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Volume 92, Issue 9
March 3, 2022
Car break-ins cause worry By IZZY GOMEZ
Student Reporter
Amarillo College police are warning students about a string of recent vehicle break-ins on the West Campus. One of the victims was Natalia Garza, a radiography major. She said that it happened Jan. 20, in Parking Lot One, between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Garza said that she thinks the police handled the situation well. She said that they checked around her car for footprints, because it had been snowing, but did not find any because she had already walked over them. Garza said that she thinks it would have been helpful for the police if there were cameras on campus and she wished they would have sent out the campus alert after the first break-in. An earlier alert could have warned her and other students not to leave belongings in their
cars, she said. “I think it’s the campus responsibility to ensure that students and their belongings are safe while we’re here,” said Garza. Garza said that the officers told her that they have started patrolling more since the break-ins started and she believes it is true because she has noticed them out on their bikes and driving around the parking lots. One of the other victims was Brooklyn Tenorio, a biology major. It happened to her Feb. 7 between 9 a.m. and noon. The thieves broke her front and back window on the right side of her car. Tenorio said that when she posted what had happened to her on her Snapchat story, a lot of people replied to her story saying that it either happened to them or one of their friends. Tenorio said the thieves stole her purse, jewelry, credit and debit cards,
Keeping an eye on Ukraine Crisis mounts as local nonprofit sees influx of volunteers COURTESY PHOTO
$300 worth of cash, gift cards and driver’s license. She said her purse had sentimental value because her mom got it for her and she is not looking forward to See BREAK-INS, page 4
AC seeks feedback from faculty with survey By JOHN KING Page Editor
“Amarillo College cannot afford to be Blockbuster in a Netflix world,” Renee Stovall, secretary of the AC faculty senate, said. According to Stovall, the college needs to keep moving ahead and keep making innovations. Faculty feedback is an integral part of that process, she said. To thrive, every school needs faculty who can communicate their wants and needs, according to Don Abel, president of the faculty senate. The process for a faculty member to get an issue they have up the chain of command is complicated and difficult, he said. For the people unhappy with that lengthy process, there is the COACHE survey, a faculty feedback survey created by and outsourced
from Harvard. The survey, being sent out during spring semester, sets out to collect the thoughts and feelings of faculty members and use that information to adjust or make major changes to the college. According to Abel, the survey solicits faculty members’ thoughts about how they are being cared for, how students are being taken care of, how well support departments are working and many other topics. The survey is sent out once every three years, and the questions in the survey are adjusted based on results from the previous one. This year marks the second time the AC has administered this survey. Results are compiled and used to determine where and what changes need to be made. One of the groups that will analyze and use the survey results is the faculty senate, a group of instructors that represents the
rest of the faculty and serves as a direct voice to the higher ups of the college. According to Simone Buys, parliamentarian of the faculty senate, the senate has a strong voice and has made good on the past survey results. “The information we received was valuable in forming questions for discussion with the vice president of the college,” said Buys. She said that higher ups have been very receptive of the requests and communication from the senate and the COACHE survey task force, which has a similar goal with a narrower focus. Changes have been made because of both of the groups, “and we want a high rate of participation this time, especially so we can see how much has changed and has satisfied the faculty,” Buys said. According to Abel, the senate still does not have as
strong a voice as he would like, the faculty senate and the survey task force are the best way to create accountability and address issues. Improved communication between faculty and college leaders is another important goal, according to Stovall. She said the senate recently created a way for faculty members to send in anonymous questions, which has led to better communication between the senate and higher ups. “They don’t know what’s going on down here if they haven’t been in the classroom for 20-30 years.” Buys said the voices of the senate and task force are only getting stronger. While every issue may not be fixed, communication is improving, she said. “We try to problem solve everything brought up, but we can’t fix it if we don’t know about it,” said Buys.
CNA program to offer more entry/exit options By ANDREW TERRY Staff Reporter
Amarillo College’s certified nursing assistant (CNA) program is planning a multiple entry/exit program to streamline the process of healthcare students earning multiple credentials. The multiple entry/exit plan, or MEEP, will allow students to earn certifications while also earning a nursing degree. “We hope that this will help students moving forward into nursing be more successful,” Michele Rupe, an instructor for the CNA program, said. The MEEP does not have a specified start date yet. “Most of our students are planning to continue on to nursing degrees,” Rupe said. Some students in the program plan on earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing, but need CNA experience to apply. “Nursing assistants help residents through their daily lives. The nurse assistant will help with needs like dressing, grooming, bathing and eating,” Rupe said. There are two options. One option, which counts as continuing education credit, prepares students to take the CNA exam in 12 weeks, but, according to
ARINE GARIN | The Ranger
Nancy Lopez, nursing major, practices procedures learned in classes. COVID-19 had impacted training for students. The CNA program is now back in-person.
Rupe, they have to pay out of pocket. The 12-week program has an estimated total cost of $1,400 for tuition and supplies according to the program’s page on the AC website. The other option is a level 1 certificate that requires students to complete 15 credit hours. This option allows
students to use financial aid to help pay for the classes but takes two semesters to complete. Students in the certificate option also get to walk the stage when they graduate. “I entered the CNA program because I got laid off from my job due to COVID. I’ve always
enjoyed helping people so I thought I would give being a CNA a try,” Ishmael Gillarm, a nursing major, said. After Gillarm completed the program, he got a job as a CNA at the Amarillo Veteran’s Administration and is currently pursuing a degree in nursing.
By JO EARLY
Online Editor
For one Amarillo College student, watching news coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has hit close to home. Shawn McCrea, a graphic design major, lived in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014, and has had little sleep since news broke of intense artillery barrages along the Russia-Ukraine border. “It hurts me to see Ukraine suffer like this. Ukraine is a second home to me,” McCrea said. McCrea spent 18 months in Ukraine doing outreach and volunteer work and has followed the conflict between Ukrainians and Russianbacked separatists ever since then. “For eight years now, it’s been in the back of people’s minds. It’s sad to see that it’s happening. This is actually happening,” McCrea said. The multipronged attack began Feb. 23 with more than 150,000 troops crossing into the country from three sides, according to US and Ukrainian intelligence officials. Hours later, President Biden announced new sanctions against Russia in an address from the White House, promising that the attack would “end up costing Russia dearly, economically and strategically.” “A coalition has been built in support of slapping economic sanctions on Russian companies, energy and banks,” Aaron Faver, an AC social sciences professor, said. “Sanctions are a valuable retaliatory penalty for actions that are condemned, but it is unclear at the moment how well-prepared Russia is, as a whole, to maintain public support for the effort as the sanctions begin to diminish the Russian economy.” In a televised address Feb. 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin argued that NATO member countries were planning to use Ukraine as an entry point to attack Russia. He again framed the 2014 Ukrainian uprising as a coup, and restated allegations that the Kyiv regime is committing genocide against the Russian-backed separatists that control parts of eastern Ukraine. Glenda Moore is the operations director for an Amarillo nonprofit business called Kind House Ukrainian Bakery, which she established in 2016. The donations the bakery raises provide necessities to those living in the war zone of Ukraine. The bakery also See UKRAINE, page 3
March 3, 2022
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT AC'S STUDENT RUN MEDIA ON CAMPUS? LEXI SMITH
General Studies “I’m not on campus a whole lot, but when I am I’ve seen little bits here and there, but I would like to see more. If I knew more about the things happening around campus I would probably participate.”
HOPE McCOLLUM English
“I’d like to see more student media on campus because I feel like all I see is the newspaper, but I just get emails about it and sometimes see it. I feel like I need to see more, the presence needs to be larger. Having other clubs give out newspapers would be cool.”
SARA CLINESMITH Music
“Honestly, the student-run media is actually a really great way for students to communicate because you always hear the adults talking, and hearing their perspective, and they don’t really get into the life of being a student. It’s a great opportunity to actually get a view of what’s actually happening inside the college. It gives the president more of an idea too.”
Put end to profit driven health care aaap
OPINION
Ted Richards Staff Repoter
The state of the health care system in this country is abysmal. In the U.S.A, we have a corporate-run for-profit health care system. At its very core, this creates a fundamental problem: it costs money to pay for the care of a sick or injured human, and corporations generally only exist in order to make profits. This system creates a conflict of interest at every single decision point. It produces a profit motive to deny people proper care, medication or procedures. It contributes to an environment in which a patient may be left wondering, “Is this in my best interest as a patient or is this in the best interest of the profit margins of the hospital or insurance company?” What an absolutely horrible thought to have, when your potential life, long-term health or quality of life is on the line. We have an entire industry that literally all they do
Editor-in-Chief Raygan Lopez
Design Manager Shawn McCrea
Online Editor Jo Early
Page Editors
John King, Anthony Kiser, Rylee Moore, Jordan Nuner
is take our money and then deny us care, and they make BILLIONS of dollars a year. Thousands of people die every year just due to not being able to afford insulin. There is something fundamentally sick with this system. This is in NO way an attack on the doctors, nurses, EMTs and countless other human workers that actually do the difficult physical, mental, and emotional daily work of providing care. The working conditions in hospitals, ERs, and clinics across the country are deplorable. Wages have been suppressed through the typical corporate methods such as union busting, noncompetition clauses in work contracts, and monopolization for decades. All these problems were present before the global pandemic. COVID has only exacerbated these existing issues. The No. 1 reason for personal bankruptcy in this country is medical bills. How can you call it freedom if you’re only “free” to be in debt and sick?
Staff Reporters Arine Garin, D Hill, Andrew Terry
Columnists
Nick Bandy, Raygan Lopez
Graphic Designers
Anthony Kiser, Shawn McCrea
Photographers
Shawn McCrea, Andrew Terry
For a complete staff listing, visit The Ranger online at www.acranger.com Student Media exists to serve you — the students. The Ranger staff urges you to get involved by submitting ideas, photos, videos at therangereditor@gmail.com. The Ranger is an independent student publication. Material published in the Ranger does not necessarily reflect the views of Amarillo College administrators or employees.
Illustration by ANTHONY KISER | The Ranger
Student publication defends independence EDITORIAL Editorial independence is at the heart of what a student newspaper should be. Student publications should give their staff the ability to independently publish stories without the oversight of university staff, allowing them to make their own decisions regarding the paper. Student publication is a pillar to media education that universities should respect, and they should be allowed editorial independence without interference. Texas A&M President M. Kathryn Banks has demanded that the student newspaper, "The Battalion", stop printing physical papers immediately and move to an all digital platform. The decision to do so was made entirely by Texas A&M leadership staff, with no discussion with the
newspaper's student staff or any clear explanation. Following the announcement, the university reversed course and allowed the paper to continue printing through the end of the current semester, but the change has not sat well with students and has led to protests. While the decision to shift to an all digital platform for a student newspaper is a completely viable route to take, that kind of decision is for the newspaper staff to make. A school cannot claim to offer editorial independence to its student media and also make large scale decisions about the media for them. If leadership can make these kinds of changes to the paper without consulting the staff, then the idea that those students can confidently publish the material that they see fit
also comes into question. Texas A&M leadership has overstepped their boundaries within student media at the cost of their student body. College newspapers are a valuable asset to students who study journalism, public relations and many other media majors and deserve to be treated with respect. They offer an outlet for students to build a portfolio of official work that they have done while also offering necessary learning experiences for those who may want to pursue a career in media. Having a student newspaper is not just beneficial to the students on staff, it is beneficial to the student body as a whole. However if student media is not given the independence that publications must have, then that value is wrongly taken away.
Texas leaders' anti-queer policies cause harm aaap Andrew Terry Staff Repoter
Growing up as a queer person in one of the most conservative parts of Texas was hard. I couldn't come out to my parents out of fear that I would be kicked out of my home. I had no adults to tell me that I wasn't broken or wrong and that I deserved the same love that my straight peers did. I'm still afraid to exist in public as a transgender person. The attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton, issued an opinion that providing gender affirming healthcare to minors is child abuse on Feb. 21. The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, ordered state agencies to investigate gender-affirming care to transgender minors as child abuse on Feb. 22. Texas and other conservative states often try to pass anti-queer legislation under the guise of ‘protecting the children,’ but what about queer children? No medical professional recommends any gender-affirming surgery for minors, so they clearly aren't
OPINION
protecting children from surgeries they might regret later. Governor Abbott has chosen to spread fear and misinformation in exchange for popularity. Of course, Texas is no stranger to making living as a queer person in the state difficult. Texas does not have any statewide laws prohibiting discrimination toward queer people. It is also one of four states with laws that ban instruction on queer topics in public schools. One law says that all course materials related to sexual education must emphasize that from a public health perspective “homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense.” In November 2020, the Texas State Board of Education revised sex education policies to include information on birth control starting in 2022, but the board didn’t add anything about consent or queer identities. The board did not take an opportunity to strike down the anti-queer policies. They also voted against a proposal to teach middle school students about bullying and sexual
harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, instead voting to teach students about “sexual bullying,” which was not clearly defined. Pat Hardy, a Republican member of the state board of education, said “When it happens, you know it when you see it.” Other states have introduced legislation that would ban conversations about queer identities in classrooms. Lawmakers probably never see or care about the real effect of anti-queer legislation on queer communities, but they are very real. Transgender people in the United States are four times as likely as cisgender people to be the victim of violent crime, according to the ACLU. One in two trans people will experience sexual violence, according to the Office for Victims of Crime. By keeping anti-queer laws on the books, and persecuting parents who try to help their children by giving them gender-affirming care, Texas is telling queer people that they should not feel feel respected or loved or safe in Texas.
March 3 , 2022
Corporate chaplain added to faculty By CASEY NICCOLI
Student Reporter
Adam Gray doesn’t claim to be a therapist or even a professional counselor, but he’s on a mission to help those in need. He’s Amarillo College’s new corporate chaplain. What he brings to AC is a unique opportunity for employees to have someone caring and compassionate to speak with during difficult times. Gray is a native Texan who grew up in the Fort Worth area. He went to school in Abilene where he got his bachelor’s and master’s in Christian ministry. He was a fulltime pastor for 25 years, 17 of those years have been in Amarillo. He’s also the drumline instructor for Amarillo High School. “I’d heard about this idea of corporate chaplaincy, where I’d heard of hospitals having chaplains, or police or military, right? But I’d never heard of a business hiring a chaplain, but I came across the idea and wasn’t even looking for it,” said Gray. According to Gray, the idea clicked, and he felt a calling to pursue this next step in his lifelong career
helping others. He formed a company called InnerWell, which offers life coaching, corporate chaplaincy and proactive soul care, as listed on his website. Some AC employees say they think it’s a step in the right direction. “I hope it’s utilized. I think it could be an opportunity for a lot of us to overcome some of our self-imposed barriers that we’re experiencing right now. So, I think it’s positive overall,” said Jackie Llewelyn, a speech instructor and dual credit coordinator. Llewelyn says she feels the pandemic, and the many challenges AC employees now face, has something to do with the onboarding of corporate chaplaincy, but there are many reasons why someone could use Gray’s services. “I hope to honor whoever I’m in conversation with by just being wherever they’re at,” said Gray, “people have pain and people have loss and grief, and they need to know somebody is there and I’m trusting that when people feel comfortable, that’s when they can reach out.” Gray can be found on any one of AC’s five campuses
SHAWN McCREA | The Ranger
Adam Gray, the new corporate chaplain, and Russel Lowery-Hart, the college president, talk about Gray’s new position
throughout the week. Gray said he feels the mission of AC aligns with the chaplaincy work that he is doing. “There are students of all different socio-economic means, a lot of the students that are first generation, maybe come from working poverty or even the culture of poverty. AC cares for their students in a holistic way. Even down to the need to feed them, clothe
them. It’s remarkable work that they’re trying to fulfill,” Gray added, “how can the staff and faculty better be poured into as they’re pouring into their students? I want to be investing in those who are doing meaningful work. That’s the vision of it.” Some instructors say a focus on the well-being of faculty can impact the students in a positive way. “Well, you
know, happy teacher, happy student. The less stressed we are in general, the more we can focus on being our best in the classroom,” said Llewelyn. Gray said he will maintain strict confidentiality when counseling AC employees. “My sole agenda is just to care. And the way I do that is to listen and talk to others and to meet them right where they’re at,” Gray said.
Talkin’ about tenure Tenure is an earned status by educators that both reinforces job security as well as provides an increased status. While the information surrounding tenure is available on the AC website, it doesn’t appear to be something of common knowledge to the majority of students. A possible reason why there is a limited knowledge of tenure may be the fact that the process to gain tenure is both complicated and lengthy. “Tenure is granted to faculty who have worked at AC for seven years or more and who are able to demonstrate that they’re doing a really good job,” Bill Netherton, an AC English professor with tenure, said. “You have to petition for tenure and send your evidence to the ‘Rank and Tenure Committee,’ and they decide if you meet the qualifications, and if you do, they recommend that you be awarded tenure to the VPAA, and if she agrees, she recommends it to the Board of Regents, and they make the final decision,” he added. The limited knowledge of tenure may also be reinforced by its scarce availability. “Not everybody who petitions for tenure gets it, for one reason or another. Also, each department has a certain number of tenure positions, so even if you meet all the qualifications, you might not be
able to receive it,” Netherton said. Along with that, tenure is earned through several steps over the course of many years. “There are steps . . . instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and full professor,” Mary Dodson, another AC English Professor with tenure, said. The work involved varies from educator to educator. By having tenure, an educator has a variety of benefits at their disposal. For starters, there are the essentials of an ideal work promotion. “Each ‘step’ results in minor financial increases. More importantly, I think it gives the individual a sense of accomplishment,” Dodson said. One of the more prominent benefits is job security, meaning that it’s harder to be fired if you have tenure. “ I think it would be harder for a tenured faculty member to get fired, though I’m sure some people would disagree. There is legal precedent that if cuts have to be made for, say, economic reasons, non-tenured people would be let go before tenured (which is why there are only a certain number of tenure positions in a department),” Netherton said. “However, tenure does not mean that a tenured faculty can slack off or do anything they want and not be fired, as some people believe,” he added. The added protection tenure adds to an educator’s position allows for potential new experimentation as well.
them through staying close to somebody, talking them through the night and getting them to understand that somebody on the other side of the world is there. We’re here for them. And what else can we do?”
Kind House Bakery is located at 2100 SW 60th Ave. To schedule a time to volunteer, call Glenda Moore at 806220-8115. More information is available on their website, kindhousebakery.org.
By SILAS MIRANDA Student Reporter
KIM BLACK | The Ranger
The Amarillo college band rehearses Mondays at 7 p.m. in the band hall on the Washington street campus.
Community band prepares for March By KIM BLACK Student Reporter
The Amarillo College community concert band has a new director with a vision for the future. “My dream is to have a student-driven band with at least a 50-50 split,” Bruce Collins, the band’s new director, said. In January, Collins came out of retirement to join the AC faculty and direct the concert band. According to Collins, the band consists of students, both music majors and others, as well as faculty from other departments and community members. “At the first meeting, we had 19 come. The next week, five of them were out, but we had 17 new members. Every practice we see new faces,” Collins said. “And I’m grateful for ev-
ery one. More members will translate into better music.” “This is different than a normal school band. We have a unique community,” Loagan Tolbert, a music major and band president, said. Community members represent all age groups and backgrounds. Some are professionals or retired individuals who haven’t played in years. Others are still playing in their high school bands. “Playing in this way is a little more difficult because of the wide range of skill levels of all the members. But, it gives us a new perspective of how we do what we do,” Tolbert said. Collins said he hopes to expand the class by recruiting students who played in high school but have majors in other subjects. “Most band members bring their own instruments,
but the college has one of everything and can supply an instrument if the student needs one,” Collins said. The band also relies on players from the Amarillo area for members. “The small fee we receive for those who get continuing education credits goes to support the music program to keep it strong,” Collins said. Nick Petruccione, an AC supplemental instructor, has played the trumpet since the fifth grade. He saw Collins’ schoolwide email and decided to join the band. “I play for the love of music. You get away from it, and you miss it,” Petruccione said. The band is preparing for concerts scheduled for March 10 and May 7. The March concert will feature music with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
UKRAINE: Local efforts to aid Ukrainians during conflict
Continued from page 1
sends financial support and fosters relationships with Ukrainian orphans, according to its website. Moore said many in Ukraine are currently fleeing the violence.
“Most people are there trying to decide whether they’re going to hunker down in their city or get in their cars and drive to a place that they think might be safer. People are panicking and they’re terrified.”
The nonprofit director said, along with money, she has been trying to provide emotional support to her friends in Ukraine. “These kids that I’ve been talking to on the phone, they’re in shock. We’ve been talking
March 3, 2022
SHAWN McCREA | The Ranger
Osyris Padilla, an education major, directs Zareth Munoz, an education major, around campus. To schedule a tour visit actx.edu/enroll/
Blue Blazers burn with passion for helping others By JORDAN NUNER Page Editor
The Blue Blazers are a group of student ambassadors that help new and prospective students learn about Amarillo College and discover why it may be the right choice for them. The sponsor of the group, Cassie Montgomery, director of outreach services, said, “The Blue Blazers are the official student ambassador club of the college. They represent the student body when it comes to prospective students. If someone is thinking about becoming an
AC student, a Blue Blazer will essentially fill them in on the experience and kind of explain to them what it’s like to be a student here,” Montgomery said. Montgomery serves as the club sponsor. “I’m kind of the mentor of the group. I train them, teach them how to give tours of our campus, how to organize tours, follow up on tours and I also take them to events in the community and I oversee all of their activities.” Raygan Lopez, a mass media major, is one of the current Blue Blazers. “Blue Blazers are a group of students, student ambas-
sadors, that help around the college in any type of way,” Lopez said, “We help with the café, we help with AC Foundation, we help with events and we give tours to prospective students.” “It is amazing. I absolutely love doing this,” Osyris Padilla, an education major said. “One thing I absolutely love about Blue Blazers is giving that culture of caring and that we care very much about the college.” Lopez said, “My experience as a Blue Blazer has been so fun. I’ve helped so much, met so many people and learned many things,
I learned how to represent AC as a Blue Blazer and as a student and I love talking to future students about my campus and how much I appreciate it,” she said. Jackie McDuff, a business administration major, agreed, saying that she is enjoying the role. “It’s totally awesome that I’ve done pretty much everything. It looks wonderful on your resume and is the highest quality attribute that you could go for at the college,” said McDuff. To become a Blue Blazer, students can be nominated by AC staff members or can apply on their own.
“We interview the candidates after looking at their GPA, how many credits they have at AC, how much longer they have at AC because we don’t want someone who’s in their first semester,” said Montgomery. ”We want a seasoned student but not someone in their last semester because we want to know that you’re going to be here a little bit longer than just a few weeks,” she said. Any student can apply to be a Blue Blazer, she said. “If you’re willing to learn and you’re excited to know more about college, that’s all I’m looking for.”
Program teaches financial skills By KIM BLACK Student Reporter
DANIEL ANTILLON | The Ranger
Marcus Baber-Newton, a horticulture major, checks over the plants to make sure all is well.
Greenhouse blooms By CAMERON PLUMLEY Student Reporter
With spring plants beginning to bloom, Amarillo College is updating its greenhouse. Cafe collaborations, greenhouse repairs and an all new updated outdoor learning space are just a few changes underway. Many things this year are new with the AC greenhouse. Stem Research Coordinator Crystal Moss said, “We will be collaborating with Badger Cafe for greens and produce, as well as an updated outdoor learning space.” Summer Brown, a horticulture major, said, “They are building a quarantine zone for plants that need to be transferred into the greenhouse. It’s to check to make sure they have no diseases.” The AC greenhouse will also be making some upgrades this semester. “The motors in our greenhouses are planned to be replaced at some point this semester,” Te-
resa Gaus-Bowling, the program coordinator, said. Many students will use the greenhouse for handson learning. “There will be greenhouse systems training for full time users and a student-led vertical farming project,” said Moss. “There will be experiments with radishes to explore nutrient deficiencies,” she said. Students are growing many things this semester. “Currently each student has five tomatoes that they are caring for during the semester,” Gaus-Bowling said. She added that the greenhouse allows horticulture majors to explore a wide variety of topics. “This year there will be a variety of things we will study including types of soils, plant nutrients, crop development and plant diseases.” “We are studying how plants can be susceptible to diseases, proper planting techniques from farm to home and so much more,” Brown said.
Amarillo College has partnered with iGrad to empower students to be more financially literate and more capable of managing their money. “In the past, we’ve offered live group sessions, with a Zoom presenter, and the students can ask questions,” Trent Oneal, intramural sports coordinator and career coach, said. The new virtual sessions can be accessed through igrad.com. The student can set up a financial profile and select topics that address their specific concerns. Interactive tools guide users through lessons on money management and paying for school. Sessions also include savings, investments, insurance needs, budgets and others. The iGrad program allows students to learn at their own pace, using whichever format is more comfortable, includ-
ing games, videos, webinars, quizzes, chat and forums, according to Oneal. The career services department at AC has several resources to help students become more financially literate, including the TexasRealityCheck.com site with its free lifestyle calculator. A student can input where they live and their lifestyle information, and the tool shows the approximate annual income required to maintain that lifestyle. “Our goal is to help students learn and make wise choices,” Oneal said. “I’m a horrible money manager. I was never taught in school. I feel like I would be further along if I had the proper tools. And now I’m trying to teach my kids about money,” Breanna Glover, a business technology systems major, said. The students’ average age at AC is 26. Saving for retirement isn’t something most
students think about, but it’s not too early to plan for the future. “So many of our younger students have no idea what a good salary is. They just lack life experience and perspective,” Oneal said. These resources help provide a real-life view of what to expect after college. “I feel like I’m pretty secure with my finances. I’m comfortable making my payments on financial aid and books,” Chris Pointer, a business administration major, said. He added that he didn’t have much formal education about loans or investments. “I’ve done some self-research and learned from others’ experiences.” Students who are interested in live sessions or other career consultations can call Taylor Bingham, Career and Employment Services Coordinator. To set up a personal profile and access the virtual sessions, go to igrad.com. All of the offered services are free.
BREAK-INS: West Campus battles thievery Continued from page 1 paying the bills to get her windows fixed. She also said that she thinks there should be cameras on campus for safety reasons. “It’s kind of crazy that they have no cameras, not because of the robberies, but because someone can get hurt. Luckily no one got hurt, but on college campuses there can be rape and assaults and there would be no evidence of that because there are no cameras,” she said. Scott Acker, the AC chief of police, said that he agrees
that having cameras would be beneficial to help identify suspects, but cameras can’t prevent car break-ins. “Don’t give someone the opportunity to break into your car,” he said. Acker said that it takes about 30 seconds for a criminal to break a car window and take a purse or backpack. He advises students and staff to lock their cars, make sure there are no valuables in plain sight, don’t park in isolated areas and, if it’s nighttime, to park in a well-lit area.
He also said that students who experience a car break in should call the campus police and stay away from the vehicle, because someone could still be inside, and to make sure to not touch anything. When reporting a break in, students should give the police the parking lot number and describe the location in that lot, give them an idea of what has been touched and what is missing. Contact the Amarillo College police at (806) 371-5911.
March 3, 2022
Boba Fett’s comeback loses focus on iconic bounty hunter
COURTESY PHOTO
REVIEW By SILAS MIRANDA Student Reporter
“The Book of Boba Fett” is a Disney Plus original series set in the Star Wars universe starring Temuera Morrison as the titular Boba Fett and, to be honest, it is equally awesome as it is disappointing. Ever since Boba Fett’s first appearance in “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980, fans of the franchise fell in love with the character’s unique design and moxie despite only having four lines and no major action scenes. Unfortunately, his next appearance in “Star
Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi” (1983) would see his ridiculous demise at the hands of a temporarily blind Han Solo. Ask any fan of Boba Fett before 2020 and they would tell you that his death in this fashion was a complete waste of one of the best designed characters in fiction. It was only after his thrilling return in “The Mandalorian” Season 2 that Boba Fett was brought back into the spotlight alongside an announcement for a Disney Plus original series. “The Book of Boba Fett” wrapped up Feb. 9, 2022, and the show overall is a mixed
bag. With thrilling action, amazing cameos from other fan favorite Star Wars characters and an outstanding performance by Temuera Morrison and the other cast members, how could the show go wrong? Light spoilers going forward, the biggest problem is two major factors, the first being a lack of organization with its plot and the second is the fact that the writers don’t even use Fett in two out of the seven episodes in favor of focusing on “The Mandalorian” from the Star Wars show of the same name. The biggest issue wih the
show is an identity crisis in which the show completely forgets who their main character is for two episodes and instead focuses on a character from another Star Wars show “The Mandalorian.” For me, this is almost as shameful as Boba Fett’s original “death” because it shows that the writers either did not know what to do with the character or did not care enough to keep him in the spotlight. To make things even more complicated, about a third of the show is focused on flashbacks that feel sort of forced to transition the char-
acter from a villain to a sort of hero. These flashbacks are scattered throughout the course of the seven episodes but really don’t make a lot of sense until about episode four. Even then confusion still lingers and not really in an artistic way for the sake of mystery. While “The Book of Boba Fett” is a mess, the positives of the show are really a sight to behold. The show is a fun watch with a lot of great moments that will have your jaw hitting the ground in amazement. Overall, I’d give this show a 6.5 out of 10.
Kids doing drugs, having sex, being kids REVIEW By IZZY GOMEZ Student Reporter
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French group heals hearts with some groovy music REVIEW By KIM BLACK Student Reporter
French indie-pop group L’Imperartrice is stepping onto the world stage thanks to their breakthrough album “Tako Tsubo” (Broken Heart Syndrome). With titles like “Hematome,” “Fou” (Crazy), “Peu des Filles” (Scared of Girls) and “Souffle au Coeur” (Heart Murmur), they cover all the symptoms of a broken heart. But instead of arousing feelings of sadness, the music plops you into the middle of a chic and sexy dance club. All that’s missing is the laser light show, and that’s not too hard to conjure if you close your eyes and jump around a bit. The 13 tracks of nu-disco are all soulful, danceable and highly addictive. Even though most of the songs are in French, they stick in my brain and make me want to move. My favorite song
on the album is “Fou.” If you listen closely, you can hear an omnichord in the background—it sounds like an angel harp and a synthesizer had a baby. Heavenly. The four songs that are in English pull me all the way in, especially “Voodoo?” and “Submarine.” Both pieces take a pouty attitude with a driving beat. With the recent dissolution of Daft Punk, L’Imperatrice is poised to step up as the heir apparent, shifting from the indie scene to mainstream. The group was recently nominated for the Les Victoires 2022 Revelation Feminine awards and will be performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April as part of their upcoming world tour. If you haven’t heard of L’Imperatrice, don’t let the French scare you. Look them up, put on your dancing shoes and give them a spin.
HBO has a hit show called “Euphoria,” starring famous celebrities like Zendaya and Jacob Elordi. It originally started airing in 2019 but season two just released Jan. 9. Zendaya plays the main character called Rue, who is a drug addict. Her character often gets a lot of hate for glorifying drugs but her character is important. She shows the struggle of being an addict and how it affects the people around her. They show the struggle of withdrawals and just how far addicts will go to get their desired substance. In this season they brought into light how it affected her mom and her younger sister Gia. This season also shined light on a lot of side characters and introduced some new ones. The new characters this season are Elliot, Custer, Faye and Laurie. They introduce Elliot in the first episode at the New Year’s Eve party. Rue finds Elliot in the laundry room doing cocaine and asks to join him, which
is the start of their friendship. Faye and Custer are introduced when Rue goes with her dealer Fezco “Fez” to his suppliers. Faye is Custers’ girlfriend; she ends up living with Fez and Ashtray for the whole season. The last character they introduce is Laurie. She is Fez’s supplier who is always strangely calm. Even though new characters were introduced, there was still a lot of spotlight on the main characters. Immediately in the first episode the audience is able to see new love brewing. One between Lexi and Fez, which is the perfect dynamic. Lexi is really passive and observant while Fez is complete chaos. Another new couple is Cassie and Nate. This pairing was very controversial over the fanbase because Nate is Maddy’s ex, Maddy being Cassie’s best friend. One of the characters that didn’t get any justice was Kat. In season one she was one of the main characters that most people loved, but she barely appears in season two. She has about two scenes throughout the whole
season and they only last about five minutes. One of the scenes gave a really good visual representation of her mental health and how it’s hard to struggle with body image during this era of body positivity. The other scene was her breaking things off with her boyfriend Ethan. In this scene, instead of being honest and saying she isn’t happy with him, she decides to lie and say she has a terminal illness. Ethan doesn’t believe her and asks her to just be honest but she gets mad and calls him out for gaslighting her, when she is doing that to him. The first season ended with many questions, but don’t count on them being answered in the second season. The second season, as related to the first season, feels as if each episode has its own agenda but none of it correlates to the first season. Overall season two has been very drama filled, introduced new characters and shined light on some of the side ones, but most of the plot from the first season has been completely disregarded.
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March 3, 2022
SP RTS AT Illustrations by Anthony Kiser | The Ranger
Runners race to make impact By JOHN KING Page Editor
Stephen Hargrove
Amarillo College’s future cross-country roster has already been filled with some of the best runners in the Texas Panhandle according to Stephen Hargrove, the future cross-country coach. The team will start training at the beginning of the summer and begin practices right before the start of the fall semester. “I worked hard at building the best cross-country program in the Panhandle at Tascosa the last 20 years, now I’m ready to bring that same winning tradition to Badgerland,” Hargrove said. He said also that the team would be shooting to win their region and national competitions. “I have very high hopes for the new team and all of our abilities coming to nationals. I know we’ll make it for sure,” said Xavier Soto, a future nursing major. Soto said along with being part of the team, he is also excited to pursue a career as a nurse anesthetist. Another future member of the team, Isael Giron, an undecided major, said he is excited for the upcoming season too. “My plan is to get to know my teammates well enough so that we’re racing as a team.” According to Giron, teamwork in the primarily solo sport comes in the form of motivation and support. “I believe it is important to be a team inside and outside of the race. This could be the key to taking the national champ title.” “Since AC barely started this program, I would love to make a great impact here and lead an example for newcomers,” Giron said. The runners said they are also looking to improve their existing times and placings. “So far, I’ve only qualified for the regional meets twice and have medaled a few times in the regular season,” David Valdez, a future horticulture major, said. “I plan to stay healthy and to get a new personal record in the 5k,” Romie Rubio, an undecided major, said. Rubio’s current record is 18:40. “My plans for the upcoming season consist of working hard on improving, and to maintain my grades,” said Ireydi Vela, a dental hygiene major. Vela is one of the only current AC students planning to be involved in the program. She said she has struggled finding motivation to keep herself in shape, but she has “been running since graduating high school and working on mileage.” Vela said she will be glad to be involved in a more structured workout plan. The future students said they all find different ways to enjoy running for miles on end. “I like that I can feel free when I run, you don’t feel like you’re in the same world anymore. It’s an amazing feeling,” Soto said. Rubio agreed, saying, “I love that we all go through the same struggles in the race since cross-country is such a small group. It feels like a family.”
Volleyball coach sets up for success By KATIE SPARLING Student Reporter
Volleyball is coming to Amarillo College. The head coach of AC’s new volleyball team says she has high expectations for her players. Amanda Black said she knows the new team will face challenges but she is excited for their season to start. “I hope to have a lot of support from the community and organizations on campus and for us to be able to highlight the successes of what’s going on campus and great things, organizations in the community during our matches in the fall,” Black, said. Black, who originated from Georgetown, just north of Austin, has lived in Amarillo since 2016. She said she considers getting chosen for head coach “a privilege, I love Amarillo!” Black said that she is also excited that the team will practice in the Carter Fitness Center, which is currently undergoing an $8 million renovation. A challenge for the season is “not having dorms on campus, but the main goal is to compete high and have success all throughout conference,” Black said. The players can come from anywhere in the nation. “There is one open tryout each year (legally all we can host). Apart from that, kids are handpicked by me, the coach. There is an in-depth recruiting process,” said Black. One of those players is Desiree Sotello, Amarillo born and raised. Sotello, a nursing major, said, “My goal is to make this program’s first season a success. Another goal is to create a welcoming environment where everyone is comfortable, as well as to have fun, make friends and be competitive. My personal goal is to be a team player who benefits my team both on and off the court.” Sotello said, “I’m hoping for a lot of encouragement and support from the fans. Also, the games are so much more enjoyable when the supporters are loud and cheering!” Another student is Taylor Irving, whose major is undecided. Irivng’s goal for the season is “to have a winning season and hopefully going to nationals.” The Badgers will play a bunch of teams this coming fall season including “Frank Phillips, Clarendon, Western Texas, New Mexico, Odessa and Midland,” said Irving. Irving said that she has been playing since the second grade and also “earned defense player of the year and All-State honors two years in a row.” Both players said that they are looking forward to a smashing inaugural season and to seeing the fans supporting them as well.
Amanda Black
AC steps up to bat By RYAN HERSHEY Student Reporter
Amarillo College is gearing up for its long-awaited return to intercollegiate baseball as part of the anticipated revival of AC Badger Sports. Brandon Rains, the college’s new head baseball coach, has been hard at work building this new team from the ground up. “As of right now we have 30 guys that we have committed or signed,” Rains said. “We’ll probably have about 40ish players coming out for the fall.” Brandon Rains According to Rains, the inaugural season will kick off in the fall of 2022 with 28 scrimmage games, followed by 56 regular season games in the spring of 2023. In the meantime, Rains said he and Amarillo College employees are working tirelessly to finish filling the roster, designing uniforms and coordinating with Hodgetown on scheduling games. “Amarillo College has their certain trademarks that they want to use for the uniforms, so we’re working together with them to get those going, but they’re going to be pretty slick,” Rains said. “The biggest obstacle is working in conjunction with Hodgetown, which is the minor league facility that we’re going to be playing our games in and their season will be running concurrently with ours.” According to Rains, the best part of the development process has been getting to talk to the students that he scouts for the roster and seeing their excitement grow for not only their first semester of college, but also their first season with a new team. “I am looking forward to playing under the lights at Hodgetown and playing against some great competition in our conference,” Will Franklin, future AC student and Badger first baseman, said. Rains has found players like Will Franklin among others from local high schools in Amarillo, but has also scouted players from all over Texas, such as Dallas and Houston. Austin Page, a future AC student and Badger catcher from DFW, said he believes that his biggest obstacle will be the distance from family. “It’s only a five-hour drive from Southlake to Amarillo, but it’s going to be weird for me not having my parents there with me, and it’s just going to have to be something I get used to,” Page said. Despite the nervousness he feels about leaving home for college, Page said he looks forward to the upcoming season of Badger baseball. “I am extremely excited to be a Badger and doing what I can to best help the team,” Page said.