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Beto visits
VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 4
November 1, 2018
Here’s what TE ANS should know for the 2018 midterms
14
Election day
Nov. 6
36 U.S.
*Early voting runs from Oct. 22 through Nov. 2
All U.S. House and Texas House districts are up for election this year, but only half of Texas Senate Board of Education seats are on the ballot.
Dumas Amarillo
Amarillo
Stratford
No election
thisWichita year Falls Lubbock
Dumas Borger
Midland
Wichita Falls
Amarillo
Midland
District 13
District 15
U.S. House
District 31
State Board of Education
District 87
Texas Senate
Texas House
U.S. Senate Candidates
Beto O’Rourke
Ted Cruz
Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz is running for re-election to a second term against Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke and Libertarian candidate Neal Dikeman. The primary for all parties was held on March 6, 2018, making it the first primary of the 2018 season.
Neal Dikeman
*Incumbent
Staff Reporters
Statewide Positions
HOUSE DISTRICTS
Amarillo
By SALVADOR GUTIERREZ and BLASS GUERRERO
Statewide Candidates
*Incumbent Candidates
Governor
Liutenant Governor
Attorney General
Comptroller
Lupe Valdez
Mike Collier
Justin Nelson
Joi Chevalier
Mark Tippetts
Kerry McKennon
Michael Ray Harris
Ben Sanders
Greg Abbot
Dan Patrick
Ken Paxton
Glenn Hegar
Local Candidates Randall County Precinct 1
Potter County Justice of Peace Precinct 2
Richard Beals (Republican)
Patrick Tinsley (Write-In)
Claudia Georgia (Democrat)
- Randall County Sheriff’s offices
Robert Taylor (Republican)
- Holds a master peace officer’s license - Firearms instructor - Narcotics Investigator
-Caprock graduate -20 years of experience of working with all branches of the court system
-40 years of law enforcement -Eagle Scout -Former Kwahadi Chief
- Field Training Officer - 9 year plus state arson investigator
On Monday, Oct. 29, one week before the election, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Beto O’Rourke campaigned at the Six Car Pub & Brewery in downtown Amarillo. This was O’Rourke’s seventh visit to Amarillo and about 200 supporters showed up to the event. O’Rourke began the rally discussing his desire to provide universal healthcare to all citizens. O’Rourke pointed out that Texas is the least insured state in the union. He also spoke out against current immigration policies. Patrick Miller, a member of the Amarillo College Board of Regents, said that O’Rourke wants to make college education more accessible for everyone. “Beto O’Rourke cares about students having the ability to attend college,” Miller said. “Community colleges should be free to allow more people to get a post secondary education,” he added. A handful of protesters showed up to the rally to object to O’Rourke’s recent remarks about law enforcement. “Mr. O’Rourke made a statement
down at Prairie View University in which basically he labeled all law enforcement officers as racists, Jim Crow,” Ken Farren, a retired police officer, said. Farren also said that he and his group are not Cruz supporters, they only want O’Rourke to retract his statements and apologize. The most recent poll by Quinnipiac has Republican candidate Senator Ted Cruz in the lead by five points and FiveThirtyEight.com has Cruz in the lead as well. Ruth De Anda, an AC advising associate, said that midterm elections are as important as presidential elections. “We have to think about people who are going to represent us, not just the president,” De Anda said. “Presidential elections are one thing, but when you think about midterms, it is about us,” she added. De Anda has led an effort to register students to vote in this year’s midterm elections. “I think it’s the biggest, most important thing we could ever have and it’s scary to think it could be stripped away.” Early voting is underway until Nov. 2. Election Day is Nov. 6. Polls open from 7 a.m - 7 p.m. The Ranger will have coverage at acranger.com.
With information from: Texastribune.org, Ballotpedia and Amarillo Globe News Research by Rafael Flores and Salvador Gutierrez Art by Salvador Gutierrez
Election approaches Many millennials may stay home
By SALVADOR GUTIERREZ Staff Reporter
Millennial voters could have a significant impact in the approaching midterm elections, but many say they won’t cast ballots. Millennials make up a large portion of the eligible voting population in the United States, but in past years the voting turnout of the youth electorate has been low. “I think there are several reasons millennials don’t turn out at the polls,” said Wendi Swope, president of DoubleU marketing and communication. “Campaign outreach often overlooks young voters because of their historically low-turnout,” she said. Amarillo College psychology professor Beth Rodriquez said the low turnout stems from millennials’ view of their role in elections. “I really believe that millennials feel like that their vote will not make a difference,”
Rodriquez said. “There is so much information out there that suggests that no matter how you vote it won’t really matter,” she said. Hayden Pedigo, a local millennial and current candidate for Amarillo City Council place two, said he believes that low turnout is due to the divisive political climate over the last couple of years. “I think millennials haven’t been voting most likely because they are sick and burnt out on politics, which to be honest, I have felt as well,” Pedigo said. Yet another reason for low turnout is millennials’ lack of understanding about how much their vote matters. “Millennials are moved by measures championing personal choice so anything outside of that realm may fall on deaf ears,” Swope said. Similarly, Rodriquez said she believes that millennials are too involved with their own lives and issues and do not want to take the time to vote. “It is really hard to listen when people who don’t
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vote complain about what is happening in the political world,” Rodriquez said. Some millennials blame their lack of participation in elections on the fact that politicians are not focusing on the concerns and interests of the young generations. “I think on a local level in Amarillo our city government hasn’t really been too interested in people under 30,” Pedigo said. Swope disagrees, pointing out that many campaigns are actively courting the millennial vote. “I think politicians across the country understand the power this generation holds,” Swope said. “Because of that, many of them are trying to focus on the concerns and interests of younger generations. They are utilizing social media more than ever before to reach millennials across the country.” Continue page 3.
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Salvador Gutierrez | The Ranger
Beto O’Rourke campaigns for U.S. Senate Oct. 29 in Amarillo.
Opioid crisis hits home By STEVI BRESHEARS Staff Reporter
Prescription drug overdoses claimed the lives of more than 72,000 Americans last year, according to “The Washington Post.” This represents a 9.5 percent increase from 2016. Synthetic opiates, such as fentanyl, were responsible for 29,418 of those deaths, a statistic that includes Amarillo College student Kody Hodge. The 20-year-old died in December 2017 after using the prescription drug recreationally. “We all knew by the time we got to the funeral what had done it,” Ray Newburg, theater arts program coordinator, said. “Having to hear his grandfather tell it at the service that this was
his first time trying fentanyl, I was just flabbergasted.” Hodge was involved with AC’s theater program, and had talked with Newburg about what he needed to do to become a major. He performed in the Delta Psi Omega summer production of “Stupid F****** Bird,” as well as “Silent Sky,” for which he received recognition from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. “I had just auditioned for “Fool for Love,” and I had cast and was going to use him again. I just hadn’t posted it yet. I was going to sit on it over the weekend, and then I remember getting the call in the parking lot of the movie theater,” Newburg said. Continue page 4.
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Opinion
2 | The Ranger November 1, 2018
Student Speak What’s on your mind?
"How serious of an issue do you think perscription drug abuse is and why? " “I feel it is a pretty big issue. Taking those pain meds for a long period of time can cause their body and their brain to think they are still hurting, even though they should be off meds.”
TOBAIS ROMERO
Nuclear Medicine
“For me personally, it’s not a very big issue, but it kinda is as well because I have a younger brother who is diabetic." JAKE ROSS Music
“I think it’s a pretty big issue because people get addicted to them easily." KATIE HATFIELD
General Studies
Stars need space
Illustration by STEVI BRESHEARS| The Ranger
Education best way to combat addiction EDITORIAL
The opioid epidemic is a growing problem across the nation. Just last year, opiate overdoses reached just over 49,000. That comes out to approximately 135 deaths a day, or one every 11 minutes. To put that into perspective, it’s about like taking a town three times the size of Canyon, adding a few thousand more people, and wiping it off the map. This statistic is not only surprising, it’s terrifying. It’s unacceptable. As a society, we have to do better than this. That’s 49,000 parents, brothers, sisters, children and friends that are no longer with us because of the overuse of opiates. Opiates are a class of drugs that are derived from
By SIR GAREN GRAYSON Staff Reporter
I find it strange how obsessive and demanding people are of celebrities, with the internet being as prevalent as it is, the strangeness of it all has become more apparent. Because they are constantly under the spotlight, anything celebrities say and do gets blown out of proportion, regardless of the situation. Think about it; as soon as a famous person says they are supporting a political candidate, people tend to gravitate toward said candidate, which makes no sense to me because people don't check what the candidate stands for or against, but since Tim McGraw says they are a good person, people
OPINION
By ELY SANCHEZ Staff Reporter
The "war on drugs” is a metaphorical war occurring across the nation and even in our own city today. Is it racist though? When you break down the history of this war, you start unraveling things that could deem it racist. Back in the 1960s, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were ways that many African-Americans and minorities felt they had finally won their rights as citizens; however, when the civil rights movement was gaining steam, crime was increasing because many Americans were coming back from WWII. These statistics were used by many politicians to convince
Get in touch with The Ranger Stevi Breshears
that the best way to combat addiction and avoid overdoses is to educate people on the effects of prescription drug misuse. Know the dangers and don’t take them lightly. Be aware of the signs of opiate addiction and speak up if you suspect one of your friends or classmates is misusing prescription drugs. Don’t hold back or wait for someone else to take the initiative. Remember, one bad choice can be fatal. People may die if you don’t act. It is our responsibility to take steps to ensure that no more young people die from opiate overdoses. The lives of your classmates, your friends, your family members and even your own life are all at stake.
Racism rules war on drugs
OPINION
take it and run. We see it all the time – grown adults crying about what a celebrity does in his or her free time. It is so ridiculous that I feel compelled to tell other adults that their behavior is insane. Can you imagine waking up to people you do not know nor have ever seen before, creeping outside of your house, trying to get pictures of you and your family doing regular everyday things? Imagine when you are just out with friends, trying to enjoy your day off, the paparazzi still hounds you. Most people would have trouble coping with this type of lifestyle and would want it to stop immediately. But since people really want to see how celebrities go about their private lives, it is seen as acceptable behavior. All-in-all, celebrities do not owe you anything. It is not their job to be a good role model for your children. It is not their job to tell you who to vote for. It is not their job to take time away from their family outing to take a picture with you because you are their “biggest fan.” Stop being weirdoes, chill out, and remember these are regular people, but with money, lots and lots of money.
opium. They include illegal drugs like heroin and other synthetic opiates, but they most commonly find their way into our homes through people we trust to keep us healthy and safe: our doctors. Opiates like oxycodone and hydrocodone are commonly prescribed to help with pain. Prescription medicines are just as dangerous as many illegal drugs, but many people overlook the danger. Meanwhile, people are dying. It has to stop. Everyone has a different opinion about the best way to combat opioid abuse. Some say that addiction is a disease, others say it’s a choice — one thing is for sure, it’s a huge problem that needs to be taken care of. We, the Ranger Staff, believe
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the general public that the civil rights movement contributed to the rising crime rates and that if African-Americans were to gain their freedom, there would be even more crime. Enter President Nixon telling people how he was ready to deal with this new increase of crime by cracking down on “law and order.” Nixon believed that this war on “crime” was necessary, and that he must wage a “total war” against what he called public enemy No. 1: drugs. Angela Davis, a famous civil rights activist, said that Nixon’s presidency “is when crime begins to stand in for race.” Nixon had come up with the term “war on drugs,” but it was President Reagan who turned the rhetorical war into a literal one. Reagan declared his more modern war on drugs in 1982, which led to a significant increase in federal spending and a more “militarized” police community. Crack cocaine was a new drug that many claimed was going to take over communities, in particular the African-American communities. Reagan promised to throw all the crack users in jail. Almost in record time Congress established harsh mandatory sentencing penalties for possession of small amounts of crack.
Many minorities were receiving the same amount of time in prison for one ounce of crack that someone else would get for a 100 ounces of powder cocaine. Just like that many African-American men and other minorities were cut off from their families and disappeared into prisons for many years. At the same time, African-Americans were being represented in popular culture, as well as on the news, as criminals. The public now had a reason to agree that certain groups of people belonged in jail. Both Reagan and Nixon had criminalized the problems of America’s economic inequality, drug addiction and segregation. Unfortunately, an individual who has been punished for a drug law violation is not only having to deal with the criminal justice system, but it also affects that person’s child custody rights, employment, voting rights, licensing, business loans, public housing, student aid, etc. These are the types of exclusions that helped create a permanent second-class status for millions of Americans. So, is the war on drugs racist? I don’t know. I guess it depends on which side of the city you live on.
Student Media exists to serve you — the students. The Ranger is an open forum where you can learn and talk about the things that matter to you. The Ranger staff urges you to get involved by submitting ideas, photos, writing, videos and telling us what you want covered. A public critique and meeting is open to the campus community on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. in PH 214 or you can reach us via email at therangereditor@gmail.com. The Ranger is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, Panhandle Press Association, Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and Texas Community College Journalism Association. For a complete staff listing, visit us at acranger.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.
News
The Ranger | 3 November 1, 2018
Event points seniors to success By JEREMY BATES
Staff Reporter
On Oct. 24 and 25, Amarillo College held a recruiting event in the South Exhibit Hall of the Amarillo Civic Center. The event, Success 360, was designed to help area high school seniors learn about educational opportunities and what they can achieve at AC. More than 350 Texas Panhandle high school students attended the two-day showcase. “This event helps the students and opens their eyes to the opportunities that Amarillo College gives them,” said Kay Campbell, an AC
administrative assistant who was helping with the event. The students were divided into small groups and sent to separate areas for each of the academic communities. Every student had the opportunity to talk with faculty in health services, liberal arts, industry, education, business, creative arts, computer information systems (CIS), science, engineering, math and technology (STEM) and public service. Almost all the sections had mini games for the students to play. The winners would receive small prizes like candy. In the industry section, the winners received a small
flash drive in the shape of a wrench. “Students going to Success 360 learn that there are more options for them at AC. It can open many doors for them,” said Dr. Richard Hobbs, a physical science professor. “I was not aware that AC had a horticulture degree, and it was helpful when they gave me pamphlets showing me more about the degree,” said Sydnee Pravin, a Randall High School senior. Staff emphasized their continuing availability to help students with questions, financial assistance and admissions. Students left with questions answered and educational options explained.
Dr. Tamara Clunis, vice president of academic affairs, and Denese Skinner, vice president of student affairs, present scholarships to students attending Success 360.
of each piece I work on,” said Claire Ekas, a graphic design major who serves as “The Ranger” design editor and was editor of the spring 2018 “AC Current” magazine. Mike Haynes, former AC adviser/instructor, was inducted into the TCCJA Distinguished Adviser Hall of Honor. Haynes retired from AC in 2016. He taught journalism and advertising for 25 years and was the adviser for “The Ranger” and “AC Current” magazine. “I can’t think of a bigger honor than being recognized by this group of community college advisers,” said Haynes. “I was involved in TCCJA for 25 years representing Amarillo
College, and what those member advisers do for their students all over the state is an impressive thing. Our AC students learn so much by attending the conventions and competing in the contests.” Other awards that were given out at the convention were third place to Jordan Gipson and Brianna Maestas for video and Salvador Gutierrez for feature photo. These awards were given specifically for work submitted in the live news contest where students had three hours to put together a multimedia package. “This was my first time doing a live news contest, so I really wasn’t sure what to
expect,” Gipson, a mass media major, said. Other awards that were won at the convention were first place awards to Ekas for magazine cover design, Keegan Ried for editorial writing and Kipper Sinclair for news photo. Second place awards were given to Josh Ballard for video news and Jake Wagner-Russell for newspaper page design. Third place awards were given to Destiny Kranthoven for nonphotographic illustration, Ekas for magazine story package and Sinclair for feature photography. Honorable mentions were also awarded to Kris Fredrick for video production, Kranthoven for editorial cartoon and magazine cover design, Wagner-Russell for
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Mass media program brings home national, state awards By MACKENZIE FARMER
Staff Reporter
Mass media students attended the Texas Community College Journalism Association (TCCJA) convention Oct 11-12 in Commerce, TX. Amarillo College students participated in a live news contest, attended workshops and walked away with two awards as well as 17 other awards for previously published work. Two of the bigger awards that the mass media students received were Overall Excellence in Newspaper and Overall Excellence in Magazine. “Winning awards is always exciting because it motivates me to strive for the best version
non-photographic illustration, Carter Hall for sports feature photography, Stevi Breshears for news writing and Lauren Ebben for feature writing. Mass media students also received the Pacemaker Award for the spring 2018 edition of “The Current” from the Associated Collegiate Press on Oct. 27 at the National College Media Convention. This is a prestigious national award for the student produced magazines at both four-year and two-year institutions. “I’m happy to see the Matney Mass Media program rising even higher with the national awards the students are winning and the skills they’re learning,” said Haynes.
Ware basement remodel will create large open computer lab By SAVANNAH LINDVAY Staff Reporter
The Amarillo College Ware Basement is changing. The basement is getting a remodel. It is being turned into a large open computer lab. Construction is expected to be all wrapped up in the fall of 2019. High-tech furniture and computers will be available to all students in the remodeled basement. The idea for the lab was born after student needs were observed. “When you visit other schools, students have a space in the student commons or library building to be able to meet, study and access technology. The Ware basement lab, at over 9000 square feet, will be that space for AC students,” Dr. Tamara Clunis, vice president of academic affairs, said. The hours for the lab are not set in stone yet; however, Clunis
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A rendering of what the remodeled Ware basement could possibly look like at the end of a renovation in 2019.
said the hours will be designed to meet students’ needs. “We know that students need access to technology, Wi-Fi and printing at nontraditional hours. Our goal is to open up this space for extended evening hours during weekdays and Sundays. The building exterior is being redesigned to allow
access to the Ware lab during the evening hours and on weekends while still securing the rest of the building,” Clunis said. Clunis added that one of the goals of the new lab is to help achieve better use of both classroom and computer space. “AC was underutilizing
classroom space with computer labs setup in buildings across campus. It was determined that these spaces could be used to offer courses that students needed rather than housing computers that were not being used on a regular basis,” Clunis said. The lab will contain
furniture with power outlets for the convenience of the students when they are studying or working on projects. “The design was inspired by focus groups of students as well as faculty that rated design elements of other college’s technology labs. Our architects incorporated their favorite elements into their design,” Steve Smith, vice president of business affairs, said. Trevor Bates, a CIS programming major, said he thinks the lab will benefit the student body immensely and take a lot of stress away from students who don’t have internet access. “I would use it. I have Wi-Fi at my house, but I mean who knows. That’s not always a constant thing. Life happens so sometimes you have to go somewhere else. To have a space for us to go to, even late at night, is a good move for the school,” Bates said.
Millennials lean left Continued from page 1. An ABC News/GenForward survey released in August found that just 55 percent of milennials said they planned to vote in the midterm elections. Those who do vote are more likely to choose Democratic candidates. “According to recent national polls, millennials have unfailingly had a more positive outlook toward the Democratic Party,” Swope said. This inclination toward the Democratic Party has a
psychological explanation. “This is a social psychology situation called confirmation bias,” Rodriquez said. “As in any or most college settings, democratic views are more often supported because this is often a hard time for individuals in college and support from the government is wanted,” she said. Party loyalty, however, may not be enough to get millennials to the polls on Election Day. “I think millennials are biased against the idea of parties in general at this point,” Pedigo said.
News
4 | The Ranger November 1, 2018
Illustration by CLAIRE EKAS | The Ranger
Infographic by CLAIRE EKAS | The Ranger
Chronic pain leads to lifetime of addiction By KRIS FREDRICK Staff Reporter
Ben Jones searches frantically through his medicine cabinet. He picked up his monthly prescription of hydrocodone eight days ago and now can't find any. He is sure he hasn't already taken all 120 pills, but he grows more unsure every minute. "I've had a hydrocodone prescription since the early 1980s. It's for chronic nerve pain." Ben, 61, says he needs the pills to function normally. It's been that way for over 30 years. "For some reason the government doesn't want me to have them. I always have to fight with my doctor to keep getting them." He won't acknowledge or admit that he's addicted.
Over the last several years, Ben has jumped from doctor to doctor to keep his prescription going. When he hears news reports about opioid addiction or deaths resulting from opioid abuse, he just brushes off the information. Like a smoker seeing a report on cigarettes causing lung cancer, he doesn't believe
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this information applies to him. His situation is unique. "Of course he's addicted," Amanda Jones, Ben's wife, says. "He takes a month worth of pills in a week. He makes me give him the pills I have for my knee." Amanda, 59, walks with a walker and needs pain medication to function, but Ben takes most of her pills once he
runs out of his own. Amanda prays for the day when Ben is cured of his addiction, but she believes there's nothing she can do to help. Ben doesn't have friends. He doesn't leave the house unless it's to see the doctor to get his prescription or to get his prescription refilled at the pharmacy. That wasn't always the case. "When I was growing up, dad had a lot of friends," Michael Jones, Ben's son, said. "He scared them off. He stole from them or tried to get pills from them. He went to prison for forging a friend's check. He's sick." In 2003, Ben served a two-year sentence for forgery. The friends he still had abandoned him at that point. Ben said those friends betrayed him because they didn't want to
help him. "I don't know what went wrong. Nobody wants to help anyone anymore." Ben said, staring at the wall. "My own friends didn't want to help me." Since getting out of prison, Ben hasn't had a job. Being a felon with chronic nerve problems, he couldn't find a job in the first year following his prison sentence.He hasn't tried getting a job since then. "I think he's too far gone. They prescribed these things before knowing the long term problems," Michael said. "They should stop giving it to new people. Find alternatives. I don't know. Just don't let people have these things." (For privacy reasons, the names of those interviewed have been changed.)
News
The Ranger | 5 November 1, 2018
AC not immune to opioid crisis Continued from page 1. Newburg said that Hodge had asked him to use him in a “small part,” so he could focus on his Irene Ryan nomination for “Silent Sky.” The Irene Ryan Foundation awards two national and 16 regional scholarships annually. One nominee and partner are invited to attend a national festival, where the nominee will receive a $500 scholarship. A runner-up is also selected to receive a scholarship, but not attend the festival. “The judges loved him,” L’Hannah Pedigo, concert hall theater shop foreman, said. Newburg added that it was one
of his scenes, not even the lead of the show judges wanted to see when considering the play. “He had a very magnetic presence on stage,” Newburg said. “He had a little bit of that x-factor that you can’t really define.” “In an effort to help other students follow the path Hodge was so passionate about, a scholarship foundation has been established in his name. The Kody Hodge Foundation will give a graduating senior who plans on studying theater at AC a $2,000 scholarship. For more information about the foundation, visit kodyhodge. org. Newburg said that Hodge
was not the first student to fall victim to something like this. Opioid abuse is a growing problem across the globe, and President Donald Trump has declared that the opioid addiction sweeping the country is a national emergency. The theater staff also urged students to keep up with their friends. “Even if it ends your friendship because they’re so angry at you for doing that,” Pedigo said. “It’s worth you not being friends anymore to get somebody help.” “He was, from what I knew, a good guy. A good guy that made a choice, an unfortunate choice,” Newburg said.
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Kody Hodge
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Kody Hodge (second from the left) performs with cast members in the fall 2017 production of “Silent Sky” at Amarillo College’s Experimental Theatre. Hodge received a prestigious scholarship nomination for this performance.
Dangerous drugs continue to kill
By RAFAEL FLORES Staff Reporter
Infographic by CLAIRE EKAS | The Ranger
Since the 1990s, the number of opioid prescriptions and overdose deaths has risen steadily. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported over 200,000 deaths from prescribed opioids from 1999 to 2016. In addition, more than 40 percent of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths in 2016 involved a prescription opioid, with more than 46 people dying every day. In 2017, the CDC also reported that overall drug overdose has accumulated for 72,000 deaths, 30,000 from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogs; however, the Texas Prescription Drug Monitoring program reports highest prescribed opioids are hydrocodone, tramadol, codeine and alprazolam. In order to keep track of the prescription data, 45 states installed the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The primary goal for the PDMP is to reduce risk factors for prescriptions by finding ways to reduce the total number of prescriptions. One way patients were finding loopholes around the system was through the practice of doctor shopping. To combat this, a nonpartisan House Bill 2561 was passed back in the fall of 2017 that required pharmacists to report dispensed substances in one day rather than seven. The legislature has allowed pharmacists to report data daily or within five minutes of prescribing. According to the Texas PDMP, from September 2017 to August 2018, the
number of patients doctor shopping has gone down. “The number of opioid prescriptions dispensed in Texas may be decreasing,” said Allison Benz, the executive director for the Texas State Board of pharmacy. In the past four years, the number of prescription refills in Texas has gone down one million refills a year, a cumulative change of negative 21.6 percent. Similar changes have taken place nationally with a combined average of cumulative change of negative 22.6 percent for all states. Nevertheless, statistics regarding misuse, overdose and addiction are still are extremely high. According to Texas Human and Health Resources Center for Health Statistics website, from 19992015, Texas has experienced over 141,171 opioid overdose deaths (an average of at least 833 deaths per year). Dr. Jeanie JaramilloStametz, the director of the medication cleanout program and an assistant the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo, said that data significantly under represents the true numbers within the community. The under reported numbers are due to the process of the actual reporting itself because the hospitals or coroners are not required report death from overdoses. As a result, the poison centers report only what is given to them. “It places a significant hindrance on how the figures can be used,” JaramilloStametz said. She added that people age 25 to 34 have a higher rate of overdose risks.
News
6 | The Ranger November 1, 2018
Swift coding classes open doorsgiven tonotfuture only the skills to be
By AUSTIN ASHBY Staff Reporter
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Traci Green, a theater major, and Chance McDonald, an undeclared major, perform in Jason Driver's orginal play "The Good Night."
Driver receives prestigious award By CARTER HALL Staff Reporter
Jason Driver, an Amarillo College theater major, has been recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, which has awarded him with Meritorious Achievement in Playwriting. Driver and some of his classmates learned they were being recognized shortly after the Oct. 7 close of the play “The Good Night,” an original script that Driver wrote. Two respondents from the Kennedy Center came to Amarillo to judge the students’ work. “I love the Kennedy Center. It’s always humbling to get recognition by them,” Driver said.
Other awards included Irene Ryan acting scholarship nominations for Kelbi Havins, Chance McDonald, and Darrianna Ferguson; the meritorious achievement in acting award for Taylor Pritchett and meritorious achievement in new work development awarded to the entire company of “The Good-Night.” Recognition from the Kennedy Center Festival is prestigious for theater students, Monty Downs, AC theater instructor and technical director, said. “The Kennedy Center will take certain ones all the way to D.C. for various events. Nine actors and their partners, from the whole country, will be invited to the nationals for the
Irene Ryan finals where one will be named and given the highest scholarship,” Downs said. The path to producing “The Good Night” began at the end of the last spring semester when Driver talked with the theater faculty about how he was working a few scripts. “He then sent the first draft of ‘The Good Night’ and said he would rather I direct this one,” Downs said. “Then, throughout the summer, he would send me updated drafts after we discussed things.” Driver said he enjoyed writing the play. “What drives me as a writer is the process. I’m a huge fan of development and questions in art. Especially when it comes to theater.”
LAUREN EBBEN | The Ranger
AC Pride gives students bracelets that represent every letter of LGBTQ.
AC Pride builds awareness, support By CARTER HALL Staff Reporter
It seemed like a slow Tuesday morning as students were walking into the lobby of Parcells Hall to get to their classes. As some Amarillo College students waited for the elevator, other students from AC Pride were setting up their table with ribbons and a banner that read “LGBTQ+." AC Pride put on a Celebrate Unity event Oct. 23 to share information about the club and hand out awareness ribbons. “The purpose of this event is just to educate people over
the different types of genders that are out there in the world.," Junior Deleon, a nursing major, said. "It’s not just specifically gay, bisexual or anything like that, it’s much more than that,” he said. Allyson Sadegur, a business administration major, says being part of AC Pride allows her to see new perspectives. “I like being able to find out that there’s people that we never knew, Sadegur said. Sadegur mentioned that she likes making friendships with people like her at AC. "I like being able to have friendships and able to have people to talk to that understand what we have been through," she said. Ruth de Anda, Amarillo
College academic adviser, is a co-sponsor of the club, which is relatively new to the college. “A few years ago, I noticed there wasn’t any type of like LGBT representation," De Anda said. "I’m an ally and I feel like we should have that presence on campus. I feel like we needed a safe place for students to feel community,” de Anda said. AC Pride is an accepting group that is open to everyone, said de Anda. “Everybody is welcome as long as your open, understanding and loving. It’s a safe place," De Anda said. AC Pride meets in the Louise Daniel room every Wednesday at 11:45 a.m.
The Swift coding program has finished its first eight weeks of courses. The program began this fall semester due to a new partnership between Apple Inc. and Amarillo College. “We have had strong showing regarding attendance and people registering for these courses,” Dewayne Higgs, computer information systems instructor, said. "Based on the short-term we can see that there are quite a few students who are wanting to register and partake in this material.” He added that the program has a lot of potential for growth. “Students who pass through this particular program will actually be provided with the information and tools to build applications within the Swift programming language that will run on anything in the Apple ecosystem of products,” Higgs said, pointing out that since Apple has a fairly large market share, students potentially will have extensive opportunities to tap into with their new skills. The Swift program is now offered in three different plans at AC. “We have a marketable skills certificate which is comprised of our three Swift courses,” Higgs said. “We have the coding and design certificate which includes our three Swift courses, as well as additional courses in Android app development and basic software design.” The program is also an option to students in the computer information systems (CIS) associate degree plan. “For our CIS programming majors, they will actually be
proficient programmers in many different domains but, also be proficient in IOS as well,” Higgs said Mark Nair, a business administration instructor, was instrumental in designing the Swift coding options. “We have divided the class up into three sections. There is the intro where you don't need to know anything about coding or programming,” he said. “The first semester is how you learn the coding structure of the language, the syntax of the coding and the logic.” By the end of the first semester, students will have made apps that can shift colors and perform similar actions. The students will go on to the intermediate course where they will dive deeper into the language and then move on to the advanced course. Anette Carlisle, a member of the AC board of regents, is currently taking the Swift classes. “There is a simulator so that it can show up on your computer like it's on an iPhone or an iPad,” she said. “You learn to do simple things because it's basic, but it is really opening the door to what is out there. It's just simple logic, a leads to b leads to c and you have to do things in a certain order as with any coding,” Carlisle said. “It really shows you the power that could be in this effort.” Carlisle said she enrolled in the program to keep up with where world is going and to get a firsthand look at students’ experiences at AC. “As a board member, it gives me a view into the students’ lives and what we are doing right and wrong,” Carlisle said “It's fun to get to know some of the students too.”
KIM RIED | The Ranger
The Swift classes are offered in three different plans at AC.
Culture
The Ranger | 7 November 1, 2018
Documentary crew records on campus By JANNY PHANNARAJ Staff Reporter
Renowned director John Hoffman and filmmaker and producer Kahane Cooperman have teamed up to create a documentary about kindness and they decided to focus part of their production on Amarillo College. The documentary crew visited the Washington Street Campus Oct. 22 through 24. Cooperman said she came across Amarillo College when she read about Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart and the college staff in an “Atlantic Monthly” article discussing how AC eliminates barriers to student success. “We were very inspired by
LILY GAMBLE
| The Ranger
John Hoffman, director, and documentary crew interview Ernest Olmos, director of advising.
what we read and reached out and he invited us down and we fell in love with everyone here. We were so moved by the genuineness of what’s
happening here and the approach to student life and supporting students in such a unique way,” Hoffman said. Cooperman said that AC’s
Quirky performance entertains audience REVIEW By LAUREN EBBEN Staff Reporter
Amarillo Opera began its 2018-19 season with Michael Ching’s “Speed Dating Tonight!” from Oct. 26 through Oct. 27, at the AC Concert Hall. This humorous tale is about a group of strangers who come together for a chance at finding love in under five minutes. The opera was created by Michael Ching and Dean Anthony, and directed by Cynthia Stokes. Ching served as the show’s conductor. The cast was full of fun, cool and quirky characters who had me rolling with laughter at times. There was a man obsessed with the invention of the toaster, a woman who secretly loved to dress up like a racoon, a crazy cat lady and an alien enthusiast with an aluminum hat. And while there was humor, there were some sweet moments as well. By the end of night, all the characters had found love. One of the most interesting aspects of the show was how committed the actors were to their characters, especially in the background. While the characters at the front of the stage belted out their
introductions and heartaches, those in the background chatted around tables, waitresses continued to take orders and the bartender continued to serve drinks. I feel like this interaction really added to the overall experience of the performance. The audience was enjoying every part of the stage. This show marked the beginning for the new Amarillo Opera General/Artistic Director Mary Jane Johnson. “It has been a dream of mine to have to the opportunity to be involved more with this Opera Company,” she said in the opera’s program. “However, I never dreamed it would actually be in this capacity.” In her new position, Johnson plans to make some changes. “My mission is to make opera shorter and more accessible to all ages … Times have changed and there is so much more to offer in Amarillo from all of its Arts organizations, so it is important for me to trim down the longer bits and have everyone staying awake and loving the moments,” she said later on in the program. I enjoyed everything about this show, so I’m excited to see more of what Amarillo Opera has to offer for the rest of its season.
approach to serving students fit in well with the goals of their project. “We’ve been spending months and months researching all kinds of things that are going on in this country that show kindness in different forms,” she said. Hoffman said he has been speaking with the funders of the film about this idea for a few years, but the work began officially in April. “Kahane and I want people to understand that kindness, empathy, generosity, collaboration and cooperation, all of these aspects of human relations, are absolutely fundamental to civilized good life,” Hoffman said. The fact that a place like Amarillo College is alive and thriving is inspirational,
according to Hoffman. “We feel that by telling the story we could contribute to the spread of the values that exist here.” Cooperman said she wants the documentary to show that creating a culture of success can lead to an individual’s success. The filmmakers said they look forward to a great deal of travel as they complete this project. “We’re filming this documentary all over the country, very different stories that all together will leave what we hope will be a beautiful and rich tapestry,” Hoffman said. The crew will be shoot ing video for the rest of 2018 into 2019. Hoffman said they are still determining how the documentary will be distributed.
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McDonald’s sandwich returns; fans say they’re lovin’ McRib REVIEW
By LES JONES
Staff Reporter
In 1981 McDonald’s introduced the world to the McRib sandwich. Over the past three decades this barbecue pork treat has developed a cult following. “Back in college, I had a friend from California who told me he chose Texas Tech because the McRib was a regular menu item in Texas at the time,” Cory Alexander, a graduate of Texas Tech, said. The fact that someone based their educational future on the McRib just goes to show you how strong of a cult following it has. The McRib is only available on
the McDonald’s menu for a few weeks at a time once a year. It usually appears during autumn. When it comes to the McRib you either love it or hate it. As for myself I can say McDonald’s catch phrase when it comes to the McRib “I’m lovin’ it.” The patty is ground up pork that is molded into the shape of ribs and covered in a zesty barbeque sauce. Topped with onions and pickles it is served in a homestyle roll. The nutritional value is not so bad. Coming in with 480 calories the McRib has 45 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of fat and 25 grams of protein. Another appeal of the
McRib is that it is only served for a limited time. A lot of the consumers including myself would love to have it year round, but it makes it that much more special when it does come out. McRibs are available in over 9,000 McDonald’s franchises across the United States. If you want to see if you are near one you can use the McRib locator on Facebook. If you have never tried the McRib I would recommend trying it. The price is reasonable. $5.00 for two McRibs but don’t wait to long or you might find yourself waiting a full year until you can try it again.
Video game gives unique perspective to players “NieR: Automata” allows gamers to peer into thoughts of robotic machines REVIEW
By JEREMY STITSWORTH Staff Reporter
“NieR: Automata” is a well-rounded video game that can cater to many different people. It is a good way to be entertained, but also has a great story and message that is relevant to many modern societal issues. To understand the events of “NieR: Automata,” you’ll need some backstory as it gets a bit convoluted and confusing at times. The events of the game take place in the extremely distant future. The earth has been invaded by aliens and they have created an army of robotic machine lifeforms to take over the world.
Humans have evacuated to the moon and created humanoid androids to fight in a proxy war to reclaim the planet. Being artificial beings, they are devoid of emotion or thought, yet the alien robots seem to be evolving and developing sentience from the books and other materials that humans have left behind. The game was made to be provide a unique perspective in which one plays as an android, but can also peer into the “thoughts” of the machines. You start to feel a bit guilty blowing them to pieces. It even reveals that the machines and androids are made of the same base materials. “NieR: Automata” also tack-
les the violence that is depicted in video games a bit differently. As mentioned previously, you start to feel bad having to blow up sentient machines with thoughts and feelings individual to themselves. The game is rated mature but not for the reasons you’d think. Yes, there is mild fantasy violence as the player is hacking up robots into a pile of scrap metal, but it also discusses difficult topics and dives into the human emotions and topics of death, love, fear and the meaning of life. It shows that violence isn’t always the answer since at one point the player is prompted to spare the machines to advance the story. It starts as a game that gives
you a simple objective at first, protect the home of humanity. The objective changes with the different pieces of the story you see and shows the player that many conflicts aren’t just black and white. This also goes against the depiction that all video games are violent and produce violent behavior as the violence is meant to make the player feel real internal struggle and guilt. “NieR: Automata” may just be a video game, but I often found it difficult to continue at times. There are very difficult decisions to make and some shocking twists. One such event was when a group of pacified machines had killed themselves or shutdown
their systems out of fear of being destroyed by the androids hell-bent on trying to reclaim the earth. That moment really struck me and made me feel like I was the bad guy when I was the one fighting to protect humans. With all its complexities, there are surely some plot holes and mishaps, but you just get so tied into the story and want to figure out why these machines are imitating human behavior that you don’t exactly notice them. I would recommend this game to anyone who thinks that video games are silly and perhaps even those with mental illness, as it is largely a game that discusses coming to terms with one’s identity.
8 | The Ranger November 1, 2018
Feature
Scholars get schooled in the arts By LAUREN EBBEN
Students in the Amarillo College Presidential Scholars Honors Program spent two days in Dallas for the program’s annual art excursion. From Oct. 26 to 27, these students visited art museums, a zoo and even attended a symphony. “The goal of the arts excursion is to provide arts enrichment to the Scholars to help them have a more rounded education,” Lesley Ingham, co-coordinator of Honors and Scholars and speech instructor, said. During the trip, the Scholars went to the Dallas Museum of Art, where they participated in a scavenger hunt around the museum. Afterwards, they attended a performance by the Dallas Symphony, where they heard pieces from Mozart and Dvorak. Thomas Bales, a music major, said the symphony was one of his favorite parts of the excursion. “I love more modern music. Dvorak was a composer from the 19th and 20th century, so his music just had more to it,” he said. “It was just so much fun to listen to the ideas in that.” Students also visited the Nasher Sculpture Center, where they saw works from famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Rodin and an exhibit on Jean Arp. “Although students are required to take classes in the creative arts, it’s important to supplement that with firsthand exposure to some of these really famous pieces,” Jill Gibson, co-coordinator of Honors and Scholars, said. “It’s an amazing variety of the pieces that are in the art history textbook and there’s no substitute for being there and seeing it in person.” “We are just really grateful that we are able to bring the students to this every year,” Ingham said. “They seem to appreciate it and learn a lot and hopefully it’ll stay with them forever.” Aden Sharp, a religious studies major, participated in this excursion last year with his class and was one of several scholars who went again this year. He agreed that the trip gave him a better appreciation of the arts. “The first time, I had never been to a symphony before, and so it was just a great experience to hear music that had been shared for centuries being reenacted and shared with everybody there,” he said. “It’s just a great experience, and then this one even more so just because you knew what you were going to expect, but just reliving that sensation, it’s something you can’t explain.” In January, the scholars will travel to Peru to participate in a service project. This trip to Dallas is “a good trial run for the bigger trip later in the year,” according to Gibson. “It gives this group of students who are going to travel overseas together a chance to get to know each other, bond as a group and figure out their traveling style and expectations,” she said. “It’s these extracurricular experiences, where you leave campus with people who used to be strangers, that helps you bond and make life-long friends.” Meghan Holland, a general studies major, said she understands this. “I had an amazing time,” she said of the Dallas trip, “It is one of the coolest opportunities I’ve had at Amarillo College so far, and it’s just making me even more excited for Peru because I’ve made such great friendships with these people and I want to continue on to the next journey.” 1. The Scholars begin their visit with the Dallas Museum of Art. 2. Meghan Holland, a general studies major, examines artwork. 3. Thomas Bales, a music major, enjoys the Saturday morning at the zoo. 4. The Dallas Zoo offers the Scholars a glimpse of exotic animals. 5. Biology majors Junior Clark and Preston Thipaphay; Hector Rivero-Figueroa, an engineering major, and Andreanna Simpson, a music major, at the zoo. 6. The Scholars attend a symphony featuring work by Mozart and Dvorak. 7. The Meyerson Symphony Center is the home of the Dallas Symphony.
LAUREN EBBEN | The Ranger
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