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EGALITARIAN The student voice of Houston Community College Since 1974
O’Rourke leads rally in El Paso • Page 3
Culture
Museum offers glimpse at Buffalo Soldiers • Page 4
Sports
Students kick it in FIFA 19 video game tourney • Page 6
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 • Vol. 48, No. 2 • HCCEgalitarian.com
Eastside hosts Tejas Foco Conference See Page 3
Sanders says he’s running for president in 2020 Juana Summers
Associated Press WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday that he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination again, a decision that will test whether he can still generate the progressive energy that fueled his insurgent 2016 campaign. “Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump,” the 77-year-old self-described democratic socialist said in an email to supporters. “Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.”
An enthusiastic progressive who embraces proposals such as “Medicare-for-all” and free college tuition, Sanders stunned the Democratic establishment in 2016 with his spirited challenge to Hillary Clinton. While she ultimately became the party’s nominee, his campaign helped lay the groundwork for the leftward lurch that has dominated Democratic politics in the Trump era. The question now for Sanders is whether he can stand out in a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates who also embrace many of his policy ideas and who are newer to the national political stage. That’s far different from 2016, when he was Clinton’s lone progressive adver-
sary. Still, there is no question that Sanders will be a formidable contender for the Democratic nomination. He won more than 13 million votes in 2016 and dozens of primaries and caucuses. He opens his campaign with a nationwide organization and a proven small-dollar fundraising effort. “We’re gonna win,” Sanders told CBS. He said he was going to launch “what I think is unprecedented in modern American history”: a grassroots movement “to lay the groundwork for transforming the economic and political life of this country.” Sanders described his new
White House bid as a “continuation of what we did in 2016,” noting that policies he advocated for then are now embraced by the Democratic Party. Trump told reporters that Sanders ran a great campaign in 2016 but that he believes the senator “missed his time.” “I like Bernie,” Trump said, noting Sanders’ criticism of free trade. “The problem is he doesn’t know what to do about it. We’re doing something very spectacular on trade.” Sanders goes into the campaign with several advantages, including the name recognition he earned from his last run. In a sign of the enthusiasm surrounding his campaign, Sand-
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ers raised $4 million on Tuesday from nearly 150,000 individual donors. California Sen. Kamala Harris raised $1.5 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign. She was previously the biggest fundraiser in the race. Sanders could also be well-positioned to compete in the nation’s first primary in neighboring New Hampshire, which he won by 22 points in 2016. But he won’t have the state to himself. Harris was in New Hampshire on Monday and said she’d compete for the state. She also appeared to take a dig at Sanders.
see Sanders, Page 2
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early primary states. Shortly after announcing her exploratory committee, Warren hired Brendan Summers, who managed Sanders’ 2016 Iowa campaign. Other staffers from Sanders’ first bid also have said they would consider working for other candidates in 2020. The crowded field includes other candidates who will likely make strong appeals to the Democratic base including Harris and Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. The field could grow, with a number of high-profile Democrats still considering presidential bids, including former Vice
President Joe Biden and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke. While Sanders had been working to lay the groundwork for a second campaign for months, it was unclear whether he will be able to expand his appeal beyond his largely white base of supporters. In 2016, Sanders notably struggled to garner support from black voters, an issue that could become particularly pervasive during a primary race with several nonwhite candidates. Last month, he joined Booker at an event in Columbia, South Carolina, marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In 2016, Sanders lost the South Carolina primary,
which features a heavily black electorate, by 47 points. Sanders also faces different pressures in the #MeToo era. Some of his male staffers and supporters in 2016 were described as “Bernie bros” for their treatment of women. In the run-up to Sanders’ 2020 announcement, persistent allegations emerged of sexual harassment of women by male staffers during his 2016 campaign. Politico and The New York Times reported several allegations of unwanted sexual advances and pay inequity. In an interview with CNN after the initial allegations surfaced, Sanders apologized but also not-
ed he was “a little busy running around the country trying to make the case.” As additional allegations emerged, he offered a more unequivocal apology. “What they experienced was absolutely unacceptable and certainly not what a progressive campaign — or any campaign — should be about,” Sanders said Jan. 10 on Capitol Hill. “Every woman in this country who goes to work today or tomorrow has the right to make sure that she is working in an environment which is free of harassment, which is safe and is comfortable, and I will do my best to make that happen.”
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SanDerS, From Page 1 “The people of New Hampshire will tell me what’s required to compete in New Hampshire,” she told shoppers at a bookstore in Concord. “But I will tell you I’m not a democratic socialist.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren of nearby Massachusetts will be in New Hampshire on Friday. One of the biggest questions surrounding Sanders’ candidacy is how he’ll compete against someone like Warren, who shares many of his policy goals. Warren has already launched her campaign and has planned an aggressive swing through the
HCC POLICE BLOTTER (Incidents complied from HCC Crime Log available at http://bit.ly/2mhVOjj Case Number: 19-000110 Offense: Violation of Certain Court Orders or Conditions of Bond in a Family Violence, Sexual Assault or Abuse, or Stalking Case Reported on: 2/13/2019 at 7:40am Incident occurred on: 2/13/2019 at 7:00am Location: West Loop Campus Building: West Loop Campus Area Off Campus Description: Student was charged after he violated a protective order off-campus. Both parties are HCC students. Disposition: Closed
was managed by Houston ISD PD. Disposition: Closed Case Number: 19-000100 Offense: Other Police Activity Reported on: 2/10/2019 at 9:05am Incident occurred on: 2/10/2019 at 12:00am Location: Spring Branch Campus Building: Performing Arts Center Description: An adult male, non-student non-employee, committed suicide in the parking lot. Disposition: Closed
Case Number: 19-000111 Offense: Graffiti Reported on: 2/13/2019 at 8:30am Incident occurred on: 2/13/2019 at 8:30am Location: West Loop Campus Building: 5601 West Loop South Description: Graffiti was found in the parking garage stairwell and walls. Disposition: Open
Case Number: 19-000097 Offense: Assault Reported on: 2/8/2019 at 12:15pm Incident occurred on: 2/8/2019 at 12:00pm Location: Northeast Campus Building: Roland Smith Truck Driving Description: A prospective student who declined prosecution reported that he was assaulted by a current student. Disposition: Closed
Case Number: 19-000102 Offense: Theft Reported on: 2/12/2019 at 10:39am Incident occurred on: 2/12/2019 at 8:30am-9:30am Location: Coleman Campus Building: 1900 Galen Description: Employee’s unattended wallet and contents were stolen from a classroom. Disposition: Open
Case Number: 19-000098 Offense: Assault Reported on: 2/8/2019 at 3:15pm Incident occurred on: 2/8/2019 at 12:00pm Location: Gulfton Campus Building: 5407 Gulfton Description: Early middle college student was assaulted by another early middle college student. Referred to Houston ISD PD. Disposition: Closed
Case Number: 19-000105 Offense: Other Police Activity Reported on: 2/12/2019 at 10:34am Incident occurred on: 2/12/2019 at 10:26am Location: Felix Fraga Campus Building: Felix Fraga Building Description: Early middle college recieved a threat by phone. Incident
Case Number: 19-000088 Offense: Burglary of Vehicle Reported on: 2/6/2019 at 9:25am Incident occurred on: 2/6/2019 at 7:55am-9:20am Location: Automotive Campus Building: 4638 Airline Description: Student’s vehicle was burglarized during class. Disposition: Open
Case Number: 19-0000091 Offense: Theft Reported on: 2/6/2019 at 12;30pm Incident occurred on: 1/27/2019 at 12:00am Location: Eastside Campus Building: Parking Garage Description: Unattended HCC owned car batteries were stolen from the parking garage. Disposition: Open Case Number: 19-000085 Offense: Theft Reported on: 2/5/2019 at 9:30am Incident occurred on: 2/5/2019 at 6:30am Location: Central - Midtown Campus Building: Central Midtown Campus Area - Off Campus Description: Student’s boyfriend took her HCC ChromeBook incident to a disturbance at their residence. Disposition: Open Case Number: 19-000077 Offense: Burglary Reported on: 2/4/2019 at 7:00am Incident occurred on: 2/1/2019 at 5:00pm - 7:00am Location: North Forest Campus Building: 6010 Little York Description: Contractor’s portable building was burglarized over the weekend. Disposition: Open Case Number: 19-000079 Offense: Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse Reported on: 2/4/2019 at 3:30pm Incident occurred on: 2/2/2019 at 12:00pm Location: Central - Midtown Campus Building: J. Don Boney Building Description: Student attempted to use his girlfriend’s student identification card and financial aid account to purchase consumer electronics. Disposition: Open
Case Number: 19-000081 Offense: Harassment Reported on: 2/4/2019 at 2:00pm Incident occurred on: 2/2/2019 at 1:40pm Location: Administration Complex Building: 3100 Main Description: Former employee sent an unwanted text message to their former supervisor. Charges declined by DA’s office. Disposition: Closed Case Number: 19-000083 Offense: Criminal Mischief Reported on: 2/4/2019 at 4:45pm Incident occurred on: 2/4/2019 at 7:20am-3:30pm Location: Administration Complex Building: Rosalie Parking Lot Description: Employee reported damage to their vehicle by an unknown suspect. Disposition: Open Case Number: 19-000074 Offense: Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse Reported on: 2/2/2019 at 11:00am Incident occurred on: 1/31/2019 at 2:00pm Location: Central - Midtown Campus Building: Learning Hub Description: Student’s unattended wallet and contents were stolen from a lunch table. His debit card was used off campus without his consent. Disposition: Open Case Number: 19-000075 Offense: Theft Reported on: 2/2/2019 at 2:15pm Incident occurred on: 2/1/2019 at 3:00pm Location: West Loop Campus Building: 5601 West Loop South Description: Housekeeping technician’s money was stolen from her purse. Disposition: Open
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HCC Eastside hosts Tejas Foco Conference Ana Gonzalez
AGonzalez@hccegalitarian.com
Students, professors, scholars and professionals from all over the state of Texas flocked over to the Eastside Campus for the annual Tejas Foco Conference hosted by the National Association of Chicano/Chicana Studies. Panels range from the importance of a Liberal Arts degree to authors at the border. Students ranging from high school to university-level have roundtable discussions on education, activism, as well as Latino/a history. “Semillas de Poder” or “The Seeds of Power” was the theme. Conference attendees and panelists talk about “El Movimiento” [The Movement] of the 60s and 70s. The conference features keynote speaker Norma Elia Cantu, who delivered a motivational and historical speech Friday. Cantu is a postmodernist writer and Humanities professor at Trinity University, located
in San Antonio. She has written two novels, one called “The Author of Canicula: Snapshots of a Girlhood en la Frontera” as well as Cabanuelas, which is due out sometime this month. Dr. Melissa Gonzalez, Interim President of HCC Southeast and Eva Loredo, HCC Trustee from District VIII spoke a few words before the keynote speaker took the podium. “To be standing here as a Latina, an administrator, an interim president of one of the largest colleges in the nation, is truly an honor,” says Dr. Gonzalez, “But it was the trailblazers that showed the way to help me. I had good people to help me get to where I am at today.” Cantu took the audience back in time, all the way back to 1325, with a goal to find the “seeds of resistance”. She discovered where the roots of Chicanos and Chicanas truly began, and “where the seeds were planted”. One area in particular she pointed out was the kingdom of Tenochtitlan, which is now the
Ana Gonzalez/The Egalitarian Trinity University professor Norma Elia Cantu steps behind the podium Friday to speak before her audience at the Tejas Foco Conference at Houston Community College’s Eastside Campus. Her speech, focusing on “semillas de poder (the seeds of power)” was the keynote address of the event, hosted by the National Association of Chicano/Chicana Studies. center of Mexico City. Then to 1492 when she referenced the clash between the Spanish and the Aztec Indians. “But these people have witnessed the devastation wrote in a different language, and we inherit the history and the knowledge.” She also mentioned how women such as the Virgin of Guadalupe made such a huge impact to the Latino community. Don Miguel Hidalgo Y Costil-
la, the leader of Mexico’s war on Independence, prayed for her longevity as he cried for Independence from the Spanish. Cantu emphasized that “we all came from the seeds planted from the past”, and that those seeds are still within and can be passed from generation to generation. She concluded her speech with a quote: “Do work that matters, vale la pena”. “Our abuelitos set the pace for us. They told us you have to go to
school, you have to study, and you have to make a difference. And that’s what we’re doing,” said Trustee Loredo. The conference was held for three days from February 14 to February 16. HCC professors Dr. Natalie Garza and Dr. Jesse Esparza were Chairs of the 2019 Committee. For more information on the National Association of Chicano/Chicana Studies, visit naccs. org.
O’Rourke leads protest in El Paso
Volunteering helps in multiple ways
Vivian Reyes
vgrant@hccegalitarian.com
Virginia Grant
vreyes@hccegalitarian.com Holding rallies in El Paso, Texas on Monday night, he expressed his views on Trump’s US-Mexico border wall. About 8,000 people attended the protest, while only 6,500 attended Trump’s rally. While the government shutdown took place, the government did not pass the funds needed to build the US-Mexico border wall. But the decision did not stop Trump from still wanting to build the wall. Meanwhile in El Paso, O’Rourke told his supporters that the wall was “safe not because of walls but in spite of walls” This sparked controversy between the two since O’Rourke would be his potential presidential candidate. Dozens of Texans gathered around the rally with their kids and their dogs supporting the Democra-tic congressman. O’Rourke was greeted along the way by large crowds in support of his specific message. The message he brings out states that “We’re supposed to welcome people who are try-ing to escape danger and welcome them to our country where they have the opportunity to live a free happy life. Hopefully we can go back to doing that”. Many agree with O’Rourke because America is known as the Land of Opportunity, giving people varies amount of jobs but helps those provide for their families. Which is why many immigrants want to cross over to live a better life for their children and family. Since the presidential election, we have been in favor of Trump not having his facts straight. Trump believes that the El Paso bor-
Rudy Gutierrez/AP Photo Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke speaks to a crowd inside a ball park across the street from where President Donald Trump was holding a rally inside the El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas. As the president filled an El Paso arena with supporters, O’Rourke helped lead thousands of his own on a protest march past the barrier of barbed-wire topped fencing and towering metal slats that separates El Paso from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. der led to a significant reduction in violent crime, With a popualtion of about 700,000. The violent crimes that happened have been cut short since the 1990s. The statistics found show that the violent crimes were already on decline before the fencing was completed in 2009. This signifying that the fencing never had negative affects on crime rates. Trump’s main focus in having a border wall built is to keep our country safe. President Trump wants to build the wall to prevent immigrants from crossing the United States-Mexico border. The border as of now is separated by fences that travel for 654 miles. The people that live outside the border have experienced years of growing security mea-
sures and illegal crossing. The ongoing sit-uations and families risking their lives to settle in a better country has increased the thought of wanting a wall that separates the United States and Mexico. O’Rourke and other government people believe that those who cross the border have no intentions of harming the country we live in. This is why many pep rallies and social events have gone on in the protest of Trumps views. These people understand that if they were in the same position they would want those people to do the same. As for O’Rourke being a potential president candidate many applaud him for standing up for Texas and his fellow citizens.
Studies show volunteering helps the giver as well as the community. Cassie Mogilner of University of Pennsylvania’s Warton School (Mogilner, 2015) performed a battery of studies that revealed several unexpected benefits of volunteering. These are in addition to the career benefits of volunteering reported by Deloitte Development LLC in 2016 (Deloitte Development LLC, 2016). In an article published in Forbes, Mark Horoszowski listed surprising benefits of volunteering (Horoszowski, 2015)So, what are the perks of volunteering? Here is the short list: • You perceive yourself as having more time if you give some away to others. Mogilner’s studies showed that you feel “time affluent” when you spend time helping others; more so than if you squander your time, or devote it to personal accomplishments. • You develop your skill set by volunteering. In Deloitte’s Report 85 percent of decisions makers found skill-based volunteering helped talent advance their communication skills; 92 percent
see Volunteering, Page 4
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Culture
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Chinese New Year’s symbolism Vivian Reyes
VReyes@hccegalitarian.com
Image Courtesy of Yosemite Research Library
Museum displays Buffalo Soldier history Virginia Grant
vgrant@hccegalitarian.com African American soldiers have come to the aid of their country in times of war since Colonial days, but it wasn’t until 1866 that they were allowed to serve in the peacetime military. After Congress passed the Army Organization Act six all-black cavalry and infantry regiments were created to serve west of the Mississippi. Their service was not easy, even harder that what other men experienced at the time. The name “Buffalo Soldier” is in part a tribute to their determined preservice in the face of all obstacles. They did persevere and their distinguished service record stands as a tribute to all they accomplished up to 1948 when the United States Military became integrated. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (BSNM) on Caroline Street, across Alabama from the HCC Central Campus commemorates this service. The first regiments of those organized in 1866 were sent to Texas. Others were subsequently also sent west to settle conflicts between Native Americans and settlers, catch rustlers, and protect stagecoaches, wagon trains and railroad crews. They served in the Spanish-American War in the 1890s fighting in the Battle of San Juan Hill, the Battle of El Caney and the Battle of Las Guasimas. In the early 1900s Buffalo Soldiers served in the Philippines. Despite
the poor conditions, discrimination and low pay the Buffalo Soldiers have the lowest desertion rate in the American military. Buffalo Soldiers also served as some of the first caretakers of our National Parks; fighting wildfires, supporting infrastructure and serving as park rangers. President Grant established Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872 followed by others. Buffalo Soldiers were engaged between 1891 and 1913 to preserve and improve these parks. In addition to acts of nature, the soldiers had to prevent illegal grazing of livestock and poaching of wildlife. Buffalo Soldiers also built infrastructure, and they were outstanding in this service as well. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum was founded in 2001 and is the only museum dedicated to preserving the legacy of the African-American soldiers who served in the American military from 1770 to 2000. BSNM offers educational programs for individuals and institutions suitable for all education levels. They not only serve as a repository of information they are also pursuing historic research to further create and disseminate knowledge about the Buffalo Soldiers. BSNM supports the arts and its exhibits include examples of the insights talented artists revealed about the Buffalo Soldiers. The road they built to the Giant Forrest and the base of Moro Rock allowed the public to see these mountain
top forest for the first time. In 1903 the company of Buffalo Soldiers led by Captain Charles Young completed more infrastructure projects in that one year than had be finished in the three previous years. Although the Buffalo Soldiers were officially desegregated in 1948 when President Truman ended segregation in the United States Military by Executive Order 9981 BSNM follows the soldiers’ stories further. The Artillery and Tech Wall Exhibits hold weapons, munitions, tools and other items spanning generations. In addition to the Civil War Exhibitions there are exhibitions for WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. Programs include reenactors and children’s programs. There is also an online database of the Buffalo Soldier Roster. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is located at 3816 Caroline Street, Houston TX 77004 and can be reached by phone at 713-942-8920. They are open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. Admission is free on Thursdays from 1PM to 5PM, otherwise General Admission is $10 per adult, $5 per student, Children under 5 are free. They are looking for Volunteers who can help as docents and with the collections, guest services, library, programs and events. The Volunteer Application is available on their website, BuffaloSoldierMuseum.Com.
decision makers are more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience, and even more, 85 percent will overlook other flaws for candidates who volunteer. All this is good news for student volunteers; even better news is that is refreshingly easy to find volunteer opportunities to suit every student interest. The Houston Food Bank (Bank, 2019) has onsite and community programs. Fort Bend Women’s Center (Center, 2019) welcomes volunteers in a variety of positions, working with clients, running the Penny Wise Thrift Stores and a variety of other projects. Magnificat House (Magnificat House, 2019) employees volunteers in Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, their thrift stores, and working with the residents of their shelters. Houston Food Bank needs people to help distribute food, and so much more. In the Portwall Warehouse volunteers help maintain the pantry, stock, sort, repack food and ready it for family distribu-
tion. In the Keegan Kitchen volunteers get real hands-on experience preparing food in a professional kitchen. Houston Food Bank also partnerships with SER-Jobs for Progress to train people for jobs while they volunteer at Houston Food Bank. Contact Sivivian Merrick at 832-369-9316 about Serving for Success and visit the houstonfoodbank.org website for other volunteering opportunities. Fort Bend Women’s Center engages volunteers to work with clients, help in the thrift stores, help run the shelters and coordinate special events. A twice monthly orientation is held for all volunteers and online applications are available from the fbwc.org website. Many volunteer opportunities exist including helping in the Penny Wise Thrift Stores, cooking for the shelters and at special events. Because the center’s clients have experience violence and abuse, special training is provided for people who work with clients.
Volunteering, From Page 3 agreed that volunteering improved employees’ broader professional skill sets. • Volunteers are generally physically healthier. Horoszowski’s article informed that volunteers had lower mortality rates and greater physical functional ability throughout life than non-volunteers. Volunteers also are less likely to suffer from depression. • Student volunteers gain real world experience. It can be difficult to get a job when you have no experience; volunteering provides an opportunity to gain the experience needed to get the job. • Volunteers develop leadership skills. The Deloitte Report indicated that business are convinced that volunteering helps employees develop communication, decision making, accountability, commitment, motivational, character and other leadership skills. • Volunteers are more likely to get hired. According to Deloitte, 82 percent of hiring
Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. It celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese calendar is coordinated by the cycles of the moon. The first day of China’s lunar calendar is within a day of the second new moon before the spring equinox moon phase. Chinese New Year was Tuesday, February 5, 2019. This holiday is normally considered as a year of the pig. This is due to the popular Chinese astrology that gives each year an animal sign. Chinese New Year is celebrated in many Chinese cities. The holiday is traditionally a time to honor the household and ancestors. The main Chinese New Year activities include; putting up decorations, eating dinner with family on New Year’s Eve, popping fireworks and giving red envelopes and other gifts. Many celebrations take part in Chinese owned places that include traditional performances. These performances vary from dragon dances, lion dances, and imperial performances. The dragon dance is the most often seen in festive celebrations. The dance is often performed by a team of dancers who manipulate a long flexible dragon using poles along the length of the dragon. The dancers demonstrate the movements of the dragons as if in a river spirit. During the Chinese New Year, every decoration around is decorated with red. Red is believed to be the sign of success which is why it is the main color for the festival. A popular decoration that is seen around China towns are red Chinese lanterns. The lanterns are red, oval-shaped and are deco-rated with red or gold tassels. These lanterns are used to provide light and are aspects of Buddhist worship. The lanterns have become a symbol of national pride in China and are used to decorate homes and public buildings. They’re also significant for being released into the night skies over “China and rest of the world”. The lanterns are set off by rising hot air that is generated by flame. They are beautiful to experience and give an eye-catching effect. The New Year is a time for families to be together. The New Year’s Eve dinner is called a “reunion dinner”. This is believed to be the most important meal of the year. “The New Year dinners” have many meaningful dishes. The most common foods include, dumplings, fish, spring rolls and nian gao. After the dinner, the families sit together and watch the Spring Festival Gala. The Spring Festival Gala is one of the most watched TV shows in China. While watching the show or waiting pa-tiently for the new year red envelopes are passed around. The red envelopes have money inside and are believed to bring good luck because they are red.
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‘Black Panther’ designer Carter on her start, Spike Lee Jonathan Landrum Jr.
LOS ANGELES — It’s a big week for Ruth E. Carter, who on Sunday could become the first African-American to win an Academy Award for costume design through her Afro-futuristic wardrobes in “Black Panther.” But before that show, Carter will receive a career achievement award Tuesday at the 21st annual Costume Designers Guild Awards. She talked about her early years with Spike Lee and her favorite “Black Panther” costumes during a recent interview with The Associated Press.
the person who would play the role. She did that in her first-ever film, Spike Lee’s “School Daze.” “My process at the beginning was to go head on into the script and draw out the characters and make them funny,” said Carter, speaking with sketches from a cross-section of her lifetime work laid out on a table. Carter had numerous sketches including Chicken George from “ROOTS,” a zoot suit drawing of Malcolm X and a boxing promoter named Sultan from the “The Great White Hype.” “This is what I do, this is what I love,” she said.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED Carter still possesses her sketches from her college days at Hampton University and during an internship with the Santa Fe Opera. She spent countless hours drawing all sorts of characters, honing her craft in her dorm room and small studio in Los Angeles a few years after college. One sketch she keeps handy is of a unisex dancer sporting red and gray tights. “I was so excited about the idea of costume design and how it intersects with art. I really wanted to draw the characters out. I spent a lot of time in my dorm room or once I came out to L.A. in my semistudio at my drafting table,” said Carter, who graduated from Hampton in 1982. In her early days, Carter delved into a script and drew characters before knowing
CARTER’S FAVORITE COSTUME Carter has created costumes of memorable characters from Denzel Washington’s Malcom X in “Malcolm X,” Spike Lee’s Mookie in “Do the Right Thing” and Forest Whitaker’s Cecil Gaines in “The Butler.” But she said her favorite costumes came from “Black Panther,” particularly the Dora Milaje, a team of women elite warriors who protected the kingdom of Wakanda. She said the layered wardrobes of the allfemale special forces were “impactful” and “powerful.” “I was very inspired when we did these illustrations,” said Carter, who worked with six illustrators on the superhero Marvel film. She typically works with one. “You know, it’s quite imaginative. Because we had to work in so many
AP Entertainment Writer
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP File Photo Designer Ruth E. Carter, nominated for an Oscar for best costume designs for “Black Panther,” poses for a portrait while holding a photo of one of her designs in Los Angeles. Carter will also be honored for her illustrious career at the 21st annual Costume Designers Guild Awards on Tuesday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
different ways and so fast, I’m really proud of these because we were able to create a look and a world in a short amount of time.” PAYIN’ IT FORWARD Even though Carter paved her own way as a costume designer, she never had a problem uplifting others. That’s the mindset she particularly had while working with Spike Lee. She said the mission at Lee’s production company, 40
Acres and a Mule, was to positively “push the Afro future and African diaspora.” “We considered ourselves positive role models in the film industry,” she said. “There were always internships at 40 Acres and a Mule where we were teaching younger people who didn’t have an inroad to the film industry, exposing so many people to the industry including myself. Because of that, I give back as much as I can.”
6 HCC hosts FIFA tournament Wednesday February 20, 2019
Joey Garcia
jgarcia@hccegalitarian.com Last Tuesday at Central Campus, there was a FIFA 19 tournament hosted by Shaneisha Weir of HCC Rec Sports. Weir told me that this was the first time that the event had worked with Microsoft and streamed it live on Mixer. The tournament was made up several contestants trying to win the grand prize, a choice of either a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. The tournament format was a single elimination made up of two brackets each having its own winner. During gameplay, if the match happens to go into extra time a golden goal would decide the winner, but a penalty shootout would go as normal if the two contestants are still tied after both extra times. The event kicked off with two matchups, Artur (who did not wish to reveal his last name) vs. Omar Ibrahim, and Kubilay (no last name given) vs. Carlos Torres. Of the two matchups, Omar and Kubilay advanced being the first pair of winners. Omar, who is from Egypt, is at HCC studying business, this
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is his second semester and is graduating next spring. Kubilay of Denizli, Tukey is here at HCC to study automotive technology, he is expected to graduate in two years. Kubilay, who has a disability on his left hand, said “Everyone asks me, how do you play with a disabled hand? And I say to them, I play, you do not play with your hand you play with your brain… FIFA is my childhood and still my game, and I love FIFA.” Kubilay has been playing FIFA since FIFA 09 and has not played in six months because his PlayStation is back home in Turkey. Kubilay beat Carlos two to one in extra time after scoring a golden goal, but was unfortunately knocked out the round after. Omar, who has been playing since FIFA 10 explained where he learned to play FIFA, saying “In the beginning, I was confused when I played FIFA because I was playing PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) and it’s totally different so my friends told me how to play it and I started to practice,” Omar, won the first final against Nigerian Student Simon
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Joey Garcia/The Egaliatarian Omar Ibrahim, left, takes on Kubilay in a FIFA 19 matchup diring last week’s video game tournament. who is enrolled at the University of Houston but is at HCC taking calculus, he has played FIFA regularly since FIFA 08. The final score was two to zero. And Omar was all smiles as he took home a new PlayStation 4. The second bracket began soon after Omar’s win. Reigning defending champion Melfi, who is studying liberal arts here at HCC is hoping to move to a four-year college and study supply-chain management. Melfi made it to the semifinals and lost to student Alan of India who is studying Nursing.
The other semi-final fixture had Joshua Joy, a student from India who is studying Nursing winning. Alan was dominating the competition as he defeated defending champion Melfi six to three. The second final had Joshua and Alan go at it, in what was a tight affair as the final ended one to zero. Alan who came into the tournament confident he could make some moves, emerged victoriously and chose a swag bag that will contain $60 worth of gear from his favorite club. Alan has been playing FIFA since FIFA 08 or 09
and is still paying to this day. Honorable mention. As far as gaming goes Kubilay showed me that there is no such thing as barriers in the activity but instead it is all in the mind. Aaron Ruiz, a student in the HCC VAST academy, was all smiles at the tournament. Even though he lost in the first round he did not go down without a fight, as he was able to put a point on the board, Aaron, unfortunately, lost two to one. This will be Aaron’s second year second semester in the VAST academy and will be graduating in May.
Machado, Padres agree to $300M, 10-year deal Joey Garcia
jgarcia@hccegalitarian.com SAN DIEGO — With their city’s long-suffering fans desperate for a winner, the rebuilding San Diego Padres delivered their splashiest free agent signing ever by agreeing with All-Star infielder Manny Machado on a $300 million, 10year deal. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced. Machado can opt out after five years and become a free agent again, the person said. Machado’s agreement would be the second-largest in baseball history behind Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million, 13-year deal signed with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2015 season. It would be the highest deal for a free agent, topping Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million, 10year contract with the New York Yankees from 2008-17. More records may be broken soon. Free agent outfielder Bryce Harper could top Stanton’s deal in coming days or weeks. That won’t matter a bit to Padres fans, who have never celebrated a World Series title and were keeping their fingers crossed in recent days as it became apparent that their team, with a mostly sad-sack history stretching back a half-century, actually had a chance at landing Machado, who is only 26. Some fans seemed braced for yet an-
Jae C. Hong/AP File Photo Then-Los Angeles Dodgers’ Manny Machado celebrates his two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning of Game 2 of a baseball National League Division Series, in Los Angeles. A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that infielder Manny Machado has agreed to a $300 million, 10-year deal with the rebuilding San Diego Padres, the biggest contract ever for a free agent. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced. other disappointment. But news of the deal was greeted with euphoria on social media. Speaking at spring training in Peoria, Arizona, Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler declined to confirm the deal, saying: “We do not have a deal with any free agent player. We are continuing discussions, and that’s all we have to say.” Teams draw a distinction between an agreement subject to a physical and a finalized deal.
While Fowler looked serious, general partner Peter Seidler couldn’t help but smile while waiting for his turn to speak. Without confirming the deal, Seidler — a nephew of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley — spoke of what his ownership group wants to bring to San Diego, where the Padres play in a gem of a ballpark just off the bay. “Ron and I, we love the city of San Diego, we love sports in San Diego, but
we’re also well aware of the history. There’s never been a championship from a major sports franchise in San Diego. ... We as an organization want to completely change that. We want our franchise to win year after year after year. And we’re going to do whatever we can rationally do to help make that happen.” The Padres lost 96 games last year, haven’t had a winning season since 2010 and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2006. They haven’t won a playoff series since the 1998 NL Championship against Atlanta. They were routed in their two World Series appearances, by Detroit in 1984 and the New York Yankees in 1998. And they’ve had the city’s big league sports scene to themselves since the NFL’s Chargers moved to the Los Angeles area two seasons ago. The Chargers did win the AFL title in 1963 but were blown out by San Francisco in their only Super Bowl appearance, after the 1994 season. Other than the AFL title, the biggest championships won around here were probably Little League World Series titles in 2009 by Park View of Chula Vista and in 1961 by El Cajon-La Mesa Northern, which included Brian Sipe, who won the NFL’s MVP Award in 1980. Padres players were ecstatic, even though the signing was not yet official. Catcher Austin Hedges was headed toward bunting drills when he heard the news. He pumped his fists and said, “I’m just that excited about bunting.” “You see me smiling right here,” said first baseman Eric Hosmer, who exactly a year ago earlier finalized a $144 million, eight-year deal with San Diego.
@HCC_Egalitarian
Commentary
Wednesday February 20, 2019
The Egalitarian www.HCCEgalitarian.com
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The women in white
Esmerelda Rocha
ERocha@HCCEgalitarian.com
Egal•i•tar•i•an (adjective) aiming for equal wealth, status, etc., for all people 3517 Austin; 303 Fine Arts Center; Houston TX 77004 Phone: 713.718.6016; Fax: 713.718.6601 Adviser: Fredrick Batiste
SPRING 2019 EGALITARIAN STAFF Editor-in-Chief.............................................Ana Gonzalez News Editor...........................................Esmerelda Rocha Sports Editor.................................................. Joey Garcia Culture Editor.............................................. Virginia Grant Photo Editor............................................................... TBA Social Media Mgr....................................................... TBA Staff Writer.............................................. Sarah Al-Shaikh Staff Writer....................................................Vivian Reyes Staff Writer..............................................Jazmin Sanchez Staff Writer................................................................. TBA Staff Writer................................................................. TBA Staff Photographer..................................................... TBA ——— The Egalitarian has been the official student newspaper of the Houston Community College System since September 1974. The Egalitarian is published bi-monthly, every other Wednesday except during holiday breaks. Print circulation is 4,000 copies per issue and distributed to selected HCC campuses in the Houston, Spring Branch, Alief, Katy, North Forest and Fort Bend areas. Comments and contributions are always welcome. Deadlines for contributions and advertisements are one week before the issue print date. The Egalitarian is written and edited by students of Houston Community College. This publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, interests, attitudes and tastes of the Board of Trustees, HCC administration, faculty, staff or students. Opinions and editorial content of The Egalitarian that are unsigned do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Egalitarian staff or adviser. The Egalitarian reserves the right to edit any submitted material for grammatical errors, offensive language, libelous materials and space constraints. It may also refuse any advertising that does not adhere to the HCC mission.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The Egalitarian staff consists of HCC students who must complete all tasks required to produce the newspaper, which serves all campuses of the HCC System. We want all students from all majors to contribute. However, we must follow our submissions policy in order to operate under our limitations of time, energy and staff. All staff and contributing writers must be currently enrolled students at Houston Community College. The Egalitarian interacts with contributing writers via e-mail and telephone. Visiting The Egalitarian will not help contributors get published, only quality work will. Publication priority is given to staff members and assigned articles, and verbal commitments for assignments will not be accepted or recognized. Press releases, story ideas, news tips and suggestions are always welcomed. Any student interested in joining The Egalitarian staff may request more detailed information regarding story length, topics, style, etc., by e-mailing The Egalitarian Faculty Adviser Fredrick Batiste at adviser@hccegalitarian.com.
On Feb. 5, President Donald J. Trump delivered his second State of the Union address. This comes after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history that lasted a total of 35 days. That topped with the upcoming 2020 election just around the corner, the focus was expected to be on President Trumps words. However, much of the attention was on a pool of white on the Senate floor. This pool of white was caused by many of the female members of congress, who wore white outfits Tuesday night as a tribute to the women known as the U.S. Suffragettes. Back in the 20th century women around the United States took to the streets in protest for women’s rights. These women fought for over a century to grant women a voice in who would represent them in their government. These women marched in the streets across the country bearing the color white to catch the press’ attention, in hopes to turn as many eyes to their cause as possible. Almost a hundred years ago they won that battle with the
passing of the 19th Amendment, granting the women the right to vote. Over the year’s women have made many advances in our nation to bring us one step closer to reaching equality with more and more women in public office. After the 2018 midterm elections we have had a huge freshman class enter congress, with women making history. We had many firsts such as Democrats Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib becoming the first Muslim women elected to congress and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becoming the youngest woman ever elected. These women ousted officials who have been very prominent in their states in the past. We also now have a record breaking 113 women serving in congress more than ever before. The women’s statement was heard around the country before the State of the Union began with the women of congress sharing their thoughts and pictures on social media. Florida Rep. Lois Frankel, the chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Working Group, encouraged the women to wear white to show solidarity and
to remind those who elected them that women’s economic security is one of their priorities. She tweeted, “By wearing suffragette white to #SOTU2019 tmrw we’re sending a message to everyone that voted for @ HouseDemocrats & delivered us the majority that we’re working #ForThePeople”. Many other women spoke about the fashion statement, the now famous and to some infamous New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought up in an interview to CNN the anniversary of the 19th amendment and how “there’s so much more that we have to fight for. From wage equality, to paycheck fairness, to protecting ourselves and believing survivors.” This is a reminder that although progress has been made toward women’s equality through more female public figures elected to represent us, the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, and women of all ages such as Emma Gonzalez speaking their minds in hopes to enact change, there are still a lot more battles to be won. However, with the 113 females representing us in our government we are one step closer to winning the war.
R.I.P Café Adobe Ana Gonzalez
AGonzalez@HCCEgalitarian.com
When I moved to Houston in March of 2015, I never thought about how exquisite the TexMex restaurant business was. I have deep Mexican roots, so the food I grew up with was not the food I was introduced here in Houston. My boyfriend, who was trying to play it cool at the time before we started to date, asked if I ever tried Tex-Mex before. I told him I preferred the other kind (the “authentic” kind), but I didn’t mind trying the Texas version of Mexican food. That is where he introduced me to Café Adobe, located at the Marq*E Entertainment Center off I-10 and I-610. It was an elegant restaurant, probably one of the most elegant restaurants I’ve been in so far. The servers overloaded you with chips and two types of salsa: one mild and one spicy. They don’t ask you if you want water, instead, they serve you water instead; which is great because when I tried the spicy salsa it tasted like a guy in a jalapeno costume kicked my tongue so hard. My boyfriend recommended me to try their margaritas. Drinking? On the first date? Their menu stated that they had “best margaritas in Houston”, and they were also award-winning. So I gave one
a try. There goes my one-drink limit. They were pretty good! It wasn’t too strong, or tarty. Definitely award-winning, for sure. Now to the main dishes. I ordered the “Pollo Fantastico”, a dish that had grilled chicken breast stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and steamed spinach. It came with rice and beans of your choice. Their tortillas were fresh made in-house, which is my favorite type of tortilla whether flour or corn. My boyfriend’s favorite dish was the chimichanga. Let me tell you that it looked nothing like the ones you microwave for two minutes. It was a giant chimichanga. Deadpool would get a kick out of it. The place was special to my boyfriend because it was convenient to HCC during his time (graduated in 2015). It was also the family favorite where they hosted birthday dinners and other gatherings. Since that first date, we would come back here. Valentine’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, we wanted to relive that special date we had. We actually had plans to return to Café Adobe for Valentine’s Day this year. One day while I was at work, I wanted to call the restaurant to see if they were taking reservations. One Google search led me to one article I did not want
to see: “Cafe Adobe Closes All Locations”. “Why???” was my reaction. Google only gave me limited results. The only source I could find was Reddit’s r/Houston page. The users were saying different things, from “injury lawsuit” to “bad service”, to “Owner decided to sell out the restaurant”. To make all matters worse, they have been closed since October of 2018. Further searching led me to a Southeast Texas Record article about a customer slipping and falling off the stairs at Café Adobe’s Sugar Land location. That article was days old, which led me to the fact that this, plus the recent bad reviews on their social media pages, were reasons why they were shut down. According to another article by Swampost.com, the property will be replaced by an Irish pub. We were able to compromise a plan B for Valentine’s Day this year. However, knowing that Café Adobe no longer exists gives me that hollow feeling that nothing would replace it. I’ve tried other TexMex restaurants before, but that one was special; no matter how much I criticized the size of their tamales. May you rest in peace, Café Adobe. You were loved too much, no matter what people tell you.
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Wednesday February 20, 2019
The Egalitarian www.HCCEgalitarian.com
@HCC_Egalitarian