said. “He’s just very practical in what he brings and presents to specifically our department and, on a larger scale, the Arts, Language and Literature division every day.”

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LIFE & ARTS

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Professors we love The best college professors treat their students like people, not just another test to grade. Their influence extends far beyond the classroom, and their lessons are remembered years after graduation.

Here are five Eastfield professors who have left the most impact on us:

munications class. Brazile opened up the world of communication to us, creating exercises that got us involved and aware of how we communicate.

It wasn’t just about writing and reciting speeches. It was about selfimprovement academically, professionally, spiritually and personally.

I learned so much about myself and how I communicate with others.

However, do not take his course as an easy, ‘A’. It’s anything but that.

You will have to work to earn your grade.

Brazile’s goal is to leave his students better than when they started.

One thing he would always say that has carried over to my other classes as well as my life is, “It’s not about the I.Q. of a person, but the ‘I will’.

Your ‘I will’ can far exceed your I.Q.” — Keturah Jones

www.eastfieldnews.com the Theater course, a class devoted entirely to the history of the stage, I could not sign up fast enough.

Right from the start, Dr. Raines’ passion for theater was crystal clear.

He was always involved in some sort of production and was never without a smile.

While I was already interested in the subject material, he presented it in a way that was both fascinating and easy to remember.

Dr. Raines frequently goes out of his way to help his students and always finds a way to keep his teaching material fresh. I can honestly say there was never a boring day in class.

— Caitlin Piper

The Et Cetera write without worrying about a grade. It is something that comes from the gut, which is the best kind of writing, in my opinion.

She is always there if you need to talk about school or even life in general.

She has given me a better appreciation for writing and has expanded my interest, not only for writing, but for reading as well. If you ever get the chance to take any of her classes, jump on it.

— Anjulie Van Sickle

Jay Justice Geology

Daniel Tomulet Philosophy

Betsy Joseph Creative Writing

Michael Raines Courtney Brazile Speech

Courtney Brazile has been teaching at Eastfield for three and a half years. I had the pleasure of having him for my Intro to Speech Com-

Drama

While I’ve never been much of an actress, I have loved plays for as long as I can remember.

Not just limiting myself to seeing them on stage, I read my favorite plays whenever I can. When I first heard of Dr. Raines’ Introduction to

Betsy Joseph is the most incredible professor I have ever had. She is kind and considerate and has helped me through many an essay.

She teaches composition and literature classes. She is always patient and willing to assist whenever a student is having difficulty.

My favorite class she teaches is Creative Writing. It is a class where you can simply allow yourself to

benefit from Tomulet’s classroom lectures. He brings a unique humor to the classroom setting, transforming his students from silent statues into active learners.

— Taylor Wallace

Dr. Tomulet of the social sciences division expounds his knowledge of the great philosophers with beautiful metaphors that make almost incomprehensible concepts understandable in his Introduction to Philosophy class.

Professor Tomulet’s course is essential to prospective philosophy students who want a clear understanding on the views of particular philosophers and how they differ from each other.

Those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the world and develop logical thinking skills will

I’ve never been particularly fond of science classes, but Dr. Jay Justice changed that. Though he has a doctoral degree in geophysics, he makes his Geology 1401 class comprehensive, interesting and, dare I say it, fun.

Attending the first day of class was something I had dreaded since registration. However, Justice’s first lecture blew my mind as he explained the makeup of atoms and the formulation of light speed, all without making me want to pull my hair out or fall asleep.

Not only does he make science something that I’ve begun to look forward to, he’s inspired me to see the world differently.

Justice tells stories about the different theories and ideas in a way that is funny, entertaining and easy to remember.

— Danyelle Roquemore

THe Hot Topic

What has been your most enjoyable class at Eastfield so far?

Moyin Alakan Pre-law

“The class that I enjoy the most is my Learning Frameworks class taught by professor Tuesday Hambric. The class teaches you how to think past the basics. It challenges you to think critically, not just academically, but also socially.”

Paola Sanchez Science

“Without a doubt, my most enjoyable class is my history class taught by professor Mike Noble.

History can be a boring subject, but he makes it so fun. Not only do we laugh, but also we learn.”

Carlos Tamez International business

“Biology class is my favorite.

Professor Jose Flores is an awesome teacher. He takes his time to make sure that we are learning and not just sitting in the class. I so enjoy learning about the make-up of what’s around us.”

Paul Hernandez Science

“The most enjoyable class that I have taken so far is my economics class. Professor Bob Felder makes the class fun. He often entertains us with humorous stories. I love his teaching style.”

Melissa Rodriguez Computer science

“My human sexuality class, taught by professor Marti Weaver.

We are learning things about our bodies that we were not taught in high school or even by our parents.”

LIFE & ARTS

11

The Et Cetera

The

Hidden Gem Boogiepop Phantom Genre: Mystery Horror Producers: Madhouse Studios Director: Watanabe Takashi

By Sidney Murillo etc4640@dcccd.edu

Most people hear anime and picture Pokemon or big-breasted girls with cat ears and a tail.

This generalization isn’t exactly false, but it keeps potential viewers from getting to know anime that focuses on storytelling, art and imagination.

A perfect example of a combination of these three qualities is “Boogiepop Phantom.”

The series, which originally aired in Japan in 2000, was adapted from a light novel, or a small series of books, written by Kouhei Kadono.

What’s unique about this anime is the animation and the art.

It is mostly illustrated in sepia, and the story jumps from present to flashbacks to the point where it confuses the viewer.

This anime’s characters touched me on a personal level.

The children, mainly high school kids, literally come face-to-face with Death.

Death, or Boogiepop, manifests herself when the children are faced with dilemmas, usually those created by people possessed by an evil spirit of greed and lust.

Boogiepop is depicted as an evildoer by the media but is really someone who performs good deeds and keeps justice in the world.

In episode 2, a boy named Hisashi has a gift of seeing people’s suffering depicted as insects that live on people’s chests.

He soon discovers if he eats the bugs, the memories of suffering will disappear.

What he doesn’t realize is that his victims lose a part of their identity when this happens. Boogiepop notices this happening and kills him to bring balance.

This Batman-esque character believed that pain and suffering makes people who they are.

But as the viewer learns in the anime, there can be no joy without

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

‘Far Cry 3’ proves elite

pain.

By the end of the series, the viewer discovers that Boogiepop less resembles death and is more of an agent of justice.

This anime is great for anyone looking for a heavy mystery series that has mix of gore and fantasy.

Though nudity and blood are never openly expressed in the anime, the music is disturbing enough to make the viewer cringe.

Fantastical monsters and spirits give deep lessons through morbidity.

Warning: This anime is not meant for the easily disturbed.

Gamer Z ne The

By Timothy Jumper etc4640@dcccd.edu

Many people dream of taking tropical vacations to an island where they can simply escape civilization.

Instead of spending all that money, why not just buy “Far Cry 3?”

The third installment of the Far Cry series is a first-rate masterpiece when it comes to gameplay, graphics and more.

This game’s biggest strength is that players can move at their own pace.

If you want to track down pirates, rescue your friends or just hunt some of the island’s exotic wildlife, you are free to take your time in choosing how to play.

There is no pressure to do anything in a hurry.

Players can take time to drink in the beautiful landscape of the forests or the remarkable details put into nearly every aspect of this game.

True to form, Ubisoft endowed “Far Cry 3” with some remarkable gameplay. Run, talk, jump, sneak, drive, swim, shoot, stab, buy, upgrade; this game literally has it all.

This game brings a truly incredible level of immersion.

The combat itself makes this game

a winner, but when combined with its other aspects, the game becomes a champion.

Another fantastic element of “Far Cry 3” is its enthralling storyline. The dynamic characters and increasing plot twists leave players feeling like they just saw a good movie or read a good book.

Last, but not least, “Far Cry 3” has insanely awesome multiplayer.

There are different match types with as much combat style and variety as players will find in single-player mode, not to mention the co-op missions players can engage in with their friends.

“Far Cry 3” may be the best freeroam game ever created. So for all those students who have way too much time on their hands, don’t bother trying to be productive. Take a vacation with “Far Cry 3.”

GREATNESS is...

helpinG others find their personal style.

Through UNT’s merchandising program, I’ve had experiences I wouldn’t have anywhere else. Interaction with fashion industry leaders and opportunities to experience the business firsthand have given me new insights to support my dream of opening a couture boutique.

— Whitney Green-Jones, junior majoring in merchandising

you’re invited to take a transfer tour

unt.edu/begreat | 940-565-4104 AA/EOE/ADA

© 2013

12 The Et Cetera

Taylor Wallace

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

Kids are making decisions too quickly today

Editor In Chief Danyelle Roquemore Managing Editor Anjulie Van Sickle News Editor Billy Dennis Jr. Opinion Editor Caitlin Piper Life & Arts Editor Sidney Murillo Sports Editor Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Photo Editor Odessa Leeper Online/Social Media Editor Miguel Padilla Copy Editor Enrique Morales Staff Writers Claudia Guerra Chanel Jimenez Keturah Jones Timothy Jumper Ginny Morris Kametra Nickerson-Loud Taylor Wallace Photographers Ana Nunez Raul Carrington Cartoonists Joelle Goosen Armon Reynolds Jonathan Wences Graphics & Layout Chadney Cantrell Alex Kennedy Braulio Tellez 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.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

OUR VIEW

Students should help out their classmates in need

For the past four years, employees in the TRIO office have maintained a food bank open to financially disadvantaged students in their organization, using only money from their own pockets. As of this semester, however, the bank is officially funded by the college and is open to all students on the campus.

We are glad to hear the food bank is expanding.

As enrollment rises, more hungry students will need nourishment to help them focus on their studies.

However, we feel that there is still much room for growth.

Last fall semester, the pantry was open to donations from staff and faculty, accepting small food items from whoever was willing to give.

We see no reason why students can’t get involved in the process as well. Sealed snacks, bottled water, loose change — anything that can help feed the hungry on campus — can be donated to help our fellow students in times of need.

We could also involve the on-site Subway restaurant.

Imagine how many people we could feed if the restaurant offered the option of purchasing a bag of chips or a fresh cookie as a donation with their meal.

Cashiers could even ask for monetary donations at

the register, not unlike those in grocery stores around the country.

And why stop there? If some students cannot even afford to buy the most basic of necessities, they probably can’t afford basic school supplies either. So customers at the campus bookstore could offer to donate packs of pencils, binders and journals to struggling students.

Furthermore, at the beginning of each semester, the bookstore could set a designated time to allow customers the option of buying a pack of pencils or a spiral notebook that would be given to students in need.

Every little bit helps.

People flock to colleges and universities in order to improve their lives, but these actions are not without their expenses.

There are so many honest, hard-working people on campus who are so determined to earn their degree, but they don’t always have the resources to follow their dream.

No one deserves to spend a day with an empty stomach.

The expansion of the food pantry is a great first step, but we can always do more to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate members of our Eastfield family.

Be silly. Make reasonable mistakes. Fall in love. Just take a moment to breathe.

These are the things young adults need to start considering as relevant priorities in their youth. These experiences shape the rest of our lives, molding us into who we are now and who we will become.

Students are taught at a very young age that they have to decide this very minute what they want to do with their lives.

Many expectations are already set out about which college they should attend and which parent’s footsteps to follow.

Kids are expected to set out a whole life plan and work towards it. This is done without getting to experience even onefourth of what is out in the world. Students break their necks trying to achieve what they believe is their own personal path to success without giving a sideways glance to the other opportunities they were never able to consider.

What is the rush?

These goals should not be made as split-second decisions, where we wake up one day and are required to have a clue as to what we want to do 10 years from now. Kids should be allowed the time to personally reflect on what they want from life.

It should not be a short process, either.

The only way to do this is to find out exactly what the world has to offer.

Deciding as a child that you want to be a neurosurgeon and working toward nothing but that end goal is not realistic.

You’ll get stuck in a job you hate because you never even weighed your other options. These things are complicated to comprehend at the age of 20, let alone as a first-grader.

So yes, design a plan that helps you reach your goals. Think it through. Decide what success means to you and work for it. Stay on your path.

Just remember, the end goal is to be happy with the life you choose, and you are only able to do that when you have seen more of what the world has to offer.

Opinion

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The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Why our generation is stressed To most older Americans, young adults nowadays are a lazy bunch who are too dependent on technology and don’t have any substantial problems or stress.

If you expect anyone older than 40 to understand and actually sympathize with young adults who are under a lot of pressure, forget it. It’s not going to happen.

The reality is that the more we have become categorized into age groups that form a generation’s criteria, the more divorced we have become from each other’s reality.

Stress is a common feeling for most Americans. The latest stress survey, “Stress in America,” conducted by The American Psychological Association, revealed that Millenials (ages 18-33) have the highest levels of stress compared to other generations that were surveyed. Thirtynine percent of Millenials said their stress had increased within the last year, compared to 36 percent of

Ana Nunez Generation Xers (34-47 years old), 33 percent of Boomers (48-66 years old) and 29 percent of Matures (67 and older).

All generations said they had experienced higher stress levels than what they believed was healthy, but Matures were the closest to having their stress levels in line with what is defined as a healthy stress level for their group.

What could young people possibly be stressing about? Could it be that their smartphone just became outdated? They weren’t able to get ahold of the latest kicks? They blew all their money on fast food? Game Stop ran out of the video game they

stood in line three hours to buy?

Their jeans tore even more than they were already intentionally torn? Or maybe they spilled their Starbucks latte before finishing it?

These are the sort of things older generations actually think young people are stressing about.

How far off is their misconception, though? After all, young people have their whole lives ahead of them and don’t have any real stressors. Or do they?

Maybe those who are a part of the older generation have forgotten the harsh reality young Americans wake up to every day.

Young Americans don’t have secure jobs for their entire lives with pensions, and our government is in so much debt that Social Security benefits probably won’t be there when retirement comes around.

School loans are expected to be paid in full despite the bad economy, and if you’re jobless six months after

graduation, the government still won’t forget you owe them money.

Independence is also being lost when college graduates have to go back to live with parents while they establish their career.

If you have children and are in this age group, the situation is even tougher.

These are only some difficulties that young Americans face, but they are more than enough to have a negative impact.

In the past month, 52 percent of young Americans say stress has kept them awake at night, and they are being diagnosed by a health care provider with depression or an anxiety disorder more than any other age group.

According to the same survey, 19 percent of Millenials are diagnosed with depression and 12 percent of with anxiety; 14 percent of Gen Xers are diagnosed with depression and 8 percent with anxiety; 12 percent

If asked, would you get on the bus?

We’ve all heard of the civil rights movement. Most of us have had to write papers about someone or something within the movement such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, the various boycotts and marches or the Freedom Rides.

All too often we look at these events in history books or websites and forget how much courage, perseverance and resiliency it took to follow through with any one of them.

Allow your imagination to put you in the shoes of some of the most courageous people in the movement, the Freedom Riders.

The year is 1961. We are 98 years past the Emancipation Proclamation and 96 years past the ratification of the 13th amendment which officially ended slavery.

It has been seven years since Thurgood Marshall’s profound victory in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case which desegregated our schools.

Six years since the murders of the Rev. George Wesley Lee, Lamar Smith, Emmitt Till and John Earl Reese.

Five years ago Autherine Lucy became the first black student to attend

Daniel Davidson the University of Alabama despite heavy opposition.

Four years ago, the Little Rock Nine faced terrible hardships to segregate the all white Central High School in Arkansas.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was founded in Atlanta. And just last year, the black vote helped elect a new young president who previously helped Dr. King get out of a wrongful, long-term jail sentence, John F. Kennedy.

The civil rights movement is in full swing and progress is being made. However, in the South, Jim Crow laws (separate but “equal”) are still enforced. Segregation, while illegal, is still enforced.

Black people must use separate bathrooms, water fountains and restaurants or face being beaten, mutilated, raped, hanged or burned alive.

The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

(KKK) is at the height of its power.

Not only does the general public condone such behavior, so do the schools, police, business owners, and politicians.

To be black and in the Southern United States in 1961 was a very dangerous thing to be.

Lynchings are still conducted.

Murders happen in broad daylight, with witnesses, and no one is ever convicted because no one would dare to tell on a white man for killing a black man.

I hope you are feeling two things at this point: Anger, at the atrocity of the situation.

And courage, to stand up for what is right, and against what is so clearly wrong.

Imagine you are a 19-year-old college student with your whole future ahead of you. It’s May and finals are fast approaching. At your college, you hear of an organization called the Congress of Racial Equality, or C.O.R.E., and they are looking for volunteers.

They plan on organizing a nonviolent bus ride to test the federal government’s enforcement of one of last year’s Supreme Court decisions in Boynton v. Virginia that determined segregation on interstate bus

and train travel, as well as at bus and train stations, is unconstitutional.

They are heading straight into the Deep South. C.O.R.E. will provide you with training on how to confront violence with nonviolence, and you will certainly face harassment.

You might be thrown in jail. You might be beaten, spit on, stepped on and possibly even killed. Only 13 people have signed up to go so far, seven black and six white.

Now, ask yourself the same question professor Kat Cloer asked all of us in her Civil Rights class: Would you get on the bus?

In American society today, we are faced with a number of civil and human rights issues.

They range from equal pay for women, immigration rights and homosexual marriage to racial inequalities within the judicial system and atheists being banned from public office.

Find your bus and get on board.

It only takes the dedication, determination and perseverance of a few to change the face of a nation for the better.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “you may never know the result of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.”

Boomers have been diagnosed with depression and 12 percent with anxiety; and 11 percent of Matures have been diagnosed with depression and 4 percent with anxiety.

The numbers speak for themselves. Millennials grew up in the booming 90s when the economy was thriving, technology kept improving and possibilities seemed endless.

These young people were thrown off pace suddenly when the economy changed post-9/11.

In many cases, their parents lost jobs, some lost their homes to foreclosure, and stress was no longer just something their parents experienced, but something passed on to them as well.

These aren’t the same problems other generations experienced, but they are just as grave.

It’s time to recognize young Americans have quite a lot on their plates, and that our lives are not all fun and games.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Kudos on first edition

To the Editor, I was reading your current paper, and first of all, I have to say great articles! I really enjoyed the piece on “girl gamers.” Until I got to the comic It Could Be Worse. I’m not sure if it was the drawing itself, but it was kinda hard to read or tell what was going on, and I was wondering if it could be a bit more clear.

Sergio Temblador

Good proofreading is essential

To the Editor, You quoted 1 Corinthians 3:4 on a definition of love, but it should have been 13:4. 3:4 talks about division. A proofreader may have caught the word “they” in the same column as needing to be “the.” Because I’m not a student, I can’t even volunteer to proof The Et Cetera; I’ve tried! But really, it doesn’t take a professional proofreader to find things like that.

It might take a bit longer to see the problem with “Our View” on page 10, where a student might question, “What were Subway’s management’s selfish actions?” Part of a proofreader’s responsibility is to make the writer look good, because the reader will not be distracted by unnecessary mistakes. So, in the future, make sure there’s an extra set of eyes that reviews submissions.

Paul W. Conant

ON DECK March 13 Baseball vs. Northland March 14 NJCAA Quarterfinals March 15 NJCAA Semifinals March 16 NJCAA Finals

The Et Cetera

Sweet Sweep

Noon Noon TBA TBA

14

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Eastfield clinches berth in national tournament

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. etc4640@dcccd.edu

Andrew Maxie looked down at the championship plaque resting in his palms and smiled.

“I’m so excited,” the freshman forward said. “I could just throw it like a Frisbee.”

The Eastfield Harvesters defeated Mountain View 84-72 on Monday night to win the Region V championship, avenging Thursday’s loss to the Lions. The win means that Eastfield will head to New York on March 14 to play in the NJCAA Division III national championship tournament.

“I’ve never been to New York,” Eastfield coach Anthony Fletcher said. “But I’m ready.”

Sophomore captain Brock Hunter scored Eastfield’s first basket three minutes into Monday’s game and finished with 13 points. He said last year’s sour season-ending loss to the Lions motivated him.

“I saw they were up 5-0,” Hunter said. “Last year we had a tough loss to end the season. I just thought, ‘This can’t happen again this year.’”

Maxie, who added 16 points, was the only player besides Hunter to score for Eastfield in the first nine minutes.

“It’s even sweeter to get the win on their home court,” Maxie said.

“They snuck up on us at our house.

Raul Carrington/The Et cetera

The Harvesters celebrate their Region V championship. They capped off a 26-4 season on Monday night.

Payback.”

Backup point guard Oscar Lewis scored 17 points to lead the Harvesters in scoring. Despite not getting his first basket until 11 minutes in, Lewis, a sophomore who transferred from Panola College, scored nine first-half points to put the Harvesters up 35-32.

He said this season at Eastfield has been gratifying.

“I went through a lot at Panola,” Lewis said. “We had a bad season because we didn’t stick together. Here we’re a team; we all stick together. We played hard, and we never gave up.”

In the second half, Eastfield gradually began to pull away. A crucial basket by Lewis with eight minutes left put the Harvesters up 55-47, their biggest lead of the game to that point, and prompted Mountain View coach

LeRoi Phillips to signal for a timeout.

A three-point play by Maxie put the Harvesters up 58-47 with 7:13 to go. Although the Harvesters were up by 11, it looked as if Mountain View could make a run at any point.

After Lewis made a basket with five minutes to go, Lions guard Jeremy Mobley responded with a desperately needed three-pointer. However, Eastfield forward David Bonner

answered with a three-point play of his own, keeping the Harvesters’ lead at 11 with five minutes to go.

With 4:45 left, Fletcher huddled his players, pleading with them to finish the game strong.

Mountain View hit consecutive field goals to come within seven points, but a breakaway dunk by Maxie with two minutes to go put the Harvesters up 79-66 and put an exclamation mark on the game.

“It was the realest moment of the season so far,” Maxie said.

The Harvesters were able to soak in the win as the last minute rolled off the clock.

“It’s awesome,” sophomore transfer Mike Love said. “This is what you wait your whole life for. We’re the region champs right now. We’re here.”

Sophomore Semar Farris, who played for Eastfield during the 200607 season and had 14 points in Monday’s game, said winning the game felt like the completion of a journey.

“I went through a lot of adversity,” Farris said. “I’m so excited. We just stuck with it, kept playing hard and we did it.”

After celebrating the win with his teammates, Hunter said Eastfield has unfinished business in New York.

“This was a big win,” Hunter said.

“But we still need three more. We’re not satisfied. We’re just happy right now.”

Harvesters claim Metro Athletic Conference regular-season title

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. etc4640@dcccd.edu

Sophomore captain Brock Hunter tallied a season-high 29 points, including five key free throws down the stretch, to help the Eastfield Harvesters beat Cedar Valley and clinch their second Metro Athletic Conference regular-season championship under coach Anthony Fletcher.

Eastfield beat the Suns 95-84 on Feb. 13, finishing its championship season undefeated in home confer-

ence games.

Sophomore guard Demarcus Metcalf made each of his three attempts from beyond the arc, finishing with 14 points. Freshman forward Andrew Maxie contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds.

In addition to their offensive efforts, the Harvesters were able to keep the Suns from getting hot.

Eastfield held Suns guard Billy Johnson to 15 points on 7-for-16 shooting. Johnson was named NJCAA Division III Player of the Week

for his play the week prior and had scored 37 points against Richland on Feb. 6.

The Harvesters, having beaten Cedar Valley earlier in the season, didn’t allow Johnson’s newfound success to alter their game plan.

“We just said, ‘if we get rebounds and make stops, it’s game over,’” Hunter said.

The Suns made a run to cut Eastfield’s lead to one point in the final minutes of the first half, but Hunter answered, making three consecutive

baskets to put the Harvesters up 4235 at halftime.

“We needed to get it together,” Hunter said. “When we were at their house they put a similar run on us. I just thought, ‘Nah, that’s not going to happen again.’”

A three-pointer from Maxie put the Harvesters up 64-48 midway through second half, their biggest lead at any point in the game.

“Finish the game right now!”

Fletcher implored his players during a timeout prior to the free throw.

The Harvesters responded making 15 straight free throws to seal the victory.

“Going undefeated in conference is what motivated us,” Hunter said.

“Nobody’s done that since 2002, so that was enough motivation right there.”

The Harvesters lost their final conference game against Richland 77-68 on Feb. 16. Their final regular-season record was 26-3 and 9-1 in conference play. They were the top seed in the Region V tournament.

15 The Et Cetera

www.eastfield.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Jonathan’s World By Jonathan Wences

GAMERZ By Armon Reynolds

SUDOKU

TRIVIA 1. Giant George, who measured 7 foot, 3 inches from nose to tail and 43 inches shoulder high, was named the world’s largest what in 2010 by the Guinness World Records?

2. Who tops Forbes’ 2012 Richest People in America list?

3. What was the name of the first all-black U.S. Army regiments established during peacetime by Congress in 1866?

4. Who was the first Texas Rangers player to hit at least 50 home runs in a season?

5. What singer with a colorful name was born Alecia Beth Moore in Pennsylvania in 1979?

6. What was the name of the politically conservative son played by Michael J. Fox on the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties?”

7. What two former college teammates helped lead the Houston Rockets to the 1995 NBA championship?

8. What sitcom topped the Nielson ratings for the week of Feb. 11?

Answers 1. Dog (Blue Great Dane) 2. Bill Gates 3. Buffalo Soldiers 4. Alex Rodriguez with 57 in 2002 5. Pink 6. Alex P. Keaton 7. Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler 8. “Big Bang Theory”

It Could Be Worse By Joelle Goosen

And as far as the host goes, he should just stick to Family Guy. I think it could’ve been better.

What the heck! Why give an Oscar to that movie!

And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to...Argo! *applause*

16

The Et Cetera

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

EDUCATION

that WORKS