Party in Peace
Exploring the celebration of life and death See page 8
Eastfield College
Wednesday, October 24 , 2018
Volume 50, Issue 5
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Wednesday, October 24, 2018
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meet the candidates: mIDTERM SAMPLE BALLOT United States Senator Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz faces challenger U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, an El Paso Democrat. O’Rourke trails by 9 points in a poll taken Oct. 9 by Quinnipiac University. Throughout the campaign, O’Rourke has significantly outraised Cruz in funds. Cruz has
the backing of President Donald Trump. Cruz was elected to U.S. Senate in 2012 at the height of the Tea Party movement. O’Rourke was elected to the House of Representatives the same year. Libertarian Neal Dikeman is unlikely to affect the race.
Ted Cruz Republican
Beto O’Rourke Democrat
Attorney General
Ken Paxton Republican
Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democrat Justin Nelson and Libertarian Michael Ray Harris. Paxton led by 1 point against Nelson and 26 points against Harris in a June University of Texas/Texas Tribune Michael Ray Harris poll. Paxton, who was previously in the Texas House of Representatives, Libertarian
Justin Nelson Democrat
Neal M. Dikeman Libertarian
Governor
Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott will face off against Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez. Abbott leads by 20 points in a recent poll taken by Quinnipiac
chairman of Outright Libertarians. Patrick leads Collier by 6 percent and McKennon by 33 percent in a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll taken in June. Patrick has been lieutenant governor since 2015.
University Oct. 9. Abbott was elected governor in 2014. Valdez served as sheriff of Dallas County from 2005 until 2017.
Dan Patrick Republican
was elected attorney general in 2014. He is under indictment on security fraud charges. Nelson, a former Supreme Court clerk and a law professor at the Univesity of Texas Law School, has not held office before. Harris is a court-appointed criminal defense attorney in Dallas.
Kerry Douglas McKennon Libertarian
U.S. Representative, District 30 Eddie Bernice Johnson, Democrat Shawn Jones, Libertarian
Greg Abbott Republican
Lupe Valdez Democrat
State Representative, District 108 Democrat Joanna Cattanach, an adjunct jounalism professor at Eastfield, is running for Texas House District 108 against incumbent Republican Morgan Meyer. Meyer was elected to the Texas House in 2014 after working as a lawyer in Dallas.
He has an endorsement from the Dallas Morning News. Cattanach has not held public office. She hopes to advocate for education spending, undocumented college students and access to healthcare.
U.S. Representative, District 32 Pete Sessions, Republican Colin Allred, Democrat Melina Baker, Libertarian State Senator, District 2 Bob Hall, Republican Kendall Scudder, Democrat State Senator, District 16 Don Huffines, Republican Nathan Johnson, Democrat State Representative, District 107 Deanna Maria Metzger, Republican Victoria Neave, Democrat State Representative, District 113 Jonathan Boos, Republican Rhetta Andrews Bowers, Democrat
Joanna Cattanach Democrat
Morgan Meyer Republican
Mike Collier Democrat
Other Races U.S. Representative, District 5 Lance Gooden, Republican Dan Wood, Democrat
Criminal District Attorney Faith Johnson, Republican John Creuzot, Democrat
Early voting
55 locations including Eastfield College Pleasant Grove campus 802 S. Buckner Blvd., Dallas Oct. 22-27, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 28, 1-6 p.m. Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Eastfield College main campus 3737 Motley Drive, Mesquite Oct. 29-31, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Election Day: Nov. 6
Lieutenant Governor Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has two challengers: Democrat Mike Collier, an accountant who has worked for Exxon Mobile and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Kerry Douglas McKennon, national
Where, when to vote
County Judge Brian Hutcheson, Republican Clay Jenkins, Democrat Preston Poulter, Libertarian Dallas ISD Bond Election
Proposition A The issuance of $75 million of bonds for the purchase of new school buses and bus maintenance and operating facilities and levying of tax in payment thereof. Proposition B The issuance of $75 million of bonds for refunding outstanding limited maintenance tax notes, and the levying of the tax in payment thereof. Dallas ISD Tax Ratification Election
Proposition C Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $1.412035 per $100 valuation in Dallas ISD for the current year, a rate that is $0.12995 higher per $100 valuation than the school district rollback rate, for the purpose of generating additional local and state revenue for district maintenance and operations.
You must vote at your precinct polling place. Polls open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. For precinct locations, sample ballots and other information for Dallas County voters, visit dallascountyvotes.org.
Campus events
Get Out the Vote election-themed events 11 a.m.- 1 p.m., the Hive Monday, Oct. 29: Photo booth, gladiator joust, snow cones, voting Q&A Tuesday, Oct. 30: Human foosball, “I vote because ...” campaign Wednesday, Oct. 31: Uncle Sam passing out goodies
Voter ID
Voters must present identification to cast ballots in Texas. If a voter does not have an acceptable form of photo ID and has a “reasonable impediment or difficulty” obtaining one, he or she must present a supporting form of ID and sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. Acceptable forms of ID: Texas driver's license Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS Texas personal identification card issued by DPS Texas handgun license issued by DPS U.S. military identification card with photograph U.S. citizenship certificate with photograph Passport Supporting forms of ID: Certified original birth certificate Current utility bill Bank statement Government check or paycheck Government document with your name and an address Source: Texas Secretary of State
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Eastfield grad makes sheriff bid
PUT IT ON YOUR
Calendar Wed
By CAMERON R. COOK Reporter @TheEtCetera
Eastfield Law Enforcement Academy graduate Aaron Meek wants to bring more focus to mental health and family violence if he is elected Dallas County sheriff in November. Meek, the Republican nominee, has been a resident of Dallas County for 35 years and a member of Dallas law enforcement for the last 17 years. He faces interim sheriff Marian Brown, who spent 26 years with the Duncanville Police Department before joining the Sheriff ’s Department about four years ago. Meek says the training he received at Eastfield prepared him for the tasks he has endured throughout his career. “I thought, ‘I’m going to make this a career. Let’s do something to move my career forward,’ ” Meek said. “So I contacted Eastfield, went through a year’s worth of class, just really enjoyed the level of intensity they brought it to.” Working as a jailer full-time during his schooling, Meek said he took part-time classes where a lot was expected of him and his classmates. After he graduated, he took a test at Dallas County Sheriff ’s Department. He said he got a great grade, made it into an academy, and since then has not looked back. Meek said while continuing his education, he would still contact instructors that he knew and relied on some of their education and help. “Eastfield was extremely helpful in the second academy because I had a lot of information that some of the other classmates didn’t have,” Meek said. When Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, a Democrat, resigned last year to run for governor, Meek saw an opportunity. He resigned his deputy job in January to run as a Republican. “I just kicked everything into high gear,” he said. When asked about Valdez, a Democrat, he said he always thought she was a nice person but didn’t think she was good for the department. “The last sheriff was very partisan. It was very, ‘My party says this,’ ” Meek said. “And that’s not our job. My job is to follow the law, not just the party politics.” Meek’s aunt, Cheri Moody, said that he just wants to do his job and
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
24 Thu
25
October
Recital: Justin Pierce Jazz Quintet, 1 p.m., F-117 I Donut Know Where to Go information table, 7:30-11 a.m., VIBee Lounge Reality Fair, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., T-108 Financial Wellness Seminar, 1 am.-1 p.m., G-101 Involvement Fair, 10 a.m.1 p.m., the Hive
Fri
26 Mon
Witness to the Holocaust Exhibit, Oct. 29-Dec. 13, Hive and L and G building hallways
Tue
Artist lecture: Daniel Ray Martinez, 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m., G-101
Wed
Recital: EFC Early Brass, 1 p.m., F-117
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ESTHER MORENO/THE ET CETERA
Dallas County sheriff nominee and Eastfield graduate Aaron Meeks mingle at a campaign event.
make things better. She said that in any career a person works in, that things are made to be better when everybody on a team is doing their job right. Most people going in as sheriff try to be politicians, Moody said, but Meek wants to keep his understanding of what it means to be a cop. “I make it my business to research and look when I want to vote,” said supporter Jennifer Vidler, “I want to delve in. I want to understand. In researching him and then talking with a couple other of my friends, he was the obvious choice. … Somebody who is of the people.” Heading into the election, Meek said he is knocking on doors and found many people interested in what he has to say. “Now my heart, I’m a conservative Christian,” he said. “But when I show up to a house, whether there’s a Cruz or a Beto sign in the yard, [it] makes no difference in what I’m going to do.” The sheriff ’s department goes through countless hours of training on inmate mental health and public awareness, Meek said. They do pretty good at that, he said, but there’s always more that can be done. He wants more focus on officers’ mental health. “We’ve been plagued this year alone with three suicide [at-
AARON MEEK’S OPPONENT
Marian Brown
Marian Brown, 53, is a Democrat candidate for Dallas County sheriff. Brown has served as interim sheriff since January when Lupe Valdez resigned to run for governor. Brown has over 26 years of supervisory police experience. Brown has been recommended by the Dallas Morning News for the position, stating that her time as interim sheriff has shown her ability to “recognize problems and come up with solutions” within the department. Brown is Dallas County’s first black sheriff.
tempts], with one successful suicide,” Meek said. In 2017, 140 police officers committed suicide compared to 129 who died in the line of duty, according to a study by Ruderman Family Foundation. “There’s a lot going on, and we’re day-to-day troopers,” Meek said. “The family aspect of it is very important to me. My wife and I are going to start a spousal group. I remember at Eastfield they harped on it a lot: If you don’t have your family with you then you’re not going to make it through this.” Meek said he wants to inform the public about the role of the sheriff ’s office, a central line of contact among local, state and federal agencies during an emergency. “It is one of the most important entities of Dallas County and of the state,” Meek said. “Without a sheriff you really don’t have the structure that’s supposed to be there because
it’s technically the last line of defense between the people and the government.” In his run for county sheriff, he’s had the backing of his family. “He has supported me in everything I’ve ever done and everything I’ve ever wanted to do,” said his wife, Debra Meek. “So when he told me he wanted to run for sheriff there was nothing else I could really say but sure.” Debra Meek serves as her husband’s campaign manager. She said she does pretty much anything that has to do with the campaign except for being the candidate. “We do everything together, so us doing this together and being at everything together doesn’t feel any different,” she said. The couple also includes their son and daughter in campaign events. “We don’t do things by ourselves,” Aaron said. “We do things with family.”
Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Hive
30 31
Career Services Lunch and Learn, 12:30-1:30 p.m., G-102
November Thu
1
Mobile Food Pantry, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., outside G building Arbor Day, 10 a.m., Lower Courtyard
Fri
2
Recital Series: Valerie Hartzell, guitar and Tamara McCoy, voice, 1 p.m., F-117
Mon
Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Lower Courtyard
Tue
Election Day
Wed
Recital Series: EFC Jazz Faculty, 1 p.m., F-117
5 6 7
Homecoming Tailgate Party and Basketball Game, 4-6 p.m., parking lot 1 and gym
Et Cetera distribution, 10 a.m.-noon, the Hive
ABOUT THE COVER
Raquel Moreno, undecided major, models traditional Dia de los Muertos facepaint. PHOTO BY ESTHER MORENO DESIGN BY MATEO COREY
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Wednesday, October 24, 2018
@TheEtCetera
From adjunct to queen bee
Conway’s journey provided presidential perspective By JAMES HARTLEY Digital Editor @ByJamesHartley
Jean Conway, exiting president of Eastfield, remembers the first night the college began recruitment for the early college high school. It’s one of her fondest memories. Talking about it causes her eyes to well up with tears. Parents rushed into a high school auditorium, pushing strollers and holding babies. Most didn’t speak English. All were looking for a way their high schooler could have a better life. “They were just hoping their kids would graduate high school, and now they had the opportunity to graduate college,” Conway said. “The impact that had on them was amazing. I won’t forget it.” It’s one of Conway’s favorite memories from her time as Eastfield’s president. Now, as she passes the reins on to Eddie Tealer, Conway’s thoughts are a mix of memories and plans for her retirement. This year marks the end of her reign as “Queen Bee,” which started when she became interim president in 2009. Her career in education started as an academic adviser and adjunct English professor. She did that for four years before gaining a full-time faculty position, where she focused on teaching international students and students who had just finished English as a second language classes. Her 10-year career as a professor ended when Stephen Mittelstet, at the time the president of Richland College, recruited a reluctant Conway into an administrative position. She would head up a new world languages and culture division at Richland. Mittlestet gave her one night to think about it. He would later recruit her to be vice president of academic success at Richland and then encourage her to become interim president of Eastfield. She wasn’t given much option in that case. “He said, ‘I think you’ll be good in the position. I don’t think you really need to think about it,’ ” Conway said. She was unsure each time she accepted a new administrative position.
The Et Cetera
“Jean is a superb leader. She is the characteristic leader. Students have always been her number one focus.” — Lindle Grigsby Retired Dean of Workforce Education
“The thing I love about her is the way she just interacts with everybody and sets the tone.” — Jide Carew Multicultural Director, OSER
SARALYN COREY/THE ET CETERA
“She’s the kind of president who just wanders around, even when her schedule is slammed, just to say, ‘Hi.’ ” — Rufel Ramos English Faculty
Jean Conway, president of Eastfield for nearly a decade, announced her retirement before the spring 2018 semester. Eddie Tealer, former vice president of business services at North Lake, was selected as her replacement in October.
She loved the work she was doing as a professor, then as a dean, and later as a vice president. She was again uneasy in accepting the interim president position at Eastfield, but when then-chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District Wright Lassiter Jr. made it possible for her to pursue the permanent position, she gladly applied. He changed a rule stating that interim presidents could not apply for the permanent position so she could have the job. “I didn’t want to leave behind the things we had started,” Conway said. She hasn’t regretted a thing. Each new administrative position was a unique transition, but she learned to love each role. Every graduation and the start of every semester are special moments. So is the time Sharon Cook, assistant to the president, stepped out of a meeting and came back in whispering that she just received a call from the president. “Which president?” Conway remembers asking in a hushed voice. “The,” Cook emphasized, “president.” “Of the United States?” Conway
asked, suddenly not whispering. All eyes in the room were on them. “Yes,” Cook confirmed. “The president of the United States.” President Barack Obama’s visit was a crazy time. Secret Service came to campus, but Conway wasn’t allowed to tell the college why. A White House staffer suggested they paint dead plants that would be on campus instead of planting new ones. “There’s a color at Sherwin-Williams now called Eastfield Green,” Conway said with a laugh. And then he arrived and spoke. It was a surreal experience, Conway said. And the painted plants looked good on TV. Conway has paid attention to aesthetics since she first arrived at the school. She’s also always taken extra care to pay attention to students. One of the only times she can remember overruling a decision by advisers, deans and vice presidents happened when a student came to her with a request. She decided to let a student with a potential scholarship to Southern Methodist University skip prerequisites and take a class he needed.
The math he wanted to take was a requirement for the scholarship. The problem was the Accuplacer test said he wasn’t ready. She listened to him. He told her he would work hard. He was passionate about his education. So she allowed him to take it. “I’ll make you proud,” he told her on his way out of her office. A couple years later, he showed up with a bouquet of flowers, dressed in a suit, to thank her. He passed the class, got his scholarship and graduated SMU with a business degree. Now he was working in a bank. To many, Conway was a great president and savior to the college. She arrived when Eastfield was on accreditation warning from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and corrected course in time to protect the institution’s reputation. She always saw credit the successes of Easfield as not simply hers, but the success of the whole community that came together to make it possible. Cook said Conway was more than See Conway, page 11 ➤
“She’s been really focused on students and student success.” — Lindsey Bartlett Library Staff
“She actually cared about the students, the faculty, the staff and she tried to make everything in her power to make things better for us.” — Victoria Meeks OSER Staff
“She’s done a lot with scholarships, which is really important ... a lot of people are here because of scholarships.” — Leonardo Sierra Business Major
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Wednesday, October 24, 2018
‘Maus’ author jabs at Trump, encourages student activism By ANDREW WALTER Opinion Editor @AndyWalterETC
College dropout and Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman said in a lecture at Eastfield on Thursday that he learned everything he’s ever known from comics and comic books. “I started learning about sex contemplating ‘Betty and Veronica,’ ” Spiegelman said whilst sipping on an energy drink. “I learned about feminism from ‘Little Lulu,’ one of the best comic books ever written. I learned about economics from ‘Uncle Scrooge,’ one of the other best comic books ever written. And it’s the same way that (Donald) Trump and his gang of thieves learned their economics.” Eastfield’s 2018-2019 common book about the Holocaust, “Maus,” was Spiegelman’s breakout success besides working for Topps and The New Yorker. He said that his Pulitzer prize-winning graphic novel, “Maus,” is something that has consumed his life with how much it has affected
JAMES HARTLEY/THE ET CETERA
Art Spiegelman, author of the common book “Maus,” speaks with students on Oct. 18 about censorship and voter suppression.
him and the legacy of his family. He wrote “Maus” in such an informal style because it felt most natural to him as a cartoonist. “ ‘Maus’ was an insanely long project that I’ve never been able to fully put behind me,” Spiegelman said. “My only concern is that what I was
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making was an anomaly. It wasn’t like anything else around it. Now I’ve been told it’s a graphic novel. I didn’t know that at the time. I just thought it was a long comic book that needed a bookmark.” During his time working for Topps, he co-created the Wacky
Packages and Garbage Pail Kids series. After “Maus” was published, he spent 10 years as a contributing artist for The New Yorker. Spiegelman used his sense of humor to share his thoughts on racism, President Trump, the power of comics and the dangers of censorship during his 90-minute presentation. He even poked fun at Eastfield’s common book committee. “I’m insulted that they put this as a ‘common’ book,” Spiegelman said. Spiegelman said the entire process of developing “Maus” took 13 years. He wrote another book, “MetaMaus,” which describes the intimate details of how “Maus” was made. “Maus” was heavily influenced by Spiegelman’s family, and features his father, Vladek Spiegelman, as the main character. In the book, Spiegelman expresses his struggles after his mother’s suicide, his strained relationship with his father and the specter of his older brother, who died in the Holocaust before Spiegelman was born. While Spiegelman wasn’t afraid to
frequently use obscenities and insults during his presentation, Megan Horlander, Eastfield librarian and common book committee co-chair, said the tragedy of the Holocaust is what impacted her most. “I think the biggest thing that hit me was when he showed [his] family tree and how few people were left after the war,” Horlander said. Horlander said the amount of empty space on the tree after six years was horrifying. “To have that many people in your family die in that short of time, and most of them died in 1942, it’s unbelievably sad,” she said. Sabine Winter, an English professor born in Germany and also a co-chair of the common book committee, visited the Dallas Holocaust Museum one month prior to Spiegelman’s lecture. The Dallas Holocaust Museum has a wall that houses family trees of Dallas Jews, and some of those records are simply blank walls, she said. So many of the deaths of the Holocaust See Politics, page 10 ➤
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Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Alumna fights for undocumented students By DAVID SILVA and JOSUE HERNANDEZ Reporters @TheEtCetera
As Maria Yolisma Garcia maneuvers past the energized mass in front of Dallas City Hall, she finds herself in a familiar position. The “March for Our Lives” T-shirts are unique, but everything else, from the concert of chants, to the flashing of news and cell phone cameras, to the sheer number of protesters and the diversity among them, is not a novelty. Nevertheless, she’s eager as she moves closer to the makeshift stage ahead. After finally getting a good view, Garcia pauses to join in with the restless crowd.
“This is what democracy looks like!” she shouts. Garcia, a 2014 Eastfield graduate, formerly undocumented immigrant and current president of the North Texas Dream Team, has always been unapologetic. Her outspokenness on a variety of topics and her pride in her undocumented identity has brought her to many protests like this one. Protestor is one of the many roles Garcia has served throughout her life. She’s heard titles like advocate, leader and Dreamer, as well as provoker and criminal. But long before she ended up on the steps of City Hall with a fist in the air, Garcia served perhaps a more important role: her family’s translator.
Early years
Growing up in Old East Dallas, the Garcia family became accustomed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and gang unit visits to her neighborhood. When the police would get close to their door, the Garcia family would turn off all lights inside the house to avoid any unwanted attention. They watched through a window as their unlit living room filled with waves of flashing blue and red lights. Her parents told her she didn’t have papeles, papers, but the young Garcia didn’t really understand what that was, so she didn’t worry about it. Her parents, not wanting to further instill fear in their daughter, didn’t press the issue. Then there was the trip to her hometown, Pánuco de Coronado, Mexico, at the age of 7. Garcia found it odd that she had to memorize travel documentation from an ID that wasn’t hers, but she didn’t worry about it. “I must have been going through life in this big bubble or something,” she said. “I guess [my parents] Maria Garcia speaks through a microphone. were afraid that
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARIA GARCIA
Maria Garcia, shown pointing up in the air, demonstrates at City Hall.
“
”
I come from a community that’s very resilient. Regardless of the obstacles that have come our way, somehow we always keep pushing back. — Maria Garcia President of the North Texas Dream Team
I would let that define me and shut off from everything. They saw this bouncy little girl making friends with everybody. The last thing you want to tell someone is, ‘Hey, you need to hide into these shadows.’ ” For a long time, Garcia was also the only person in her family who knew how to speak English. From drive-thrus and grocery stores to doctor’s appointments and teacher meetings, Garcia was the main communicator for her parents. “You’re learning these big words for the first time and learning how to navigate the institutions with your parents at the same time,” she said. As Garcia started to catch a hint of her and her family’s situation, she was confronted with the possible exposure of her legal status at school. “In middle school, there was a rumor that I wasn’t from here,” she recalled. “I chuckled at it and I owned it. … ‘I’m from Durango and I’m proud of it and I’m not ashamed.’ ” Garcia intended to not only pres-
ent herself transparently, but to also shatter her classmates’ expectations of Mexican immigrations. “In their minds, someone who’s undocumented was probably someone who was mowing their lawn or cleaning their house,” she said. “But no, it’s people like me that you sit with in class and have show choir with.”
Driving against the wall
Garcia tried to bring this pride with her as she entered high school, but she soon learned that her lack of legal status came with real consequences. When she started getting asked for her Social Security number to sign up for things, she asked her mom for her Social Security card. “I’m like, ‘Where’s my social? Do I have one?’ ” Garcia said. “She said, ‘Actually, you don’t.’ ” The barriers she faced as an undocumented student came hurdling in, seemingly all at once. She was doing everything she was told to do: taking AP classes, studying for the
SAT and preparing for college. “But I can’t drive. I can’t get a job. I’m not valid for these scholarships or FAFSA,” she said. “I’ve gotta navigate my life with this wall, driving up against it but I can’t get through it.” Garcia couldn’t help but feel resentful about her situation. “I felt a lot of anger,” she said. “I asked my mom why she left if she knew life was going to be difficult for us. Why didn’t she just stay? I was also angry at the fact that I would see people who I knew were citizens not do anything with their lives. They weren’t engaged in anything. They weren’t getting jobs. They’re not getting their driver’s licenses, they’re just sitting there.” Despite her internal struggles, she began to realize her confidence had an effect on her classmates. “I had a lot of people come to me,” she said. “Opening up to me about their legal status, too.” She saw that a lot of her counselors weren’t aware of the choices that Garcia and her classmates had to make post-graduation. “They couldn’t really help us out,” she said. “I went and scoured different resources and got involved in LULAC.” Garcia joined the League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest Hispanic-serving organization in the country, during her freshman year at Woodrow Wilson High School. It was with LULAC that she began to learn more about the resources available and began to vocalize the disadvantages Latinos were facing at her high school. By her junior year, Garcia and her friend Liz Magallanes brought the Unity Project to Woodrow Wilson. Garcia and Magallanes provided translators at PTA meetings, created flyers in Spanish and brought groups to their high school to talk to the Latino community. “She wants to see other people succeed and wants to find concrete ways to do that,” Magallanes said. “She’s all about action. That was really powerful to see.”
The DREAM Act
As the DREAM Act was before Congress, Garcia came in contact with the relatively new North Texas See Garcia, page 11 ➤
LIFE&ARTS
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The Et Cetera
www.eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
LGBTQ History Month celebrates identity By ANDREW WALTER Opinion Editor @AndyWalterETC
Eastfield held its first celebration of LGBTQ History Month by providing activities and resources designed to educate and bring the student body together around the LGBTQ community. Chris Schlarb, adviser to PRISM, a new student organization meant to spread LGBTQ awareness, said Eastfield’s celebration of LGBTQ History Month was instrumental in helping shape a welcoming community on campus. “We really don’t get this education in high school or even in college courses,” Schlarb said. “LGBTQ history and people are pretty much erased from history. It’s important that we bring it to light and learn the importance of LGBTQ individuals in history in order to assist LGBTQ individuals and society in being more accepting and inclusive.” The opening welcome event on Oct. 3 had students participate in craft activities, a meet and greet, group discussions and a resource fair. LGBTQ student leaders were also in attendance, such as PRISM president Sandra True. She said that sharing her experience, as a 45-year-old lesbian, with younger students was important because she could provide personal insight into many historical events most students didn’t live through. “Being gay as a teenager, it was not something that was out, and you didn’t know what to do with it,” True said. “I grew up in a very small town, and when I moved to Plano during my high school years it was all new to me. ... I was like ‘Whoa. Wait a minute. This is what it is.’ It was figuring out what all those feelings were about.” PRISM held a meeting on Oct. 4 for an interactive activity on LGBTQ history. Attendees paired together specific events with the years they occurred to create a timeline of historic events that impacted the LGBTQ community. PRISM members and visitors then compared how other movements at the time were like the LGBTQ movement. They also discussed how the gains and losses seen in the LGBTQ movement are similar across other movement populations, such as the civil rights movement. Schlarb said that PRISM’s creation was heavily inspired by students, LGBTQ or otherwise, who wanted to have a LGBTQ presence on campus, something that Eastfield has had difficulty maintaining in the past. “I haven’t seen any hangout location for LGBTQ individuals [before PRISM], which is part of the problem, right?” Schlarb said. “Like invisibility and not being able to find each other. Even as a staff member who’s worked here seven months, I don’t really know that many LGBTQ-identified staff mem-
bers.” Schlarb led the Out in the Workplace workshop on Oct. 9, which presented LGBTQ challenges in the workplace and strategies to overcome them. Some of the obstacles LGBTQ job applicants face include the decision transgender individuals face on whether to list their chosen name or legal name on their resume or information that should and shouldn’t be included on a resume. The National Coming Out Day Celebration was held on Oct. 11, which is the anniversary of the second March on Washington for lesbian and gay rights in 1987, also known as “The Great March.” National Coming Out Day is an annual LGBTQ awareness day meant to celebrate what it means to be out or not out about identity. LGBTQ students could share their coming out stories and identity challenges in a supporting and accepting environment. True said that when she came out at 21, America, and especially Texas, were nowhere near ready to accept the presence of the LGBTQ community. “When I first came out into the bar experience, we would sit in the bars and when the police would come in, we’d have to separate because if you were touching or showing any kind of affection, they could drag you out and arrest you,” she said. This LGBTQ History Month celebration happened at the same time as the planting of the new historical marker in Oak Lawn, one of Texas’ oldest and still-standing LGBTQ communities. Oak Lawn has a rich history of being one of the few gathering places for the community since the 1950s. The LGBTQ community in Dallas has access to the Resource Center and the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center. The Resource Center provides LGBTQ individuals with job listings, leadership development programs, LGBTQ equality maps and more. These resources allow members of the LGBTQ community to be informed about what places and environments are LGBTQ friendly. DARCC provides counseling, a 24-hour crisis hotline, training programs about preventing sexual harassment and violence, and other forms of help to victims of sexual assault, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Schlarb said that while they would call this first LGBTQ History Month celebration at Eastfield a success, they believe the LGBTQ community at Eastfield will need more time to flourish. “I would like to see more LGBTQ events throughout the year, for the history month to continue for next year and in the future,” Schlarb said. “I also think it’s important to develop LGBTQ resources on campus, more specific policies that assist trans students, as well
The
LGBTQ History Timeline
The LGBTQ community has existed in America since the 18th century. The community has gone through many ups and downs throughout its long-running history. LGBTQ History Month is in October and exists to help spread awareness and to educate people in about this often forgotten community. Here are a few of the many historic moments for the LGBTQ community in America.
Illinois is the first state to decriminalize homosexual acts between two consenting adults in private. San Francisco City-County supervisor Harvey Milk is assassinated along with mayor Greg Moscone. After this occured, the rainbow flag was raised in Milk’s honor. Homosexuality is discarded from the International Statistical Classification of disease by the World Health Organization. 21-year-old Matthew Shepard is brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyoming, for being homosexual. Massachusetts broke the barrier by being the first state to introduce gayu marriage as legal.
Gays and lesbians can now serve in the U.S. armed forces.
1962
1969 1978 1982 1992 1997 1998
2004
2010
2003
The Stonewall Riots happen in New York CIty against the police raids at The Stonewall Inn. The term AIDS (Auto Immune-Deficiency Syndrome) was first used to describe the health crisis that has affected miliions around the world. It was previously known as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency. Ellen Degeneres comes out. This opened the door to having more public LGBTQ celebrities on TV. Lawrence vs. Texas: This case helped prevent law enforcement from arresting individuals in same-sex relationships
2009 President Obama signs
the Crime Prevention Act, which includes crimes against a victim’s gender, sexual orientation, identity or disability.
2015
Laverne Cox becomes the first openly transgender actress to win an Emmy for her movie “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word.” U.S. Supreme /court rules same-sex couples can legally marry nationwide. Graphic by Aldahir Segovia
as more single-stall restrooms on campus, so there’s a lot of LGBTQ-specific resources and needs that could be enhanced on our campus.” True said that the LGBTQ community will always be welcome to those looking for a place
to belong and be accepted. “The gay community is very close knit and very community oriented. When we celebrate, we celebrate together and when we cry, we cry together.”
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Elements of a Dia de los Muertos Altar Photos & Personal Items
La Ofrenda
Papel Picado
Represents the union between life and death, symbolizes wind and fragility of life. Designs are a form of folk art chiseled into the tissue paper.
Pan de Muerto
Pan de Muerto is a type of sweet bread that represents an earthly gift and generosity of the host. The bread contains orange blossom and the dough decorating the top represents bones.
The ofrenda consists of food offerings to feed the souls of the departed.
Banquete
Banquete means feast or banquet, usually consisting of the dearly departed’s favorite food, drinks, alcohol, among other things.
Cruz
The altar includes photos of the departed and some of their personal items to comfort their souls upon their return.
Water
Cempazuchitl (Marigolds)
The altar is decorated with fresh flowers as it is believed that their scent will make the returning souls feel welcome and happy.
The holy cross represents the four cardinal points.
After a long journey to the land of the living, spirits need water to quench their thirst and strengthen them.
Calaveritas de Azucar Sugar skulls are placed on the top of the altar to represent departed souls. Sometimes the name of the loved one is written on the skull’s forehead.
Incense
Its scent, which sometimes smells like bones, is said to guide the spirits to the feast at the altar. Incense is also used to transmit prayers and praises.
Salt
Salt serves as a symbol of purification to preserve the soul and prevent corruption.
Cempazuchitl petals
Cempazuchitl petals are used as a bridge for the spirts to cross to the land of the living. Petals are placed all over the altar.
Candles
Candles represent a light guiding back to the land of the living. Candles also represent fire and ascension of the spirit.
GRAPHIC BY MANUEL GUAPO/THE ET CETERA
Life, death celebration keeps tradition alive By YESENIA ALVARADO Managing Editor @YeseniaA_ETC
As macabre as celebrating with the dead may sound, to Mexicans it is a celebration of heritage, culture and life. Festivity preparations begin Oct. 31. On Nov. 1, participants celebrate All Saints’ Day for the young children and Nov. 2, Day of the Dead is celebrated. Following tradition begins with building an altar, visiting and decorating the tomb or gravestone and hosting parties for dead loved ones. This is one of the only times you see a graveyard with so much life. In Mexico, families adorn cemeteries with candles and food and even hire mariachi bands. The candles and incense are used to guide the souls of the dead into the families’ home. In the United States, most cemeteries are privately owned. Families move their celebrations home, decorating altars and holding small
community parties where people eat, drink and dance to their past ancestors’ favorite songs. Manuel Tallez, a former Eastfield student and owner of Maroches Bakery in Bishop Arts District, hosts a Dia de los Muertos — Spanish for Day of the Dead — celebration each year with live music, an interactive art workshop, face painting, an altar exhibit and traditional food. The neighborhood encompasses local artists and a large Hispanic community. According to Tallez, Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, isn’t about worshipping Satan or death, it’s a celebration of life. “It’s not politics,” Tallez said. “It’s history. It’s the story of your family, ancestors. It is a tradition of more than 600 years. The altar celebrates life via the histories of our dead. It’s not just a long party. It’s a way to respect our culture, our past and our origin.” Tallez has researched this ritual all around Mexico by visiting many of the oldest village people. According to Tallez, the holiday began in re-
sponse to the oppression and violence brought to the Aztecs by the Spanish conquistadores. Instead of mourning the dead and following polite religious customs, they rebelled by going back to their native roots. Although they didn’t make human sacrifices anymore, they mocked death and used skeletons and skulls as the main adornment. Religion wasn’t originally part of the ritual, but because most Mexicans are Roman Catholic, their influence is shown at prayers and a special mass for that day. The altar, a centerpiece of the celebration, is commonly set up to resemble steps with different levels. The levels represent the pathway the deceased takes to rest in peace. Some people like Tallez believe the altar serves as a portal or pathway between the living and the deceased. Sugar skulls, the trademark marigolds and the colorful tissue paper known as papel picado surround the altar, which is filled with offerings, known as ofrendas. Because the altar forms a connection to the “other side,” candles,
Dia de los Muertos
Wednesday, Oct. 31 11 a.m.-1 p.m. • Lower Courtyard History of Dia de los Muertos | 11:05-11:15 a.m. Mariachi band | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Costume contest | 12:30-12:45 p.m. Costume contest categories include most creative, best duo or group, and most traditional cultural attire. Contact 4OSER@dcccd.edu salt and religious icons such as saints and crosses are also included. Some artifacts are to guide the soul, some to ward off evil spirits and others for the souls to enjoy. See Dia, page 10 ➤
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Everyone will love these five campy horror movies One of the many Halloween must-dos is to watch enough horror movies to give you nightmares. While you may really want to bring out the classics and make your friends sit through three hours of “The Shining,” you probably shouldn’t do that. Instead, crack open one of these bad boys, perfect for Halloween hangouts that are more fun and less expressionalistic. — Compiled by David Silva Freddy vs. Jason If you grew up with even a slight lack of parental supervision in the early 2000s, you’ve probably already seen this one. If you haven’t, you may be wondering just how scary a crossover film with the two most sadistic horror icons can get. Well,
we may never know. This film trades fear tactics for Freddy one-liners and genuine dramatic tension for metal soundtracks. Still, there’s enough gore and an epic battle royale at Crystal Lake to make this thing more than worth it. Evil Dead II Easily one of the most acclaimed campy horror flicks, “Evil Dead II” combines an almost absurd amount of comedy and horror elements. Bruce Campbell’s manic portrayal of Ash Williams makes for iconic moments that you’re not sure are funny or scary. The film provides everything from demons getting chopped away by chain saws, a severed hand getting replaced with a shotgun and inanimate objects taunting our
protagonist until he starts to lose his mind. Birdemic: Shock and Terror It’s easy to forget you’re watching a horror film when you see acid-spitting and exploding-upon-contact birds attack a small town while making plane-diving sounds. The film’s CGI is so terribly rendered you’d be hard pressed to believe this was made in 2010. It’s a film that requires some patience, the acting is stiff and the birds don’t show up until the 50-minute mark. But if you make a drinking game out of every corny line, you’ll be super hyped by the time the birds show up. Killer Klowns from Outer Space This is not the movie to get you out
of your fear of clowns. Despite the silliness, the sentient popcorn and gelatinized townspeople, these alien “klowns” are still pretty scary. Boasting not only creepy clowns, but creative ways to use their props and gimmicks. This film, with an actually pretty decent cast and plot, is an easy sell for any horror movie lover. They Live One of the best sci-fi horror films ever, “They Live” revolves around a drifter who discovers that the world’s ruling class are actually a bunch of aliens controlling us to breed, make money and “obey.” The film’s iconic 80s feel, quotable lines and excessive action makes this the perfect gateway to watching something other than the next terrible Annabelle movie.
ILLUSTRATION BY MATEO COREY
10 Wednesday, October 24, 2018
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Dia de los Muertos celebrates life Continued from page 8 To celebrate Day of the Dead, you have to know what your loved ones enjoyed: their favorite food, song, toy, drink or anything else that was a defining possession. Pan de Muerto, or dead bread, is one of the common artifacts on the altar designed to resemble a skull and bones. Mayra Sanchez, a library staff member, was raised in Mexico and said even though her family moved to Texas, they continue the tradition of assembling the altar. “We’ve always done it and we keep doing it,” Sanchez said with tears building up in her eyes. “Every year we add people because it’s just how life is.” The day doesn’t only celebrate the dead ones, it celebrates Mexican tradition, art, culture, family and the fragility of life. Kathy Carter, one of Eastfield’s librarians, constructs a flat altar dedicated to characters from the common book each year. She has met people who have the wrong idea about the day. “People say it is a Mexican Halloween,” Carter said. “To me, it’s a combination of the indigenous culture with Catholicism and it’s all about family and honoring people. It celebrates life. The more you have an awareness of your mortality, the more you would be inclined to live everyday as if it were your last.”
Gallery scenery
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Spiegelman spoke about modern politics and how they related to his graphic novel, “Maus,” in his Oct. 18 keynote speech.
Politics drive keynote by ‘Maus’ author Continued from page 5 happened in 1942 because the Nazis essentially industrialized their methods of killing people, Winter said. Spiegelman warned the audience that the current U.S. political climate was something to be wary of. He stressed the importance of the youth vote for the upcoming midterm elections. Spiegelman made a connection between the burning of books in Nazi-controlled Germany and the burning of comic books in post-WWII America. JESUS AYALA/THE ET CETERA “Comics were the first medium, even before rock Music major Noe Lopez watches a video piece from “West Tejanx ‘n’ roll, that kids could get access to without parental AF” by Daniel Ray Martinez on Oct. 19. “I was looking for a quiet control,” he said. “It led to a witch hunt.” place. I like scenery, so if I can’t find one, a video will work.” Spiegelman presented the crowd with images of American public-school librarians, teachers, PTAs NEWS and religious groups banding together to mass-burn comic books in 1948. These comic book burnings came to a head in 1954 when the issue of “vulgar” and “indecent” images being presented to children Eastfield celebrates first home- Courtyard. Incoming college president through comic books was debated in the U.S. Senate. Eddie Tealer and outgoing president coming Spiegelman said these events, along with many Jean Conway will attend the event and other low points in American history, led to the poEastfield is hosting its first Homecom- community members are encouraged to ing from Nov. 5 to Nov. 9 and will include come. The campus will have been a desig- larized political climate that Americans live in today. “The FBI, mainstream journalists and Democrats a pep rally, basketball game, tailgate party nated tree campus for five years in a row and donation drive. The Big Event involv- this year. ing community service will take place at Sus Comics By Aldahir Segovia the C building flagpoles on Wednesday, Gallery opening Nov. 7 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. A doDaniel Martinez’s “West Tejanx AF” nation drive will be held, with hygienic uses Google images, video, music and and baby products wanted. Homecoming week will close in the Hive on Friday, shapes to illustrate a state of “in-betweenNov. 9 with a blue and orange party from ness” felt by Tejanos today. “I think it’s great, the use of things like 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. a line and a circle to show a symbiotic relationship and at the same time in-beArbor Day tween-ness that I think a lot of our stuEastfield will celebrate Arbor Day, a dents can relate to,” Gallery Director Iris celebration of sustainability efforts on Bechtol said. campus and veterans by planting two The gallery will be open until Nov. 8 trees. The event will take place on Nov. in F-219. 1, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Lower —Staff Reports
Briefs
may be minor demons, but how did America fall so far that we let Joker become president?” Spiegelman asked the audience during his presentation. Winter said Society has forgotten that genocides haven’t gone away. They’ve only gone on with less exposure to the world. “To trivialize [the Holocaust] or say it didn’t happen or just forget about it, there’s danger that it would happen again,” she said. “I want to be very clear: It’s happening right now.” Even before the Holocaust, there were other ethnic cleansings like the Armenian Genocide, and it is difficult not to repeat the mistakes of these tragedies without learning what happened in them, Winter said. Dixie Riser, an education major, said she loved Spiegelman’s presentation and the way he casually poked fun at Trump. Riser read “Maus” and said the most memorable panel in the book was that of other Jewish mice being publicly hanged in Nazi-controlled Poland. “I believe it was very powerful because we don’t necessarily think of the people who were publicly killed,” she said. “We usually think of gas chambers and things like that.”
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Garcia dedicated to Conway honored for service to college serving Dreamers Continued from page 4
Continued from page 6 Dream Team. The group was fighting in favor of the law, which would have granted legal status to some immigrants who had entered the country illegally. She met Latino community leaders, many of whom were undocumented. She noticed that despite their legal status, they were vocal and vigilant in their cause. “I saw a presentation that they did, and I saw these fearless students,” she said. “They were either in college or just graduating high school and they were out here really advocating. Gaining a little bit of insight from them was really powerful.” Garcia saw a beacon of hope with the DREAM Act, an opportunity to work, advance academically, obtain a driver’s license, pay taxes and no longer live in fear of deportation. Garcia participated in several DREAM Act-related demonstrations, including organization efforts, protests and lobbying elected officials. “I didn’t really sleep on the fact that there was so much to be done with not enough voices,” she said. “My initial thought was, if a single voice like mine could uplift so many others then I would hope that they join me too.” Then, in 2010, the DREAM Act failed to pass, discouraging Garcia and many of her peers. ”My heart just sank,” she said After the initial sting, the helplessness of defeat was something Garcia refused to accept. Her activism continued, and she and her peers continued to push for legislation for immigrants. The DREAM act may have failed, but for those Dreamers, the fight wasn’t over. “At first, I felt very defeated,” she said. “But then I remembered that I come from a community that’s very resilient. Regardless of the obstacles that have come our way, somehow we always keep pushing back.” Then, Garcia’s family got a unique opportunity. Garcia’s father had a permanent resident application pending since 1994, one he submitted through his brother. Months after the defeat of the DREAM Act, his application was accepted and the application allowed Garcia and her mother to obtain their green cards as well.
Garcia received her permanent residency in 2011.
Giving back
Garcia couldn’t sit on her own personal victory. As she began to attend Eastfield, she balanced schoolwork, extracurricular activities and her role as the immigration chair of the now-expanding North Texas Dream Team. Her involvement at Eastfield with clubs like the Communication Club made her the Student Leader of the Year in 2014, and her role with the North Texas Dream Team put her at the forefront for aiding Hispanic communities, specifically helping eligible young people apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “She’s an excellent communicator and a hard worker,” said speech professor Mary Forrest, the Communication Club’s adviser. “She’s a very authentic leader, someone you can trust. We need people like her.” Garcia looked to return the assistance she received and hoped to inspire young Latinos. “It’s the stories that I hear,” she said. “People who come back from one of our workshops and say ‘I have my license now.’ ‘I’m working.’ ‘I’m a teacher at DISD.’ ‘I’m a nurse at Parkland Hospital.’ It’s a [result] of NTDT being a vehicle of making their dreams come true. It’s something that drives me continuously. If it were not for our work, then these young individuals would still be in a limbo.” Following her time at Eastfield, Garcia graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a public relations degree. She currently works at Dieste Inc., a multicultural marketing firm. In March 2018, Garcia was chosen as the president of the North Texas Dream Team. Bringing her experience, motivation and energy to her role, Garcia hopes to expand the organization and continue the fight for immigration issues. “For me to be in a space of higher education, I know I have resources readily accessible,” she said. “I wanted to make sure I was opening the door for others too. What does it serve me if I’m going through these doors but the rest of my community isn’t. It’s very important for me to reach back and bring others with me.”
a supervisor. She is a lifelong friend. One of her favorite times with Conway was driving around working with Conway on the look of the school, specifically putting up the letters on the F-building tower. The “Eastfield College” sign, visible from Interstate 30, were not always there. Conway saw the opportunity to show off the college and get more recognition by putting its name on the tower. “We drove all over the place looking at that tower with some sample letters, making sure it looked right,” Cook said. “We had so much fun, just driving around Mesquite, seeing those letters. It was tedious, but it was rewarding.” Cook got emotional remembering the bonding she felt with Conway when they made out-of-state trips to watch Eastfield sports teams. “We’re more of close colleagues and friends than coworkers, than a supervisor and assistant,” Cook said. “We traveled together. I remember going to New York for basketball tournaments. … It was great, it was a real bonding experience.” The two would bring back maple treats for anyone who couldn’t go on the trips and got to see student athletes enjoy their time in a different state. When the now-former president announced her retirement, Cook said she considered retiring with her. It was something they had planned, but Conway told Cook she didn’t think it was time for her to step down yet. But because of the trips and their time working close together, Cook is certain they will stay in contact. “The good thing in all of this is that I’ve got a friend for life,” Cook said. “I’m losing a supervisor, a great supervisor, but I’m not losing a friend.” Conway was honored Oct. 12 in a bittersweet Fun Friday event. Erbin Ayala, academic adviser for first-year experience, said he would miss Conway’s presence on campus. “I’ve been here, going on four years, and I’ve seen Dr. Conway around campus and interacted with her many times, and every time she’s always a pleasure,” Ayala said. “She has this demeanor when she’s making her rounds walking through campus. She’s looking out, checking for the pulse of the campus, so she tries to stay plugged-in as much as she can. She gets away from her office and she’s available. She’s visible. Her presence is energizing, for sure.” Conway frequently attended campus events and spoke with students in the hall. Conway’s involvement on campus and speed to address issues is something English professor Rufel Ramos said she would remember about her time as president. “She’s like the captain of a ship, and Eastfield was going through some unstable, kind of choppy waters,” when she took the helm, Ramos said. “She helped stabilize Eastfield and helped grow Eastfield. She was there when G building got built in 2010. She brought really good people in with her. Under her leadership there’s been a substantial amount of new deans and new faculty members. The Alternative, Eastfield’s literary magazine, was dead and it came alive in 2010 under her guidance, as did the common book. She’s helped to expand Eastfield.” She also had other initiatives. From adding motion sensor lights to save energy to improving recycling, sustainability was one of Conway’s biggest passions. She also replaced trees on campus after a root-based disease killed most of them. Michael Brantley, head of facilities, and Terrance Wickman, sustainability coordinator, were major players in those efforts, Conway said. She is also proud of improving communication be-
tween employees and students at Eastfield through marketing, events, posters and occasionally an email directly from her. Before she arrived, everything was simply emailed and employees who missed the emails felt left out or neglected, she said. Conway has plenty to keep her busy. She and her husband manage rental properties, and she wants ET CETERA FILE PHOTOS to spend more time Top, Jean Conway prepares working with resi- a student for graduation, dents. She wants to one of the exiting president’s take some of the skills favorite parts of her job. she used remodeling Above, Conway participates the college and use in the ice bucket challenge in them to decorate her fall 2014. new home. And she wants to spend time with her grandchildren. One of her grandkids, the eldest, is 19 and in college. The youngest is 3 months old. She keeps their pictures in her new temporary office and longs to visit them. Her time as a college president has made it easy for her to give advice on college and education. “Sometimes it’s too much advice,” Conway said. “I have to make myself let them come to me and ask for advice. They have to be able to make their own choices and sometimes fall on their own and pick themselves back up.” It can be a frustrating thing to watch, Conway said. She knows about the inner workings of higher education and wants to tell them everything. As she moves from one part of her life to the other, Conway will have some figuring out to do, herself. Conway’s retirement will start with some leisure time and trips with her husband, she said, but she won’t stop working. She expects to become involved with some boards or charities and stay active. “I had a friend give me a valuable piece of advice: that I have to do some envisioning,” Conway said. “She told me, ‘You’ve been envisioning and planning for the future of the college, now you have to do that with yourself. Otherwise, you’ll get involved with so many different things and be aimless.’ ” — Cameron Cook contributed to this report
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TAKE A RIDE Part 2 of a series on places students can go with DART
Bishop Arts, by DART Union Station
DCCCD provides free DART passes to most students. But you can visit many destinations besides the Eastfield campus. Reporter Cameron Cook, photographer Jocyln Ventura and videographer Giovanni Di Roma hopped the rail and headed into the heart of Dallas. Second stop: Union Station in Dallas, then a street car to Bishop Arts.
Downtown Dallas
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Top, The Texas Theatre advertises a showing of Victory Outreach by the Church of Dallas. Middle, customers explore Dude, Sweet Chocolate and speak with an employee about their chocolatey order. Bottom, people walk past Dealey Plaza, often called “the birthplace of Dallas.”
Walking into Hunky’s Burgers, you’ll find an old-fashioned joint with tater tots, cherry coke, and of course, burgers. There are fresh, 1950s style, green-and-white interiors, and laughter abounds while people eat and hang out in the family-friendly restaurant located in Bishop Arts District. Windows along every wall give a view from the city corner to streets that provide the feel of a hometown square. To get there on DART, ride the Blue Line on the rail system to Union Station then hop on the free streetcar. Frequent patrons of the businesses in the area, Loreen Bennett and Leif Erickson said Bishop Arts is their go-to hangout spot. “The vibe of the area is relaxing and toned-down, not too crazy,” Bennett said. “It’s different. Kind of a New Orleans feel.” The drinks are what attracts them, Erickson said. “We come down here on a semi-regular basis to get some tequila straight-up or whiskey and soda and just chill,” he said. The district, a flourishing area in north Oak Cliff has experienced a growth in businesses and visitors. People can visit to experience the trendy restaurants, bars, dessert shops and clothing boutiques taking residence. There are 60 shops in Bishop Arts to choose from, according to the district’s website. Robert Owen, owner of the antique shop M’Antiques, said that the area has changed dramatically since he and his wife opened their store seven years ago. When he moved his business into the small neighborhood, there had been only a few shops and restaurants on the main street, he said. “None of these big apartment buildings were here,” he said. “And the CVS now by the streetcar station was a small Mexican restaurant then.” You can find cool stuff from bygone eras at M’Antiques. A wide range of metroplex
Look for another DART stop in the Dec. 5 Et Cetera customers go to buy things that could become props in TV shows or décor pieces in interior-designed houses, Owen said. Walking the city streets in the district, you’ll see bright signs lit up outside old and colorful brick buildings. The area is perfumed with sweet apple pie and marinated Texas barbecue. After shopping and eating, you can catch an art house film or specialty screening at the Texas Theatre, a zany place with peculiar paintings everywhere and a backof-house drinking lounge. To end the day, Picolé Pops offers desserts like banana with nutella popsicles. The majority of their customers, employee Ariana Aymee Ortiz said, are definitely tourists, many from around the world. “People love this place,” Ortiz said, “I would hang out here with my friends all the time, even before I worked at this store.” She said she and her friends eat breakfast at nearby Norma’s Cafe before exploring the area and riding rentable scooters for fun. “(Bishop Arts) is a small little place to relax in,” Ortiz said. “We usually come here first for that smaller feeling, and then ride up to downtown where things are busier and more fast-paced.” Felix Mugica, manager of FroYo, said he and his partners opened their frozen yogurt shop in the area two years ago. The district also contains a tight-knit community between store owners and they often frequent each others’ businesses, he said. “I will often hang out around here, getting lunch across the street from FroYo at restaurant 303, eating dinner at Dallas Grilled Cheese, or playing pool at night at The Social Club.”
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Basketball vs. McMurray University Basketball vs. Tomball JC Basketball vs. Spring Creek Academy Basketball vs. CMY Prep
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Closing out the season Eastfield volleyball (8-2) earned the Dallas Athletic Conference championship Monday night, their second in a row, while the soccer team’s regular season ended in a 3-7 conference record. The volleyball team will go into conference tournament seeded No. 1, where the region’s representative for the national championship will be determined. Last year, the Harvesters went on to claim the first national championship for an Eastfield women’s sport team. The volleyball team had a rough start in outof-conference play this season, losing four of their first five games but turning around to achieve an overall record of 22-9. The soccer team, under the helm of new coach Paul Tate, saw 90 percent freshmen on the team. The squad won two games against Cedar Valley and one against Brookhaven in conference play. Last year, soccer achieved an 8-2-1 record in conference play. — Compiled by James Hartley
The Eastfield basketball team is relying on quick play and 3-pointers going into the 2018-2019 season.
Basketball readies for new season By COLIN TAYLOR Reporter @ColinTaylorETC
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The volleyball team will be going into the Dallas Athletic Conference in the No. 1 spot with hopes of defending their national championship title.
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The Golden State Warriors aren’t the only basketball team ready to play fast and drop 3-pointers, Eastfield Head Coach Anthony Fletcher said. “We play a similar style to the Golden State Warriors,” Fletcher said. “Or rather, they play a similar style to us since we were doing it first.” That style, he says, relies getting uncontested, high-percentage shots, preferably from behind the 3-point arc. It requires players to be unselfish, giving up their opportunity to score for a teammate who has a better opportunity. Fletcher’s teams run a high-paced, complex offense. He says the incoming freshmen should be fully integrated and have an understanding of the scheme by the time conference play opens. The Eastfield men’s basketball team is currently undefeated in scrimmages against NAIA, DI and DII junior colleges coming into the 2018-2019 regular season. The Harvesters have won the conference tournament in four of the past six seasons, but last year was not one of those. They lost to North Lake in the conference championship 76-88. “We’re all more fired up,” sophomore guard Anthony McGee said. “That loss really
hurt us last year.” The Harvesters will be leaning on veterans like McGee early. McGee is the school record holder for 3-pointers made in a game with 11. The second leading scorer last year, McGee was named to the All-Region third team after scoring 13.8 points per game. Another key returner is guard Rashaun Coleman, who was named to the All-Region second team last season and is one of the team captains this year. “He isn’t a very vocal guy, but he leads with his play on the court,” Fletcher said. Forward Scott Garriga is a captain who is more “positive and vocal,” according to Fletcher. “I know I’m a big dude,” Garriga said. “I know I have a loud voice and it can project everywhere. During the games you’ll hear me calling out plays, calling out defenses and words of encouragement. … It just comes natural for me.” Garriga is returning to the Harvesters this season after leaving in the fall of 2015 with an injury, thinking he “wouldn’t get to play again.” “I lost some weight and hit coach up over the summer,” Garriga said. “He said ‘Hey come work out,’ I worked out and signed the paper that day.” Garriga will be one of the pieces Fletcher has brought in to replace the production that departed during the summer. The team lost their leading scorer from a year ago in guard
JJ Murray, who transferred to the University of North Texas after averaging 18.9 points per game. He was also an elite defender, leading the team in steals and rebounds. Eastfield also lost guard Sean Odum, who was fifth on the team in scoring and one of the better inside scorers. They also lost rotation players Kuol Arop at forward and guard Adevonte Johnson. The basketball team faces a unique schedule that the other sports on campus don’t. The season starts at the end of October and runs through March. The players have a three-week break in December in the middle of their season. Fletcher believes that this break hurts the development of some of the newer guys on the team. “When we get them back we have to get them back in shape, get them back into the flow of the offense,” Fletcher said “They have to relearn plays.” Fletcher said his teams have a numerous amount of plays in their playbook. That high play count doesn’t really come into effect until after the break. Fletcher believes his team has all the pieces. They have the leadership. They can get out quick and score. They are dangerous from behind the 3-point line. Most importantly, they can play defense. “It all starts on defense,” Fletcher said. “If we can get turnovers, dive for loose balls and hustle on defense, then we can use our speed to create easy opportunities on offense.”
opinion
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Etera Award-winning member of: • Texas Intercollegiate Press Association • Texas Community College Journalism Association • Associated Collegiate Press • College Media Association
Eastfield College 3737 Motley Drive Mesquite, TX 75150 Phone: 972-860-7130 Email: etc4640@dcccd.edu Editor in Chief Aria Jones
fake news lying disgusting people
i would never k
in lot them and w
. s of money
dishonest
Photo Editor Jesus Ayala Opinion Editor Andrew Walter Digital Editor James Hartley Graphic Design Editor Mateo Corey Multimedia Editor Esther Moreno Senior Videographer David Silva Senior Graphic Designer Manuel Guapo Staff Writer Macks Prewitt Photographers Jonathan Diaz Rory Moore Niels Winter
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Editorial Assistant Marie Garcia Student Media Manager Sarah Sheldon Publication Adviser Elizabeth Langton Faculty Adviser Lori Dann 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. The Et Cetera is published every two weeks—except December, January and summer months—by a student staff. Each member of the college community is entitled to one free copy of The Et Cetera. 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. 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 considered for publication must be 250 words or fewer. Letters may be delivered to Room N-240 or sent to etc4640@dcccd.
Letter to the Editor
It is fr an k ly d is gu st is ab le to w ri te w ha tein g th e w ay th e p r e s s ve r th ey w an t to w ri te
we can sue
Managing Editor Yesenia Alvarado
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
OUR VIEW
i l l th e m b u t i d o
h a t e th e m
enemies lazo18n
ANTHONY LAZON/THE ET CETERA
Free speech vital to progress The most criminally underused right we have as Americans, aside from the power to vote, is the usage of our free speech to open meaningful and intelligent dialogue. While there are many channels to express our right to freedom of speech, the right to a free press and free speech works hand in hand to hold politicians and the government accountable in the eyes of Americans. With this in mind, it’s strange to see that according to a recent Ipsos survey, 26 percent of Americans agree, “the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.” Ipsos conducted the survey with the American public to learn more about how Americans view the modern press and public support for suppressing “anti-patriotic” journalism. We at The Et Cetera, who’ve railed on and on about the importance of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, are shocked, and frankly, disappointed to see that about a quarter of Americans want to strip themselves of one of their own fundamental rights. With the recent news of the death of foreign journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump was critical of the deception and loss of integrity the Saudi Arabian government pulled off. It was reported he was considering sanctions as a response. We were almost happy with this news. For a brief moment, the president seemed like he was going to make a true turnaround with his thoughts about American journalism. It was a naive assumption. On the night of Oct. 18,
president Trump joked about an incident in May 2017 where House of Representatives Republican candidate Greg Gianforte body-slammed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. Trump joked with a campaign rally crowd in Missoula, Montana, where he praised Gianforte for the incident: “Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my kind of guy.” We do not intend to say that journalists should be treated with reverence or be free of criticism, but with these negative sentiments still in the forefront, we feel it’s important to point out the significance of the freedoms of press and speech. These freedoms have educated, compelled and held people in power responsible. The national Free Speech Week celebration is a reminder of the importance of speech throughout our country’s history. Despite this celebration often focusing on treasured journalist and activists, there is massive potential in every person when they utilize their free speech. Free speech is important because it can be used in several forms, not just on a large scale. Drawing awareness to institutional faults or wrongdoings helps increase the accountability for local government and public schools. Simply questioning the status quo of our society is important to social and intellectual progression. We encourage you to not only recognize the impact free speech and a free press have had on our country, but also to stand by in protecting those freedoms and exercising your ability to speak out.
Working with The Et Cetera was a pleasure To the editor, I appreciate your kind comments and the fun drawing with me wearing a super cape in the Oct. 10 edition of the Et Cetera. Supporting the Et Cetera has been such a pleasure for me. Each year the staff and editors amaze me with the dedication, work ethic and talent that maintain the excellence that has been the Et Cetera hallmark each year. That combined with outstanding leadership and coaching from your sponsors bring out the best newspaper in the DCCCD, the state and even the nation. I am especially blessed to have been able to get to know you both personally and professionally each year I have been president here at Eastfield. My best wishes to you for continuing the tradition of high standards and quality for the Eastfield Et Cetera. Dr. Jean Conway Outgoing Eastfield President
OPINION
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THE HOT TOPIC
How do you reduce stress? “What I do is I write down on my personal wall calendar my due date, test and other school assignments. This helps me avoid getting distracted from my school work and that alone is Ritchie Manalasta so helpful.” Radiology Major
“The events that we do are intended to give you a chance to relax in addition to taking your state seriously.”
Nicco Coronna OSER Assistant
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Anthony Metcalf Marketing Major
Christopher Gantez
“Finish your stuff early so you don’t have to worry about it, work out, try not to worry, live day by day, don’t let the stress build up and that’s how I live a stress-free life.”
Music Major
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“When the anxiety ramps up in testing season, I take a moment to breathe and remember that while grades are important, mental health matters more. Taking a few moments to clear my head is what helps me the most.”
Vashti Moffett Theater Major
“In my lifetime stress has been no stranger to me. I have to remember to put my faith in God. Regardless of who or what you believe in, you have to believe in something because there is no way to take the stress of the world.”
Dual Credit Student
www.eastfieldnews.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Metal detectors can provide safety As someone who grew up attending inner-city schools in Dallas, I had a much different experience than my peers who lived in the suburbs. My daily routine since sixth grade consisted of standing in line with my backpack unzipped, waiting to place it on a table where it would be searched. As faculty rummaged through my bag, I would put on my permanent ID badge and walk through one of the two metal detectors that were stationed at the main entrances of Woodrow Wilson High School. It was shocking to find out it’s not like this everywhere in Dallas County. Bringing metal detectors into public schools has been a hot topic among those concerned about school shootings and how we can keep students safe. Both sides have strong opinions. While some critics believe schools would start to feel like prison if metal detectors are added, I side with those who believe feeling safe at school outweighs the unsettling sight of metal detectors at the front door. Some people say that metal detectors won’t intercept every weapon. I agree that nothing proposed so far is a guaranteed method of keeping children safe, but proper security measures are a start. In a perfect world, no one would bully
Deziree Ortega @TheEtCetera
one another and all kids would just get along, but— to be blunt— that’s just not going to happen. We live in a country where schools shootings are no longer a rare occurrence. The sight of metal detectors and bag checks is enough to at least make someone think twice about bringing in contraband. This would not only keep guns out of schools, but also knives, lighters, drugs and other prohibited items. Some students or parents may feel like bag checks are an invasion of privacy and an inefficient use of time. However, during school hours students give up their rights to privacy, mostly due to the fact that they’re minors. Remember, it’s a school backpack that’s being searched. Most backpacks contain school supplies, snacks and some tech accessories. Everyone is carrying a variation of the same items, and they aren’t that personal. Also, metal detectors are already in use
in many places such as airports and concert venues. Although there are no credible sources that state exactly how many schools use metal detectors today, it seems that the majority of schools do not use this system. According to the website schoolsecurity. org, metal detectors “are typically limited to large urban school districts with a chronic history of weapon-related offenses.” From my personal experience, I’d say inner city schools with “high crime and violence” rates and metal detectors are safer than schools where students can walk in with unchecked backpacks. There is now an effort to add metal detectors to schools in Texas. In March, House Representative Kay Granger of Fort Worth introduced the Securing Children in Schools Act to Congress. The act was created to prevent violence in public schools by allowing school districts to apply for a grant that funds metal detectors and other security measures. I’d hope to see more metal detectors being added to schools around the country, not just in major cities. It’s important for children to have a safe place to learn, they are the leaders of tomorrow after all. — Deziree Ortega is a contributor for the Et Cetera
Do yourself a favor, plan for college Welcome to community college. Do you know where your towel is? Douglas Adams, author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” coined that phrase while he was vacationing in Greece and all his friends were always waiting on him to find his towel. College is one big, long transition, and it’s best to be prepared. Don’t be caught looking for your towel, or lost about what your next steps should be. He began to think that someone who had it all together and really knew what they wanted was someone who knew where their towel was. As a member of community college, many people are going to see you in one of two lights. The first is that you don’t know what you are doing and you are just trying to figure that out and still get college credits. The second is that they might look down on you for not being able to make it in “real college” or a university. The people in the first category understand that almost no one knows for sure where their towel is when they first
Macks Prewitt @MacksPrewittETC
graduate high school. And it is important to take time to figure that out before spending a lot of money at a university. The people in the second category are probably hiding the fact they haven’t known where their towel was in years. Now for the most important thing you will read in this column. It is not a problem if you don’t know where your towel is. It is fine to take time to figure out what you love to do and what you want to learn to help you do what you love. It is not only fine to do that, it is important. The only time this becomes a problem is when you stop trying to find your towel or figure out what you want to do. Getting
stuck in a rut is a huge problem and it is something to avoid at all costs. However, there is no better place to find what you like to do and potentially want to build a career doing than at community college. Because here is the kicker. You are in real college. You are figuring it out. You are hustling and working hard to better yourselves and your situation. And one day you will truly know where you should be and what you should be doing. The best thing to do is block out people who tell you that taking the time to figure it out is a bad thing. Because you don’t want to work super hard and give your all only to find yourself, years later, still not knowing where your towel is or how you even lost it. Welcome to community college. None of us has this one hundred percent figured out so let’s work on it together. Go to your fellow students for advice and utilize student resources available at the Office of Student Engagement and Retention and your academic advisers. You got this. —Macks Prewitt is a staff writer for the Et Cetera
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The Et Cetera
Wednesday, October 24, 2018