The Current Fall 2019 by Amarillo College

the

Current ARTS & MEDIA

FALL 2019

02 THE CURRENT

Table of contents 4

From the Editor

Meet the Staff

Sounds That Shape the City

Folk Music Goes Modern

Streets of Laredo

A few words from this magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editor, Lauren Ebben.

Meet the faces that created this magazine.

The country music scene in Amarillo has evolved in more ways than one over generations, leaving a lasting impact on the city.

Danny Freeze and the Earthlings is a Texas folk band from Amarillo whose multifaceted talents exemplifies this particular music genre.

A famous folk song offers a unique creative outlet for students in an expressive photography class.

From Dirt Roads to the White House

The Beauty of Handmade Items

Crafting Memories

Make Way for Clay

From Art to Education

More than 100 years ago, twin brothers Earl and Bearl Beck had a cowboy bootshaped dream.

In a world of mass production, the uniqueness of handmade items can be quite refreshing.

Sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones made by hand.

Rather than being an average lecture class, the Amarillo College ceramics course teaches students how to create art through hands-on activities.

The sun sets on an Amarillo art gallery.

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Keeping the Old West Alive

Tales From the Canyon

Cadillac Graveyard

Artists Throw Shade

Behind the Mic with Patrick Clark

Jack Sorenson, an Amarillo artist, is finally home and spends his time creating masterpieces inspired by the Texas Panhandle.

Since its first performance in 1966, TEXAS Outdoor Musical has left a lasting legacy on the Panhandle.

Cadillac Ranch has regressed to a trashed state over the years and recently become a victim to a burning. What does this mean for its future?

A few makeup artists, amateur and professional, share their inspiration and unique styles behind their artistry.

Meet Patrick Clark, a radio personality at KGNC-FM.

Behind the Mic with Lani Clark

Life Through a Lens

The West is Not White

Vintage Means Preloved

Staff Reads

Meet Lani Clark, a radio personality at KGNC-FM.

Get to know the face behind ‘Portraits by Tracy’ as well as her past at AC.

The lack of media representation has not stopped black cowboys, past and present, from continuing their legacy in the Panhandle.

Thrifting has become a popular trend recently with the Downtown Women’s Center and many more helping contribute to this vintage style.

The members of the magazine staff share some of their favorite reads.

From the Editor C

hange is a funny thing. We don’t always expect it, and even when we do, things almost never turn out the way we want them to. The design theme for this magazine, for example, was initially shabby chic, a design style where distressed textures and pastel colors dominate. One look at the cover will tell you this is not shabby chic, but rather more of a Western style. You’ll find this idea of change woven within the pages of the magazine, in the photos and stories that make up its content. You’ll read how folk tunes passed down from generation to generation have morphed into the country sounds we know and love today. You’ll read how Cadillac Ranch, an iconic sculpture set-up along Route 66, has withstood the test of time. You’ll read how one artist spent more than 50 years chasing his dream home, painting magnificent western scenes along the way. You’ll even read about the influence African-Americans have actually had on the cowboy image of the west when we compare trailblazer Matthew “Bones” Hooks to the modern-day cowboy. And that’s only a few stories from this issue. As you go through this magazine, I would like you to think of all the changes that have, or will happen in your life. Know that these changes, while they may be hard at first, are paving the way for a new future for you. I’d like to thank a few people who have helped herd this magazine along. Jill Gibson and Maddisun Fowler, who have been there for me since the beginning and have encouraged me to take risks and be the best journalist I could be. They both work so incredibly hard for their students and I would not be who I am today without either of them. I’d also like to thank Derek Weathersbee, whose expertise in typography and design has been much appreciated in the creation of this magazine. A huge thanks to Tony Freeman, the sales manager at Cenveo, who has helped print the magazine every semester since 1971. I’d also like to thank the members of student media who provided the content for the pages, as well as everyone who provided photos for us to use. An enormous thanks to the staff members of this magazine who you will meet on the next page. We have worked so hard to put this together and I’m grateful for every single one of you. I’d also like to give a shoutout to Beck and Donna, who helped us get through the long weekends as we worked on this publication.

I’d like to thank my parents and all the support they have given me. And lastly, of course, I’d like to thank you, the reader. Without you, this publication would not be possible. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

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Sounds that shape the city STORY BY C.J. SCOTT

marillo is rich with southern culture – Texas barbecue, Tex-Mex, boots, cowboy hats and, of course, music. With songs such as “Amarillo by Morning” by George Straight, “Amarillo Sky” by Jason Aldean and Alan Jackson’s “Amarillo,” it’s easy to see how impactful music is to the culture of the city. Maggie Scales, a local country and folk musician of 25 years, grew up with music. “Music is all we ever knew,” Scales said. She grew up with brothers and sisters who all play or have played music in the past. Her parents met while performing jazz music, and so music has always been a big part of her life. Country music is what she currently plays in her band, Young Country. “Country music is real,” Scales said. “Songs about loves found and loves lost. Those songs seem to stick around for a long time.” Immigrants shaped early America through folk music by playing their fiddles and violins and even making their own instruments. “Folk music is music that is learned by ear. It was mostly played by families for entertainment,” Jim Laughlin, an Amarillo College music professor, said. “Every immigrant group had folk traditions that they brought with them.” Country music grew from folk music and did not become country until around the 1920s when record labels started recording folk music and creating country. In the 1930s, the cowboy image began in silent films. The 1940s began the ‘honkey-tonk’ era with Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and more. Between the 50s and the 80s, artists such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, the Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and George Straight joined the country scene. There are mixed opinions about country music, especially among people from younger generations. “People might think of country as that ‘crying in my beer’ kind of music,” Scales said.

Country music origianted in the 1920s as a descendent from folk music. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JESSIKA FULTON

Mallory Sheets, a social work major, disagreed. “Country music is the epitome of Texas. When I worked in radio, I learned that it made up almost 70 percent of music stations in Texas,” she said.

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COURTESY PHOTO

From left to right, Packman Farbro, Danny Dobervich, Rick Todd, Leon Lange and B.J. Dyer (not pictured) make up the genre-bending band, Danny Freeze and the Earthlings.

Folk music goes modern

STORY BY ISABELLE LINK

exas is known for great music, and the Amarillo group Danny Freeze and the Earthlings exemplifies the traditional yet modern style of genre-crossing Texas folk. Texas folk music features ballads, gospel and storytelling. Dating back to the Battle of San Jacinto, this modern approach to traditional folk and country trends toward an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, country and rock and roll. Danny Freeze and the Earthlings formed about five years ago and is a prime example of multifaceted music from the Lone Star State. “We don’t have to play one genre,” Danny Dobervich, frontman of Danny Freeze and the Earthlings, said. “I’m all over the place. I do rock and roll, jazz or country songs.” Dobervich said that experimenting with different genres and styles has helped him and the other band members grow musically. “If you want to be a better musician, you have to go outside your box,” he said. The members of the group include Leon “Low-Note” Lange on bass; Dr. Rick Todd on mandolin, accordion and vocals; Puffing Packman Farbro on harmonica; Professor B.J. Dyer on percussion and Dobervich on guitar, harmonica and vocals.

Although it may seem as if there are a lot of instruments in the band, that is typical for a folk band, Dobervich said. Occasionally, they even add a fiddle to the mix to spice it up. Dobervich said one of the challenges the band faces as Amarillo performers is finding venues that have the money and space for a large band. “You have to be flexible and think about where you play. And then if the venue can pay,we will bring in all the people we can,” he said. Dobervich has performed with the group and as a solo artist throughout the city. Local venues including La Bella Pizza, Wildcat Bluff, Chalice Abby and Fire Slice Pizza, he said. Dobervich said some of what draws people to folk music is its hometown feeling, which comes from the camaraderie of the friends and family who create it. “Having a band is like hanging out with a bunch of friends, so it’s nice to work with them,” he said. Dobervich said he enjoys performing but he also pointed out that working as a musician requires commitment. “You need to make sure you like it because it takes up all your time,” he said.

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Streets of Laredo Michael Moore Last Ride

Shawn McCrea Horizons Fading

Mackenzie Shirley Looking Death in the Eyes

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marillo College’s Rene West’s Expressive Photography class got creative in the darkroom this semester. Students were given the lyrical prompt of the cowboy folk song “Streets of Laredo,” a classic ballad that’s been covered by country folk legends like Johnny Cash, Joan Baez and Marty Robbins. Also known as the Cowboy’s Lament, “Streets of Laredo” is a song about a dying young cowboy who tells the story of his life to another cowboy who passes the young man’s body on the streets of Laredo.

Zachary Quiros Death Touching the Cowboy

Elisia Miller The Lonely Soul

Joanna Nidey Memories of The Death of a Cowboy

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From dirt roads to the white house STORY BY JONATHAN ALONSO

n Amarillo boot manufacturer has fans who stretch from Panhandle ranches to the White House. Cowboy boots have long been a staple in Texas and local bootmaker Beck’s Boots has been part of this tradition since 1916. Twin brothers, Earl and Bearl Beck set up shop in Dalhart, and five years later, moved to Amarillo. The Beck brothers established a brand of handmade boots that would last more than a century. Not only would the business last so long, but it would also stay in the Beck family up until its most recent years of operation. In 2018, the company was featured in the White House’s Made in America showcase. Beck’s traditional hand-made boots feature leather cut and stitched by hand. All the parts are bought from American companies and everything is assembled in Amarillo. Carlos Quiroz, Beck’s bootmaker and current co-owner of the company, said he was proud to have their boots represent Texas. “When you go somewhere – especially a rodeo – and you see our boots, you know they’re our boots. It’s a unique style,” he said. Historians say cowboy boots were invented in the late 1800s. While the state of origin of the cowboy boot is under debate, either Kansas or Texas, experts agree that the new design changed the West. Just after the Civil War, cowhands running cattle across the trails on horseback realized the boots they wore during the war weren’t good enough to handle the work that they were doing. One cowboy took his old boots to a shoemaker and asked for changes to the design that would make the footwear more suitable for this new profession and the cowboy boot was born. The first difference between new cowboy boots and the Spanish riding boots or the marching boots these cowboys were wearing, was the narrow toe. This new toe allowed riders to fit their foot in and out of the stirrup with ease. A taller leg shaft was also added to increase the protection of the shins. The tall leg shafts were also fitted with wider openings and mule-ear straps to make it easier to pull up the boot. The wide tops helped make boots loose enough to be able to slide out quickly if needed.

Beck's Boots has been a Panhandle staple since 1916. PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA

Arguably, the most important change was the 40-penny nail. This nail runs horizontally on the sole of the boot to support the arches of the foot. Without the 40-penny nail, the stirrup can dig into the foot of the rider and feel like standing on a broomstick all day.

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PHOTO BY JONATHAN ALONSO

Beck’s Boots oweners Carlos Quiroz, featured left, and Jeremy Pool , featured right , pose in front of the custom-made cowboy boots.

The process of making a cowboy boot can be split up in two parts: the top boot and bottom boot. The top boot is comprised of the vamp, which covers the top and sides of the foot, the uppers that cover the shins, and the counter that encloses the heel. These pieces are all cut then sewn together to form the top boot. The seams are sewn inside out and then soaked in water till the leather is soft enough to put the right-side in. This signals the final step for the top boot. The bottom boot begins with attaching the insole to the vamp and counter and then inserting the last, which is the part of the shoe most people see when they look into it. These are then assembled and the welt, which is a piece of leather that will go between the outsole and the insole, is attached. A metal shank or a 40-penny nail is placed on the welt and covered by the sole and a heel is nailed on. The heel and sole are shaped by sanding and the boot is finished off by taking care of finer details and cleaned. Beck’s Boots has followed this construction process since the company first opened in 1916. When Harry Beck, son of co-founder Earl Beck, chose to retire, he sold the company to Jeremy Pool and Carlos Quiroz, who now run the company. Pool has been with Beck Boots for the past 10 years helping with customer service and the sales side of the business, while Quiroz has made sure the boots maintain the Beck standard of quality. “Making quality custom-fit boots, takes time,” Pool said. “The small shop makes about eight boots a day the boots have to be high quality since Beck’s customers are all working cowboys, he said. The boots are made to wear and work, so high-quality leather and assembly are required.” “We do what we call the working cowboy special where

most of the work is done ahead of time,” Pool said. “That takes about three weeks and if a regular wants to pick everything out? Takes about four months.” Pool said he makes sure that both regulars and newcomers get the best fitting boot possible and backed by the satisfaction guarantee. To ensure this, customers can either go into the shop and get a custom fitting where foot width, height and length are all measured and molds are made of the customer’s foot to make room for every callous and curve. Customers can also order a free sizing kit from the Beck website and find an in-stock pair that fits right. When that isn’t enough, the customer can pick out every detail from color, embroidery and even get their brand on the stitched onto their boot. That’s where Quiroz comes in. Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, Quiroz learned the trade of making footwear at the age of 12. The skill was passed from his father who learned from his father before him, establishing three generations of cobblers. After leaving his family, Quiroz spent time as a supervisor for different factories and learned more about shoemaking from boots to dress shoes to sandals before finding a place at Beck 15 years ago. Quiroz now spends his time in the shop not only supervising, but also doing his part to make the boots in the same traditional style that was started 100 years ago. Quiroz and Pool say they take pride in their work and respect the vision set out by the Beck family. They say they put in the time and effort to make sure it’s carried out faithfully. “I try to maintain the Beck style. I never try to do anything different,” Quiroz said.

PHOTO BY JESSIKA FULTON

OPJ hosts five vendors, one of them being a retired art teacher who makes ordinary items into art, like the pickets featured above.

The beauty of handmade items STORY BY MONICA CHAVARRIA

e live in a world where almost everything is mass produced, which is why there is an art to making things by hand. Amarillo is home to a variety of local businesses that fill the town with unique hand-crafted items, drawing in local residents as well as tourists. A major hot spot where handmade items thrive is in the heart of historic Route 66. Sixth Street is lined with small locally-owned businesses, each store offering its own special touch, from antique shops, to art studios, coffee shops and bakeries. “I think personally-made items have a better story,” John Dosser, owner of OPJ Furniture and Antiques, said. Dosser has always been on Route 66, growing from selling at other stores to eventually opening his own in 2012. He now has five vendors, and sells his own items as well, from vintage collectibles to repurposed furniture. Vendors located in his shop include a carpenter who will build any request, a retired art teacher who paints on everything from canvas to recycled tin cans, and a jeweler, who adds a special twist to every piece of jewelry. Down the street is the Amarillo Candle Company. For company owner, Yvonne Chaney, what started as a hobby in her kitchen, eventually grew into an entire candle-making business. For six years, she made candles in her kitchen and participated in craft shows all over

the Panhandle. Eventually people caught wind of her candles and began leaving empty jars and containers on her porch for her to fill with wax. “It took her about three years of trial and error to figure out what burns the longest, burns clean, the best wax to use and things like that,” Don Chaney, co-owner of Amarillo Candle Company, said. The candles are made out of soy wax from soybeans, not paraffin, which makes them 100 percent biodegradable. Their location on Route 66 officially opened May 22, 2015. “I feel these handmade items in general mean more,” Chaney said. “We’re competing with Walmart, a big company. They run their candles down a factory line. They don’t care that much,” he said. Don said handmade items are more adaptable. “There’s a very personal touch to the small business side of things,” he said. Handmade items take much more time and care to craft, Don said, adding that everything is more beautiful when it’s made with the heart. “If you look at the process and see how it’s actually done... I think people feel better about getting something handmade or personalized,” he said.

Crafting memories

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Handcrafted gifts to give

STORY BY ERIKA CHAVEZ

andmade gifts are always challenging, leaving gift givers wondering if the person will actually cherish it or not, whether it is too much or too little. Handmade gifts can be a written letter or a shadow box filled with a person’s favorite memories. Some people may knit a scarf, socks, gloves, beanies, sweaters or even a blanket. Handmade gifts are one of a kind, personal, crafted with love, fun to make and can save some money. They can bring tears, laughter, jaw-dropping expressions and they may have a special meaning to the person on the receiving end.

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Isaias Flores, a welding major, said the value of a homemade present varies. “The best handmade gift I received was a box full of snacks and a letter for my birthday. It was small, but I knew it meant a lot to the person who gave it to me. It meant a lot to me as well. I loved it,” he said. “I think the worst handmade gift to give to someone is probably something that has no meaning to it or something that can break easily. For example, a handmade bracelet can be a great gift up until it breaks and you feel bad because it broke,” Flores said. Enrique Carrillo, a music education major, said he enjoys giving and getting handmade presents. “I personally like to give handmade paintings as gifts to my friends. I love receiving handmade gifts because it shows that person took their time to make something for me instead of just going to the store and buying something. I feel as though handmade gifts have way more sentimental value and further strengthen relationships compared to store-bought counterparts.”

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House Decorations Ornaments, artwork, and other decor gives a home a nice feel.

Stuffed Animals

For people skilled with thread and a needle, this is the perfect gift to give to add a little life to a bed or shelf.

Candles

A new scent to freshen up the room may be just what someone needs for the holidays.

Soap

This gift is not only practical, but also shows a lot of time went into this gift.

Scrapbooks

Taking the time to capture favorite memories in a book is always a good gift to give.

Carrillo said some handmade gifts he has gotten were disappointments. “The worst handmade gift that I have personally received was a bath bomb. This gift, I feel as if it has little to no sentimental value. Honestly, I would never find myself using this gift because I do not know what products were put into it and I do not know if my skin will react with it.”

Playlists

What better way to tell someone how you feel than giving than a list of songs with meaning?

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Make way for clay C

STORY BY BRIANNA SAUCEDO

eramics is not your average class to take at Amarillo College according to Dennis Olson, a fine art professor. “It's a class that isn't focused on lecture like a traditional class would be. It’s a more hands on, problem-solving kind of class. A creative course work, in terms of designing objects and decorating them,” Olson said. The students enrolled in the course are exposed to traditional hand forming techniques such as pinching and building with coils and ropes of clay, which later are assembled into a model. “If you enjoy working with your hands, it can be a time to meditate or take your mind off other stresses, maybe from what other classes may bring upon you,” Olson said.

Ashley Denham, a general studies major, carves the shape of her ceramic creation. PHOTO BY LAUREN EBBEN

Leslie Porter, an AC graduate, said that she still comes back to the college and pays for the ceramics class to create artwork with the clay. “When I was going to school, the classes were sometimes overwhelming, but once you learn to do the clay and mold it into the things that you want to mold, it's a great stress reliever and when you take home the items that you made, it can be a joyful feeling to have those items,” Porter said.

PHOTO BY LAUREN EBBEN

Lezly Venzor, a graphic design major, said ceramics can have a relaxing and fun atmosphere. “I’m in a beginner class, so we've been working on the wheel, trying to make things like bowls and cups. Ceramics is something I’ve never done before, but I’m really enjoying it so far,” Venzor said. Olson said that creating a piece can take weeks or even months to complete. “The process itself can be frustrating, intimidating and difficult, which can really try your patience. It's definitely a different pace and motive compared to a more traditional course at AC. I enjoy working with everyone and it can be satisfying to watch artistic and personal growth within the students,” he said. PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA

Art major Eric Van Marter puts the finishing touches on a clay bowl he sculpted in the class. PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA

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From art to education

he Sunset Center Art Gallery, also known as Arts in the Sunset, once housed about 50 local artists and their studios. In Sept. 2019, the foundation owning the facility evicted the artists in order to gain tax-exempt status and announced plans to demolish most of the facility. Now officials from the Crouch Foundation say they are trying to find a way to preserve the building and invite artists back to work. In Jan. 2017, Ann Crouch, local artist and manager of the Sunset Art Center, died leaving instructions in her will to establish Center as a nonprofit foundation. Officials from the Crouch Foundation said the only way the building could stay open was for Sunset Center to stop renting to profitable sources, including the artists. Many artists had been there since it started,” Rachel Flores, director of the Amarillo Art Institute, said. “The hardest part about this whole process was explaining to people that this wasn’t a choice we wanted to make.” Now a few months after the eviction and closure, representatives from the Crouch Foundation and the Amarillo

STORY BY ANDREW ROBINSON

Art Institute say they are exploring the idea of a fresh start for the gallery. This means that instead of renting to profitable tenants, Sunset Center would serve as more of an educational service. Instead of artists selling pieces, they would be working there, Flores said. “A lot of them are very interested in coming back to work in the studio,” she said. “It has been a difficult few months, but I’m really optimistic that we can turn Sunset Center back into the art colony that it once was.” For now, the gallery section of Sunset Center remains closed and many of the artists have found other studios or locations to display and sell their work. Some of the artists have moved to Las Tiendas, Sonya’s, The New Place and Barnes Jewelry. “There are also many different festivals and events where they can also display their art and sell it,” Mendoza said. A few artists who formerly worked at Sunset Center have rented

a space on Olsen to use as a gallery. Other artists who were getting older took the closing as a time to retire. “A lot of artists are moving to the internet, selling their art on Etsy,” Celeste Ramirez, an art and graphic design major, said, adding, “We need to find new avenues, and maybe start something new that isn’t provided by Sunset Center.” Other artists say they are still struggling to adjust to the gallery’s closing. This facility was a huge part of people’s lives, said Stephanie Jung, an AC visual arts professor who had a studio at Sunset Center. “For the people that had galleries there, there was a sense of community for those artists. It seems like it has created a void,” Jung, said. “For some people it was a really special thing. Ann Crouch had a really cool idea.” Jung said she would consider returning to the gallery if the option becomes available. “I think that would be a great idea. It is something I might be interested in,” she said.

PHOTO BY JESSIKA FULTON

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA ZUNIGA

Keeping the old west Alive STORY BY CLAUDIA ZUNIGA

Amarillo artist, Jack Sorenson, said he was just nine years old when his grandfather took him to a spot on the rim of Palo Duro Canyon and told him, “Jack, as much as you love this canyon, you should build your house right here.” In Aug. 2019, Sorenson, now 65 years old, moved into the house he had built on that very spot. “It’s taken 54 years, but I’m finally getting to live right here,” he said.

works on a painting, he has his models sit on a saddle.

Sorenson said he is still putting the finishing touches on his newly-built home on the land he grew up on, but, as one of the United States’ best known Western artists, he has certain priorities and topping that list is his work as a full-time artist. Sorenson’s painting studio is already fully set up.

mother recalls that when the dog would jump down

Along with his art supplies, the studio houses several antique saddles and saddle racks, both of which play a part in the painting process. “On that saddle rack, you can tilt it in any direction – uphill, downhill, any direction,” Sorenson explained. When Sorenson

“I’ll have someone come sit on that saddle rack for whatever the storyline calls for and I can turn it however I want,” he said. Sorenson said he has always shown artistic talent. At just three years old, he would sit the family dog on the couch and try to draw it. Sorenson said his off the couch, the young artist would get mad and throw his drawing tablet on the floor. “My talent was drawing animals. I could draw any animal,” he said. Sorenson spent lots of time around animals during his childhood. His father ran a dude ranch on the edge of Palo Duro Canyon called Six Gun City. Growing up, Sorenson stayed busy breaking horses, putting on Wild West shows, camping and drawing. That experience led him to pursue art as a full-time job.

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Sorenson describes art as a form of storytelling. “I’ve always tried to tell stories. You know, you can always identify with a story, whether it be in a song, a movie, a book or a painting,” he said. “I get up and, as soon as my wife sees that I’m not in bed, she knows what I’m doing. I’ll be in my studio writing down everything I can think of for that story. That’s the way God does it for me. I’ll get an idea and probably eight out of 10 times the title will come and everything. All I have to do is do that painting,” he said. Sorenson’s contemplation of his artistic process is interrupted by the arrival of his wife, Jeanne, and two of their grandchildren. He calls them over to get hugs. His granddaughter gives him a kiss on the cheek before his wife Jeanne rounds them up to head upstairs. “I’m going to put in a pool for the grandkids so they can swim when they come to visit,” he said and his fondness for the grandchildren is evident in the way he watches them walk up the stairs. Sorenson’s youngest daughter Jacqueline Lleweyllyn describes her childhood with her father as idyllic. “I have always been very close to my dad,” said Llewellyn, a speech instructor at Amarillo College. “He is someone that has shown me how to really love and support people, because I have always felt really loved and supported by him,” she said.

she said, adding that she wants the world to know how wonderful her father is. “He’s fabulous. He is my hero, absolutely. I feel just very lucky to be his daughter,” she said. Llewellyn isn’t the only member of Sorenson’s fan club. His original oil paintings sell for several thousand dollars a piece; his paintings have been used as covers for more than a dozen Western magazines; he is one of the bestselling artists for Leanin’ Tree Christmas & Greeting Cards and Warner Brothers used one of his paintings for the cover of an audio literature cassette by Michael Martin Murphey. Sorenson also has a Facebook page with more than 43,000 likes where he shares all of his new art and interacts with fans. “The people that comment, I can tell when I do a story that really touches someone because there will be over a hundred comments or more and they’ll say, ‘that reminded me of my granddad’ or whatever it may be,” he said. Ensconced in his studio, in his new family home on the Panhandle land he grew up on the land his grandfather told him to build his home on – Sorenson said he feels privileged to use his artistic talent to tell stories. “I can do something in a painting that’s going to spark in you a memory. It’s just a total gift,” he said.

Llewellyn said she enjoyed growing up with a father who was successful artist. “I just feel so fortunate to have witnessed blank canvas turn into a beautiful work of art all throughout my life, it’s just been a real privilege,”

Sorenson is continuing to create extraordinary paintings every month and is showcasing them on Facebook. On Nov. 8 he was featured in the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City for his Great Works, Small Wonders Show.

Sorrenson stands in his new painting studio. Because of a

Sorrenson uses saddles and saddle racks to as an accurate

comment from his grandfather, this slice of Palo Duro Canyon

still life resource when painting. He can tilt them in any

land has been on his mind for 54 years.

direction and capture shadows and highlights on his subject.

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA ZUNIGA

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Tales from the canyon STORY BY LAUREN EBBEN

s the sun sets over the Palo Duro Canyon, the rusty orange of the sedimentary rock mixes with the greens and browns of the area’s shrubs and trees and becomes a background for the empty stage of the Pioneer Amphitheatre. Fifty feet above the stage, a lone horseman appears at the canyon’s edge, carrying a Texas flag worthy of the second biggest state in the country. Cheers erupt from the crowd gathered in the seats below as the horseman takes off at a gallop, the Lone Star flag billowing brilliantly in the setting sun, before disappearing a moment later. This marks the beginning of TEXAS Outdoor Musical. The show follows young homesteader, Calvin Armstrong, as he makes his way west to settle in the Texas Panhandle. Joined by a cast of colorful characters, as well as a few historically accurate ones, including the famous rancher Charles Goodnight, together they illustrate the early days of Texas settlement in the 1880s through song and dance. For Maverick Evans, an Amarillo College psychology major, it’s a show he knows well. Evans has been with TEXAS since 2015, starting off as a food caterer and

Maverick Evans and Cheyenne Haynes dance in the show’s opening number. PHOTO BY MIKE HEARD

returning nearly every summer since to work the show. During the summer 2019 season, Evans played Dave Newberry, a hard-working cattle foreman looking to move up in life on Goodnight’s ranch. “One of the coolest parts of being Dave specifically is that I get to represent the common man, pretty much,” Evans said. “There are a lot of rough-around-the-edges cowboy characters who come, and blue-collar men who work hard every day and bring their family out to the show or bring their wife or fiancée, and they tend to identify a lot more with my character. I’m really glad that I can represent people and give them a character they can relate to.” The show started as an idea by school teacher, Margaret Pease Harper, who later contacted playwright, Paul Green, to create a musical based off life in the Panhandle. Since its first season, the show has dazzled audiences with its spectacular music, dancing and location, as revealed in a review of its opening night written by Bette Thompson for “The Amarillo Globe-Times.”

From left to right: Sonnet Lamb, Olivia Pelton and Zach Perrin perform in the opening number of TEXAS. PHOTO BY MIKE HEARD

PHOTO BY MIKE HEARD In the opening number of TEXAS Outdoor Musical, dancers Mallory Seiditz (left) and Natasha Wakim (middle) join the rest of the cast in introducing the musical to the audience through song and dance.

“The whole show has been beautifully put together, directed with imagination and it makes a glorious spectacle. The music – a bit of the old and a bit of original – is delightful. The choreography is excellent – the fire dance in particular. And, of course, the sound and lighting is fantastically beautiful drama,” Thompson wrote. “And that canyon, bless its heart, just sat there and held everyone in its loving arms, stoic, beneficent, exquisite.” “I think the production of TEXAS is so significant because it’s outside,” Lauren Tanner, an English major, said. “Whenever you think of a production like a show or dance or ballet or musical you think, ‘Oh, it’s inside like a little building,’ but in the production of TEXAS it’s in a canyon … whenever you’re sitting in the audience it’s kind of like you’re actually in the production itself.” This unique quality of the Pioneer Amphitheatre as the permanent home for TEXAS is not lost on Evans. “The vision that the founders of Texas have is the same vision I think most Texans have for their lives and for their culture and their communities,” he said. “The Panhandle is a difficult place to survive in. It’s a hard environment. It’s hard to grow things here, and these are all things that the play itself displays, is that it’s difficult to live here. So whenever you come down here and you have a vision, in like the 60s, and putting an outdoor theater of this magnitude down here that’s a huge deal.”

Indeed, the opening lines for Thompson’s review were about a dream. “Not to many people get to see their dreams come true, especially if it is of such magnitude as the Pioneer Amphitheatre. But those people who have worked so hard and so long with the project know how it’s done, this business of making a dream come true,” she wrote. Caleb Brink, who played Newberry in the 2015 and 2016 productions of TEXAS, said he wouldn’t trade his experience with the show for anything. “It’s amazing to be a part of something that is nostalgic to so many people. To me, TEXAS is a living cult classic that people have dedicated their summers to for almost 55 years now,” Brink said. Tanner said she remembers when she used to go to the production every summer when she was younger. “TEXAS is like a tradition for me and my family. We all loved going down there in the summer and we try to go slower than normal to look at the canyon,” she said. But it isn’t just audience members who are impacted by the outdoor production. The cast, of course, have their own memories with the show. “I remember the relationships we all created the most. TEXAS wouldn’t be a fraction of what it is now without the incredible human beings that have been behind it for decades,” Brink said.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SHAWN McCREA ORIGINAL PHOTO: CADILLAC RANCH, PHOTO DOUG MICHELS ARCHITECTURAL PAPERS. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LIBRARIES.

Cadillac graveyard STORY BY SHAWN McCREA

est of Amarillo, located in the middle of a cow pasture between the I-40 61 and 62 mile marker,

rests a well-loved and iconic time capsule. Cadillac Ranch is a public art exhibit that was installed in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who are known collectively as the artist group, Ant Farm. The group buried 10 cars, built from 1943 to 1963, nosefirst in the ground. “It’s all about the tailfins. You can hear all kinds of stories of what Cadillac Ranch is about but it’s about the rise and fall of the tailfin,” said Jon Revett, an associate professor of drawing and painting at West Texas A&M University. Revett, who also worked on many other public art pieces around Amarillo, such as the Amarillo Ramp and the cryptic Dynamite Museum signs, is in close contact with Chip Lord and the Marsh family land shareholders.

Nowadays, Cadillac Ranch looks more like the evolution of anarchy in the hands of society. There have never been any signs on the property, particularly no signs discouraging vandalism. After they buried the vehicles, Ant Farm left them in their original state, thinking that rust and discoloring would be the only thing defacing them. But visitors had another artistic vision in mind. Scratches and spray paint began appearing on the cars and the aerosol-propelled paint assault hasn’t stopped since. “I’m two sided. I love anarchy. I think it’s funny,” Revett said. “Spray paint actually helps preserve the car body’s to some extent. However, it is destroying the sculptures. But I think that the anarchy years of Cadillac Ranch have had their run. I think it’s probably time to do something substantial with this sculpture because it’s too important.”

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Crews regularly go out to the Cadillacs and re-weld pieces back onto the cars because someone wanted to take home a bumper as a souvenir. Littering has also become a problem at the Ranch. Empty spray paint cans cover the grounds. Dan Quandt, the former senior vice president of Amarillo’s Convention and Visitors Council Bureau, is well-acquainted with the importance of the Ranch to local tourism and problem of littering.

local lookalikes

“The biggest challenge really are all the cans. The Cadillacs dominate the picture, but so do the cans,” Quandt said. Effort has been put toward keeping the grounds of Cadillac Ranch clean. “We have worked with some groups’ applications to help — almost like the Adopt-a-Road thing. They’ll go out there and trying to clean up,” Quandt said. But because of the 1.4 million unique visitors that go through the turnstile to see the cars, attempts to keep the area clean have been in vain. Tragedy struck the Ranch Sept. 8, 2019, when vandals burned the oldest Cadillac of the bunch. The fire underscored the need to renovate the installation.

PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA

Combine City Sixteen minutes away from AC’s Washington Campus is a half-buried secret: Combine City. Planted by local farmer, Combine City features 14 retired combines buried noses and blades up. But leave your spray paint at home. There’s a barbwire fence that separates the homage from visitors.

GPS: 35.0916, -101.7666

“They put a roof back on,” Revett said. “The fire didn’t really damage the car. It melted some of the tires but, in my opinion, what it did was highlight the need for support and protection of Cadillac Ranch.” Revett said that there are some plans of restoration, but nothing is set in stone. “I think Ant Farm realized it’s become something bigger than ever planned it to be. They were so stoked to get those cars in the ground and pull it off that they didn’t think about it 40 years in the future, you know.” All in all,most agree about the importance of preserving this classic Route 66 landmark. “It’s too important, too important,” Revett said. “Go see it. Don’t steal stuff from there. Pick up your damn spray paint cans or hand ‘em to somebody else. Take in what you take out if you’re going to leave a spray paint, gather, maybe take four out.”

Slug Bug Ranch

PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA

Located along the Exit 96 the I-40 Eastbound frontage road are the remains of five VW Beetles left to disintegrate in the hands of Mother Nature. Fans of urban explororation will enjoy this Ranch. Spray paint isn’t discouraged here. There are two nearby abandoned buildings that are just asking to be explored.

GPS: 35.2155, -101.3837

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PHOTO BY JESSIKA FULTON

The early 20th century brought about the rise of the cosmetic industry, opening up a new avenue for artists everywhere.

Artists throw shade STORY BY FAYTHE REEVES

itting in front of the mirror, Jordan Gipson, an amateur makeup artist and Amarillo College graduate, prepares her makeup for the day, enchanted by the many colors pressed into a single palette. Does she go with a natural look, her small and dainty decorations complete with a smooth finish? Or does she completely transform her face “Sailor Moon” style with vivid colors and eyeliner so sharp it could kill?

Either way, she is creating what few are willing to admit: art. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, makeup and body artists are just that – artists. According to Emily Hewitt, a beauty adviser and freelance makeup artist, makeup artistry is a booming industry. She also pointed out that the rise of YouTubers and beauty influencers is helping to grow the industry. Some customers, however, still don’t recognize the complexity of her craft.

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“Unfortunately, a lot of people mistake my job with just playing with makeup all day, and they also think that just because you can do makeup on yourself, you’re set,” Hewitt said. “Doing makeup on others is a total other ballgame.” When it comes to makeup styles, Gipson recommends going bold with a new look and not letting fear get in the way. “Use your eyeliner to draw hearts on your cheeks. Go bold with a bright pink lid. Make a statement and don’t worry about others,” Gipson said. However, makeup isn’t just for faces. Stephanie King is a body makeup artist. “I do body paint and face paint that represents the more avant-garde makeup rather than just pretty makeup,” King said. “It’s more fun and you get to show your own personality and ideas through it,” she said. Getting creative with makeup, while fun, can also have its

Jordan Gipson, an amateur makeup artist, places the final touches on a brand new look. PHOTO BY JESSIKA FULTON

drawbacks, according to Hewitt. She said that one challenge with more creative makeup is people not liking your work, especially in a conservative town such as Amarillo. “I often get told that I look like a clown or ‘what costume party are you going to?’ but I’ve learned to shake those kinds of people off,” Hewitt said. “It’s not that you’re a bad artist, it’s just that some people may not understand your visions and that’s OK. Often people find makeup to be a wall to hide behind, a way to cover up flaws instead of a path to feeling beautiful. Hewitt, however, said she believes that it is important as a makeup artist to make her clients feel beautiful inside and out. “I feel like people often think that people wear makeup because they’re insecure about their skin, when in reality, makeup is art. It’s a way for people to express themselves and it’s beautiful,” Hewitt said.

Photographer Cheryl Cruz experiences the other side of the camera after Stephanie King, a body artist, paints her skin. COURTESY PHOTO

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PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA Patrick Clark behind the mic at KGNC where he works as the music director, along with working with his sister, Lani Clark.

Behind the mic with patrick clark STORY BY NATHANIEL MONTOYA

atrick Clark has been a mainstay in radio for almost 40 years, building his foundation right here in Amarillo as the music director at KGNC. As a child, Patrick’s father served in the army which had them stationed in Germany. This is where Patrick found his love of music, listening to armed forces radio before his father was eventually stationed in Amarillo. Patrick then finished school and began to attend Amarillo College from 1978-1980. Rather than continuing at a university Patrick jumped right into the media workforce. “I visited the University of Texas-Arlington’s radio program and I was amazed that they ‘pretended’ to be on the air while at AC you got a full live radio experience. So I didn’t find a reason to go there for school.” Patrick’s first job was working part-time at KPUR while also working at Bell Helicopter. After taking various part-time jobs Clark landed a full time position at his current establishment KGNC in 1994. Patrick has since gained the respect of fellow members of the local radio scene. “Patrick has such a wealth of knowledge on the radio industry and is always willing to share that. He’s shown me how to become a radio professional. It truly is an honor and a privilege to work with him,” said David Lovejoy, news director at KGNC.

With all those years of experience comes some exciting stories as well, according to Morgan Tanner, the program director at 100.9 The Eagle. Tanner has worked with Patrick for years. “Back in the mid-90s, Garth Brooks came to Amarillo at the peak of his career. He’s gonna play two big shows at the ballpark of all places. So there we were, waiting outside to get in and they wouldn’t let us because the bleachers which were going to be extra seats had not passed inspection. Patrick looks at me and says, ‘Come here, I want to show you something.’ Then he takes me inside to where they’re putting up the bleachers and points out a man which turned out to be Garth Brooks himself out there working in the heat on the bleachers trying to get them to pass inspection,” she said. Patrick was inducted into the Matney Mass Media Hall of Fame in 2019 which Patrick referred to as a humbling experience. “I’m just a regular Joe, so it was a real honor being inducted. It was nice seeing my old professors. They always taught from experience rather than a book which is what I always loved about Amarillo College,” said Patrick. To this day, Patrick is still cheering for his Dallas Cowboys and making impacts both in radio and in the country music industry. He is on air every weekday afternoon from 2-6 p.m. on Amarillo’s country station KGNC FM 97.9.

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PHOTO BY SHAWN McCREA Lani Clark behind the mic at KGNC where she works with her brother, Patrick Clark.

Behind the mic with lani clark STORY BY TATHEANA FINNEY

n Sept. 14, 2014, Amarillo radio personality, Lani Clark, died - for 17 minutes. Several years before, Lani was diagnosed with breast cancer and she announced that she would be off the air and undergoing surgery to remove the cancer. Chemotherapy damaged Lani’s heart, leading to a second surgery to install a heart defibrillator. Then, one of the heart defibrillator’s wires came loose, leading to yet another surgery. During that surgery, the doctor made an error and “poked a hole” in her heart, leaving her dead for 17 minutes, Lani said. When Lani returned to work, she had to deal with shortterm memory loss caused by the medical complications from the last surgery. Her daily tasks such as getting to work, going on air, creating productions and public service announcements and blogging became difficult. She said she had to relearn her job duties as well as some simple day-to-day tasks.

from Germany to the United States at the age of two and went on to graduate from Caprock High School and follow her brother to Amarillo College to study radio. During her time at AC, Lani worked at FM90, breaking into the radio industry and breaking out of her shell. “Studying at AC prepared me a lot because I was actually kind of shy,” Lani said. “I always thought that I could be heard, not seen. That lasted about two seconds, because you go out and do stuff all the time in radio,” she said. After AC, Lani pursued her radio career in several cities and then joined her brother at KGNC-FM in Amarillo. Lani said Patrick treats her like everyone else at the station. She said he is the first to point out if she’s not doing something correctly. She has worked with her brother for 30 years, most of which they have spent at KGNC-FM.

In addition to love and support from her listeners, Lani said she had her brother to lean on. Patrick Clark, an AC graduate and Lani’s boss, also works at the radio station. After the medical problems, Patrick stood by Lani’s side and helped her with the recovery and relearning process. Slowly, she made a full recovery.

Working together at KGNC has given Lani the chance to play pranks on her brother. She said one time she had to work a radio shift while her brother attended a concert given by Tracy Byrd, an American country music artist who she really wanted to see. While Lani was working, her brother got Byrd to call her. Lani said that at first she thought it was a prank and had some “choice words” to say. After she found out it was really him, they met up and laughed about it.

Growing up with a father in the military, Lani said she considers herself an “army brat.” She moved with her family

Lani said she believes there is no other community like Amarillo and that’s why she loves doing radio at KGNC.

PHOTO BY JESSIKA FULTON

Life through a lens STORY BY JESSIKA FULTON

Kate Beckham has worked for Barnett off and on for more than 10 years and is friends with her.

Her love of taking photos progressed into a passion, a degree and a successful career.

“I loved working for Tracy,” Beckham said. “She is easygoing and never seems to become stressed or overwhelmed.Also, with her years of experience, Tracy always knows how to handle any problem that may arise.”

s an avid lover of photography, Tracy Barnett knew she wanted to be a photographer since she was 11-years-old.

In 1990, Barnett graduated from Amarillo College with an associate in applied science in photography. She has been in the photography business for 30 years. Barnett started her career at Family Photo where she made lifelong clients. In 1997, she ventured off on her own, becoming the owner and photographer of ‘Portraits by Tracy’ on Sixth Street. Marsha Walker, one of Barnett’s clients since 1995, said Barnett has a timeless style. “She not only captured my children’s smiles, but their personalities as well,” Walker said. “I dragged my in-laws with five grandchildren under five in for an appointment with Tracy. They were sure it was impossible to get a good photo with that many little ones. I assured them that Tracy was key. Her photos proved me right and it was quick, too.”

Away from the camera, Barnett is a loving mother, wife, friend, superintendent, collector, professor and mentor. When September rolls around and the fair is in town, Barnett volunteers as the superintendent of the professional photography division. “I take entries and money, I display the pieces properly and then find a judge who can be there early enough,” she said. Barnett has also taught at Amarillo College for the last 10 years. Brent Cavanaugh, AC photography professor and coordinator of visual arts, described Barnett as, ”very energetic and hands on in the classroom. She always has a smile and a laugh with the students. She is very focused on making sure the students know how to create quality portraiture. She enjoys teaching and giving back to the students,” he said.

Barnett’s students describe her as always willing to help.

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“Tracy is very knowledgeable in class,” Elizabeth Barcley, a former student and friend of Barnett’s, said. “If a student has a problem with their camera, lighting, poses or issues with getting a photo, Tracy is able to help the students problem solve and find a fix for the situation. Tracy is also patient and kind when it comes to her students,” she said. When she is not in the classroom, with her family or at the fair, Barnett is a part of the PRO, Pursuing Real Opportunities, internship program as a mentor. “Tracy is a mentor that ‘gets it,’ “ Vanessa Brown, the Caprock PRO teacher, said. “Tracy understands the value of allowing young adults to explore their desired careers prior to spending a great deal of time and money after high school only to figure out the career is not what they thought.” Brown described Barnett as an outstanding and loving mentor. “She is a true professional when dealing with our interns, as well as a respected photographer within the community. She is a terrific communicator and encourager to each intern. Tracy takes time to teach these high school seniors the many facets of the field of photography and shares personal experiences that are invaluable in terms of life lessons learned along the way, Brown said. “I could go on and on about Tracy’s personal attributes, but I will simply say that I sensed her joyful and bright spirit the moment we met,” Brown said. In her free time, Barnett likes to attend estate sales to find new props for photography. “I go to estate sales to seek out more stuff. It’s something that has always been in my life and a part of my family,” she said. “If I see something that I know would look good in a portrait and a reasonable price, I snatch it up really quick.” PHOTO BY JESSIKA FULTON

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COURTESY PHOTO Jeffery Jefferson, a future cowhand, rounds up his cattle using his lasso while riding his horse.

The west is not white STORY BY CAYLEE HANNA

rowing up in Stinnett, Texas, 19-year-old Jeffery Jefferson always wanted to be a cowboy, but, as an African American, he didn’t see any cowboys who looked like him in the movies or on TV. “I don’t believe the lack of representation in the media has changed my view on my profession,” Jefferson said. According to Katelyn Denney, a West Texas A&M University undergraduate student who has done research on black cowboys, even though they have always done the same amount of work as cowboys of other races, there is little evidence on the internet, on television and in movies to show that African American cowboys even exist. “I believe this lack of media representation exists simply

because the history of African-American cowboys is not widely known,” Denney said. Jeffery Jefferson, a future ranch hand, said he has always been drawn to this occupation. He said he didn’t let the shortage of role models impact his career choice. “The reason I decided to be a cowboy is because I see it as you wake up and get to do something you love every day,” Jefferson said. “I’ve been around horses since I was four years old and that’s all I wanted to be growing up was a cowboy. My dad bought me my first horse and that’s where it all got started.” There is one man from Texas Panhandle whose story offers inspiration to aspiring African American cowboys.

Matthew “Bones” Hooks was a famous trailblazer in Amarillo who took part in the Old Settlers Associations in both Amarillo and Pampa. He was also involved in the Western Cowpunchers Association, the Montana Cowpunchers Association and the XIT Ranch organization. “Hooks definitely impacted society,” said Timothy Bowman, associate director for the Center for the Study of the American West and the president of Westerners International. “Aside from his connections among early ranchers, he was widely known and liked. He was also quite civic-minded and dedicated to giving back to Amarillo’s African American community during the early 20th century.” In the past, African American cowboys often faced discrimination according to Michael Grauer, McCasland chair of cowboy culture and curator of cowboy collections. “Black cowboys worked just as hard as other cowboys, but were paid slightly less,” Grauer said. “There was discrimination in some cowboy crews.” “The lives of African American cowboys in the West varies from cowboy to cowboy and hinged on a few different factors,” Denney said. “Hooks was one of the most wellknown cowboys in this region and he earned the respect of many people, regardless of his race or theirs.” Hooks is known for his involvement in the Panhandle community and has been recognized in multiple museums. “He attended a number of events with the PanhandlePlains Historical Society during the 1920s and later at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon after it was built in 1933,” Bowman said. “African American guests at such events were extremely rare during this time period. They had little involvement with historical commemoration at the time.” Grauer said he feels it is time for the community to recognize Hooks’ contributions. “I believe there ought to be a statue of Bones Hooks in downtown Amarillo,” Grauer said. “In many ways he is and was the single most important African American person in the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. He used diplomacy and kindness instead of harshness and confrontation.” Meanwhile, Jefferson said he will continue to follow his dreams and he said he doesn’t feel discouraged by the lack of black ranch hands and cowboys in the media. “What matters is your ability to fulfill the tasks in the job,” Jefferson said. “Being a cowboy has nothing to do with your race.”

COURTESY PHOTO Trailblazer Matthew “Bones” Hooks paved the way for many African American cowboys in the Panhandle.

Find your cowfolk name Birth month

January: February: March: April: May: June: July: August: September: October: November: December:

Sassy Runaway Bullseye Gunslingin’ Calamity Shootin’ Smokey Buffalo Reckless Gold Diggin’ Ropin’ Horse ridin’

Favorite color

Red: Orange: Yellow: Green: Blue: Indigo: Violet: Brown: Black: Pink: Gray: Teal:

Hickshaw Bones Hatfield McGee Beck McCarty Binion LaRoue Cassidy Dodge Lester Oakley

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Vintage means preloved STORY BY MADISON GOODMAN

ore and more students are heading to thrift shops to purchase discounted and used clothing instead of buying new items. Students say that by buying used items, they are spending less money on clothes and are helping the environment. Also, students note that most thrift stores give back to the community by donating funds to different organizations and providing jobs for rehabilitating people. Merideth Smith, an Amarillo College general studies major, shops at all the local thrift stores in Amarillo. Her favorite thrift store is America’s Best Thrift at 3015 Plains Blvd. “Thrifting gives me the ability to dress creatively without breaking my bank and that’s why I love it,” Smith said. Jacquelyn Blalock, a mass media major, said she likes to create one-ofa-kind outfits. “I love the 80s vintage style and would always steal my mom’s clothes as a young girl but now I get to go shopping with my friends for unique vintage clothes for cheap and that is so much fun.”

PHOTO BY LAUREN EBBEN

The Downtown Women’s Center, a non-profit orginization that provides addicition rehibilitation and housing to women in Amarillo, runs several thrift shops like the one featured above.

Thrift shopping also can have an impact on the environment by reducing trash levels. “I thrift shop because I want to reduce waste any way possible. Clothes get thrown in the trash and then end up in landfills. When I shop secondhand, I

feel a little bit better about the amount of clothes I buy and the money I spend,” Vanessa Delion, a general studies major, said. Smith said that thrift shopping also offers other benefits. “I am happy to know that when I shop at the Downtown Women’s Center, my proceeds are going back to the women in my community,” she said. The Downtown Women’s Center has three locations in Amarillo: Thrift City, Thrift City Too and The Uptown Shoppe. Since 2003, these three locations and a few local churches affiliated with DWC have given away more than $600,000 worth of merchandise to the Amarillo community. With the funds raised from these thrift stores, DWC is able to house women and their children for extremely low cost and provide addiction rehabilitation services for women in Amarillo. An employee at the DWC Uptown Shoppe, Tonya Doe, said her favorite part of volunteering there is, “sorting through all the hundreds of donations we receive. I love looking at the different styles of all the clothing and trying to find the right place for them in the store.” Whether you are shopping for everyday clothes or searching for a new vintage addition to your closet, you are sure to find something unique and affordable when visiting a thrift store.

RECOMMENDED BY JESSIKA FULTON “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen is about Bryan Robeson, a young man who is stranded in the middle of the Canadian woods after an unexpected plane crash. Bryan has to take charge as he is left with no supplies or way to contact anyone for help. It is no surprise ‘Hatchet’

is a Newbery Honor recipient. This novel keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole book. Once you begin reading this outstanding survival story, you won’t be able to put it down. It is a fast, exciting, intense read and enjoyable by all generations.

Staff Reads

RECOMMENDED BY CAYLEE HANNA “Fever 1973” is a fictional book that is based on true events that occurred in the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia during 1793. The author, Laurie Halse Anderson, sets the scene of what life is like for a young girl named Matilda Cook and her family during the tragic epidemic. “Fever 1973” shows the reader how this family accomplished

their daily activities while enduring the pain and suffering of living with these hardships during this period in their lives. This book is excellent if someone would like to become more educated about the yellow fever epidemic and if someone would like to see a day in the life of how the people lived during this dark moment in the world.

RECOMMENDED BY LAUREN EBBEN “And Then There Were None” has been astonishing the minds of readers around the globe since it was first published in 1939. Written by Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime, the plot focuses on a group of strangers who spend a weekend together on a deserted island. During the first night, a strange recording reveals startling secrets about each guest, proving no one is who they seem. The already

rising tensions reach a new level as guests soon begin dying off one by one. This book is definitely one of my favorite Christie novels. Not only does it explore the darker side of humanity, it introduces a new meaning to the phrase “dead men tell no tales.” The plot, characters and setting create an image that have inspired some of the best artists and will continue to inspire for years to come.

RECOMMENDED BY FAYTHE REEVES “John Dies at the End” is a hysterical and horrific novel set in the town of Undisclosed and written by Jason Pargin, who writes under the pseudonym, David Wong. Published in 2007 and turned into a movie in 2012, “John Dies at the End” details the life of David and John as they unveil the secrets

behind a new drug called “soy sauce” and an evil entity bent on world domination. Framed as a conversation/crazed confessional between David and a skeptical reporter, this book is a creative, genre-mixing depiction of bizarre hilarity that will be sure to keep readers on edge.

RECOMMENDED BY SHAWN MCCREA As you delve into the pages of the first volume of “Saga,” the heroes of this intergalactic tale, Alana and Marko, are soldiers from opposing forces who are entangled in an universe-wide war that’s drawn out for so long that neither side remembers why they’re fighting. The narrator, Hazel, is their biracial love child. From deviant brothels to disemboweled babysitters, story writer Brian K.

Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples aren’t afraid to push the envelope with the subject matter. Though this volume only contains the first six issues, “Saga” is jam-packed with plenty of action – no thanks to freelance assassins and TV-headed royalty hot on the heroes’ heels. If you’re someone who loves the galaxy-building of Star Wars and a sprinkle of magical fantasy, “Saga” is right up your alley.

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