March 25, 2015 Issue of The Egalitarian

Today’s Weather

80/61 Partly sunny during the day.

Partly cloudy at night.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • Vol. 41, No. 5 • HCCEgalitarian.com $243M needed to turn Dome to park see Community, Page 4

Longhorns begin spring drills with QB duel see Sports, Page 8

‘Oedipus Rex’ reigns at HCC-Northeast see A&E, page 9

Sex assault, drinking push colleges to rethink Holly Ramer

Associated Press

John Cañamar/The Egalitarian Rodeo clowns use teamwork to help bull rider Trevor Kastner to safety during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Houston Rodeo a thrill ride John Cañamar The Egalitarian

It has been said “Everything is bigger in Texas.” This is true when it anything, especially our celebrations. Dallas plays host to The Texas State Fair, San Antonio has Fiesta and Houston has The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

In this town, Rodeo is a can-not miss event for the entire family. From the carnival and midway, to the three-day cook-off that kicks off the festivities, or the agriculture show, art exhibits, livestock competitions, 20 great concerts and world-class athletes that perform in the world’s largest rodeo.

This year there are 321 competitors performing in Tie Down Roping, Bareback Riding, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding.

Many say these cowboys and cowgirls make a lot of money for just eight seconds of competing. However, these competitors spend countless hours in the gym and on the ranch practicing their discipline after the time that they spend on their “normal” jobs as a ranch hand or other professions.

Like other athletes, they train their entire lives to participate in a rodeo like the one here in Houston. Just to make it to the Houston rodeo, they must accumulate points in other rodeos before they can be invited to participate here.

Besides the countless hours of training and practice, the amount of injuries that come along with some of these sports are horrific.

Steer Wrestlers run the risk of tearing their knees or catching a horn in their chest every time they slide off of their horse. Their horse can reach up to 40 or even 50 miles per hour and they jump onto a steer or young bull that weighs three to

four times their own weight. They then grab the steer by the horns and head while planting their legs into the ground to use for leverage at the attempt to flip the steer in the opposite direction of which both the steer and cowboy are travelling. Forcing the steer to land on its side with all four huffs pointing in the same direction. All of this is done in less than four and a half seconds.

For those that do not think that jumping onto a steer is dangerous enough, how about trying to stay on top of a full grown bull for a mere eight seconds. These cowboys know that they can be stomped to death on any ride and they still chose to partake in this sport. With the average weight of a bull rider being 168 pounds and the average bull just over 2,000 pounds, see

Houston Rodeo, Page 3

The Official Student Newspaper Of The Houston Community College System

CONCORD, N.H. — On college campuses nationwide, the intertwined problems of sexual assault and alcohol are under intense scrutiny as students increasingly speak up and the federal government cracks down. Pushed to a collective moment of reckoning, colleges and universities are trying a slew of solutions focused on education, environment and enforcement.

At the University of Virginia, a social network will connect female freshmen with older mentors. Brown University hopes to make it easier for women to report sexual assault. In New Hampshire, Dartmouth College has banned hard liquor and plans to take the unusual step of completely overhauling its housing system.

At Dartmouth, where a committee spent nine months researching highrisk drinking, sexual assault and a general lack of community on campus, no one solution stood out.

“I was hopeful that they would find some campus that had really unlocked the secret, but what they found is that every campus is suffering from these issues and struggling with these issues,” Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon said.

Even as administrators implement changes, new incidents have cropped up. A Penn State fraternity is accused of see

Colleges Rethink, Page 3

Campus Briefs hccegalitarian.com

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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 ACADEMIC ANXIETY & TEST TAKING TIPS WORKSHOP An HCC-Central counselor will discuss various test-taking tips and methods to manage academic anxiety for students.

The workshop is noon today in Room 112 of the San Jacinto Building.

‘The Reel’ Film & Culture Series “The Reel” Film and Culture Series continues today with a screening of “Toxic Sludge is Good for You.” The screening, which includes an introduction and discussion with history professor Michael Botson, is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in the Eagle Room of HCC-Spring Branch campus.

PANDORA’S BOX FILM & SPEAKER SERIES Pandora’s Box Film and Speaker Series continues with a screening of “Cosmos: The World set Free” today at 12:30 p.m. in the Cyber Lounge at HCC-Katy Campus.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson explores the nature of the greenhouse effect and evidence demonstrating the existence of global warming due to humanity’s influence.

STRESS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP An HCC-Northeast counselor will discuss various methods to help students deal with stress.

The workshop is 1 p.m. today in the Northeast Campus Learning Hub. Students will need to sign up for the workshop at http://swc2. hccs.edu/gust0101.

•HCC-West Loop: Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

•HCC-Spring Branch: Thursday from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

March 26 SPRING FACULTY ART EXHIBITION RECEPTION The HCC-Southwest Art Department Spring 2015 Faculty Art Exhibition will have a reception on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the West Loop Campus Art Gallery. The reception is free and open to the public.

The exhibit will include recent works produced by Southwest College’s faculty of master artists, including: Jim Hill, Maryellen June Hill, Charles Holmes, Robert Hume, Jason Kishell, Cynthia Millis, Pim Ormrod, P. Doran Porcynaluk, Steven Potter, Rolando Reyna, J. Marie Valdez, and Walter Wagner.

The exhibit will include multiple mediums including oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures, drawings, digital prints, and mixed media works on a variety of surfaces.

RESUME ORIENTATION Students will receive tips and instructions on producing resumes with the purpose of obtaining a job. The session is Thursday at 11 a.m. at the West Loop campus.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL The HCC-Southwest women’s volleyball teams hosts UHDowntown tonight at 7 p.m. at the Alief YMCA.

PANDORA’S BOX FILM & SPEAKER SERIES Pandora’s Box Film and Speaker Series continues with a screening of “An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story.”

The details the story of Michael Morton, who was convicted of murdering his wife in 1986 but cleared by DNA evidence 25 years later.

The screening is scheduled for Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Alief Hayes campus.

GRAD FAIR HCC bookstores, in conjunction with graduation supplier Herff Jones, will host a Grad Fair on there campuses in the upcoming days. The dates include: •HCC-Central: today from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

READING CULTURE SERIES HCC Northwest Reading Culture Series presents guest lecturer Dr. Lauren Zentz, English professor at University of Houston. Her doctoral project is on global language policy

trends specific to Indonesia’s public school system.

The lecture begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Eagle Room of the Spring Branch campus.

March 27 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SUMMIT AND EXPO Members from various college and functional area diversity and inclusion committees from across the HCC district will be in attendance to share successes and challenges with each other.

The expo is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Friday in the auditorium of the West Loop campus.

Diversity Champion Awards will be presented to faculty, staff and students.

ELEVATOR PITCH COMPETITION TRAINING SESSION If you’ve never made “a pitch” then join this session and learn the basics of communicating efficiently, effectively, and in a compelling manner. This session will teach you the basic tools & you’ll get to practice your very own pitch!

The session is scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. in Room 115 of the Fine Arts Center at HCC-Central.

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 28 THE STOCK MARKET GAME Need help getting your foot in the door of the investing world?

Learn a few simple concepts that lay the groundwork for establishing a portfolio that fits your needs and goals.

This educational workshop series will teach you investing basics with a foundational focus on investing in the stock market, virtual investing, and real-world learning. Participants create and manage an online portfolio of $100,000 using an online simulation game that teaches the basics of investing.

Join us in Room 316 of the Workforce Building at HCCSoutheast Saturday and learn how to invest and manage your money.

Registration begins at 9 a.m.

The event starts at 10 a.m.

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 25, 2015 - Page 3

Cruz officially enters 2016 race Philip Elliott Associated Press

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Launching his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas asked Christian conservative voters to imagine a United States without the IRS, Obamacare or abortion rights — and to imagine they can make that happen by supporting him.

His aspirational appeal on Monday, aimed at America’s most conservative voters, could quickly run into challenges in winning over moderate voters — and eventually deep difficulties in governing should Cruz win the White House.

But it’s a message that Cruz, the first major 2016 contender to declare himself a candidate, is expected to forcefully emphasize in the coming year before voters start to pick nominees.

“God’s blessing has been on America from the very beginning of this nation, and I believe that God isn’t done with Americans,” Cruz declared at Liberty University, a Christian school founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.

“I believe in you. I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America. And that is that is why,

Andrew Harnik/AP PHOTO Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, his wife Heidi, and their two daughters Catherine, 4, left, and Caroline, 6, right, wave on stage after he announced his campaign for president, Monday at Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, in Lynchburg, Va. Cruz, who announced his candidacy on twitter in the early morning hours, is the first major candidate in the 2016 race for president. today, I am announcing that I am running for president of the United States of America.”

Cruz won’t be the sole GOP contender for long. Two Senate colleagues, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Florida’s Marco Rubio, are eyeing campaign launches soon. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott

Walker and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, are expected to follow, among others.

The 44-year-old Cruz is betting his White House hopes on profoundly conservative voters and their opposition to policies they find abhorrent.

Within such circles, there is deep distrust of the IRS, which

was revealed last year to have been scrutinizing tea party groups’ nonprofit status.Obama’s health care legislation, called by some “Obamacare,” is a rallying cry, as well. And abortion is a major issue for Christian conservatives who have tremendous sway in the leadoff caucus and primary election states of Iowa and South Carolina.

security workers and ensuring at least three fraternity members are sober.

The university also is considering new courses on safety and a research institute on violence, and a group of administrators, faculty members, students and others will make recommendations next month on changing the university’s culture with regard to alcohol and sexual assault.

In Rhode Island, where Brown University students recently protested the handling of a female student’s drugging and sexual assault allegations, a task force on sexual assault is expected to release its final

report this month. The university has begun implementing some recommendations made in December, including handling complaints more quickly and reducing the “traumatic nature” of the process.

Dartmouth last year overhauled its policies to include harsher sanctions for sexual assault and it is developing a four-year, mandatory sexual violence prevention program. On the fraternity front, it plans to require all student organizations, including fraternities and sororities, to undergo annual reviews to ensure they are being inclusive and diversifying their membership.

But going further, Dartmouth is literally changing how students live. Starting with the class of 2019, each incoming student will be assigned to one of six “house communities” — a cluster of residence halls that will serve as a home base for social and academic programs. Each community will have a professor in residence and dedicated space for academic and social interaction.

In recommending the house system, Hanlon’s committee faulted the school for failing to invest in residential life over the years and creating a void that was largely filled by the Greek system.

Colleges Rethink, From Page 1 posting photos of nude women, some apparently unconscious, on a private Facebook page. The University of Wisconsin-Madison terminated a fraternity chapter last week after an investigation found it engaged in hazing that included excessive underage drinking and sexualized conduct.

At the University of Virginia, social activities at fraternities were suspended after the November publication of a Rolling Stone article describing a gang-rape at a fraternity. Though much of the article was later discredited, the school lifted the suspension only after Greek organizations agreed to new rules banning kegs, requiring

Houston Rodeo, From Page 1 the advantage is clearly tilted in the bulls favor.

A bull naturally does not like additional weight placed on top off it, so when an additional 168 pounds mounts on it back the bull’s natural reaction is to do what it can to remove the weight.

To encourage a bull to jump, a flank strap is placed on a bull, which applies pressure to the rear section of the bull.

These straps do not cause any harm to the bull in any form or matter. The flank strap is much like a saddle strap that is placed on a horse to keep a saddle in place; however the strap is tighten to anger the bull and causing the bull to jump and buck until the rider is thrown off or jumps off.

Once a bull is let out of the bullpen and starts its quest in removing the rider, the cowboy can be injured in countless manners.

Some of the most common injuries are dislocation of shoulders, wrists, whiplash and slipped disk all off these can and have happened before the rider ever flies off the bull. Once the rider is air borne he faces any and every injury that can happen during a car accident with the addition off a one-ton animal adding insult to injury by stomping him to death.

The men with the hardest job at the rodeo are often not even seen as being a vital part: the rodeo clowns. Their job is not just to be fan friendly and full of pranks to amuse the crowd, but to save the lives of the bull riders.

The Rodeo Clown first job is to help the rider to safety after the dismount by distracting the angered bull. They use their voice, gestures and the bright colors of their outfits. Their job is to prevent any injury to a rider by the bull while placing their own life on the line.

Next year when March rolls around, come out and enjoy and cheer on our modern day gladiators, all while enjoying a funnel cake or fried Twinkies in the midway, or shopping the hundreds of vendors throughout NRG Park in our three week party that is know as The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Community hccegalitarian.com

Page 4 - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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Stafford campus to observe World Water Day

Report: $243M to turn Dome to park Juan A. Lozano Associated Press

HOUSTON — A proposal to turn the iconic but shuttered Houston Astrodome into a massive indoor park and build a tree-lined green space around the structure could cost nearly $243 million, according to a report released Monday by a nonprofit research group focused on land use.

The report by the Urban Land Institute is part of an effort by officials in Houston’s Harris County as well as preservation groups and local residents to save the Astrodome from potential demolition.

A panel from the Washington, D.C.-based land institute had visited Houston and previously released some of the details of its plan in December.

“The panel concluded that the Astrodome can and should live on,” the land institute said in its final report.

The group’s report calls for creating a massive indoor park within the stadium, with spaces for exercise and biking trails and indoor rock climbing, as well as new underground parking. The outside areas around the stadium would be converted into tree-lined green spaces.

Alyssa Foley

The Egalitarian Pat Sullivan/AP File Photo The Houston Astrodome is reflected in a puddle in Houston. A proposal to turn the iconic but shuttered Astrodome into a massive indoor park and build a tree-lined green space around the structure could cost nearly $243 million, according to a report released Monday by a nonprofit research group focused on land use.

The land institute also said its plan would provide space that could be used by the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, both of which use NRG Stadium next door.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett — who first proposed the idea for the indoor park last year — said county commissioners will review the report at its March 31 meeting.

“What is heartening about this is (the land institute) recognized the iconic nature of the building. They identified it as having the potential to be a grand space for the community,” Emmett said.

Emmett and other county officials in May plan to visit an airship hangar in Brandenburg, Germany, that has been converted into a giant indoor tropical theme

park. Emmett said county officials hope to get some tips from their German counterparts.

The future of the structure has been in limbo since voters in 2013 didn’t authorize $217 million in bonds to turn it into a multipurpose special events center. While the Astrodome is not in any immediate danger of being demolished, local officials have struggled to find an alternative use. Over the years, some proposals — including a water park and a sports memorabilia museum — have not gained much traction, while others proposals have sought to demolish the stadium, which had become an eyesore in recent years but is now being cleaned up.

The land institute said its proposal would need to be paid through a private-public partnership.

Tax refund advances appeal to more Americans Hope Yen

Associated Press WASHINGTON — Cash-strapped Americans anxious for tax refunds are increasingly turning to payment advances, prepaid cards or other costly services when getting tax preparation help, according to new federal data raising concerns among regulators about whether consumers are fully informed about the fees.

Regulators are looking to increase oversight of preparers amid the rise in “refund anticipation checks,” a type of cash advance especially popular among low-income families who

receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, the government’s $65 billion cash benefit program. The advances are being marketed as a way to get fast refunds or defer payment of tax preparation costs.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says some consumers have complaints about refund anticipation checks centered on advertising, quality of service or fees.

The bureau is finalizing the first rules on prepaid debit cards, including those for tax refunds, that would require “easy to understand” disclosures upfront about costs and risks.

Refund anticipation checks

rose to roughly 21.6 million in 2014, up 17 percent from 2011, according to IRS data provided to The Associated Press. About half the purchasers are EITC recipients; roughly 84 percent are low-income, according to the data. Industry analysts project the payment advances and their fees will become more widespread as tax preparers seek to boost revenue.

Currently, refund anticipation checks and prepaid cards make up 10 percent of industry giant H&R Block’s revenue and more than 20 percent of Liberty Tax Service’s, according to earnings reports.

Both companies said they

are committed to providing consumers with the information they need to make tax-filing decisions, including use of refund anticipation checks. They said the payment advances offer added value, such as convenience.

The Internal Revenue Service has been pushing Congress for new authority to regulate the $10.1 billion tax preparation industry after an appeals court last year barred it from requiring tax preparers to undergo background checks and testing.

“It’s the wild, wild West,” said Nina Olson, the IRS’ national taxpayer advocate, describing the current state of the industry.

A local World Water Day event will be held at Houston Community College’s Stafford campus Learning Hub room 139,10041 Cash Road, Stafford, TX. Friday, March 27, 8:30 a.m.

– 2:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.

World Water Day was started by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. The United Nation-Water website states that, “It’s a day to celebrate water. It’s a day to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future.”

The theme for World Water Day 2015 is “Water and Sustainable Development”. According to the U.N.-Water website, “It’s about how water links to all areas we need to consider to create the future we want.”

Topics will include Global Risk 2015, the Water and Energy Crisis, U.N. Millennium Development Goals and the World Water Initiatives, a Case study of Pakistan’s Water Resources and the Importance of Mass Awareness of Water and Energy Conservation.

The speaker lineup includes Teta Banks, President of the United Nations Association of Houston; Afzaal Mahmood, Consul General of Pakistan in Houston; and Dr. Jalaluddin Qureshi, Professor in Geology at HCC Southwest and President/ CEO of International Water Saver Environmental Services.

Visit UNwater.org/ WorldWaterDay for more information on World Water Day.

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Justices struggle with Texas plate case

No bond for Durst Janet McConnaughey Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — A magistrate on Monday ordered millionaire Robert Durst held without bond on weapons charges in Louisiana and said the man accused of killing his friend 15 years ago in California was both a flight risk and a danger to others.

Durst, 71, was seated beside his lawyers, his hands shackled to his sides in padded cuffs. He has been in a prison’s mental health unit for nearly a week. Jail officials have called him a suicide risk.

Magistrate Harry Cantrell set a preliminary hearing in the weapons case for April 2.

Durst is accused of killing Susan Berman in 2000, but his lawyers say his arrest was illegal and orchestrated to coincide with the finale of an HBO series about his links to three killings.

He was arrested March 14 at a New Orleans hotel on both the weapons charges and on the Los Angeles County warrant accusing him of murder.

On Monday, defense attorney Dick DeGuerin said he never expected the magistrate to set bond.

“We were able to get a lot of information

Mark Sherman Associated Press

Gerald Herbert/AP File Photo Millionaire Robert Durst is escorted from Orleans Parish Criminal District Court to the Orleans Parish Prison after his arraignment in New Orleans. Durst is going back to court in New Orleans after nearly a week in a prison mental ward 70 miles away. At a preliminary hearing on weapons charges on Monday his lawyers planned to argue that the 71-yearold Houston man should be released because he was illegally arrested on those charges and a Los Angeles County warrant accusing him of murdering a female friend. we didn’t have before,” DeGuerin said after the hearing. “... I think all in all we had a very good day.”

One of the weapons charges alleges that Durst had a .38-caliber revolver; previous felony convictions make that illegal. The other charge alleges he had the weapon and illegal drugs: more than 5 ounces of marijuana.

Prosecutors have not said whether they will bring those charges before a grand jury.

None of Durst’s previous convictions was serious enough to merit the felon in

possession charge, his attorneys say.

Durst had registered at the J.W. Marriott Hotel under the name Everette Ward, and a search of his hotel room turned up his passport, nearly $43,000 in cash, a gun, and a rubber or latex mask that could cover his head and neck, according to a search warrant for his Houston condo.

Durst, a member of a wealthy New York real estate family, was charged with murder in California for the December 2000 shooting death of Susan Berman.

Police unable to confirm gang rape at Univ. of Va. Larry O’Dell Associated Press

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A fivemonth police investigation into an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia, described in graphic detail in a Rolling Stone article, showed no evidence the attack took place and was stymied by the accuser’s unwillingness to cooperate, authorities said Monday.

The article entitled “A rape on campus” traced the story from a student identified only as “Jackie,” who said she was raped at a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house on September, 28, 2012. Police said there were numerous discrepancies between the article and what they found in their investigation.

“All I can tell you is that there is no substantive basis to conclude that what was reported in that article happened,”

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - Page 5

Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said.

Longo said Jackie first described a sexual assault in May 2013 when she met with a dean about an academic issue, but “the sexual act was not consistent with what was described” in the Rolling Stone article.

When she met with police, she didn’t want them to investigate the alleged assault.

She also refused to talk to police after the article was printed in November and ignited the national conversation about sexual assaults on college campuses. Discrepancies in the article were found by news organizations soon after it was published.

Rolling Stone has apologized and said it would investigate.

Longo said the case is suspended, not closed. He said the fact that investigators could not find evidence “doesn’t mean that something terrible didn’t happen to

Jackie.”

Investigators spoke to about 70 people, including friends of the accuser and fraternity members, and spent hundreds of hours on the investigation, Longo said.

Police said in January they had been unable to confirm that the alleged gang rape occurred at the Phi Kappa Psi house, but added that they were still investigating.

In addition to the alleged gang rape, the article described a hidden culture of sexual violence fueled by binge drinking at the university.

In the article, Jackie said that during her first semester on campus, she had gone on a date with a classmate named “Drew” who later that night lured her into a secluded room at a fraternity house. Inside the room, she said, she was raped by a group of seven fraternity brothers while her date and one other man watched.

WASHINGTON — In a dispute over a proposed Confederate battle flag license plate, the Supreme Court struggled Monday to balance worries about government censorship and concerns that offensive messages could, at worst, incite violence.

Nearly 150 years after the end of the Civil War, the justices heard arguments in a case over Texas’ refusal to issue a license plate bearing the battle flag.

Nine other states allow drivers to display plates with the flag, which remains both a potent image of heritage and a racially charged symbol of repression.

Specialty license plates are big business in Texas. They brought in $17.6 million last year and state officials said there are now nearly 450 messages to choose from, from “Choose Life” to the Boy Scouts and hamburger chains.

The state rarely rejects a specialty plate, but it did turn down a request by the Texas division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for a license plate with its logo bearing the battle flag. The group’s lawsuit led to Monday’s hearing.

The justices seemed uncomfortable with arguments advanced by both sides — the state in defense of its actions, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans in their appeal for the symbol.

If the court finds the state must permit the battle flag on license plates, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg asked in a series of questions, would it be forced also to allow plates with a swastika, the word “jihad,” and a call to make marijuana legal?

Yes, lawyer R. James George Jr., a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall 45 years ago, responded each time on behalf of the veterans group.

“That’s okay? And ‘Bong hits for Jesus?’” Ginsburg said, reaching back to an earlier case involving students’ speech rights.

Again, George said yes, and remained firm even when Justice Elena Kagan added in “the most offensive racial epithet you can imagine.”

At the Rodeo hccegalitarian.com

PAge 6 - WednesdAy, MARch 25, 2015

the student Voice of houston coMMunity college since 1974

Left: Mutton Bustin Champ Nigel Martins II with his award.

Right: Calf Roper Josh Peek flipping his calf in order to tie it’s legs together.

Image by John Canamar

Image by Gilbert Bernal

Image by John Canamar

Image by Gilbert Bernal

Above: Master Hat Molder Jim Foster demonstrates how to shape a cowboy hat by applying steam to the brim so that he can put his 30-plus-years of experienced hands to work.

Above: Bareback Rider Cort Scheer is bucked of his Bronco in the qualifing round.

Below: Calf Roper John Peek preparing to lasso his calf.

Image by Gilbert Bernal

At the Rodeo hccegalitarian.com

the student Voice of houston coMMunity college since 1974

WednesdAy, MARch 25, 2015 - PAge 7

Images by John Canamar

Left: Holding on for 8 seconds is Tim O’Connell.

Above: Hamhock and Chops race towards the finishline and the Oreo cookie prize.

Bottom Left: A brave carnival goer jumps out of the bungee jump platform from 150 feet above the carnival Bottom Center: Mr. Leon Coffee prepares for the Bull Riding Competition.

Bottom Right: Stripes helping Christi at the Lil’ Rustlers Rodeo.

Image by Gilbert Bernal Image by John Canamar

Image by John Canamar

Images by John Canamar

Sports hccegalitarian.com

Page 8 - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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Texas begins spring drills with QB duel

Obama not for paying college athletes

Jim Vertuno

AP Sports Writer

Darlene Superville Associated Press

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — President Barack Obama says compensation for college athletes would “ruin the sense of college sports.”

Obama said in an interview released Saturday that what frustrates him, though, is college coaches, athletic directors and the NCAA making huge amounts of money while an athlete is banished for getting a tattoo or free use of a car.

“That’s not fair,” Obama told The Huffington Post in response to a question about whether college athletes should be compensated because they are moneymakers for the NCAA, television stations and advertisers.

Compensation would “create a situation where there are bidding wars. How much does a Anthony Davis get paid as opposed to somebody else?” Obama said, referring to the power forward who played one season at Kentucky before heading to the NBA. “And that I do think would ruin the

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP PHOTO President Barack Obama, left, with his brother-in-law Craig Robinson, right, react to to Wisconsin-Green Bay scoring against Princeton during the second half of a women’s college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament in College Park, Md., Saturday.Obama’s niece Leslie Robinson, plays for Princeton which advances to the next round after winning 80-70. sense of college sports,” Obama said.

The interview was released Saturday, hours after Obama cheered as his niece’s Princeton team remained undefeated by topping Wisconsin-Green Bay in an NCAA Tournament first-round game played in Maryland.

Obama’s niece is Leslie Robinson, daughter of Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson. She did not appear in the

game for her team.

Obama sat a few rows away from courtside surrounded by an entourage that included his daughter Malia, motherin-law Marian Robinson, Craig Robinson and other Robinson family members.

Both Craig Robinson and the first lady are Princeton graduates.

Michelle Obama missed seeing her niece because she is traveling in Cambodia.

Darren Sharper pleads no contest in rape case Brian Melley & Jacques Billeaud Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Former NFL star Darren Sharper removed all doubt Monday that he drugged and raped women, taking the first of several legal steps to own up to sex assaults in four states that will send him to federal prison for nine years.

He pleaded guilty to sexual assault in Arizona and no contest in California to raping two women he knocked out with a potent sedative mixed with booze.

Sharper, 39, wearing a striped, light blue suit, said he was entering the plea because it was in his best interest. He had faced up to 33 years in prison if convicted of all counts against him in California.

By not contesting the charges, the former all-pro safety who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, admitted he raped

two women he drugged after meeting them at a West Hollywood bar in 2013 and 2014.

The no contest plea has the same effect as a conviction.

The women were not in court, but prosecutors said they had agreed to the plea deal.

Earlier, Sharper appeared in a Phoenix courtroom by video-conferencing from Los Angeles, where he has been jailed since February 2014.

He admitted sexually assaulting one woman and trying to attack another in suburban Phoenix in 2013.

Under the deal negotiated by his lawyers and state and federal prosecutors, Sharper will serve a nine-year federal prison term for similar crimes in Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona and California.

Hearings will follow in Las Vegas on Tuesday and in New Orleans in the next month. In each state, he’s accused of drugging

and sexually assaulting women when they were unconscious or otherwise unable to resist or consent.

He was sentenced immediately in the Arizona case, which is very unusual.

Sentencing in California was scheduled July 15.

Sharper retired from the NFL in 2011 after a 14-year career with three teams and later worked as an analyst for the NFL network.

All the alleged sexual assaults happened after Sharper’s retirement as a player.

Sharper admitted sexually assaulting one victim and trying to assault another in Arizona, though police said he drugged three women and sexually assaulted two of them at a Tempe apartment in November 2013.

Prosecutor Yigael Cohen on Monday cited a letter in which one of the victims says she suffered emotional harm as a result of the attack and that she didn’t have the ability to resist.

AUSTIN, Texas — After a rough first season with the Texas Longhorns, coach Charlie Strong is still in search of a quarterback.

He hopes to find one for 2015 starting this week when spring practice begins Wednesday.

Last year’s starter, junior Tyrone Swoopes, and redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard will be given “equal reps” in their duel for the starting job, Strong said Monday. But he also left the door open to playing both next season if they earn it.

The Longhorns open the 2015 season Sept.

5 at Notre Dame.

Strong also sent a message to Heard and anyone else trying to unseat a starter from last season: if you want a position, take it.

“Don’t ever think because a guy started last year means he can’t be unseated. If you work hard enough, you will beat him out. I don’t play favorites,” Strong said.

Swoopes started 12 games in 2014 after David Ash went down with a head injury suffered in the season opener. But he was erratic the entire season and bore much of the criticism from fans for an offense that struggled badly all season. Swoopes finished with 2,409 yards passing with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a completion rate under 60 percent.

The worst came at the end when Swoopes had five turnovers in a crushing home loss to TCU. Then the Longhorns managed just 59 total yards in a blowout loss to Arkansas in the Texas Bowl in Houston. Strong chose not to play Heard rather than burn his redshirt season.

The two-game skid sent Texas to a 6-7 finish in Strong’s first season, the program’s second losing season in five years. Strong met with his team Sunday night as they returned from spring break.

“When you signed on here, you signed on to win championships. That hasn’t happened,” Strong told them.

Texas hasn’t won a Big 12 title since 2009.

“We’re no longer the big dog. When will this dog rise back up?” Strong said.

While he’s trying to rebuild his players’ confidence, Strong said he’s not afraid to remind them of how bad things finished last year.

“I know (they) get tired of questions because I get tired of them. What’s wrong with the program?” Strong said. “I love to burn them with it .... We got embarrassed. That’s what burns me more than anything.”

Arts & Entertainment hccegalitarian.com

The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974

‘Rex’ reigns at HCC-Northeast Jimmieka Mills The Egalitarian

The HCC Northeast Drama Department presented their production of “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. Held in the Black Box Theater at Codwell Hall; the play was directed by the head of the HCC Northeast Drama Department, Debra Schultz.

In referring to her selection process for productions, Schultz has stated, “I am always drawn to those plays that provide a challenge, not only to student actors, but also to the audiences that will ultimately view it.”

Schultz added that, “Oedipus Rex seemed to be the challenge we needed at this point. For the actors, I only wanted to challenge them with a specific style, but also with the comparison of the style with that of contemporary concepts of ‘good acting’.”

The Cast and crew included students as well as community members. Starring as Oedipus is Kamran Taherpour, who has experience in HCC Northeast and Northwest productions as well as the web series “The Deadline”. His experience showed

as he encompassed the dialect and mannerisms one would expect from the City of Dionysia 430 B.C. Erin Connally played Jocasta and in true ancient Greek theatrical style and she doubled as a member of the Chorus. The Biology major made her acting debut with this production.

Her portrayal of the unknowing wife to her own son showed no signs of her newness to theater.

Creon was played by seasoned actor Sam Martinez. The native Houstonian received his training in New York at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Besides acting, Martinez has directing credits that include “The Children’s Hour”, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” and “Harvey”.

Martinez carried multiple roles, but remained true to each.

Eduardo Lopez portrays three characters as a member of the Chorus, Teiresias and the Messenger.

Lopez’s ability to navigate between roles and give uniqueness to each made the play seem to have more than four actors. His experience includes HCC Northeast productions of “Pirates ARRR Us” and “Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends: A Final Evening with

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Jimmieka Mills/The Egalitarian Members of the the HCC-Northeast Drama Department’s production of “Oedipus Rex” pose for a picture.

Cast members include, from right, Erin Connally as Jocasta; Eduardo Lopez as Chorus member; Kamran Taherpour as Oedipus; Sam Martinez as Creon. the Illuminati”.

The play is the Drama Department’s entrance in the Texas Community College Speech & Theatre Association PlayFest.

The HCC Northeast drama department has a showcase

featuring the works of contestants in their Gimme Five Playwriting Contest. Shows will be held Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater at Codwell Hall. Tickets are $5.

Auditions will be held for the

HCC Northeast production of “The Adventures of Hopscotch Cassidy” will be at the Black Box Theater at Codwell Hall Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.

No experience is necessary and performances will run June 24-28.

Legend discusses new album, ‘Selma,’ Common MESFIN FEKADU AP Music Writer

AUSTIN, Texas — John Legend says he’s concerned that the “Blurred Lines” verdict could set a scary precedent for artists creating music inspired by others.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, the Grammy winner said understands why people say 2013’s biggest hit song by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke sounds like “Got to Give It Up,” Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit, adding: “I said that when I first heard it, too.”

But he said he doesn’t agree with the jury that determined the performers copied elements of Gaye’s work.

“You have to be careful when it comes to copyrights, whether just sounding like or feeling like something is enough to say you violated their copyrights,” the singer-

songwriter told The Associated Press on Saturday before performing at the South by Southwest music festival. “Because there’s a lot of music out there, and there’s a lot of things that feel like other things that are influenced by other things. And you don’t want to get into that thing where all of us are suing each other all the time because this and that song feels like another song.”

Williams, with whom Legend has worked in the past, and Thicke also were ordered to pay nearly $7.4 million to three of Gaye’s children.

“I think we have to be careful about that, and I’m a little concerned that this verdict might be a slippery slope,” Legend said.

Legend also spoke about his collaborator Common’s recent comments about racism that sparked some backlash.Here are some highlights from the interview: ———

AP: Are you working on a new album?

Legend: A week from Monday I’ll start. I’m going on vacation next week because I need it (laughs) and then I’ll really jump in the studio to start writing again.

AP: “All of Me” was such a huge hit. Is there any pressure as you head into the next album?

Legend: The pressure I put on myself isn’t, ‘I have to make another ‘All of Me.” It’s just I have to write great songs. I want to make a better record than I made the last time. I want to grow. I want to discover new things about myself creatively.

AP: You and Common won an Oscar for “Glory” from (the movie) “Selma.” Where did you put it?

Legend: It’s sitting on my piano in New York at our apartment there.

AP: Common received some backlash for his comments about ending racism on “The Daily Show” last week. What are your thoughts?

Legend: Oh yeah, I heard a little bit about it and I understand what he’s saying because I do believe

that part of us ending racism is us seeing each other’s humanity and learning to love each other, even if we look different or worship differently or live differently. But I think it’s not enough for us to extend the hand of love. I think it’s important that that goes both ways. It’s important also that we look at policies we need to change as well.

It’s important for us also to fight for certain changes that need to happen. And one of those issues that I really care about is education. But also another one is incarceration, which is what I talked about at the Oscars.

And mass incarceration is a policy that’s kind of built up over the last four decades and it’s destroyed families and communities, and something we need to change.

And it’s fallen disproportionally on black and brown communities, especially black communities, and it’s kind of a manifestation of structural racism. So when you think about that kind of thing, it’s not enough to say we need to love each other, you have to go behind that and say we need to change these policies, we need to fight, we need to protest, we need to agitate for change.

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The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974

The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974

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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.

Courtney Sacco/Odessa American/AP PHOTO This Monday photo shows a number of idle oil drilling rigs in Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Company’s yard in Ector County, Texas. Companies are leaning on new techniques and technology to get more oil out of every well they drill, and furiously cutting costs in an effort to keep U.S. oil competitive with much lower-cost oil flowing out of the Middle East, Russia and elsewhere.

U.S. drillers scrambling to thwart OPEC threat Jonathan Fahey AP Energy Writer

NEW YORK — OPEC and lower global oil prices delivered a onetwo punch to the drillers in North Dakota and Texas who brought the U.S. one of the biggest booms in the history of the global oil industry.

Now they are fighting back.

Companies are leaning on new techniques and technology to get more oil out of every well they drill, and furiously cutting costs in an effort to keep U.S. oil competitive with much lower-cost oil flowing out of the Middle East, Russia and elsewhere.

“Everybody gets a little more imaginative, because they need to,” says Hans-Christian Freitag, vice president of technology for the drilling services company Baker Hughes.

Spurred by rising global oil prices U.S. drillers learned to tap crude trapped in shale starting in the middle of last decade and brought about a surprising boom that made the U.S. the biggest oil and gas producer in the world.

The increase alone in daily U.S. production since 2008 — nearly 4.5 million barrels per day — is more than any OPEC country produces other than Saudi Arabia.

But as oil flowed out and revenue poured in, costs weren’t the main concern. Drilling in shale, also known as “tight rock,” is expensive because the rock must be fractured with high-pressure water and chemicals to get oil to flow. It became more expensive as the drilling frenzy pushed up costs for labor, material, equipment and services. In a dash to get to oil quickly, drillers didn’t always take the time to use the best technology to analyze each well.

When oil collapsed from $100 to below $50, once-profitable projects turned into money losers.

OPEC added to the pressure by keeping production high, saying it didn’t want to lose customers to U.S. shale drillers. OPEC nations can still make good profits at low oil prices because their crude costs $10 or less per barrel to produce.

Now drillers and service companies are laying off tens of

thousands of workers, smaller companies are looking for larger, more stable companies to buy them, and fears are rising of widespread loan defaults. OPEC said in a recent report that it expects U.S. production to begin to fall later this year, echoing the prediction of the U.S. Energy Department.

To compete, drillers have to find ways to get more oil out of each well, pushing down the cost for each barrel. Experts estimate that shale drillers pull up just 5 percent to 8 percent of the oil in place.

“We’re leaving behind a large amount of hydrocarbons, and that’s quite unacceptable,” Freitag says. “It requires different thinking now.”

Engineers have adapted some of the best sensor technology and mathematical models, developed first for deep offshore drilling, to see into the rock better. As they drill, they use imaging technology to find natural cracks in the rock that they can then use as a target when they fracture the rock, to leverage natural highways for oil and gas.

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The Student Voice of Houston Community College Since 1974