Today’s Weather
70/54 Rather cloudy during the day. Considerable cloudiness during the night.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 • Vol. 41, No. 4 • HCCEgalitarian.com Spring Break options for the thrifty see News, Page 3
Texans release Andre Johnson see Sports, Page 8
Bored? Just start binge-watching TV see A&E, page 10
HCC employees undergo new training Alyssa Foley
The Egalitarian Houston Community College’s chancellor directed all HCC employees to complete new discrimination response training by March 31. In a memo issued Feb. 26, Chancellor Cesar Maldonado stated, “It is an important part of all our jobs to keep HCC a respectful and safe learning and working environment. I personally endorse the concept of “See something…say something!”” Maldonado defined HCC’s non-discrimination policy in the memo, “No employee, student, applicant, vendor or visitor will be discriminated against because
of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or veteran status except where such distinction is required by law. No reprisals or retaliation of any kind shall be taken against an individual who exercises his/her rights under the law.” “Any proven charge of discrimination will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or termination from employment,” concluded Maldonado. Any possible violations of the college’s discrimination or sexual harassment policies should be reported to the Office of Institutional Equity at 713.718.8271.
“It is an important part of all of our jobs to keep HCC a respectful and safe working and learning environment. I personally endorse the concept of ‘See something ... say something’. Any proven charge of discrimination will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or termination from employment.”
Cesar Maldonado HCC Chancellor
The training will be in the form of an online module. This training follows changes in federal law and directives from the Department of Education. “It is required to be in compliance with federal law,” explained David Cross, HCC’s director of
the Office of Institutional Equity and an Equal Employment Opportunity compliance officer. “It makes sure that we are tracking and addressing complaints that come in and have safety-sensitive issues.” “Usually when you hear “sex
discrimination” you think about sexual harassment,” said Renee Mack, but, “this module covers much, much more.” Mack is the manager of HCC’s Equal
see
HCC Training, Page 3
Rodeo Cook-Off gives taste buds an 8-second ride John Cañamar The Egalitarian
Smoking may be frowned upon in most public settings and even banned, but at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, it’s required. Before all the cowboys, horses and trail rides reach the NRG complex, the barbeque pit masters and connoisseurs arrive for the annual three-day celebration known as the Houston Rodeo Cook-Off. If you enjoy the taste of meat after it has been cooked in its own juices for multiple hours only to be enhanced by the sweet flavors of apple, mesquite or pecan wood smoke and secret recipes, all while listening to good music and being surrounded be
good friend, then the Houston Rodeo CookOff is the event for you. This three-day party starts off on Thursday when cooking teams prepare their pits and begin the 72-hour marathon of smoking briskets, ribs, turkey legs and multiple more cuts of game. For this years Cook-Off, there were 263 cooking teams that entered the competition and made the trip to Houston from as far away as Sydney, Australia. Each team has their own tent where they throw private parties. Besides the fabulous barbeque there was remarkable music come from every angle. Each team had a band or DJ playing in their tents and there was also the Miller Lite Stage at the Garden that was open to the
public, which had 11 bands and a DJ over the three-day party. To give all Cook-Off goers the full experience, the Rodeo sponsors a public tent that serves 50 thousand chop beef sandwiches with beans and chips. The Marine Corp NOLA Band was a huge crowd-pleaser, playing both current and classic rock and country music. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, all of the finalist for the completion were gathered around the Miller Lite Stage for the announcement of the five individual event winners— Brisket, Ribs, Chicken, Go Texan and Dutch Oven—and the overall Grand Champion. This year’s winners were: •Hill Country Go Texan – Brisket •100.3 The Bull – Ribs
•Across the Track – Chicken •Hill Country Go Texan – Go Texan •Tejas Cookers – Dutch Oven •Across the Track – Grand Champion There were no repeat winners from last year’s event, although Tejas Cookers were the only team to win last year for Ribs and this year for Dutch Oven. Kathy Scafuri, of Tejas Cookers, created the winning desert in the Dutch Oven competition. “I made a strawberry cheesecake sopapilla turnover for this year, last year it took fourth place.” Besides all of the great food and lifetime friendships established at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Cook-Off is just the beginning of the rodeo, which raises money for scholarships.
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Campus Briefs hccegalitarian.com
Page 2 - Wednesday, March 11, 2015
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Interested in having your event in the campus briefs? Want the HCC Community to know that you have an upcoming meeting or an event? Let us help! E-mail your event info to hometeam@hccegalitarian.com!
Today HCC-Northeast Art Hub Gallery The Houston Community College-Northeast Art Hub Gallery celebrates Women’s History Month with an art exhibition entitiled “Substance and Light: The Art of Etta Harris.” The exhibition opens today at 11: 30 a.m. The community and students are invited to attend an artist lecture and view the art exhibit. A reception will take place immediately following the event. As a child in a military family growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Etta Harris learned to embrace and celebrate various cultures due to her travels and diverse background. Harris will discuss the manner in which her artistic interpretations are expressed through the use of acrylic and oil pastels, captured in abstract styles. Counseling Workshop at HCCCentral An HCC Central Counselor will provide information on the various college resources that HCC offers for students. The workshop is scheduled to start at noon in Room 101 of the Learning Hub Building. HCC-Southwest Faculty Art Exhibition The HCC Southwest Art Department Spring 2015 Faculty Art Exhibition opens today at noon at the Southwest College Fine Arts Center Gallery at the Stafford campus. The exhibit will include recent works produced by Southwest College’s faculty of master artists and runs through April 14. ‘The Reel’ Film and Culture Series “The Reel” Film and Culture Series continues today with a 12:30 p.m. screening of ‘New Rulers of the World’ at the Spring Branch campus’ Eagle Room. Introduction/discussion with history chair and professor Dr. Gisela Ables.
Women’s volleyball HCC-Northwest will take on HCC Southwest in women’s volleyball at 7 p.m. at West Houston Indoor Soccer, located at 17115 Clay Road.
March 12 Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce Breakfast The Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce will hold a networking breakfast for representatives from the Heights and surrounding communities Thursday at 7 a.m. at the Sheraton Brookhollow, located at 3000 North Loop West Freeway. HCC International Student Advisor/ DSO The International Student Advisor/ Designated School Official attends the selected campus in order to assist both staff and students on the processes of international student compliance and education. The campus visit consists of presentations, staff interaction, and student advising. Through each visit, the advisor hope to increase student retention, satisfaction, compliance, recruitment, and the promotion of campus involvement and education. The advisor will be at the Stafford campus Thursday. A presentation will begin at 9 a.m. in Room 138 and the advisor will meet with students in the lobby from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Resume Orientation There will be resume orientation sessions Thursday at the Stafford and West Loop campuses Thursday, each giving students tips and instructions on producing resumes with the purpose of obtaining a job. The Stafford session begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Stafford Learning Hub while the West Loop session starts at 11 a.m. Reading Culture Series HCC-Northwest Reading Culture Series presents Dr. Hosam Aboul-Ela, World
Literature Professor at University of Houston, lectures on the novel “This Earth of Mankind” by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The presentation begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Spring Branch Campus’ Eagle Room. Oeidups Rex The Houston Community College-Northeast Drama Department will be presenting Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” Thursday through Saturday. All three performances start at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater in Codwell Hall, located at 555 Community College Drive. This classic Greek tragedy has found its way not only into Theatre classes, but also English, psychology, and ethics classes — so it has a wide range of interest and application. The play runs 85 minutes with no intermission. All tickets are $5, payable by cash only. Faculty and staff will be admitted for free. Reservations are not required, but are recommended. Reservations can be made by calling 713.718.2655 or e-mailing debra.schultz@hccs.edu. HCC-SE Field Day
Follow The Egalitarian on Twitter @HCC_Egalitarian Like The Egalitarian on Facebook facebook.com/HCCEgalitarian If you’re a currently-enrolled HCC student and interested in joining, staff meetings are Fridays at 11:30 a.m. in Room 232 of the Fine Arts Center, Central Campus
March 13 The HCC-Southeast Student Government Association will hold Field Day Friday from noon-5 p.m. Students are asked to meet at the Student Life Office in Room 126 of the Felix Morales Building, and will leave for Tom Bass Park in a bus. For more information, contact southeast.studentgovernment@ gmail.com or call 713.718.2241.
March 23 TSI Testing TSI testing is available between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in Room 205 of the Stafford Learning Hub. Please bring the following: Assessment Authorization Form (AA form), valid, current and recognizable photo ID and receipt of payment. The Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) must be completed prior to testing. To complete the PAA visit www.hccs.edu/tsi
The Egalitarian is written, edited and published by members of the student body at Houston Community College. All articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Egalitarian and its contents may not be reproduced or republished without the writeen permission of the editor-in-chief and adviser. The Egalitarian is published twice-monthly on Wednesdays with a run count of 8,000 copies per issue during the 2015 Spring semester. The paper is free to students, staff, faculty and general public on Wednesdays the paper is published.
The Egalitarian is the official student newspaper of the Houston Community College System. Articles, features, opinions, speak out and editorials do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the administration and its policies. Signed articles, feedback, commentaries and features do not necessarily reflect the views of the ditors, staff or student body. The Egalitarian is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) and College Media Association (CMA).
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News
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - Page 3
Spring Break on a budget options Alyssa Foley
The Egalitarian There are lots of fun, free and cheap things to do in Houston if you are a stereotypical broke college student. Here are the top free or cheap things to do in Houston this spring break. •For the Irish and Irish-atheart, check out the Downtown 56th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Saturday, March 14 at noon, 100 Main St. The event is free. www.hsppc.org •Visit the Asia Society for “Common Practice 21C: Classical, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Music” on Sunday, March 15 at 3 p.m. 1370 Southmore Blvd. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. http://bit. ly/12uddGz •Cowboy or Cowgirl up for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s value Wednesday, March 18. Admission to NRG Park is only $5, while NRG Park and Florida Georgia Line concert admission is $10. http://bit. ly/1MjayS2 •In Houston’s Museum District, there are ten museums which are always free from the Menil Collection to Houston Center for Photography. Plus, seven more have free general admission times every Thursday including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Health Museum. There will be lots of activities specifically for spring break, including free sketching instruction in the galleries at the MFAH. See the Museum District’s spring break guide for more: http://bit.ly/1zJgWJt
Michael E. Johnston/Flickr This 2006 image shows theatergoers picnicking on the hill before a Miller Outdoor Theatre performance. Miller will be hosting two free shows during Spring Break on March 20 and March 21. •Get a free cup of Italian ice at any Rita’s Italian Ice locations in Houston on Friday, March 20 from noon till 9 p.m. to celebrate the first official day of Spring. In Katy, 6825 S. Fry Road; Sugar Land, 1226 Museum Square Drive; Clear Lake, 1849 El Dorado Blvd; Northwest Houston, 9587 Jones Rd; The Woodlands-Conroe, 3600 FM 1488; and Galveston, 6026 Seawall Blvd. www.RitasIce.com •Check out “Dark Matter: Late-Night Improv Comedy with Space Mutt and Trek Wars” on Friday March 20, 10–11 p.m. Station Theater, 1230 Houston Ave. Admission is free.
•At the heart of the Museum District, Miller Outdoor Theatre will host the blues-rock Spencer Davis Group Friday, March 20 at 8 p.m. On Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m., the Latin youth group Caliente, singer and songwriter Kevin Ceballo and salsa music sensation Tony Succar will take the Miller stage. Performances at Miller are always free. MillerOutdoorTheatre.com •Go sightseeing at the JP Morgan Chase Tower’s Sky Lobby on the 60th floor. The Sky Lobby is free and open to the public during business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday through Friday. 600 Travis St.
•Visit the “Tunnel of Love”, an interactive, site-specific art exhibit. It’s open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. at One Allen Center, 500 Dallas St., second level. Admission is free. •Check out Station Theater’s “Improv Comedy: Be Kind To Strangers” on Saturday, March 21 8:30–11 p.m. Admission is $6. 1230 Houston Ave. •Show your HCC Student ID at the Houston Zoo and pay $14 for adult general admission any day. Be sure to rest and relax this spring break, but also get out of the house, try something new and have fun no matter how small your budget is.
HCC Training, From Page 1 Employment Opportunity Compliance office and is the Title IX compliance coordinator. Mack continued, “It covers sexual assault, it covers stalking, it covers dating violence and basically educates employees. If a student does approach them — a faculty member — and wants to report something, we want to make sure that the employees understand our role in how they should move forward.” Cross said that the changes in federal law, “also requires that we provide information for our students.” The online employee training is just the beginning of a series of moves to raise awareness of discrimination issues at HCC. Mack explained the multifaceted approach HCC will be using to educate students about this issue. Plans include infusing Title IX into firsttime orientation sessions and HCC’s college success courses such as EDUC 1300. Posters will be going up on all HCC’s thirty-plus locations to raise consciousness and provide contact information. “We’re also going to try including a link online for students to take a very quick module on Title IX and their rights and we’re going to ask faculty to consider giving students extra points — extra credit — for those who go and take the module.” All of this is based on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. It protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities which receive federal financial assistance. Title IX states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” “We want students to know that everybody has rights,” Mack said, “This is not just for females, it’s for anybody who experiences some sort of sexual misconduct on or around HCC campus or at HCC sponsored activities. This is for everybody.”
Community hccegalitarian.com
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Police agencies to learn about bias
Part of channel closed after collsion MIchael Graczyk The Associated Press
Tami Abdollah
The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — When law enforcement officers from around the U.S. visit the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles for training these days, they are faced with a choice between entering a door marked “prejudiced” and another marked “unprejudiced.” While most officers pick the “prejudiced” door, some don’t and quickly discover that the “unprejudiced” door is locked — a not-sosubtle reminder that no one is unbiased. It’s an early lesson officers receive when they show up at the center’s Museum of Tolerance for instruction that includes implicit bias training, which aims to help them recognize and understand how their unconscious biases can impact the way they do their jobs. The training is gaining more traction among police departments in dozens of cities, including Philadelphia and Dallas, especially after recent protests over the killings of black men by white officers sparked a debate about the role race plays in policing.
Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo Dozens of unidentified Los Angeles Police Department officers learn to recognize unconscious prejudices at a class at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The department, which expects to send more than 5,000 officers to the museum’s course in the next several years, is working to weave implicit bias lessons into existing training. Officers need to make sure “that our language doesn’t unintentionally reinforce biases that have been passed on to us because we had the same thing passed on to us,” said Luann Pannell, director of training and education for the Los Angeles Police Department. The department, which expects to send more than 5,000 officers to the museum’s course in the next several years, is working to weave implicit bias lessons into existing
training. Increasingly deployed by the Justice Department at troubled law enforcement agencies, the training has taken on new importance in the last year since the uproar over police tactics after the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. Experts say the focus on implicit bias is the next frontier of police training — as important a subject as the proper use of force.
Food Truck Fest coming HCC West Loop Alyssa Foley
The Egalitarian Over 34 Houston chefs will be rolling on to the Houston Community College West Loop campus on March 21 and 22 for the 5th Annual Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival. Tickets are $16 for adults, which includes $5 of beverage tickets and a $1 donation to the Houston Community College Foundation. Children 12 and under are free. The festival combines gourmet food with a beer and wine garden, street entertainment, an artisan vendor village and live music. Tickets are limited. Purchase online at www. HauteWheelsHouston.com Most trucks will serve sample portions. Gluten-free and vegan
menus are offered. The festival is a family-friendly event with activities for everyone. This year, participating trucks include Angie’s Cake, Coreanos, Good Dog Hot Dog, Flip ‘n Patties, Fork in the Road, Foodgasm, Frosted Betty, Golden Grill, Happy Endings, H-TownStrEATS, Koagie Hots, Kona Ice, The Hungry Lumberjack, Miso Yummy, Muiishi Makirritos, Monster PBJ, Nom Mi, Pocket to Me, Porch Swing Desserts, Skratch, Soul Cat Cuisine, St. John’s Fire, The Waffle Bus, Tila’s Taco Truck, Snow Cream Man—an original 1961 ice cream truck and Zeapod Cakery. While newcomers include Cousins Maine Lobster, Doughmaker Donuts, Mahalo
Image courtesy of Haute Wheels Houston St. John’s Fire is one of the many food trucks that will be serving up delicious at the Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival March 20 and 21 at HCC’s West Loop campus. Munchies, The Pickled Pig, Buttz Gourmet Food Truck, Ripe, Reigns, Savor the Bites and Wokker TX Ranger. Street entertainment will include a skills challenge area presented by Houston Dynamo;
up close skating demonstrations by Northside Fury and a larger than life food truck inspired chalk painting by a team of artists from Via Colori — the annual street painting festival benefiting The Center for Hearing and Speech.
HOUSTON — A portion of the busy Houston Ship Channel was shut Monday after two 600-foot ships collided in fog, causing a leak of flammable liquid. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether, or MTBE, a gasoline additive aboard the Danish-flagged chemical tanker Carla Maersk, leaked from tanks that ruptured in the vessel’s collision with a 623-foot Liberian bulk carrier, Conti Peridot, Coast Guard Petty Officer Manda Emery said. Three cargo tanks on the vessel were ruptured, releasing an unknown quantity of the gasoline additive, said Coast Guard Capt. Brian Penoyer, commander of the Houston-Galveston Coast Guard District. “This is not a cargo chemical that is easy to clean up,” he said. Crews were examining the vessel’s tanks to determine how much of the product may have been spilled into the 50-mile channel that connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Port of Houston. The leak was halted about 90 minutes after the Coast Guard received word of the collision about 12:40 p.m., Emery said. No injuries were reported but officials asked that the about 350 people who live in the area, known as Morgan’s Point, remain inside their homes. They also halted activity at the Barbours Cut Terminal, where cargo vessels are loaded and unloaded. The federal Environmental Protection Agency describes MTBE as a volatile, flammable and colorless liquid that dissolved rather easily in water. It’s used to raise the oxygen content of gasoline. Emery said it was too soon to blame rain and fog for the collision. “We’ll have a very long marine casualty investigation to follow this,” she said.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - Page 5
OU boots frat after racist chant State
house passes roads bill
Sean Murphy
The Associated Press NORMAN, Okla. — The president of the University of Oklahoma severed the school’s ties with a national fraternity on Monday and ordered that its oncampus house be shuttered after several members took part in a racist chant caught on video. President David Boren said he was sickened and couldn’t eat or sleep after learning about the video Sunday afternoon. The video, which was posted online, shows several people on a bus participating in a chant that included a racial slur, referenced lynching and indicated black students would never be admitted to OU’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Boren attended a pre-dawn rally organized by students and lambasted those fraternity members as “disgraceful” and called their behavior “reprehensible.” He said the university was looking into a range of punishment, including expulsion. “This is not who we are,” Boren said at a midday news conference. “I’d be glad if they left. I might even pay the bus fare for them.” National leaders of Sigma Alpha Epsilon said late Sunday that its investigation confirmed
Will Weissert
The Associated Press
Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman/AP Photo Students at the University of Oklahoma protest racist comments made by a fraternity on Monday in Norman, Okla. University President David Boren lambasted members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on Monday who participated in a racist chant caught on video, calling them disgraceful and their behavior reprehensible, and ordered that their house be vacated by midnight Tuesday. members took part in the chant and announced it would close the local chapter. The national group said it was “embarrassed” by the “unacceptable and racist” behavior. Boren said members have until midnight Tuesday to remove their belongings from the fraternity house. He said the fraternity was “not totally forthcoming,” and he was still
trying to find out who was on the bus so the school could consider disciplinary actions. He said the university’s legal staff is exploring whether the students who initiated and encouraged the chant may have violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination. “We are also going to look
at any individual perpetrators, particularly those that we think took a lead in this kind of activity,” Boren said. It’s unclear who recorded the video, when it was recorded and who initially posted it online. Boren suggested it was likely taken by another student who didn’t agree with what was being chanted.
GOP tries to undercut nuclear deal with Iran Bradley Klapper & Deb Riechmann The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers warned the leaders of Iran on Monday that any nuclear deal they cut with President Barack Obama could expire the day he leaves office. The White House denounced the GOP’s latest effort to undercut the international negotiations as a “rush to war.” Monday’s open letter from 47 GOP senators marked an unusually public and aggressive attempt to undermine Obama and five world powers as negotiators try to strike an initial
deal by the end of March to limit Iran’s nuclear programs. Republicans say a deal would be insufficient and unenforceable, and they have made a series of proposals to undercut or block it — from requiring Senate sayso on any agreement to ordering new penalty sanctions against Iran or even making a preemptive declaration of war. Obama, noting that some in Iran also want no part of any deal, said “I think it’s somewhat ironic that some members of Congress want to make common cause with the hardliners in Iran. It’s an unusual coalition.” The letter was written by freshman Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who opposes
negotiations with Iran. It’s addressed to the “Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and presents itself as a constitutional primer to the government of an American adversary. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky’s signature is on it, as are those of several prospective presidential candidates. Explaining the difference between a Senate-ratified treaty and a mere agreement between Obama and Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the senators warned: “The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen, and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any
time.” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif responded via state media, dismissing the letter as a “propaganda ploy” and noting that many international deals are “mere executive agreements.” He suggested the senators were undermining not only the prospective deal with Iran but other international agreements as well. With Cotton presiding over the Senate on Monday, Democratic leader Harry Reid spoke out, saying Republicans were driven by animosity toward Obama and unwilling to recognize that American voters had twice elected him president.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Senate raced to pass the session’s first bill, approving a road-funding plan that would funnel billions of dollars annually from taxes collected on vehicles sales to transportation projects. Gov. Greg Abbott made the issue an “emergency item,” freeing up the Legislature to pass it quickly. And the proposal’s sponsor, Jacksonville Republican Sen. Robert Nichols, sped it through committee. Nichols said he spent workdays, nights and weekends counting votes among his Senate colleagues to ensure his plan would pass when on the floor — which it easily did. Patrick, who oversees the Senate, applauded the chamber’s “energy and efficiency.” The House, however, may not be so speedy. If the road funding bill stalls for weeks there, it might be another sign of disagreement between Patrick and fellow Republican and House Speaker Joe Straus. Here are other upcoming issues at the Texas Capitol: ——— SCHOOL VOUCHERS VEXED?: Patrick has yet to unveil a “school choice” package, despite months of promising a Senate plan that would allow parents to get state funding to pull their kids out of struggling public schools and into private and religious alternatives. The Senate also hasn’t announced major proposals to expand pre-kindergarten programs, despite Abbott making those another “emergency item.” Patrick vows that both are coming soon, and there’s still plenty of time for such proposals to sail through the Senate once they’re ready. But hammering them out is taking longer than expected.
At the Rodeo hccegalitarian.com
PAge 6 - WednesdAy, MARch 11, 2015
the student Voice of houston coMMunity college since 1974
Left: Presentation of Old Glory on opening night to start the festivities. Right: Warming up the horses before the big competition at night. Image by John Canamar
Image by John Canamar
Above: Farmer Liming trying out a John Deer tractor for his farm. Below: Future Farmer of America membercaring her goat back back to staging pen after giving it a shower. Image by Gilbert Bernal
Image by Gilbert Bernal
Image by John Canamar
Above: The United States Marine Corps New Orleans Band performing “Uptown Funk� at the cook off on Saturday night. Below: Barrel Racer cutting around second of three Image by John Canamar
At the Rodeo hccegalitarian.com
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WednesdAy, MARch 11, 2015 - PAge 7
Left: Holding on for 8 seconds. Above: Cy Cole held on for a 93 point ride claiming the 5 O’clock Mutton Busting title earning himself a Championship Belt Buckle. Bottom Left: Eric Church perfoming Tuesday night to open the Rodeo Concert Series. Bottom Center: Couple enjoying the cook off performances two-stepping the afternoon away. Bottom Right: John Legend performing on Black Heritage Day on Friday Night. Images by John Canamar
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OU’s Hield earns top Big 12 honor
Texans release Johnson Kristie Rieken AP Sports Writer
Andre Johnson was released by the Houston Texans, and quarterback Ryan Mallett agreed to return to the team on Monday. A 12-year veteran, Johnson, the longest-tenured Texan, was a first-round draft pick in 2003, joining the expansion team in its second season. The 33-year-old Johnson had 85 catches for 936 yards last season, but the Texans were beginning to see DeAndre Hopkins as their top receiving threat. “After exhausting all options of a possible trade, we informed Andre Johnson that he would be released (Monday),” general manager Rick Smith said. “No player in the history of this franchise has represented the team, city and community in a more professional way. Andre is a Hall of Fame caliber player and we appreciate his years of service and contributions to our team.” Johnson is a seven-time Pro Bowler with seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons and has 1,012
Stephen Hawkins
AP Basketball Writer
Patric Schneider/AP File Photo Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) makes a reception as Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Demetrius McCray (35) defends during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston. Johnson has been released by the Houston Texans, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press, Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had been made by the team. receptions with 13,597 yards receiving in his career. He led the NFL in yards receiving in 2008 and 2009. His career high came in 2012 when he had 1,598 yards receiving and the Texans reached the playoffs for the second time. “Andre carried himself as a true professional and did everything that we asked him to do,” coach Bill O’Brien said.
“Andre will go down as one of the best receivers to every play this game. We are thankful for what he has done for our organization and wish him well on his future playing career.” Johnson played on just four teams with winning records and went through two 2-14 seasons with the Texans. He also had more than his fair share of quarterback woes. It started with the struggles
of David Carr, included Matt Schaub performing so poorly in 2013 that he was benched, and playing with four different signal callers last season alone. But Johnson was also there for the best times of this young franchise, helping the Texans to back-to-back AFC South titles and trips to the playoffs in 2011 and 2012. He had 25 receptions for 358 yards in four career playoff games.
Mizzou hires Houston AD The Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri has named Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades IV as the school’s new AD. The school said Monday that Rhoades will assume the post in late April after the board of curators approved the hire in a special session. Rhoades succeeds Mike Alden, who announced in January that he will step down at the end of the summer after 17 years. The 49-year-old Rhoades was a candidate for Texas A&M’s athletic director opening in 2012 when Missouri Chancellor R.
Bowen Loftin was president at that school. The school set a news conference Tuesday to introduce Rhoades. Rhoades has been at Houston since 2009, overseeing 17 varsity sports, 10 of which participated in postseason competition in 2013-14. Prior to that he was athletic director at Akron. During Rhoades’ tenure, Houston raised nearly $100 million and built $160 million worth of new facilities, including a new on-campus football stadium and a men’s and see
Houston AD, Page 9
Thomas B. Shea/The Houston Chronicle/AP Photo Univ. of Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades speaks during a press conference in Houston. Missouri has named Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades as the school’s new AD. The school said Monday that Rhoades will assume the post in late April after the board of curators approved the hire in a special session.
Buddy Hield is a high-energy leader on and off the court for Oklahoma, and the Big 12’s top scorer. Hield was named The Associated Press’ Big 12 Player of the Year on Monday, the only unanimous pick on the AP All-Big 12 first team. “His enthusiasm, his energy every day, his love for playing, love for working out, love for being in the gym, that affects not only Buddy’s play, but affects those younger players, those other players,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said of Hield, who averages 17.4 points a game. “Buddy has an impact in a lot of different ways.” West Virginia senior guard Juwan Staten is the only AP firstteam pick for the second straight year. The other first-teamers are Baylor post player Rico Gathers, who averages 11.6 points and 11.7 rebounds, Kansas junior Perry Ellis and Iowa State junior Georges Niang. While Hield is the first Sooners player since Blake Griffin in 2009 to be the AP’s top player, Bill Self of Kansas became the first four-time winner of the AP Big 12 Coach of the Year award in a tight vote. Self, whose Jayhawks won their 11th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title, got eight votes. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins received seven votes and Baylor’s Scott Drew got the remaining four votes. “Happy and proud, and it’s certainly a reflection of guys’ effort over the course of a long grinding conference season,” Self said. “You could have picked a handful of coaches in our league that would be deserving of awards. see
All-Big 12, Page 9
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EGALITARIAN
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - Page 9
Banister’s approach based on life
All-Big 12, From Page 8
Stephen Hawkins AP Sports Writer
Jeff Banister has never quit. Not after bone cancer as a teenager when he needed multiple surgeries to avoid having part of his left leg amputated. Not after being temporarily paralyzed in a collision at home plate during a junior college game and being told he would never play baseball again. The 51-year-old former catcher, who got a hit in his only major league at-bat, is now a first-time, big-league manager with the Texas Rangers, a team that certainly believes his approach to baseball — and life. “It’s genuine,” Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. “It’s who he is. He lives his life that way, and I think he expects the team’s going to play with that same spirit.” With Banister’s blessing, the Rangers embraced their new manager’s mantra in some of their offseason marketing after he was hired last October. There were television spots centered on that, and #NeverEverQuit is placed prominently by the Texas logo on top of the team’s website. “Unless we can as a team take those words down off the wall and live them, they’re just words,” Banister said. “It’s never a mission statement until you put it on the front of a T-shirt. We’ve got it on the front of a T-shirt.” The Rangers lost 95 games last year, the
Charlie Riedel/AP PHoto Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister talks to reporters after the Rangers’ spring training baseball game against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals won 13-2. most in the American League. That followed four consecutive seasons with at least 90 wins during a span that began with back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. “I heard his story. It’s amazing. ... I get emotional, too,” Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said. “Every time he says the story about him, he’s so emotional. You can see his pure passion. When you have that as a manager, it is amazing. You don’t really find that many managers with the passion like the way he is. I think it is going to help the team a thousand percent.” Banister, who spent the past 29 years in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a player,
coach and instructor at all levels, first used #nevereverquit in an encouraging tweet late in the 2013 season. He was the Pirates’ bench coach and the team was closing in on its first playoff appearance in 21 seasons. But the origin of that mindset for Banister is much deeper and more personal. After reconstructive surgery on his right knee at age 14, he was told to quit playing baseball. He was 16 when he found out he had bone cancer, after swelling and persistent pain in his lower left leg. Doctors repeatedly recommended amputation as the best option for a full recovery. He instead endured seven surgeries.
Old Yankee Stadium letters up for sale Ula Ilnytzky
The Associated Press NEW YORK —Some very big, familiar pieces of New York City sports history are going on the auction block — courtesy of a baseball star. The 10-foot high letters that spelled “Yankee Stadium” atop the original Bronx ballpark are being offered for sale at Sotheby’s on April 1. The auction house has estimated that the letters will sell for $300,000 to $600,000. The owner is Yankee legend Reggie Jackson. Mr. October bought the letters after the Yankees’ last game at the stadium in 2008. They had adorned the ballpark, which was built in 1923, since 1976, so they were there when Jackson hit three consecutive home runs
Stephen Chernin/AP File Photo The 10-foot high letters that spelled “Yankee Stadium” atop the original ballpark are being offered for sale at Sotheby’s on April 1, 2015. The owner is Yankee legend Reggie “Mr. October” Jackson, who bought the letters after the Yankees’ last game at the stadium. in the sixth game of the 1977 World Series. The 68-year-old Hall of Famer, at spring training with the Yankees in Tampa, Florida, said through Sotheby’s that he wanted “a new generation to own and enjoy this icon of the Yankees and of New York City.” “There were a few items I wanted to purchase before the old Yankee Stadium
was torn down, including my old locker and a section of the black bleachers off of centerfield,” he added. “But I kept thinking about the stadium lettering, and if there was any way for me to own it. I ended up making an offer and was thrilled when it was accepted. It’s been a privilege to own such a recognizable piece of baseball history.”
It could have been multiple guys.” Self previously won the AP coaching award in 2006, 2009 and 2011. The other three-time winners are Texas’ Rick Barnes and Self’s predecessor at Kansas, Roy Williams. In their voting announced Sunday, Big 12 coaches tabbed Huggins coach of the year. The coaches also chose Hield as top player, and had the same firstteam group of five as the AP panel of sports writers and sportscasters who cover the league on a regular basis. In a season when five Big 12 teams won at least 11 conference games, each of them was represented on the All-Big 12 first-team. Myles Turner, the 6-foot-11, 240-pounder for Texas, was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Oklahoma big man TaShawn Thomas was picked newcomer of the year. Hield, who scored in double figures 17 of 18 conference games, got 11 votes from the AP panel as top player.
Houston AD, From Page 8 women’s basketball development center, Missouri said. Rhoades also negotiated a new multimedia rights deal for the athletics program and naming rights deals. “I am delighted to welcome a leader with a track record of enhancing the student-athlete experience and a proven record in fundraising and facility development,” Loftin said in a statement. “We found the right fit at the right time to take Mizzou athletics to even greater heights.” Houston played football bowl games four of the last six seasons and was 8-5 last year, beating Pittsburgh in the Armed Forces Bowl. “The University of Missouri is a world-class institution, and I am honored to serve as its next director of athletics,” Rhoades said in a statement. Under the 56-year-old Alden, Missouri’s annual athletics budget has grown from $13.7 million to $85 million and has benefited from $265 million in private donations that have helped fund $233.2 million in facilities upgrades, according to the school.
Arts &Entertainment hccegalitarian.com
THE
EGALITARIAN
Page 10 - Wednesday, March 11, 2015
The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974
No booze at Idaho ‘Grey’ showings
Bored? Start binge watching
The Associated Press
Christopher Joseph The Egalitarian
Spring Break is a glorious time for rest and relaxation, where beach parties become unforgettable and school papers become a distant memory. For those who don’t have the luxury to party like a Kardashian in Miami, there are other ways you can enjoy your spring break —including binge watching. Playing catch up with that brand new episode of the “The Walking Dead” or watching a completely new series on Netflix. Binge watching has become a staple in many people’s lives now, thanks to Netflix streams and Hulu. “There is nothing wrong with staying at home on spring break and watching a good quality television show;” said Spencer Lindley, an HCC student. “It makes me feel like a kid again when I’m watching back to back episodes of Sonic underground, but just not in my underwear though,” said Lindley. “All I need are the extended additions of Lord of the Rings, and that’s my whole spring break, “said HCC student Cody De La Cruz. Recently, the whole series of “Friends” has been released on Netflix. “Friends” was one of the most demanded series to be on Netflix. While on break you can watch these top popular and highly rated shows. • Breaking Bad: High school teacher Walter White lives day to day to support his pregnant wife and his son
Brian Cantoni/Flickr Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are making binge-watching easier than ever. There are several viewing options available to help ease some Spring Break boredom. who has cerebral palsy, and soon finds out he is dying from cancer. To save his family from falling into debt he turns his RV into a mobile meth lab. • Bob’s Burgers: Bob Belcher runs a restaurant called Bob’s Burgers and it faces constant danger of being closed by either the health inspector or Bob’s landlord, but Bob is determined to be the best at his craft with his loving wife Linda and their three kids. • The Walking Dead: A television adaptation of a comic book about a group of survivors during a Zombie Apocalypse, but zombies are not the only threat. • Orange is the new Black: One of Netflix’s breakout original series, chronicles the tale of Piper Chapman a public relations executive who is living a good life with her fiancé, but her troublesome past has now caught up with her after her association with a drug runner. She is sentenced to a year in a minimumsecurity woman’s prison in Connecticut. • Scandal: Olivia Pope is a former media consultant to the president of the United States. As she moves onto a new life and opens her own crisis-management firm, she cannot move on from the drama in her past,
even her staff has some crises of their own. • The Office (U.S. version): A mocku-mentary about a fictional paper company DunderMifflin, follows the lives of the company’s employees. • Doctor Who: The long-running British series that involves a time traveler known only as “The Doctor.” He travels through space and time, and encounters various monsters and aliens along the way. • Broadchurch: The mysterious death of a young boy sparks a search for the boy’s killer, the case follows detective Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller as they are dealt with the attention of the media and the impact of the child’s death is dealt with in the community, and suspicion between mutual friends to find the killer. • Roseanne: A series that every family can relate to, Roseanne Conner is the matriarch of this middle class family as she deals with the pressure of life and her two teenage daughters Becky and Darlene. Roseanne doesn’t run the house on her own with the help of her husband Dan, and neurotic sister Jackie. • Friends: A series that follows a group of 20-somethings living in New York City.
Graphic video of ‘Suge’ Knight crash still raises questions Anthony McCartney The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Newly released video graphically depicts former rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight running over two men with his pickup truck but leaves questions about an attack that he says forced him to speed away from the deadly crash.
Surveillance footage from a Compton fast food restaurant shows one of the men getting knocked down as the pickup reverses. The truck then speeds forward, running over the fallen man and a second man. But an attorney for the Death Row Records co-founder says the video posted by celebrity news website TMZ shows that the men attacked his client before
the deadly January encounter and that it will help his defense against murder and attempted murder charges. “They attacked ‘Suge’ without question,” Matthew Fletcher told reporters after a Monday court hearing. The video shows a red pickup truck pulling into the restaurant parking lot and a man approaching the driver’s side
window. There is commotion in the cabin of Knight’s truck, but no clear footage of the purported attack. Sheriff’s officials declined to comment on the video’s contents and said they did not release it. “I told ‘Suge’: ‘This helps you beyond any stretch of the imagination,’” Fletcher said, adding that the law doesn’t require someone to flee an attack.
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho authorities are telling movie theaters serving alcohol that they can’t provide drinks during showings of the erotic blockbuster “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The Idaho State Police’s Alcohol Beverage Control has contacted at least two theaters showing the popular R-rated flick, ordering them to comply with a law banning businesses from serving booze to people watching sexually explicit films. “I just found it odd that this movie was singled out,” moviegoer Michele Williams, 50, of Eagle, told the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise in a story published Friday. “I just thought, ‘What year am I living in here? Women can’t control themselves when they drink during this movie?’ I don’t know what the message was.” The statute passed by Idaho lawmakers in 1999 lists types of movie scenes requiring a booze ban, including simulated sex acts or touching of private parts. “Fifty Shades of Grey” features bondage and sadomasochism scenes. Business owners that violate the law could face up to a $300 fine, a six-month jail sentence and a suspended liquor license. “Movies like ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ the ladies come to our theater — responsible mothers, grandmothers, etc. — they watch a movie, they share wine,” said Dave Corkill, owner of theater operator Cinema West. “It’s part of an experience. It’s part of what they want. We clean up the bottles whether we sell those bottles to them or they sneak them in.” He told the newspaper that some PG-13 films seemingly violate the law and that he hopes lawmakers will change the statute. State officials also told Rick Kessler, owner of Magic Lantern Cinema in Ketchum, to stop serving alcohol to those attending the movie.
The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974
THE
EGALITARIAN
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - Page 11
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 2015 EGALITARIAN STAFF Editor-in-Chief.................................................Alyssa Foley Managing Editor..........................................................TBA News Editor................................................. Jimmieka Mills Community Editor................................... Sabrina Alvarado Sports Editor............................................... John Cañamar A&E Editor...................................................................TBA Commentary Editor......................................................TBA Photo Editor................................................. Gilbert Bernal Social Media Mgr............................................ Cierra Foley Staff Writer................................................Ariana Gonzalez Staff Writer....................................................Tamitra Harris Staff Writer.......................................... Christopher Joseph Staff Writer...................................Chutiya Metheesupapak Staff Writer.................................................Jada Newsome Staff Writer...................................................... Maria Smith ———
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 8,000 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.
Charlie Neibergall/AP PHOTO Amend Packing Company worker Chris Jorgensen, left, cuts stew meat in Des Moines, Iowa. Demand for local beef is surging but people who slaughter cattle and slice the beef into steaks say few people want to go into the business. Nationally, there were 1,200 federally inspected livestock slaughterhouses in the U.S. in 1990. By 2010 the number had dropped to 800.
More want local beef, but fewer want tough job of cutting it Scott McFetridge The Egalitarian
DES MOINES, Iowa — Kent Weise loves his work, but after 38 years slaughtering cattle, lugging carcasses that can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and slowly, methodically slicing cuts of meat, he understands why few people want to go into the business anymore. “It’s killing cows. It’s blood and guts,” said Weise, who runs a small meat company here with his wife, and whose own three children have no interest in following in his footsteps. Demand for locally produced beef is surging as never before, but the butchers who for generations have prepared and sold meat to customers and markets are a dwindling profession. Thousands of butchers are approaching retirement age across the country. And owners of small meat companies tell similar stories about the difficulty finding younger people willing to take over, or even to work in the businesses. Farmers with small operations now often have to truck their cattle 50 or 100 miles to be processed. Higher transportation
costs are being passed along to customers at farmers markets, restaurants and groceries that specialize in locally grown meat. Weise, 58, dressed in a bloodsmeared white jacket as he cuts fat from a slab of beef, says that when he retires, his business likely will close. Meat-cutting businesses have been sprinkled across the country for generations. In 1990, there were 1,200 federally inspected livestock slaughterhouses in the U.S., but by 2010 the number had dropped to 800. State-licensed operations have also declined. In Iowa, there now are 140 or fewer small meat processors, compared to about 450 in the 1960s, said Marcia Richmann, executive director of Iowa Meat Processors Association. With purchases of natural, organic and grass-fed beef up 20 percent over a two-decade period, the gap between demand for meat and butchers to process it may only grow. An analysis in Minnesota showed about two-thirds of the people who own small meat-processing businesses in the state are nearing
retirement age, with no succession plan. The butchers and small processors who are still in business are swamped with demand. “We’re booked like four to five months in advance,” said Mike Jessee, who owns Dee-Jays Custom Butchering in Fredericktown, Ohio. Meanwhile, “finding anyone to help to work is harder and harder.” Many processors said they began the work soon after high school. The job was hard but dependable. Meat-cutters made a median of $13.75 an hour in 2012, according to federal data, but owners of small meat-cutting businesses can make significantly more. “It’s all I know what to do,” said Weise. There is plenty to keep him busy. Working out of an 87-year-old brick building, within sight of the state Capitol’s gold dome, Weise slaughters about 15 animals a week and then hangs the carcasses to age for a couple weeks, increasing their tenderness. On most days, he and several employees work around a table, cutting meat with knives kept razor-sharp by files that dangle from their waistbands.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - Page 12
THE
EGALITARIAN
The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974
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