Ranger AMARILLO COLLEGE’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1930
VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 5
November 15, 2018
Registration for spring opens By BRIANNA MAESTAS Staff Reporter
CARTER HALL | The Ranger
Business administration major Kai Williams and mechanical engineering major Trent Cole stop by the Chick-Fil-A truck for lunch. The truck will remain on campus, even though the contract has ended.
AC ends Chick-Fil-A contract By SALVADOR GUTIERREZ Staff Reporter
Chick-fil-A and Amarillo College have ended their exclusive contract after three years. Although the food cart will keep serving students and faculty, the ending of the agreement will open the door for more food options on campus, according to AC officials. AC President Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart made the agreement in 2015 with restaurant operator of the Georgia Street Chick-Fil-A, Joshua Raef. Beginning Nov. 16, 2015, the fast-food restaurant began serving students and employees Mondays through Thursdays on the Washington Street Campus. Since the beginning of the service, however, students have expressed their
concerns. “AC should go over making another decision with students to get their input and strongly consider options that students and faculty can all be happy with,” Jimmy Ray Nye III, a psychology major, said. The agreement was a yearby-year contract that could have ended anytime by either AC or the restaurant. “Chick-fil-A has had a multiyear exclusive agreement with Amarillo College to have a food truck on the Washington Street Campus and that agreement officially ended on October 31, 2018,” Steven Smith, vice president of business affairs, said. Even though the deal is over, Chickfil-A continues service without an official contract. “The fact that AC decided to end the contract was because, until the end of it, Chick-fil-A was the only vendor allowed to sell food on campus. We have
chosen to move beyond the contract,” Smith said. “We want to offer a larger variety of food options to students,” he added. Students said they are looking forward to more food choices on campus, adding that prices are the main concern. “I would like to see more affordable food options that are better suited to the types of students that AC serves,” Saebryn Hanifin, a dental assistant major, said. Others already know exactly what they want to see on campus “I usually eat at Sonic, so I’d love some mozzarella sticks on the go,” Steven Osburn, a mass media major, said. According to Smith, AC plans to expand its food options by closing deals with more than one food vendor. The college recently listed two requests for proposals
(RFP) in local newspapers and contacted by phone all the food trucks with a permit. “The goal of the RFP was to contract with more than one food truck vendor and have them rotate to each Amarillo campus daily,” Smith said. “The rotation would allow the college to have different vendors each day and provide service to all campuses,” Smith added. Smith also said that AC officials want to provide food services to all campuses and have a variety of options for students. “For that reason, we have not signed another exclusive contract which leaves us the ability to continue to seek more food options,” Smith said. So far, however, Chickfil-A is the only vendor that has submitted a proposal, he said.
Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University have joined forces in the creation of Destination WT. This new agreement means that everyone enrolled at AC will now also be guaranteed admission to West Texas A&M. Upon declaration of an Associate of Art or an Associate of Science major, AC students will be admitted into WT. “You’re in if you want to be in and you will actually have to opt out of this agreement otherwise. This partnership is there to make it easier because it means you are already streamlined to get into WT,” said Joe Wyatt, assistant director of communications and marketing. Transfer checkups will be available, which means students will have access to both an AC and a WT adviser upon enrollment at AC so that they can ensure the right path for the smoothest transfer. A student planning module can be set that helps students understand what classes will and will not transfer with them at WT. “It puts me at ease knowing I have a security blanket with this program when going to WT,” Jordan Gipson, a mass media major, said. Students who have 60 credit hours and at least a 3.5 gradepoint average will be granted a WT scholarship regardless of financial need. “I like that every student is basically guaranteed a scholarship,” Nazario Maestas, a general studies major, said. This agreement will go into place in the spring of 2019 but some features may not be available until fall of 2019, college officials said.
College hands out Thanksgiving bags By BLASS GUERRERO Staff Reporter
On Thursday, Nov. 15, the Amarillo College Advocacy and Resource Center will be giving out Thanksgiving bags, filled with items to prepare a full Thanksgiving meal for each student. The tradition was started by Lynae Jacob, retired speech chair and adjuct speech instructor, in 2014 with only 75 bags and throughout the years it has increased to 500 bags, helping to serve more students. All items in each bag have been donated by AC employees and Amarillo community members. Jordan Herrera, director
MARC PAMPLONA | The Ranger
Judith Lara, social services assistant to the advocacy and resource center, helps pack the Thanksgiving bags. 500 bags will be given to students this holiday season.
of social services, said it’s important for AC to do this. “At Amarillo College, we know that many of our students are
www.facebook.com/acrangerpaper
food insecure and we wanted to do something special for them to help ease the costs of the holidays,” she said. “By
www.acranger.com
providing a Thanksgiving bag to a student, we are able to relieve a little bit of their financial burdens.” The bags include French fried onions, sweet potatoes, biscuit mix, stuffing, cake icing, a $10 gift card to United or Walmart to go toward a purchase of a turkey and other items. Students who received the bags in the past said this service has helped them through difficult times. “I work and go to school fulltime and it’s really difficult, especially during the holidays, to be able to go shopping or even able afford food while in college,” said Stephanie Medrano, a nursing major. Students will be able to
pick up a bag Nov. 15 from noon to 2 p.m. or until the bags run out. Bags will be available at the Washington Street Campus in the Oak Room, East Campus at the Student Service Center, West Campus at the Lecture Hall, Moore County Campus in Dumas in Conference Room B and the Hereford Campus in Room 139. The Advocacy and Resource Center operates the food pantry, giving students food and hygiene products twice a month; the clothing closet, giving students in need clothing and shoes and the Social Services Program, helping students with emergency needs and connecting them with resources on campus.
Twitter and Instagram: @acranger
Opinion
2 | The Ranger November 15, 2018
Student Speak What’s on your mind?
What food options should be brought to campus and why?
"Honestly, I’m not picky. I just want more options."
End food waste
Illustration by KIM REID | The Ranger
CARA CURTIS
pre-physician assistant
EDITORIAL
"Anything, cause Chick-fil-A is expensive, and Palace doesn’t have real food." JOHN STEPHENS business administration
"I think more local food options should be brought onto campus." SEAN MCDONALD biology
Full plate, empty stomach OPINION
By STEVI BRESHEARS Staff Reporter
College students have a lot of things on their plate, figuratively speaking. Between classes and work, it can be hard to find time to take care of yourself, including eating. Amarillo College’s Washington Street Campus, has a few food options, but we could use more. Currently, we have three eating choices on campus: Palace, the Chick-fil-A truck and vending machines that are located in every building. While this may seem like an overwhelming variety of options, there are a few issues. Chick-fil-A and Palace both
only serve food through the early afternoon, so students who have classes in the evenings have to figure out how to eat and get to class on time, or get through class without too much stomach rumbling. As college students, every penny counts. Sometimes, it’s easier just to wait a little longer and eat somewhere off campus or at home than to spend $6 or $7 on a sandwich. It's difficult, however, to learn on an empty stomach. Hungry students face a disadvantage. AC has a diverse student base with different dietary habits. There are few options on campus for vegetarians, vegans and people with special dietary needs. With such diversity, someone is bound to be left out. The vending machines are open all the time and offer cheaper alternatives, but it’s not exactly what I would call a “meal.” AC students would benefit greatly from having more options for food on campus. The current food providers we have aren’t necessarily bad, but a little more variety would help to serve AC’s diverse and growing student body.
Take a moment to think about what a pound of food looks like. Does it seem like a lot? Maybe not in your fridge, but when you think about a pound of wasted food, it does. A study published earlier this year by the US Department of Agriculture found that Americans waste a pound of food a day per person, which adds up to about 150,000 tons of food each year. That’s enough to feed nearly two billion people. All of that wasted food comes from American households, just like the ones we all live in. Restaurants are a whole separate statistic. According to the Green Restaurant Association, a restaurant can single-handedly
grocery stores could be more responsible with the food they need to get rid of. Many times, food is still OK to eat after the “best by” date. In restaurants,. Food is often thrown out even if it isn’t bad. That food could be donated to shelters, or even sold at a discounted price. That would be a great start to reducing the nation’s food waste. Changes can be made in our own homes, too. By eating smaller portions, taking advantage of leftovers and making a conscious effort to use up all the food we buy before buying more, we can save money and food. That’s a win for everyone.
Gun control out of control OPINION
By SIR GAREN GRAYSON Staff Reporter
On Nov. 8, a gunman opened fire in a Southern California bar on college night. Twelve people died in this mass shooting – another episode of senseless violence that might have been avoided with stricter gun laws. Enacting stricter gun control laws should be a no brainer. People act like everyone is entitled to a gun because of the Second Amendment, not taking into consideration that our founding fathers had no concept of mental illness and no idea that high power semiautomatic machine guns would exist, much less be available to the public.
Get in touch with The Ranger Stevi Breshears
produce between 25,000 and 75,000 pounds of food waste a year. That’s all food that was grown, harvested, packaged, sold and prepared for a single purpose: to feed people. Instead, it ends up in trash cans, and then dumpsters and ultimately landfills, where it rots and feeds no one except maybe the occasional stray animal. Every year in America, hundreds of thousands of tons of food are wasted, but one in six people face hunger. There’s an obvious problem here, and a huge one at that. What can be done about it? We, The Ranger Staff, believe that restaurants and
Claire Ekas
Editor-in-Chief
Design Manager
Phone
Phone
(806) 433-2682
(806) 223-3679
sbrianne26@gmail.com
clairekas1@gmail.com
I support making guns harder to obtain with stricter background checks, coupled with mental health tests and social media checks. I mean, you are giving people access to weapons. The leniency shown toward who is allowed to have guns is dumbfounding. The thing that bothers me the most, is how haven’t these measures been implemented in the first place? Sure, stricter gun laws aren’t going to eliminate all mass shootings, but use common sense; a lot more people who should not have guns would find it more difficult to obtain firearms. Normally I don’t pay attention to what Trump says because the majority of the time it’s political B.S. that people will choose to eat up or ignore, but after hearing him say, “The Pittsburgh synagogue should have had armed guards,” I got mad. Why would ANY place of worship need armed guards in America? Who is expecting someone to come to their place of worship and shoot it up? Who should have to? Another example of why we need stricter gun laws is
when a kid walked up to a house in broad daylight to ask for directions, to be run off by a shotgun wielding man who proceeded to fire shots at the kid, unprovoked, with it all being caught on video. Now there is no way anyone with common sense would think this man should be allowed near a firearm, let alone allowed to possess one. Restrictions should be applied to people whose jobs require them to wield firearms. On too many occasions, cops shoot unarmed civilians because the officers are not able to handle the situation. The day I began writing this column, there was a school shooting in Matthews, North Carolina, at Butler High School, with one student death. According to WSOCTV, a North Carolina news station, “Classes will remain in session at Butler High School after shooting.” Let’s not even talk about the fact that it is an active crime scene, the school did not give the teenage student body time to mourn. That’s how normal gun violence has become.
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. The Ranger is printed by West Texas Printing Center, 710 Ave J, Lubbock, TX 79401. Questions about printing should be directed to Jerry Simpkins at 806-766-8701.
News
The Ranger | 3 November 15, 2018
Election Reactions Beto’s loss still a win By ISABELLE LINK Staff Reporter
Imagine the impact one person can have on an entire state. Beto O’Rourke got the closest to winning that a Democratic candidate has in decades because he showed the other half of the voting party that there was a voice for them and that there is hope for a more secure future. Though O’Rourke may not been elected into the Senate and it was so disappointing, many other states’ Democratic candidates secured Senate spots. Voting is so important and this election proved that. It was amazing how many people went out and voted. When I was growing up, my family was adamant about teaching me the importance of expressing what you believe in. This election I confidently voted for O’Rourke because when Trump was elected into office I felt weak and stuck. It was the same ball of metal in the bottom of your stomach feeling that you get when you realize that no
matter what, there is nothing you can do to help yourself now. It was terrifying. Rather than giving up, however, I remembered my voice is just as loud and important as anyone else’s. This midterm election gave me the chance to express myself. It seemed that lots of people had similar feelings, because so many people made their picket signs and protested, argued, yelled, fought and VOTED for all the things they felt so passionately about. O’Rourke may not have won, but he proved that we as the people do have the power to enact change and make progress. I like to compare change to Isaac Newton’s first law, an object in motion will stay in motion. Remember to not let this small defeat take away your power. Keep the fire in your belly burning and keep working for what you want to see. Above all, keep voting. Though Beto O’Rourke may not have won, this was a victory and a signal that change is on the way.
Cruz cruises to victory Here is how he earned my vote
By LES JONES Staff Reporter
When voting for a candidate, I do not consider the person’s name, gender, race nor what that person looks like. Richard Nixon proved that you can be ugly and still get elected. I consider the values that the candidate stands for, and I shall vote my convictions accordingly to what values I support. I have been a long-time supporter of Senator Ted Cruz since he stands for the many things that I value. Such as the Second Amendment. “The right to bear arms shall not be infringed,” stated in the United States Constitution. Representative Beto O’Rourke posted on Twitter, “There is no reason AR-15s weapons of war designed for the sole purpose of taking lives should be sold to civilians.” As an owner of AR15s and strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I found this statement to be disturbing.
Sorry, but I am not giving up my weapons. I also agree with Senator Cruz on stronger border security. As a veteran, I have seen that this great nation of ours has enemies from all over the world. We must protect ourselves from attack on all borders. As a former state trooper, I have also seen the over whelming flow of illegal narcotics and human trafficking coming in from the border. Representative O’Rourke said in an interview on “The Late Show,” “We don’t need a wall.” He also said, “I took part in a bill that would improve security at our ports of entry.” The flow of illegal narcotics and human trafficking is not coming through just the ports of entry but in all parts of the border, and it needs to be stopped. Yes, we are a county of immigrants, but we are also a country of laws and no matter who you are, no one is above
the law. As the son of a Cuban immigrant, Senator Cruz celebrates legal immigration and has shown that when he proposed amendments to the “Gang of 8” bill that would help secure our borders, expand green card opportunities and increase high-skilled “H1B” visas in 2013. What really sold me on Senator Cruz were his actions during the government shutdown of October 2013. When barriers were erected around the memorials in Washington D.C., Senator Cruz helped lead a charge of citizens to take down the barriers around the World War II Memorial. This allowed a group of World War II veterans to visit. When Senator Cruz stood up for the greatest generation and helped them into the memorial, he earned my respect. Not only as a veteran, but as a citizen of the United States and the state of Texas.
Democrats move ACPD officer ahead in midterms wins JP spot By COLTON SCHWALK Staff Reporter
On Nov. 6, 2018, Texas Senate incumbent Ted Cruz (R) defeated challenger Beto O’Rourke (D), holding onto the Senate seat for another six years until the year 2024 when Senator Cruz will be up for re-election again. This is not that surprising to the citizens of the Lone Star State, as Senator Cruz has held an advantage in the polls for the majority of the race leading up to the election, but there are many factors that have been accounted for in this year’s election that may surprise many Texans. In the 2014 midterm elections, 4.4 million Texas voters went to the polls, and while that may seem like a large number, it is only about 28 percent of the roughly 14.3 million people who were registered to vote that year. However, in this year’s midterm election, as of Nov. 7, over 8.3 million voters casted their ballots, with 15.8 million people registered to vote. This is an astronomical
change for Texas. In recent years, voter turnout in Texas has been among the lowest in the whole nation, sometimes ranked in the 50th spot, but after the midterm election, that is no longer the case. We can see from the numbers that there was a definite change in the political climate of Texas this year, and a change that Republicans in the state do not want to see. Out of the 8,308,948 ballots cast in the state this year, 50.9 percent (4,228,832) went to the Republican incumbent Ted Cruz, while 48.3 percent (4,015,082) went to Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, with a difference 2.6 percent, or 213,750 votes. The race being that close had been unheard of in Texas in recent years. In the last senate race in Texas between Senator John Cornyn and challenger David Alameel in 2014, Alameel only received 34.4 percent of the vote, with a difference of 27.2 percent, or 1.2 million votes. While Texas voters flocked to the polls, the increased numbers in turnout are not exclusive to Texas. An estimat-
ed 113 million people cast their ballots this year, and comparing that number to the 2014 midterms where only 83.2 million people voted, we see a substantial increase in the turnout nationwide. Could this be the new normal in the age of President Trump? While Democrats did not get the “blue wave” they so desperately wanted to see, they were able to pick up a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives (220 over 196 as of Nov. 7), while the Republicans picked up a few seats in the Senate (51 over 46 as of Nov. 7). This has certainly been an interesting election. President Trump’s loss of the House could mean gridlock for the next two years of his presidency. This could make for an interesting ride into the 2020 presidential election. After the Democratic success in the midterm elections, it is safe to say two things: President Trump’s re-election in 2020 may not be as easy as once seemed, and Texas is no longer a reliable Republican stronghold.
Illustration by SALVADOR GUTIERREZ | The Ranger
Robert Taylor is set to leave AC By RAFAEL FLOREZ Staff Reporter
An Amarillo College police officer will be starting a new job soon after winning his bid for the role of the role of justice of the peace for Precinct II in the recent midterm elections. Republican Robert Taylor was able to box out opposing candidate, Claudia Griego, garnering 53 percent of the vote. Taylor was born in Wichita, Kansas, and moved to Amarillo in the 1960s. He graduated from Palo Duro High, then he went on to serve in the Army for four years. Later he attended Amarillo College and earned his degree in criminal justice. Taylor got his start in the Amarillo Police Department in the late 1970s. He has worked for the AC police department for 13 years. “Through my background in the military and 35 years of service I’ve had here in Amarillo, I’ve had the occasion to go on numerous calls, ones you don’t like to do,” Taylor said. These calls included homicides, traffic fatalities and officer-involved deaths. Taylor said he remembers responding to a double homicide and rape in 1980 when he was one of the first officers on the scene. He has worked in courts, jails,
Robert Taylor
set bonds and conducted evictions. Taylor has also shadowed judges in justice of peace courts. Describing himself as “the most qualified out of all the candidates.” Taylor has been a resident of Precinct II for 53 years, has 4500 hours of accident investigation training and is a master police officer licensed by the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement. Taylor said he decided to run for this position due to his concern that the former justice was abusing his position and spending too few hours in his office. Taylor will finish out the rest of the year at AC and be sworn in as justice of the peace in January 2019. In the meantime, he will be attending schools to help him learn more about his new role.
News
4 | The Ranger November 15, 2018
Sushi doubles as healthy option, art
Local sushi chefs discuss the art of sushi making By JANNY PHANNARAJ Staff Reporter
You go to a sushi restaurant; make an order and your food is out within a fifteen to twenty-minute time frame. Many of these chefs trained for years just to make these creations you can eat in the blink of an eye. Do we actually know about the time and effort it took to get that food on to your plate? Randy Vongphachanh, sushi chef at local eatery “Sushi House,” has been in the business for 25 years. He had his start in sushi at a young age in Florida and trained under his Japanese master, Yozo Nasui. Steve Young, chef and owner of “Young Sushi Rocks,” has been in the business for almost 38 years and is actually a cousin of Vongphachanh. He started in Florida studying the art under his sensei, Yamamoto Sang,
Young said. “Subtle flavors and interesting textures combine to create an enjoyable experience,” Nick Kellogg, a graphic design major said. “The bite-sized sections sushi comes in just make it that much easier to enjoy,” Kellogg added. Sushi takes years of hard work and practice. Young said he was patient because he knew he could become successful in this craft. “I didn’t want to work for anyone and I knew sushi could take me in that direction,” Young said. Both of them learned the technique of the knife and how to properly handle specific types of fish, Young said. Vo n g p h a c h a n h considers sushi a “super art.” “The fish must be high quality and the
work is very tedious, very precise.” he said. He also added it is a healthy food and promotes long life. “It takes a lot more work than it looks, it takes a skilled eye and hand. It is a beautiful food,” Young said.
A sushi dish from Sushi House, a restaurant in Amarillo. JANNY PHANNARAJ | The Ranger
Chef Randy Vongphachanh creating sushi at Sushi House.
JANNY PHANNARAJ | The Ranger
Food truck park parks downtown By SAVANNAH LINDVAY Staff Reporter
Located on 1001 South Lincoln St. is the Amarillo food truck park and farmers market that opened on July 30, 2018. The park is open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday, and 6:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The park is located close to the Amarillo baseball stadium that is set to open in April 2019. “Eventually when people get done watching baseball or something they can just come over here and get themselves a corn dog or a funnel cake,” Brian Horne, Boydston’s Fair Foods truck cook, said. Park operators say they hope to have multiple food trucks in it with diverse options for the customers. “They could bring in so many different varieties of food whether it be soup, Asian food, Mexican food, Italian food, Greek food, regular Americana food, just anything,” Joe Lindvay, Palo Duro Canyon plant
utility operator, said. Lindvay recently ate lunch at Boydston’s Fair Foods in the park and said he believes that the food is good quality at a good price. Horne said he believes that the park is in a good location because it is in an area of downtown where there are not many restaurants. “I mean downtown is getting really good and looking like a place where people want to go now so yeah I’d go,” Julie Bond, an education major, said. According to Horne, the specialty of the Boydston’s Fair Foods truck is their funnel cake. “The only thing I ever eat at the fair is funnel cake so yeah that’s a good idea,” Bond said. Lindvay said he believes that the park will serve as a great way for people to connect with one another. He also said he thinks the park will provide the people who go to it with nostalgic memories. “I think it’s a good way for people to get a break. To get things off their mind and be entertained,” Lindvay said.
News
The Ranger | 5 November 15, 2018
Smarter food choices Palace offers lunch improve overall health By DANI BARRAZA
By CARLY STEWART and SAMUEL GAULDING
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporters
Making healthy eating choices can be challenging. Some Amarillo College students say they believe eating healthy can be too expensive and controversy arises over which foods are the best. “The most important element to a healthy diet is unprocessed food. Buy things and cook them from scratch,” said Tim Cunningham, an Amarillo dietitian and local health-food storeowner. Processed foods may be convenient, but convenience can harm your health over time, Cunningham said. Many processed foods contain large amounts of sodium, fats and sugar, which are not healthy to be consuming on a daily basis. “Processed foods often contain nitrates, phosphates etc. in order to make foods look more attractive,” Cunningham said. “So for example, an unprocessed turkey, you can't slice it thin like they do in the grocery store, it falls apart, same thing with roasts, same thing with all meats. That's something that would be beneficial to avoid.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Cunningham said it is important to read labels and be aware of product ingredients. Debbie Hall, an Eat Rite sales floor representative, agreed and stressed the importance of choosing organic produce. “Organic produce is different from the produce you often find in the grocery store, because it’s raised in nutrient rich soils, and are not maintained by using any chemicals, so therefore there is more nutrients being put into your body,” she said. "If you can consume as little chemically altered foods as possible, it will significantly improve upon your health." Local businesses such as Eat Rite, Natural Grocers and various farmers markets and local growers offer healthy options, as do stores such as
Panhandle PBS series offers food, education Dinner series and video content highlight local growers, chefs By CARLY STEWART Staff Reporter
Panhandle PBS is cooking up television programs and online content highlighting growers and cooks from the Texas Panhandle. The video content will feature visits to area food producers and scenes from a series of fundraising dinners held this fall. These dinners, called Savor the Goods, benefit Panhandle PBS and help to support more events and opportunities for the community, Kevin Ball, CEO of PPBS, said. Each one of the dinners is held at a different venue and each featurs a local chef who presentes specialties sourced in the Texas Panhandle. The chefs have included Sam Blackburn, Rory Schepisi, Rocky Dunnam and Jessica Higgins. In addition to having the opportunity to enjoy unique food and drinks, guests are treated to cooking demonstrations. “We like to be creative and have people have a nice time out while teaching them something new about our area. It is a great community investment,” Ball said, adding that the series was started because Panhandle PBS’s mission is to tell the stories of the people in the area and to have as much local content as possible. “There are few other media organizations that tell in-depth stories like Panhandle PBS does,” Ball said. Footage is recorded at all the dinners, which are running monthly through November. PPBS videographers captured additional video content of growers and chefs, which will help tell the stories of the farming communities in the Panhandle and the chefs who prepare homegrown food. This video series will be called “The Goods.” It will be part of Panhandle PBS’s Thursday night lineup next fall and parts will be shared through the station’s social media outlets and online. “It turned into more than we could ever dream,” Corby Fails, PPBS development coordinator, said. “The people we’ve reached, the community of growers and farmers, the education.... it has elevated that scene across the board.” “People didn’t know how to access healthy homegrown produce and food in our area. With the farm-to-table movement across America, it was the right timing,” she said. The Savor the Goods dining events include chef-designed menus, thematic place settings and decor. The dinners began this summer and ran monthly through November. Video captured at the events will be featured online and on television next fall. Photos provided by Panhandle PBS
Polk Street Nutrition, which distributes Herbalife shakes and other food products. “We help with weight loss and weight gain and specific customers have lost hundreds of pounds from our shake diet,” McKenna Fry, manager of Polk Street Nutrition, said. “Shakes we offer have 24 grams of protein, less than 90 grams of sugar and no saturated fat,” Brad Siebel, a sales associate at Polk Street Nutrition, said. Maverick Evans, an AC psychology major, said he think students should try harder to eat healthy. “It’s important to eat healthier to improve the general quality of life in people. I believe eating healthy would result in a decline of unnecessary illnesses plaguing our society,” he said.
Amarillo College’s Palace Coffee is best known for its coffee, so many people aren’t aware that the campus coffee shop that opened in February 2018 serves food as well. The different food options include a chicken salad sandwich, a southwest salad or wrap, a grown-up grilled cheese, cinnamon rolls, muffins, kolaches, cookies and pumpkin bread. The pastries are made by a local bakery called Uptown Sweet Shoppe. Riley Griffith, a general studies major and Palace barista, said the grilled cheese sandwich is one of the most popular lunch items. “We make the ingredients for the food every morning, so it’s fresh for all of the guests,” he said. Prices for the lunch options range from $6.95 to $7.95. The pastries range from $1.50 to $3.25. “The pastries sell very well,” Krystal Burns, Palace owner, said. Lunch sales vary, according to Burns. “We find that we sell mores lunches toward the beginning of the week
versus the end,” she said. “I really like their food,” said Lesley Ingham, speech instructor and honors cocoordinator. “I like the simple menu. The chicken salad sandwich is delicious and it’s big enough that I can split it with someone,” she said. Stetson Smith, a mass media major, said he often gets something for breakfast at Palace. “I’ve had their blueberry muffins and scones and their cinnamon rolls. All their breakfast selections are good. It’s expensive, but it can be cheaper than getting food from a vending machine. I eat there any time that I’ve forgotten to eat breakfast at home,” he said. Greyson Smith, a nursing major, said that he does not think many students realize that Palace offers lunch options. “We could have more people come in, but I don’t think they know that we serve lunch,” he said. “I mostly drink the coffee, but have tried the muffins. They’re not bad.” AC’s Palace Coffee is open from 7 a.m. to 7p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays. They’re closed on the weekends.
News
6 | The Ranger November 15, 2018
COURTESY PHOTO
The Badgers lost all three games they played.
Badgers return defeated By RAFAEL FLORES Staff Reporter
LAUREN EBBEN | The Ranger
Students receive $10 food truck vouchers for signing up to promote Amarillo.
Free food, happy city By LAUREN EBBEN Staff Reporter
On Nov. 7, Hello Amarillo, a program that promotes positive conversation about Amarillo on social media, was on the Washington Street Campus to reach out to students. The event was sponsored by AC Student Media. Hello Amarillo uses digital ambassadors to promote Amarillo, according to Hope Stokes, the director of brand management for the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council. People can sign up for the program through one of their social media platforms. From there, the system will award points to the user
when he or she posts using #HelloAmarillo. The system keeps track of the points awarded. Those who post the most and have the most points at the end of the month get prizes. . “This program helps by organically spreading positivity about Amarillo," Stokes said. "When people see that someone has shared something, the hashtag and the program basically helps it to be in all in one place so that people can go back and see." Hello Amarillo also came to the campus with food trucks. As students signed up for the program, they were given a ticket they could use to get free food. “They’re helping us get food and it just kind of helps
us in a way. We don’t have to spend more money just to get another meal for lunch,” Karina Bustamante, a dental hygiene major, said. Josh Theriot, a chemistry major, agreed. “You get to see how one club’s effort can really provide for the whole community of the school,” he said. Hello Amarillo doesn’t just cater to college students. “Our goal is to get every area, every group, every type of person into the program," Stokes said. "Whether they’re younger, older, no matter your ethnicity, culture, whatever it is, we’re trying to get everyone. So we’re trying to hit every demographic we can,” she said. People can sign up for this program at helloamarillo.com.
Furry friends find scholarship funds By JANNY PHANNARAJ Staff Reporter
On Nov. 7, America Adame, training communications coordinator, and Will Ratliff, training communications specialist, came together and changed what was initially a United Way event into a way to raise money for the student scholarships. "Employees of Amarillo College were allowed to have their dog on campus from the time they came to work to when they leave, for a fee of $20," Adame said. “We also invited students to participate free of charge because we were not going to charge the students because we were raising money for them,” Adame said. Students weren’t allowed to take their dogs to class, but they were able to attend the dog parade. “We just grabbed some desserts, hence the name 'Desserts and Dogs.' We sold the desserts and water for a dollar a piece,” said Adame. All of the proceeds went to the Amarillo College Foundation.
Dogs visit the lobby of Byrd/Parcells Hall, receiving prizes and enjoing treats. Prizes were awarded for best looking and most well behaved dogs. Bone shaped cookies were available for the humans. JANNY PHANNARAJ | The Ranger
The Amarillo College Intramural Flag Football Team, The Badgers, competed in the NIRSA Regional Flag Football 7 on 7 Tournament at The University of Texas at Austin Nov. 9 - 11. This was the fourth consecutive year AC has participated. Trent Oneal, director of the AC Intramural Program, brought his smallest team ever of only eight total players. Although it seems like there could be a fatigue factor for the team due to limited substitution, Oneal said they had a key advantage. “Smaller teams are more cohesive, and there’s more focus on individuals,” he said. However, that was not the case this past weekend as the team lost all three games they played in the tournament with a mercy rule. Ryan Torres, a civil engineering major and
team captain, attributed the losses to lack of familiarity and preparation. “The other teams had chemistry, we didn’t,” Torres said. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s team was the third team the Badgers played. They had been playing together for almost three years and won the men’s division, outscoring all teams within the division with a 13833 combined point ratio. Oneal said that lack of preparation has been a common problem over the years when he has brought teams to play in the tournament. “It’s a lot of little things, I don’t think it was any one big thing,” he said. Oneal said he is confident that if they could play the teams again with a little more preparation, they could match them stride for stride. He reassured the team they would achieve greater success in next year’s tournament. “I swear to you guys, we will practice more,” he said.
Swiper, no swiping By LAUREN EBBEN Staff Reporter
On Nov. 8, the Amarillo College Police Department sent out an alert to students warning them to watch for skimmers or credit card readers on vending machines. This alert came after an incident with a skimmer occurred with one of the vending machines in the engineering building on the Washington Street Campus. According to Sgt. Adan Aleman of the AC Police Department, a student tried unsuccessfully to use his mother’s debit card on one of the vending machines on campus. Shortly after, the mother noticed an unusual purchase at a local business. The bank was able to turn the card off after this purchase. Another attempt to use the card was made, this time in Tennessee, and the mother contacted
campus police to alert them of the potential danger. “Amarillo College is no different from any other business, or any other place that you go. It’s going to have its crimes, and we just need to be aware of them. And that’s what we’re here for, to educate the students and makes sure they are aware that these devices are here on campus,” Aleman said. Campus police are now checking vending machines for these kind of device and encouraging students to alert the police if they see anything suspicious. “If it’s nothing, it’s nothing, but at least we go and check it out. It could be something, but if nobody calls us, nobody lets us know, then we can’t prevent crime. That is probably the biggest thing for us as a police department here is to prevent crime and to keep crime low so all our students are safe,” Aleman said.
Culture
The Ranger | 7 November 15, 2018
1998 movie connects with viewer through personal experinces REVIEW By JACOB MCGEE Staff Reporter
COURTESY PHOTO
‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ released
Sequel to video game is a beautiful mess
REVIEW By KRISTOFER FREDRICK Staff Reporter
“Red Dead Redemption” was released in May 2010. The game was a critical and commercial success, selling over 15 million copies as of 2017. So when “Red Dead Redemption 2” was announced in 2016, it had some big shoes to fill. What Rockstar Games has accomplished with “Red Dead Redemption 2’’ is nothing short of a technical marvel. In it’s first weekend, it generated over $725 million in revenue, setting the record for the largest opening weekend in the history of entertainment. The story and graphics combine to make something truly epic, but the detailed gameplay gets in the way of what would otherwise be a perfect video game. The year is 1899, the world of cowboys and gunslingers is beginning to fade away and your gang of outlaws is on the run after a robbery gone wrong. You are Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. After heading east through a snowstorm and setting up camp, you begin to help your gang rebuild.
Throughout the game you’re given many choices, some small that don’t affect your course, others that are big and have lasting consequences. Since the game begins in a blizzard, you don’t get to see how good the game looks. It’s a deliberate decision on the developer’s part as you’re meant to focus on the story at the start. Running rivers and streams are filled with fish or even alligators depending on the region. Sunlight shows through a character’s ear lobe. No game has ever looked this good or this detailed before. It all creates a believably realistic world. At first glance, the game plays like the first one. Once you’re out of the tutorial section of the game, that’s when you begin to learn how detailed the gameplay really gets. Your guns need to be cleaned. If you don’t, they might not fire straight, or they might not fire at all. You must eat to keep your stamina and health up. If you eat too much, those stats suffer. You can buy canned goods in towns or you can hunt for food. When you hunt, you must skin the animal and haul the body back to camp on your horse. If
you are too far from camp, the body could rot, and the meat won’t be any good. These are just some examples of the tedious tasks that keep the game from being fun. The gameplay is the source of the biggest differences between the original “Red Dead Redemption” and the sequel. Of course the graphics are better and the map is bigger, those are a given since the new game is on newer hardware. The detailed gameplay, cleaning your gun, skinning animals, eating, those are all optional in the original game. There’s no option to turn off these effects either and these weren’t in the original game. The only reason I continued to play the game was the beautiful graphics and the intriguing story. For the most part, the gameplay wasn’t fun. It was clunky, it was overly detailed to its own detriment, and it seemed to focus more on realism than just being a video game. I felt like I was forcing myself to play the game. Most reviews you’ll find shower the game with praise, but I think years from now people will look back at “Red Dead Redemption 2” as a beautiful mess.
When I was about 3 years old, my family was at the mall and as we were strolling our way through the masses, another little boy said, “Mama, what’s wrong with him?” As the boy’s mother tried to go the other way looking embarrassed and mortified, my mom said to the boy, “God made Jacob special. His legs don’t work so God gave him this wheelchair so he can get around like me and you.” The young mom said, “I’m so sorry.” My mother replied, “Babies only know honesty. And, that’s OK. Your son is not afraid of differences, as we all should be. He was curious and we welcome that.” The movie “Simon Birch” addresses the prejudice of most people toward others with physical differences. Even though Simon experienced prejudice and bias from his parents, classmates, teachers, preachers, Sunday school teachers and other adults; he never let it affect him or his attitude about living. It strengthened his faith and his understanding of God’s plan for him. The movie is a 1998 American comedy-drama film loosely based on “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving. It’s about a boy with dwarfism and his relationship with his best and only friend, Joe. The director did a remarkable job in projecting exactly how people react to those of us who are physically challenged. “Simon Birch” introduces
the audience to some of the hardships and challenges that Simon endures everyday. The movie establishes the exceptional relationship Simon has with Joe and the bond the two of them share. They experience joy and sorrow, laughter, peace, tragedy and healing. The director makes the audience feel Simon’s pain and frustration when the Sunday school teacher and preacher treat him with judgment and condemnation. I know how Simon feels because this something I deal with on a daily basis. I relate to Simon Birch. While I live in a different time, there are still those out there that treat people with disabilities in a demeaning manner. The thesis of this movie is that God made each one of us extraordinary and has special plans for each. The movie appeals to me not only because of the content, but also its message. The movie’s strengths come in the form of ethics and fairness and, in the end, justification. Its weakness is that it isn’t able to take the time to delve into the real cruelty of our population. I urge you to watch “Simon Birch.” It will stir up in you feelings that you didn’t know you had and give you a perspective of what it feels like to be ostracized because of a disability. This movie touches on so many issues that are still happening now, but in different forms. The message is still the same; don’t judge a book by its cover.
‘Stanning’ provides creative outlet for expression By SIERRA WILSON Staff Reporter
I admit it, I am a “Stan” and have been for many years. The term “Stan” originates from an Eminem song that describes a “Stan” as a crazy stalker fan. Recently, the term has evolved due to social media. In current slang, “Stan” means something not as serious as a stalker but more serious than a normal fan. I would say it’s a step up from liking a band, show or artist to fully involving yourself in the culture of liking that band, show or artist. “Staning” can create an outlet for people. Focusing on idols and creating content for them can be an escape from real life issues or health issues. Through social media like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube, fan bases can come together and create spaces to share about their favorite and collectively support that artist. I personally have participated in this type of internet culture for a while. Not only are you able to be in a space where you have common interests with other people who feel the same way about what you’re interested in, but you become part of a
group that also understands the devotion you have. I have been involved in bands with One Direction, 5SOS and more recently I’ve been involved with K-pop. There are multiple ways to be a part of this culture. On Twitter there are communities for your interests. You can have separate accounts for them as well. When you run a “Stan” account, you don’t have to participate in creating content for the fandom. I don’t make content and things for any of the people that I follow and I still have a great time interacting with everyone. You also can write, make gifs, etc. and share them within that community. Collecting merchandise related to your particular interest is fun. Trading and giveaways allow even greater communication between people in these communities. “Staning” has its good and bad days. When you get involved in it, you can really get sucked into all the drama that arises from all the hectic fan energy. There are good times as well as bad, but I recommend become a Stan. It’s not for everyone, but it can be important to some.
COURTESY PHOTO
Netflix series shines light on autism REVIEW
By TREVOR PYLE
Staff Reporter
At first glance, “Atypical,” a Netflix original series, would seem like your run of the mill television show. You have a show that at its core is just a show centered on a typical suburban family. What separates this show from the rest, is that its main character has autism. It seems like such a simple premise would lack the entertainment or shock that people watch television for, but that is not the case. The show revolves around two parents raising two kids. The oldest is the brother with autism and the youngest is a girl who is not affected. Raising the autistic boy presents numerous problems
for the family and proves to be a difficult experience for everyone. The whole aspect of this family working together to understand, learn from, and help Sam, the autistic boy, just seems to captivate me. This type of camaraderie makes for a heartfelt television show that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Sam’s outings in social life, whether it be school, work or outside activities always present a reason to watch the show. Sam is not like everyone else. He approaches every situation differently than the average person. The way he thinks is often straightforward and blunt, which in itself can present a type of shock factor to the show. It may leave you thinking, “I can’t
believe he just said that.” The show’s side characters are also just as interesting. Sam’s best friend and coworker Zahid from the electronics store he works at, is basically a comic relief for the show. Zahid is constantly giving Sam some peer-to-peer advice that’s generally bad. This bad advice that Sam typically follows is a really hilarious addition to the show that at times had me rolling with laughter. To me, the charismatic approach of this show works well. It has the ability to make you sad, get attached to lovable characters, laugh or get angry. “Atypical” is a show I highly recommend. The only problem with the show is that there isn’t enough of it and I’m sure that will soon be rectified.
8 | The Ranger November 15, 2018
Feature
Taco ’bout the best
By Austin Ashby – Staff Reporter
Amarillo College students are serious about their tacos. “Tacos present the perfect price to tastiness ratio,” said Kris Fredrick, a mass media major. Carter Hall, a general studies major agreed, saying, “I love tacos because it is a quick meal and it is not time-consuming to make. It is flavorful, and you can put anything in it.” Tacos provide endless variations, offering all sorts of fillings, hard or soft shells and even dessert and breakfast tacos. They are served in high end restaurants, fast food joints, out of food trucks and by street vendors. They are easy to make at home. Tacos can be held in your hand and eaten on the go. There are many options for quality tacos in the area. The only dilemma is choosing is where to go to satisfy your taco craving.
Photos by Salvador Gutierrez
WHERE DO YOU GET THE BEST TACOS?
“My mama’s house! (Poblano’s is pretty good too.)” –David Duenes, AC graduate
“One place, Yellow City Street Food. They have two vegan options! The tofu and the mushroom. That’s why I love them.” -Tamra Rocsko, nuclear medicine program coordinator
Taco Facts •The practice of putting food inside a tortilla goes back to the time of the Aztecs and Mayans, but that meal wasn’t called the taco until the late 19th century. •In the 1940s, the hard shell taco was born when Mexican restaurant owners began frying tortillas and bending them in a U-shape so they could make tacos ahead and serve them faster. •According to NationalTacoDay.com, Americans eat 4.5 billion tacos every year. •The first taco truck originated in New York in 1966. •Roughly translated, the word taco means “light lunch” but there are other translations too, such as “plug” or “wad.” •The biggest taco ever made was constructed Nov. 20, 2011, in Queretaro, Mexico. It was 246 feet long and was made with carnitas as the filling. •Taco Bell started as Bell’s Hamburgers and Hot Dogs in San Bernardino, California in 1950. Because the stand was located in a Hispanic neighborhood, the owner started selling crispy-hard-shell tacos at 19 cents each. •Oct. 4 is National Taco Day. •Ensenada, Mexico is said to be the birth place of the fish taco. •The world’s most expensive taco is served at the Grand Velas Las Cabos, located along Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Priced at $25,000 for two, it features a gold flake–infused soft corn tortilla filled with Kobe beef, lobster, black truffle Brie cheese and Almas Beluga caviar. Taco facts collected from the Smithsonian, the Robb Report, Borracha Mexican Cantina and Mobile Cuisine.
“Tacos Garcia, Los Gallitos down by the Boulevard.” -Mario Lopez, education