October16 2013 Issue

Etera

Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Volume 45, Issue 3

Diving into Scuba Students soak up skills from master diver

By Justin David Tate Life and Arts Editor

Ken Balvin keeps returning to the same stretch of road on Greenville Avenue.

He looks for potholes. He picks up rocks. He inspects every crack of the road over and over again, because in three days, the Eastfield scuba instructor is going to carry the Olympic torch down this route. And he doesn’t want anything to ruin this moment.

“My thought was, ‘You could drop this thing,’” Balvin said.

More than 120,000 people applied to participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics torch relay across the country. Only a tenth of the applicants were chosen. Balvin was proud to be one of them.

Because of the timing of the relay, Balvin found a special meaning in the event.

“This was after 9/11,” Balvin said. “It was only three months after [the anniversary of 9/11], December 12. September 11th devastated the United States. Everyone’s spirits were low, and [the torch relay], as it traveled around the country, really illuminated people. Lots of signs, flyers, crowds lining the streets to celebrate something positive.

It was very uplifting.”

See BALVIN, page 5 ➤

News

2 Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The Perfect Storm

Put it on your

Calendar October Wed

16

Thur

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A recital series featuring Dr. Enric Madriguera, UTD faculty, and Eddie Healy, Eastfield faculty will be held in F-117 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Common Book committee will show “Stand and Deliver” starring Edward James Olmos in G-101/102 from 5:35-7:35 p.m.

The Men’s Empowerment Club is hosting a Latino Leaders Serving the Community panel in G-101/102 starting at 12:30 p.m.

The Harvester Theatre Company will premiere the play “You Can’t Take It With You,” part of the One Amazing Fall Season in the performance hall starting at noon. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

Mon

A panel discussion on gender equality will be held at 12:30 p.m. in G-101 as part of Free Speech Week.

Wed

A special Hispanic Heritage Month concert will be held in the performance hall from 12:30-1:50 p.m.

Fri

A showing of “You Can’t Take It With You” will be held in the performance hall from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

Sat

A showing of “You Can’t Take It With You” in the performance hall from 7:309:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

21

23

25 26 Sun

A showing of “You Can’t Take It With You” will be held in the performance hall from 2-5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

Tues

The Hispanic Heritage Month Read-in will be held in the performance hall starting at 11 a.m.

27 29

About the cover:

Photo by Odessa Leeper Designed by Yolanda Ramirez

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Common Book author finds inspiration amid chaos

By Justin David Tate Life & Arts Editor

Writer Chitra Divakaruni was about to get the brainstorm of a lifetime in the form of a real storm: Hurricane Rita.

As Divakaruni and her family raced toward Interstate 10 to escape Houston, fear engulfed her. “[Hurricane] Katrina had devastated New Orleans, so we all knew what a hurricane could do,” Divakaruni said. “We took this hurricane very seriously.”

So did more than four million other Houston residents who tried to flee the city at the same time, resulting in a massive interstate traffic jam. What would usually have been a three-hour drive to San Antonio became an impossible journey. Divakaruni and her family left their home at 7 p.m. and were still inside Houston at 2 a.m.

Tires were blown and engines were failing. Cars ran out of gas. With no movement in traffic and passengers in vehicles getting hot with no air conditioning, people began exiting their cars.

The result was a mass of arguments and fistfights as radio announcers told people the hurricane was fast approaching.

Divakaruni typically has a writer’s notepad attached to her like a fifth limb, but she displaced it while rushing to leave the city. So she took mental notes of everything she saw, including one group of people who did not succumb to their volatile surroundings.

“I noticed that not everyone was behaving in this [unruly] manner,” Divakaruni said. “A few people, it was like a crisis had brought out the best in them.

They were going around trying to calm people down. They were sharing food and water with the elderly or people with children, and they were just trying to make things better.”

Upon seeing this, something clicked in her writer’s mind.

“I thought, ‘How interesting. Here we are, we’re all in this same situation of fear and panic, but some people can rise above it and they can do these good things, like grace under pressure,’” Divakaruni said.

“I thought this was really worth exploring. And if Rita doesn’t come down this road today and wipe us all out, I’ll get to write a novel about it.”

That novel was “One Amazing Thing,” which was chosen as the college’s common book this year and also has been optioned to become a featurelength film.

The book tells the story of nine diverse characters ranging from a black American combat veteran to a Chinese grandmother and granddaughter, who become trapped in an Indian visa office during an earthquake. They each share one amazing thing about themselves while fighting to survive.

Divakaruni, who teaches creative writing at the University of Houston, believes she needed to go through her experience of being trapped on I-10 to write “One Amazing Thing.”

“Sometimes we go through painful experiences and we don’t like them when we’re going through

odessa leeper/The Et cetera

Common Book author Chitra Divakaruni speaks to students about her amazing story.

them, but they make us grow and they make us into better people than we would be otherwise,” she said.

While working toward her doctorate in English at the University of California, Berkley, Divakaruni endured another difficult time when her grandfather passed away. It was the middle of the semester and she could not get away to attend his funeral.

“He was the one who told many stories from my culture, old Indian tales that became a part of my life, so I was very sad,” she said.

One night, while lying in bed thinking of her childhood years when she would visit her grandfather’s house in the Indian countryside, she realized she could not remember his face. She closed her eyes and still could not visualize it.

“That made me realize how much I was forgetting my childhood, my growing up in India, people

and places that were important to me,” Divakaruni said. “As I was getting more involved and busy with my life here in America, those things were slipping away, and I didn’t want to lose them. They were an important part of who I was and my heritage and culture. I thought to myself, I’ll start writing things, because if I write them I won’t forget anymore.”

Divakaruni discovered that she could recall memories better through writing. Things she thought she had lost forever were dug up from the recesses of her mind.

She continued to write in private, describing herself as, “a closet writer” for years before she grew enough confidence in her work to put together poetry collections and eventually novels.

When Divakaruni delivered the Common Book Keynote address at Eastfield on Oct. 10, she encouraged students to write often and read often to become better writers. “One Amazing Thing” was used as a catalyst to get students to write about themselves and their own amazing stories.

One student, Sarah Hunt, wrote a short memoir for her English class. The memoir gave her a chance to open up about her life.

“It was very freeing to put that on paper and give it to other people and let them read something that I had been through,” she said.

After receiving a score of a 99 on the memoir, Hunt entered her work the Common Book writing competition, “Your Amazing Story.” More than 100 students entered a true or fictional story of under 1,300. Hunt decided to write a true story that hit close to home.

“When I was a kid, [my stepdad] beat the crap out of my mom on a daily basis,” Hunt said. “He had a shotgun and shot at us. It was just like five horrifying years of my life, and it’s something that people don’t know about me because I don’t talk about it.”

When Divakaruni announced the 15 writing contest winners during her visit, Hunt was one of them. When she stood, her knees buckled a little and her hands trembled. She had not expected to hear her name.

“I forget that I am a good writer because I don’t feel that I am,” she said.

Divakaruni was greeted by a standing-roomonly crowd, including more than 100 dual-credit students from Samuel High School.

Common Book Committee co-chair Pebble Barbero was impressed with the response to the event.

“I’m totally happy with the support and the turnout,” Barbero said. “The students’ enthusiasm, the teachers’ enthusiasm, it just makes it worthwhile.”

This enthusiasm is something Divakaruni believes comes from the desire of people to hear each other’s stories. She says magic happens when stories are told.

“One of the things that happens when we hear each other’s stories is we know we’re not alone, that someone else has gone through a difficulty and overcome it,” she said. “It gives us encouragement to deal with our own problems. I think that’s been true of storytelling for a long time. ”

NEWS

3

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Government shuts down

Many federal agencies affected, students safe for now

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Editor in Chief

As the clock struck midnight on Oct. 1, with the House Republicans and Senate Democrats still unable to come to an agreement on the fiscal budget, the government shut down.

Only those federal workers whose jobs are necessary to protect against an imminent threat to life or property were allowed to work through the shutdown. As a result, more than 800,000 federal workers were furloughed.

The federal government also stopped funding some of its programs including WIC, a program for pregnant women and young children. WIC funding impacts 9 million people per month, according to its government website.

Most students have not been directly affected by the shutdown because budgets for federal pell grants and students loans had already been solidified for the 2013-14 academic year.

Financial aid adviser Roshunda Jackson said that although many students received their FAFSA awards on time, those selected for tax verification have been unable to contact the IRS to get their tax transcripts during the government shutdown.

Also, students applying for feder-

al loans prior to the spring semester won’t be able to receive them if the budget hasn’t been passed.

TRiO/Student Support Services program coordinator Shatremeyia Porter said services in her department will continue because TRiO is funded every two years and the money has already been appropriated.

“Students in the program won’t be affected,” she said. “The shutdown would have to last until our funds run out in order to have an impact on us.”

Likewise, Upward Bound is funded every five years, so staff members said their students won’t be immediately affected either.

DCCCD Chancellor Wright Lassiter sent out a district-wide email on Oct. 2 detailing the effects the government shutdown could have on the colleges. Although the district does not rely on federal funding, he said his staff is monitoring how the shutdown might impact financial aid and grant programs in the future.

“We all hope that this government shutdown will not last long since we do not want to see further damage to the American economy and its services to the nation’s population,” he said.

“Whatever the outcome,

we will be prepared, with support from our governing board, to take any required actions.”

Federal offices that have been fully or partially closed include the Department of Education, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Executive Office of the President for special functions, Federal Trade Commission, General Services Administration, Treasury and Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Service, federal endowments and foundations, museums such as the George W. Bush Museum and Library in Dallas and the Smithsonian.

The last government shutdown happened under President Bill Clinton in December 1995 and lasted 21 days. Government professor Stacey Jurhree said the country has changed greatly since that time.

“The big difference between when the government shut down under Clinton and now is unemployment was under 5 percent,” he said. “Under [President Barack] Obama, it’s 7 percent.”

Another major difference, he said, is the political climate.

“Bill Clinton was able to get with the Republicans and compromise,” he said.

“Obama’s not budging, and he’s not dealing with people that will compromise with him.”

Jurhree said many professors assume they will not be affected by the shutdown because their salaries aren’t provided directly by the federal government. However, he said other factors could come into play.

“We’re paid by the county, but any tentacle of the feds is going to be affected,” he said. “If we’re still shut down four months from now, students won’t get financial aid. If there aren’t students in class, then we can’t teach.”

Obama called top congressional leaders to the White House on Monday in an attempt to avoid a U.S. debt default that would rock the economy. However, the White House later announced that the meeting was postponed “to allow leaders in the Senate time to continue making important progress.”

On the Senate Floor, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed confidence that a compromise would be reached sometime this week.

“I’m very optimistic that we will reach an agreement that’s reasonable in nature this week to reopen the government, pay the nation’s bills, and begin long-term negotiation to put our country on sound fiscal footing,” he said.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

NEWS

Briefs DCCCD board of trustees appoints new chancellor Dr. Joe May was nominated as DCCCD’s seventh chancellor by the DCCCD board of trustees on Oct. 7.

Following a 21-day waiting period, May’s nomination can be approved with a formal vote. Should that happen, May will fill the position of retiring chancellor Dr. Wright Lassiter, who will make his retirement official on Dec. 31.

Former DCCCD chancellor Jan LeCroy dies On Oct. 10, former DCCCD chancellor Jan LeCroy died in his home.

He served as the DCCCD’s second chancellor from 1981 to 1987.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to Jan’s family. Please keep them in your thoughts,” Dr. Wright Lassiter, chancellor of DCCCD said in an email to the district.

HIV tests available by appointment to students and employees HIV tests will be held in on Oct. 16 in rooms G-101 and G-102 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments must be made beforehand by calling 972-860-7190 or visiting the Health Center Room in C-139.

STD tests available to students and employees on Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 STD tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis will be provided by the Dallas County Health Department on Oct. 22 in the Pleasant Grove campus parking lot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Oct. 29 in the main campus E and 2-A parking lot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

No appointment is necessary.

Campus hosts Health & Wellness Fair at no cost to students On Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the college will hold a free Health & Wellness Fair in C-135. Activities include free health screenings and giveaways, in addition to free information from more than a dozen organizations, including the American Red Cross and the YMCA.

Et Cetera staff brings home TCCJA awards for writing and design On Oct. 4, Eastfield’s student publications won 23 awards at TCCJA, including a Division I Sweepstakes and First Place in Overall Newspaper Excellence.

— Compiled by Caitlin Piper and Justin David Tate

NEWS

4 Wednesday, October 16, 2013

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Health fair serves hundreds at PG campus

By Kristen Dixon Staff Writer

Pouring rain, cold winds and small spaces didn’t stop hundreds of local residents from attending the fourth annual Harvest Fest Health Fair on the Pleasant Grove campus.

Organizers estimate that between 600 and 800 people, ranging from small children to senior citizens, crammed into the administration building for free screenings and other health-related services on Oct. 5.

The college holds the annual event to help people in the Pleasant Grove community who don’t have health insurance or transportation to larger health-related events in the Metroplex. The event also helps the college connect to the community.

“That’s what we’re trying to do in Pleasant Grove, to really reach the people who need it the most,” said PG Executive Director Javier E. Olguin.

Area residents are able to to the health fair and receive the services they can’t obtain otherwise.

“We came to check mine and my dad’s health,” said Angel Castillo. “We usually go to the doctor, but we don’t have health insurance. We’ve applied but haven’t heard anything back, so it’s easier to come here.”

The health fair offers a variety of services including HIV and STD testing, flu shots, glucose and cholesterol testing, blood pressure testing, mammograms and dental and vision checks. All of the services are free.

“We started with just a few resourc-

kristen dixon/The Et cetera

Volunteer preps attendees’s arm for a flu vaccination during the Harvest Fest Health Fair Oct. 5.

es and now we have about 50 different vendors and community resources representing us here today,” said Martha Camarillo, Health Fair committee co-chair. “Our purpose is to provide services for the children and the seniors of Pleasant Grove.”

Those who participated in the fair were able to receive health information, Medicare packets and assistance with setting up a health plan for their families. Several of the families came to the event because they did not have insurance or the money to pay for a

doctor’s visit.

The fair opened for testing at 9 a.m., but there was already a line waiting. People began arriving as early as 7 a.m.

“This is the first time we’ve been to this event,” Luz Ordaz said. “It’s easier

for us to come here since we don’t have insurance or a family doctor.”

In addition to the screenings and medical information, there was also entertainment for all ages. Zumba dancers, kindergarten and senior Folklórico dancers and the Way of Truth church choir entertained the crowd.

Rain disrupted the event at about 10 a.m., forcing the whole fair to quickly move inside the campus’ administration building. Booths were set up in the main hallway.

The space was crowded, but the fair was able to continue, and the people got the resources they needed. Around 500 attendees participated in the screenings and health workshops.

There were also special activities for the children. Several of the booths featured games, toys and candy. A bounce house in the parking lot was a popular attraction before the event was forced inside.

Event sponsors included Parkland Health and Hospital System, South Texas Dental, DART, Skin Angel Center, Bear Creek Family Dentistry, the Dallas Police Department, Buena Suerte, McDonalds, Mi Doctor, United Health Care and Amerigroup RealSolutions.

Every group participating donates some kind of financial assistance to the college.

“That’s how we’re able to fund this,” Camarillo said. “Any money that we have left over from the event goes directly to the college for scholarships.”

Communication Club promotes leadership, community service

By Karina Dunn Staff Writer

Students ages 17 to 70 are banding together to experience what it means to be active leaders through the college’s Communication Club.

The club, which is the largest on campus, offers opportunities for students to serve the community through various service events coordinated by Dr. Mary Forrest, the club’s adviser since its inception. The organization, which has been around since Eastfield was founded, has helped thousands of people over the years through its charities.

“All the work that we have to do is well worth it for serving all members,” said sophomore Rosa Cueeas, the club’s vice president of administration and an education major.

Cueeas works closely with club president Maria Garcia to ensure the organization runs

efficiently and offers a good experience for members. With the help of her fellow club officers, Garcia organizes meetings and activities such as Trash Bash, where students clean up litter in the community to learn about philanthropy. Art for a Cause, a fundraiser that supports club activities, teaches self-sufficiency.

“Seeing the skills [members] take from the club take them further in their own life is one of my goals,” Garcia said.

Forrest said she has always felt a need to give back to her community and to help others. The campus club provided a chance for her to reach out to students.

Forrest credits her mentor, Sue Cook, with motivating her to help her community. Cook approached Forrest after seeing her in a school play and wanted to help hone Forrest’s talent and charisma. She mentored Forrest from second grade through college.

Forrest said she took what she learned from

Cook and incorporated that into the Communication Club.

“She gave a lot of energy and time to me,” Forrest said. “She was my first example to be a role model to students.”

A community that is now approximately 40 students strong each semester, the club is becoming increasingly diverse. Forrest attributes the success of the club to the students and their determination to succeed.

“The Communication Club at Eastfield works to be proactive and interactive,” she said. “I like that they are so engaged. I love their positive energy. We are leaving the country in capable hands.”

Secretary Sonya Battle said all members, particularly the younger ones, express confidence in their roles and work to accomplish their goals.

“What stands out to me is how everyone works together,” Battle said. “There is no gen-

eration gap between older and younger club members. It feels like coming home.”

Individuality and fellowship provide a foundation for the Communication Club.

Members note a cycle of self-betterment that expands as all members make a conscious effort to pass on what they have learned.

“In Communication Club we form a bond between members,” Garcia said. “We are all in this together. All this is one team, serving to the best of our abilities.”

Students interested in joining the Communication Club are welcome to attend club meetings on Mondays from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in N-107. Applications are also available in the Office of Student Life. Place the application in the Communication Club mailbox and an officer will contact the applicant.

Officers said students who are motivated, who work hard and who stay engaged should join the club.

NEWS

5

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Balvin makes waves in students’ lives Continued from page 1 The 2002 Winter Olympics torch relay was organized by Coca-Cola, Chevrolet and the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.

Each got to choose a third of the 12,000 people who would represent their community, run sixtenths of a mile and then pass the torch to the next person.

Coca-Cola chose Balvin based on essays from his former Eastfield students detailing how he embodied the Olympic spirit.

“When I found out they would take the time to write that I have been an inspiration in their lives, and that I was chosen, that’s very emotional,” Balvin said. “That’s like real special stuff.”

Balvin has been a physical education instructor at Eastfield for 37 years. The courses he teaches include triathlon fitness and scuba diving, his passion since the age of 16.

“Water has always been my home,” Balvin said.

“I was captain of the swimming team in high school. Scuba diving [was] a natural progression.”

Though life appears to be smooth sailing today, Balvin’s journey to Eastfield was a rough voyage.

In the mid-1970s, the state of New York laid off 100,000 of its teachers. Balvin, a Long Island native, was one of them, despite the success he had brought to his high school’s swim team.

“It was strictly [based]on seniority, so even though I coached the swimming team, I had the first winning team that they’d ever had, and we were doing exceptionally well and everybody liked me, it was strictly, ‘We love you, but we can’t keep you.’”

Balvin looked for teaching jobs everywhere, but found as many as 500 applicants vying for a single job. A few times, Balvin made it to the final three, but his Master of Science degree and years of teaching counted against him.

“They would say, ‘Would you take $15,000 less?’” Balvin said. “They wanted me for all that I had and my credentials, but they didn’t have money. They would say, ‘We have this guy, Ken Balvin, but then we have this guy fresh out of college.’ So they would always take the cheap one.”

Balvin had a new home, an infant son and no job to support either. After nearly a year struggling to find a job, he and his wife decided to move to New Hampshire where both took jobs working at a ski resort.

His wife worked at a children’s day care for resort consumers while he worked as a manager of The Barn, a bar and restaurant on the resort.

Though it helped pay the bills, Balvin hated not being able to work in water.

“It was devastating,” Balvin said. “I had to rent my house out. I had to leave it to strangers. I had to pack up my family and go to a cold place, but we made it fun.”

Balvin spent time skiing at the resort, but his first athletic love was always water. He worked as a lifeguard every summer on the beaches of Fire Island, N.Y., for 30 years.

But in 1976, as he lived and worked on Loon Mountain, N.H., away from the warm lakes and infinite oceans he once surfed and swam, Balvin

Students test scuba fins for Health Week

By Bailey Hawkins Contributing Writer

Odessa Leeper/The Et cetera

Scuba diving instructor Ken Balvin walks a student through her first dive during Discover Scuba.

looked into a publication called the Chronicle of Education for a job that would lead him back to his love of water.

“I would find places to go and that’s where I found this place in Dallas County Community College, Eastfield,” Balvin said. “I said, ‘Misqueet, huh? What the — well it’s close to Dallas, it can’t be that bad,” Balvin said.

Balvin and his family moved to Texas after he was hired as a physical education instructor at Eastfield in 1976. Upon arrival, Balvin started the scuba diving program at the DCCCD, teaching such instructors as Mike Miles, a physical education instructor at Richland College.

“I fell in love with [Texas],” Balvin said. “My daughter was born here. It’s always been good, because I can get away in the summers and always get to the ocean. I can spend my summers diving and doing triathlons with family.”

One of Balvin’s students, kinesiology major and college lifeguard Gio Guzman, credits Balvin with changing his life.

“Ken’s one of those very few professors who you not only actually learn something [from], but carry with you throughout your life,” Guzman said. “Some of these professors lecture and at the end of the semester, you don’t even remember half the stuff they talked about.”

During a recent campus event called Discover

Scuba, students and faculty were invited to try scuba diving to see how they liked it before joining Balvin in his spring semester class.

Balvin patiently instructed all who came, slowly leading them from shallow waters to the 14-foot end of the pool. Library assistant Jesse Brown said he grew up idolizing scuba divers on TV, but never thought he would be able to try it until he met Balvin.

Since it was his first time, Balvin walked Brown through diving in simplistic terms.

“For a first-timer, I feel like a vet now,” Brown said. “I’ll definitely see him in March.”

Balvin enjoys being patient with his students and said he has always been that way. Even after they become certified divers, Balvin wants to help them become great divers, which he says will take time.

Balvin invites his former students to take trips with him all over the world, from Belize to Cozumel and even the Philippines, to dive into oceans beyond the U.S. “I took 25 down to Belize last summer,” Balvin said. “I take people all over. We just travel as cheap as possible. I organize it and we all go and have a great time and take over the boat. So that’s the next part of it, too. My students become my close friends. We travel and they’re not my students anymore, they’re my buddies.”

Prospective students strapped on masks and fins recently to see if scuba diving might make it into their future class schedules.

On Oct. 1, 10 prospective students showed up at the pool ready to dive into Discover Scuba, taught by professor Ken Balvin. The free event was part of Health Week and Eastfield’s Amazing Race. “[Scuba diving] teaches about a healthy lifestyle,” said Balvin, a dive master who has been teaching at Eastfield for 37 years. “You need to be fit in order to dive. You have to be fit in order to enjoy it. Health Week: It’s about life.”

Balvin said some people tell him they didn’t know Eastfield had scuba lessons. Others tell him that they didn’t even know there was a pool at the college. They all take scuba for different reasons.

“Some people get it off their bucket lists,” Balvin said.

That afternoon the sun was blinding and the water was perfect. Some beginning divers appeared to be nervous, but others were smiling. Patty Stephan was one of the nervous ones.

“I’m still pretty anxious, breathing underwater, but it was better than what I’ve done before,” she said “I have to get past this anxiety and work through it.”

Balvin showed a lot of patience.

“You try to have a little fun and disarm them,” he said. “I think I’ve always been [patient].”

Stephan said Balvin worked with her one on one and calmed her down when she would freak out and get out of the water.

“He convinced me to stay in, and I’m glad I did, because then I did get used to it,” she said. “He was very encouraging, even before you get into the pool.”

Nick Flores, one of Balvin’s diving assistants, is working on becoming a dive master himself.

“He’s the best,” Flores said of his mentor.

Balvin held a discovery dive last semester, and said he plans to host another one in the spring.

Balvin said he was pleased with the outcome this semester.

“It was actually a very good group,” he said.

6

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Mane Event

PREVIEW DAY

Register at www.tamuc.edu/ManeEvent

8:30 am-2:00 pm

October 19, 2013 TAMUCAdmissions

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Rough Rider

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Driven student overcomes life’s hurdles

By Gereneicia Foster Staff Writer

The time had come again for Cody Dziak to compete in the state championship race at the Metroplex BMX track in DeSoto. It was a familiar yet frustrating venue.

He had won many races in his young career, but never this one. Now it was his time to win.

Dziak loved the sport. He was a natural.

He had been racing since he was 8 years old.

He was ranked third in the nation in his age group and graced the cover of “The BMXer” magazine. He even beat Kyle Bennett, a professional rider and member of the United States’ first Olympic BMX team, to the first turn in a pro-am practice race.

However, a win at the state championships is what he really wanted.

He felt confident waiting at the start line.

Some of the best BMX riders in the state were here, including his arch rival, the same kid who introduced him to racing.

“He was a superstar when I was a nobody, and now I was up to his level if not past his level,” Dziak said. “It was a big thing for him, and it was a big thing for me to beat him.”

Dziak had come in second place at the state championships several times. He was within half a wheel from winning once. He needed to win this race. It would be his defining moment.

Dziak was completely focused as he waited for the race to start. Then, in an instant, the light flashed from red to green. He raced toward the first straightaway, rode smoothly over the first jumps and approached the turn.

The crowd was roaring. Dziak was in the lead with his archrival following closely behind. He zoomed down the last straight away and approached the last corner.

Then it happened. His arch rival cut him off at the turn, and Dziak fell to the ground.

Other riders zoomed past him, and his rival raced to another victory.

“I could taste the dirt,” he said. “I got the wind knocked out of me from falling so hard.

I was cut up and scarred.”

Dziak didn’t quit. He got back on his bike as the crowd stood and applauded. He finished last. The state championship had slipped from his grasp once again.

What Dziak didn’t know was that this would be his last race. Three slipped disks in his back from excessive practicing forced him to give up the sport. His accident at the state championship was “the tip of the iceberg.”

Kristen Dixon/The Et cetera

Cody Dziak, who plans to pursue a career in the medical field, studies in the library.

“It was a real shame to go out right when I was starting to [excel],” he said. “I had always been fast, but I was really starting to turn the turbos on there. But stuff happens.”

Dziak didn’t let his injury hinder him. He never let anything discourage him.

“You might get me down, but it doesn’t mean you are going to stop me from what I’m going to do,” he said.

Dziak is a first-semester student at Eastfield studying biology and kinesiology. He graduated from Poteet High School last year with a 4.0 grade-point average. He made the academic excellence honor roll in 2010-11 and was voted Mr. Poteet for 2012-13. He received a host of other academic awards.

This year, Dziak was one of eight recipients of the LeCroy Scholarship. The scholars program was created in 1988 by DCCCD board member Mike A. Myers to honor former chancellor Dr. R. Jan LeCroy for his leadership in the community and education.

To receive this scholarship, recipients must

have a 3.0 grade-point average, letters of recommendation and strong leadership qualities in school and in the community.

But his academic success didn’t come easy.

Dziak has battled dyslexia his entire life.

Because of his struggles, he never enjoyed reading, especially if the subject didn’t interest him. He had to read text repeatedly to reach a full understanding of the material. Spelling was also a battle.

“It was just hard for me. With some words I’d get stumped,” Dziak said. “I’d catch myself sometimes putting an e on ‘had.’”

Dziak was determined to succeed, no matter how long it took to master a subject. Taking the TAKS test was one of his biggest hurdles.

One time he began a testing session at 9 a.m. and finished at 9 p.m.

“I knew it was just what I had to do to get the grade I wanted to get,” Dziak said.

Yet Dziak never used dyslexia as an excuse.

“I don’t have a quitting attitude,” he said.

“It may take me a little bit longer to do some-

thing, but I won’t quit at it.”

Dziak’s mother Stephanie said his struggles weren’t because he didn’t know how to do the work. He just worked at a different pace.

“Cody knows that some kids might do things in 10 minutes while it may take him an hour,” she said. “But he never let that deter him.”

He still struggles with dyslexia but he has developed his own strategies, especially with writing. He approaches all of his subjects methodically.

“I’m old-fashioned,” Dziak said. “I like to use paper for everything, whether it is science, English, math or history. I like to map it all out.”

Biking and schoolwork aren’t the only places where Dziak excels. He takes pride in being a leader. He was captain of his cross-country team during his junior and senior years in high school and is one of the youngest ushers at his church. His sister Lindsay has Down syndrome, and last year he was the assistant coach of her Special Olympics basketball team.

“When you’re a leader, you take control over what’s happening,” he said. “You can control your own destiny.”

Dziak also received the Knights of Columbus scholarship from the ushers at his church, and he was awarded the Justin Lynch Memorial scholarship at Poteet High School.

“All of his hard work from high school, it’s like it paid off,” Stephanie Dziak said. “It definitely makes you feel good.”

Peggy Courtney, a family friend, said Dziak should serve as an inspiration to other students suffering from dyslexia.

“They could really look up to him and say, ‘Wow, look at this guy. Look at how far he has gotten,’” she said.

Dziak plans to pursue a career in the medical field after college, possibly nursing or sports chiropractic medicine. He said he chose this career path so he could spread awareness to other athletes about the importance of not just practicing but letting their bodies rest. He was injured after years of playing sports and not getting adequate rest.

“I saw this happen to me and I don’t want it to have to happen to anyone else,” Dziak said.

Dziak also encourages other students with dyslexia to set their goals high. He said learning disabilities can be a barrier, but there are ways around them.

“Just always strive towards success, however you define success,” he said. “Don’t let it hold you back.”

Life&Arts

8 Wednesday, October 16, 2013

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

STAT E FA IR

By Justin David Tate Life and Arts Editor

Massive turkey legs and ferris wheel rides are what the average person pictures when they think about the Texas State Fair. The problem for college students is that the cost of a turkey leg and ferris wheel ride is nearly $20.

Photographer Kristen Dixon and I each decided to limit ourselves to $15 in tickets, which means we’ll have 30 tickets each to play with.

In the process, we’ll see if we can find some free things to do alongside the more outrageously overpriced things. Here’s how our day went:

2 p.m. – We avoid the $15 parking by driv-

ing across the street from Gate 11 on South Fitzhugh Avenue to a sign that reads $5. We park on a grassy lot, where an elderly parking attendant hands us Jehovah Witness material.

Cost: Me

Kristen

2:20 p.m. – Fair tickets normally cost $17,

but we decide to take one of the many routes to a discount. On Thursdays, moviegoers who arrive with a Cinemark ticket stub can get in for free. Just make sure the ticket has the date, time and name of the movie on the stub.

2:30 p.m. – Over the next four hours, we are going to do as much as possible as cheaply as possible. We find a few promotional booths near the entrance where we stuff handfuls of free peanut butter crackers and free 5-Hour

Energy drinks into our personal bags. The 5-Hour Energy booth even has free carnival games that resemble a knockoff of the Wheel of Fortune, and we win 10 sets of headphones.

3:48 p.m. – After waiting in a long but brisk line, I hop into the new 2014 Corvette Stingray at the Chevy Ride & Drive. Out of all the vehicles I have test-driven so far, including a 2013 Camaro, the Stingray has the best handling. I can see why people pay $20,000 just to bump their name up on the waiting list to own one. It’s a nice car to whip around corners on a short track before being forced to hand the keys back.

4:17 p.m. – We fly in a free U.S. Air Mission helicopter ride. It was basically a metal box that jiggled a little while we watched bad actors tell us what mission we were accomplishing. The first-person perspective switched from a jet to a motorcycle to a satellite above the Earth. It’s fun for the price I paid for it.

4:20 p.m. – Sometimes observing the actions of others can provide free entertainment, especially when strolling through the fair.

The gong at the top of a high striker rings as flashing lights and Nintendo noises indicate a special occurrence.

“I got a winner. I got a winner. Winner!

Winner! Winner!”

The game operator hops up and down before awarding a stuffed creature that resembles a shorter alien member of “Duck Dynasty” to a man bewildered by his sudden success. I’m

positive I’ve witnessed a rarity. It’s fun to see someone actually win something for a change.

4:36 p.m. – In a dark, dreary place called the Scary Park, a black woman stands in a Southern gothic dress as if to suggests she could be a witch or voodoo priestess/witch doctor. The fearful atmosphere is disrupted by the sounds of the “Cupid Shuffle” and the voodoo priestess’ subsequent dancing. Funny? Yes. Scary? No. Entertained for free by the random acts of strangers? Yes. 4:48 p.m. –As much as we love free stuff, it’s time to buy some tickets and eat some fattening fried foods.

Cost: Me

Kristen

5:04 p.m. – Kristen shares her fried Oreo with me and my mind is blown. I was skeptical, but then an explosion of chocolate, melty goodness made me a believer. For eight tickets, they could have given her more than three. But it seems they are about the only food that costs less than 12 tickets. Kristen also got a bottle of water for six tickets, while I brought my own gallon.

PHOTO below by Laurie doDD; right by Kristen Dixon

Below, two fair attendees scarf down Fletcher’s corn dogs during their trip to the Texas State Fair.

Aw

Tickets Left: Me – Kristen –

5:07 p.m. – “Black or White” blasts from the Coca-Cola stage and is soon followed by “Billie Jean.” These are not the versions I grew up listening to on my cassette player in grade school. A quartet of singers with troubled vocals do Michael Jackson a disservice and proceed to butcher Justin Timberlake and Prince, too. But as much of a train wreck as the group’s performance is, it’s also free. Free train wrecks can be fun.

Life&Arts

9

The Et Cetera

www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

wesome, even on a $20 budget Tickets Left: Me – Kristen – 5:54 p.m. – We arrive upon the best treat of the fair, a bowl of funnel cake fries. They are actual funnel cake pieces cut into the shape of French fries and doused in powdered sugar. I sit down and relish the awesomeness that costs a measly 10 tickets, even if it means dirtying up my jeans with powdered sugar. And yes, I let Kristen indulge in the sugariness too. the sugariness too.

Tickets Left: Me – Kristen – 6:24 p.m. – We check out the Birds of Prey, and it’s an awesome show. A bird perched atop the ferris wheel is called down to the open stage by his trainer. The trainer rewards him by tossing food into the air, which the bird snatches with ease and grace. It breaks my heart to learn that this show will be the show’s final season at the Texas State Fair after 25 years. It will now be joining the Dallas Zoo, which is really cool. I can’t wait to visit the show there.

6:36 p.m. – The trainer brings out a singing parrot and tells it to sing. It vocalizes in a humorous tremor that proves endearing to the audience.

Before the parrot exits, it blows a kiss into the microphone.

Tickets Left: Me – Kristen – 7:15 p.m. – Kristen and I decide to get pretzels and lemonade to finish off our tickets.

I know, I know. We should get exotic food, but after noticing that a Cuban Roll costs 16 tickets and turkey legs costs even more than that, a pretzel with cheese and large cup of lemonade for the same price sounds better. Somehow the lady miscounts my tickets and gives me back seven instead of four.

Tickets Left: Me – Kristen –

7:21 p.m. – Kristen notices a large assort-

ment of well-lit floats that are connected and beginning to glow brighter as the sun disappears. They are scooting down the road as hundreds of onlookers begin to huddle along the pathway. I follow the spectacle, which includes a butterfly-winged princess on a Children’s Hospital float and a giant ladybug whose eyes glow in the dark. The parade also includes a replica of Big Tex, cotton candy creatures and a glowing dragon lantern. The coolest thing, without a doubt, is the stilt-walkers, a trio of people on stilts standing at least four feet off the ground, including a friendly-looking scarecrow (think Raggedy Ann on steroids).

PHOTOS BELOW BY Laurie dodd

7:57 p.m. – I decide to head to the bar to finish off the last set of my tickets. I want a margarita, which costs 12 tickets, but I only have seven. The bartender shows pity on me at the end of the night and gives me the fruity alcoholic beverage. Turns out, the bartender is a former reporter for the Dallas Times-Herald.

He saw my photographer snapping pictures throughout the day and me taking notes beside her. It is a nice experience to meet a fellow journalist and swap war stories over a drink.

Tickets Left: Me – Kristen – We’ve had tons of fun, but now the night has dragged on too long. I begin to yawn.

Kristen appears ready to go too, so we make our exit out Gate 11. I’ve spent a total of $20 with parking included. Kristen has only spent $15. That means two people can enjoy endless peanut butter crackers, endless 5-Hour Energy drinks, endless test drives of Camaros and Corvettes, endless U.S. Army helicopter simulator rides, an order of fried Oreos, an order of funnel cake fries, two pretzels, one with cheese, two cups of lemonade and a bottle of water for $35 on a Thursday, so long as you bring a Cinemark movie ticket. The bank has not been broken. Our wallets can rest easier tonight.

Below left, a fairgoer hikes across the Midway with her prize in tow.

Below right, a young girl enjoys cotton candy during her trip to the Texas State Fair.

LIFE&ArTS

10 Wednesday, October 16, 2013

www.eastfieldnews.com

The Et Cetera

Cast readies for ‘You Can’t Take it With You’

By Emma Hahn Staff Writer

Now that the semester is fully underway, the Eastfield theater department is wrapping up rehearsals for the first production of the year, “You Can’t Take it With You.” With the opening-night performance only about two weeks away, things behind the scenes are peaceful despite the stress and responsibility.

Cast members have been scrambling to prepare for opening night, but they said the experience has helped them grow closer.

“It’s kinda like we’re our own little family even though none of us knew each other before,” freshman cast member Ashley Vessels said.

“But now it’s really easy for us to get along.”

Fellow actor Stephanie Booth said one reason she auditioned was because of the social aspect.

“It’s a good opportunity to meet people,” she said. “It’s my first semester, and it’s a good way to make friends.”

“You Can’t Take it With You,” set in the 1930s, tells the story of Alice

Sycamore, who falls in love with the rich and powerful Tony Kirby.

The only problem is that her family is anything but normal.

The comedy features everything from homemade (and illegal) fireworks to a boisterous Russian dance teacher.

“Essie thinks she’s going to be a ballet dancer, but in reality, she sucks,” Booth said of her character Essie Sycamore. “It’s really fun that I get to dance around the stage and let loose.”

The cast and crew have devoted a lot of time to perfect the play.

Cast member Garvin Locket said they are putting in three hours of rehearsal every night. “[After that] you have to go home and learn your lines,” Booth said. “It’s hard work, but it will pay off in the end.”

The play will be held in the performance hall at noon and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, and at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 19. It will also show at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 26, and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 27.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office before the show or in advance from the business office.

Carnival madness

odessa leeper/The Et cetera

Performers rehearse their lines on the set of “You Can’t Take it With You.” The first performance is at noon Oct. 17.

3D Metallica movie entertains metalheads from past, present

By Braulio Tellez Contributing Writer

odessa leeper/The Et cetera

Tevin Whitaker lines up a putt during the festivities at the SECC Carnival on Sept. 30. Proceeds from the carnival went to a scholarship fund for students.

Metalheads rejoice. Your movie is here.

Nimrod Antal’s “Metallica: Through the Never” premiered this month and blew out my ear drums, as well as my perception of heavy metal concerts.

I wasn’t too familiar with Metallica’s music and had only heard their radio hits, but that didn’t matter.

Anyone who is a fan of live music will fall in love with this heavy rocker flick.

The concert takes place inside a sold-out sports arena on the brink of one of Metallica’s sold-out shows.

The film follows Trip, the lone member of the cast, a young metalhead and member of the band’s road crew.

As the band begins its mindmelting stage set with the song “Ecstasy Of Gold,” Trip is pulled away from the crowd and handed the task

of retrieving a stranded truck in the middle of the city that is carrying something Metallica needed for the show.

He is given a gas container, keys to a van and is quickly sent on his way. What follows is a twisted and surreal trek fit for any thrasher.

The film has no real plot and instead uses the scripted scenes as a sort of music video to accompany the live stage show. Trip would head down a street and suddenly run into an angry mob of metalheads fighting cops in full riot gear, then the movie would jump back to the band pumping out killer guitar solos.

Viewers should treat the loose mashup of scenes as a compliment to the bigger show and not try to make sense of it because, to be honest, it doesn’t make any sense.

The main attraction is definitely the performance.

“Through The Never” is in IMAX 3D, which only adds to the already awesome experience that is a live Metallica concert.

The band plays in the middle of a nameless football arena on top of an awesome stage made of what looks like dozens of TV screens. The pyrotechnics are like something I have never seen in my life. Explosions, lasers and intricate stage props are used throughout the performance.

When the band starts playing “Ride the Lightning,” a giant electric chair and a huge pair of electric coils are lowered from the ceiling of the arena and start shooting off bolts of lightning, an easy but enjoyable exploit for 3D. All in all, the movie makes a great statement for the band and its followers. It gives an older generation of Metallica fans something to go nuts about and the new generation a taste of how truly awesome this band is.

11

LIFE&ArTS Wednesday, October 16, 2013

www.eastfieldnews.com

From Mexico to Milan

The Et Cetera

Former graffiti artist discusses his artistic progression with students

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Editor in Chief

Mexican-born artist Carlos Donjuan was just another kid with a spray paint can when he started honing his graffiti skills on the streets of Oak Cliff. Now he’s noticed in countries as far away as Italy, where his work will be displayed in February.

On Oct. 3, Donjuan spoke about his progresssion as an artist during a guest lecture in G-101.

Two of his works are in Eastfield’s permanent collection, so Gallery Director Iris Bechtol asked him to speak about his art.

“Two summers ago we were given a budget to go buy a bunch of artwork,” Bechtol said. “Our focus was to find artists who had ties to the regional area, and that’s when we found Carlos.”

During his lecture, Donjuan showed examples of his graffiti and paint work. He discussed how his work has traveled across America in the past year.

“I’ve gained a bigger following in California,” Donjuan said. “Cheech Marin [from Cheech and Chong] started collecting my work, so that brought a lot of attention my way.”

In his earlier work, Donjuan’s subjects wore masks on their faces, a choice that some viewers have misinterpreted in the past.

“A lot of them were graffiti artists, so when I

would take their picture they would always cover their faces,” he said. “They wanted to remain anonymous, so that’s the way I painted them.”

When he paints, Donjuan said he tries to show his academic training, as well as what he learned while doing graffiti in the streets.

Donjuan is now a professor himself. He teaches drawing fundamentals and beginning painting at the University of Texas at Arlington, as well as a Saturday painting class at El Centro.

Donjuan has lived in the United States since the age of 3, but he said he’s still viewed as a Mexican here. When he goes to visit relatives in Mexico, they view him as an American.

“I always felt a little weird being accepted here because I was born in Mexico,” Donjuan said.

“But then I always felt weird being accepted in Mexico because I lived here. So I always felt like I didn’t belong.”

When he was growing up, Donjuan often heard people use the phrase “illegal” and never knew what it meant. As he grew older, he realized they were talking about him.

“It was heartbreaking to know that I was who they were talking about,” Donjuan said. “As I got older, I started to revisit that idea [in my art] and tried to show what illegal aliens truly looked like.”

Many of Donjuan’s portraits are set in a desert similar to the one his parents brought him across

when they entered the country.

“When my son was born, my work started to change drastically,” he said. “The idea of having my son around made my work friendlier. I started to wonder what he would think of my paintings.”

Donjuan often thinks about different age groups and how they will interpret his work. He said he doesn’t remember seeing any murals that inspired him as a kid. Now, he has a chance to inspire people of all ages with his art.

Donjuan recently won a $50,000 grant from the City of Dallas to paint a large mural in the Oak Cliff area.

“They have these in major cities like Los Angeles and New York,” he said. “This will be one of the first in Dallas, and it gives a new sense of hope to artists in the Dallas area.”

During his presentation, Donjuan showed the audience a painting of a man with his limbs amputated. He drew this to symbolize kids who try to hop on trains and ride from Central America to Mexico and are thrown off.

“Paintings like this help me to remember to keep pushing,” Donjuan said. “Someone else is in a much worse place.”

Tomas Renteria, an intern with Donjuan’s Sour Grapes collective for five years, said Donjuan still works swiftly because of his past as a graffiti artist.

odessa leeper/The Et cetera

Carlos Donjuan chats with a member of the audience after his art lecture.

“You have to be real quick, keep it hidden,” he said. “It’s like those pictures with their faces covered. They didn’t want to be caught for doing graffiti.”

Art student Janeth Quintero said she was inspired by Donjuan.

“What I picked up from him was do what you love and be happy about it,” she said. “I learned to keep control and do what you want to do. Put your work out there, push yourself. Never stop doing what you love.”

opinion

12 The Et Cetera

Online dating has serious drawbacks

Etera 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 Editor In Chief Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Life & Arts Editor Justin David Tate Opinion Editor Caitlin Piper Online Editor Miguel Padilla Design Editor Yolanda Ramirez Photo Editor Odessa Leeper Staff Writers Billy Dennis Kristen Dixon Karina Dunn Gereneicia Foster Emma Hahn Kametra Loud Liritze Pedroza-Ortiz Photographers/Videographers Arica Hill Pablo Ortega Cartoonists Alex Hernandez Jonathan Wences Graphics Chadney Cantrell Advertising Manager Yolanda Ramirez Student Publications Manager Wendy L. Moore Faculty Adviser Lori Dann 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.

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

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.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, October 16, 2013

OUR VIEW

U.S. leaders should grow up, take control of nation On Oct. 1 — the first day of the 2014 federal fiscal year — the U.S. government entered a partial shutdown after Congress failed to pass a spending bill in an effort to delay the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This resulted in the suspension of a number of services and the furlough of more than 800,000 government workers.

As the shutdown enters its third week, Americans are growing increasingly concerned about its impact on both the U.S. economy and its citizens.

We believe Congress’ act of enabling the shutdown is childish and a major overreaction to not getting their own way.

Major parts of the government were shut down because one faction of Congress protested a law it did not agree with.

To put this behavior in perspective, imagine if college administrators enacted a new rule that did not sit well with the faculty.

In response, all professors decided to leave their jobs, placing the education of students campus-wide on indefinite suspension.

In their efforts to protest this new rule and

improve the college, the professors would actually harming the students, making it worse for everyone involved.

Faculty members would lose their jobs and sources of income, while students would be losing valuable time that could be spent furthering their education.

Similarly, this shutdown is helping no one.

Almost a million federal workers have temporarily lost a source of income and millions of others no longer have access to vital government services.

As the shutdown continues with no sign of a guaranteed compromise between the opposing factions, its negative impact on the U.S. economy continues to increase.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, while controversial, legally passed through the legislative process. It was not an executive order.

Congress has no excuse for its actions. Its opposition to the act is directly harming the American people.

It’s time for our lawmakers to stop throwing temper tantrums and start doing their jobs.

Single men and women everywhere regularly browse online dating sites Kametra in search of comLoud panionship.

So it’s no wonder why advertisers stay in the business of selling love.

Commercials showing men and women holding hands, hugging and smiling constantly pop up on the Internet. “Find love at last,” or “We’ve got the right match for you,” they say.

I was sold, and thought I would try it. Why not? I’m single, and the websites are supposed to be 100 percent trusted, free and safe.

I chose a very popular dating site and created my profile. I filled out a questionnaire asking me if I was single, divorced, widowed or married. I answered lots of questions. This was like a background check. I uploaded a few decent pictures and received many messages. But when I tried to open my messages, I was asked to pay a monthly fee.

What happened to “free?”

I didn’t want to pay, so I didn’t. A few months passed, and I decided on a different, more popular site on my friends’ recommendations.

This site actually was free with no hidden fees. I created a profile and answered the same questions. I received messages within 24 hours. I chatted, browsed photos and networked. I connected with a few potential dates whose profiles and conversation interested me.

I met a man at a trendy restaurant for our first date, but all he talked about were his financial issues, baby mama drama and seven kids.

His profile said he had two kids. I guess he forgot about the other five? Delete.

I continued to chat and meet people. I met a gentleman I will call “Mr. X.” After corresponding with him for about a month, I decided to take up his offer and meet him for dinner. It was wonderful.

He called to make sure I was got home okay. We talked and texted during the day and said goodnight every night. A week passed as our conflicting schedules prevented us from having another date.

Then I received a text message from an unfamiliar phone number. The message read, “Do you know my husband?”

I responded, “You have the wrong number, I don’t know this person.”

“Yes, you know him,” the text said. “He goes by a different name. The two of you met on a single’s site. I’m his wife.”

I was shocked. After I picked my mouth up off the floor, I apologized. I guess this is why Mr. X was so busy.

I never heard from him again. I reported the incident to the site. His profile stayed up, but I decided to delete mine.

Online dating just wasn’t for me.

Sports

The Et Cetera

Oct. 17 Oct. 17 Oct. 21 Oct. 25

Soccer at Richland 5:30 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Brookhaven 7 p.m.

Volleyball at North Lake 7 p.m.

MAC Volleyball Tournament TBA

www.eastfieldnews.com

13

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Educators highlight Latinos who excelled in sports

By Kevin Cushingberry Jr. Editor in Chief

Tom Flores

“Tom Flores was the first Latino to play quarterback in the NFL,” Hinckley said.

“He was drafted in 1960 by the Oakland Raiders. He later went on to become the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and won two Super Bowls, becoming the first Latino coach to win a Super Bowl.”

On Oct. 7, Dean of Social Sciences Mike Walker and history professor Matt Hinckley gave a presentation in C-295 highlighting the impact Latinos have made on American sports.

Mel Almada

“The first Mexican to play in the MLB was Mel Almada in 1933,” Hinckley said. “He didn’t have that long or distinguished of a career, but the most interesting thing about him was that in his second to last season he hit safely in 54 consecutive games and came two games short of Joe Dimaggio’s 56-game hitting streak.”

Roberto Clemente

“Roberto Clemente, he’s an important guy, not just because of his incredible skills as a baseball player, but he was also a great humanitarian,” Walker said.

“Eighteen thousand people, I’m told, showed up on the beaches of where the plane crashed and claimed they thought he was going to walk up out of the water. Baseball decided after about two months that they were going to put him into the Hall of Fame.”

Jim Plunkett

“Although he doesn’t have a very Hispanic-sounding name, Jim Plunkett was MexiCourtesy of Matt Hinckley can,” Hinckley said. “He is the History professor Matt Hinckley, center, poses with his dad, first player to win the Heisleft, with Ozzie Guillen, right, before an 1987 White Sox game.

90589 man trophy and a Super Bowl The EtInCetera MVP. 1971, he became the first Latino to be1/4 taken 1 overall in the NFL Lou Molinet pgNo.5.1 x 5.25 the lone Latino to “The first Latino to play in the NFL was Lou draft and remains Next 3 issues this day.”

“With the Raiders, he won two Super Bowls.

Molinet,” Hinckley said. “For years it was bethe head coach when Plunkett lieved that Jesse Rodriguez was the first Latino Tom Flores waspmc in the NFL. However, in 1999 Molinet’s grand- was the quarterback.”

Jim Plunkett is the only quarterback who daughter found a professional football contract started and won two Super Bowls and is not inthat Molinet signed in 1927.”

N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y

ducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tom Flores is the only head coach to win two Super Bowls to not be inducted into the hall of fame.

“There is a general dislike for the Oakland Raiders that’s out there, but there’s also an underlying sense of racism,” Hinckley said.

Ozzie Guillen

“Ozzie Guillen was the shortstop for the White Sox as I was growing up in Chicago,” Hinckley said. “He came back as the manager, and in 2005, led the team to a World Series victory, becoming the first Latino manager to win a World Series.”

“In 1987 my dad and a group of people were going to a White Sox game,” Hinckley said. “My dad won a drawing to throw out the opening pitch and he said ‘Matt I want you to do it.’ I was 10 years old. The one thing I think about that picture is how Mexican my dad looks.”

“Ozzie Guillen basically quit on the White Sox in 2011 and went to go manage the Miami Marlins,” Hinckley said. “Before he even managed his first game he got into a lot of trouble with the fan base in Miami for praising Fidel Castro. Miami is filled with lots of people who fled Cuba after Castro took power, and that was like a slap in the face to them.

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Learn about financial aid options and scholarships

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• Not in high school • Ability to load, unload, sort packages and other related duties

All interested candidates must attend a sort observation at our facility prior to applying for the position. For more information or to schedule a sort observation, stop by:

Hutchins

To schedule a sort observation, stop by Mon - Wed 8am - 3:30pm 1101 E. Cleveland Road

Irving

Sort observations are held Tues and Thurs at 5am and 5pm 3215 Spur #482

Fort Worth

To schedule a sort observation, stop

by Mon - Wed 8am - 3:30pm 4901 Village Creek Road

FedEx is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer (M/F/D/V), committed to diversifying its workforce.

Learn more at the National University Online Information Center in Dallas 8132 PARK LANE

• 18 years or older • Pass background check

DALLAS, TX 75231

214.360.3150

WWW.NU.EDU © 2013 National University 13199

sports The Et Cetera

14 www.eastfield.com

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

With a

goal Odessa leeper/The Et cetera

Above, from left, Kristy Herrera, Jessica Gallardo and Jacqueline Diaz pursue the ball in a game against Southwest Adventist University. Right, freshman Jessica Flores fights for the ball against a defender from Southwest Adventist University.

Bottom left, Aracely Murillo chases after the ball in the Harvesters’ first home game of the season against Paris Junior College. Bottom right, Chasity Turner makes a move as a PJC defender hesitates.

in mind The Lady Harvesters soccer team have clinched a spot in the Metro Athletic Conference postseason tournament.

Eastfield’s first-round game will be Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Richland College. Richland is currently ranked sixth in the national poll.

The Lady Harvesters, who will be the fourth seed in the tournament, won two of their last four games in order to qualify for the playoffs. On Oct. 2, Eastfield defeated Southwest Adventist University 3-0. On Oct. 4, the Lady Harvesters defeated Mountain View 3-0.

Their two final wins improved the Lady Harvesters’ record to 3-11. Their first win came 6-2 against Southwest Adventist University on Sept. 18.

Coach Dustin Stein said the Lady Harvesters making the postseason tournament was a result of the hard work they have put in this year.

“This team has come a long way in a very short amount of time,” Stein said. “Each week the girls improve, and you can see their confidence growing. We are excited to be the underdogs entering the tournament and would love to end Richland’s season on Thursday night.”

— Kevin Cushingberry Jr.

Kevin cushingberry/The Et cetera

Kevin cushingberry/The Et cetera

Wrapup The Et Cetera

15 www.eastfield.com

Short Thoughts BY ALEX HERNANDEZ

Trivia Bits I’m-a-gonna let you finish, but whom did Kanye interrupt at the 2009 MTV VMAs, so that he could say that Beyonce had one of the greatest videos of all time?

A) Adele B) Kelly Clarkson C) Miley Cyrus D) Taylor Swift

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Taylor Swift was rather irked to have Kanye West jump up on stage.

Trivia Answer

16

The Et Cetera

Wednesday, October 16, 2013